Public Enemies - What Did You Think?
Yet another rusty nail has been driven into my hopes and dreams the coffin of a potential Brian Singer Superman Returns sequel. Talking to Omelete during a Scott Pilgrim set visit, Brandon Routh has admitted that his multi-movie contract with Warners Superman franchise has lapsed. Their original story is in Portuguese, but my IT-abetted attempt at a translation will follow after the break… with a little bonus ‘good news’ about Routh’s upcoming picture Dead of Night.
The latest photos on Edgar Wright’s photoblog show the in-film merchandising for the band The Clash at Demonhead from Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.
First Look: Brandon Routh and Sam Huntington in Dead of Night
Posted on Wednesday, May 6th, 2009 by Brendon Connelly
Fresh back to their news-minting computers from a two day trip to New Orleans and the set of Dead of Night, Shock Till You Drop have posted the first image of Brandon Routh as the film’s hero, Dylan Dog. I’ve excerpted it above, but real fans will want to see his shirt collar (for reasons that may become clear as you read on). Over at Movieweb, meanwhile, they have the first picture of Sam Huntington as Marcus, Dylan’s undead sidekick who I don’t recall from the few reads I ever managed to steal of the original books when I was working in a comics shop.
For those not up on the euro-comics, Dylan is the eponymous lead of Tiziani Sclavi’s horror comics. He’s a kind of horror detective, often referred to as a nightmare investigator, and he’s always running into ghouls and ghosts and hairy, gory, goopy things. In the comic he lives in London but for the film he’s been relocated. Indeed, the first line of the screenplay reads “The unmistakable skyline of New York City”.
Casting is finally starting to come together on the Dylan Dog live-action adaptation Dead of Night. Brandon Routh has been attached to the project for a while now, and just recently it was revealed that Sam Huntington would be playing Groucho, Dylan Dog’s sidekick. Shock has just learned that Taye Diggs will be playing the main villain of the film, the leader of a group of vampires. TMNT director Kevin Munroe will be making his live-action feature debut with the adaptation.
Based on the Italian comic book which was first published in 1986, and later brought to the United States by Dark Horse Comics, the film tells the story of a penniless nightmare investigator who specializes in the supernatural and wears a trademark red shirt, black jacket, and blue jeans. Dark Horse has released seven English volumes of the comic, and a new 680 page volume is being planned to tie in with the film.
First Look: Aubrey Plaza and The Bands of Scott Pilgrim
Posted on Thursday, March 12th, 2009 by Peter Sciretta
You might not know who Aubrey Plaza is right now, but you will soon enough. The Upright Citizen’s Brigade comic was featured in the Sundance comedy hit Mystery Team and has co-starring roles in Judd Apatow’s Funny People and Edgar Wright’s Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. Speaking of which, it has been quite a while since we last posted an update on the comic book adaptation. Today, Wright posted the first photo of Plaza (seen above), who plays Julie Powers, the obnoxious on-off-on-again girlfriend of Stephen Stills, the lead singer and guitarist of Scott’s band, Sex Bob-omb, and Stacey Pilgrim’s (Anna Kendrick) coffee shop co-worker. And guess what? You can see the first photo of the band rehearsing after the jump, as well as a photo from and their rivals — The Clash At Demonhead.
Does This Photo Prove that Jason Schwartzman is in Scott Pilgrim?
Posted on Wednesday, February 18th, 2009 by Peter Sciretta
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World was included in Jason Schwartzman’s upcoming screen credits buried somewhere in a Variety article last week. The film mention was quickly removed from the website with no correction notice included. Rumor had it that Schwartzman might be playing the ultimate 7th evil boyfriend, Gideon Gordon Graves in the film. While others believe that it was just an error on the Hollywood tradepaper’s part. But today director Edgar Wright released this mysterious photo on his myspace blog of one of the cast members holding up a question mark (which is sorta shaped like the number 7).
Update: /Film reader Craig M confirms that “Jason Schwartzman was spotted in Toronto yesterday with Michael Cera, so I think it’s a pretty reasonable to assume he is in the movie. The film is being shot here and I believe the cast is meeting up for script read throughs.”
Discuss: Who is that behind the blinds? Is that the previously unannounced Jason Schwartzmen? Or is it the confirmed supporting cast member Brandon Routh (Superman Returns), who plays the third Evil Ex, a rocker with vegan psychic powers? Looks like Schwartzman to me. Larger photo after the jump. Leave your guesses in the comments below.
Full Character Line-Up Revealed For Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe
Posted on Thursday, September 11th, 2008 by Hunter Stephenson
It’s not exactly movie news, but we like it…enough to pummel naysayers on Xbox Live. The full character line-up was revealed today for the upcoming Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe. Even though it’s rated Teen, the blood-letting and sadistic nuance seen in last month’s Joker Fatality would have fooled us.
Mortal Kombat Contenders
Baraka, Jax, Kano, Kitana, Liu Kang, Raiden, Scorpion, Shang Tsung, Shao Khan, Sonya, Sub Zero
DC Contenders
Batman, Catwoman, Darkseid, Deathstroke, Flash, Green Lantern, Joker, Lex Luthor, Shazam, Superman, Wonderwoman
Source Link: Kotaku via XB360A
Discuss: Who wins? Also, Brandon Routh’s anticipation versus your own.
Brandon Routh Dismisses Justice League, Man of Steel Shooting in Early 2009?
Posted on Thursday, April 24th, 2008 by Peter Sciretta
If it was up to Superman Returns title star Brandon Routh, Warner Bros would have kept the Justice League movie in a jar for a few more years. Routh, who admits that he was never approached by the studio to be part of the now defunct JLA feature film tells Collider that the timing was off.
“I think we’ve been doing a great job representing Superman and Batman and there is definitely a time and place for the Justice League movie. I kinda think that now isn’t that time.”
As for the question everyone is asking, when will Superman fly again?
“I trust that we’ll be shooting Man of Steel early next year.”
Brandon Routh’s new movie Lie to Me will premiere at the Newport Beach Film Festival on April 26th.
Bret Easton Ellis Adaptation The Informers Loses Entire Vampire Sub-Plot with Brandon Routh?
Posted on Thursday, March 27th, 2008 by Hunter Stephenson
Compared to most authors, onetime New York it-boy Bret Easton Ellis’s works have had a pretty good translation record at the cinema. American Psycho, The Rules of Attraction and Less Than Zero were all pretty faithful, quality adaptations that kept Ellis’s sensational penchant for drugs, kinky sex and sociopathic detachment intact. A tall order these days. Next in line is this fall’s The Informers. Not only did Ellis co-write the screenplay for his 1995 interlocked collection of twisted tales set in the ’80s, but the film easily has the coolest cast of any Ellis flick: Mickey Rourke, Kim Basinger, Winona Ryder, Billy Bob Thornton, Pineapple Express‘ Amber Heard and Brad Renfro’s last theatrical role.
Well, now it seems that the key element that made The Informers stand out from its darkly hedonistic pack, a good dose of the supernatural, including a vampire storyline starring Superman Returns‘ Brandon Routh as the book’s main vampire, Jamie, has either been “exorcised” or dumped altogether. Odd. Actor John Graham, who has a rather large role as the son to Thornton’s Hollywood exec, expressed dissonance about the film’s seemingly last minute change to IGN…
“There are no more vampires. They took the vampires out. There are no zombies or monsters either,” he announces. “This is more about the narcissistic side of people’s characters. God knows why they took the vampire characters out. I can’t say if I was pleased or displeased, that is just the way it is.”
Sounds as if Routh is no longer in the film, eh? If so, that’s a pretty big blow for him, as it would have given the All-American actor a dose of indie cred. There’s speculation that Ellis himself made the decision to ditch the fanged murderers from the film version due to criticism the book’s subplot received originally. Ho-hum. Fans will be bummed. Has to be more to it than that though, right? Perhaps director Gregor Jordan (Buffalo Soldiers, Ned Kelly) wasn’t digging the footage? If anyone has a contact or, cough, informant on this film, let us know.
Ellis is really starting to dive into Hollywood, with an adaptation of his batshit semi-autobiographical Lunar Park due in 2009, along with The Frog King, another writer-obsessed flick starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt that he wrote an original screenplay for. Also kicking around is Roger Avary’s third (yes, third) adaptation Glamorama, which would follow The Rules of Attraction and its obscure, never released, mysterious spin-off film Glitterati starring Kip Pardue.
Discuss: Any Informers fans pissed? We haven’t heard much from this flick as of yet, but how many of you anticipate it? Who’s seen Glitterati? What’s the best Ellis movie?Â
Bryan Singer and Brandon Routh Off Superman Sequel?
Posted on Thursday, January 3rd, 2008 by Peter Sciretta
A sequel to Superman Returns has been in limbo since the beginning. Warner Bros was unhappy with how the film performed, and fans were unhappy with the lack of action and unnecessary out-of-canon third act plot twist. But director Bryan Singer showed up at Comic Con expressing his desire to make a sequel that would give the fans what they wanted. Warner later announced that Superman: Man of Steel was given the official go-ahead, and a June 2009 release date was touted. Then Singer got distracted by the Tom Cruise WWII film, and a Justice League movie appeared seemingly out of nowhere.
Variety’s Anne Thompson wrote a blog post last week which I quickly dismissed as an opinion piece. But I’ve since been told that the comments were more fact based than opinion. So here are Anne’s comments about the current state of the Superman sequel, Justice League and third Batman film:
“Speaking of DC Comics pics, it is highly unlikely that Bryan Singer will return to shoot the next Superman movie. (The director is finishing up Tom Cruise’s Nazi film Valkyrie, and prepping The Mayor of Castro Street). The next Superman we will see on the big screen will not be Brandon Routh, but a younger Superman among a cast of youthful superheroes in The Justice League. That movie will likely not be shot, however, until after the WGA strike is resolved. Warners is so happy with Dark Knight that their fondest hope is that Nolan will return to do another Batman.”
Warner appears to want to do a total reboot with the DC comic line-up, aside from their successful Batman franchise. So it sounds to me like Routh might also be out as Superman (ie read: MY SPECULATION, not Anne’s), which is a shame considering he didn’t do a bad job. Plus, why bring Singer’s extra baggage on for Justice and the sequel? It’s bad enough that they’ll have two Batmans to market.
And while I love Singer, and wish he would return for Man of Steel, I must admit it’s a smart move by the Warner execs to cast a new Superman for Justice League. They’re planning for a franchise. They want a young star who can take on a trilogy or two.
But Warner Bros doesn’t understand is that fans don’t want the teen titans. They don’t want more-cartoony. But this appears to be the direction they are heading towards. I’m convinced that fans want dark and edgy, real but tounge firmly in cheek, action packed but with a dramatic backbone. Why can’t the studios look back at how the former comic book movie franchises fell, and see that this is the wrong move to make? Maybe because while most everyone I’ve talked to hated Spider-Man 3, it is still the 12th highest grossing film of all time. And with statisics like that floating around, executives are likely to believe that fans want things like multiple villains and corny dance sequences in Jazz clubs.
And it’s a shame because I think Singer could have made an incredible Superman sequel if he was given the space. But that film, we might never ever see.
Superman Screenwriters Not Returning for Sequel
Posted on Sunday, October 21st, 2007 by Peter Sciretta
Superman Returns screenwriters Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris have opted not to come back and pen a sequel, according to Variety. What does this mean about the future of Superman? Will Bryan Singer soon depart from the project? The duo also worked with Singer on X2: X-Men United, and Trick ‘r Treat (which Brian produced). I wouldn’t be surprised to hear later this week/month that Singer has also left the project. The writing already seems to be on the walls.
Warner Bros is now taking story pitches for Man of Steel. This is very interesting since it was always assumed that script, or at least treatment had been laid out. Months before going into production on Valkyrie, Singer’s camp had made some public comments about how well the preproduction on a Man of Steel was going. But now things have dramatically changed. I wonder if the studio was unhappy with Dougherty and Harris’ take on Man of Steel? They clearly were not happy with Superman Returns. A lot of fans were unhappy with Singer’s film, primarily due to it’s lack of action, casting decisions and the Superkid storyline.
Many people around Hollywood believe that the studio would like to “start fresh with a new take on the Man of Steel, as if the previous pic never happened.” Some rumors claim that the studio is interesting in replacing Returns star Brandon Routh and pulling a reboot/remake, much like Universal are doing with The Incredible Hulk.
Update: Comic Book writer Mark Millar has announced that he will pitch for the Superman sequel.
I think this is a huge mistake. If one thing Superman Returns was good for, it was as a set-up for future films. I do agree with many fans that the “superkid” storyline should have never happened. But I believe clever storytelling could not only fix this, but could propell the series in a wonderful new direction. One problem I’ve always had with Superman is that he is invincible and unstoppable. If Superkid were to suffer a fatal injury (how? that isn’t for me to decide) early into Man of Steel, this could set up a new more vulnerable Superman and a story of revenge.
But Warner Bros is denying reboot plans despite the Hollywood rumors, and the studio insists that Brandon Routh will likely return as the Man of Steel.
So let’s hear your pitch! If you were going to write the Superman Sequel, what would happen?
Billy Bob Thorton (Sling Blade) and Kim Basinger (LA Confidential) have signed on to join Brandon Routh (Superman Returns), Austin Nichols (John from Cincinnati), Ashley Olsen (Full House), Jon Foster (Terminator 3) and Lou Pucci (Thumbsucker) in the big screen adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’ The Informers. Sounds like a pretty well rounded cast, but what is Ashley Olsen doing out in the sun?
I love Bret Easton Ellis. You might not know who he is, but you’ve probably seen a movie based off one of his books: American Psycho, Less Than Zero, and Roger Avary’s drastically underrated adaptation of The Rules of Attraction.
Gregor Jordan (Buffalo Soldiers) is directing the movie based a screenplay Nicholas Jarecki wrote with Ellis.
The Informers was first published in 1995, a collection of loosely connected short stories captures a week in Los Angeles in 1983. The stories feature movie executives, rock stars, a vampire and as Ellis’ other works, various “morally challenged characters in adventures laced with sex, drugs and violence.”
