One of the most interesting bits of news to come out of CinemaCon is the new retail strategy by Warner Brothers, Universal, 20th Century Fox and Sony to offer theatrical movies two months after release on DirectTV for $30 dollars a pop. Theater owners are protesting, but they’ve been protesting video windows since studios have been shortening the release window to save advertising dollar.
Sony Pictures has just revamped their movie schedule for next year by adding a couple of high profile projects. We’re talking about the remake of the sci-fi classic Total Recall, the Adam Sandler and Andy Samberg comedy I Hate You Dad, and Kevin James‘ latest feature Here Comes the Boom. Check out the updated 2012 slate below…
First vampires, then werewolves, now zombies and robots have taken over the movie industry. According to Deadline, Michael Bay and his production company Platinum Dunes have partnered up with Sony Pictures to create Zombies vs Robots. This isn’t a joke! The film is an adaptation of the IDW comic book of the same name.
Do you remember last week when it was rumored that Will Smith might team up with rapper Jay-Z to produce a remake of the comic strip and Broadway play Annie? It’s no longer speculation. Sony Pictures has just confirmed that they are in talks with Smith and Jay-Z regarding a remake. The film will be created as a star vehicle for Will’s daughter Willow Smith.
John Michael McDonagh’s Sundance favorite The Guard has found a home. According to a press announcement Sony Pictures Classics have acquired the U.S. and Latin American rights for the film that stars Brendan Gleeson and Don Cheadle (be sure to check out ScreenCrave’s review of the film).
We thought we were done with old school horror monsters in film after the failure of Joe Johnston’s Wolf Man. Instead of Universal, it looks like Sony wants to try their hand at Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. According to Deadline, it will be a contemporary version of the classic to be produced by former Sony co-president Matt Tolmach.
Have you been on the edge of your seat waiting for the next Spider-Man and Men in Black movies? Probably not, but just in case you were Sony has released the production start dates for the films. Not only are they both under the same studio but they’re both major franchise pics scheduled to debut during the summer of 2012. Are you ready?
The rights for the Terminator franchise are still up in the air as several studios and private production companies are trying to snatch up the property. The rights were taken away from previous owners, The Halcyon Group, when they found themselves in massive debt that they couldn’t repay. Now Terminator is on the auction block with Lionsgate showing interest, and Sony not far behind.
Last night word spread like wildfire that 500 Days of Summer director Marc Webb might be hopping into the directors’ chair that once warmed the bum of Sam Raimi. But not so fast overzealous Spidey fans! There’s a process to this blockbuster movie making thing. Over at DeadlineHollywood, they are confirming that Webb is in the running to direct Sony’s reboot of the Spider-Man franchise, but there are a lot of things that have to be done first.
