Geektyrants Movie Biz News Feed

George Clooney is a ‘Tourist'

Warner Brothers has brought on Anthony Peckham to adapt a Novel by Olen Steinhauer called the ‘The Tourist'. George Clooney is Producing and will most likely star in the film. Also producing is Smokehouse's Grant Heslov and Nina Wolarsky. Variety reports:

Acquired by WB in the fall, "The Tourist" is a contemporary international thriller about a spy who risks everything to reveal a conspiracy after he's accused of a murder he didn't commit.
Peckham's script "Human Factor" will be directed early next year by Clint Eastwood; Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon will star. Warner just recruited Guy Ritchie to director "Sherlock Holmes," for which Peckham did a rewrite, and the scribe also did a rewrite on "Book of Eli," a project that has Denzel Washington circling at WB.

Clooney will next be seen in the Joel and Ethan Coen-directed "Burn After Reading."

 

Speaking of Sherlock Holmes

Word on the street is Warner Brothers also wants him to play detective Sherlock Holmes in Guy Ritchies reinvention of the sleuth. Also Fox wants him to star as a guy named Travis McGee in a potential detective franchise. Then of Course brett Ratner wants him to be Hugh Hefner. Robert Downey Jr. has not accepted any of these roles, but it looks like he is on top of the world and back on the A list.

 

Summit Entertainment Goes ‘Red'

Summit has recently picked up the rights to WildStorm/DC Comics comic book ‘Red'. I guess it's the only comic book property they could get their hands on right now in a time when comic book movies are popular. Hollywood Reporter reports:

The project marks the first time that a DC Comics title is leaving parent company Time Warner's fold. Still, DC will remain an active participant in its adaptation. DC senior vp creative affairs Gregory Noveck is serving as exec producer and will oversee "Red."

The three-issue comic series, published in 2003, told the story of a former black-ops CIA agent now living a quiet life in retirement until the day a high-tech assassin shows up intent on killing him. With his secret identity compromised and his love interest in danger, the man must reassemble his old team to figure out who is out to get them. The book was written by Warren Ellis, whose comic "Ocean" is set up at Warner Bros., and illustrated by Cully Hamner.

The Hoebers' take involves the idea of an older operative set in his ways having to contend with younger and more fit agents as well as modern techniques and technology.

It took almost two years of wrangling to extricate the book out of the Warners fold.

Di Bonaventura is in production on "G.I. Joe" and is producing "Transformers 2" with Don Murphy and Tom De Santo.

Wow, It took them 2 years to gt the rights to this thing!? Crazy. I'm surprised Warner let it go. I've never read this comic book but the plot doesn't seem like anything new or original. We'll see what comes of it.

 

Jack Black Drops out of ‘Man-Witch'

Man-Witch is a supernatural Comedy that is set up over at Warner Bros. The movie is about a man who discovers that he is a witch, then heads off to teach at a female witch school. Todd Phillips is set to produce and is supposed to direct. The reason Black dropped out is because:

Sources said that the decision this week to part ways may have originated from Black's camp, which had questions about Phillips' commitment to direct the picture ahead of "Hangover," another comedy said to be close to the helmer's heart. That project is also set up at Warners.

Warners confirmed the departure but declined to provide further detail. A spokesperson for Black said the star had no comment. A spokesperson for CAA, which reps Phillips, declined to comment.

The actor's departure has not affected the status of the movie, which remains in active development. Warners and Phillips are said to be combing a list of stars to replace the funnyman.

I think Black would have been great in it but its not like he won't get another gig to fill its place. It will be interesting to see who they get to fill Blacks shoes.

-Dr. Venkman