Oh, "G.I. Joe 3," we forgot about you. In the realm of the ongoing franchises, it’s one that audiences aren’t in a big hurry to see another entry from. Still, the movie did good business overseas, even if ultimately it only grossed $375 million worldwide, which is pretty lowball in today’s blockbuster world. But it’s enough that another movie is in the works, and it looks like a director has been found.
D.J. Caruso ("Eagle Eye," "Disturbia") is in "early discussions" for the job, and he’s a pretty uninspired and somewhat safe choice. He can do big scale spectacle effectively, if not memorably, but if Paramount needs a guy who will stick the script and just knock it out, we suppose he’s as good as anyone else. Once he’s locked down, then we can start worrying about plot and cast details. There’s no release date yet for the film. [Deadline]
Last summer, word started circulating that Wong Kar-wai would direct a new film, "Ferryman," this year, but it appears that’s not quite the case. It has emerged that the filmmaker will only produce the picture, with Zhang Jiajia, who wrote the short story the film is based, directing. There’s not much in the way of plot details, but longtime Wong collaborator Tony Leung is starring in the movie script unseen, marking his return to the romantic comedy genre that kickstarted his career. "Ferryman" will be completed in time for release later this year. [WongKarWai.Net]
Barry Sonnenfeld, perhaps ready to use up whatever cred he had left for once being the cinematographer of choice for the Coen Brothers, has signed up to direct "Nine Lives." It follows "a workaholic businessman who has to figure his way out of a dilemma: A terrible accident leaves him trapped in the body of the family cat." Good lord. [Deadline]
