John Stevenson

KUNG FU PANDA Director John Stevenson Signs Multi-Picture Deal with Vanguard Films; Will Direct ALIEN ROCK BAND and ROTTEN ISLAND

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: November 10th, 2010 at 9:33 am

Kung Fu Panda co-director John Stevenson has signed a multi-picture deal with John Williams’ Vanguard Films.  Stevenson’s first project with Vanguard will be helming the live action/CGI hybrid film Alien Rock Band.  Here’s how the press release describes the movie:

Plot revolves around a garage band from Earth which journeys across the Universe to qualify for a shot at superstardom in an Intergalactic Battle of the Bands. It won’t be easy – the band will have to out-shred four-armed alien guitarists, face-down tentacled, punker octo-drummers, and fight snarling alien monsters – with music as its only weapon.

Surprisingly, there’s no mention of alien cocaine or alien groupies.  Hit the jump to learn about the other projects Stevenson and Vanguard will be collaborating on.

Sony and Escape Artists Are Now THE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: September 23rd, 2009 at 12:43 pm

You would think that with all that Greyskull Power, the “Masters of the Universe” adaptation could get off the ground but its been struggling since 2007 where Mattel was trying to develop it with Joel Silver at Warner Bros.  Unfortunately (if you’re a He-Man fan), Silver and Warner Bros. couldn’t come to an agreement on the creative direction of the film and I find that surprising because I didn’t think a “Masters of the Universe” movie could have a creative direction.  The project had gained some momentum with Justin Marks (“The Legend of Chun-Li) writing a screenplay for director John Stevenson (“Kung Fu Panda”).  Now that the project is at Sony, co-producers Escape Artists will have  Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch start over from scratch.

For those that don’t know, “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe” is based on a cartoon and toy-line about a prince who becomes a warrior battling the evil Skeletor for control of his magical homeland.  I have no idea why they’re struggling to make this into a movie.

Warner Brothers Doesn’t Have the Power: Backs Out of MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE

by Jackson Bishop    Posted: September 10th, 2009 at 7:46 am

By the power of Greskull, it looks like Mattel is looking to shop the film rights to the story of Prince Adam and his continual battle to protect Castle Greyskull from the evil forces of Skeletor. The Joel Silver produced reboot of the toy-based franchise has been set up at Warner since 2007. Well now it seems the companies have mutually agreed to let Warner’s rights lapse, after failing to find a common ground on the film’s direction. For those that have lives or good taste in movies and don’t know, the He-Man property has been adapted for live action once before by Cannon films in the 1987 “Masters of the Universe”. The prospect of a new film has been on the table for quite a while now, but this development seems like it might be a bigger obstacle than both Beastman and Triclopse comin’ at ya. For more, raise your magic sword and hit the jump.

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