You probably remember that earlier this Spring,
I wrote about Ubisoft's plan to make 3D films out of their hit games
ASSASSINS CREED,
SPLINTER CELL and
GHOST RECKON. Well, according to latest news from "Variety",
Sony Pictures is negotiating to distribute
ASSASSINS CREED movie. The game, sold in more than 30 million copies so far, is an epic adventure which follows a bartender named
Desmond Miles, who is kidnapped by Abstergo Industries and forced to travel back through time for secret missions. He must recover ancient artifacts from his ancestors, after learning that he comes from a long line of assassins.
HOLLYWOOD SPY'S HEADLINES
As latest rumors say,
Mark Romanek (ONE HOUR PHOTO) could take the helm behind
THE LOST SYMBOL, film adaptation of
Dan Brown's third novel. First two, THE DA VINCI CODE and
ANGEL AND DEMONS were directed by
Ron Howard who isn't returning. The third part should see
Tom Hanks investigating Freemasons in USA.
Variety reports that
Warner Bros.' $200 million mega movie adaptation of famous anime
AKIRA has been officially given a go. After a bunch of actors in the race for the lead role, which included
Keanu Revees, Justin Timberlake, Michael Fassbender, it seems the lead contender is now
Garrett Hedlund from TRON: LEGACY. The futuristic tale is set in post-nuclear war Manhattan in 2019 where a biker gang member tries to save his best friend who is subjected to a government experiment which unleashes his latent powers.
We're still in Asia today, when it comes to trailers, since the first one for
Zhang Yimou's (THE HOUSE OF THE FLYING DAGGERS) epic drama
THE FLOWERS OF WAR has just been released!
As you know, China's official Oscar candidate for 2012, and also one of their most expensive movies ever, will have
Christian Bale as a a foreign mortician who comes to China in 1937 to bury a priest. He has the misfortune of being there just as Japanese forces are taking over the capital and epic battles rage all around him. The late priest’s cathedral was also a school for girls in which the mortician must now pose as a priest to avoid incarceration by the advancing Japanese army. But he is forced to take a more active role in the conflict when the soldiers demand the use of the young female students as “entertainment” for their troops.
ANGEL AND DEMONS were directed by Ron Howard who isn't returning. The third part should see Tom Hanks investigating Freemasons in USA. Variety reports that Warner Bros.' $200 million mega movie adaptation of famous anime AKIRA has been officially given a go. After a bunch of actors in the race for the lead role, which included Keanu Revees, Justin Timberlake, Michael Fassbender, it seems the lead contender is now Garrett Hedlund from TRON: LEGACY. The futuristic tale is set in post-nuclear war Manhattan in 2019 where a biker gang member tries to save his best friend who is subjected to a government experiment which unleashes his latent powers. 
Wow. The Flowers of War looks like a good film. Gritty, but good. And what a cutie Garret Hedlund is. :)
ReplyDeleteUbisoft and I are at odds, since they went and took Ghost Recon and basically cut and pasted a COD clone, so they aren't getting any more of my money..haha. They are the most idiotic game company for fan support EVER. The Lost Symbol might watch, but they seem to get worse as they go along and the first wasn't even that good. Flowers of war looks like it might be good though.
ReplyDeleteflowers of war looks good
ReplyDeleteWhoah that is some trailer! The Flowers of War looks like quite the film~ Hubby loves war movies and I love the elements of the human condition. I might actually get to go see this one~ I miss going to the movies~
ReplyDeleteSeriously Dez! You amaze me. Great shots. and awesome trailer.
ReplyDeleteBale's a good actor. (:
ReplyDeleteHow funny, I have just been to flixy's and saw this trailer and said it would be up your street. And here it is again
ReplyDeleteWow, that trailer looks good!
ReplyDeleteAs for the Lost Symbol, I'll pass.
Flowers of War looking grim and good.
ReplyDeleteI read AKIRA was going to cost only $90 million. Nevertheless, you need at least $200 million to do it justice.
ReplyDeleteI like Garrett Hedlund. Thought he was cool in FOUR BROTHERS and the best thing in COUNTRY STRONG.
However, I'm no Christian Bale fan. I think he tries to hard in roles, as in his acting is forced and laboured. FLOWERS OF WAR looks expensive. Shame about the title.
assassin's creed is one of the very few recent video games i've attempted to play (research for a character). all i managed to do was make the character fall off a cliff over and over again. still though, it looked interesting. :)
ReplyDelete@Luanne
ReplyDeleteI knew you would like the trailer :) But didn't know Garrett would be your type :) What's your type, Luanne? Who are your fav actors?
@Pat
to be honest, Pats, I've played maybe just one game in my life, I just don't have time for it, but I know this one is super popular. When it comes to LOST SYMBOL, I probably won't watch it, since I'm not a fan of Dan Brown who stole most of his ideas from other authors and scholars :(
@Adam
ReplyDeleteglad you think so!
@Ella
this was one of the most disturbing stories from history, and although the West tries to undermine the suffering of Chinese people under Japanese invaders in WW2 because China is a communist country, films like these are needed to remind the Western audience on the truth which is often covered under western media propaganda :(
@Erin
glad you like it, Erin :)
@Pesos
ReplyDeletehe really is!
@Scott
Scottie, I posted the trailer almost ten hours before you posted your comment. At the time I posted it, Flixy was still writing about some new posters. Dezzy is always ahead in the business :)
@Michael
agreed on both, Michael!
@Lurk
ReplyDeleteit should be your kind of film, Lurk
@Movies
actually the last budget was 230 million, but they will probably have to cut it dramatically since they are having problems finding a big enough actor for such an expensive flick. That's why they wanted Keanu or even Tom Cruise.
I like Bale, but I totally understand what you are saying, since those are the reasons I can't stand Sean Penn, Al Pacino, Ryan Gosling and similar actors
@Vics
for research? :PPP
I'm not sure putting Assassin's Creed on the big screen is the best way to showcase what is already an amazing story, but I'll try to remain optimistic. Christian Bale however, looks great in his role. Thanks for sharing the trailer.
ReplyDeletec'mon! it's a valid excuse! :)
ReplyDelete:P :P :P :P
@Eric
ReplyDeletebe welcome, Eric, glad you enjoyed it :)
@Vics
it is, it is! I ain't complaining :)
Video game to movie adaptations usually don't do that great but I'm eager to see how this turns out.
ReplyDeleteI played the first ASSASSIN'S CREED game for an hour, and then returned it. And I'll pass on the movie, too.
ReplyDelete@DWei
ReplyDeleteit's true, I can't recall a single video game movie adaptation which was good :( Although PRINCE OF PERSIA wasn't as bad as fanboys like to claim
@Josh
ah, sorry to hear that, I haven't played a game in my life myself :)
Flowers of War looks like it has potential. And as for the videogame adaptions...i'm a big time gamer myself, but the evidence thus far has implied videogames don't translate well to film. But then again Assasins Creed may just surprise me
ReplyDeleteAC is going to be brilliant
ReplyDelete@Dirty
ReplyDeleteit's true that video games adaptations usually end up being trashy films, but I guess that's the point of video games :) To be quick, brainless and violent. Usually.
@Reilly
hopefully :)
Personally, I could care less about those godawful Dan Brown movies. I slept through Angels and Demons, I should have stayed home when my friends picked the movie. I took a ten dollar nap.
ReplyDeleteGarrett Hedlund is cute, but he has minimal talent. He was awful in Tron, a film I ripped to shreds. And aren't I just fun movie fan tonight? :)
That AKIRA is bound to be bad.As i said it in anomalous material...how could someone without any trace of Asian in his face be called as Tetsuo? plain silly!!
ReplyDeleteAnd the Lost Symbol??? gee...I couldn't even finish the book.
@Melsy
ReplyDeleteh he he ...we don't like religious crap, don't we? :)
It's true about Garrett, I've seen him in ERAGON and he didn't exactly shine in it :(
@Novia
Novia, AKIRA will be set in Manhattan, so I guess they will change the names too :)
New to your blog (got here via my Oirish mate Angry!) and I'm likin' it alot! Zhang Yimou is one of the finest action directors working today - few do action better IMO - and 'Flowers of War' looks the goods.
ReplyDeleteWhile some have criticised Bale as too wooden but I think he brings an awe-inspiring intensity to his work. And he's going back to the familiar with this as it all started with 'Empire of the Sun' - itself an extraordinary performance from a child - and how has he now matured as an actor? Bale has quite a range.
Zhang does us all a service in highlighting a little known aspect (the war in China) of an otherwise well covered (in film) period of history - WWII. Really looking forward to seeing this one. Thanks for finding and posting the trailer - brilliant!
Cheers,
Doc
glad you like the blog, Doc :) Hope we shall be seeing you here often!
ReplyDeleteI agree that Bale is an amazing actor, although I don't always like his choice of roles. He was absolutely brilliant as a kid in EMPIRE OF THE SUN, I'm still shocked he didn't get an Oscar for that one. But then again he deserved an OSCAR for so many other roles too.