JANUARY, 15


NATHAN ZACHARY AND THE PILFERED PROTOTYPE

Action Adventure

The Cast: Thomas Jane, Diane Kruger, Kevin Costner, Aaron Eckhart, Brent Spiner, Ashley Scott, Michael Clarke Duncan, Justin Long, Taryn Manning. Cameo by Charlize Theron.

The Director and Screenwriter: Jack Hammer

The Plot:

Just hours after having set course for Pacifica, Zachary (T.Jane) receives a desperate radio call from Dr. Fassenbinder’s (B.Spiner) daughter – Ilsa (D.Kruger), telling him the dreaded Cheka, the Russian secret police, have kidnapped her father from their bungalow. He’s been taken aboard the zeppelin Worker’s Voyage, and is being taken back to Russia. In a daring daylight attack, Zachary and the Fortune Hunters intercept the zepp. Silencing her guns, Zachary docks long enough for Jack (A.Eckhart) to board and begin his search for the Doctor. While waiting, Zachary and the rest clear the skies of the escort fighters, then returns to pick up Fassenbinder and Jack. But before they can make their getaway, they are attacked by the dreaded Black Swan (C.Theron) and her gang, who had been planning to heist the Worker’s Voyage for months. After a brief dogfight both sides break off when Zachary and the Swan make a deal to split the loot that Jack collected along with the Doctor.

With Wilhelm Fassenbinder safe from the Cheka, it’s now time to free Ilsa from house arrest by Boeing’s Special Products Division, and at the same time steal the top secret prototype aircraft the pair had been working on. Code-named “Blue Streak” – the incredibly nimble mono-plane was capable of astounding bursts of speed. The next morning a daring raid is staged on Boeing Field, as the Fortune Hunters ride shotgun, Zachary matches speed with the train carrying Ilsa and using a dropped rope-ladder gets her safely aboard. With phase one complete, the air pirates strafe the fuel trucks, sending them up in a spectacular fireball. The diversion gives Zachary time to land and hop into one of the two prototypes. Ilsa flies his Devastator to safety while Zachary takes to the skies in one Blue Streak, hotly pursued by test pilot Lucky Lincoln in the other. In a fierce dogfight Zachary leaves Lincoln’s plane in a smoking heap of rubble and the Fortune Hunters head for the Pandora.

Recent raids having left them with a severe shortage of aviation fuel, Zachary stages a daring midnight raid on a Russian tanker in Puget Sound. First they knock out the lighthouse by destroying its generator, then use a dummy light to draw the tanker onto a sandbar. Quickly dispatching the Pacifica fighters and patrol boats, the Pandora moves into position and begins to take on fuel when a Russian zeppelin emerges from the darkness and begins launching fighters. Betty (A.Scott), Big John (M.C.Duncan) and Tex (T.Manning) make short work of the Russian Devastators, while Jack and Zachary deal with the far more dangerous Russian zeppelin. Rockets and cannon shells bracket the airship, taking out her guns before she can bring them to bear on the stationary Pandora, and tearing up her engines, leaving her with no choice but to break off as the Pandora tops off her tanks and vanishes into the night.

As they prepare to leave Pacifica behind, Zachary gets word that Boeing has hired aviation security expert Paladin Blake (K.Costner) to take care of him once and for all. Laying low until Blake and his personal zeppelin – the aerial battlewagon Promised Land – arrives, they quickly formulate a plan to turn the tables on Blake. The raid begins with an attack at one of the subsidiary fields that destroys several Blake planes on the ground, while that’s going on Zachary makes a bee-line for the field’s radio tower, taking it out with a pair of high explosive rockets and silencing the field’s calls for reinforcements. Roaring in on the main field, the Fortune Hunters are confronted with the heavily armed and armored airship as well as a score of Blake Aviation Security Peacemakers led by old Iron Britches Blake himself. Lacking any aerial torpedoes capable of punching through the Promised Land’s armor Zachary relies on strategy, waiting for the air dreadnought’s broadside cannon hatches to open and sending a pair of rockets screaming in, setting off the ready ammo and crippling the airship. But Blake gets on his tail and begins chewing Zachary Devastator to pieces. Leaving the Promised Land to the rest, Zachary engages Blake in a no holds barred furball high above Whitby Island. The cagey old Blake doesn’t go quietly but in the end his plane goes down in flames, though Blake himself parachutes safely to the ground, both of them knowing that they will meet again another day.

On their way out of Pacifica the Fortune Hunters take on the murderous Black Hat gang as they shoot up the Red Cross ship Compassion trying to aid the downed Worker’s Voyage. Roaring into the attack Nathan, Jack, Betty, Tex, Sparks (J.Long) and Big John teach the Black Hats a lesson about a pirate’s honor and what the Fortune Hunters do to butchers without any. After accepting the thanks of the crew of the Compassion, Zachary relaxes in his cabin when he picks up a radio broadcast from the Nation of Hollywood. It’s his old rival Johnny Johnson, now CEO of the Hughes-owned Colossal Studios, shooting his mouth off proclaiming that “his” Hollywood is untouchable by air pirates. Looks like it’s time to settle an old score and put a loud-mouth in his place.

“Sparks, set course for the Nation of Hollywood.”


Stark’s Comment:
‘Nathan Zachary and Drake’s Gold’ was released back in Season 5. It made a nice but not spectacular box office: 72 millions, generating 77 millions of net gains for the Studio. Seven Seasons later, Hammer has decided to go on with this adaptations of the popular ‘Crimson Skies’ pc games. Again, the Studio has approved a pretty high budget to shoot this complex production full of air combats.

Behind The Scenes:
-Jack Hammer has the intention of developing three more adventures of Nathan Zachary if this one works in box office.
-There were many candidates to play The Black Swan, a character that only appears briefly in this movie but it’s expected to gain presence in future sequels: stars like Angelina Jolie, Kate Beckinsale or Kate Bosworth were considered before Charlize Theron was finally chosen.
-Evan Rachel Wood was also considered at some point to play the character finally played by Diane Kruger.
-Harrison Ford and Kurt Russell were candidates to play the villain finally played by Kevin Costner. But they were not available: Ford was committed with ‘A Hard Place’ while Russell was busy shooting ‘The Avengers 4’.

JOHN AND TOMMIE

Drama / Biographical

The Cast: Anthony McKie, Derek Luke, Chris Hemsworth, Jon Voight, Will Smith

The Director: Will Smith
The Screenwriter and Producer: Chad Taylor

The Plot:

It was early in the morning, October 16th of 1968. John Carlos (Mackie) opens his eyes and looks across the room to see Tommie Smith (Luke), his United States Olympic Track teammate. They exchange a pair of good mornings, and Tommie asks if Carlos is ready. A smile creeps upon Carlos' face, and replies "Your joking, right?" They both laugh and share a big smile.

Both men were athletes their whole life. They exceeded at the high school, and collegiate level, so the Olympics were the next logical move. But it wouldn't be easy. The movie then precedes to show a sideshow of the events occurring in '68 (e.g. the Civil Rights movement, and the assassinations of Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr.).They had been battling each other for the past few years, beating each other's records, just as they set them. We see the months leading up to the Olympics, where both are friendly competitors, making jokes towards each other.

And so October 16th came. The men had spent their whole lives working towards this, and today was the day. They kissed their wives goodbye and were off to the race. While on the way, they joke around about what they would do if they won. They were obviously kidding around with some of their answers, but both knew they had legitimate chance. Tommie won the 200 meter race, breaking the world-record, with Australia's Peter Norman (C.Hemsworth) second and Carlos in a respectable third place.

After the race was completed, the three go to get their medals at the podium. Before they go up, John and Tommie take a few moments discussing something. We flashblack to see the two in their hotel room, with the TV on. It shows violent hate crimes on African-Americans, with the two men watching in despair. A tear slowly rolls down Carlos' eye. We then flashforward back to the podium, where a tear is still seen rolling down Carlos' face. He looks at Tommie and shakes his head, and they both bend over and remove their shoes. They put on black socks and black gloves in reference to black poverty. Tommie puts on a scarf to show black pride. John puts on beads, in honor of those lynched, hung, who no one said a prayer for, who were thrown off boats in the middle of the passage. Norman sympathizes their ideals, and says nothing against it, like others in the crowd are. They step up to the podium and receive their medals. Both of them bow their heads. Tommie throws up his right fist into the air, showcasing his black glove. At the same time, John does it with his left. Cameras are flashed, jaws are dropped.

We flashback again, to John and Tommie watching TV. We see Sociologist Harry Edwards (W.Smith) urging black athletes to boycott the games. John and Tommie stare at the screen, shaking their heads up and down. They take in all they hear. Flashforward to after the game, in an immediate response to their actions, Avery Brundage (J.Voight), head of the International Olympic Committee, orders Smith and Carlos suspended from the U.S. team and banned from the Olympic Village. When the US Olympic Committee refused, Avery threatened to ban the entire US track team. The team had no other choice. John and Tommie receive the news and are shocked, mad and confused.

Then we see the reactions in the U.S., about the Black Power salute. The duo are on magazine covers, TV screens and all over the place. And not in a good way. Back home, we see the two are subject to abuse and death threats. They talk over their actions with Edwards, and decide it was the right thing to do, and they have no regrets.

The two continued in the Civil Rights movement, after their Olympic career. They spend the rest of their lives in the Athletic category, playing other sports like football, and even coaching some. Finally, we wrap it up with John and Tommie in present day. They discuss trending topics, including them receiving the ESPY Arthur Ashe Award for Courage. They look back on those selected days in the 60s, in amazement. They were treated terribly for standing up in what they believed in, standing up for black power. And now they live in a country with an African-American president.


Stark’s Comment:
Will Smith stated that he would try something new and different in CMP after the flop of ‘Gears Of War’. And this is it. Smith makes his debut as movie director and also plays a minor role in this interesting true story of two brave black american athletes that challenged all the establishment during the 1968 Mexico Olympic Games. I am so curious myself about how this movie will work.

Behind The Scenes:
-The starring couple of this movie, Anthony McKie and Derek Luke, have already worked together before this very same Season in ’24 Hours To Live’.
-Derek Luke almost had to resign being in this movie due to agenda problems, as the shooting was beginning when he was still shooting the last scenes of ’24 Hours To Live’. In fact, Gbenga Akinnagbe was ready to replace him.
-Hugh Jackman refused the offer to be in the movie as he considered himself too old to play the Australian athlete finally played by Chris Hemsworth.
-The screenplay of the movie had to be re-written by Chad Taylor as the original draft demanded a three hours long movie and CMP’s executives considered that could kill it at box office. Even with the re-writing, the movie’s length is close to two hours.

COMEDY WARS

Comedy

The Cast: Will Ferrell, Sasha Baron Cohen, Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn, Teri Polo, Rutina Wesley, Simon Pegg, Seth Rogen

The Director: Edgar Wright
The Screenwriter: Matt Kubrick

The Plot:

Meet Zack Michaels (S.Pegg), one of the most famous stand up comedians in L.A. It's 11:00pm when he comes through the back entrance, he is hoping to escape a mob of fans. In front of the club they are cheering his name hoping to get a glimpse of him. Out back he steps into his car, puts the key into the ignition and turns the key starting the car. But machine gun fire rings through the night tearing into the car and punching holes in Zack, killing him. This is the start of what will be forever known as the east coast west coast comedy wars.

A month later Richard Michaels (V.Vaughn), Zack's brother is up on stage. He's been depressed since the death of his brother. He's about to make news that will shock the world. There are a couple of hecklers in the audience tearing his set apart. They've been doing it all night and it is starting to break Richard down. He tears into them back making fun of them both. But this only eggs on the two hecklers. There are some people in the audience recording the whole thing with their cellphones. All of a sudden Richard walks over to the table where the two hecklers are sitting, he pulls out a pistol and shoots them both in the head once sending the whole comedy club into a panic, people running for the door for their lives. Some of them are calling for the cops on their phones.

Richard will try to make a run for it but he eventually will be caught and arrested by the police. During his interview with the police he will be the one that tells the cops that a war is brewing, L.A. is about to become a battlefield. His friends will have their revenge for what happened to his brother.

A week later a man named Baby Foster (W.Ferrell) heads the east coast, he is doing an interview with a news reporter named Connie Wallace (T.Polo). He is dressed in a big furry purple coat, big glasses and beside him is a big cane covered in studded diamonds. He looks at Connie and promises her that there is no east coast west coast war. He says the whole thing is a lie based on tabloid bull crap.

His rival named Archie Williams (S.B.Cohen) says something different, he says he doesn't condone violence but Zack owed the wrong people money. He claims that it was a bookie that had him killed. Baby Foster is planning something big, he wants retribution for the death of Zack and he plans on retaliating, he promises to his people on the east coast that Archie started this war and he will finish it.

A month later prop comic Richie D (O.Wilson) is on stage doing his set, doing jokes about childhood and video games. All of a sudden someone stands up in the crowd brandishing an uzi and yells Baby Foster sends his regards and opens fire. Richie D dives for cover and makes a quick grab at his prop suit case. He manages to hide begins a table and underneath all of his props he hides double desert eagle pistols. He pulls them out and returns fire. The two guys trade bullets with each other and several patrons are caught in the crossfire as they place is in a panic. Some are killed and some are wounded. Richie manages to kill his attacker with a bullet to the chest and escapes out the back. He makes a phone call to his girlfriend Ivana (R.Wesley) and he jumps into the passenger side of her car and they both drive away. They still aren't safe because a chase with a car ensues taking them all over L.A. and through several abandoned warehouses. Eventually they lose the people chasing them.

Through the next several months there will be war and bloodshed both in the streets and in the comedy club claiming the lives of dozens. West coast comedian JJ (S.Rogen) is having a party for his friends, filled with woman and hard drugs. Him and his girlfriend Janice are having sex when two armed gun men break into their bedroom and shoot them both. This will be the final straw in the comedy wars and the cops will do everything in their power to bring it to the end.

Multiple comedians will be arrested and get life in prison. Both sides know that this war isn't going anywhere they know that it's time to try and make peace. Both Baby face and Richie say they will make peace. They plan on bringing multiple comedians on both sides together for a huge comedy festival that will reunite the west coast and east coast to show that the bloodshed will end. But things turn sour when Richie shoots Baby face during his standup routine and both sides turn on each other.

All the comedians in the building end up killing each other. They lived by their lifestyle and died by their life style.


Stark’s Comment:
Comedies are always a hit or miss. But Will Ferrell has proven to be a guarantee in box office for the Studio, so I hope this one will work. The movie is a parody of the East / West Coast rap musicians’ wars replacing rappers with comedians. Weird and wild. Enjoy it.

Behind The Scenes:
-Will Ferrell got personally involved in putting up the cast for this movie, as he wanted to work with some mates he has worked before with in other CMP’s movies, like Vaughn, Wilson, Rogen or Sasha Baron Cohen.
-David Zucker, who has directed for CMP a few successful comedies with Ferrell in them, was wanted by Harry Stark to direct this one. But CMP’s President finally respected Kubrick’s choice to take care of direction.


THE FORGOTTEN: A most surprising pitch from Chad Taylor. Everybody knows the legendary CMP’s saga ‘The Heirs’, written by Joey Stark. Taylor, always brave to try new and different things in CMP, has decided to take the risk of writing an unexpected sequel to this famous mobsters saga starred by Robert De Niro and Sean Penn. This movie will tell the story of the forgotten son of Sean Penn and how he deals with his peculiar family’s past. Jonathan Demme (‘Turning Point’) has accepted to direct this risky and daring challenge. Martin Scorsese, director of the original ‘The Heirs’ trilogy, was offered to produce it but he finally decided not to. ‘The Forgotten’ will be one of the first releases of CMP’s Season 13. An unexpected and intriguing project.

THE AVENGERS 4: CIVIL WAR: Christopher Plummer played the head of the criminal organization HYDRA in CMP’s ‘Nick Fury’. Now, he will play the same character again in this one. And new faces both in this franchise and CMP will join the superheroes’ universe: John Cho will be Luke Cage and Sam Worthington will be Cable, both members of the group known as the Liberators, rivals of Shield in this civil war.

THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME: Three British actresses join the cast of this Danny Boyle’s movie: Emily Watson, in her first work for CMP; Emily Blunt, seen before in two other Collins’ stories (‘Blink’ and ‘Goldmine Killers’); and Judi Dench, who could be seen past Season in the second episode of the ‘Magic – The Gathering’ franchise.

SILENT HILL: THE RETURN: Dakota Fanning keeps insisting in becoming the queen of horror movies in CMP. After the failed experience of ‘Raise Of The Darkman’, GMA Winner Dakota has decided to return to the horror genre starring this sequel of the successful Brad Anderson’s movie. It has been known that the shooting of this movie is suffering delays due to some casting problems (see below ‘The Inner Circle’).

WEST FLASHMAN: Michelle Rodriguez, seen in ‘Nick Fury’ and better known for her wild and violent character in ‘Reform School Girls’, will join the neverending list of Harry Flashman’s lovers. Michelle will play here and Indian girl with an attitude - daughter of Indian chief Mangas Coloradas, played by Graham Greenem - that will make Flashy falling into bigamy… as usual, just to survive.

THE HELLBOWL: CMP greenlights the second collaboration between Matt Kubrick and Josh Collins after the successful ‘Foul Karma’. This time, it is a completely different kind of movie: a horror comedy. The movie will tell the story of a peculiar show where humans have to fight against all kind of creepy creatures like zombies, werewolves or vampires. Some comedians in the cast will be Tim Allen (‘Bond Scum’), Martin Lawrence (‘Black Guys’) and Michael Cera (‘Lying Wish’). Neil Jordan, whose only previous work in CMP was the acclaimed ‘South East’, will try luck with wild comedy with this movie.

KARATE KAT: Matt Damon, seen this Season in ‘American Tabloid’, has accepted to make a voice only work in this animated feature. He will be the voice of the evil Dr. N. Sane, the main enemy of Neko, the karate kat (voice of Ryan Reynolds). Michael Douglas, not seen in CMP since ‘The Chinese Bride’, will also be heard in the movie as the voice of Sensei, an old Siamese kat and master of Neko.

FADED: Past Season, we already saw a rock star far away from his glory days in the best Picture GMA Winner ‘The Rock Star’. This Trent Nielsen’s story retakes that cliché from a lighter and more comedic perspective. After quite a few failed attempts, GMA Winner Cameron Crowe finally returns to CMP after his splendid job in the musical ‘Only In America’, directing this romantic dramedy.

THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM: Jodie Foster is already directing this love story between a young student and his literature teacher. And stars to be seen in it include Frank Langella, recently seen in ‘Booster Gold’, and Kristen Stewart, already seen this Season too playing Will Patton’s daughter in ‘Riders Of The Storm’. She will be here a girl that falls in love with Emile Hirsh while he is living his own romantic story with Michelle Pfeiffer.

A HARD PLACE: Two more stars to add to this cop drama directed by Clint Eastwood and written by Richard Franzwa. Robert Carlyle will make his debut in CMP playing the killer chased by John Cusack and James Cromwell (‘Minos’, ‘The Awful Truth’, ‘Zann’) will be a priest helping Renee Zellwegger to deal with her moral dilemmas.



JACK HAMMER
NATHAN ZACHARY AND THE PILFERED PROTOTYPE


Jack Hammer has decided to resurrect some of his most famous sagas. Together with the announced fourth movie of the 'Uncommon Valour' saga, he has written and directed a sequel of the adventure movie 'Nathan Zachary and Drak'es Gold', the adaptation of the pc games 'Crimson Skies', the story of a gang of air pirates in a parallel world.

1.You have decided to retake a saga that begun quite a few Seasons ago. Do you plan to go on with this franchise in future movies, as it was originally planned?

That will be up to the box office. If the numbers are good, then yes, I would very much like to continue the series on to the end. But if the numbers just aren’t there, then I guess it’ll just be these two films.

2.You are directing again this new movie. It seems like you don't trust anybody else but yourself to direct your stories lately...

Not true, I always planned to direct the ‘Crimson Skies’ series myself. I mean right from the start, that was the plan. I directed ‘Deadly Force’ because Christopher Nolan bowed out and I wasn’t really happy with who was available to replace him. So I stepped in to get the job done. Besides the ‘Crimson Skies’ movies, I’ve only got one other project that I’ll be directing. That’s the project that Brad, Angie, George and I are working on. It’s a remake of a classic that we all love. I can’t say too much about it. Harry wants it kept under wraps until next season. But I will say this – those are mighty big shoes we’ll be filling.

3.Your famous saga, 'Uncommon Valour', has also been announced to have a fourth episode in the near future. Will it be a new trilogy or just a single new movie?

Again, that’s up to the box office. I have plans to do another trilogy, but if the numbers aren’t there then ‘Only the Valiant’ will be it. Assuming the numbers are good we’ll continue with ‘For His Majesty’s Honour’, and ‘Sea of Fire’.

4.Any other of your series returning? 'The Last Lawman'? 'The Great War Series'?

No. There are no plans to bring either back. Those stories have been told. The ones that are coming back are stories that weren’t finished, not completely anyway. George Clooney and I have started kicking around the idea of another Philip Marlow movie, but that won’t be until season 15 at the earliest.

5.Now that you’re back to CMP after a while away, what differences or changes do you find between the present of the Studio and how things were at the beginning?

The Studio has gotten much better at budgeting, scheduling and promoting films. Flops are much rarer than they were in the early seasons. Also 200 million dollar blockbusters are no longer such a rarity. Crazy Moon has had several tremendous hits over the last few years. Of course that creates its own set of problems when a movie doesn’t perform up to expectations. So nowadays the pressure is really on to deliver, especially when you’re dealing with a movie like ‘Nathan Zachary and the Pilfered Prototype’, that requires such a huge budget to begin with. But if I wanted an easy job I’d run for Congress.


WILL FERRELL

Some people hate his acting excesses. Some others consider him a talented comedian when he gets the right role. But the truth is that Will Ferrell has climbed step by step to the top respected and successful talents in CMP’s world. He has worked with so many different CMP’s screenwriters. 7 out of his 8 works for the Studio have made net gains. 3 of them have gone over the 100 millions’ landmark. And past Season he won his first GMA. Ferrell is something more than the guy who appears with funny costumes at the GMA’s Galas. He is one of the most successful comedians in the Studio. This week, we take a look at the CMP’s career of the only man that can fight at this moment with Ben Stiller for the wanted throne of CMP’s King Of Comedy.

ULTRAMAN’S REVENGE
Season 4
Harold Ramis / Steve Connors
B.O.: 42 mill. / N.G.: 7 mill.
Ferrell made his debut in CMP playing the villain of this second Ultraman’s adventure, a parody of the classic maniac millionaire wanting to rule the world. The movie wasn’t much of a hit but introduced Ferrell in CMP’s world playing a kind of character he would play again in the future: the parodic villain.

EUREKA!
Season 4
Ben Stiller / Marcus Trax
B.O.: 26 mill. / N.L.: 4 mill.
That same Season, Ferrell played again a comedic villain, this time a crazy scientist, in this comedy starred by Luke Wilson and Heather Graham. The movie, the only directional job by Ben Stiller in CMP, meant his only flop in box office and also his only collaboration with Stiller so far (…but maybe not the last, as there are rumors of an upcoming reunion of these two comedy heavy-weights in a future CMP’s film).

LIEUTENANT USA AND THE WARM STEEL GANG
Season 5
David Zucker / John Daws
B.O.: 132 mill. / N.G.: 173 mill.
This movie was a major event in CMP. The first comedy from the Studio to become a blockbuster. Since then, the cast of the movie was considered as the CMP’s Comedy Gang and all of them begun to work regularly for the Studio. Again, Ferrell was the eccentric villain Darth Santa. This brilliant spoof of CMP’s movies had a less successful sequel, but Ferrell wasn’t in it.

NO MORE BUSH!
Season 6
Rob Reiner / John Daws
B.O.: 76 mill. / N.G.: 50 mill.
An innovative and unique project: a mockumentary about the supposed love affair between President Bush Jr. and Tony Blair (with a jealous Bin Laden included). Ferrell played George Bush Jr., as he did in Broadway, and worked again with Daws and Steve Carrell after ‘Lieutenant USA’. The film was critically acclaimed and, at this moment, Ferrell had already become a regular in CMP.

SCHROEDINGER’S LITTERBOX
Season 6
Richard Linklater / Ben Tyler
B.O.: 51 mill. / N.G.: 22 mill.
Farrell left aside gross comedy to get involved in this acclaimed and intellectual comedy that has become a CMP’s classic. He met again with Zach Braff, also seen in the Lieutenant USA movie, and played a peculiar janitor who had a bit surrealistic conversations with a colleague played by Paul Rudd. A prestige work for Farrell.

Q*BERT
Season 8
David Zucker / Josh Collins
B.O.: 112 mill. / N.G.: 96 mill.
Zucker, director of ‘Lt. USA’, called him again to star this parody of the 80’s underdog movies. It was the first time Ferrell worked in a Collins’ story, proving that he is demanded by many different CMP’s authors. It was the first leading role for Ferrell in CMP and the movie worked great in box office, confirming him as a trustable talent.

BORGEL
Season 10
Terry Gilliam / Ben Tyler
B.O.: 138 mill. / N.G.: 177 mill.
Ferrell made a voice only work for this creative movie, playing a computer program. Again, he got involved in a critically acclaimed project showing his intelligence when choosing his works, moving from gross comedy to more quality projects.

THE MIRACLE MEN
Season 11
Paul Giamatti / James Bradley
B.O: 60 mill. / N.G.: 79 mill.
Again, Ferrell left aside goofy characters and bet for a more adult comedy. The adventures and misadventures of a rogue preacher man (Giamatti) and a nice and honest guy played by him showed his skills as a classy comedian. And, most of all, it meant his first Golden Moon Award for Best Starring Couple.

COMEDY WARS
Season 12
Edgar Wright / Matt Kubrick
Awaiting release
Ferrell returns to a wilder kind of comedy leading a cast of comedians some of them he has worked before with in CMP (Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn, Sasha Baron Cohen, Seth Rogen) in this parody of the rap stars’ wars translated to the world of comedic showmen. It is obvious that something has changed from the times of ‘Lit. USA’ to nowadays: now Ferrell is the leader of the cast. He has done things so well in the way.


The starring couple of ‘Nathan Zachary and the Pilfered Prototype’, Thomas Jane and Diane Kruger, presented the movie to the world press posing in front of one of the zeppelines used during the shootage.



I remember Mr. Stark telling once that ‘it would be boring if all CMP’s movies succeed at box office’. Well, it seems like my friend Harry is not having a boring Season. So far, 5 out of the 18 movies released this Season have flopped in box office, which can be considered as a negative record. And besides flops, only 3 movies have made more than 100 millions and none of them has reached the 200 millions. Season 12 is the worst CMP’s Season by far at least in terms of financial success. From CMP’s offices, they keep insisting that nothing has changed in the way they manage their releases – you know: Hollywood Mogul’s Level 3 -, but the truth is that the Studio’s productions are suddenly having a hard time in box office. And some executive’s heads can be in danger as Harry is demanding someone to assume their responsibility for this significant drop of incomes. I love it when the guy has a bad time…

From time to time, ‘Variety’ publishes a list of the most powerful stars in CMP’s world. Guess who’s ahead of the list at the moment? Yes, no other than Ben Stiller, the man that has chained four movies in a row making more than 100 millions in box office. Right now, any project with the name of Stiller in it gets immediate attention at CMP. And it seems like next Season could be Stiller’s Season, as he might get involved in more than one production. One of them sounds particularly strange: can you imagine the names of Ben Stiller and Quentin Tarantino together in the credits of a movie? I’ll keep you informed…

And let’s move to another rising star. Cobie Smulders made a risky bet accepting to play Wonder Woman. And she succeeded in that risky challenge. The consequence? Colbie has suddenly turned into one of the most demanded stars by CMP’s authors. It’s already known that next Season we’ll see her leading Chad Taylor’s Justice League. But, besides that, I’ve heard that his agent is full of offers for her to be in other CMP’s movies. It seems like Colbie is here to stay at CMP’s world.

Problems in paradise? ‘Silent Hill’ was a surprising box office’s success for a horror movie past Season. So its upcoming sequel can be considered as a main event for this one. But that has not been enough to avoid problems. I’ve been told that Max Arilius and Brad Anderson are having troubles to put up the cast of the movie. Some big stars they offered to be in the sequel have refused the offer and the cast is not closed yet although the shooting dates are running. It seems like big stars still don’t trust much in horror movies, no matter the nice box office of the first movie of this franchise.

And I end up this week announcing that the release schedule for CMP’s Season 13 is almost closed. According to my sources, CMP returns to normality. Big budget productions, sequels and superheroes movies will gain presence again after this peculiar 12th Season. I hope that box office also rises for CMP’s releases before poor Harry suffers a heart attack watching how his productions disappoint one after another at box office lately.