Universal Pictures

Universal Planning Movie Based on LEGO Hero Factory Robots

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: May 23rd, 2012 at 5:23 pm

Fresh off a very disappointing opening weekend for Battleship (I actually didn’t think the movie was terrible), Universal has decided that it needs more movies based on existing toy/game properties.  Heat Vision reports that the studio is in negotiations to acquire the rights to LEGO’s Hero Factory line of toys, with Predators scribes Michael Finch and Alex Litvak onboard to write the screenplay.  The toy line actually has a mythology of its own, as the robotic characters hail “from a planet where a factory churns out robotic machines whose goal is to fight intergalactic evil.”

Though it was definitely marketed as such, apparently Battleship wasn’t Transformers-y enough for Universal so now they’re going all-out by turning what’s basically a knock-off Transformers toy line into a movie.  Seriously, this is two steps away from Transmorphers.

Universal Moves Seth MacFarlane’s TED Up to June 29

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: May 23rd, 2012 at 3:39 pm

Hot on the heels of the news that Paramount is pushing back G.I. Joe: Retalitation to March of 2013 at the last minute, Universal has swooped in and grabbed the film’s old release slot of June 29th for the comedy Ted.  The film is Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane’s feature directorial debut and this allows the comedy to open before the summer’s big superhero pics, The Amazing Spider-Man and The Dark Knight Rises, dominate the box office.  It’s a smart move on Universal’s part, as late June is void of any adult comedy releases.  Ted was previously set for July 13th, but now the film faces off against Steven Soderbergh’s male stripper pic Magic Mike, the dramedy People Like Us, and Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Witness Protection (sigh).

Ted stars Mark Wahlberg as a 35-year-old man who’s still best friends with his teddy bear, Ted (voiced and mo-capped by Macfarlane), after his childhood wish brought the stuffed animal to life.  The first red-band trailer was a bit polarizing, but  I thought Wahlberg hit all the right comedic notes and I’m looking forward to the film.

Nicholas Stoller to Direct TOWNIES, Starring Seth Rogen and Zac Efron

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: May 21st, 2012 at 3:49 pm

Coming off of his latest feature, The Five-Year Engagement, director Nicholas Stoller is lining up his next project.  THR reports that Stoller is now in negotiations to helm the R-rated comedy Townies.  Universal snatched the project up last summer and set Seth Rogen to star as a regular guy who lives near an alpha male fraternity house and has to contend with a raucous member of the fraternity (Zac Efron) who wreaks havoc on his life.  The casting made the project interesting to begin with, and now the addition of Stoller—known for his strong infusion of heart and comedy—makes the project even more intriguing.

Five-Year Engagement wasn’t exactly a box office hit, but Universal must be happy with the pic as they’ve tapped the Forgetting Sarah Marshall director to helm Townies.  The script was written by Andrew Cohen and Brendan O’Brien, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Stoller and/or Rogen take a pass.  In addition to Five-Year Engagement, Stoller co-wrote last year’s The Muppets with Jason Segel and is currently scripting a sequel alongside Muppets director James Bobin.

WARRIOR Director Gavin O’Connor to Helm Thriller YAKUZA

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: May 10th, 2012 at 1:53 pm

I have yet to catch director Gavin O’Connor’s fighter drama Warrior, but I’ve heard nothing but great things about the Tom Hardy/Joel Edgerton-fronted pic.  The film earned positive reviews, and O’Connor landed on the director shortlist for The Wolverine.  While he didn’t end up filling the director’s chair for the superhero sequel, he’s now set to direct another film that also takes place in Japan.  Deadline reports that O’Connor will direct the Universal Pictures thriller Yakuza, which centers on “an American intelligence expert who becomes embroiled in the affairs of a notorious yakuza godfather and finds himself plunged into the violent criminal underworld and toxic landscape of post-tsunami Japan.”

O’Connor will rewrite the script with Josh Fagin, and Brian Grazer is onboard to produce.  The director is also attached to helm the Peter Pan reimagining Neverland, as well as the thriller The Samurai for Warner Bros.  No word on which of the three projects will go first, but O’Connor has lined up a promising post-Warrior slate.

Illumination Entertainment and Universal Plan CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG Movie

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: May 8th, 2012 at 6:09 pm

Illumination Entertainment has only produced two animated films thus far (I’m discounting Hop), but they were both massive hits at the box office.  Despicable Me kicked things off in 2010 (Despicable Me 2 opens next year), and earlier this year they scored big with The Lorax.  The studio recently put a Cat in the Hat animated feature in development, and now they’re adding a non-Seuss feature to their development slate.  Heat Vision reports that Illumination and Universal will bring an adaptation of Clifford the Big Red Dog to the big screen.

Matt Lopez (The Sorcerer’s Apprentice) has been tapped to write the screenplay, and Chris Meledandri will produce for Illumination alongside Deborah Forte from Scholastic Media.  For those deprived of a childhood, Clifford follows a young girl named Emily Elizabeth and her 25-foot-tall dog.  Norman Bridwell authored the first Clifford book in 1963 and the character has been a staple of childrens books ever since, expanding into a television series in 2000.  Hit the jump for a clip from the TV show.

Universal in Talks to Make KICK-ASS 2; Jeff Wadlow Will Direct with Eye Towards August Production Start

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: May 8th, 2012 at 3:43 pm

While comic creator Mark Millar has been touting the “greenlight” for Kick-Ass 2 for years now, it turns out that production may finally get started this year.  Deadline reports that Universal is in talks to make a sequel to Matthew Vaughn’s excellent 2010 pic Kick-Ass.  Vaughn is currently busy developing a sequel to X-Men: First Class, so Jeff Wadlow will be taking over directing duties this time around.  Wadlow, who wrote and directed 2005’s Cry_Wolf and directed the 2008 fighting-centered Never Back Down, wrote the script for Vaughn who I’m assuming will be producing.  Hit the jump for more.

THE RAID Director Gareth Evans to Helm Heist Drama BREAKING THE BANK

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: May 4th, 2012 at 12:27 pm

Director Gareth Evans wowed audiences with his small budget Indonesian action film The Raid (titled The Raid: Redemption for US audiences), and now Universal Pictures wants him to tackle a heist drama.  Deadline reports that the studio acquired the fact-based drama Breaking the Bank as a directing vehicle for Evans.  The story is based on the book Heist: The True Story of the World’s Biggest Cash Robbery and the Sports Illustrated article Breaking the Bank, and tells the real story of former UFC fighter “Lighting” Lee Murray, “a mixed martial arts street brawler who masterminded the largest cash heist in history in England in 2006.”

Evans’ talent behind the camera was more than impressive in The Raid, and I’d be interested to see how he handles a film that veers towards the more dramatic side.  He’s set to direct a sequel to The Raid called Berendal in what’s planned as a trilogy.  Evans is also working as a producer on the American remake of The Raid.  Hit the jump to watch the trailer for Evans’ excellent The Raid.

Universal Plots THE ROCKFORD FILES Reboot with Vince Vaughn

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: April 17th, 2012 at 10:56 am

The latest television property set for a feature film update looks to be the private eye show The Rockford Files.  Deadline reports that Universal has set David Levien and Brian Koppelman to write a feature film adaptation of the popular NBC series that ran from 1974-80.  James Garner starred on the original show as an amiable, down-and-out private eye working out of his mobile home in Malibu.  As far as replacements for Garner go, Universal is developing the update as a star vehicle for Vince Vaughn.  When looking for someone to play a private eye who gets by mostly on his charm, Vaughn is the correct choice.

Levien and Koppelman have experience with crime-centered pics that are heaving on the comedy, as they also scripted Rounders, Walking Tall, and were recently set to pen the third entry in the National Treasure franchise.  Vaughn will next be seen in the sci-fi comedy Neighborhood Watch alongside Ben Stiller and Jonah Hill, and is set to reteam with Owen Wilson this summer to shoot Shawn Levy’s comedy The Internship.

Universal Confirms Digitally Remastered JAWS Coming to Blu-ray August 14; Watch Steven Spielberg Talk About the Restoration

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: April 10th, 2012 at 5:40 am

Though the rumors have been swirling about the release for the past few months, Universal has officially announced that a digitally remastered and fully restored Jaws will be coming to Blu-ray on August 14th in honor of Universal’s 100th anniversary celebration.  I’m beyond thrilled to own Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece on Blu-ray later this summer, and the deal is sweetened by some truly fantastic special features.  The Blu-ray combo pack comes with the DVD, digital copy, Ultraviolet, and over four hours of bonus features including the long-delayed feature-length documentary The Shark Is Still Working: The Impact and Legacy of JAWS.

Other special features include an in-depth look at the restoration process, a two-hour documentary called The Making of JAWS, deleted scenes, outtakes, storyboards, production photos, and more.  Basically, this set is a must-have for any and all cinephiles.  Hit the jump to watch a trailer for the Blu-ray and you can also see a cool eight minute video showing the extensive process that went into restoring the film.

PROMETHEUS Co-Writer Jon Spaihts to Reboot THE MUMMY Franchise

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: April 4th, 2012 at 1:04 pm

Because The Mummy franchise has shriveled up and died, Universal has decided to bring it back from the dead again.  Variety reports that Prometheus co-writer Jon Spaihts has been tapped to pen the screenplay for a reboot.  Says Spaihts, “I see it as the sort of opportunity I had with Prometheus: to go back to a franchise’s roots in dark, scary source material, and simultaneously open it up to an epic scale we haven’t seen before.”  I can only hope Spaihts is referring not to the Brendan Fraser movies, but the 1932 Boris Karloff picture.  I’m not sure how Spaihts plans to incorporate an “epic scale” to The Mummy, but it sounds like he’s trying to find a new angle on the franchise rather than simply do another goofy adventure tale like the previous Mummy movies.

Spaihts is also writing an untitled space adventure for producer Jerry Bruckheimer, the sci-fi script Passengers starring Keanu Reeves, and an adaptation of the graphic novel World War Robot (no connection to the upcoming zombie film, World War Z).  He previously wrote the script for The Darkest Hour.

Universal Wants Jeff Bridges or Michael Douglas for DIRTY GRANDPA

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: March 27th, 2012 at 11:59 am

Universal is looking to cast one of two film icons as the titular elder in the comedy Dirty Grandpa. The script was written by comedian John Phillips (Bad Santa 2) and centers on “a soon-to-be-married uptight grandson who is tricked into escorting his lascivious and recently widowed former Army general of a grandfather to spring break in Florida.” Vulture reports that Jeff Bridges has been offered the lead role, but in the event that The Dude does not abide, the studio plans on approaching Michael Douglas for the lead role. While the title and logline sound like a bad, straight-to-DVD Happy Madison movie, if either Bridges or Douglas signs on I will be 1000% more interested. Hit the jump for more.

Universal and Focus Features Win Bidding War for Erotic Novel Series FIFTY SHADES OF GREY

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: March 26th, 2012 at 11:41 am

Universal Pictures and Focus Features have come out the victors in the battle for the “mommy porn” series Fifty Shades of Grey. It’s not uncommon for studios to vie for the film rights to certain hot properties, but Fifty Shades of Grey is different for a few reasons. 1. The three-part romance series is heavy on the S&M and erotica, 2. The books rose to prominence as ebooks, and 3. Author E.L. James developed the story for Fifty Shades of Grey from her own Fan fiction work inspired by Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight books. What’s that last part, you say? Oh yes, we now live in a world where Twilight fan fiction is turned into bestselling fiction, which itself is turned into a hot feature film property. Hit the jump for more.

Universal Moves Sci-Fi Film OBLIVION Starring Tom Cruise Up to April 26, 2013

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: March 15th, 2012 at 4:48 pm

Director Joseph Kosinski’s (Tron: Legacy) sci-fi pic Oblivion will be arriving a few months earlier next year. Deadline reports that Universal has shifted the Tom Cruise-fronted Oblivion up to April 26th, 2013 from a previous release date of July 10th. There are currently no other film slated for that April weekend, but The Evil Dead remake opens a couple weeks earlier. No reason is given for the release date shift, but another Cruise film, One Shot, was recently moved up from early 2013 to December of this year.

In Oblivion, Cruise plays a veteran soldier who’s banished to the surface of a post-apocalyptic Earth and tasked with repairing ships that hunt down the aliens who destroyed our planet. When a mysterious woman (Andrea Riseborough) crash-lands nearby, their encounter sets off an eye-opening chain of events. The cast also includes Morgan Freeman, Olga Kurylenko and Game of Thrones’ Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. Production on the film just began in Louisiana.

Marc Forster to Direct COWBOY NINJA VIKING from a Script by ZOMBIELAND Writers Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: February 28th, 2012 at 2:07 pm

Despite not making very good movies, Marc Forster keeps getting signed for major projects.  He helmed the upcoming “adaptation” World War Z (the final film will probably have little resemblance to Max Brooks’ novel) and earlier this month we reported that he had signed on to direct the adaptation of David Fisher‘s non-fiction novel The War Magician.  Deadline is now reporting that Universal has signed Forster to direct an adaptation of the graphic novel Cowboy Ninja Viking for his next movie.  Zombieland screenwriters Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese wrote the screenplay for Disney, but the studio “deemed it too edgy” and Universal picked it up in turnaround.  Naturally, Universal is intent on spawning Cowboy Ninja Viking into a franchise.

Hit the jump for details on what sounds like fanboy word salad.

Relativity Sets STRETCH ARMSTRONG for April 11, 2014; Taylor Lautner No Longer Attached

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: January 30th, 2012 at 9:58 am

That Stretch Armstrong movie no one wanted is now set for April 11, 2014.  The film was previously set up at Universal, but the studio has been dumping its Hasbro properties as fast as possible, and the adaptation Stretch Armstrong was left looking for a new home.  The film has now landed at Relativity, the studio behind Haywire and the upcoming Mirror, Mirror and The Raven.   Taylor Lautner was previously attached to star with Rob Letterman (Gulliver’s Travels) set to direct, but they’re both no longer attached.

Hit the jump for the press release, which is more about Relativity being happy to team with Hasbro rather than any explanation about why anyone should make a movie about Stretch Armstrong.

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