MGM to traumatize a new generation by remaking The Secret Of NIMH

The Secret Of NIMH, the movie that taught so many young animation fans that the American farmer is a heartless murderer and his tractor a ruthless instrument of death, is getting a remake from MGM. The studio has reacquired the rights to Robert C. O’Brien’s novel Mrs. Frisby And The Rats Of NIMH, which served as the basis for Don Bluth’s 1982 masterclass in scarring the movie-going youth of America. The new film, which is set to be a mixture of live-action and CGI, will be written by Ice Age 5 scribe Michael Berg, who reportedly plans to focus on the origins of the Rats of NIMH—recounted in the original with a nightmarish sequence that’s probably responsible for its fair share of adults with a fear of hypodermic syringes. (Bluth probably also owes an apology to anyone afraid of getting sucked to their death down a ventilation shaft.)

MGM’s new version sounds like it’ll go a lot lighter on the “horrific injections sending cuddly animals down spiraling, hallucinatory DNA staircases” elements of the plot, though, describing it instead as a tale of an “imperiled mouse protagonist” who “befriends a comical crew of lab rats as they turn hyper-intelligent.” MGM is apparently looking to turn NIMH into a franchise, so fans of good old fashioned nightmare fuel might want to pitch their expectations more toward wacky antics, and less toward Machiavellian murder rats.

Quelle:; http://www.avclub.com/...:1:Default

[Update: Now a separate report has surfaced online saying Deadline’s report of this new Ghostbusters movie being “male-centric” is incorrect, with Chris Pratt poised to co-star with Tatum and a 4-film inter-connected universe planned. More details here. Our original story follows below.]

A new, female-centric Ghostbusters movie is set to begin production this summer, but Sony Pictures (under new leadership) is already cutting that film off at the knees. Deadline reports that the studio is putting together a “male-driven action-centric comedy” Ghostbusters film that will act as a “counterpart” to director Paul Feig’s all-female Ghostbusters. Captain America: The Winter Soldier directors Joe and Anthony Russo—who are currently in pre-production on Captain America: Civil War—are looking to direct and produce this “male Ghostbusters” with Channing Tatum and his partners Reid Carolin and Peter Kiernan also producing. Iron Man 3 co-writer Drew Pearce has been set to pen the screenplay. This is all being put together under the newly formed company Ghost Corps, which includes Ivan Reitman and Dan Aykroyd.

The hope is that Tatum will play one of the Ghostbusters in this other new franchise entry, and no doubt he has the starpower to launch such a film. But frankly, this whole thing is incredibly irksome. Essentially the studio is saying, “Hey guys we’re making a forward-thinking, all-female Ghostbusters, but don’t worry—the real Ghostbusters is coming shortly afterward with men.” This has apparently been part of Reitman and Aykroyd’s plan all along, and no doubt Sony likes the idea of building its own inter-connected Ghostbusters universe of films, but still the basic message is that Feig’s film is a warm-up to a male-centric (ie. “traditional”) Ghostbusters.

anthony-russo-joe-russo-ghostbustersWhen the all-female Ghostbusters was first announced—with a cast that includes Kristen Wiig, Leslie Jones, Kate McKinnon, and Melissa McCarthy—some Ghostbusters fans had strong opinions about a women-led reboot to the franchise. But I was enthused by the fact that Sony was steadfast in this new direction, and looked forward to seeing Feig launch a new franchise. Now, with today’s news, it feels like Feig’s movie could either be seen as an alternative or “sub-Ghostbusters” movie. Moreover, you never see the opposite happening. Though they have lucrative franchises already, Fox never put into development an all-female X-Men movie, Warner Bros. isn’t working on a female team-up DC Comics movie, and it’s taken Marvel Studios 18 films to get to their first led by a woman. Why, now that a female Ghostbusters is in the works, do we need to go ahead and make sure we also have a male Ghostbusters too? I understand the desire for an inter-connected universe, but the gender separation is frustrating.

Feig’s film starts production this summer in anticipation of a July 2016 release date, and Reitman hopes that the male-centric Ghostbusters will start filming next summer, taking the Russo Brothers’ next slot (they recently signed a first-look deal with Sony). The duo are heavily considered the favorites to helm Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity Wars saga and if so, would need to jump right into that after Civil War, but we’ll see how things shake out here.

The Russo Brothers have proven themselves capable of handling major action sequences and large ensembles, and I’ve no doubt they would make an entertaining Ghostbusters movie. And Pearce is a solid screenwriter (I’m one of the few that loved Iron Man 3), and Tatum is an impeccable performer (he’s proven himself in comedy, action, and drama now), so the team here isn’t an issue. I just don’t see a need to overshadow Feig’s film before it begins production with this action-centric “Male Ghostbusters.” Oh I forgot, it’s because studios think men are incapable of connecting with female-centric films, so they feel the need to pander by making something “palatable” for male audiences. My mistake.

Danke an horner1980 für diese Nachricht, die er leider nicht selbst posten konnte, weil... ja, warum eigentlich nicht?!?

Tim Burton will direct Disney's live-action Dumbo.
In the latest move by the studio as it continues to make live-action versions of its animated classics, Disney has tapped the Big Eyes helmer to take on the tale of a baby circus elephant who is made fun for his large ears, based on the 1941 iconic film.
As THR exclusively reported, Transformers franchise writer Ehren Kruger penned the script. The film will be a mix of CG and live-action to bring the classic elephant story to life, and will add a unique family story that parallels Dumbo's journey. Justin Springer, who worked on Tron: Legacy as well as Oblivion, is producing with Kruger.
Quelle: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/...ion-780397

Ich würde mal sagen, Tim Burton ist mit seinem abgefahrenen Stil einer der wenigen Regisseure, denen ich so etwas zutrauen würde - Burton oder Terry Gilliam.

Mir macht eher Ehren Kruger Sorgen bei der Sache...

Danke für die Info!

The BBC is developing a new CGI version of the much-loved (yet harrowing) children’s story Watership Down, RadioTimes.com can reveal.
The new script is in the early stages but the BBC hope that a retelling of Richard Adams’ much-loved book about rabbits Thumper, Fiver, Hazel and co’s search for a new home will be a hit with new audiences.
The story has already been told in a 1978 animated film directed by Martin Rosen and featuring the voices of John Hurt, Ralph Richardson, Denholm Elliott and Richard Briers. It was a box-office success, popular with children and adults alike.
“People love the 1978 film in but with new CGI technology we can do amazing things – you can see the wind blowing the fur which you didn’t get with the cartoon film,” a mole (or should that rabbit?) tells RadioTimes.com.
The hero of the story is Fiver, a young buck rabbit who has a frightening vision of destruction. A group of rabbits led by the resourceful Hazel then steal away to find a safer home in an epic journey filled with adventure and fraught with danger.
Quelle: http://www.radiotimes.com/...at-the-bbc

BBC spring auch auf den Remake-Wahn mit auf und macht aus einem der ersten wirklichen ernstzunehmenden Zeichentrickfilme für Erwachsene eine CGI-Version.

Zitat:

The BBC is developing a new CGI version of the much-loved (yet harrowing) children’s story Watership Down, RadioTimes.com can reveal.
The new script is in the early stages but the BBC hope that a retelling of Richard Adams’ much-loved book about rabbits Thumper, Fiver, Hazel and co’s search for a new home will be a hit with new audiences.
The story has already been told in a 1978 animated film directed by Martin Rosen and featuring the voices of John Hurt, Ralph Richardson, Denholm Elliott and Richard Briers. It was a box-office success, popular with children and adults alike.
“People love the 1978 film in but with new CGI technology we can do amazing things – you can see the wind blowing the fur which you didn’t get with the cartoon film,” a mole (or should that rabbit?) tells RadioTimes.com.
The hero of the story is Fiver, a young buck rabbit who has a frightening vision of destruction. A group of rabbits led by the resourceful Hazel then steal away to find a safer home in an epic journey filled with adventure and fraught with danger.
Quelle: http://www.radiotimes.com/...at-the-bbc

BBC spring auch auf den Remake-Wahn mit auf und macht aus einem der ersten wirklichen ernstzunehmenden Zeichentrickfilme für Erwachsene eine CGI-Version.

Zitat:

The BBC is developing a new CGI version of the much-loved (yet harrowing) children’s story Watership Down, RadioTimes.com can reveal.
The new script is in the early stages but the BBC hope that a retelling of Richard Adams’ much-loved book about rabbits Thumper, Fiver, Hazel and co’s search for a new home will be a hit with new audiences.
The story has already been told in a 1978 animated film directed by Martin Rosen and featuring the voices of John Hurt, Ralph Richardson, Denholm Elliott and Richard Briers. It was a box-office success, popular with children and adults alike.
“People love the 1978 film in but with new CGI technology we can do amazing things – you can see the wind blowing the fur which you didn’t get with the cartoon film,” a mole (or should that rabbit?) tells RadioTimes.com.
The hero of the story is Fiver, a young buck rabbit who has a frightening vision of destruction. A group of rabbits led by the resourceful Hazel then steal away to find a safer home in an epic journey filled with adventure and fraught with danger.
Quelle: http://www.radiotimes.com/...at-the-bbc

The project first announced to be in the works almost five years ago (before the novel was even published), Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow have found a director for their planned big screen take on Ernie Cline’s Ready Player One in none other than Steven Spielberg! The three-time Academy Award winner will both direct and produce from an adapted screenplay by Zak Penn. Cline’s book, a New York Times bestseller, has been published in 40 countries and is officially described as follows:

In the near future, outcast teenager Wade Watts escapes from his bleak surroundings by logging in to the OASIS, a globally networked virtual utopia where users can lead idyllic alternate lives. When the eccentric billionaire who created the OASIS dies, he offers up his vast fortune as the prize in an elaborate treasure hunt. Along with gamers from around the world, Wade joins the adventure, and quickly finds himself pitted against powerful corporate foes and other ruthless competitors who will do anything, in the oasis or the real world, to reach the treasure first.

“We are thrilled to welcome Steven back to Warner Bros,” says Greg Silverman, President, Creative Development and Worldwide Production, Warner Bros. Pictures. “We had an historic series of collaborations in the 80s and 90s and have wanted to bring him back for years. As for READY PLAYER ONE, we have always felt that Steven was the dream director for this project.”

Spielberg’s latest Bridge of Spies, reteams him with leading Tom Hanks and is set to hit theaters this October 16. He’s also just beginning production on the Roald Dahl adaptation The BFG and is expected to begin work on Ready Player One immediately thereafter.

Donald De Line, Dan Farah and Kristie Macosko Krieger will also produce with Jesse Ehrman and Racheline Benveniste overseeing for the studio.

Stole this from IMDB (thanks Gonzo_Knight!).
Quote
Manuka and other new technologies will come into play on forthcoming Weta projects including Zack Snyder’s Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice (now in post production and headed for a March 2016 release), Cameron’s three Avatar sequels (for which Weta is currently doing R&D work) and Steven Spielberg’s Roald Dahl adaptation The BFG.
The latter, set for a summer 2016 release, will involve “another breakthrough in how we integrate virtual worlds”, Letteri promises.
“Steven’s really keen to try some new filmmaking techniques on that.” As for the future of Weta Digital, the company will continue to focus on character animation, on working in close partnership with directors and, whenever possible, on projects for which it is the sole effects provider.
Quelle: Screendaily
Quote
Frank Marshall took a brief break from working on the Vancouver set of Steven Spielberg’s bigscreen adaptation of Roald Dahl’s beloved children’s book “The BFG” just to attend the premiere. Production began two weeks ago, and he said filming the movie has been a milestone experience for Spielberg.
“Shooting ‘BFG’ is kind of a new thing for Steven. The way we are making this movie is a little different than other films Steven is used to, because there is a combination of live actors and motion capture actors,” said Marshall. “It’s a different way to tell the story, so he’s really excited. We’ve got a giant played by Mark Rylance and a little girl in the same scene. We are doing amazing work with them so they can actually interact with each other. The things we have planned are incredible.”


Quelle: Variety