Nick Cage’s National Treasure was fairly enjoyable, I thought. It kept the violence to a minimum, and any film that pushes the idea that American History is actually interesting (which it is) is OK by me. In any case, it did well enough to inspire a sequel, and since there’s no reason the second movie couldn’t improve on the first, it’s nice to see early indications of that, such as the hiring of Helen Mirren and the underappreciated Ed Harris to co-star. Add in the returning Harvey Keitel, and that’s a pretty swank cast.
Previously stalled, production on Tim Burton’s Sweeny Todd has resumed. The film, starring (who else?) Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham-Carter, Alan Rickman and Sacha Baron Cohen, is set for a Christmas release.
Rumor has it that they are trying to revive the Mortal Kombat series. Hopefully Christopher Lambert will be brought back as Rayden. (I don’t really like Lambert much, but he was terrific in that role.) Considering what a hash James Remar made of the part, that’s good to know. On the other hand, and although I harbor a love for the first movie beyond any rational defense I can make for it, the odds of another such movie not sucking are pretty slim.
Unsurprisingly, with his film career in the tank, David Duchovny is apparently talking up another X-Files movies. (See also Harrison Ford and the fourth Indiana Jones picture.) Look, I liked the show too, but really, does anyone really care anymore? I’m thinking not, and unless Duchovny and Gillian Anderson are really willing to make this on the cheap, I would be surprised if anyone really bit on this. Of course, in a world in which hugely budgeted movies based on Transformers and Speed Racer are hitting the screen, who knows?
Despite the decent box office and surprising quality of Freddy vs. Jason, New Line apparently isn’t chomping at the bit to make another Freddy Kruger movie. Robert Englund, like the aforementioned Duchovny and Ford, obviously would like this to change. For now, though, New Line is focused on a remake / restart of the Friday the 13th franchise. Even if another Nightmare on Elm Street is made, I don’t see why they wouldn’t restart the series, as they are doing with Halloween and Friday the 13th. In other words, Englund might be out of it anyway.
In further weird remake news, rapper Ice Cube is talking up a remake of Welcome Back, Kotter (!), in which he’d play the teacher who returns home to the run down school he once attended to try to help out a group of learning-adverse students. Apparently Mr. Cube sees a role for more drama in this version, and I have to say, if you’re going to do such a thing, that’s not a bad take on it. The White Shadow might be a better project, though. Although Ice Cube isn’t going to be starring in that.
There’s a rumor that Australian actor Russell Crowe is interested in playing Sherlock Holmes (!) in a film that would emphasize Holmes’ less essential but very real physical skills. I can’t imagine this happening, but if it does, here’s a scene I’d like to see:
Prospective Client, producing Churchwarden pipe: “Do you mind if I light up my pipe, Mr. Holmes?”
Holmes, producing a large Meerschaum pipe: “You call that a pipe? This is a pipe!”
Scottish 300 star Gerald Butler has been signed to star in a prequel to Escape From New York. At least it wouldn’t be a straight remake. Kurt Russell is pissed to see his trademark role go elsewhere, although his stated complaints are on nationalist grounds: “I do think that character was quintessentially one thing. And that is, American.” However, he chimed in further when asked if he’d be interested to doing a cameo in the film. “(Expletive) that! I am Snake Plissken!”
