BEETLEJUICE Sequel … Without Keaton!

Talk of a Beetlejuice sequel or remake have gone on for years and years.  It’s been touted enough times to make your head spin.  (See what we did there?)  But now it looks like, maybe, just maybe, it will finally happen.  The script will be by Seth Grahame-Smith.  A writer best known for penning the joke novels “Pride and Prejudice with Zombies” and “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter”.  And with credits like that … how could it miss?  The project is said to be a continuation of the original movie.   But will include none of the original cast … not even Michael Keaton.

Ridely Scott to Direct New BLADE RUNNER Film!

Back in March, we reported on Alcon securing the rights to produce prequels and sequels to the film Blade Runner.  At the time we had this to say:

We’re usually fairly sanguine about these things.  But we think:  Grubby Hands + Blade Runner = Genre Rape.   We wouldn’t mind a filmmaker taking another pass at Philip K. Dick‘s original novel.  But the world of Blade Runner should be kept singular and alone.  Are you with us?

And in response to a comment we added this:

Even if Ridley is involved, we’re not that interested. BR was a specific movie, made at a specific time, and should be left alone.

Well, that eventuality has come to pass.   Deadline reported today that Ridley Scott has signed to direct this project.  It is unclear at this point where it’s a sequel or prequel.  And Harrison Ford’s involvement also isn’t known.

So?  Do we stick to our original reaction?  Sadly, yes, some movie universes should just be left alone.  No matter how enticing a potential sequel or prequel might be.   They shouldn’t be disturbed.  Just think how much happier we’d all be if The Matrix had ended after one film.

Free Tickets for PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2!

Paranormal Activity 2 opens this week.  But if you’re one of those fans who wants to see it before everyone else, Paramount pictures is offering you a chance to do that, and do it for free.

All you have to do to get into the running for a free ticket to the Wednesday Midnight screening is click on this link, and fill out the RSVP form.

Noomi Rapace Joins Downey in Holmes Sequel!

Just when we think reading has gone the way of the dodo, another publishing phenom comes along to change our minds.  This summer it’s been Stieg Larsson.  Everywhere we went someone was reading one of his books.  And every cocktail party* we attended has been full of discussions of these books or the movie adaptions.

So it comes as no surprise that the star of these films, Nomi Rapace, has been on the wish list of every H’wood production this summer.  Well, it looks like the sequel to the Guy Ritchie helmed, Robert Downey starring Sherlock Holmes film, is the first to snag her.  Industry mavens say she’ll play a gypsy.

*Okay, we don’t really go to cocktail parties.  But we thought if we said dive bars (or worse yet … chat rooms … yikes!) you’d lose all respect for us.

Liebesman to Helm CLASH 2!

Remember Jonathan Liebesman?  No?  Well, way back in 2003 he directed a little fright fest called Darkness Falls.  And it looked like  he was on the cusp of a major career.  Although he made several minor films, this director has largely been off the Hollywood radar for the last seven years.  Well, that is about to change.  As he just signed to direct the sequel to Clash of the Titans.

More on this sequel after the jump.

Video: PREDATORS TV Spots!

For those of you who never catch these things when they air, here are the first two TV spots for Predators:

FRIDAY THE 13th Sequel Dead!

When recently asked via Twitter about Platinum Dune’s sequel to the reboot of the Friday the 13th (ah, that’s a mouthful), producer Brad Fuller responded simply:

it is dead … not happening

And so another story is broken on Twitter!  Who needs publicists?

Horror fans probably aren’t shedding too many tears about this.  But the remake was a hit at the box office, and the script for the sequel was reportedly read to go.  So we’re wondering what prompted this decision?

Those interested in following Brad Fuller on Twitter can find his page here.

Video: PREDATORS Trailer!

Here’s the first trailer for the re-imagining of the Predator franchise:

Essentially, it looks like a remake of Predator … except with more than one predator.  Hence the title … wait for it … Predators.

The film is produced by Robert Rodriguez and directed by Nimrod Antal.  Yup, it’s directed by a guy named “Nimrod”.  Too many punchlines … too little time.

And, yes, we know Nimrod (cough) directed Kontroll, Vacancy and Armored; but that doesn’t stop his name from being funny.  In fact, if anything … but that’s another discussion for another time.

Details on RIDDICK Sequel: Trisons?!? Really?

Hollywood Reporter offered the following details about the new Riddick sequel:

Though billed as a back-to-basics approach to the character popularized by Diesel, the script features the character — the most wanted man in the galaxy — left for dead on a barren alien planet, dealing with “trisons” (three-legged bisons) and “mud demons.” He must then contend with two squads of bounty hunters, one of which ride rockets called jetcycles.

Okay, we won’t deny jetcycles have some appeal.    But trisons?  Mud demons?  Are these really selling points?

Of course, we’re still in line to see this one.  But … trisons?!?   We just can’t get over that one.

WATCHMEN 2!?! Oh, No, Say it Ain’t So!

Our pal Rich at Bleeding Cool has this to report:

[When] the news broke that Paul Levitz was stepping down from DC Comics as both President and Publisher, I wondered what that meant for the possibility of a Watchmen sequel. Certainly in a hundred years, you couldn’t expect there not to be one.

Well, it seems to be happening a lot sooner than I thought. I understand now that this considered a pet project of Dan DiDio, SVP-Executive Editor. That he is determined to impress new bosses by building on DC’s biggest selling comic book of all time with multiple prequel comic miniseries and spinoff ongoing projects.

Everyone knows this is a dumb idea.  Colossally, monumentally, existentially stupid!

But before you freak out too much, if such projects every come to fruition they are likely to slip into oblivion almost as soon as they appear.  Remember the Kingdom Come sequels and spin-offs?  We thought not.