Top Maniacal Rumors of the Week


Top Maniacal News: Gort Destruction, Mummy Mum and Iron Holmes

By: Jarrod Sarafin
Date: Friday, July 11, 2008

It’s time for another edition of Mania’s Most Maniacal Rumors, where we blow the lid off the week’s juiciest gossip and hush-hush industry whispers.
If you have a rumor you want to contribute, we’re all ears. Just send it to jarrod@mania.com.
 
 Sigourney Weaver Is Ready for Aliens 5
News: Actress Sigourney Weaver has once again hinted at a desire to return to her iconic Ripley character to online media.
Source: OK Magazine
Verdict: Weaver has said a few times these past few years that she is up to return to her iconic character despite originally wanting the character to fade away back in the 90s. Over the last few years, she’s been more open to the idea and as she enters her 60s this month, she has told us once again that if done right with the right director, she is more than willing to come back to the sci-fi franchise.
 
To Gort or Not To Gort in The Day The Earth Stood Still?
 
News: Last weekend, while premiering alongside Hancock in theaters, the first trailer for the upcoming remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still premiered online. Within hours, fans were wondering about the famous robot Gort and it didn’t take long for director Scott Derrickson to address the question.
Source: MTV
Verdict: Director Derrickson was quick to address the fans regarding the visual likeness of the famed robot. Here’s what he had to say.
"It was intentional," Derrickson said. "I certainly took a lot of time to explore other possibilities. It wasn't just a foregone conclusion in my mind that we would be sticking to the original. I tried looking at a lot of different possibilities, worked on a lot of different ideas with artists and just always a nagging sense that there was something right about the way the original, that there was something about this alien entity choosing a human form or being in a human form that had value even by modern standards, not by 1950 standards. I also am such a fan of the original film. You have to also just have some respect for Gort. Gort is Gort. There’s no question what we designed pays homage to the original."
 
Cohen Answers Question on Bello Replacing Weisz in Mummy 3
 
News: While so many directors or Hollywood insiders would likely avoid such a direct question as to why they recast the O’Connell mom, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor director Rob Cohen flat out said the reasoning this weekend in surprising honest fashion.
Source: Shock Til You Drop
Verdict: Instead of dodging the question, here’s what Cohen had to say about recasting the character and wanting to keep the family dynamic together.
I finished three drafts of the script very quickly with [Alfred] Gough and [Miles] Millar, the writers and we sent the script off to Brendan and Rachel. I went to Westport and met with him. He and I had an immediate bond. I got a call from Rachel's agent who said, "She's not playing the mother of a 21-year-old and she's not going to China." And I said, "Okay, well I guess she's not doing the movie." I told the studio I'm not changing the design of movie. This is a young bull, old bull conflict and Alex is in every major action scene playing a major part. I don't want to a 16-year-old kid with a gun in his hand, it's going to look ridiculous. The studio stuck by me and when they asked me who I saw as Evelyn I opened it up to American actresses because I think it's easier to learn an accent. I've always admired Maria for her ballsiness. I sent the script to her agent and [made an offer]. I got a call, she wanted to meet and we had a drink. I asked her why she was interested in this. She said, "I'll tell you, when I saw Indiana Jones, the first one, all of my girlfriends wanted to be Karen Allen, but I wanted to be Harrison Ford." I said, you're so going to screen test. She took a few weeks to get her English accent going, I made her a brunette, screen tested her with Brendan and when he saw it, he said, "It would be an honor to work with her."
 
Quentin Tarantino’s Dirty Dozen homage Inglorious Bastards Coming Soon
 
News: After spending years collecting dust in development hell, it looks like the end is near for Quentin Tarantino's planned WWII tale Inglorious Bastards. The director and his distributor The Weinstein Company are planning to begin production in October.
Source: Hollywood Reporter
Verdict: A lot of fans have been wondering whether this Dirty Dozen homage would ever get made with delays frequently happening as Tarantino took on other side projects. The director has had this planned for nearly a decade right there alongside his martial arts homage Kill Bill and his 70’s Grindhouse take of Death Proof.
Robert Downey Jr. is Sherlock Holmes for Guy Ritchie
 
News: Hot off yesterday’s news, Robert Downey Jr.----who is enjoying box office success as Iron Man---has been picked to lead Guy Ritchie’s serious take of the famed Sir Arthur Conan Doyle character. Production should begin in October for Warner Bros.
Source: Variety
Verdict: There are two separate Sherlock Holmes films in preproduction in Hollywood at the moment from two different studios. Last week, it was announced that Will Ferrell and Sacha Baron Cohen would lead the comedic version of the icon. Now, it looks like director Guy Ritchie is going a different direction by casting Mr. Iron Man.
 
Robert De Niro directing two Good Shepherd sequels?
 
News: While accepting a Lifetime achievement award over the holiday, director De Niro was questioned on whether there was a possibility of a follow up to his CIA story of the Good Shepherd. Surprisingly, he answered that he had two sequels in mind, taking the character from 1961 to Present Day.
Source: Variety
Verdict: Well, we know that the CIA hit full stride during the heated moments of the Cold War, not just the buildup to it. It makes sense that he would want to expand on his Wilson (Damon) character and take him through the Cold War as well. According to De Niro, the second film would cover 1961 to 1989 while the final film covers the intervening years to present day.
 
Red Dawn Remake Grabs a Writer and Director.
 
News: Screenwriter Carl Ellsworth and director Dan Bradley have been hired to rewrite MGM's Red Dawn, the ultimate homeland invasion story about a new generation of besieged high schoolers.
Source: Hollywood Reporter
Verdict: It seems the remake of 80’s cult classic is indeed happening with MGM taking on a scribe and a director. Bradley, who was a second unit director for The Bourne Ultimatum, Spider-Man 3 and Quantum of Solace may know the direction in which to take the characters to adapt the Cold War fears to modern times. Here’s what screenwriter Ellsworth had to say on it.
"The tone is going to be very intense, very much keeping in mind the post-9/11 world that we're in," says Ellsworth, "As 'Red Dawn' scared the heck out of people in 1984, we feel that the world is kind of already filled with a lot of paranoia and unease, so why not scare the hell out of people again?"

More Content By Jarrod Sarafin
Daniel Radcliffe Updates on HARRY POTTER
(Thursday, August 21, 2008)
First Look at Adams as Earhart in MUSEUM 2
(Thursday, August 21, 2008)
KICK ASS Begins Production in Three Weeks
(Thursday, August 21, 2008)
Alex Proyas Adapting Heinlein's JONATHAN HOAG
(Wednesday, August 20, 2008)
Diesel Directing 20 Minute FAST Prequel
(Wednesday, August 20, 2008)
Fassbender Replacing Pegg as a BASTARD
(Wednesday, August 20, 2008)
James McAvoy and Emily Blunt Become GNOMEO AND JULIET
(Wednesday, August 20, 2008)
MGM Planning Many Worlds of JONAS MOORE
(Wednesday, August 20, 2008)
Warner Bros. Responds to Upset POTTER Fandom
(Wednesday, August 20, 2008)
Writers Begin Scripting POLTERGEIST Remake
(Wednesday, August 20, 2008)
Comments/Responses
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Flint521466 • Jul 11, 2008, 05:44am •
Please no more Alien movies, 3 & 4 were bad enough.

Hobbs • Jul 11, 2008, 07:23am •
I would disagree with mr. cohen, I think American actors butcher english accents. They can never hold it for the whole movie. English actors do a much better job of talking with an American accent. I knew Rachel didn't like the script but thats the first I'm seeing she didn't want to go to China. I do agree with her, making the kid age about 40 years in the span of 8 is a little hard to believe. I'll probably still go see it though.

Yes, no more Alien movies though Weaver has been talking like that for years now. Before the AVP movies she was talking the same way. Remember she is getting up there in age so roles probably are not being offered as much. Not bashing her just a fact of Hollywood when it comes to women.

I'm okay with Al Gort looking like the original. I mean you have to up it a little but the same type of design I'm good with. Still don't know about the Global warming message about the movie though. Takes something away from what the original was about. Sounds like a hollywood agenda movie more than aliens telling us they won't allow us to go into space with our war ways.

I'm stoked about the new Bastards movie. We could have a winner. It will be gory and violent I'm sure.

Please, no more Good Sheppard movies...I still haven't made it through the first one without falling asleep.

Don't know if Red Dawn can work in a post cold war era. They aren't really known as the "Red" army anymore.


jedi4sshield • Jul 11, 2008, 07:51am •
Yes please, more Alien Films. Atleast theres some continuity!!! Aliens 4 wasnt as dissapointing as 3 for the simple fact of killing Newt and Hicks. The sheer stupidity of that decision is beyond me. Alien Vs Predator series were okay AVP2 shouldnt even have happened. Remember no people knew of Aliens until Ripley's Time. Sigh. As for Aliens 5 I've alway's liked Ripely but maybe she needs to close her story in this one. Thing is it doesnt have to be with her death! I hope that they take that into consideration because it seems all these writers think that the best way to close of the story of a character is just to kill them. This is also despite how much fans like them to begin with, but they dont to take that into consideration.

At this point I dont really care to see another AVP film. I wouldnt mind if they decided to just go back to the old formula and kill humans for a while like before. They say the next film is to be done away from earth in Space (maybe a Spacestation) or another planet. They should have done that in the first place! I wouldnt mind seeing something from the comics like Alien: Genocide or Aliens Earth War, because it would make SENSE IN RIPLEY'S TIME!!! as apposed to filmakers breaking continuity and introducing the Alien earlier. Sigh. Tssk Tssk.
I just wish Ridley Scott would come back to this. Bring back the Horror and thrill that was Alien to the Franchise.

noblenonsense • Jul 11, 2008, 07:55am •
WOLVERINES!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yeah Red Dawn was horrible

ultrazilla2000 • Jul 11, 2008, 03:21pm •
Who are you guys to say no more Alien movies? Because if you think you're speaking for all Alien series fans, you're dead wrong. If you don't like something, don't watch it...but that doesn't mean somebody else wouldn't want to see it! I personally think Alien 3 was a brilliant film. (minus the lack of explanation as to how the alien egg got on board the ship in the first place!)

SONYMANswallows • Jul 11, 2008, 03:38pm •
Alien 3 and 4 were not to bad, it wasnt like watching GI Joe and having to endure a character named Flint aka GI Joe's Millhouse.

Sigoourney Weaver gets many movie offers, she just does not need to take them because she does not need to work.And she was in VANTAGE POINT and is starring in Cameron's new film. Actors can cut back to unless they star in crap like PIGFORMERS.

AVP sucked cause they arent taken serioulsy by FOX. DEL TORO would be a great director..


AVP films and Alien 3 and Alien Resurection were alot better than anything Lucas has done since Empire Strikes back. They were better than the horrible PIGFORMERS, IJ and the plastic prop skull, and what pieces of shit the Lil Vader trilogy was.

Hobbs • Jul 11, 2008, 06:29pm •
Sorry to all you Alien fans, it was my opinion. Alien hasn't been good since Aliens because there is nothing left to surprise us any longer. Thats why you got AVP. Hey, I've thought they were good mindless entertainment after the 2nd one but they have run their course and thats why the BO numbers dropped after they screwed up A-3 but if Ridley says he'll do one then you will get your next movie I just don't think he is going to venture down that path but I could be wrong. Otherwise the next installment may very well be Abbott and Costello meet the Alien the way they are going. Though I will give you that they were better than Episodes 1-2...episode 3 was better, not great, but better.

As far as Weaver is concerned, I'm sure she does get offers much like the offer in Vantage point but top billing like she used to...um...not to my knowledge. I don't know how big her part in the Cameron movie is to comment on it. It is a fact and a sad fact indeed that women get thrown to the curb in Hollywood once they hit their 40's compared to their male counter parts. An unfair problem that more than one actress in Hollywood has spoken out about but it is what it is. I'm not saying they shouldn't get the juicy parts I'm just pointing out that they don't.

mellowdoux • Jul 11, 2008, 08:46pm •
Y'know, I have to be honest... I'm tired of hearing people bash 'AVP2' by saying: "It messed with continuity. No one knew about the aliens until Ripley's time in the future."
Well, I'm a fan of the series too, and I say... you're wrong.
It was made perfectly clear in the original movie, 'Alien', that the Weyland-Yutani Corporation was very aware of the aliens. That was, after all, the point of Ash being onboard the Nostromo.
'AVP2' and to a lesser degree 'AVP' actually answered a mystery that has been part of the saga since day one. You don't like these movies? Fine... I don't think they're perfect either. But the whole 'they mess with continuity' argument is played out.
You've rinsed it.

jonniej1017 • Jul 11, 2008, 09:20pm •
I say MAKE an ALIEN 5 and start off from the end of alien 2, making 3 and 4 a dream Ripely had while in her cryogenic sleep. Thats the ONLY way anyone will go see this movie. Then have the aliens come to earth and make it a huge war on earth (in the future of course) and at the end the cat is the only one who lives. THE END

Filch • Jul 12, 2008, 01:42am •
LOL...love that idea jonniej...rippoff the begining of the 2nd movie that shes been floating awhile hence the age of her and Hicks...do you recast Newt? or killer off?
I'm up for an A5 but what about another Predator film staring the rock? that would kick ass. Mellowdoux I agree with the continuity its fine, it could be beter but its fine.

The Good Shepard sequals? Am I high? is anyone asking for this or wants it?



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