Fox Hires Screenwriter For Daredevil

There is finally an update on the progress of 20th Century Fox's Daredevil reboot. HeatVision reports the studio has hired Brad Caleb Kane (Fringe) to write the film based on the iconic Born Again storyline from Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli. Kane is best known for his impressive script for Brooklyn's Finest which was one of my favorite crime thrillers of that year. His involvement does give the impression the studio is indeed going for a faithful and dark adaptation. Fox is likely to move quickly on the relaunch to prevent the rights reverting back to Marvel/Disney. David Slade (Hard Candy, 30 Days Of Night) is attached to direct without a release date or cast set for the film.

Paul Giamatti Wants To Play Rhino In A Spider-Man Movie

Tuesday night on Conan actor Paul Giamatti (Sideways) confesses he's campaigning to play The Rhino in a Spider-Man movie professing his affection for the brute villain. Currently The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is under going script development so there is a possibility of the Rhino making an appearance. There have been rumors ever since Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 4 that the Sinister Six a group of villains that come together to kill Spider-Man could be involved in a two part film. The Rhino being a member could give a reason to finally include him. Other members include Green Goblin, Doc Oc and Sandman which are expected to return in future films.

Lauren Shulder Donner Talks Deadpool, Will Be Faithful R-Rated Comedy & Renyolds Still In

X-Men producer Lauren Shulder Donner also talked to Empire about their spin-off Deadpool. She confirms that they are currently looking for a director. Also the film is an R-rated comedy that will be a complete reboot and could take shots at the fan-hated version seen in Wolverine. This confirms previous statements made by Daredevil director David Slade that Fox was looking for comedy directors to make Deadpool. Lauren gives the impression that the studio is willing to wait for Ryan Reynolds and he's very involved with the film's script.

"We're looking for a director, yes. He’s very involved, Ryan. He’s working with the writers on the screenplay and it is as much as it is ours....mindful of Reynolds' ever-growing logjam of work, added that the film would shoot in the next year or so."

"We’re either going to pretend that didn’t happen or mock it, which he could. It’s insane, it’s definitely comedy, but it’s an R script, it’s really irreverent and violent. Right away, we’re out of the X-Men world...I'm tellin' ya, it's true to the comic. You’ll see all of them. You’ll see Wade Wilson, the good-looking Ryan Reynolds! You’ll see Deadpool in his costume and you’ll see the cancer-scarred face."

Lauren Shulder Donner Confirms Treatments For X4 & X5

It looks like 20th Century Fox is pushing their X-Men franchise into high gear. As producer Lauren Shulder Donner confirms to Empire that the studio loved their treatment for X4 and X5. Giving the impression the two films are connected as they lead into each other and would likely be a package deal.

I wouldn't be shocked to see Bryan Singer return for another shot at the X-Men franchise. He's already been talking up returning and previously had regrets for not doing X3/First Class. If Singer does come on board I wouldn't be shocked to see X4 and X5 shot back to back as it would be a . It would make sense for Fox to wait until both Bryan Singer and Hugh Jackman are finished with their other projects. The earliest production could start seems like late summer or fall of next year. Currently there isn't an announced writer working on either film's script.

James Gunn Open To Making A Marvel Film, Could It Be Deadpool?

LatinoReview was able to speak with James Gunn while he was promoting Super. They posed the question if Gunn would ever consider making a film based on a Marvel character.

"Yeah, I mean there's a lot of things that I would like to do and I've even talked to people about it. I've had discussions with Marvel, even from the beginning of the career. I remember being offered to write 'Fantastic Four' ten years ago or some that I didn't do. If something inspired me I would.


"A lot of things I'm attracted to may not be may not be the most popular superheroes in the world and so it's just a matter of finding the right project. But I would do it if it was something that inspired me. You never know, some morning I could wake up with an idea in my head for anything and it could be a western, a comedy, a superhero movie, a melodrama and that's what will take me over for that day.


"I don't think my next movie is going to be an ultra-low budget movie like 'Super,' but I don't think -- I love doing it, I'm happy I did it, but if I do it again for another year I think it might kill me. So I think I'm going to do something with a little bit of a bigger budget, more of an entertaining pop-show and that's what I plan on doing next."

The interesting part of this whole thing is that Fox had interest in him writing Fantastic Four. I would be inclined to believe he could be hinting at the Fantastic Four reboot. That project has yet to announce either a writer or direct and Gunn is a double package. I'd also be in the mind set if Fox is indeed looking for a comedy director to make Deadpool Gunn would be an excellent choice. There has also been talk of the studio making a film based on Taskmaster with Joe Carnahan (A-Team, Smokin' Aces) attached to direct. He's a super villain who has amazing photographic muscle memory and can mimic any fighting techniques just by witnessing them.

20th Century Fox has recently embraced more artistic directors for their superhero films. Hiring James Gunn for any of them would be a step in the right direction wether it's a reboot, new hero or a spin-off. There have been rumblings of Fox trying to have all their new Marvel films set in the same universe similar to what Marvel Studios has done with their superhero films.

5 Comedy Directors That Should Be Considered For Deadpool

Daredevil director David Slade recently tweeted that Fox is currently looking for "comedy directors" to make the Deadpool film. It's not surprising as the "merc with a mouth" is full of nothing but one liners and quick wit. While they had previously pursued Robert Rodriquez it's likely they're now looking for someone able to balance the high level of comedy with the extreme action of a comic book film. If Ryan Reynolds is committed to doing the film and making sure it's R-rated I have a few names in mind for Fox to consider.



DAVID GORDON GREEN: One of the only people connected with the Apatow crew that I believe could do this right. David's madness of fusing adrenaline fueled action with slapstick comedy was best shown in Pineapple Express. Your Highness looks like it could be just as crazy this time giving the director the chance to work with a bigger budget and special effects. If Fox wants a comic book film that we've never seen before he certainly could deliver one.



JAMES GUNN: On the same level of "what the fuck moments" that Gordon Green has James Gunn could be just as mad when it comes to bringing Deadpool to the screen. His films Slither and the upcoming Super are set in a surreal world that screams Deadpool. Another director who give us an exciting, violent and bizarre ride.



JODY HILL: Jody is best known for his amazing HBO series East Bound & Down along with his dark comedies Fist Foot Way and Observe & Report. His sense of smart quips and dark humor could be great for Deadpool. My only issue with Hill is that he hasn't had much experience with large scale action setups or special effects and could feel overwhelmed by the action scenes.



JOE CORNISH: Currently Joe Cornish is gaining more commercial writing gigs teaming up with Edgar Wright for the Spielberg/Peter Jackson Tintin trilogy along with Marvel's long in development Ant-Man. Edgar has enough on his plate with Baby Driver, Ant-Man and World's End so he's out of the running in my mind. Cornish on the other hand is getting a lot of buzz for his original film Attack The Block which won over a lot of critics over at SXSW this year. I have yet to see the film but if he's able to deliver a film on the cheap for Fox they would seriously consider him.



RUBEN FLEISCHER: The man behind the resurrection of America's love affair with zombies and more than likely helped AMC commit to making Walking Dead. He's currently working on post-production on 30 Minutes Or Less and has mentioned wanting to start filming Zombieland 2 in the near future. The obvious Zombieland connection to Deadpool screenwriters Paul Wernick and Rhett makes him a excellent choice as Ruben understands how to shoot their scripts properly while also keeping to a minimal budget.



WHO DO YOU THINK SHOULD DIRECT DEADPOOL??

Bradley Cooper Rumored Frontrunner For Daredevil, Garrett Hedlund Also Interested

This sounds more promising than the previous rumor that Robert Pattinson would take up the red jumpsuit in the Daredevil reboot. Two seperate new rumors suggest that Bradley Cooper (Hangover, Limitless) is the frontrunner and Garrett Hedlund (Troy, Tron Legacy) is also in the mix for the lead.

Garrett had been in the running for Captain America but dropped out early to commit to Tron Legacy and it's sequel. As the Captain America role we be a commitment to six films not leaving much room for Tron 3. Cooper also tested for a superhero role when he was almost locked in as Green Lantern until Ryan Reynolds swooped in and took the role. Bradley is becoming a bigger name but has yet to jump in role of an action lead. Besides his supporting role in the underwhelming A-Team which was a 20th Century Fox film. He's been linked for The Flash but seems like he had a bad experience testing for Green Lantern and won't be doing any DC films anytime soon. A Marvel film might suit Bradley better as I thought he'd make an excellent Hawkeye before Jeremy Renner landed the role. I'd be happy with either of them yet it's still in early stages of development so these won't be the only names attached to the reboot.

Daredevil Reboot Rumor Round-Up

With the announcement of 20th Century Fox hiring David Slade to direct and David Callaham (Expendables) using Frank Miller's Born Again storyline I figured I'd run down some current and previous rumors about the Daredevil reboot.

EW reports that the lead actors from the first film will not be returning that includes Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner and Colin Farrell. I would expect everyone from the first film will be scrapped and recast. While the film has been mentioned as sequel this one more reason to believe this will be more of a reboot.

Michael Clark Duncan had been vocal of reprising the role of Kingpin who is likely to be in the new film. I'm not sure how Duncan would fit into the reboot if they're recasting the leads it's possible they'd hire a new Kingpin too. While he physically met the requirements for Kingpin he didn't seem menacing enough for the role. It might be just me but Duncan seems more of a sweetheart than a villain.



Jason Statham stated to the LATimes he wanted the role of the Daredevil saying ""Forget Bullseye, I want to be Daredevil!...Absolutely, just give me the chance, I would love to be Daredevil"and Frank Miller gave his blessing "I think he should be Daredevil too!".

Statham should get the role as he's a stable for action films and wouldn't overshadow the character as most big name actors would. He's got a solid international appeal from his Transporter franchise and enough geek crediblity with films like Crank 1-2, Snatch, Lock Stock and Expendables. David Callaham who is working on the reboot's script also wrote Expendables which starred Statham. 

A ridiculous rumor surfaced yesterday that linked Robert Patterson to the role. First he's way too young and is also just going to anger loyal fans. I'm sure there is link since David Slade directed a Twilight film but I'd expect that Fox would understand that Daredevil fans wouldn't be happy with this choice. I'm all for a different take but they need someone more established and well liked for the role.


Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica) had been linked to the role of Typhoid Mary a love interest and villain of Daredevil. I think it would be excellent to see a faithful version of Mary but she wasn't in Born Again unless they work her into the story somehow. Sackhoff is interesting enough and would be a more convincing female action heroine than Jennifer Garner ever was.





The villains that did appear in Born Again were The Kingpin and Nuke. Yet Nuke was involved in the super soldier program so he might be excluded. Director Mark Steven Johnson had mentioned The Owl and Mr. Fear as possible villains for a sequel but it's unlikely they'll be used in this film as he was replaced.

Fox Using Frank Miller's Born Again For Daredevil Reboot

HeatVision has updated their previous story that David Slade has been brought on to direct/adapt the Daredevil reboot. 20th Century Fox will be using the Frank Miller written Born Again saga for the film. Similar to the use of Miller's Wolverine Japanese saga which is being used for Darren Aronofsky's The Wolverine. It's a great starting point as Miller was one of the best Daredevil writers and his source material could help bring a successful reboot and potential franchise.

The original film was a total mess from the terrible acting, directing, costumes and script it never had a chance. Hopefully Fox has learned their lessons and are willing to put more time/creativity into these reboots. Hiring Slade and using source material from Frank Miller are two reasons this new film could work. Born Again featured the Kingpin discovering Daredevil's identity and slowly destroying his life.

David Slade To Direct Daredevil Reboot

HeatVision reports that 20th Century Fox has hired David Slade (Hard Candy, 30 Days of Night) to direct and develop the Daredevil reboot. Slade had been in talks with Fox to helm both Wolverine 2 and X-Men First Class so it was expected he would eventually land a project with the studio. It's likely that since the reboot is still in development stages The Last Voyage of The Demeter will be Slade's next film.

Recently both Matt Damon and Guy Pearce revealed they had turned down the role lead role in the original Daredevil film which starred Ben Affleck. Jason Statham has the blessing of Daredevil writer Frank Miller for the reboot and I'm sure Statham will be in talks soon. I'd like to see the studio to take this film in more of a Punisher/Ghost Rider: The Spirit of Vengeance path. Since Daredevil is a costumed vigilante who takes on the mob it would make sense to feature more gritty violence than the last film. I just hope that the studio goes back to the Frank Miller material for inspiration. As Darren Aronofsky's The Wolverine also is taking cues from Miller's storylines.

Ghost Rider 2 Coming February 2012

Sony has announced the release date for Ghost Rider 2 which will be February 17th 2012. Neveldine/Taylor are directing it should be the only reason why audiences will care. The pair are responsible for some of the most interesting contemporary action films such as the Crank series and the 80's homage Gamer. They were previously hired by Warner Bros. to write and direct Jonah Hex before exiting. It's assumed the studio wanted a watered down PG-13 film instead and that's what they got giving them the critical/boxoffice bomb. I'm hoping Sony will give the action junkie directors a little more wiggle room with the film and it's rating. Certain Marvel characters like Punisher, Deadpool and Ghost Rider seem better suited for rated R films.

RUMOR: Fox Developing Their Own Marvel Film Universe?

There is talk circling Twitter today (via Poni_Boy from CBM) that 20th Century Fox is considering their own Marvel film universe. This could mean that in future films we could see the X-Men/X-Force/Deadpool interacting with Daredevil, Elektra, Silver Surfer or the Fantastic Four. It would make sense since they are somewhat rebooting the X-Men franchise with First Class. There are also planned reboots of both Daredevil and Fantastic Four. Even Deadpool will get a complete character reboot in the upcoming spin-off. I'd like to think somehow Bryan Singer could be involved in creative/consulting/producing role with these projects to tie them together. The studio is flush with money from Avatar and could take a shot similar to what both Marvel Studios and possibly DC Entertainment are attempting with their own superhero universes.

Fox Offers Deadpool To Robert Rodriguez

The Playlist (via Production Weekly) have another great tidbit of "what if" Marvel news. PW reports that 20th Century Fox has sent out an offer to Robert Rodriguez to direct the Deadpool movie. Ryan Reynolds is expected to start pre-production on the film as soon as he finishes shooting Green Lantern. It's been a pet project for the actor for years and has promised fans a faithful film. The studio came through hiring Zombieland writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick to pen the film's screenplay. Now if they hire Robert Rodriguez to direct fans should rejoice. I'm curious if this means the film will rated-R.


So why it Robert perfect for Deadpool? I've been hoping the director would come on board but besides my own wishful thinking here are some good pro-points. Sin City is most likely the biggest example of why he is perfect. The film is beyond faithful to the source material to the point of turning the film into a living comic book. It would be the best way to regain the trust of scorned DP fans. What about helming big over the top humor fueled action film? He's got that covered with his El Mariachi trilogy (El Mariachi, Desperado & Once Upon A Time In Mexico) which seems similar to the sense of humor in the comics. Even his new film Machete seems to be borrowing from his fantastic dark sense of humor. The film's budget is another issue while Fox seems likely to spend $100-200 million on both Wolverine 2 and X-Men First Class it's doubtful DP will get that kind of money. It's plausible that the DP's budget could end up in the $40-80 range which is common ground for Rodriguez. Filming and effects being done in house means he can work with small budgets.




Don't hold you're breath he'll take the job. Robert is known for talking up and starting up film projects he never ends up making. Sin City 2 is the perfect example of one of his most anticipated movies but has been stuck in limbo for years. There is also the issue of projects currently in development which include Spy Kids 4, Neverwracker, Red Sonja (producing) and his epic sounding Fire & Ice adaptation. Rodriguez recently was approached by Fox to direct Rise of The Apes which he declined. He had previously developed blockbuster films that didn't workout like Clash of The Titans, The Jetsons and even a remake of Barbarella which had costumes/sets ready to go. So just because an offer has gone out it doesn't mean he'll take it.


This sort of reminds of how Fox was able to wrangle Matthew Vaughn into directing X-Men First Class. They understand to be able to compete with Marvel Studios and DC Entertainment they're going to have hire comic genre-vets to make sure the films are successful. I'm expect they'll be able to come up with an attractive contract which might include future financing for Robert's original films. Unlike Vaughn, Robert has a constructive working relationship with Fox. He recently co-wrote and produced Predators and the studio is distributing his pet project Machete. Troublemaker Studios most likely would handle the film's production since their involvement in every Rodriguez project. Fans could be relieved that the special effects will be done properly not like the messy CGI in Wolverine.

Spiderman 4 Movie Release Pushed Back To 2011

It's not without feeling some frustration that I learned that Spiderman 4 is being pushed back from 2009 to May 2011...

During a meeting with theater owners Spider-Man producer Laura Ziskin revealed that Spider Man 4 is tentatively scheduled in May 2011. Moreover the screenplay of Spiderman 4 is not even finished yet... And besides, neither Director Sam Raimi nor Actor Tobey Maguire is yet confirmed for this fourth movie installment of the Spider-Man franchise.

Why do they wait so long? Aren't they afraid of people loosing interest not only in Spiderman but more generally in the superhero genre if they wait too long?

Let's hope that Marvel and Sony will try to start the production of Spiderman 4 as soon as possible!
:-<