Kurt Wimmer

Alcon Entertainment Prepping POINT BREAK Remake

by Jason Barr    Posted: September 12th, 2011 at 3:38 pm

Anyone who is fed up with Hollywood remakes may want to avert their eyes on this one. We’ve just received a press release from Alcon Entertainment announcing that the studio is fast-tracking a remake of Kathryn Bigelow’s 1991 action/thriller Point Break. Per the release, the remake will be released by Alcon’s home studio, Warner Bros., and they are planning on having Kurt Wimmer’s (Total Recall remake and Salt) screenplay out to directors in the very near future.

As remakes are known to do, the updated Point Break will follow heavily in the footsteps of its predecessor in that it will feature an FBI agent going undercover to investigate a criminal ring within the world of extreme sports. The original starred Patrick Swayze, Keanu Reeves and Gary Busey. For a little more on the project, hit the jump for the full press release and a trailer from the original.

Sony Moves Forward With Sequel to SALT

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: June 6th, 2011 at 3:39 pm

Apparently the world needs more Angelina Jolie action movies. Sony has officially started moving forward with a sequel to last year’s Jolie-starred action flick Salt. Deadline now reports that Sony has set the first film’s screenwriter, Kurt Wimmer, to start working on a script. Jolie is keen to reprise her role from the first flick, though director Phillip Noyce turned down the offer to return.

A follow-up has been rumored since last August, after Salt took in almost $300 million worldwide. While reviews were mixed to positive, one can’t deny Jolie’s international draw (did anyone from America actually see The Tourist?). No word on how soon the sequel will go into production, but we’ll know more once Wimmer turns in his first draft of the screenplay.

Bryan Cranston to Play Villain in TOTAL RECALL Remake

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: March 30th, 2011 at 12:28 pm

How do you get me interested in a Len Wiseman-directed remake of Paul Verhoeven’s Total Recall?  Step 1: Hire Bryan Cranston.  Step 2: There is no Step 2.  Variety reports that the three-time Emmy winner will play the film’s villain opposite Colin Farrell.  However, Variety doesn’t say which villain role Cranston will be playing.  Is it the thuggish Richter (originally played by Michael Ironside) or is it the more likely role of big bad Martian administrator Vilos Cohaagen (originally played by Ronny Cox)?  Either way, this film now has Cranston and that’s cause enough to be excited.  [Update: Heat Vision has details on the plot and says Cranston is playing Cohaagen:

"The new story involves nation states Euromerica and New Shanghai, with Douglas Quaid (Farrell) a factory worker in the latter who begins to believe he is a spy, although he doesn't know for which side.  Cranston would play Vilos Cohaagen, the leader of Euromerica who, under the cover of protecting his people, is secretly readying an invasion of New Shanghai."]

The Breaking Bad actor is currently at work on the show’s upcoming season, which is set to debut this July.  Cranston will also be seen in theaters later this year in Tom Hanks’ Larry Crowne, Nicolas Winding Refn’s Drive, and Steven Soderbergh’s Contagion.

SALT Blu-ray Review

by Andre Dellamorte    Posted: January 20th, 2011 at 8:00 am

“Who is Salt?” The ads for Salt both asked and answered. Salt was obviously the title character of the film Salt, here played by Angelina Jolie, but I guess on an existential level who she is, is still up for grabs. Evelyn Salt is a secret agent, but it turns out that she might be a mole for the Russian government, and that leads her superiors (including Liev Schrieber and Chiwetel Ejiofor) to freaking out, and trying to catch her. But the problem with catching spies is that they are trained to avoid such situations. Phillip Noyce directs this Bourne-riff like the craftsman of action he became in the 90’s. That’s both the film’s greatest strength and weakness. My review of the Blu-ray of Salt follows after the jump.

Colin Farrell, Tom Hardy, and Michael Fassbender Are the Frontrunners to Lead TOTAL RECALL Remake

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: October 21st, 2010 at 1:09 pm

This summer, we reported that director Len Wiseman (Live Free or Die Hard) would be helming a remake of Paul Verhoeven’s 1990 sci-fi flick Total Recall.  Heat Vision is now reporting that Colin Farrell, Tom Hardy, and Michael Fassbender are the frontrunners to star in the lead role, which was originally played by Arnold Schwarzeneggar.  I wonder if twenty years ago, folks thought this film would be remade by replacing the gigantic Austrian actor with a serious thespian from England or Ireland.

For those who haven’t seen the original, it’s based on Philip K. Dick’s story “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale”, and (per HV) “followed a man haunted by a recurring dream of journeying to Mars who buys a literal dream vacation from a company called Rekall Inc., which sells implanted memories. The man comes to believe he is a secret agent and ends up on a Martian colony, where he fights to overthrow a despotic ruler controlling the production of air.”  Mixed into that madness were women with three breasts, Kuato, and other greatness.  Hit the jump for more on the remake.

Len Wiseman to Direct TOTAL RECALL Remake

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: July 29th, 2010 at 12:09 pm

Director Len Wiseman (Underworld) is in final negotiations to helm a remake of the 1990 sci-fi flick Total Recall.  Based off the Philip K. Dick short story “We Can Remember It For You Wholesale”, the original film was directed by Paul Verhoeven and starred Arnold Schwarzenegger.  The first half of the movie is a fantastic mind-bender, but once Schwarzenegger gets to Mars, it ditches the mindgames and becomes a B-action movie mixed with the delightfully bizarre (Kuato!).

Producer Matt Tolmach said in the press release, “Len has an incredible love of the genre and a great gift for action.  He’ll bring a contemporary feel to the film while taking care with everything we love about Philip K. Dick’s original story.”  Hit the jump for the press release and my thoughts on the announcement.

Director Wolfgang Petersen and Mattel Developing Movie Based off the Toy ROCK ‘EM, SOCK ‘EM ROBOTS

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: June 24th, 2010 at 3:33 pm

Director Wolfgang Petersen (Poseidon) is teaming up with Mattel to make a movie based on the classic toy “Rock ‘Em, Sock ‘Em Robots”.  Much like Stretch Armstrong (which is also being adapted into a movie), Rock ‘Em, Sock ‘Em Robots is a toy that’s fun for about five minutes before you get bored.  It involves moving two sticks with buttons on them and each player trying to knock their opponent’s robot’s head off.  The winner is whoever decapitates the other robot first.  Pajiba also reports that screenwriter Kurt Wimmer (Law Abiding Citizen) is possibly attached to pen the screenplay.

If the idea of a movie based on this concept sounds familiar, it’s because Shawn Levy is making his own robot-boxing movie called Real Steel.  It stars Hugh Jackman as a fight promoter who reunites with his estranged son to take a robot to the championship round.   Hit the jump to see a commercial for Rock Em’, Sock ‘Em Robots.

Exclusive: Producer Neal Moritz on Shane Black’s DOC SAVAGE, the Remake of TOTAL RECALL, and FLASH GORDON

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: April 6th, 2010 at 7:09 pm

While some of you might have thought I was done with “Seven Days with Producer Neal Moritz,” trust me, I’m just getting warmed up.  Last week I posted what he said about R.I.P.D., Fast and the Furious 5/6 and his remake of Highlander, and tonight’s it’s an update on Shane Black’s Doc Savage, his remake of Total Recall, and what’s up with Flash Gordon.

The quick update is he’s waiting on scripts for all three projects but says he’s about to get Doc Savage and Total Recall.  He went on to say that Shane Black did some work on the Battle: Los Angeles script and while he’s tried to attach him to many projects, it was his love for Doc Savage that finally reeled him in.

And regarding the remake of Total Recall, Moritz said Kurt Wimmer is writing the script and it’s going to be closer to the Philip K. Dick story, We Can Remember It for You Wholesale, than a remake of the Schwarzenegger movie.  He also says they’re not going to Mars but I forgot to ask  if Quato is in the movie.  I hope he is.  Hit the jump for his exact quotes:

Exclusive Behind-the-Scenes Clip from LAW ABIDING CITIZEN – Plus Some LAC Swag to Giveaway

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: February 4th, 2010 at 4:11 pm

With director F. Gary Gray’s Law Abiding Citizen hitting DVD/Blu-ray on Febuary 16, we’ve been given an exclusive behind the scenes clip from one of the big action scenes in the movie.  If you’ve seen the film, it’s the cemetery scene where Gerard Butler’s character attacks the convoy with a robot.  If you never saw the film, it’s a welcome return to action for Gerard Butler.

Also, to help promote the film, we’ve been given 5 posters and a Blu-ray (which features the unrated director’s cut with 11 additional minutes of footage) to giveaway to some of our readers.  Hit the jump for the clip and how to enter the giveaway:

First Trailer for SALT Staring Angelina Jolie

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: November 4th, 2009 at 11:14 am

While the first look at director Phillip Noyce’s “Salt” happened a few days ago due to a leaked Russian trailer, Sony has wisely posted the official trailer so we can all stop trying to decipher Russian.  If you saw the Russian trailer, the official release is exactly the same.

As Matt said the other day, “Salt” looks like Jason Bourne in a dress.  And that’s a good thing, especially when it’s Angelina Jolie wearing the dress.  If you like action movies, check out the trailer after the jump.  “Salt” hits theaters on July 23^rd, 2010.

Kurt Wimmer To Write TOTAL RECALL Remake

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: June 2nd, 2009 at 8:38 pm

“Total Recall” is a film I half-love and half-hate.  Before the film makes it to Mars, it’s a wonderful mindfuck that constantly keeps you guessing.  But once Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Douglas Quaid reaches the Red Planet, the film just goes crazy with three-titted women, Kuato, and “Hey Benny Screw You”.  While the tonal shift makes sense as the story radically changes, I feel that all the theatrics on Mars are an attempt to keep the film visually interesting and titillating once removed from the fascinating reality-bending of the first half.

Based on Philip K. Dick’s story, “We Can Remember It For You Wholesale”, “Total Recall” is now getting the remake treatment and Kurt Wimmer, who has now found some stable success as a screenwriter more than a director with scripts like “Law Abiding Citizen” and “Salt”, will pen the new take which studio Original Films (yes, we’re all aware of the irony here) will only describe as a “contemporized adaptation”.  So…four tits on the mutant lady?

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