It seems like Hollywood have no plans to stop touching classic movies as Paramount Studios have announced they have their direct-to-video department has been given a branded name, a production and release plan for everything from prequels, sequels and spin-offs to franchises that were big hits in movie theaters.
The department will be called Paramount Famous Productions and headed by former Universal Studios Home Entertainment president Louis Feola.
So what movies are they going to butcher do? The just wrapped productions on “Without a Paddle : Nature’s Calling“which is a sequel to the 2004 movie that grossed over$58 million in theaters.
They are also working on a sequel to hit movies such as Mean Girls, Grease, Road Trip, Naked Gun and Bad News Bear.
According to The Hollywood Reporter straight to DVD sequels on movies such as Bring It On and American Pie usually sell around 1 million - 2 million copies, which is just as much money as movies such as 300 and Ratatouille made at the box office.
James McAvoy and Emily Blunt are set to lend their voices in the new Gnomeo and Juliet movie which is a “loose and edgy” reworking of the classic play, McAvoy and Blunt will play two lovers from rival gardens.
Miramax and Elton John’s Rocket Pictures will be producing the movie that originally had Kate Winslet to give her voice to Juliet but she had to drop out over scheduling conflicts.
The movie will feature old songs from Elton John but he might work on a couple of new ones for the movie, it is set for a 2010 release.
Ben Affleck is set to to star in a new comedy movie called Extract, which will be directed by Mike Judge.
Affleck will play an ambulance-chasing lawyer, while Jason Bateman who is also set to star in the movie, will play a flower extract factory owner who’s dealing with workplace problems and a streak of bad luck, including his wife’s affair with a gigolo.
Mila Kunis and Kristen Wiig have also signed on to the movie which will be distributed by Miramax and begins shooting on Monday (August 25) in Los Angeles, CA.
Here are the first promo photos from Zac Efron’s upcoming movie, Me and Orson Welles.
In the Richard Linklater directed movie, Efron plays a seventeen-year-old Richard Samuels who gets the chance to make his big break when he is hired to star in Orson Welles’ production of Julius Caesar. Falling in love with a production assistant, he soon learns the horrible secret of show business.
Me And Orson Welles is set to be released in 2009 and will have a special screening at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival in September.
Matthew McConaughey posted a blog on his myspace page on Sunday evening (August 17), the blog is titled Tropic Thunder and in it he praises the movie which is number 1 at the box office this past weekend.
He says, “Hey all, I went to tropic thunder premiere last Tuesday night….All of the cast was there…really funny movie….there are surprises all over this film and just when you think you know where the movie’s goin, another surprise entrance by some character or plot twist surprises you….what a cast of characters..you will see actors you like doing things you’ve never seen them do before…Stiller did a top job directing too…the movie knows what it is and keeps delivering….there’s a lot of protests surrounding the pic, but if you see it, I think you’ll agree that all the “touchy” humor is in context, and in no way mean spirited or irresponsible…its just funny….i hope you enjoy yhe film…i had a blast steppin in to work on this project for just a few days…its another “brand” of comedy and a comedy team (Stiller and gang) that I wanted to play with, and am happy I did….never lose your sense of humor, and just keep livin, mcconaughey”
Here is a newer trailer for Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe’s , Body Of Lies, which is based on the novel by David Ignatius.
The movie is about a CIA operative who is sent to Jordan to track a high-ranking terrorist. The spy is aided by the head of Jordan’s covert operations in an uneasy alliance that leads to cultural and moral clashed between the men.
Body Of Lies is released October 10.
Tropic Thunder came out at No.1 at the box office this weekend, dethroning The Dark Knight after four weeks on the top spot.
Tropic Thunder which stars Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr., Jack Black and Tom Cruise came out with $26 million.
The Dark Knight pulled in $16.8 million this weekend, which brings the total to $471 million and worldwide total to $735 million since its release. The Dark Knight is now No.2 on the all-time domestic charts, behind Titanic (which has over $600 million).
The top 10 at the box office looks like this:
1. “Tropic Thunder,” $26 million.
2. “The Dark Knight,” $16.8 million.
3. “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” $15.5 million.
4. “Mirrors,” $11.1 million.
5. “Pineapple Express,” $10 million.
6. “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor,” $8.6 million.
7. “Mamma Mia!”, $6.5 million.
8. “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2,” $5.9 million.
9. “Step Brothers,” $5 million.
10. “Vicky Cristina Barcelona,” $3.7 million.
