J.J. Abrams

Spike Lee to Direct ‘Time Traveler,’ AFI Releases ‘10 Top 10’ List, New J.J. Abrams Film

HollywoodChicago.com — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 22:58:54 -0700

CHICAGO – Spike Lee has announced that “Time Traveler” will be his next project. “Time Traveler” will be an adaptation of Ronald Mallett’s memoir. Mallett was one of the first African-Americans to earn a doctorate in theoretical physics.

A labor of love for Lee, he purchased the rights to the novel and will co-write and direct the film. “Time Traveler” is being produced through his Forty Acres & A Mule Filmworks production company. “Miracle at St. Anna,” which is also an adaptation of a novel, was directed by Lee and will be released by Touchstone this fall.

J.J. Abrams also will be producing an adaptation soon. Paramount has purchased the New York Times article “Mystery on Fifth Street” that Abrams’ Bad Robot Productions will produce.

Maya Forbes and Wally Wolodarsky have been hired to write the adaptation. Forbes wrote for “The Larry Sanders Show” and Woladarsky wrote for “The Simpsons”. Most recently, they collaborated on the Rainn Wilson comedy “The Rocker”.

The story, which was written by Penelope Green, ran as a feature in the New York Times last week. It talks about an upper east side luxury apartment that had been renovated to include hidden compartments, puzzles, poems and codes for pre-teen children.

Abrams is currently at work directing a new “Star Trek” film and creating the new series “Fringe” on FOX this fall.

The American Film Institute (AFI) has just unveiled its “10 Top 10” list, which highlights the best films in each genre. Here are the AFI’s “10 Top 10” honorees.

The American Film Institute’s “10 Top 10” films in 2008.
Photo credits: American Film Institute

Animation

1) “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” 1937
2) “Pinocchio,” 1940
3) “Bambi,” 1942
4) “The Lion King,” 1994
5) “Fantasia,” 1940
6) “Toy Story,” 1995
7) “Beauty and the Beast,” 1991
8) “Shrek,” 2001
9) “Cinderella,” 1950
10) “Finding Nemo,” 2003

Fantasy

1) “The Wizard of Oz,” 1939
2) “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring,” 2001
3) “It’s a Wonderful Life,” 1946
4) “King Kong,” 1933
5) “Miracle on 34th Street,” 1947
6) “Field of Dreams,” 1989
7) “Harvey,” 1950
8) “Groundhog Day,” 1993
9) “The Thief of Bagdad,” 1924
10) “Big,” 1988

Gangster

1) “The Godfather,” 1972
2) “Goodfellas,” 1990
3) “The Godfather: Part II,” 1974
4) “White Heat,” 1949
5) “Bonnie and Clyde,” 1967
6) “Scarface: The Shame of a Nation,” 1932
7) “Pulp Fiction,” 1994
8) “The Public Enemy,” 1931
9) “Little Caesar,” 1930
10) “Scarface,” 1983

Science Fiction

1) “2001: A Space Odyssey,” 1968
2) “Star Wars, Episode IV: A New Hope” 1977
3) “E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial” 1982
4) “A Clockwork Orange,” 1971
5) “The Day the Earth Stood Still,” 1951
6) “Blade Runner,” 1982
7) “Alien,” 1979
8) “Terminator 2: Judgment Day,” 1991
9) “Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” 1956
10) “Back to the Future,” 1985

Western

1) “The Searchers,” 1956
2) “High Noon,” 1952
3) “Shane,” 1953
4) “Unforgiven,” 1992
5) “Red River,” 1948
6) “The Wild Bunch,” 1969
7) “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” 1969
8) “McCabe & Mrs. Miller,” 1971
9) “Stagecoach,” 1939
10) “Cat Ballou,” 1965

Sports

1) “Raging Bull,” 1980
2) “Rocky,” 1976
3) “The Pride of the Yankees,” 1942
4) “Hoosiers,” 1986
5) “Bull Durham,” 1988
6) “The Hustler,” 1961
7) “Caddyshack,” 1980
8) “Breaking Away,” 1979
9) “National Velvet,” 1944
10) “Jerry Maguire,” 1996

Mystery

1) “Vertigo,” 1958
2) “Chinatown,” 1974
3) “Rear Window,” 1954
4) “Laura,” 1944
5) “The Third Man,” 1949
6) “The Maltese Falcon,” 1941
7) “North By Northwest,” 1959
8) “Blue Velvet,” 1986
9) “Dial M for Murder,” 1954
10) “The Usual Suspects,” 1995

Romantic Comedy

1) “City Lights,” 1931
2) “Annie Hall,” 1977
3) “It Happened One Night,” 1934
4) “Roman Holiday,” 1953
5) “The Philadelphia Story,” 1940
6) “When Harry Met Sally…,” 1989
7) “Adam’s Rib,” 1949
8) “Moonstruck,” 1987
9) “Harold and Maude,” 1971
10) “Sleepless in Seattle,” 1993

Courtroom Drama

1) “To Kill a Mockingbird,” 1962
2) “12 Angry Men,” 1957
3) “Kramer vs. Kramer,” 1979
4) “The Verdict,” 1982
5) “A Few Good Men,” 1992
6) “Witness for the Prosecution,” 1957
7) “Anatomy of a Murder,” 1959
8) “In Cold Blood,” 1967
9) “A Cry in the Dark,” 1988
10) “Judgment at Nuremberg,” 1961

Epic

1) “Lawrence of Arabia,” 1962
2) “Ben-Hur,” 1959
3) “Schindler’s List,” 1993
4) “Gone with the Wind,” 1939
5) “Spartacus,” 1960
6) “Titanic,” 1997
7) “All Quiet on the Western Front,” 1930
8) “Saving Private Ryan,” 1998
9) “Red,” 1981
10) “The Ten Commandments,” 1956

By DUSTIN LEVELL
Senior Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
dustin@hollywoodchicago.com

Exclusive: ‘Star Trek’ Teaser Trailer Description Surfaces Online

MagnoliaFan — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 16:08:41 -0700

CHICAGO – HollywoodChicago.com on Tuesday had a trusted source post on our message boards a description of the upcoming teaser trailer for J.J. Abrams’ “Star Trek”.

Following this post, various other movie sites (see a list of independent validations here) have confirmed the accuracy of this information with multiple sources along with a source at Paramount Pictures. Here’s our exclusive teaser trailer description. Warning: This is full spoiler information about the teaser trailer.

Here’s the “Star Trek” trailer description. Hope you can use it.

Slow Paramount logo.

Bad Robot logo.

Black, suddenly some sparks (very saturated [with] Michael Bay-looking cinematography).

We hear an old NASA radio countdown: “30 seconds and counting.”

Close up of a timeless guy with goggles leaning down doing some wielding and sparks flying around.

He lifts his googles. Slightly futuristic head covering. It’s not a space suit, by the way.

The dude leans down and wields some more. He’s standing on big metal.

“From director J.J. Abrams” (blue font with a nice lens flare).

Some Kennedy speech about space flight: “The eyes of the world now look to space.”

People walking around the saucer section. The wielders are everywhere – showing size.

We hear: “The eagle has landed.”

Huge overhead shot pans across [and] suddenly [shows] what looks like miles of scaffolding underneath.

Title: “The future begins”.

Really impressive shot from … people all over the ship and you can see a huge industrialized city or shipyard in the background. It’s being built on Earth [rather than] in space.

Neil Armstrong: “One small step for man…”

Camera slowly cranes up over the whole saucer section.

Then we hear Leonard Nimoy’s line: “Space. The final frontier…” and the familiar “Star Trek” theme horns.

The shot continues [and reveals] the writing on the top of the saucer – “U.S.S. Enterprise” – and these huge aircraft-like warp engines in the background. Technically, the first reveal of what we’re seeing.

Just the Starfleet log (no title).

Title card: “Under construction”.

“Christmas 2008”

Overall, really great teaser (by the definition of the term). Very industrial. I’m most intrigued by the background Earth stuff.

The teaser should be attached to the Abrams-produced “Cloverfield,” which opens this Friday.

Head to our forum to discuss this development!

1:20 p.m. update on Jan. 17, 2008: The first photo of the U.S.S Enterprise from the new “Star Trek” turned up at Moviefone on Thursday. The photo can be seen below and a larger version can be found here. It appears to be taken from the teaser and be the reveal shot we first mentioned above. Here’s a link to Paramount’s official “Star Trek” Web site.

The first photo of the U.S.S. Enterprise in the new “Star Trek” film.
Photo credit: Moviefone

11:57 a.m. update on Jan. 18, 2008: IESB.net just posted the unofficial “Star Trek” teaser trailer!

1:16 p.m. update on Jan. 20, 2008: “Star Trek” producer Roberto Orci has gone public about the intentions by the filmmakers for the “moderately esoteric and largely eerie teaser”. Read all about it in our forums here!

1:15 p.m. update on Jan. 21, 2008: Yahoo! now has the “Star Trek” teaser trailer in HD!

3:09 p.m. update on Jan. 23, 2008: The first “Star Trek” viral marketing site has just gone live at NCC-1701.com. It was discovered by clicking a red dot near the “under construction” label on the official film site.

By SHANE HAZEN
Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
shane@hollywoodchicago.com

Paramount Pictures Releases 25 New Production Stills For ‘Cloverfield’

HollywoodChicago.com — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 02:23:52 -0700

CHICAGO – “Cloverfield” continues on its tear not this time with more viral marketing but with a “monster” amount of new production stills. In fact, there are so many we had to create an image gallery just to hold them all. There are 25 new images in total. The J.J. Abrams-produced film opens on Jan. 18. While we feature a few below, all 25 are in our new “Cloverfield” image gallery.

If you’re interested in some spoilage, you can download the “Cloverfield” production notes here. Here’s the film’s plotline:

On the eve of his departure for Japan, Rob (Michael Stahl-David) sees his going-away party as an opportunity to confess unresolved feelings and tie up loose ends. His agenda takes an unexpected turn when a jolt shakes the revelers.

The crowd quiets down to watch news reports of an earthquake and then rushes to the roof to assess the damage. A fireball explodes on the distant horizon. A power failure follows. Confusion gives way to panic as the partygoers stumble through the blackout and into the streets.

Amid the human screams and one inhuman roar, Rob and his friends must traverse a landscape that has changed [and has been] overtaken by something otherworldly, terrifying, monstrous…

Click here to view the entire new “Cloverfield” gallery!

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Editor-in-Chief
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com

Teaser Trailers Coming For ‘The Dark Knight,’ New ‘Indiana Jones,’ New ‘Star Trek’

HollywoodChicago.com — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 18:12:59 -0700

ComingSoon.net on Sunday published new details about when we should expect teaser trailers from “The Dark Knight,” “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” and the new “Star Trek” film.

ComingSoon.net has learned new details about the upcoming teaser trailers for three of [2008’s] highly anticipated movies.

Keep in mind … the online debuts for these trailers will probably be earlier in the week of release for the movie it is attached to and … the trailer may not be shown with every print of the film.

First up, the first trailer for Steven Spielberg’s “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” is now planned for a debut in [Feb. 2008].

Harrison Ford (left) and Shia LaBeouf in “Indiana Jones
and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”.
Photo credit: IMDb
While we don’t know for sure with which movie it will show, Paramount’s biggest film that month is “The Spiderwick Chronicles”. Keep your eye on that one.

Of course, it’s possible Paramount will decide to debut footage earlier during the Super Bowl, but we’re not sure.

In just two weeks on Dec. 14, Warner Bros. will release the teaser trailer for … “The Dark Knight” in standard theaters with “I Am Legend”.

Christian Bale as Batman in “The Dark Knight”.
Photo credit: IMDb
As was previously announced, the studio will be showing the seven-minute opening scene of “The Dark Knight” before the screenings of “I Am Legend” in IMAX.

“Star Trek” fans won’t have to wait long for the first teaser for the J.J. Abrams-directed film.

Paramount is planning a debut with the Abrams-produced monster movie “Cloverfield,” [which is opening] on Jan. 18, 2008.

I am screening “I Am Legend” in IMAX two days earler – on Dec. 12 – so stay tuned for information on “The Dark Knight” teaser trailer.

News You Need: Aronofsky and Rourke to ‘Wrestle,’ ‘Star Trek’ Explained, Verhoeven to Direct Remake Sequel

HollywoodChicago.com — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 00:13:04 -0700

Harley Davidson in a Wrestling Picture: Mickey Rourke is set to play Randy “The Ram” Robinson in Darren Aronofsky’s “The Wrestler,” Variety reports.

Mickey Rourke
Photo credit: Steve Granitz, WireImage.com
The role was previously reported as being played by Nicolas Cage. It had been previously unclear as to whether Aronofsky would direct. The film is set to shoot beginning in Jan. 2008.

Aronofsky has been denying association with numerous projects since the release of “The Fountain” this time in 2006.

These include a fast-tracked thriller set in the world ballet (“Black Swan”), a biopic on boxer Mickey Ward (“The Fighter”) and a Noah’s Ark epic (which Aronofsky himself is writing). The shoot date fits with recent comments Aronofsky made on his blog.

“[N]othing you’ve seen online or anywhere is accurate,” Aronofsky wrote on Oct. 1. He added that the real and then-unannounced project would shoot in Jan. 2008.

“The Fighter” seemed most likely next as it was set to star Mark Wahlberg and Brad Pitt. The film was originally to reunite Wahlberg with his “Departed” co-star Matt Damon until Pitt replaced Damon.

This was viewed odd at the time of the announcement since Pitt dropping out of “The Fountain” in 2002 led to a production delay of three years.

Rourke, whose career has been recently revived since “Sin City,” spent the early 1990s returning to his teenage career of boxing. Did you know, according to Wikipedia, he was originally offered Bruce Willis’ role in “Pulp Fiction” and was edited out of “The Thin Red Line”?

Space… A Confusing Frontier: Just when we asked for more clarification on J.J. Abrams’ “Star Trek” reboot, IESB has published a lengthy, spoiler-filled rumor to answer the question.

While the report emphasizes spoilers, it’s relatively tame information that will probably be featured in a first full-length trailer. (I don’t mean the other rumored teaser, which will allegedly show the Enterprise being built.)

The rumors do sound interesting. Read on to see how and if the 11th “Star Trek” connects to the greats of the series, from the best movie (“The Wrath of Khan”) to the best Original Series episode (“The City on the Edge of Forever”).

Update: AICN has an angry email response from “City’s” teleplay author, Harlan Ellison.

‘Thomas Crown 2’ Now to Feature Boobs, Jesus Imagery: Paul Verhoeven told a Dutch radio program he will direct a sequel to John McTiernan’s “The Thomas Crown Affair,” which itself is a remake of Norman Jewison’s 1968 version.

Paul Verhoeven
Photo credit: Columbia Pictures
According to this translation, “The Topkapi Affair” will combine elements of Eric Ambler’s novel (“The Light of Day”) and its earlier film adaptation. The almost confirmed casting has Angelina Jolie co-starring.

While the original remake was fine, this is sad considering Verhoeven’s recent pledge to get out of Hollywood filmmaking.

He was supposed to shoot another Dutch film (“Kneeling on a Bed of Violets”) in 2007. His last film (“Black Book”) is still in my top five of films released in 2007. It’d be nice if McTiernan himself would direct this if he weren’t so tied up going to jail.

By Shane Hazen
Staff Writer HollywoodChicago.com