Anthony Hopkins signs up for Odin role in Thor

Anthony Hopkins

by James White – TotalFilm.com

Kenneth Branagh’s looking to add some more solid acting talent to Thor – Anthony Hopkins is jumping aboard to play the hero’s dad, Odin.

Yes, you’ve got to admire the eclectic cast that Branagh is building around Marvel’s Norse god hero (who will be played by Chris Hemsworth).

With Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Jamie Alexander and Colm Feore all confirmed as aboard, even if the film itself is a failure, the cast will be an intriguing blend.

And if the rumours that Robert De Niro and Jude Law have signed on ever turn out to be true (though that’s looking increasingly unlikely), we can’t wait to see this lot in action…

Brad Pitt NOT Joining ‘Sherlock Holmes’

From AceShowBiz.com

There will be no Brad Pitt in “Sherlock Holmes”. Warner Bros. Pictures has squashed the recent flying rumor suggesting that the star of “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” has been recruited to play Holmes’ arch nemesis, Moriarty, in Guy Ritchie’s new take on the legendary detective and his crime-solving story.

“The report in today’s London Mirror is completely inaccurate. Brad Pitt is not joining the cast of Sherlock Holmes and we’re extremely pleased with the production of the film,” a studio-sanctioned statement, released Monday, August 17, read. “As planned, it will be released on Christmas Day, 2009.”

Warners further explained about the shooting of some additional scenes for the film. “In order to complete the movie, we’ve scheduled a few days on set to shoot a couple of additional scenes, obtain pick-up shots, and perfect some of the visual effects elements, all of which is standard filmmaking practice,” so the studio claimed in the statement.

Earlier on the day, The Mirror had come up with a story that Pitt has come aboard the film as Moriarty at the behest of Ritchie, who has worked together with Pitt in 2000 gangster film “Snatch”. “It’s a huge coup to have Brad joining the cast. He has worked for Guy before and said if he could, he would do anything to help out,” the paper quoted a source of the 45-year-old’s involvement.

Mirror, in addition, claimed that the Lt. Aldo Raine of forthcoming “Inglourious Basterds” is headed to London for 10 frantic days of filming, which was said due to start this week in London and on location at Cliveden House. The paper also stated that the addition of Pitt would push the release of the film from December 2009 to June 2010.

Based on Lionel Wigram’s upcoming comic book, “Sherlock Holmes” will present a new portrayal of Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous characters. This first major big-screen version of “Sherlock Holmes” in more than 20 years will see Sherlock Holmes and his partner Dr. Watson on their latest challenge. Having lethal fighting skills in addition to his legendary intellect, Holmes attempts to bring down a new nemesis and unravel a deadly plot that could destroy the country.

This action thriller film will see Robert Downey Jr. as the titular character, Jude Law as Dr. John Watson, and Rachel McAdams as Irene Adler, Holmes’ love interest, in addition to Mark Strong who is set to play Lord Blackwood. Originally expected to make its debut in U.S. theaters on November 20, it is now due for December 25 release.

Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, Jude Law and Heath Ledger in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Mark Gorelord – GoreMaster News

Still without a release date in North America, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus has its first international trailer. It’s described as a Adventure, Fantasy, Mystery movie. It’s a story about a traveling theater company that gives its audience much more than they were expecting. The movie marks the last screen role for Heath Ledger, who died during production, and it also features turns by Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law in Ledger’s stead.

The film is directed by Terry Gilliam and also stars Christopher Plummer, Tom Waits and Verne Troyer.

Trivia

•	Heath Ledger’s last movie project.
•	After the death of Heath Ledger, production was shut down for a few months. Then it was re-started when Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell agreed to complete Ledger’s role. The film’s fantasy premise, and some clever rewrites, let the actors play a man whose appearance changes as he travels between imaginary worlds.
•	The first film that Terry Gilliam storyboarded himself since The Adventures of Baron Munchausen.

Heath Ledger in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Hollywood Bringing Heavy-Hitters To San Diego Comic-Con

Comic-Con 2009

THU, JULY 23 -SUN, JULY 26      …..    PREVIEW NIGHT: WED, JULY 22

SAN DIEGO
Convention Center
111 W. Harbor Dr.
San Diego, CA 92101

    The annual Comic-Con is fast approaching, and this year’s event, taking place from July 23-26, shines a brighter spotlight than ever on Hollywood.

  Disney on Thrusday announced its heavy-hitter lineup — John Lasseter, Robert Zemeckis and Tim Burton — while networks and cable, from CBS’ “The Big Bang Theory” and USA’s “Burn Notice,” are also well-represented.

 Below is a schedule of events — many details of which are still to be determined

 PANELS

WEDNESDAY, JULY 22

“Human Target,” “V” and “Vampire Diaries” (6 p.m.-9 p.m., room TBD): Full pilot previews.

THURSDAY, JULY 23

Summit Entertainment: “Astro Boy” (10:15-11:15 a.m., Room 6BCF) Astro Boy is an all-new CG-animated feature film based on the classic manga about a young robot with incredible powers and his adventure-filled journey in search of his identity and destiny. Director David Bowers, producer Maryanne Grager, and stars Freddie Highmore and Kristen Bell will debut exclusive footage and answer questions.

TheOneRing.net: “The Hobbit” (10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m., Room 7AB) Chris Pirrotta, Larry Curtis, Cliff Broadway and other from TheOneRing.net will take you behind the scenes of the latest news, announcements, and rumors pertaining to the Peter Jackson and Guillermo del Toro production of The Hobbit.

Disney 3-D Panel (11 a.m-12:30 p.m., Room TBD) With Robert Zemeckis, Tim Burton, Sean Bailey, Steve Lisberger. Concept art, trailers, footage of “A Christmas Carol,” “Alice in Wonderland” and “Tron.”

“The Middleman” (11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m., Room 6A). Panel with Matt Keeslar, Natalie Morales, Mary Pat Gleason, Britt Morgan, Jake Smollett, Javier Grillo-Marxuach and cast reading of lost 13th episode script, “The Doomsday Armageddon Apocalypse”

Richard Hatch: “Battlestar” Retrospective (12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m., Room 6A) Moderated by actor/author Richard Hatch, with composer Bear McCreary, writer/producer Michael Tayler, scientific advisor Kevin Grazier and special guests, this panel provides a review and discussion of the past four seasons of “Battlestar Galactica.”

“Dante’s Inferno” (12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m., Room 8. Jonathan Knight, Ash Huang, Brandon Auman, Christos Gage and Diego Latorre talk about the adaptation of the epic poem into pop culture: a video game, an animated feature, and a comic series.
   20th Century Fox and James Cameron present “Avatar” (12:45 p.m.-2 p.m., Hall H) Cameron, Jon Landau and cast members will show the first public screening of footage in 3D from the movie, which debuts in December.

Spotlight on Kevin Eastman (1 p.m.-2  p.m., Room 5AB) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle co-creator Kevin Eastman talks about his TMNT days and shares sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes teasers for his upcoming animated film projects.

Sony Pictures Animation: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2:00-3:00 p.m., Room 6BCF) Bill Hader, Anna Faris, Andy Samberg, Bobb’e J. Thompson, Chriss Miller, Phil Lord discuss the upcoming Sony/Columbia movie.

Summit Entertainment (2:15 p.m. -3:15 p.m., Hall H)
Summit Entertainment presents a sneak peek of some of its upcoming major film releases such as “Astro Boy,” “Sorority Row” and “The Twilight Saga: New Moon.”

DVD/Blu-ray Producers 2009 (2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m., Room 7AB)
Bill Hunt, Adam Jahnke and Todd Doogan (of The Digital Bits.com), talk about the latest DVD and Blu-ray developments with special-edition producers like Robert Meyer Burnett, Laura Gross, Charles de Lauzirika, David Naylor and Cliff Stephenson.

Masters of the Web (3 p.m.-4 p.m., Room 32AB)
Director Kevin Munroe (“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”) moderates a panel of representatives from top genre and movie websites such as Movieweb.com and Latinoreview.com. Brandon Routh and Sam Hungintgon join to preview a sneak peek of their new film “Dead of Night.”
 

“Robot Chicken,” “Titan Maximum” (3 p.m.-4 p.m., Room 6A). Panel with Seth Green, Matthew Senreich, Tom Root, Doug Goldstein, Chris McKay, Breckin Meyer, Kevin Shinick, Mike Fasolo, Dan Milano.

J. Michael Straczynski: Professional Writing (3:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m., Room 7AB)
The “Changeling” writer discusses the steps and tools needed to be a professional writer.

Joe Dante: “The Hole” (3:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m., Hall H)  Joe Dante  and Haley Bennett discuss their new film and working in 3D.

Entertainment Weekly: Wonder Women: Female Power Icons in Pop Culture (3:45 p.m. -4:45 p.m., Ballroom 20) EW will moderate a conversation with Sigourney Weaver, Elizabeth Mitchell, Kristen Bell  and others about the actresses who have redefined the rules and the female characters that have shattered the glass ceiling for all women. 
 

Cartoon Network Comedy: Original Animation (4:15 p.m. – 5:15 p.m., Room 6A). Panel on “Chowder,” “The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack,” ”Adventure Time With Finn and Jake.”

Terry Gilliam’s “The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus” (4:45 p.m. -5:15 p.m., Hall H) The director of “Time Bandits” and “Brazil” introduces his new film starring Christopher Plummer, Johnny Depp, Heath Ledger, Colin Farrell, Jude Law, Verne Troyer, Tom Waits, and Lily Cole. 
 

“Dexter” (5 p.m.-6 p.m. Ballroom 20)

Overture Pictures: “Pandorum” (5:15 p.m.-5:45 p.m., Hall H) Actors Ben Foster, Cung Le  and Antje Traue discuss their new thriller about two crewmembers on a seemingly abandoned spacecraft.

Kick-Ass (5:45 p.m.-6:45 p.m., Hall H) Director Matthew Vaughn, Nicolas Cage and Christopher Mintz-Plasse and comic co-creator John Romita Jr. present world premiere footage from the new film, based on Mark Millar’s bestselling comic.

Focus Features: “Thirst” (6:30 p.m.-7:00 p.m., Hall H) Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook discusses his film, which won the Prix Du Jury (Jury Prize) at the 2009 Cannes International Film Festival, and his career.

Robotech Industry Panel (6:45 p.m.-7:45 p.m., Room 6A) Tommy Yune, director of “Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles” and Steve Yun, writer of “Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles,” discuss upcoming Robotech releases in the wake of the announcement of the live-action feature film.

Comedy Central’s “Drawn Together Movie” Roundtable (7 p.m-8 p.m., Room 6BCF) Co-creators Matt Silverstein and Dave Jeser and stars from the show discuss “The Drawn Together Movie” and host a roundtable discussion.

Dr. Horrible’s Sing-along Blog (8:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m., Room 6A) The California Browncoats host a screening of the original three acts, followed immediately by “Commentary! The Musical.”

“Green Lantern”: First Flight World Premiere (8 p.m.-9:30 p.m., Ballroom 20) Warner Home Video, Warner Premiere, DC Comics and Warner Bros. Animation present the world premiere of “Green Lantern: First Flight.” “Lantern,” due out July 28, stars Christopher Meloni, is directed by Lauren Montgomery and written by Emmy Award winner Alan Burnett.

Halloween Comes Early: Trick ‘r Treat Screening (9:30 p.m.-12:00 a.m., Ballroom 20) Writer-director Michael Dougherty screens his new movie, which is preceded by a panel. Ain’t It Cool News mogul Harry Knowles will moderate the panel, which features Dougherty and cast members Anna Paquin, Tahmoh Penikett, and Brian Cox.

“Burn Notice” (room & time TBD) Panel with Bruce Campbell, Seth Peterson, Ben Shenkman, Jay Karnes, Matt Nix, Alfredo Barrios Jr., Michael Shanks

“Legend of the Seeker” (room & time TBD)

“Psych” (room & time TBD) Panel with James Roday, Dule Hill, Corbin Bernsen, Maggie Lawson, Timothy Omundson, Chris Henze and Kelly Kulchak. Scrpt-to-screen demonstration documenting the process of creating an episode.

“Twilight: New Moon” Panel (room & time TBD)

FRIDAY, JULY 24

“Batman: The Brave and the Bold” (animated) (10 a.m.-11 a.m., Room 6DE) Panel with Diedrich Bader, Sam Register. Screening of “Mayhem of Music Meister” episode featuring voice of Neil Patrick Harris.

“Stargate Universe” (10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m., Ballroom 20) Panel with Robert Carlyle, Brian J. Smith, Elyse Levesque, David Blue, Alaina Huffman, Jamil Walker Smith, Ming-Na, Brad Wright, Robert Cooper

Lucasfilm Panel: “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”: Building the Universe (11 a.m.-Noon, Room 7AB)

“The Prisoner” (11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., room TBD)

“Caprica”/”Battlestar Galatica”: The Plan (11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m., Ballroom 20) Panel with Esai Morales, Edward James Olmos, Ronald Moore, David Eick and Jane Espenson

“FlashForward” (11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m., Room 6A)

Lucasfilm Panel: “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”: Behind the Mic (Noon-1 p.m., Room 7AB)

“The Middle” (Noon-1 .p.m., Hilton Bayside Indigo Ballroom). Patricia Heaton. Sneak preview.

Disney Animation Panel (12:45 p.m. Room TBD ) Panel with Hayao Miyazaki, John Lasseter, Lee Unkrich, Kirk Wise, Ron Clements, John Muske (“Toy Story 3,” “Prep & Landing,” “The Princess And The Frog” and “Ponyo.”)

“The Big Bang Theory” (1 p.m.-2 p.m.,Ballroom 20) Panel with Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, Chuck Lorre

“24″ (2:15 p.m.-3 p.m., Ballroom 20) Panel with Kiefer Sutherland,
Mary Lynn Rajskub, Anil Kapoor, Freddie Prinze Jr., Katee Sackhoff, Howard Gordon

“Past Life” (2:15 p.m.- 3:15 p.m., Room 6A) Panel with Kelli Giddish, Nicholas Bishop, Ravi Patel, David Hudgens

“Bones” (3 p.m.-3:45 p.m., Ballroom 20) Panel with Emily Deschanel,
David Boreanaz, Hart Hanson

“Eureka” (3:15 p.m.-4:15 p.m., Room 6BCF) Panel with Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Erica Cerra, Neil Grayston, Jaime Paglia

“Dollhouse” (4 p.m.-6 p.m. Ballroom 20) Panel with Eliza Dushku, Joss Whedon. Screening of episode “Epitaph One”

The BBC Panel: The Mighty Boosh (4:45 p.m. – 5:45 p.m. Room 6A) Panel with Julian Barratt, Noel Fielding, Michael Fielding, Rich Fulcher, Dave Brown

Lucasfilm Panel: The Star Wars Spectacular (5:15 p.m.- 6:15 p.m. Hall H)

“The Box” Panel (room & time TBD)

“District 9″ Panel (with Peter Jackson) (room & time TBD)

SATURDAY, JULY 25

“Chuck” (10 a.m.-11 a.m., Ballroom 20) Panel with Zachary Levi, Yvonne Strahovski, Josh Schwartz

“Eastwick” (10:15 a.m.-11:15 a.m., Room 6A) Panel with Rebecca Romijn,
Lindsay Price, Jaime Ray Newman. Full pilot screening

“Lost” (11 a.m.-noon, Hall H) Panel with Carlton Cuse, Damon Lindelof

“Family Guy” (11:15 a.m.-Noon, Ballroom 20) Panel with Seth Green, Mila Kunis, Seth MacFarlane

Cartoon Network Action Adventure Animation: “Ben 10″ (11:45 a.m.-12:45
p.m., Room 6DE) Panel with Alex Winter, Ryan Kelley, Galadriel Stineman, Nathan Keyes, Alyssa Diaz, Glenn Murakami, Dwayne McDuffie, Yuri Lowenthal

“The Cleveland Show” (Noon-12:45 p.m., Ballroom 20) Panel with Sana’a Lathan, Kevin Michael Richardson, Seth MacFarlane, Mike Henry, Rich Appel

“Sanctuary” (12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m., Bayside Hilton Indigo Room) Panel with Amanda Tapping, Robin Dunne, Martin Wood and Damian Kindler

“Futurama” (1 p.m.-1:45 p.m., Ballroom 20) Panel with Billy West, Katey Sagal, John DiMaggio, Maurice LaMarche, Matt Groening, David Cohen

“Glee” (1:30 p.m.-3 p.m., Bayside Hilton Indigo Room) Panel with Matthew Morrison, Lea Michele, Cory Monteith. New episode screening

“The Simpsons” (1:45 p.m.-2:30 p.m., Ballroom 20) Panel with Matt Groening, Al Jean, Matt Selman, Mike Anderson

“Warehouse 13″ (2:15 p.m.-3:1 5 p.m., Room 6A) Panel with Eddie McClintock, Joanne Kelly, Saul Rubinek, Allison Scagliotti, Jack Kenny, David Simkins

“V” (2:45 p.m.-3:45 p.m., Ballroom 20) Panel with Elizabeth Mitchell, Scott Wolf, Scott Peters, Jeffrey Bell

“Fringe” (4 .m.-5 p.m., Ballroom 20) Panel with Anna Torv, John Noble

“Human Target” (4:45 p.m.-5:45 p.m., Room 6BCF) Panel with Mark Valley, Chi McBride, Jackie Earle Haley

“Vampire Diaries” (6 p.m.-7 p.m.,Room 6BCF) Panel with Ian Somerhalder, Paul Wesley, Nina Dobrev, Kevin Williamson

Adult Swim: Series Development and “The Venture Bros.” (6 p.m.-7:15 p.m., Room 6DE) Panel with Nick Weidenfeld, Matt Harrigan, Jackson Publick, Doc Hammer, Jon Schnepp, James Urbaniak, Mike Sinterniklaas

“Mythbusters” (7:15 p.m.-8:15 p.m., Room 6BCF) Panel with Jamie Hyneman, Adam Savage, Tory Belluci, Grant Imahara

“Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead” and “Torchwood: Children of Earth” screenings (7:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m., Room 6A)

“Heroes” (room & time TBD) Tim Kring and cast

SUNDAY, JULY 26

“Doctor Who” (10 a.m.-11 a.m., Ballroom 20) Panel with David Tennant, Russell Davies, Julie Gardner, Euros Lyn

“Smallville” (10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m., Room 6BCF) Panel with Erica Durance, Justin Hartley, Cassidy Freeman

“American Dad” (11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m., Ballroom 20) Panel with Seth MacFarlane, Wendy Schall, Dee Bradley Baker, Mike Barker, Matt Weitzman

“Supernatural” (11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m., Room 6BCD) Panel with Misha Collins, Jim Beaver, Eric Kripke

Mattel Panel: “Hot Wheels Battle Force 5″ (Noon-1 p.m., Room 7AB) Panel with Audu Paden, Johnny Darrell. “Hot Wheels Battle Force 5″ world premiere

WB Panel: Zoinks! “Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins” (12:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m., Room 6DE) Panel with Brian Levant, Brian Gilbert, Robbie Amell, Kate Melton, Hayley Kiyoko,Nick Palatas. Screening of the new, live-action/CGI film

“Ghost Whisperer” (1 p.m.-2 p.m., room TBD)

“Being Human” and “Torchwood” (2:15 p.m.-3:45 p.m. Room 6BCF) Panel with John Barrowman, Russell Tovey, Lenora Crichlow, Aidan Turner, Russell Davies, Julie Gardner, Toby Whithouse, Euros Lyn

EVENTS

WEDNESDAY, July 22

Comic-Con TweetUp (Twitter MeetUp) especially for Comic-Con (7 p.m., Voyeur, 755 5th Avenue)

THURSDAY, July 23

“Rocky Horror Picture Show” (5 p.m., Horton Plaza Cinemas)

 Zombiewalk (7:30 p.m., Corner of 4th & Broadway)

Book and a Beer Club with Wil Wheaton (Time: TBA; Stone World Bistro and Brewing Gardens in Escondido)

FRIDAY, JULY 24

“Road Trip: Beer Pong” Happy Hour hosted by Paramount Home Entertainment (TBA, Henry’s Irish Pub)

 Tim & Eric Awesome Show Performance (7 p.m., 4th and B, 345 B Street)

 Brian Posehn & Doug Benson live comedy show (8 p.m., Balboa Theater)

 Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School ComicCon Afterparty (8 p.m.-10 p.m., Ruby Room in Hillcrest, 1271 University Ave.)

 The BBC and Adult Swim Present: The Mighty Boosh Bash (A full cast DJ Set) (11 p.m., 4th and B, 345 B Street)

“Repo! The Genetic Opera” (Midnight, Gaslamp Stadium Cinemas)

 SATURDAY, JULY 25

Tim and Eric Awesome-Con 2009 (Noon -3 p.m., Embarcadero Marina Park North)

Robot Chicken Party (8 p.m.-11 p.m., Skate San Diego, 700 East 24th Street, National City)

 X-Sanguin: Comic-Con’s largest after-party, featuring The Suicide Girls and 5 DJs. (9 p.m.-3 a.m., Spin Nightclub)

 

Hollywood’s most wanted look familiar as films revisit old ‘Enemies’

By Maria Puente, USA TODAY

They’re back —Bonnie and Clyde, Dillinger and Baby Face, Jekyll and Hyde, Holmes and Watson. Say hello again to Robin Hood, the Wolf Man, the Lone Ranger, Frankenstein, the Invisible Man and Conan the Barbarian. Hamlet, dear boy, long time, no see! They have all been here before, and soon they’ll all be here again, dashing across big screens around the world, drawing in a new generation of moviegoers perhaps unfamiliar with earlier versions of these characters.Or so Hollywood hopes.

Exhibit A: Public Enemies, out Wednesday and starring Johnny Depp as the charming and public-relations-savvy bank robber John Dillinger in a retelling of how the early FBI got its man in 1934. (It was messy and bloody, and innocent people were caught in the crossfire.)

Real-life “public enemies” such as Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson, and Bonnie and Clyde were celebrities to Depression-era Americans who cheered them for stealing from despised banks. By the 1940s and through the 1970s, Hollywood made scores of movies and TV shows about Dillinger and his gang. Now, in the midst of an economic calamity and multiple bank bailouts, Universal hopes a sexy outlaw targeting bankers and outwitting brutal G-men will resonate with audiences.

“It’s hard to predict, but (banks) are not going to garner an undue amount of sympathy — let’s put it that way,” jokes Enemies director Michael Mann. He’s not concerned about past Dillinger movies; he knows most moviegoers will be more familiar with Depp than with Dillinger, but he believes they’ll be drawn to a story about a “fascinating life.”

But you have to wonder about all this effort being lavished on movies that have been made before, even if the characters and stories are being presented in fresh ways. Surely today’s filmmakers haven’t run out of new characters or creative juice. Maybe it’s the result of the crashed economy, as risk-averse studios fall back to familiar (and proven) moneymakers.

Call them insurance policies

Or maybe it’s a matter of tradition and history: As in any art form, entirely new stories are relatively rare; what came before is recycled and reimagined to make new art.

“The idea of re-using characters and remaking films goes back to the earliest days of Hollywood, but the flood today does seem rather stunning,” says UCLA film historian Jonathan Kuntz. “But with so much riding on major pictures costing hundreds of millions, they want some kind of insurance. Taking a story or character already well known makes it easier to market, to get that opening weekend box office at a reasonable level.”

It will not have escaped Hollywood’s notice, Kuntz says, that characters such as Batman and the Mummy, each dating back decades, have been enormously successful in recent revivals. No wonder, then, that Universal, long known as the studio of monster movies, would return to its archive: The Wolfman (original 1941) is due in November with Benicio Del Toro; The Invisible Man (original in 1933) is scheduled for 2011; and planning has begun for Bride of Frankenstein (1935) and Creature From the Black Lagoon (1954).

So it’s back to the past — only with better (and more expensive) special effects. “There’s always talk in the Hollywood press about this— ‘Do we have to recycle everything all the time, why can’t we come up with new characters?,’ ” says David Gross, editor of MovieReviewIntelligence.com, which analyzes movie reviews from newspapers around the USA. “There’s not a whole lot new under the sun, so if you have to go back to the well every 20 years, there’s a new generation of moviegoers (to attract).”

Most of nearly two dozen coming movies are based on classics of English literature or Western folklore, with American comics, pulp fiction and TV series thrown in. Thus: Frankenstein; The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde; and the Sherlock Holmes mysteries. Also: Conan the Barbarian (based on 1932 stories by Robert E. Howard, remake of the 1982 film due in 2010); John Carter of Mars (based on the Edgar Rice Burroughs stories, coming in 2012 with Taylor Kitsch);The Three Stooges (coming in 2010, with Jim Carrey, Sean Penn and Benicio Del Toro); and The Lone Ranger (2012, with part-Cherokee Depp as faithful companion Tonto).

Most have been made multiple times, such as Gulliver’s Travels (2010, Jack Black), A Christmas Carol (November 2009, Jim Carrey) and Disney’s Alice in Wonderland(2010, directed by Tim Burton with Depp as the Mad Hatter), which even Disney has done before, in a 1951 animated feature.

“The other versions haven’t been very good,” says Richard Zanuck, an Alice producer, “and we’ve never seen the story through the eyes of a visionary like (Burton).”

As in literature, certain cinematic characters and themes are returned to repeatedly because they resonate across all boundaries of time, space and cultural milieu. So, every generation needs its own on-screen Hamlet — and now we’re about to get another one: After Lawrence Olivier (1948), Richard Burton (1964), Mel Gibson (1990), Kenneth Branagh (1996) and Ethan Hawke (2000), now comes young heartthrob Emile Hirsch, 24, who is set to play Hamlet next year and is the first actor in his 20s to play the prince of Denmark on-screen at roughly the same age as the character.

Director Catherine Hardwicke and screenwriter Ron Nyswanger say they will present the story as a “contemporary supernatural thriller.”

“Hamlet is the ultimate, alienated young hero, who exposes the hypocrisy of society,” Hardwicke says. “His struggle to find the truth and act on it is universal and particularly relevant to young people today, living in a world that’s in crisis mode on so many fronts.”

Call them universal themes

But does every generation need its own Robin Hood? Even if it’s Russell Crowe and he’s wearing macho armor instead of tights? Maybe so. After all, rob-from-the-rich-give-to-the-poor is an evergreen concept.

Robin Hood, of course, is much older; the character is based on late 12th-century English folklore. Errol Flynn nailed the role in 1938, then Sean Connery in 1976, Kevin Costner in 1991, and Mel Brooks in a comic version in 1993.

Now Oscar-winning Crowe will be the prince of thieves, starring in Robin Hood, due out later this year and directed by Ridley Scott. Producer Brian Grazer says the story was ripe for revisiting, again, because it’s a “universal theme.” (There’s that phrase again.)

Robin Hood “is trying to create equality in a world where there are a lot of injustices,” Grazer told USA TODAY earlier this year. “He’s a crusader for the people, trying to reclaim some of the ill-gotten gains of the wealthy.”

Filmmakers are not only bringing back characters we have seen before. In some cases, there are two sets of filmmakers making films about the same characters at more or less the same time.

Two Holmes and Watson films are in the works. Sherlock Holmes, with Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law, directed by Guy Ritchie, is out later this year; the second, still untitled with no release date, is a comedy with Sacha Baron Cohen and Will Ferrell. And two Jekyll & Hydes: Jekyll and Hyde, with Forest Whitaker and 50 Cent, out later this year, and Jekyll, with Keanu Reeves, no release date yet.

Also, two William Tells. Errol Flynn played him in a 1953 picture. Now comes William Tell: The Legend, due in 2010, with Jim Caviezel. The second film has a name, Ironbow: The Legend of William Tell, due in 2011, but as of yet no named star.

Who are the audiences for two William Tell movies? He may be a Swiss hero, but to everybody else he’s … well, he’s the opera overture adapted as the theme for The Lone Ranger. But the Tell movies may be the offbeat exception.

“This is not business as usual — this is Hollywood’s attempt to deal with risk in a troubled marketplace,” says Brett Walsh, a producer on the Whitaker/50 Cent Jekyll and Hyde, which he says will follow director Abel Ferrara’s darker, more suspenseful vision of the story.

“Going back to known brands or characters is perceived as a way of protecting your downside risk, because they have an existing value,” Walsh says.

Maybe, but it might also be true that oldies are goodies. And each new generation of moviegoers gets to discover the gems in Hollywood’s archive anew — as is happening already with The Story of Bonnie and Clyde, expected to begin shooting later this year with Hilary Duff as Bonnie.

Tonya Holly, who is writing, directing and producing the movie, says she’s not intimidated by the Oscar-winning 1967 Bonnie and Clyde with Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway. Not only has film technology improved in 40 years, but her target audience is filled with moviegoers who are not familiar with the real-life bank robbers and who haven’t seen the earlier film.

“But they know Hilary and Kevin (Zegers as Clyde), and their fan base is going to boost interest,” Holly says. Besides, she says, when it comes to movies, “There are a million ways to tell a story, and the story changes with each storyteller.”

Two Key Execs Out in Village Roadshow Shakeup

 

Village Roadshow Pictures (VRP), a division of Village Roadshow Entertainment Group (VREG), announced that it completed the restructure of its film production facility on.  Also 2 key executives are exiting. Dana Goldberg, the president of production, is leaving with a year still to go on her contract. And Jeffrey Lampert, the EVP of physical production, is going to transition to a consulting role.The restructure, led by Rabobank International and JP Morgan Chase, with current financial accommodation of $900 million and provision for additional capacity of $350 million, includes the permanent financing of the 2008 releases Get Smart, Nights in Rodanthe, Yes Man and Gran Torino which were produced in partnership with Warner Bros.

VREG Chairman, Graham Burke, and VREG CEO, Greg Basser, in announcing the restructure, said, “This restructure would not have been possible without the ongoing loyalty and commitment shown to us by our partners at Warner Bros. and Time Warner. We also pay tribute to our lead banks, Rabobank and JP Morgan Chase, who have steered complex negotiations to a successful conclusion in this unprecedented economic environment.”

“We are extremely pleased that Village Roadshow has achieved its financial goals,” said Alan Horn, President and Chief Operating Officer, Warner Bros. “The company has been an excellent partner for over 30 years, and they are terrific people. We look forward to continuing our successful relationship and to many more years of making great movies together.”

VRP’s upcoming films for 2009 include the live-action adaptation of the classic children’s book Where The Wild Things Are from director Spike Jonze set for release on October 16. Also scheduled this year is Sherlock Holmes starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law and directed by Guy Ritchie, which arrives in theaters on Christmas Day.

In its twelve-year history, Village Roadshow Pictures has become a leading independent coproducer and co-financier of major Hollywood motion pictures, having produced in excess of 60 films including, as co-productions with Warner Bros., The Matrix trilogy, the Ocean’s series, Happy Feet, Mystic River, Analyze This, Miss Congeniality, Two Weeks’ Notice, I Am Legend and Gran Torino.  

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