With the major success of the first two Men in Black films it’s about time for Sony to try and get some more life out of the franchise. Josh Brolin is apparently on board and set to join series star Will Smith; although the presence of Tommy Lee Jones is not yet decided upon. Perhaps this is the reason that we’re now hearing casting rumors for the potential third picture, and why they’re also from actors of a comedic persuasion.
The two names being thrown around are that of Sacha Baron Cohen, best known for the films Borat and Bruno, and Jemaine Clement, one half of New Zealand’s formerly fourth most popular guitar-based digi-bongo acapella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo, Flight of the Conchords. The character is said to be named “Yaz” and is possibly a new agent, although not much else is known at this time. The script was penned by Tropic Thunder co-writer Etan Coen (add an “H” into the first name and I would be more excited for this movie).
What do you think of this potential casting? Are you excited for Men in Black III?
Few have done it blatantly (kudos to Gus Van Sant for trying, remakes of Rear Window and The Lodger are eternally forgettable), but many have paid enough homage to Hitch to warrant an uber-collection of pseudo-remakes, from Brian De Palma’s entire film career (Femme Fatale is his Vertigo) to Martin Scorsese’s Shutter Island, which takes a considerable amount of style, and even a little substance, from Hitch’s Spellbound. How many times has Rope been remade in concept? Murder By Numbers, Swoon, etc.
So why not remake Suspicion, starring Will Smith? The movie star, in many ways, is his generation’s Cary Grant: the charming good guy with a sweet smile and a hint of mischievousness. As much of a Cary Grant as George Clooney is anyway.
Hero Complex (of LA Times Blog) is reporting that No Country For Old Men and Milk star Josh Brolin may be suiting up for the next Men In Black. His possible role in the film is rumored to be “a new single-monikered government agent, with Tommy Lee Jones’ Agent K passing the baton to Brolin’s character. Or he could play Agent K as a young man. Or something else entirely.” Will Smith will be returning and assuming the film does get a greenlit, shooting would begin next year. As we reported over a month ago Etan Cohen (Tropic Thunder, Madagascar 2) has written the script. Brolin has quite a lot on his plate including the summer comic western Jonah Hex, the sequel to Oliver Stone’s Wall Street. Each of those films are wrapped but he has two more shooting next year including the Coen brothers‘ remake of True Grit and the mafia crime drama Cartel.
According to Latino Review the American remake to Park Chan-wook’s South Korean hit Oldboy that was set to starWill Smith and be directed by Steven Spielberg is dead. Apparently Spielberg’s production company Dreamworks couldn’t come to terms with the producers of the original manga series authored by Garon Tsuchiya and Nobuaki Minegishi and distributed by Mandate who also own the rights. It is unknown if Mandate just didn’t want the project taken over by Hollywood or if Dreamwroks simply wanted too big a piece of the money train the film was sure to make. Read the full story
Thanks to THR affiliate Risky Biz Blog we can confirm that a Men In Black 3 is being written. This confirmation comes straight from Sony themselves. The film is being written by Tropic Thunder scribe Etan Cohen. The studio is eying a 2010 start date that could be as early as spring with possible direction by Barry Sonnenfeld who directed the first two films. The involvement of the two key players, Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones is still uncertain. However both have expressed interest and Smith has been reported as saying he currently has no “go” movie ready. Read the full story
According to /Film today director Peter Berg has stated that Will Smith and Charlize Theron are confirmed to return in the upcoming Hancock sequel. For those that need a refresher, Hancock is about an alcoholic superhero (Smith) who is hated by everyone in LA, ill stop there. If you are so inclined (you shouldn’t be) go rent the movie. Atleast half of this news comes as no surprise. In an interview with MTV Theron stated when asked if she would return “with those guys? If everybody’s on board? Yeah!” The film is currently being written by Adam Fierro and Glen Mazzara, according to Berg regarding the plot “there might be another god out there somewhere.” Does this mean another big name addition to the cast? There is still no word if the third wheel of Jason Bateman is confirmed to return as well.
First of let me ask, why?! I didn’t like the first film (and I tend to appreciate most films on some level). So the idea of a sequel also bothers me. Even when it was first announced I had hopes it wouldn’t happen as long as at least Smith stayed away. It doesn’t surprise me however, the original film grossed over $620,000,000 at the box office (mostly due to Smith’s involvement of course), so the idea that the studio would want a sequel ASAP shouldn’t shock anyone.
According to THRColumbia Pictures has hired Peter Craig to pen a script for a new addition to the Bad Boys films. Columbia hopes to reunite producer JerryBruckheimer with director Michael Bay and stars Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. Reportedly, all key players have expressed interest as long as a story can be hammered out. However, the cost of all the players is still a worry.
I am so happy to hear this news. I have been waiting for a third installment ever since Bad Boys II which many claim is just a fun movie to watch. Bad Boys 1 helped establish Michael Bay as a feature film director and this would put him right back with Jerry Bruckheimer whom he hasn’t worked with since Bad Boys II. I do wonder how this film will coincide with Bay’s other projects currently at hand (Transformers 3 [which he hasn't been confirmed yet for] and I Am Number 4). Not to mention Smith’s upcoming films Time Share and the I Am Legend prequel. Also, Big Mama’s House 3 and Wild Hogs 2 for Lawrence.
THR (via AICN) reports that writers have been hired for a sequel to the 2008 Will Smith superhero movie Hancock. Writers Adam Fierro and Glen Mazzara have been hired to write the film, and according to sources, the original producing team will return. Both Fierro and Mazzara worked together on The Shield, while Fierro himself wrote for 24 and Dexter, and Mazzara has written for the TV series of Crash and for Life. The sequel as of now has no real release date, although one would expect it to be seen within about two years.
Hancock was about a superhero played by Will Smith who has to reform his image and becomes a public crimefighter, while also discovering that his PR manager (Jason Bateman) is married to his fellow superhero and former lover (Charlize Theron). The movie made around $624 million worldwide last year, and was directed by Peter Berg (Friday Night Lights).
Does anybody want a sequel to Hancock? The first movie was really bad, but of course when a movie makes as much money as that one did, a sequel becomes an interest for studios. I might be interested if they can get a decent script in the works, and if Peter Berg can stop smoking crack before picking up a camera. I’m probably hoping for too much.
A story at /Film says that Steven Spielberg revealed in a press release today that he will be directing a remake of the 1950 Jimmy Stewart film Harvey. Having finished principal photography on Tintin, many assumed his next project would be his proposed Lincoln biopic or an Oldboy remake, but he has chosen this as his next project, to be co-distributed by 20th Century Fox and Dremaworks. Screenwriter Jonathan Tropper has written the movie’s script.
The story of a mild-mannered man who claims to see a 6-foot tall rabbit, Harvey was originally a stage playon Broadway and adapted twice for television, one of which according to IMDb starred Stewart again in the role of Elwood P. Dowd. The same story claims that the movie will begin shooting as soon as early 2010. Already there seem to be rumors of Tom Hanks taking over the role, making this the fourth collaboration between him and Spielberg, after Saving Private Ryan, Catch Me if You Can, and The Terminal.
I don’t know if I’m warm to the idea of this. I’ve never seen the original film, but I would rather see Spielberg do Lincoln or even the Oldboy remake with Will Smith. That being said, I always have confidence in him to make a good film, so I shouldn’t remain excessively pessimistic about this just yet.
What do you think of Spielberg directing aHarvey remake?
It only seems appropriate to offer a take on what is now the most popular genre in Hollywood – the remake. Not that the remake hasn’t always been popular. Just look at how many times Little Women has been made. A lot.
That being said, remakes have never been as prolific (or as potentially profitable) as they are right now. One can chalk this up as unoriginality or business savvy or both, but the fact remains the age of the remake is upon us and it has only just begin to rear it’s ugly, repetitive head.
With that said, we here at The Film Stage have attempted to break down the remake genre and decipher the gems and germs that have come out of it.
With the major success of the first two Men in Black films it’s about time for Sony to try and get some more life out of the franchise. Josh Brolin is apparently on board and set to join series star Will Smith; although the presence of Tommy Lee Jones is not yet decided upon. Perhaps this is the reason that we’re now hearing casting rumors for the potential third picture, and why they’re also from actors of a comedic persuasion.
