Having grappled with the ring of power, PJ’s lifelong dream now comes true: Universal announces that Peter Jackson will direct King Kong after finishing up LOTR: Return of the King. I kinda wish they’d announced this a bit later so that Jackson could devote himself fully to closing out Tolkien‘s trilogy in grand style, but I’m sure he’ll do that anyway. Congrats to PJ, Fran, and WETA on their big score. Update: Fay Wray approves.
Category: Fanboy
The Not-So-Subtle Knife.
In less happy movie news, Brett Ratner – recently kicked off of WB’s Superman – is now threatening to screw up Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials. Pullman’s work aside, a Tom Stoppard screenplay deserves a better director. Can’t you just make Rush Hour 3 or something?
Crichton Signs Off.
I didn’t get a chance to say this while I was in Vegas, so I’ll do it now…So long, Farscape. Your time came much too quickly.
Feel the love, Mr. Burns.
Salon examines the fan movement to save Farscape and speculates on how the tactics being created for this endeavor might work to change the TV-viewer relationship in the future. What with only two episodes to go, it may all be wishful thinking at this point…but it’s a shout-out nonetheless. (Sent via High Industrial.)
Mein Leiben!
A whole slew of new X2 pics arrive online, including this shot at right of Alan Cumming as Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler (who looks an order of magnitude better than he did here and here six months ago.) A few spoilers scattered throughout.
It’s Not Easy Being Green.
Fresh from the Game Developer’s Conference, IGN Filmforce hosts a fascinating keynote by WETA Digital on their work for LOTR: TTT, with several Quicktime shorts on the evolution of Gollum, the Ents, and MASSIVE (and a few Toy Story-esque blooper reels). Definitely worth checking out, if you can spare the bandwidth.
Toy on the Run.
Lego’s Run, via Goatee Style. I’ll betcha Gregory Harrison comes by to check the progress every day.
Arboreal Poets, Schizophrenic Guides.
PJ talks briefly about the extended Two Towers cut, and sure enough it looks like we’re getting more Ents and more Smeagol. Not sure I really need to see Treebeard deliver bad poetry, but I’ll reserve judgment until I see the cut.
Fellowship of the Ringu.
For Sauron will have dominion over this Middle Kingdom, even unto the ending of the world.A Hong Kong newspaper imagines an all-Asian Rings trilogy.
Grimm Amusements.
Terry Gilliam fans take heart: Although Don Quixote may be dead and buried, it looks like The Brothers Grimm has now secured funding from a parnership of MGM and Dimension. The film currently stars Heath Ledger and Matt Damon as the eponymous brothers, with Robin Williams and Jonathan “Sam Lowry” Pryce as the villains. Dimension, the senior partner, has a pretty lousy track record with regard to burying films they don’t have control over (Re: Existenz and Below), but hopefully Gilliam can buck the curse this time around.