Antoine Fuqua

Gerard Butler to Star in HUNTER KILLER; Sam Worthington Being Eyed to Co-Star

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: October 13th, 2011 at 1:00 pm

Gerard Butler has signed on to lead Antoine Fuqua’s submarine thriller Hunter Killer.  Per Variety, “the story follows an untested submarine captain who must work with a Navy SEAL team to rescue Russia’s president, who’s taken prisoner during a military coup. The two sides team to stop a rogue Russian general from igniting World War III.”  Russia really needs to sort out their whole rogue military officer problem.  Butler would play the submarine captain, and Sam Worthington is circling the role of Bill Beaman, leader of the Navy SEAL team.  I don’t have much faith Fuqua, but Butler really impressed me with his performance in Machine Gun Preacher and I’m always excited to see a new submarine movie.

Butler has been keeping busy as of late.  He recently wrapped on the soccer comedy Playing the Field, he’s about to start shooting on Curtis Hanson’s surfing drama Of Men & Mavericks, and he’ll next be seen in Ralph Fiennes modern-day adaptation of Coriolanus and the Peter Farrelly and Charles B. Wessler comedy omnibus.  Relativity is aiming for a winter start date for Hunter Killer and plans to release the film on December 21, 2012.

John Singleton in Talks to Direct Tupac Biopic

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: October 12th, 2011 at 8:53 am

After developing the film for quite some time, it looks like Antoine Fuqua is finally off the Tupac biopic. Apparently the director had trouble finding his star, even after a nationwide talent search, so he’s moved on to the action submarine thriller Hunter Killer. Vulture reports that in Fuqua’s wake, John Singleton is in talks to take over the director’s chair. Singleton actually has some personal connection to the material, as he directed Tupac Shakur in his 1993 film Poetic Justice. The director had also been in the running to direct the N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton, but New Line was also considering Footloose director Craig Brewer for that gig, so it makes sense to go ahead and take the project that he’s being offered straight up.

The Tupac biopic was written by Stephen J. Rivele and Chris Wilkinson (Ali), with Brian Tucker handing in the most recent draft. Singleton is coming off of the less-than-stellar performance of the Taylor Lautner action pic Abduction.

Antoine Fuqua in Talks to Direct HUNTER KILLER

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: September 28th, 2011 at 1:18 pm

Fast becoming the king of directing movies that don’t exist, director Antoine Fuqua may finally have found his next project. The Training Day director is currently in final negotiations to helm Relativity’s international action thriller Hunter Killer. Phillip Noyce (Salt) was previously attached to the submarine-centered project but he dropped out last month, and now it looks like Relativity has found their replacement. Variety reports that Fuqua is in the final stage of neogtiations to take the reins, and the studio is eyeing a production start date this winter. The film centers on an American submarine commander who joins forces with a Navy SEAL team in order to rescue a Russian president from a renegade admiral who’s staging a coup. The coup, naturally, would lead to a global war.

Fuqua was set to make the Eminem-starred boxing flick Southpaw his next pic, but DreamWorks pulled the plug last month, forcing Fuqua and Co. to seek funding elsewhere. He’s also got his long-in-gestation Tupac biopic that he plans to shoot sometime, but that film is still without a lead. And because he likes attaching his name to things, he’s also set to direct an adaptation of the non-fiction book Storming Las Vegas. However, Relativity seems intent on getting Hunter Killer moving soon, so all signs point to the submarine pic being Fuqua’s next directorial effort.

DreamWorks Knocks Out Antoine Fuqua and Eminem’s Boxing Drama SOUTHPAW; Filmmakers to Shop Project Elsewhere

by Jason Barr    Posted: August 11th, 2011 at 2:44 pm

Back in June, we told you about director Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) leaving his long-gestating Tupac Shakur project in favor of a boxing drama entitled Southpaw. Written by Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter, Southpaw was picked up by DreamWorks as a pitch with Eminem attached to lead the pic in his first performance since 2002′s 8 Mile. Fast-forward to the present and DreamWorks has essentially given the film back to Fuqua and co. to market to other potential takers. Sutter’s Southpaw script would see Eminem play a welterweight boxing champion who crashes hard following an unspecified tragedy. As a result, the heart of the film will see him make a comeback for the ages so as to supplement he and his young daughter.

No specific reasons are being cited for DreamWorks’ move, but Deadline purports that Southpaw‘s budget (rumored to be around $30 million) could be the culprit. The general theory is that a budget closer to the one utilized by The Fighter (in the low $20 million range) would be more enticing in a market that is fighter-heavy already (i.e. The Fighter and Joel Edgerton and Tom Hardy’s upcoming Warrior). All this in mind, given the talent behind Southpaw, I would guess that we’ll be hearing about the project landing on its feet somewhere sooner rather than later.

Antoine Fuqua to Direct Crime Spree Pic STORMING LAS VEGAS

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: July 28th, 2011 at 5:32 pm

Summit Entertainment has acquired the rights to John Huddy’s too crazy to be fiction true crime tome Storming Las Vegas, and Deadline reports that the studio has attached Antoine Fuqua (Brooklyn’s Finest) to direct. The book tells the story of Jose Vigoa, a Cuban-born commando veteran of the Soviet Army who went on a violent 16-month crimes spree in Las Vegas targeting some of the Strip’s most famous institutions.

Vigoa’s stint occurred in the late 1990s, at a time when the city was attempting to re-brand itself as a family-friendly vacation destination. A 23-year veteran of the police force was charged with finding and capturing the men responsible for the spree, without letting news of the robberies affect the city’s image. Fuqua is currently also (kind of) attached to the Tupac biopic, though that production’s gone through a number of starts and stops. No word on who’s scripting Storming Las Vegas or how soon the film might go into production. Hit the jump for a synopsis of the novel.

Morgan Creek Still Committed to Antoine Fuqua for Tupac Biopic; Leaning Toward an Unknown

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: June 13th, 2011 at 9:43 pm

Few men lived with the cinematic flare of Tupac, but it’s been a struggle to capture his life on screen.  Morgan Creek Productions, director Antoine Fuqua, and Shakur’s mother Afeni agreed on a deal in the winter after years of back-and-forth.  The pact faltered last week when Fuqua signed on to Southpaw, a boxing drama led by Eminem.  That may have delayed a lesser studio another couple years to find another director that meets the standards of Afeni Shakur.  But Morgan Creek has one more card to play.  The studio upped Fuqua’s contract to “pay-or-play,” so Fuqua gets paid even if Morgan Creek makes the movie without him.  It sounds like a vote of confidence more than anything else, but one that makes a significant step toward the reality of a Tupac biopic.  24 Frames suggests that Fuqua may be able to direct both Southpaw and Tupac — depending on how the next couple of months proceed, Tupac may even come first.

Hit the jump for details on the approach to casting.

Antoine Fuqua Leaves TUPAC; May Helm SOUTHPAW Starring Eminem

by Jason Barr    Posted: June 6th, 2011 at 6:26 pm

If you were holding your breath for Antoine Fuqua’s (Training Day) Tupac Shakur biopic, you may want to go ahead and exhale because it looks as if its going to be awhile. 24 Frames reports that Fuqua has not only left the biopic which was slated to begin shooting this summer, but is now in talks to helm a boxing drama starring Eminem instead. Per the report, Fuqua’s latest squeeze is entitled Southpaw and comes from the pen of Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter. The film centers on a left-handed welterweight (Eminem) whose rise to the title is riddled with numerous trials/tribulations. The pic is currently set up at DreamWorks.

The report makes no mention regarding the reasoning behind Fuqua’s apparent departure from the Tupac biopic and is quick to point out that no formal announcement regarding Southpaw has been released as of yet. Nevertheless, a Fuqua-less biopic seems somewhat of a long shot given its long road through development and the director’s apparent proximity to the material. As for Southpaw, the film would be Eminem/Marshall Mathers’ first film since Curtis Hanson’s 8 Mile and potentially Fuqua’s first output since 2010′s Brooklyn’s Finest. Finally, in spite of the uncertainty of his biopic, Shakur may still have a presence on the silver screen in the form of his recently acquired screenplay Live 2 Tell which focuses on a teenage drug lord’s attempt to ditch his life of crime.

Shortlist of Directors for THE WOLVERINE Includes Doug Liman, Justin Lin, Mark Romanek, James Mangold and More

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: May 25th, 2011 at 3:28 pm

Well it looks like the list of contenders for the director of Fox’s The Wolverine has been narrowed down to eight. Following the sudden departure of Darren Aronofsky shortly before filming was to commence, Fox began searching for a replacement for the Hugh Jackman-starred follow-up to Gavin Hood’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Now, Showblitz reports that the shortlist of contenders for the job is as follows: Doug Liman (Mr. and Mrs. Smith) Jose Padilha (upcoming Robocop remake), Antoine Fuqua (Shooter), Mark Romanek (Never Let Me Go), Justin Lin (Fast Five), Gavin O’Connor (Warrior), James Mangold (3:10 to Yuma ) and commercials director Gary Shore.

With a script from Christopher McQuarrie, The Wolverine is largely set in Japan. Filming was poised to take place in that country, but it’s currently unknown if that’s still the plan given the natural disaster that recently ravaged the landmass. Hit the jump for more, including my thoughts on this list.

James Cameron, Guillermo del Toro, Kathryn Bigelow, and Other Directors and Producers Write Open Letter Protesting Premium VOD

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: April 20th, 2011 at 9:58 am

Home Premiere, a Premium VOD service backed by four major studios, is set to launch tomorrow on DirecTV.  The service would charge consumers $30 to watch movies only sixty days after they first hit theaters.  Theaters, fearing that their revenues will be drastically cut, have responded with threats that range from believable to ridiculous.  Now 23 directors and producers, including James Cameron, Michael Bay, Kathryn Bigelow, Guillermo del Toro, Peter Jackson, Michael Mann, and Gore Verbinski have released an open letter siding with the theaters.

In the letter, the signers make the point that just because Premium VOD launches at $30, it doesn’t mean it will stay there and it could conceivably drop to $10 within a few year.  Hit the jump for the full letter.

Antoine Fuqua Might Swap Bruce Willis for Arnold Schwarzenegger in THE TOMB

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: April 7th, 2011 at 8:17 pm

Now that he no longer has that pesky government job to worry about, Arnold Schwarzenegger is extensively weighing his options for return to full-time acting.  The awkwardly titled WWII drama With Wings as Eagles was an early contender.  Then Schwarzenegger’s attention shifted to more nostalgic consideration of remakes or sequels  to The Terminator, Predator, and Running Man.  Thankfully, momentum has swung back in favor of original screenplays earlier today, linking Schwarzenegger to The Last Stand. Variety adds one more film to the list, suggesting The Tomb is right next to The Last Stand on Schwarzenegger’s priorities.

Antoine Fuqua (Brooklyn’s Finest) will direct The Tomb, which revolves around a structural security expert who is jailed in a high-security prison he designed.  When we first heard about the project, Bruce Willis in talks to star; it is not specified what happened to those negotiations, only that Schwarzenegger is now eying the role.  More after the break:

Antoine Fuqua’s Biopic TUPAC to Start Filming This Spring/Summer

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: February 10th, 2011 at 7:40 pm

Production on director Antoine Fuqua’s (Training Day) Tupac Shakur biopic Tupac is gearing up. The film is set to start shooting late this Spring or early this Summer. Fuqua announced the project as his next film last summer, with hopes of filming last fall, but it looks like it took a little longer to get everything together. The film will chronicle “the life and legacy of Shakur, including his rise to superstardom as a hip hop artist and actor, as well as his imprisonment and prolific, controversial time at Death Row Records, where he was steeped in the East coast/West coast rap war.” Speaking about the film, Shakur’s mother Afeni Shakur-Davis had this to say:

“I am confident that Morgan Creek will stay true to the common goal we share of depicting Tupac’s life in a way that will allow the world to see the authenticity of his artistry, his hopes, and his life goals.“

Fuqua directs a script from Steve Bagatourian (American Gun), Stephen J. Rivele & Christopher Wilkinson (Ali). Hit the jump to read the full press release.

NBC Picks Up WONDER WOMAN; Plus, Pilot Orders from Steven Spielberg, Conan O’Brien, Ethan Hawke, Rob Thomas, Tim Kring, and More

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: January 21st, 2011 at 10:14 pm

Wonder Woman will not die.  David E. Kelly is a bizarre choice to run the show, and the networks seemed to realize this when they passed on Wonder Woman in unison.  But where there’s a will (and a deeply troubled network), there’s a way: NBC has picked up Kelley’s Wonder Woman reboot.  I hope to see a live-action Wonder Woman in my lifetime, but not like this.  Not like this at all.

This report comes among a flurry of pilot season news involving such talent as Steven Spielberg, Conan O’Brien, Ethan Hawke, Rob Thomas, Tim Kring, and more.  Hit the jump for a recap.

Gerard Butler to Star in Comic Adaptation AFTERBURN; Antoine Fuqua in Talks to Direct

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: November 15th, 2010 at 9:26 pm

Gerard Butler is in talks for the lead role in Relativity Media’s adaptation of the sci-fi comic book Afterburn.  Variety reports Antoine Fuqua (Shooter) is in negotiations to direct. Paul Ens and Scott Chitwood penned the script, working from a first draft by Matt Johnson (Torque).  Tobey Maguire is producing along with Neal Moritz (Fast & Furious), Toby Jaffe (Life or Something Like It), and Jenno Topping (Catch and Release).

The comic is set in the near future, when “a massive solar flare strikes the dayside of the Earth, utterly destroying the Eastern Hemisphere.”  Butler will presumably play Jake, who earns his keep retrieving treasured objects (i.e. The Mona Lisa) from the quarantine zone with his team of “recovery experts.”  Hit the jump for the official synopsis.

KANE & LYNCH Looking for a New Director…Again

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: September 26th, 2010 at 6:00 pm

Nu Image/Millennium and Lionsgate are having a rough time finding someone to direct their adaptation of the Eidos video game Kane & Lynch.  Stunt coordinator Simon Crane was set to make his directing debut on the flick, but dropped off in May.  He was replaced by Patrick Alessandrin (District 13: Ultimatum), but 24 Frames reports that he has also left the project.  This puts previous mentioned names Wayne Kramer (Running Scared) and F. Gary Gray (Law Abiding Citizen) back into the mix along with Antonie Fuqua (Training Day).  Production was set to begin next month but has been pushed back indefinitely.

The film is set to star Bruce Willis and Jamie Foxx as escaped convicts Adam “Kane” Marcus and James Seth Lynch.  Kane is forced to team-up with the schizophrenic killer Lynch in order to break out of prison and find a stolen microchip.

BROOKLYN’S FINEST DVD Review

by Max Steven Miller    Posted: August 2nd, 2010 at 11:33 am

The cop drama is certainly no stranger to Hollywood and Antoine Fuqua, director of Training Day, is certainly no stranger to cop dramas.  Although Brooklyn’s Finest has its similarities to Training Day, as far as corruption within the law goes, it seems to focus more on the struggles that take place within each of the main characters.

With a cast list that includes Richard Gere, Don Cheadle, Ethan Hawke, and Wesley Snipes, you might think this film was released sometime in the 1990s, but hit the jump to see if these guys have still got what it takes in 2010 and for my entire review of Brooklyn’s Finest on DVD:

Copyright ©2005 - 2012. All Rights Reserved. California web design