– Having coming close to production with Len Wiseman and Tom Cruise on board, the action-thriller “Motorcade” looks set to finally get rolling, with “24” director Jon Cassar, who was behind 59 episodes of the Keifer Sutherland series, at the helm. The movie focuses on a disgraced secret service agent trying to foil the kidnapping of the U.S. president, and Dreamworks wants Ryan Reynolds to take the lead, after he shoots “Green Lantern” early next year. We sort of enjoyed the script, as far as this kind of movie goes, although the villain was pretty weak, and it falls apart in the last act, a la “Speed,” but writer Billy Ray (“Shattered Glass”) is still tinkering with it — the setting appears to have moved from New York to Los Angeles since the draft we have, for one.
– Michael Bay’s Platinum Dunes genre division, home of the shitty horror remake, has signed a first look deal with Paramount, who co-produced the company’s “Friday the 13th” movie. The first two films in the pact (which was possibly signed in blood at a crossroads at midnight) will be “The Butcherhouse Chronicles,” from “The Grudge” writer Stephen Susco, described as “”The Breakfast Club” in a haunted house,” and “Property of the State,” a thriller about a reformed criminal menaced by a malevolent parole officer.
– “The Nightmare Before Christmas” director Henry Selick has left Laika, the Portland-based animation setup. Selick helmed the excellent “Coraline” for the studio, moved on due to frustrations at the lack of a new project with the company, who are expected to announce its next project, with another director, in the next month or so.
– Disney have picked up “Reel to Real,” a pitch from new writers Eric Saiet and Andrea Maywhort-Scully, about a magical film projector. A magical film projector that, we imagine, will teach a workaholic dad, played by Robin Williams/Adam Sandler/Eddie Murphy, that family is the most important thing in life. But we’re speculating. The deal was made before Rich Ross was appointed head of the studio earlier in the week – we maintain that if the studio really wanted to shake things up, they would’ve appointed Rick Ross.
For those that enjoy cable TV, Jason Schwartzman and Zach Galifianakis, HBO has picked up, “Bored to Death,” for a second season. Someone send us the season, please. We dropped HBO a few months ago.
