Archive for the ‘Universal Pictures’ Category
Say What!? Universal Pictures just cut a deal to bring that most awesome of ’70’s shows Sigmund and the Sea Monsters to the big screen. Dana Gould of The Simpsons fame will be writing and producing.
“Sigmund” originally ran on NBC from 1973-75, and the show was a staple in reruns on local TV stations for the rest of the decade. After the sea monster is booted from his home by his nasty brothers for being too nice, Sigmund is befriended by two friends who stash him in their clubhouse.
As a wee lad, I remember going down to the basement, turning on the B&W (that’s black and white for you young’uns) and being mesmerized, and a bit frightened by the freaky monsters on the screen. I haven’t seen anything about the Land of the Lost film with Will Farrell, but I’m hoping it is done seriously. If Universal takes Sigmund seriously, it could be E.T., but with sea monsters instead of aliens.
I really thought we’d see a H.R. Pufnstuff movie before Sigmund and the Sea Monsters…oh, wait, Sony is developing that right now.
Boom! Studios has announced it is teaming with Universal Pictures and Producer Marc Platt to turn Steven Grant’s graphic novel 2 Guns into a motion picture. Company founds Andrew Cowsby and Ross Richie will also produce through the company’s Boom! Entertainment banner.
2 GUNS was created and written by Steven Grant, a veteran comic book scribe well known for developing Marvel Comics’ THE PUNISHER into a franchise character. Story follows two thieves targeting a mob bank – unknown to either, they’re both undercover agents. They pull off their heist, only to find out they’ve stolen cash from a CIA black bag operation, not the mob, and are now in over their heads. Project is targeted to be a throwback to classic 80s buddy movies in the vein of LETHAL WEAPON and 48 HOURS, but with a modern spin. Grant is well known to comic book fans for his online Comic Book Resources column Permanent Damage as well as his work on the Dark Horse Comics character “X” and the Marvel series X-MAN.
If you want to find out what all the hub-bub is about, Boom! is posting a page a day from the 2 Guns comic on the company website.
Radical Publishing has been getting a lot of play this week; the small publisher has announced its five-issue Hercules: Thracian Wars series is being turned into a feature film for Universal Pictures. Today it was announced, Hancock’s Peter Berg will produce and direct the adaptation with Ryan Condal writing.
This announcement is really interesting as there are already two other movie studios producing Clash of the Titans-esqe movies set to debut within months of each other. With the addition of Hercules, we could be seeing a release slate similar to the Alexander/Troy movie battle a few years ago.
That massive fire that broke out this morning on the back lot of the Universal Studios ended up destroying quite a few things – among them a huge King Kong exhibit and the courthouse square used in the Back to the Future movies was destroyed.
The blaze began around 4:45 a.m. PT (7:45 a.m. ET) Sunday. Two “prop” buildings, a chapel, and a popular ride called the “Cyclone” were among the damaged structures, according to Los Angeles County Fire Capt. Frank Reynoso.
The Universal Studios Theme Park did open at noon today, and those expecting to see the MTV Movie Awards can rest assured that the “awards” show will go on.
The Oni Press titles Resurrection has been options by Universal Pictures to be turned into a feature film, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
“Resurrection” begins where most other alien invasion movies end, centering on a group of survivors trying to take back control of the planet after an apocalyptic invasion.
This is the third title from Oni Press that has been optioned in recent months, and points to Hollywood’s continued interest in comic titles and properties.
Somehow I missed this story from Friday, but Dark Horse Comics and Universal Pictures have signed a three year production and distribution agreement.
Under the terms of the deal, Universal would have creative access to all Dark Horse characters and properties, as well as any material that Dark Horse might acquire on its own and want to develop as a motion picture. In addition, Dark Horse would have the opportunity to distribute movies through Universal.
Currently Hellboy II: The Golden Army will be released through Universal Pictures on July 11, 2008.
Mike Richardson, founder and President of Dark Horse said in a prepared statement, “We’ve worked with many studios and have had several great experiences, but we are particularly happy to be joining forces with Universal Pictures in this deal. We feel a real connection with their vision and the energy and creativity they bring to developing our properties. We are also excited by the option that we’ll have to independently produce our own material and distribute it through Universal; their flexibility in this collaboration is what we were looking for, and we’re glad we found it.”
With the exception of the Aliens, Predator, Terminator, and Star Wars titles Dark Horse publishes, which wouldn’t be included in the deal, titles like The Goon, Abe Sapien, and possibly Umbrella Academy could be on the silver screen in the future.
Looks like Tim Blake Nelson will be playing Samuel Sterns (aka The Leader) in the upcoming The Incredible Hulk movie. If Nelson’s face looks familiar, he was one of the convicts in “Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?”, and appeared in Syriana.
Sterns is one of the Hulk’s major antagonists, a menial worker in a chemical research plant who is bombarded with gamma radiation. He emerges from his accident not only green-skinned but also superintelligent, with an oversized brain.
Shooting begins August 7 and the movie is expected to be in theaters June 13, 2008.
James McAvoy has been signed on to star in the Universal Pictures adaptation of Top Cow’s Wanted. The story follows a put-upon young man who discovers that his long-lost father is an assassin. After his dad is murdered, the son is recruited into a covert organization of killers and trained to follow in his father’s footsteps.
via Hollywood Reporter (link)
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