Fantastic Sets Sail Again
Get ready for another Fantastic voyage. 20th Century Fox has confirmed, after months of speculation, that it would bring its summer box office hit Fantastic Four back for a second installment, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Well, it’s about time. Honestly, I was losing sleep waiting from them to come to a decision. The film’s superhero quartet–Ioan Gruffudd (Mr. Incredible), Jessica Alba (Invisible Girl), Chris Evans (The Human Torch) and Michael Chiklis (The Thing)–will all be back, but Julian McMahon, who played villain Victor Von Doom, will not. Who needs him? They’ll just get another bad guy anyway. Director Tim Story and scribe Mark Frost have signed on for the sequel, as well, and are aiming for a July 4, 2007 release. The first installment made the smart move not to go head-to-head with War of the Worlds over this past Fourth of July weekend and grossed more than $154 million domestically despite scathing reviews. But it looks like the second Fantastic isn’t going to get off so easy, with Spider-Man 3 set to open the same weekend. Hmm, wonder who’ll win?
Leo Gets Grass Stains on His Knees
The very environmentally conscious Leonardo DiCaprio is producing, co-writing and narrating a documentary about global warming called 11th Hour. Now that doesn’t sound too ominous or anything! The feature-length docu will explore the detrimental effects of global warming, a condition caused by mankind’s unending mission to destroy anything green on this planet. But the film also offers hope, offering solutions for restoring the planet’s ecosystems. “Global warming is not only the No. 1 environmental challenge we face today, but one of the most important issues facing all of humanity,” DiCaprio, 31, said in a statement. It’s always nice to see someone with clout try to help solve serious global issues. It’s not going to work, of course, but it’s still an admirable attempt.
Gibson Does the Holocaust
Mel Gibson and his production company have signed on for an ABC movie set against the backdrop of the Holocaust. Gibson‘s Con Artist Prods., along with Jaffe/Braunstein Prods. and producer Daniel Sladek, are developing the telepic Flory, which is based on the real-life love story of a Dutch Jew named Flory Van Beek and the non-Jewish boyfriend who sheltered her from the Nazis. Gibson will probably have very little involvement in the project but even his mere association will surely raise eyebrows as it wasn’t too long ago that Gibson’s detractors labeled his controversial film The Passion of the Christ as anti-Semitic. ABC longform president Quinn Taylor knows there’ll be some flack–and he’s already got his reply ready. “I would tell them to shut up and wait to see the movie, and then judge,” Taylor told Daily Variety. “I’m not about to rewrite history (with the movie). I’m going to explore an amazing love story that we can all learn from and, hopefully, be inspired by. People are going to say what they’re going to say.” Meanwhile, Gibson is currently off in Mexico shooting his latest film, Apocalypto, about an ancient Aztec tribe that’s being shot entirely in the tribe’s native tongue. Oh, Mel, you just have to make it more difficult for yourself, don’t you?
The Rock’s New Girl
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is in negotiations to star in the Disney family comedy Daddy’s Girl. The story follows a football player who learns he has a daughter and follows his journey to become a father. Poor Dwayne. The former wrestler-turned-actor started out strong playing The Scorpion King, but he hasn’t had an easy go of it lately, what with back-to-back flops Doom and Walking Tall. And I’m sorry to say, Daddy’s Girl doesn’t sound like it’s going put him back on top. Still, there might be some hope for him yet. He’s also starring in the upcoming futuristic thriller Southland Tales with Seann William Scott and Sarah Michelle Gellar, and the football drama The Gridiron Gang, with rapper-turned-actor Xzibit.
Brody, Theroux and Ferrell Get New Gigs
Oscar winner Adrien Brody, Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle baddie Justin Theroux and Will Ferrell are all swirling around new projects, according to Entertainment Weekly. Looking to catch a rose in his teeth, Brody is set to wear a sequined jacket and become the legendary bullfighter Manuel Rodriguez Sanchez, aka Manoiete, starring alongside the lovely Penelope Cruz. Theroux, also known for a memorable appearance in David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive, is making his directorial debut with Dedication, a romantic comedy starring Billy Crudup and Mandy Moore set in the children’s book publishing world. And finally, the ever-busy Ferrell is in talks to co-star with Napoleon Dynamite’s Jon Heder as former figure skating rivals forced to pair (and Lycra) up as a team in the Olympics. OK, out the three, that’s the one I’m most looking forward to.
Smith Eyes Dogma Sequel
Director Kevin Smith may be secretly working on plans for a sequel to his quirky religious film Dogma–and wants Alanis Morissette to reprise her role as God. The outspoken Smith posted on his website blog, explaining his inspiration to revisit his 1999 movie–which starred Ben Affleck and Matt Damon as two archangels trying to bring about the end of the world. He writes, “Back when I made Dogma, I always maintained that another movie about religion wouldn’t be forthcoming, as Dogma was the product of 28 years of religious and spiritual meditation, and I’d kinda shot my wad on the subject. Now? I think I might have more to say. And, yes, the Last Scion would be at the epicenter [sic] of it. And she’d have to be played by Alanis. And we’d need a bigger budget–because the entire third act would be the Apocalypse. The scary thing is this: the film would have to touch on Islam, and… when those cats don’t like what you do, they issue a death warrant on yer [sic] a*s.” Be careful, Kevin!
Blige to Play Jazz Singer
R&B singer Mary J. Blige is attached to make her feature starring debut in a movie about jazz chanteuse Nina Simone. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the MTV Films/Paramount Pictures project will chronicle Simone’s ascent to stardom and her relationship with Paris-based manager Clifton Henderson. Simone, known as the high priestess of soul, rose to fame in the ’60s with signature jazz ballads and such powerful protest songs as “Mississippi Goddam” and “To Be Young, Gifted, and Black,” an anthem of the civil rights movement. In 1974, the singer went into exile, eventually ending up in Paris, where she died in 2003. We know the girl can sing, but now we’ll see if Blige has the flair for the dramatics.
Until next week…
