War Of The Worlds

[mogwai]

sky news

MOST EXPENSIVE FILM EVER

A remake of The War of the Worlds is reportedly set to become Hollywood's most expensive blockbuster.

The budget for the new movie will exceed the £110m it took to make Titanic, according to The Sun.

Steven Spielberg will direct the film version of the classic HG Wells story about alien invaders and Tom Cruise will play the lead role.

However, neither will be paid any money up front.

Both have chosen to take a 20% share of box office takings instead.

"No expense will be spared," an insider told the newspaper. "Spielberg wants to make it the film of the decade."

A radio version of the story caused panic in America in 1938 when listeners became convinced that Earth was being invaded by Martians.

[Fernando]

I'd think that a film like this would require a lot of preproduction, and if the starting date of filming is set in november that is less than three months, of course this film has been in talks for some time now, but it was supposedly to be after MI3 and the Olimpics project, anyway, hope they pull it off.

What do you guys think?

[Alethia]

i'm getting very excited

[A Matter Of Chance]

Me too. I have faith in Speilberg...

[Pubrick]

I'd think that a film like this would require a lot of preproduction, and if the starting date of filming is set in november that is less than three months, of course this film has been in talks for some time now, but it was supposedly to be after MI3 and the Olimpics project, anyway, hope they pull it off.

What do you guys think?

the talent is there. the story, i'm not so sure of.

i was never paying attention to interviews/news when spielberg planned to make his other "Movies of the Decade", so i don't know if he has always approached them like this. if he hasn't, then i wonder if he is just pushing himself to a big failure, he's obviously trying to go for 4-decade run with Jaws, ET, and Jurassic Park, what's next.. the same in 2015? the man's a factory.

if it's gonna succeed he's gotta put sumthing more human into it than his rips from current edgy talent (cruise notwithstanding).

[Derek]

I hope the story is something more imaginative than Independence Day. I hope Cruise doesn't play some military hero who hops in his jet and shoots down UFOs.

Top Gun 2: The War of the Worlds

[MacGuffin]

I hope the story is something more imaginative than Independence Day.

Read the H.G. Wells book, listen to the Orson Welles reading that scared the country or watch the 1953 classic film and you'll see the story is not thin as "ID4".

[rustinglass]

Is it set the same as the book, that is early 20th century? In England?

[Pubrick]

the Orson Welles reading that scared the country

it's funny that everyone keeps mentioning that. i've always thought the story of everyone freaking out was meant as a reference at how paranoid everyone was at the time that they were all behaving like children, but the way it is mentioned such as mac did just now it seems that it's meant as like a testament of how scary it is?

its an embarrassing thing, like u don't hear the germans going "heh heh, remember when we were duped by those nazis? that was really impressive."

[mutinyco]

Heil Welles...

[MacGuffin]

Fanning adds 'Worlds' to her resume

Dakota Fanning has closed a deal to join Tom Cruise in Steven Spielberg's "War of the Worlds," a DreamWorks-Paramount Pictures co-production. The deal continues a streak of projects for the actress. She is prepping for her role opposite Kurt Russell in DreamWorks' "Dreamer" for helmer John Gatins, and she is attached to play Alice in live action adaptations of "Alice in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking Glass," which Les Bohem is scripting for DreamWorks. Even though the young actress has already worked with Robert De Niro, Denzel Washington and Sean Penn, "War" marks Fanning's highest-profile gig, since it will team her with both Spielberg and Cruise. She acted in the Spielberg-created Sci-Fi Channel series "Taken" but did not meet the Oscar-winning helmer during that shoot.

Is it set the same as the book, that is early 20th century? In England?

From Entertainment Weekly:

EW: You said that the film will be a modern-day version of the book, but what other changes will you be making? The Martians in Wells' book are evil and ugly, not Spielberg's usual gentle, bug-eyed ETs.

Tom Cruise: When you see Steven's movies, there's always humanity. But it's going to be exciting, it's going to be really scary, and it's going to be exciting to maintain the tone of H.G. Wells' [1898 book]. There guys are coming to dominate Earth. But I can't get too much into it because [screenwriter] David Koepp has already done a rewrite and Steven has been working on it and things are going to change. We're just in the dream stage. We haven't even cast it yet.

EW: Are you scouting locations?

Tom Cruise: It will be set in the U.S., but we're not sure of exact locations yet.

[MacGuffin]

Cruise Could Make $360 Million from 'War of the Worlds'

Movie superstar Tom Cruise has become the highest earning actor in Hollywood history after signing a deal that could earn him a staggering $360 million for his role in War Of The Worlds. Rather than agree a set fee for his part in the Steven Spielberg-directed epic, Cruise will earn 10 per cent of the film's box office takings plus a share of profits from DVDs, video games and toys. Experts predict the film - based on HG Wells' classic novel about a Martian attack - could make $1.8 billion at the cinema alone, of which Cruise's share would be an incredible $180 million. And, if he stars in the two planned sequels, Cruise's earnings will double at least. A Hollywood source says, "No expense will be spared. Spielberg wants to make it the film of the decade - the one that everyone talks about and rushes to see."

[Alethia]

uh, the amount of attention they have focused just on dollar signs - i hope they have at least twice that on the actual movie itself..

[MacGuffin]

Robbins, Otto Invade Par's 'War'
Source: Hollywood Reporter

Tim Robbins and Miranda Otto are headed for "War of the Worlds."

Robbins is in negotiations to play astronomer Ogilvy in the Steven Spielberg-directed big-screen adaptation of H.G. Wells' classic novel, while Otto would play the wife of the main character, to be played by Tom Cruise . Dakota Fanning is set to appear as their daughter.

Paramount Pictures put the project on the fast track in August -- with just 10 weeks of preproduction in order to meet a mid-November start date -- and the cast has been coming together quickly.

DreamWorks and Paramount are co-financing "War of the Worlds," a contemporary adaptation of the 1898 novel, which is one of the best-known alien-invasion stories.

[MacGuffin]

Chatwin eyes Par/D'Works 'War' remake

Newcomer Justin Chatwin is in negotiations for a coveted role opposite Tom Cruise in Steven Spielberg's "War of the Worlds," an adaptation of H.G. Wells' classic novel for Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks. Chatwin beat out several young actors for the part, which casts him as the son of Tom Cruise's character. Their strained relationship is a significant plot point in the film, sources said, though the script has been closely guarded. Dakota Fanning is on board to play the daughter in the family, and Tim Robbins and Miranda Otto recently signed on for parts. DreamWorks and Paramount are co-financing "War," a contemporary adaptation of the 1898 novel. C/W Prods.' Paula Wagner and Kathleen Kennedy are producing from a script by David Koepp.