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Bryan Singer May Bring Forth an Excalibur Remake

BuzzSugar — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 11:30:07 -0700

Maybe it's because I'm not completely precious about the early-'80s movie, but for whatever reason, this is a remake I actually wouldn't mind seeing made with modern-day technology. Warner Brothers and director Bryan Singer are reportedly in talks to bring Camelot, Lancelot, and Guenevere back to the big screen in a remake of the 1981 film Excalibur. Here's more:

The [1981] movie told the well-known myth, in a gritty and dramatic fashion, of the young man who draws the sword Excalibur from a stone, is mentored by Merlin, establishes Camelot, loses his wife, Guenevere, to his best friend, Lancelot, and engages in the quest for the Holy Grail.

Singer's Excalibur will be a more epic and fantasy version compared with the more earthy Clive Owen-starring King Arthur movie released by Disney/Touchstone in 2004.

Mmm . . . I remember Clive Owen as Arthur . . . sigh. Anyway, I really like the story of King Arthur and the Knights of the Roundtable, so I'll be curious to see it come alive again on the big screen. I just wonder who should play these classic roles (all I can see in my head is Clive Owen now). Who would you cast in this remake?

Ryan Reynolds Nabs Green Lantern Role

BuzzSugar — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 05:45:52 -0700

Last week, it appeared to come down to three rather different guys as options for playing the Green Lantern in Warner Bros. upcoming big-budget, "full-blown space epic": Ryan Reynolds, Bradley Cooper and Justin Timberlake. Based on my poll, the majority of you thought Reynolds would be best for the role, and it turns out, the studio agrees. Ryan Reynolds will play Green Lantern.

Reynolds is still technically in negotiations, but "if the deal is completed, it would make Reynolds the only actor to have played heroes for both Marvel and DC." Earlier this Summer he starred as Marvel character Deadpool in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, a role he'll reprise when Deadpool gets his own full-length movie.

According to this latest news piece, another frontrunner for the role of Green Lantern was Jared Leto. Can you imagine? I can't. Yay for more blockbustin' Ryan Reynolds!

Will You Wait Two Extra Weeks to See Harry Potter in IMAX?

BuzzSugar — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:30:09 -0700

Don't freak out - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is still scheduled to open nationwide on July 14, but for two weeks the only option will be to see the movie on your normal movie screens (with the exception of two theaters: one in New York and one in Los Angeles). Starting July 29, the movie will be available on IMAX screens nationwide.

Why the delay? Apparently it's a result of "the decision by Warner Bros. to push Potter from its originally scheduled November 2008 opening. The new July opening overlaps with Imax's month-long window dedicated to Paramount's Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen." The delay has some analysts worried that ticket sales will suffer. But then again, the movie "contains 12 minutes of 3-D footage that moviegoers can experience only through IMAX," so there will probably be plenty of folks who go to the theaters twice: once on opening weekend and a second time to experience the movie in IMAX.

What do you think? Will you wait the two weeks for the IMAX experience? Or are you going to see Potter opening weekend no matter what?

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

Warner Bros. to Tell Tom and Jerry's "Origin Story" on Big Screen

BuzzSugar — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 12:30:35 -0800

The latest news about old cartoons getting a big screen makeover includes the Hanna-Barbera show Tom and Jerry, which Warner Bros. hopes to make "its own Alvin and the Chipmunks-like family franchise." Like the chipmunks, the cat and mouse will be CG characters who exist in a live-action world.

The plan is to "adapt the classic Hanna-Barbera property as an origin story that reveals how Tom and Jerry first meet and form their rivalry before getting lost in Chicago and reluctantly working together during an arduous journey home." Tom and Jerry join a couple other Warner Bros. cartoon-turned-movie projects currently in the works: Yogi Bear and Robert Rodriguez's The Jetsons.

You know, the Alvin and the Chipmunks movies make me a little sad, though I suppose it was only a matter of time before Tom and Jerry were yanked into the modern-day CG family film craze. Thoughts?

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Watchmen Release Date Ruling to Come Jan. 20

BuzzSugar — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 12:30:32 -0800

It's like the world is watching the Watchmen today with the arrival of a pretty juicy Japanese trailer for the movie (check it out after the jump) and the news that a ruling regarding the movie's release date will come on Jan. 20. Here's more:

In court papers filed Monday with U.S. District Judge Gary A. Feess, attorneys for Fox and Warner Bros. jointly said they would let the judge decide Jan. 20 whether Fox could block the film's theatrical distribution, now scheduled for March 6, as Fox has been seeking all along as part of its copyright infringement lawsuit against Warner Bros.

Fingers (and toes and eyes and anything else) crossed that the end result will be a March 6 release. For now, there's a new Japanese trailer online and it's pretty intriguing. There's more footage, and most notably we get a glimpse of the politically-themed parts of the story (we see Nixon and get a sense for the political atmosphere). Of course, it is in Japanese, but it's just as absorbing (if not more so) than any of the previous trailers. To check it out, read more.

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

Brad Pitt to Bring The Odyssey to the Big Screen

BuzzSugar — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 11:30:52 -0700

Remember The Odyssey? You may know this epic poem, in conjunction with The Iliad, from such places as English class. Well, Brad Pitt and Warner Bros. turned The Iliad into the 2004 movie Troy, and now they're drawing from Homer again to bring The Odyssey to the big screen - only this time it'll be set in the future. And in space. Variety has details:

Their intention is to transfer the tale to a futuristic setting in outer space.

Warner Bros. has quietly set up The Odyssey, and the early hope is that Pitt will star and [George] Miller will direct, with Pitt's Plan B producing.

Both Homer poems dealt with the Trojan War; The Odyssey focused on the exploits of Odysseus, who hatched the idea to build the Trojan Horse. The Odyssey deals with his long journey home after he declines to become a god.

Well, OK. This could be a cool and imaginative adaptation. At the moment, however, all I can envision is Troy set on the moon. Any Odyssey lovers out there? How does this project strike you?

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What Was Your Favorite WB Show?

BuzzSugar — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 16:30:17 -0700

The WB network, once home of greats like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Dawson's Creek, met its demise in 2006 when the CW was formed. But starting next month, the WB will be revived - this time as a website that will stream classic WB series and new content from producers including Josh Schwartz and McG.

It's not clear yet exactly which shows will end up on the site (I'm assuming the popular ones are a lock - but what about the short-lived ones like Grosse Point?) The site will also show series produced by Warner Bros. Television that aired on other networks, including Friends and The OC. I'm most excited about having Dawson's Creek and the other shows of my teen years at my fingertips any time I want.

That got me thinking: Which show from the heyday of the WB was your favorite?

Michael Clayton Gets a Theatrical Re-Release

BuzzSugar — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 15:30:50 -0800

Warner Bros. has announced today that the George Clooney drama Michael Clayton will get a re-release in approximately 1,000 North American theaters starting January 25. The film was originally released in October and didn't do too well at the box office - but this was before all the awards buzz started up. Apparently the movie has made "more than 100 critics' top-ten lists." It also nabbed four Golden Globe nominations and five BAFTA Awards nominations, among others.

Do you think you'll check out Michael Clayton in its second theatrical run? If you've already seen it, what did you think?

To check out the trailer for Michael Clayton, read more.

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

Soapbox: Warner Bros. Exec Needs to Stop Hating on Women

BuzzSugar — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 12:30:26 -0700

Anyone want to get nice and riled up to start the week? Good. Then check out this alleged statement from a Warner Bros. executive that the studio will no longer do movies with women in the lead. According to LA Weekly reporter Nikki Finke, production president Jeff Robinov made the statement after The Brave One and The Invasion didn't meet expectations at the box office.

So let me get this straight: The reason these movies "failed" at the box office (despite the fact that The Brave One actually won its opening weekend) had nothing to do with their screenplays or premises, the way they were marketed, their supporting players, or any one of the zillions of other decisions that go into creating, producing and releasing a movie. Nope, it was the chicks. I mean, really: What's an Oscar-winning actress like Jodie Foster or Nicole Kidman good for if she can't deliver a box office smash every time?

What really disturbs me about this statement is the notion that actresses are basically expendable - and the related idea that actors are the solution to every problem. Make Daniel Craig's character the lead in The Invasion, and you'd erase all the troubles with the weak, confusing message and not-scary-enough horror elements, right? Except, you know, not.

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros.

Clooney's Brand Nabs "Crisis"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 16:40:31 -0700

There's been a lot of cool George Clooney news recently, but this latest bit might be the most intriguing to me: Variety is reporting that Warner Bros has bought the rights to Our Brand is Crisis, a documentary about American political operatives working in Bolivia, for Clooney to produce - as well as potentially star in and direct. According to Variety, the movie is being re-envisioned as a dark comedy about "the dangers of exporting American democracy."

The "dark comedy" bit is curious, because the excellent 2005 documentary is anything but funny. It focuses on James Carville's political consulting firm as they travel to Bolivia to advise a candidate in the 2002 national election, using tactics - focus groups, catchy slogans - often employed in U.S. elections. Their candidate ultimately won by a narrow margin, but the country quickly descended into violent chaos with him in power, and he was forced to step down.

It's pretty dark as a drama, so I'm curious to see how they spin it into a black comedy. Still, the whole underdog-turned-victor-by-way-of-devious-American-political-tactics bit is a compelling story, and I'd love to see Clooney in the movie - either as the wayward candidate or the consultant who steps up to advise him. Has anyone else seen the documentary? If so, could you see it working as fiction?

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