As we mentioned last summer, Robert Rodriguez is producing a new Predators film. (That's Predators as in dread-locked space hunters--not "Why is Chris Hansen in the kitchen?")
This week 20th Century Fox announced the film's cast, surprising everyone by choosing for its lead that towering, um, tower of action-hero energy... Adrien Brody?
Not a thing against Brody--I happen to really like the guy as an actor. And I'm always for creative, out-of-the box casting ideas. It could be fun to see a lead action hero who's a little wiry and weaselly instead of pumped up, buffed out, and unable to speak without mumbling.
Plus, Brody has a solid cast backing him up. His mercenary character leads a team that includes Alice Braga (I Am Legend), Danny Trejo (longtime Rodriguez player and That Guy, starring in the upcoming Machete), and the tremendous Walton Goggins (Shane from The Shield). (Original rumors suggested the film will take place with the humans stranded on the predators' home planet.) Directed by Nimrod Antal (the upcoming Armored), Predators is about to start filming and should be in theaters next July.
More casting new about The A-Team, The Green Hornet, and Red Dawn remakes over the jump!
One thing you can always count on in Hollywood is the moment an actor breaks out with a surprisingly successful performance, he or she will be immediately scooped up for new, higher-profile (and often lower quality) roles. For example, going into the summer the two pre-ordained "It Men" of the summer were Sam Worthington (Terminator: Salvation) and Channing Tatum (G.I. Joe). Instead, by August it was first-time movie actor Sharlto Copley (District 9) and Austrian actor Christopher Waltz (Inglourious Basterds) everyone was talking about.
Now Copley is set to play "Howling Mad" Murdock (played by Dwight Shultz on TV) in the big-screen version of The A-Team. The South-African actor will join Liam Neeson as leader Hannibal Smith (the George Peppard role), Bradley Cooper as Faceman (Dirk Benedict), UFC brawler Quinton "Rampage" Jackson as B.A Baracus (Mr. T.), and Jessica Biel as an Army general and ex-girlfriend of Faceman. Director Joe Carnahan says the film will be jacked up and exciting (no surprise from the director of Smoking Aces) rather than cheesy and campy like the original TV show.
Meanwhile, Nicolas Cage dropped out as the villain in The Green Hornet film (starring Seth Rogen and Cameron Diaz) due to those pesky creative/contract issues. He was quickly replaced by the hot new villain actor of the moment, Basterd's Waltz. The film is being directed--and this is more of a head-scratcher than Brody's casting--by Michel Gondry, director of The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and is now set for release in December 2010.
For every kinda "huh?" casting decision, there's a "well, duh" one. Like putting Jeffery Dean Morgan (Watchmen, P.S. I Love You, The Accidental Husband) in the Red Dawn remake as the fighter pilot who crash-lands and helps out the Wolveriiiiiines. Yep, the Powers Boothe role. If you're not familiar with Morgan, he's a perfect match for Boothe's gruff-as-nails, strong-jawed, laid-back machismo. Taking over the Patrick Swayze part in the remake (in which Russian and Chinese forces invade the United States) is Chris Hemsworth from Star Trek (Kirk's father), A Perfect Getaway, and the future Thor.
No, not Superman, just Super. Rainn Wilson plays a superhero called The Crimson Bolt in this capes-and-tights comedy. The film, which goes into production this winter, also stars Liv Tyler and will re-team Wilson with his Juno co-star Ellen Page. Mostly I wanted to mention Super because its writer-director James Gunn made one of my favorite overlooked monster movies of recent years: Slither, the 2006 "mind-controlling-zombifying-slugs-from-space" horror comedy starring Nathan Fillion and Elizabeth Banks. Slither is hoot and worth looking up if mind-controlling zombifying space slugs sounds like your idea of fun. (And well it should!) Gunn also wrote the great Zach Snyder Dawn of the Dead 2004 remake (yay!) and the two Scooby-Doo movies (er, not-yay). (And he was once married to Jenna Fischer, Pam from the American Office.)
While the new movie is slated to be called Predators, the original was simply Predator, no 's'.
And where's the love on Pandorum's review?
Posted by: Matthew S. | October 09, 2009 at 10:00 AM
Matthew, as I noted in another comment, I never saw Pandorum, but was mistaking your original query for Paranormal Activity, sorry! So sorry, no Pandorum review planned at the moment.
"Oh wait, sorry Matthew! For some reason I thought you meant Paranormal Activity (when your comment showed up in our list I just saw it connected to "Are Pan..." and since I was deeply involved working on my Paranormal Activity review, my brain just went there.) No, I never got a chance to see Pandorum--the movies and DVDs have been piling up this month. So should I check it out in theaters (though by the time I get a chance in a week, I suspect it might be gone) or wait til DVD?"
Posted by: Locke Peterseim | October 09, 2009 at 10:11 AM
Ah, sorry Locke, unfortunately my computer hates me and I never saw your comment, sorry for the harassment!
To me it was a good mix of Event Horizon with monsters. The premise wasn't entirely original...I mean, Alien and all those other dark space films have hit the genre pretty hard.
Though Dennis Quaid, a long time fav, gave a much better performance, especially as the film grows on, than in the corny G.I. Joe.
The twist was probably the best part for me, and it took a few days for it to really sink in and make me appreciate it.
I saw it for free (had a movie pass from when the projector was screwed up for Half Blood Prince) and that may slightly influence my perspective. If you like this genre, go ahead and see it. If you wait for DVD, make sure you really are in a good darker space, makes it more enjoyable.
Posted by: Matthew S. | October 12, 2009 at 08:54 AM