Jake Gyllenhaal Headlines Groundhog Day 2...err...Source Code

It finally happened. Somebody decided to remake Groundhog Day. Bastards!

Jokes aside, Variety reports that Jake Gyllenhaal will headline the sci-fi oriented Source Code. The film revolves around a soldier reliving the same day over and over (…and over…) again until he discovers just who or what was responsible for a train bombing. Adding brownie points to the project is its director Duncan Jones, who’s Moon was quite the movie earlier this year. So I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt on this one.

We were just commenting on Movie Moan yesterday how Gyllenhaal is one of those actors who is continuously shoved down our throats by studios as “the next big thing.” That’s not a strike against him. He seems like a nice guy and, truth be told, he’s a damn good actor. Check out Jarhead, Zodiac and Brokeback Mountain for proof. Gyllenhaal’s even good in garbage like Rendition.

He’s also been infamously in the running for various franchises over the years. He was about a hair away from replacing Tobey Maguire on Spider-Man 2 (due to a combination of Maguire’s physical health after the first film and Seabiscuit and, more importantly, money disputes), supposedly the Runner-Up for Batman Begins and, if memory serves me correct, read for Superman during McG’s ill-fated tenure. Of course, he’s now saddled with Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time for next May and we all agree. It looks ass-tastic.

Nicole Holofcener Is Without Cancer

Untitled Cancer Comedy (previously with the much better I'm With Cancer title) is now without a director.

According to Risky Business, Nicole Holofcener has jumped ship from the production two months ahead of its intended January start. The reason cited is towards a disagreement over filming location. The Friends with Money director wanted to keep the production in Los Angeles while the producers (and presumably the studio) felt otherwise. Knowing how things work in this industry, there was most likely more to it than just that.

The drama/comedy already has its stars in James McAvoy and Seth Rogen (also a producer). The film (an adaptation of comedy writer Will Reiser's autobiographical depiction of his successful fight against cancer) is now in search of a new helmer. As noted by plenty before me, this will be the second time Rogen delves in the "cancer dramedy" genre after Judd Apatow's Funny People.

Considering that film tanked at the box-office, perhaps the studio is getting cold feet.

Avatar Will Blow Your Mind - As In Its Price-Tag

If you’ve been following us at TMT and/or listening to the Movie Moan podcast, you know I’ve refused to jump on this “Avatar is going to change the way movies are made!” bandwagon. For anyone wanting to simply point to over-zealous fanboys as the source of these remarks, Cameron himself is guilty of making such claims.

A new report from The New York Times doesn’t paint the most positive of light towards Avatar’s box-office prospects. If these claims are to be believed, 20^th Century Fox will have spent close to $500 million total on the film. Yes, that’s said to include production costs as well as the film’s marketing. You’ll also know that studios don’t lump in the cost of selling a movie with the money they spent to make the damn thing.

Said report also points to a $230 million production budget. That’s studio spin, at best. If a major tentpole like Spider-Man 3 or Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End cost $300 million (and minimum, no less), there’s no way in Hell Avatar cost under that price-tag. The most telling remark comes at the very end of the article where Fox purposely placed Alvin & the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel as their “secret weapon” opening merely a week after Avatar opens. If Cameron’s return to cinema is going to kick so much ass financially, then why place a high-profile family-friendly sequel the week after it? That says it all, folks.

I honestly think we’re going to see a repeat of King Kong next month. That is to say Jackson’s remake did solid business in theaters ($220 million domestic gross - $550 million worldwide). But it didn’t meet the kind of numbers everyone expected. That mixed with its pricey budget in addition to having its thunder stolen by The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe the week prior resulted in it being labeled as a box-office underperformer.

Truth be told, I’m having trouble seeing Avatar breaking $200 million in the states at this point. All I care about is if Cameron delivers another great movie. At this point, that's all everyone should hope for.

Quasi-Se7en Reunion Coming In Peter Proud

I like it when a director decides to stretch himself by working on stuff one normally wouldn't associate them with. One example of this is director David Fincher. Most know him for darker fare like Fight Club and Se7en. But he stepped outside his boundaries with The Curious Case of Benjamin Button last Christmas to much success. He's currently filming The Social Network, based on the formation of Facebook, for next year.

Heat Vision reports that Fincher is now attached to direct The Reincarnation of Peter Proud for Sony. This adaptation of the 1975 novel (which was previously made into a feature-length film with a pre-Superman Magot Kidder) is closer to what nerds like us think of Fincher for. A college professor discovers his nightmares are linked to a past life with incest playing a factor in the plot? Yeah, that sounds like the Fincher we know.

The project will also serve as a Se7en reunion of sorts. In addition to Fincher sitting in the director's chair, Andrew Kevin Walker (who penned the 1995 serial killer flick that put old Finch on the map) is the screenwriter for Proud and Mike De Luca (who was the head of production at New Line Cinema when Se7en was made) will serve as a producer.

Movie Moan - Dan Aykroyd & Vodka Together At Last

Certainly one of the stranger mix of film-news this week on Movie Moan. Phil, Ed and Jamie start off this podcast chatting up the Yogi Bear movie - as written and directed by Jamie Williams. Alec Baldwin and Rip Torn are in a race against time to stop a serial-killing, picnic-basket stealing bear before it's too late. Don't judge them! You know what you want to see that movie - admit it.

Against the legal council of Ed and Jamie, Phil went to see A Christmas Carol this weekend and proclaims it "Worst Zemeckis Movie Ever!" What can they say? Phil was warned before hand. They also discuss Steve Martin and the afore-mentioned Alec Baldwin hosting the Academy Awards next year, the Peter Berg-directed Battleship film featuring aliens (!?!) at the villains and kick-ass posters for Clash of the Titans being leaked (and quickly yanked!)

All of that plus the "Avatar vs. Sherlock Holmes" battle rages on, reactions to Holmes and Prince of Persia trailers and Jamie gets into a rant about The Dark Knight's pre-release hype. And of course, what would be a better way to close out Movie Moan than talking about Dan Aykroyd whoring Vodka.

Movie Moan - Dan Aykroyd and Vodka Together At Last

You Sunk My Mothership!

Now I realize that I don’t have the script in front of me nor do I know the intentions of its director Peter Berg. For all I know Battleship could turn out to be a great movie. Hell, I wound up loving Star Trek even after the original reports leaked that it would be rebooted via time-travel – a concept that sounded retarded as shit. Having said that…what the fuck?

Latino Review reports that the big villain(s) in the board-room adaptation won’t be some terrorist network or rogue Russians or something. Oh no, we can expect to see aliens. You didn’t misread that. A board-game about naval battle is being adapting to a multi-million dollar summer tentpole where they fight aliens.

Yeah...

Isla Fisher To Headline Desperados

For audiences everywhere, Isla Fisher will be forever known for Wedding Crashers. Her high-profile headlining Confessions of a Shopaholic tanked but she still has a couple of more shots before Hollywood throws in the towel on her. That’s bullshit, yes. But that’s how things work.

THR reports on a spec script recently purchased by Universal with the intention of making it a vehicle for the actress. Desperados would have her (and her friends) racing to Mexico after discovering her boyfriend is in a coma. This predicament comes about right after she sent him an email with not-so-nice things to say about him.

Of course the pitch to the studio was “It’s like ‘The Hangover’ but with women!” I can already imagine one big complaint will be people thinking her character is a bitch for sending such an email and then trying to cover it up.

Like I said in the first paragraph, yes that’s bullshit. But audiences are weird (read: stupid). Hell, this is not unlike what happened in 2000s Road Trip but with guys (Remember? That was back when Tom Green was “cool!” A different time indeed, kids!) Nobody complained back then. But I can guarantee that’s how people will react to this. Yes, said people are fucking morons.

Apparently They Weren't Joking About That Yogi Bear Movie

I’m hoping this new Yogi Bear movie will take the same “realistic” approach that Christopher Nolan brought to the Batman films. Instead of doing a God-awful CG-fest for Yogi and Boo-Boo, the talented filmmakers should use real bears dressed up and have them interact with the actors. It works for these guys!

Variety reports that production starts up next month in New Zealand. I’m sure the Kiwis will balk at such work when they tell their friends what their next job is. Sure, it’s not The Lord of the Rings, but it’s a job, Goddamnit!

They also reveal that Dan Aykroyd will stop whoring Ghostbusters 3 for 10 minutes and provide the voice of Yogi. While Justin Timberlake (God help us….guess this is what happens after you lose Green Lantern to Reynolds, huh?) will be Boo-Boo. Anna Faris will play a documentary filmmaker who presumably has come to film Jellystone Park…and wackiness ensues (?)

Now I would have cast Alec Baldwin myself as Yogi personally. The man’s already the size of a bear and has a tendency to act like one. But since that didn’t happen, let the man play Ranger Smith. You know you want to see it.

Help Support J.J. Abrams

Ladies and gentlemen, J.J. Abrams needs your help and support. His sophomore effort as a feature-film director Star Trek was one of the highest-grossing and most-popular movies of 2009 and he’s a producer for television shows you love like Lost, Fringe and Alias. This is someone who makes studios (in this case, Paramount) a lot of money. But the man has to eat.

That’s the only way to explain all of these projects he’s attached to in various capacities. I did a post a few weeks back detailing his then-current line-up. But I’ll show them to you again in case you missed it.

• The Star Trek sequel he will produce and most likely direct based on recent comments he made.
• Mission: Impossible IV
• Morning Glory which will be released next July
• The Untold Story of the World’s Biggest Diamond Heist
• A “mystery project” with screenwriters Simon Kinberg & Aline Brosh McKenna
• A “spy drama” for NBC
• A “medical comedy” for Fox

Now comes two more projects for the poor soul. Pajiba says he’s working on a “mystery project” unrelated to the one-mentioned earlier. This one has a title – 500 Rads set up with screenwriter Jeff Pinkner. It will filmed in Europe with a tight budget (read: $25 million) and will be in the vein of Abrams’ own Cloverfield and 28 Days Later. J.J. does zombies, perhaps?

Meanwhile, the part-time Verizon spokesman reveals to the Wall-Street Journal he’s currently in discussions to produce a film-adaptation of the Micronauts toy-line. One can only assume it will kinda like Transformers minus the retardation and Megan-Fox camera-fucking and plenty of lens-flares.

I beg to you readers out there. Donate to the J.J. Abrams Foundation. It’s for a good cause. For every penny earned, Abrams will attach himself to another movie or TV show. Please, he has a wife and small children to support. Do the man a favor.

News, Rumors & 100% Grade-A Internet Bullshit - November 5, 2009

- Audiences can continue gracing the beard of Zach Galifianakis as my Movie Moan pal Ed Hocken put it. The Hangover star will provide the voice of Humpty Dumpty in Puss in Boots according to THR. Seems like the Shrek spin-off has been in development forever now. Not that I care about this. That series lost me at the third one. Go ahead and laugh, but everyone loved the dumb ogre when the first two films were released.

- 20^th Century Fox is finally getting off their ass and marketing Avatar to the masses. A TV spot aired during the World Series last night. The good folks over at Latino Review have the commercial in question for your enjoyment. Talk about misleading people – you’d swear this was another Aliens by the way it’s painted here.

- Thank God. To think, I was afraid studios were wasting everyone’s time with the most mundane of ideas. Deadline Hollywood has it that Sony now has a film version of the board-game Risk in development.

- Pajiba has received word that Chris “Captain Kirk” Pine will headline The Blade Itself. In fact, the actor has been attached to the adaptation of the crime novel since before Star Trek opened last May. He’s said to be meeting with a potential director soon-ish. Keeping his work-load full of non-genre movies before doing the Trek sequel? Pine is indeed a smart man.

- David Goyer clarifies what to expect from this new Ghost Rider film to MTV. It won’t be a reboot as originally speculated, but a sequel set years after the original. Hence why Nicolas Cage is returning. We can also expect it to be more realistic – you know, like Casino Royale. Does that mean Johnny Blaze will have his balls beaten?