Don Murphy (Transformers: Dark of the Moon) has signed a deal with Cartoon Network to develop a live-action adventure motion picture based on Captain Planet, the animated environment-saving hero created by Ted Turner, which was first introduced in the cartoon series Captain Planet and the Planeteers. The news follows last month’s announcement of a similar Cartoon Network deal with producer Joel Silver for a movie based on the Ben 10 animated series.
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I’m never quite sure of what to make of Johnny Depp, but I admire the fact that he definitely marches to the beat of his own drummer. Depp lately seems to be on a kick where he’s revisiting TV characters that I can only assume he was into as a kid. He’s currently playing Barnabas Collins for Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows redo, and then is scheduled to play Tonto (!) in a Lone Ranger picture. Meanwhile, this last week his production company picked up the rights to make a Night Stalker theatrical movie. No word yet on whether he’s thinking of playing Kolchak, assuming anything comes of the idea, but it’s possible he wants to play a vampire hunter after having played a vampire. Paul Sorvino as Vincenzo? Brian Dennehy?
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Universal has passed on Ron Howard’s proposed trilogy adaptation of Steven King’s The Dark Tower fantasy series. This was also the studio that ultimately decided that they didn’t want to make del Toro’s At the Mountain of Madness picture. Not sure there’s a connection, other than both being seemingly very expensive projects.
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Tarantino’s slave revenge Western Django Unchained continues to pick up steam. Tarantino takes a while writing his scripts, but then can get into production pretty quick when wants, aided, no doubt, by his ability to assembles the casts he wants quickly. Jamie Foxx is signed to play Django, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kevin Coster will play the villains, Chrisoph Watlz (who won an Oscar for Tarantino’s last flick) and Samuel L. Jackson are on board as well. Well, it’s got to be better than Wild Wild West, right? And hey, Morricone’s still composing film scores, so I’d have to think there’s a good chance Tarantino has already called him.
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From the “Well, They Are Almost Clones” Dept.: Helen Mirren will replace a previously announced Bette Midler in HBO’s Phil Spector biopic.
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In one of the worst pieces of miscasting I’ve seen in a while, hyperactive munchkin Tom Cruise (who I’ve generally defended on this site) has been signed to play the stoic, not to mention massive 6’ 5” action hero Jack Reacher from Lee Child’s popular book series.
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TNT has cancelled Men of a Certain Age, a pretty interesting show (at least the first season was pretty good; I’m waiting for the second and final season to hit DVD) starring Ray Romano, Scott Bakula and Andre Braugher. Just a bit too slice of life, I guess, as apparently the ratings were pretty bad and declining to boot. I tend not to be a ranter when programs get cancelled—people are entitled to watch what they want and got get judged for it—but it’s a shame given how few shows there are about middle aged characters, much less ones who aren’t cops or lawyers.
