Paul Wernick

ZOMBIELAND TV Series Planned for Fox; Original Writers Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese Attached

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: October 17th, 2011 at 7:39 pm

As Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese originally made their name as writers/creators of the reality TV series The Joe Schmo Show, it simply made sense that their next project would be aimed at airing on the small screen. The surprise came for the creative team when their project morphed from a TV show into a screenplay for the 2009 sleeper hit, Zombieland. Although we discussed the television origins of Zombieland during filming of the movie back in 2009, it seems as if the series now has new life…or undeath. Fox Broadcasting and Sony Pictures Television want to get Zombieland the series on the air by 2012-13. The only sticking point for the fans is that if the TV series is greenlit, the movie sequel may not happen, and vice versa.

Hit the jump for more on the small-screen version of Zombieland.

MICRONAUTS Script to be Penned by ZOMBIELAND Scribes Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: October 17th, 2011 at 5:48 pm

When one line of robot toys being turned into a massively successful movie franchise isn’t enough, it’s good to have a contingency plan.  Luckily for Hasbro, their Micronauts toy line will now undergo the film treatment through Paramount with J.J. Abrams producing.  Penning the script for this endeavor will be Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese, the team behind Zombieland. The project was listed as a priority during Hasbro’s third-quarter earnings conference, so it’s no surprise that the high-profile writing team of Wernick and Reese got the job.  Hit the jump for more on Micronauts.

Rachel Nichols Says only Duke, Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes will Return for G.I. JOE 2

by Jeff Ames    Posted: March 4th, 2011 at 10:00 am

Now that Jon Chu (Justin Bieber: Never Say Never) has officially landed the directing gig on G.I. Joe 2, speculation now turns to the cast. Rachel Nichols, who portrayed Scarlett in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, recently sent out a tweet [via /Film] confirming that only a handful of the original film’s cast will return for the sequel. And by a handful I mean Lee Byung-hun (Storm Shadow), Ray Park (Snake Eyes) and Channing Tatum (Duke). Nichols then followed the tweet up with this statement:

“… Thank you. After the GI JOE news I had Heavy Boots, but I’m smiling now!”

This seems to suggest that Paramount is sticking with the small handful of characters who actually worked in the original film – one of whom has plastic lips that don’t move – and vetoing the likes of Sienna Miller, Marlon Wayans, Dennis Quaid, and even Joseph Gordon-Levitt who was clearly set up as the villain Cobra Commander in a potential sequel. This also suggests that Paramount is keeping the budget relatively smaller than the Cobra’s $175 million price tag. Of course none of this has been confirmed by the studio, so file it under rumor for now. G.I. Joe 2 is being written by Zombieland scribes Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick.

Update:  Paramount has settled on a August 10^th, 2012 release date for the G.I. Joe sequel.  More info here.

Jon Chu is Directing the G.I. JOE Sequel

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: February 25th, 2011 at 8:47 pm

Last week we reported F. Gary Gray (Law Abiding Citizen) Jon Chu (Justin Bieber: Never Say Never), and Jaume Collet-Serra (Unknown) were the leading candidates to direct the sequel to G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.   Well, it looks like Paramount and Hasbro have made their selection and it’s going to be Chu.   While his name might surprise you as you’d think bigger name directors might want to take on the property, Chu is apparently a big fan of Joe and with Never Say Never making great money for Paramount (already over $50 million), the studio felt he was the right man for the job.  For more on the story and how the studio might be recasting some of the main roles, hit the jump:

Stephen Sommers Won’t Direct G.I. JOE 2

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: January 5th, 2011 at 3:13 pm

Last August, we reported that director Stephen Sommers would return to helm the sequel to the dumb-yet-enjoyable G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.  Unfortunately, 24 Frames is now reporting that Sommers, who supported the arguably poor decision to not screen the film for critics, is off the project.  That’s a shame, because I think G.I. Joe understood what it was and the whole experience felt like a kid playing with gigantic playsets and action figures, which is appropriate considering the film is based on a toyline.  I spoke with other critics who also enjoyed the movie and while the original did a solid job at the box office, it shouldn’t have hidden itself away and subjected itself to negative speculation and rumors.

I’m curious to see what tack the sequel will take with Zombieland screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick penning the script.  24 Frames reports that Paramount is currently approaching other filmmakers to direct.

Columbia Pictures Seeking a New Star To Cameo In ZOMBIELAND 2; Updated

by Ben Garman    Posted: November 27th, 2010 at 5:50 pm

Columbia Pictures has another “superstar cameo” up their sleeves for Zombieland 2, the sequel to Ruben Fleischer’s hilarious 2009 zom-com. The news is tantalisingly sparse but hints that the studios are searching for another famed movie icon to briefly feature in the new film and presumably echo the hilarity of the mind-blowing surprise cameo in Zombieland. Also, we’ve news that in their second undead-bashing misadventure together, zombies aren’t the only blight for Woody Harrelson and Jesse Eisenberg to combat, as the script requires a ‘lead villain’ who’ll inevitably cause some trouble, and Harrelson’s character finds himself in hot competition with a “hunky rival”. Is it possible that this rival may transpire to be the ‘love interest’ we heard talk of in the past?

Hit the jump for suggestions of who might cameo. Spoilers and speculative spoilers follow.

UPDATE: Screenwriter Rhett Reese has denied the Zombieland 2 cameo rumors.  Hit the jump for more.

ZOMBIELAND Writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick Make Directorial Debut with DOC AND HOWIE

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: November 20th, 2010 at 11:00 am

Screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (Zombieland) will make their directorial debut with Doc and Howie. Steve Leff (Carpoolers) wrote the script — originally titled Doc and Howie Kill a Granny, it landed at number eleven on the 2009 Black List of Hollywood’s best unproduced screenplays.

The tone is said to be similar to Harold & Kumar, a comedy of errors wherein the titular characters romance the granddaughters of the elderly woman they… accidentally killed.  More after the jump:

ZOMBIELAND Writers’ Next Project: COWBOY NINJA VIKING

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: November 6th, 2010 at 10:46 pm

Screenwriting’s dynamic duo of Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese (Zombieland, Deadpool) have been tapped to helm the adaptation of the graphic novel Cowboy Ninja Viking, a tale of a schizophrenic assassin possessing the western grit of a cowboy, the deadly skills of a ninja and the berserker rage of a Viking.

Deadline is reporting that Disney has purchased the feature pitch for the Image Comics property, written by A.J. Lieberman and artist Riley Rossmo. In addition to their writing credits on Cowboy Ninja Viking, Wernick and Reese will also be producing alongside Mark Gordon and Management 360. Hit the jump for more deadly triple combos.

Creator Rob Liefeld Questions Whether Ryan Reynolds Will Still Play DEADPOOL

by Jason Barr    Posted: August 12th, 2010 at 4:12 pm

Life is full of decisions. That said, it’s safe to assume that Ryan Reynolds’ decisions aren’t of the typical “paper or plastic?” variety. As I’m sure you’re well aware, the Canadian actor turned, well, really popular Canadian actor has not one but two superhero film franchise leads at his disposal – Hal Jordan in Warner Bros. Green Lantern and Wade Wilson in Fox’s Deadpool. A nice problem to have to be sure, but a potential problem nevertheless. Picking up on the conflict-in-waiting is “Deadpool” creator Rob Liefeld whose recent tweet suggested that Reynolds may be too preoccupied with his turn in Green Lantern to juggle the “Merc with a Mouth” as well.

For more info on where Reynolds and the film currently stand, hit the jump.

Stephen Sommers Returns to Helm G.I. JOE Sequel

by Bill Graham    Posted: August 3rd, 2010 at 9:43 pm

Last summer’s G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra was a fun ride that knew exactly what it was aiming for and managed to hit every mark.  Much of that was thanks to director Stephen Sommers, who brought a childlike enthusiasm to the set every day.  Now, despite rumors that a rift might have formed between Paramount and the adventure-loving director, The Wrap reports that Sommers has signed on to direct the sequel to Joe — if you enjoyed the first, you will have a lot to look forward to.

For those that didn’t quite enjoy the first film as much as they hoped, join me after the break to find out why you may want to get on board this time around.

Robert Rodriguez in Talks to Direct DEADPOOL Starring Ryan Reynolds

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: August 2nd, 2010 at 9:07 am

Last month, we reported that 20th Century Fox had offered director Robert Rodriguez (Sin City) the chance to helm the super-antihero flick Deadpool starring Ryan Reynolds.  Today, 24 Frames reports that Rodriguez and Fox are in negotiations and that “the sides need to agree on a number of key points, but it’s moved beyond the casual discussion stage and into the more substantive realm of deal points.”  Rodriguez is currently at work on Spy Kids 4 and has Machete coming out on September 3rd.

Working from a script by Zombieland writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, Rodriguez seems like a perfect fit for the comedy-action movie Deadpool would be.  But remember, X-Men Origins: Wolverine had Oscar-winner Gavin Hood at the helm with David Benioff (25th Hour) credited as one of the screenwriters.  At least we can rest easy knowing that Deadpool won’t acknowledge the events of Wolverine.  Hit the jump to learn more about the character of Deadpool.

G.I. JOE 2 May Shoot in Spring 2011 and Hit Theaters in Summer 2012

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: April 30th, 2010 at 10:01 am

G.I. Joe 2 is aiming for to begin shooting in spring 2011 and possibly hit theaters in summer 2012.  In an interview with MTV, producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura said that Zombieland writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick are still at work on the script so while there’s nothing final, the current thinking is to try to shoot next spring and get the film into theaters the summer of 2012.  However, di Bonaventura remained cagey about which characters from the original film would return, and “It would make life a little easier to have a few less life a little easier to have a few less.”  As for whether the film will be in 3D, the producer said he’d be open to it but the decision rests with Paramount and the yet-to-be-named director would also have a big say in it.

I only recently caught G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra on DVD but I thought it was a fun flick.  It was the film equivalent of a kid playing with action figures and playsets, which is perfect seeing as that’s the origin of the whole property.

ZOMBIELAND Writers Talk Sequel, 3D, Potential Love Interest for Tallahassee

by Bill Graham    Posted: February 9th, 2010 at 6:27 pm

Zombieland scribes Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese have been a hot commodity recently, with news that they would not only write the upcoming Deadpool film, but also pen the G.I. Joe sequel. However, they recently sat down with MTV to discuss their sequel to Zombieland and had some interesting things to say.

Most notable is that they are interested in giving Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) a love interest, though they haven’t worked that out yet. Additionally, while they plan to keep the core group of Tallahassee (Harrelson), Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), Wichita (Emma Stone), and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) together, there are plans to introduce new characters.

After the jump, see what they plan for 3D and the further adventures of Little Rock.

Collider’s GI JOE 2 Scoop Confirmed

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: January 12th, 2010 at 12:58 pm

Last week, we reported that Paramount was moving ahead with a sequel to G.I. Joe and then updated the story with the news that Zombieland writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick would be handling the script.  Variety has now confirmed our report.  While there’s been no mention about whether or not Stephen Sommers will return to direct or if any of the cast will return as well, Reese and Wernick are solid picks.  They’re also writing the X-Men spinoff movie Deadpool starring Ryan Reynolds.

On a separate note, Variety does not credit us for our scoop on this story.  We find it frustrating that a respected news organization like Variety would not pay us the professional courtesy of citing our initial report.  Hopefully, they will change this practice in the future.

Exclusive: G.I. JOE SEQUEL is Happening; Zombieland’s Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick Writing G.I. JOE 2

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: January 6th, 2010 at 10:15 pm

While some didn’t think much of director Stephen Sommers G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, I had a blast watching the cartoon come to life, because that’s what it was.  Nothing more, nothing less.  And the people that understood that, well, they had a blast watching all their favorite characters on the big screen.

And even though some might think the film wasn’t profitable, the fact is The Rise of Cobra made over $300 million at the worldwide box office and I’m sure it helped to sell a lot of toys.  What I’m trying to say is, this film made people money, and when that happens, you get sequels!

More after the jump…including a MAJOR UPDATE:

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