|
2008
City of Ember
Release Date: October 10, 2008
Studio:
20th Century Fox
Director: Gil Kenan
Screenwriter: Caroline Thompson
Starring: Bill Murray
Genre: Adventure, Family, Fantasy,
Sci-Fi
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: Not Available
Plot Summary: Caroline Thompson
wrote the script about an insular, dark place where the only light comes from street lamps. As the power source begins to
fail, two teenagers search for clues that will unlock ancient mysteries about the city but they are thwarted by a corrupt
mayor.
Wanted
Release Date: March 28, 2008
Studio: Universal
Pictures
Director: Timur
Bekmambetov
Screenwriter: Michael Brandt, Derek Haas, Chris Morgan
Starring: James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman
Genre: Fantasy, Thriller
MPAA
Rating: Not Available
Official Website: Not Available
Plot Summary: Based upon Mark Millar's explosive
graphic novel series and helmed by the stunning visualist director Timur Bekmambetov--creator of the most successful Russian
film franchise in history, the "Night Watch" series--"Wanted" tells the story of one invisible drone's transformation into
a dark avenger. In 2008, the world will be introduced to a superhero for a new millennium: Wesley Gibson.
25-year-old
account manager Wes (James McAvoy) was the most pathetic, cube-dwelling hypochondriac the planet had ever known. His boss
chewed him out hourly, his girlfriend cheated on him daily and his life plodded on interminably. Everyone was certain this
weakling would never amount to anything. There was little else for Wes to do but wile away the days and die a slow, clock-punching
death.
Until he became Wanted.
After the murder of a father he never knew, Wes discovers powers beyond his
dreams. He becomes the latest recruit in the Fraternity--a secret society of assassins--and develops lightning-quick reflexes
with superhuman agility. Wes soon learns his league of henchmen has but one mission: carry out the death orders of the mythological
Fates, weavers of every man's lifeline.
With wickedly brilliant tutors, he morphs into a killing machine and starts
erasing one bad guy after another. But as Wes grows into the mantle passed down by his father...he discovers his clan members
are not exactly the enforcers of justice they claim to be. Just as he gets everything he ever Wanted, Wesley Gibson will learn
that with the ability to deliver death comes an even more difficult power...controlling your own life.
Iron Man
Release Date: May 2, 2008
Studio: Paramount
Pictures, Marvel Studios
Director: Jon Favreau
Screenwriter: Art Marcum, Matt Holloway, Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Terrence Howard, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff
Bridges, Shaun Toub, Leslie Bibb, Bill Smitrovich
Genre: Action, Drama, Fantasy
MPAA Rating:
Not Available
Official Website: IronManmovie.com
Plot Summary: Based upon Marvel's iconic Super Hero, "Iron Man"
tells the story of Tony Stark, a billionaire industrialist and genius inventor who is kidnapped and forced to build a devastating
weapon. Instead, using his intelligence and ingenuity, Tony builds a high-tech suit of armor and escapes captivity.
Upon his return to America, Tony must come to terms with his past. When he uncovers a nefarious plot
with global implications, he dons his powerful armor and vows to protect the world as Iron
Man.
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
Release Date: May 16, 2008
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
Director: Andrew Adamson
Screenwriter:
Andrew Adamson, Christopher Markus, Steve McFeeley
Starring: Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, Anna Popplewell, William Moseley, Liam Neeson Genre: Adventure, Family, Fantasy
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: Narnia.com
Plot Summary: "Prince Caspian" finds the Pevensie siblings pulled back
into the land of Narnia, where a thousand years have passed since they left. The children are once again enlisted to join
the colorful creatures of Narnia in combating an evil villain who prevents the rightful Prince from ruling the land. "Prince
Caspian" was first published in 1951, and is the fourth book in the seven-book series written by Lewis. It was intended as
a continuation of "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe."
The
Incredible Hulk
Release Date: June 13, 2008
Studio: Universal Pictures, Marvel
Studios
Director: Louis Leterrier
Screenwriter: Zak Penn
Starring: Edward Norton, Liv Tyler,
Tim Roth, William Hurt, Tim Blake Nelson, Christina Cabot
Genre: Action, Thriller
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: TheHulk.com
Plot Summary: The explosive, action-packed
adventure in one of the all-time most popular superhero sagas unfolds with a cure in reach for the world's most primal force
of fury: "The Incredible Hulk." We find scientist Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) living in shadows, scouring the planet for
an antidote. But the warmongers who dream of abusing his powers won't leave him alone, nor will his need to be with the only
woman he has ever loved, Betty Ross (Liv Tyler).
Upon returning to civilization, our brilliant doctor is ruthlessly pursued
by The Abomination (Tim Roth)--a nightmarish beast of pure adrenaline and aggression whose powers match The Hulk's own. A
fight of comic-book proportions ensues as Banner must call upon the hero within to rescue New York City
from total destruction. And on June 13, 2008...one scientist must make an agonizing final choice--accept a peaceful life as
Bruce Banner or the creature he could permanently become: The Incredible Hulk.
The Dark Knight
Release Date: July 18, 2008
Studio: Warner
Bros. Pictures
Director: Christopher Nolan
Screenwriter: Jonathan Nolan
Starring: Christian
Bale, Heath Ledger, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Eric Roberts, Nestor Carbonell
Genre:
Action, Crime
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: Not Available
Plot Summary: Batman raises the stakes in his war on crime. With the help of Lieutenant Jim Gordon and
District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to dismantle the remaining criminal organizations that plague the city streets.
The partnership proves to be effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a reign of chaos unleashed by a rising criminal
mastermind known to the terrified citizens of Gotham as The Joker.
Hellboy
2: The Golden Army
Release Date: July 11, 2008
Studio: Universal
Pictures
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Screenwriter: Guillermo del Toro
Starring:
Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Luke Goss, Thomas Kretschmann, Doug Jones, Luke Goss, Anna Walton, Brian Steele, Roy Dotrice, John
Hurt
Genre: Action, Adventure
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website:
Not Available
Plot Summary: With a signature blend of action, humor and character-based spectacle,
the saga of the world's toughest, kitten-loving hero from Hell continues to unfold in "Hellboy 2." Bigger muscle, badder weapons
and more ungodly villains arrive in an epic vision of imagination from Oscar®-nominated director Guillermo del Toro ("Pan's
Labyrinth," "Hellboy").
After an ancient truce existing between humankind and the invisible realm of the fantastic
is broken, hell on Earth is ready to erupt. A ruthless leader who treads the world above and the one below defies his bloodline
and awakens an unstoppable army of creatures. Now, it's up to the planet's toughest, roughest superhero to battle the merciless
dictator and his marauders. He may be red. He may be horned. He may be misunderstood. But when you need the job done right,
it's time to call in Hellboy (Ron Perlman).
Along with his expanding team in the Bureau for Paranormal Research and
Development--pyrokinetic girlfriend Liz (Selma Blair), aquatic empath Abe (Doug Jones) and protoplasmic mystic Johann--the
BPRD will travel between the surface strata and the unseen magical one, where creatures of fantasy become corporeal. And Hellboy,
a creature of two worlds who's accepted by neither, must choose between the life he knows and an unknown destiny that beckons
him.
Harry
Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Release Date: November 21, 2008
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Director: Not Available
Screenwriter: Steven
Kloves
Starring: Not Available
Genre: Action,
Adventure, Fantasy
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: HarryPotter.com
Plot Summary: The war against Voldemort is not going well; even Muggle governments are noticing. Ron scans the
obituary pages of the Daily Prophet, looking for familiar names. Dumbledore is absent from Hogwarts for long stretches of
time, and the Order of the Phoenix has already suffered losses.
And yet... as in all wars, life goes on. Sixth-year
students learn to Apparate – and lose a few eyebrows in the process. The Weasley twins expand their business. Teenagers
flirt and fight and fall in love. Classes are never straightforward, though Harry receives some extraordinary help from the
mysterious Half-Blood Prince.
So it's the home front that takes center stage in the multilayered sixth installment
of the story of Harry Potter. Here at Hogwarts, Harry will search for the full and complex story of the boy who became Lord
Voldemort – and thereby find what may be his only vulnerability.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Release Date: November 26, 2008
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Director:
David Fincher
Screenwriter: Eric Roth
Starring: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Elle Fanning, Julia Ormond,
Tilda Swinton
Genre: Drama, Fantasy
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: Not Available
Plot
Summary: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" is a 1922 short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The protagonist 'Benjamin
Button' is born as a feeble old man, and ages in reverse until he becomes a baby at the end of his life.
Angels
& Demons
Release Date: December
19, 2008
Studio: Columbia Pictures
Director: Ron Howard
Screenwriter: Akiva Goldsman
Starring: Tom Hanks
Genre: Thriller
MPAA Rating: Not
Available
Official Website: Not Available
Plot Summary: "The Da Vinci Code" was Dan Brown's second novel
centering on Robert Langdon, a Harvard professor who's an expert in religious symbols. "Angels & Demons," published in
2000, introduced the Langdon character. In "Angels," Langdon's character tries to solve a murder and unravel a plot by an
ancient group, the Illuminati, to blow up the Vatican during a papal conclave.
Will Eisner's The Spirit
Release
Date: January 16, 2009
Studio: Lionsgate
Director:
Frank Miller
Screenwriter: Frank Miller
Starring:
Eva Mendes, Gabriel Macht, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson
Genre: Action,
Adventure
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official
Website: Not Available
Plot Summary: Adapated
from the legendary Will Eisner's graphic novels, "The Spirit" tells the visceral, action-packed story of a man who fakes his
own death and fights crime from the shadows of Central City. The Octopus -- who kills anyone unfortunate enough to see his
face -- has a different mission: he's going to wipe out the entire city. The Spirit tracks this cold-hearted killer from Central
City's rundown warehouses, to the damp catacombs, to the windswept waterfront... all the while facing a bevy of beautiful
women who either want to seduce, love or kill our masked crusader. In the vein of "Batman Begins" and "Sin City," "The Spirit"
takes us on a sinister, gut-wrenching ride of a hero who is born, murdered and born again.
Monsters vs. Aliens
Release Date: March 27, 2009
Studio: DreamWorks Animation
Director:
Conrad Vernon, Rob Letterman
Screenwriter: Not Available
Starring: Not Available
Genre: Animation
MPAA
Rating: Not Available
Official Website: Not Available
Plot Summary: A DreamWorks Animation film based
on the horror comicbook "Rex Havoc," which reinvents the classic '50s monster movie into an irreverent modern day action comedy
about a monster hunter called upon to battle aliens who disrupt cable TV service.
DreamWorks Animation's first-ever
film produced in stereoscopic 3-D technology.
TBA 2008
Punisher: War Zone
Release Date: TBA 2008
Studio: Lionsgate
Director:
Lexi Alexander
Screenwriter: Art Marcum, Kurt Sutter, Matt Holloway, Nick Santora
Starring:
Ray Stevenson
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official
Website: ThePunisher2.com
Plot Summary: The new film will be set in New York, where Frank Castle runs up against a mobster.
Ray Stevenson takes over the Castle roll from Thomas Jane.
New project will mark the third screen incarnation for "The
Punisher," which originated in a comic book about Frank Castle, a Marine-turned-vigilante who is driven by a desire to avenge
the murder of his family after they witness a gangland killing.
Property was turned into a 1989 film that starred Dolph
Lundgren and then into a 2004 pic that starred Thomas Jane.
Sin City 2
Release Date:
TBA 2008
Studio: Dimension Films (The Weinstein Company)
Director:
Robert Rodriguez, Frank Miller
Screenwriter: Frank Miller, Robert Rodriguez
Starring:
Clive Owen, Rosario Dawson, Brittany Murphy, Mickey Rourke, Michael Clarke Duncan
Genre:
Action, Crime, Drama
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: Not Available
Plot Summary: Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez continue to adapt Miller's
"Sin City" graphic novels, this time with the second book "A Dame to Kill For," an earlier story of Dwight McCarthy (Clive
Owen's character), whose life is turned upside down when Ava, a woman from his past returns, saying she loves him and causing
all sorts of problems for him.
Luke Cage
Release Date: TBA 2008
Director: John Singleton
Writer: Ben Ramsey
Plot Summary: A wrongly convicted man, escaping from prison
after gaining superhuman strength and endurance, becomes a superhero mercenary.
Nick Fury
Release Date: TBA 2008
Writer: Andrew W. Marlowe
Plot Summary: A daring amateur boxer from Hells Kitchen
is recruited by the Army for some top-secret assignments. He soon is promoted to captain, where he puts together the First
Attack Squad, a group of elite soldiers who carry out elite missions.
Ant-Man
Release Date: TBA 2008
Director: Edgar Wright
Writer: Joe Cornish, Edgar Wright Plot Summary: Biochemist Dr. Hank Pym uses his latest discovery, a group of subatomic particles, to create a
size-altering formula. Though his first self-test goes awry, he develops an instrument that helps him communicate with and
control insects.
Barbarella
Release Date: TBA 2008
Studio: Universal Pictures
Director: Robert Rodriguez
Screenwriter: Neal Purvis,
Robert Wade
Starring: Not Available
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website:
Not Available
Plot Summary: "Barbarella" tells the story of a female mercenary who roams across the universe
in a distant future, undertaking missions that require her physical fearlessness, ingenuity and sensuality. In travels that
span galaxies known and unknown, "Barbarella" will challenge tradition, startle the senses and take audiences on an epic adventure
of discovery and wonder. "Barbarella" made her debut in 1962 in a French graphic magazine written and illustrated by Jean-Claude
Forest, and her adventures have been published around the world. The
first film version, starring Jane Fonda produced by Dino De Laurentiis, was released in 1968.
Superman: Man of Steel
Release Date: Summer
2009
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Director: Bryan Singer
Screenwriter: Not Available
Starring: Brandon Routh
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
MPAA
Rating: Not Available
Official Website: Not Available
Plot Summary: A sequel to the summer 2006 action-adventure.
Bryan Singer returns to direct with Brandon Routh again playing Clark Kent/Superman.
Battle Angel
Release Date: Summer 2009
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Director: James Cameron
Screenwriter:
Laeta Kalogridis
Starring: Not available
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Official Website: Not Available
Plot Summary: "Battle Angel" is based on the Japanese Manga series of graphic novels by Yukito Kishiro. The movie
combines the first three books, Ido, Alita, and Hugo.
Set in the 26th century, the story takes place 300 years after
a societal collapse caused by a major war. But in that society, it's a technological dark age following a pinnacle of achievement
far, far beyond where we are right now. It's a post-apocalyptic world from a very high level with cyborg technology as just
a way of life. People are augmented a lot as workers and so on, so being a cyborg is not unusual.
The main character
is a cyborg. She has an organic human brain, and she looks like she's about fourteen years old. She has a completely artificial
body and she's lost her memory - she's found in a wreckage and she's reconstituted by a cyber-surgeon who becomes her surrogate
father.
The Green Hornet
Release Date: Summer 2009
Studio: Columbia Pictures (Sony)
Director:
Screenwriter: Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg
Starring: Seth Rogen
Genre: Action, Adventure
MPAA
Rating: Not Available
Official Website: Not Available
Plot Summary: "The Green Hornet" made his debut
on January 31, 1936 on WXYZ Detroit, the creation of the station's George W. Trendle and Fran Striker, who also created the
Lone Ranger. The series, which ran until 1952 on the Mutual and NBC Blue networks, followed the adventures of Britt Reid,
a bored playboy whose life is changed when he inherits his father's crusading newspaper, The Daily Sentinel. He saves the
life of Kato, a Japanese man with incredible technical and martial-arts skills, who becomes Britt's closest ally -- and transforms
Britt's car into the supercharged Black Beauty, which gives them an edge as they search for evidence to expose the city's
underworld in the newspaper. When Britt and Kato witness a brutal mob hit, Britt invents his secret identity -- taking his
name from his powerful car's defective horn. A skilled fighter and expert marksman, the Green Hornet uses two special, non-lethal
guns to subdue criminals: one fires a potent knock-out gas while the other produces the "Hornet's Sting" -- an electric shock.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Release Date: May 1, 2009
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Director:
Gavin Hood
Screenwriter: David Benioff
Starring: Hugh Jackman
Genre: Action, Drama, Fantasy,
Sci-Fi, Thriller
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: Not Available
Plot Summary: Using
several resources that include the Marvel Comics lore, along with the more recent Weapon X graphic novels by Frank Miller,
"Wolverine" mixes action with an origin story about how Logan emerged from a barbaric experiment as an indestructible mutant
with retractable razor-sharp claws.
Captain America
Release Date: TBA 2009
Writer: David S. Goyer
Plot Summary: Unassuming Army officer Steve Rogers volunteers
for a top secret research project that turns him into Captain America,
a superhero dedicated to defending America's
ideals.
Thor
Release Date: TBA 2009
Writer: David S. Goyer, Mark Protosevich
Plot Summary: Partially disabled medical student Dr. Donald
Blake discovers his heretofore unknown alter ego, the Norse warrior, Thor.
Magneto
Release Date: TBA 2009
Studio: 20th
Century Fox
Director: David S. Goyer
Screenwriter: Sheldon
Turner, David S. Goyer
Starring: Not Available
Genre:
Action, Fantasy
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: Not Available
Plot Summary: A look at
the early life of Eric Lensherr and his friendship with Charles Xavier. The spinoff will follow a young Magneto (played in
the original trilogy by Ian McKellen) discovering if his powers are real or not and the journey of his survival as a young
man and how the one-time allies became mortal enemies.
Spider-Man 4
Release Date: Summer, 2010 (estimated)
Release Date Notes: (4/19/07) Sony
hasn't officially announced any plans for a release date yet, but a summer release is a sure thing, and it will probably be
in either 2009 or 2010. With many changes in the cast and crew possible between the third and fourth movie, 2010 seems most
likely at this point, unless Sony announces 2009.
Studio: Columbia Pictures (Sony)
Director: Not announced
yet.
Director Notes: (4/19/07) Although some of the cast members were signed up for three movies, director Sam Raimi
has come back to the web-slinger individually each time, so currently, he's not signed to direct this fourth movie. Many projects
loom out there as other things he could work on next. An interesting thing to note is that some of the actors have mentioned
that their returning also depends upon whether Sam Raimi returns as director. So, if a new director is brought in, that could
mean the cast could change drastically.
Screenwriter: David Koepp (Spider-Man,
Indiana Jones 4)
Starring: None announced yet.
Cast Notes:
(4/19/07) Currently, no cast members are known to be signed for any 'Spider-Man' projects past Spider-Man 3. The biggest question
marks are Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst as Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson, with other cast members possibly more likely
to return, depending on the direction that the fourth movie takes.
Possible Villains: (4/19/07) Spider-Man has a
large rogue's gallery of villains who have yet to be brought to the big screen including Electro, Mysterio, Rhino, the Vulture
and many more. Two strong possibilities for this fourth movie are the return of Venom, who is introduced in the second half
of Spider-Man 3 and the Lizard, whose creation has slowly been teased in the second and third movies by the inclusion of Dr.
Kurt Connors, as played by Dylan Baker.
Plot Summary: (4/19/07) No details have been revealed yet about what this
fourth adventure of Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man, might be about.
Harry Potter and the Deathly
Hallows
Release Date: TBA 2010
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Director: TBA
Screenwriter:
Steve Kloves
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson
Genre: Adventure, Family, Fantasy
MPAA Rating: Not
Available
Official Website: Not Available
Plot Summary: The seventh and final film in the Harry Potter
franchise, Deathly Hallows features the adventures of the series' protagonist Harry Potter as he attempts to bring an end
to his nemesis, Lord Voldemort.
Y:
The Last Man
Release Date: TBA
Studio: New Line Cinema
Director: D.J. Caruso
Screenwriter: Carl Ellsworth
Starring:
Genre: Drama
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: Not Available
Plot Summary: Story centers on
a mysterious plague killing nearly all the world's male mammals overnight. A magician who's the only survivor among this group
and his male pet monkey set out to find what may have wiped out the male chromosomes.
The comic "Y: The Last Man" was created by Pia Guerra and Brian K. Vaughn and
published by Vertigo.
Justice League of America
Release Date: TBA
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Director:
George Miller
Screenwriter: Not Available
Starring: Not Available
Genre: Action, Adventure
MPAA
Rating: Not Available
Official Website: Not Available
Plot Summary: Reports have said that the superhero
team-up movie would include Batman, Superman, The Flash, Aquaman, Wonder Woman and the Green Lanterb.
'The Justice
League of America' comic debuted in 'The
Brave and the Bold' #28 (1960), and quickly became one of the company's best-selling titles.
Cartoon Network's "Justice
League" animated series debuted in 2001 and in July 2004, became "Justice League Unlimited" running until 2006.
Blood on the Leaves
Release Date: TBA
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Director: George C. Wolfe
Screenwriter: Not Available
Starring: Jamie Foxx
Genre: Drama
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: Not Available
Review: Not
Available
Plot Summary: Based on Jeffrey Stetson's 2004 novel, the story centers on a district attorney who grapples
with feelings of revenge as he prosecutes a black history professor on trial for the murders of white men accused of crimes
against blacks during the Civil Rights movement.
The Illustrated Man
Release Date: TBA
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Director:
Zack Snyder
Screenwriter: Alex Tse
Starring: Not Available
Genre: Drama
MPAA Rating:
Not Available
Official Website: Not Available
Plot Summary: Based on Ray Bradbury's collection of short
stories first published in 1951, the film is narrated by a mysterious man with living tattoos that predict the future. Rod
Steiger starred in the title role for the 1969 big screen adaptation.
The
Lovely Bones
Release Date: TBA
Studio: DreamWorks Pictures (Paramount)
Director: Peter Jackson
Screenwriter:
Peter Jackson, Philippa Boyens, Fran Walsh
Starring: Rachel Weisz
Genre: Drama
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official
Website: Not Available
Plot Summary: An adaptation of the Alice Sebold best-selling novel, "The Lovely Bones"
tells the story of Susie Salmon, who is murdered, but continues to observe her family on Earth after her death. Although she
is detached from the world she once knew, Susie witnesses the impact of her loss on her loved ones, whilst her killer skillfully
covers his tracks and prepares to murder again. In a tone that is both emotionally truthful, and darkly humorous, Susie tries
to balance her desire for vengeance against the love she feels for her family and her need to see them heal; and ultimately
comes to understand that the concept of family can encompass both the living and the dead.
Ronin
Release Date: TBA
Studio: Not announced
yet
Director: Sylvain White (Stomp the Yard; the direct-to-video I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer)
Screenwriter:
Peter Aperlo (debut); rewrite by Sylvain White (debut)
Producer: Gianni Nunnari (300)
Starring: None announced yet.
Visual Effects Note: (3/12/07) It is expected that this film will
be produced using the same style of live action actors against all-CGI sets that was used for 300, Sin City and Sky Captain
and the World of Tomorrow.
Based Upon: (3/12/07) This is an adaptation of the 1980s comic book mini-series (compiled
as a graphic novel) by Frank Miller, published by DC Comics.
Plot Summary: In
a post-apocalpytic New York City populated by mutants and impoverished squatters, a "biocircuitry" company called the Aquarius
Complex enables a young man named Billy Challas, who was born limbless due to a birth defect to become a cyborg ronin (a martial
arts master samuari/warrior) whose quest it is to defeat a demon called Agat, and to find the powerful mystic sword which
will allow him to do so. Also mixed into the story are powerful visions that Billy has of the Ronin that originally confronted
Agat, and to whom, Billy's spirit, and that of Agat, are all mysteriously entwined.
The Flash
Release Date: TBA
Director: David S. Goyer
Screenwriter: David S. Goyer
Cast: Ryan Reynolds
(in talks) (Wally West, AKA The Flash); other cast not announced yet.
Based Upon: This movie would
be based upon one of the superheroes called "The Flash" that have appeared in comic books published (off and on) by DC Comics
since 1940. The character has previously been adapted as a 1990-1991 live-action CBS TV series starring John Wesley Shipp.
See the "TV Show Notes" down below for more about the Flash's past TV possibilities.
Premise:
There is no script for this movie, so there's no way of knowing which of the three major Flash characters this movie would
be adapting, or what the story might be like. What all three Flashes have in common is that they are crimefighters who are
endowed with fantastic speed, allowing them to run at paces well past the speed of sound. The speeds the Flash can reach are
so high that he is able to accomplish feats such as dodging bullets, running on water and creating whirlwinds that can stop
cars in their tracks.
Wonder Woman
Release Date: TBA
Director: Joss Whedon
Screenwriter: Joss Whedon
Cast: None announced yet.
Based
Upon: The long-running and popular superheroine, as published by DC Comics. This will be the first feature film about
her, although there was a flurry of activity on TV in the 1970's. First, Cathy Lee Crosby starred in a 1974 telefilm. A year
later, Lynda Carter starred in another telefilm that placed Princess Diana in World War II (where she got her start in the
comics), which became a popular TV series that aired in 1976-1979. 1977 brought a move from ABC to CBS, and a modern setting.
Oh, and Debra Winger's career pretty much started with her supporting role as Wonder Girl in three episodes in season one.
NBC was considering a new TV series in 1998, but scrapped it.
Premise: Presuming this film sticks fairly
close to the origin of the comic books, this will be the story of Princess Diana, heiress to the throne of Paradise Island,
a mythical island of amazons. Embued with amazing strength, both of character and physically, she travels into the world of
men as Paradise Island's ambassador. Details other than that aren't yet known. Hopefully, the origin will have more to
do with the comic books that have been published for (most of) the last sixty years (since 1941), and not a TV show that ran
for only four. Wonder Woman's "rogue gallery" is admittedly weak, so I would guess that Cheetah is probably the top contender
to make the leap (haha) to this film. Or, keeping with the Amazon theme, maybe they'd use Artemis (more of an antagonist than
a "villain").
Priest
Release Date: TBA
Studio: Screen Gems (Sony)
Director: Andrew Douglas
Screenwriter: Cory Goodman
Starring:
Gerard Butler, Steven Strait
Genre: Adventure, Horror
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official
Website: Not Available
Plot Summary: Based on the popular Japanese comic, this is the story of a priest
(Butler) who goes against the laws of the church to hunt the vampires who kidnapped his niece.
Watchmen
Release Date: TBA
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Director: Zack Snyder
Screenwriter: David Hayter, Alex
Tse
Starring: Patrick Wilson, Jackie
Earle Haley, Matthew Goode, Billy Crudup, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Malin Akerman
Genre: Adventure, Mystery
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: Not Available
Plot Summary: "Watchmen" is set
in an alternate 1985 America in which costumed superheroes are part of the fabric of everyday society, and the "Doomsday
Clock" – which charts the USA's tension with the Soviet
Union – is permanently set at five minutes to midnight. When one of his former colleagues is murdered, the
washed up but no less determined masked vigilante Rorschach sets out to uncover a plot to kill and discredit all past and
present superheroes. As he reconnects with his former crime-fighting legion – a ragtag group of retired superheroes,
only one of whom has true powers – Rorschach glimpses a wide-ranging and disturbing conspiracy with links to their shared
past and catastrophic consequences for the future. Their mission is to watch over humanity... but who is watching the watchmen?
Mandrake
Release Date: TBA
Studio: Not Available
Director:
Chuck Russell
Screenwriter: Not Available
Starring: Jonathan Rhys Meyers
Genre: Action, Adventure,
Fantasy
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: Not Available
Plot Summary: "Mandrake the
Magician" was created by Lee Falk (The Phantom) in 1934. The dapper, mustached magician remains one of the most famous characters
in the comic strip medium, his adventures appearing in newspapers worldwide. Mandrake uses his legendary powers of hypnotism
and illusion to combat crime.
Cowboys & Aliens
Release Date: TBA
Studio: DreamWorks Pictures, Universal Pictures
Director: Not Available
Screenwriter:
Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby
Starring: Not Available
Genre:
Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Western
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: Not Available
Review:
Not Available
DVD Review: Not Available
DVD: Not Available
Movie Poster: Not Available
Production
Stills: Not Available
Plot Summary: Base on the Malibu Comics graphic novel that mixes Western and science
fiction genres. Set in 1800s Arizona, a skirmish between cowboys and Apaches is interrupted by the crash landing of a
space ship. The alien commander plans to tame the Old West and enslave everyone, but the cowboys and Native Americans turn
their six-guns against the alien invaders.
Jonah Hex
Release Date: TBA
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Director:
Mark Neveldine, Brian Taylor
Screenwriter: Mark Neveldine, Brian Taylor
Starring:
Genre: Action,
Adventure, Western, Sci-Fi
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: Not Available
Plot Summary:
Hex, known for having the right side of his face disfigured and wearing a Confederate army uniform, was a rough-and-tumble
gunslinger and part-time bounty hunter whose adventures always ended in blood.
"Jonah Hex" first appeared in the early
1970s in the issues of "All-Star Western" before graduating to his own series in 1977 that ran for about 10 years. A new series
was launched in 2005. The character also had a run in the 1990s that combined the Western genre with supernatural elements.
Namor
Release Date: TBA
Director: Chris Columbus
Screenwriter: David Self
Starring: Not Available
Plot Summary: Not
Available
The Lovely Bones
Release Date: TBA
Studio: DreamWorks Pictures (Paramount)
Director:
Peter Jackson
Screenwriter: Peter Jackson, Philippa Boyens, Fran Walsh
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Rachel
Weisz, Saoirse Ronan, Stanley Tucci, Susan Sarandon, Michael Imperioli, Rose McIver, Carolyn Dando
Genre: Drama
MPAA
Rating: Not Available
Official Website: Not Available
Plot Summary: An adaptation of the Alice Sebold
best-selling novel, "The Lovely Bones" tells the story of Susie Salmon, who is murdered, but continues to observe her family
on Earth after her death. Although she is detached from the world she once knew, Susie witnesses the impact of her loss on
her loved ones, whilst her killer skillfully covers his tracks and prepares to murder again. In a tone that is both emotionally
truthful, and darkly humorous, Susie tries to balance her desire for vengeance against the love she feels for her family and
her need to see them heal; and ultimately comes to understand that the concept of family can encompass both the living and
the dead.
Black Water Transit
Release Date: TBA
Studio: Not Available
Director: Tony Kaye
Screenwriter: Matthew Chapman
Starring: Laurence Fishburne,
Brittany Snow, Karl Urban
Genre: Action, Thriller
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: Not
Available
Plot Summary: An adaptation of Carsten Stroud's novel of the same name about a shipping company owner
who tries to get his junkie son freed from prison.
Unknown
(maybe never)
The Silver Surfer
Release Date: Not announced yet
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Company: Marvel Enterprises
Cast: Doug Jones (Norrin Radd/Silver Surfer)
Cast Notes: (9/6/06) In Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver
Surfer, the Surfer will be a CGI character, with Doug Jones, who played (with CGI help) Abe Sapien in Hellboy, involved with
the production as the actor who will be the basis of the CGI character of the Silver Surfer (source: director Tim Story's
MySpace blog). Therefore, there's a very strong chance that for this spin-off film, Jones would be reprising that duty as
the Silver Surfer.
Director: Not announced yet
Screenwriter: Not announced yet
Based Upon: (9/6/06) This film would be based upon the
cosmic Marvel superhero, the Silver Surfer, first introduced in the classic 1960s run of "Fantastic Four", and a spin-off
of that team's movie franchise, with the Surfer first introduced in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.
Premise Notes: (9/6/06) No details about what this film's
premise might be are currently known. Much of what might have originally been planned to be its story is most likely being
incorporated into Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. Two possibilities for a plot might be either an origin story
of how the alien Norrin Radd became the Silver Surfer, herald of Galactus, or it could be a sequel, following the Surfer's
further adventures, whether it be on Earth, or exploring outer space.
Filming: (9/6/06) This project is most likely years from
being made, with no indication of when it might someday get produced.
Dr. Strange
Release Date:
Unknown
Cast: Not announced yet.
Based Upon: The popular long-running
sorcerer-adventurer character published by Marvel Comics in various forms since July, 1963 ("Strange Tales" #110). Although
he has a strong "cult" fanbase (personally, I love the crazy art of the first 15 years; Steve Ditko's wildest stuff!), that
first issue was a good indicator of the second-ringer status Marvel would usually give Strange: it was only a 5-page story
and the good doctor wasn't even mentioned on the cover (which heralded a story about the Human Torch fighting Paste-Pot Pete...
seriously). That first five-page story is really something actually, introducing not just Dr. Strange but the Ancient One
and Nightmare too. Baron Mordon showed up in Strange's story (with the Human Torch again hogging the cover, as he fought...
the Asbestos Man; seriously, I'm not clever enough to make up old Human Torch foes).
In addition to various appearances
in animated TV series, the character has been adapted in live-action form once before, as a 1978 CBS made-for-TV
movie starring Peter Hooten. Like CBS' 'Incredible
Hulk' TV series, this movie (basically a pilot for a possible TV show) stripped away most of the more fanciful (ie, "cool")
aspects of the comics. It's extremely likely that Dimension and Marvel are looking for this to be the first in a series of
films, if it's a hit.
Premise: (3/17/03) The exact details of this film's premise aren't yet known (with a script
not yet even decided upon yet), but the general premise will revolve around Dr. Stephen Strange, a surgeon so skilled that
he's famous, whose hands are damaged in an accident, driving Strange to alcoholism and the brink of suicide. As a last ditch
effort, Strange travels hundreds of miles by foot into the Himalayas to seek the healing touch of a a mysterious Asian guru
known only as The Ancient One. What the Ancient One offers instead is to train Dr. Strange in all of the myriad dark arts
of mysticism, magic and sorcerery (including the neat trick of being able to travel out of his body into the astral plane...
and also into other dimensions!), with Strange becoming after the Ancient One's death the Earth's Sorcerer Supreme... the
one man who stands between us and the hordes of evil forces both from this dimension and those beyond.
Iron Fist
Release Date: Unknown
Director: Steve Carr
Screenwriter: John Turman
Cast: Ray Park (Daniel
Rand, aka Iron Fist); other cast not announced yet.
Based Upon: The character published by Marvel Comics,
introduced in May, 1974, in Marvel Premiere #15, and eventually joined Luke Cage (aka Power Man) in his comic as Power Man
and Iron Fist. Artisan is hoping to kick off an Iron Fist franchise with this film.
Premise: Wendell Rand
was a young explorer who stumbled upon the lost magical kingdom of K'un Lun deep in the Himalayas, after saving their leader
from the golden dragon, Shou Lao the Undying. To make a long story short, Rand eventually went back to America (after being
named heir to K'un Lun's throne). Years later, he returned with his new wife and young son, Daniel Rand (Park). Daniel's parents
eventually died, leaving Daniel orphaned and in the line of succession. Daniel earned the name of Iron Fist when he faced
and killed Shou Lao (so much for that "undying" part), tattooing his chest with a winged dragon. Plunging his hands into the
dragon's heart, Rand gained an amazing power... the Iron Fist. With magical strength, and incredible martial arts prowess,
Daniel left K'un Lun, seeking out Meacham, the man responsible for the death of his parents...
Deathlok
Release Date: Unknown
Cast: None announced yet.
Based Upon:
This movie is loosely based upon the character "Deathlok" that has appeared in titles published by Marvel Comics since 1974
("Astonishing Tales" #25). In addition to appearing in other characters' titles, "Deathlok" was featured in a 4-issue mini-series
and a 34-issue ongoing series (1991-1994). Altogether, there have been four different "Deathlok" characters (it's a long,
long story). The biggest difference between those four Deathlok characters and the one in this movie is that they all started
out as soldiers (the first one, Luther Manning, was a colonel in the U.S. Army), whereas this film is taking a non-military
approach.
Premise: A man unwittingly finds himself the subject of an experiment which slowly turns him into a cyborg,
with computer and robotic parts replacing nearly his entire body...
Green Lantern
Release Date: Unknown; depends upon when/if filming actually does get started.
Cast: None announced yet.
Based
Upon: The long-running character as published by DC Comics (on and off) since 1940, who has taken on several forms.
Premise:
As of this writing, it is unclear which version of Green Lantern will be adapted, but it's likely to be one of the characters
whose ring has its origins in the Green Lantern Corps, an interplanetary police force organized by a race of aliens from the
planet Oa called the Guardians. Using his ring, Green Lantern can shape and produce green energy of fantastic power that can
be used to create solid objects, shoot energy bolts, and give Green Lantern the power of flight (including intergalactic travel).
Batman vs. Superman
Release Date: Unknown; it will probably be a summer tentpole release of whatever year it's eventually slotted for.
Cast:
None announced yet.
Based Upon: This project is, of course, based upon DC Comics' two most popular characters,
which they've been publishing for over 60 years (Superman since 1938, Batman since 1939). There have been several movies made
over the years featuring either of them, but this will be the first feature film to feature both. It's also not a "sequel"
to any pre-existing movie.
Premise: Not much is known yet (7/17/02) about the exact details of this film's
premise, except that it involves a situation where the differing philosophical approaches of the caped guardians of Gotham
City and Metropolis, long-time allies Batman and Superman, pit them against each other (and that this film does not follow
the continuity of either of the previous Batman or Superman movies). There are rumors that the main villains are the Joker
and Lex Luthor, but that's not confirmed. Also, I notice that Wolfgang Petersen keeps mentioning September 11th a lot... and
how something horrible happens that sends Batman over the edge. Is it possible that something horrible, a sort of "cataclysm"
(hint, hint, comics fans) happens to Gotham City? (9/18/02) This New York Times article, reprinted at SuperHeroHype, describes
the premise as being about the death of Batman's girlfriend, which he blames on Superman, leading to a conflict between the
two heroes, which culminates with Superman somehow "[saving] Batman's soul."
Spawn 2
Release
Date: Unknown; that will depend upon when production eventually starts up.
Cast:
Michael Jai White (Spawn) will most likely return in the lead; other cast not announced yet... many of the characters from
the first film may not be returning this time around.
Based Upon:
This movie will be the sequel to the live-action 1997 film, Spawn, which was based on the comic book series published by Image
Comics, and created by Todd McFarlane. There's also an animated series on HBO, and McFarlane is also working on an animated
feature film which would probably be a direct-to-HBO project.
Premise: The central characters in this sequel will
be the police detectives Sam and Twitch (played by different actors than the near-cameos in the first film) and their investigation
of a serial killer. Spawn's presence will be more of a "boogeyman", a dark spirit living in the city's alleys... Mirroring
what's happened in the comics, his appearance may be quite different as well; as the artwork shown above suggests. McFarlane
says there will also be an "urban villain", whom he hopes will be played by a big name.
Plastic Man
Release Date: Unknown; that will depend upon when production eventually gets started.
Cast: None announced yet.
Based
Upon: This movie is based upon the character of 'Plastic Man', created by Jack Cole and originally published by Quality
Comics from August, 1941 ('Police Comics' #1) to 1956. Two years later in 1958, Jack Cole committed suicide. DC Comics picked
up the character (and the rest of the Quality Comics slate) in the 1950s but didn't first publish 'Plastic Man' stories until
1966. In the thirty years afterwards, DC Comics occasionally tried to reignite his popularity as a series, but had difficulties
achieving that until he was included by Grant Morrison in his late 1990s run on 'JLA.' Besides comic books, Plastic Man also
starred in the ABC Saturday morning cartoon, 'The Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Show,' which aired from 1979 to 1981. 'Plastic
Man' was the first "stretchy hero," far predating others like the Elongated Man, Elastic Lad (Jimmy Olsen) and Mr. Fantastic
of the Fantastic Four.
Premise: Recently released
from prison for an act of environmental terrorism, Daniel 'Eel' O'Brien looks up his ex-girlfriend from college, Susan, whom
he happens to know is now working for a company notorious for the threat it poses to the environment, in the form specifically,
of Susan's work of "polymerizing" living creatures (most recently a mouse). What Eel doesn't know is that the polymerization
is being attempted so that the company's nefarious owner, Icarus Argon, who wants to use the process to return his body to
its former healthy status. Catching Eel in snooping around the labs, Argon has O'Brien used as a human guinea pig, which has
the surprising result of turning him into a Plastic Man, capable of bending, oozing, molding and stretching in incredible
ways. Hiding out at Susan's while he learns how to control his powers, Plastic Man soon discovers that the same process that
transformed him might now lead to an ecological disaster on a massive scale... and only he can stop it.
The Wonder Twins
Release Date: Unknown; that
will depend upon when/if production eventually gets started.
Cast: None announced yet.
Based Upon: This live-action movie is based upon two supporting characters,
Zan and Jayna (AKA 'The Wonder Twins') from the second version of the ABC/Hanna-Barbera Saturdary morning cartoon show, 'SuperFriends,'
entitled 'The All New SuperFriends Hour,' which debuted in 1977. They continued to be recurring characters in most of the
future versions of the show up until the cancellation of the final series in 1986. Although the Wonder Twins were not based
on DC Comics characters, they did eventually join the "DC Universe" when they made an appearance in a 'Justice League' spin-off
series called "Extreme Justice", issue #9 (October, 1995).
Prequel Note: (6/9/03) If this movie is a hit, one might
speculate as to whether Warner Bros. would next target the characters that predated the Wonder Twins on the 'SuperFriends'
TV show: teen detectives Wendy and Marvin, who were aided by their caped dog, Wonder Dog. 'Wonder Dog: The Movie' for 2008,
perhaps?
Premise: (6/9/03) The exact details of this movie aren't yet known, but the core concept of the characters
as they appeared on the 'SuperFriends' TV shows was that the Wonder Twins were purple-clad twin alien siblings from the planet
Exxor who each had the ability to tranform themselves into something when they joined hands and shouted "Wonder Twin Powers
Activate in the form of..." (something). The female twin, Jayna, could transform into any sort of animal, while the male twin,
Zan could transform into any form of water (he really got gypped in the deal). Together, with their blue space monkey named
Gleek, they utilized a worldwide network called "Teen Trouble Alert" that alerted them when teens got into trouble (no, not
that *sort* of trouble :). Since this movie is being done separate from the SuperFriends, and their nifty modes of transportation,
it should be interesting to see how long it takes the Wonder Twins to travel around the world to react to all of those Alerts
about Teens in Trouble.
Hard Boiled
Release
Date: Unknown; that will depend upon when filming actually takes place; given David Fincher's busy schedule
Cast:
(Carl Seltz, AKA Nixon, AKA Unit Four); other cast not announced yet.
Based Upon:
The 1990 Eisner award-winning comic mini-series, Hard Boiled, written by Frank Miller with art by Geoff Darrow, published
by Dark Horse Comics.
Premise: Carl Seltz (Cage), an insurance investigator living a happy life as a husband and
father, discovers that he has a secret life, even to him, as Nixon, a homocidal tax collector responsible for the deaths of
hundreds. Then, Seltz/Nixon discovers something even more amazing... he's also actually Unit Four, a cyborg killing machine,
and the intended savior of the enslaved robots of the future...
Green Arrow
Release Date: Unknown; that will depend upon when/if production eventually gets started.
Cast: None announced
yet.
Based Upon: The character of Green Arrow, which has been published by DC Comics (AKA National) since
1941 (Green Arrow and his sidekick Speedy first appeared in "More Fun Comics" #73, which was the very same issue that introduced
Aquaman to the world).
Premise: Since there is no screenwriter at this point, and hence, no script, there's
no way of telling what direction this movie's premise might actually take. I can, however, tell you what Green Arrow's general
premise in the comics is. Green Arrow is a masked vigilante whose costume and modus operandi resembles Robin Hood, using his
skill as an archer to fight crime. Beginning his crimefighting career as a millionaire playboy with a sidekick (a young archer
named Speedy), an elaborate array of (expensive) trick arrows and even an "ArrowCar" and "ArrowCave" headquarters, Queen's
life is turned upside-down in his 40s when he loses his fortune (and his sidekick, fancy arrows and car). Humbled by this
experience, Queen's eyes are opened to the social injustices of the world, prompting Green Arrow to become the most outspoken,
politically liberal crimefighter (of established, long-running characters, at least), more interested in taking down evil
landlords and drug dealers than fighting brightly-costumed super villains and threats from outer space, as the "Boxing Glove
Arrow" and "Handcuffs Arrow" are replaced by lethal arrows that shed real blood. Along the way, Oliver Queen also fell in
love with another crimefighter, the Black Canary (who may not be included in this movie if DC feels she has a chance of having
her own movie series?).
Supergirl
Release Date: Unknown; that will depend upon when filming eventually
gets started
Cast: None announced yet.
Based Upon: The character of 'Supergirl,'
published by DC Comics, who has taken a few different forms over her 40+ year existence. Originally, Supergirl was Superman's
cousin, Kara, also a survivor of Krypton. For the last ten years or so, however, the character called Supergirl has been a
shape-shifting alien called Matrix who merged with, and took the identity of, a high school student named Linda Danvers. There's
also a third Supergirl that was recently introduced, named Cir-El. It's unknown which version this movie will adapt.
Premise:
There is no current word about what this movie might be about, including which version of Supergirl it will address. What
the two Supergirls (Kara and Linda Danvers) have in common is blonde hair, the presence of Superman's "S" on their costumes,
and many of his same abilities. It's quite possible that the Supergirl that will be featured in this movie may be a new concept
that may take a little bit from each of the comic versions, and then add in new ideas, etc.
Shazam!
Release Date: Unknown; that will depend upon when/if
filming eventually gets started
Release Date Notes: (2/20/05) Once looking to be on the virge of being
produced, this project has sort of settled into development limbo.
Cast: None announced yet.
Director: Peter Segal ('Tommy Boy', 'The Longest Yard')
Based Upon: This movie is based upon the character
of Captain Marvel, who first appeared in Whiz Comics, published by Fawcett Comics, in 1940. A lawsuit in the 1940s in which
National Comics (AKA DC Comics) claimed that Captain Marvel was a trademark infringement (ie, a copycat) of Superman eventually
led to Fawcett ceasing publication of the character in 1953. Twenty years later, in the 1970s, DC Comics bought the rights
to all of the characters orginally published by Fawcett, and DC Comics has been publishing Shazam comics since. The reason
for this movie, and the comics, being called "Shazam!" rather than Captain Marvel is to avoid another sort of lawsuit, with
Marvel Comics, who also has a character called Captain Marvel (AKA "Captain Mar-Vell"). Past adaptations of Captain Marvel
have included a popular (and technically astounding for the time) 1941 serial called The Adventures of Captain Marvel, a live-action
CBS Saturday morning TV series called "Shazam!" and a short-lived 1981 animated TV series called 'Kid Superpower Hour with
Shazam!'.
Supporting Characters Note: (6/3/03) Captain Marvel's popularity in the 1940s led to Fawcett Comics creating
a fairly large stable of supporting "Marvel Family" characters, like Mary Marvel, Captain Marvel Jr., the Three Lieutenants
Marvel, Uncle Marvel and Tawny the Talking Tiger. I'm especially fond of Mary Marvel and Tawny, but my hunch is that they
will not appear in this film. Perhaps in "Shazam 2"?
Premise: Billy Batson, a shy preteen boy, discovers that he
has a magical connection to an ancient Egyptian wizard named Shazam who lives in another dimension. By saying the wizard's
name, Billy is transformed into a tall, powerful red-white-and-yellow-costumed superhero named Captain Marvel endowed with
six amazing abilities.
Astro Boy
Release Date: Unknown; that will depend upon when/if filming eventually
gets started.
Director: Genndy Tartakovsky
Screenwriter: Genndy Tartakovsky
Cast: None announced yet.
Based Upon: The long-running and popular Japanese manga (comic
book) and TV anime (animation) series created by Osamu Tezuka (1928-1989). The original Japanese title of the Manga ("Tetsuwan
Atom") translates to English as "Mighty Atom." The manga comic book was first published by Tezuka in 1951, which he continued
to write and draw for another 20+ years. There were two "AstroBoy" TV shows: a 168-episode black and white series in the early/mid
1960s and a color series in the early 1980s. (3/21/03) There is a new "Tetsuwan Atom" TV series which will make its Japanese
premiere there on April 6th, 2003. (5/6/03) That new Japanese TV series will air on the WB in the 2003-2004 season.
Premise:
When his son dies, a scientist creates a powerful robot boy, Astro Boy, to be his replacement. Intended to be his own personal
secret, Astro Boy ends up using his extraordinary abilities (flight via jet-powered boots, strength, invulnerability, lasers
that shoot out of his fingers, super-hearing, etc.) to become a world-famous superhero. And the hero arrives in the spotlight
just in time, as an evil alien race soon starts to invade Earth, with Astro Boy our only protection...
Mort the Dead Teenager
Release Date: Unknown; that will
depend upon when/if filming eventually gets started
Cast: None
announced as confirmed yet.
Based Upon: (9/20/03) This movie is based
upon the *extremely* obscure 4-issue comic book mini-series published by Marvel Comics in 1993-1994. In a somewhat manipulative
twist, creator and writer Larry Hama actually came up with 'Mort the Dead Teenager' first as a great idea for a movie, which
he then pitched and sold to Marvel, with the intention all along being to eventually have it become the basis for a movie.
The process just probably took longer than Hama may have expected. The comic book was a complete flop at the time, quickly
relegated to "quarter bins" and extremely few comic fans have ever heard of it, much less actually read it (though that will
surely change once this movie hits theaters; Marvel will probably reprint the original story as a trade paperback). Larry
Hama is most famous for being the writer of all 155 issues of the popular 1980s comics version of G.I. Joe.
Premise: When Mort, an unpopular and picked-upon teenager is decapitated
and killed in a train accident, he descends to the Netherworld where he meets Teen Death (the son of the Grim Reaper). Convincing
Teen Death to accompany him, Mort returns to the world of the living to try to win the heart (presumably while it's still
beating) of the girl of his dreams.
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