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Summit Entertainment has been struggling to get a new Highlander movie off the ground since Iron Man screenwriters Art Marcum and Matt Holloway were hired to pen the script back in 2008. Apparently, that script wasn't quite up to snuff because Summit brought in Twilight Saga screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg to rewrite it last year. Then, when Fast Five proved to be a monster hit and created new opportunities for Justin Lin, he decided he didn't want to be a "director for hire" and dropped out.
Rumors began circulating online back in September of last year that 28 Weeks Later director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo would be taking over for Lin, but there was never any official confirmation of this. Evidently, Fresnadillo did sign on. In a recent interview for his latest movie, Intruders, Fresnadillo said he intends to "refresh the [Highlander] mythology."
what did fresnadillo say? >> Posted 03.29.12 by BrentJS -
If things had gone according to plan, actor Bradley Cooper could have been playing two otherworldly "angels" in upcoming movies associated with director Alex Proyas, instead of just one. Cooper recently performed a motion-capture "test" in preparation to begin filming the Proyas-directed Paradise Lost adaptation, in which he will play Lucifer, the fallen angel of light. At one time, he was also on tap to play an angel of vengeance in The Crow, a reboot of Proyas' 1994 movie inspired by James O'Barr's cult hit comic book.
Cooper recently took a break from filming his latest movie, The Silver Linings Playbook, to discuss the DVD release of The Hangover Part II with Empire, but he also shared a few details Paradise Lost. The actor discussed his approach to playing Lucifer from the way he will change his voice to correspond with the character's fall from grace to even showing some set photos of himself in motion-capture gear taken during pre-production tests. Cooper also touched on the demise of The Crow, saying that he ultimately left the movie after Juan Carlos Fresnadillo dropped out as director.
hear what Cooper said about Paradise Lost and The Crow >> Posted 12.07.11 by BrentJS -
Poor Eric Draven, will no one make your story? Again?
The reboot of The Crow continues its unlucky streak, which last saw star Bradley Cooper (The Hangover) exit the project due to scheduling conflicts, or after realizing that he had signed up for a reboot of The Crow that was cursed, whichever you believe.
The "reinvention" of The Crow has been in the works since 2008, when Stephen Norrington (The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen) was set to write and direct the movie. After working on several drafts of the screenplay, including one from musician/screenwriter Nick Cave, Norrington left the project in October 2010 after an unnamed star requested yet another new script.
more bad news for The Crow; good news for The Twilight Zone >> Posted 10.17.11 by Ryan -
In the middle of last month Fast Five director Justin Lin dropped out of Summit Entertainment's Highlander remake, a project he had been attached to since 2008. Lin remarked that, due to his continued success with the Fast and the Furious franchise, he didn't want to just work as a "director for hire."
What those comments mean regarding director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo we're not sure, but he's apparently Summit's top choice to replace the departed Lin. According to Deadline, Fresnadillo, who first captured attention by directing the sequel 28 Weeks Later, is to take the job.
more about the Highlander remake >> Posted 09.13.11 by Ryan -
In April, Relativity Media's planned "re-imagining" of The Crow was grounded when The Weinstein Company (TWC) — who released the 1994 adaptation — slapped an injunction against the remake, claiming that they owned the worldwide distribution rights to The Crow and not Relativity. Earlier this month, a judge ruled that TWC's case will go to arbitration, leaving the two companies to battle out of court.
The good news, for Relativity, is that progress can resume on The Crow. With director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (28 Weeks Later) already in place to helm the remake, THR reports that screenwriter Alex Tse (Watchmen) has been hired to write the script for the movie. It has already been reported that Fresnadillo will collaborate on the screenplay, which will likely be based on the comic book by James O'Barr.
According to the report, Bradley Cooper is still attached to play the lead role of Eric Draven, a musician who is resurrected by supernatural forces to take revenge on those responsible for murdering his fiancée. Cooper was reportedly in early negotiations for the role in April, prior to TWC's lawsuit.
Posted 06.23.11 by Ryan -
Spanish director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo made his directorial debut with the 2001 thriller Intacto and then moved to his English-language debut in the 2007 horror sequel 28 Weeks Later. Since then, Fresnadillo was attached to the video game adaptation Bioshock back in 2009, but after years of development, the "R-rated, underwater, horror" movie still isn't near production. Fresnadillo also was recently hired to direct the Crow remake, but that has fallen into legal issues that may keep it from being made anytime soon.
That said, this year does see the release of Fresandillo's next movie, the horror movie Intruders, starring Clive Owen as a father of an 11-year-old girl (Ella Purnell, Never Let Me Go) who is terrorized by her childhood demons when they reappear (sounds like those may be literal demons rather than figurative). Empire released the trailer for the movie, which doesn't try to give away much plot but shows a possible first encounter between father and daughter.
Watch the trailer >> Posted 05.02.11 by Ryan -
The remake of The Crow has been gaining steam this month, starting when director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (28 Weeks Later) was hired to helm the remake earlier this month. Less than a week later, Bradley Cooper was reportedly in early negotiations for the lead role of Eric Draven, the rock musician character from James O'Barr's comic book, who is resurrected by supernatural forces to take revenge on those responsible for murdering his fiancée. However, despite the progress made on the remake, a lawsuit could stall the project which was planned to start production this fall.
Deadline reports that The Weinstein Company has slapped an injunction against the remake stating that their company — and not Relativity Media, who are producing the remake — own the worldwide distribution rights to The Crow. The original, 1994 adaptation was released by The Weinstein Company's Harvey and Bob Weinstein when the siblings worked at Miramax.
both sides respond >> Posted 04.21.11 by Ryan -
Last week, it was announced that Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (28 Weeks Later) had been hired to direct the reboot of The Crow, based on the comic book by James O'Barr and originally adapted in 1994. Fresnadillo was reportedly going to collaborate with a screenwriter once one was hired, but the director's take on the story has already attracted a lead actor.
According to THR, Bradley Cooper is in early negotiations for the lead role of Eric Draven, a rock musician who is resurrected by supernatural forces to take revenge on those that murdered him and his fiancée. The report claims that Cooper and Fresnadillo met recently in the director's native Spain and "shared a vision for the character" and the movie. Cooper is not yet confirmed for the role.
Production on the Crow reboot is said to begin production this fall, which seems rather soon for a movie lacking a screenwriter and an actual script. The role also seems like an odd fit for Cooper, who is known for comedies like The Hangover and Wedding Crashers.
Cooper can currently be seen in the thriller Limitless, which opened last month to decent reviews and the top spot at the box office.
Posted 04.14.11 by Ryan -
Relativity Media has formally announced that Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (28 Weeks Later) will direct the "re-imagining" of The Crow, based on the comic book by James O'Barr and originally adapted in 1994. The Crow follows the character of Eric Draven, who returns from the dead to avenge his wife's murder.
"Juan Carlos Fresnadillo is an incredibly talented and imaginative filmmaker," said Relativity president Tucker Tooley. "We are thrilled to have him at the helm and are excited to work with both [producer Edward R.] Pressman and [Spain-based production company] Apaches [Entertainment] on what we all believe will be a compelling and innovative re-imagining of The Crow."
more about The Crow >> Posted 04.09.11 by Ryan -
It's been over two years since Universal Pictures first announced that it was interested in making a live-action adaptation of the horror videogame BioShock with director Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean) at the helm. After nearly a year of pre-production work, Universal halted development after the proposed budget rose to $160 million, an average sum for an effects-intensive action movie, but a much tougher sell for an R-rated movie based on a video game.
When Universal switched gears and decided to shoot the movie overseas to save money, Verbinski was said to leaving the production, and Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (28 Weeks Later), taking the director's chair. However, in a recent interview with Collider, Verbinski said that he is still attached to BioShock as a producer, Fresnadillo will direct, and that the major challenge is to reign in the budget so that they can keep the planned R-rating.
Verbinski wants a hard R for BioShock >> Posted 07.07.10 by BrentJS