Justin Marks

Rod Lurie to Direct Hostage Thriller BORDERLINE

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: May 9th, 2011 at 1:44 pm

Rod Lurie (Nothing But the Truth) has signed on to direct the hostage thriller Borderline.  THR reports that the script from Justin Marks (Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li) centers on “a family taken hostage by fugitives. A father with everything on the line engages in a battle of wits with a criminal with nothing to lose in order to save his wife and daughter.”  Lurie reportedly “intends to make a movie that evokes the stories of the amoral and on-the-run such as Hud, The Sugarland Express and The Getaway.”  Jamie Patricof (Blue Valentine), and Voltage Picture’s Nicolas Chartier and Craig Flores (The Hurt Locker) will producer.  The producers and Lurie are currently casting the Everything-on-the-Line Father and the Nothing-to-Lose Criminal.

Lurie’s remake of Sam Peckinpah’s Straw Dogs will finally find its way to theaters on September 16th.

MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE Adaptation Hires PREDATORS Screenwriters

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: April 11th, 2010 at 11:29 pm

Screenwriters Mike Finch and Alex Litvak, the guys who wrote the upcoming Predators reboot, have been hired to write Columbia’s adaptation of Masters of the Universe.  This is Columbia’s first move on the project since they picked it up last fall when–as Heat Vision reports–”Mattel and Warner Bros. parted ways after the sides couldn’t agree on a creative vision.”  Mattel has final approval over the story.  The 80s animated TV series based on the toyline is about a warrior named He-Man who fights against the evil Skeletor.

The pitch from Finch and Litvak attempts to balance a cinematic approach while respecting the characters.  I assume that Justin Marks’ (The Legend of Chun-Li) script followed by Evan Daughtry last May for Warner Bros’ failed to accomplish this task.  Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch of Escape Artists are still producing.

If you’re unfamiliar with Masters of the Universe, hit the jump for more info about the property.

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.

Rookie Writer Summons The Power of GRAYSKULL

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: May 12th, 2009 at 10:25 pm

I don’t know what screenwriters aspire to.  Clearly, it depends on the screenwriter, but I wonder how many lay awake at night and think to him or herself, “I wish I had the chance to re-adapt the cartoon ‘Masters of the Universe’ into a live-action film because I could really capitalize on some goofy nostalgia.”  Whether Evan Daugherty had that dream or not is unknown but he will be coming on board to rewrite Justin Marks’* script for “Grayskull” because you don’t want your movie about He-man to sound un-cool with a title like “Masters of the Universe”.

According to The Hollywood Reporter (who act like Daugherty committed the artistic crime of the century by getting this job; he’s not adapting Faulkner, here), Warners sees the big-screen version as a gritty fantasy and re-imagines Prince Adam (He-Man when he calls on the power of Grayskull) as a soldier who sets off to find his destiny, happening upon the magical world of Eternia. There, Skeletor has raised a technological army and is bent on eradicating magic.

I’m sorry.  You lost me at “gritty fantasy”.  It’s Masters of the Fucking Universe.  You can’t just have fun with it?  He-Man had a Prince-Valiant haircut and wore furry underwear.  Who wants a “gritty fantasy” from that?  Who is so emotionally retarded that they need their silly property about a man who cries out “I have the power!” to be deadly serious?

C’mon, Daugherty.  Prove the haters (read: me and people who agree with me) wrong and make this film entertaining and not just an attempt to cater to he-men-children.

*Who, as the go-to guy for adapting “Street Fighter”, “Voltron”, and “Shadow of the Colossus”, probably did have that dream

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