So we can cover as many films as possible, we thought we’d give you these quick updates on some of today’s smaller film announcements…
Mrs. Tom Cruise is being allowed out again, with the news that Katie Holmes is going to replace Live Tyler in the upcoming comedy, The Romantics. The movie was delayed from a summer shoot and will won’t start filming now until next week, which led to Tyler having to be replaced. The film will also star the previously announced Anna Paquin, Josh Duhamel, Malin Akerman, Elijah Wood, Adam Brody and Jeremy Strong. It’s the tale of eight friends from college who reunite for a wedding, with Holmes playing the maid of honour to Paquin’s bride, who has a past with the groom (Duhamel). (Source: Variety)
Paramount has bought the rights to the script Jitters, by Marc Haimes. Although there’s no news on what the story will be about, it’s said to be in the same vein as Gremlins. Haimes is a former Dreamworks executive who left his job to become a screenwriter, but certainly seems to be good at using his connections to sell his scripts, as this is the second screenplay he’s sold in the last few months (the other being Elevator Men), and he’s also writing a draft of the time-travel adventure, Family History. (Source: Variety)
UK production outfit, Black & Blue Films, has acquired the rights to remake the 1971 cult horror movie, The Asphyx. The Matthew McGuchan directed remake will star Alison Doody (Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade) in the tale of a group of scientists trying to capture the soul as it leaves the body so they can isolate it and cheat death. While the original was set in the Victorian era, the remake will bring things into the modern day. The movie is due to start filming next summer. (Source: Screen International)
New production company, Vigilante Entertainment, is kick-starting its operations by developing an adaptation of Warren Ellis’ comic book series, Black Summmer, with Rye Pearson (Knowing) set to write the screenplay. The comics are about superhero team called Seven Guns, who are a group of scientist-adventurers who modified their own bodies for street-fighting in order to take back their city after it becomes incrediblycurrupt. (Source: Variety)
Mark Millar, the comic book creator of Wanted and Kick-Ass, has announced he’s going to direct a superhero movie of his own. He revealed the plans on his forum, saying he’ll start production on the film next March, although he’s not letting slip on any details about the project, saying we’ll have to wait until February to find out what it’s all about. The film will be independently funded, so that Millar doesn’t have to kowtow to the studio money-men, although he’s apparently got all the cash he needs in place already. Expect more news on Millar’s feature debut soon. (Source: Mark Millar)