It seems that these days, major studios aren’t interested in making or distributing a movie unless it can be franchised or easily sold to the movie-buying public. So no surprise that three new projects with stars attached have found their way to smaller shingles.
First up, Joel Schumacher‘s (probably terrible) “Trespass” starring Nicolas Cage, Nicole Kidman, Ben Mendelsohn, Cam Gigandet and Liana Liberato is headed over to Millenium Entertainment. The film centers on the story of a husband and wife, played by Cage and Kidman, who are taken hostage by four brutal home invaders seeking easy cash with chaos further ensuing as betrayal and deception, presumably within the camp of criminals, are uncovered. Granted, this sounds pretty low rent but the casting is keeping us interested. The film will hit theaters this fall.
Meanwhile, Twihards already shaking and crying about the end of their beloved “Twilight” franchise, will have a new Stephenie Meyer book coming to the big screen. “The Host,” to be directed by Andrew Niccol with Saorise Ronan attached to star, is set in the near future where alien parasite “souls” benevolently take over the consciousness of humans. One such “soul” named Wanderer inhabits the body of a dying woman, Melanie Stryder, who just happens to be obsessed with finding the last group of surviving humans. The high concept will find Ronan taking both roles of Wanderer and Melanie in the picture, which is certainly an intriguing prospect. Newbie shingle Open Road have landed the U.S. rights, but there is no word yet on when it roll in front of cameras — presumably it will have to wait until Niccol is done with his next film, “In Time.”
Finally, that Taylor Hackford/Jason Statham team-up announced earlier this spring is now moving ahead. FilmDistrict — who will be bringing us Nicolas Winding Refn‘s “Drive” later in the year — have come aboard for “Parker.” The thriller is based on the character created by Donald E. Westlake — portrayed on screen already by Mel Gibson in “Payback” and Lee Marvin in “Point Blank” — and rather than being based on any single book, it seems the character will be lifted and plopped into some fresh adventures in a script by John J. McLaughlin, who co-wrote “Black Swan.” In keeping with the tradition of a new movie from Stafe every six months, this one will start filming in August.