Aquaman
The movie version of
Aquaman has been in development for years. It
may finally be getting off the ground, but don't get excited just yet...
Back in 2001, producer Bill Gerber told IGN FilmForce that he was
working to get a live-action film going and that the idea of an animated
Aquaman
feature was also being explored. Unfortunately, those plans may have
fallen through and Warner Bros. seems to be exploring the idea of taking the
"screwball comedy" approach. (If you listen closely you'll hear the collective
groaning of comic fans everywhere.) Producers Alan and Peter Riche (
Starsky
and Hutch,
The Mod Squad) are now developing the film and Ben Grant
is writing the script.
Batman Begins
Warner Bros. has Batman Begins, their darker reboot of the Batman
franchise, set for a July 1, 2005 release. Memento director
Christopher Nolan is helming the picture from a script by David Goyer (Blade,
Dark City). Christian Bale stars as Bruce Wayne/Batman in this origin
story. All signs indicate that this is the adaptation that fans have
always wanted. Villains include the more realistic Ra's Al Ghul and the
Scarecrow. In addition to Bale, the film stars Ken Watanabe, Michael Caine,
Morgan Freeman, Katie Holmes, Cillian Murphy, Liam Neeson, Gary Oldman, Rutger
Hauer and Tom Wilkinson.
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Christian Bale in Batman Begins | |
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Batman Begins Sequel
Rumor has it that the studio is already developing a sequel to Batman Begins
with Bale and much of the cast returning. Chris Nolan will also likely be
back with screenwriter David Goyer. Rumored villains for the sequel
include Harvey Dent/Two-Face (possibly played by Guy Pearce or Jude Law) and The
Joker (maybe portrayed by Lachy Hulme from The Matrix Revolutions).
Batman
vs. Superman
A flash in the pan... this project was announced a couple of years ago, but
quickly died. Director Wolfgang Petersen was attached to direct, but
the project was abruptly placed on hold when Petersen opted to shoot
the period epic Troy instead. Warners may also have decided to
restart their Batman and Superman franchises independently before teaming them
up. It's possible that this project could get up and running again one
day.
Blade: Trinity
New Line's third installment in the Blade franchise hits screens this
December. The film is a bit different than the previous two movies in the
series. Wesley Snipes reprises his role as the titular
hero, but this time he's joined by a pair of young stars. Jessica Biel is playing vampire hunter Abigail Whistler, the daughter of Kris Kristofferson's character (who's also back for the film); and Van Wilder
actor Ryan Reynolds will play a vampire hunter named Hannibal King, who teams up
with Abigail. The film has Blade joining forces with another anti-vampire
group, the Nightstalkers, to stop the blood-thirsty creatures and their
resurrected leader Dracula in a plot for world domination. Nice!
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Jessica Biel in Blade: Trinity | |
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Captain
America
The rights to a Captain American movie had been tied up by a lawsuit
between comic book veteran Joe Simon and Marvel, but the suit has since been
settled, meaning a film version of Captain America could be made. Mark Gordon and Gary Levinsohn of Mutual Film (Saving Private Ryan) had been in talks with Marvel in 1999 about producing Captain America. Larry Wilson (Beetlejuice) and Les Bohem (The Alamo)
reportedly worked on a script when it was set up at Artisan.
Daredevil
2
Despite early reports that Fox and Marvel would be bringing Ben Affleck and director Mark Steven
Johnson back for another installment of Daredevil, it isn't likely at
this point. Affleck badmouthed the idea during a press event and the
studio hasn't seemed hot for it either. Instead, Marvel and production
company Horseshoe Bay are focusing entirely on the Elektra spin-off
starring Jennifer Garner – more on that on page two...
