LucasFilm is refusing to comment on this one so far, but THR reports that an “untitled, top-secret CGI-animated” film with a musical bent is in the works over at Skywalker Ranch, with George Lucas producing. The plot is secret, but one element currently known (or thought to be known) is faeries. Hopefully that’s more the ‘Oberon and Titania with murderous little Puck’ version of faerie, rather than the ’sparkly little girls with wings” type.
The musical will reportedly “feature music from a variety of sources,” which…doesn’t really tell us anything. So many comments come to mind about a Lucas-produced musical, but I’ll save them until we know more.
David Berenbaum (Elf, The Spiderwick Chronicles) is writing, but we don’t know if Lucas is behind the story. Kevin Munroe will direct. He’s finishing up the Dylan Dog adaptation Dead of Night right now, and made a few fans before that when he directed the 2007 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles CGI revamp. Lucas is currently finishing up Red Tails, the film he produced about the Tuskegee Airmen in World War II. Anthony Hemingway directed that one from a John Ridley screenplay based on a story by Lucas.
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.
Kevin Munroe (TMNT) will write and direct an adaptation of the Dark Horse comic El Zombo Fantasma for Death Ray Films and Maya Entertainment. Published in 2005, the film is being pitched as a “Latino Hellboy”. The story follows “the mysterious murder of the world’s most notorious Mexican wrestler who bargains his way out of an eternity of fiery damnation by returning to Los Angeles to play guardian angel to a troublesome teen, Belisa Montoya. He soon discovers that the teen is not what she seems and that their fates have been intertwined for centuries.” LatinoReview’s Kellvin Chavez and IESB’s Robert Santchez are among the film’s producers. It appears that Monroe will still produce Death Ray’s indie horror film War Monkeys, which he was originally attached to direct. You can read the full press release after the jump.
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Felix Ip, creative director of Imagi, has released a new logo and a few new concept art for Imagi’s computer animated big screen adaptation of Gatchaman.
TMNT director Kevin Munroe was originally attached to write and helm the project, however, he left the project to take on Dylan Dog. Scripted by Paul Dini (Lost, Batman: The Animated Series, Tiny Toon Adventures), the feature will focus on the formation of the Science Ninja Team and will have a slightly dark possibly PG-13 tone.
Set in a future world grappling with enviormental and technological issues, the story focuses on five reluctant heroes whose remarkable genetic code makes them Earth’s only hope of defeating extra-terrestrial invaders. Gatchaman was created in the 1970’s, airing as a Japanese television show called Science Ninja Team Gatchaman. It later aired in the U.S. as Battle of the Planets and G-Force.
Looks pretty damn cool if you ask me. Check out some of the previously released concept art after the jump.
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We haven’t yet received clarification regarding the apparent removal of Brandon Routh’s vampire role in The Informers, but Bloody Disgusting reports that the Superman Returns actor is a lock for the lead role in an adaptation of the supernatural comic book Dylan Dog. Director Kevin Munroe, who helmed the rather abysmal TMNT for Imagi, has apparently left the animation company and Weinstein Co.’s Gatchaman to envision a live-action feature based on this Italian comic. Dark Horse Comics brought an English version of the title to the States beginning in 1999.
First impression? The film, which begins shooting in July, might share some similarity with Constantine, in that the comic revolves around a loner paranormal investigator (zombies, Jack the Ripper-types, strange portals) who has an eccentric litany of personal troubles (hopeless romantic, former alcoholic, various phobias). Many of Dog’s cases turn up a human underbelly rather than spooky kookiness appropriate for Coast to Coast AM. This will mark the second time that Dylan Dog has made his way to the screen; he appeared in alter-ego form in the likable 1994 cult film Dellamorte Dellamore aka Cemetery Man starring Rupert Everett (who is said to have originally inspired the character’s look).
Personally, I’m a sucker for this kind of premise like I am for a raunchy road movie. And Routh deserves a cool rebound after scoring one of American cinema’s mega-star roles only to experience Singer’s epic vision hit its mark like a frog with one leg. On the other hand, Munroe still has something to prove. More on this project as it develops…
Discuss: First impressions of a Dylan Dog movie? Fans of the comics, chime in below. Â
I remember buying my first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle comic book as a young kid. This was before the old television show, the art was in black and white, and it wasn’t necessarily for children. I’ve grown up with this franchise through it’s many incarnations: the first cartoon series, the first movie and it’s subsequent sequels, the toys, the TMNT rock band (yes, they traveled the country in Turtle outfits) and of course the new cartoon series (I somehow missed the live-action television show).
TMNT is yet a new revisiting of the Turtle series. If you’ve never encountered the franchise before, you may be stuck wondering, “what’s going on.” The prologue doesn’t explain much of anything, but is long enough to make you wonder how bad the film is going to be. But fear not, after the first initial ten minutes, the movie picks up into an action and story packed storyline which will entertain fans of the series.
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TMNT director Kevin Munroe says a “very not-so-subtle” sequel set-up is included in the films ending. The director also says he would love to include Shredder in the sequel if it happens: “I do have a deal to do a second one, we’ll just wait and see if it happens. I think it’s going to depend, it’s just all box office at this point.”
We spent most of the weekend at WonderCon in San Francisco. We weren’t able to cover EVERYTHING, but luckily our friends did. Got check out Mel Valentin’s three day report over at the Movie-Vault (Day 1, Day 2, Day 3).
Spider-Man 3 star Kirsten Dunst in a tiny bikini on the beach. This isn’t exactly news, but I’m posting I’m posting it anyway.
Kate Hudson and Owen Wilson are FINALLY going public with their relationship. Snor.
Borat star Ken Davitian is the latest actor to join the Get Smart movie. He will play the evil assistant to Terrence Stamp’s character, the head of the nefarious organization known as KAOS.
