Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Prepare to Journey 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea a Couple Times


From iwatchstuff, You've been such a good boy this year, you're getting not one but two adaptations of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea in theaters and 3-D IMAX-vision!

David Fincher has decided he wants to take a break from lengthy (boring) Benjamin Button-style drama and make a move into some big-ass production where CGI makes huge things look like they explode, and has gotten approval from Disney for a new take on the novel--just months after director McG's plans for a Disney remake were scrapped. Burn, McG! Fincher has approached frequent Matt Damon-screenwriter Scott Z. Burns (Bourne Ultimatum, The Informant!) for script duties on his approach, which the Hollywood Reporter claims "is described as being in the vein of Star Wars or The Empire Strikes Back." So picture something in the infinite shades of grey between the good Star Warses, if you can.

Meanwhile, Ridley and Tony Scott have decided they might as well take advantage of the novel's public domain status and crank out a 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea of their own, too. Their Scott Free production banner has the project set up at Fox, and the two are in talks with Wanted director Timur Bekmambetov to direct a script by Clash of the Titans screenwriter Travis Beacham.

Nothing like two films with the same exact basis to keep the public numb and confused by their options and simultaneous lack thereof. How quickly we forget the lessons of the great Volcano/Dante's Peak fiasco of '97. So help me god, if we end up hurting Tommy Lee Jones's feelings again...

1 comment:

Octopunk said...

There are two quotes I like in this article:

"Burn, McG!"

I will always love the first Charlie's Angels movie, but I'm still mad at him for the Terminator: Salvation fiasco.

And "Nothing like two films with the same exact basis to keep the public numb and confused by their options and simultaneous lack thereof."

Hear hear! Although it doesn't necessarily lead to good art, I love it when two movies based on the same idea come out at the same time. There was Deep Impact and Armageddon, Antz and A Bug's Life, and the wonderfully embarrassing triptych of Deep Star Six, Leviathan and The Abyss. Not to mention that fabulous week during which all three major networks released a made for TV movie about Amy Fischer.

Beyond that, I look forward to David Fincher's take on cinematic visuals under the sea.

Malevolent

 2018  ***1/2 It's 1986 for some reason, and a team of paranormal investigators are making a big name for themselves all over Scotland. ...