Loose Ends: 9/17/08
Here are a few more odds and ends that didn’t quite warrant their own story. As always, they’re 100% Varietese free…
Ben Affleck is in talks to rewrite, direct and star in The Town described as a “dark heist-romance hybrid” revolving around a love triangle between a thief, a bank manager and an FBI agent. Adrian Lyne had previously been attached to direct. THR
Empire reported the other day that Paul Bettany and Jennifer Connelly were out of the Charles Darwin film Creation and that Joseph Fiennes and Rosamund Pike were in. However, in the spirit of Christopher Columbus (1492: Conquest of Paradise, Christopher Columbus: The Discovery), volcanoes (Volcano, Dante’s Peak) and deadly meteors (Deep Impact, Armaggedon), it turns out there are now two separate Darwin projects headed for the big screen. When it comes to original ideas, the movie business apparently has not evolved. Empire
Finally, I passed along some news back in August about Rian Johnson’s time travel project Looper and now further details are emerging. It’s a hybrid between the hit-man and time travel genres where targets of assassination are sent back in time to be killed. Risky Biz
Filed under: Development, News
Tags: Ben Affleck, Creation, Jennifer Connelly, Joseph Fiennes, Looper, Paul Bettany, Rian Johnson, Rosamund Pike, The Town
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Haha, nice dig on #2.
I think I’m only in for #3, and I say that as someone who only partly enjoyed Brick.
Same, and I’m really only on board because I’m interested in Johnson (though I’m with you on Brick). The idea sounds silly, but then if you’d told me there was this great hardboiled detective story set in high school, I’d never have believed you if I hadn’t seen it.
“When it comes to original ideas, the movie business apparently has not evolved.” Hahahahahaha…good one.
That Johnson movie’s plot is sort of a reversed-engineered Terminator plot, isn’t it? I don’t know…the idea seems pretty far-fetched to me and just a tad too overly-cynical (MESSAGE movie), but the proof will be in the pudding. Hopefully delicious pudding, from the future of course.
Didn’t particularly like “Brick,” but I’m looking forward to seeing
“The Brothers Bloom” and now, the time-travel thing. Sounds like Joel is right, that it borrows from “Terminator,” which, lest we forget, began its life as an indie.
I loooooooooooved ‘Brick,’ so I am onboard for whatever Rian Johnson makes in the future.
Ditto, Nick…
Don’t forget Wyatt Earp, with Tombstone and Wyatt Earp coming out within a year of each other, I believe. And before Oliver Stone’s Alexander met such a lousy reaction, there were several different Alexander the Great projects in the works. Ah, it’s funny.
Antz vs Bug’s Life, Shark’s Tale vs Finding Nemo.
I was OK with Brick but I love time travel movies (except Timeline or The Sound of Thunder) so I’m interested.
And I have a hard time imagining that any movie about Darwin will be anything but a stiff, possibly preachy, Oscar-bait costume drama.
Paul Bettany already played a Darwinist of sorts in Master and Commander; why repeat oneself?
Charles Darwin was in The Fall…I liked that interpretation. Let Tarsem direct his own Darwin movie.
Don’t forget the twin Capote movies, CAPOTE and INFAMOUS.
hahah…good adds gentlemen. I knew I wasn’t cornering the market on yearly doubles.
It looked like there were going to be two Milk movies there for a while too.
Jeff, aren’t you usually always just a little bit disappointed how time travel movies resolve themselves?
For the record, what’s your favorite?
My all-time favorite would have to be Twelve Monkeys, with a tip of the hat to Back to the Future and Primer.
Craig, it depends on the movie re: disappointing. BTTF 2 and 3 have predictable plots but the enjoyment of those movies are more about the action and comedy. Likewise, Terminator 1 & 2 are more about the action and suspense. Hell, I even like such movies as Timecop and The Butterfly Effect (more or less).