20K 2.0...

At first, I was looking at the calendar thinking this was an awfully late April Fool's joke...

Holy crap! It appears the Mouse has been quietly working behind the scenes on a reboot of their reboot of the "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea" project. Gone is McG as the director. Gone are the drafts by Bill Marsilli, Justin Marks and Randall Wallace. All their versions are to be swept away and given to someone totally unexpected.

According to The Hollywood Reporter's Heat Vision blog, David Fincher is in talks to helm the remake/re-imagined take on the tale of Captain Nemo. Scott Z. Burns, who's written "The Bourne Ultimatum," "Contagion," and "The Informant!" is working on the screenplay which will be in the vein of "Star Wars" or "The Empire Strikes Back." Consider me interested, I had no problem with the original screenwriters who worked on this, particularly Randall Wallace, but I have no faith in McG touching something like this. He's a poor man's Michael Bay, and coming from me, that ain't saying something complimentary. But I'm now going to be watching this project with much more enthusiasm.

Now, please don't let Will Smith's name become associated with this...

20K? No Way...

Now comes word from Variety that the 20K sequel has been put on hold...

Actually, that's not the good news. I have always like the idea of a prequel to the classic and it would/could be a great aquatic action film along the lines of "Raiders" or "The Mummy" but my complaint has always been with the guy steering it. Or actually, his taste and choices.

It appears that McG has moved on to other things and the Mouse has halted the planned production of this project indefinitely. Hopefully they'll get this thing going again soon, but with a director more in tune with what this project needs. My suggestions? James Cameron would be interesting, but I don't think he has the time or interest. Peter Jackson, but he'd probably turn it down for similar reasons to Cameron. So who else would be a good choice? Actually there is one other choice. A perfect choice actually, but he's going to be busy for a few years so mayby he can do it when he wraps production on his latest epic? Guillermo del Toro would be absolutely spot on for this project. He's also a fan of the original and wouldn't do anything to screw with it and the legacy of the original film. Maybe it's a good thing it got delayed, you think?

Oh, and NO Will Smith please...

Black Not Blue...

It appears that Columbia Pictures is going forward with "Men in Black 3" by announcing that they've hired Etan Cohen to deliver the screenplay...

Could this mean that Will Smith will be too busy to portray Captain Nemo? I can only hope. It's really going to depend on how soon the Mouse is planning on shooting the 20K prequel, as well as when Sony will actually greenlight the script that Cohen turns in.

Maybe we'll get two wishes in one and McG will drop out and then we can get someone that more trustworthy to steer this project as the major blockbuster that it's intended to be. Disney wants to turn this into the next franchise and if it's going to be one then this first film has to be great in not only script, producer and director but also casting. So having to get another actor other than the star of Men in Black won't make me blue.

Crossing fingers on this one...

Fear & Loathing The Sea...

What lies below, what lies beneath...

IESB has a nice, short interview with McG regarding his prequel to 20K...

It it he talks about his passion for all things Jules Verne and how he wants to be more faithful to the book than the classic 1954 film. How wanting Will Smith is faithful escapes me, but luckily he doesn't talk about casting the Fresh Prince as of yet. Or maybe that's unlucky. Not sure. Go over and read it and pray that if this project moves forward the story gods are looking down on it. I can only hope/pray that Lasseter somehow knows about this and uses his influence to make sure it doesn't turn into something that crashes and burns into the ground.

Or the sea...

UPDATE 1: IGN has an interview with the director where he teases about having Sam Worthington play Nemo. Well, at least it ain't Smith.

UPDATE 2: Latino Review has more with G from an interview he did with RadioFree about Pre-20K.

20,000 Writers Under The Sea...

Actually, it's only the third writer, but it sure does feel like that many sometimes...

Finally, there is good news regarding the Nemo/20K prequel. Justin Marks, who replaced Bill Marsilii is being replaced by "Braveheart" scribe Randall Wallace. This is indeed very good news. Wallace tends to write the kind of sweeping, macho action-adventure that I can see this becoming. And I could see it being good depending on how much of a rewrite it is. Hopefully there'll be more changes coming as well. First off, please let Will Smith choose to film MIB 3 so that he's not available to play in this. Get someone who could fill the bill better, like Eric Bana, hello? Like I keep mentioning. He'd be perfect. Oh, and one last change please. Someone replace McG with a director that knows story. Michael Bay, you need not apply.

Hey, I can dream...

The Continuing Voyages Of The "No"tilus...

Thus begins another in my series of "No" articles/posts about the looming sea disaster...

Get it? As in Nautilus. I'm so funny sometimes, eh? I mean, I'm laughing all up and down about the latest I hear regarding McG's prequel to 20k Under the Sea. It's absolutely funny. It's hysterical and the stuff of Hollywood legend. You know what I mean, where Hollywood takes a great literary property and twist and turns it inside out until it is totally unrecognizable.

I mean, who cares if they stick close to the book or even care that there is one, right? That seems to be the philosophy of Micky Bay Jr. at least when it comes to the current project. And seeing as how he did such a stellar job at making a Terminator movie which wound up being a generic action film, I can see why he's want to screw up this. Why stop at trying to destroy one franchise when you can do two. How's that for determination.

Stories don't matter. Only loud explosions and choreographed pretty pictures. Just look at the latest pile of cavity inducing mayhem known as "Transformers Revenge of the Fallen" and its success. Audiences won't notice where the story came from so the producers will just turn out a pile of crap that will be awe inspiring. And writers? Do we really need them? Let's just string together a collection of hot girls in slo-mo and dynamite. That will work... no need for a story.

Like a friend told me a joke about Michael Bay's story development process:

Michael Bay was in a story meeting and a writer asked: "How are we going to solve this problem with a scene?" Michael Bay answered back with: "An explosion!" To which the executive on the other side of the table responded: "But then we still don't have an ending" Bay's eyes sparkled and his pearly teeth widened as he said: "Another explosion!" And they gave each other a high five, called in the D-Girls to get them some drinks and make plans for that awesome party up in the hills later that night.

Sad, funny and ringing almost true it seems. But back to the coming train wreck that will be Walt Disney Pictures "Pre20K" that I was talking about before my mind skidded off the road. The powers that be are in the process of coming up with a script that in no way resembles the legendary book or the classic film. I can only cross my fingers and wish for an Angel to rescue this project. Everything I hear about this project sends up red flags. Suits beware. You are making a mistake and should listen before you proceed with this misfire (uhmm, "GI Joe" anyone?), you will regret it. Mark my words. This in no way appears to be going in the right direction the way the "TRON" sequel has moved along so smoothly. From all we've heard, the fans have faith in that project because the decisions being made appear to be done with care, reason and intelligence. This is not the case with Pre20k.

And it's not that I'm against a sequel or prequel. I just want a good one. One that has a great story with great actors being made by a great director. As of right now, we've got a studio that has hired a director who picks his films based on a list of cool shots he's seen in other films thrown out on the ground and he uses a lawn dart for all his decisions.

Developing...

Not A No, Not A Yes, Perhaps A Maybe...

So I take it you all have heard the rumors/news...

Production Weekly is stating that Dwayne Johnson is set to play in the 20K prequel. I take it they mean as Nemo. Unlike some, I actually think Johnson can actually act. I'm not saying he's Robert Deniro, but he can act. He was practically given the handover to being the action king by Arnold in his best film, "The Rundown." Ever since then he hasn't made as many good choices. If that film was his "Terminator" he hasn't yet made a justifiable follow-up to it. Of course, if he does do this film for Disney it'll be his third in a row... he's becoming quite the Disney Cast Member.

I don't really have any solid feeling on this choice should it turn out to be true. I do feel he looks the part far more than Will Smith would. As for the acting range? I don't know since I've yet to read the script and since it's being rewritten I don't think we know what to expect yet. It's an interesting choice if true and I'm going to be in a holding pattern till I hear more about it, the rest of the cast and most importantly, the script.

Unfolding...

Men In Black Could Make McG Blue...

ShoWest had a great presentation of Walt Disney Pictures last week...

And Sony's presentation may hold a jewel for the Mouse as well, or at least its fans. See, Sony announce that they're intent on making "Men in Black 3" and having it out for 2011. Now with Mr. Smith's busy film schedule, were he to commit to this production it would be difficult(but not impossible) for him to film the prequel to "20K" that McG wants to do. Which means he wouldn't get to be involved in this or the other two scripts for a trilogy that Disney Suits want to do(two of the scripts are already done, btw).

Now should this good luck charm known as MIB happen, I'll probably go see it just thank the Suits over at Sony for preventing some disastrous casting over at Disney's lot. Keep your fingers crossed and hope for a sequel.

One that's not a Disney sequel...

More Sea Tales...

It appears someone over at Cinefools is saying a source close to them confirmed that McG's prequel to "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea" will be filming in Oz near the end of this year...

They also mention that the project could be on the fast track should Will Smith sign on soon. In that case, I hope production gets delayed... PLEASE. I will soooo be upset if the Fresh Prince signs on to play a young Nemo. My choice if you want someone to play a young Captain of the Nautilus is to get a bankable star that is either Indian or could look Indian. Smith is neither. My vote would go for someone like Eric Bana. I've seen several other actors which could look the part, but lack the "manly" factor that someone like Bana could bring to the role of the brooding and brilliant sea captain/rouge. As time goes by Disney is going to be pressed with signing a lead, I just hope they don't go for Big Willie.

Developing...

20,000 Rewrites In Under Four Weeks...

It appears that Justin Marks has been hired to rewrite Bill Marsilii's draft of the prequel/revisionist film.

Strangely, they've only given him four weeks to bring it up to speed and they're calling him their "world builder," which is a phrase I've never heard used to describe writers before... Being a writer I have to say I like it. Let's just all pray the world he creates is one we want to enter. Hehe.

I don't know what to think, I've not seen or read any of Marks' work other than "Super Max" which I wasn't too impressed with. It's not however, impossible for him to turn something bad or misdirected into something good or great even. It just needs the right hands involved. Mr. Lasseter are you listening to me? Hello? Hello? Sigh... gonna cross my fingers on that one. Now if someone will just take a bat and smash McG's head so that the words Will Smith get knocked out I'll be breathing a sigh of relief. What? I don't mean hit him hard enough to hurt him... just knock some sense into that high-concept drenched mind of his.

Developing...

No... (Part Three)

No...

Ok, now it was never my intention to turn my worry about Disney screwing up classics into a mini-series, but that's what appears to be happening...

And again, this doesn't mean I'm against a remake/prequel/sequel or anything else. In fact, I understand the concept that their working from and can see how it could be a great film if done right. That's the key...

If. Done. Right.

And I'm not dead set against McG, even if I've never been a fan of anything he's done. The guy clearly has an eye for visuals, I just don't think he's had a script worth using as toilette paper so far. And from the sounds of IESB's review of the script by Bill Marsilli, this isn't exactly a sterling example of how to do it right. And I'm not trying to rag on Marsilli, I happened to have really liked Deja Vu. It doesn't sound totally bad, in fact, several parts of it sound like they could be interesting. I really do "get" what they're trying to do with this project. I do.

They're trying for a grand adventure and that's something I love. My favorite kind of films are those(Raiders of the Lost Ark). My favorite parts of Disneyland are those(Adventureland, NOS, Frontierland). They want something that is epic and can continue in a series of films. From the review of this script they've gotten a lot of it right and wrong. And I agree with the reviewer that you can go oh so wrong with too many montages. He's correct when he says that if you have to have so many flashback/montages to explain what's going on then there's a problem. A couple are fine. Three would be pushing it. But something like ten? Do the Suits know how confusing that will be for an audience? Actually, I think so... At least I hope so. I've heard that the project is out to other writers. It sounds like they have some interesting ideas, but the script needs another pass. How about John Logan, David Benioff or Mark Protosevich? Better yet, go with Disney's gold team when it comes to remaking something: Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio.

But Will Smith? Come on...

I believe that since Captain Nemo is an Indian, how about go with a dynamic lesser known actor? Someone like Sendhil Ramamurthy, Adrian Grenier or some other actor that fits the part? I know Hollywood Suits want as much risk aversion as possible when ponying up millions of dollars for a film, which is why a name like Smith's is being mentioned. But, "The Fresh Prince" doesn't look Indian and his persona will distract from the character, not add to it. How about some of that global marketing that Iger was talking about when it comes to Disney in markets like China and India? You know, India? Where Nemo is from... how about attaching an actor that would appeal to them? Just another thought from someone who Suits don't have to listen to and don't want to... but that's my two cents.

I really do want this project to succeed and not be another sterling example of Hollywood's ability to take something with potential and send it crashing to the ground in a blazing ball of fire. Let's hope that whoever does the rewrite does it right this time... oh, and then let's suggest someone give McG a nice smack across the face to knock some sense into him regarding casting...

No... (Part Two)

Ahhh, just when I think I can take a break, sit on my back porch watching the waves crash and drink my iced tea while reading my latest copy of "How to Ruin A Film Before It's Even Shot," I get drawn back into it... Even when I try and cut McG some slack.

"Wild Wild West 2" anyone?

No...

McG is going to direct a remake of "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" with a script by Bill Marsilli...

Uhmm. No.

No. No. No. No. No! NO! I almost said a bad word there... sigh, but no. Anyone whose name sounds like an Irish cousin of Kenny G should not be directing a remake of this classic...

That being said, I'll try and keep an open mind. After all, I haven't seen Terminator Salvation yet and it is going to be an origin story, not the actual classic book by Jules Verne.

No... sigh. Just, no.