Movies
News Bites: Diablo Cody Pens ‘Evil Dead,’ ‘Underworld’s ‘Awakening,’ ‘Undocumented’ Acquired & ‘Elysium’ Becomes ‘Baja Dunes’
I spent the afternoon getting treatment for my horrible, horrible TMJ (sympathy, please) so in an attempt to catch up on the news briefs, here’s a special edition of News Bites:
As previously mentioned, Oscar-winning writer Diablo Cody (Juno, Jennifer’s Body) is currently rewriting Federico Alvarez’s recent draft of The Evil Dead, which Alvarez will direct some time in 2012.
IFC Midnight has acquired North American rights to director Chris Peckover’s feature debut Undocumented, a truly dark thriller that’s heavy on the politcs and light on the horror, reports Variety. It’s a prety great film that premiered at Fantastic Fest last year. Peckover wrote the script with Joe Peterson. Scott Mechlowicz, Alona Tal, Yancey Arias, Greg Serano and Kevin Weisman star. It “centers on a group of documentary filmmakers chronicling the trials and inequities faced by Mexican illegal immigrants. When they join a group of families illegally crossing the border to record the experience firsthand, their truck is pulled over and detained — and what happens next plunges their group into unimaginable horror.”
MTV has renewed “Teen Wolf” for a second season of 12 episodes to air in 2012, reports Variety. “Teen Wolf” premiered June 5 and through its seven episodes has been MTV’s highest-rated new series of the past two years in the 12-34 demo, averaging 1.7 million overall viewers. The series has been TV’s No. 4 show among auds 12-34.
A recent issue of Production Weekly claims that Neill Blomkamp’s Elysium is now titled Baja Dunes, although, as Latino Review smartly assesses, could be a title cover up for production purposes. The story revolves around aliens doing battle with humans on Earth. The film’s cast already includes Matt Damon, Sharlto Copley, Jodie Foster, William Fichtner, Alice Braga, Wagner Moura and Diego Luna. It’ll arirve in theaters March 1, 2013 from Sony.
Speaking of title changes, Sony Screen Gems has decided on Underworld Awakening for Selene’s fourth battle with the Lycans. Directed by Mans Marlind and Bjorn Stein, and starring Kate Beckinsale, India Eisley and Michael Ealy, Screen Gems will continue the tradition of a New Year’s release on January 20, 2012.
Lastly, Warners The Seventh Son, starring Jeff Bridges, Julianne Moore, Ben Barnes and Alicia Vikander, will arrive in theaters February 15, 2013. An exorcism tale on Valentine’s Day? Aces! Sergei Bodrov directed the big screen adaptation of “The Last Apprentice.”
Movies
R-Rated ‘The X-Files: I Want to Believe’ Director’s Cut Gets New Title and Streaming Premiere Date
After a slight delay, Disney has finally announced a new streaming date for the R-Rated director’s cut of The X-Files: I Want to Believe. According to Gizmodo, it’ll also come with a new title.
The X-Files: I Want to Believe Vrach Frankenshteyn begins streaming on Hulu on August 14.
The new cut was first teased in an interview with director Chris Carter on the Fail Better With David Duchovny podcast from last year, where he teased a much scarier movie he intended.
“Now I have a chance to go back and make the scary movie that I always intended to make,” Carter explained last year. “It’s not just doing a Director’s Cut to do a Director’s Cut. It’s really kind of bringing to life something that for me was on the page and never got to the screen.“
The director’s cut of the film was initially set to arrive on Disney+ in June, but quietly disappeared from the schedule without a word. Polygon reported the delay was “due to some last-minute adjustments being made to the film.”
The release’s new “Vrach Frankenshteyn” title certainly suggests those adjustments have been made, likely referring to a Frankensteining of bonus footage.
In the film, Mulder (David Duchovny) and Scully (Gillian Anderson) have been out of the FBI for several years, with Mulder living in isolation and Scully having become a doctor at a Catholic hospital, where she has formed a bond with a critically ill child patient.
When an FBI agent is mysteriously kidnapped, and a former Catholic priest who has been convicted of pedophilia claims to be experiencing psychic visions of the endangered agent, Scully is asked to bring Mulder back to the bureau to consult on the case because of his work with psychics.
The brand new R-rated cut will “faithfully restore the filmmaker’s original vision.”
Look for it on Hulu next month.