Jun 1 2009 Swift to Fight Cyborg Kickboxer on Film
Amidst the scramble to pick up absolutely any franchise that might have any hint of name recognition for anyone, Columbia has purchased Swift, a pitch from Barry Sonnenfeld and Ben David Grabinski that reinvents the largely bygone character Tom Swift.
Swift, first introduced 1910, is a boy adventurer, and his series have focused largely on such fantastical inventions as a cyborg kickboxer, a blatant C-3PO rip-off, a rifle powered by the mystical force of electricity, and something called a "motor cycle." The updated version, Variety says, "would feature Swift as one-half of a father-son team who are among the greatest inventors of all time." Meaning, in the film, Tom will inevitably have to rescue his father from the clutches of an evil rival scientist trying to steal the Swifts' plans to use on a powerful new weapon.
Personally, I'm hoping the film have a basis in the novel Tom Swift and His Big Tunnel. With today's computer rendering power, we could finally get a true vision of just how big this big tunnel is.
Dec 18 2008 Sonnenfeld Directing Anti-Alien-Attack-Book Movie
MGM has signed Barry Sonnenfeld on to direct and produce The How-To Guide for Saving the World, a script based around a schlub finding what is essentially a "how-to" guide for saving the world and using it:
"World" tells the story of a loser who discovers a book on how to prevent an alien invasion and then has to put that knowledge to use when one actually occurs. Grabinski's script landed enough votes among executives to make this year's unofficial Black List of "most liked" screenplays."I loved the writing and the concept: What would happen if, one afternoon, the secret group that protects Earth from alien invaders was wiped out?" Sonnenfeld said. "Fortunately, they left behind an instruction manual for saving Earth. Unfortunately, a non-action-hero guy -- not unlike me in terms of manliness -- and a woman who hates him find the book and have to save the planet from an impending attack."
I'm betting the book on how to stop an alien attack looks extremely similar to the screenplay for Independence Day. Implausible heroism and computer viruses will always be our first and only defense against invasion.
