OUT OF THE WOODWORK
Debbie Rowe, the mother of Michael Jackson’s two older children, claims the kids aren’t biologically his and that she was artificially inseminated with anonymous donor sperm, according to The News of the World, a British tabloid.
The Fockers Have Two Faces
According to Roger Friedman over at FoxNews, Barbara Streisand may be the next big name to land in MEET THE FOCKERS, the sequel to 2000’s MEET THE PARENTS.
If she does sign on, Streisand will join Dustin Hoffman, who recently joined the cast as Ben Stiller’s father. That pair would, of course, be joined by film heavyweight Robert DeNiro, who will reprise his role as Pam’s father.
FoxNews’ Friedman thinks the role is supposedly that of a “monstrous mother-in-law and cloying, over-powering mother.” But, according to previous news, Greg’s (Ben Stiller) parents are supposed to be the opposite of Pam’s: very laid back.
Jay Roach is directing again from a script by Jim Herzfeld, Tim Rasmussen and Vince DiMeglio. Roach and DeNiro are also producing with Jane Rosenthal.
STAR WARS Episodes VII ñ IX?
According to an interview in Hotdog magazine there is going to be another STAR WARS TRILOGY that will continue the story after RETURN OF THE JEDI.
In the interview it says that Peter Mayhew, the man under the Chewbacca costume, said that when he signed the contract for EPISODE III it had a clause in it that means he would have to work in a further EPISODES VII, XIII and IX.
At this point there has been no word from George Lucas or anyone else from Lucasfilm, but you have to remember that Lucas has been denying another trilogy would be made for some time. And in the book series that Lucas has final word on, Chewbacca is dead.
‘Die Hard 4’? Maybe …
LOS ANGELES ó As Bruce Willis dives into new projects, an upcoming movie role (Hostage) and a producing credit on a USA cable series (Touching Evil, premiering in March), the actor still plans to revisit an old one via Die Hard 4.
“We’re working on it. Fox wants to do it. I want to do it. It depends on the script,” says Willis, 48, whose tough, wise-cracking cop, John McClane, became a pop culture favorite.
Willis, sporting a full, salt-and-pepper beard for his role as a hostage negotiator in Hostage, wouldn’t say that the project, which would be the first Die Hard movie since 1995, is a done deal.
“After the first Die Hard, I said I wasn’t going to do any more Die Hards, and I did two more. So I don’t make predictions anymore. If they get the script right and it seems like an interesting story … ”
However, that’s a challenge for the franchise in the post-9/11 world, said the actor, who appeared at the semi-annual TV press tour in Los Angeles to promote Touching Evil, which he’s executive-producing.
“It’s hard today to do. The whole Die Hard trilogy so far has been based on some element of terrorism, and it’s difficult in today’s world to do stories that fictionally portray terrorism,” Willis says.
As for his romance with Brooke Burns, 25, the actor says: “It’s going great.”
Some New DVD Rumours
It seems that Columbia TriStar has been working on a new 3-disc Panic Room: Special Edition with the assistance of director David Fincher.
The official announcement should come in the next few weeks for release in either March or April.
The set is expected to include the film on Disc One in anamorphic widescreen (with audio in Dolby Digital 5.1), audio commentary with Jodie Foster, Dwight Yoakam and Forest Whitaker, and a second audio commentary with Fincher.
Disc Two will feature an in-depth look at the pre-production and shooting of the film, including in-depth documentaries and multi-angle features.
Finally, Disc Three will look at the post-production process, including editing, visual effects, sound design and more.
Also, The Force.net is reporting an interesting George Lucas quote in a new book that’s been released. Interviewed for Robert J. Emery’s The Directors: Take 4, Lucas reportedly says that when the original Star Wars Trilogy is released on DVD, he’ll finally be able to release the films the way he originally intended. The site concludes that this confirms more changes to the original films as we’ve reported in the past. We’ll just have to wait and see. September 2004’s getting closer and closer every day.
Finally, it looks like Warner’s Matrix Revolutions will street on April 6th.
Kidman in talks for ‘Bewitched’
Nicole Kidman is in final talks for the lead role in “Bewitched,” the big-screen adaptation of the ’60s TV series, reports U.K. website Empire Online.
Kidman would play Samantha, a housewife, mother and witch, famous for her domestic mishaps and broomstick rides.
“Elf” star Will Ferrell has signed on to play Samantha’s husband Darrin after Jim Carrey reportedly turned down the role.
Nora Ephron (“Sleepless in Seattle,” “You’ve Got Mail”) will direct “Bewitched,” which is scheduled to begin filming in April.
The School of Rock.
I’m hearing March 2nd as the street date on School of Rock.
The disc should feature an audio commentary with Jack Black and director Richard Linklater, commentary with the kids in the film, an interactive Dewey Finn’s History of Rock and the featurettes Lessons Learned in School of Rock, Jack Black’s Pitch to Led Zeppelin and Kids’ Video Diary: Toronto Film Festival Piece.
Get ready to rock!
Mathildaís Back Shooting
For all those that loved the classic Luc Besson film LEON (THE PROFESSIONAL) and wondered what happened to Mathilda (Natalie Portman) after Leon (Jean Reno) died, well soon we should find out.
In a recent interview Natalie Portman revealed that she has read a script for a sequel and it is great. She also said that Luc Besson himself would be making the film. It sounds like it could be pretty energetic as well, as she said she would have to seriously hit the gym to get ready for the part.
X-Files To Return
Yep, thatís the news people. Fortunately X-FILES wonít come back as a TV series, but as a sequel to the 1998 movie. David Duchovny recently told a website that depending on the script, the plan is to start filming early next year.
Peter Jackson Wants THE HOBBIT
LORD OF THE RINGS director Peter Jackson says he definitely wants to direct THE HOBBIT, but it’s in New Line’s court.
Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson told the Australian news.com.au Web site that he is now interested in helming a movie version of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit. Jackson said that Rings studio New Line Cinema had yet to speak to him about The Hobbit and added there were some difficulties related to the rights for the book.
But, Jackson said, “certainly if they want to talk to me about it, I’d be keen. It would be wonderful to complete the set of films.” The Hobbit, which Tolkien published in 1937 before starting on The Lord of the Rings, is a children’s story about Bilbo Baggins’ first encounter with Gandalf, Gollum and the One Ring.
Lord of the Rings executive producer Mark Ordesky confirmed to the site that “there could be a movie about The Hobbit. Enough said.” Before that, however, Jackson will have to complete work on his upcoming remake of the classic SF movie King Kong.