McMovie Update: Spotlight on Sequels

[McBain]

Hi there Movie Buffs.

Here's whats crack-a-lacking in the world of film sequels.

BATMAN 3

Will the Joker disappear from the next movie or be recast? When Gary Oldman was asked recently, he made an interesting point, “They recast Katie Holmes’ character. I understand that this is a different circumstance, but I think another actor could do the job. I think Heath would want another actor to do the job.” But Gary went on… “Maybe we don’t need the Joker. Because we’ll have The Riddler.”
…Personally, I’d like to see a new take on the Penguin too. But the writers have hinted they will avoid Penguin and Catwoman in favour of some of the many other villains from Batman’s 69 year history. After all Scarecrow and Ra’s Al Ghul hadn’t been seen on the big screen until Batman Begins.
Don’t expect to see Robin either. Christian Bale is not keen on the idea at all. On the press tour he remarked, “If Robin crops up in one of the new Batman films, I’ll be chaining myself up somewhere and refusing to go to work.”
Oh and that’s right, Bale said “new Batman films”. Plural. Sounds like he’s planning on staying around for a while…
Which villains would you like to see in Batman Begins 3? The Riddler? Penguin? Catwoman? Maybe Bane? Harley Quinn? Mr. Freeze? Poison Ivy? Ventriloquist? Check out the options here
Depp is muted to be playing 'The Riddler'

BOURNE 4

If for some reason you haven’t seen The Bourne Ultimatum yet: Go. Now. It’s not just the best movie in the Bourne franchise, it’s the best movie of the summer and maybe even one of the best action movies ever made. It’s that good. It’s also the perfect way to end the Bourne movie franchise… should it come to that. The film wraps on a note that could easily finish the story off in satisfying fashion, but leaves enough unanswered that a fourth installment in the franchise has plenty more to explore.

For the most part though, it’s sounded like Ultimatum is the last we’ll see of Jason Bourne. Back in May Matt Damon was quoted as saying, “The Bourne thing I'm definitely done with.” Now though, after the massive critical and financial success of Ultimatum, it sounds like he may be softening.

Matt Damon spoke to The Guardian (a publication which plays a prominent role in The Bourne Ultimatum) about his Bourne movies and their future. In the interview he talks a lot about the problems they had in getting the first movie, The Bourne Identity off the ground, but he’s also started to hint that a fourth movie wouldn’t be an unwelcome addition to his upcoming calendar. He says, “It wouldn't be the worst thing.” At least that’s progress. It sounds like the main holdup for him is a fear of becoming stale. He continues, “You identify your beachhead and then vow to protect it. In doing so, you start making safe choices, and I don't want to do that.”

I don’t think Matt needs to worry about playing safe. In between this Bourne movie and the last one he did critically acclaimed, high-profile work in The Departed and The Good Shepherd. He’s currently slated to work again with Paul Greengrass soon, but this time on a controversial examination of the United States’s “Green Zone” in Iraq. As long as they space these Bourne movies out by a year or two, he has plenty of time to change things up. It’s worked so far. Give us more Bourne!

HELLBOY 3

You can expect a Hellboy 3 if the second installment earns its money back. Make no mistake, director Guillermo del Toro loves making Hellboy movies. The first barely broke even, and it was his determination alone that made this sequel happen.
On the red carpet last week he said “Don’t tell my family, but I would love to do Hellboy 3 consecutive to the Hobbit. The first movie was 2004, the second movie is 2008 so if the third movie is 2012, 2013, it’s not that far off.” Elsewhere he elaborated, “I don’t think sequels that are whipped out are the best ones. I love the idea that we took so many years to make this one. If it takes four years to make Hellboy 3, I’m at peace.”
But that doesn’t mean he’s not already actively thinking about it -
Hellboy was originally created as a comic book by Dark Horse’s Mike Mignola back in 1994. Mignola is credited as co-writer on Hellboy 2. He says planning for the next sequel is already underway, and also shed some light on the future of the comic:
“Guillermo has thrown out so many ideas for the third movie, you go, ‘Geez, if he puts everything into Hellboy 3 that he says will be in Hellboy 3, it’ll be 36 hours long.’ The third film, being the end of (the film trilogy), is hard for me. The comic is going to go for 10 to 15 more years, so I don’t want to give him my ending. I want my ending to be a surprise.”
Will Mignola give del Toro the ending to his comic? We’ll have to wait and see. In the meantime, any blockbuster franchise with 58 year old Ron Perlman as its leading man is alright with me

THE HOBBIT

Peter Jackson and New Line have kissed, made-up, and decided on a trip back to Middle Earth. Jackson will be exec producing The Hobbit with Fran Walsh. But… he won’t be directing. The Hobbit, which is the prequel to Tolkiens’ Lord of the Rings trilogy, will be split into two films and both are going to be shot simultaneously.
MGM and New Line will co-finance and co-distribute the film, with New Line distributing in the US, and MGM internationally. The announcement came with the news that Jackson and New Line have settled their court matters over royalties involved with the Rings trilogy. No details were given, but all seems to be well - Jackson’s one time nemesis at New Line, Bob Shaye, said, “We are pleased to solve our differences, as we know Jackson and his team will bring the same care and talent to these films as they did with the original trilogy.”
So far, the original trilogy has grossed over 3.5 billion dollars globally. In 2003 The Return of the King swept the Oscars with 11 wins. An unprescedented accomplishment for a fantasy film.
There’s no word yet on casting for The Hobbit. But having Jackson on board makes it much more likely that original cast members will return.
Since Jackson will not be directing, who’s going to step in? Sam Raimi has expressed interest in the past, but said he’d only do it if Jackson were involved. Now that he is, does that mean it paves the way? The knock on effect would be that Spiderman 4 was forced to find a new director. Raimi is still an amazing talent, despite Spiderman 3, but I just can’t imagine Hobbits, Elves, Middle Earth, or any of it without Jackson calling the shots. Can you?

HULK 3

Director Louis Leterrier says he would “love to do” Hulk 3 and has been practically begging fans during TV interviews to “make this a franchise”. “I’ll do another Hulk sequel any day of the week. I love the character, I love the TV show. I love that he’s an anti-hero.” Edward Norton had a serious falling out with Marvel during production over his script rewrite, but says “The whole thing was to envision it in multiple parts. We left a lot out on purpose. The Incredible Hulk is definitely intended as chapter one.”
Can Norton’s relationship with Marvel be repaired in time for him to return as Banner? We’ll have to wait and see. So who is the Hulk going to face down next? Letterier let slip recently that Samuel Sterns, played by Tim Blake Nelson in the movie, is being set-up to become the villain known as… The Leader. In the comics, Sterns is transporting gamma-irradiated waste when it explodes, transforming him into a green skinned, super intelligent criminal, complete with protruding brain. When he’s not trying to study the Hulk, he’s bent on world domination and has an army of super strong, virtually invulnerable plastic ‘Humanoids’ to help him. He also creates android duplicates of people, including, when it suits him, the President.
So he’s not the easiest character to adapt to the big screen…
Depending on the timing though, you may see Ed Norton and the Hulk somewhere else first -
Marvel is keen to have Norton reprise the role in The Avengers, which already has a release date of July 2011. Leterrier says he wants to direct that too, but then, so does Iron Man helmer Jon Favreau…
Leterrier has stated if he was put in charge of The Avengers, he’d pit the Hulk against Iron Man because, “after being chased for so many years, he’d lose it”.
Hulk as bad guy? Could be interesting.

I AM LEGEND 2

With original author Richard Matheson just signing off on the rights to an I Am Legend sequel, there’s a strong chance of seeing it arrive before 2012, when we are due to develop a bad case of the sniffles and turn a bit pale looking. Original screenwriter Mark Protosevich has already pitched an idea for a follow up.
It’s not known at this stage if Will Smith will be involved in the project, but given the whole tone of the first film and… well, it’s quite hard to see how he could be. Not to mention a couple of years back Smith said he had no interest in making any sequels to his films, a lesson probably learnt from Men In Black 2.
With the story apparently set a decade after the events in 2012, the path it’ll take is still unknown. I would be happy to see more of the unique world created in the original, but its main strength was the ‘Last Man On Earth’ premise and that’s all used up. The 1957 book twisted round at the end to paint Neville as the monster, since he had become the abnormal one in the new society. And he was more of a hunter figure, preying on the Darkseekers. That’s an interesting perspective and, if anything, I’d like to see the sequel explore the idea, with other survivors hunting these creatures.
Whatever happens, with any luck there will be more information available soon. In the meanwhile, remember - “Light up the darkness”.

INDY 5

With Harrison Ford already 65, the notion of an Indiana Jones 5 might seem ridiculous. But another sequel is, in fact, quite possible… In the 1980s there were originally 5 Indiana Jones movies planned. The 19 year delay since The Last Crusade was due to a disagreement over the direction of the story. That has now been resolved.
Spielberg says he became particularly interested in returning to the series after his son asked when the remaining two would be released. All of which means… we’re still one short.
Spielberg stated at the Cannes press conference that he was indeed open to making another film if the public wanted more. “That’s why we made this Indiana Jones. We’ll certainly have our ear to the ground to hear what happens. That’ll decide were we go from here.”
Given that Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull will, without doubt, be one of the biggest financial hits of the year, and the critical response has been good… this criteria has been met.

For his part Harrison Ford said last week “Till they tell me otherwise, I will continue to be Indiana Jones.”
But here’s the kicker. Don’t expect Indiana Jones to be the lead in Indiana Jones 5. George Lucas explained to reporters at a recent premiere “I have an idea to make Shia [LaBeouf] the lead character next time and have Harrison come back like Sean Connery did in the last movie. I can see it working out.”
It doesn’t get much more black and white than that.

LETHAL WEAPON 5

The future of Lethal Weapon 5 is as bleak as the economy. There have been rumours recently of a new installment being put together by series producer Joel Silver, with screenwriter extraordinaire Shane Black writing and directing. Last week, actor Columbus Short said he had been cast as Danny Glover’s son in the film.
But now director Richard Donner has gone on record to say the project is “dead in the water”, because Mel Gibson has turned it down.
Gibson’s reasons are unknown, and he was not available for comment, last being seen heading for his car with a bottle in his hand. (last bit untrue)
Donner says “I would like to think that Mel turned it down because I wasn’t involved. Knowing Mel, I would like to think that. Would that be the kind of thing he does? It sure would be.”
Yeah because working with Shane Black would be so terrible…
With no Gibson, don’t expect this buddy cop saga to continue

PINEAPPLE EXPRESS 2

Co-writer and star Seth Rogen has said the door is very much open to a Pineapple Express 2, where it was closed to a Superbad sequel.
“[Pineapple Express] is not a precious coming-of-age story like Superbad, it’s a weed action-movie and if it did well, and they gave us like $50 million dollars (as opposed to the $26M we got for this one) we could benefit from that.”
And when James Franco was asked recently how he saw the sequel happening, he claimed the studio has actually been discussing doing it as a crossover movie…
…with Superbad.
In other words, like Marvel’s Avengers or Kevin Smith’s movies, the comic characters from Judd Apatow’s films would all inhabit the same universe.
“Even before Superbad came out, I think the studio was trying to get [Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg] to write a sequel, but they really didn’t want to,” said Franco. “So, an answer to that was to do a Superbad/Pineapple Express crossover, an unprecedented crossover movie with two directors, Greg Motolla and David Gordon Green, each directing half of the movie.”
Sounds like madness …or does it?
Franco himself believes it should start with his character selling the kids a substance, then it would all kick off from there. And as Rogen plays characters in both films, Franco thinks one of them would have to be “killed off”.
Would you like to see a Pineapple Express 2, and what do you think of combining it with the world of Superbad?

POLICE ACADEMY 8 - You heard it here first

Just when you thought the movie world had lost its ability to surprise, it pulls out the possibility of a Police Academy 8. A potential eighth instalment of the zany police comedy was confirmed by its star, Steve Guttenberg, who wants to reprise his role as lovable rogue Carey Mahoney.
“We are doing a new movie and it is going to be great fun,” Guttenberg said. “A script is being written and so far it is really great, everyone from the original movies who is still around will return.”
“I know Kim (Cattrall, who starred in the original movie) and Sharon (Stone, who starred in Police Academy 4: Citizens On Patrol) have been asked but they haven’t said yes yet. It would be really great to have them on board.”
But why would they want to get on board???
Steve Guttenberg was one of the biggest stars of the 80s, capable of turning dodgy ideas into box office gold. He was even powerful enough to refuse the lead roles in Big and Ghostbusters.
The last Police Academy to grace our screens was back in 1994, Police Academy 7: Mission to Moscow.
Guttenberg has also revealed there are plans for another third Three Men And A Baby movie with Ted Danson and Tom Selleck. But one bombshell at a time.

 

[McBain]

PIRATES 4

Reports are starting to emerge that should Johnny Depp decide to reprise his role as captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates Of The Caribbean 4 (something that is looking fairly likely as of writing) then Disney would be willing to pay him 32 million pounds (roughly $75 million) upfront for the performance. This would be the largest up front payment an actor has ever received for anything ever. This report raises a few issues in my mind;
1) Is Depp (or any actor) worth $75 million?
Few would argue that Johnny Depp is one of the better actors working today, but is it really worth that kind of money? Would a new ‘pirates’ film make $75 million less if Depp was not involved? Personally I think the next ‘pirates’ film will be an absolute juggernaut regardless of Depp’s involvement. They say no-one else can play the role but new actors have successfully replaced others in the past.
2) Has the franchise run its course?
Personally, I loved the original ‘pirates’ film, it was a surprisingly endearing film that succeeded mostly through word of mouth. Pirates 2 however had to live up to the success of the first film and fell far short of that feat, and the less said about the mess that was pirates 3 the better. So the question is; does anyone want to see a fourth movie? News that Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley are unlikely to appear give me hope, but not enough to hand over my hard-earned money.
3) Is the money better spent elsewhere?
One of the main problems with the second and third pirates films were that the story and script were all over the place. Surely you could hire a brilliant screenwriter for a fraction of the $75 million who could potentially increase the profit on the film more than hiring Depp.
4) Will Depp bring his A-game?
Huge paychecks like this are most common in Hollywood when a studio is desperate to snag an actor or actress who does not want to be snagged for some reason. If they’re having to offer Depp this ridiculous sum to make him consider coming back, I doubt he’s going to bring his full passion to the role, it seems like he’s moved on and Disney are trying desperately to not let him go.
Ultimately I think Depp’s involvement in the franchise is irrelevant. I think that Disney are going to keep pumping out sequel after sequel, of ever decreasing quality, until they stop making money, at which point they will find another dead horse to flog.

POINT BREAK 2

00% Pure WTF. There’s a sequel to Point Break on the way.
Announced at Cannes (where else?), it’ll be directed by king of cack action Jan De Bont (The Haunting, Speed 2: Cruise Control, Tomb Raider 2).
The ‘91 original was a Keanu Reeves/Patrick Swayze vehicle, with Reeves as a rookie FBI agent sent after a group of “seasonal” bank robbers. They turn out to be the surfers he has befriended during his investigation, pulling off the heists to fund their lifestyle. Swayze played the leader of the group, who evaded capture at the end by facing what would seem to be a watery grave.
Original scipter W. Peter Iliff is coming back to write this next chapter. The plot is under wraps, but we do know it will be shot in Southeast Asia and Singapore.
It’s also unclear if Reeves will be returning to the role of Johnny Utah (not a name you’d naturally associate with an FBI agent), or Swayze, who was recently diagnosed with cancer.
I’m fascinated to know what they’ve got up their sleeve for this one, or why on earth they think it makes any sense to revisit it now. I’ll be first in the line when this comes out

PREDATOR 3

Well, it looks like the Franchise Gods are at it again. Producer John Davis has announced his intentions to make a Predator 3, hopefully starring the beefy, incoherent governor of California - Arnold Schwarzenegger. The sequel is pending Arnie’s future political career and whether or not they can scrape together a decent script. The first Predator is so much fun (basically Commando with an alien) and Predator 2 stands as one of the rare sequels that’s just as good as the first (and in my opinion, better). Predator 2 is also credited with starting the Alien vs. Predator craze when an Alien xenomorph skull can be seen on a Predator trophy rack. While the AvP films were … shall we say … LESS than stellar, the standalone Predator franchise still maintains a high bar for quality. But the curse of 3 might be in play here … not only is Arnie very old, but it was the third Alien film that also destroyed that franchise.
What do you think? Predator 3 - Good idea, bad idea, ridiculous idea? And what are your thoughts on the direction the sequel should take?

SAW 6

Saw 6 is already in the works. Here’s what we know so far.
The reviews are declining sharply for each sequel in the series - Saw (46% on rotten tomatoes), Saw 2 (36%), Saw 3 (26%), Saw 4 (18%), Saw 5 (14%). But the box office grosses aren’t. Since Saw 3, the opening weekend totals have only dropped by $2m each time:
2004 - Saw - $18.2M opening - $55.1M cume
2005 - Saw 2 - $31.72M opening - $87M cume
2006 - Saw 3 - $33.6M opening - $80.2M cume
2007 - Saw 4 - $31.7M opening - $63.3M cume
2008 - Saw 5 - $29M estimated opening
Saw 5’s production budget was reportedly only $10.8 million and any franchise that’s tripling its budget on opening weekend is not going to be abandoned. On this scale of decline, the series has a looong way to go before it’s considered no longer financially viable.
So what can we expect from Saw 6? Saw 5 director David Hackl has confirmed he’s stepping aside for Kevin Greutert, who’s edited every Saw movie to date. Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton, who wrote Saws 4 and 5, will pen the screenplay.
As for returning cast members, Costas Mandylor (Mark Hoffman) has signed for Saw 6, as has Tobin Bell (Jigsaw).
The fate of Dr Gordon from Saw 1 remains the biggest mystery in the series. The reason he never reappeared in subsequent movies is that actor Cary Elwes filed a lawsuit in 2005 against the producers for shortchanging him on pay. The rumor is they have now made up and Leigh Whannell says Elwes might be back for Saw 6.
(Dr Gordon’s fate may actually be revealed in the upcoming Saw Video Game, since it’s written by original creators Leigh Whannell and James Wan and set at the same time as Saw 1).
There have also been hints that the infamous bathroom set could make a return, after an absence from Saw 5.
You can be damn sure that Saw 6 will be released Halloween 2009.

SPIDERMAN 4

Wondering about Spiderman 4? Thinking of skipping the next one and going straight to Spiderman 5? Rumours have been spinning around the web for a while that Sony are looking to continue their Spiderman franchise with not one but two new sequels, filmed back-to-back. …It now looks like that is the case.
There have also been questions over whether Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire would return - the assumption being that Spiderman 3 marked the end of an era, and Raimi would only stay on to produce from here on. …Not so it seems.
Talks have begun between Sony, Raimi, and Maguire. Sony are seeking a deal that would bring the original cast and creative team back to make Spiderman 4 and 5, in preparation for a May 2011 release for the fourth movie in the franchise.
Shooting the two films back-to-back would help with the continued issues Sony have faced in being able to bring back all the cast and crew at the same time and would also help cut the cost of making such high budget features.
Sony has yet to mention if talks are taking place with other principal actors such as Kirsten Dunst but Sony have stated that MJ will still be an important part of the franchise and they are currently not looking to recast the character.
There is also no news yet on who the next villain will be although Deadline Hollywood states that as soon as the principal cast for Spidey 4 is announced we will instantly know who our next villain will be… could it be The Lizard as alluded to in Spidey 3?
Watch this space!

SUPERMAN 2

Warner Brother’s Jeff Robinov has stated in an interview that the next Superman film will not be the planned ‘Man of Steel’ (a direct sequel to the 2006 Bryan Singer film) but instead will be a reboot of the franchise that will be as dark as possible without straying too far from the characters. This decision raises two big red flags for me, firstly does it mean that they are getting rid of Brandon Routh? He did a fantastic job as Superman I thought, doing a pretty good Christopher Reeve impression without making it too obvious. It would be a massive shame to lose him.
And secondly, this will make the continuity of the Superman films needlessly complicated. Superman Returns already ignores Superman III and IV. Where will this new film fit in? After Superman II? Or will it reboot the whole canon? And do Warner Brother’s really expect the average consumer to figure it out (remember all the confusion over the Incredible Hulk reboot)?

TRANSFORMERS 2

Agent Elrond (a.k.a Hugo Weaving) has recently confirmed his character from the first Transformers movie will reappear in the forthcoming sequel Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Director Michael Bay has persistently denied Megatron’s involvement in the film, but Adelaide Now exposed those denials as misinformation when they spoke to Weaving during promotion for his film Last Ride -

“`I’ve already done it,’’ Weaving says, adding Bay had told him to keep the news hush-hush. “He’s over in LA and we were working on the video split sort of thing and I had this strange conversation where he seemed to imply it was all a big secret. So there you go - I’ve given you the secret scoop.’’
​

It remains to be seen how Megatron will be resurrected, as he was last seen having the source of sentient life thrust into his chest by a twitchy Shia LaBeuf, but his return is a welcome one. This confirmation supports Latino Review’s speculation that Megatron has been reincarnated as a big-ass tank, as opposed to the alien jet he was in the first film. Bayhem!

 

[McBain]

PIRATES 4

Reports are starting to emerge that should Johnny Depp decide to reprise his role as captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates Of The Caribbean 4 (something that is looking fairly likely as of writing) then Disney would be willing to pay him 32 million pounds (roughly $75 million) upfront for the performance. This would be the largest up front payment an actor has ever received for anything ever. This report raises a few issues in my mind;
1) Is Depp (or any actor) worth $75 million?
Few would argue that Johnny Depp is one of the better actors working today, but is it really worth that kind of money? Would a new ‘pirates’ film make $75 million less if Depp was not involved? Personally I think the next ‘pirates’ film will be an absolute juggernaut regardless of Depp’s involvement. They say no-one else can play the role but new actors have successfully replaced others in the past.
2) Has the franchise run its course?
Personally, I loved the original ‘pirates’ film, it was a surprisingly endearing film that succeeded mostly through word of mouth. Pirates 2 however had to live up to the success of the first film and fell far short of that feat, and the less said about the mess that was pirates 3 the better. So the question is; does anyone want to see a fourth movie? News that Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley are unlikely to appear give me hope, but not enough to hand over my hard-earned money.
3) Is the money better spent elsewhere?
One of the main problems with the second and third pirates films were that the story and script were all over the place. Surely you could hire a brilliant screenwriter for a fraction of the $75 million who could potentially increase the profit on the film more than hiring Depp.
4) Will Depp bring his A-game?
Huge paychecks like this are most common in Hollywood when a studio is desperate to snag an actor or actress who does not want to be snagged for some reason. If they’re having to offer Depp this ridiculous sum to make him consider coming back, I doubt he’s going to bring his full passion to the role, it seems like he’s moved on and Disney are trying desperately to not let him go.
Ultimately I think Depp’s involvement in the franchise is irrelevant. I think that Disney are going to keep pumping out sequel after sequel, of ever decreasing quality, until they stop making money, at which point they will find another dead horse to flog.

POINT BREAK 2

00% Pure WTF. There’s a sequel to Point Break on the way.
Announced at Cannes (where else?), it’ll be directed by king of cack action Jan De Bont (The Haunting, Speed 2: Cruise Control, Tomb Raider 2).
The ‘91 original was a Keanu Reeves/Patrick Swayze vehicle, with Reeves as a rookie FBI agent sent after a group of “seasonal” bank robbers. They turn out to be the surfers he has befriended during his investigation, pulling off the heists to fund their lifestyle. Swayze played the leader of the group, who evaded capture at the end by facing what would seem to be a watery grave.
Original scipter W. Peter Iliff is coming back to write this next chapter. The plot is under wraps, but we do know it will be shot in Southeast Asia and Singapore.
It’s also unclear if Reeves will be returning to the role of Johnny Utah (not a name you’d naturally associate with an FBI agent), or Swayze, who was recently diagnosed with cancer.
I’m fascinated to know what they’ve got up their sleeve for this one, or why on earth they think it makes any sense to revisit it now. I’ll be first in the line when this comes out

PREDATOR 3

Well, it looks like the Franchise Gods are at it again. Producer John Davis has announced his intentions to make a Predator 3, hopefully starring the beefy, incoherent governor of California - Arnold Schwarzenegger. The sequel is pending Arnie’s future political career and whether or not they can scrape together a decent script. The first Predator is so much fun (basically Commando with an alien) and Predator 2 stands as one of the rare sequels that’s just as good as the first (and in my opinion, better). Predator 2 is also credited with starting the Alien vs. Predator craze when an Alien xenomorph skull can be seen on a Predator trophy rack. While the AvP films were … shall we say … LESS than stellar, the standalone Predator franchise still maintains a high bar for quality. But the curse of 3 might be in play here … not only is Arnie very old, but it was the third Alien film that also destroyed that franchise.
What do you think? Predator 3 - Good idea, bad idea, ridiculous idea? And what are your thoughts on the direction the sequel should take?

SAW 6

Saw 6 is already in the works. Here’s what we know so far.
The reviews are declining sharply for each sequel in the series - Saw (46% on rotten tomatoes), Saw 2 (36%), Saw 3 (26%), Saw 4 (18%), Saw 5 (14%). But the box office grosses aren’t. Since Saw 3, the opening weekend totals have only dropped by $2m each time:
2004 - Saw - $18.2M opening - $55.1M cume
2005 - Saw 2 - $31.72M opening - $87M cume
2006 - Saw 3 - $33.6M opening - $80.2M cume
2007 - Saw 4 - $31.7M opening - $63.3M cume
2008 - Saw 5 - $29M estimated opening
Saw 5’s production budget was reportedly only $10.8 million and any franchise that’s tripling its budget on opening weekend is not going to be abandoned. On this scale of decline, the series has a looong way to go before it’s considered no longer financially viable.
So what can we expect from Saw 6? Saw 5 director David Hackl has confirmed he’s stepping aside for Kevin Greutert, who’s edited every Saw movie to date. Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton, who wrote Saws 4 and 5, will pen the screenplay.
As for returning cast members, Costas Mandylor (Mark Hoffman) has signed for Saw 6, as has Tobin Bell (Jigsaw).
The fate of Dr Gordon from Saw 1 remains the biggest mystery in the series. The reason he never reappeared in subsequent movies is that actor Cary Elwes filed a lawsuit in 2005 against the producers for shortchanging him on pay. The rumor is they have now made up and Leigh Whannell says Elwes might be back for Saw 6.
(Dr Gordon’s fate may actually be revealed in the upcoming Saw Video Game, since it’s written by original creators Leigh Whannell and James Wan and set at the same time as Saw 1).
There have also been hints that the infamous bathroom set could make a return, after an absence from Saw 5.
You can be damn sure that Saw 6 will be released Halloween 2009.

SPIDERMAN 4

Wondering about Spiderman 4? Thinking of skipping the next one and going straight to Spiderman 5? Rumours have been spinning around the web for a while that Sony are looking to continue their Spiderman franchise with not one but two new sequels, filmed back-to-back. …It now looks like that is the case.
There have also been questions over whether Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire would return - the assumption being that Spiderman 3 marked the end of an era, and Raimi would only stay on to produce from here on. …Not so it seems.
Talks have begun between Sony, Raimi, and Maguire. Sony are seeking a deal that would bring the original cast and creative team back to make Spiderman 4 and 5, in preparation for a May 2011 release for the fourth movie in the franchise.
Shooting the two films back-to-back would help with the continued issues Sony have faced in being able to bring back all the cast and crew at the same time and would also help cut the cost of making such high budget features.
Sony has yet to mention if talks are taking place with other principal actors such as Kirsten Dunst but Sony have stated that MJ will still be an important part of the franchise and they are currently not looking to recast the character.
There is also no news yet on who the next villain will be although Deadline Hollywood states that as soon as the principal cast for Spidey 4 is announced we will instantly know who our next villain will be… could it be The Lizard as alluded to in Spidey 3?
Watch this space!

SUPERMAN 2

Warner Brother’s Jeff Robinov has stated in an interview that the next Superman film will not be the planned ‘Man of Steel’ (a direct sequel to the 2006 Bryan Singer film) but instead will be a reboot of the franchise that will be as dark as possible without straying too far from the characters. This decision raises two big red flags for me, firstly does it mean that they are getting rid of Brandon Routh? He did a fantastic job as Superman I thought, doing a pretty good Christopher Reeve impression without making it too obvious. It would be a massive shame to lose him.
And secondly, this will make the continuity of the Superman films needlessly complicated. Superman Returns already ignores Superman III and IV. Where will this new film fit in? After Superman II? Or will it reboot the whole canon? And do Warner Brother’s really expect the average consumer to figure it out (remember all the confusion over the Incredible Hulk reboot)?

TRANSFORMERS 2

Agent Elrond (a.k.a Hugo Weaving) has recently confirmed his character from the first Transformers movie will reappear in the forthcoming sequel Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Director Michael Bay has persistently denied Megatron’s involvement in the film, but Adelaide Now exposed those denials as misinformation when they spoke to Weaving during promotion for his film Last Ride -

“`I’ve already done it,’’ Weaving says, adding Bay had told him to keep the news hush-hush. “He’s over in LA and we were working on the video split sort of thing and I had this strange conversation where he seemed to imply it was all a big secret. So there you go - I’ve given you the secret scoop.’’
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It remains to be seen how Megatron will be resurrected, as he was last seen having the source of sentient life thrust into his chest by a twitchy Shia LaBeuf, but his return is a welcome one. This confirmation supports Latino Review’s speculation that Megatron has been reincarnated as a big-ass tank, as opposed to the alien jet he was in the first film. Bayhem!

 

[TX Bill]

Nice one McBain.

I'm still waiting for Tron 2.0.

 

[heatmeiser]

The Hobbit is directed by Del Toro, the guy that made HellBoy, Blade 2 and the fantastic Cronos and Pan's Labyrinth.

He actually mentions it in the quote you gave from him regarding Hellboy 3.

Looking forward to a Predator 3. Love the first, like the second. I try and pretend the others don't exist.

The next sequel that I'm really looking forward to is Terminator Salvation; the third in the Terminator movies (Rise of the machines DOES NOT exist). It will be interesting to see how the react to the Sarah Connor Chronicles; will they totally ignore it or will they take off from where they left?

Apparently it isn't as flashy as recent action-flicks, (Transformers, Star Trek) preferring a more grainy, bleak outlook.

I haven't seen anything else by director McG aside from the series Supernatural that he exec-produced. Should be interesting. Apparently T5 is already in development too.

 

[McBain]

Im pretty sure McG did Charlies Angels.

Bit of a zany character apparently.

 

[bluebloodinmyveins]

Love the Hellboy movies.

I have heard that another Blade movie is in the pipeline. Cant wait to see if that materialses or not.
A new Ghostbusters movie is also being made i believe.


Police Academy 8. talk about beating a dead horse.

 

[NeoNaoNeo]

Glad Depp will be in the next Pirates movie. He makes them what they are.

 

[heatmeiser]

Love the Hellboy movies.

I have heard that another Blade movie is in the pipeline. Cant wait to see if that materialses or not.
A new Ghostbusters movie is also being made i believe.


Police Academy 8. talk about beating a dead horse.

I heard that too, but they have apprently given up and made a computer game instead. With an original script and the original voice cast.

Must dash, catching up on The Wire.