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Stuff: Krofft Properties Being Mined By Hollywood

Sigmund and the Sea Monsters

  • Sigmund and the Seamonsters is going to be a live action film, so they say. Land of the Lost, with its $100M budget, has wrapped and is due out in June, and apparently Universal feels so snappy about it, they’ve cut the deal to go back to the Krofft well. Dana Gould (Simpsons) is scribing. The Variety article also points out that Sony is working up a H.R. Pufnstuf live action flick to be helmed possibly by Conran Vernon (director of Shrek 2 and voice of the Gingerbread Man). The Kroffts want to make all of their properties into feature films, including, yes, you guessed it: Bigfoot and Wildboy. Source: Variety.
  • Missed Dark Knight in cinemas? No worries. Warner Brothers is going to re-release the flick for Oscar season, at least at IMAX screens, but they’d be stupid not to bring it back to regular cinemas as well. I bet you they would make a little more coin. Also, here’s something WB needs to do: the moment they’ve squeezed all the green juice they can from screens, release a single-disc edition that’s bare bones. The fanbase is so rabid for the film, they’ll buy it by the hordes. Then come out with your two-disc or three-disc special edition in time for whatever major holiday is next. Then have your ubermongo limited edition insane bit for right before Batman Begins 3 comes out. I know that sounds like I’m advocating triple-dipping, but if people will buy it, why shouldn’t a studio? If there’s a market for people wanting to legitimately own the movie before an uber-edition is ready to hit shelves, then go for it, I say. Regardless, the DVD is set to hit in November. If they do go for a three-disc out of the starting gate, it will crush all other feature film releases. Bet on it. Source: Hollywood Reporter.
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  • George R.R. Martin has confirmed that HBO purchased the television rights to A Game of Thrones, the first book in A Song of Ice and Fire. Martin is wise in the ways of Hollywood, though:

    “What they have NOT done is greenlight the project. A GAME OF THRONES remains in development. They’re still budgeting, still looking at locations (Spain and the Czech Republic at present, I hear). No decision has been reached, so any celebration would be premature. In Hollywood it is always best not to assume something is going to happen until it actually happens.”

    HBO, you have done good things. We believe in you. Do not fuck this up.

  • The Shakespeare in the Park Hair is moving to Broadway. No date yet on when the transfer will happen. I would be interested to see that; I’ve played a part in the show but never actually seen another production of it. Source: Variety.
  • Michael Douglas is to play Liberace. No, I’m serious. Steven Soderbergh is developing a biopic that he will direct and Douglas will star. Richard LaGravanese (Fisher King) is scribing. Matt Damon is in talks to play Scott Thorson, who sued Liberace for palimony. Don’t look for it anytime soon, as Soderbergh has stated it won’t be either of his next two projects. Source: Variety.
  • Matt Lucas (Little Britain) has been signed to play Tweedledee and Tweedledum in Tim Burton‘s Alice in Wonderland. Actually, you know…that’s really inspired casting right there. Source: Variety.
  • Gregory Mcdonald, creator of Fletch, died this past Sunday in Pulaski, Tennessee at the age of 71, following a prolonged fight with cancer. Source: Variety.
  • Fox has a 12-film DVD boxed set coming out for directors F.W. Murnau and Frank Borzage. You can see the full list of films and pre-order yours on the Amazon site. Hollywood Reporter states that all of the films included are hitting DVD for the first time, which is actually incorrect: Sunrise was released as part of their Studio Classics edition–it was either exclusive to a boxed set or available if you sent away for it, one of the two.
  • Gore Verbinski is set to helm Rango for Paramount with Johnny Depp as Rango. John Logan (Sweeney Todd) scribed it. ILM is providing the animation and Verbinski “will be employing techniques he developed with ILM in the creation of the Davy Jones character in the Pirates movies”. Film will hit cinemas in March 2011. Gore, is it going to be mo-cap?

    “The techniques we are employing will allow us to capture and translate every aspect of Johnny’s performance, using it to drive the computer-generated character in a way that has yet to be seen in an animated feature. This is not a disembodied voice: Johnny Depp is Rango. We are creating something that will resonate with a broad audience and stick in the minds of kids all across the globe. The characters and circumstances are feeling buoyant and rich in humor and attitude, yet with a surprising emotional depth. I am tremendously excited about the support and enthusiasm we have received at Paramount.”

    Translation: Yes, it’s going to be mo-cap. Of course, the press release says not thing one about WTF Rango is about. So.