Image via Wikipedia
Judge Dredd, England’s long-running weekly comic feature, is returning to the screen. At 2000 AD’s website, they had the following short announcement:
“Rebellion and 2000 AD are proud to announce that Judge Dredd is coming to a cinema near you soon!
“Together with DNA Films, the movie production company behind such great sci-fi movies such as Sunshine and 28 Weeks Later, Judge Dredd will go into production in 2009.
“Jason Kingsley, CEO and Creative Director said, ‘We can’t give away too many details at this point, but we’re looking forward to working with DNA Films to bring Judge Dredd back to the big screen’.”
The British-based DNA Films was founded by Duncan Kenworthy and Andrew Macdonald (The Beach). The company has a production partnership with Fox Searchlight Pictures, which owns 50% of DNA Films in addition to backing from the UK Film Council.
Last seen in the ill-timed 1995 release, the Sylvester Stallone movie tanked both commercially and critically. The problem was that the inventive visual world of Mega City One, first seen in 1979, was partially co-opted for the look of Blade Runner and its knockoffs. By the time this original made it to the screen, it looked redundant rather than trendsetting. That the story and performances were lackluster didn’t help either.
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.
Producer Jerry Weintraub has been trying to mount a new live-action version of Tarzan since 2003, working from a screenplay by John August (Shazam!) and at one point Guillermo del Toro was in talks to direct the film.
Ever since Edgar Rice Burroughs first wrote about his man raised by the apes in 1912, it has been repeatedly interpreted for serials, movies, radio, television and comic books. Burroughs penned some 23 books featuring his character in addition to creating other fantastic realms and characters including John carter, Warlord of Mars and Pellucidar. While Johnny Weismuller’s performance informed the image in the minds of a generation or two of moviegoers, today more people probably know him from the 1999 Disney animated feature.
This will be Warner’s second go-round with the Lord of the Jungle after 1984’s underrated Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes from Hugh Hudson. The film introduced us to actor Christopher Lambert later known for Highlander. Warner’s television network, the CW, had a disastrous version of Tarzan in 2003.
News of the World reports that two of the four Doctor Who specials for 2010 will be shot in the United States. An unnamed BBC source was quoted a saying, “But two specials in America, with a US setting and a US assistant, will take it to another level. David Tennant is already gaining a huge following and this will make him really hot property.” No actress has been cast as the assistant.
These will mark the final four episodes from Russell T. Davies before turning the beloved franchise over to Stephen Moffat and, according to rumor, a new incarnation of the Doctor in season five.
Moffatt, meantime, is said to be at work on a feature film version of The Doctor. "It would be good to see it in the cinema so long as it is great and fantastic," he told an Edinburgh audience this weekend.
"I’m not against it … so long as it never gets in the way of the TV show. If it got in the way of the show that would be appalling."
Why should Marvel and DC be the only comic book companies making serious bank at the box office? Top Cow Productions has officially begun work on a live-action feature adaptation of their popular Witchblade comic book series.
The series already spawned a live-action television show on TNT that lasted for two seasons. Plus, half naked women beating up bad guys with an awesome glove is the type of can’t miss concept that Hollywood craves.
The producers hope to start production of the film in September.
(via SHH)
It’s comics and movies making sweet rumors today, including:
— One issue out and now it’s a Kick Ass movie
— Sexy comics get a new book
— Tintin and The A-Team move closer to the big screen
— Our rundown of new comics and DVDs, plus another chance to grab an exclusive Graham Crackers Comics variant — and you win by e-mailing us at: podcast [at] comicmix.com
Jeez, the kid has had it bad enough – Just Press The Button!
Columns / Glenn Hauman / News
Stephen Colbert, we have your writer for “The Chronicles of Amber”!
January 20, 2023
The Law Is A Ass #460: Those “For Life” Sentences Are Nonsense
February 24, 2022
