JULY, 29


GREEN ARROW: YEAR ONE

Action / Superhero

The Cast: Garrett Hedlund, Saraa Lathan, Paddy Considine, Naomie Harris

The Director: Wayne Kramer
The Producer: Christopher Nolan
The Screenwriter: D.R.Cobb

The Plot:

Oliver Queen (G.Hedlund) and his friend/bodyguard, Hackett (P.Considine), go mountain climbing across a frozen tundra. Hackett saves Ollie from nearly falling into a ravine, and criticizes him for his recklessness. Three days later, they return to Star City where Ollie makes an appearance at a charity auction fundraiser. Ollie is drunk and starts to make a spectacle of himself when he outrageously overbids for the prop bow used by archer Howard Hill in "The Adventures of Robin Hood." Ollie takes the stage to claim his prize and throws up in a wastebasket.

Ollie and Hackett leave. Ollie tells Hackett that he wants to go with him on a business trip involving some of Queen Industries' offshore accounts. Hackett tries to talk him out of it, but Ollie insists.

On the luxury ship, The Pacific Queen, Ollie learns that Hackett has been embezzling money on behalf of a criminal known as China White (S.Lathan). Hackett holds Ollie at gunpoint, but Ollie knocks him down with a punch to the jaw. Hackett responds with a headbutt and Ollie collapses onto the deck. Hackett receives a phone call from China White. She orders him to shoot Ollie. Hackett instead throws Ollie overboard.

Ollie washes up on the beach of one of the Fiji Islands. He's alone, tired, and hungry. He wanders into the nearby jungle. He comes upon the remains of a camp with a water pump and a power generator, but they don't work. Near the camp is a pit that leads down into a dark shaft filled with the skeletal remains of human bodies. In the camp, Ollie finds a leaf-spring suspension blade and fashions it into a makeshift bow. He uses rusty nails, bamboo shoots and broken bottles to make arrows, and begins to hunt fish and birds in order to survive. He takes a piece of green sail canvas and uses it as a poncho to protect himself from the sun.

Several nights pass, and Ollie hears the sound of an airplane off in the distance. He runs out from the camp and fires a signal arrow made from burning rubber in the plane's direction. The plane angles itself in Ollie's direction, a gunman leans out of the hatch and opens fire on Ollie with a machine gun. Ollie manages to hit the plane with a couple of well-placed arrows, and the pilot loses control and the plane crashes into the side of a mountain. Ollie scales the side of the mountain to inspect the wreckage and manages to acquire a pair of boots.

Ollie wanders around the volcanic base of the mountain, and finds tilled fields of poppy seed. China White and Hackett arrive at the sight of the downed plane, and Ollie hides in the brush. China orders Hackett to find out who is responsible for the crash. She also has him finish off the surviving crewmen.

As night falls, Ollie encounters Hackett in the jungle, and Hackett opens fire on him with a sub-machine gun, but Ollie manages to pin Hackett to a tree with an arrow. Hackett draws a handgun and shoots Ollie in the shoulder. Hackett then frees himself from the arrow and fires a grenade launcher in Ollie's direction. The explosion causes a tree to fall onto Hackett and knocks Ollie out.

Ollie awakens to find a pregnant slave woman kneeling over him. Her learns that her name is Taiana (N.Harris) and she resets his broken arm. She feeds him opium for the pain. Over the next several days, Ollie grows dependent on the opium while he heals from his injuries. He realizes that he's becoming addicted and swears to wean himself off the drug.

Hackett reports back to China White. She's furious that Hackett didn't shoot Ollie back on the boat as she had instructed him to. She tells him to find Ollie and finish him off.

Two of China's gunmen discover the camp that Taiana and Ollie have been staying in. They open fire on Ollie, but he is able to drive them off with his several arrows. Taiana and Ollie run in separate directions and Ollie eventually reaches the shoreline. He sees that his yacht has beached itself on shore. He goes inside the boat to clean himself up and to gather supplies. He finds the Howard Hill bow he purchased at the auction. He then sets fire to the ship, hoping to alert China White's mercenaries.

A patrol boat sees the smoke from the fire, and goes to investigate. Ollie easily takes out the crew men with his arrows. He then takes the boat and heads toward China White's base. Taiana frees the slaves while all the guards are busy trying to find Ollie. Ollie makes his way to China White's radio tower, and just as he's about to make a broadcast for help he is electrocuted by Hackett.

The freed natives overrun China White's men. Hackett is about to kill Ollie, but Taiana shows up and holds a gun to the back of Hackett's head. Ollie tells her not to kill Hackett. But China White emerges, and she does shoot Hackett. China White holds Ollie and Taiana and gunpoint. China tells Ollie to drop his bow. Ollie tells China White the story of Robin Hood, then shoots an arrow at a rope holding a large crate which then falls on China and her men. Taiana then goes into labor and Ollie helps her give birth to a baby girl.

Authorities arrive, having been alerted by Ollie's earlier broadcast, along with all the explosions. China White and the rest of her men are arrested. Ollie asks Taiana to come back to Star City with him, but she refuses. Ollie downplays his involvement in stopping the drug ring. He returns to Star City and to Queen Industries, where asks to meet with a design team.

A mugger attacks a woman in an alleyway. A green arrow pins the mugger to a wall, and the woman runs away. Ollie then appears, in full Green Arrow costume (finally), removes the arrow and punches out the mugger.


Stark’s Comment:
Here is another superhero joining the CMP’s Superheroes Squad. It is beginning to be hard to believe that there is still some superheroes not seen yet in a CMP’s movie. As almost every film of this genre, I expect this one to easily become a ‘+100’ release.

Behind The Scenes:
-Christopher Nolan has directed for CMP the three ‘Justice League’ films and it has been announced that he will be the producer too of a Batman movie written by Chad Taylor.
-Wayne Kramer is making his debut in CMP directing this movie.
-Garrett Hedlund is already shooting for CMP the Martin Scorsese’s film ‘Oedipus Rex’.

THIS FAR FROM HEAVEN

Western / Action

The Cast: Russell Crowe, Diane Lane, Saoirse Ronan, Gabriel Byrne, Joseph Fiennes, Kevin Costner, Bill Paxton, Ryan Gosling

The Director: Clint Eastwood
The Screenwriter: Richard Franzwa

The Plot:

Gunfighter Russell Crowe is stranded in an isolated U.S. Army fort with stagecoach passengers Diane Lane and her niece Saoirse Ronan. The fort's commander, Gabriel Byrne, is worried that the Arapahoes may have ambushed his overdue patrol and refuses to allow the civilians to leave. He sends out his scout Joseph Fiennes to reconnoiter, but his horse returns without him.

Meanwhile, it is revealed that nearly everyone in the fort has a past they would rather forget. Before he turned to killing men for money, Crowe was in love with Lane, but because he was only a lowly hired hand on her wealthy father's ranch, she dutifully married a man selected by her father from their own social class. The soldiers are the dregs of the army. Byrne was cashiered from the British Army for suspected cowardice when his command was attacked. His second in command, Kevin Costner is a card cheat, while Bill Paxton was acquitted of the charge of treason. Only Ryan Gosling is a first-rate soldier; he had served with Byrne in the Sudan and owes his life to him.

Crowe tries to renew the relationship with Lane, now a widow, but she tells him it is too late. He offers to take the two women to safety, but by the time Lane asks him to save her niece, the fort is under siege.

Crowe agrees to sneak out and scout the enemy for Byrne; in the process, he rescues Fiennes. Crowe then pleads with Byrne to abandon the fort, since Wes Studi, the Arapahoe leader, only wants the supplies, but Byrne is determined to find out if he really is a coward or not, even though he is hopelessly outnumbered. That night, as they wait for the impending attack, Lane goes to Crowe, and they make love.

The next day, the Indians attack. Lane is killed early on, as is Byrne; with his last words, the colonel mourns the fact that he was struck down too soon, never to learn if he was a coward. With nearly everyone else dead and himself seriously wounded, Crowe hides with Ronan. The victorious Arapahoes take the supplies and leave. When an army detachment comes to investigate, they find a grave near where Lane died. Crowe and Ronan are nowhere to be found.


Stark’s Comment:
This is a sentimental release for the Studio: Richard Franzwa has announced that this will be his last screenplay after being part of our CMP’s family from almost its beginning. Hope Franzwa leaves with a box office’s success.

Behind The Scenes:
-Richard Franzwa and Clint Eastwood worked together before in the successful thriller ‘A Hard Place’
-This is the second western that Clint Eastwood directs for CMP. The first one was ‘Dakota North’. And it was a box office’s flop.
-Ryan Gosling – whose CMP’s prestige is high in the sky after his personal success with ‘The Question’ – accepted to play a minor role here just because he had worked with Eastwood before in ‘Dakota North’.
-Russell Crowe refused the offer to work in the upcoming ‘Metroid: Prime’ cause he was more interested in working in this movie.

FRONTIER

Drama / Adventure

The Cast: Peter Sarsgaard, Atticus Shaffer, Charlize Theron, Mark Strong

The Directors: Joel and Ethan Coen
The Producer: Silver Lining Entertainment
The Screenwriter: Chad Taylor

The Plot:

It is 1956. Kelly (Theron) leaves Don (Sarsgaard), so him and son Jake (Shaffer) live alone in the country. The closest town has recently been abandoned, and Don lives off of the goods he has at the ranch. For food, he hunts, and they live a sheltered life, no television, no radio, no car. Don, afraid his son will be taken from him if their living conditions are found, does not make any contact with anyone else.

At night, Don tells stories of his childhood to Jake, while they sit by the fire, under the moon. They grow a unique bond, but Don begins to feel that Jake is wonderous about life elsewhere. Not completely ready to let his son interact with the rest of the world, he acts mad when Jake asks. Jake feels hurt at his dad’s anger, and guards himself in his room. We see flashbacks in black and white of Don’s childhood, in a small, one-room school where he was bullied for a speaking disability.

Over the next few weeks, Jake shows the signs of an illness, and it is revealed he has chickenpox. Kelly had received it when visiting the store one day, and when she returned home, carried it on to her son. Don, new to the virus, believes it is very serious and thinks about what he should do. When then have another black and white flashback, Don has a fever as a child. He’s crying constantly and his mother takes him to the doctor, where they get medicine. That was the only time Don had ever been sick in his life.

And so he takes Jake, gathers up some belongs, and gets on his beloved horse, who’s been on the ranch for a few years. He wants to the find the nearest city, to find a doctor and maybe Kelly. This part of the film is very raw, as it is just father and son riding through the fields, sharing heart-to-heart conversations. Unable to find anything within a day, they must set camp near a few trees, and sleep over night. They eat the food they packed and the water in their canteens. Don starts a fire, and they sleep on the ground next to it.

Over night, Don is woken up by loud growls. A few wolves have confronted the horse. Don is alarmed, not wanting to lose the horse, and goes to scare them off. One of them runs away, but in this very dark scene, the other wolf attacks Don. He is bitten in several places, until he can pull out his knife and slit the wolves neck. Jake is shocked, but Don insists to his son that he’s okay. He does not want to be seen as weak in front of his beloved boy.

But Don knows he needs to find help quickly, and so they begin their journey again at this time, instead of waiting on morning. They ride and find a pack of dead birds, all shot. Don knows their has been a hunter nearby, but doesn’t want to scare his son anymore, and continues riding. Jake is getting sicker, and tells Don he misses his mom. Flashback to where Don and Kelly meet, at a screening of The Wizard of Oz. Kelly was a rich girl socializing with friends, while Don had saved up all of his money for this one movie. It was opening night, and Don accidentally sets a fire at the theatre, while using a cigarette outside. He is despised by everyone there, except for Kelly, who feels sorry for the poor guy, realizing it was just a movie. This is the start of a friendship.

Don is alarmed once again, by finding a buffalo shot dead. He keeps the lookout while they are on their ride, and he sees a house out in the distance. When he gets there, someone is camped out in the window with a gun. Don throws his hand up in surrender, while the man storms outside. He introduces himself as Vic. He asks Don if he has any money, then punches him the face when he doesn’t reply. A one-sided fight ensues, as Jake runs in to stop the fight. Don explains their situation, and Vic (Strong) feels sympathetic and sorry.

He explains that he is an outlawed criminal, who killed a man and was exiled from the city. He feeds the two of them, and gives them directions to it. Vic goes on about his innocence, showing evidence to Don showing the truth. He then makes a plea to tell city officials that he is innocent, if they arrive. Don shakes his hands and makes an agreement. As they’re on their ride, Don nearly falls asleep, until Jake spots the city in the distance. It’s no mirage, it’s actually there. But while Jake’s chickenpox has stabilized, Don’s wombs are becoming significantly worse.

Still trying to hide any weaknesses from his son, he continues to fight through it, and act as if nothing’s wrong. Finally they arrive in town, and try to find the local hospital. Driving down the street is Kelly, who stomps onto her brakes. She runs out to them and gets them off the horse. In tears, she takes them to the hospital, but Don is slowly dying in the back. In the final, two-part flashback, Don is seen fighting with Kelly. She is mad, and wants to leave him. This worries him, as she can easily find another man, while he would be all alone. In one last attempt, at staying together, they uncomfortably have sex. It is a painful process, and afterwards she decides she’s leaving after all. “9 months later…” Kelly approaches Don and shows him their son, named Jake. Don, shocked, smiles and takes the baby into his arms. But then Don looks at Kelly, “We need to shield him. Shield him from the dangers like bullies, like illness, dangers like relationships.” he says. Kelly sighs and smiles, “Okay.”

He looks at Jake and smiles, “We made it.” he says, dragging his speech. Jake then notices all his dad has done for him and takes his hand, “I love you, daddy.” They arrive at the hospital, but Don does not move. His eyes close, and breathing stops. His hand remains gripped on his son’s hand, and a smile still on his face.


Stark’s Comment:
Chad Taylor’s dramas have been working nicely without becoming big box office’s success. I hope this one will at least follow that pattern.

Behind The Scenes:
-This is the first drama directed by the Coen Brothers for CMP. All their previous works for the Studio – ‘Cell Mates’, ‘The Awful Truth’, ‘A Tangled Web’ – had a comedic touch.
-Charlize Theron has said that she accepted a minor role in the movie just because she wanted very much to work with the Coen Brothers.
-Theron is now working on ‘Metroid: Prime’.
-Atticus Shaffer makes his CM’s debut with this film.
-Mark Strong could be seen past week in ‘The Goonies II’.


THE SKY IS GREY: Chad Taylor and Darren Aranofsky team up again for another minimalist drama after their first work together with ‘Raiders Of The Storm’. Same as that movie, this one tells again the peculiar relationship between two men: a depressed unemployed man played by Philip Seymour Hoffman who decides to rob a bank and a cop, played by Daniel Craig. There’s a striking gossip about this film: Daniel Craig has recently married Rachel Weisz, ex wife of Aranofsky. Both Craig and Aranofsky have stated that this circumstance is not a problem for them to work together in the film.

BORN AGAIN: Josh Collins directs again one of his screenplays. In his eighth directional job, Collins will make a reflection about death and reincarnation through a series of stories about different characters facing the end of their lives (or the transition from one life to the next, if you prefer). Collins’ previous film as director was past Season’s teen drama ‘Board Breaker’.

WONDER WOMAN III: Most of the characters to be seen in this third installment of the saga have been seen before in the two previous movies. Catherine Z. Jones returns again playing Diana’s mother. And Marion Cotillard is also back playing again Circe, the mean character she already played before in ‘Wonder Woman. The Hiketeia’ and also in ‘Justice League 2’. Cotillard got a Best Villain GMA nod for playing the character in the second Wonder Woman’s film. She has worked before this Season with Dawson Edwards in ‘The Sheriff, Saloon and the Storm’.

SOMEWHERE OTHER THAN THE NIGHT: John C. Reilly, only seen before in CMP in the movies ‘Vorhees: The Bloody Years’ and ‘Only In America’, returns to the Studio with this drama about a teen singing star written by Josh Collins and being directed by Sofia Coppola. Reilly will play in the movie the stepdad of Perla Haney-Jardine. Also, it has been announced that Perla will sing herself in the movie although she is not a professional singer.

METROID: PRIME: Carla Gugino has been cast for the third time by Dawson Edwards to make a voice-only work in this movie. Before, Gugino has worked with Edwards in ‘Gaspipe’ and past Season’s ‘Kite’. Best Actor GMA Winner Laurence Fishburne is also back in this sequel after being seen in the original film. Zack Snyder is directing and producing this movie starred by Charlize Theron.

DOG DAYS: Asian actor Randall Duk Kim, seen out of CMP in movies like ‘The Last Airbender’, works for the Studio for the first time in this action movie directed by Simon West and co-starred by Jason Statham and Billy Bob Thornton. Kim plays in it a Shanghai’s crime lord. Steve Connors has written this screenplay based on a console game.

SKIN TIGHT: Just finished his work in ‘Dog Days’, Billy Bob Thornton has joined without a pause the shootage of this new movie. D.R.Cobb has adapted this funny book by Carl Haasen that tells in a satiric tone the crimes of a plastic surgery doctor played by Thornton. John Cusack, whose latest work for CMP was ‘A Tangled Web’, co-stars the film playing the man who investigates Thornton’s past. Harold Ramis (‘Ultraman’s Revenge’, ‘The Shrinking Man’, ‘Yogi Bear’) will be working behind the cameras.

THE TEAM: Jay Baruchel, seen past Season in ‘Hunger Games’, and Dwayne Johnson, not seen in CMP since ‘Lieutenant USA and his Warm Steel Gang 2’, complete the team that travels to an alternative universe in this action adventure film written by Joey Stark and directed by Michael Bay. Ben Affleck, Kate Hudson and Ellen Page are the rest of the members of the team.

THE LONELY POLYGAMIST: Kate Mara is making her debut in CMP in this film being directed by David Fincher and starred by Mark Ruffalo, playing a man with four wives and more than twenty kids. James Woods returns to CMP with the film after so long away. Woods’ last work for the Studio was Peter Berg’s flopped thriller ‘The Killing Run’. Chad Taylor is the author of this screenplay that adapts the bestselling book by Brady Udall.

OEDIPUS REX: Angelica Huston, who made her CMP’s debut past Season with ‘Midnight’, works again with D.R.Cobb in this big screen’s adaptation of the classic Greek tragedy being directed by Martin Scorsese. Timothy Olyphant, also seen past Season in ‘Grand Theft Auto’, and Ian McShane, already seen this Season in the blockbuster ‘First Flight’, have also joined the cast.


RICHARD FRANZWA
‘THIS FAR FROM HEAVEN’

Richard Franzwa releases this week what is supposed to be his last work for CMP, the western ‘This Far From Heaven’. Franzwa is a veteran CMP’s screenwriter that has been around since almost the very first CMP’s Seasons. After a long career that includes box office’s hits or critical acclaimed movies like the Dragonlance trilogy, The Sonjua Blue Chronicles or the Fallout franchise, Franzwa recently announced his decision of retiring from screenwriting. We have talked with him about his latest film and the reasons of that retirement.

1.Why have you decided to bet for such a classic genre as western?

I just wanted to work in a genre that I hadn't done before. I've done drama's, comedy's, action, police procedurals and I wanted to try something new, even though westerns don't typically work in CMP.

2.Was it easy to convince Clint Eastwood to return to the western?

It was actually easier than I thought it would be. There were two reasons I think he accepted, one, I think he really loves western movies and two, his last western 'Dakota North' didn't do so hot at the box office and he wanted another shot at it.

3.CMP has announced your retirement. Why have you decided to put an end to your screenwriting career?

One reason is that I've fairly run out of ideas that I can turn into a script of more than three paragraphs. The second reason is tied to the first. When I first started writing for CMP a three paragraph screenplay was all you needed to get a movie greenlighted. Now you almost need a novel and I'm just not that creative or a good enough writer to come up with a movie script of that length every time out. I'm afraid that the other writers on staff have out paced me as far as talent is concerned.

4.As the veteran in CMP you are, in what ways do you think CMP has changed from its first Seasons to present?

I've already stated the length of the movies, but CMP has changed in other ways as well. The longer he does this the more creative Harry Stark gets. Every three or four seasons he adds something new. I remember when critics just had a thumb for indicating how good a movie was and there was a time when we didn't get photos of the week. It was fairly bare bones there for a season or two and it really wasn't until a number of season had past before the site became what it is today.

5.Do you keep in your pocket any story that might bring you back to CMP some day?

There are some things I would have loved to bring to the screen such as a third Fallout movie and the second Dragonlance trilogy. I also never found a way to bring the Choose Your Own Adventure books to life. I won't say that this retirement is forever, but it will last for a number of seasons at least. In the end, I may find that I just needed to recharge my batteries but who can tell?


SILVER SABLE

The third DVD Box Set presented by CMP to celebrate its 500 releases is dedicated to another one of the most successful superhero’s franchises in the Studio: Silver Sable. Joey Stark and Bryan Singer – who had teamed up before in previous CMP’s franchises like ‘Captain America’ and ‘T.Y.M.’ - decided to develop these movies focused on the sexy Marvel’s character, played by Katherine Heigl. Silver Sable’s movies were a huge success. In fact, the second film of the saga still is the Top 1 best box office ever made by a CMP’s movie.


SILVER SABLE
Directed and Produced by Bryan Singer
Box Office: 130 / Net Gains: 113
The Cast:
Katherine Heigl, Tim Robbins, Anthony Hopkins, AnnaSophia Robb, Stephen Dorff, Sam Elliott, Robert Downey Jr.
Comment:
The first film of the series told the origins of Silver: the murder of her mother when she was a kid, the mysterious disappearance of her father (Sam Elliott), her life with his uncle and trainer Morty (Anthony Hopkins) and her niece (AnnaSophia Robb) and her beginning as a chaser of terrorists. Also, the film established the first link between this franchise and ‘The Avengers’ with a cameo by Robert Downey Jr. / Iron Man.
Curiosities:
-In this first movie, Silver Sable is presented more as a skilled fighter than as a superheroine strictu sensu. Her look is less sophisticated and sexy than in the following movies.
-Anthony Hopkins accepted to be in the movie after having worked before with Stark and Singer in CMP in the ‘Captain America’ saga.

SILVER SABLE AND THE WILD PACK
Directed and Produced by Bryan Singer
Box Office: 352 / Net Gains: 420
The Cast:
Katherine Heigl, Tobey Maguire, Gerard Butler, Edgar Ramirez, Eric Balgour, Dominic Monaghan, AnnaSophia Robb, Bob Hoskins
Comment:
In this second movie, Silver Sable has already put up her team of superheroes, the Wild Pack, leaded by her boyfriend Foreigner, played by Gerard Butler. Tobey Maguire joined the saga playing Spiderman and becoming the new love interest of Silver… what provokes Foreigner to leave the Wild Pack and become her enemy. The film was a more routine superhero action flick than the first installment. To everyone’s surprise at CMP, the film became (and still is) the Top 1 best box office ever made by a CMP’s movie and still is the top 2 highest net gains release, only beaten later by ‘Justice League 2’.
Curiosities:
-Anthony Hopkins decided to leave the saga after the first movie. He was replaced by Bob Hoskins.
-After this second installment, AnnaSophia Robb did not return to the saga. Joey Stark said about it that he just didn’t know what to do with her character.
-The look of Silver Sable – clothes, hair, etc. – was redesigned in this sequel to make her look closer to the comic books.

SILVER SABLE AND THE GENESIS COALITION
Directed and Produced by Bryan Singer
Box Office: 138 / Net Gains: 239
The Cast:
Katherine Heigl, Gerard Butler, Clive Owen, Sam Elliott, Dominic Monaghan, Eric Balfour, Bob Hoskins, Tobey Maguire
Comment:
Joey Stark admitted that he and Singer felt so pressured by the amazing success of the second installment when they begun working on this one. Silver Sable had turned into a box office phenomenon. For this third movie – considered by critics as the best of the series – Stark and Singer retook the main plotline of the saga: the disappearance of Silver’s father. And they invented for him an original idea not taken from the comic books: he had become the leader of an evil criminal organization known as the Genesis Coalition. Also, Clive Owen joined the saga playing Dr.Doom. Gerard Butler / Foreigner returned working now for Silver’s father while Tobey Maguire / Spiderman only made a cameo fighting against Silver when she becomes a thief to find her father.
Curiosities:
-The film was a box office’s success although it stayed far away from the numbers made by the second installment.
-Stark considered Julian McMahon to play Dr.Doom, as he had played the character before in the Fantastic Four movies. But he finally chose Clive Owen as Stark considered Owen had a stronger screen presence.
-Initially, Stark and Singer decided that this would be the last movie of the franchise.

SILVER SABLE AND THE ULTIMATE ALLIANCE
Directed and Produced by Bryan Singer
Box Office: 125 / Net Gains: 79
The Cast:
Katherine Heigl, Hugh Jackman, Clive Owen, Gerard Butler, Sam Worthington, Tara Reid, Tyrese Gibson, Bob Hoskins, Kurt Russell, Tobey Maguire
Comment:
A few Seasons after the release of the third film, Singer and Stark finally changed their mind and decided to develop a fourth adventure of Silver. The movie looked for a complete redefinition of the saga. The Wild Pack was over. Now, Silver was the leader of a new group of superheroes known as the Ultimate Alliance. And the main appeal of it was the presence of no other than Hugh Jackman / Wolverine. The film told the battle between Clive Owen and the Ultimate Alliance and ended up with the reconciliation between Silver and Spiderman after their fight in the previous installment. Kurt Russell showed up in the film playing once more Nick Fury. The film made the weakest box office and net gains of the series.
Curiosities:
-Matt Kubrick teamed up with Joey Stark as co-writer of the film. It was Kubrick who chose the superheroes to be members of the Ultimate Alliance.
-The idea of this film was introducing the Ultimate Alliance in order to develop later a franchise based on this new group of superheroes leaded by Wolverine. Kubrick and Steve Connors were offered to write the screenplay for a Ultimate Alliance film. But finally none of both wrote the screenplay and this idea seems to have faded away.
-Joey Stark said that the weak numbers made by this movie were a consequence of the increasing popularity of other superheroes in CMP’s world, mainly Wonder Woman and the Justice League. ‘The time of Silver has passed’, he said in an interview.


This Season might mean the definitive rise to stardom in CMP for Garrett Hedlund. After being seen before in CMP’s movies like ‘Psycho: Bloodline’, ‘John Wayne Must Die’ or past Season’s critical success ‘Kite’, Hedlund is starring two of the most ambitious films of this current CMP’s Season: this week’s release ‘Green Arrow: Year One’ and the upcoming Martin Scorsese’s film ‘Oedipus Rex’. ‘Premiere’ magazine has taken Hedlund to the cover of his latest issue. Inside, you will find a long interview with this rising star where he talks about these new movies.



Now it’s official. One of the pioneer screenwriters in CMP, Ted ‘Actinguy’ Froats, will finally return to the Studio. Two times Best Screenplay GMA Winner (‘Carousel’ and ‘Three Wooden Crosses’), Froats has chosen a most ambitious project to make an spectacular return. He is planning to develop in three movies the story of ‘Les Miserables’. And I am not talking only about the musical but about the whole story told in Victor Hugo’s book. The only problem? Harry Stark does not fully trust Froats after he unexpectedly retired from CMP’s world leaving unfinished the ‘Cell Mates’ trilogy. That means that Stark won’t develop the first movie of this new trilogy until Froats has already sent him the three screenplays. CMP’s sources confirm that Stark does not want to develop this highly ambitious project unless he is completely sure he has the three movies written so it won't happen again what happened before with ‘Cell Mates’.

Andrew Garfield. Remember that name. Yes, I know you already know him more than enough. What I mean is that you are going to be hearing about Garfield a lot in CMP in the near future. It seems like many CMP’s authors have agreed to cast the young star from ‘The Social Network’ and the future Spiderman in their movies. Chad Taylor, Joey Stark and D.R.Cobb are some of the CMP’s screenwriters that want Garfield in at least one of their upcoming movies. So expect to hear a lot about the guy in the near future.

It has taken her more than I would have expected to finally join the CMP’s universe. But she is finally here. It won’t be long before the star from ‘Gossip Girl’ Blake Lively makes at last her CMP’s debut. It is D.R.Cobb the man that has decided to offer Lively a work in a film from the Studio. And it will be in a horror film. I don’t know much more about it but I’ve heard it will be a remake of a film from the 1970’s and Lively will be playing the lead role in it. That’s all I can tell you by the moment.

A few weeks ago I told you about a new generation of screenwriters joining CMP’s universe soon. People like Dwight Gallo or Yuri Redding are working at a good pace already producing screenplays for the Studio. Well, here is a new name to add: John Malone. Like Gallo or Redding, Malone will see the green light for some of his stories some time during Season 19. Among them, I’ve got to know that he has already written an adaptation of the comic book ‘Aladdin: Legacy Of The Lost’.

And talking about comic books adaptations, I end up this week with another upcoming one. This time, it is D.R. Cobb the man behind the adaptation of ‘Y: The Last Man’. This is a comic book series by Brian Vaughan and Pia Guerra published by Vertigo beginning in 2002. The series is about the only man to survive the apparent simultaneous death of every male mammal on Earth. Cobb’s plan is to develop the story in three movies and he has already written the screenplay of the two first ones.