Need proof that the industry is sequel, reboot and remake obsessed? Check out the list of stories in this week’s Movie News Cheat Sheet.
Not only is “Sleepaway Camp” returning to the big screen in a more modern form, but the Addams family is getting a new theatrical film, too. The straight-to-DVD hit “Trick ‘r Treat” is finally getting its well-deserved sequel and the March 2013 moneymaker, “Olympus Has Fall,” is getting another go-around as well.
Interested in the details on those stories, the latest on “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” a potential “Thor 3,” the status of the “Entourage” movie and more? It’s all right here in your weekly Movie News Cheat Sheet.
1. We’re Going Back to “Sleepaway Camp:” Last week it was “Hellraiser,” this week it’s “Sleepaway Camp.” As reported by Deadline, there’s yet another horror reboot in the works, a new rendition of the 1983 release “Sleepaway Camp.” Jeff Katz just snatched up the rights to remake the Robert Hiltzik original, which tells the tale of a nightmarish summer at Camp Arawak where the staff and campers are picked off, one by one. Katz will produce the film with Hiltzik and Michele Tatosian and Felissa Rose of the original production. The group plans to move the action to a more modern setting and hopes to create “a new film series that echoes its legacy and the psychosexual elements that made the first pic such a memorable cult favorite.”
2. Addams Family Animated Feature in the Works: It’s been 15 years since the Addams Family got a feature film and 20 years since we’ve seen any new animated material, but according to Variety, that’s about to change because MGM has an animated Addams Family feature in the works. The company is in final negotiations with BermanBraun’s Gail Berman and Lloyd Braun to secure the rights and, should the arrangement pan out, MGM will move forward with the effort to bring Gomez, Morticia and the rest of the gang back to the big screen with Pamela Pettler of “9” and “Monster House” penning the screenplay.
3. Aaron Taylor-Johnson is Quicksilver – Officially: We’ve been talking about the possibility of Aaron Taylor-Johnson playing Quicksilver in “Avengers: Age of Ultron” for months, but now, apparently, it’s no longer just talk; according to The Wrap, Taylor-Johnson closed a deal to play Pietro Maximoff in the highly anticipated sequel. The outlet claims that the “Age of Ultron” shooting scheduling conflicted with the “Godzilla” publicity tour, but that the parties involved found a way to avoid an overlap. The role of Quicksilver’s sister, Wanda Maximoff, also known as The Scarlet Witch, has yet to be cast, but it’s been reported that Elizabeth Olsen is the frontrunner.
4. Is Joe Cornish the Top Choice to Direct “Star Trek 3?:” The moment JJ Abrams snatched up “Star Wars: Episode VII,” it was obvious there was a good chance Paramount and Skydance Productions would need to track down a new director for “Star Trek 3.” Sure enough, according to Deadline, the search has begun and the companies have honed in on “Attack the Block” director Joe Cornish as a top choice. The outlet insists that the director hunt is only in its “early days,” but Paramount is hoping that the film will shoot in the summer of 2014 and if that’s the case, a director will need to be locked soon.
5. Jaimie Alexander as Wonder Woman?: With “Thor: The Dark World” due in theaters on November 8th, Jaimie Alexander is busy chatting it up on the press circuit and just revealed a mouthful at Stan Lee’s Comikaze Expo. As reported by Forbes, she confirmed that if “Thor 2” hits it big at the box office, we will get a third film and that she had this to say about a potential Sif spin-off; “I would love for there to be a spin-off film. I would absolutely say ‘yes!’ If the fans want it and there’s a strong enough desire for it, it will happen. So, fingers crossed!” But the bigger news came when the discussion moved away from “Thor 2” and touched on the potential of a Marvel-DC crossover movie during which Alexander admitted that she’s spoken to both Marvel and Warner Bros. Then, when asked about her opinion on Ben Affleck’s casting as Batman, Alexander insisted he’s perfect for the role. Why? Because she “kind of knows the story line for that movie.” So while Alexander didn’t drop any official news, her statements do open the door to major possibilities, particularly that she might have been approached for a team-up movie and that there is a chance she’ll play Wonder Woman. During Forbes’ one-on-one with the actress, she noted, “I’m a huge fan of Wonder Woman. I really think if this is the closest that we’re ever going to get to Wonder Woman, then I’m proud to play Sif.” When asked about the possibility of Wonder Woman popping up in “Batman vs. Superman” specifically, Alexander said, “I would love for DC to put Wonder Woman in one of their upcoming flicks, either in her own movie or ‘Batman vs. Superman,’ or just something even to introduce her.” She also pointed out, “Being in the comic book world, we know a lot of the same people at DC and Marvel, so we hear a lot of things, but it’s all speculation right now. But I would absolutely love that [Wonder Woman appearing in one of the upcoming films].” (Another “Thor: The Dark World” tidbit worth knowing, ABC announced that there will be a crossover between the events of “Thor 2” and their show, “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” Here’s the official tease; “In the aftermath of the events chronicled in the feature film Marvel’s ‘Thor: The Dark World,’ Coulson and the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. pick up the pieces – one of which threatens to destroy a member of the team.”)
6. “Trick ‘r Treat 2” on the Way: Even after getting hit with a straight-to-DVD release in 2009, Michael Dougherty’s “Trick ‘r Treat” still wound up a Halloween classic. During a special theatrical screening at Beyond Fest, Dougherty announced that he will move forward with a sequel in collaboration with Legendary Pictures. During a chat with Entertainment Weekly, Dougherty elaborated, “I had definitely been hearing the fans asking about a sequel ever since the first film came out on DVD.” He continued, “Legendary’s always been a big supporter of the film. They’ve been tracking fans rise in popularity, and I think this was the year we finally reached that peak, and they realized the sequel was necessary.” Dougherty kept plot details under wraps, but he did tease, “We’ll be exploring Sam more and maybe getting into some back story of who and what he actually is.”
7. The “Entourage” Movie is Really Happening: After a seemingly never-ending string of rumors, drama and delays, the “Entourage” movie is finally going into production. Doug Ellin revealed the good news himself by Tweeting, “It’s a go. love you all,” along with this photo. Jerry Ferrara also Tweeted, “I am proud to announce the #Entourage movie is officially a GO! Have to thank @wbpictures and @HBO for all the support to make this happen!” Warner Bros. hasn’t officially confirmed that the project is moving forward, but while on the “Wendy Williams Show,” Ferrara did mentioned that the plan is to shoot in January. It’s hard to imagine Ellin, Ferrara and the rest of “Entourage” men would make such a hubbub about the state of the film if the project weren’t really heading towards production this time, but considering the countless snags it’s hit in the past, you might be better off believing the movie is happening when it’s really happening.
8. “Olympus Has Fallen” to Move to London: About seven months after scoring $161 million at the worldwide box office, Nu Image and Millennium Films are committing to making an “Olympus Has Fallen” sequel. According to Screen Daily, Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, Angela Bassett and Radha Mitchell will all reprise their roles, but there will be a change of location and a new title – “London Has Fallen.” Katrin Benedikt and Creighton Rothenberger will also be back to pen the sequel, which will focus on a plot against London during the funeral of the British Prime Minister. Antoine Fuqua will not return to direct, so the hunt is on for a replacement so that the production is ready to shoot in London on May 5, 2014.
9. Trailers: “The LEGO Movie,” “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” “Labor Day:” We’ve got our first full trailer for “The LEGO Movie” and even though this promo reveals loads more about the plot, there’s nothing about Emmet or his mission that suggests the film could be a standout. Then again, the fact that the narrative plays out within an entirely-Lego world could be enough. We also got our first look at “X-Men: Days of Future Past” and so far, things are looking good. Not only is it a thrill to see old and new X-Men unite, but the piece also boasts a highly effective build that teases the sky high stakes involved in the new narrative. Last up is the first trailer for the latest from Jason Reitman. “Labor Day” clearly marks a serious tonal shift for the “Juno” and “Young Adult,” director, but if this promo is only scratching the surface of the heart, suspense and beautiful foreboding tone in the full feature, it could be a welcomed change.
10. Box Office: As expected, “Ender’s Game” had no trouble topping the box office, but a $28 million start might not be enough to earn the book-to-film adaptation a franchise. The independently financed production ran a $110 million production tab, so it’s going to have to have some seriously long legs to pull in much of a profit. “Bad Grandpa” may not have earned the Jackass franchise its biggest opening yet, but it did just mark the series’ smallest weekend one to two drop. After scoring $32.1 million opening weekend, “Bad Grandpa” dipped just 36%, letting it take another $20.5 million to the bank. Newcomer “Last Vegas” took the third spot with a modest $16.5 million on an adequate $5,390 per theater average. “Free Birds” followed close behind with $16.2 million to start, but considering that cost $55 million to make whereas “Last Vegas” cost just $26 million, one is clearly in much better shape than the other. “Gravity” rounds out the top five thanks to yet another minimal percent change. It lost just 34.8% making the move from weekend four to five, giving it another $13.1 million to take to the bank. (via Box Office Mojo)
