Guillermo del Toro Fills his Calendar
Director Guillermo del Toro has pacted with Universal Studios to helm four new films, three remakes — Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Slaughterhouse-Five – plus an adaptation of Dan Simmons’ novel Drood. The director has also discussed his desires to make a film based on H.P. Lovecraft’s "At the Mountains of Madness” and there’s also the matter of Hellboy III.
These will all follow del Toro’s four year commitment to live and work in New Zealand as he mounts the two-film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit. Script work on that project has already begun with del Toro working alongside producer Peter Jackson, and writers Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens.
Drood, which was released by Little Brown in February, is likely to be the first of four Universal films, according to Variety. The novel posits a train accident altered author Charles Dickens’ mind, turning him into a killer which inspired his The Mystery of Edwin Drood.
Del Toro has made it clear for some time now his desire to remake Frankenstein, the 1931 film that began Universal’s journey into movie monsters that became its hallmark. "To me, Frankenstein represents the essential human question: ‘Why did my creator throw me here, unprotected, unguided, unaided and lost?’ “del Toro said.”With that one, they will have to pry it from my cold dead hands to prevent me from directing it."
He has also indicated a desire for Jekyll and Slaughterhouse to both be more faithful to the source material than previous incarnations.
"I think they’ll decide when the last euro hits the piggybank," del Toro said of Universal hedging their bets on letting him complete the Hellboy trilogy he envisioned. "We laid the groundwork to have a magnificent third act. I’d like to return to an action franchise with 60-year-old actor Ron Perlman, because he’ll be scratching at that age when I get to it." Universal indicated they may take a viral marketing approach to better prepare audiences for the final film if the decision to go forward is made.
As a producer, del Toro is already committed to working with Mark Johnson on Hater, based on David Moody’s novel plus Crimson Peak, a gothic romance del Toro and Matthew Robbins (Mimic) cowrote.
"No one expected The Hobbit to come about; it was the most marvelous monkey wrench tossed into my life," del Toro told the trade. "I consider (the new deals) the renewal of my marital vows with Universal."
Universal production president Donna Langley said,” We came out the other side of some tough conversations with a stronger bond and sense of long-term commitment," Langley said. "Guillermo is in the most prolific time of his life … Joe Johnston on The Wolf Man showed us the importance of entrusting the Universal franchise monsters to experienced filmmakers with voices. That was a big impetus for our decision to go with Guillermo to put his creative stamp on these properties."
Kevin Eastman told 
The Cartoon Network has announced that the animated Star Wars: The Clone Wars will debut on Friday, October 3 at 9 p.m. The first night will feature a one-hour special, kicking off the cable network’s Friday night block of new programming. The first hour that night will be offering a sneak peek at their new Secret Saturdays. The following week will be the new schedule with The Secret Saturdays (premiere episodes); Star Wars: The Clone Wars; Star Wars: The Clone Wars (premiere episodes); Ben 10: Alien Force (premiere episodes).
Chris Staros at Top Shelf sent out the follow news regarding a sale worth sharing:
Tarzan is returning to the Big Screen but not as an animated musical sequel from Disney but a played-for-straight adventure from Warner Bros, and director Stephen Sommers (The Mummy). Variety reports this morning that Sommers and Stuart Beattie will be co-writing the screenplay. The duo last worked together on 2009’s G.I. Joe film for Paramount, which recently completed lensing.
We just received word that The Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art is opening a retrospective in honor of Kim Deitch’s distinguished career. The exhibition will run from September 9 through December 5 at MoCCA in Manhattan.
Small press efforts are being recognized in 2009 at Canada’s SPACE show. Previously, there had been the Day Awayrd, selected and presented by Dave Sim in recognition of the work done by the late artist Gene Day. Sim withdrew the Award for 2009 and it has been replaced with the 
One of the surprise hits for Marvel this year was Kick-Ass, the series from Mark Millar and John Romita, Jr. In addition to sell outs and multiple printings, it was optioned for a film prior to the first issue hitting the stands this past winter.
"Next week I’ll be in Toronto. I’m still trying to get my head around it. I just came back from New York actually where I was doing an independent film. I’ve gone from one side of the world to the other. My head is going crazy. I woke up this morning and said ‘Where am I?’ I looked out the window and saw the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge and I’m like ‘Wow! How did I end up in Australia?’. Have you ever seen that film Jumper? It’s like I’m in Jumper."
Meantime, also in Australia, Heroes star Milo Ventimiglia was quoted by Showbiz Spy indicating his desire to play a decided adult Boy Wonder. "I always thought I would make a great Robin. I would love to be Christian Bale’s sidekick in Batman," he told the reporter. "Even when I was younger I never wanted to be Batman." Of course, director Christopher Nolan has already said for years now that his film version of the Caped Crusader will never feature a Wonder – boy, teen or adult.
