New Bruce Lee Movie In the Works

Though most from my generation are familar with Bruce Lee from the early 90s film, Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story (still one of Rob Cohen's only good movies), it came out two decades ago so it doesn't shock me Hollywood wants to do an updated version.

News this week is that Birth of the Dragon, a film based on Bruce Lee's last official fight with Wong Jack Man (no idiots, no relation to Hugh Jackman), is in the works with Oscar nominated writers Christopher Wilkinson and Stephen Rivele (Nixon, Ali) writing the script.

For those unfamilar, Lee's fight with Wong Jack Man was shown in Dragon as ending with Jack Man breaking Lee's back (Lee actually broke his back weighlifting in his backyard)

This fight - which took place in 1965 in Oakland, California - is somewhat shadowed in secrecy as few where actually there to witness it though it is known Lee won the fight by TKO after chasing Jack Man around for a lengthy period of time (this led Lee to become a more complete, well-rounded fighter as he felt the fight lasted too long...the birth of Jeet Kune Do).

No official start date is set for the project though it could begin filming by next year.

Whoever nabs the role of Bruce Lee though, they have almost impossible shoes to fill (Jason Scott Lee somehow pulled it off).

Source: Deadline

Dr. No: IMAX 3D?

Not too sure if this one makes any sense.

Apparently, Dr. No (the first James Bond film) might be getting an official IMAX 3D re-release.  Obviously whoever makes these decisions seems to think because the most recent Bond film, Skyfall, was released in IMAX and has made over $1 billion at the worldwide box office, a 50 year-old plus film should now be given the same treatment with 3D conversion to go with it because, you know, everyone loves 3D.

The website, Bleeding Cool, stumbled upon a new Taiwanese (?) Blu-ray release of the first James Bond film that apparently includes a 3D conversion as well as Moviefone listing an IMAX 3D release of the film, yet, without an official release date.

More information on this story as it becomes available though I hope there isn't an underlying plan to release all the James Bond films in this format as Star Wars fans can attest, that didn't quite work out for them now, did it?

Source: Bleeding Cool, Moviefone

Sam Rockwell To Star in Boxing Drama

Sam Rockwell is joining the likes of Jon Voight, Robert De Niro, and Daniel Day-Lewis who decided they wanted to step into the ring and learn 'the sweet science' for film.

Rockwell is set to be re-teaming with his A Single Shot director, David M. Rosenthal, for an untitled biopic of boxer Billy Miske.

Miske was a boxer in the 1920s who - while in his prime - learned he had a fatal disease yet decided to tell no one and continued to fight on as he wore away.

Rosenthal said of Rockwell playing the role:

“He’s been wanting to do a boxing movie forever, I’ve wanted to do a boxing film."

Rosenthal - who bought the rights for the Clay Moyle biographical novel, Billy Miske: The Saint Paul Thunderbolt (official synopsis can be read below) - wants this to be his next project as the picture is currently out to writers.

I think this can be a great role for Rockwell to really showcase his talents while at the same making a fantastic film.  People and critics love boxing flicks (just ask Mark Wahlberg or Sylvester Stallone) and any picture involving an actor of Rockwell's range certainly has the potential to be something special.

Novel Synopsis [via Amazon]:

Billy Miske: The St. Paul Thunderbolt is Clay Moyle's second biography and a worthy successor to his critically acclaimed tome concerning the life and career of Sam Langford. Hall of Fame boxer Billy Miske was arguably the most courageous and inspirational figure in boxing history, and his story is long overdue. During a career that was impeded and cut short as a result of his ongoing battle with a terminal illness, Billy fought a number of the greatest fighters who ever lived, including the likes of Jack Dillon, Harry Greb and Jack Dempsey. The thrilling details and stories surrounding those fights and those of many other ring legends are all here, brought back to life for the reader to enjoy. This book goes far beyond simply chronicling Miske's career, but provides the reader with an in-depth view of a number of the sport's greatest contests and one of the more remarkable periods in boxing's history. Miske's courage and perseverance in the face of his impending death, and his personal sacrifice to provide his family with one last Christmas to remember him by, will tug at your heartstrings and leave you with an indelible image of the man. The book is comprised of 206 pages, including 61 photographs, and includes Miske's record, footnotes and an index. Clay Moyle is a member of the International Boxing Research Organization (IBRO) and the author of Sam Langford, Boxing's Greatest Uncrowned Champion. He lives in Edgewood, Washington.

Source: Moviehole

Weekend Notes: 'Captain America 2' Gets Female Lead, 'Fast & Furious 6' Poster Debuts, Johnny Depp to Play Whitey Bulger

Typically I only write a blog discussing one piece of film news in general but considering this is Super Bowl weekend - and a lot of great news has come out in the world of Hollywood the past couple days - I figured I'll just recap the most interesting stuff:

• To start, we have our first look at the official teaser poster for now the officially titled Fast & Furious 6 (not Fast Six, Furious Six, or my personal favorite, The Fast & the FuriSix).  The poster can be viewed below and also be sure to be on the lookout this evening during the Super Bowl when Universal will unveil the first footage from the film in a 30-second TV spot.

• Next comes news that the girl who has been on TV for what seems like forever now - Emily VanCamp - is finally getting her big film break in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.  It's not officially known what character she will play but we do know it will be the female lead and mostly likely that of Sharon Carter, a former S.H.E.I.LD agent and niece/granddaughter? of Peggy Carter from the first film.

• Finally, it has been announced that Johnny Depp will play notorious Boston gangster, Whitey Bulger, in the Barry Levinson directed, Black Mass (anyone else find that title a bit...off?).  The film will start shooting in May and will likely be a contender for awards season by next year.  Funny how both Mark Wahlberg and Ben Affleck - two Boston natives - wanted to makes this film but somehow Jack Sparrow got it.  The press release for the film can be read below:

Johnny Depp has been attached to Cross Creek's crime thriller Black Mass as Boston's most notorious gangster, Whitey Bulger, to be co-produced and co-financed with Exclusive Media, and directed by Academy Award-winning director Barry Levinson (Rain Man), it was announced today by Cross Creek Pictures President Brian Oliver and Senior Vice President Tyler Thompson and Exclusive Media's Co-Chairmen Nigel Sinclair and Guy East.

Black Mass will be released by Universal Pictures in the US through Cross Creek’s distribution deal with the studio. The film is scheduled for a May 2013 start date.

The film will be produced by Brian Oliver, Tyler Thompson, Nigel Sinclair, Tobin Armbrust, John Lesher, and Christi Dembrowski. Cross Creek Pictures Sr. VP of Production Adam Kassan, will oversee production for the company. Alex Walton, Exclusive Media's President of International Sales and Distribution, will introduce Black Mass to overseas buyers at the upcoming European Film Market in Berlin.

Cross Creek recently purchased the New York Times bestselling book "Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob," written by former Boston Globe reporters Dick Lehr and Gerald O'Neill and published in 2001 by Harper Collins. O'Neill is a Pulitzer, Hancock and Loeb prizes winner and Lehr, a Pulitzer finalist, has also won the Hancock and Loeb awards. Writer Mark Mallouk wrote a completely new screenplay adaptation of the book, following the June 2011 capture of Bulger, who had been on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list for more than a decade.

"I could not be more thrilled to have the biggest star in the world and Academy Award-winning director Barry Levinson to finally bring this incredible story to the big screen. We have been working on this project since we originally optioned the book in 2005. 'Black Mass' expertly details the twists and turns of this highly complex story, painting a vivid portrait of Boston's underbelly and its corrupt political machine, as well as exposing the worst scandal in FBI history. It's also an examination of loyalty to family, Irish heritage, and South Boston.-- Commented Brian Oliver.

"We are thrilled by the opportunity to bring Mark Mallouk's terrific screenplay to the screen with perhaps this generation's biggest and best actor and a director who's work makes him one of America's iconic filmmakers. Occasionally a film project comes along that is truly exceptional - from the terrific subject matter to the chance to collaborate again with our long time friends and partners at Cross Creek, and to have the opportunity work with the unique and inimitable Johnny Depp. We are truly delighted to be involved in 'Black Mass,'” commented Nigel Sinclair and Guy East.

Black Mass tells the true story of Whitey Bulger, the brother of a state senator and the most infamous violent criminal in the history of South Boston, who became an FBI informant to take down a Mafia family invading his turf. However, after the Feds closed in on their targets, they double crossed Bulger and ultimately prosecuted him, along with his partner in crime and the original FBI agent working with him.

'A Good Day to Die Hard' Continues to Toy with Expectations; Only 97 Minute Runtime

I feel like A Good Day to Die Hard is that mediocre baseball team you can't help but root for.  Every once in a while they get your hopes up, but then suddenly drop the ball (literally) and make you realize why they suck so bad.

AGDTDH started off with so-so buzz when it was announced the guy who directed Max Payne would be at the helm and John McClane would be teaming up with his son!? (WTF) for an action-packed visit to Russia.

Then the trailer hit and the movie didn't look so bad, espcially playing off the original film's 'Ode to Joy'.

Next, another trailer hit and it looked almost like a Die Hard farce (seriously, having McClane say "Yipikayee" when walking into an airport?  Having him sit between to annoying women on an airplane?).

The most positive news came out about a month ago when it was announced the film would receive an R rating, an highly criticized factor for the previous entry in the series that many felt was dumbed down by a PG-13 rating.

While hopes have been high since, 20th Century Fox is making sure you keep your expectations at a minimum by letting it be known the film is only 97 minutes long.  That's about an hour and a half film, or in other words, a rushed piece of shit product that needs to run on action the entire time to hide the fact the film sucks.

Seriously, every Die Hard film has at least been over 2 hours (even Live Free or Die Hard had that going for it).

I dunno, maybe this is being too harsh but I can't help but feel like this is going to be nothing more than a generic action movie with Bruce Willis being Bruce Willis.  If that's the case, I'll just go rent anyone of his films made in the past 10 years.

Source: The Playlist

First Clip from 'A Good Day to Die Hard' is...Horrible

I really, really hope the absolute dreadful quality of this clip - from the editing, to the dialogue, to the shitty look overall - is because it was merely chopped up to fit within a 1 minute window.

Honestly, there is no way the film can be as bad as this clip, right?  I mean, yeah Bruce Willis seems to be acting more like John McClane but there is such thing as being 'over-the-top' in trying to please fans outcry over the JMINO (John McClane in Name Only) BS with the previous film.  We shall see.

A Good Day to Die Hard hits theaters February 14th.

By the way, I love how everyone's favorite badass suddenly has perfectly white, capped teeth.  Are you fucking kidding me Willis?  It looks ridiculous.  It's John McClane!

Schwarzenegger Confirms T5; Says Original Writers Went in 'Wrong Direction'

After the major disappointment of The Last Stand at this weekend's box office, it should come as no surprise that Arnold is up for another Terminator (a sure-fire moneymaker).

Speaking with The Sun in promoting his new film, the big guy himself confirmed not only is he involved with Terminator 5 - as there had only been whispers of this - but that originally, different writers were brought onto the project (last week Patrick Lussier and Laeta Kalogridis were announced to be scripting the film) which he apparently was not a fan of:

“They’re writing right now Terminator 5.  There have been some writers on it for the last year-and-a-half and they could not pull it off."

“We have told them over and over that they are going in the wrong direction, now they’ve finally got rid of those writers and they’ve got new really quality writers.

“Now they’re going in the right direction. I think this year the script will be finished and we will be able to go into pre-production.”

While it's great to hear that Schwarzenegger is having some input in the development of the new film, I'm still wary of his definition of 'quality' writers.  This is a guy who raved about Terminator 3's script, saying how great it was, and we all know how that turned out.  Even if they somehow get a great director, you still need a good story to pull the film off.  Let's just hope James Cameron is secretly involved in the development of this thing too (his co-writer on Avatar was Laeta Kalogridis).

Source: The Terminator Fans

Opinion: Writers Hired for 'Terminator 5'

You've probably heard by now that Terminator franchise rights holder Megan Ellison (and her production company, Annapurna Pictures, alongside her brother David's own company, Skydance Productions) has brought on Laeta Kalogridis and Patrick Lussier to write the screenplay for the tentatively titled Terminator 5.

Many Terminator fans were quick to call this annoucement bad news as Lussier is most notably known for writing and directing My Blood Valentine 3D and Kalogridis' best work coming in the form of doing some writing and producing work on Avatar (James Cameron connection there).

While it's easy to judge a book by its cover and assume this is already going in the wrong direction, don't be so quick to make that assumption.  You don't know what idea the makers behind this new film have in mind, not to mention many talented filmmakers in Hollywood have their share of bad projects when first getting started (Cameron himself with Piranha 2, the first half of Ben Affleck's career).

I would also be sure to take note that typically with these big budget films, initial writers are brought on to work on an outline and get the action pieces on paper, followed by a more 'textured' and 'complex' writer to clean it up (most notably James Bond's Casino Royale and Skyfall which had Paul Haggis and John Logan, respectively, take a final run through on those scripts and look how they turned out).

Ultimately, what I'm saying is to be so quick to jump ship on a vessel that barely left the peir (unless those writers are named John Brancato and Michael Ferris or the ship is called Titanic).

'The Last Stand' is Currently Sitting at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes...100%!

I wouldn't even consider this news and I had no intention of writing about this tonight but it can't help but go unnoticed:

The Last Stand - the comeback film for Arnold Schwarzenegger - which looks like nothing more than a action heavy B-movie is currently at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.

"Arnold is, as he promised, back, and it turns out that is good news indeed." 

-Drew McWeeny, HitFix

"What elevates this formulaic tale is Schwarzenegger, in a part specifically tailored for his comeback, and the fast-paced action pieces by the gifted Korean director."

-Emaniel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

"A credit to Kim Ji-woon and his collaborators... With the right audience of like-minded people THE LAST STAND could well be one of the most unabashedly fun experiences you'll have at a theatre this year."

-Jason Gorber, Twitch

Now, don't get ahead of yourself so quickly, there's only been 9 reviews counted so far, but just the fact that the film is off to perfect start is nothing short of shocking (just for reference, Terminator Salvation started off with 3 positive reviews out of 8 and you saw where that one went...never hit above 33%).

Could Arnold's big comeback film be better than we anticipated and actually end of doing above average business?  I never pegged this film to do any higher than $50 million domestically with about another $75 million overseas (bigger fan-base over there) but if these positive reviews keep up, that number might very well change.

Keep up with the link below as The Last Stand just might kick some serious ass both critically and commercially:

The Last Stand - Rotten Tomatoes

'Man of Steel': "The Kind of Movie the World Needs Right Now"

That's straight from David Goyer himself, the main hand behind this summer's Superman reboot, Man of Steel.

In an interview with Access Hollywood (wow do I feel like a joke just using the name of that show as a reference), the screenwriter of the film states how the film was 'much trickier to pull off than Batman' but states how he's 'very proud of the film.'

Something tells me fanboys would be a lot more thrilled if this kind of talk was coming from the film's producer, Chris Nolan instead, but still very positive to hear for a film only five months away.

See the video below for the interview: