EXCLUSIVE: Keanu Reeves Says 'Cowboy Bebop' Movie Getting A Rewrite

Source: splashpage.mtv

We haven't heard anything from the live-action "Cowboy Bebop" movie front in a while, so when MTV News had the chance to chat up Keanu Reeves, the actor bringing main character Spike Spiegel to the screen, we made sure to check in on the adaptation of the beloved anime series.

"There's a draft of the script, but the writer did such a great job [that] in order to make the movie, you would need half a billion dollars," Reeves told MTV News during a press event for "The Private Lives of Pippa Lee," his recent film with Robin Wright Penn.

The writer in question is likely Peter Craig, who previously spoke out about how "extremely faithful" his screenplay was to the original anime series. Craig reportedly met with the anime's producers back in December and went home with a detailed letter regarding the adaptation.

However, Reeves indicated that the writer's adherence to the galaxy-spanning adventure of the full entire series might prove a little daunting for production.

"So the studio went, 'This movie is fantastic and it would cost half a billion dollars," laughed Reeves, "so he's doing a rewrite."

As far as who'll be appearing in the film, Reeves hinted that everyone from Spike to Ein could factor into the movie's storyline.

"Everyone is in there," said Reeves.

"The only challenge was to make a satisfying western narrative out of the kind of storytelling that happens," he added. "There's a great draft, so we're just trying to pull it back a little bit now."

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Tom Tykwer set to make “Drei”

Written by Siewaun
Reference: Variety

German film director Tom Tykwer will be directing "Drei", his first German movie since "Der Krieger und die Kaiserin" in 2000. He was internationally known for directing Run Lola Run (1998).

Berlin-based X Filme will be producing the comedy-drama, which was financed by Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg with the amount of $1.03 million.

Tykwer who recently directed The International starring Clive Owen and Naomi Watts, will be working on a new film based on David Mitchell’s 2004 novel “Cloud Atlas” with the Wachowski brothers.

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'Furious' director takes 'Highlander' gig

Source: Hollywoodreporter.com

"Fast & Furious" helmer Justin Lin and producer Neal Moritz are signing on to Summit's reboot of "Highlander."

Lin and Moritz, reppd by CAA, will direct and produce the pic, respectively. The Summit project, first announced in the spring of 2008, offers a new take on the story of immortals who battle for supremacy while living seemingly normal lives in the contemporary world.

Fox released the original "Highlander" in 1986, with the Sean Connery starrer earning just $6 million at the boxoffice but becoming a cult sensation and a hit on DVD. A television series eventually materialized as well, with French giant Gaumont selling it into syndication in the U.S. in the early 1990s.



"Iron Man" scribes Art Marcum and Matt Hollaway were previously tapped to pen the screenplay for the Summit reboot, while Peter Davis will also produce.

Summit aims to turn the movie into an action tentpole. Studio co-chair Patrick Wachsberger, who has been shepherding the project, noted that Lin and Moritz "have proven more than once that they can deliver an entertaining and exciting blockbuster."

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Aronofsky joins with Time for heist pic

Source: variety

According to variety, award winning director(The Wrestler) Darren Aronofsky will be directing and producing a heist thriller. The movie is based on the daring $85 million robbery at the Securitas Depot in Tonbridge, England, in February 2006.

Scott Franklin of Protozoa will produce alongside Aronofsky, while Time Inc. Studios chief Paul Speaker is exec producing. XYZ Films will fully financing the project.

Kerry Williamson is adapting the script from an underlying rights package that includes Jon Wertheim's Sports Illustrated magazine article "Breaking the Bank" and Howard Sounes' nonfiction book "Heist: The Inside Story of the World's Biggest Robbery."

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Chinese director wants to show 'truth' of Japanese occupation

Source: AFP

SAN SEBASTIAN, Spain (AFP) - – Chinese director Lu Chuan said Monday he wanted to show the "truth" about the Japanese occupation of China's temporary capital Nanjing in 1937 in his new movie "City of Life and Death".

The film, one of 15 in competition for the San Sebastian film festival top award, deals in gruesome detail with the killing of what China says were 300,000 defenseless civilians and prisoners of war by Japanese invaders.

But it has angered some Chinese ultra-nationalists, earning Lu at least one death threat, because of its portrayal of the Japanese soldiers as ordinary people caught up in the tragedy of war, rather than the blood-thirsty monsters that they are often depicted as in China.

"This is an important film for history, I wanted to deliver to the world the truth about this massacre, which is little known outside of China," Lu told a news conference at San Sebastian after his film was screened.

"It took me four years to complete it, from preparation to post-production, with a very tight budget," he added.

The film, which lasts two hours and 15 minutes and was filmed in black and white, plainly depicts the executions of civilians and rapes suffered by the Chinese during the three-day siege of Nanjing by Japanese forces.

It alternates between scenes of battles and executions and slower scenes of moving human interactions to convey the horror of the Japanese atrocities from the perspective of both perpetrators and victims.

The movie also depicts efforts by a number of Westerners, including a member of Germany's Nazi party who was working in China for Siemens at the time, to try to protect locals from the Japanese soldiers by setting up and running a refuge area.

He managed to save more than 200,000 Chinese in Nanjing before being deported to Germany and his actions hurt the alliance between Nazi Germany and Japan, according to the movie.

The duration of the festival was cut this year from the usual 10 days to only nine, with the closing day set for September 26 when the Golden Shell award for best movie will be given out.

Other films in the official selection include "Get Low" by US director Aaron Schneider about a man throwing his own funeral party and "10 to 11", a French-Turkish-German coproduction about two lonely old men who live in the same building in Istanbul.

Last year's Golden Shell for best film went to Turkish director Yesim Ustaoglu's "Pandora's Box."

US actor Brad Pitt drew large crowds of mostly female fans who asked for autographs after waiting for hours in the rain for him to arrive on the opening day of the festival on Friday for the presentation of his latest film "Inglourious Basterds".

The movie, by cult director Quentin Tarantino which depicts a roving Jewish-American militia that kills and scalps Nazis in occupied France, and which was unveiled at the Cannes festival in May, is not in competition at the festival, the largest and most prestigious in the Spanish-speaking world.

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Three sign on for 'Secretariat'

Source: hollywoodreporter

Dylan Walsh, John Malkovich, Scott Glenn join cast

Dylan Walsh, John Malkovich and Scott Glenn are saddling up for "Secretariat," the story of the horse that won the 1973 Triple Crown.

Diane Lane stars as the horse's owner Penny Tweedy, the housewife who broke though a gender barrier to usher Secretariat to greatness.

Walsh plays Lane's husband, a successful attorney who is accustomed to his wife being at his beck and call.

Malkovich plays a charismatic trainer who underestimates the power of Secretariat; Glenn is a southern-bred aristocrat who loses the horse in a coin toss.

Randall Wallace is directing from a script by Mike Rich. Mark Ciardi and Gordon Gray are producing. The picture begins shooting this week in Louisiana and Kentucky.

Walsh, repped by Gersh and McGowan Management, next stars in Screen Gem's "Stepfather." Penn Badgley and Amber Hear also appear in the thriller, which opens Oct. 16. Walsh also stars in FX's "Nip/Tuck," which returns Oct. 14.

Malkovich, repped by WME and Finch & Partners, next plays the bad guy in Warners' adaptation of DC Comics' Western comic "Jonah Hex."

ICM-repped Glenn is about to shoot Zack Snyder's "Sucker Punch."

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Jackson movie to get mass worldwide premiere

Source: Reuters

By Alex Dobuzinskis

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The Michael Jackson movie "This Is It" -- based on footage from concert rehearsals before his death in June -- will have simultaneous premieres in more than 15 cities around the world next month, the studio behind the film said on Monday.

"This Is It" opens to the general public on October 28 for a limited two-week run. While Hollywood movies often have several premieres around the world, they rarely happen at the same time.

But for "This Is It," more than 15 cities, including New York, Rio de Janeiro, London, Berlin and Seoul will host simultaneously premieres with a red carpet event in Los Angeles on October 27, said Sony Pictures, which paid $60 million for rights to the rehearsal footage. Names of the other premiere-night cities were not released.

The opening events will feature satellite transmissions of Hollywood stars arriving at the premiere in Los Angeles. London's premiere will happen after midnight local time on October 28, while Seoul's event is scheduled for the morning of that day.

In all, more than 25 cities worldwide will have premieres for the movie but not all will take place at the same time.

In the days before he died of an overdose of prescription drugs on June 25, Jackson was rehearsing for a comeback with 50 sold-out shows in London.

The $60 million movie deal was made between Jackson's estate and concert promoter AEG Live and Sony Pictures.

Based on proceeds from the movie, business deals and album sales that have arisen since Jackson's death, administrators of his estate expect to generate more than $200 million in revenue before the end of the year.

Sony Pictures is a division of Sony Co.

(Editing by Jill Serjeant and Bill Trott)

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Nigeria asks movie theaters to stop screening District 9

Source: hitfix.com

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — One of the summer's biggest blockbusters — a sci-fi morality tale about aliens and apartheid — is not welcome in Nigeria because of its portrayal of Nigerians as gangsters and cannibals, Nigeria's information minister said Saturday.

Information Minister Dora Akunyili has asked movie houses in the capital of Abuja to stop screening "District 9" because the South Africa-based sci-fi movie about aliens and discrimination makes Nigerians look bad.


"We have directed that they should stop public screening of the film," she said. "We are not happy about it because it portrays Nigeria in bad light."

Akunyili said she has asked Sony for an apology and wants them to edit out references to Nigeria and to the name of the main Nigerian gangster Obesandjo, whose name closely resembles that of former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo.

"We have written to the producer and distributor of the film, Sony Entertainment, expressing our displeasure and demanded an apology," she said. "We have asked that the areas where Nigeria and Obasanjo are mentioned should be edited from the film."

She and other government officials first saw the movie Wednesday during a private screening.

In one scene, Obesandjo tries to cut off and eat the arm of the film's protagonist, in an attempt to gain his supernatural powers. In others, Nigerian prostitutes are seen courting alien customers.

The film's portrayal of Nigerians has also drawn the ire of critics and bloggers, and has spawned a Facebook page called "Nigerians Offended by 'District 9,'" which had 57 members on Saturday.

Corlize Luttig, marketing manager for the South African cinema chain Ster-Kinekor, who represent Sony in South Africa, said they had no comment on the request by Akunyili. Ster-Kinekor does not distribute to Nigeria, she said.

Luttig said they were still waiting for comment from Sony's head office in Los Angeles.

"District 9" tells the story of an alien ship that mysteriously comes to hover over the South African city of Johannesburg. Its inhabitants are separated from the human population and segregated into a walled area known as District 9. But after nearly 30 years, government officials aim to relocate the extraterrestrials, with disastrous results.

The film is first feature from commercial and music-video director Neill Blomkamp, who co-wrote the script with Terri Tatchell. The film, which features a cast of mostly unknown South African actors, got its big-name backing from producer and "Lord of the Rings" director Peter Jackson.

The film brought in some $37 million during its U.S. debut weekend in August. In its five-week run at U.S. theaters, it has brought in an estimated $108,000,000, according to studio estimates.

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Box Office Sept. 18-20 results

1	Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs	$30,100,000
2	The Informant!	$10,545,000
3	Tyler Perry's I Can Do Bad All by Myself	$10,060,000
4	Love Happens	$8,455,590
5	Jennifer's Body	$6,800,000
6	9	$5,457,659
7	Inglourious Basterds	$3,603,000
8	All About Steve	$3,400,000
9	Sorority Row	$2,489,000
10	The Final Destination	$2,375,000

Source: Boxoffice.com
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Warrior Princess Finds Her Style

Source: english.cri.cn

By Michelle Zhang

Zhao Wei used to attach little importance to how she appeared off-screen, letting her TV and film work speak for her. But now the actress has learned to take care of her image, as Michelle Zhang reports.

Fame came quickly for Zhao Wei. In 1998, the actress became a household name almost overnight for her leading role in the popular TV series, "Huan Zhu Ge Ge" (Princess Returning Pearl). She has remained as one of the most successful Chinese actresses ever since.

Zhao was in Shanghai recently for the launch of a new line of cosmetics and despite an unexpected storm which erupted when Zhao was supposed to show up, her loyal fans chose to wait in the heavy rain for more than an hour.

"I'm very grateful and touched by my fans," she said. "For more than 10 years, they have always been there for me, accompanying me to get through all the ups and downs in my life."

Zhao is easygoing, relaxed and approachable. She cares about people around her, smiling at everyone, listening carefully to "boring" questions and responding accordingly.

It was hard to relate the slender figure to the roles she has portrayed on screen lately, most of which are linked with yellow sands, battle horses and combat, such as Hua Mulan in "Mulan" and Sun Shangxiang in "Red Cliff" -- both are wartime heroines in ancient Chinese tales.

Zhao described "Mulan," which is scheduled to hit the big screen in December, as "the toughest film I have ever worked with."

It was an unforgettable experience. For three months, she had been working under the scorching sun and in massive sandstorms in northwest China, dressed up in armor that weighed as much as 25 kilograms almost every day.

But she liked the role a lot.

"Hua Mulan is such a legendary character that everyone has his or her own understanding of the great heroine. Through the character, I'd like to demonstrate all the good qualities of a woman -- kind, independent, thoughtful, humble, forgiving ?"

She also became "thinner, tanned and stronger -- like Angelina Jolie," thanks to the hard work in filming the epic.

When she was in her 20s, she was just like any other girls of her age and did not understand the importance of taking care of her skin and the importance of resting.

Now, even if she was in the middle of endless filming, she would insist upon applying a facial mask every other day.

She rejects heavy makeup even when attending formal events.

"Compared with where I was born, northern China is much dryer -- so moisturizing is very important, especially in the upcoming winter time," said the Anhui-native who lives in Beijing most of the time these days, when asked about her skincare tips.

For the Shanghai event, where she was an ambassador for Aqua Sprina, a new line designed by Japanese cosmetics manufacturer Kanebo for Chinese women from 25 and 40, Zhao wore an elegant yet slightly edgy black Alexander McQueen dress, which was nicely complemented by her exquisitely done hair.

She was once known for her fashion faux pas on the red carpet until earlier this year, when she impressed the press with her sweet, feminine Christian Dior strapless gown at the Cannes Film Festival.

Her sense of style has been impeccable ever since.

"I have always been working hard on presenting a better image to the audience," she said. "Personally, I like evening gowns in light pink the most.

"I didn't attach so much importance to my looks in the past because I thought it's my film work that counts the most, instead of the clothes I wore," she said. "However, nowadays I have come to learn to take more care about my image, so that the audience will feel more pleasant when they see me."

Recently, the 33-year-old was elected as the youngest vice president of the Chinese Academy of Film and Performing Arts, an organization set up in 1985 to improve the standards of Chinese film. Today, it has more than 1,000 members.

"Starting from kindergarten and elementary school, I have never held any kind of position. So this is my first, and it's for the Academy of Film and Performing Arts -- I'm very excited."

Apart from acting, Zhao also sings and her seventh album, "We Are All Great Directors," is released next month.

There are rumors she married recently. "I'm not married yet but I do have people wooing around," she laughed. "The rumors only made me long for marriage more. Anyway, my 'market' is not bad at all, so don't worry about me!"


Zhao Wei's life and times

Born in March 1976, in Wuhu, Anhui Province, Zhao Wei is considered one of the leading young actresses in China today, along with Zhang Ziyi and Zhou Xun.

In 1996, Zhao was recruited by the Beijing Film Academy. She studied at the Performance Institute of the film academy and graduated in 2000.

Zhao's breakthrough was playing the lead in 1997's "Princess Returning Pearl," a popular television series. Two years after it aired, Zhao began her singing career with the first album, "Swallow."

In 1999, Zhao won Best Leading Actress at the 17th Golden Eagle Awards -- the highest television awards of China. In 2002, she was nominated Best Supporting Actress in the 39th Golden Horse Award.

In 2004, Zhao was nominated as Best Actress and won Favorite Actress at the 11th Beijing College Student Film Festival. She also nominated Best Actress in the 27th Hundred Flowers Awards the same year.

In 2005, Zhao won the 8th Shanghai International Film Festival's Best Actress Award. That year, Zhao also won Outstanding Actress of the 11th China Movie Awards.

Zhao has collaborated with many famed filmmakers including John Woo, Wong Kar-wai and Jiang Wen in works including "Painted Skin," "Red Cliff," "The Postmodern Life of My Aunt," "Chinese Odyssey 2002" and "Green Tea."

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