Ten Promising movies stuck in development hell.

Putting a film together is certainly no easy task. After securing the rights to a script, a studio doesn't always start working on the film right away. There are many factors that influence how fast a film gets made after a script is bought, such as copyright issues, casting decisions, budgeting problems, or even in some cases the technology required to make the film is not invented, such as with Avatar which was stuck in development hell for almost 10 years. For those of you not familiar with the term, development hell is the the period during which a film is stuck in development. Today we will analyze 10 highly-promising films that have been or were at one point stuck in development hell.

Akira (Live Action)

According to several internet sources, Warner Bros. acquired the rights to produce a live action version of the highly acclaimed animated film Akira back in 2002, Ever since that announcement there have been an endless parade of names associated with the project including Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Leo DiCaprio, James Franco, Mila Kunis, Michael Fassbender, Justing Timberlake and Keanu Reeves, however  licensing issues and a disagreement over the cast have led to the production being shut down at least 4 times, most recently in January of 2012.

Ghostbusters III
Back in 1990, Dan Akryod wrote a potential script for the third installment in the Ghostbusters franchise. The script apparently had the characters transported in some sort of parallel universe which made most of the actors involved in the original films become disenchanted with the franchise, apparently 3 out of the 4 Ghostbusters were convinced to be in the sequel by 2004 but Bill Murray was still not entirely convinced. At that point Ben Stiller was considered to replace Murray in the third installment but the project was once again stalled due to "a lack of interest and motivation" and the script was canned. A new script surfaced in early 2010 which was written by the writers of "The Office" and decided that they would shoot the sequel with or without Murray. When the script was sent to Murray he reportedly shredded it to pieces and returned it to Ramis and Aykroyd with a note reading: "No-one wants to pay money to see fat, old men chasing ghosts." A third script is supposedly in the works.

Mad Max 4
Although Mad Max: Fury Road is now being produced it was stuck in development hell for around 25 years due to several issues ranging from the script to shooting locations as apparently the producers wanted the film the be shot in Namibia which represented a huge risk. With the outbreak of the Iraq War Mad Max 4 was abandoned and finally a few years later a script was secured to make the film, however due to the many scandals that Gibson has gone through lately they decided not to have him in the 4th installment and Tom Hardy will play Mad Max instead.

Invisible Monsters
"Invisible Monsters" is a novel by Fight Club writer Chuck Palahniuk, the novel is about a model who gets her face blown off by a gunshot and how she comes to terms with her new disfigured identity as she embarks on a trip with a transvestite diva. Do not be mistaken, "Monsters" is a very powerful book which would make an excellent movie. A small independent studio called MacLaren Productions acquired the rights to the novel in 2009 and were supposed to start production in 2011 but not much has happened since. Some of the names associated with the project back then were Jessica Biel, Lady Gaga and Mila Kunis to play the role of the unnamed protagonist.

Jurassic Park 4
After the release of Jurassic Park III, Steven Spielberg was quoted as saying he was ready to produce a fourth installment, that JP3 director Joe Johnston would direct and that the script writing would be handled by William Monahan, a rough draft was submitted in mid-2003 but the script went through many rewrites which ended up delaying the film indefinitely. In 2010 Johnston revealed that JP4 would be the first installment of a second JP trilogy which would not include any of the original actors and that it would be considered a spinoff of the original trilogy. The old script was canned and a new script was to be written by "Rise of the planet of the apes" writers Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver. JP4 is expected to be released in late 2014.

Halo 
Not many details are out there regarding a possible adaptation of the massively popular video game "Halo". Apparently a finished script is out there but disagreements over the distribution rights have sent this film into development hell and some of those involved in the project have claimed the project is "dead", however executive producer Peter Jackson claims the film will eventually get made. Some of the names associated with the project include Ron Pearlman and Nick Jones Jr.

Arrested Development 

Rumors of a possible film adaptation to the cult series have been floating around the net ever since the show's final episode. Back in 2008 Ron Howard was rumored to be in talks to direct the adaptation and that all of the original actors from the show would be interested in reprising their roles.
 
World War Z
Though no longer in development hell, the adaptation of the Max Brooks novel was stuck in development hell for more than 5 years after Plan B entertainment (The company owned by Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston) acquired the rights to the film, however the script did not entirely satisfy the producers and a second script was commissioned in 2009. The film was supposed to be released in early 2011 but due to many setbacks the date has been pushed back a couple of times. The film will finally be released on June 21, 2013 and it will star Brad Pitt and Mireille Enos.
 
Independence Day 2
Though the possibility of a sequel has been discussed even before the first installment was released, several issues have  stopped this film from becoming a reality. Back in 2004 director Roland Emmerich and Producer Dean Devlin got together to try to come up with a script but ultimately they couldn't "make it work" and they both abandoned the idea. In October 2009 Emmerich said he was ready to work on a sequel and was actually interested in doing a trilogy . On June 24, 2011 Devlin confirmed he and Emmerich found an idea for the sequels but Fox's refusal to cover Will Smith's salary of $50 Million US Dollars caused the production to be stopped again. In July 2012 Devlin confirmed that a sequel for ID4 was still in the works and that he would go on to make the film regardless of Smith's involvement. 

Sin City 2
Another film that is no longer in development hell, the sequel to Sin City was announced in 2005 by Robert Rodriguez and he claimed that the sequel would feature many of the same characters and that he wanted the film to be based on "A Dame To Kill For". Due to scripting issues the production of the film was pushed back for more than 7 years. Angelina Jolie was at one point considered to play Ava, however she was replaced by Rachel Weisz in 2012.

Poster for "Wreck-it Ralph revealed.

The poster for Wreck-It Ralph was revealed yesterday and many people will be surprised to find out that the poster for the 52nd Disney animated feature  has several videogame icons on it, including the Pac-Man Ghosts, Several characters from the Sonic series, as well as characters from Street-Figter and Q*bert. The film tells the sotry of Ralp, an arcade villain who decides to be a good guy and it feautres the voices of John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Jack McBrayer and Jane Lynch and it's expected to be released on November the second.

James Cameron reveals that he wanted to purchase the rights to "Jurassic Park"

In a recent interview with Huffington Post UK, James Cameron has revealed that he wanted to write and direct "Jurassic Park" but that his good friend Steven Spielberg beat him by a few hours. "I tried to buy the book rights and he beat me to it by a few hours," Cameron revealed at the recently-opened Titanic Museum in Belfast earlier this week.

The Avatar director  stated that he realized that he was not the right person to direct this film because  Spielberg made a movie for kids,  "and mine would have been aliens with dinosaurs, and that wouldn't have been fair." stated the prolific director.

Cameron visited Belfast and donated items from Titanic to the newly-opened museum, including the ship's wheel and the original suit and gown worn by Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio in the film as well as several other items. The city's association with the Titanic is being celebrated in a museum dedicated to the building of the ship. The museum is located on Queen's Island in Belfast next to the original location where the Titanic was launched from its first slipway.

During his stay in Belfast, the A-list director honored the heroes of the Titanic who desperately tried to keep the titanic afloat back in 1912 in order to save as many lives as possible, Cameron praised the Engineers calling them "the real heroes"  and that evidence of their heroic actions is still being discovered.

Two sequels to Cameron's avatar have already been announced and the second part is expected to come out in 2015, While Jurassic Park is being re-released next summer in 3D in a continuing trend of releasing high-grossing movies in 3D. Titanic is now available on Blu-Ray and Blu-Ray 3D, including two extra documentaries exploring the history of Titanic and the making of the film as well as two alternate endings.

The Bourne Legacy

Today I will be reviewing "The Bourne Legacy", the 4th movie in the "Bourne" saga. Please do not be confused, this is not "Bourne 4" but rather a new series which takes place in the Bourne universe, and while I found myself extremely disappointed to learn back in 2009 that neither Matt Damon nor Paul Greengrass would be attached to this project, I am glad to say that Jeremy Renner and Tony Gilroy have created a film worthy of the Bourne name.
 
Tony Gilroy was actually the screenwriter of the first three Bourne films, and obviously, most of the elements that made the first three films so good have permeated to this new saga. However, It would be a mistake to judge Gilroy's ability by comparing this film to the original trilogy. In order to judge's Gilroy's effort in this film we have to judge it by its own merits.
 

In "Legacy", Jeremy Renner plays Aaron Cross, a member of Operation Outcome, a program which trains Black Ops agents and enhances their physical and mental abilities through the use of drugs. When Bourne exposes the Treadstone project, the CIA decides to eliminate all Outcome agents to avoid a scandal, when Cross learns that he's being targeted he begins a journey that will lead him to Dr. Marta Shearing (Rachel Weisz) who will help Cross to get rid of his drug dependency.
 
It would also be unfair to compare Renner's performance in this new film to Damon's performance in the first three films; however Renner's charisma is an important asset that helps this film stand out. The instant on-screen chemistry with our female lead Weisz is also worth mentioning as I wasn't expecting them to hit it off right away. Edward Norton also features in this film as a retired Air Force colonel who hunts down Cross, but I couldn't decide whether his character was over-worked or if it was meant to be played out like that. To me, the character didn't feel like a real person.
 
Action buffs will be disappointed to learn that the first hour or so of the film is an introduction to our character and the action scenes are scarce. Their patience however, will be rewarded by a second hour packed with top-of-the-line, mind blowing action, including a high-speed chase through the packed streets of Manila.
 
The screenplay, which was handled by Tony himself and his brother Dan, is strong enough to make for an excellent spy film. The plot is intelligent and well constructed and doesn't leave a whole lot of questions to be answered, As Matt Neal said it "It's as good a story as you can hope when you're trying to keep a franchise afloat without the main character".
 
When this film was announced, I couldn't help but wonder, was it worth it to make another Bourne film without, you know, Jason Bourne? Maybe this film would've worked out just fine on its own, we may never know. But also I've realized that we may never get another full blown Bourne film with Damon on it. How these new series will stand out against the highly-acclaimed Bourne trilogy remains to be seen as we will surely get at least a whole "Cross" trilogy, only time will tell how these new series turn out. As of right now I can just say they did the best they could without Bourne.

 

Opening and closing films for the 50th New York Film Festival announced.

The 50th New York Film Festival is schedule to begin on Friday, September 28, and for the first time in the history of the prestigious festival, it will open with a 3D film as Ang Lee's "Life of Pi" start off the festival. This will be the third time a film by Ang Lee receives the honor of being shown in the festival as  "The Ice Storm" featured in the 1997 edition and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" was the closing film in the 2000 edition. "Life of Pi" is based on the novel by Yann Martel which tells the story of a man who survives a disaster at sea. A vital element to this story is the relationship that builds between the young man and the other survivor; a Bengal tiger. Long considered an un-filmable book, Life of Pi takes place over three continents, two oceans and many years.

The film that will receive the honor of closing the festival will be Robert Zemeckis "Flight", which mark the filmmakers return to live action (since Cast Away which was released 12 years ago). "Flight" stars Denzel Washington as a pilot who saves all his passengers after a crash landing, unraveling a complex and thrilling mistery. John Goodman, Don Cheadle, Melissa Leo and Kelly Reilly also star in this film."We're delighted to welcome Robert Zemeckis to the New York Film Festival for the first time. A director equally known for delighting audiences as well as for pushing the technological limits of film-making said Richard Peña, NYFF Selection Committee Chair & Film Society Program Director.

The rest of the films to be featured in the festival are expected to be announced in the next couple of days and it is expected to run from September 28 to October 14. Films will be shown at the Lincoln Center Campus at Alice Tully Hall, the Walter Reade Theater, and the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center. Tickets will go on sale after the full lineup is announced and it is recommended that viewers purchase a subscription package with the Film Society today as the demand for tickets is "extremely high".

The non-competitive Festival began in 1963 and it was established by Amos Vogel and Richard Round and it opened its first ever edition with Luis Buñuel's "The Exterminating Angel". Last year the festival opened with Roman Polanski's "Carnage" and closed with the Iranian film "This is not a film". Stay tuned for announcements on the full lineup once it becomes available.

My favorite 5 French contemporary films.

5. À bout portant (2010)

"À bout portant" (Known in the English-speaking world as "Point Blank") is one the best action films I have seen in recent years, the vivid action scenes combined with the appealing script and the rich characters make for a film that doesn't have a dull moment. Written and directed by Fred Cavaye, it follows the story of a male nurse who has to help a criminal escape from the hospital in order to save his wife who's being held hostage. What made this film for me is the fact that no CGI is used, there are no highly choreographed fights or pointless chases, it's just pure raw action that keeps your interested peaked.

4. Entre les murs (2008)

Known in the English speaking world as "The Class", Entre les murs is the biographical account of François Bégaudeau in which he describes his experiences as a literature teacher in  a middle school in Paris. Entre les murs won the 2008 Cannes festival, making it the first French film to win it in 20 years. This film features exceptional characters that feel real and a strong script that really draws you into the film. This film is truly an achievement in the genre of realism and at times it even felt like I was watching a scripted documentary. Some critics have gone as far as calling it the best "Teacher Movie" ever made and deemed it mandatory viewing for anyone who has ever wanted to become a teacher.

3. The Artist (2011)

"The Artist" is definitely not a film for everyone, It is a black and white, silent musical that depicts the story of a silent film superstar that struggles to make the transition to spoken films. "The Artist" won 5 Oscars, including best Film and best Actor and it put France back on everyone's radar after becoming the first French film to win Best Film at the Academy Awards. "The Artist" features outstanding performances by Jean Dujardin and Bérénice Bejo and a fantastic script that shines bright with quirkiness and uniqueness.

2. La Vie En Rose (2007)

The biographical account of Edith's Piaf turbulent road to become a diva is the film that made Marion Cotillard the superstar that she is today, Cotillard won the Academy Award for her performance, marking the first time an Oscar had been given for a French-language role. This film features an incredible soundtrack, an amazing performance by Cotillard, excellent cinematography and photography work and sets that really make you feel like you're walking the streets of 1940's Paris. Simply a must-watch for everyone.

1. Le Scaphandre et Le Papillon (2007)
This is possibly in the top 5 of my favorite movies ever. "Le Scaphandre et Le Papillon" is the story of Jean-Dominique Bauby. A successful editor for a French fashion magazine who suffers a massive stroke and is left unable to communicate. Bauby and his nurse develop a system in which he's able to communicate by blinking, the only action he can perform and he goes on to write his autobiography with the help of the nurse. This film has beautiful, and I really mean gorgeous cinematography and photography work. The amazing script is enhanced by Mathieu Amalric's performance but also by the technical elements which are simply flawless. If you have not watched this film yet do yourself a favor and shut down your computer and I really do mean now and go watch it, you won't regret it.

Honorific mentions: Copie Conforme, Intouchables, L'Herisson, Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain

20 Movie facts you probably didn't know about.

1. Many of the weapons on "Serenity" were based on paintball guns as revealed by the concept art.

2. One of the Mercedes used in "The Hangover" was stolen from the parking lot early during principal photography, the next day the production requested the assistance of the local police to hold up traffic and one of the production members noticed the stolen Benz in the line of cars being held up. The PD then arrested the driver and the car was recovered.

3. The miniature sets used in "Kill Bill Vol I" were actually leftovers from a Godzilla film.

4. The mugshots that were used in "The Shawshank Redemption" to portray a young-looking Morgan Freeman were actually pictures of Freeman's younger son, Alonso Freeman.

5. When asked what he thought about the critically-panned game "Fight Club" (Based on the film of the same name), Author Chuck Palahniuk said "They can do whatever they want with my book as long as the ****ing check clears."

6. Most of the cast and actors in "Alien" did not know what would happen during the chestburster scene, their reactions are mostly natural.

7. Janet Leigh broke her arm before filming for "Touch of Evil" began, her cast had to be removed or hidden for many of the scenes as the filming could not be delayed any further.

8. Nicolas Cage prepared for his role in "Leaving Las Vegas" by binge drinking and associating himself with prostitutes.

9. Robert De Niro tracked down Al Capone's original tailor and had him make identical clothing for "The Untouchables".

10. Stanley Kubrick wanted to get an insurance policy to protect himself from loses in case extraterrestrial life was discovered before "2001: A Apace Odyssey" was released. The insurer declined.

11. The computer used to show the video feeds of intruders breaking in to Jasper's hideout in "Children of Men" is an Apple 20th anniversary Mac, which would be 30 years old in the movie.

12. At one point, Joseph Gordon-Levitt was considered to play Spider-man in the 2012 reboot "The Amazing Spider-man".

13. The scene with Tom Cruise in "Vanilla Sky" where he walks around a desolated Times Square was not computer-enhanced. The production crew was given unprecedented permission to shut down Times Square for one Sunday and they filmed the scene in one day.

14. The police were called on Sacha Baron Cohen a total of 91 times during the production of "Borat".

15. Seth Rogen wrote the part of Saul in "Pineapple Express" for himself , however during a rehearsal he realized James Franco was funnier than him.

16. Christina Ricci actually wore a forty pound chain during the filming of "Black Snake Moan". Director Craig Brewer brought several chains on the set and Ricci chose the one that suited her best.

17. R. Lee Ermey was hired to act as a consultant for Tim Colceri who was supposed to play Sgt. Hartman in "Full Metal Jacket", however after Kubrick watched a 15-minute tape in which R. Lee Ermey performed a demonstration in which he yelled obscene insults and abuse for  stopping, repeating himself or even flinching despite being continuously pelted with tennis balls and oranges, Kubrick decided to give him the role.

18. Steven Spielberg got permission to film inside Auschwitz but chose not to out of respect for the victims who had died there. He chose to film the scenes in a set instead.

19. One of the conditions that Christian Bale set in order to become Batman for "Batman Begins" and its sequels was that Robin didn't appear on any of the films.

20. Members of the Hell's Angels were used as extras in the bar scene when Henry Hill is arrested in "Young Guns" as they had run out of extras. After the scene was completed, the Hell's Angels were hired as security personnel.