Depp to give Lone Ranger’s Tonto the Jack Sparrow treatment

Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow

By Fred Topel – SciFiWire.com

Jerry Bruckheimer is developing a new movie based on The Lone Ranger, the popular western hero from radio plays and movie serials, and Johnny Depp is attached to play the Native American sidekick, Tonto.

Bruckheimer said to expect Depp to do for Tonto what he did with Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean.

“[Pirates writers Ted] Elliot and [Terry] Rossio worked on that also with some other writers and with Johnny [Depp],” Bruckheimer said in a group interview last week in Santa Monica, Calif. “So they’re creating something that has a kind of true-to-the-western [feel], but adding other additional elements like we did with Pirates so it won’t be just a straight-ahead western.”

Depp’s choice to play the Native American sidekick fits the actor’s quirky tastes. Bruckheimer has his work cut out for him finding a lead who can make a good Ranger to a superstar Tonto.
“We’re still creating a pretty wide net and figuring it out,” Bruckheimer said. “It comes down to who is available when we want to make it. We have a wish list.”
The Lone Ranger is in development for a tentative 2012 release date.

Amazon Specials!

Jerry Bruckheimer is Planning to Destroy America

by Leigh Alexander – Gamasutra.com

Jerry Bruckheimer wants a film adaptation of 2K Games’ PC relatively low-profile strategy title, which sees the U.S. in the midst of a second civil war.

According to a report in Hollywood trade paper Variety, Babylon 5 creator and Ninja Assassin movie writer J. Michael Straczynski will write the adaptation of the game.

The original title, a turn-based strategy game, was created by Tropico creators PopTop Software and published by Take-Two subsidiary 2K Games in 2005.

In the original video game version of Shattered Union, a terrorist attack on Washington D.C. leaves the nation without decisive leadership, and individual states and territories form their own governments to fight amongst themselves.

This isn’t the only game-related project that Pirates Of The Caribbean producer Bruckheimer currently has in progress. He is also almost completed on a film version of Jordan Mechner’s Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, which wil debut in May 2010.

As for Take-Two and 2K, the film adaptation of the company’s BioShock is still in the works at Universal, although its original 2010 release date has been put back due to budget concerns.

Amazon Specials!

Rob Marshall eyes ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’

Johnny Depp

Jay A. Fernandez and Borys Kit – HollywoodReporter.com

Are you ready to see Jack Sparrow swashbuckle his way through a big, flashy musical number?

Choreographer-turned-director Rob Marshall is in talks to take the wheel of the massive “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise from director Gore Verbinski. Disney and series producer Jerry Bruckheimer have been eager to set sail on a fourth installment with star Johnny Depp back in his bandanna as Sparrow as early as next year.

Verbinski, with scripts from Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, directed the first three films to $2.67 billion in worldwide grosses (the last, “At World’s End,” was released in 2007). When he exited the franchise in April, the studio immediately sought a fresh take to continue the pirate voyage on a potentially smaller scale. (The last two pictures cost north of $400 million, together.)

Marshall, who is finishing up the Weinstein Co. musical “Nine” for a November release, is not an obvious choice for a loud action-and-mayhem tentpole. But presumably, if he can corral the singing, acting and dancing talents of Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson, Sophia Loren and Stacy Ferguson, he can handle cannon battles, funny monkeys and angry natives.

The CAA-repped Marshall has directed the films “Memoirs of a Geisha” and “Chicago,” which won six Oscars, including best picture, in 2002.

Disney Buys Domain Names For Monsters Inc 2, The Tiger King and World War Robot

Peter Sciretta – SlashFilm.com

   If you read the Friday morning edition of the Hollywood trade newspaper Variety, you will notice a story about Jerry Bruckheimer acquiring the big screen rights to IDW Publishing’s graphic novel World War Robot. But if you had looked at the recent domain records that Disney had purchased: WORLDWARROBOT-MOVIE.COM, WORLDWARROBOTMOVIE.COM, or WORLDWARROBOTTHEMOVIE.COM, you would have known about this announcement before it happened.

   Jim Hill noticed that the mouse house went on a domain buying spree yesterday (July 29th), snapping up a bunch of Internet addresses for possible upcoming projects. So which projects were on the purchase list? Details after the jump.

Among the new domains purchased was MONSTERS2.com, the possible future location for the highly rumored sequel to Pixar’s Monsters Inc. At a recent licensing fair, Disney officials supposedly told attendees behind closed doors that Pete Doctor would be following Up with Monsters, Inc 2. We asked Disney head John Lasseter about the rumors last weekend at Comic-Con, but as expected, he wouldn’t comment. The domain purchase seems to be an admission by Disney that they are developing a sequel, or at very least — thinking about it.

   Another interesting purchase was the domain TheTigerKingMovie.com, which we can only assume is a spin-off based on The Lion King. With the word “Movie” in the domain name, we know it is a feature film — but we don’t know if it is a new animated feature film or a direct-to-dvd production. Some of you might remember that when John Lasseter became Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios when the Mouse purchased Pixar in January of 2006, he was quick to kill many of the company’s direct-to-dvd sequels and spin-offs, because he believed the productions hurt the studio’s brand. The Aristocats 2, Chicken Little 2 : The Ugly Duckling Story, Meet the Robinsons 2: First Date, and Disney’s Dwarfs were among the productions which were trashed. I find it hard to believe that Lasseter would approve of a Lions King spin-off titled The Tiger King, unless it was for theatrical release. But you never know?

   As for World War Robots, which was mentioned above, the 48-page book was published in August 2008, and is out of print. Here is the official plot synopsis from the book:

Award-winning designer/artist Ashley Wood (Popbot, Zombies Vs. Robots) has handled his share of robots over the years. And now, he presents total robot war! In World War Robot, a dwindling band of humans and robots face off in a battle that will likely end humanity as we know it – on Earth, on the Moon, and on Mars, too! Badass battles, really intense human/robot drama, and even a little black humor and political intrigue are the order of the day in this oversize, standalone epic courtesy of Wood.

Depp’s next role unclear as green lights delayed

Steven Zeitchik and Borys Kit – Hollywood Reporter

 Johnny Depp is coming off an acclaimed role in “Public Enemies” and stars in one of the most anticipated movies of this weekend’s Comic-Con, “Alice in Wonderland.”

But the Mad Hatter is facing an unusual situation: Like the character he plays in “Alice,” he soon could be killing time.

Depp is attached to a number of high-profile development properties but is facing a landscape devoid of “go” pictures — those ready for production. Instead, there are a dizzying number of possibilities and schedule permutations, none of which seems likely to result in a produced movie for him anytime soon.

Producers have been interested in Depp for the title role in Warner Bros.’ “The Incredible Mr. Limpet.” Kevin Lima’s remake of the 1964 fantasy comedy that would continue a whimsical, if slightly less drama-intensive, streak for the actor. He has not signed on, however, and in any event the pic would not go into production until next year.

Meanwhile, the fourth installment of “Pirates of the Caribbean” remains a priority for Disney and producer Jerry Bruckheimer. At an earlier point, it was going to be the next picture for Depp, who toplines as Jack Sparrow. But with Gore Verbinski no longer directing the franchise, the ship has slowed.

Disney is seeking a new director, a process that could take time. Although the studio is believed to want an established helmer of franchise and action fare, it has put the word out to agents that it would be open to younger directors and new ideas, potentially prolonging the process. That could mean as much as a four- or five-year hiatus since the 2007 release of the previous picture, “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End.”

(Disney also would like to scale back the size and budget of the next movie compared with previous installments; for that reason, it likely won’t bring back relatively pricey Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley.)

Because of the “Pirates” lag, a Depp project that was supposed to go into production after the Sparrow-fest, “The Lone Ranger,” could end up getting pushed back further, though there’s also a possibility it could shoot ahead of the nautical tale.

For the moment, though, “Ranger” also remains locked in the stable. “Pirates” writers Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio have written a script for the Disney/Bruckheimer update, but the studio could wind up commissioning a polish or another draft. There’s also no director, and Depp is attached to play Tonto, with the title role still to be cast.

Finally, Warners’ feature update of the ghoulish TV series “Dark Shadows” — a Depp/Tim Burton collaboration that might have shot later this year or early next year — also might be back-burnered. Burton still has work to do on “Alice,” which opens in March, and tends to spend a lot of time on prep work.

What the possibilities boil down to, besides head spinning, is that there are projects with momentum that Depp has not signed for, and projects he has signed for that don’t have a lot of momentum.

In other words, it’s a very 2009 phenomenon brought on by a star’s choosiness on the one hand and studios’ increasing caution on the other. (In what might be an emerging mini-trend, Will Smith and Leonardo DiCaprio happen to find themselves in similar situations.)

The result is that Depp could face a year or longer without appearing on the big screen.

That might not sound like a major departure, but for moviegoers, it will seem like a shift. Depp has been in one of the most fertile periods of his career: The actor also stars in the Hunter S. Thompson adaptation “The Rum Diary” and had a supporting role in Terry Gilliam’s “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus,” which hasn’t yet been released in the U.S. In the past nine years, Depp has not had more than two movies come out in any 18-month period; if “Imaginarium” gets a release by the end of 2010, he’ll have had four.

Then again, the absence of a new role might mean a respite from his breakneck schedule. Even a pirate needs some time off.

(Editing by Sheri Linden at Reuters)

New Monica Bellucci photo from The Sorcerer’s Apprentice

‘The Sorcerer’s Apprentice’, Disney’s live-action film based on ‘Fantasia’ segment, will be debuted in theaters in the same year ‘Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time’ and ‘Toy Story 3′ come out.

   Based in modern-day Manhattan, Nicolas Cage plays Balthazar Blake, a sorcerer who recruits and trains a young protege (Jay Baruchel) to help fight the forces of darkness. Monica Bellucci plays Veronica, a sorceress and the long-lost love of Cage’s character.

   A release date has been fixed on “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice”. Walt Disney Pictures has announced that they have added the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced family adventure to their 2010 calendar, scheduling it to be officially released in theaters across the U.S. on July 16, 2010.
  

Dark Knight Receives Five Saturn Awards, WALL-E Wins for Animation

Press Release from the Saturn Awards – 6/29/09

It was a stellar evening for “The Dark Knight” as the Christopher Nolan film garnered five Saturn Awards at the 35th Annual Saturn Awards. The film was named Best Action/Adventure/Thriller Film. The Warner Bros. release also received awards for Best Writing: Christopher Nolan & Jonathan Nolan, Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, Best Music: Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard, and Best Special Effects.

Also receiving multiple Saturn Awards were “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” and “Iron Man” which won three Saturn Awards apiece.

“Battlestar Galactica” proved to be the most decorated series of the evening with three Saturn Awards including Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series, Best Actor on Television: Edward James Olmos, and Best Actress on Television: Mary McDonnell. “Lost” received the Saturn Award for Best Network Series. Show co-creator, J.J. Abrams accepted the award on stage.

The highlight at the awards ceremony were the special awards presented throughout the evening. Actor Lance Henriksen received the Life Career Award for his strong body of work in film and television. Actor Ed Harris presented the award to Henriksen on stage.

DreamWorks Animation studio head, Jeffrey Katzenberg, was awarded the inaugural Visionary Award for his efforts in advancing 3D film presentation. Top filmmaker Jerry Bruckheimer presented this prestigious award to Mr. Katzenberg at the event.

Genre icon Leonard Nimoy was presented the Lifetime Achievement Award for his work in film and television which covers five decades. Mostly known for his portrayal of the Vulcan, Mr. Spock, Leonard’s accomplishment extend to many more projects including the series, Mission Impossible, Columbo, and the recent show, Fringe. Presenting the award was top filmmaker J.J. Abrams, who recently directed the hit film, Star Trek, for Paramount Pictures.

Many genre leaders were in attendance including: Michael Emerson and Mark Pellegrino (from Lost), Zachary Levi, Justin Hartley, Kevin Feige, Jack Coleman, Cristine Rose and Adrian Pasdar (from Heroes), Scott Porter, Ann Robinson, Sean Faris, Carlos Bernard (24), Kristin Bell, Andrea Roth, Casper Van Dien, Kevin Sorbo, Jim Parsons & Simon Helberg (from The Big Bang Theory), Larry Cohen, Frank Darabont, Greg Cannom, Michael Biehn, Jennifer Carpenter, Dean Devlin, Edward James Olmos, Tom DeSanto, Vince Gilligan, Aaron Paul (from Breaking Bad), James Newton Howard, and Hans Zimmer. This year’s reception was hosted by Entertainment Weekly. The Afterparty was sponsored by Highlander Films.

The 35th Annual Saturn Awards were presented by The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, a non-profit organization created in 1972 to honor, recognize and promote genre entertainment. The Academy was founded by noted film historian, Dr. Donald A. Reed, who passed away in 2001. Robert Holguin currently serves as President of the Academy. Mark Altman is Co-President of the Saturn Awards.

Best Science Fiction Film:
IRON MAN

Best Fantasy Film:
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

Best Horror Film:
HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY

Best Action/Adventure/Thriller Film:
THE DARK KNIGHT

Best Actor:
ROBERT DOWNEY, JR.
(Iron Man)

Best Actress:
ANGELINA JOLIE
(Changeling)

Best Supporting Actor:
HEATH LEDGER
(The Dark Knight)

Best Supporting Actress:
TILDA SWINTON
(The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
Best Performance by a Younger Actor:
JADEN CHRISTOPHER SMITH
(The Day the Earth Stood Still)

Best Director:
JON FAVREAU
(Iron Man)

Best Writer:
CHRISTOPHER NOLAN and JONATHAN NOLAN (The Dark Knight)

Best Music:
HANS ZIMMER and JAMES NEWTON HOWARD (The Dark Knight)

Best Costume:
MARY ZOPHRES
(Indiana Jones & the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull)

Best Make-Up:
GREG CANNOM
(The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)

Best Special Effects:
NICK DAVIS, CHRIS CORBOULD, TIMOTHY WEBBER, PAUL J. FRANKLIN
(The Dark Knight)

Best International Film:
LET THE RIGHT ONE IN

Best Animated Film:
WALL-E

Best Television Series:
LOST

Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA

Best Presentation on Television:
THE LIBRARIAN: THE CURSE OF THE JUDAS CHALICE

Best Actor on Television:
EDWARD JAMES OLMOS
(Battlestar Galactica)

Best Actress on Television:
MARY MCDONNELL
(Battlestar Galactica)

Best Supporting Actor on Television:
ADRIAN PASDAR
(Heroes)

Best Supporting Actress on Televison:
JENNIFER CARPENTER
(Dexter)

Guest Starring Role on Television:
JIMMY SMITS
(Dexter)

Best DVD Release:
JACK BROOKS: MONSTER SLAYER

Best DVD Special Edition Release:
STEPHEN KING’S THE MIST (2 disc Special Edition)

Best DVD Classic Film Release:
PSYCHO (Universal Legacy Series)

Best DVD Collection:
THE GODFATHER-THE COPPOLA RESTORATION

Best Series on DVD:
MOONLIGHT

Best Retro Series on DVD:
THE INVADERS

The Life Career Award:
LANCE HENRIKSEN

The Lifetime Achievement Award:
LEONARD NIMOY

The Visionary Award:
JEFFREY KATZENBERG