The Hype Thread

[Vendetta]

I figured maybe we could use this thread for hyping upcoming movies or new television shows. Of course, major movie news would still get their own thread.

300 and One? More Spartans on Horizon

With 300’s epic bloodbath matched only by its own epic gross, it should come as no surprise that the studios want to get working on a sequel. Producer Mark Canton was all smiles and winks when talking about 300 and expressed a strong interest in working with director Zack Snyder again. Canton seemed to imply that all they were waiting for was the thumbs up from Warner Bros. which can’t be all that far off.

Most assuredly Frank Miller and Zack Snyder would be courted and lured back for this story or the flick would most assuredly suffer. No news on what the story would entail, what battles it would cover, or when it would take place, or with who. Sparta was a dominate player for a fairly long period of war and faced off against both the Persians and other Greek states. The sequel could chronologically move forward to either the Battle of Platea (pictured briefly at the end of the film) where the Spartans, at full force, crushed the Persians. The Spartans also played a large role in the Peloponnesian War and even went against, and defeated Athens, on land and at sea.

Source: Film School Rejects

[Vendetta]

Steven Paul's banner Crystal Sky Pictures has inked a $200 million theatrical slate financing deal with Don Starr's Grosvenor Park.

Deal covers five features, including upcoming vidgame adaptation "Castlevania," a co-production with Universal's Rogue Pictures. Project, based on the Konami vidgame, is written by Paul Anderson ("Resident Evil") and directed by Sylvain White ("Stomp the Yard").

Crystal Sky has expanded its slate of branded entertainment titles, and coin from the deal will help it further expand its development capabilities.

Other titles in the Grosvenor Park-funded slate include an adaptation of Richard Branson's memoir "Losing My Virginity," a bigscreen adaptation of vidgame "Pac-Man" and a sequel to John Woo's actioner "Hard Boiled"; company also controls the rights to Brad Thor's bestselling novels.

Deal was negotiated by Crystal Sky's Scott Karol and Grosvenor Park's Deirdre Owens.

"This financing is helping us in our expansion plans to greenlight films more quickly," Paul told Daily Variety. "We're now one of the few companies to have a big budget with which to develop our slate."

Crystal Sky previously produced "Bratz," based on the toy franchise, with Lionsgate, and "Ghost Rider" with Columbia Pictures.

The company is also producing "Ghost in the Shell" with DreamWorks and "Robosapien: Rebooted," both in association with Avi Arad's Arad Prods.

Crystal Sky is also producing Giuseppe Tornatore's English-language debut "The Lady," a $30 million biopic of Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi.

Grosvenor Park recently provided complete financing for Ed Zwick's "Defiance," starring Daniel Craig. Paramount Vantage will release the pic domestically in the fall.

Crystal Sky's international sales will be handled by worldwide sales prexy Daniel Diamond, with Benedict Carver overseeing production.

Pac-Man the movie? I'm not quite sure about but Castlevania could be fucking awesome.

Summit sets 'Highlander' remake

Film unit aims to restart franchise

Summit Entertainment will produce a remake of fantasy thriller "Highlander" with the aim of kick-starting the franchise.

Summit's signed the "Iron Man" writing team of Art Marcum and Matt Holloway to script, with plans to expand on the original pic's premise of immortals battling each other for a mysterious prize. Company's aiming to go into production next year.

Patrick Wachsberger, Summit's co-chairman and president, said, "I have always dreamed of reinventing this franchise."

Summit production prexy Erik Feig told Daily Variety that the new pic will mix contemporary settings, action, mythology and medieval Scotland.

"We think the franchise will work on a global basis," he added.

Summit acquired the remake rights from Davis/Panzer Prods. It has tapped Peter Davis, one of the producers of the original film, to produce the new version.

The 1986 original was directed by Russell Mulcahy and starred Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery, Clancy Brown and Roxanne Hart. It launched four sequels and three TV spinoffs.

In addition to "Iron Man," Marcum and Holloway also wrote "Convoy" for Par.

Summit has been ramping up operations for the past year from a sales operation into a full-fledged studio with development, financing, production and distribution. It's focused on projects budgeted in the middle range and plans to release 10-12 films annually. Recent pics include "Sex Drive" and Alexander Proyas' "Knowing," currently shooting with Nicolas Cage starring.

Another possible fantastic remake. Especially with the technology that is available today. Depends on who they get to play the characters though.

[Pepsi]

I wouldn't mind seeing the 300 guys make a movie about the war between Athens and Sparta.

I think the movies I'm most anxious for would be The Avengers movie, the final Harry Potter, and Transformers 2. Iron Man 2 also. And as long as Dark Knight is good (and I'm praying it will be) then Batman 3.

Also, isn't Aronofsky doing a movie about wrestling? That should be good too.

Edited May 27, 2008 by Snow White and the 7Ups

[MalaCloudy Black]

I wouldn't mind seeing the 300 guys make a movie about the war between Athens and Sparta.

I think the movies I'm most anxious for would be The Avengers movie, the final Harry Potter, and Transformers 2. Iron Man 2 also. And as long as Dark Knight is good (and I'm praying it will be) then Batman 3.

Also, isn't Aronofsky doing a movie about wrestling? That should be good too.

Yeah, The Wrestler. Mickey Rourke starring, a bunch of indy guys are gonna be in it too. It wasn't too long ago (I think..) that they were filming at some wrestling show.

[ROC]

I wouldn't mind seeing the 300 guys make a movie about the war between Athens and Sparta.

I think the movies I'm most anxious for would be The Avengers movie, the final Harry Potter, and Transformers 2. Iron Man 2 also. And as long as Dark Knight is good (and I'm praying it will be) then Batman 3.

Also, isn't Aronofsky doing a movie about wrestling? That should be good too.

Yeah, The Wrestler. Mickey Rourke starring, a bunch of indy guys are gonna be in it too. It wasn't too long ago (I think..) that they were filming at some wrestling show.

Haven't they been filming at both ROH and CZW shows as well?

[MalaCloudy Black]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's where they've been filming - CZW/RoH shows.

[Ananas]

The teaser trailer for Kevin Smith's new film "Zack & Miri Make a Porno" starring Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks is online and available here.