It’s good to be the director of the film with the second biggest opening in cinema history.

For example, major studios suddenly become excited about projects you were forced to mothball 3 years ago, as is the case with Shane Black’s Doc Savage. The director was set to begin production on a film adaptation of the iconic pre-superhero age pulp character in 2009 for Sony and producers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. He had a draft of a script he co-wrote with Anthony Bagarozzi and Chuck Mondry.

Unfortunately, the project stalled, and Black went to work for Marvel in 2011.

Just in case you’re not all that familiar with the character, Doc Savage was a mainstay of the “Pulp Fiction” (as in dime novels printed on cheap paper, not as in Quentin Tarantino) era. Think of him as the “Model T” of the nearly superhuman, alpha-male adventurer/scientist/crime fighter/genius/detective/explorer archetype.

Shades of Doc Savage can be seen in fictional characters and franchises from Batman to Indiana Jones to The Venture Bros. to Buckaroo Banzai.

Anyhoo, the film’s back on again, with Black directing from the same script he wrote with Bagarozzi and Mondry. The Wrap reported on the finalization of the deal, and Sony offered this press release:

WRITER/DIRECTOR SHANE BLACK
TO MAKE DOC SAVAGE
FOR SONY PICTURES AND ORIGINAL FILM
 
CULVER CITY, Calif., May 7, 2013 –Sony Pictures Entertainment has closed its deal with Shane Black to co-write and direct Doc Savage, and Black is eyeing it as his next film, it was announced today by Doug Belgrad, president of Columbia Pictures, and Hannah Minghella, president of Production for the studio.  Black co-wrote the screenplay with Anthony Bagarozzi and Charles Mondry, based on the hero of pulp novels, films, and comic books.  Neal H. Moritz is producing the project with Ori Marmur through his Original Film banner. Michael Usland will also serve as a producer on the film.
 
Commenting on the announcement, Minghella said, “We couldn’t be more excited to be building a franchise from the ground up with Shane and this team.  Shane and Neal have a fantastic understanding of the character and a great take on the material and we can’t wait to get this production up and running.”
 
One of the most popular characters of the pulps of the 1930s and 40s, Doc Savage was also popularized on radio, film and television. He is a scientist, physician, adventurer, inventor, explorer and researcher. He has been trained since birth to be nearly superhuman in every way, with outstanding strength, a photographic memory, and vast knowledge and intelligence. He uses his skills and powers to punish evil wherever in the world he finds it.
 
Black most recently co-wrote and directed Iron Man 3 which has grossed more than $700 million since opening a little more than one week ago. He previously wrote and directed Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.
 
Sam Dickerman and Lauren Abrahams are overseeing the title for Columbia Pictures along with Minghella. Black is represented by David Greenblatt, WME and his attorney Alan Hergott.

No information is as yet available regarding shooting schedules or release dates, NerdBastards will, of course, bring you further updates as they become available.

Source: /Film

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Dan, Dan, Dan… Well, here we go again.

Dan Aykroyd recently spoke with ABC News (the one in Australia oops, move on) about the eternally ethereal Ghostbusters 3 in his eternal quest to talk to anyone that will listen about the project.  What is revealed is more mad ramblings from the vodka salesman (a fine and quality beverage if I may add, I have many skull shaped bottles to prove my love) about how the the third GB movie is still moving forward. In fact he reveals that filming should begin in winter (I’m guessing ‘a’ winter and not ‘next‘ winter.) Wait… last we heard it was going to be a CGI cartoon… it’s back to live action now? I thought the next step was high school musical theater…

Anyhoo, here’s what he had to say about the current status of the ‘movie’ -PLUS a vague hint at the ‘plot’:

“I feel re-encouraged, reinvigorated by the pages that I have seen. I know that we’re expecting half of the screenplay to be completed very soon. It should be into production by the fall and be shooting by the new year. I won’t say anything, it’s very exciting. The Higgs boson and the particle theories, gluons and mesons, that really gives us a scientific base in terms of our fictional storytelling, to open up to another dimension and have something horrible come through.”

Let me guess… in the third act a giant something-or-other stomps its way through New York? Hey, at least he’s not trying to make a Coneheads sequel. Where is Bill Murray and his paper shredder when you need them?

Before the fanboy flames fire up, let’s remember the movie has been in development hell for decades, cash strapped Sony Pictures has been lukewarm on the project at best, and other than a remake (that no one wants) buzz around the threequel has never been positive. Dan is still the only one that seems interested in the project (save for that ONE offhand reference Ivan Retiman made once.) At this point, the question has become rhetorical, do you really want to see what happens to a beloved cinema classic (the first one that is) this far out?

No Murray, no Ghostbusters 3.

Source: Bleeding Cool

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Dan, We need to talk.

Mr. Aykroyd I, like the many others that may inadvertently read this personal letter cleverly disguised as a post on a nerd news site, can say I am a fan of so many things that you have brought to the big and small screen. First and foremost, the Ghostbusters‘ movies (with Spies Like Us a very close second) hold a special, special place and you remain in my top 5 list of original Saturday Night Live cast members that are Caucasian males with dark hair.

Over the past few years we have heard you entertain thoughts of a third movie about busting ghosts, and I will say I was on board. Right with you all up until it got a little bit silly. Right around the time when Bill (Murray) shredded the script (allegedly.) Not to say that his lack of interest in the project is part of why I think it is a bad idea, however his lack of involvement helps my decision.

Recently in an interview with Esquire magazine when asked about Sony’s recent financial problems leading to GB3 being delayed you responded with this:

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Well, that didn’t last long.

Just a week or so ago Ivan Retiman made an off hand mention that production on a third Ghostbusters movie would begin next summer and the internet went wild with nerd rage and speculation. Thankfully fate has intervened once again and the chances of cameras rolling on GB3 next summer are nil.

The Hollywood Reporter says that Sony Pictures doesn’t have the money for that (or any other movies) for the time being. Citing multiple sources, HR reports that  film production at the studio has been frozen until at least the end of the fiscal year.

So the earliest Sony could give a Ghostbusters threequel the go ahead would be next March, leaving ample time for Bill Murray to express mild interest to only then quickly decline, cause multiple rewrites , and once and for all cripple the production. I just pray Bill has his (alleged) paper shredder handy.

See you next March when we will report the next reason Ghostbusters 3 will never be made.

Source: Bleeding Cool

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Sony Pictures has brought screen writer Richard Wenk (16 Blocks, The Mechanic) on board to take a crack at reworking the initial He-Man script entitled Greyskull (Written by Alex Litvak and Mike Finch).

Based on the popular Mattel toy line, Greyskull story line was reported to follow a young prince named Adam, who becomes a warrior and sets out to defeat the evil Skeletor and fulfill his destiny as He-Man.

Let’s all hope that this isn’t another Conan like reboot. I don’t know if my inner child can take another one of those kinds of disappointment.

It’s usually a long way from getting the script ready to actual casting, but we can speculate to our hearts content. Who do you want to see in the title roles of He-Man and Skeletor? Cast the movie in the comments section below.

Via: Varity

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Looks like people may still love Joss Whedon and The Avengers, but until the Marvel feature releases on DVD and Blu-ray on September 25th, another Marvel hero has taken the number one spot in our nerdy hearts. In the six days since its release North American release, Marc Webb and The Amazing Spider-Man have earned an “amazing” $141 million, bringing its global total to $341.2 million!

Opening with a solid $7.5 million from midnight screenings, the feature has since added to its astounding $200 million in the overseas markets. This is a great start for a movie that’s only a few years removed from the last time people saw the red and blue spandex on film. In nearly a week, The Amazing Spider-Man has earned more than the budget of the original Sam Raimi Spider-Man and that’s not bad for something that originally had a huge backlash over certain aspects of the reboot – i.e.: mechanical web-shooters.

Webb stayed faithful to the source material and stayed away from emo haircuts and cheesy dance scenes and created a suitable beginning to a new trilogy. And until Chris Nolan and The Dark Knight Rises hits theaters July 20th, it may be safe to say that for the next few weeks the theaters belong to our friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man.

The Amazing Spider-Man stars Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Sally Field, Martin Sheen and Denis Leary and is in theaters now.

Source: Comic Book Movie

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Well, the numbers are in and regardless of the mixed reviews (our very own Sarah has her’s here), it looks like Marc Webb‘s Spider-Man reboot is a success for Sony Pictures. Add up the revenue from the midnight screenings, the IMAX showing and first day box office, The Amazing Spider-Man took in $35 Million for its opening Tuesday, beating out the previous recored set be Michael Bay‘s Transformers from 5 years ago. It’s a safe bet the movie will carry on into the weekend ringing cash registers and making all the execs at Sony very happy.

Speaking of  movie execs, some shocking revelations have been found on the films official Facebook page. I will warn you, they are spoilerish, so we’ll continue after the jump.

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After all the television clips, behind the scenes vignettes, and forum bitching about mechanical web-shooters, Marc Webb‘s The Amazing Spider-Man reboot is just around the corner. While there’s two more days we’ll have to wait to watch Andrew Garfield don the red and blue, our friends overseas have already seen it – and it’s beating The Avengers overseas box office numbers.

In particular, Korea and India brought in $13.4 and $6 million dollars respectively this past weekend and, according to Deadline, the Marvel comic book franchise reboot has already earned $50.2 million dollars. Overtaking and breaking the balls of Joss Whedon and The Avengers in those overseas markets.

Nerd Bastards haven’t seen The Amazing Spider-Man yet, but we will, so we’re still not sure if this is because people really love seeing a teenager in spandex, lots of jokes about knives,  or they just wanted to cleanse their pallet of that horrible after taste one gets watching Spider-Man 3, but seeing numbers like this is a strong indicator of what could happen when the movie opens in 48 hours.

The Avengers and The Amazing Spider-man were made for roughly $220 million dollars each, but with Spider-Man already making back  a quarter of it’s budget, Marc Webb and his big budget feature could very well break a few of the records set by Disney and their Marvel super heroes.

The number crunchers at Sony Pictures have already started cracking open the crates of champagne in expectation of the numbers that might totally raise the bar in Hollywood on Tuesday.

Source: Bleeding Cool

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Studios releasing way too much of a film before it hits theaters is nothing new. I for one, have come to accept and ignore the marketing onslaughts. However, I gotta shake a shit stick at Sony Pictures. They went way overboard in promoting The Amazing Spider-Man. Honestly, I’ve never seen so many trailers, teasers, featurettes, clips and TV spots for a movie in my life (Except for maybe Prometheus). It’s fucking nuts, man. If you’ve been following it all you can literally say you’ve seen the whole damn film. Don’t think so? Here, I’ll prove it how bad it is….

Some Vimeo user going by Sleepyskunk  ended up taking all of the trailers, clips and featurettes that Sony Pictures has released for Marc Webb‘s The Amazing Spider-Man, and edited together a 25-minute cut of the film that basically gives us the whole story! Check it out below (SPOILER WARNING, duh! )

Admittedly, I didn’t watch the video. I didn’t want to completely spoil myself. I assume, though,  Sleepyskunk was able to stitch enough of the film together to completely ruin the movie. And shame on Sony for giving him enough of their own marketing materials to allow him to do that.

Obviously, 25 minutes of footage still means there are 110 minutes of the film we haven’t seen, but 25 minutes is far too much. I mean come on, that’s an unreasonable amount product to give away as a “Free Sample”. Wouldn’t you agree?

Source: Screen Crush]

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Reboots and video game films – they seem to be all Hollywood has the energy to produce anymore.  While reboots are hit-or-miss, video game flicks have a serious reputation for being some of the worst films ever made.  Movie companies try desperately to capture the often compelling storylines by compacting them into 2 hours of marketable visuals and this tends to be nothing but fail.  Next on the list of video game ‘maybe-sucks’ is Sony PS2’s Shadow of the Colossus.

Recent news heralds Josh Trank as taking the director’s chair for this one.  For those that have seen the edgy super-hero flick Chronicle, that’s Trank.  He also seems to be possibly attached to future productions of Venom and a Fantastic Four reboot (one franchise that sorely needs it).

If you haven’t played the old Shadow of the Colossus game, rest assured that visually it would be a very striking film.  SotC is about a guy that has to go around killing 16 big-ass monsters as part of a pact with a disembodied voice that promises to bring his old lady back from the dead.  Personally, I could never get hang of the controls, but watching my roommate blow through the game was truly epic.  If Trank could manage to capture even a fraction of the intensity that SotC brought, we might have a fun film on our hands.

So, my reading audience: Shadow of the Colossus – yea or nay?   Think they could even get a plot to go with the action that wouldn’t leave viewers in pain?

Thanks to comingsoon for the heads-up on this one.

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