Lots of doings at the Mouse House these days, including two new film projects and one major policy.
First, Head of the Class alum Brian Robbins (Norbit, Varsity Blues) has been tapped to direct a new feature called Jailhouse Rock, reports Variety.
Yes, we know what you're thinking, but it's not a remake of the 1957 Elvis movie. Rather, Jailhouse Rock was inspired by an L.A. Weekly article by Joshuah Bearman about a real-life American Idol-esque Inmate Idol Singing Con-Test at the Tent City jail in Arizona, which was initiated by a heavy metal loving guard and judged by Alice Cooper.
There is one remake on the horizon, and that's Witch Mountain, which was inspired by Disney's 1975 adventure hit Escape to Witch Mountain and Bette Davis-starring sequel, Return from Witch Mountain.
Based on Alexander Key's sci fi novel about paranormally-endowed alien siblings, Witch Mountain was written by Matt Lopez (who also wrote the soon-to-be-filmed Adam Shankman/Adam Sandler movie Bedtime Stories) and will be directed by Andy Fickman (Who's Your Daddy?), says The Hollywood Reporter.
But most importantly, Reuters is reporting that Disney has come out against smoking once and for all. The family-friendly company became the first Hollywood studio to ban depictions of smoking on screen--forbidding it in all Disney-branded movies from here on out and urging its Touchstone and Miramax labels to so the same.
Furthermore, Disney plans to include anti-smoking PSAs on any DVDs of movies that depict smoking and will encourage theater owners to show them before said films when they're in the theaters.
What we wonder is: How are they going to distinguish the bad guys from the good guys now?
Posted 07.25.07 by reelz