The article says,

“According to my sources, one of my favorite projects got itself a director. Supposedly, Kung Fu Panda director John Stevenson went in to the Silver offices, came in and did this killer take on He-man and the Masters of the Universe and got himself the job!

Apparently, the He-Man movie is not dead after all. I hear Stevenson’s presenation razzle dazzled the execs.”

The article goes on to tell us to expect an official announcement soon. According to IMDB, Stevenson has an animation, art department background on a lot of films and cartoon shows, prior to his directing debut on Kung-Fu Panda. Guess for right now Stevenson is the one who holds “the POWER!!” to the He-Man franchise.

[Via: Filmonic]

Entertainment Overload is the official weekly podcast of Fused Film. Welcome to Season 2 of this weekly podcast where Justin Vactor, Ben Songer and Willie Gillis let you the readers and listeners know about what we at Fused Film have been watching

during the week and give it all the insight they can offering interesting looks into some of the most popular DVDs and Television Shows around…and even the not so popular.

Have any questions/comments/suggestions? Want to advertise your movie/product/service with Fused Film? Want to have your thoughts discussed on the podcast? E-mail us at website@fusedfilm.com

Or leave us a VOICEMAIL at: (206) 666-3621 for comments on either programs!

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The First Avenger: Captain America has finally got its 2 writers to go with its attached director, Joe Johnston.

According to Variety, Marvel Studios has negotiated with Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely to pen the script for the film.

Marvel Studios has engaged Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely to script “Captain America,” a film that has Joe Johnston attached to direct.

The red-white-and-blue clad hero with the mighty indestructible shield came to prominence right after the invasion of Pearl Harbor as the U.S. declared war on Japan. The hero is the Marvel character most closely associated with the United States.

The article also states the 2 writers previous works saying,

Markus and McFeely were co-writers of both “Chronicles of Narnia” films as well as the HBO telepic “The Life and Death of Peter Sellers.”

I guess these guys are okay. I enjoyed the 2 Narnia movies, yet the last film’s theme’s weren’t adapted properly or at least didn’t come across correctly. Captain America shouldn’t prove to be difficult for the writers but more for the director, who I am not a fan of Johnston’s attachment.

According to the article in the Hollywood trade, Variety, Schwartz is:

“expected to inject a next-gen sensibility into the superhero series, which has earned $1.2 billion worldwide.”

Not much is being said about the details of the project but the article speculates that,

“the resulting film would likely draw from elements of the Marvel comic of the same name, launched in 2006, and enlist such characters as Iceman, Rogue, Angel, Colossus, Jubilee and Shadowcat, who have appeared prominently or made cameos in prior pics. Given Hollywood’s penchant for reboots with new actors playing familiar roles, the pic could also reintroduce characters. The Comic book revolves around the Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Beast, Iceman, Angel and Professor X.”

X-Men 2 and 3 scribe, Zak Penn was once attached to the script and was who spurred Fox’s interest in adapting a young X-Men movie. However, Schwartz was then attached to this project last May but nothing official came from the studio, except that they did file the project’s title in July with Production Weekly.

I think that this is a cool idea and certainly Schwartz is adept at adapting material to attract the Gen-Y demographic as all 3 of his shows have been hits with the 18-49 group. As a former fan of The O.C. Schwartz’s comic book knowledge and love came out through his character of Seth Cohen. I totally could see new actors in the roles but I also interpret “First Class” to mean the first mutants to be taken in and educated by Professor X. I would assume that this film would focus on a young Jean Gray, Scott Summers, Aurora Monroe, etc. but at the same time I am aware there is a comic book of the same name that was created by Jeff Parker and Roger Cruz revolving around the Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Beast, Iceman, Angel and Professor X.

Lastly, I could see Schwartz going after some of his show’s alum such as Benjamin McKenzie or Adam Brody (Ryan and Seth in The O.C.) to star in the vehicle [I could see McKenzie playing Scott Summers]. Anyway I am sure this is just the start for Mr. Schwartz’s career in developing stuff for the big-screen.

A fictional paralleled version of the recent Valerie Plame case, Nothing But the Truth, is Rod Lurie’s latest politcal thriller. It has some special sentimentality as it was filmed right here in Fused Film’s hometown of Memphis, TN.

The film is about a newspaper reporter (Beckinsdale) who outs a CIA agent and is imprisoned for refusing to reveal her source. Her husband (David Schwimmer), initially supports his wife’s decision not to name names but as time goes by he begins to resent her for choosing the principle over her family. [Source: Movieweb]

Moviefone has posted the first trailer for the film, which is set to be released on December 19, 2008. The movie stars Kate Beckinsdale, Matt Dillon, Alan Alda, Vera Farmiga, Harry Lennix, David Schwimmer, Angela Bassett and Noah Wyle.

Blu-ray releases for November 18, 2008:

• Awake (Weinstein)
• The BBC Earth Collection (BBC)
• Beyonce: The Beyonce Experience - Live (Sony BMG)
• BluCube (10 Pack) (Echo Bridge)
• BluCube (20 Pack) (Echo Bridge)
• Blue Streak (Sony)
• The Clique (Warner)
• Encounters at the End of the World (Image)
• Foo Fighters: Live at Wembley Stadium (Sony Music)
• Heathers (Anchor Bay)
• Heathers (Limited Edition Locker Set) (Anchor Bay)
• Jeff Dunham 3-Pack (Arguing with Myself, Spark of Insanity, Very Special Christmas Special)(Image)
• Jeff Dunham’s Very Special Christmas Special(Image)
• Jeff Dunham: Spark of Insanity (Image)
• Kitaro (BCI)
• Lucky Number Slevin (Weinstein)
• Mad Money (Anchor Bay)
• MirrorMask (Sony)
• National Security (Sony)
• Paul McCartney: The Space Within Us (A&E)
• Priceless (First Look)
• Revolver (Sony)
• The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (Warner)
• Southland Tales (Sony)
• The Stendhal Syndrome (Blue Underground)
• Tropic Thunder (DreamWorks)
• UFC: Ultimate Comebacks (First Look)
• The Universe: Season One (A&E)
• Wall•E (Walt Disney)
• The Who: Kilburn 1977 (Image)

According to Hollywood trade, THR, Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment are putting a call out for another installment of The Nutty Professor.

The studio and production company are in the early stages of developing a new “Nutty Professor” movie, in what would be the third installment of the remake of the 1963 Jerry Lewis vehicle. An open call is out to writers for their take on a potential third entry.

In this day in age Hollywood studios are always about maximizing brand value and this article elaborated on that being one of the reasons behind this devlopment, saying,

The sequel to 1996’s “The Nutty Professor,” “Klumps” had a less corpulent boxoffice gross than its predecessor, earning $162 million worldwide vs. the $270 million of the first installment. Still, the franchise has proved profitable, and a third installment could prove attractive for Universal, which like other studios has been relying increasingly on established brands.

As far as the franchises’ star is concerned, the article reports that Eddie Murphy is not yet attached to the project.

Murphy is not attached to a new “Nutty”; his involvement would be contingent on the writer, director and other elements. Murphy’s comic versatility was seen as key to the success of the two “Nutty” movies, and it seems unlikely that a third installment could go forward without him.

I think that this is a tired brand and franchise and that today’s audience may not be interested in a film such as this that is 8 years since the last installment. Also I just do not see Murphy interested in doing this film therefore it probably won’t happen.

Yahoo has just posted the first teaser trailer for Race to Witch Mountain, the film stars Dwayne Johnson, Anna-Sophia Robb and Carla Gugino.

Synopsis -

For years, stories have circulated about a secret place in the middle of the Nevada desert, known for unexplained phenomena and strange sightings. It is called Witch Mountain, and when a Las Vegas cab driver (Dwayne Johnson) finds two teens with supernatural powers in his cab, he suddenly finds himself in the middle of an adventure he can’t explain. When they discover that the only chance to save the world lies in unraveling the secrets of Witch Mountain, the race begins, as the government, mobsters and even extraterrestrials try to stop them. Race to Witch Mountain is a fun and thrilling adventure featuring incredible special effects. [Via - Movieweb.com]

I am truly surprised at how fun and entertaining this movie looks but also how much action it has. I remember watching Escape to Witch Mountain and Return to Witch Mountain as a kid and it not looking anything like this movie, I am definitely looking forward to seeing this film.

]]> http://fusedfilm.com/2008/11/trailer-of-the-week-race-to-witch-mountain/feed/ http://fusedfilm.com/2008/11/editorial-star-trek-movie-thoughts-canon-anyone/ http://fusedfilm.com/2008/11/editorial-star-trek-movie-thoughts-canon-anyone/#comments Tue, 18 Nov 2008 05:46:13 +0000 Kevin Coll http://fusedfilm.com/?p=1863 So I have been geeking out the past 3 or 4 days on the new Star Trek trailer, of which I have to say it is a good trailer to get people excited.

That being said in my last editorial I talked a lot about the argument against the re-imagining, paraphrasing Adam and others, who are not excited by the film.

Let me start by saying that I am excited about Trek. I think it is great to see it back on the big-screen as well as a fresh new take on the best aspect of the franchise, The Original Series and characters. I like the added detail in the ships as well as the special effects.

That being said my biggest and only concern for the film is that this “re-imagining” will in turn become a reboot and almost 40 years of canon will be wiped out in order to bring Trek to a new generation. I am certainly against this and can’t support the film if in fact this is true but that is something that remains to be seen.

Here is an example that I have already noticed about the canon possibly being screwed-up or jacked-up with already.

The image released by Paramount of the new Enterprise shows us JJ’s new and improved ship that brings more detail and functionality to the ship. However, I began to feel torn, as I love the design it looked strangely like the USS Enterprise NCC-1701 A, which we first saw in Star Trek: The Voyage Home.

2009 Star Trek Movie - Enterprise NCC 1701

1986 Star Trek: The Voyage Home - First Appearance of the Enterprise NCC-1701 A

USS Enterprise NCC-1701 from TOS - first seen in the episode "the Cage"

The argument I make is that if canon was to be adhered to in this “reimaging” then why does the “new look” of The Enterprise look more like the A version that wasn’t issued until 2286, years before the first version (same as the “new look” from JJ) was serviced by the Federation, circa 2245, especially when the events of this movie are supposed to take place with the crew being younger? If somebody would like to answer this question I’d appreciate it, otherwise, this to me is a prime example of JJ and crew ignoring canon or just taking liberties with it, which is just as bad.

On that topic too, in The Making of Star Trek by Gene Roddenberry and Stephen E. Whitfield, the components of the Enterprise were built at the San Francisco Navy Yards (seemed like Iowa, in the trailer) and the vessel itself was constructed in space (didn’t see that in the trailer).

The film’s co-writer, Roberto Orci, acknowledged depicting the Enterprise being built on Earth (which we see). He believed that this would cause debates among fans regarding canon [uhh..yeah!].

Explaining that the concept came from their own creative licence and the precedent set in Star Trek novels, he said that the idea that some things have to be constructed in space is normally associated with “flimsy” objects which have to be delicately assembled and would not normally be required to enter a gravity well. He said that this did not apply to the Enterprise because of the artificial gravity employed on the ship and its requirement for sustaining warp speed, and therefore the calibration of the ship’s machinery would be best done in the exact gravity well which is to be simulated. [Source: TrekMovie.com]

Some other questions I have regarding canon have to do with the personal history of Kirk. Judging by the trailer (these thoughts are obviously assumptions and presumptions - hopefully they are wrong) Kirk seems to join Starfleet due to the persuasion of Captain Pike, who we guess already has command of the Enterprise, meaning the ship has already been serviced by the Federation so this film must take place in between the years 2245-2285.

So what am I getting at? Well after Kirk passed the infamous Kobiyashi Maru, he received a field commission as an ensign and was posted to the USS Republic, then he was promoted to lieutenant junior grade and returned to Starfleet Academy as a student instructor. Gary Mitchell (Gary Lockwood), then one of Kirk’s students, remarks in the TOS episode Where No Man Has Gone Before that one could either “think or sink” in Kirk’s course. Upon graduation in the top five percent of his class, Kirk was promoted to lieutenant and served aboard the USS Farragut. Having risen rapidly through the ranks after leaving the Academy, Kirk received his first command while still quite young [Source] .

So my question is - are we going to see any of this personal history take place in the newest re-imagining of Trek or at least mentioned?

Judging by the casting of Chris Pine, who is 28 years of age, one would assume Kirk would be the same or close to that age in this new story. Kirk didn’t assume command of the Enterprise until he was 31 years of age, that is at least a 3 year gap, therefore I am hoping this film will certainly reveal some of this canon and hopefully they will show these stages properly in the film, showing him rising through the ranks and maybe this will be true and Kirk’s plot shows him leaving command of the USS Farragut. However, in the trailer Kirk is seen staring up at an Enterprise being built in his hometown of Iowa (not San Francisco?), it seems, probably before he enters Starfleet, however how much time in this film will pass before he gets on the ship? There needs to be at least 15 or so? Because based on proper canon, Robert April and Christopher Pike are Captains of the ship before Kirk, Pike of which is the Captain for almost a decade according to the canon laid out in Trek lore, but I just do not see that based on what is shown in trailer. Kirk should be in his teens when he was staring at the Enterprise being built.

So to conclude, Kirk in this film should be 28 and leaving command of the USS Farragut, he will at some point join Pike and his crew to thwart some major happenings, probably time traveling Romulans hell bent on killing Spock and his family as well as Kirk. Obviously, Kirk’s accomplishments in the film will lead him into taking command of the Enterprise. This is all of course, assuming that writers Orci and Kurtzman got the canon right. Otherwise, it seems that Kirk joins Starfleet and then gets thrown into a situation where he is either in control of the ship or does something to receive command of the ship for its 5 year mission (we do see him in the yellow command shirt in the trailer).

So there you have it…my little ramblings and musings regarding the new Trek re-imagining by JJ Abrams and team.

[Sources: Wikipedia Entries - Enterprise, Kirk,

Star Trek.com and Star Trek wiki]

I have to say ewww! what a weird looking dude! However, this is about what I expected from Burton’s film and I can only expect more creepy photos and images from this film as it progresses.

[Via: Filmonic]

Alice in Wonderland is a 2010 fantasy film based on the Lewis Carroll novels Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass. The film is said to be a combination of live action and motion capture technology and 3D. Mia Wasikowska will portray Alice and the film is due for release on March 19, 2010.

The film also stars Anne Hathaway, Michael Sheen, Alan Rickman, Matt Lucas and Helen Bonham Carter.