So we can cover as many films as possible, we thought we’d give you these quick updates of some of the smaller film announcements…
Blair Witch Star, Joshua Leonard, is set to reteam with the creators of Humpday, Jennifer Maas and Steven Schardt, for Treatment. The film is about an unsuccessfil screenwriter who checks into an exclusive rehab to pitch a project to a A-list star. The cast also includes Ross Partridge, Brie Larson, Jennifer Makinson and Christ Caniglia. Filming has already begun in LA. (Source: Variety)
The cast has been assembled for the indie coming of age flick, Mother’s Little Helpers. The film is about a rebellious teen, played by Kyle Gallner, who finds himself at an academy under the guidance an eccentric headmaster who’s a former rock ‘n’ roll roadie. When his time at the academy might be cut short, the teenager discovers a way to afford his new lifestyle and education by becoming an escort catering to the desperate housewives in town. Also appearing in the movie are Kathryn Morris, Jim Belushi, Sarah Hyland, Denise Richards, Ryan Pinkston, Maeve Quinlan and Chris Murphy. Ashe Levin is directing the flick. which started shooting this week. (Source: THR)
Rather than just looking through the ranks of child actors, Dreamworks has decided to look further afield for the lead juvenile role in its upcoming Real Steel. The movie will star Hugh Jackman as a down on his luck boxing promoter, who’s been left behind when human fighters were replaced by robots. He finds a way to bond with the son he never knew he had, by taking a broken down bot and turning it into a champion. Now Dreamworks has taken the unusual step of launching an open casting call for the role of Jackman’s son. Interested parties can either subvit a videotaped audition or turn up to try out in person in Chicago or New York. Although there’s no guarantee anyone from this search will eventually be used, it’s certainly an interesting strategy. (Source: Variety)
TV director Stephen T. Kay has been hired to direct the horror pic, Isolation. The films stars Eva Amuri as a medical student who wakes up in a hospital isolation room, having been exposed to an unknown disease. However she has no recollection of how she got there. One room thrillers are very hot right now, and this one sounds like it’s got a neat premise. Filming began last week. (Source: Variety)
The team behind Paranormal Activity, Oren Peli, Jason Blum and Steven Schneider, have signed a deal with leading Canadian distributor Alliance Films to make five low budget genre features. The idea is to try and using the trio’s skills in doing more for less, which they honed on Paranormal Activity, to make movies that cost little but score big at the box office. The pact is likely to kick-off with Insidious, from Saw creator James Wan and Leigh Whanell. The plot for that film is being kept under wraps, although it’s apparently an unconventional haunted house tale. (Source: Variety)
Sony has been doing a lot of release date shuffling in the past couple of days, putting the US release of Priest, starring Paul Bettany, back from August 20th to January 14th, 2001, while Underworld 4 is moving from Jan 21st, 2011 to September 23rd, 2011, and The Roommate from Septermber 17th to February 1st, 2011. With Priest, the reason for the move is apparently so they can convert the film to 3D, although there’s no news on whether the same is true for Underworld 4 and The Roommate. (Source: ERCBoxOffice)
In what can only be described as shocking news, Severin Films has picked up the US rights to Birdemic: Shock and Terror, by writer/director James Nguyen and is planning a limited theatrical release, The reason it’s such as surprise is that I posted the teaser trailer last year, largely because I’d never seen anything that looked so terrible (it’s like a child has been set loose with a very basic special effects package). Click here to watch the trailer, and marvel that anyone would actually pay money to distribute it. (Source: THR)