Hancock 2008 superhero comedy Film

Hancock is an upcoming 2008 superhero-comedy film directed by Peter Berg and starring Will Smith, Jason Bateman and Charlize Theron. The story was originally written by Vincent Ngo in 1996 and had languished in Hollywood for some time.

The project has had various directors attached, including Tony Scott, Michael Mann, Jonathan Mostow, and Gabriele Muccino. Hancock was originally intended to be filmed before I Am Legend, also starring Will Smith. Under Berg, Hancock was filmed in Los Angeles. The film is slated for release on July 2, 2008.

Will Smith is really starting to get into the “not saving the world” business — I Am Legend positions him as the last man on Earth, and in this summer’s Hancock, he plays an alcoholic superhero.

And if you think that sounds weird, Smith’s description is even more mysterious. “If you can imagine, it’s the Michael Mann version of an alcoholic superhero,” said Smith. “It is so bizarre. Michael Mann developed a script about an alcoholic superhero.”

The writer/director of films like Heat and Miami Vice surely has an unusual take. Jason Bateman, who plays a publicist trying to rehabilitate the superhero Hancock (Smith), described scenes that demonstrate the Michael Mann tone. “What’s fun about that character is just that he’s so appreciative that his life was saved by this underappreciated superhero that he wants to reciprocate,” said Bateman. “He wants to kind of give back and he wants the public to see Will Smith as the hero that he really is. So that’s his mission. That was a fun thing to play, a very idealistic guy that’s trying to build up this suicidal, homeless alcoholic that then ends up hitting on my wife. It was a fun thing. To play the victim is funny.”

The confrontation between the publicist and the superhero perhaps sums it up best. “What Will and screenwriter Akiva Goldsman and director Pete Berg wanted to do was to play this for the real. They’re constantly bouncing tones back and forth. It’s a really ambitious thing to do in the film, but they pull it off. That’s played very much on the real, that I have an argument with a superhero about hitting on my wife and my feelings are hurt. It’s like you kind of back into the comedy there, but there’s definitely not winking.”

Will Smith portrays an alcoholic and lazy vagrant with no respect for authority or property. Ironically, he also possesses superpowers and the destruction he leaves in his wake makes him despised by everyone. A publicist (Jason Bateman) emerges to help rehabilitate him, and the new superhero eventually begins an affair with the publicist’s wife (Charlize Theron).

Screenwriter Vincent Ngo wrote the spec script Tonight, He Comes in 1996. The draft, about a troubled 12-year-old and a fallen superhero, was initially picked up by director Tony Scott as a potential project. Producer Akiva Goldsman came across the script, which he had considered a favorite, and encouraged Richard Saperstein, then president of development and production at Artisan Entertainment, to acquire it. Director Michael Mann was initially attached to direct Tonight, He Comes, but he instead opted to direct Miami Vice (2006). Eventually, Artisan placed the project in turnaround and was acquired by Goldsman.

Screenwriter Vince Gilligan performed a rewrite of Ngo’s script, and Jonathan Mostow was attached to direct the film. Under Mostow’s supervision, a 10-page take was written to be pitched to actor Will Smith to portray the lead role in the film, since both had worked together on Hitch (2005). Both Mostow and Smith were not yet committed to make the project an active priority at the time. Several studios pursued the opportunity to finance the film, and Columbia Pictures succeeded in acquiring the prospect in February 2005. A second draft was scripted by Gilligan following the finalization of the deal with Columbia. The film was initially slated for a holiday 2006 release.

In November 2005, Mostow and Smith committed to Tonight, He Comes, with production slated to begin in Los Angeles in summer 2006. Smith had set up a pay or play contract to film I Am Legend (2007) under Warner Bros. after completion of Tonight, He Comes. Mostow eventually departed from the project due to creative differences. Director Gabriele Muccino filled Mostow’s vacancy in May 2006.

Since Muccino was busy editing The Pursuit of Happyness starring Smith, which Muccino had directed, Smith switched projects to film I Am Legend first for its December 2007 release, and then film Tonight, He Comes afterward. Later in the month, Muccino left the project because of an incompatibility with filming the story. Since Muccino was preparing The Pursuit of Happyness, the studio had delayed the production start for Tonight, He Comes to summer 2007, enabling Warner Bros. to begin production of I Am Legend with Smith.

In October 2006, Peter Berg was attached to direct Tonight, He Comes with production slated to begin in May 2007 in Los Angeles, the story’s setting. Before filming began, Tonight, He Comes was retitled John Hancock. Filming began on John Hancock on July 3, 2007 in Los Angeles. The film title was eventually shortened to Hancock.

Hancock is slated to be released on July 2, 2008. Sony Pictures Television have announced a mobile game based on the film. Although the filmmakers needed the film to be a PG-13 to appeal to a wide audience, the Motion Picture Association of America twice rated it an R (meaning it cannot be watched by those under the age of 17 without adult supervision) by April 2008. The filmmakers had to cut a scene with statutory rape. The director noted, “The ad campaign for this movie is much friendlier than the film.”

Cast:

• Will Smith as John Hancock, a down-and-out superhero. He is invulnerable, possesses superhuman strength, and the power of super-sonic flight. He is also very sarcastic.
• Jason Bateman as Ray Embrey, a corporate public relations consultant whose life is saved by Hancock. Bateman said, “It was a fun thing to play, a very idealistic guy that’s trying to build up this suicidal, homeless alcoholic that then ends up hitting on my wife. It was a fun thing. To play the victim is funny.”
• Charlize Theron as Mary Embrey, the consultant’s wife.
• Johnny Galecki as the consultant’s co-worker

Links:

• Hancock 2008 superhero comedy film wallpapers and photos: http://www.snoron.com/movies-wallpapers/hancock/

Get Smart 2008 Film Wallpapers and Reviews

Get Smart is an upcoming 2008 film adaptation of Mel Brooks and Buck Henry’s hit 1960s spy parody television show Get Smart.

The film will star Steve Carell as Maxwell Smart and Anne Hathaway as Agent 99. Alan Arkin will play the Chief. Masi Oka, Terence Stamp, Dwayne Johnson and Dalip “The Great Khali” Singh will also star.

Bungling secret agent Maxwell Smart, also known as Agent 86 for CONTROL, is on a mission to battle the forces of their evil crime nemesis known as KAOS with his more-competent partner Agent 99, (whose real name is never revealed) at his side.

When the headquarters of U.S. spy agency Control is attacked and the identities of its agents compromised, the Chief has no choice but to promote his ever-eager analyst Maxwell Smart, who has always dreams of working in the field alongside stalwart superstar Agent 23. Smart will do whatever it takes to thwart the latest plot for world domination by KAOS.

Bill Murray and Patrick Warburton make cameos in the film, as does Bernie Kopell, who played Siegfried in the original series. Shooting began February 2007, and was continuing as of June 2007. It is rated PG-13 by the MPAA “for some crude humor, action violence and language.”

Cast:

• Steve Carell as Maxwell Smart/Agent 86
• Anne Hathaway as Agent 99
• Alan Arkin as The Chief
• Dwayne Johnson as Agent 23
• Terence Stamp as Siegfried
• David Koechner as Agent Larabee
• Terry Crews as Agent 91
• Masi Oka as Bruce
• Nate Torrence as Lloyd
• Ken Davitian as Shtarker
• Dalip Singh (The Great Khali) as Agent Rana
• Bill Murray (cameo) as Agent 13
• Patrick Warburton (cameo) as Hymie the Robot
• Bernie Kopell (cameo) as Siegfried
• James Caan as the President of the United States

Links:

• Get Smart 2008 Film Wallpapers and Reviews: http://www.boxist.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/get-smart-film-2008.jpg

Speed Racer Film 2008

Speed Racer is a 2008 film that is a live action film adaptation of the 1960s Japanese anime series Speed Racer. The film is written and directed by the Wachowski brothers, who also serve as co-producers. The film had been in development since 1992, changing writers and directors until producer Joel Silver and the Wachowski brothers collaborated to begin production on Speed Racer as a family film so the directors could reach a wider audience.

Actor Emile Hirsch was cast as Speed, the hero of the animated series, and Christina Ricci portrays Speed’s girlfriend, Trixie. Speed Racer was shot between June and November 2007 in Potsdam and Berlin, Germany at an estimated budget of $100,000,000. Most of the filming took place at Babelsberg Studios in Potsdam, where the footage was shot entirely against greenscreen.

The Wachowski brothers also filmed in high-definition video for the first time, using a layering method to put both the foreground and the background of scenes in focus to have a real-life anime appearance. Marketers have prepared toys and video games to coincide with the film’s release. Speed Racer premiered on May 3, 2008 as the closing film at the Tribeca Film Festival, and was released on May 9, 2008.

Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch) is a young 18-year old man with natural racing instincts whose goal is to win the Casa Cristo, a cross-country car racing rally that took the life of his older brother, Rex Racer (Scott Porter). Speed is loyal to the family business, run by his parents Pops (John Goodman) and Mom (Susan Sarandon). Pops designed Speed’s car, the Mach 5. The owner of Royalton Industries (Roger Allam) makes Speed a lucrative offer, but Speed rejects the offer, angering the owner.

Speed also uncovers a secret that top corporate interests, including Royalton, are fixing races and cheating to gain profit. With the offer to Speed denied, Royalton wants to ensure that Speed will not win races. Speed finds support from his parents and his girlfriend Trixie (Christina Ricci) and enters The Crucible in a partnership with his one-time rival, Racer X (Matthew Fox), seeking to rescue his family’s business and the racing sport itself.

In September 1992, Warner Bros. Pictures announced that it held the option to create a live action film adaptation of Speed Racer, in development at Silver Pictures. In October 1994, singer Henry Rollins was offered the role of Racer X in the film. In June 1995, actor Johnny Depp was cast into the lead role for Speed Racer, with production slated to begin the coming October, with filming to take place in California and Arizona.

The following August, Depp requested time off to the studio for personal business, delaying production. However, due to a high budget, the same August, director Julien Temple, who was attached to direct Speed Racer, left the project. Depp, without a director, also departed from the project. The studio considered director Gus Van Sant as a replacement for Temple, though it would not grant writing privileges to Van Sant. In December 1997, the studio briefly hired director Alfonso Cuarón for Speed Racer. In the various incarnations of the project, screenwriters Marc Levin, Jennifer Flackett, J. J. Abrams, and Patrick Read Johnson had been hired to write scripts.

In September 2000, Warner Bros. Pictures and producer Lauren Shuler Donner hired writer-director Hype Williams to take the helm of Speed Racer. In October 2001, the studio hired screenwriters Christian Gudegast and Paul Scheuring for $1.2 million split between them to write a script for the film. Eventually, without production going underway, the director and the writers left the project. In June 2004, actor Vince Vaughn spearheaded a revival of the project by presenting a take for the film that would develop the characters more strongly. Vaughn was cast as Racer X and was also attached to the project as an executive producer. With production never becoming active, Vaughn was eventually detached from the project.

In addition to the orchestral score, WB added an updated version of the “Go, Speed Racer, Go” theme song which plays during the end credits. Produced by Ali Dee and Jason Gleed, performed by Ali Dee and the Deekompressors. The film version has sections in English, Japanese, French, Portuguese, and Spanish.

In its opening weekend, the film grossed $18.5 million in 3,606 theaters in the United States and Canada, ranking third at the box office behind Iron Man (in its second weekend) and What Happens in Vegas…. The results were well below studio expectations, given that production costs of Speed Racer are estimated to be well over $100 million USD. Despite the low box office numbers, Warner Brothers remains optimistic about sales of associated products ranging from toys to tennis shoes. “We’re still going to do very well with Speed Racer,” says Brad Globe, president of Warner Brothers Consumer Products, acknowledging “a giant movie would have made it all a lot bigger.”

Cast:

• Emile Hirsch as Speed Racer. Actors Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zac Efron, and Shia LaBeouf were previously considered for the role. To prepare for the role, Hirsch watched every Speed Racer episode and visited Lowe’s Motor Speedway, where he met with driver Jimmie Johnson.
• Nicholas Elia as young Speed Racer.
• John Goodman as Pops Racer, Speed’s father.
• Susan Sarandon as Mom Racer, Speed’s mother.
• Christina Ricci as Trixie, Speed’s girlfriend. Ricci was chosen over Elisha Cuthbert and Kate Mara.
• Ariel Winter as young Trixie.
• Paulie Litt as Spritle, Speed’s younger brother.
• Matthew Fox as Racer X Keanu Reeves turned down the role.
• Nayo Wallace as Minx, Racer X’s girlfriend.
• Hiroyuki Sanada as Mr. Musha, a businessman.
• Rain as Taejo Togokhan, a rookie racer. Rain made his first appearance in a Hollywood film with Speed Racer.
• Yu Nan as the sister of Taejo Togokhan.
• Richard Roundtree as Ben Burns, a commentator who was formerly a racer.
• Benno Furmann as Inspector Detector.
• Roger Allam as Royalton, the corrupt owner of Royalton Industries.
• Kick Gurry as Sparky, Speed’s mechanic.
• Scott Porter as Rex Racer, Speed’s older brother.
• A chimpanzee as Chim Chim, Spritle’s pet. Two chimpanzees were used to portray Chim Chim: Kenzie and Willy.
• Melvil Poupaud as a race commentator.
• Christian Oliver as Snake Oiler.
• Milka Duno as Gearbox.
• Peter Fernandez as a race commentator. (Cameo, original voice of Speed)

Links

• Speed Racer Film 2008 Wallpapers and Photos: http://www.snoron.com/movies-wallpapers/speed-racer/

The Spirit (My City Screams) Frank Miller 2008 Film

The Spirit (also known as Will Eisner’s The Spirit) is an upcoming 2008 American film adaptation based on the newspaper strip The Spirit created by Will Eisner. Frank Miller wrote and directed the film, which stars Gabriel Macht as The Spirit and Samuel L. Jackson as his nemesis, The Octopus. Filming began in October 2007, with release scheduled for December 25, 2008.

Writer-director Frank Miller described the main character: “ The character has a terrifying side to him. This is a man who’s died and came back to life. So it twists into fantasy. And of course there are tons of women in it. There have to be it’s The Spirit. They’re all in love with him, and he’s in love with all of them. You might say he’s a bit of a slut.”

The film series will not begin with an origin story, but will instead open with the adventures of The Spirit already having begun. The film will be more contemporary than the ’40s and ’50s era of the strip and will aim for a “timeless feel.”

The protagonist will be involved in a love triangle with Sand Saref and Ellen Dolan, the daughter of Central City’s Police Commissioner Dolan. The controversial character Ebony White will not appear in the film.

In the early 1990s, producer Michael Uslan obtained the rights to Will Eisner’s 1940s newspaper comic strip The Spirit for a live-action film adaptation. The producer promised Eisner that he would not permit anyone who “didn’t get it” to work on the project. Two ideas pitched to Uslan were to put The Spirit in a costume and to have The Spirit really be a resurrected dead man that possessed superpowers.

In July 2004, financier Odd Lot Entertainment acquired the rights to the film. Odd Lot’s producers Gigi Pritzker and Deborah Del Pete began a collaboration with Uslan, working at Batfilm Productions, to adapt the story. Eisner, who was protective of the rights to his creations, said that he believed in the producers to faithfully adapt The Spirit. In April 2005, comic book writer Jeph Loeb was hired to adapt The Spirit for the big screen, but the writer eventually left the project. Later in April, Uslan approached Frank Miller at Will Eisner’s memorial service in New York several weeks after Miller’s Sin City was released in theaters, interested in initiating the adaptation technique with Miller’s film for The Spirit. Miller had initially hesitated, doubting his skill in adapting The Spirit, but ultimately embraced his first solo project as writer-director.

In July 2006, Miller was officially confirmed to write and direct the film adaptation for The Spirit. Miller announced that he was putting together a film treatment that included large parts of The Spirit strip panels. Miller described the project, “I intend to be extremely faithful to the heart and soul of the material, but it won’t be nostalgic. It will be much scarier than people expect.” Miller plans to film The Spirit using the same digital background technology that was used for Sin City and 300. The film would also copy specific shots from the comic, similar to Sin City.

In February 2007, Miller completed the first draft of the screenplay, and began work on a second draft. Principal photography was initially slated to begin in late spring 2007. Miller also plans to begin filming Sin City 2 in late spring, but Uslan indicated that filming for The Spirit will begin before Miller starts Sin City 2. Following the casting of Gabriel Macht as The Spirit in August 2007, filming was re-slated for the following October. It will take place in Albuquerque Studios in New Mexico. The Spirit was shot using Panavision’s Genesis digital camera.

At the New York Comic-Con on February 24, 2007, director/writer Frank Miller and producer Michael Uslan was scheduled to present a panel for The Spirit, though Miller was unable to attend due to recuperation from hip and leg injuries. Instead, Uslan, fellow producer F.J. DeSanto, and former The Spirit publisher Denis Kitchen presented a panel at which they described the history of the film and the film’s progress.

In October 2007, Titan Books announced it had acquired worldwide rights to a deluxe making-of book for the film, featuring interviews with the cast and crew, color photos, storyboards and production art, plus the full screenplay. It is scheduled to be released in December 2008, the same month as the film.

Lionsgate will distribute The Spirit in the United States and the United Kingdom. Sony Pictures will distribute the film in France, Germany, Italy, Scandinavia and parts of Latin America. The film will be released on December 25, 2008. On 6 May, Lionsgate announced they would Release The Spirit on the 25th of December, as apart of the “Spirit of Christmas” marketing campaign.

Cast:

• Gabriel Macht as Denny Colt / The Spirit: A rookie cop who returns from the dead to fight crime in Central City from the shadows. Miller had required actors who wanted the starring role to audition, and Macht was able to attain the role in August 2007.
• Samuel L. Jackson as The Octopus: A villain who plans to wipe out all of Central City and will kill anyone unlucky enough to see his face. Jackson was Miller’s first choice for the role and was cast in May 2007.
• Scarlett Johansson as Silken Floss: A femme fatale secretary and accomplice to the Octopus.
• Eva Mendes as Sand Saref. The actress told director Frank Miller that she wanted to work with him on The Spirit before she had seen a script for the film.
• Sarah Paulson as Dr. Ellen Dolan: The police commissioner’s daughter.
• Dan Lauria as Commissioner Dolan.
• Stana Katic as Morgenstern.
• Johnny Simmons as Young Denny Colt.
• Louis Lombardi as Phobos: One of the Octopus’s henchmen.
• Jaime King as Lorelei Rox.
• Paz Vega as Plaster of Paris.
• Meeghan Holaway as Holly. 

Links:

• The Spirit (My City Screams) Frank Miller 2008 Film Desktop Wallpapers: http://www.snoron.com/movies-wallpapers/the-spirit/

What Happens in Vegas Film Reviews

What Happens in Vegas… is a 2008 romantic comedy film from 20th Century Fox starring Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher.

In Manhattan, highly-strung stockbroker Joy is dumped by her fiance, whilst laid-back carpenter Jack is fired from his job. Both go with a friend to Las Vegas, where they meet. While drunk, Joy and Jack marry; they decide to divorce after returning home.

 Jack wins a huge jackpot after playing with Joy’s quarter. A judge decides that they cannot divorce right away, they first have to try to stay together. The one who does not cooperate will not get any share of the money. The newlyweds devise ever-escalating schemes to undermine each other and get their hands on the money, only to find themselves falling in love.

The film had its world premiere at the Odeon in Leicester Square, London. It opened in wide release in the United States on May 9, 2008. Big Brother 9 housemates Ryan and Sharon won a special screening of the film after winning a “luxury competition” in April. They were also awarded tickets to the May 1 Hollywood premiere.

In its opening weekend, the film grossed $20.1 million in 3,215 theaters in the United States and Canada, ranking #2 at the box office, behind Iron Man, but ahead of Speed Racer. As of May 15, 2008, it has grossed a total of $51.2 million worldwide $26.4 million in the United States and Canada and $24.8 million in other territories.

An outtake was leaked on YouTube and shows a scene where the characters portrayed by Diaz and Kutcher are getting married while intoxicated. The two were actually intoxicated in order to make the scene look realistic, but their erratic behavior caused the scene to be filmed multiple times.

Cast:

• Cameron Diaz as Joy McNally
• Ashton Kutcher as Jack Fuller
• Queen Latifah as Dr. Twitchell
• Rob Corddry as Jeffery “Hater” Lewis
• Lake Bell as Toni “Tipper” Saxson
• Treat Williams as Jack Fuller Sr.
• Michelle Krusiec as Chong
• Dennis Miller as Judge Whopper
• Dennis Farina as Richard Banger
• Jason Sudeikis as Mason
• Zach Galifianakis as Dave the bear

Links:

• What Happens in Vegas Film Reviews: http://www.snoron.com/movies-wallpapers/what-happens-in-vegas/