Ridley Scott

Started by MacGuffin, July 08, 2003, 11:14:03 AM

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MacGuffin

Columbia caught 'Red'-handed
Ridley Scott, Steve Zaillian in talks for film
Source: Variety

Columbia Pictures has acquired rights to remake the U.K. miniseries "Red Riding," and is negotiating with Steve Zaillian to write the script and Ridley Scott to direct.

The project, based on four David Peace novels, will be distributed in the U.S. this fall by IFC. Studio bought rights to the mini and the novel series.

Scott will produce through his Scott Free banner, along with Zaillian, through his Film Rites banner, and Andrew Eaton of Revolutionary Films, which produced the mini. Garrett Bosch of Film Rites will be executive producer.

The miniseries is a study of power and police corruption framed around the investigation of the disappearance of several young girls. For the pic, the setting will be transferred from Britain to the U.S. The mini clocked in at more than five hours, so Zaillian and Scott have their work cut out for them to compress it into one film.

Zaillian last worked for Columbia on a rewrite of the Michael Lewis book "Moneyball" to star Brad Pitt that the studio was ready to put into production until Steven Soderbergh did his own rewrite that prompted the studio to halt the film days before it was skedded to begin production.

Scott and Zaillian previously collaborated on the films "American Gangster" and "Hannibal." Zaillian at present is adapting Par's drama "I Hear You Paint Houses" for Martin Scorsese.
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


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MacGuffin

Jolie Dresses Up Scott's "Gucci" Film
Source: Variety

Ridley Scott is in discussions with Angelina Jolie for the femme fatale role in "Gucci," a drama about murder and decadence in the Gucci fashion dynasty.

Fox 2000 is fashioning a 2010 start date for the film, and Scott is talking with Jolie to play Patrizia Gucci, who was sentenced to 29 years in jail for plotting the murder of her ex, Maurizio Gucci.

The drama is a priority for Fox 2000's Elizabeth Gabler and Carla Hacken, with Scott Free and Giannina Facio producing.

The studio is about to hire a scribe to rewrite the drama that recaptures the glamorous days of the Gucci family dynasty in the 1970s and 80s, when the family was selling $500 million in product annually. Squabbles hobbled the clan until Maurizio, the grandson of founder Guccio Gucci, came out on top of a power struggle to run the family business. Just when he was about to reestablish the brand name by debuting a line designed by newcomer--and now film director--Tom Ford, Maurizio was gunned down in front of his Milan apartment in 1995.

There are still moving pieces in the package--the script is still being developed and Scott needs to lock down an actor to play Maurizio. The director has approached his "Body of Lies" star Leonardo DiCaprio, but he is not attached at this point.

"Gucci" becomes the second big project at Fox 2000 for Jolie. The studio is developing the Patricia Cornwell novel series about medical examiner Dr. Kay Scarpetta for Jolie to play the lead role in a film produced by Mark Gordon and Geyer Kosinski. 

As for Jolie, she is likely to next star with Sam Worthington in "The Tourist," the Spyglass thriller that has Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck in line to direct. Pending a deal with the director, the hope is to begin production early next year.

Scott is in post-production with the Russell Crowe-Cate Blanchett-starrer "Robin Hood" for Universal Pictures and Imagine.
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


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Gold Trumpet

I was watching Black Hawk Down today. I couldn't help but notice how the majority of the film (in its effects, story, action) mainly resembled a video game. Only in a video game is the sincerest dedication to the turmoil of a soldier in how you display their fighting moments. I remember when Black Hawk Down was released, I thought the action was a new staple of realism for war, but at the time I didn't understand that this new realism was a vacuous hole for exploitation. Essentially, video games have adapted Black Hawk Down and revealed its qualities better.

socketlevel

can you give an example or two of the games you're thinking of.  i generally find games that try to look like realistic warfare fail in execution.
the one last hit that spent you...

Stefen

Probably Modern Warfare I and II.

I still like Black Hawk Down.
Falling in love is the greatest joy in life. Followed closely by sneaking into a gated community late at night and firing a gun into the air.

RegularKarate

The Alien Prequel has turned into an original film.  Crazy.

QuoteLos Angeles (January 14, 2011) __ Twentieth Century Fox announced today that Ridley Scott
will direct PROMETHEUS, an original science fiction epic, for worldwide release on March 9,
2012. The initial draft of the script was written by Jon Spaihts (The Darkest Hour) from Scott's
idea. Damon Lindelof (Lost, Star Trek) and Scott have since been working together on the
current version which has expanded the story into new directions.

Story details are being closely guarded so as not to spoil surprises for moviegoers, but Scott
explained the outlines of the film and its genesis as follows: "While Alien was indeed the
jumping off point for this project, out of the creative process evolved a new, grand mythology
and universe in which this original story takes place. The keen fan will recognize strands of
Alien's DNA, so to speak, but the ideas tackled in this film are unique, large and provocative. I
couldn't be more pleased to have found the singular tale I'd been searching for, and finally return
to this genre that's so close to my heart."

"In a world flooded with prequels, sequels and reboots," said Lindelof. "I was incredibly struck
by just how original Ridley's vision was for this movie. It's daring, visceral and hopefully, the
last thing anyone expects. When I sat in a movie theater as a kid, feet raised off the floor for fear
that something might grab my ankles, I never dreamed in my wildest imagination I would one
day get to collaborate with the man responsible for it. Working alongside him has been nothing
short of a dream come true."

Of the five major roles to be cast, Noomi Rapace is the first actor signed to star in the film. The
young Swedish actress landed the role of scientist Elizabeth Shaw after Scott saw her portrayal
of fictional Lisbeth Salander in the film The Girl With a Dragon Tattoo, for which she was
lauded by Time magazine as a 2010 Performance of the Year. Rapace starred in all three entries
of the breakout global franchise based on Stieg Larsson's Millennium trilogy of books (The Girl
Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest are the other two entries),
which have collectively grossed more than $212 million worldwide.

wilder

Ridley Scott To Follow 'Prometheus' With 'Blade Runner' Sequel
via The Playlist

We did not, in a million years, see this one coming. Ridley Scott seems to be getting nostalgic these days: despite having dozens of projects he wants to make, he's looking to his back-catalog for potential films. Next year will see "Prometheus," a sequel/prequel/sidequel/upquel/downquel to his sci-fi classic "Alien" (one that all involved claim is a separate entity to the horror franchise, but seems to have some kind of connection regardless), and now, the director has lined up a follow-up to perhaps his most beloved film: The 1982 future noir "Blade Runner."

The film, based on Philip K. Dick's novel "Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep," wasn't well-regarded on release, but has become widely seen as one of the classics of the sci-fi genre, and certainly competes with "Alien" for the title of Scott's magnum opus. Alcon Entertainment, producers of "The Blind Side," acquired the rights back in March, and were quoted as saying that, while they hadn't spoken to the original director, they were keen to, saying "We haven't met Ridley but the thought of re-engaging with his artistic vision is very exciting, and [him directing] is something we think would be wonderful."

And it looks like the company, based at Warner Bros, got their wish, as Deadline report that Scott has signed on to direct and produce another film in the "Blade Runner" universe, although it's unclear whether he's planning a sequel, a prequel, or, like "Prometheus," something else entirely. After "Cowboys & Aliens," Harrison Ford could certainly do with a return to one of his best-known roles, although anyone who's seen the Director's Cut of the original knows that there may be certain... limitations about that possibility. Also, Sean Young is still batshit crazy.

We've got mixed feelings about this: our general feeling about prequels/sequels isn't positive, particularly for a film that's so seminal, and has certain ambiguities that wouldn't necessarily be preserved by a follow-up. However, "Prometheus" is one of the more exciting prospects of 2012, and if Scott can take a similar approach—making a film in the same universe, without necessarily picking up Deckard's story—this could be hugely exciting. But that's all dependent on "Prometheus" working out, of course—if it's botched, our excitement about a "Blade Runner" sequel will drop considerably.

There's no writer on board yet, so this is likely a way off: we imagine Scott will make one of the four hundred other projects—films like "Red Riding," "Reykjavik" and good old "Monopoly"—he has on his dance card in between the release of "Prometheus" next year, and the script for this being ready. But we could be wrong. We'll be nervously watching "Prometheus" unroll on June 8th, 2012, by which time we're sure much more will be known about Scott's other sci-fi sequel. And from there? "G.I. Jane 2: Retaliation?" "A Better Year?" "1493: Revenge Of Paradise?"

MacGuffin

Ridley Scott In 'Exodus' Talks With Ben Kingsley, John Turturro, Sigourney Weaver, Aaron Paul
BY MIKE FLEMING JR | Deadline

BREAKING: 20th Century Fox and director Ridley Scott have set four more stars for Exodus, the Biblical epic that already has Christian Bale set to star as Moses and Joel Edgerton as the Egyptian pharoah Ramses II. Ben Kingsley is in talks to play a Hebrew scholar, John Turturro is set to play Seti, father of the Pharoah Ramses, Sigourney Weaver is set to play Ramses' mother Tuya, and Emmy-winning Breaking Bad star Aaron Paul is negotiating to play Joshua, the Hebrew slave who leads the people into the promised land after Moses.

The script is by Steve Zaillian, and Adam Cooper and Bill Collage were the first writers who sold the pitch to Chernin Entertainment, which is producing along with Scott Free. CAA and Independent Talent rep Kingsley, ICM Partners reps Turturro, UTA reps Weaver and UTA and Leverage rep Paul.
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


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MacGuffin

Prometheus sequel script ready to go, says Ridley Scott
Follow-up to much-hyped sci-fi blockbuster now finished, according to director of original film
Source: The Guardian

The screenplay for Ridley Scott's sequel to science fiction thriller Prometheus has been completed, the British film-maker has told Empire magazine.

Scott, 75, said the script by Jack Paglen was finished and described his return to science fiction on the 2012 film as a "great experience". "Prometheus 2 is written," he said. "I have already got the next two films ready to go. That will be 2014, 2015."

"I thought I'd left science-fiction for too long, that I had better climb back in. Prometheus was a great experience for me. Chasing number two, we can start evolving the grand idea."

Prometheus, which starred Noomi Rapace, Charlize Theron, Michael Fassbender and Idris Elba, centred on the human crew of a spaceship sent to investigate a distant planet where the answers to mankind's origins may lie hidden. The film, written by Lost's Damon Lindelof, is famous for answering almost none of the questions it initially posed and culminating with an open-ended finale which left plenty of room for a sequel. Complicating matters is the fact that the film exists within the same universe as Scott's classic 1979 space slasher flick Alien.

Paglen is the writer of the the upcoming sci-fi thriller Transcendence. Scott's next film is likely to be Moses tale Exodus, starring Christian Bale, Aaron Paul, Sigourney Weaver, Joel Edgerton and Ben Kingsley. His 2015 project could be either Prometheus 2 or (more likely) the previously announced The Forever War, yet another sci-fi project based on the 1974 Joe Halderon novel about a soldier who returns home from space to find his now-unrecognisable home planet has advanced many years into the future. Scott has also touted a big screen take on Aldous Huxley's classic dystopian novel Brave New World, though there has been little news about the project since 2008. He is still said to be planning a sequel to his iconic 1982 cold-hearted future vision, Blade Runner.

Michael Fassbender, who played android David in Prometheus, described the slow gestation process for the sequel as a positive thing. "You know, it takes time," he said. "I don't want them to rush it. I mean the reason that Pixar movies are so amazing is because they spend years throwing it out the window, re-jigging it, coming up with an idea, breaking it down, starting again, you know.

"So to make it correctly, I think it's actually very encouraging. Because a lot of the times they're like 'we made some money let's jump on the back of this. We wanna make more money again as soon as possible. [But] it's nice to actually have a little bit of time to develop it."
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


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MacGuffin

Ridley Scott To Direct Film About Deadly Effects Of Concussions In Football Players
BY MIKE FLEMING JR; Deadline
   
EXCLUSIVE: While Ridley Scott is taking on the massive Moses movie Exodus with Christian Bale and Joel Edgerton, he and producing partner Giannina Facio have been meeting with A-list writers for what he hopes will be the next film he directs. Scott wants to create a drama focusing on the debilitating effects that concussions are having on our sports heroes, and the role that league owners play in allowing it to happen. His plan is to create a morality tale on that issue, much the way that Michael Mann's The Insider took on the tobacco industry's complicity in covering up the addictive and cancer-causing effects of cigarette smoking.

It sounds like a most worthy project to me. Scott is a big fan of sports including rugby and football, but he is going to focus on pro football. He has been moved reading all that has been written on athletes including former NFL stars Junior Seau and Dave Duerson, both of whom committed suicide after suffering chronic traumatic encephalopathy, with each making sure to leave his brain intact so it could be studied in the hope the results would help their gridiron brethren who also are suffering.

John Mackey, arguably the greatest tight end in football history who became a brilliant president of the NFL Players Association, saw his mental faculties erode so badly because of dementia that he ended up in an assisted living facility before he died. Former Chicago Bears QB Jim McMahon suffers extreme memory loss, and that has grown more commonplace among players over the past two decades. This is not restricted to football: It happens in contact sports like soccer, rugby, hockey and boxing. Whether it's through evolution, better nutrition or substances like steroids and Human Growth Hormone, athletes are getting larger, stronger and faster.

Football is a worthy subject for Scott's camera. National Football League revenues have grown exorbitantly as has the value of television rights and franchises, and much has to do with showcasing the devastating collisions that take place all over the field. Players hit like freight trains, and until recently they hid injuries. The business of concussions has only recently been taken seriously because of lawsuits. Pro football is my favorite sport, and I can watch three games on a Sunday. But I must say it has become harder to enjoy, knowing that so many of the stars I grew up admiring are faring terribly in retirement after having put their bodies and brains on the line. The casualties are everywhere, and every helmet-to-helmet hit makes you cringe.

Scott likes to follow a big project with a smaller one, much the way he directed The Counselor after Prometheus. I hope he, Facio and whatever top scribe they hire find a handle on this in time for Scott to direct it after he completes Exodus. Scott's repped by WME.
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


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wilder

Ridley Scott Captivated By 'The Prisoner', Film Version Of Patrick McGoohan TV Series
via Deadline

Scott is in early negotiations on a deal to come aboard and direct The Prisoner, the screen version of the 1968 Patrick McGoohan British TV series. This has been a plum project at Universal for some time with numerous A-list scribes including Christopher McQuarrie writing drafts. The most recent version was by The Departed scribe William Monahan. The film is being produced by Bluegrass Films Scott Stuber and Dylan Clark. Scott's Scott Free team will likely become part of it as they get the script that makes the director happy. Numerous writers are circling to do that, and the elbowing by several top actors has also begun, now that word is getting around that Scott is coming aboard.

The Prisoner (known only as Number Six) is a former government agent who abruptly resigns from his job and finds himself imprisoned in an idyllic yet bizarre seaside village isolated from the world by the sea and mountains. He can't escape because he knows too much, but that doesn't stop others trying to capture him for his knowledge. What he wants is to keep them at bay and find his way to freedom.

Scott is prepping Alien: Covenant for Fox, which he'll shoot shortly, and he hasn't set a film after that. Covenant wraps up the storyline teased in 2012's Prometheus, the film that picked up the storyline he started with his groundbreaking Alien. Scott is repped by WME.

Jeremy Blackman

Guess what. Alien: Covenant is really good! Possibly the best Alien sequel since the first two. It begins with space travel porn (feels a bit like Interstellar) then blossoms into very satisfying space horror. Given Ridley Scott's recent filmography, I'm actually surprised how sharp the movie was.