Pirates of the Caribbean 4 before The Lone Ranger

Jerry Bruckheimer who is currently working on The Sorcerer's Apprentice and Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time spoke to Coming Soon about the Disney films The Lone Ranger and Pirates of the Caribbean 4. Johnny Depp will be back as Captain Jack and is also meant to be playing Tonto

It looks as if Disney are focused on getting the next installement of "Pirates" sorted out.

"It's a great franchise for them and for us, too," said Bruckheimer. "A beloved character and Johnny's really excited about coming back to Captain Jack. He certainly is interested in Tonto, but Disney's priority is to get 'Pirates' made first. You never know what's going to happen, but they would like it."

It makes sense for Disney to focus on a new Pirates movie. It is an almost guaranteed money maker so they will want to keep on mining that for all it is worth. I hope they take it back to the simpler kind of tale like the first film. It also looks as if Depp will be the only main star returning.

Bruckheimer shared that the original writers, Terry Rossio and Ted Elliot, were "writing 'Pirates' as we speak," and he said it was "funny" and a "whole new way of going" although he wouldn't share more than that.

Since Gore Verbinski recently announced that he may not direct a movie based on the video game BioShock, Bruckheimer was aked if there was a chance he might return for a fourth movie. "You never know," he admitted. "He created the franchise so we'd love to have him back, but it's kind of up to him."

Bruckheimer was then asked about what was happening with The Lone Ranger as, apart from Depp, no casting for the lead character has been announced (although Matthew McConaughey had been rumoured). "Wait until they got a director and Disney says to go make the movie." This means previous rumours that Prince of Persia director Mike Newell was in talks to direct the movie are untrue. "We don't have a director yet. He's too busy on 'Prince of Persia' right now," Bruckheimer confirmed.

Just so you know this is a fan made trailer.

What do you want to see in a new Pirates of the Caribbean film? Will it be the rumoured quest for the fountain of youth? Who should direct The Lone Ranger film and who would be best to play that masked man?

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The old Wentworth in Bioshock rumour may be a slightly bigger rumour

Back in April I posted the story that Wentworth Miller and Al Pacino were going to star in Gore Verbinski's Bioshock adaption. That was apparantly an April Fool.

Then it turned out that Verbinski was no longer making the film and it had died a slow death.

Now, according to Bloody Disgusting, it looks as if there is some movement on the film and the April Fool wasn't so foolish.

Late last night "Prison Break" star Wentworth Miller updated his Twitter page with this shocking tweet, "Prison Break may be ending, but I've got things in the works. Hint...one word: Bioshock."

What do you think? Is he talking about the film or just that he's going to be playing the game on his down time?

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Bioshock has run out of Adam for now

Universal Pictures has put the brakes on Bioshock, the Gore Verbinski-directed live-action adaptation of the bestselling Take-Two Interactive vidgame according to Variety.

The picture was in pre-production, but the studio has halted that effort -- and let some production staff go -- as Universal and Verbinski figure out a way to make the film on a less costly budget.

The John Logan-scripted picture was gearing up to shoot in Los Angeles, but that changed when the budget rose to about $160 million. Universal and Verbinski are looking at alternatives, such as shooting in London, as a way to pare costs.

The story takes place in the underwater city Rapture, where a pilot crash-lands near a secret entrance and becomes involved in a power struggle.

“We were asked by Universal to move the film outside the U.S. to take advantage of a tax credit,” Verbinski said. “We are evaluating whether this is something we want to do. In the meantime, the film is in a holding pattern.”

Verbinski and sources at the studio say they are determined to make the pic. Indeed, Verbinski (who has also been directing the Paramount animated film “Rango”) bowed out of directing a fourth installment of “Pirates of the Caribbean” so he could direct “Bioshock” and produce under his Blind Wink banner.

Studio sources said that the budget simply became untenable, but Universal sources said the situation is no different than when the studio delayed the start of the untitled Robin Hood pic that Ridley Scott is now directing with Russell Crowe starring. Universal is making that picture for $130 million, a much smaller budget than in its first incarnation. For a number of reasons that included the need for extra script work, that picture temporarily halted, which enabled Crowe to star in “State of Play” when Brad Pitt fell out.

All parties vow that “Bioshock” will not become another “Halo,” the would-be live-action adaptation of the Microsoft game that was cancelled when U and Fox got cold feet over budget fears.

Cheers to Pam for sending me the news. I personally hope the film does get made as it is a brilliant game with a cracking story. Do you want to see a Bioshock film? Would you want Verbinski to carry on directing it if it does start up again?

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Bioshock - Fan made film trailer

MarquisDesign mashed up a lot of films to make this trailer. It actually works rather well.

The films he used are "City of Lost Children," "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow," "Casshern" "Dark City," "Cast Away," "James Cameron's Aliens of the Deep, An IMAX Film," "I Robot," "Silent Hill," and "Artificial Intelligence."

Did that impress you? What do you want to see in the Gore Verbinski helmed film?

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Bioshock 2 - Trailer for the video game sequel

Have a look at this. I loved the first one and now the sequel (or maybe prequel) is on it's way. Looks like you play as a Big Daddy with lots of big weapons at your disposal.

I like the look of bits where you actually get to go into the ocean. Plus it looks as spooky as the original. I also think you get a quick look at one of the Big Sisters.

What did you think of the trailer?

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Verbinski walks the plank from Pirates to Bioshock

This is sort of a done deal that I've mentioned before - most recently in an April Fool post. Now Variety have confirmed it.

After spending the better part of the last six years directing the "Pirates of the Caribbean" trilogy, which grossed $2.6 billion worldwide, Verbinski has informed Disney and producer Jerry Bruckheimer that he will not helm a fourth installment that's expected to set sail in 2010 with Johnny Depp back as Captain Jack Sparrow.

Sequel is in development but not yet greenlit. It's unknown how Verbinski's ankling will affect the pic's schedule.

Verbinski will instead focus on other projects that include "Bioshock," a Universal Pictures adaptation of the bestselling vidgame that has a John Logan script and is likely to be Verbinski's next film as a director.

"I had a fantastic time bringing 'Pirates' to life, and I am eternally grateful to Jerry, Johnny and the rest of the creative and production team," Verbinski said. "I'm looking forward to all of us crossing paths again in the future."

Verbinski is still working with Depp, though. He has been directing "Rango," a CG-animated film for Paramount Pictures, with Depp voicing the title character. Logan wrote the script based on an idea by Verbinski. Paramount has set a March 2011 release.

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Pacino in Bioshock with a possible cameo by Johnny Depp?

Read this and get all excited like I did. I'll be waiting for you to read it.

"Prison Break" star Wentworth Miller and Oscar-winner Al Pacino have joined the cast of Gore Verbinski's "Bioshock" for Universal Pictures reports The Chicago News Dispatcher.
Based on the best-selling 2007 video game, the story is set in the 1960's when a plane crashes in the middle of the Atlantic. Jack (Miller), the sole survivor, discovers a lighthouse which leads down to Rapture, an underwater city built in the 1940's by a business magnate who wanted to create a scientific utopia where people could work without governmental or religious oversight.

Unfortunately the city has fallen into decay and madness, insane genetically mutated beings called 'Splicers' roam the halls. Only an energy that lies within various young girls can save the city, these girls however are protected by gigantic bodyguards called Big Daddies.

Pacino is in negotiations to play the magnate Andrew Ryan, while Verbinski is apparently pursuing one of his old "Pirates of the Caribbean" co-stars for a cameo as the bunny mask-wearing nutter Sander Cohen in a sequence midway through the film.
Unlike the game which is kept purely indoors, one big sequence will apparently involve a several-minute long scene underwater. The production will move into Leavesden Studios once filming on the final "Harry Potter" is complete, with the water tank built for 'Goblet of Fire' to be utilized for that underwater scene.

Location filming will also take place in Malta.

Verbinski is producing from a script by John Logan.

I got to this point and my mind was wondering who the cameo would be by...would it be Depp? Would Pacino bring his A-Game to this one.

Then I clicked on the link to The Chicago News Dispatcher above and was quickly reminded of todays date.

A very good, almost feasible, April Fool...apparantly.

What April Fool things have you fallen for today?

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What's the deal with Bioshock 2? Where have all the Big Daddies gone?

Kotaku have the news on whether Big Daddies will appear in the Bioshock Sequel that may actually be a prequel. Spoilers ahead.

In fact, you're the first of the lot, a so-called "renegade" Big Daddy who's on the hunt for a Little Sister of his own, according to a tipster who has the new Game Informer magazine in hand. You'll take out rival Daddies with your huge hand-drill and plasmid powers, claiming their wee sidekicks as your own. Similar to the first BioShock, you can choose to either harvest your Little Sister prize for ADAM or you can adopt her as your own.

That Little Sister comes in handy. She'll harvest ADAM from corpses strewn about Rapture, acting as a warning sign for when the Big Sister--the lithe, lightning fast enemy who will hunt your character throughout the game--has you in her sights. Based on her description, it sounds like she'll one hell of a fight.

From what we've heard, players will have access to all the things that made the Big Daddy such a menace in BioShock, with the character upgrades and options available in the first game expanded to keep things interesting.

Sounds brilliant and being able to play as a Big Daddy will be Easy...Easy...Easy! (A very British reference there - see below)

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Big Sister wants to welcome you to Rapture

Here's a first look at some artwork for Bioshock 2. The first one was a pulse pounding, nerve shredding adventure through the undersea city of Rapture. It was brilliant and had a great story.

Bioshock 2 looks like it will bejust as good but the Big Sister will probably be a lot faster than the Big Daddies in the first game.

Source: Kotaku

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McG to set sail in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea remake

Looks as if McG has got his next film sorted once Terminator Salvation wraps. Variety as the news that he has signed on to direct 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea a sort of remake of the 1954 live-action Disney film that starred James Mason and Kirk Douglas.

The original Jules Verne tale was first published in 1870, but most people remember the Disney version famous for its giant squid scene and excellent design of the Nautilus or the cool Nautilus and Captain Nemo in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (not the poor film, but the cool Alan Moore comic book).

Bill Marsilii, (Deja Vu) has written the screenplay for this new version and it will be an origin story focusing on Nemo as he creates his powerful submarin, the Nautilus. This sounds like a great way to go as Nemo is a truly mysterious character.

Here is what wikipedia have to say on Nemo:

Nothing concerning his past is revealed in the Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, excepting his having reason to hate the countries of the world and the apparent loss of his family. It is in its sequel, The Mysterious Island, that Nemo declares himself Prince Dakkar, the Hindu son of the Raja of Bundelkund. He was deeply antagonistic to the British Raj of India. After the Sepoy Rebellion of 1857, in which he lost his family and his kingdom, he devoted himself to scientific research and develops an advanced submarine, the Nautilus. He and a crew of his followers cruise the seas, battling injustice, especially imperialism. The gold of Spanish ships sunk in Vigo Bay, as a result of the Battle of Vigo Bay, provided them with bullion.

This could be excellent film if done right and should have a dark edge to it all. What with this and a Bioshock film in the works it looks as if Hollywood will be underwater for a while. Are you excited about the remake?

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Batman: Arkham Asylum video game teaser trailer

Here is a screen shot and trailer for the new Batman: Arkham Asylum computer game. It's based more on the comic books than the recent Batman Begins and The Dark Knight movies.

Coming out on Xbox 360, PS3, PC and PS2 at some point in 2009, apparently it will mix puzzle-solving and combat from the third-person perspective in what I've read may play something like BioShock style action. Gameplay takes places on an island, their will be several supporting characters and villains including Commissioner Gordon, the Joker and the Riddler, and in-game guidance will be provided by Barbara Gordon (Oracle). If it has half the suspense of Bioshock then it may well be a cool Batman game and that has been a long time coming.

The trailer doesn't actually show any gameplay, just lots of Arkham Asylum and as well as Bioshock it has a Silent Hill, Resident Evil kind of vibe. What do you game players think? It does look pretty cool.

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The Random

Thanks to SFX Magazine for the following info.

Bioshock - That's right the dystopian vision of the 360 game is currently in development for the big screen. Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean) is running the show - he must love the water! Screenplay to be written by John Logan (Sweeney Todd). As long as it is done right the city of Rapture should look amazing. Not sure if it will be following the story of the game or whether it will just be set in the same world. Still should be cool watching the Big Daddy and Splicer fights. I really must finish that game, but it always leaves me feeling nervous!

Highlander - I didn't see this one coming but looks like a remake or reimagining of the Immortal ones is on the cards. The blokes who wrote Iron Man (Art Marcum and Matt Holloway) are working on the screenplay. It's got a budget of $50 Million and rumours of Ewan McGregor or James McAvoy starring in it have begun to creep around the net. They'll have to work on their French accent to blend with their native tongue for it to be like the original! There can be only one.

Flash Gordon - I've not seen any of the recent TV series but I've heard how terribly bad it is. Major suckage apparantly. Still it hasn't stopped Gordon making it to the big screen once more. Breck Eisner (Sahara) is down to direct it.

The Hobbit - Guillermo del Toro is busy on this one (actually two movies). He's said that casting is still a good way away, but rumours abound that James McAvoy (he gets everywhere) will be the titular Bilbo Baggins. However del Toro has said there will be parts for his good buddy Ron Perlman (Hellboy, Cronos) and Ian Holm who played Bilbo in the Lord of the Rings movies. Back to back filming is due to start in 2011.

Spider-Man 4 - Some good news on this one after the disappointment of Spidey 3 (Emo Parker was just rubbish and Venom was wasted). James Vanderbilt (the bloke who did the screenplay for Zodiac) has completed his first draft of the movie. Rumour has it that it sets up a story arc that needs to be told over two films. Tobey Maguire is still down to play Parker, but word is out that Patrick Fugit (Almost Famous) could be steeping into the red and blue tights.

Let me know your thoughts on any of these stories and if you have anything for the next Random email me and I'll whack them on the site. If you can include where you heard about it and a name you'd like to go by that would be splendid.