Retweet They're Making a Venom Movie

SCI FI Wire got a chance to talk to Zombieland co-writer Paul Wernick about the script for 'Spider-Man' spin-off Venom that he wrote with Rhett Reese.

'We've written two drafts of Venom, and the studio has it, and they're pushing forward in whatever ways they push forward,' Wernick said. He was tight-lipped about whether there was a relationship between Spider-Man 4 and the Venom project.

Retweet X-Men Origins: Wolverine Sits Atop The Charts

Rentrak Retail and Home Video Essentials announced that X-Men Origins: Wolverine topped both the DVD sales and rentals for last week. According to the company's proprietary tracking services, the top ten selling DVDs and the top ten most rented motion pictures, per data collected for the week ending September 20, 2009 include the follwing right after the break.

Retweet Disney Buys Marvel: Full Press Release

DISNEY TO ACQUIRE MARVEL ENTERTAINMENT

Worldwide leader in family entertainment agrees to acquire Marvel and its portfolio of over 5,000 characters. Acquisition highlights Disney’s strategic focus on quality branded content, technological innovation and international expansion to build long-term shareholder value

Burbank, CA and New York, NY, August 31, 2009 —Building on its strategy of delivering quality branded content to people around the world, The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) has agreed to acquire Marvel Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE:MVL) in a stock and cash transaction, the companies announced today…

“This transaction combines Marvel’s strong global brand and world-renowned library of characters including Iron Man, Spider-Man, X-Men, Captain America, Fantastic Four and Thor with Disney’s creative skills, unparalleled global portfolio of entertainment properties, and a business structure that maximizes the value of creative properties across multiple platforms and territories,” said Robert A. Iger, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company. “Ike Perlmutter and his team have done an impressive job of nurturing these properties and have created significant value. We are pleased to bring this talent and these great assets to Disney.”

“We believe that adding Marvel to Disney’s unique portfolio of brands provides significant opportunities for long-term growth and value creation,” Iger said.

“Disney is the perfect home for Marvel’s fantastic library of characters given its proven ability to expand content creation and licensing businesses,” said Ike Perlmutter, Marvel’s Chief Executive Officer. “This is an unparalleled opportunity for Marvel to build upon its vibrant brand and character properties by accessing Disney’s tremendous global organization and infrastructure around the world.”

Retweet Disney Drops $4 Billion To Acquire Marvel

Wow. Just when it seemed that Paramount pretty much had the lock on a distribution deal for all the in-house superhero movies made by Marvel Entertainment, Disney swoops in and buys Marvel whole hog, to the tune of $4 billion.

In a company press release that you can find at MarketWatch, Marvel CEO Ike Perlmutter said

"Disney is the perfect home for Marvel's fantastic library of characters given its proven ability to expand content creation and licensing businesses. This is an unparalleled opportunity for Marvel to build upon its vibrant brand and character properties by accessing Disney's tremendous global organization and infrastructure around the world."

In other words, just in case you were wondering, this is all about money. Disney has the better action figure manufacturing companies, apparently.

I have no idea what this means for the approximately 800 Marvel movies currently in development-- I had just assumed they would all be Paramount films, but I'm not sure how many of them Paramount actually has signed deals for. There's also the question of what it means for the characters themselves, given how beloved Disney figures like Cinderella or Simba have been put through the wringer thanks to direct-to-DVD sequels and toys that should embarrass anyone.

No matter what happens, it likely means big changes for all fans of the Marvel movies, and even more comic book overload in an already crowded market. We'll be holding our breath to see how this turns out.

UPDATE: Over at CHUD, Devin Faraci is on a conference call with the Disney-Marvel folks getting some key updates, such as the fact that current Marvel distribution deals will stay in place (Spider-Man stays at Sony, Iron Man at Paramount) until they expire, AND John Lasseter has met with the Marvel folks. Expect some crazy Pixar/Marvel hybrids that might make this whole deal worth it alone.

Sources: Cinematical and CinemaBlend

Retweet Christopher Nolan Giving Up On Batman 3?

"The man that brought back fear and respect to the tarnished cape and cowl might be stepping back from the third Batman installment. It's almost hard to imagine a Bale Batman flick without Christopher Nolan.

Batman-on-Film is quoting its Batman film source — who is often spot-on about these things — claiming Nolan is ready to part with the WB on the next Batman movie, and there isn't much we can do about it, other than maybe threaten to blow up some hospitals.

'The death of Heath Ledger in January of 2008 rocked Mr. Nolan hard. So hard that Chris was convinced that TDK was going to be it for him and Batman on film.'

They're also saying that the loss not only impacted the director emotionally, but it also completely changed the story for the third film, which was set to feature the Joker heavily. The film now stands devoid of a main villain, and the writers [Goyer and Jonathan Nolan] are at 'square one.'

I hope they can get it together. Nolan did so much for the bat, I want to see him finish it out strong and as he always envisioned. He hasn't steered us wrong yet."

via io9

Retweet Ghost Rider 2 in the Works, with Nick Cage

Bloody Disgusting has confirmed that Columbia Pictures is officially out to screenwriters for Ghost Rider 2, and star Nicolas Cage is already signed on to reprise the role as Johnny Blaze.

This is shocking because nobody I know enjoyed the 2007 film when it was released. In fact, the Internet Movie Database user rating is a 5.3 (which is somewhere between bad and very bad) and a 28% on the Rotten Tomatoes critics-rated Tomatometer. The film didn’t even make big bucks at the box office. Made for $110 million, the film grossed $228 million worldwide (again, about half of which went to exhibitor costs) which means the film barely made a theatrical profit. But for a superhero movie like Ghost Rider, the real money is made in merchandising and DVD sales, which explains the interest in a sequel.

I use to read Ghost Rider comic books when I was younger, and I really believe that the comic property could be turned into a pretty cool movie. Lets just hope that Mark Steven Johnson isn’t sitting in the director’s chair this time around. Sony needs to learn from Marvel’s recent wins and hire a director who is a few levels higher than the material.

Via /Film

Retweet Another Superman Returns That Never Happened

Yeah, this would have been crap with Brendan Fraser wearing the tights.

"The bandwagon, revisionist, retroactive bashing of Superman Returns has flown to new heights of ridiculousness. This time it’s Brendan Fraser running around pretending Superman Returns sucked, and apparently it sucked because it didn’t have him in it. That's right, Brendan Fraser. Star of quality films like The Mummy 3.

ComicBookMovie has the partial transcript of an interview in which Fraser claims he was offered the role of Superman before Bryan Singer came in and put together his take on the character. Fraser read the JJ Abrams script that Warner Bros was considering using, and waxes poetic about how much better it was than that terrible Superman Returns movie which everyone lavished with praise until it became fashionable to start hating it and pretend that no one went to see it… even though it didn’t and they did. Welcome to the lynch mob, Mr. Fraser.

Fraser claims the Abrams version was better because it was bigger, spanning galaxies and huge, epic locales. He says, “It was Lord of the Rings. I mean, it was that huge. It was like a 3rd World War on Earth involving different planets and universes, and brotherhoods--sibling rivalry and the collision of enormous powers.” I'm sorry Brendan, maybe you haven't heard. Comparing movies to LOTR is out of style. Now everything is the next Dark Knight.

Regardless, well there’s your answer as to why Warner Brothers never made it. They’d already spent millions and millions of dollars over several years trying to get a new Superman movie made. You think Singer’s movie was expensive? Just imagine how much this galaxy spanning sucker would have cost. Instead, Warner Bros. assumed Superman fans were a cerebral, intelligent bunch and gave them a well thought out, character driven film which fans loved. Or at least they did until a year ago when everyone decided they didn’t want none of that smart guy stuff and all they wanted is to see Superman punch stuff.

Much like Barack Obama, that snob Bryan Singer and his boy toy Brandon Routh are now viewed as a pansy-ass elitists (I heard Bryan Singer may even be gay!), a viewpoint which the notoriously brilliant Brendan Fraser is all for agreeing with, complaining that Singer’s version was “smacking you over the head with a symbolic hammer till you weren't paying attention.” Well, I guess this explains The Mummy 3. Definitely no symbolism in there, and for that matter, probably no need to pay attention at all. The public only wants movies it can watch inebriated, the kind of movies you can catch a good nap in, without feeling like you’ve missed out on any of the plot. Yes, the world would have been a better place if someone had put that hack Bryan Singer out of his misery and cast Brendan Fraser as Superman. I guess I’m an elitist too, because I can’t imagine anything worse."

Via CinemaBlend

Retweet Punisher Rated R Ater All

It’s hard to believe that anyone still cares enough about this story to even read what I’m about to tell you, but here at Cinema Blend we love a good niche crowd… wherever you are. So for the one or two of you who may actually be interested, here’s some good news: Punisher: War Zone will not be PG-13 as previously rumored, but will in fact be rated-R. Unfortunately that still doesn’t do much to change the odds that it won’t be any good.

The news of its R-rating comes from the film’s cinematographer Steve Gainer, who was recently discovered posting on a message board here by the guys from Screen Rant. Steve dropped the following knowledge on everyone:

“Lexi is not off the film. Lexi is still involved in the edit process. The film is not (nor could it ever be) PG-13. Today I saw a cut that ran 91 minutes.”

Steve also insists the movie will be good, but then he’s working on it so his opinion isn’t exactly unbiased. I’m not sure that it even matters if it’s good, it could be better than The Dark Knight and I don’t think anyone would be interested in seeing it. Two shots at making a viable Punisher movie was more than enough. That goes for anything by the way, not just Punisher. Captain America for instance has already had one crummy movie. He only gets one more shot before we all write him off. If Tim Burton’s first Batman movie hadn’t worked, we wouldn’t be swimming in Dark Knight fever right now, since that was Bats' second shot at stardom after the messy version done by Adam West and Burt Ward. It’s not fair, especially to Lexi Alexander who probably isn’t being given a fair shot to make this thing, but that seems to be the way the wind is blowing out there, whether it’s fair or not.

Source: CinemaBlend

Retweet Punisher May be Rated PG-13

Marvel anti-hero, The Punisher, is taking another shot this week, and not the good kind. This year’s sequel, Punisher: War Zone, already had several things working against it - a crappy first movie, a lack of any names returning from the first movie, and recently rumors that director Lexi Alexander had been removed from her own picture. Now it sounds like the movie is about to get dumbed down a bit - a fatal flaw for a hero like Frank Castle, the Punisher.
Latino Review says they have it on good authority that Lionsgate is looking for a PG-13 edit of Punisher: War Zone, cutting down violence and bloodshed, elements that are essential to the kind of hero the Punisher is. Just look at his name - “The Punisher”. He punishes people! That doesn’t mean he puts them in the corner or makes them mop floors. He kills, maims, and tortures people. The kind of thing that doesn’t play well in a PG-13 flick.

The suggestion is the desire for the lower rating is prompted by the success of The Dark Knight, which somehow managed to pull off a PG-13 despite some pretty gratuitous content. We’ve all admitted it’s the darkest Batman flick ever and probably deserved an R. Lionsgate is likely eyeing the success of that movie and figuring they can do the same with Punisher, despite the fact that Punisher should be even darker than Batman.

Don’t get me wrong, a PG-13 rating for War Zone would be a terrible mistake, but at the same time, it’s not a death knell. Live Free or Die Hard and The Dark Knight pushed the edge of the PG-13 rating, making it work without ruining their story. But they had a good story first, and I’m not confident War Zone does. Meanwhile, the first Punisher movie was rated R and totally misused that rating. Castle’s entire family gunned down and not a drop of blood to be seen.

I haven’t had high hopes for Punisher: War Zone and Lionsgate certainly isn’t doing anything to alleviate those concerns. I’m guessing the next move for the picture is a drop down to direct-to-DVD status, which is pretty much what most of us were expecting from the film in the first place.

Sources: Latino Review & CinemaBlend

Retweet Punisher Warzone Trailer

Though the actor playing the title role has changed, this movie looks incredible.

Retweet The Dark Knight Selling Out Three Weeks Early

Batman fans anxious to get a glimpse of the late Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker are snatching up tickets online more than three weeks before The Dark Knight's July 17 premiere.

Dozens of midnight screenings of director Christopher Nolan's second installment in the bat-franchise have sold out, causing theaters across the country to tack on 3 a.m. showings to meet fan demand, according to online ticket retailer Fandango.

"We are currently seeing a surge in advance ticket sales," said Ted Hong, vice president of marketing for Fandango, which first began selling tickets for Dark Knight last Friday. "It makes sense that there's a rush for tickets -- it looks action-packed and film fans are anxious to see Heath Ledger."

When Fandango polled members back in March to determine which summer blockbusters its customers were most interested in, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull took first place, with Dark Knight coming in second. However, the scramble for advance Dark Knight tickets is currently outpacing Indy 4's presale numbers.

Exhibitor Relations box office analyst Jeff Bock said he thinks the presale surge was to be expected.

"This movie comes in riding a wave of hype [Batman Begins] didn't," said Bock. He also attributes the rush to fans anxious to see Ledger portray Batman's warped nemesis in what could be the actor's last on-screen performance. Ledger died in January of an overdose of prescription drugs at age 28.

Joel Cohen, executive vice president at ticketing hub MovieTickets.com, said Dark Knight is doing remarkably well, even though advance sales for Nolan's previous bat-flick, Batman Begins, were practically nonexistent in 2005.

"It's tracking much stronger than Spider-Man 3 at the same time in the sales cycle," he said. Director Sam Raimi's second Spidey sequel went on last year to set the record for best opening weekend ever.

A massive viral-marketing campaign for Dark Knight, along with a glowing advance review by Rolling Stone film critic Peter Travers, is adding fuel to bat-fire.

Exhibitor Relations' Bock predicts the Warner Bros. film could push well beyond $100 million in its opening weekend. In May, Marvel's superhero flick Iron Man garnered $102.1 million during its opening weekend, while Steven Spielberg's Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull pulled in $100.1 million.

The question on the tip of every fanboy and girl's tongue is, will this film be able to outpace Spider-Man 3's record-shattering opening weekend of $151 million?

"That record would be really tough to break," said Bock. "But we're expecting really big things."

Retweet Superman: Man of Steel Updates!

'Bryan Singer is 100% on the sequel to his [2006] revamp Superman Returns. He has since confirmed this with studio sources so take this one to the bank.

But, with Superman Returns writers Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris out, who will be penning the film?

Word is Transformers/Star Trek scribes Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman are considering being behind the project. This gives Superman fans hope after Returns' mild disappointment amongst fan boys. The pair are apparently in talks and have had "several meetings" regarding the film. No need to worry about a lack of action from these two!'

Via IESB