Lorenzo di Bonaventura

Kenneth Branagh in Talks to Direct Jack Ryan Reboot Starring Chris Pine

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: March 27th, 2012 at 2:16 pm

Just over a week after original director Jack Bender (Lost) dropped out of the project, Paramount looks to have found a suitable replacement to helm their reboot of the Jack Ryan franchise (The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games). Vulture reports that Kenneth Branagh is now in negotiations to direct the pic, which sees Star Trek’s Chris Pine take over the franchise that has been toplined in the past by Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford and Ben Affleck. The project has been in development for quite some time, with a number of writers taking a stab at the screenplay. Paramount is hoping to finally get cameras rolling later this year once Pine wraps the Star Trek sequel, and having a director onboard is a fairly crucial necessity to make that happen. Hit the jump to find out what the hold up has been.

Bruce Willis Confirmed to Star in Action Thriller FIVE AGAINST THE BULLET

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: March 1st, 2012 at 6:00 pm

While producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura has been touting Bruce Willis as the potential star of the upcoming action film Five Against the Bullet for quite some time now, Columbia Pictures finally confirmed Willis’ involvement today. The story “centers on a Mexican politician who, after his father is killed by a drug cartel, hires the five best bodyguards from around the world to protect him through a contentious election.” Willis is expected to play one of the bodyguards in the pic, which di Bonaventura hopes will pay homage to films like The Wild Bunch and The Magnificent Seven:

“There are five really great characters, so that’s what’s really fun. There’s actually a sixth character that is sort of a cameo that’s really interesting too. I think we’re going to be able to put together a very eclectic international cast.”

It’ll be interesting to see what actors they surround Willis with now that they’ve (presumably) got their centerpiece for the team of bodyguards. The actor is next set to star in A Good Day to Die Hard, which recently cast Jai Courtney as John McClane’s son. Hit the jump to read the full press release regarding Five Against the Bullet.

Michael Bay Is Directing TRANSFORMERS 4; Film Will Be a Reboot [Update: Release Scheduled for June 29, 2014]

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: February 13th, 2012 at 5:26 pm

Well that was fast. Earlier today we reported that Paramount was eyeing a 2014 release date for Transformers 4. It wasn’t exactly shocking news, as we new the studio was keen on continuing the Transformers franchise, but there was no update on whether or not Michael Bay would be returning to direct or what the story would entail. What a difference a few hours makes, as producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura has now not only confirmed that Bay will be returning to direct, but Transformers 4 is going to be a reboot of the franchise. Hit the jump for much more.

[Update: Paramount has confirmed in a press release that Bay will return.  Additionally, they've scheduled the movie for June 29, 2014.  The press release is added to the bottom of the post after the original story.]

Producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura Talks MAN ON A LEDGE, LAST STAND, and FIVE AGAINST THE BULLET; Confirms RED 2 and TRANSFORMERS 4

by Sheila Roberts    Posted: January 18th, 2012 at 8:08 am

Since his days as president of production at Warner Bros., producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura had wanted to turn the script for Man on a Ledge into a film. He felt there was an inherent drama to the idea and saw it as a movie where things keep turning on themselves. There was something gripping about the idea of a man on a ledge and whether he was going to jump or not. What attracted him to the script was the potential for impending catastrophe and the possibility for a strong interactivity between the guy on the ledge and the people down below on the ground.

We sat down with di Bonaventura at a roundtable interview recently to talk about how he came aboard to help produce this film. He told us about the similarities Man on a Ledge shares with Red, why it’s dangerous to make movies that have disparate tones, why he would not have made the project without Sam Worthington, and why he enjoys making both smaller, intimate films like this and huge, spectacular films like Transformers. He also confirmed there will be a Red 2 and a Transformers 4, discussed his Arnold Schwarzenegger project, Last Stand, which South Korean director Jee-woon Kim is currently filming, and revealed his plans to make a Western with Bruce Willis entitled Five Against the Bullet.

Producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura Says Bruce Willis Will Likely Star in FIVE AGAINST THE BULLET

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: January 10th, 2012 at 9:29 am

Lorenzo di Bonaventura is one of the more prolific producers in Hollywood.  In addition to producing the Transformers franchise and Red, di Bonaventura also produced the upcoming thriller Man on a Ledge.  Our correspondent Sheila Roberts was able to speak with di Bonaventura during a roundtable conversation at the press junket for Man on a Ledge and while we’ll have the full conversation up closer to the film’s release, we wanted to share a few tidbits with you today. In addition to confirming development on Transformers 4, the producer revealed that Bruce Willis is likely to star in the shoot-em up Five Against the Bullet.  Hit the jump for the details.

Summit Buys Untitled Action-Comedy from THE ROCK Writers About Two Men Who Reposess Airplanes

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: October 12th, 2011 at 5:54 pm

Summit bought an untitled action-comedy pitch today.  Variety was unable to uncover too many details, but the one detail that did surface is wonderfully unique: the story will track two repo men who repossess… airplanes!  The story was hatched by Douglas Cook and David Weisberg, the writing team behind The Rock—so how can you go wrong?  Lorenzo di Bonaventura (Transformers: Dark of the Moon) and JC Spink (The Hangover Part II) will produce.

This is the second pitch Cook and Weisberg have sold to Summit in recent months alongside a “female ensemble actioner.”  The duo also has Blank Slate set up at Bold Entertainment and Nick Rachett at Disney.  This busy slate comes over a decade after Cook and Weisberg’s last credit, 1999′s Double Jeopardy.

Summit Acquires Rights to Comic AREA 52

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: September 27th, 2011 at 4:41 pm

The latest comic to be mined for cinematic gold is Image’s Area 52. Summit Entertainment has acquired the screen rights to the four-issue comic book series. The story centers on a top-secret warehouse in Antarctica named (naturally) Area 52 where countless otherworldly discoveries are stored. An alien killing machine is accidentally hatched in the lab, and the ragtag group of misfits tasked with manning the facility must use the stored mythological weapons and artifacts to stop the creature before it destroys the world.

I’m not familiar with the series, but if the studio can assemble some great behind-the-scenes talent I would assume that a pretty cool creature feature (or franchise) could be borne out of the material. Deadline reports that Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Mark Vahradian (Transformers: Dark of the Moon) are producing the pic, and will next set out to find a screenwriter.

SPACE INVADERS Will Probably Be A Movie Whether You Like It or Not

by Jason Barr    Posted: July 7th, 2011 at 11:07 pm

Whether you have fond memories of button-mashing Taito and Midway’s classic arcade game Space Invaders or are simply familiar with it in the same way you’ve heard about dinosaurs and landlines, there is a solid chance you’ll be seeing a film adaptation of the property in the not so distant future. Heat Vision reports that producers Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Gigi Pritzker have optioned film rights to the game and are currently in search of a writer to help bring the project to fruition. Although other rumored tries to adapt Space Invaders have ultimately proved barren, I wouldn’t put it past di Bonaventura to make this one stick as he is also a producer on the Transformers and G.I. Joe adaptations respectively and is currently developing a filmic take on another classic arcade game: Asteroids.

Before you say to yourself “How are they going to adapt a property that literally has no backstory outside of a pixelated ship shooting pixelated, otherworldly invaders?,” remember that the film adaptation of Hasbro’s Battleship hits theaters on May 18th, 2012. I know, it’s hard for me to believe too. But, now that you’ve accepted the fact that most likely any ol’ story will do for these sorts of undertakings, you can start preparing yourself accordingly for Space Invaders: The Movie by clicking here to play the classic arcade game for free. After playing, you’ll see why I hope di Bonaventura and Pritzker keep the original score intact. It truly is gripping stuff.

Producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura Talks RED 2 and G.I. JOE 2

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: June 30th, 2011 at 9:37 am

Lorenzo di Bonaventura is one of Hollywood’s most powerful producers.  The guy usually has at least one blockbuster movie to his credit every year and he’s having a pretty nice day since his new film Transformers: Dark of the Moon is cleaning up at the box office.  Speaking to MTV, Bonaventura spoke about the sequels to Red and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.  Speaking about Red 2, di Bonaventura says they have a script in place and now the trick is measuring how much of the original cast to bring back and how many new characters to introduce.  Says Bonaventura,

“I think the audience would be disappointed if we didn’t bring back the crew, but we’ve got to freshen the crew.  We’ll bring in one or two characters that’ll play a really big part — maybe three, but definitely one or two.  You know, Marvin and Frank and Sarah, you want to spend more time with those guys.  Sometimes there’s a tendency to want to do too much of a good thing so you don’t really service anything, so we’re really trying to stay focused on our core crew with one or two new additions.”

Hit the jump for what di Bonaventura had to say about G.I. Joe 2 aka G.I. Joe: Cobra Strikes.

Images and Video from the Moscow Premiere of TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: June 24th, 2011 at 1:07 pm

Paramount has sent over some video and a bunch of images from the Transformers: Dark of the Moon premiere in Moscow.  So if you’d like to see Shia LaBeouf, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Patrick Dempsey, John Malkovich, the band Linkin Park, and producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura on the green carpet, hit the jump.  In addition, the video the studio sent over mixes footage from the premiere with cast interviews.

As I said when I posted the clips earlier today, I can’t wait to see TF3 next week.  Everything I’ve seen tells me it’s going to be a really fun ride.

20th Century Fox Hoping to Reunite James Cameron and Sam Worthington for Sci-Fi Action Flick MYTH

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: June 14th, 2011 at 2:08 pm

James Cameron and Sam Worthington are already set to reunite for two sequels to Avatar, but that’s apparently not enough for Fox.  Heat Vision reports that the studio has picked up a pitch from writer Will Staples called Myth, and wants to bring Cameron, Worthington, and Transformers producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura together on the film.  However, at this stage, Cameron is only attached to executive producer with di Bonaventura and Worthington attached to produce, although no deals are final.  Cameron would not direct and Worthington hasn’t made a commitment to star.  Nothing is known about Myth other than “it’s big, it’s sci-fi, and it’s got lots of action.”  Riveting.

The talent involved at this stage is still fungible at this point but Staples is attached to write the script.  Staples’ biggest claim to fame at this point is having served as a writer on the popular Call of Duty video game series.  He, along with writing partner Sean O’Keefe, also wrote Apaches for Jerry Bruckheimer and World’s Most Wanted for Neal Moritz.

Jeremy Passmore and Andre Fabrizio to Write Action Thriller DMZ for Lorenzo di Bonaventura

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: February 24th, 2011 at 9:53 pm

Producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura (Red) has hired Jeremy Passmore (Special) and Andre Fabrizio to write the action thriller DMZ.  According to Variety, the plot revolves around an international group of soldiers who enter the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) to retrieve a U.S. satellite: “The disparate heroes soon learn that there is something much more deadly in the DMZ than enemy soldiers.”

Passmore and Fabrizio are relatively new to the scene, but have a number of scripts in development.  Passmore co-wrote the script for the Red Dawn remake that may soon see the light of day.  Red Dawn director Dan Bradley is attached to direct Hellified, which Passmore and Fabrizio are currently rewriting.  The duo also wrote The World After for director Len Wiseman and The Prince for John Carpenter.

Hit the jump for more info on the Korean Demilitarized Zone.

F. Gary Gray and Jon Chu Are Leading Candidates to Direct the G.I. JOE Sequel

by Jason Barr    Posted: February 15th, 2011 at 2:00 pm

F. Gary Gray (Law Abiding Citizen) and Jon Chu (Justin Bieber: Never Say Never) are reportedly among the leading candidates to helm the as-of-yet-untitled sequel to 2009′s G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. Per Heat Vision, producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura of Paramount has recently met with a slew of directors regarding the flick, with Gary and Chu emerging as frontrunners for the gig. It is believed that the studio is aiming at a summer 2012 release for the sequel (which is being penned by Zombieland scribes Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick), meaning a director will most likely be named sooner rather than later.

As for the two candidates, Gray has a stronger action background given his work with Paramount on 2003′s The Italian Job as well as helming projects such as The Negotiator and A Man Apart. For Chu’s part, in addition to his recent exploration into everything Justin Bieber-related, the director has also lead the last two installments in Disney’s Step Up franchise. So, as it stands, both candidates have experience working with a major studio…and that’s about where the similarities end. As mentioned earlier, look for more news regarding the director’s chair for the G.I. Joe sequel in the near future. [Note: My original article failed to mention that our friends over at Latino Review broke this news initially - with an additional name included in the mix, Unknown director Jaume Collet-Serra. All apologies, LR!]

Steve Zaillian to Re-Write Jack Ryan Reboot Starring Chris Pine

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: February 2nd, 2011 at 12:42 pm

Screenwriter Steve Zaillian (American Gangster) is set to re-write the script for the upcoming Jack Ryan reboot starring Chris Pine.  According to Deadline, the film (previously titled Moscow) is not based on any of author Tom Clancy’s previous books.  When we last heard about the film, it was reported that the plot would have Ryan working as an analyst for a Russian billionaire but having to go on the run after being implicated in a terrorist plot. Paramount hopes to start production on the film later this year with Lost director Jack Bender at the helm.  Lorenzo di Bonaventura is producing.

Zaillian previously wrote the screenplay for the Jack Ryan film Clear and Present Danger starring Harrison Ford.  Zaillian recently penned the scripts for Moneyball and David Fincher’s adaptation of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  He was also recently hired to rewrite the remake the thriller Timecrimes.

Warner Bros. Picks Up Spy Thriller UNLOCKED

by CJ Simonson    Posted: September 23rd, 2010 at 11:31 am

With the hunt to find the next Bourne series still up in the air, Warner Bros. just picked up Unlocked, a spy thriller penned by Peter O’Brien.  Variety is reporting that Warner Bros. picked up the script, which topped the 2008 Black List of unproduced screenplays, and are having Erik Howsam (G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra) produce it under Lorenzo di Bonaventura’s production banner.  The story is about a female CIA interrogator who is tricked into providing crucial information to a terrorist organization who is planning a biological attack on London.  O’Brien’s most recent work has been with Microsoft and video game developers Bungie working on the most recent entry in the Halo franchise, Halo: Reach.  We’ll provide you with more information on Unlocked as it is available.

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