AVATAR 2 Delayed Until 2017 And Could Effect BATTLE ANGEL's Development

There is word from James Cameron (via Coming Soon) that his Avatar sequel with the working title of Avatar 2 is now being delayed from it's original release date of December 2016 to December 2017. The delays are due to the extensive writing needed to make sure all three sequels are cohesive with each other. Cameron still expects to shoot all three films at the same which is likely apart of the delay.

“There’s a layer of complexity in getting the story to work as a saga across three films that you don’t get when you’re making a stand-alone film,” said Cameron.“We’re writing three simultaneously. And we’ve done that so that everything tracks throughout the three films. We’re not just going to do one and then make up another one and another one after that and parallel with that, we’re doing all the design. So we’ve designed all the creatures and the environments.” 

This makes sense since the team of writers include Josh Friedman, Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver working on Avatar 2 and Avatar 3, while Shane Salerno is writing Avatar 4 . James Cameron being involved with development on all three scripts. A rather large task since he's also directing all three films as well.

The news will likely also see delays with both Avatar 3 and Avatar 4 release dates as well pushing them to December 2018 and December 2019.

Hey look! It's a Battle Angel t-shirt.

Like most, we were all shocked when James Cameron announced he was making three sequels to Avatar. It's a bizarre move on the part of Cameron considering all the criticism he received for the film's boring and predictable story.

I'm sort of lamenting to all the wonderful films he could be making instead of focusing on this sub-par science fiction franchise. It's $2.7 billion box office is likely one of driving factors along with his nutty belief these films could help the environmental movement.

Fans like myself would rather see James Cameron focusing on more gritty material and getting back to his Terminator and Aliens roots.

Back in 2013, James Cameron did confirm to fellow director Alfonso Cauron during the TAG DF event that he was indeed going to be returning to Battle Angel Alita once production on Avatar 3 was completed in 2017. The project titled Alita is an adaptation of the manga and anime.

Combined with news that Avatar 2 will be delayed until 2017 and a third sequel added to the lineup since his announced development plans for Alita. I'm curious if the film will ever get made or will be further delayed.

Cameron had been originally developing the manga/anime adaptation's script with screenwriter Laeta Kalogridis (Ghost In The Shell, Terminator Genesys, Avatar, Shutter Island) while shooting Avatar and you can even spot him wearing a Battle Angel t-shirt on the set in the picture above.

Jim started commissioning design work on the film in 2008 which gives you an idea how long he's been working on the project. Cameron would eventually shoot test-footage for the film but it never seemed to make it's way online or to the public.

Alita, a cyborg who has lost all memories and is found in a garbage heap by a cybernetics doctor who rebuilds and takes care of her. She discovers that there is one thing she remembers, the legendary cyborg martial art Panzer Kunst, which leads to her becoming a Hunter Warrior or bounty hunter. The story traces Alita's attempts to rediscover her past and the characters whose lives she impacts on her journey. 



The project is like a mix of Blade Runner, Rollerball and Akira meets Ghost In The Shell with organ/robotic implant thievery. Littered with hardcore action and violence more in the realm of a Paul Verhoeven film like Robcop or Total Recall. Not to mention the protagonist of the film would be a very young girl.

During it's original development there had been a large demand to see Juno's Ellen Page take the role of Alita. Since then she would go on to star in huge blockbusters such as X-Men Days of Future Past and Christopher Nolan's Inception. Fox has even played with the idea of a Kitty Pryde spin-off but no official plans have been made.

It's more than likely that Page has aged-out of the role since the test footage was described to have an actress that looked like she was fourteen years old.

A younger actress who I think would be perfect for the role is Joey King (The Conjuring, Fargo, Crazy Stupid Love, Battle LA). You might remember she played a young Talia al Ghul in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises.

SOURCE: AP

How Neill Blomkamp And Sigourney Weaver Could Team-Up To Convince Fox To Make ALIEN XENO

We know that writer-director Neill Blomkamp has been secretly commissioning artwork for an Alien film (working title Alien Xeno) but wasn't on the radar of 20th Century Fox who own the franchise. He instead tried to come-up with his own take on the saga, which seemingly had the return of Ripley and Hicks. The two surviving their on-screen deaths in Alien 3, and back to stopping the evil Weyland Corporation from using the xenomorphs for bio-weapons. Essentially becoming the Aliens sequel that James Cameron was never allowed to make.

For starters there is a new guard at Fox, something that happens every so often. The people who nixed the original plan to have Weaver reprise the Ripley role in Alien 5 are now gone. That pitch had James Cameron set to work with Joss Whedon on a script with Ridley Scott attached to direct the film. Instead Fox went with Aliens Vs Predators and everyone just walked away from the franchise. Of course Ridley returning only to play around with his Space Jockey origin in Prometheus installments.

We know that the xenomorph we know and love won't be apart of Fox's Prometheus sequel, as this was confirmed by Ridley himself. That seems to leave a few options on the table for Fox to consider new mainstream Alien saga films. Appeasing the fans who felt cheated with Prometheus and are still hungering for more movies. I've mentioned before about mining the rich world created for the space station setting of Alien Isolation which has Ripley's daughter Amanda becoming the protagonist. While this could be an excellent one-off or soft reboot, I'm convinced we could have another round with Ellen Ripley. The best thing about Xeno, it won't conflict with either Prometheus or Isolation as the two are set in the past.

Sigourney Weaver has stated she's extremely open to playing Ripley one more time to give fans that finally climax we never really had. This could have the events of the fourth film continue with the cloned Ripley continuing to seek out the aliens and destroying them. Another aspect would be to ignore the events of the last two films entirely. Allowing Ripley to be herself and really explore what would have happened if Weyland-Yutani did in fact finally get ahold of the aliens.

Weaver recently working with Neill Blomkamp on Chappie is how the two become a united front. We know that Neill isn't entirely finished with his project, since it was never developed far enough to actually pitch to Fox. Stating he'd love to return to it someday. Having a working relationship with Weaver could sort out the bullshit that sort of happened when the studio tried hiring directors on the last two films. The biggest hurtle not having a director involved with the script. We know that Blomkamp gets this subject matter better than most, since all of his films centre around evil governments or corporations.

His films also aren't as costly as some may think they are compared to other films in the action and science fiction genre. District 9's budget blew everyone away when it was revealed it only cost around $40M to make. This type of low budget should peek the interest of the studio, who might see it risky to return to the Ripley saga forking over $100M+. Blomkamp's background in digital effects and his working relationship with Weta Workshop/Digital should also be considered by Fox.

Fox wisely hired both Andy Serkis and the team over at Weta to handle their new Planet of The Apes franchise which has become a powerhouse after Matt Reeve's Dawn of The Planet of The Apes. I assume Weta could help the pump new blood into the Alien saga as well, if they pursue Blomkamp's idea. I still think the key to grounding this universe is the right amount of digital and practical effects. Blomkamp being one of the better filmmakers able to mix the two together.

I'm also sure that Sigourney knows she could relax a bit on her fees which became a heated issue with both the studio and producers. An aspect that likely led to hiring mostly unknowns for Paul W. Anderson's lousy AVP film.

Lastly, name James Cameron and Jon Landau (Avatar, Titanic) as the project's producers. Yes, we know that James has washed his hands of the franchise after AVP but might be interested to learn Blomkamp's desire to bring back Hicks and even possibly an adult version of Newt.

Getting the mostly jaded Cameron on board to either help with the story or give his blessings as it's producer. This could only help the project find new legs, since Fox is likely already interested in the prospect. Getting James involved could only help things move faster. Plus, we know he'll be focusing on his Avatar films and will never pursue a previous franchise again. Stating he'll let the Terminator rights die when they revert back to him.

Landau could act as a go between Blomkamp and Cameron, since we know Jim will be extremely busy with his three Avatar sequels. I'd also like to see Walter Hill's participation limited, only because I believe he might have been the reason behind a lot of the friction over the years.

Cameron is still on really good terms with Weaver putting her in Avatar and promising to have the actress return for the sequels. The assumption that one of them could be a prequel focusing on her character as the focus of it.


I'd hope to see X-Men and Star Wars writer-producer Simon Kinberg get involved too since he produced both Elysium and Chappie. It doesn't hurt that Simon is already making successful waves at 20th Century Fox.

I could totally see him and Cameron breaking a story together or Simon on his own then working on the screenplay with Neill. Fox has shown they have a lot of confidence with Kingberg, so Blomkamp using that to his advantage might be a good move.

Getting three producers with deep Fox roots would be key here to get them on board for the project. I do think Kinberg is the best shot though, since Jim and Jon will be busy with their sequels. Simon being the most likely of the three to get involved.

Side note, I can already picture Shartlo Copley playing a slimeball Weyland executive or one of their mercenaries in-charge of the facility's security.

Neill Blomkamp Secretly Working On An ALIENS Sequel, Fox Make This Movie Now!

Writer-director Neill Blomkamp is arguably one of the few original voices in the world of science fiction filmmaking. Having left a troubled Halo film franchise, after the project fell apart at the studio. Only to make three original films within the science fiction genre via District 9, Elysium and the upcoming Chappie. Neill, along with Duncan Jones have been making waves within the genre and I've kind of seen them act as this era's version of Ridley Scott and James Cameron, but at a much smaller scale.

We really haven't heard too much chatter from Blomkamp about playing around in other franchises, the expectation he would never want to. However, this is seemingly not the case as the Neill posted a bunch of concept art for an Aliens sequel (titled Alien: Xeno?) on Instagram. He points-out on Twitter that 20th Century Fox had no idea this was going on. I'm sure they'll be eagerly contacting him as this has been gathering a lot of buzz online. Blomkamp is also hinting he might be going with something else instead, which is a shame. Although, if Fox is smart they'll consider making a development deal with Blomkamp.

Was working on this. Don't think I am anymore. Love it though. #alien #xenomorph http://t.co/3T4iINZG18
— Neill Blomkamp (@NeillBlomkamp) January 2, 2015

Ps this has nothing to do with the studio. I just feel like I might do something else instead. In which case why not show some work-
— Neill Blomkamp (@NeillBlomkamp) January 2, 2015

They didn't really even know I was working on it ha
— Neill Blomkamp (@NeillBlomkamp) January 2, 2015

I assume this film would take the place of the events from both Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection. Since the artwork includes Hicks and Ripley getting back together to kick-ass. Hicks and Newt were controversially killed-off in the opening scene of Alien3, a move that had James Cameron scratching his head. Having just spent an entire film setting-up Ripley's connection and relationships with both three-dimensional characters. We know that at one time James and Ridley Scott came together to pitch Alien 5, which was rejected in-favor for Alien Vs Predator. Leading to Cameron washing his hands of the franchise.

You can kind of get what the plot of the film was likely going to be in the images. As it looks like the Weyland Corporation has recovered the derelict ship, finally got their hands on the xenomorph and the space jockey technology. Ripley and Hicks going on a suicide mission to destroy the ship and the research facility. I assume by the time they get there the xenos are already running-a-muck, since an alien queen is lumbering around the facility in one concept shot.

The interesting part in all this is that Sigourney Weaver has mentioned in the press about being-up for another installment if the studio was game. Michael Biehn I'm sure would be game as well if this is the sort of direction they're going for. Since he just reprised the role of Hicks in the Aliens: Colonial Marines video game.

Another awesome aspect, this movie wouldn't interfere with either Prometheus 2 or an Alien: Isolation adaptation. Since both projects take place way before the events of Aliens and this possible concept. It should be noted that one of the pieces of artwork is dated March 2014, so this is stuff was recently put together by Blomkamp.

I really do think Fox should contract Blomkamp about this project, even if it isn't his next film after Chappie. This honestly feels like where Cameron would have gone if Fox had waited for him to make Alien3, so it's an exciting prospect with lots of potential.

Over the summer it was revealed that Fox was developing a direct sequel to Predator with Shane Black. If they're retreading with that franchise, they might as do the same for the much more popular Alien saga. Giving fans that film we always wanted to see.

SOURCE: INSTAGRAM

Sigourney Weaver Still Open To Making ALIEN 5 And Finishing The Ripley Saga

A fifth Alien movie has been in development and limbo for almost two decades, but a new glimmer of hope has arrived. Sigourney Weaver recently commented on her desire to reprise the role of Ripley and finally end her story for good in Alien 5. For years she's been hinting that she wants it to happen, I'm sure Fox wants that as well, but wants to round-out their Prometheus sequel first. Here's what Weaver had to say at the Hero Complex Film Festival.

“Had we done a fifth one, I don’t doubt that her humanity would have prevailed. …I do feel like there is more story to tell.”

“I feel a longing from fans for the story to be finished,” she said, adding, “I could imagine a situation where we finish telling the story.”

Ideas and scripts for fifth film has been been kicking around for almost 20 years. You might remember that in Alien Resurrection, Joss Whedon and Fox left a large potential for more films. Leaving the xenomorph-hybrid Ripley clone alive on Earth (Paris, France to be exact) with her new pirate comrades. There had been versions of the script that included xenomorphs being set loose on Earth, which Weaver was very much against. Here's a little quote from Signourney about making a fifth movie.

"We were thinking about doing this fifth one, and I didn't really want to go ahead and do it on Earth," Weaver revealed. "So we kind of left the sentence unfinished. There's something slightly unfinished to me about it. I wasn't too keen to come to Earth. I always feel that science fiction, when it comes to Earth, it's a little [Weaver mimics yawning]. I wanted to go back to the original planet that the space jockey brought the eggs from and go back into the alien world rather than have the alien arrive in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower."

Joss Whedon admittedly started work on writing the next film, it's unknown how much of his work was going to be used in fifth installment. At one point Ridley Scott and James Cameron were willing to partner for Alien 5, Weaver agreed to return as well. Cameron would write-produce (I assume with some help from Whedon?) the film with Ridley set to direct. The studio decided on making Alien Vs Predator instead, and James Cameron walked away completely disgusted by the move. The idea was to have Ripley seek-out the origin planet of the xenomorphs and destroy them completely. You can understand how that idea of the xenomorph planet, may have influenced the concepts for Pandora.

This led to Fox developing the two-part prequel Alien: Origins, which would explore the origins of space jockey alien and where the xenomorphs came from. This was later turned into what we now know as Prometheus, and Fox was able to wrangle Ridley Scott back into the director's chair. I know a lot of people where expecting the first film to answer all their questions, but it was always envisioned as two-parter. Prometheus 2 (Paradise) will likely hold the answers most were assuming would be revealed in the first film.

The ball is in the court of 20th Century Fox, who is seemingly putting all their effort into their X-Men and Avatar franchises. Here is hoping they do the right thing and get this project moving again, as Prometheus has become it's own animal and only slightly connected to the Alien franchise. Fans have been waiting since 1997 for this to happen, let's not let that opportunity just disappear.

SOURCE: LATIMES

Arnold Schwarzenegger To Play Villainous General In James Cameron's AVATAR Sequels?

LatinoReview has an update concerning James Cameron's Avatar sequels which would see Arnold Schwarzenegger re-teaming with Jim after 20 years. Arnold is said to be playing a villainous General in the film or films. I assume that he'll be sent to Pandora to regain control of the planet. At one point Cameron was aiming to bring Schwarzenegger into the Alien franchise (studio moved on without Cameron on both Alien 3 and Alien 5), so it'll be interesting to see how he fits into the world of Avatar. It's possible this villain could be apart of more than one of the three sequels currently being written.

James Cameron And Fox Announce AVATAR 2 (December 2016), AVATAR 3 (December 2017) And AVATAR 4 (December 2018)

James Cameron and 20th Century Fox have made it official (via Deadline) as they have announced plans to make three sequels to smash hit Avatar. We've heard previously that Cameron was currently prepping production for Avatar 2 sometime in 2014 but this is the first official word of Avatar 4. The studio and Cameron have announced plans to release Avatar 2 in December 2016, Avatar in December 2017 and Avatar 4 in December 2018. They also announce writers Josh Friedman (Word of The Worlds), Rick Jaffa/Amanda Silver (Rise/Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes) and Shane Salerno have been tapped to help write the three sequels with James.

Guillermo Del Toro's AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS Landing At Legendary?

In Deadline's recent story of Guillermo del Toro (Hellboy, Pan's Labyrinth) signing on to direct the horror film Crimson Peak for Legendary Pictures. The writer/director sounded hopeful that his adaptation of the H.P. Lovecraft story At The Mountains of Madness would find a new home at Legendary Pictures. The production company aligned with with Warner Bros. recently hired Guillermo to direct Pacific Rim right after he exited The Hobbit. Legendary will now be financing Crimson Peak another passion project for Guillermo which will likely begin production in 2014.

"They love [Mountains], but we just finished Pacific Rim. They want to let that film happen [it opens July 12] and then my hope is, down the line we can do it. People ask how do i choose projects. All the projects in my roster are there because I love them, but the financing process is serendipity. And often, the ones I think will happen don’t, and the ones I think won’t happen, do."

Universal had originally optioned del Toro's At The Mountains of Madness which had Tom Cruise attached to star in the lead. James Cameron had been mentioned as being involved too. The studio plagued with many large projects flopping over the years was scared off by the purposed R-rating and the film's budget. Guillermo eventually pulled the plug believing the film he had envisioned wouldn't be done properly at Universal. You really can't make a PG-13 horror film based on Lovecraft with Guillermo del Toro directing because it looses it's edge and impact.

Funny enough, Ridley Scott's R-rated Prometheus took a lot of influence from the classic Lovecraft tale which ended up to be the most profitable film in the Alien franchise. Prometheus is already on track for a sequel while it looks like another terrible move by Universal. Also, Tom Cruise's action stock has also risen after a massive comeback thanks to Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol. Cruise is putting together a large amount of action film roles with Jack Reacher, Obilvion and All You Need Is Kill.

TERMINATOR Announcement To Be Made?

Annapurna Pictures has teased via Twitter a possible upcoming announcement concerning their new Terminator film. There had been talk that this new film will be more of sequel to the original two James Cameron movies. Anna quotes T2 with her statement giving the impression they'll be revealing either a writer or director (perhaps both?). The studio is best known currently for more art-house films with Lawless, The Master, Killing Them Softly and Zero Dark Thirty.

"The whole thing goes: The future's not set. There's no fate but what we make for ourselves." -John Connor, Terminator 2 (news is coming)

James Cameron To DIrect THE INFORMATIONIST After AVATAR Sequels

HeatVision report that James Cameron will be eating his own words as he's signed on to direct The Informationist based on the novel by Taylor Stevens for 20th Century Fox. Cameron previously announced he was only focusing Avatar films for the rest of his career. That doesn't seem to be the case with Battle Angel and now The Informationist on his to-direct-list. The main character is described as a mix between Salander and Sherlock.

Centers on Vanessa “Michael” Munroe, a woman born in central Africa who spent her teenage years as a protege of gunners and mercenaries. She reinvents herself as an information dealer for wealthy clients, but when a billionaire hires her to find his daughter who went missing in Africa, Munroe finds herself back in the Dark Continent.

Warner Bros. Developing 'TEMPLE OF THE HEAVENS' Based On Chinese Mythology

Deadline reports that Warner Bros. is developing another promising project titled Temple of Heaven which will be influenced on Chinese mythology. It's hard to see why this isn't a brilliant idea considering a majority of the Western fairy and fantasy tales are all now in-development or have already been made. There are so many legendary myths and tales from China that they could be using for this film. They've tapped Chad St. John (Motor City) to write an outline and could end up writing the script.

The most famous of these myths being Monkey or the Monkey King depending on the story he's usually depicted as a mischievous but heroic figure. Journey To The West being the most well-known of his tales which included a steady stream of Chinese fantasy creatures and lovable characters. The creators of The Gorillaz actually put together a musical stage production of Journey To The West which was beyond stunning. The Forbidden Kingdom was a loose western adaption of the Monkey story which had Jet Li in the role. That film was sort of successful mainly because it also infused classic Kung Fu film mythology as well.

Writer/director Guillermo del Toro (Blade 2, Hellboy 1-2) had been linked for a three-part Journey To The West film which Neil Gamien had been hired to write. After the final Hobbit being released in 2012 WB will have to find their next massive fantasy franchise. Journey could be perfect to fill that gap, making the leap that del Toro (who was going to direct The Hobbit) making them isn't a big one. Guillermo is finishing up work on Pacific Rim for the studio and seemingly left the Hobbit on good terms. The only issue at this point the project would need $300 million to produce and Warners isn't picked it up. James Cameron would be the project's 3D consultant which should peak massive interest.

Temple of Heaven could be just a reworking in general similar to what we've seen with Kung Fu Panda as an original property but taking influence from multiple Asian sources. Universal's 47 Ronin is rumored to be more supernatural than the traditional story and could infuse the vast Japanese lore as well. I could see Temple using a similar method to have more human looking characters than what we would see in a Journey To The West film.

James Cameron Comments On 'BATTLE ANGEL' Status

There was some concern that when James Cameron announced he would only be focusing on Avatar sequels and giving up on producing/directing new projects. A few people thought that this meant Battle Angel aka Alita would be on the chopping-block. Cameron gave a brief comment to AICN when they asked if he was giving up on Alita. James said it's still happening but not for a few years. A script for Alita has been completed along with test-footage being shot. It's expected that Avatar 2 and even Avatar 3 will shoot before Alita moves forward. Avatar 4 and more installments are in the cards as well.

"No. I still love that project. But Battle Angel is not going to happen for a few years."

'AVATAR 4' A Possibility, So What Happens With 'BATTLE ANGEL'?

It's starting look like James Cameron might be putting hold Battle Angel: Alita to focus on a numerous amount of Avatar sequels. As he recently talked to NewYorkTimes revealing that he wants to make Avatar 4. He confirms that his main focus will be the Avatar franchise and won't be developing or producing any new projects. James is currently writing Avatar 2 and Avatar 3 which is expected to start production in a year or two.

"I’ve divided my time over the last 16 years over deep ocean exploration and filmmaking. I’ve made two movies in 16 years, and I’ve done eight expeditions. Last year I basically completely disbanded my production company’s development arm. So I’m not interested in developing anything. I’m in the 'Avatar' business. Period. That’s it. I’m making 'Avatar 2,' 'Avatar 3,' maybe 'Avatar 4,' and I’m not going to produce other people’s movies for them. I’m not interested in taking scripts," Cameron said about his future plans. "And that all sounds I suppose a little bit restricted, but the point is I think within the 'Avatar' landscape I can say everything I need to say that I think needs to be said, in terms of the state of the world and what I think we need to be doing about it. And doing it in an entertaining way. And anything I can’t say in that area, I want to say through documentaries, which I’m continuing. I’ve done five documentaries in the last 10 years, and I’ll hopefully do a lot more. In fact, I’m doing one right now, which is on this, the Deep Sea Challenge project that we just completed the first expedition. So that’ll be a film that’ll get made this year and come out first quarter of next year."

Last month Cameron told MTV he still intends to direct Alita but with three time-consuming sequels to Avatar can we really believe he'll be able to fit it in? On the other hand, with Avatar 2's 2014 release date being changed could Alita (with a completed script) end up going into production first? Cameron did shoot test-footage for Alita a while back and was finishing rewrites on the script while Avatar was originally shooting (wearing a Battle Angel tee on set in the above image), so anything is possible.

Images From Weyland Viral Site Connects 'PROMETHEUS' To 'ALIENS'

Terminator 5 Will Be Rated R

Expendables 2 has been confirmed to be wussing out and pushing for a PG-13 to get a slightly boosted box office return. It seems like a terrible move that had been made by Warner Bros. with Terminator Salvation. The film was a failure due to it's weak rating and the writers' strike hurting the script. Oddly, enough there is word on Terminator 5 from Megan Ellison (Annapurna Pictures) who currently owns the rights. She tweeted (via AICN) confirmation that the fifth film will be R. Last word was that Justin Lin (Fast Five) was attached to direct with the possible inclusion of Arnold Schwarzenegger.

"We can't really tell you guys anything about Terminator BUT it will be an R rated film as God and James Cameron intended."

Annapurna Pictures Outbids Lionsgate For Terminator 5 & 6 Rights

It looks like the bidding war for the Terminator rights has ended. Deadline reports that Annapurna Pictures who is responsible for financing Cogan's Trade, Wettest County In The World, Killing Bin Laden and Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master has landed the rights. The up and coming production company outbid Lionsgate for the film rights that are intact until 2018 when they revert back to James Cameron.

It sounds promising as they are known for getting involved with solid directors and hiring high profiled actors. Even if director Justin Lin (Fast Five) isn't enough to keep people interested in Terminator 5 I expect they'll be able to attract a decent cast. Arnold Schwarzenegger is attached to have a role and Lin has said he'd ignore the canon/events from Terminator 3 and Terminator Salvation bringing the franchise back to it's roots. Vin Diesel has also been mentioned for a role. The question now is which big studio will come in to co-fiance and distribute?

Neil Gaiman Hired To Write Journey To The West Film, Guillermo Courted To Direct & James Cameron Will Consult

Variety reports that Neil Gaiman has been hired to write a film based on Journey To The West. The classic 500 year old tale that follows events that befall the Monkey King, armed with a magic staff, as he journeys with a monk, a pig spirit and a fish spirit to India to retrieve Buddha’s scrolls in an effort to find enlightenment.

They go on to say that Guillermo del Toro is being offered to direct while James Cameron would consult with the script and the 3D side of things. The tale was recently turned into a stage musical by the fellows behind the Gorillaz and I hope their artwork ends up being used as inspiration. While some might cringe to the idea of Westerners taking on the Asian tale it seems to be in good hands at the moment as everyone involved is respectful to original material.

Guillermo Confirms At The Mountains of Madness Is Dead

It's amazing how quickly these stories go from zero to sixty in a short amount of time. Just last night rumors were circling of a June start for Guillermo del Toro's At The Mountains of Madness. Along with that Universal had been pegged as passing on it because of the price tag and the rating. Now CriterionCast has confirmation from the director himself the project is indeed dead.

There aren't any details being released it's unknown at this point if the producers are able to move the project over to 20th Century Fox. Yet what is known is that this is crushing for the director as this was his dream project. This has to be the worst move by Universal as I think this could lead to del Toro walking from future films with the studio.

Shawn Levy To Direct Fantastic Voyage

Deadline reports that Shawn Levy (Real Steel) is set to direct the 3D remake of Fantastic Voyage. James Cameron is producing the film which has Laeta Kalogridis set to do rewrites on the script. Kalogridis is becoming known for writing massive films previously working on Avatar and Shutter Island. She's also been working on Battle Angel Alita and Ghost In The Shell adaptations.

Other directors who met with Cameron about the film included Timur Bekmambetov, Darren Aronofsky, Louis Leterrier and Jonathan Mostow. Paul Greengrass (Bourne 2-3, Green Zone) had been attached to the project at one point and it was rumored Cameron wanted Leterrier (Clash of The Titans, Incredible Hulk) to direct. I really have zero interest or expectations with this remake. Hopefully it ends up a fun adventure film either way.

Having James Cameron on board as a producer doesn't mean a film will be as good as one of his. Sanctum, which Cameron produced hasn't been doing well with critics or audiences. His silly promotional stunts (holding interviews underwater) gave hints about the quality of the film. While Levy isn't a proven action director outside his kids films he could do very well with a solid script from Laeta. Along with a decent cast and help from a solid special effects/3D camera team.

James Cameron Gives Battle Angel Alita Update

While talking to Collider James Cameron gave a brief update on his long gestating adaptation of Battle Angel Alita. Jim confirms that he is indeed still directing the film and is expecting to start on when he completes Avatar 2 & 3. Which means we won't see production start on the film 2016. It's sort of frustrating since Battle Angel has a completed script and has years of production art finished. You'd think Cameron would focus on a project that is further along. Yet they could be still trying to work out the arch for the Alita trilogy.

"I’m obviously going to be pretty busy for the next five years and so I had to consider, do I hand this project off to another director? And then I thought, ‘No, I love it too much.


It’s such a rich world. What I’m going to do is take the spine story and use elements from the first four books. So, the Motorball from books three and four, and parts of the story of one and two will all be in the movie."

James McAvoy Briefly Talks At The Mountains of Madness

It had been reported by Collider that James McAvoy had been Universal's choice the play the lead role in At The Mountains of Madness. While Guillermo del Toro had been campaigning to get Tom Cruise in the part. Tom and del Toro had been talking about making a new Van Helsing film before it got axed to make Mountains which was reported by Vulture. There is also word from Deadline that Cruise is aiming for supporting role in the musical Rock of Ages but is still attached to Mountains. Ron Perlman (Hellboy1-2, Blade 2) seems to be the only person currently cast in the film when Guillermo announced to MTV writing a role just for him.

Currently promoting a new film James McAvoy was asked by CinemaBlend about At The Mountains of Madness. He seems to playing it safe not coming out and confirming or denying his involvement.

"I don’t know anything about the story, but he’s an amazing director. I would be very lucky to be able to work with someone like that one day."

Based on the classic science fiction horror story by H.P. Lovecraft. A group of scientists and archaeologists travel to Antartica on an expedition in the early 1920's. There they stumble upon the ancient relics of an abandoned city hitherto completely unknown to mankind and uncover a prehistoric species that is awakened only to wreak havoc on their victims.

It's been a passion project for Guillermo del Toro and has even the caught the attention of long time friend James Cameron who is producing. Guillermo has written the film and will direct now that he's left The Hobbit. It's expected to be shot in 3D and it's effects are sure to be a blend of practical makeup, puppets and CGI. That along with his amazing touch of detail to his sets, characters and monsters it should be another quality horror film.