Arabian Nights set for Hollywood makeover

Ben Child – guardian.co.uk

Director of the Mummy spin-off The Scorpion King signs up to give a new spin to the classic characters of One Thousand and One Nights

It introduced the world to such exotic characters as Aladdin, Sinbad, and Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves. Now Hollywood has set its heart on bringing Arabian Nights to the big screen, according to Variety.

Chuck Russell, director of the Mummy spin-off The Scorpion King, is reportedly planning a $70m (£42m) new spin which unites Aladdin and Sinbad on a mission that you wouldn’t find in the original collection of Middle Eastern tales known as One Thousand and One Nights.

According to the synopsis, storyteller Scheherazade needs rescuing after being kidnapped by “dark powers” which have murdered her husband, King Shahryar. Russell has co-written the screenplay with newcomer Barry Ambrose.

“Through the use of a new generation of visual technologies, we will be able to quite literally take audiences around the world on a magic carpet ride,” Russell said.

The project is announced at a time when Hollywood appears to be showing a renewed interest in Middle Eastern fantasy. Videogame adaptation Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, from the production team behind the Pirates of the Caribbean series, is due in cinemas in May. The big-budget production stars Jake Gyllenhaal as the titular hero, alongside Gemma Arterton, Alfred Molina and Ben Kingsley.

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‘Silent Hill’ Writer and Producer Duo Return for Sequel

From AceShowBiz.com

With screenwriter Roger Avary and producer Samuel Hadida coming on board ‘Silent Hill 2’, Davis Films plans to kick off principal photography after ‘Resident Evil: Afterlife’.

Roger Avary

Familiar faces from “Silent Hill” are making their return to the video game adaptation. According to The Hollywood Reporter, screenwriter Roger Avary and producer Samuel Hadida have come on board “Silent Hill 2”, the sequel to the 2006 horror thriller. The two signed on while no director has been attached to the project.

Confirmation of Avary’s return was in contrast to his 2007 remark to Shock Till You Drop. At the time, he indicated that he won’t be making a return should director Christophe Gans refuse to return to the director’s chair for the second time. “I’m not gonna do Silent Hill 2,” he said. “If Christophe’s not gonna do it, I’m not…”

Roger Avary is known for his work on Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction”. His writing credits include “The Rules of Attraction” and “Beowulf”. He is writing for videogame adaptation of “Return to Castle Wolfenstein”. Samuel Hadida, in the meantime, has produced such movies as “Resident Evil: Extinction” and “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus”.

Samuel Hadida

The original “Silent Hill” centers on a young mother desperate to find a cure for her only child’s illness. Ignoring the protests of her husband, she travels to an abandoned town in search of answers and finds supernatural occurrences taking place there. It stars Radha Mitchell and Jodelle Ferland. The sequel is expected to begin shooting in 2010 after “Resident Evil: Afterlife”, which is currently preparing to film.