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The Matarese Circle - Variety announced today a collaboration between Tom Cruise and Denzel Washington to work on this adaptation of a thriller by Robert Ludlum (author of the Bourne Trilogy books). Film focuses on "two bitter enemy spies who, after spending two decades trying to kill each other, grudgingly team up against the Matarese, a powerful group at the root of a conspiracy." Writers Michael Brandt and Derek Haas (Wanted) are updating the book's Cold War elements for modern times. Distributor MGM also has the rights to the follow-up book The Materese Countdown for a potential sequel.
Jonah Hex - John Malkovich has been cast to do battle against Josh Brolin in this adaptation of a DC Comics publication. Josh Brolin has been set as the facially deformed former Confederate soldier-turned-gunslinger Jonah Hex for awhile now and Malkovich's casting places him opposite Brolin as Quentin Turnbull, a plantation owner who apparently has sworn vengeance against Hex for causing the death of his son during the Civil War. Horton Hears a Who director Jimmy Hayward is directing
The Adventurer's Handbook - Universal has acquired the rights to a high profile spec script written by Jonah Hill and his writing partners Max Winkler (Henry "The Fonz" Winkler's son) and Matthew Spicer. Variety says the film is a "comedy in which a quartet of pals go on a global adventure, inspired by the hardcore stories of explorers whose tales are chronicled in [Mick] Conefrey's book [The Adventurer's Handbook]. Multiple studios were interested in the film bidding back and forth until the deal went to universal for a seven figure sum. The script was so high profile that EW reports, "The script was sent over on red, watermarked paper so it couldn't be photocopied. Multiple studios were interested in the project described as an edgy, broad comedy." Jonah Hill and Jason Scwartzman have already signed on to star.
Untitled Social Networking Teen Thriller - This one speaks for itself in that "WTF Really?!" kind of way. Hollywood Reporter announced that Dimension Films is looking to make some bank off the popularity of social networking sites like Facebook by mixing up a teenage thriller based around one of these sites. Bob Weinstein commented, ""Online social networking is a widespread phenomenon that interests me greatly. Combining it with a suspense thriller is a new and fresh way to explore this new trend." Almost as fresh as having cell phones being the killer. Oh wait...
H2: Halloween 2 - Heroes speedster girl Brea Grant has been cast in Rob Zombie's slasher sequel. Bloody Disgusting reports that Grant will be playing "Mya Rockwell, Laurie Strode's co-worker at Uncle Meat's Jave Hole. " Whatever that means. She's been a breath of fresh air on Heroes despite the cast being unable to sustain its big numbers. Should be interesting to see her in this type of film.
Cinema Bits is a recurring installment here at Screen Rider providing you with brief snippets of casting, production and all things newsworthy in movies and television.
Cinema Bits: Halloween 2, Jonah Hill, Jonah Hex and More
My one complaint about the film should be reason enough for me to hate it, but for some reason I don't. I hated the fact that the origin story of Michael Myers reduced him to a prototypical serial killer who murders because of his terrible childhood. It turns Myers into an emo kid with parental issues rather than keeping the mystery and fear of a character who has no method to his madness. What saved the film for me was it's tone and style in the slasher elements of the film. Myers has a much more threatening presence and his gritty, dirty mask adds to that scary demeanor. All I know is that the original sequel to Halloween is one of the best horror sequels ever made, and this once again has a lot to live up to.