Doug Liman

Director Doug Liman Talks MTV’s I JUST WANT MY PANTS BACK, ALL YOU NEED IS KILL and EVEREST

by Christina Radish    Posted: February 1st, 2012 at 10:56 am

On February 2^nd, the dramedy series I Just Want My Pants Back, executive produced by Doug Liman (Mr. & Mrs. Smith, The Bourne Identity, Go, Swingers), premieres on MTV. A funny, honest portrayal of friendships and relationships among a group of 20-something friends in Brooklyn, it tells the story of Jason Strider (Peter Vack), his best friend Tina (Kim Shaw), and Eric (Jordan Carlos) and Stacey (Elisabeth Hower). When a one night stand steals Jason’s heart and his pants, he begins a quest to get his beloved jeans back, and hopefully find the girl, while growing up along the way.

During this recent exclusive phone interview with Collider, Doug Liman talked about how and when he got involved with I Just Want My Pants Back, what makes MTV the perfect home for the show, the challenge of finding a talented and attractive cast of actors who was relatively unknown, and that he’s confidant they’ll get a Season 2 because he feels like the audience is going to have the same emotional response to the characters that he does. He also talked about the challenge of balancing producing the TV show with his feature film career as a director, how he’s hoping All You Need Is Kill (starring Tom Cruise) will be his next film, and that he plans to make Everest (about George Mallory and his three attempts in the early 1920′s to become the first man to climb the world’s highest mountain), after that. Check out what he had to say after the jump.

Director Doug Liman Talks ALL YOU NEED IS KILL with Tom Cruise and EVEREST; Says He Hopes KILL Is His Next Film

by Christina Radish    Posted: January 22nd, 2012 at 9:36 am

On February 2^nd, the dramedy series I Just Want My Pants Back, executive produced by Doug Liman (Mr. & Mrs. Smith, The Bourne Identity, Go, Swingers), premieres on MTV. It is a funny, honest portrayal of friendships and relationships among a group of 20-something friends in Brooklyn.

While we will run what Liman had to say about the promising new series, during a recent exclusive phone interview with Collider, closer to the premiere date, we did want to share the updates about his future projects. He said that he hopes his next project will be All You Need is Kill (about a solider fighting in a war with aliens who finds himself caught in a time loop of his last day in the battle, and becoming better skilled along the way), for Warner Bros. with Tom Cruise, and that the script is really cool and unlike anything he’s ever read. He also still hopes to make Everest (about George Mallory and his three attempts in the early 1920′s to become the first man to climb the world’s highest mountain), and is preparing to climb Mt. Washington again, as part of his research for the film. Check out what he had to say after the jump:

Tom Cruise Knows ALL YOU NEED IS KILL

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: December 1st, 2011 at 7:37 am

In October, we reported that Tom Cruise was in talks to star in Doug Liman‘s sci-fi action film All You Need Is Kill.  We also reported that the title had been changed to We Are Mortals, but Variety is referring to the film by its original title (which is the one I prefer since it’s catchier).  The movie is similar to Source Code in that involves a soldier getting killed over and over again.  However, this time around the soldier is involved in a war against aliens and has to keep reliving the day he was killed in battle.  However, reliving this experience makes him a better soldier.  Presumably he’ll memorize the location of all the weapon drops and how to ruin the game for anyone who doesn’t spend every waking hour playing it God I hate online first person shooters so much.

Hit the jump for more on All You Need Is Kill.  Cruise will next be seen in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, which opens in IMAX on December 16th before going wide on December 21st.

Tom Cruise in Talks for Doug Liman’s WE ARE MORTALS (Formerly ALL YOU NEED IS KILL)

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: October 8th, 2011 at 11:13 am

Warner Bros. is in search of a major star to topline their adaptation of All You Need Is Kill, now going by the title We Are Mortals.  The studio first wanted Brad Pitt, a natural choice since his Mr. and Mrs. Smith director Doug Liman is the man in charge of Mortals.  Pitt must not have jumped at the chance to reunite with Liman, because according to THR, Warner Bros. is in talks with Tom Cruise for the starring role.  The news is briefly mentioned in one of those “Tom Cruise Is Back!” features the trades are fond of.  (It’s worth a read if you can stomach revelations like, “[Cruise is] working cheaper at times—sources say he’s getting just $5 million for Ages.”  In other words: not worth a read.)

The premise of the Hiroshi Sakurazaka’s novel is an eye-catcher: “A young Army recruit who, despite being killed in the first day of intergalactic alien invasion of Earth, is continually resurrected Groundhog Day–style to the day before he was killed.”  Full synopsis after the jump.

Doug Liman to Direct EVEREST; Sheldon Turner to Write the Screenplay

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: September 30th, 2011 at 9:02 am

Director Doug Liman (Mr. & Mrs. Smith) recently had his sci-fi heist flick Luna put on hold, and he turned his attention to the sci-fi action movie All You Need Is Kill, but now he’s got a non sci-fi project on the horizon.  Deadline reports that Liman is on board to direct Everest based on Jeffrey Archer’s book Paths of Glory with the screenplay written by Sheldon Turner (Up in the Air). The non-fiction novel chronicles British mountain-climber George Mallory’s three attempts to reach the top of Mount Everest.  Mallory was a devoted family man and his attempts to climb Everest made him a hero to Great Britain, but he fell short of his attempts to reach the top without oxygen tanks in 1921 and 1922.  Mallory and his climbing partner Sandy Irvine changed their tactics for their final 1924 climb, but they disappeared into the clouds as they made their final approach and were never heard from again.  Debate continues to this day as to whether or not they actually made it to the peak.

Liman, who is an avid climber and a fan of Mallory’s story, still has Luna and All You Need Is Kill in addition to Everest, and there’s no word on which of these three projects will go before cameras first, although Deadline says Everest “is a priority at Sony.”  Hit the jump for a synopsis of Paths of Glory.

Warner Bros. Wants Brad Pitt for Doug Liman’s ALL YOU NEED IS KILL and David O. Russell’s THE MISSION

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: September 23rd, 2011 at 3:31 pm

You know who wants Brad Pitt for their movie?  Everybody.  Vulture reports that Warner Bros. wants Pitt to star in Doug Liman’s All You Need Is Kill after deciding to put the kibosh on Liman’s far more expensive sci-fi heist flick Luna once co-fiancier Skydance dropped out.  All You Need Is Kill is based on the manga by Hiroshi Sakurazaka and it doesn’t have a bad premise: “A young Army recruit who, despite being killed in the first day of intergalactic alien invasion of Earth, is continually resurrected Groundhog Day–style to the day before he was killed.”  So you have the same worthwhile thematic ground as Source Code and Johnny Got His Gun—the soldier we can’t let rest in peace.  There were reportedly some third act problems where the protagonist “dispatches aliens in the same rote way as a twelve year old who’s played too much XBox 360,” but those problems have reportedly been resolved to the studio’s satisfaction.

Hit the jump for why this kind of interest is irrelevant for someone of Pitt’s stature.

Exclusive: Guillermo del Toro and Katie Holmes Talk DON’T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK, Karaoke, Doug Liman’s GO, Comic-Con, and PACIFIC RIM

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: July 7th, 2011 at 7:58 pm

Opening in late August is director Troy Nixey’s Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark.  Based on the 1973 telefilm, the remake was written by Guillermo del Toro and Matthew Robbins and “the story follows Sally (Bailee Madison), a young girl who moves to Rhode Island to live with her father (Guy Pearce) and his new girlfriend (Katie Holmes) in the 19th Century mansion they are restoring.  While exploring the house, Sally starts to hear voices coming from creatures in the basement whose hidden agenda is to claim her as one of their own.”  Here’s the trailer.  In addition, I saw the movie at this year’s Los Angeles Film Festival and thought it was really well done and it’s definitely recommended.

The day after the premiere I got to sit down with del Toro and Holmes.  While I was going to hold the interview until closer to release, with both revealing they’ll be at this year’s Comic-Con, I figure it’s better to post it now.  During the interview we talked about making the film, how there are no cheap scares, and what’s the secret to making the characters stay in the house in a believable way.  In addition, we talked about Comic-Con, Doug Liman’s Go, Pacific Rim and karaoke.  Hit the jump to watch.

Doug Liman’s Space Heist Flick LUNA Gets a Greenlight

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: June 6th, 2011 at 3:15 pm

It appears that Bourne Identity director Doug Liman has settled on his next project. Paramount has finally greenlit the long-in-the-works sci-fi flick Luna as Liman’s follow up to last year’s Fair Game. The director has been trying to get Luna off the ground for awhile, most recently with Jake Gyllenhaal in 2007. While that iteration never took off, Liman started meeting with a number of actors for the film in March. Now, Variety reports that Paramount is putting the finishing touches on a deal that will fast-track the project.

The story centers on a group of renegade scientists who build a spaceship from scratch using spare parts in order to steal an energy source located on the moon, cause apparently that’s where we keep valuable things in the future. It’s like our lock box. Liman and John Hamburg (I Love You Man) co-wrote the script, which has gone through several rewrites. In addition to the previously mentioned Andrew Garfield, Liman has also met with Bradley Cooper and Chris Evans to talk about roles in the film. No offers have been made yet, but expect casting news shortly as the project moves towards production.

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.

FAIR GAME Blu-ray Review

by Sean OReilly    Posted: April 28th, 2011 at 6:00 am

If someone told you a story about a CIA agent getting outed to the media by the upper echelons of the White House thus ruining that person’s career, putting their life in danger and exposing their international contacts, you’d probably think to yourself, “Wow, that would make one hell of a movie!”  In this case, that’s exactly what happened.  What are the repercussions for such an action and how do you even begin to fight back against one of the most powerful institutions on the planet?  My review of Fair Game after the jump.

Doug Liman Approaches Andrew Garfield, Chris Pine, Emile Hirsch, Megan Fox, Olivia Wilde, Rachel McAdams, Eva Mendes, Zoe Saldana for Moon Movie

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: March 22nd, 2011 at 8:51 pm

Doug Liman first set up Luna with Jake Gyllenhaal at DreamWorks in 2007, then with Paramount, then put it on hold for a couple years to direct Jumper and Fair Game.  Liman was actively working on a Three Musketeers adaptation before Paul W.S. Anderson beat him to the punch.  So he turned his attention to All You Need Is Kill, a spec sci-fi script with plenty of heat behind it.  However, All You Need Is Kill has reportedly lost steam, and Liman has returned his focus to Luna (now “Untitled Moon Project”).  But Gyllenhaal has since moved on, so Liman is meeting with a bevy of young Hollywood stars to fill the role.  Heat Vision indicates the director has already spoken with Rosario Dawson, Megan Fox, Rachel McAdams, Eva Mendes, Zoe Saldana, Olivia Wilde, Andrew Garfield, Emile Hirsch, and Chris Pine, and plans to meet with more names in the coming week.

Details on the project after the break.

Doug Liman to Direct Film Drama about British Bodyguard Morris “Two-Gun” Cohen

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: March 21st, 2011 at 11:25 am

Director Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity) has signed on to direct a drama based on the life of Morris Abraham “Two Gun” Cohen.  Cohen was a World War I veteran who move to China in 1922 and trained the army of Sun Yat-sen, a revolutionary who played an instrumental role in throwing over China’s last imperial dynasty.  Cohen taught Sun’s army boxing and shooting, which was impressive considering that Cohen didn’t speak Chinese.  He then went on to become Sun’s main bodyguards and later went on to fight for China against Japanese invaders in the 1930s.

Hit the jump for more on the project.

FAIR GAME Review

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: November 4th, 2010 at 5:08 pm

The Plame Affair is a story that’s brimming with drama.  It features international intrigue, marital tension, espionage, and betrayal by our own government.  Director Doug Liman believes that in Fair Game he can capture that drama as long as he doesn’t hold the camera steady.  The pacing is uneven, the characters are poorly drawn, and the historical impact of the scandal barely reverberates.  Rather than ignite shock and outrage in the audience at the shocking and outrageous retaliation by the Bush Administration against Joe Wilson, Fair Game is a tepid movie that wastes its talented lead actors and can never find the drama that surrounded its real-life events.

Doug Liman Confirmed to Direct ALL YOU NEED IS KILL

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: August 23rd, 2010 at 6:09 pm

We’ve been keeping tabs on All You Need is Kill for awhile now, since it was a Dante Harper spec script with a cool title and an even cooler conceit that managed to siren $3 million from Warner Bros.  Doug Liman (Fair Game) has been attached as director pretty much all summer, but according to Variety, the studio has made it official.  When we spoke with Liman last month, he was enthused by Harper’s script.

“It’s an amazing script.  It’s a wholly original piece of writing.  It delivers all of the whiz-bang satisfaction of a big Hollywood effects movie, but it does it in a completely original way.”

Hit the jump for the official synopsis, to see just what spoke to Liman so deeply.

First Trailer for FAIR GAME Starring Naomi Watts and Sean Penn

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: August 18th, 2010 at 8:47 pm

Summit Entertainment has released the first trailer for Fair Game, which premiered in competition at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this summer.  Directed by Doug Liman, Fair Game is based on the true story of Valerie Plame, a covert officer in the CIA who is placed in mortal danger when her cover is blown.  Naomi Watts stars as Plame; Sean Penn plays her husband, diplomat Joe Wilson.  Check out the trailer after the jump.

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