Juan Carlos Fresnadillo

Juan Carlos Fresnadillo Drops Out of Directing THE CROW Reboot

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: October 14th, 2011 at 12:11 pm

Maybe this whole thing just isn’t meant to be. Merely a couple months after losing its star Bradley Cooper, The Crow reboot is now without a director. Twitch reports that Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (28 Weeks Later) has now dropped out of the project, after originally taking over for director Stephen Norrington. This news doesn’t come as a huge shock, as just a couple weeks ago Fresnadillo was confirmed as the director of the Highlander reboot that Justin Lin vacated, with production on that film slated to begin next Spring.

Plot details on The Crow reboot are thin, but Fresnadillo was working from a script by Watchmen co-scribe Alex Tse. The goal was to reboot James O’Barr’s Eric Draven character for modern audiences for whom Brandon Lee’s 1994 turn is apparently insufficient. Twitch’s report states that the hunt is now on for a replacement director, with F. Javier Gutierrez (Before the Fall) being floated as a possibility. Personally, I think the filmmakers should take this as a sign that an unnecessary reboot of The Crow is, in fact, unnecessary. Hit the jump to watch the trailer for Alex Proyas’ 1994 iteration.

TIFF 2011: INTRUDERS Review

by Phil Brown    Posted: September 16th, 2011 at 11:54 am

I feel pretty conflicted about Juan Carlos Fresnadillo’s Intruders. On the one hand I recognize that the director is trying to play with the horror genre a bit and take a more psychological and intellectual approach to what starts off as a fairly conventional ghost story. The thing is that I’m not entirely convinced that the experiment works, but I am entirely convinced that it’s not scary. I admire the attempt to create something different, but no matter how hard I tried and could never fully enjoy the movie. I guess you could call it a failed experiment and that’s a shame because it’s only the third film in Frenadillo’s 10 year career (after Intacto and 28 Weeks Later) and I desperately hoped that Intruders would build on the promise of his previous movies. Instead, I got a noble failure and will probably now have to wait another four years or so until he releases another movie and hopefully sets things right. Sigh…whatcha gonna do? Hit the jump for all the disappointing details.

Juan Carlos Fresnadillo Frontrunner to Helm HIGHLANDER Reboot [Updated with Confirmation and Production Date]

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: September 12th, 2011 at 8:45 am

Last month, we reported that Fast Five helmer Justin Lin was no longer attached to direct the Highlander reboot. It made sense, as he’s got quite a full plate at the moment (Terminator, Fast Six, etc.), and he’s still staying on Highlander in a producing capacity. Now it looks like a replacement may have been found, as 28 Weeks Later helmer Juan Carlos Fresnadillo is currently the frontrunner to take the job. Deadline reports that Fresnadillo is in now in discussions to take the reins of the reboot of the 1986 film that starred Christopher Lambert.

The Highlander script has gone through a few iterations, as The Wibberleys (National Treasure) wrote the first draft, then Twilight screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg took a pass at it, and most recently Iron Man scribes Art Marcum and Matt Holloway were hired to lend their pen. In addition to Highlander, Fresnadillo is also attached to direct a remake of The Crow. Bradley Cooper recently dropped out as star of that film, but Mark Wahlberg and Channing Tatum have been mentioned as possible replacements.

[Update: Summit Entertainment has reached out and confirmed that Fresnadillo will indeed direct Highlander with production set to begin in Spring 2012.]

Bradley Cooper Leaves THE CROW Remake; Mark Wahlberg and Channing Tatum Emerge as Possible Replacements

by Jason Barr    Posted: August 15th, 2011 at 7:04 pm

Scheduling conflicts have reportedly forced Bradley Cooper to leave director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo’s (28 Weeks Later) remake of The Crow. Cooper had previously been in negotiations to reprise the late Brandon Lee’s turn as iconic gothic character Eric Draven. However, it looks as if his involvement in David O. Russell’s Silver Linings and Legendary Pictures’ Paradise Lost has cramped his schedule to the point that he has exited Relativity’s reboot of James O’Barr’s 1990s comic.

With Cooper off of the grid, it’s being reported that Mark Wahlberg and Channing Tatum have stepped up to the plate as potential candidates for the part. You may remember that Wahlberg was offered the role of Draven back in October 2010, when Stephen Norrington was attached to direct the remake. That offer never gained much traction and, before long, Norrington had moved on as well. As for Tatum, this is the first time his name has been associated with the role and, in all honesty, I’m hoping it is the last. Hit the jump for a little more on the potential candidates and the project as a whole.

WATCHMEN’s Alex Tse Will Write THE CROW Remake

by Jason Barr    Posted: June 22nd, 2011 at 3:15 pm

Watchmen co-scribe Alex Tse has signed on to pen Relativity’s “reinvention” of The Crow. Directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (28 Weeks Later) and potentially starring Bradley Cooper who is attached, the pic is expected to reboot James O’Barr’s Eric Draven character for moviegoers who are perhaps too indifferent to check out Brandon Lee’s stellar 1994 turn and/or gluttons for punishment. Relativity’s press release claims that the project is expected to be “gritty” but, considering that Draven is a man who returns from the grave seeking vengeance on his wife’s killer, it’s hard to conceive the iconic goth tale as coming off any other way (romantic comedy, anyone?).

While I may be opposed to the notion of rebooting The Crow franchise, my opposition has nothing to do with Tse’s inclusion. I really enjoyed he and David Hayter’s Watchmen and thought the changes they made to the story actually worked better on screen than what the source material may have. In addition to both Watchmen and The Crow, Tse has also penned Ninja Scroll for Warner Bros. and co-wrote/executive produced Spike Lee’s TV movie Sucker Free City which premiered on Showtime back in 2004. Hit the jump to check out the full press release.

Teaser Trailer for INTRUDERS Starring Clive Owen

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: May 2nd, 2011 at 6:34 am

An international teaser trailer for the horror flick Intruders has gone online.  Directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (28 Weeks Later), the film stars Clive Owen as a father trying to help his 11-year-old daughter (Ella Purnell) deal with her childhood demons.  Said demons might be slightly literal.

Hit the jump to check out the trailer.  The film also stars Kerry Fox (Bright Star), Carice van Houten (Black Book), and Daniel Brühl (Inglourious Basterds).  Intruders opens October 7th.

Bradley Cooper in Early Negotiations to Star in THE CROW Remake

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: April 12th, 2011 at 3:59 pm

Well that was fast. Just a week ago 28 Weeks Later director/co-writer Juan Carlos Fresnadillo was tapped to helm the remake of The Crow for Relativity Media, and now Bradley Cooper is in talks to star. Heat Vision reports that Cooper met with the Spanish director in Spain recently and the two “shared a vision for the character and the film.” This flick is a “re-invention” of the 1994 film based on the James O’Barr comic which tells the story of a rock star who is murdered trying to rescue his fiancée by thugs, only to be resurrected in order to seek revenge.

Production on the film is slated to begin this fall. No screenwriter is mentioned in the report, but it’s assumed that Fresnadillo will be doing at least some script work on the film given his writing background. Cooper has been pulling off the “leading man” thing lately, and was a staple on most recent comic-book movie shortlists (he auditioned for Green Lantern). It looks like the actor may finally have his turn.

Juan Carlos Fresnadillo to Direct THE CROW

by Jason Barr    Posted: April 7th, 2011 at 6:00 pm

28 Weeks Later director/co-writer Juan Carlos Fresnadillo has been tapped by Relativity Media to direct a “re-invention” of 1994’s The Crow. Per the release, Fresnadillo is expected to co-write the project’s script with an as-of-yet unnamed scribe. Although casting details announcements are still forthcoming, the release confirms that Fresnadillo’s film will focus on the character Eric Draven and that production is aiming to begin this Fall. In discussing the reboot, producer Edward Pressman says:

“The original Crow was groundbreaking cinema; its gothic visual and musical ideas influenced a generation and cinema itself. With Juan Carlos, we have every confidence that his new Crow will have a similar impact on the contemporary audience.”

For more on the project, hit the jump to check out the full press release.

Gore Verbinski Says BIOSHOCK Movie Still Happening; Will Be a Hard R-Rated Movie

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: July 5th, 2010 at 12:15 pm

Director Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy) still has his tickets booked for Rapture.  Although he’ll now be taking the trip as a producer, Verbinski told IGN that an adaptation of the popular videogame BioShock is still in the works with Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (28 Weeks Later) at the helm.  The project was put into stasis last year after Universal balked at the $160 million budget, Verbinski focused on his upcoming animated film Rango, and Fresnadillo turned his attention to thriller Intruders starring Clive Owen.  However, Verbinski and Fresnadillo haven’t forgotten the project and the question boils down to getting enough money in spite of making a hard-R flick.  Hit the jump for what Verbinski had to say about the project.

Casting Call: Jennifer Garner Might Join CHEATERS; Clive Owen to Star in INTRUDERS; Tom Arnold Boards BATTLESHIP

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: April 8th, 2010 at 3:51 pm

We have three pieces of casting news for you today.  First up, 24 Frames is reporting that Jennifer Garner is in talks to join Ron Howard’s upcoming comedy about cheating, unofficially titled Cheaters.  If she signs on, she’ll star alongside Vince Vaughn, Kevin James, and Winona Ryder.  Garner is currently prepping to star in the satirical comedy Butter, which also stars Kate Hudson, Ty Burrell, and Rob Corddry.

Hit the jump for casting news about Clive Owen and Tom Arnold.

28 Weeks Later Director to enter Rapture in BIOSHOCK

by Jeffrey Van Camp    Posted: August 23rd, 2009 at 11:49 pm

Unlike “Halo”, it seems “Bioshock” may get its movie before the actual rapture. Universal is in talks with Juan Carlos Fresnadillo to direct the big screen adaptation of the videogame franchise. With two sequels in development, “Bioshock” was hailed by many publications as 2007s Game of the Year with sales approaching 4 million units (a kingly sum in the game world) one of the biggest emerging videogame franchises of the last five years. Fresnadillo, a Spanish director best known for “28 Weeks Later” here in the states, will take over for Gore Verbinski, who is still a producer on the project. More about the troubled production after the jump.

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