Remake Remake Fucking Remake

[MacGuffin]

Director Joanou swimming with 'Sharky' remake

Phil Joanou is attached to direct a remake of "Sharky's Machine," a 1981 movie that starred Burt Reynolds as a vice cop who hunts down a group of brutal bad guys.

Reynolds also directed the original movie, which was based on a novel by William Diehl. The remake is set up at Warner Bros., which is looking for a new writer to execute Joanou's vision. Three scribes have already offered their input.

Joanou, famed for directing many videos for U2 as well as the band's 1988 documentary "Rattle and Hum," is in post-production on "Gridiron Gang," a sports drama starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Joanou's credits include 1999's "Entropy" and 1996's "Heaven's Prisoners."

[Ravi]

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Near Dark Remake
Who's writing the redo?

TheHorrorChannel.com reports that a remake of director Kathryn Bigelow's 1987 vampire cult classic Near Dark is in the works. The site claims that it was revealed during this week's premiere party for Showtime's Masters of Horror that screenwriter Matt Venne has been tapped to pen the remake. David Bixler and Amy Kaufman are producing Near Dark for Rogue Pictures.

In addition to scripting White Noise 2: The Light, starring Nathan Fillion and Katee Sackhoff, Venne also wrote "Pelts," an episode of Masters of Horror directed by Dario Argento.

"Part of what I love about Near Dark is its combination of realism and poetry," Venne advised Fangoria. "The film is a gritty look at the life of this small group of people trekking through the Southwest—who also happen to be vampires. In combination with that realistic approach, though, there are images in the original film and in Eric Red and Kathryn Bigelow's screenplay that are absolutely beautiful. Completely dreamy and captivating. Pure poetry. It's an incredible project, and I'm honored to be writing it."

No word yet on who might helm the new Near Dark.

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JESUS CHRIST.

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Today's Remake: De Palma

I don't know if it's genius or pure insanity to direct a remake for your first feature, but that's what Douglas Buck is doing. After helming a couple of shorts, he rolled up to Hollywood and said "Hey man, gimme some De Palma." And the decidedly un-glamorous No Remorse Pictures said "Right on, brother! We'll produce that. Let's go to Canada!" Or, you know, something like that. What it comes down to is that Buck is directing a remake of Brian De Palma's 1973 film Sisters, a psychological horror movie about twin sisters. It's not universally loved at all, but the people who like it really, really like it, and are surely contorted with rage right now if this is the first they've heard of Buck's venture.

The film stars Stephen Rea as a shrink, Chloë Sevigny as a "nosey reporter" and French actress Lou Doillon, and is currently filming in Vancouver.

[©brad]

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'Earth' to Fraser for Jules Verne redo

Brendan Fraser has boarded "Journey to the Center of the Earth," a contemporary, 3-D update of the Jules Verne classic.

The story revolves around a scientist who is stuck with his nephew as they embark on a trip to Iceland to check on a volcanic sensor. During a storm, they get trapped in a cave and the only way out is through the center of Earth.

Shooting starts June 10 in Montreal. Eric Brevig directs. New Line will distribute the project for "Narnia" producer Walden Media.

Verne's book has been adapted for the screen many times, most notably in 1959 with James Mason starring in an Oscar-nominated epic for director Henry Levin.

Fraser, one of the stars of "Crash," next appears in "Journey to the End of the Night," which will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival next week. He recently wrapped the ensemble crime drama "The Air I Breathe" and the romantic comedy-drama "The Last Time."

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'Nerd' alert: Newman on Fox remake

Kyle Newman has signed on to direct Fox Atomic's "Revenge of the Nerds." McG and David Manpearl are producing the remake of the seminal teen comedy from 1984. The film reteams Newman with scribe Adam F. Goldberg, who is rewriting the latest "Nerds" incarnation. The pair worked together on Newman's upcoming "Fanboys," which will be distributed by the Weinstein Co.

[Ravi]

Fox Atomic can kiss my ass.

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Today's Remake: Clash of the Titans

Today we get an update on another remake of a really, really old movie -- the original was made way back in 1981. Warner Brothers announced their plans to remake the cult classic, Clash of the Titans, in 2002, when writers were hired to re-do the film. But either that script didn't happen or it's been discarded, because they've just signed relative newcomer Travis Beacham (he wrote a film that's in post-production, and another that's been announced, but nothing has yet been released) to do the job. According to Beacham, his version of the story will adhere to the same basic plot as the original, but in "darker" and "more realistic" ways.

More realistic?! Wouldn't that sort of ruin everything? People love Clash of the Titans because it's cheesy, and because the stop-motion effects, though great for the time, are so dated! Remaking it realistically totally misses the point -- who the hell wants to see the story told with fancy CGI and some good actor who's not Harry Hamlin?

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Red Sonja Rising
Big-screen return in the works.

Variety reports that the late Robert E. Howard's sword-and-sorcery literary icon Red Sonja is coming back to the silver screen.

Millennium Films and Emmett/Furla Films have acquired the film and ancillary rights to the character and intend on financing and producing the film.

Red Sonja was previously produced in 1985 for the screen with Brigitte Nielson and Arnold Schwarzenegger in the lead roles. Richard Fleischer directed it.

"The first movie was not a good one -- all the more reason to remake it. It is a great character and a great brand," Millennium Films' Joe Gatta told Variety.

The new Red Sonja movie is budgeted at $25 million.

In addition to appearing in the works of Robert E. Howard, Red Sonja has been published as a Marvel comic book. A new comic book version of the character is currently published by Dynamite Entertainment.

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Newman talks Revenge of the Nerds remake

"It's all new characters, it's only the spirit we're keeping. It's got a totally different modern spin on it."

That's writer/director Kyle Newman ("Fanboys") talking to IESB and Collider.com about his plans for the "Revenge of the Nerds" remake.

According to Newman the film won't feature the classic characters, Lewis and Gilbert, nor will it feature, even briefly, original leads Anthony Edwards and Robert Carradine.

From the beginning, Newman told the studio that he's not "making nerds, as like the guys with the pocket protectors, the idea of a nerd has evolved. Nerds are even cool now, so we have to look at it in a whole different way. So, is Booger going to be in the movie? No".

As for who will be in the movie, Newman says he'd like to cast some of the actors from his new movie, "Fanboys", as well as some "totally new faces".

Thankfully, it'll be set around the same fraternities – including, yes, Lambda Lambda Lambda.

They're going to shoot in the Summer.

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Del Toro & Cuaron Team on The Witches
Source: Variety May 18, 2006

Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth, Hellboy) is teaming with fellow Mexican helmer Alfonso Cuaron (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) on an English-language adaptation of Roald Dahl's 1973 book The Witches for Warner Bros.

Variety says del Toro is set to direct from his screenplay; Cuaron will produce through his New York-based company Esperanto.

James and the Giant Peach and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory were both based on Dahl stories.

Del Toro said his "Witches" adaptation would be "quite smaller but most likely very much designed," alluding to the eye-popping look of the previous films. He has written 70-plus of what he expects will be a 100-page screenplay.

British director Nicolas Roeg made a big screen adaptation of the book in 1989.

Del Toro has not determined the start of principal photography, but then, he has a lot of balls in the air.

Futuristic thriller Killing on Carnival Row is set up at New Line. A screenplay has been delivered, said del Toro, but with no budget nor cast, the project has still to be greenlit. Other major studios are reviewing Hellboy II, which was at Revolution Studios, as Sony has bowed out.

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Fingerprint nabs rights to Woo pic

CANNES -- Korea's Fingerprint Pictures has picked up remake rights to the coveted John Woo actioner "A Better Tomorrow." Fingerprint founder Park Hyung Jun had been in rights negotiations with Hong Kong-based Fortune Star Entertainment for more than three years.

"We are thrilled and honored to have acquired the rights to remake one of the most prestigious films in Hong Kong's history," Park said. "This remake represents a landmark cooperation between the film industries of Hong Kong and Korea, and we look very much forward to bringing this wonderful story to new audiences everywhere."

Fortune Star Entertainment general manager Peter Poon said: "We are especially excited about the prospect of bringing this incredible story back to a new generation of viewers in Asia as well as the rest of the world."

Fingerprint Pictures is aiming for the remake to go into production before December 2007 for a December 2008 delivery date.

There had been a buzz recently over remake rights to the film, with several companies claiming to be going into production. Fortune Star was forced to take out public notices to refute claims.

"Tomorrow" was written by Woo, Chan Hing-kar and Chan Suk-wa and created a new era of glamorized gangster movies in Hong Kong cinema in the late '80s. The film also catapulted Chow Yun-fat to celluloid stardom.

The film won awards for best film and best actor (Chow) at the sixth annual Hong Kong Film Awards in 1986 and for best picture, best director (Woo), best actor (Ti Lung), best cinematography (Horace Wong Wing Hang) and best sound recording at the 23rd annual Golden Horse Awards.

The story revolves around two brothers, one a repentant gangster who finds it difficult to turn over a new life and the other an eager young cop who is devastated by the discovery of his brother's past.

Fortune Star, a subsidiary if News Corp.'s Asian satellite broadcaster STAR, will come on board as executive producer, while distribution and sales will be handled jointly by Fortune Star and Fingerprint outside of Korea.

"I think we will make things happen. Fingerprint is definitely looking at doing more business with them," Fingerprint head of international business Benjamin Kim said.

The remake deal was negotiated and closed by assistant vp business affairs Thomas Mok, head of distribution May Yip and Esther Hau for Fortune Star Entertainment; and Park Hyung Jun, Kim and Kang Tae-Woo for Fingerprint Pictures.

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Hong Kong action star set to lead in Japanese classic remake

HONG KONG (AFP) - Hong Kong action star Donnie Yen is set to lead in the Hollywood remake of Japanese classic "The Seven Samurai", alongside George Clooney and Chinese starlet Zhang Ziyi, a film company said.

Yen met with Hollywood heavyweight Harvey Weinstein during Cannes film festival to discuss the remake of the 1954 action film directed by Japanese master Akira Kurosawa.

Weinstein has invited Yen to play one of the seven sword heroes in the film, according to Mandarin Films, which represents the actor.

"Donnie has met Harvey Weinstein in Cannes to discuss the project," a spokeswoman for Mandarin Films told AFP. "We don't know more details as it is still at an early stage."

She said Weinstein has also invited Clooney and Zhang to lead the film. It is not clear how much the project will cost.

Yen, 43-year-old actor, director and action choreographer, has starred in over 40 films, including "Blade II", "Seven Swords" and Zhang Yimou's "Hero".

The Seven Samurai tells a story of seven Samurai heroes' who battle with 40 bandits who try to control and constantly attack a small village.