The inevitable has happened: Sony Pictures is moving forward with a third Men in Black film. The announcement was made yesterday during the Sony Pictures presentation at the annual ShoWest convention in Las Vegas.
This was confirmed by Sony Worldwide Distribution president Rory Bruer who noted that the sequel is being worked alongside Spider-Man 4 and the third Ghostbusters film, all with potential 2011 release dates.
The last Men in Black film was released back in 2002, starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones.
Today’s first bit of book-to-film adaptations comes from Sony Pictures who has acquired rights to Robert Goolrick’s novel The Reliable Wife.
The story is set in rural Wisconsin in 1908, focusing on a middle-aged widower who places a newspaper ad seeking a “reliable wife”. Moving the story forward, the man finds himself fielding not a homely applicant, but a gorgeous former courtesan with an agenda of her own.
Michael de Luca is currently attached to produce. No director was mentioned.
Even though 2012 would have been ready by July 10, 2009, Sony has decided to push the release date to November 13, 2009.
We’ll just have to wait to see how Roland Emmerich envisions the world to end.
Reported by Variety, Sony senses that the studio has a very strong summer slate with to potential blockbusters: Angels and Demons(May 15) and Denzel Washington-John Travolta action movie The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (June 12). Thus, the studio moved 2012 to November.
I am not surprise that Black Dynamite was scooped up by Sony Pictures after a heated overnight negotiation at Sundance.
Again no surprises here, the studio is said to see the movie as a potential franchise along the lines of Austin Powers or Friday, with a big marketing spend planned when the movie releases in the second half of the year, according to Hollywood Reporter.
A dream come true for director Scott Sanders and producer John Steingart had agents talking in multiple rooms to Sony execs in the agency’s condo after the film’s raucous 11:30 p.m. premiere Sunday. The deal closed at 6 a.m., making it the first overnight sale of this year’s fest.
The blaxploitation movie was bought for an estimated $2 million.
The 1970s-set picture centers on a campy story of drugs, violence and a powerful, mysterious figure who goes by the name Black Dynamite. I have seen trailers of the picture – it’s actually quite a tongue and cheek film despite its raunchy scenes.
With the Spider-Man 4 vehicle slowly moving into production, franchise director Sam Raimi expressed his excitement for the film, and then some.
"I’m really excited about Spider-Man, and I’m hoping to direct it" he told MTV. "I don’t have a script yet, but production would start probably by March of 2010, I’m guessing."
"It sounds like a long time away, but we need a script first, and a lot of pre-production has to take place," Raimi continued. He hopes that Dunst will be back for the sequel.
Additionally, he talked about the possible back-to-back sequels: “It’s Amy Pascal’s [Sony studio chief] decision. I don’t think it has been decided yet, and she’s the one that’s really going to make that decision; I’m really curious myself."
The movie is expected to be released sometime in 2012.
Having been denied a Guitar Hero movie, Brett Ratner has finally confirmed that he has officially scored a new game-film adaptation – God of War. His attachment to the film was a rumor that emerged in May.
Based on the popular action game by Sony, the film will follow series protagonist Kratos as he embarks on a journey to kill the Greek god of war Ares, facing mythological beasts and whatnot in the process.
The project joins the Hugh Hefner biopic and Beverly Hills Cop 4 on Ratner’s schedule.
The Times reports that Tobey Maguire, known best for his on-screen personas Peter Parker and Spider-Man, has allegedly scored a $50 million salary, plus profit shares, for two Spider-Man films that will be shot back-to-back over six months next year.
While the salary is expected, what was surprising was a distinct stipulation in the contract that he be granted ‘family time’. Maguire is to be given early mornings and evenings off to spend time with his 22 month-old daughter Ruby Sweetheart.
Sony Pictures is yet to announce whether Kirsten Dunst will reprise her role as on-screen love interest Mary Jane Watson.
The trades report that Sony Pictures has acquired the rights to release Vinyan in North American and Australian theaters. The deal was reportedly made before the film’s run at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Directed by Fabrice Du Welz, the film tells the story of two couples who lose their child in a tsunami disaster in Thailand. They believe he has been kidnapped by pirates and thus find a guide to explore the pirate-infested shores of Burma. However, they slowly lose themselves in a strange child-infested jungle, forced to face their inner demons.
TMNT co-creator and Heavy Metal publisher, Kevin Eastman, has revealed that the film incarnation of the publication has found a new home: Sony Pictures. We reported in July that Paramount had dropped the project.
"We developed it for Paramount in January… And it was time for them to make a decision and they were at odds with Fincher over another project, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button… they wanted him to reduce the running time," he explained, adding that the studio would not go forward with any of Fincher’s other projects if he didn’t comply with them. "And David said, Fine, f**k you, I’m going to set up Heavy Metal somewhere else,’ so we jumped over to Sony and set it up there."
Eastman expects production to begin this Fall, noting that Guillermo del Toro and Zack Snyder have expressed interest in helming segments.
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment sends word that they will give The Dark Country a DVD debut on March 24, 2009.
The film stars Thomas Jane, Ron Perlman and Lauren German, with Jane making his directing debut, telling the story of a couple who, while on their way to Las Vegas, discover a stranger by the side of the road who is barely alive.
The inevitable has happened: Sony Pictures is moving forward with a third Men in Black film. The announcement was made yesterday during the Sony Pictures presentation at the annual ShoWest convention in Las Vegas.
With the Spider-Man 4 vehicle slowly moving into production, franchise director Sam Raimi expressed his excitement for the film, and then some.
Having been 
The Times 
The trades report that Sony Pictures has acquired the rights to release Vinyan in North American and Australian theaters. The deal was reportedly made before the film’s run at the Toronto International Film Festival.
TMNT co-creator and Heavy Metal publisher, Kevin Eastman, has 
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment sends word that they will give The Dark Country a DVD debut on March 24, 2009.
