The Daily Trade Round-Up / Dustin Rowles
Trade News | March 20, 2007 | Comments (41)
Pretty good news in Indy IV casting: Cate Blanchett has signed on alongside Harrison Ford in an undisclosed role, though it’s likely that she’ll play Indy’s love interest (David Koepp’s script is being kept under wraps, so no one knows anything about the plot or the characters). It’s hard to argue against Blanchett in almost anything that’s not a Duff sister flick, and though she’s more than 25 years Ford’s junior, I actually expected worse from Spielberg— something along the lines of Kirsten Dunst or Kate Beckinsale (and it sure beats the hell out of the more age-appropriate Rene Russo, who seems to land most of the decent older action-heroine roles). In either respect, casting anyone is good news, because it suggests that this film might just be made before Ford dies of natural causes.
And in a similar vein, Warner Brothers has hired Neil Marshall (The Descent) to direct and Michael Johnson to script a re-imagining of “Sherlock Holmes” for the big screen, based on Lionel Wigram’s upcoming comic book (Sherlock in a comic book?). The idea, it seems, is to update the characters similar to the way Christopher Nolan updated the Batman franchise. There are folks I know who would be dead set against this, thinking that Jeremy Brett, of the ’80s and ’90s BBC series, was the definitive Sherlock, but I never really cared for the series. It was kind of dull and lifeless, if you ask me. So, I welcome a 21st-century reinterpretation of Sherlock Holmes, especially one fashioned by Neil Marshall, who I think is one of the better up-and-coming directors. The problem, however, may be in casting; it almost feels as though Colin Firth is a shoo-in, though I suspect that’s no way to improve upon the BBC series. Christian Bale would rock, but for the Batman commitments. Cillian Murphy? Too creepy (maybe Watson?). Oh wait, I know. I know! How awesome would Simon Pegg be as Sherlock? And Nick Frost as Watson? Somebody make this happen.
In other news, Stephen Frears is following up The Queen with The Burial, a film based on the life of Willie Gary, who started as one of 11 children in a family of migrant workers and grew up to be a multi-millionaire attorney who fought against huge corporations like Disney and Anheuser-Busch. I only mention this piece because the film will be an adaptation of a lengthy New Yorker piece written by Jonathan Harr. Harr’s brilliant nonfiction book, A Civil Action (later made into the not-so-brilliant John Travolta movie) was one of the reasons I went to law school. And, frankly, I’ve got a bone to pick with Harr: You owe me $100,000, asshole.
For those of you who think the entire Pajiba staff despises horror films, well, you’re wrong. Last year saw a few of our favorites, on both ends of the spectrum: The oft and aforementioned The Descent on the quality side, and Final Destination 3 and Slither on the craptacular end. Alejandre Aja (who is not one of our favorites — see, The Hills Have Eyes and High Tension) is nevertheless mining a craptacular concept, remaking the 1978 horror film, Piranha (which was John Sayles’ writing debut). Personally, I haven’t seen the original, but Roger Corman produced it (as well as a 1995 television remake), and anything that Corman touches must have a certain golden craptastic quality to it. And just listen to the plot sketch: A seismic reaction opens up a hole in the bottom of a lake, which unleashes thousands of piranhas onto unsuspecting teenage sunbathers. Sure, it’ll suck, but I can’t help believing it will suck in the unholiest of awesome ways, as long as Aja doesn’t attempt to take the concept too seriously and/or cast Sam Jackson. What would be great, however, is if Ellen DeGeneres’ Dory made a cameo appearance, only to get ripped to shreds by the piranhas: “P. Sherman, 42, Wallaby Way, Sydney. P. Sherman, 42, Wallaby Way, Sydney. P. Sherman, 42, Wal … *$#!#&$@#$ *crunch*.”
Sorry. I liked Dory, too.
Not a particularly exciting week for DVD releases: For those of you who missed Leo’s Oscar-nominated turn in Blood Diamond, well here’s your chance. Also on tap: Sylvester Stallone returns in the unspectacularRocky Balboa; the fantasy flick, Eragon, ain’t so fantastic; and The Nativity Story is the perfect companion piece to The Passion of the Christ, if you want to fall asleep midway through the birth of Jesus and wake up with blood-curdling nightmares sometime halfway through his death. Good luck with that.
Finally, I’ll leave you with the trailer for the beautiful, heartbreaking magic-realism film, Waitress, which now has a late-April release date. It was a big favorite at Sundance, and for good reason. Besides, it has Keri Russell, Nathan Fillion, and Andy Griffith, for those of us who adore “Felicity,” “Firefly,” and “Andy Griffith” in equal measure. All chick-flicks should be as good.
Dustin Rowles is the publisher of Pajiba. He lives with his wife in Ithaca, New York. You may email him, or leave a comment below.
Comments
Posted by: BarbadoSlim at March 20, 2007 1:19 PM
Indiana Jones and the Quest for Someone Who Still Gives a Rat's Ass (you are pushing your luck Solo)
There's only one definitive screen Sherlock and that's Basil Rathbone. As for re-imagining, lemme guess, some "urban" type doing some cliched little catch phrases. PASS