JLM: To Be, Or Not To Be

Nobody knows what is going on with this movie, except maybe Alan Horn and Jeff Robinov, and I bet they are laughing at us while sitting on a pile of "Dark Knight" money.

Peter Sciretta over at "Slashfilm" delivers and article which states that JLM is in pre-production...

Last we head, a big screen adaptation of Justice League might not be as dead as we first believed. /Film reader Alex Litel stumbled across the website for Dr. D Studios, a Australian-based “digital media company” formed by Omnilab Media Group and filmmaker George Miller. The website not only lists Happy Feet 2 as being “In Production” and Babe 3, Fury Road and Justice League of America being in “Pre-Production”. The company is actually at the Siggraph conference this week “actively hiring” for “several large scale film projects with a growing team of top talent from Australia and beyond.” The following quote also appears in a press release for the company’s Siggraph booth

http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/08/13/happy-feet-2-in-production-babe-3-mad-max-4-and-justice-league-in-pre-production/

Rob over at IESB is saying that his sources are telling him George Miller is off the project and it is dead because of the success of Dark Knight...

Changing gears for a sec, let's see what's currently going on with Justice League of America. Last week there were reports that the movie is finally moving forward. Guess what - that's not what we heard. IESB found out the complete opposite from various sources at WB -- the movie will not move forward in its current incarnation and a lot has to do with the success of The Dark Knight. Warner Bros. is not willing to risk pissing off Christopher Nolan or Christian Bale and their intent would be to move forward with a third Batman film instead of introducing another Batman in a JLA film.

Officially WB is stating that Justice League of America is on hold due to the potential SAG strike. We have been advised from various sources that the truth is that George Miller has been pulled off the project. We have contacted all parties involved including Kennedy/Miller and other producers but they have declined to comment at this time.

So does that mean that Miller is out of a job? Nope, we have been told that some execs over at Warner Bros. would like Miller to take over The Green Lantern project. Any truth to the rumor? Only time will tell but one thing is certain in my purest fan boy opinion - this script totally kicks ass!

http://www.iesb.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5319&Itemid=99

My buddy Matt received a bulletin on Myspace from DC Comics which states the film is going into production in 2009.




What does this all mean? It means the Green Lantern script sounds tight.

Bernie Mac

BERNIE MAC 1957 - 2008

The Surrogates Filming In Boston

Story is set in the near future, where humans live in isolation and interact vicariously through surrogate robots who are better-looking versions of themselves. Willis plays a cop who, through his surrogate, investigates the murders of others’ surrogates. The cop is forced to venture from his own home for the first time in years and unravels a conspiracy.

Sound good? Does to me. Just received a notice that they will be filming in and around my home town, see below. I might have to go check it out and see if I can catch a chat with Bruce Willis or Ving Rhames.

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i267/IronGiant29/Surrogates.jpg

Level Up Films

How is this show not on television somewhere? Surfing youtube and came across these gems. These are a must see. Seems to be a documentary about two late twenty to thirty-somethings living together. It's like "Odd Couple" meets "The Wizard". I'll tell you one thing, Evan Baxter and Kyle Magdaleno crack me up. Watch their misadventures below.

http://www.levelupfilms.com/
http://www.levelupfilms.blogspot.com/

Synopsis:

Level Up is an in-depth look into the lives of two professional gamers. Meet Evan, the millionaire addicted to Capri Suns and Cup of Noodles, and his roommate, the conflicted hopeless romantic Kyle. The story is in their journey, not the destination.

I did some research on these guys and came across their myspace pages. See below.

http://www.myspace.com/evanthealmightybaxter
http://www.myspace.com/kylemagdaleno

"The Long Way Out" For Zach Stone

Zach's got my vote. Good luck bud.

Teen filmmaker Zach Stone wants to go to Hollywood and he’s asking everyone in Beverly to send him there — just vote for a film he helped make and if it wins the competition, Stone’s off to the left coast. The 14-year-old incoming Beverly High freshman was one of 11 local teens Fresh Films chose to make a short action film in just one-week in Boston this summer. View the Film “The Long Way Out”, made by a crew of Boston area teen filmmakers, including 14-year-old Zach Stone of Beverly, at the Fresh Films Website:http://www.fresh-films.com/

From Aug. 7 to 13, vote on-line for the best Action Hero film. Or text “BOSTON” to 95615.

http://www.wickedlocal.com/beverly/fun/entertainment/arts/x1262918930/From-Beverly-Mass-to-Beverly-Hills

Green Lantern Given The Greenlight?

According to Production Weekly The Green Lantern is now moving forward and will grace movie screens sooner rather then later. I for one hope this is true. I think this can be a "Bond-like" franchise in which the sky is the limit so to speak.

STATUS - Development PRODUCER: Donald De Line - Andrew Haas WRITER: Greg Berlanti - Marc Guggenheim - Michael J Green DC COMICS 1700 Broadway New York, NY 10019 WARNER BROS. PICTURES 4000 Warner Blvd. Burbank, CA 91522-0001

Each sector of space is protected by a Green Lantern, possessing a power ring that uses a powerful green energy to do anything within the limits of the user’s imagination and will power. When the Green Lantern assigned to this sector of space finds himself dying on planet Earth, he tells the ring to find a suitable successor. The chosen replacement, hot-shot test pilot Hal Jordan, finds himself with a new job he never expected.

http://www.productionweekly.com/

The question is, will this take it's toll on a Justice League version of Green Lantern, which was originally going to be played by Common?
George Miller doesn't think so, but I guess he "didn't get the memo". Pun intended.

Initially slated to be filmed Down Under, Miller conceded production had been moved offshore, with a plan to resume filming next year.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,24109597-2902,00.html

Chicago Overcoat

A couple weeks ago I had the pleasure of meeting Chris Charles at a barbeque. Chris Charles works for Beverly Ridge Pictures and served as an assistant director and was in charge of casting for their new film, "Chicago Overcoat". I was treated to an exclusive trailer that really blew me away, I am definately looking forward to seeing this movie which features some big players, Frank Vincent and Armand Assante. See synopsis below.


Frank Vincent As LOU MARAZANO

Chicago Overcoat is a chilling look into the remains of the most powerful organized crime syndicate in the second half of the twentieth century. They were known as "The Outfit" and controlled the city of Chicago.

Lou Marazano, the Outfit's most deadly hit man is getting old. He gave up doing hits years ago and struggles to maintain a shylock business with the occasional card game. A life filled with regret and nothing to show for it. Lou is reminiscent of Al Pacino's portrayal of aging gangster Lefty Ruggiero in Donnie Brasco. A month before the Outfit's top boss goes on trial, Joe Barbone, a corrupt union representative is arrested for income tax fraud. The boss orders him to be silenced before the government can unfold an intricate scheme to siphon money through labor unions, involving millions of dollars in expressway construction contracts with the city. The scandal involves the Outfit's top bosses, city officials and police officers, all of whom the Outfit bosses are convinced would turn witness to avoid charges of their own. When Lou finds out about the contract he sees an opportunity to finance his retirement and decides it's time to reprise his role as the mob's top hitter.

On the other side of the law, homicide detective Ralph Maloney scrapes by on an honest cop's salary. Maloney has been working homicide for years; he's seen corrupt police and judges sweep plenty of mob hits under the carpet. Maloney isn't the type to rat but has always been too honest to climb the ladder of success in the Chicago Police Department. In the 80s he had a suspicion that a series of gangland slayings were connected. All of the victim's widows had received flowers from their husbands in the days before they died. Some at work, others at home, the flowers were all anonymously ordered and paid for at different flower shops all over the city. Working on his last year before retirement Maloney gets called to a bloody crime scene outside a downtown bar. When Maloney discovers that Joe Barbone's car was found abandoned outside the bar he decides to pay a visit to the Barbone residence. Inside he finds a fresh bouquet of flowers that was sent to Mrs. Barbone days earlier. Maloney remembers the connection to the killer from the 1980s and sets out to find his old nemesis before he retires. When Maloney proposes a connection to the approaching mafia trials, he finds that his old partner, now the residing Police Commissioner, wants to sweep the whole thing under the carpet. Fueled by his desire to catch "The Flowerman", Maloney digs deeper into Barbone's connection with the Outfit.

Soon enough Lou realizes that Lorenzo, the acting street boss who wants to make his promotion permanent, is working against him. With Maloney nipping at his heels Lou must perform his second hit: a high profile Alderman. When the Alderman turns up dead, Maloney suspects Lou will be nearby. He puts out an APB and Lou is picked up in the area. Little does Lou know that Maloney has a witness, a kid that Lou paid to have a bouquet of flowers sent to the Barbone residence. The kid, understanding the code of the street does not identify Lou. Although Maloney can't prove anything he is sure that Lou is the hitman and determined to lock him up. When Lorenzo finds out that Lou has been questioned in connection with the hits he decides to revoke Lou's Outfit membership. With one last hit to perform, a mob contract out on his head, and a relentless detective investigating him, Lou must prove he is worthy being the Outfit's most deadly hit man. A title he held over twenty years ago.

http://www.beverlyridgepictures.com/

http://www.beverlyridgepictures.com/chicago_overcoat/

http://www.myspace.com/chicagoovercoatthemovie

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Chicago-Overcoat/15334222146

"Simply" To Be Screened In Boston

This sounds like an amazing film, I'll be sure to attend the screening and pass on a review.

An Iranian film 'Simply' directed by Reza Mirkarimi will be screened in the 24th Boston Film Festival from November 14-30 in Boston, US.The films will also be screened in Hamburg, Bulgaria, Yari (Sweden) and Antalya (Turkey) film festivals.The film already won the 'White Elephant Award' by Russian critics in the Moscow International Film Festival.The film 'Simply', a joint production of Mirkarimi and Iran's Cinema Development Organization, was warmly received by the audience and critics in the festival.The film depicts a day in the life of a woman from a middle class family.The film won the Best Film and Best Screenplay Awards and Hengameh Qaziani received the Best Actress award in February 2008 at Iran's Fajr International Film Festival. --IRNA

http://www.mathaba.net/news/?x=600010