Hollywood Hotline - Week of July 11, 2024
HOLLYWOOD HOTLINE Archives
Howdy Hotliners,
Hope y’all had a wonderful 4th of July holiday/long weekend! I had originally planned on sending a Hotline newsletter out on the morning of the 4th, but of course got sidetracked with prepping for an awesome friends and family barbecue ;)
Heard some rumblings that the Teamsters who are still negotiating with the studios are getting a little cranky but so far so good . . .let’s just make it past July 31, please.
RIP Shelley Duvall (1949-2024). I grew up watching her FAERIE TALE THEATER (1982-1987). The Sept. 8, 1983 episode of JACK AND THE BEANSTALK and November 10, 1983 episode of LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD (starring real-life married couple Mary Steenburgen and Malcolm McDowell) were two episodes I constantly re-watched on Betamax as a kid. I still need to watch all of her Robert Altman films. Two most important: THIEVES LIKE US (1974), and THREE WOMEN (1977), respectively. I also vividly recall renting THE SHINING (1980) at Wherehouse Video in Studio City and watching for the first time on July 4, 1994 at my “babká’s” (grandma) one-bedroom apartment on Chandler Blvd. in North Hollywood, by myself, in the middle of the day. Naturally, the last shot of the film landed extra hard, and I recall being grateful that I didn’t wait to watch it until later that night.
RIP Robert Towne (1934-2024). I just recently re-watched CHINATOWN (1974) with some friends (projected 4k Blu-ray ;) in Burbank garage screening room, and even with subtitles on, and never once getting up to use the bathroom, I still had to ask clarifying plot questions, which my friends patiently answered and/or explained to me. The film truly feels like going back in time via a motion picture time machine. Towne was the King of Four Bones screenplays.
Without further ado, let’s check the hotline:
David Ellison Buys Paramount with $6BN Loan from Dad
Yay capitalism, I guess? I’m just grateful that Ellison is a movie-lover and cares a lot about the theatrical experience. May he become the Robert Evans of my Generation, in that he goes on to greenlight future legendary iconic films, similar to THE GODFATHER (1972), or THE CONVERSATION (1974), or THE PARALLAX VIEW (1974). Or the dozens of other iconic titles that Robert Evans greenlit back in his heyday. In fact, Ellison should have a official list of all of Robert Evans greenlit hits, and he should systematically try and one-up Robert Evans by attempting to greenlight and release more hits than he did.
How Director Raimi hasn’t been directing movies like DRAG ME TO HELL (2009) every couple of years is beyond me. The dude is a maestro of macabre black comedy. “The film is described as a two-hander horror thriller set on an island. The story is said to fall somewhere between Rob Reiner’s Stephen King adaptation MISERY (1990) and Robert Zemeckis’ classic CASTAWAY (2000).”
So Wilson is a severed head while some other dude keeps both of them trapped in a cave? Sign me up!
Darren Aronofsky is Back Too, Baby!
Zoë Kravitz and Austin Butler are attached to star in “Darren Aronofsky’s crime thriller CAUGHT STEALING for Sony Pictures. Aronofsky will direct the pic, which is based on the book by Charlie Huston. The script will be written by Huston, with Protozoa producing. The film follows Hank Thompson (Butler), a burned-out former baseball player, as he’s unwittingly plunged into a wild fight for survival in the downtown criminal underworld of ‘90s New York City. It is unknown who Kravitz will play.”
Sounds like LIONHEART (1990) with Jean-Claude Van Damme, but better?
Jennifer Lawrence & Ari Aster are Having an A24 baby!
Jennifer Lawrence and Ari Aster are co-producing an adaptation of the graphic novel, WHY DON’T YOU LOVE ME? “Released in 2023, the graphic novel is a comedy centered on a couple struggling through their marriage while feeling like something is not quite right in their reality.”
J. Law is looking to star too. So A MARRIAGE STORY (2019) meets THE TRUMAN SHOW (1998)? Got it.
Keanu Reeves May Go Pompeii on Your Ass
“The Michael Crichton and James Patterson novel ERUPTION (2024) has been bought at auction by Sony in what we hear is a seven-figure deal after several circled. The feature take of ERUPTION already has Oscar-winning FREE SOLO (2018) directors Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi attached to direct, and we understand that there already have been conversations with Keanu Reeves to star, though no commitment.”
I don’t know about you, but it feels like we’re long overdue for a volcano tentpole after VOLCANO and DANTE’S PEAK peaked in the summer of ‘97.
TERMINATOR Anmie Cartoon Sounds Killer, Bro
“Showrunner Mattson Tomlin (MOTHER/ANDROID 2021) revealed that his upcoming eight-part Netflix series will channel the “serial killer” vibes of the original 1984 movie as he appeared Friday at the 2024 Anime Expo in Los Angeles. The show serves as somewhat of a soft reboot of the franchise, taking place directly after Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), ignoring the films and television show that came after, according to CNET.”
$mells like someone is cha$ing the X-MEN ‘97 train.
World’s Largest ScreenX Auditorium Opening Near NYC
Anyone in NYC? I need someone to experience this and report back to me at once!
Steven Soderbergh Interview at Karlovy Vary Film Festival
Love this dude. I look forward to collaborating with him one day.
“NO WIRE COAT HANGERS!!! EVER!!!”
Great book coming out on the seminal Faye Dunaway film, MOMMIE DEAREST (1981), which, if you haven’t seen, you gotta watch 2nite!
COMING SOON:
THE SUBSTANCE - All the waaaaay back in May of 2018, I was singing the praises of French director Coralie Fargeat, who I have anointed as the spiritual successor to the late great Tony Scott (1944-2012). Can’t wait for this!
GLADIATOR II - Russell Crowe > Paul Mescal
F1 - Fast cars go VROOM VROOM! I can’t believe someone got paid to pick that Queen song!
AFRAID - Tagline: AI IS ALREADY IN THE HOUSE! I have two friends who each wrote their own AI concept project vehicles. This seems to be in the universe of what they were going for, respectively, so am curious to check out.
THE WASP - Ugh. I hate it when one of my friends ask me to kill someone! God!
TRAP - It’s THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (1991) meets TAYLOR SWIFT: THE ERAS TOUR (2023) starring the guy from THE VIRGIN SUICIDES (1999). Always remember high-concept pitches are three movies rolled into one!
THE PERFECT COUPLE - This gives me SUCCESSION (2018-2023) meets THE WHITE LOTUS (2021-2025) vibes.
Until next week, Hotliners! Thanks for calling in.
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