JANUARY, 21st


MOVIES RELEASED

1-CHECKMATE

Action / Thriller
Directed by Curtis Hanson
Starring Keanu Reeves, Edward Norton, Ashley Judd, Steve Buscemi, Gene Hackman
Box Office: 45 mill.
Net Gains: 21 mill.

CMP Reaction: It wasn't an expensive movie to produce, so the result makes it more than worth it. An entertaining thriller and a satisfactory breakdown.

2-FOOLS GAME

Comedy / Adult / Dark
Directed by Wes Anderson
Starring Michael Douglas, Catherine Z. Jones, Paul Giamatti, Michael Caine, Rupert Everett, Kate Winslet
Box Office: 68 mill.
Net Gains: 50 mill.

CMP Reaction: This is one of the favourite movies ever produced by Harry Stark: cheap, succesful and intelligent. Some times, it feels great being a Movie Studio's President.

THE MOVING THUMBS

1-CHECKMATE

“Scary and thrilling. Good serial killers movies are always entertaining to watch. There’s not much innovation in this one, but it keeps you in your seat during 90 minutes. That’s something that can't be said about all the movies”.
-John C. Williams, ‘Hollywood Reporter’

“When will Edward Norton be recognized as one of the best actors of our time? He’s just great as the cold and crazed chess player killer. In front of him, Keanu Reeves makes his usual inexpressive performance”
-Brian Johnson, ‘Entertainment Weekly’

“A duel between a chess master (Steve Buscemi, playing again an eccentric character) and a serial killer (Edward Norton, in a Hannibal Lecter style acting) was an attractive premise that has been solved by Curtis Hanson with a professional efficiency that deserves my audible-but-not-enthusiastic applause”
-Sheila Graham, ‘Today’

2-FOOLS GAME

“Brilliant, intelligent and funny. I can’t ask for more in a movie.”
-Amy Ratched, ‘Today’

“Anderson has taken the French original and has turned it into a great American comedy. Douglas and Jones make a grandiose self-parody. Caine is as effective as always. Everett confirms the comedy talent he showed in ‘My Best Friend’s Wedding’ laughing at his own gay stereotype. Winslet is a guarantee of quality performing. And Giamatti… well, Giamatti is number one”
-Roy Winslow, ‘The Los Angeles Times’

“Get ready, 2nd Golden Moon Awards edition! We’ve got a candidate”
-Billy Conn, ‘The New York Post’

THE STAR PROFILE – JAMES BRADLEY

Screenwriter James Bradley is quite a mysterious guy. Enemy of interviews and public events, his stories always have a personal touch. Bradley writes adult oriented movies with misfit characters. Lonely, eccentric, obsessed and freak people come out from his writing to star movies with the right balance between comedy, drama and morale. And the formula seems to work.

CMP’S FILMOGRAPHY

BILL AND THE ROCKET MAN (Wes Anderson, B.O.: 102 mill.): Bradley’s debut was a domestic dramedy about a shy loser and his longtime imaginary friend. A distinctive story that seduced audiences. 5 nominations for the GMA and Best Starring Couple (Paul Giamatti and George Clooney) winner.

CATHEDRAL (Peter Weir, B.O.: 131 mill): The epic tale about a man obsessed with the idea of building a cathedral in Africa during the 19th century might sound strange at the beginning, but it finally became one of the major hits for CMP during this second season. Russell Crowe, Merryl Streep and Charlize Theron were just great. A sure bet for the next GMA.

FOOLS GAME (Wes Anderson, B.O.: 68 mill.): This time, Bradley adapted a French movie to make an acid humour comedy. He demanded again Wes Anderson and some of the talents from his first story, like Paul Giamatti and Kate Winslet. A dumb guy laughing at the rich gang that wanted to laugh at him. Another peculiar story and another surprising hit. Number 5 top movie of Season 2. And Giamatti looking for new awards with his outstanding performance.

CHEVROLET (Lawrence Kasdan, still in production phase): Next Bradley’s story focuses in a group of lost people trying to find a sense to their lives during a trip across the US in an old chevy. A return to drama. And a surprising mega-star cast: Tom Cruise and Will Smith get away from action characters and join Bradley’s universe.

AWAITING RELEASE

1-HOT IRON

The Cast: Brad Pitt, Robert Downey Jr., Uma Thurman, Billy Bob Thornton, Ray Liotta, Al Pacino

The Director: Christopher Nolan

The Plot: Police Inspectors Larry Gannon (Pitt) and Bruce Parker (Downey Jr.) are not exactly considered Boston’s finest. They destroy too many cruisers, shoot up too many neighbourhoods and their methods of persuading witnesses to talk has landed them in hot water more than once. Their last case against underworld kingpin Alberto Storella (A.Pacino) was thrown out of court when the judge discovered their evidence was obtained illegally, and now the pair are one step away from an Internal Affairs investigation. It’s not easy when the Internal Affairs’ officer in charge of reviewing the couple methods is Gannon’s ex wife (U. Thurman). But when a crazed lunatic that the press have dubbed “The Pig-eater” (B.B.Thornton) starts blowing away cops Gannon and Parker are given one last chance. The chase of the cops serial killer will have a dramatic and tragic outcome.

The Comment: With reminiscences of the Lethal Weapon saga but a more adult approach, a cops buddy movie with a quality cast. This kind of movie usually do well at the box office. Jack Hammer may be initiating a new franchise, beside ‘Uncommon Valour’.

2-TURNING POINT

The Cast: Jodie Foster, Meg Ryan, Greg Kinnear, Tea Leoni, David Schwimmer, Anne Hathaway

The Director: Jonathan Demme

The Plot: 24 hours in the ER of a big hospital. Everything goes fast, everything is urgent there. A doctor (J.Foster) is trying to save the life of two children who have a mysterious virus. Another woman (M.Ryan) finds out she has aids from a one night stand. The parents of a young victim of a car accident fighting for his life have to face the chance of losing their kid and their own relationship during those distressing hours. And a shy and sweet orderly (Schwimmer) is trying to ask out a nurse (A. Hathaway) he has a big crush on while attending all the admissions.

The Comment: Demme has made an experimental job with this Matt Kubrick’s story. He has shot it with a vibrating pace to make us feel as if we are in the middle of the hospital hall. The Studio is intrigued about how audiences will respond to it.

HE SAID, SHE SAID

“It seems like a man of my age can only make cameos. Is it impossible for those bloody screenwriters under 30 to find any good story where I may have the chance to act more than five minutes?”
-Sean Connery, five minutes cameos in ‘The Crusades’ and ‘Tales of the Jedi’ and joining ‘The Bridge’ cast in a more-than-five-minutes role.

“I must admit I enjoyed hating Michael during the making of ‘Fools Game’. It was a kind of intimate pleasure.”
-Catherine Z. Jones, bored wife in ‘Fools Game’.

“I have the feeling that I will have to expend the rest of my life trying to give a good explanation of why ‘Tales of the Jedi’ failed”
-Peter Jackson, still looking for a reason.

“I asked Matt Kubrick ‘what does my character does for living?’’ and his answer was ‘he f…. all the women around him’. I didn’t need to hear more: I accepted the role”
-Matt Dillon, enjoying his job in ‘Wild Cards’.

“I want to think that Eddie Murphy asked me to be in ‘The Return of Ultraman’ because of my personality”
-Pamela Anderson, big personality.

“The first time I sailed in one of those frigates I could not avoid to puke”
-Pierce Brosnan, wolfsea.

“Wes Craven is fine. But, hey, Robert Rodriguez is a personal friend. So the change hasn’t hurt me that much”
-Benicio Del Toro, loyal darkman.

MOVIES IN DEVELOPMENT

CAPTAIN AMERICA VS SUPERMAN: Some peace after the storm. It seems like Heath Ledger and Kate Beckinsale will finally return as Captain America and his girl. Tim Burton is now shooting and also producing the movie with Nicholas Cage playing the evil Superman.

THE BRIDGE: Casting completed for this epic historical drama. Liam Neeson, Ethan Hawke (‘The Crusades’), Ben Kingsley (‘The Crusades’), Sean Connery (‘The Crusades’, ‘Tales of the Jedi’) and Cate Blachett are following Wolfgang Petersen’s instructions in Scotland.

CHEVROLET: Rosario Dawson (‘The Long Dark Night’) will play the only survivor of an airplane crash in the Lawrence Kasdan’s road movie, together with Cruise and Smith. More talents may join the project soon.

HITMAN: Another cast completed. CMP’s old friends together: Colin Farrell (‘The Heirs’), Keira Knightley (‘Uncommon Valour’), Paul Bettany (‘Tales of the Jedi’) and Patrick Stewart (‘Corsairs’). Tony Scott (‘Robotech 2) is moving the camera.

DARK OMENS: Today is casts day. Sarah Michelle Gellar will be curious about Darkman’s world, with the support of an strange therapist, Geoffrey Rush, and her new boyfriend, Luke Wilson. Benicio Del Toro will take good care of all of them in this Robert Rodriguez’s movie already being shot.

LOL: Nora Ephron’s romantic comedy will try to follow the example of recent CMP’s hits like ‘September’s Gone’ or ‘Fools Game’: low budget and quality acting looking for success.

STYX AND STONES: Marcus Trax’s debut as director with his own screenplay. And two possible starring couples in the scales: Hugh Grant / Owen Wilson (CMP’s choice) or Nicholas Cage / Chris Rock (Director’s choice). As Cage is already working on the Captain America movie, Wilson and Grant option seems as the most feasible one.

CORSAIRS: THE SEARCH FOR NANTAYALAH: Ralph Fiennes will be the new villain for the sequel, as Patrick Stewart has preferred to join ‘Hitman’. Also, Benjamin Bratt (‘Corsairs’, ‘Deep Silence’), who played Banderas’ best friend in the first movie, won’t return in this one.

DR. JONES AND THE SWORD OF FAITH: Yes! It’s finally here! Steven Spielberg has finally decided to direct and produce the adventure of Indy’s father. Ewan McGregor will finally play Professor Henry Jones, many years before ‘The Last Crusade’. And Rachel McAdams (‘Entertaining Mrs. Sullivan’) and bollywood star Ayshwara Rai (‘The Crusades’) are his first film mates confirmed.

RUMOURS AND GOSSIPS

Better than ever. The new year has brought an spectacular increase of screenplays to CMP’s office. More and more new screenwriters keep knocking at the Studio’s door. Right now, CMP’s Executive Board has more than 20 screenplays to be considered. Good signal.

Harry Stark made an enigmatic public statement recently: ‘We have a surprising and thrilling announcement related to Star Wars. It is nothing that can be expected. But I won’t say more about it by the moment’.

Why low budgets movies like ‘September’s Gone’ and ‘Fools Game’ become surprising and nice hits and mega-movies like ‘Space Quest’ or ‘Tales of the Jedi’ flop? That’s the main question that CMP’s executives are looking to answer. Are audiences tired of blockbuster formulas? Or CMP has done something wrong in its biggest productions?

INSIDE CMP – THE SEQUELS BAG

Julian Jones, the new Production Department CEO appointed by Harry Stark to face the financial crisis opened by some recent flops, appeared a few days ago in a press conference to talk about CMP’s plans for the future. It was clearly stated that Jones’ strategy will be based in two pillars: low budget quality pictures that can make high net profits – like ‘September’s Gone’ - and blockbuster’s sequels. Jones wasn’t very specific about what sequels can be expected, but here are some hints on what we may be watching from the Studio soon.

CORSAIRS 2: Already being shot. See ‘Movies In Development’ for further details.

T.Y.M. 2: The spirits hunting team may return at last, although Bryan Singer and Tobey Maguire have repeatedly said that they are not interested in it. Maybe, the T.Y.M.’s team will return with a complete new concept.

ACE BANNER 2: Kubrick has the screenplay written. It has been close to green light a couple of times. But it seems that this time is for real. Hugh Jackman may be back in business soon.

SPACE QUEST 2: Director Roland Emmerich and screenwriter Steve Connors are trying to convince CMP’s Executive Board that going on with this trilogy can be worth it. After all, the first movie only lost 5 mill. and the franchise has a great potential.

UNCOMMON VALOUR 2: It is said that some scenes for this sequel were already shot by Ridley Scott when filming the first movie to save some money. Harry Stark loves enough this project to do it no matter the costs.

ULTRAMAN 2: The only hint for this one is that Eddie Murphy has recently said that he is interested in playing his clumsy superhero again.

WILD CARDS 2: The first one wasn’t a hit. But Stark and Kubrick are willing to take the risk and give another opportunity to this saga.

TALES OF THE JEDI 2: The big mystery. Jackson does not want to talk about it. Stark does not want to talk about it. Nobody wants to talk about it. But, then, why everyone has the feeling that this sequel of CMP’s biggest flop can see the light some day?

ROBOTECH 3: A sure one. Michael Bay will go on with the anime franchise. Box Office’s result of the two previous Robotech pictures is reason more than enough to do it.

FEAR THE DARKNESS 4. Although the third FTD’s movie is still being produced, the Studio has confirmed that there will be a fourth Darkman’s adventure. Only a box office disaster would avoid it.

THE HEIRS – PART 3: Scorsese announced that he wanted to take some time before shooting the end of his acclaimed saga. But CMP is looking forward to make it as soon as possible.

DEEP SILENCE 2: There’s no screenplay. There’s no production plan. There’s no cast and no director. But the Studio is considering resurrecting the successful underwater mutants to put some money into its strongbox.

COMING SOON – THE ADD