Oct 20 2009 Selena Gomez Will Know 'What Boys Want', Besides the Obvious
The Waitresses can expect their royalty checks soon. New Line has announced plans to make a What Women Want-style mind-reading comedy wherein "women" is replaced by "boys" and "Mel Gibson" is replaced with "some girl from the Disney Channel":
New Line's decided to find out "What Boys Want," snapping up the comedy pitch by Amy Andelson and Emily Meyer and attaching teen star Selena Gomez to topline and Kevin Misher to produce.Story centers on a teenage girl who can hear what men are thinking.
New Line's in final negotiations with the 17-year-old Gomez, who has built a huge fanbase from her role in the Disney Channel series, "The Wizards of Waverly Place."
Sadly, as brilliant as this idea is, guys, Dave Chappelle beat you by a few years:
Continue Reading " Selena Gomez Will Know 'What Boys Want', Besides the Obvious "
Oct 7 2009 Griswolds Will Continue Vacationing with New Patriarch
Hasn't National Lampoon's Vacation series been crapped-on enough by Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddie's Island Adventure? Apparently not, because Heat Vision reports New Line is preparing a station wagon for a new sequel that would, oof, follow one of the incarnations of a now-adult Rusty continuing his family's ill-fated tradition:
New Line is meeting with writers to write the script but the take is already developed: the story focuses on Rusty Griswold, the son of Clark Griswold, the protagonist of the initial movies and portrayed by Chevy Chase. The younger Griswold is now a father in his own right and takes his family on a road trip vacation.The characters would acknowledge that first trip, making the movie more of a sequel than a reboot. Chase and Beverly D’Angelo, who played the mom in the original movies, will have room to make appearances as grandparents, providing a sense of continuity, though no deals are in place.
Oh, good, get Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo involved too. It's like if you're robbing a house: it may be easier and safer to do it unarmed while the homeowners are gone, but it's far more insulting (and gratifying!) to shame the residents by taking everything right in front of them.
Mar 16 2009 'MacGyver' Film Being Made From Typically Simplistic Household Items MacGyver Joke
The nearly year-old rumor is true: MacGyver is only a MacGyver joke and an A-list writer away from a global franchise!
New Line is using twine, bubble gum and a pencil to throw "MacGyver" into development as a feature film."MacGyver" was a science-oriented adventure series that ran from 1985-92 on ABC. Richard Dean Anderson, later of "Stargate: Atlantis" and "SG-1" fame, starred as an incredibly resourceful secret agent for the Phoenix Foundation who frequently would escape from dangerous situations with ingenious and lightning-quick engineering trickery.
No writer is attached, but the studio hopes to find a script that can acknowledge how the concept has staked a place into pop culture yet still makes for a serious and fun adventure movie.
"We think we're a stick of chewing gum, a paper clip and an A-list writer away from a global franchise," said New Line's Richard Brener, who will oversee with Sam Brown and Walter Hamada.
What I hate most is how this New Line guy essentially recognizes that MacGyver is a pop culture punchline with his chewing gum line, but then immediately follows it up with, "still though, we'll make a serious, successful franchise of films out of that joke, and does anyone know if Airwolf rights are still available?" Someone stop all of this.
Jan 29 2009 'Scrooged' Loses Best Modern Adaptation of 'A Christmas Carol' Crown
I just got a late submission to the Invent a Horrible Christmas Movie Contest from a couple months ago. Sadly, it's too late for it to win, but it's also too good not to share:
"Ghosts of Girlfriends Past - A modern re-imagining of A Christmas Carol in which Matthew McConaughey is visited by several ghosts that force him to review the numerous relationships of his past, present and future, teaching the consummate bachelor to change his philandering ways and settle down with his true love (Jennifer Garner)."
That entry comes from New Line Cinema, and they even made a trailer:
Continue Reading " 'Scrooged' Loses Best Modern Adaptation of 'A Christmas Carol' Crown "
Feb 29 2008 New Line Merges With Warner Bros.
In an effort to cut costs and save on distribution, Time Warner has announced the merger of Warner Bros. Entertainment and New Line Cinema. Under the merger, New Line will maintain separate marketing, production, and distribution, but it's made clear that if they drive anywhere with the Warner Brothers, New Line has to ride bitch. The press release:
New Line will maintain its own identity and will continue to produce, market, and distribute movies. But New Line will now do so as part of Warner Bros. and will probably be a much smaller operation than in the past. Time Warner hopes that operating New Line as a unit of Warner Bros. will allow New Line to focus on the creative side of movie-making, while reducing costs and taking advantage of Warner Bros.' distribution systems.
Hopefully this merger will be as seamless as when the WB Network merged with UPN, and I barely even noticed it was a different channel I was skipping past. If nothing else, maybe now we'll finally be able to order a chess set with Looney Tunes characters dressed as Lord of the Rings characters. It could only be rights issues keeping such an obvious product from existing.
New Line Folds Into Warner Bros. [Deadline Hollywood]
Feb 12 2008 Some Other Crap That Happened...
- Those greedy bastards at the estate of J.R.R. Tolkien are under the impression that having created the lush world, characters, and entire story of The Lord of the Rings entitles them to some percentage of the profits, and are suing New Line. The suit may delay or halt production of The Hobbit, but shouldn't effect Asylum Studio's direct-to-DVD The Hole Midget. (Thanks, Eccoli) [Yahoo!]
- In further lawsuit news, now that production on Watchmen has begun, Fox is suing Warner over rights issues on the graphic novel adaptation. Fox claims they hold exclusive copyright and contract right; Warner says they own, like, all the original issues, and Fox only started liking it after liking comics became cool. [Hollywood Reporter]
- After doing what most critics admit was a serviceable job with Cormac McCarthy's No Country For Old Men, the Coen Brothers are set to adapt Michael Chabon's The Yiddish Policemen's Union for screens. Needless to say, it will be almost definitely be really, really good. [Variety]
- My One and Only, a comedy based on the childhood of George Hamilton, has nabbed Renne Zellwegger to play a glamorous mother searching for a wealthy father to raise her sons. Casting is still looking for young males between 8 and 14 who are also strangely orange. [Variety]
Dec 18 2007 Peter Jackson Will Executive Produce 'The Hobbit', 'The Hobbit 2: Hobnobbin''
After months of litigation over money, kingship of Middle Earth, and whether Aragorn or Legolas is the dreamier warrior (come on, Jackson, did you not see Legolas slide down stairs on a shield?), Peter Jackson and New Line have finally come to an agreement that will allow him to executive produce the two planned Hobbit films.
Los Angeles, CA (Tuesday, December 18, 2007) Academy Award-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson; Harry Sloan, Chairman and CEO, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM); Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne, Co-Chairmen and Co-CEOs of New Line Cinema have jointly announced today that they have entered into the following series of agreements:MGM and New Line will co-finance and co-distribute two films, “The Hobbit” and a sequel to “The Hobbit.” New Line will distribute in North America and MGM will distribute internationally.
Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh will serve as Executive Producers of two films based on “The Hobbit.” New Line will manage the production of the films, which will be shot simultaneously.
Peter Jackson and New Line have settled all litigation relating to the “Lord of the Rings” (LOTR) Trilogy.
Said Peter Jackson, “I’m very pleased that we’ve been able to put our differences behind us, so that we may begin a new chapter with our old friends at New Line. ‘The Lord of the Rings’ is a legacy we proudly share with Bob and Michael, and together, we share that legacy with millions of loyal fans all over the world. We are delighted to continue our journey through Middle Earth. I also want to thank Harry Sloan and our new friends at MGM for helping us find the common ground necessary to continue that journey.”
“Peter Jackson has proven himself as the filmmaker who can bring the extraordinary imagination of Tolkien to life and we full heartedly agree with the fans worldwide who know he should be making ‘The Hobbit,’” said Sloan, MGM’s Chairman and CEO. “Now that we are all in agreement on ‘The Hobbit,’ we can focus on assembling the production team that will capture this phenomenal tale on film.”
Bob Shaye, New Line Co-Chairman and Co-CEO comments, “We are very pleased we have been able to resolve our differences, and that Peter and Fran will be actively and creatively involved with ‘The Hobbit’ movies. We know they will bring the same passion, care and talent to these films that they so ably accomplished with ‘The Lord of the Rings’ Trilogy.”
So do you think he'll direct, too? Maybe his friend Sam Raimi? Let Michael Bay throw in more explosions and Will Smith shouting "Welcome to Middle Earth!"?
PETER JACKSON AND NEW LINE CINEMA JOIN WITH MGM TO PRODUCE “THE HOBBIT” [Hobbit Blog]
