Hal MacDermot [Celluloid 07.16.08] movie news



This is a week when adaptation is in the air; not the kind provided by hot screenwriters like Kaufman, nor even the kind needed to survive the coming Apocalypse, but the kind of adaptation that's about taking Games, Graphic Novels, or even spoof articles in poncey magazines like GQ and turning them into movies. First off, we've got Scott Rosenberg's Platinum Studios with Hyde Park transforming the Italian comic book icon Dylan Dog, detective of the supernatural, into a Hollywood flick called "Dead of the Night" (2009). A small disclaimer: Dylan Dog is my all time favorite comic character: an all too human guy who does what he can to fight the vampires/zombies/monsters that surround us in our seemingly normal world. And it's not just me guv., honest: Dylan Dog sells 56 million copies in 17 countries. I'm not sure of plot details, but the director is Kevin Munroe, of Ninja Turtle fame and if he messes it up I will be very upset. Next, comes yet another project in which nature turns against mankind, because we have forgotten how to put rubbish in the bin etc. QE has covered quite a few movies like this recently, from Animals to the Happening. Reckon it must be in the zeitgeist or the gas tank or something. This latest sees Next Entertainment (Hostel, Texas CS) working with Dimension on a project called "Violence of the Lambs," slated for 2012 and based on a fake article by some bloke in GQ back in Feb. 2008. Basically he wrote that animals all around the world were attacking humans blah blah blah, but the article was a hoax. I'm not sure if Violence will be a comedy, probably with a title like that, but hopefully it won't copy Black Sheep. No details on the talent attached etc. Warner Bros and Japanese uber video game developer Capcom are teaming up to develop a movie based on the "Lost Planet" game. Plot details are scarce, but with David Hayter as writer, (X-Men and the coming in 2009 Watchmen adaptation) it could well be awesome. Personally, I'm all for cross-over land, 300s, Millers, Marvels, bring it on, as long as Uwe Boll's not involved. In energy-crisis news, this from BD: Original Productions (America's Deadliest Catch, Ice Road Truckers) is developing a movie called Zombie Chopper with comic publishing house Devil's Due. The government should meet these guys. "A motorcycle builder who refuses to sell his formula for a new super-fuel to a dangerous corporation. When a team of thugs drowns him in his own toxic creation, he rises from the dead with a score to settle." The accompanying graphic novel, with Todd Livingston as scribe, will be unveiled at the President's daily brief at the Whitehouse, oh sorry, I meant at Comic-Con in San Diego. Machinist director Brad Anderson works hard. This Friday he's got the crime thriller Transsiberian coming out, Woody Harrelson starring. And in development there's All Lost Souls, which should be a dark serial killer movie (Anderson's waiting for the script to know exactly what it is). All Lost is inked by David Pesci and Lane Shadgett (who is now working with 80s crossover/survivor Bret Easton Ellis on the film adaptation of the novel, Lunar Park. You can read about more in an interview with Anderson over at ShockTillYouDrop. In more bloody news, aspiring actors please note that indie director Dante Tomaselli (Horror, Satan's Playground) is now casting for his latest movie Torture Chamber. If you read Backstage Magazine you already knew. The story focuses on "13-year-old evil possessed Jimmy Morgan, who is possessed by an evil too powerful to be exorcized by any priest. One year after his own brother, Father Mark Morgan, nearly died in the attempt, Jimmy is back with a vengeance—and an army of horribly burned children." I don't think this last item has anything to do with adaptations, but this is the multiple personality disorder report, so it doesn't matter. We're big fans of Tomaselli, so we have a treat for you: the trailer for his 1999 film Desecrated after the break!




Sources:
STYD
BD
Dread Central
Variety
BD
Screen Daily

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DD (14 years ago) Reply

I also have high hopes for the DylanDog movie [heres a man that really loves the character and the comicbook and a man that has grown up with DD]

The thing is am 100% sure that hollywood will mess up this movie because on loadz of forums I have seen a short info about the movie from authors, it goes like this:

DylanDog is a comicbook similar to Scooby Doo where the real villains are humans and not real monsters.WTF Scooby Doo!!?

This is just a proof that americans have no idea what a good coomicbook is and am so afraid they will mess up this wonderfull character and his...lets call them adventures.

Arghhh pls, pls let it be good, pls

Cyberhal (14 years ago) Reply

Well DD, I am nervous too. One of the great things in Dylan Dog is that some of the nightmares are true. But i think there are some good american comic movies, e.g. Dark Knight. My question is, how will Kevin Munroe and the writers of Sahara compare to Christopher Nolan?
this is a link to the Hyde Park production house press release:
http://www.comicbookmovie.com/news/articles/4508.asp

DD (14 years ago) Reply

Oh I must also add, they are moving the story to New York [no London] and there will not be Grucho [for Gods sake, what?]

This keeps on looking like a bad movie, the sad thing is am gonna watch it either way >_>

cyberhal (14 years ago) Reply

I know, right. No London? Unreal. I remember when they did the (terrible) Judge Dredd movie, I was totally gutted. The comic is 100x better, and is my favourite along with Dylan Dog

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