The movie version of the comic Ghost Rider will start production in Australia at the end of this month. The movie is being directed by Mark Steven Johnson (Daredevil) and will star Nicholas Cage as Johnny Blaze and Wes Bentley as Blackheart.
I know a lot of people didn't like Daredevil, but I thought it was a good movie (just wasn't long enought).
You can check out the details at Superhero Hype (http://www.superherohype.com)
The other bit of news I picked up today is that Sony is paying $2 million for Richard Avary and Neil Gaiman to write a screen adaptation of the epic poem Beowulf for Robert Zemeckis to direct.
Nick Cage as Johnny Blaze.......I'm diggin the idea. I think the guy could pull it off.
As for DareDevil, check out the new DVD edition of the film. Completely different picture.
I don't know how good of a film Beowulf will make. It seems to me that it has already been made. 13th Warrior was based loosely on Beowulf.
I still think they should make a film version of John Gardner's book Grendel. Now that would be some entertainment.
Beowulf (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120604) with Christoper Lambert was also loosly based on Beowulf
Post Edited (01-21-05 09:49)
I never saw the one with Christopher Lambert, but I heard enough to know it wasn't good. I'm just really interested in seeing what Neil Gaiman can come up with for it.
13th Warrior was based on Michael Chrichton's book Eaters of the Dead (which may have roots in Beowulf).
I have a friend who will be working on both Ghostrider and Charlotte's Web. And he's not too shy to tell anyone that he's working on them.
Damn son of a...
Hopefully I'll be able to pry some juicy behind the scenes gossip and news from him when it gets underway.
I'll try and keep people posted.
Also, on the topic of Daredevil, how does the new version compare? How was it different and was it better? I'd really like to see it if it is better, otherwise I can put it outta my mind for good...
Urgh! I hated the first Beowulf movie but I love the story of the original tale, monsters! I hope this new one is closer to the poem.
If Sony wants to have the next film version of the Beowulf saga, then they better hurry up. There is already a Canadian-European version of the story called "Beowulf & Grendel" to be released to theaters sometime later this year. Reading a synopsis of the film, like most literary film adaptations, it seems to be only loosely based on the source material.
Tony Curran, a star in the upcoming Beowulf & Grendel was also a star in 13th Warrior, the movie loosely based around the epic.
Also starring are Gerard Butler as Beowulf (Butler was the Phantom in last year's The Phantom of the Opera) and Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson as Grendel (who has starred in a number of moody Icelandic films with solid reputations). Butler seems to have been type casted into this role considering his other movies like The Phantom, Reign of Fire, Timeline, etc.... I'm not so sure that this movie is going to take the poem as seriously as english scholars take this poem. Considering the director's previous movies, it doesn't seem he wouldn't pick this actor. I think there is excessive studio control over this movie.
I really really hope I'm wrong though. I want to see a good screen adaption of this poem.
Mr. dean --
What's this new version of "Charlotte's Web" all about? I've heard nothing on this -- Animated? Musical(God no . . . no . ..)? True to E.B. White, who could sort of write?
I'm one of 3 people I know who just love "Daredevil". Own it. Enjoy it. Watch it often. Really don't get why people don't like it as much as "Spiderman". But then I have other quirks as well . . .
Neil Gaiman solo can do no wrong. Neil Gaiman with other authors can be a problem: "Good Omens", with Terry Pratchett, is inferior to The Sandman series, or Neverwhere or American Gods. Gaiman doesn't seem to collaborate well. I would worry about this Beowulf as a result.
peter johnson/denny crane
"Eaters of the Dead" is cool, it's written as if Beowulf really happened. It's got a bibliography in the back that cites the Necronomicon.
> never saw the one with Christopher Lambert, but I heard enough to know it wasn't good.
You heard that Christopher Lambert was in it.
On the comic front Neil Gaiman is excellent. Loved his "1602" from Marvel and the Sandman series is great. My favorite character from Sandman was Death. Instead of a cliched looking death (black robe,scyther, etc,) It was a cute goth girl. But like Peter said Gaiman does not collaborate well.
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You can’t give it, you can’t even buy it, and you just don’t get it!-Aeon Flux