Posts Tagged ‘Dimension Films’
Posted by sean in Movies on September 25th, 2009
Bob Weinstein has promised that Dimension Films will “go back to doing what [they] do best,” as he unveiled the company’s upcoming film slate. Unfortunately, the operative phrase here seems to be “go back.”
There’s not an original idea in the bunch, which is made up entirely of sequels to and remakes of “classic” Dimension films. There’s also a particular focus on 3D films, the latest victim of Hollywood’s unfortunate “never too much of a good thing” philosophy. Halloween III will force those damned plastic glasses onto our faces once again, as will remakes of Scanners and Hellraiser. Rounding out the upcoming crop of 3D overkill is yet another SpyKids sequel, which Robert Rodriguez is writing now and which will push back Sin City 2 yet again. For someone who has made so many things I love, Rodriguez sure does know how to disappoint.
The studio is also producing remakes of Children of the Corn and An American Werewolf in London. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been hoping for a revival of classic-style horror since the first Saw pic made me lose faith in the genre – but re-hashing movies that were popular several decades ago isn’t what I had in mind. Short Circuit is also looking at a big-screen revamp, which raises the baffling question of who, exactly, thought Johnny 5 needed another go at the big screen.
The most-publicized, and arguably most exciting, of Dimension’s films moving forward is Scream 4. The movie is attracting a lot of buzz, thanks to its stated goal of starting another trilogy, and its inclusion of returning Scream stars David Arquette, Courteney Cox and, most recently, Neve Campbell. Currently, Weinstein and co. are trying to attract Wes Craven to direct, and hope to start production in April or May of 2010.
“I’m heading back to my franchise films,” Weinstein said. Geez, thanks, Bob. We don’t have enough already.
Posted by dominie in Movies on April 22nd, 2009
Step Brothers and Knocked Up comedy star Adam Scott is going on a tangent. The actor has been cast for the male lead in Alex Aja’s Piranha 3D remake, based on the classic 1978 Joe Dante film. The news first came from Moviehole.net, who also reported on Elisabeth Shue’s casting for the female lead earlier this month.
Bloody Disgusting is also tipping fans that Nuke the Fridge (though the info still needs to be confirmed) is reporting that Richard Dreyfuss (Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind) as been cast! “Richard Dreyfuss will reportedly appear in a cameo that will pay homage to Jaws,” they report. “His character will even be drinking Amity brand beer (the setting of Jaws). (Spoiler Follows) Reportedly, Dreyfuss might be the first character killed off in the new movie.”
Based on the original Joe Dante 1978 classic, “They’re back! Every year the population of sleepy Lake Havasu explodes from 5,000 to 50,000 for a single, wild weekend – the 4th of July, a riot of sun, drunken fun and sex-crazed mayhem. But this year, there’s something more to worry about than hangovers and complaints from local old timers. Havasu sits in the crater formed by a prehistoric volcanic eruption, and when earth tremors tear open a crack in the lake floor, all hell breaks through. Piranhas – a million ravenous, razor-toothed monsters, unchanged since the dawn of time. Unstoppable killing machines acting blindly under one primeval impulse: to hunt down anything that moves and strip it to the raw, bleeding bone. In seconds.”
Aja is said to begin lensing this month in Arizona. The film is scheduled to hit theaters May 19, 2010. Stay tuned for more news.
Posted by dominie in Movies on April 14th, 2009
Way to set the bar high. Various sites as Moviehole.net and Bloody Disgusting are reporting that Elisabeth Shue (The Karate Kid, Back to the Future) is the first lead to be cast in Alex Aja’s Piranha 3D remake from Dimension Films.
“Deal is as good as done,” reports Moviehole. “Shue is playing the role of Sherrif Julie Forester, a take-charge authority figure in the community of Lake Victoria – where the action/ankle-biting takes place. She’s the mother of Jake (one of the central characters in the film – the shy teenager who gets to prove his worth when human-eating fish threaten his family and friends), Laura and Zane.”
With Shue cast, supporting roles (breakdown below) should be named in the days to come! Be sure to keep it here for updates. Piranha 3D hits theaters now on March 19, 2010, delayed from their original 2009 release date. Look out for the trailer to be attached to Final Destination: Death Trip 3D.
Based on the original Joe Dante 1978 classic, “They’re back! Every year the population of sleepy Lake Havasu explodes from 5,000 to 50,000 for a single, wild weekend – the 4th of July, a riot of sun, drunken fun and sex-crazed mayhem. But this year, there’s something more to worry about than hangovers and complaints from local old timers. Havasu sits in the crater formed by a prehistoric volcanic eruption, and when earth tremors tear open a crack in the lake floor, all hell breaks through. Piranhas – a million ravenous, razor-toothed monsters, unchanged since the dawn of time. Unstoppable killing machines acting blindly under one primeval impulse: to hunt down anything that moves and strip it to the raw, bleeding bone. In seconds.”
(more…)
Posted by dominie in Movies on March 5th, 2009
Daeg Faerch has officially been recast as young Michael Myers in Rob Zombie’s H2, which is currently filming in Georgia for Dimension Films. Daeg also confirmed the news on his MySpace page, which reads, “SADLY, although I was contracted to reprise the role of young Michael Myers in the upcoming H2 (Halloween 2, 2009) after filming briefly on the set in GA, I am to be recast due to my increased height.” Its unfortunate for Daeg, and I wish him the best of luck in his next shoot.
The new H2 picks up right as the first remake ended, following the aftermath of Michael Myers’ murderous rampage through the eyes of the sister he hunted.
________________________________________________________________________
Platinum Dune’s remake of A Nightmare of Elm Street is casting up for their shoot, which begins shooting in Chicago this Spring. News via various sources have revealed that a new draft of the script was just turned in and Jackie Earle Haley (Watchmen) is one contender among a list of potential actors to play Freddy Krueger.
As previously mentioned, the story of the remake is said to be more serious and terrifying and will be based heavily on the first film in the series while incorporating some major elements from the entire franchise.
________________________________________________________________________
Catching up on this item, Danielle Panabaker in the recently released Friday the 13th reboot and Joe Anderson (The Ruins) have been cast in Breck Eisner’s The Crazies remake. Panabaker will play a receptionist at the medical center while Anderson will gear up for the role of town deputy. Shooting begins tomorrow, March 5 in Georgia followed by additional photography in Iowa, and we will definitely have more coverage on FM in the days to come.
Not much regarding the plot has been shared but we do know the story revolves around people in a small Kansas town who are beset by a virus that causes insanity and death after a mysterious toxin contaminates the local water supply.
Posted by dominie in Movies on February 25th, 2009
We’re still awaiting confirmation on this news, but I didn’t want to hold off on it any longer. While Dimension Films has confirmed that Kevin Williamson has been hired to pen Scream 4, rumors are looming via various sources that Williamson is on board to not only write the 4th entry, but a 5th and 6th Scream film as well. We’re talking a reboot of the Scream franchise if this is true. And with Wes Craven possibly returning at the helm, this might just be possible. Stay tuned for updates.
Posted by dominie in Movies on February 22nd, 2009
According to Bloody Disgusting producer Brad Krevoy (Pumpkinhead, Dracula 3000, Beverly Hills Ninja) is getting behind a new project from DreamWorks, tentatively titled Rainbow Bridge. William Nicholson, most widely known for writing the film Gladiator (one of my favorite movies), will pen the screenplay.
Plot line: In the film chaos and confusion erupt in a rural Southwestern town when a crack in the canyon rim creates a portal for the dead to be called back to life by the living.
Scream 4 is really happening but is Wes Craven in or is he out?
At The Last House on the Left remake premiere afterparty, Bloody Disgusting received confirmation from Wes Craven himself that Scream 4 is indeed in the works, but attaching his name to direct however is not yet so set in stone.
Craven, who directed Scream 1 through 3, claims that he knows nothing about the new plot except the fact that Dimension Films has hired Kevin Williamson to pen the script. Our previous announcements however still stand that Scream 4 will be a younger version than the ones we’ve seen.
One last note in regards to getting Craven on board, here’s what the director had to say.
“It would take it being really as good a script as the first one was,” explaining that he should also be compensated for his work on the franchise, “and the pay day reflects what I’ve done for that company and what Ive gone through on Cursed (laughs).”
Thus far, offers have been made to David Arquette, Courtney Cox, and Neve Campbell to return for cameos. Stay tuned for more details.
Posted by dominie in Movies on January 28th, 2009
Dimension Films announced this morning that Alex Aja’s Piranha 3D will be postponed for release from its original July 24, 2009 release date to now March 19, 2010 due to scheduling delays for the shoot. We can however expect to see a trailer debut still with Final Destination: Death Trip 3D on August 21, 2009.
________________________________________________________________________
CHUD via The Today Show reports today that Neil Jordan (Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles, The Brave One) is in negotiations to write and direct the feature adaptation for The Graveyard Book, based on the novel by Neil Gaiman (Beowulf, Stardust, Coraline). The Graveyard Book will be shot in live-action with special effects done by Framestore, a London based FX production house that most recently worked on Australia.
Synopsis: Hear this tragic tale: a sleeping family, a talented murderer, and an adventurous toddler—orphaned, but not assassinated. Small and alone, by accident and luck he escapes the scene of the crime and climbs a grassy hill to safety. At the top of the hill the boy finds a fence, and on the other side, a dark, quiet place.
________________________________________________________________________
According to Variety, Steven Rogers (P.S. I Love You) is adapting Shanna Swendson’s 2005 novel Enchanted, Inc. for Strike Entertainment. A schedule is still to be determined but we have the storyline: The story centers on a small-town woman who comes to New York only to find out magic is commonplace in Gotham and has existed there for centuries. But because she is one of the rare creatures without the slightest bit of magic inside her, she can see through any spell.
Posted by dominie in Movies on January 13th, 2009
The silence couldn’t last forever. Eventually Neve Campbell would come around. We received confirmation of the next installment to the Scream franchise from Dimension Films today. It was officially confirmed last July that The Weinsteins were taking a look at the project, but Neve Campbell was holding back. Scream 4 was to take flight, but it never quite got off the ground. Darn today.
According to Bloody Disgusting, writer Kevin Williamson who wrote the first two installments in the series will pen the first draft of this story. Wes Craven, who helmed the first three, may be directing this installment as well, or at the very least be involved in producing the hardly-necessary-yet-another-sequel.
No word on the details of the story just yet, only that it will involve a younger cast and that negotiations are being made for previous cast members David Arquette, Courtney Cox, and Neve Campbell to play cameos.
We’ll be back with more as we hear it. Stay tuned!
Posted by dominie in Movies on January 12th, 2009
Last week we included the full casting breakdown for writer/director Rob Zombie’s upcoming H2, or Halloween II, the sequel to his Halloween remake. So far, still the only actors confirmed for a role are Tyler Mane and most recently Ezra Buzzington. According to Bloody Disgusting (via Zombie’s blog, MySpace) Buzzington will play Ned Atkins, a beer delivery man for The Rabbit in Red Club. “Unfortunately Ezra’s scene were cut from Halloween, so he had to come back and rock it again,” says Zombie.
Scout Taylor-Compton, Malcolm McDowell, Daeg Faerch, and Sheri Moon Zombie are all still circling the project. And now we can add Danielle Harris, reports Bloody Disgusting, to the circle. The actress is in the final stages to ink a deal to join the cast. Harris was best known in Haddonfield as Jamie Lloyd, Michael Myers’ niece, in both 20th Century Fox’s original Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers and Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers. In returning for the H2 remake, Harris will play the role of Annie Brackett, one of Laurie Strode’s friends.
Switching gears. Zombie has also updated his blog, announcing that Tyler Bates, who composed the score for Halloween, will also do so for H2. “Tyler Bates has returned to begin work on H2. Fresh off his composer duties on Day The Earth Stood Still and The Watchmen,” says Zombie. “The man himself will begin work immediately on the soundtrack to H2. Expect a bold new direction for the sounds to make you shiver.”
The new film picks up right as the first remake ended, following the aftermath of Michael Myers’ murderous rampage through the eyes of the sister he hunted. Shooting begins in Georgia very soon and a release is set for August 28th from Dimension Films.
Posted by dominie in Movies on January 9th, 2009
Rob Zombie, who is currently prepping to film H2 for Dimension Films, has replaced his director of photography for the shoot beginning February 23rd reports Shock Till You Drop.
Phil Parmet, who worked as DP in Zombie’s latest two features, The Devil’s Rejects and Halloween, has been relieved of duty. Brandon Trost will take his place, bringing a brand new perspective to the sequel (a good decision in my opinion). Trost brings to H2 an extensive background in cinematography and special effects, including working as the FX assistant on pictures Mortal Kombat: Annihilation and Scream 2. Trost served as DP on Rob Hall’s Lightning Bug, Jake Kennedy’s Days of Darkness, and his latest film, Crank 2: High Voltage. It would seem Trost is well on his way and up for the challenge.
According to Zombie, H2 picks up right as the first remake ended, following the aftermath of Michael Myers’ murderous rampage through the eyes of the sister he hunted. The film will differ from the first Halloween remake in a similar fashion that The Devil’s Rejects was different to House of 1000 Corpses. He’s confident a new DP will certainly help achieve this vision.
Posted by dominie in Movies on January 2nd, 2009
In continuation of our 2009 movie previews, below we have the lineup from Dimension Films/MGM 2009 Preview.
________________________________________________________________________
Middle of Nowhere (A Perfect Getaway) (March 13, 2009)
Studio: MGM
Director: David Twohy
Screenwriter: David Twohy
Starring: Timothy Olyphant Steve Zahn Milla Jovovich Kiele Sanchez
Synopsis: Timothy Olyphant will play a newlywed whose Hawaiian honeymoon becomes a nightmare when he and his bride are stalked by two killers.
________________________________________________________________________
Piranha 3D (July 24, 2009)
Studio: Dimension Films
Director: Alexandre Aja
Screenwriter: Alexandre Aja, Grégory Levasseur
Synopsis: They’re back! Every year the population of sleepy Lake Havasu explodes from 5,000 to 50,000 for a single, wild weekend – the 4th of July, a riot of sun, drunken fun and sex-crazed mayhem. But this year, there’s something more to worry about than hangovers and complaints from local old timers. Havasu sits in the crater formed by a prehistoric volcanic eruption, and when earth tremors tear open a crack in the lake floor, all hell breaks through. Piranhas – a million ravenous, razor-toothed monsters, unchanged since the dawn of time. Unstoppable killing machines acting blindly under one primeval impulse: to hunt down anything that moves and strip it to the raw, bleeding bone. In seconds. 
________________________________________________________________________
H2: Halloween 2 (October 200
Studio: Dimension Films
Director: Rob Zombie
Screenwriter: Rob Zombie
Starring: Scout Taylor-Compton Tyler Mane Malcolm McDowell Daeg Faerch Sheri Moon Zombie
Synopsis: The new film picks up right as the first remake ended, following the aftermath of Michael Myers’ murderous rampage through the eyes of the sister he hunted. 
________________________________________________________________________
The Road (TBA)
Studio: Dimension Films
Director: John Hillcoat
Screenwriter: Joe Penhall, Cormac McCarthy
Starring: Viggo Mortensen Charlize Theron Guy Pearce Kodi Smit-McPhee Robert Duvall
Synopsis: The story centers on a man who embarks on a nightmarish road trip after a nuclear explosion in an attempt to transport his son to safety while fending off cannibals. 
Posted by dominie in Latest News, Movies on December 30th, 2008
There has been a lot of buzz surrounding Rob Zombie’s return to Haddonfield for H2, the sequel to Halloween, his remake of John Carpenter’s classic 1978 horror film. Zombie will both write and direct the sequel for Dimension Films, and get this, filming begins January in Los Angeles, CA. The teaser art has been provided courtesy of Bloody Disgusting. Boy, they’re moving fast!
The first casting bits have been announced. Bloody Disgusting reports that Zombie intends on bringing back some familiar actors from the 2007 hit. No signatures have been inked yet, but sources say we could expect to see again Scout Taylor-Compton as Laurie Strode, Tyler Mane as Michael Myers, Malcolm McDowell as Dr. Sam Loomis, Daeg Faerch as young Michael Myers, and Sheri Moon Zombie as Deborah Meyers. A casting call has also been released for the following characters:
[HOWARD BOGGS] – Caucasian – 6′4″ – age open. HOWARD is the huge, thick necked bouncer at the ‘Rabbit in Red’ night club. He’s not a pierced-tattooed-rocker type, but more of a hard workin’ fist fightin’ beer drinkin’ bouncer.
[HOSPITAL SECURITY GUARD] Male, 40s-50s – The security guard at a hospital.
In the first remake, Zombie took Carpenter’s story and gave it a twist by treating Myers as a clinical psychopath. The sequel has no intention of following the original second installment either says Zombie. The new film picks up right as the first remake ended, following the aftermath of Michael Myers’ murderous rampage through the eyes of the sister he hunted.
