Now this is some interesting read. A big long document was circulated around Paramount Studios outlining some of their upcoming projects and has managed to breach confidentiality as The Wrap exposes the list.
Now they admit that this is not written on tablets of stone, but it did come down from on high. Some of this information may be inaccurate, but most of it likely is.
TRIPLE FRONTIER: Paramount likes screenwriter Mark Boal’s draft and they’re looking to get the film into production by December. Bigelow has been meeting with Sean Penn, Will Smith, Javier Bardem, and Christian Bale for the ensemble cast. We reported in April that Bardem, Penn, and Denzel Washington were rumored for roles in the film. Boal last collaboration with Bigelow was The Hurt Locker, and that worked out pretty well for everyone.
That sounds like an amazing cast, and coming off the Hurt Locker buzz, Bigelow’s name is sure to build excitement here.
YOUNG ADULT: Paramount is in negotiations to pick this up and they’re aiming for an October/November start date. Young Adult is Jason Reitman’s follow-up to Up in the Air (which was also at Paramount). Diablo Cody wrote the script and Charlize Theron will star.
Doesn’t say much, and the only star mentioned isn’t a young adult. Not sure what to make of it.
WORLD WAR Z: The love screenwriter Matthew Michael Carnahan’s latest draft. Brad Pitt is attached to star and Marc Forster (Quantum of Solace) will direct.
Would really like to see how this novelization gets translated to the big screen. This is one to look out for. I have a feeling it will fall into that “even if you don’t like Zombie Movies” kind of story.
MY MOTHER’S CURSE: Paramount is finalizing deals with Seth Rogen and Barbra Streisand to star with Anne Fletcher (The Proposal) to direct.
Seth Rogen and Barbra Streisand? Ok, that alone has me wondering.
G.I. JOE 2: They’re happy with the latest draft from Zombieland screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick. They also believe that Stephen Sommers will return to direct. A couple weeks ago, The Wrap reported that Sommers was on board. It looks like this e-mail was written before that deal was finalized.
They can’t get worse than the first. Learn from your mistakes and make it better. That’s all I have to say here.
THE DICTATOR: They’re expecting a script from screenwriters Alec Berg, Jeff Schaffer and David Mandel for the Sacha Baron Cohen film. This is the pic the studio paid big bucks for back in April. All that’s known about the premise is that Cohen will play two roles: “a goat herder and a deposed foreign dictator who gets lost in the United States,” and that it’s in the vein of Coming to America. At least we now have a title for it.
Clueless.
JACK RYAN: They say this needs a rewrite (and they’re looking for a new writer). Surprisingly, they didn’t refer to this one as “Moscow” which is what we presumed was the title for the movie.
The movies are all about Jack Ryan anyways?
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE IV: The film is casting and will begin shooting in the fall. The e-mail has a typo since it calls the project “MI3“. Tom Cruise will return (albeit for no money up-front and all on the back-end) along with Ving Rhames. Simon Pegg is in talks to reprise his role as Benji Dunn. Brad Bird (The Incredibles) is directing. The film is slated to open on December 16, 2011.
I am always up for another Mission Impossible. Especially with Tom Cruise.
STAR TREK: “Writing; this will go next year.” Star Trek 2 is set to hit theaters on June 29, 2012.
Hell yes. Just no Khan. Keep it fresh.
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: In May, we reported that Michael Bay and Platinum Dunes were producing a live-action Ninja Turtles movie. However, the e-mail says “Fusco draft not great; looking for another writer to come on this quickly as its a huge Viacom priority.”
Love me some Ninja Turtles, but I would rather see this animated rather than live action. Of course I am prepared to be surprised.
HASBRO FACTORY: Another film we reported on back in May, the e-mail says “This is the Night at the Museum in a toy factory idea,” and that they’re hearing takes from writers.
For the record I wrote a short story in the second grade that was exactly this story. Of course they already did it with Toy Story, but this is closer to my paper. Honest.
ZOOLANDER 2: Justin Theroux is listed as still working on the script.
Zoolander was awesome. Don’t know that I want a sequel, but if they do it well I am so in.
MAX STEEL: This is one of the inaccuracies the Paramount spokesperson was talking about. The e-mail says that Taylor Lautner is attached, but we know he left the project back in February to do Stretch Armstrong instead. The e-mail says “This feels like it’s lost momentum.”
Sounds like its lost momentum alright.
7 MINUTES IN HEAVEN: The project, which is about “two teens who go into a closet as part of the titular game and find all their friends dead when they come back out,” is looking for a writer. J.J. Abrams is developing the project and yesterday we reported that Lost director Jack Bender is also on board to produce (although he’s not attached to direct).
When you take a movie based on a very capsulated moment of circumstance, its hard to think they can make a whole 90 minutes out of this, but I am sure JJ Abrams can make something that makes your head hurt out of this.
So there’s the list.
Is there anything on there that has you all interested?
