JUNE, 25
SAM & TWITCH 2
Crime
The Cast: John Goodman, Tim Roth, Martin Short, Ramon Rodriguez, J.K. Simmons, Toni Collette, Michael Ironside, Jodelle Ferland, David Makalaster, Chad Taylor
The Director and Screenwriter: Matt Kubrick
The Producer: Midnight Movies
The Plot:
As the credits start rolling music plays softly over long shots of New York city. It's in black and white and you can see the steam rising from the grates and the manhole covers as people go about their business. The music is reminiscent of Angelo Badalamenti. It's dark but oddly soothing. Finally the credits end and the words Same & Twitch 2 appear over the New York Skyline.The words ten years ago pop up on screen, it's a court room scene setting and Sam (J.Goodman) and Twitch (T.Roth) are sitting in the back watching the preceedings. They helped catch a serial killer by the name of Billy (M.Short) he is a child killer. But because of police screw ups and mishandlings they were only able to pin one murder on him. The judge bangs his gavil and tells everyone to rise. He has made his decision. Billy is to serve the next ten years in a mental institution and if he is deemed sane he will be allowed to leave otherwise he will have to serve 10 more years. Sam in a fit of rage jumps from his seat and charges at the judge screaming at him and yelling murderer and monster while guards fight to hold him back. Half hour later Sam and Twitch are standing outside the court house. Sam lights a cigarrette. This isn't over he tells Twitch. Some day he will be out and he will screw up again. Next time we'll get him and he will go away for good.
The words now appear on the screen. It's three years later, Sam and Twitch have left the force they got tired of the politics and the police screw ups as well as the behind the scenes crime. They decided to open their own detective agency. It's a nice place with a few rooms and they have a secretary. They are getting ready for Billy's hearing. It's a few hours later and they are standing behind glass looking into a room. Sam is smoking a cigarrete his face partially obscured by smoke. They are both looking into a room watching Billy's hearing take place they can hear everything from over a intercom. Inside the room Billy is sitting calm and collected. Look at him Twitch Sam says. Billy's head doctor is named Tim Jones (D.Makalaster) and he is talking to several people, the ones that will decided whether Billy can leave or not. He tells them of Billy's improvements over the years how he is a better person. Finally his verdict comes in. Billy can leave the institution and make a new life for himself in normal society. Later that night Sam and Twitch are at their agency talking amongst each other. They can't make a move against Billy but they plan on using their contacts and keeping an eye on Billy as best as they can.
It's the next day and Sam and Twitch are busy solving another case. Some art has come up missing and they are acting as consultants to the police department. Right now they are going to someones home a possible break through in the case. But the person (C.Taylor) makes a run for it and they give chase moving through backyards and gardens. Finally they catch the man and Sam hits him and he gives up the details of the crime and gives up other suspects. They relay their information to the authorities. They cuff the man and wait for the cops. Finally a squad car with cops arrive and they take the man away.
Meanwhile a girl named Hillary (J.Ferland) 11 years old is walking down the street. She sees other kids buying ice cream from a truck that has pulled up to the curb. Inside Billy is serving them their treats. In the back of the truck is the body of the real ice cream man his throat apparently slit it sits in the bottom of an ice cooler. Hillary is the last in line and when all the other kids have left Billy explains to her that she can have a free ice cream cone and if she comes inside she can choose any flavor she wants for free if she comes inside. Hillary excepts and steps inside. Moments later the truck drives off. That night Hillary is sitting crying in a small room inside of a shack. Billy is sitting inside of a table. He's been told that this girl needs to stay alive a little while longer. The audience gets some subtle hints that there might be something more going on.
A few days later Sam and Twitch are talking with one of their contacts named Alan Nichols (R.Rodriguez) trying to sniff out Billy but the only thing that turned up so far is a stolen ice cream truck with a body inside. Billy seems to have so far fallen off the radar. Alan hasn't been able to discover the whereabout of Billy and can't find anything either.
The following night Mayor Williams (JK. Simmons) and his wife Laura (T.Collette) shows up at the detective's agency, they learn that their 11 year old daughter named Hillary has gone missing. They promise him that they're daughter will be returned and the responsible parties will be brought to justice. The next hour and 10 minutes are spent sifting through clues in a race against time to save the girls life. They will uncover a disturing plot involving a Newyork senator named Tom Wayans (M.Ironside) who has hired Billy himself to kidnap Hillary. There was some bad blood between Tom and the mayor and a lot of dirty dealings.
As the movie races on the pace gets more intense involving a stand off between Billy, the cops as well as Sam and Twitch. He is holding Hillary hostage with a grenade threatning to blow them both up. Hillary bites Billy hard on the finger causing him to shriek in pain. He loses his grip on the girl then the movie shifts into slow motion as Sam yells run!!!!!!!!!!!! Hillary runs for it as Billy releases the pin. There is an over head shot as Sam runs towards the girl finally grabbing her in slow motion and diving behind a car to shield her from the blast. All the cops hit the ground as Billy blows up.
Finally the movie flows back into normal time and everyone gets back up. It's hours later Sam and Twitch along with various cops are heading to arrest Tom Wayans. When they burst inside Tom holds a gun on them all and everyone elses pulls out their gun in another tense stand off. Finally Tom turns the gun on himself but Twitch shoots him in the hand causing him to drop his gun. Tom is arrested and taken away while Hillary is returned safely to her father.
Stark’s Comment:
‘Sam & Twitch’ made a nice box office back in Season 2 but it didn’t make net gains. Same as the original movie, this sequel is a visual bet that tries to translate loyally the look of the original graphic novels to the big screen. Uncertain future in box office for this very different kind of movie…
Behind The Scenes:
-‘Sam & Twitch 2’ is shot in black & white and 105 milimeter film. Its length is 2 hours and 20 minutes.
-Both Roth and Goodman’s bodies are digitally manipulated to look closer to the look of their characters in the graphic novels.
-Back in Season 2, Roth and Goodman were nominated for the Best Starring Couple GMA for ‘Sam & Twitch’.
-Matt Kubrick decided in the very last minute to replace Tim Robbins by Martin Short, after watching Short in a tv show.
-In the first movie, big stars like Robert De Niro, Angelina Jolie and Bruce Willis made cameos playing highly eccentric characters.
-Rumors say that the financial future of Midnight Movies might depend on the final breakdown of this movie.
THE GIRL WHO LOVED TOM GORDON
Suspense / Horror
The Cast: Elle Fanning, Cayden Boyd, Amy Ryan, Josh Lucas, Cuba Gooding Jr., Ryan Simpkins
The Director: Frank Darabont
The Screenwriter: Josh Collins
The Plot:
The story is set in motion by a family hiking trip, during which Trisha's (E.Fanning) brother, Pete (C.Boyd), and mother (A.Ryan) constantly squabble about the mother's divorce with her father (W.Patton), as well as other topics. Trisha falls back to avoid listening and is therefore unable to find her family again after she wanders off the trail to take a bathroom break.
She turns off the trail to pee but slips and falls down a steep embankment and ends up hopelessly lost, heading deeper into the heart of the forest. She is left with a bottle of water, two Twinkies, a boiled egg, a sandwich, a large bottle of Surge, a poncho, a Game Boy, and a Walkman. Now and then she listens to her Walkman to keep her mood up, either to learn of news of the search for her, or to listen to the baseball game featuring her favorite player, and "heartthrob," Tom Gordon (C.Gooding Jr.).
As she starts to take steps to survive by conserving what little food she has with her, and consuming edible flora such as beech nuts, checkerberries, and fiddleheads; her mother and brother return to their car without her and call the police and start a search. Naturally, the rescuers search in the area around the path, but not as far away as she has gone. The girl decides to follow a creek (though it soon turns into a swamp-like river) rationalizing that all bodies of water lead eventually to civilization.
As the cops stop searching for the night, she huddles up underneath a tree to rest. Eventually, a combination of fear, hunger, and thirst causes Trisha to hallucinate. She imagines several people from her life - mom, dad, brother, best friend Pepsi Robichaud (R.Simpkins) -, as well as her hero, Tom Gordon, appearing to her. Author Stephen King purposely makes it unclear whether increasingly obvious signs of supernatural events in the woods are also hallucinations.
Hours and soon days begin to pass, with Trisha wandering further into the woods. Eventually she begins to believe that she is headed for a confrontation with the God of the Lost, a wasp-faced, evil entity who is hunting her down. Her trial becomes a test of a very young girl's ability to maintain sanity in the face of seemingly certain death. Racked with pneumonia and near death, she comes upon a road, but just as she discovers signs of civilization, she is confronted by a bear — which she (in her own way) interprets as the God of the Lost in disguise. Facing down her fear, she realizes it's the bottom of the ninth, and she must close the game. In imitation of Tom Gordon, she takes a pitcher's stance and throws her Walkman like a baseball, hitting the bear in the face, and startling it enough to make it back away. A hunter who has come upon the confrontation between girl and beast frightens the bear away and takes Trisha to safety, but Trisha knows that she earned her rescue.
Trisha wakes up in a hospital to find her divorced parents and older brother waiting near her bedside. A nurse tells the girl's family that they must leave because "[Trisha's] numbers are up and [they] don't want that." Her father is the last to leave. Before he does Trisha asks him to hand her her Red Sox hat (autographed by Tom Gordon) and she points towards the sky, just as Tom Gordon does when he closes a game.
Stark’s Comment:
Based on Stephen King’s novel, a softer horror story than others from him hits the big screen. I am not completely sure of how it will work in box office as suspense is not the safest genre.
Behind The Scenes:
-Brian De Palma was Collins’ first choice to direct the movie. The Studio didn’t like that choice and proposed Darabont, who was accepted by Collins considering that he has directed King’s stories before.
-Cameron Bright refused the offer to play Elle’s brother. After starring ‘That’s The Way’, he wasn’t interested in playing a minor role. The CMP’s debutante Cayden Boyd replaced him.
-Amy Ryan and Josh Lucas have worked together before in other Collins’ movie: ‘Bedtime Stories 2’. Ryan Simpkins, who worked for Collins in ‘Married To The Supervillain’, was also seen in ‘Bedtime Stories’.
-This is the third time that Elle Fanning works in a Collins’ movie after ‘Velcro’ and ‘The Orphan Train’.
JOHN WAYNE MUST DIE
War / Drama
The Cast: Garrett Hedlund, Maggie Grace, Anton Yelchin, Will Patton, Julianne Moore. Cameo by Shia LaBeouf.
The Director: Ron Howard
The Screenwriter and Producer: Chad Taylor
The Plot:
"John Wayne,the definition of American hero. He killed Indians. He killed Japanese. He wasn't so good at killing the Germans.He left that to his sidekick. He was unstoppable. Somehow, he survived the Alamo. Killing the Viet Cong wasn't so successful. Nobody liked seeing him kill the Vietnamese or the Koreans. So he went back to the Indians. People didn't care about the Indians." Frank (Hedlund) delivers a stone cold death stare at the camera, after wrapping up this opening monologue.
1950's.As a young boy,Frank (known then as Franky) was never the brightest kid.He never got good grades,he had no big ambitions in life and he most certainly wasn't popular. His parents were strict (Patton and Moore).He had two good friends, Mikey and Joel.They were pretty much the same as him.They played Battleship,drank milkshakes and watched New York Mets games together.And whenever Frankie's parents treated him bad, he would escape to one of his friend's houses, where he could find comfort.On one night,The trio are walking down the railroad tracks, telling stories and laughing.They are kicking the rocks,and such,and Joel's foot gets stuck in the track.They laugh at first,thinking he's kidding and he can pull it out, but they soon find out that it really is stuck underneath it.They frantically try to help, before they hear the sound of a train's horn.Time stops. The screen goes to black.
At 17,he had dropped out of high school. He has now switched roles with his parents and now treats them bad.He works beside Mikey (Yelchin) at the local soda shop, not making very much money.One day at the shop,a beautiful young lady (Grace),walks in, and Frankie can't keep his eyes off of her.She orders,sits down and eats, without even taking a look at Frankie. Then as she gets ready to leave,she walks over to coat rack. She takes a look back, and their eyes meet. Frankie knew he had fallen in love at that very moment. He rushes over to her to help her put her coat on, and after he does, she shakes his hand and thanks him.She tells him her name is Maria.There was a slip of paper in her hand, which she gave to him during the exchange. He opens it and finds a phone number, he looks up and she looks back and winks.He spends the next few nights building up the nerve to finally call it. He does,and they meet up one night at a drive-in. During the movie, as Frankie rambles on about the production values, she tells him to shut up, leans over and they passionately kiss.
Skip forward a few months, and he is walking her through the park. "I'm going to marry you,and we'll have tons of kids,and I'll be so happy, you know why?" he says. "Why?" she asks. "Because anytime I'm away from home, I'll know that when I get back,from work,from dropping the kids off from school,from making a last second liquor run,I know that you'll be there as soon as I open the door,waiting for me.And I'll be waiting for you.I love you. " A smile creeps upon her face and she grabs his hand, lays her head on his shoulder, as the camera fades away, making the couple a silhouette in the sunset.
1969.Frankie is 19.His parents have now had a second child, a boy named Harry,which keeps them occupied constantly.He wakes up one morning, by a knock on the door by his father. He slings the door open, takes a seat on the bed, and softly says "Son...I've got news for you." He opens a letter that informs Frank that he has been drafted into the Vietnam War.We see his eyes glare at his father,as though he is looking through him. He takes a big gulp. The shot of his eyes fade into visions of warfare.Guerrilla Warfare.Blood drips from the face of American soldiers as they enter battle.Frankie,still sits on his bed, terrified.
He is now at camp, training for battle.We see him go through a series of drills,which are very tough on him physically.Then we see him with his comrades, sitting in a room with color tv. On it is a John Wayne film.That's all they could watch.Frankie knew why.He knew why they showed them John Wayne films.John Wayne doesn't die. A soldier should never die. But Frankie faced reality, and knew he,nor any of his buddies were John Wayne."St. John had the answer. St. John taught us, big and powerful is good. Small and weak is bad and must be killed. Or at least exploited.St. John told us that a man should take everything he can get, and the quickest way to get it is with a gun.St. John taught us that the first to use violence is the winner, the fastest to the trigger is the hero." he utters to himself.
Frank knows his fate, so he sits down with a set of papers and a pen.
"Dear Maria...You were my first and only girlfriend.Not only that,you were the first person to ever tell me "Stop smoking,your breathe is so nasty when we kiss" hehe.I guess love was always a weird concept to me.If I didn't have it,I was sad.But if I had it,I hid it.I always did that.I hid my emotions.But not to you.You gave me everything I could ever want.And you deserved everything I had to give.I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you.Oh how I would love one more kiss from your sweet lips.I guess when I'm up there,where ever I will be,I'll be having withdrawals from your sweet lips.The next time I see you,you better be in a wonderful mood.When you open the door,I'll be waiting for you.I love you."
"Dear Michael...you were such a great friend.I will keep this letter short because I know you don't like things that are long. Like your hair,if ever your hair would grow over the freckles on your forehead, you'd sneak the scissors out behind your mom's back and cut your own bangs.Maybe that's just because the girls loved your freckles haha good times,good times.I'm gonna miss you buddy.One night,I sat in bed and thought about what life would be like if I lost you.I'm sorry friend,but now you will have to do that about me.Love you Mikey."
"Dear Mom and Dad...I never treated you like I should've.I made life too easy for myself,which means I didn't need my parents there to help me with all of the little things in life,which is what they're there for.Mom,everyday you'd pick me up from school,you'd be there with a smile.I know on the outside,I looked mad at you, but mommy know that in the inside, I was smiling.And Dad,we never had the moments that most fathers and sons do.That's my fault.Anytime you wanted to go out and play catch or watch the game together,I'd always reject you to do what?Those same things with my friends?I hate it that one of our last bonding moments together is you sitting on my bed telling me I need to go here.I should've made the best out of the moments we shared.You know that I love you guys and that the last word I'll ever say to you is...sorry."
"Dear Harold...yes,I'm going to call you Harold,because when you open this,I want you to be 19.Got that Mom and Dad?Don't let him read it until he's 19!I never got to know you, which will be probably my biggest regret in life.I was at the hospital when you were born.You looked up at me and smiled,so I guess you kind of knew me.I remember when I first got to hold you in my arms.You grabbed my finger and bit it!I acted like it hurt,so you would laugh.You were so cute when you laughed.Mom and Dad said you looked like me as a baby.I must've been one good lookin' baby,then.Kid,don't grow up like me.I hope to hell by the time your reading this,you'll be in college somewhere, preparing for a big life ahead of you.Go out and make friends, so when you leave this world like I do,you won't leave one friend there to take all the pain.Be known for something. Be what I couldn't,brother.Be the man I always wanted to be,but couldn't be.Be fearless in life.Be John Wayne.I love you brother,do me proud."
He sits at the table,with tears rolling down his eyes. One tear drop fall on the last letter, just before he sticks it in the envelope.He sends the first to Maria,the second to Michael,and the last two to his parents.We then cut to him in battle. Frank and his comrades are taking on enemy forces,and eliminating quite a few.After several minutes of intense action, he finds himself in a bunker, unscathed.He looks out upon the battleground seeing all of the dead bodies and clinches his teeth."See you soon,Joel" he whispers to himself.He runs out into the action as the screen fades and gunshots are heard.
Frank's voice is then heard again, as the screen is black..."John Wayne didn't die. John Wayne lives in the souls of those who believe bullets speak louder than words, who believe a gun, a quick draw and a steady aim are the only Bill of Rights we'll ever need.John Wayne must die."
Post-credits scene:1987.A nice-looking young man(LaBeouf) enters his college dorm, and sees a envelope waiting for him on his dresser.It is from his parents.He opens it and finds a letter. A letter with a tear stain on it.
Stark’s Comment:
Third release of the week and third uncertain one. I must confess I don’t feel too confident about how will work in box office any of this week’s releases. I’ll just cross my fingers…
Behind The Scenes:
-Chad Taylor wanted Paul Haggis to direct this movie. But when the shooting dates of this production met with the shooting of ‘Alice’, Haggis had to abandon the project. It was then it was offered to Ron Howard.
-The title of the movie is taken from a poem.
-Will Patton worked before with Chad Taylor in ‘Riders Of The Storm’.
-Everybody at the movie’s team was surprised when LaBeouf accepted to make a cameo in the movie as he usually rejects most of the working offers that he is made from CMP.
A JAZZ TALE: Jazz music, mobsters, musicians, sexy singers, gangs wars, glamour and a vintage production design… Those are the main elements of the new Joey Stark’s screenplay. And to
direct this classic story, Stark has teamed up with a director that is a classic himself: Clint Eastwood. Best Director GMA Winner Clint Eastwood – who has directed before for CMP ‘Nagasaki Daydreams’, ‘Dakota North’ and ‘A Hard Place’ – will manage a starry cast for this classy production. And leading it will be the actor that seems to have become Joey Stark’s fetish star after ‘The Impossible Dream’ and ‘Kavalier And Clay’, the latest Best Actor GMA Winner Emile Hirsh, playing a wannabe jazz trumpeter. Also on top of the cast we’ll see a CMP’s rising star, Anthony Mackie, seen past Season in ‘Get Down’. And playing a jazz singer and Mackie’s love interest, the main female character of the story will be played by Ashanti, returning to CMP after ‘Storm At Home’. Eastwood will not only direct the movie but also compose the whole soundtrack of it.
WONDER WOMAN: THE HIKETEIA: ‘Wonder Woman’ was released three Seasons ago and it made a brilliant box office of 146 millions. Jon Favreau directed the movie. But Dawson Edwards announced recently there would be a surprise in this sequel. And the surprise is that the movie will have a new director… and a surprising one. The prestige and artistic Chinese director Zhang Yimou has unexpectedly accepted to direct this movie. And that means that Edwards wants a more artsy superhero movie than what these movies usually are. Interesting. Of course, Cobie Smulders will play Diana again.
STAR WARS: HOLOCRON INITIATIVE: The beautiful Brazilian actress Alice Braga joins the
cast of David Yates’ Star Wars movie. It has been also confirmed that Jason Statham, recently seen in ‘Suicide Squad’, will make a voice only work, same thing he did recently in ‘Dragonlance’. And Gary Oldman, not seen in CMP since the disaster of ‘Metal Gear Solid’, will make a cameo playing the same character he played in the first CMP’s Star Wars Trilogy, the sinister Darth Invictus. So the link between the old and the new CMP’s trilogy will obviously go through him.
THE RESURRECTED – THE FORGOTTEN PART II: One of the novelties of this second installment will be a new character entering in the story, an experienced mobster that will help Joseph Gordon-Levitt to rebuil his family empire… or maybe play all sides in the mobsters war. And to play this essential character, the chosen one will upgrade the interest of the new movie cause he is no other than the multi-awarded Johnny Depp. Depp was seen past Season in ‘Uncommon Valour: Only The Valiant’ and this will mean his 11th work for the Studio.
THE FLASH: BLITZ: Talents seen in the first Flash’s movie return in this one playing the same characters. Simon Baker will be again Hunter Zolomon, Flash’s ex-friend after he was paralyzed in the first movie. Derek Luke also returns as the police detective Jared Morillo. And Isla Fisher, not seen in CMP since the acclaimed ‘Running On Empty’, is also back as Flash’s love interest.
ONE NIGHT STAND: Edward Burns, previously seen in CMP movies like ‘Smoke Signals’, ‘Warland’ and ‘The Funeral Drum’, works again for the Studio in this action movie directed by Guy Ritchie. Also in the cast, Nestor Carbonell, making his debut in CMP.
SUNSHINE ON LONELY STREET: Trent Nielsen made his debut as movie director past Season
with the failed teen comedy ‘Out Partying’. But that has not discouraged him. He will direct again this romantic comedy also written by him. The starring couple of the movie will be two debutantes in CMP: Adam Brody and Abbie Cornish. The movie will tell the comes and goes of the relationship between a New York’s city taxi driver (Brody) and a young writer living in Hawaii (Cornish). Cornish got the job after the Studio considered that Nielsen’s first choice, Emma Watson, was too young to be believable in the character.
METROPOLIS: Just finished his work in the blockbuster ‘Invasion’, William Hurt is back to work in this other mega-project, the new version of the classic Fritz Lang’s movie now being directed by Steven Spielberg. GMA Winner Ian Holm, last time seen in CMP in ‘The Dark Tower: Waste Lands’, has also joined the cast of this big production starred by Cillian Murphy and Natalie Portman.
PRISON LETTERS: The parents of Dakota Fanning and Abigail Breslin in this drama directed by Francis Coppolla about the friendship between a convict (Jake Gyllenhaal) and a young girl (Breslin) are going to be played by Elizabeth Shue and John Carroll Lynch. This movie, written by Josh Collins, will mean for both their debut in CMP.
GRACELAND: Paul Giamatti, usually seen only in CMP in James Bradley’s movies, return to the Studio after his directional debut with the brilliant ‘The Miracle Men’ with this biopic of Elvis Presley written by Josh Collins and being directed by Cameron Crowe. Giamatti plays the villain of the story: no other than the devious Colonel Tom Parker, the man that controlled Elvis’ career from beginning to end.
CHAD TAYLOR – ‘JOHN WAYNE MUST DIE’
What’s the word most used when writing about Chad Taylor? Without doubt, ‘versatility’. Taylor is probably the most difficult CMP’s screenwriter to label. Along the 12 stories he has developed so far, he has already touched drama, comedy, animation, superheroes, historical adventure… So each new Taylor’s project is always a big surprise. Still looking for his big box office’s hit – although he already succeeded with ‘Justice League’ – and his definitive critical recognition – he only has one Best Screenplay GMA Nomination for ‘The Beatles’ -, Taylor keeps developing his huge creativity with all kind of different stories. This week, it’s the turn for a war drama, ‘John Wayne Must Die’.
1.After so many movies about Vietnam War, what novelties can be found in 'John Wayne Must Die'?
While many war movies in the past focused on the troubles experienced in Vietnam,this one leads up to a point where you know Frankie will have trouble.But it's because he's not a soldier.He was forced to come here,and after a eventful young life, he's accepted his fate. My movies don't usually deliver a moral message,but in this one,it's outlined in the title. The term is not meant to be taken literally,but figuratively.
2.You have chosen not very big stars to lead the cast. It's a risky
choice in terms of box office's appeal
To be honest,when I wrote the story, I had Joseph Gordon-Levitt in mind for the role. Him and I are very good friends, and I love working with him on the Forgotten movies, but we both agreed it was time to give the spotlight.Garrett proved to me in the actor screenings that he was fit for the role.I knew I would be taking a risk,but I knew it was what had to be done to make this movie feel right.
3.After a dozen of movies released, you are still more a critics' favorite than a box office's call. Does that bother you?
It hurts at times,on movies like Justice League and The Forgotten,but I've noticed that it's not very important.I do care about what people think of my movie, not how many see it.If only a handful of people go to see my movie,I'll be happy if they walk out with a good impression.But a big box office would be nice,too.
4.You are such a versatile writer, moving always from one genre to another. With what kind of stories do you feel more comfortable or identified?
I like writing stories that are capable of capturing people's feelings. Like John Wayne Must Die,Riders on the Storm or John and Tommie. The ones that deal with human emotions and that the audience can relate to.I've also had a lot of fun doing the Forgotten, because I'm able to play puppet master.Once I start writing the story,I can't stop.It's a thrill to work with your own universe (or Joey's).
5.The second installment of 'The Forgotten' saga is on its way, after the first one being a bit disappointing in terms of box office. What do you expect from this second movie and where is this story going to take us?
This story is going to excel from the first movie, and really set up for the third and final installment. If your an action buff,this may not be for you, but the story is really driven by Gordon-Levitt's character.I expect the box office to be better than the first, because we're bringing in some more veteran actors. But as I said earlier, the story and the series in all, is really fun to work with,and I hope the audience enjoys it.
CMP is getting close to its 400 movies released. Each time the Studio reaches a new ‘hundred’, it celebrates it some way. The 300 releases were celebrated with a collection of DVD Box Sets of some of the most famous CMP’s trilogies. Now, the 400 will be celebrated with another collection: five DVD Box Sets reuniting by genre movies that can be considered as CMP’s classics. So, beginning this week, for the five next weeks we will have an special DVD release. And the first one focuses on CMP’s comedy classics.
THE CMP’S CLASSICS COLLECTION
VOLUME 1: COMEDY
MARY’S DARK SIDE
Season 9
Zach Braff / Steve Connors
Cast: Zach Braff, Kate Hudson, Matthew Perry, Alec Baldwin, Annette Benning, Donald Sutherland
B.O.: 35 mill. / N.Gains: 24 mill.
GMA Wins: 2, Actress (Kate Hudson), Screenplay (Steve Connors)
GMA Nods: 3, Picture, Original Concept, Starring Couple (Zach Braff and Kate Hudson)
‘Mary’s Dark Side’ meant a revolution for the comedy genre in CMP. For the first time, a comedy became one of the most nominated movies at the GMA and was unanimously applauded by critics. Braff succeeded with his second directional job for the Studio, Hudson confirmed herself as a CMP’s top star after ‘Velcro’ and Connors won his first and only GMA. The sequence where Kate Hudson kills Sutherland of a heart attack when showing him by mistake her naked body is an absolute highlight in CMP’s History.
SCHROEDINGER’S LITTERBOX
Season 6
Richard Linklater / Ben Tyler
Cast: Zach Braff, Anne Hathaway, Seth Rogen, Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd, Seth Green, Ethan Hawke, Christopher Walken
B.O.: 51 mill. / N.Gains: 22 mill.
GMA Wins: 1, Screenplay (Ben Tyler)
GMA Nods: 1, Actor (Zach Braff)
Three Seasons before ‘Mary’s Dark Side’, Braff had already starred this surreal comedy written by the now retired Ben Tyler that has become one of the biggest cult movies of CMP. Intelligent – even intellectual – sense of humor, surreal and brilliant dialogues and surprising acting works by popular comedians are its main characteristics. Eight Seasons after its release, the movie is still remembered as a reference of the genre by all CMP’s fans.
WOODLAND CREATURES
Season 10
Adam McKay / Josh Collins
Cast: Ben Stiller, Amy Adams, Vince Vaughn, Seth Rogen, Michael Clarke Duncan, Ellen Page, Jaden Smith, Jon Heder, McKenzie Vega, Chris Tucker
B.O.: 262 mill. / N.Gains: 219 mill.
GMA Wins: 2, Supporting Actress (Amy Adams), Cast.
Originally conceived for the youngest audiences, this silly parody of animated animal movies became an amazing and surprising cinematic phenomenon for all audiences. It made an unexpected and awesome box office, becoming the most successful CMP’s comedy ever by far and still keeping his place as one of the top 5 best box offices in CMP’s History. It confirmed Ben Stiller as the undisputable king of comedy in CMP.
ELLE FANNING
We are always talking about Abigail Breslin and Dakota Fanning as the Queens of the CMP’s Young Stars Squad. But it’s about time that we dedicate some space to Elle Fanning. Without all the hype around her sister’s works, Elle has built up step by step a long, quality and successful career in CMP. Shadowed by her sister’s popularity, Elle is growing as an actress and star in a more quiet way. But ‘The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon’ can mean for Elle her definitive assault to the throne of young stars, now that she is still 12 and her sister and Abbie are stepping into teen age.
CMP’S FILMOGRAPHY
CELL MATES
Season 5
Joel and Ethan Cohen / Ted Froats
B.O.: 78 mill. / N.Gains: 47 mill.
Elle made her debut in CMP with this peculiar saga that told the adventures of two peculiar criminals played by Jack Nicholson and Johnny Depp. Elle played here Wynona Ryder’s daughter, severely wounded when fields of marijuana are burnt by Depp’s character. This peculiar action movie was a reasonable hit.
CELL MATES 2: HEARTS AND MINDS
Season 6
Brett Ratner / Ted Froats
B.O.: 83 mill. / N.Gains: 71 mill.
One Season later, the sequel of ‘Cell Mates’ was developed. Due to the usual creative differences, Froats fired the Cohen Brothers and hired the now very successful Brett Ratner to direct it. This second installment ended with a ‘To be concluded…’ as the story was originally planned as a trilogy. But Froats suddenly retired from CMP and the trilogy was never finished.
VELCRO
Season 7
Allison Anders / Josh Collins
B.O.: 23 mill. / N.Losses: 7 mill.
Elle worked for the first time with Josh Collins in this intense and critically acclaimed drama co-starred by GMA Best Starring Couple Winners Frances McDormand and Kate Hudson. In fact, Elle played Kate Hudson’s character in her childhood days. The movie meant the only box office’s flop in Elle Fanning’s career in CMP. But it is still remembered as one of the best Collins’ dramas.
THE GREEN CHILDREN
Season 10
Mike Newell / Matt Kubrick
B.O.: 166 mill. / N.Gains: 128 mill.
Finally, a lead role for Elle. She co-starred with Freddie Highmore the adaptation of this classic tale in a top budget adventure movie produced by Steven Spielberg. This movie is the biggest success of Elle in CMP so far. Elle entered with it in the A-list of young stars of the Studio.
YOGI BEAR
Season 11
Harold Ramis / Chad Taylor
B.O.: 75 mill. / N.Gains 80 mill.
Elle was part of this adaptation to the big screen of the adventures of the famous bear mixing live action and digital characters. The movie made nice numbers but it wasn’t the big blockbuster expected. Anyway, it confirmed that Elle had already become a regular in CMP’s movies where a young girl is needed.
THE ORPHAN TRAIN
Season 13
Danny Boyle / Josh Collins
B.O.: 53 mill. / N.Gains: 33 mill.
Second work with Collins and second lead role for her. Elle starred together with Chase Ellison this epic historical adventure. The critics surrendered unanimously both to the beauty and quality of this movie and to the wonderful dramatic work of Elle. She proved again she can carry on her young shoulders the weight of a big production and many critics claimed at least a GMA Nomination for her.
THE GIRL WHO LOVED TOM GORDON
Season 14
Frank Darabont / Josh Collins
Awaiting release
This movie proves that, although in a most quite way, Elle is building an acting career even more solid than Dakota’s or Abigail’s. In this case, it is not only that she plays the lead character. In fact, it is ONLY HER on screen during a long part of the length of the movie. A huge acting challenge for her and the definitve chance for Ellen to be confirmed as the new young Queen of CMP’s world.
Megan Fox, not so foxy anymore?
By Stephanie Stevens
We all knew it was going to happen, we just didn't think it was going to be so early on in her career. Megan Fox, a girl once considered by many as 'hottest female alive' does not seem so hot anymore. We see it all the time and it proves that if you're not careful, fame will eat you alive. Most people who actually cared about talent over looks already knew she was just in movies for people to stare at, but little did she knew that bending over a car hood half naked was going to be the highlight of her career. The rest of the idiots are moving on to other girls to look at. Megan isn't
topping as many lists as 'hottest female' in the entertainment articles. She is losing roles and her box office draw has been nonexistent. Has Hollywood realized that she isn't actually that big of a draw, that the only reason she even became a star was because of Transformers, a film people were going to see regardless of what good looking girl they were going to have to look at was in it? The same could be said about Shia LeBeouf, but that's a different story.
Megan's presence in 'Jennifer's Body' and recently 'Jonah Hex' couldn't save either film from being flops in the box office. Recently her work in Kingdom earned her little to no praise, all critics mentioning her said the same thing. Not only has her latest vehicles made it out of the driveway, she lost roles; Transformers 3, taken out of the one series that would have solidified her as a summer-movie draw. Then, most recently, she was considered for a role that could have made her a more credible actress: Elvis' biopic, Graceland, but the role was given to another actress who seems to be going down the pit of despair. Insiders say that writer Josh Collins personally pulled Megan out of the film cast lineup, saying he couldn't stand her acting.
Little is known about where Megan will be going in Hollywood and CMP, where her demand isn't all that big either. She will need to take initiative and work on craft instead of thinking that saying stupid stuff or being hot will get her far.
There’s life after ‘Lost’. Maggie Grace, better known as Shannon in the cult tv series ‘Lost’, makes her debut in CMP this week in the Chad Taylor’s war drama ‘John Wayne Must Die’. Now the tv show is over, this is the first step for Maggie to spread her working horizons and to begin building up a solid acting career on the big screen.
I remember writing here long ago that I hoped ‘Justice League’ would not suffer the same ego fights and internal problems that ‘The Avengers’ did. Well, forget it… It’s even worse! Let me explain all the details of this juicy story that deserves a monographic article…
Many months ago, it was Nicholas Cage who talked to Harry Stark about his idea of creating a
franchise based on the Justice League’s comics in which he would play Superman, a character he had already played in CMP’s ‘Captain America vs. Superman’. Stark liked the idea and announced it to all CMP’s authors looking for someone interested in writing the screenplay. Chad Taylor showed his interest. He wrote the screenplay, the movie was directed by Christopher Nolan and it became a nice hit, making a box office of 130 millions in Season 13. After that success, Stark encouraged Taylor to write a sequel, something that has already been done. Everything sounds perfect so far. But…
Recently, Dawson Edwards announced that he will develop a movie exclusively based in Superman. In his movie, Superman won’t be played by neither Brandon Rough nor Nicholas Cage but by a brand new actor never related before to the character. And, of course, a younger one than Cage. Edwards – responsible of the screenplays of most of the Justice League members’ adventures, like Wonder Woman or The Flash – has always worked coordinated with Taylor to keep a certain coherence between his movies and the ‘Justice League’ franchise. Still, nothing sounds controversial yet. But…
Chad Taylor liked Edwards’ idea of a younger and new Superman. His mind started to play with that idea… Isn’t Cage a bit old to play Superman?, begun to thought Mr. Taylor. And finally, he made up his mind: he would change the already written screenplay of ‘Justice League 2’ so Cage could be replaced by a younger actor – the same one chosen by Edwards, of course - with any plot pretext, like a de-aging experiment or something. Darkening skies were coming up… And…
Yes, when Cage knew about Taylor’s plans he simply let his anger run free. He claimed Harry Stark that, after all, creating the ‘Justice League’ franchise was his idea and not Taylor’s. So he demanded some respect. Cage announced Stark that he would not accept being expulsed of the franchise just because of a Taylor’s whim. Cage even looked for allies in director Christopher Nolan and Christian ‘Batman’ Bale. To make it short, Cage has simply declared war to Taylor. Storm breaks..
So what’s the situation at this point? Well, it’s the great thunder!
First, the pre-production of ‘Justice League 2’ has been paralyzed as the Studio is not sure if the screenplay already written will finally be the one to shoot or not.
Second, Cage has warned Harry Stark that if he is finally put away from the franchise, he will go to court claiming that he was the real creator of this CMP’s saga. Cage demands Stark to fire Taylor and hire another screenwriter to take care of the franchise.
Third, Christopher Nolan has decided to support Cage. Nolan has publicly stated that he ended up
very happy with Cage’s work in the first movie and that he won’t direct the sequel if Cage is not in it. Christian Bale has not made public his position yet. But remember that Bale’s condition to be in the first movie was that it had to be directed by Nolan. So, if Nolan goes out, Bale could easily follow him and the franchise would lose its Batman too.
Fourth, now there’s not an official screenplay for ‘Justice League 2’. Initially, it seems like Harry Stark supports Taylor. But that would mean that the franchise would need a deep redefinition and that a new screenplay would be needed.
Juicy, isn’t it? War is served and nobody knows at this moment who will win this battle between Cage and Taylor. At some moment, Mr. Stark will have to take a decision. And don’t expect the man to consider loyalties or ethic. At the end, knowing the guy, I bet it will only be what he considers better for the business what will condition which side he finally takes.
I promise to keep you updated about this delicious bloody fight.
SAM & TWITCH 2
Crime
The Cast: John Goodman, Tim Roth, Martin Short, Ramon Rodriguez, J.K. Simmons, Toni Collette, Michael Ironside, Jodelle Ferland, David Makalaster, Chad Taylor
The Director and Screenwriter: Matt Kubrick
The Producer: Midnight Movies
The Plot:
As the credits start rolling music plays softly over long shots of New York city. It's in black and white and you can see the steam rising from the grates and the manhole covers as people go about their business. The music is reminiscent of Angelo Badalamenti. It's dark but oddly soothing. Finally the credits end and the words Same & Twitch 2 appear over the New York Skyline.The words ten years ago pop up on screen, it's a court room scene setting and Sam (J.Goodman) and Twitch (T.Roth) are sitting in the back watching the preceedings. They helped catch a serial killer by the name of Billy (M.Short) he is a child killer. But because of police screw ups and mishandlings they were only able to pin one murder on him. The judge bangs his gavil and tells everyone to rise. He has made his decision. Billy is to serve the next ten years in a mental institution and if he is deemed sane he will be allowed to leave otherwise he will have to serve 10 more years. Sam in a fit of rage jumps from his seat and charges at the judge screaming at him and yelling murderer and monster while guards fight to hold him back. Half hour later Sam and Twitch are standing outside the court house. Sam lights a cigarrette. This isn't over he tells Twitch. Some day he will be out and he will screw up again. Next time we'll get him and he will go away for good.
The words now appear on the screen. It's three years later, Sam and Twitch have left the force they got tired of the politics and the police screw ups as well as the behind the scenes crime. They decided to open their own detective agency. It's a nice place with a few rooms and they have a secretary. They are getting ready for Billy's hearing. It's a few hours later and they are standing behind glass looking into a room. Sam is smoking a cigarrete his face partially obscured by smoke. They are both looking into a room watching Billy's hearing take place they can hear everything from over a intercom. Inside the room Billy is sitting calm and collected. Look at him Twitch Sam says. Billy's head doctor is named Tim Jones (D.Makalaster) and he is talking to several people, the ones that will decided whether Billy can leave or not. He tells them of Billy's improvements over the years how he is a better person. Finally his verdict comes in. Billy can leave the institution and make a new life for himself in normal society. Later that night Sam and Twitch are at their agency talking amongst each other. They can't make a move against Billy but they plan on using their contacts and keeping an eye on Billy as best as they can.
It's the next day and Sam and Twitch are busy solving another case. Some art has come up missing and they are acting as consultants to the police department. Right now they are going to someones home a possible break through in the case. But the person (C.Taylor) makes a run for it and they give chase moving through backyards and gardens. Finally they catch the man and Sam hits him and he gives up the details of the crime and gives up other suspects. They relay their information to the authorities. They cuff the man and wait for the cops. Finally a squad car with cops arrive and they take the man away.
Meanwhile a girl named Hillary (J.Ferland) 11 years old is walking down the street. She sees other kids buying ice cream from a truck that has pulled up to the curb. Inside Billy is serving them their treats. In the back of the truck is the body of the real ice cream man his throat apparently slit it sits in the bottom of an ice cooler. Hillary is the last in line and when all the other kids have left Billy explains to her that she can have a free ice cream cone and if she comes inside she can choose any flavor she wants for free if she comes inside. Hillary excepts and steps inside. Moments later the truck drives off. That night Hillary is sitting crying in a small room inside of a shack. Billy is sitting inside of a table. He's been told that this girl needs to stay alive a little while longer. The audience gets some subtle hints that there might be something more going on.
A few days later Sam and Twitch are talking with one of their contacts named Alan Nichols (R.Rodriguez) trying to sniff out Billy but the only thing that turned up so far is a stolen ice cream truck with a body inside. Billy seems to have so far fallen off the radar. Alan hasn't been able to discover the whereabout of Billy and can't find anything either.
The following night Mayor Williams (JK. Simmons) and his wife Laura (T.Collette) shows up at the detective's agency, they learn that their 11 year old daughter named Hillary has gone missing. They promise him that they're daughter will be returned and the responsible parties will be brought to justice. The next hour and 10 minutes are spent sifting through clues in a race against time to save the girls life. They will uncover a disturing plot involving a Newyork senator named Tom Wayans (M.Ironside) who has hired Billy himself to kidnap Hillary. There was some bad blood between Tom and the mayor and a lot of dirty dealings.
As the movie races on the pace gets more intense involving a stand off between Billy, the cops as well as Sam and Twitch. He is holding Hillary hostage with a grenade threatning to blow them both up. Hillary bites Billy hard on the finger causing him to shriek in pain. He loses his grip on the girl then the movie shifts into slow motion as Sam yells run!!!!!!!!!!!! Hillary runs for it as Billy releases the pin. There is an over head shot as Sam runs towards the girl finally grabbing her in slow motion and diving behind a car to shield her from the blast. All the cops hit the ground as Billy blows up.
Finally the movie flows back into normal time and everyone gets back up. It's hours later Sam and Twitch along with various cops are heading to arrest Tom Wayans. When they burst inside Tom holds a gun on them all and everyone elses pulls out their gun in another tense stand off. Finally Tom turns the gun on himself but Twitch shoots him in the hand causing him to drop his gun. Tom is arrested and taken away while Hillary is returned safely to her father.
Stark’s Comment:
‘Sam & Twitch’ made a nice box office back in Season 2 but it didn’t make net gains. Same as the original movie, this sequel is a visual bet that tries to translate loyally the look of the original graphic novels to the big screen. Uncertain future in box office for this very different kind of movie…
Behind The Scenes:
-‘Sam & Twitch 2’ is shot in black & white and 105 milimeter film. Its length is 2 hours and 20 minutes.
-Both Roth and Goodman’s bodies are digitally manipulated to look closer to the look of their characters in the graphic novels.
-Back in Season 2, Roth and Goodman were nominated for the Best Starring Couple GMA for ‘Sam & Twitch’.
-Matt Kubrick decided in the very last minute to replace Tim Robbins by Martin Short, after watching Short in a tv show.
-In the first movie, big stars like Robert De Niro, Angelina Jolie and Bruce Willis made cameos playing highly eccentric characters.
-Rumors say that the financial future of Midnight Movies might depend on the final breakdown of this movie.
THE GIRL WHO LOVED TOM GORDON
Suspense / Horror
The Cast: Elle Fanning, Cayden Boyd, Amy Ryan, Josh Lucas, Cuba Gooding Jr., Ryan Simpkins
The Director: Frank Darabont
The Screenwriter: Josh Collins
The Plot:
The story is set in motion by a family hiking trip, during which Trisha's (E.Fanning) brother, Pete (C.Boyd), and mother (A.Ryan) constantly squabble about the mother's divorce with her father (W.Patton), as well as other topics. Trisha falls back to avoid listening and is therefore unable to find her family again after she wanders off the trail to take a bathroom break.
She turns off the trail to pee but slips and falls down a steep embankment and ends up hopelessly lost, heading deeper into the heart of the forest. She is left with a bottle of water, two Twinkies, a boiled egg, a sandwich, a large bottle of Surge, a poncho, a Game Boy, and a Walkman. Now and then she listens to her Walkman to keep her mood up, either to learn of news of the search for her, or to listen to the baseball game featuring her favorite player, and "heartthrob," Tom Gordon (C.Gooding Jr.).
As she starts to take steps to survive by conserving what little food she has with her, and consuming edible flora such as beech nuts, checkerberries, and fiddleheads; her mother and brother return to their car without her and call the police and start a search. Naturally, the rescuers search in the area around the path, but not as far away as she has gone. The girl decides to follow a creek (though it soon turns into a swamp-like river) rationalizing that all bodies of water lead eventually to civilization.
As the cops stop searching for the night, she huddles up underneath a tree to rest. Eventually, a combination of fear, hunger, and thirst causes Trisha to hallucinate. She imagines several people from her life - mom, dad, brother, best friend Pepsi Robichaud (R.Simpkins) -, as well as her hero, Tom Gordon, appearing to her. Author Stephen King purposely makes it unclear whether increasingly obvious signs of supernatural events in the woods are also hallucinations.
Hours and soon days begin to pass, with Trisha wandering further into the woods. Eventually she begins to believe that she is headed for a confrontation with the God of the Lost, a wasp-faced, evil entity who is hunting her down. Her trial becomes a test of a very young girl's ability to maintain sanity in the face of seemingly certain death. Racked with pneumonia and near death, she comes upon a road, but just as she discovers signs of civilization, she is confronted by a bear — which she (in her own way) interprets as the God of the Lost in disguise. Facing down her fear, she realizes it's the bottom of the ninth, and she must close the game. In imitation of Tom Gordon, she takes a pitcher's stance and throws her Walkman like a baseball, hitting the bear in the face, and startling it enough to make it back away. A hunter who has come upon the confrontation between girl and beast frightens the bear away and takes Trisha to safety, but Trisha knows that she earned her rescue.
Trisha wakes up in a hospital to find her divorced parents and older brother waiting near her bedside. A nurse tells the girl's family that they must leave because "[Trisha's] numbers are up and [they] don't want that." Her father is the last to leave. Before he does Trisha asks him to hand her her Red Sox hat (autographed by Tom Gordon) and she points towards the sky, just as Tom Gordon does when he closes a game.
Stark’s Comment:
Based on Stephen King’s novel, a softer horror story than others from him hits the big screen. I am not completely sure of how it will work in box office as suspense is not the safest genre.
Behind The Scenes:
-Brian De Palma was Collins’ first choice to direct the movie. The Studio didn’t like that choice and proposed Darabont, who was accepted by Collins considering that he has directed King’s stories before.
-Cameron Bright refused the offer to play Elle’s brother. After starring ‘That’s The Way’, he wasn’t interested in playing a minor role. The CMP’s debutante Cayden Boyd replaced him.
-Amy Ryan and Josh Lucas have worked together before in other Collins’ movie: ‘Bedtime Stories 2’. Ryan Simpkins, who worked for Collins in ‘Married To The Supervillain’, was also seen in ‘Bedtime Stories’.
-This is the third time that Elle Fanning works in a Collins’ movie after ‘Velcro’ and ‘The Orphan Train’.
JOHN WAYNE MUST DIE
War / Drama
The Cast: Garrett Hedlund, Maggie Grace, Anton Yelchin, Will Patton, Julianne Moore. Cameo by Shia LaBeouf.
The Director: Ron Howard
The Screenwriter and Producer: Chad Taylor
The Plot:
"John Wayne,the definition of American hero. He killed Indians. He killed Japanese. He wasn't so good at killing the Germans.He left that to his sidekick. He was unstoppable. Somehow, he survived the Alamo. Killing the Viet Cong wasn't so successful. Nobody liked seeing him kill the Vietnamese or the Koreans. So he went back to the Indians. People didn't care about the Indians." Frank (Hedlund) delivers a stone cold death stare at the camera, after wrapping up this opening monologue.
1950's.As a young boy,Frank (known then as Franky) was never the brightest kid.He never got good grades,he had no big ambitions in life and he most certainly wasn't popular. His parents were strict (Patton and Moore).He had two good friends, Mikey and Joel.They were pretty much the same as him.They played Battleship,drank milkshakes and watched New York Mets games together.And whenever Frankie's parents treated him bad, he would escape to one of his friend's houses, where he could find comfort.On one night,The trio are walking down the railroad tracks, telling stories and laughing.They are kicking the rocks,and such,and Joel's foot gets stuck in the track.They laugh at first,thinking he's kidding and he can pull it out, but they soon find out that it really is stuck underneath it.They frantically try to help, before they hear the sound of a train's horn.Time stops. The screen goes to black.
At 17,he had dropped out of high school. He has now switched roles with his parents and now treats them bad.He works beside Mikey (Yelchin) at the local soda shop, not making very much money.One day at the shop,a beautiful young lady (Grace),walks in, and Frankie can't keep his eyes off of her.She orders,sits down and eats, without even taking a look at Frankie. Then as she gets ready to leave,she walks over to coat rack. She takes a look back, and their eyes meet. Frankie knew he had fallen in love at that very moment. He rushes over to her to help her put her coat on, and after he does, she shakes his hand and thanks him.She tells him her name is Maria.There was a slip of paper in her hand, which she gave to him during the exchange. He opens it and finds a phone number, he looks up and she looks back and winks.He spends the next few nights building up the nerve to finally call it. He does,and they meet up one night at a drive-in. During the movie, as Frankie rambles on about the production values, she tells him to shut up, leans over and they passionately kiss.
Skip forward a few months, and he is walking her through the park. "I'm going to marry you,and we'll have tons of kids,and I'll be so happy, you know why?" he says. "Why?" she asks. "Because anytime I'm away from home, I'll know that when I get back,from work,from dropping the kids off from school,from making a last second liquor run,I know that you'll be there as soon as I open the door,waiting for me.And I'll be waiting for you.I love you. " A smile creeps upon her face and she grabs his hand, lays her head on his shoulder, as the camera fades away, making the couple a silhouette in the sunset.
1969.Frankie is 19.His parents have now had a second child, a boy named Harry,which keeps them occupied constantly.He wakes up one morning, by a knock on the door by his father. He slings the door open, takes a seat on the bed, and softly says "Son...I've got news for you." He opens a letter that informs Frank that he has been drafted into the Vietnam War.We see his eyes glare at his father,as though he is looking through him. He takes a big gulp. The shot of his eyes fade into visions of warfare.Guerrilla Warfare.Blood drips from the face of American soldiers as they enter battle.Frankie,still sits on his bed, terrified.
He is now at camp, training for battle.We see him go through a series of drills,which are very tough on him physically.Then we see him with his comrades, sitting in a room with color tv. On it is a John Wayne film.That's all they could watch.Frankie knew why.He knew why they showed them John Wayne films.John Wayne doesn't die. A soldier should never die. But Frankie faced reality, and knew he,nor any of his buddies were John Wayne."St. John had the answer. St. John taught us, big and powerful is good. Small and weak is bad and must be killed. Or at least exploited.St. John told us that a man should take everything he can get, and the quickest way to get it is with a gun.St. John taught us that the first to use violence is the winner, the fastest to the trigger is the hero." he utters to himself.
Frank knows his fate, so he sits down with a set of papers and a pen.
"Dear Maria...You were my first and only girlfriend.Not only that,you were the first person to ever tell me "Stop smoking,your breathe is so nasty when we kiss" hehe.I guess love was always a weird concept to me.If I didn't have it,I was sad.But if I had it,I hid it.I always did that.I hid my emotions.But not to you.You gave me everything I could ever want.And you deserved everything I had to give.I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you.Oh how I would love one more kiss from your sweet lips.I guess when I'm up there,where ever I will be,I'll be having withdrawals from your sweet lips.The next time I see you,you better be in a wonderful mood.When you open the door,I'll be waiting for you.I love you."
"Dear Michael...you were such a great friend.I will keep this letter short because I know you don't like things that are long. Like your hair,if ever your hair would grow over the freckles on your forehead, you'd sneak the scissors out behind your mom's back and cut your own bangs.Maybe that's just because the girls loved your freckles haha good times,good times.I'm gonna miss you buddy.One night,I sat in bed and thought about what life would be like if I lost you.I'm sorry friend,but now you will have to do that about me.Love you Mikey."
"Dear Mom and Dad...I never treated you like I should've.I made life too easy for myself,which means I didn't need my parents there to help me with all of the little things in life,which is what they're there for.Mom,everyday you'd pick me up from school,you'd be there with a smile.I know on the outside,I looked mad at you, but mommy know that in the inside, I was smiling.And Dad,we never had the moments that most fathers and sons do.That's my fault.Anytime you wanted to go out and play catch or watch the game together,I'd always reject you to do what?Those same things with my friends?I hate it that one of our last bonding moments together is you sitting on my bed telling me I need to go here.I should've made the best out of the moments we shared.You know that I love you guys and that the last word I'll ever say to you is...sorry."
"Dear Harold...yes,I'm going to call you Harold,because when you open this,I want you to be 19.Got that Mom and Dad?Don't let him read it until he's 19!I never got to know you, which will be probably my biggest regret in life.I was at the hospital when you were born.You looked up at me and smiled,so I guess you kind of knew me.I remember when I first got to hold you in my arms.You grabbed my finger and bit it!I acted like it hurt,so you would laugh.You were so cute when you laughed.Mom and Dad said you looked like me as a baby.I must've been one good lookin' baby,then.Kid,don't grow up like me.I hope to hell by the time your reading this,you'll be in college somewhere, preparing for a big life ahead of you.Go out and make friends, so when you leave this world like I do,you won't leave one friend there to take all the pain.Be known for something. Be what I couldn't,brother.Be the man I always wanted to be,but couldn't be.Be fearless in life.Be John Wayne.I love you brother,do me proud."
He sits at the table,with tears rolling down his eyes. One tear drop fall on the last letter, just before he sticks it in the envelope.He sends the first to Maria,the second to Michael,and the last two to his parents.We then cut to him in battle. Frank and his comrades are taking on enemy forces,and eliminating quite a few.After several minutes of intense action, he finds himself in a bunker, unscathed.He looks out upon the battleground seeing all of the dead bodies and clinches his teeth."See you soon,Joel" he whispers to himself.He runs out into the action as the screen fades and gunshots are heard.
Frank's voice is then heard again, as the screen is black..."John Wayne didn't die. John Wayne lives in the souls of those who believe bullets speak louder than words, who believe a gun, a quick draw and a steady aim are the only Bill of Rights we'll ever need.John Wayne must die."
Post-credits scene:1987.A nice-looking young man(LaBeouf) enters his college dorm, and sees a envelope waiting for him on his dresser.It is from his parents.He opens it and finds a letter. A letter with a tear stain on it.
Stark’s Comment:
Third release of the week and third uncertain one. I must confess I don’t feel too confident about how will work in box office any of this week’s releases. I’ll just cross my fingers…
Behind The Scenes:
-Chad Taylor wanted Paul Haggis to direct this movie. But when the shooting dates of this production met with the shooting of ‘Alice’, Haggis had to abandon the project. It was then it was offered to Ron Howard.
-The title of the movie is taken from a poem.
-Will Patton worked before with Chad Taylor in ‘Riders Of The Storm’.
-Everybody at the movie’s team was surprised when LaBeouf accepted to make a cameo in the movie as he usually rejects most of the working offers that he is made from CMP.
A JAZZ TALE: Jazz music, mobsters, musicians, sexy singers, gangs wars, glamour and a vintage production design… Those are the main elements of the new Joey Stark’s screenplay. And to
direct this classic story, Stark has teamed up with a director that is a classic himself: Clint Eastwood. Best Director GMA Winner Clint Eastwood – who has directed before for CMP ‘Nagasaki Daydreams’, ‘Dakota North’ and ‘A Hard Place’ – will manage a starry cast for this classy production. And leading it will be the actor that seems to have become Joey Stark’s fetish star after ‘The Impossible Dream’ and ‘Kavalier And Clay’, the latest Best Actor GMA Winner Emile Hirsh, playing a wannabe jazz trumpeter. Also on top of the cast we’ll see a CMP’s rising star, Anthony Mackie, seen past Season in ‘Get Down’. And playing a jazz singer and Mackie’s love interest, the main female character of the story will be played by Ashanti, returning to CMP after ‘Storm At Home’. Eastwood will not only direct the movie but also compose the whole soundtrack of it.WONDER WOMAN: THE HIKETEIA: ‘Wonder Woman’ was released three Seasons ago and it made a brilliant box office of 146 millions. Jon Favreau directed the movie. But Dawson Edwards announced recently there would be a surprise in this sequel. And the surprise is that the movie will have a new director… and a surprising one. The prestige and artistic Chinese director Zhang Yimou has unexpectedly accepted to direct this movie. And that means that Edwards wants a more artsy superhero movie than what these movies usually are. Interesting. Of course, Cobie Smulders will play Diana again.
STAR WARS: HOLOCRON INITIATIVE: The beautiful Brazilian actress Alice Braga joins the
cast of David Yates’ Star Wars movie. It has been also confirmed that Jason Statham, recently seen in ‘Suicide Squad’, will make a voice only work, same thing he did recently in ‘Dragonlance’. And Gary Oldman, not seen in CMP since the disaster of ‘Metal Gear Solid’, will make a cameo playing the same character he played in the first CMP’s Star Wars Trilogy, the sinister Darth Invictus. So the link between the old and the new CMP’s trilogy will obviously go through him.THE RESURRECTED – THE FORGOTTEN PART II: One of the novelties of this second installment will be a new character entering in the story, an experienced mobster that will help Joseph Gordon-Levitt to rebuil his family empire… or maybe play all sides in the mobsters war. And to play this essential character, the chosen one will upgrade the interest of the new movie cause he is no other than the multi-awarded Johnny Depp. Depp was seen past Season in ‘Uncommon Valour: Only The Valiant’ and this will mean his 11th work for the Studio.
THE FLASH: BLITZ: Talents seen in the first Flash’s movie return in this one playing the same characters. Simon Baker will be again Hunter Zolomon, Flash’s ex-friend after he was paralyzed in the first movie. Derek Luke also returns as the police detective Jared Morillo. And Isla Fisher, not seen in CMP since the acclaimed ‘Running On Empty’, is also back as Flash’s love interest.ONE NIGHT STAND: Edward Burns, previously seen in CMP movies like ‘Smoke Signals’, ‘Warland’ and ‘The Funeral Drum’, works again for the Studio in this action movie directed by Guy Ritchie. Also in the cast, Nestor Carbonell, making his debut in CMP.
SUNSHINE ON LONELY STREET: Trent Nielsen made his debut as movie director past Season
with the failed teen comedy ‘Out Partying’. But that has not discouraged him. He will direct again this romantic comedy also written by him. The starring couple of the movie will be two debutantes in CMP: Adam Brody and Abbie Cornish. The movie will tell the comes and goes of the relationship between a New York’s city taxi driver (Brody) and a young writer living in Hawaii (Cornish). Cornish got the job after the Studio considered that Nielsen’s first choice, Emma Watson, was too young to be believable in the character.METROPOLIS: Just finished his work in the blockbuster ‘Invasion’, William Hurt is back to work in this other mega-project, the new version of the classic Fritz Lang’s movie now being directed by Steven Spielberg. GMA Winner Ian Holm, last time seen in CMP in ‘The Dark Tower: Waste Lands’, has also joined the cast of this big production starred by Cillian Murphy and Natalie Portman.
PRISON LETTERS: The parents of Dakota Fanning and Abigail Breslin in this drama directed by Francis Coppolla about the friendship between a convict (Jake Gyllenhaal) and a young girl (Breslin) are going to be played by Elizabeth Shue and John Carroll Lynch. This movie, written by Josh Collins, will mean for both their debut in CMP.GRACELAND: Paul Giamatti, usually seen only in CMP in James Bradley’s movies, return to the Studio after his directional debut with the brilliant ‘The Miracle Men’ with this biopic of Elvis Presley written by Josh Collins and being directed by Cameron Crowe. Giamatti plays the villain of the story: no other than the devious Colonel Tom Parker, the man that controlled Elvis’ career from beginning to end.
CHAD TAYLOR – ‘JOHN WAYNE MUST DIE’
What’s the word most used when writing about Chad Taylor? Without doubt, ‘versatility’. Taylor is probably the most difficult CMP’s screenwriter to label. Along the 12 stories he has developed so far, he has already touched drama, comedy, animation, superheroes, historical adventure… So each new Taylor’s project is always a big surprise. Still looking for his big box office’s hit – although he already succeeded with ‘Justice League’ – and his definitive critical recognition – he only has one Best Screenplay GMA Nomination for ‘The Beatles’ -, Taylor keeps developing his huge creativity with all kind of different stories. This week, it’s the turn for a war drama, ‘John Wayne Must Die’.
1.After so many movies about Vietnam War, what novelties can be found in 'John Wayne Must Die'?
While many war movies in the past focused on the troubles experienced in Vietnam,this one leads up to a point where you know Frankie will have trouble.But it's because he's not a soldier.He was forced to come here,and after a eventful young life, he's accepted his fate. My movies don't usually deliver a moral message,but in this one,it's outlined in the title. The term is not meant to be taken literally,but figuratively.
2.You have chosen not very big stars to lead the cast. It's a risky
choice in terms of box office's appealTo be honest,when I wrote the story, I had Joseph Gordon-Levitt in mind for the role. Him and I are very good friends, and I love working with him on the Forgotten movies, but we both agreed it was time to give the spotlight.Garrett proved to me in the actor screenings that he was fit for the role.I knew I would be taking a risk,but I knew it was what had to be done to make this movie feel right.
3.After a dozen of movies released, you are still more a critics' favorite than a box office's call. Does that bother you?
It hurts at times,on movies like Justice League and The Forgotten,but I've noticed that it's not very important.I do care about what people think of my movie, not how many see it.If only a handful of people go to see my movie,I'll be happy if they walk out with a good impression.But a big box office would be nice,too.
4.You are such a versatile writer, moving always from one genre to another. With what kind of stories do you feel more comfortable or identified?
I like writing stories that are capable of capturing people's feelings. Like John Wayne Must Die,Riders on the Storm or John and Tommie. The ones that deal with human emotions and that the audience can relate to.I've also had a lot of fun doing the Forgotten, because I'm able to play puppet master.Once I start writing the story,I can't stop.It's a thrill to work with your own universe (or Joey's).
5.The second installment of 'The Forgotten' saga is on its way, after the first one being a bit disappointing in terms of box office. What do you expect from this second movie and where is this story going to take us?
This story is going to excel from the first movie, and really set up for the third and final installment. If your an action buff,this may not be for you, but the story is really driven by Gordon-Levitt's character.I expect the box office to be better than the first, because we're bringing in some more veteran actors. But as I said earlier, the story and the series in all, is really fun to work with,and I hope the audience enjoys it.
CMP is getting close to its 400 movies released. Each time the Studio reaches a new ‘hundred’, it celebrates it some way. The 300 releases were celebrated with a collection of DVD Box Sets of some of the most famous CMP’s trilogies. Now, the 400 will be celebrated with another collection: five DVD Box Sets reuniting by genre movies that can be considered as CMP’s classics. So, beginning this week, for the five next weeks we will have an special DVD release. And the first one focuses on CMP’s comedy classics.
THE CMP’S CLASSICS COLLECTION
VOLUME 1: COMEDY
MARY’S DARK SIDE
Season 9
Zach Braff / Steve Connors
Cast: Zach Braff, Kate Hudson, Matthew Perry, Alec Baldwin, Annette Benning, Donald Sutherland
B.O.: 35 mill. / N.Gains: 24 mill.
GMA Wins: 2, Actress (Kate Hudson), Screenplay (Steve Connors)
GMA Nods: 3, Picture, Original Concept, Starring Couple (Zach Braff and Kate Hudson)
‘Mary’s Dark Side’ meant a revolution for the comedy genre in CMP. For the first time, a comedy became one of the most nominated movies at the GMA and was unanimously applauded by critics. Braff succeeded with his second directional job for the Studio, Hudson confirmed herself as a CMP’s top star after ‘Velcro’ and Connors won his first and only GMA. The sequence where Kate Hudson kills Sutherland of a heart attack when showing him by mistake her naked body is an absolute highlight in CMP’s History.
SCHROEDINGER’S LITTERBOX
Season 6
Richard Linklater / Ben Tyler
Cast: Zach Braff, Anne Hathaway, Seth Rogen, Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd, Seth Green, Ethan Hawke, Christopher Walken
B.O.: 51 mill. / N.Gains: 22 mill.
GMA Wins: 1, Screenplay (Ben Tyler)
GMA Nods: 1, Actor (Zach Braff)
Three Seasons before ‘Mary’s Dark Side’, Braff had already starred this surreal comedy written by the now retired Ben Tyler that has become one of the biggest cult movies of CMP. Intelligent – even intellectual – sense of humor, surreal and brilliant dialogues and surprising acting works by popular comedians are its main characteristics. Eight Seasons after its release, the movie is still remembered as a reference of the genre by all CMP’s fans.
WOODLAND CREATURES
Season 10
Adam McKay / Josh Collins
Cast: Ben Stiller, Amy Adams, Vince Vaughn, Seth Rogen, Michael Clarke Duncan, Ellen Page, Jaden Smith, Jon Heder, McKenzie Vega, Chris Tucker
B.O.: 262 mill. / N.Gains: 219 mill.
GMA Wins: 2, Supporting Actress (Amy Adams), Cast.
Originally conceived for the youngest audiences, this silly parody of animated animal movies became an amazing and surprising cinematic phenomenon for all audiences. It made an unexpected and awesome box office, becoming the most successful CMP’s comedy ever by far and still keeping his place as one of the top 5 best box offices in CMP’s History. It confirmed Ben Stiller as the undisputable king of comedy in CMP.
ELLE FANNING
We are always talking about Abigail Breslin and Dakota Fanning as the Queens of the CMP’s Young Stars Squad. But it’s about time that we dedicate some space to Elle Fanning. Without all the hype around her sister’s works, Elle has built up step by step a long, quality and successful career in CMP. Shadowed by her sister’s popularity, Elle is growing as an actress and star in a more quiet way. But ‘The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon’ can mean for Elle her definitive assault to the throne of young stars, now that she is still 12 and her sister and Abbie are stepping into teen age.
CMP’S FILMOGRAPHY
CELL MATES
Season 5
Joel and Ethan Cohen / Ted Froats
B.O.: 78 mill. / N.Gains: 47 mill.
Elle made her debut in CMP with this peculiar saga that told the adventures of two peculiar criminals played by Jack Nicholson and Johnny Depp. Elle played here Wynona Ryder’s daughter, severely wounded when fields of marijuana are burnt by Depp’s character. This peculiar action movie was a reasonable hit.
CELL MATES 2: HEARTS AND MINDS
Season 6
Brett Ratner / Ted Froats
B.O.: 83 mill. / N.Gains: 71 mill.
One Season later, the sequel of ‘Cell Mates’ was developed. Due to the usual creative differences, Froats fired the Cohen Brothers and hired the now very successful Brett Ratner to direct it. This second installment ended with a ‘To be concluded…’ as the story was originally planned as a trilogy. But Froats suddenly retired from CMP and the trilogy was never finished.
VELCRO
Season 7
Allison Anders / Josh Collins
B.O.: 23 mill. / N.Losses: 7 mill.
Elle worked for the first time with Josh Collins in this intense and critically acclaimed drama co-starred by GMA Best Starring Couple Winners Frances McDormand and Kate Hudson. In fact, Elle played Kate Hudson’s character in her childhood days. The movie meant the only box office’s flop in Elle Fanning’s career in CMP. But it is still remembered as one of the best Collins’ dramas.
THE GREEN CHILDREN
Season 10
Mike Newell / Matt Kubrick
B.O.: 166 mill. / N.Gains: 128 mill.
Finally, a lead role for Elle. She co-starred with Freddie Highmore the adaptation of this classic tale in a top budget adventure movie produced by Steven Spielberg. This movie is the biggest success of Elle in CMP so far. Elle entered with it in the A-list of young stars of the Studio.
YOGI BEAR
Season 11
Harold Ramis / Chad Taylor
B.O.: 75 mill. / N.Gains 80 mill.
Elle was part of this adaptation to the big screen of the adventures of the famous bear mixing live action and digital characters. The movie made nice numbers but it wasn’t the big blockbuster expected. Anyway, it confirmed that Elle had already become a regular in CMP’s movies where a young girl is needed.
THE ORPHAN TRAIN
Season 13
Danny Boyle / Josh Collins
B.O.: 53 mill. / N.Gains: 33 mill.
Second work with Collins and second lead role for her. Elle starred together with Chase Ellison this epic historical adventure. The critics surrendered unanimously both to the beauty and quality of this movie and to the wonderful dramatic work of Elle. She proved again she can carry on her young shoulders the weight of a big production and many critics claimed at least a GMA Nomination for her.
THE GIRL WHO LOVED TOM GORDON
Season 14
Frank Darabont / Josh Collins
Awaiting release
This movie proves that, although in a most quite way, Elle is building an acting career even more solid than Dakota’s or Abigail’s. In this case, it is not only that she plays the lead character. In fact, it is ONLY HER on screen during a long part of the length of the movie. A huge acting challenge for her and the definitve chance for Ellen to be confirmed as the new young Queen of CMP’s world.
Megan Fox, not so foxy anymore?
By Stephanie Stevens
We all knew it was going to happen, we just didn't think it was going to be so early on in her career. Megan Fox, a girl once considered by many as 'hottest female alive' does not seem so hot anymore. We see it all the time and it proves that if you're not careful, fame will eat you alive. Most people who actually cared about talent over looks already knew she was just in movies for people to stare at, but little did she knew that bending over a car hood half naked was going to be the highlight of her career. The rest of the idiots are moving on to other girls to look at. Megan isn't
topping as many lists as 'hottest female' in the entertainment articles. She is losing roles and her box office draw has been nonexistent. Has Hollywood realized that she isn't actually that big of a draw, that the only reason she even became a star was because of Transformers, a film people were going to see regardless of what good looking girl they were going to have to look at was in it? The same could be said about Shia LeBeouf, but that's a different story.Megan's presence in 'Jennifer's Body' and recently 'Jonah Hex' couldn't save either film from being flops in the box office. Recently her work in Kingdom earned her little to no praise, all critics mentioning her said the same thing. Not only has her latest vehicles made it out of the driveway, she lost roles; Transformers 3, taken out of the one series that would have solidified her as a summer-movie draw. Then, most recently, she was considered for a role that could have made her a more credible actress: Elvis' biopic, Graceland, but the role was given to another actress who seems to be going down the pit of despair. Insiders say that writer Josh Collins personally pulled Megan out of the film cast lineup, saying he couldn't stand her acting.
Little is known about where Megan will be going in Hollywood and CMP, where her demand isn't all that big either. She will need to take initiative and work on craft instead of thinking that saying stupid stuff or being hot will get her far.
There’s life after ‘Lost’. Maggie Grace, better known as Shannon in the cult tv series ‘Lost’, makes her debut in CMP this week in the Chad Taylor’s war drama ‘John Wayne Must Die’. Now the tv show is over, this is the first step for Maggie to spread her working horizons and to begin building up a solid acting career on the big screen.
I remember writing here long ago that I hoped ‘Justice League’ would not suffer the same ego fights and internal problems that ‘The Avengers’ did. Well, forget it… It’s even worse! Let me explain all the details of this juicy story that deserves a monographic article…
Many months ago, it was Nicholas Cage who talked to Harry Stark about his idea of creating a
franchise based on the Justice League’s comics in which he would play Superman, a character he had already played in CMP’s ‘Captain America vs. Superman’. Stark liked the idea and announced it to all CMP’s authors looking for someone interested in writing the screenplay. Chad Taylor showed his interest. He wrote the screenplay, the movie was directed by Christopher Nolan and it became a nice hit, making a box office of 130 millions in Season 13. After that success, Stark encouraged Taylor to write a sequel, something that has already been done. Everything sounds perfect so far. But…Recently, Dawson Edwards announced that he will develop a movie exclusively based in Superman. In his movie, Superman won’t be played by neither Brandon Rough nor Nicholas Cage but by a brand new actor never related before to the character. And, of course, a younger one than Cage. Edwards – responsible of the screenplays of most of the Justice League members’ adventures, like Wonder Woman or The Flash – has always worked coordinated with Taylor to keep a certain coherence between his movies and the ‘Justice League’ franchise. Still, nothing sounds controversial yet. But…
Chad Taylor liked Edwards’ idea of a younger and new Superman. His mind started to play with that idea… Isn’t Cage a bit old to play Superman?, begun to thought Mr. Taylor. And finally, he made up his mind: he would change the already written screenplay of ‘Justice League 2’ so Cage could be replaced by a younger actor – the same one chosen by Edwards, of course - with any plot pretext, like a de-aging experiment or something. Darkening skies were coming up… And…Yes, when Cage knew about Taylor’s plans he simply let his anger run free. He claimed Harry Stark that, after all, creating the ‘Justice League’ franchise was his idea and not Taylor’s. So he demanded some respect. Cage announced Stark that he would not accept being expulsed of the franchise just because of a Taylor’s whim. Cage even looked for allies in director Christopher Nolan and Christian ‘Batman’ Bale. To make it short, Cage has simply declared war to Taylor. Storm breaks..
So what’s the situation at this point? Well, it’s the great thunder!
First, the pre-production of ‘Justice League 2’ has been paralyzed as the Studio is not sure if the screenplay already written will finally be the one to shoot or not.
Second, Cage has warned Harry Stark that if he is finally put away from the franchise, he will go to court claiming that he was the real creator of this CMP’s saga. Cage demands Stark to fire Taylor and hire another screenwriter to take care of the franchise.
Third, Christopher Nolan has decided to support Cage. Nolan has publicly stated that he ended up
very happy with Cage’s work in the first movie and that he won’t direct the sequel if Cage is not in it. Christian Bale has not made public his position yet. But remember that Bale’s condition to be in the first movie was that it had to be directed by Nolan. So, if Nolan goes out, Bale could easily follow him and the franchise would lose its Batman too.Fourth, now there’s not an official screenplay for ‘Justice League 2’. Initially, it seems like Harry Stark supports Taylor. But that would mean that the franchise would need a deep redefinition and that a new screenplay would be needed.
Juicy, isn’t it? War is served and nobody knows at this moment who will win this battle between Cage and Taylor. At some moment, Mr. Stark will have to take a decision. And don’t expect the man to consider loyalties or ethic. At the end, knowing the guy, I bet it will only be what he considers better for the business what will condition which side he finally takes.
I promise to keep you updated about this delicious bloody fight.
posted by Harry at
4:11 AM
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