Guardian's New Guardian...

If this isn't good, Feige will be blacklisted...





So Marvel's newest film gets a new writer...

The original draft of Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy" was by Nicole Perlman, who has written a few stories about space, but being as GOTG has a lot of humor in it, the Marvel Suits intent for a draft by someone with those talents.

Enter Chris McCoy, a talented screenwriter with a known ability to instill his prose with wit and quirky humor. He's been on Hollywood's Black List three times over the past five years, and that's saying something. Although none of his projects have made it to the screen, his work is highly in demand, and it appears that his take on the superhero group will be the first credit to make it to the silver screen.

Kevin Feige knows his source material and he and the inner circle at Marvel tend to have a great knack for finding the right people to translate it to film. Hiring someone like McCoy shows that they're willing to look in alternate areas for talent to tell their tales.

Now they just have to find the right director...

Who's Looking After "The Beaver," Anyhow...

The most talked about unfilmed/unproduced script in Hollywood could be on its way to being made...

If you remember, last year I posted "The Black List" which was a gathering of the top ten scripts circulating around that had yet to be filmed. The number one on that list was a script called "The Beaver."

The Beaver is written by Kyle Killen, one of Hollywoods new "It" writers and tells the story of Walter Black, a depressed toy manufacturer. Walter loses his family and his business, then in a moment of desperation he creates a hand puppet named The Beaver. The Beaver talks to him in a chatty British accent and suddenly, Walter's personality is transformed. Through the puppet, Walter is able to do and say things he felt were never possible in the ridged structure that his life had been set up in. Everything goes well, even great at first, but then, through a twist, things turn horribly ugly as the puppet wants to take charge and refuses to let Walter move on. It's been pitched as a darly comedic "Liar Liar." Many people have been attached from Steve Carell to recently Jim Carrey (pending directorial approval). Jay Roach was originally attached to direct, but he too has moved on to something else.

Now, apparently Jodie Foster has moved into the director's chair and she has a powerful reason why. Mel Gibson. She took the script to him and he loved it and attached himself to it. Funding hasn't been approved yet for the 18-19 million dollar film (Chicken feed in this town, really). But with Gibson's box office record it shouldn't be too hard to gather the funding for this offbeat, small film even with Mel's recent history of battling his inner demons.

Developing...

The Black List...

No, it's not what you're thinking...

This is not the list of people in Hollywood that were banned from working in the industry during the 50's because of the Red Scare.

This is the list of suggestions from over 250 film executives(read: Suits), who each gave the names of their ten favorite scripts that had been read, bought or not, but hadn't been made/shown in 2008.

For those of you that found BSD's "The 5 Best Scripts Hollywood Never Made" post appealing, this is for you:

Number One: The Beaver by Kyle Killen

Walter Black, a depressed toy manufacturer, loses his family and his business. But then Walter tries on a hand puppet—a chatty British rodent called "The Beaver"—and his personality is transformed. It’s all good at first, but things turn ugly when the puppet won’t let go. It’s Like: Liar Liar fused with the horror movie Magic. Status: Steve Carell is attached to play Walter.

Number Two: The Oranges by Jay Reiss and Ian Helfer

Two New Jersey families are thrown into comic turmoil when the prodigal daughter returns for Christmas and falls in love with her parents’ best friend. It’s Like: The Graduate engaged to Meet the Parents. Status: Anthony Bregman (Thumbsucker) and MRC will produce. Julian Farino (Entourage) is negotiating to direct.

Number Three: Butter by Jason Micallef

Destiny, a black foster child, faces off against Iowa’s reigning dairy diva, the beautiful but venal Laura Pickler, in an epic butter-carving competition for the ages. It’s Like: Election swirled with Best in Show. Status: Jennifer Garner is in talks to play Laura, while DreamWorks is in early negotiations for the project.

Number Four: Big Hole by Michael Gilio

Lee, an old, grumpy ex-cowboy, loses $30,000 to a fraudulent sweepstakes company and sets out to punish those responsible. Lee’s son, the local sheriff, is charged with stopping him. It’s Like: Falling Down splattered with No Country for Old Men. Status: Project is set up with Aversano Films (Failure to Launch).

Number Five: The Low Dweller by Brad Ingelsby

Charlie "Slim" Hendrick, a don’t-eff-with-me ex-con, returns home to find that his sweetie has moved on and his bitter brother has gambling debts. When a disfigured, dog-loving thug beats his sibling to death, Slim seeks vengeance. It’s Like: Unforgiven, only less geriatric. And much less forgiving. Status: Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way and Tony and Ridley Scott will co-produce.

Number Six: F***buddies by Liz Meriwether

Emma and Adam have the best relationship ever! They’re twentysomething pals who, you know, do it. A lot. But then Adam goes and falls in love with Emma and ruins everything. Can their perfect non-union survive? It’s Like: When Harry Met Sally… for the Juno generation. Status: Ivan Reitman’s company is developing it.

Number Seven: Winter’s Discontent by Paul Fruchbom

After the death of his wife of more than 50 years, irrepressible horndog Herb Winter sets out, at age 75, to find sexual fulfillment with another woman. Or, if possible, several. It’s Like: Superbad set in a retirement community. Status: The film is set up at Sony. No director or star is attached.

Number Eight: Broken City by Brian Tucker

The New York mayor asks private eye Billy Taggart to find out if the mayor’s wife is cheating on him. She is, with the campaign director of the mayor’s political rival, no less, who soon turns up dead. Did Billy’s investigation lead to murder? It’s Like: A modern L.A. Confidential peppered with Glengarry Glen Ross patois. Status: Being developed by the producing team behind Juno.


Number Nine: I’m With Cancer by Will Reiser

Adam, a 25-year-old single Jewish dude, is diagnosed with spinal cancer. Hilarity ensues. Seriously. It’s Like: The 40 Year-Old Virgin with chemo. Status: Seth Rogen will produce and has signed on to play Adam’s best bud.

Number Ten: Our Brand Is Crisis by Peter Straughan

A team of American political operatives moves to Bolivia to take on a flailing presidential campaign. Loosely based on the 2006 documentary of the same name. It’s Like: Primary Colors picked The Motorcycle Diaries as a running mate. Status: George Clooney’s company will produce it.


And one that was on the list(there were many more than ten, just so you know) Iron Jack happened to be an interesting read and could go on my own personal Black List were I to have one this year...

TTFN