Antoine Fuqua is negotiating with Relativity Media to direct an adaptation of Afterburn, a sci-fi comic series that centers on treasure hunters hunt and takes place one year after of the earth’s surface is incinerated by a solar flare.
Many talented people were attached, rumored or linked to the series from at some point including Peter Weir, Jean-Pierre Jeunet and M. Night Shyamlan (the twist would have been that Harry Potter was a 26-year-old schizophrenic). So let’s use a little bit of hypothetical magic and look back at what could have happened if these one-time rumors ever came true.
When it came to overall content, characters, production design, effects and entertainment factor, “Goblet of Fire” only helped to meet if not raise the bar set down by “Prisoner of Azkaban,” a tough act to follow in any franchise. Mike Newell really established himself in his ability to build dark atmosphere from the opening scene to the closing credits and in a franchise that only gets darker as it goes, that’s a big step in the right direction.
This week’s releases are a real mix of the sublime, the ridiculous and the cash-ins. We get the release of a critically acclaimed indie film, the extended version of the world’s highest grossing film and the continuing tragic decline of a once-promising filmmaker. On the re-release front there is a wide range of classic films and some animated features (which also see the rise of 3D Blu-ray releases).
With David O. Russell’s abrupt departure in favor of the “Uncharted” adaptation, the director’s chair for Pride & Prejudice & Zombies, the upcoming adaptation of Seth Grahame-Smith’s novel of the same name, has been the hottest job to get in Hollywood. Now, Deadline has it that after meeting with several directors, Lionsgate has closed a deal to have Mike White (Year of the Dog) take over the project.
Our “Harry Potter” countdown has reached Year 3 and “The Prisoner of Azkaban.” The Potter franchise goes in a new direction with the interesting choice of Alfonso Cuarón, whose vision remains tops for some fans of the “Potter” film-verse.
In tandem with Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar has arguably become the sole film studio that both impresses the critics and delights moviegoers the world over with its films. Despite the slight critical fumble the studio made with Cars, Pixar decided to give it a sequel due to its box office success.
