The Latest in ShowBiz News

Lin Manuel Miranda takes ‘In the Heights’ to the big screen

2008/11/08 at 12:00am

Lin Manuel Miranda takes ‘In the Heights’ to the big screen

11.8.2008 | By Mack Chico |

Flush from the global returns of “Mamma Mia!,” Universal Pictures is tuning up another stage musical transformation. The studio has acquired rights to turn the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical “In the Heights” into a feature.

Lin-Manuel Miranda, who created the musical, wrote the lyrics and music and has played the starring role through its Off Broadway and Broadway runs, is expected to reprise his role in the film. Miranda will produce with Meryl Poster.

Quiara Alegria Hudes, who wrote the book for the show, will pen the screen adaptation.

The tuner takes place over three days in the upper Manhattan neighborhood of Washington Heights, where a bodega owner (played by Manuel) inherits his late grandmother’s lottery winnings and plans to shutter his store and retire on a beach in the Dominican Republic. Trying to say farewell to the characters who live on the block, he realizes that his neighbors are his real family, and he’s torn about leaving.

Original Broadway producers Kevin McCollum, Jeffrey Seller and Jill Furman will be executive producers of the film.

“In the Heights” launched Off Broadway in early 2007 and moved to Broadway, where it won four Tonys, including musical.

“It is a timeless Everyman story that has a universal appeal,” said Poster who, as an executive at Miramax Films, supervised and exec produced “Chicago.” “In the Heights” is the first feature she has set up under her first-look deal for TV and movie projects with NBC Universal.

U, which has watched “Mamma Mia!” become the highest-grossing musical in history with $558.8 million worldwide, now has another tuner on the boards. The studio and producer Marc Platt are also in the nascent stages of turning the Broadway hit “Wicked” into a feature.

Steven Spielberg and Will Smith to remake ‘Old Boy’

By Mack Chico

2008/11/07 at 12:00am

Movies

Steven Spielberg and Will Smith to remake ‘Old Boy’

11.7.2008 | By Mack Chico |

Steven Spielberg and Will Smith are in early discussions to collaborate on a remake of Chan Wook-park‘s “Oldboy.” DreamWorks is in the process of securing the remake rights, and the new pic will be distributed by Universal.

In the 2003 Korean original, a man gets kidnapped and held in a shabby cell for 15 years without explanation. Suddenly, he’s released and given money, a cell phone and clothes and is set on a path to discover who destroyed his life so he can take revenge.

Spielberg had been looking for an opportunity to make a film with Smith, who would play the kidnapped man if all the pieces fall into place. Spielberg is looking for a writer to begin the development process.

The film was originally set at U and then found its way to Mandate.

Spielberg is next expected to direct “Tintin.”

By Mack Chico

2008/11/06 at 12:00am

Movies

Antonio Banderas to play Salvador Dali?

11.6.2008 | By Mack Chico |

Antonio Banderas is in final negotiations to play Salvador Dali in the Simon West-helmed indie biopic “Dali.”

Media 8 Entertainment (“Monster”) is producing alongside West’s shingle, which has been developing the project since 2003, when West optioned the feature film rights to Jeremy Walters’ spec script for low- to mid-six figures.

Film will blend music with CGI sequences in an effort to capture the inventiveness and color of the painter. Story will explore how Dali conquered America and the world with sex, sin and surrealism only to succumb later to worldwide scandal and misfortune.

At least two other Dali biopics are in the works: Al Pacino is attached to play the artist in “Dali & I: The Surreal Story,” with Andrew Niccol directing; and “Twilight’s” Robert Pattinson stars as Dali in the upcoming “Little Ashes,” which chronicles the young life and loves of the painter as well as filmmaker Luis Bunuel and writer Federico Garcia Lorca.

West is producing “Dali” alongside Jib Polhemus (“Lara Croft: Tomb Raider”). Media 8 is handling worldwide sales, with pre-sales beginning this week at the American Film Market.

Media 8 has already sold the film in Eastern Europe to Revolutionary Releasing, which is comprised of some of the territory’s leading companies, including Monolith, Blitz, Bonton, Forum and MediaPro.

West added that the project will focus not only on Dali’s outrageous lifestyle but his lifelong love affair with Gala, his wife, muse and manipulative manager.

Shooting is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2009 in Spain and England. The film will be an international co-production.

Michael Crichton, author of Jurassic Park, is dead

By Mack Chico

2008/11/05 at 12:00am

Movies

Michael Crichton, author of Jurassic Park, is dead

11.5.2008 | By Mack Chico |

Prolific novelist and “ER” creator Michael Crichton has passed away. He was 66.

Perhaps best known for being the author of Jurassic Park and its sequel The Lost World, which were turned into a hugely successful movie franchise, his numerous books have sold over 150 million copies worldwide.

In what his family calls an unexpected death, it was revealed that he was waging a private battle against cancer.

“While the world knew him as a great storyteller that challenged our preconceived notions about the world around us — and entertained us all while doing so — his wife Sherri, daughter Taylor, family and friends knew Michael Crichton as a devoted husband, loving father and generous friend who inspired each of us to strive to see the wonders of our world through new eyes,” his family tells ET. “He did this with a wry sense of humor that those who were privileged to know him personally will never forget.”

By Mack Chico

2008/11/04 at 12:00am

DVD Reviews Reviews

Get Smart

11.4.2008 | By Mack Chico |

Rating: 3.5

Rated: PG-13 for some rude humor, action violence and language.
Release Date: 2008-06-20
Starring: Tom J. Astle, Matt Ember
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country:USA
Official Website: www.getsmartmovie.com

Go to our film page

Get Smart is delightfully silly and at times very funny. The characters are likeable and feel connected to their TV counterparts. And, although Mel Brooks and Buck Henry (creators of the original) are not directly involved, the filmmakers have crafted something that both men would likely agree is in the spirit of what they shepherded to the small screen.

Steve Carell’s portrayal of Max is just about perfect for the material. He doesn’t try to ape Don Adams – that would have been a mistake – but there’s enough of the late actor in the performance that the original Max hasn’t been obfuscated. Carell delivers many of Max’s signature lines (“Would you believe…?”, “Missed it by THIS much”) with similar inflections. When it comes to re-interpreting a well-established character from the past, Carell is far more successful than Steve Martin’s hatchet job in the remake of The Pink Panther. There’s a little of Barbara Feldon in Anne Hathaway’s Agent 99, although her outfits and attitudes are more modern. If there’s a downside to the casting of Carell and Hathaway, it’s that there’s not much romantic chemistry between them (although they’re fine as spy buddies). Then again, Adams and Feldon had the leisure of over 100 episodes to develop what Carell and Hathaway have to convey in less than two hours. Get Smart has its share of cameos. Bernie Koppell (the original Sigfried) has a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it appearance. James Caan (who appeared in two Get Smart episodes) is the President. Bill Murray lives in a tree. And several other Saturday Night Live veterans show their faces.

The plot doesn’t make a lot of sense – it has to do with KAOS getting its hands on nuclear weapons. As with the series, however, this is just a skeleton to be fleshed out by gags and physical comedy. While the original Get Smart was a fairly direct satire of the James Bond series, this movie version is more an updating of the TV series than a lampoon of spy movies. That sort of thing was done to death by Austin Powers and its sequels. One of the supporting thugs (Dalip Singh), however, appears to have been modeled after The Spy Who Loved Me‘s Jaws.

If Get Smart faces a hurdle, it could be that viewers are tiring of these TV-to-movie transitions (perhaps because so many have been so bad), and Get Smart lacks the cachet of some of its contemporaries. It is not widely available on DVD (only as an entire series box set from Time Life) and thus has not re-entered the popular culture of the 2000s the way so many older TV shows have. This is one instance, however, when a TV series-based movie rewards nostalgia without demanding it. Get Smart is funny enough in its own right to attract younger viewers while paying homage to its 40-year old predecessor. Director Peter Segal, whose resume includes several Adam Sandler movies, shows an understanding of what made people laugh in the context of the original Get Smart and applies that knowledge to this contemporary setting. Along with his actors, screenwriters, and the rest of the crew, he has made an enjoyable mid-summer night’s comedy. Would you believe that?

‘Quantum of Solace’ – 8 best clips of the film!

By Mack Chico

2008/11/04 at 12:00am

Movies

‘Quantum of Solace’ – 8 best clips of the film!

11.4.2008 | By Mack Chico |

We’re just 10 days away from the US release of ‘Quantum of Solace’ and we already have 8 scenes from the film. This is a great sneak peak for you guys to judge whether it’s any good. We think it’s gonna make a killing at the BO, perhaps do better that Casino Royale’s $167 million domestically.

Here’s a synopsis of the film to get you more… acquainted.

Quantum of Solace continues the high octane adventures of James Bond in Casino Royale. Betrayed by Vesper, the woman he loved, 007 fights the urge to make his latest mission personal. Pursuing his determination to uncover the truth, Bond and M interrogate Mr White who reveals the organisation which blackmailed Vesper is far more complex and dangerous than anyone had imagined. Forensic intelligence links an MI6 traitor to a bank account in Haiti where a case of mistaken identity introduces Bond to the beautiful but feisty Camille, a woman who has her own vendetta. Camille leads Bond straight to Dominic Greene, a ruthless business man and major force within the mysterious organisation, Quantum. On a mission that leads him to Austria, Italy and South America, Bond discovers that Greene, conspiring to take total control of one of the worlds most important natural resources, is forging a deal with the exiled General Medrano.

Michelle Rodriguez films in the Dominican Republic

By Mack Chico

2008/11/03 at 12:00am

Movies

Michelle Rodriguez films in the Dominican Republic

11.3.2008 | By Mack Chico |

Notorious Hollywood actress Michelle Rodríguez goes back to her Dominican and Puerto Rican roots to film ‘Tropicos de Sangre’ (Tropical Blood) in the Dominican Republic. The story, based on the true story, revolves around the death of the three Mirabal sisters. Filming begins in November, in different localities of the country. Rodríguez is immersed in merengue classes, spanish dictionin preparation for the role.

“When I got the offer to be a part of this project, I thrusted myself in it 100% and saw it as a great challenge in my career”.

“Understanding the importance that this story marked in the history of the Dominican’s democracy and the world is important to me”, Rodríguez added. Together with Juan De Láncer, the director of the movie, Michelle has been visiting the the locations where it will be filmed. Some of the other stars are César Evora as Antonio de la Maza and Juan Fernandez as Rafael Leónidas Trujillo, both stand-out local actors.

By Mack Chico

2008/11/03 at 12:00am

Movies

Tom Ford as a film director?

11.3.2008 | By Mack Chico |

Fashion designer Tom Ford is getting the cast in place for his long-awaited move into movies.

Colin Firth, Julianne Moore and Matthew Goode are set to star in “A Single Man,” Ford’s adaptation of a Christopher Isherwood novel.

Published in 1964, the novel centers on a gay man who, after the sudden death of his partner, is determined to persist in his usual routine, which is seen in the span of a single, ordinary day in southern California.

Firth is the gay man, an Englishman and professor who feels like an outsider in Los Angeles. Goode is the boyfriend who dies in a car accident and appears in flashbacks. Moore plays a friend of the professor.

Ford, who was recently ranked 12th in a list of the 49 men who most influenced the way other men thought, behaved and shopped, adapted the screenplay for the independently financed project with David Scearce.

Ford rose to the top of the fashion world with a 10-year run at Gucci, a period that turned around the fortunes of the Italian fashion house owned by France’s PPR (PRTP.PA: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz).

He stepped down in 2004 following a failure to agree contract terms and in 2005 set up his own design line with up-market stores now in New York and Milan and planned for over a dozen locations including London, Los Angeles, and Dubai.

One of Ford’s well-advertised customer is Daniel Craig who wears Tom Ford outfits in the new James Bond movie “Quantum of Solace.”

After leaving Gucci, Ford also signed on with Creative Artists Agency with the aim to slide into the director’s chair.

Firth was last seen in “Mamma Mia!” and Moore in “Blindness.” Goode plays Ozymandias in next year’s “Watchmen.”

‘High School Musical 3’ frights up a consecutive #1!

By Pau Brunet

2008/11/03 at 12:00am

Movies

‘High School Musical 3’ frights up a consecutive #1!

11.3.2008 | By Pau Brunet |

Halloween weekend started out with a true fright at the box office, as people were spooked away from all the movies in the multiplex and presumably hearty holdovers suffered huge declines. But as the trick-or-treaters came in from the chilly night and their candy comas set in, High School Musical 3: Senior Year rebounded to win its second straight weekend, and Zack and Miri Make a Porno and Clint Eastwood’s Changeling also fared well enough. The Haunting of Molly Hartley, however, scared up little business.

In the end, some familiar films dominated the top of the chart. HSM3 banked $15 mil, according to Sunday’s estimates. Despite dropping 64 percent from its winning opening, the tween musical’s 10-day sum now stands at $61.8 mil. Still, it should be gone by next weekend, when Madagascar 2 hits theaters. Also hanging on despite heavy losses was Saw V (No. 3), which brought in $10.1 mil — a heart stopping 66 percent drop from its big bow a week ago.

But among new movies, Kevin Smith’s Zack and Miri Make a Porno (No. 2) fared best, grossing $10.7 mil on the weekend. While not very impressive, that total is on par with the $10.1 mil that the lowbrow auteur’s previous release, Clerks II, made in its first frame more than two years ago, and, actually, it’s Smith’s second-best bow ever (after Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back‘s $11 mil debut). Not ditto for star Seth Rogen, who has grown accustomed to $20 mil-plus premieres lately (like Pineapple Express‘ $23.2 mil, Superbad‘s $33.1 mil, and Knocked Up‘s $30.7 mil), although at least he avoids the embarrassment of a true flop.

Buoyed by a sweet A- CinemaScore review from a substantially older audience, Changeling (No. 4) capitalized on being the only grown-up film in the marketplace by bringing in $9.4 mil, a sum that’s more than double the $3.9 mil that star Angelina Jolie’s last drama, 2007’s A Mighty Heart, earned on its first weekend. And, hey, with the second-, third-, and fourth-place movies all banking nearly the same number of bucks, Changeling could conceivably move up in the weekend rankings when the final numbers come out on Monday.

Rounding out the top five was The Haunting of Molly Hartley, with a weak $6 mil take. Boo, indeed!

Overall, the cumulative box office was down more than 36 percent from the same frame a year ago, when Halloween fell on a less financially intrusive Wednesday and American Gangster and Bee Movie led the way. And now it’s time for me to buzz off.

#	TITLE	%	Gross	Theaters	Avg.	Cume	Dist.	Bdgt.
1	High School Musical 3	-56%	$18’5M	3’635	$5’090	$61’4M	Disney	$11M
2	Zack & Miri Make a Porno	–	$10’2M	2’750	$3’820	$10’2M	Weinstein	$25M
3	Saw V	-58%	$10’1M	3’086	$3’265	$48M	Lionsgate	$10’8M
4	Changeling	–	$9’4M	1’870	$5’080	$10M	Universal	–
5	The Haunting of Molley Hartley	–	$5’9M	2’630	$2’240	$5’8M	Freestyle	$5M
6	Beverly Hills Chihuahua	-34%	$4’7M	3’008	$1’580	$84M	Disney	–

By Mack Chico

2008/10/31 at 12:00am

Reviews

Zack and Miri Make a Porno

10.31.2008 | By Mack Chico |

Rated: R on appeal for strong crude sexual content including dialogue, graphic nudity and pervasive language.
Release Date: 2008-10-31
Starring: Kevin Smith
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country: USA
Official Website: http://zackandmiri.com/

Go to our film page