Dwayne Johnson Aka "The Rock," is developing a 1980s Venice Beach gym-set Muscle Beach TV show for USA Network. This summer is suddenly bulging with Beefcake nostalgia. We recently reported Arnold Schwarzenegger is producing the Pump TV series, inspired by his early body building career in 1970s Venice Beach. Muscle Beach features "a colorful tribe of lost souls." They "struggle to reinvent themselves by bench-pressing their way to a bigger, better American dream, no matter what the cost."Johnson, Dany Garcia's Seven Bucks Productions, and Beau Flynn's FlynnPictureCo. sold the Muscle Beach script to Universal Cable Productions. The Muscle Beach TV series will be developed as an original hour-long drama for USA Network. Muscle Beach reunites writers Jeremiah Friedman and Nick Palmer with the team that sold...
- 7/21/2016
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
Hollywood’s omnipresent actor-producer Dwayne Johnson has announced plans to team with USA Network for Muscle Beach, a scripted series rooted in the world of ’80s bodybuilding.
Set against the sun-kissed streets of Venice Beach, Johnson shared some preliminary details about the new show via Instagram, confirming that Muscle Beach hails from co-writers Jeremiah Friedman and Nick Palmer – scribes behind Alpha Squad 7, also starring The Rock. Both will executive produce, alongside Johnson himself, with Dany Garcia and Beau Flynn also involved.
Repackaging the fabled American Dream and situating it in a legendary bodybuilding gym, USA’s all-new drama series chronicles the story of a “tribe of lost souls struggle to reinvent themselves by bench-pressing their way to a bigger, better American dream, no matter what the cost. The series explores the body-obsessed fitness movement that took the nation by storm at the time of the supersized Reagan ’80s, the...
Set against the sun-kissed streets of Venice Beach, Johnson shared some preliminary details about the new show via Instagram, confirming that Muscle Beach hails from co-writers Jeremiah Friedman and Nick Palmer – scribes behind Alpha Squad 7, also starring The Rock. Both will executive produce, alongside Johnson himself, with Dany Garcia and Beau Flynn also involved.
Repackaging the fabled American Dream and situating it in a legendary bodybuilding gym, USA’s all-new drama series chronicles the story of a “tribe of lost souls struggle to reinvent themselves by bench-pressing their way to a bigger, better American dream, no matter what the cost. The series explores the body-obsessed fitness movement that took the nation by storm at the time of the supersized Reagan ’80s, the...
- 7/20/2016
- by Michael Briers
- We Got This Covered
Arnold Schwarzenegger isn't the only one developing a period Venice Beach bodybuilding drama series as Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson is reportedly planning the 1980s-set drama "Muscle Beach" at USA Network,
Jeremiah Friedman and Nick Palmer penned the script set in a legendary bodybuilding gym in 1980s Venice Beach where a colorful tribe of lost souls struggle to reinvent themselves.
The series explores the body obsessed fitness movement, the excess of the era and the many temptations of Los Angeles. Johnson and Beau Flynn will executive produce.
Source: Dwayne Johnson...
Jeremiah Friedman and Nick Palmer penned the script set in a legendary bodybuilding gym in 1980s Venice Beach where a colorful tribe of lost souls struggle to reinvent themselves.
The series explores the body obsessed fitness movement, the excess of the era and the many temptations of Los Angeles. Johnson and Beau Flynn will executive produce.
Source: Dwayne Johnson...
- 7/20/2016
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Dwayne Johnson is developing a scripted series set in the 1980s world of bodybuilding for USA Network, the actor/producer announced on Instagram. “Muscle Beach” is written by Jeremiah Friedman and Nick Palmer, and the duo will executive produce alongside Johnson and Dany Garcia, who co-founded Seven Bucks Productions together. The series is set in a legendary bodybuilding gym in 1980s Venice Beach, where several lost souls struggle to reinvent themselves by bench-pressing their way to a bigger, better American dream, no matter what the cost. Also Read: Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson Gets YouTube Lesson From Lilly Singh (Video) “As a kid growing up.
- 7/20/2016
- by Linda Ge
- The Wrap
Rob Leane Simon Brew Mar 16, 2017
Dwayne Johnson has three films coming in 2017. And now, he's got three films coming in 2018 too...
Got a movie you’re trying to make? Why not put Dwayne Johnson in it? It’s what everyone else seems to be doing, and it’s bound to earn you a fervent flurry of publicity. The man who it may not be acceptable to call ‘The Rock’ anymore has a whopping 19 films on his slate at the moment (it's gone down, given that Moana is now in cinemas), though, so he may struggle to fit you in. But is there a movie star who's working harder right now? Just check this lot out...
The Definites Baywatch
Currently in post-production, the cinematic Baywatch revival is another example of The Rock being injected in to bring new life to an established franchise (see: Fast & Furious, The Mummy, G.I. Joe and...
Dwayne Johnson has three films coming in 2017. And now, he's got three films coming in 2018 too...
Got a movie you’re trying to make? Why not put Dwayne Johnson in it? It’s what everyone else seems to be doing, and it’s bound to earn you a fervent flurry of publicity. The man who it may not be acceptable to call ‘The Rock’ anymore has a whopping 19 films on his slate at the moment (it's gone down, given that Moana is now in cinemas), though, so he may struggle to fit you in. But is there a movie star who's working harder right now? Just check this lot out...
The Definites Baywatch
Currently in post-production, the cinematic Baywatch revival is another example of The Rock being injected in to bring new life to an established franchise (see: Fast & Furious, The Mummy, G.I. Joe and...
- 5/31/2016
- Den of Geek
From Zoolander 2 to 23 Jump Street, with 100s in-between. Here's our rundown of the assorted movie sequels in the works...
Think Hollywood is bereft of original ideas? You just might after this. Here's our look at the assorted movie sequels currently in the works. Since we last did a list like this, we've dropped films that seem to have died a death - Wanted 2, Spring Breakers 2 - but we'll keep this rundown up to date over the coming month.
Without further ado...
23 Jump Street
Sony is pressing ahead with a third Jump Street movie, as well as a possible Jump Street vs Men In Black film, and a female-headlined spin-off. For 23 Jump Street specifically, Rodney Rothman is back and working on the script (he wrote the second one). It's unclear yet if Chris Miller and Phil Lord can find breathing space in their schedule to direct. Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill are both expected back,...
Think Hollywood is bereft of original ideas? You just might after this. Here's our look at the assorted movie sequels currently in the works. Since we last did a list like this, we've dropped films that seem to have died a death - Wanted 2, Spring Breakers 2 - but we'll keep this rundown up to date over the coming month.
Without further ado...
23 Jump Street
Sony is pressing ahead with a third Jump Street movie, as well as a possible Jump Street vs Men In Black film, and a female-headlined spin-off. For 23 Jump Street specifically, Rodney Rothman is back and working on the script (he wrote the second one). It's unclear yet if Chris Miller and Phil Lord can find breathing space in their schedule to direct. Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill are both expected back,...
- 6/18/2015
- by simonbrew
- Den of Geek
DreamWorks has reportedly won a bidding war for a pitch from Jeremiah Friedman and Nick Palmer titled Alpha Squad Seven, and Dwayne Johnson is attached to star in the project. Plot details are being kept under wraps, but the planned film has been described as a "four-quadrant action-comedy adventure set in space" and "the project is meant to act as a two-hander as well as launch a potential franchise." Johnson also shared some additional information on his...
- 5/12/2015
- by Jesse Giroux
- JoBlo.com
The hardest working man in showbiz, Dwayne Johnson, has booked yet another feature film project - this time a sci-fi action comedy titled "Alpha Squad Seven," which is set up at DreamWorks. Plot details are being kept underwraps currently, but the studio is eyeing the project as the start of a potential franchise for Johnson. To be written by Jeremiah Friedman and Nick Palmer, who sold the idea pitch to DreamWorks, Beau Flynn will produce via his FlynnPictureCo., banner along with The Rock, via his 7 Bucks Productions. Up next for the busy Johnson is the action-comedy "Central Intelligence" with another one of Hollywood's hardest working...
- 5/11/2015
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
With Furious 7 a box office behemoth and his disaster epic San Andreas positioned as one of Warner Bros.’ biggest tentpoles in the summer season, Dwayne Johnson has never been bigger, and that’s not about to change anytime soon. The actor has signed on to star in a DreamWorks’ sci-fi action comedy titled Alpha Squad Seven, which will send The Rock into the one territory he has yet to conquer: space.
Described as a “four-quadrant action-comedy adventure set in space,” Alpha Squad Seven has been likened to Independence Day, Armageddon and, most tellingly, Guardians of the Galaxy, with Johnson taking on the role of a “handsome, charming, ass kicking, flawed and slightly cranky [sic] of a hero leading the one and only Alpha Squad into space,” according to the actor’s Instagram post confirming the pic. Though Johnson is a far cry from a goofy underdog like Chris Pratt, perhaps...
Described as a “four-quadrant action-comedy adventure set in space,” Alpha Squad Seven has been likened to Independence Day, Armageddon and, most tellingly, Guardians of the Galaxy, with Johnson taking on the role of a “handsome, charming, ass kicking, flawed and slightly cranky [sic] of a hero leading the one and only Alpha Squad into space,” according to the actor’s Instagram post confirming the pic. Though Johnson is a far cry from a goofy underdog like Chris Pratt, perhaps...
- 5/11/2015
- by Isaac Feldberg
- We Got This Covered
Alpha Squad Seven is a new mix of sci-fi, action and comedy, that may yet spawn a franchise. Dwayne Johnson is to star...
A man who doesn't believe in much downtime between movie projects is The Rock himself, Mr Dwayne Johnson. Already one of the stars of the fourth biggest film of all time, Fast & Furious 7, he's got his second film of the summer, San Andreas, incoming next at the end of this month.
After that? He's lending his voice to Disney's Moana, and he's one of the stars of summer 2016 comedy Central Intelligence (alongside Kevin Hart). He's expected back for Fast & Furious 8 as well, which will be going before the cameras next year.
And now you can add another film to his schedule. He's signing up to star in a new mix of sci-fi, action and comedy, in the shape of Alpha Squad Seven. It's described as a space-set movie,...
A man who doesn't believe in much downtime between movie projects is The Rock himself, Mr Dwayne Johnson. Already one of the stars of the fourth biggest film of all time, Fast & Furious 7, he's got his second film of the summer, San Andreas, incoming next at the end of this month.
After that? He's lending his voice to Disney's Moana, and he's one of the stars of summer 2016 comedy Central Intelligence (alongside Kevin Hart). He's expected back for Fast & Furious 8 as well, which will be going before the cameras next year.
And now you can add another film to his schedule. He's signing up to star in a new mix of sci-fi, action and comedy, in the shape of Alpha Squad Seven. It's described as a space-set movie,...
- 5/11/2015
- by simonbrew
- Den of Geek
Increasingly looking to develop his own starring vehicles (and we don’t just mean buying big trucks), Dwayne Johnson has landed a deal to star in Alpha Squad Seven, which his production company helped develop.Writers Jeremiah Friedman and Nick Palmer dreamt up the pitch for what is described as a sci-fi comedy, one that is designed to pair The Rock with someone else, and, if successful, launch a franchise. Not to mention a raft of jokes about whether moviegoers need to have seen Alpha Squad one through six...Friedman and Palmer sold their one-line idea to producer Beau Flynn and development executive Wendy Jacobson, referencing movies such as Independence Day and Guardians Of The Galaxy as inspiration, with Flynn then throwing it to Johnson’s 7 Bucks company, which stumped up the money to develop the script. DreamWorks has now won a bidding war for the idea, which all involved...
- 5/11/2015
- EmpireOnline
Dwayne Johnson isn.t slowing down anytime soon. The action star just nabbed another starring role in an upcoming film acquired by DreamWorks. And it sounds pretty darn epic. According to The Hollywood Reporter, action star Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is now attached to a new sci-fi action comedy acquired by DreamWorks called Alpha Squad Seven. Both DreamWorks and Paramount were in the bidding war for the film before DreamWorks edged out the competition for win. Johnson will also serve as co-producer with his 7 Bucks Productions company along with Beau Flynn.s FlynnPictureCo., whom he collaborated with for Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, Hercules and San Andreas. Alpha Squad Seven is a four-quadrant action comedy adventure set in space, similar to Guardians of the Galaxy. Seasoned comedy writers Jeremiah Friedman and Nick Palmer wrote the pitch for the film, which was just fast-tracked for development. No word yet on who...
- 5/10/2015
- cinemablend.com
Dreamworks has won a bidding war for sci-fi comedy Alpha Squad Seven.
Dwayne Johnson will be starring in the film and will collaborate once again with his Hercules and San Andreas producer, Beau Flynn.
The plot is being kept under wraps, but the action will be set in space, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Alpha Squad Seven has been penned by the recently announced Karate Kid 2 writers, Jeremiah Friedman and Nick Palmer.
Johnson will be co-producing and is aiming to launch a new franchise with the film.
The 43-year-old can next be seen in HBO's original drama series Ballers, where he plays a retired football player.
Watch the trailer for Ballers below:...
Dwayne Johnson will be starring in the film and will collaborate once again with his Hercules and San Andreas producer, Beau Flynn.
The plot is being kept under wraps, but the action will be set in space, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Alpha Squad Seven has been penned by the recently announced Karate Kid 2 writers, Jeremiah Friedman and Nick Palmer.
Johnson will be co-producing and is aiming to launch a new franchise with the film.
The 43-year-old can next be seen in HBO's original drama series Ballers, where he plays a retired football player.
Watch the trailer for Ballers below:...
- 5/9/2015
- Digital Spy
Dwayne Johnson is attached to star in the sci-fi action comedy "Alpha Squad Seven" which DreamWorks has won in a bidding war.
Jeremiah Friedman and Nick Palmer created the pitch, but plot details are being kept under wraps beyond it being an "action-comedy adventure set in space".
The project is supposed to be a two-hander, with no word yet on the other role. Johnson and Beau Flynn ("San Andres") will produce.
Source: Heat Vision...
Jeremiah Friedman and Nick Palmer created the pitch, but plot details are being kept under wraps beyond it being an "action-comedy adventure set in space".
The project is supposed to be a two-hander, with no word yet on the other role. Johnson and Beau Flynn ("San Andres") will produce.
Source: Heat Vision...
- 5/9/2015
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
DreamWorks has won a bidding war for Alpha Squad Seven, a sci-fi action comedy pitch that has Dwayne Johnson attached to star. Jeremiah Friedman and Nick Palmer are behind the pitch which has Beau Flynn producing via his FlynnPictureCo. banner along with Johnson, who will produce through his 7 Bucks Productions. The plot details are being kept on the dark side of the moon but the project is described as four-quadrant action-comedy adventure set in space. Independence Day, Armageddon and Guardians of the Galaxy are some of the watchwords. The project is meant to act as a
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- 5/8/2015
- by Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Just a couple of months ago, Sony Pictures had secured The Crazies helmer Breck Eisner to direct Karate Kid 2, a vehicle that would give Jaden Smith a chance to redeem himself following the failure of After Earth. But now Eisner is gone, and producers are bringing in two new screenwriters to once again retool the sequel's script. Deadline reports Breck Eisner has left Karate Kid 2 over scheduling conflicts. No mention is made of what project could be conflicting with the long-in-the-works sequel to the 2010 reboot. However, it's suggested that script troubles are to blame for the schedule shakeup. Cyrus Voris and Ethan Reiff were originally brought in to pen the pic, but this latest report reveals Sony has since hired Jeremiah Friedman and Nick Palmer to write a new version of the screenplay. The level of the rewrite is currently unknown. That said, if this is the cause of the...
- 6/26/2014
- cinemablend.com
A little over two months after he signed onboard, filmmaker Breck Eisner ("Sahara," "The Crazies") has dropped out of "The Karate Kid" sequel at Sony Pictures.
Eisner has cited scheduling conflicts as the reason for the departure. The project isn't going away though as two new writers, Jeremiah Friedman and Nick Palmer, have come onboard.
Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan are reprising their roles for the sequel, although no story details have been released at this time. Eisner remains attached to direct both "The Last Witch Hunter" with Vin Diesel, and the thriller "Blood of the Innocent".
Source: Deadline...
Eisner has cited scheduling conflicts as the reason for the departure. The project isn't going away though as two new writers, Jeremiah Friedman and Nick Palmer, have come onboard.
Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan are reprising their roles for the sequel, although no story details have been released at this time. Eisner remains attached to direct both "The Last Witch Hunter" with Vin Diesel, and the thriller "Blood of the Innocent".
Source: Deadline...
- 6/26/2014
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Will Poulter (We're the Millers) has joined the cast of Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's The Revenant alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and (reportedly) Tom Hardy. The movie is based on the Michael Punke novel centering on an 1820s frontiersman on a path of vengeance against those who left him for dead after a bear mauling. Production begins this fall. Variety Joe Carnahan (The Grey, "The Blacklist") has had a tough go in the feature film world as his latest movie, Stretch, is currently sitting in limbo, but that isn't stopping him from moving forward with another project as he's set to direct Five Against a Bullet for Sony Pictures. The story follows five bodyguards hired to protect a Mexican politician over the course of a contentious election after his father is murdered by a drug cartel. Carnahan is expected to do a little rewriting on the script. The Wrap Breck Eisner (The Crazies...
- 6/26/2014
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Director Breck Eisner has exited The Karate Kid 2.
Screenwriters Jeremiah Friedman and Nick Palmer have been hired to rewrite the script to the sequel of the 2010 remake, reports Deadline.
The Karate Kid is 30 years old: What happened to the cast?
Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith remain attached to reprise their roles in the film.
Eisner is said to have departed over a scheduling conflict.
The director is attached to Lionsgate's The Last Witch Hunter, in which Vin Diesel is set to star.
Sony and Will Smith's Overbrook Entertainment are producing Karate Kid 2.
Screenwriters Jeremiah Friedman and Nick Palmer have been hired to rewrite the script to the sequel of the 2010 remake, reports Deadline.
The Karate Kid is 30 years old: What happened to the cast?
Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith remain attached to reprise their roles in the film.
Eisner is said to have departed over a scheduling conflict.
The director is attached to Lionsgate's The Last Witch Hunter, in which Vin Diesel is set to star.
Sony and Will Smith's Overbrook Entertainment are producing Karate Kid 2.
- 6/26/2014
- Digital Spy
Karate Kid 2 just landed some new writers. Jeremiah Friedman and Nick Palmer have been hired to work on the script for the sequel to the 2010 movie.
Friedman and Palmer, who are known for their action comedy scripts, are taking over for Zak Penn and team Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris, who previously worked on the script. Previously, Breck Eisner was set to direct the sequel, but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts.
The original movie, directed by Harald Zwart, was a reboot of the 1984 classic starring Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita, and opened big with $55.6 million in June 2011, before going on to gross $359 million worldwide.
Both Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith are planning to reprise their roles for the sequel.
As for Friedman and Palmer, they're writing Family Getaway for Warners with Todd Strauss-Schulson attached to direct; as well as Secretaries Day set up at Columbia with Will Gluck producing...
Friedman and Palmer, who are known for their action comedy scripts, are taking over for Zak Penn and team Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris, who previously worked on the script. Previously, Breck Eisner was set to direct the sequel, but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts.
The original movie, directed by Harald Zwart, was a reboot of the 1984 classic starring Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita, and opened big with $55.6 million in June 2011, before going on to gross $359 million worldwide.
Both Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith are planning to reprise their roles for the sequel.
As for Friedman and Palmer, they're writing Family Getaway for Warners with Todd Strauss-Schulson attached to direct; as well as Secretaries Day set up at Columbia with Will Gluck producing...
- 6/26/2014
- by Laura Frances
- LRMonline.com
The Crazies director Breck Eisner drops out of directing the next Karate Kid movie, starring Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith...
News
Just a month or two after it was revealed that Breck Eisner had landed the job of directing the follow-up to the successful Karate Kid remake, it's now been revealed that he's left the project. Eisner, who last directed the impressive The Crazies, has departed The Karate Kid 2 due to a schedule conflict (possibly with The Last Witch Hunter, which is set to star Vin Diesel). The hunt is on for a new director.
Meanwhile, a new pair of screenwriters have been drafted in. Jeremiah Friedman and Nick Palmer have the job of reworking the previous draft, which was penned by Cyrus Voris, Zak Penn and Ethan Reiff.
Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith are expected to be back for the new Karate Kid movie. No word on a start date yet,...
News
Just a month or two after it was revealed that Breck Eisner had landed the job of directing the follow-up to the successful Karate Kid remake, it's now been revealed that he's left the project. Eisner, who last directed the impressive The Crazies, has departed The Karate Kid 2 due to a schedule conflict (possibly with The Last Witch Hunter, which is set to star Vin Diesel). The hunt is on for a new director.
Meanwhile, a new pair of screenwriters have been drafted in. Jeremiah Friedman and Nick Palmer have the job of reworking the previous draft, which was penned by Cyrus Voris, Zak Penn and Ethan Reiff.
Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith are expected to be back for the new Karate Kid movie. No word on a start date yet,...
- 6/26/2014
- by simonbrew
- Den of Geek
Sony and Will Smith‘s Overbrook Entertainment have hired screenwriting team Jeremiah Friedman and Nick Palmer to write Karate Kid 2, which now has an empty director’s chair as Breck Eisner has exited due to conflicting schedules. The scribes follow Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris and Zak Penn, who previously had been tapped to write the sequel. Friedman and Palmer’s action comedy script Family Getaway made the 2010 Black List, and the pair was subsequently hired to script the Bodyguard remake for Warner Bros-based Lin Pictures. They earned more press in 2012 when they sold their Die Hard-esque pitch Speeding Bullet […]...
- 6/26/2014
- Deadline
Karate Kid 2 has kicked up some new writers. Photos Hollywood's 100 Favorite Films Jeremiah Friedman and Nick Palmer have been tapped to work on the script for the sequel to Sony's and Overbrook’s hit 2010 movie that starred Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan. The duo are the latest scribes on the project; Zak Penn and team Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris also have worked on the script. Photos '80s Action Stars: Where Are They Now? Breck Eisner was on board as director but is no longer involved, and sources cited a scheduling conflict as the reason for his departure. While
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- 6/26/2014
- by Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Mr. Christmas Short Film. Nick Palmer‘s Mr. Christmas (2012) short film documentary stars Bruce Mertz and Randy Riel. Mr. Christmas‘ plot synopsis: “Every Christmas, Bruce Mertz lights up the neighborhood with the 50,000 lights covering his house. For decades he’s obsessively added to his display, creating beautiful, towering fixtures that people travel [...]
Continue reading: Mr. Christmas (2012) Short Film: Bruce Mertz’s 50K XMas Lights Doc...
Continue reading: Mr. Christmas (2012) Short Film: Bruce Mertz’s 50K XMas Lights Doc...
- 12/25/2013
- by Rollo Tomasi
- Film-Book
It's the most wonderful time of the year. No, not awards season (in fact much of the talent behind the films we love would probably agree it's one of the worst times of year), but Christmas. Whether you celebrate the holiday or partake in Kwanzaa, Chanukah, Festivus or Merlinpeen, it's just a great time for family, fun, hot chocolate, and some great movies. To ring in the holiday season, we've got this charming short documentary called Mr. Christmas, which follows Bruce Mertz, a Christmas enthusiast who decks out his home in Concord, California for people to check out form all across the country. It's perfect for Christmas. Watch! Here's Nick Palmer's documentary short Mr. Christmas from Vimeo (via The Playlist): Mr. Christmas is written and directed by Nick Palmer and paints an offbeat, touching portrait of a man who has spent three decades turning his small Northern California home into a beautiful,...
- 12/13/2013
- by Ethan Anderton
- firstshowing.net
'Tis the season for holiday movies, and to start it off right, check out something new with the short documentary "Mr. Christmas," by director and screenwriter Nick Palmer. After making the festival circuit last year, with appearances at Silver Docs, Hot Docs, L.A. Film Festival, and winning awards at Palm Springs Shorts Fest and Aspen Shorts Fest, the film is now available to watch on Vimeo (it's currently the Staff Pick). "Mr. Christmas" film follows Bruce Mertz, a Christmas enthusiast who lights up his Concord, California home with a dazzling display of lights every year, and has become a local celebrity and holiday season institution. Sweet, heartwarming, and just a tad bit melancholy, "Mr. Christmas" hits all the right notes to make your season merry and bright (the DVD is also available as a stocking stuffer for the documentary lover in your life). Watch it below.
- 12/12/2013
- by Katie Walsh
- The Playlist
Why Watch? When Clark Griswold finally gets his Christmas lights to blind the neighborhood in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, the “Hallelujah” chorus from Handel’s “Messiah” bursts into the scene. It must be what Bruce Mertz hears every year when he flips the switch on 51,000 lights after Thanksgiving. Beyond charming, this short documentary from Nick Palmer highlights the sweet personality of the 84-year-old man who spends three months on his roof transforming his Northern California home into a luminescent celebration that’s morphed into a tourist attraction. Part how-to, part memoir, it finds its footing when Mertz explains his emotional connection to the hobby. Beyond a powerful earnestness, it remains (for the most part) lovably quirky and naturally endearing. What Will It Cost? About 15 minutes. A New Short Film Every Weekday...
- 12/11/2013
- by Scott Beggs
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Day five of the 21st Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival promises a smorgasbord of great films and there are still 6 days to go!
Sliff’s main venues are the the Hi-Pointe Theatre, Tivoli Theatre, Plaza Frontenac Cinema, Webster University’s Winifred Moore Auditorium, Washington University’s Brown Hall Auditorium and the Wildey Theatre in Edwardsville, Il
The entire schedule for the 21st Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival be found Here.
http://cinemastlouis.org/sliff-2012
Here is what will be screening at The 21st Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival today, Monday, November 12th
–
Doc Shorts – Longevity plays at 5:00pm at the Tivoli Theatre
A quintet of shorts exploring issues of aging and persistence.
Free To Attendees 50 And Older
Bo (Kelly McCoy & Dave Schwep, U.S., 2012, 22 min.): When attorney and Playboy photographer Bo Hitchcock is diagnosed with cancer, he decides to forgo chemo and Western...
Sliff’s main venues are the the Hi-Pointe Theatre, Tivoli Theatre, Plaza Frontenac Cinema, Webster University’s Winifred Moore Auditorium, Washington University’s Brown Hall Auditorium and the Wildey Theatre in Edwardsville, Il
The entire schedule for the 21st Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival be found Here.
http://cinemastlouis.org/sliff-2012
Here is what will be screening at The 21st Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival today, Monday, November 12th
–
Doc Shorts – Longevity plays at 5:00pm at the Tivoli Theatre
A quintet of shorts exploring issues of aging and persistence.
Free To Attendees 50 And Older
Bo (Kelly McCoy & Dave Schwep, U.S., 2012, 22 min.): When attorney and Playboy photographer Bo Hitchcock is diagnosed with cancer, he decides to forgo chemo and Western...
- 11/12/2012
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The Palm Springs International Shortfest, the largest short film festival and market in North America, announced its Festival award winners on Sunday, June 24, 2012. 324 short films screened throughout the Festival along with more than 3,000 filmmaker submissions available in the film market. A total of $118,800 in prizes, including $16,000 in cash awards, were awarded in 20 categories. Held from June 19-25, 2012, the Festival had another record-breaking year in attendance for ticket buyers, filmmakers and film industry delegates.
Darryl Macdonald, ShortFest Programming and Executive Director, said, “It's been a great year for ShortFest, with record crowds, a spectacular lineup of provocative and engaging new films and a banner year for the ShortFest Forums, with acclaimed talents like Robert Elswit, Gus Van Sant and Oorlagh George participating. All in all, we've achieved everything we set out to accomplish with this year's Festival. I'm confident we've provided a fitting springboard for the astonishingly accomplished young filmmakers who participated.”
Returning for a second year, the Palm Springs International ShortFest continued the ShortFest Online Film Festival. Ten films were chosen to represent the Festival online. The ShortFest Online Audience Award went to Lost & Found (UK), directed by Sam Washington. The film will be available to view online for the next three months.
Jury Category Awards
Awards in the non-student and student categories were selected by ShortFest jury members Richard Abramowitz (President of Abramorama, distribution and marketing company), Lael Loewenstein, (President of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and a critic for Variety) and Jane Schoettle (International Programmer for the Toronto International Film Festival). All first place winners in the non-student categories received a cash award of $2,000. First place winners in the non-student Animation and Live Action categories may be eligible for Academy Awards consideration. Second place recipients received a $500 cash prize.
Designated by AMPAS as an award-qualifying festival, and accredited by the International Short Film Conference, the Palm Springs International ShortFest and its Short Film Market are the largest and most prominent short film showcase in North America. The Festival and its concurrent 3,000-film Market continue to serve as a scouting ground for new filmmaking talent and are well attended by those in the business of buying and selling short films.
The Palm Springs International ShortFest is supported by an ever-growing number of new and longtime sponsors with local, national and international prominence. The Title Sponsor is the City of Palm Springs with Presenting Sponsors The Desert Sun and Spencer’s. Major Sponsors include, Panavision, The BottomLine, Stampede Post Productions, Greenhouse Studios, Kqed San Francisco and The Australian Consulate General in Los Angeles. Special support has been provided by The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.
The 2012 Palm Springs International ShortFest award winners are:
Jury Awards
Best Of Festival Award – Winner received $2,000 cash prize, Software Package courtesy of The Showbiz Café & Store, Post Production award courtesy of Greenhouse Studios and Final Cut Pro X courtesy of Apple. The winner of this award may be eligible to submit their film to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for Oscar consideration.
Behind the Mirrors (Detras del Espejo) (Peru/USA), Julio O. Ramos
A young husband, and soon-to-be father, manages a local brothel with his wife. When one of the night’s customers leaves behind an unexpected mess, the husband's keen eye for opportunity and quick thinking may change their fortunes forever.
Panavision Grand Jury Award – Winner received a Panavision Camera Package valued at $60,000.
Paulie (USA), Andrew Nackman
Paulie is a nine year old in the seventh grade. Used to being the smartest kid in the room Paulie aces every test, wins every spelling bee and science fair, and does not lose. So when bully Tony beats him one day at an essay contest, Paulie refuses to let it go.
Future Filmmaker Award – Winner received a $2,000 cash prize and a post production package courtesy of Greenhouse Studios.
Khaana (UK), Rajinder Sawhney
A pregnant, orthodox Muslim woman living in London has an appetite for life as well as for food, in this delightful exploration of the ways in which her homeland’s culture intersects with her still novel foreign surroundings.
Audience Awards
Audience Favorite Live Action Short
A Curious Conjunction of Coincidences (Netherlands), Joost Reijmers
An absurdist journey through time with an explosive ending in the heart of Amsterdam, this Dutch treat won the Best Comedy Award at the recent Aspen ShortsFest, and rightly so: its inventive tale links up three hapless heroes living in different centuries whose worlds collide unexpectedly in the present day.
Runner-up – Talking Dog For Sale, 10 Euros (Se Vende PerroQue Habla, 10 Euros) (France/Spain), Lewis-Martin Soucy
Audience Favorite Documentary Short
Mr. Christmas (USA), Nick Palmer
Bruce Mertz is the kind of guy who lights up the lives of those around him -- quite literally -- when every holiday season he transforms his house into a beacon with 50,000 colorful lights and himself into Mr. Christmas.
Runner-up – The Little Team (L’Equip Petit) (Spain), Robert Gomez
Audience Favorite Animation Short
The Boy in the Bubble (Ireland), Kealan O’Rourke
Young Rupert Shelley utilizes magic to win the heart of his true love at school and save his own heart from breaking. The magic works, but not in quite the way that Rupert had expected.
Runner-up – The Gruffalo’s Child (UK), Uwe Heidschötter, Johannes Weiland
Best Animation short
First Place ($2,000) – Nuru (Belgium), Michael Palmaers
In this dazzling, CG-enhanced story about an abandoned zoo and its lone animal inhabitant, a zookeeper looks after a giant gorilla who is being subjected to a dark experiment run by an opportunistic director.
Second Place ($500) – Amen! (Germany), Moritz Mayerhofer
Best Live Action short over 15 minutes
First Place ($2,000) – Dura Lex (Belgium), Anke Blondé
When two detectives show up at Kristi’s house asking lots of questions about her Albanian maid, she has little time to decide what to think, say, and do – and her answers will have major consequences for all concerned.
Second Place ($500) – Light Years (Lichtjahre) (Germany), Florian Knittel
Best Live Action short 15 Minutes And Under
First Place ($2,000) – The Devil’s Ballroom (Mannen fra isødet) (Norway/Greenland), Henrik Martin Dahlsbakken
After burying his last remaining companion, a fearless explorer has to find his way to the North Pole alone, fighting snow-blindness and physical strain. An unexpected encounter forces him to decide between honor and fame in the history books or keeping the moral high ground—a choice which will haunt the rest of his life.
Second Place ($500) – The Moment (Australia), Troy Bellchambers
Best Documentary short:
First Place ($2,000) – The Record Breaker (Denmark), Brian McGinn
Climbing Machu Picchu on stilts is not for everybody, but it suits Ashrita Furman just fine. Furman holds the official record for the most Guinness World Records by one individual, and he has set his sights on one more for the books.
Second Place ($500) – The Globe Collector (Australia), Summer DeRoche
Student Categories
All first place winners in these categories received a software package courtesy of The Showbiz Café & Store along with a one-year download membership to videoblocks.com or stock footage DVD set courtesy of Video Block and Footage Firm.
Best Student Animation
First Place – Bear Me (Germany), Katarzyna Wilk
A young woman’s object of love, and other desires, is a surprisingly strange choice in her seemingly otherwise quite normal world.
Second Place – Flamingo Pride (Germany), Tomer Eshed
Best Student Live Action short over 15 minutes
First Place – Hatch (Austria/USA), Christoph Kushnig
On a wintry Vienna night, a young couple makes the decision to give up their child, knowing they cannot raise it and realize their own youthful dreams. Across town, another couple is desperate for a child of their own, with no way to conceive one. When the paths of these two couples briefly cross, fate holds an unexpected lesson for each of them.
Second Place – Good Night (UK), Muriel d’Ansembourg
Best Student Live Action short 15 Minutes And Under
First Place – Behind the Mirrors (Detras del Espejo) (Peru/USA), Julio O. Ramos
A young husband, and soon-to-be father, manages a local brothel with his wife. When one of the night’s customers leaves behind an unexpected mess, the husband's keen eye for opportunity and quick thinking may change their fortunes forever.
Second Place – Paulie (USA), Andrew Nackman
Best Student Documentary short
In an unprecedented decision, the ShortFest jury has decided to award first place jointly to two documentaries: The Battle of the Jazz Guitarist and Julian. The jury issued the following statement: “With strikingly different techniques, each paints a remarkable portrait of family ties. Although we didn’t set out to define the category thematically, we noted that both films raised questions of parental legacy, filial responsibility, and the indelible cost of personal ambition. Each left an unmistakable impression on us. And so, after sustained and impassioned deliberations, we decided that the only real option was to recognize both films.”
First Place (tie) – The Battle of the Jazz Guitarist (USA), Mark Columbus
Filmmaker Mark Columbus takes an inventive, probing and amusing look at his relationship with his dad, a once famous jazz guitarist from the Fiji Islands, whose career stalled when he moved to the U.S.
First Place (tie) – Julian (USA), Bao Nguyen
When a young man named Julian looks straight into the camera and talks about the lure of joining the Marines and the possibility of not returning home, so begins this riveting portrait of a young soldier and his family.
Best Student Cinematography - Software package courtesy of The Showbiz Café & Store.
Saro Varjabedian (cinematographer), Jesus Loves Youssef (Lebanon)
Young Youssef is praying for a bike for a first communion gift, but communion involves confession, and the boy is feeling awfully guilty about something that he doesn’t want to confess to the priest.
Second Place – Anand Kishore (cinematographer), Mong (China)
Best Student Film Award (From A Us Film School) - $2,000 cash prize courtesy of Kqed, San Francisco.
First Place – Hatch (Austria/USA), Christoph Kuschnig
On a wintry Vienna night, a young couple makes the decision to give up their child, knowing they cannot raise it and realize their own youthful dreams. Across town, another couple is desperate for a child of their own, with no way to conceive one. When the paths of these two couples briefly cross, fate holds an unexpected lesson for each of them.
Additional Prizes
The Alexis Award for Best Emerging Student Filmmaker went to Kiss Me (USA), directed by Jules Nurrish. The recipient received Final Cut Pro X courtesy of Apple. The Alexis Award is selected by the Festival’s programming team and was created in honor of Alexis Echavarria, a young filmmaker, whose talent as a budding filmmaker and gift for inspiring excellence among his fellow students were cut short suddenly in 2005 at age 16.
Bridging the Borders Award presented by Cinema Without Borders went to Road to Peshawar (USA), directed by Hammad Rizvi. The winner received a certificate for an upcoming Method Acting Intensive with a value of $2000 from Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute. The runner-up was Dura Lex (Belgium), directed by Anke Blondé.
The Palm Springs International Film Festival will be held January 3-14, 2013.
Darryl Macdonald, ShortFest Programming and Executive Director, said, “It's been a great year for ShortFest, with record crowds, a spectacular lineup of provocative and engaging new films and a banner year for the ShortFest Forums, with acclaimed talents like Robert Elswit, Gus Van Sant and Oorlagh George participating. All in all, we've achieved everything we set out to accomplish with this year's Festival. I'm confident we've provided a fitting springboard for the astonishingly accomplished young filmmakers who participated.”
Returning for a second year, the Palm Springs International ShortFest continued the ShortFest Online Film Festival. Ten films were chosen to represent the Festival online. The ShortFest Online Audience Award went to Lost & Found (UK), directed by Sam Washington. The film will be available to view online for the next three months.
Jury Category Awards
Awards in the non-student and student categories were selected by ShortFest jury members Richard Abramowitz (President of Abramorama, distribution and marketing company), Lael Loewenstein, (President of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and a critic for Variety) and Jane Schoettle (International Programmer for the Toronto International Film Festival). All first place winners in the non-student categories received a cash award of $2,000. First place winners in the non-student Animation and Live Action categories may be eligible for Academy Awards consideration. Second place recipients received a $500 cash prize.
Designated by AMPAS as an award-qualifying festival, and accredited by the International Short Film Conference, the Palm Springs International ShortFest and its Short Film Market are the largest and most prominent short film showcase in North America. The Festival and its concurrent 3,000-film Market continue to serve as a scouting ground for new filmmaking talent and are well attended by those in the business of buying and selling short films.
The Palm Springs International ShortFest is supported by an ever-growing number of new and longtime sponsors with local, national and international prominence. The Title Sponsor is the City of Palm Springs with Presenting Sponsors The Desert Sun and Spencer’s. Major Sponsors include, Panavision, The BottomLine, Stampede Post Productions, Greenhouse Studios, Kqed San Francisco and The Australian Consulate General in Los Angeles. Special support has been provided by The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.
The 2012 Palm Springs International ShortFest award winners are:
Jury Awards
Best Of Festival Award – Winner received $2,000 cash prize, Software Package courtesy of The Showbiz Café & Store, Post Production award courtesy of Greenhouse Studios and Final Cut Pro X courtesy of Apple. The winner of this award may be eligible to submit their film to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for Oscar consideration.
Behind the Mirrors (Detras del Espejo) (Peru/USA), Julio O. Ramos
A young husband, and soon-to-be father, manages a local brothel with his wife. When one of the night’s customers leaves behind an unexpected mess, the husband's keen eye for opportunity and quick thinking may change their fortunes forever.
Panavision Grand Jury Award – Winner received a Panavision Camera Package valued at $60,000.
Paulie (USA), Andrew Nackman
Paulie is a nine year old in the seventh grade. Used to being the smartest kid in the room Paulie aces every test, wins every spelling bee and science fair, and does not lose. So when bully Tony beats him one day at an essay contest, Paulie refuses to let it go.
Future Filmmaker Award – Winner received a $2,000 cash prize and a post production package courtesy of Greenhouse Studios.
Khaana (UK), Rajinder Sawhney
A pregnant, orthodox Muslim woman living in London has an appetite for life as well as for food, in this delightful exploration of the ways in which her homeland’s culture intersects with her still novel foreign surroundings.
Audience Awards
Audience Favorite Live Action Short
A Curious Conjunction of Coincidences (Netherlands), Joost Reijmers
An absurdist journey through time with an explosive ending in the heart of Amsterdam, this Dutch treat won the Best Comedy Award at the recent Aspen ShortsFest, and rightly so: its inventive tale links up three hapless heroes living in different centuries whose worlds collide unexpectedly in the present day.
Runner-up – Talking Dog For Sale, 10 Euros (Se Vende PerroQue Habla, 10 Euros) (France/Spain), Lewis-Martin Soucy
Audience Favorite Documentary Short
Mr. Christmas (USA), Nick Palmer
Bruce Mertz is the kind of guy who lights up the lives of those around him -- quite literally -- when every holiday season he transforms his house into a beacon with 50,000 colorful lights and himself into Mr. Christmas.
Runner-up – The Little Team (L’Equip Petit) (Spain), Robert Gomez
Audience Favorite Animation Short
The Boy in the Bubble (Ireland), Kealan O’Rourke
Young Rupert Shelley utilizes magic to win the heart of his true love at school and save his own heart from breaking. The magic works, but not in quite the way that Rupert had expected.
Runner-up – The Gruffalo’s Child (UK), Uwe Heidschötter, Johannes Weiland
Best Animation short
First Place ($2,000) – Nuru (Belgium), Michael Palmaers
In this dazzling, CG-enhanced story about an abandoned zoo and its lone animal inhabitant, a zookeeper looks after a giant gorilla who is being subjected to a dark experiment run by an opportunistic director.
Second Place ($500) – Amen! (Germany), Moritz Mayerhofer
Best Live Action short over 15 minutes
First Place ($2,000) – Dura Lex (Belgium), Anke Blondé
When two detectives show up at Kristi’s house asking lots of questions about her Albanian maid, she has little time to decide what to think, say, and do – and her answers will have major consequences for all concerned.
Second Place ($500) – Light Years (Lichtjahre) (Germany), Florian Knittel
Best Live Action short 15 Minutes And Under
First Place ($2,000) – The Devil’s Ballroom (Mannen fra isødet) (Norway/Greenland), Henrik Martin Dahlsbakken
After burying his last remaining companion, a fearless explorer has to find his way to the North Pole alone, fighting snow-blindness and physical strain. An unexpected encounter forces him to decide between honor and fame in the history books or keeping the moral high ground—a choice which will haunt the rest of his life.
Second Place ($500) – The Moment (Australia), Troy Bellchambers
Best Documentary short:
First Place ($2,000) – The Record Breaker (Denmark), Brian McGinn
Climbing Machu Picchu on stilts is not for everybody, but it suits Ashrita Furman just fine. Furman holds the official record for the most Guinness World Records by one individual, and he has set his sights on one more for the books.
Second Place ($500) – The Globe Collector (Australia), Summer DeRoche
Student Categories
All first place winners in these categories received a software package courtesy of The Showbiz Café & Store along with a one-year download membership to videoblocks.com or stock footage DVD set courtesy of Video Block and Footage Firm.
Best Student Animation
First Place – Bear Me (Germany), Katarzyna Wilk
A young woman’s object of love, and other desires, is a surprisingly strange choice in her seemingly otherwise quite normal world.
Second Place – Flamingo Pride (Germany), Tomer Eshed
Best Student Live Action short over 15 minutes
First Place – Hatch (Austria/USA), Christoph Kushnig
On a wintry Vienna night, a young couple makes the decision to give up their child, knowing they cannot raise it and realize their own youthful dreams. Across town, another couple is desperate for a child of their own, with no way to conceive one. When the paths of these two couples briefly cross, fate holds an unexpected lesson for each of them.
Second Place – Good Night (UK), Muriel d’Ansembourg
Best Student Live Action short 15 Minutes And Under
First Place – Behind the Mirrors (Detras del Espejo) (Peru/USA), Julio O. Ramos
A young husband, and soon-to-be father, manages a local brothel with his wife. When one of the night’s customers leaves behind an unexpected mess, the husband's keen eye for opportunity and quick thinking may change their fortunes forever.
Second Place – Paulie (USA), Andrew Nackman
Best Student Documentary short
In an unprecedented decision, the ShortFest jury has decided to award first place jointly to two documentaries: The Battle of the Jazz Guitarist and Julian. The jury issued the following statement: “With strikingly different techniques, each paints a remarkable portrait of family ties. Although we didn’t set out to define the category thematically, we noted that both films raised questions of parental legacy, filial responsibility, and the indelible cost of personal ambition. Each left an unmistakable impression on us. And so, after sustained and impassioned deliberations, we decided that the only real option was to recognize both films.”
First Place (tie) – The Battle of the Jazz Guitarist (USA), Mark Columbus
Filmmaker Mark Columbus takes an inventive, probing and amusing look at his relationship with his dad, a once famous jazz guitarist from the Fiji Islands, whose career stalled when he moved to the U.S.
First Place (tie) – Julian (USA), Bao Nguyen
When a young man named Julian looks straight into the camera and talks about the lure of joining the Marines and the possibility of not returning home, so begins this riveting portrait of a young soldier and his family.
Best Student Cinematography - Software package courtesy of The Showbiz Café & Store.
Saro Varjabedian (cinematographer), Jesus Loves Youssef (Lebanon)
Young Youssef is praying for a bike for a first communion gift, but communion involves confession, and the boy is feeling awfully guilty about something that he doesn’t want to confess to the priest.
Second Place – Anand Kishore (cinematographer), Mong (China)
Best Student Film Award (From A Us Film School) - $2,000 cash prize courtesy of Kqed, San Francisco.
First Place – Hatch (Austria/USA), Christoph Kuschnig
On a wintry Vienna night, a young couple makes the decision to give up their child, knowing they cannot raise it and realize their own youthful dreams. Across town, another couple is desperate for a child of their own, with no way to conceive one. When the paths of these two couples briefly cross, fate holds an unexpected lesson for each of them.
Additional Prizes
The Alexis Award for Best Emerging Student Filmmaker went to Kiss Me (USA), directed by Jules Nurrish. The recipient received Final Cut Pro X courtesy of Apple. The Alexis Award is selected by the Festival’s programming team and was created in honor of Alexis Echavarria, a young filmmaker, whose talent as a budding filmmaker and gift for inspiring excellence among his fellow students were cut short suddenly in 2005 at age 16.
Bridging the Borders Award presented by Cinema Without Borders went to Road to Peshawar (USA), directed by Hammad Rizvi. The winner received a certificate for an upcoming Method Acting Intensive with a value of $2000 from Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute. The runner-up was Dura Lex (Belgium), directed by Anke Blondé.
The Palm Springs International Film Festival will be held January 3-14, 2013.
- 7/5/2012
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Yippee Ki Yay, another Die Hard themed movie is headed into production. Deadline reports that Universal Pictures has picked up Speeding Bullet, based on a pitch by Jeremiah Friedman and Nick Palmer. The project is described as "a throwback to the Die Hard-esque 90s buddy cop movie" and was also pursued by Paramount. It will be produced by KatzSmith Productions partners Seth Grahame-Smith and David Katzenberg.
This is the second similar movie in development in Hollywood. Last week Sony bought White House Down, a spec by Amazing Spider-Man scribe James Vanderbilt, which is being described "as Die Hard in the White House." I love the concept of Die Hard, so I will be happy to see this movie. Casting is everything on these pictures--Bruce Willis really made the Die Hard films.
Do you like the idea of Hollywood trying to recreate the Die Hard magic?
Follow me on Twitter,...
This is the second similar movie in development in Hollywood. Last week Sony bought White House Down, a spec by Amazing Spider-Man scribe James Vanderbilt, which is being described "as Die Hard in the White House." I love the concept of Die Hard, so I will be happy to see this movie. Casting is everything on these pictures--Bruce Willis really made the Die Hard films.
Do you like the idea of Hollywood trying to recreate the Die Hard magic?
Follow me on Twitter,...
- 4/3/2012
- by Tiberius
- GeekTyrant
Photos from The Cold Light of Day, Rust and Bone and The Reluctant Fundamentalist.
A shirtless James Franco shooting Spring Breakers, a shirtless Mark Wahlberg on the set of Pain and Gain, and a fully clothed Christoph Waltz filming Tarantino's Django Unchained.
Posters for Savages, The Dictator, The Avengers, Bel Ami and four posters for Brave.
"Oscilloscope Laboratories has picked up North American distribution rights for the LCD Soundsystem film 'Shut Up and Play the Hits'. The distributor plans to release it via one-night-only engagements in theaters across the country this summer…" (full details)
"Adam Sandler and his comedy "Jack And Jill" swept the annual Razzies on the weekend, winning a record-breaking 10 awards (every dishonourable category) including worst picture…" (full details)
"The Farrelly Brothers anthology feature 'Movie 43', originally slated for this month, has been pushed back to January 25th 2013…" (full details)
"Peter Farrelly says the 'Dumb and Dumber...
A shirtless James Franco shooting Spring Breakers, a shirtless Mark Wahlberg on the set of Pain and Gain, and a fully clothed Christoph Waltz filming Tarantino's Django Unchained.
Posters for Savages, The Dictator, The Avengers, Bel Ami and four posters for Brave.
"Oscilloscope Laboratories has picked up North American distribution rights for the LCD Soundsystem film 'Shut Up and Play the Hits'. The distributor plans to release it via one-night-only engagements in theaters across the country this summer…" (full details)
"Adam Sandler and his comedy "Jack And Jill" swept the annual Razzies on the weekend, winning a record-breaking 10 awards (every dishonourable category) including worst picture…" (full details)
"The Farrelly Brothers anthology feature 'Movie 43', originally slated for this month, has been pushed back to January 25th 2013…" (full details)
"Peter Farrelly says the 'Dumb and Dumber...
- 4/3/2012
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Although Chronicle 2‘s probably at the forefront of his creative mind, Variety reports that Max Landis, ever the hard worker, just keep selling ideas — this time, to Timur Bekmambetov. He — along with Michele Wolkoff and Landis himself — will produce the writers’ pitch, Woogles, an “edgy family adventure” story set to be written by Nick Antosca and Ned Vizzini (MTVeen Wolf). The director is financing with his company, Bazelevs, who are also doing effects work through Cgf.
If you, like I, are interested in knowing more, please be patient. To tide you over with a little more Landis, read this story about another genre pitch he’s made. The guy’s not going anywhere.
Next up, Deadline reports that Jeremiah Friedman and Nick Palmer have sold Universal Speeding Bullet, “a throwback to the Die Hard-esque 90s buddy cop movie.” (Die Hard is not a buddy cop movie, but okay.) With...
If you, like I, are interested in knowing more, please be patient. To tide you over with a little more Landis, read this story about another genre pitch he’s made. The guy’s not going anywhere.
Next up, Deadline reports that Jeremiah Friedman and Nick Palmer have sold Universal Speeding Bullet, “a throwback to the Die Hard-esque 90s buddy cop movie.” (Die Hard is not a buddy cop movie, but okay.) With...
- 4/2/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
Exclusive: In the second significant material sale in a week that has a Die Hard theme to it, Universal Pictures acquired Speeding Bullet, a pitch by Jeremiah Friedman and Nick Palmer that went for mid-six figures. Paramount also pursued the pitch which is described as a throwback to the Die Hard-esque 90s buddy cop movie (though this sounds more Lethal Weapon-esque). KatzSmith Productions partners Seth Grahame-Smith and David Katzenberg are producing. This comes after Sony last week acquired White House Down, a spec by Amazing Spider-Man scribe James Vanderbilt that is being loglined as Die Hard in the White House. While this surge of material sales is certainly welcome–White House Down went for a 2012 spec best $3 million–I can recall that after Die Hard became a hit, studios for the next 20 years bought pitches and specs that were loglined “Die Hard in a…” Maybe some smart studio exec...
- 4/2/2012
- by MIKE FLEMING
- Deadline
Jeremiah Friedman and Nick Palmer's Speeding Bullet Pitch with a Die Hard theme, sells to Universal. It seems that Superman isn't the only one faster than a "speeding bullet," Universal's picked up a pitch which is apparently a throwback to the Die Hard-style 90s buddy cop movies. Deadline reports that the deal with Jeremiah and Friedman was at mid-six figures, with Seth Grahame-Smith and David Katzenberg of KatzSmith producing. Seems that it's a real Die Hard rebirth, with Sony picking up White House Down from James Vanderbilt (The Amazing Spider-Man) last week. That flicks being called a Die Hard in the White House...
- 4/2/2012
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Jeremiah Friedman and Nick Palmer's Speeding Bullet Pitch with a Die Hard theme, sells to Universal. It seems that Superman isn't the only one faster than a "speeding bullet," Universal's picked up a pitch which is apparently a throwback to the Die Hard-style 90s buddy cop movies. Deadline reports that the deal with Jeremiah and Friedman was at mid-six figures, with Seth Grahame-Smith and David Katzenberg of KatzSmith producing. Seems that it's a real Die Hard rebirth, with Sony picking up White House Down from James Vanderbilt (The Amazing Spider-Man) last week. That flicks being called a Die Hard in the White House...
- 4/2/2012
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Things are looking pretty good for A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas director Todd Strauss-Schulson. Opening just last weekend, Strauss-Schulson‘s feature directorial debut managed to pull in over $16 million dollars thus far and was received rather positively by critics. According to THR, Warner Bros. hasn’t wasted much time planning his next feature project.
Strauss-Schulson is now in negotiations to direct Family Getaway, a comedy about a family who discovers their father is in fact an assassin. And when a rival killer shows up at their door, their family vacation turns into a cross-country car chase. Jeremiah Friedman and Nick Palmer wrote the initial story and Nick Kasdan also worked on the script back when he was attached to direct.
For those familiar with the Harold & Kumar movies, you know just how ridiculous the plots can get. For his feature debut, Strauss-Schulson did a pretty good job directing all...
Strauss-Schulson is now in negotiations to direct Family Getaway, a comedy about a family who discovers their father is in fact an assassin. And when a rival killer shows up at their door, their family vacation turns into a cross-country car chase. Jeremiah Friedman and Nick Palmer wrote the initial story and Nick Kasdan also worked on the script back when he was attached to direct.
For those familiar with the Harold & Kumar movies, you know just how ridiculous the plots can get. For his feature debut, Strauss-Schulson did a pretty good job directing all...
- 11/10/2011
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas' Todd Strauss-Schulson is in demand after the film made $13.1 million over opening weekend. THR reports that Warner Bros. is in early talks with him to direct their a new comedy called Family Getaway.
The film tells the story of "a family that discovers its patriarch is an assassin when a rival killer shows up, turning a vacation into a cross-country car chase." The initial spec was penned by Jeremiah Friedman and Nick Palmer, and then Nick Kasdan worked on the script when he was attached to direct.
This would mark Strauss-Schulson's second film, he made his feature directorial debut with Harold & Kumar Christmas. Before that he gained attention for directing comedy shorts (Mano a Mano, Die Hardly Working and Pillow Fight were among the noteworthy) and worked on a show for MTV Asia.
I have yet to see the latest Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas,...
The film tells the story of "a family that discovers its patriarch is an assassin when a rival killer shows up, turning a vacation into a cross-country car chase." The initial spec was penned by Jeremiah Friedman and Nick Palmer, and then Nick Kasdan worked on the script when he was attached to direct.
This would mark Strauss-Schulson's second film, he made his feature directorial debut with Harold & Kumar Christmas. Before that he gained attention for directing comedy shorts (Mano a Mano, Die Hardly Working and Pillow Fight were among the noteworthy) and worked on a show for MTV Asia.
I have yet to see the latest Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas,...
- 11/10/2011
- by Tiberius
- GeekTyrant
A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas director Todd Strauss-Schulson guided the marijuana-fueled sequel to a $13.1 million opening weekend, and as a reward, Warner Bros. would like to send him on a Family Getaway. The low-concept comedy reportedly follows a family on vacation who are caught up in a cross-country, high-speed chase once it.s revealed that the father in the pack is an assassin, and now he.s running from a lethal adversary. The initial treatment is credited to Jeremiah Friedman and Nick Palmer, though Nick Kasdan allegedly worked on the script back when he was attached to direct, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Family Getaway sounds like a hybrid of the Ashton Kutcher-Katherine Heigl bomb Killers and National Lampoon.s Vacation, which already is receiving an inevitable remake. Is there any way the Vacation reboot and Getaway can just be morphed into one project? Without having seen a...
- 11/10/2011
- cinemablend.com
He just made his feature debut with A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas and now The Hollywood Reporter has word that Todd Strauss-Schulson is in talks to take on another comedy for Warner Bros. with Family Getaway . The film, from writers Jeremiah Friedman and Nick Palmer, made the 2012 "Black List" of unproduced screenplays. It's logline at that time read, "A man whose family doesn't know he's an assassin must protect them during a cross-country car chase when rival killers show up." ComingSoon.net recently spoke with Strauss-Schulson at the junket for Harold & Kumar and you can check out our video interview (along with the film's cast) by clicking here . (Photo Credit: Apega / WENN.com)...
- 11/10/2011
- Comingsoon.net
“Little Miss Sunshine” meets Jason Bourne? That’s apparently the pitch for Jake Kasdan’s new film, “Family Getaway”. Based on a script by Jeremiah Friedman and Nick Palmer, “Family Getaway” is “a dysfunctional-family tale about a clan that has to go on the run after its Thanksgiving dinner is crashed by assassins”. The title makes it sound like a silly comedy, so I’m guessing this is something like an action-comedy where the dad is a former CIA badass or something along those lines, whose past comes back to bite him in the buttocks. If they Really want to make it unique, they should make the kids former CIA badasses and the parents clueless morons. I mean, that would be unique, if a tad, well, unbelievable. Anyways, Kasdan has set up “Family Getaway” as his next movie after the raunchy comedy “Bad Teacher”, which stars Cameron Diaz as a...
- 5/6/2011
- by Nix
- Beyond Hollywood
His most recent comedy Bad Teacher won't hit theaters until June 24th this summer, but director Jake Kasdan is already lining up his next gig. 24 Frames reports the filmmaker who also brought us Orange County and the underrated Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story will next direct a comedy called Family Getaway that's being pitched as Little Miss Sunshine meets Jason Bourne. Apparently the story follows a dysfunctional-family that forced to go on the run after its Thanksgiving dinner is crashed by assassins. Jeremiah Friedman & Nick Palmer (writers behind The Bodyguard remake) scripted the original story. In a weird connection, Jake's father Lawrence Kasdan, who has written classic films like The Empire Strikes Back and Raiders of the Lost Ark, not to mention directing The Big Chill, wrote the original The Bodyguard starring Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston. But I digress. The premise sounds a little silly, but ...
- 5/6/2011
- by Ethan Anderton
- firstshowing.net
New screenwriting team Jeremiah Friedman and Nick Palmer wrote a beloved, Black List-approved screenplay called Family Getaway, and for their troubles were rewarded with the job writing a remake of The Bodyguard. I'm sure they were thrilled by it, being young screenwriters in need of work and all, but I'll admit, we made some fun of the idea over here. But whether it's fate course-correcting or a good idea being unable to stay hidden for long, Family Getaway is now finally getting its due as well; according to The La Times Bad Teacher director Jake Kasdan is considering making it his next film. The script is set up at Warner Bros., and even though the studio wouldn't comment to the Times, the paper seems pretty certain he'll make it his next effort now that Bad Teacher is set to come out on June 24. The plot of Family Getaway is a...
- 5/5/2011
- cinemablend.com
New stills for Super 8 and the first look at Salma Hayek's Kitty Softpaws character in Puss in Boots.
Set photos from Men in Black III, We Bought a Zoo, and Andrew Garfield doing his own stunt work for some New York shooting of The Amazing Spider-Man.
Posters for Attack the Block, X-Men: First Class, Anonymous, and early promo artwork for the currently in development Cobra: The Space Pirate and Rian Johnson's just shot Looper.
"'Cry Macho' is now confirmed as Arnold Schwarzenegger's first post-Governor feature film effort. Shooting on the kidnap thriller kicks off in September…" (full details)
"Italian director/actor Roberto Benigni ("Life is Beautiful") has joined the ensemble cast of Woody Allen's upcoming Italy-set next project…" (full details)
"Joseph Gordon-Levitt confirms that he won’t reprise his role as Cobra Commander in the "G.I. Joe" sequel…" (full details)
"Sadly, Michael Sheen has...
Set photos from Men in Black III, We Bought a Zoo, and Andrew Garfield doing his own stunt work for some New York shooting of The Amazing Spider-Man.
Posters for Attack the Block, X-Men: First Class, Anonymous, and early promo artwork for the currently in development Cobra: The Space Pirate and Rian Johnson's just shot Looper.
"'Cry Macho' is now confirmed as Arnold Schwarzenegger's first post-Governor feature film effort. Shooting on the kidnap thriller kicks off in September…" (full details)
"Italian director/actor Roberto Benigni ("Life is Beautiful") has joined the ensemble cast of Woody Allen's upcoming Italy-set next project…" (full details)
"Joseph Gordon-Levitt confirms that he won’t reprise his role as Cobra Commander in the "G.I. Joe" sequel…" (full details)
"Sadly, Michael Sheen has...
- 5/5/2011
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
With Bad Teacher coming out next month, Jake Kasdan is getting ready for his follow-up project. 24Frames says that the Walk Hard and Orange County director will next helm Family Getaway, which was scripted by the Bodyguard remake writers Jeremiah Friedman and Nick Palmer, and also ended up on the 2010 Black List.
It’s been described as being a “dysfunctional-family tale about a clan that has to go on the run after its Thanksgiving dinner is crashed by assassins,” with the pitch line being Little Miss Sunshine meets Jason Bourne.
Additionally, the Black List description adds that the father is an assassin (which his family doesn’t know), and that it’s rival killers going after them. Warner Bros. is distributing the film, but no start time for production has been specified.
His next feature, Bad Teacher, stars Cameron Diaz, Justin Timberlake, and Jason Segel. See the red band trailer here,...
It’s been described as being a “dysfunctional-family tale about a clan that has to go on the run after its Thanksgiving dinner is crashed by assassins,” with the pitch line being Little Miss Sunshine meets Jason Bourne.
Additionally, the Black List description adds that the father is an assassin (which his family doesn’t know), and that it’s rival killers going after them. Warner Bros. is distributing the film, but no start time for production has been specified.
His next feature, Bad Teacher, stars Cameron Diaz, Justin Timberlake, and Jason Segel. See the red band trailer here,...
- 5/5/2011
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
Warner Bros. Pictures have decided to remake the 1992 hit The Bodyguard, which originally starred Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston. Dan Lin produces and the writing team of Jeremiah Friedman and Nick Palmer have been tapped to script the latest incarnation of the original film directed by Mick Jackson. The Bodyguard followed a former Secret Service agent (Kevin Costner) who is hired to protect a famous singer (Whitney Houston). The male lead in this version will apparently be an Iraqi war veteran, reports Variety. Lin has produced films like Sherlock Holmes and is working on Godzilla, Gangster Squad and Lego...
- 2/24/2011
- Upcoming-Movies.com
The Black List of 2010 continues with the second-half of the list showcasing the screenplays that received the most number of votes.
If you've missed the first half of the list you can find it here.
13 Votes:
Hunger Games by Billy Ray
“Based on the book by Suzanne Collins. In an America of the future, young boys and girls are forced to participate in a televised battle to the death.”
Agent Creative Artists Agency – Todd Feldman, Brian Kend
Manager Management 360 – Guymon Casady
Lionsgate. Color Force producing
14 Votes:
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith
“When the mother of future United States President Abraham Lincoln is murdered by a vampire, he begins a lifelong vendetta to rid the world of the heinous creatures.”
Agent William Morris Endeavor – Cliff Roberts, Jeff Gorin
Fox. Tim Burton Productions, Bazelevs Productions producing.
15 Votes:
Are We Officially Dating? by Tom Gormican
“A dating movie told from...
If you've missed the first half of the list you can find it here.
13 Votes:
Hunger Games by Billy Ray
“Based on the book by Suzanne Collins. In an America of the future, young boys and girls are forced to participate in a televised battle to the death.”
Agent Creative Artists Agency – Todd Feldman, Brian Kend
Manager Management 360 – Guymon Casady
Lionsgate. Color Force producing
14 Votes:
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith
“When the mother of future United States President Abraham Lincoln is murdered by a vampire, he begins a lifelong vendetta to rid the world of the heinous creatures.”
Agent William Morris Endeavor – Cliff Roberts, Jeff Gorin
Fox. Tim Burton Productions, Bazelevs Productions producing.
15 Votes:
Are We Officially Dating? by Tom Gormican
“A dating movie told from...
- 12/15/2010
- by Patrick Sauriol
- Corona's Coming Attractions
Every year, film executive Franklin Leonard releases his list, called The Black List, of most-liked unproduced screenplays in Hollywood. This year's list was compiled from the suggestions of 290 film executives, each of whom picked up to ten of their favorite scripts. Since the list started in 2004, many screenplays ended up being turned into films. In 2005, two of the top three scripts were "Lars and the Real Girl" which was nominated for Best Original Screenplay Oscar, and "Juno" which actually won the Oscar. See The 2010 Black List below, broken up by how many votes each screenplay received. Keep in mind, some of the projects are already in the works. 49 Votes: * College Republicans (by Wes Jones): Based on true events. Aspiring politician Karl Rove runs a dirty campaign for national College Republican Chairman under the guidance of Lee Atwater, his campaign manager. 47 Votes: * Jackie (by Noah Oppenheim): Jackie Kennedy fights...
- 12/14/2010
- WorstPreviews.com
The Black List started in 2005 when Franklin Leonard was working for Leonardo DiCaprio's Appian Way production company. Leonard was getting drowned in sub-par spec scripts, so he sent an e-mail out to his industry contacts looking for the best unproduced scripts out there. The 2005 Black List and the 2006 Black List were undeniably important in getting a fresh batch of writers on the Hollywood scene. Since then, too many people know about the party and the studio system has learned that people are paying attention. That means that increasingly, scripts have been lobbied into the Black List. [Note: I have no actual evidence I would be able to share, disclose or show you that proves this, so file that assertion under: "Things Dave thinks and gets to write because he's squatted on that soapbox long enough to get squatter's rights."]This year: the majority of the Black List Top Ten has already been sold or optioned. I'm not sure how helpful it is to make a list of good In Production scripts. Certainly less helpful to writer's churning out material that keeps getting passed over (or people who have Not starred in Prison Break...
- 12/13/2010
- LRMonline.com
Back in 2004, a list was compiled of the best unproduced screenplays in Hollywood of that year. This came to be known as The Black List. It was all started by a young executive at Leonardo DiCaprio’s production company Appian Way, who polled 90+ peers to send him their 10 favorite, new, unproduced screenplays to read over the holidays. It has since become a tradition at the end of every year, in December, to release this list, which is voted on by a group of individuals in the entertainment industry from producer assistants, talent agency individuals, and many people involved with film development all the way up to VP's.
The 2010 Black List is here, and thanks to Deadline we have the list of best unproduced screenplays. Most of the scripts we've heard of, many of them are in production, some have already wrapped filming, they just wont be released until next year.
The 2010 Black List is here, and thanks to Deadline we have the list of best unproduced screenplays. Most of the scripts we've heard of, many of them are in production, some have already wrapped filming, they just wont be released until next year.
- 12/13/2010
- by Venkman
- GeekTyrant
Every year, studio executive Franklin Leonard compiles the “Black List,” a collection of the best unproduced screenplays as voted on by 300 execs and high-level assistants. The 2010 list is the sixth of its kind to bring additional awareness to Hollywood’s hottest scripts.
Topping the list this year is Wes Jones’ College Republicans, a Social Network-esque story (read my script review here) about the underhanded election of Karl Rove to a National College Republican seat, managed by strategy wunderkind Lee Atwater. Shia Labeouf is attached to play Atwater and Paul Dano as Rove. Previous Black List leaders include 2008’s The Beaver, which became a long-delayed film directed by Jodie Foster and starring Mel Gibson, and 2009’s The Muppet Man, which remains on the shelf.
Top 10 of 2010 (via the La Times). The Black List is available for download on the official website. Update: the rest added below:
49 votes: “College Republicans” by Wes Jones.
Topping the list this year is Wes Jones’ College Republicans, a Social Network-esque story (read my script review here) about the underhanded election of Karl Rove to a National College Republican seat, managed by strategy wunderkind Lee Atwater. Shia Labeouf is attached to play Atwater and Paul Dano as Rove. Previous Black List leaders include 2008’s The Beaver, which became a long-delayed film directed by Jodie Foster and starring Mel Gibson, and 2009’s The Muppet Man, which remains on the shelf.
Top 10 of 2010 (via the La Times). The Black List is available for download on the official website. Update: the rest added below:
49 votes: “College Republicans” by Wes Jones.
- 12/13/2010
- by Jeff Leins
- newsinfilm.com
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