206 replies to this topic

[Paul F]

Armando Iannucci On Alan Partridge Movie: Shooting this year, director confirmed

It's been parked in the development equivalent of a Norfolk motel car park for several years now, dogged with will-it/won't-it rumours, but Empire can confirm that not only is the Alan Partridge movie finally happening, it's happening this year and Father Ted alum Declan Lowney will be directing. With any luck, Alan's own Hans Zimmer, Glenn Ponder, will be penning a suitably epic jazz synth soundtrack right now.

Co-writer Armando Iannucci is, of course, currently busy with his Veep duties on HBO, but we used our journalistical wiles to extract some Partridge intel, kicking off with the project's status.

"It’s just about all come together now, so that’ll be shot later in the year," Iannucci told us, confirming that he's taking an executive producer credit. And what of the title? At the moment it’s 'The Alan Partridge Movie' but that’s just a working title. [The script] is written [but] we’re always rewriting, rewriting and rewriting."

Sitting in the director's chair will be Irishman Lowney, who made the first two seasons of Father Ted as well as A Christmassy Ted, highly auspicious news considering it's one of the greatest things ever filmed. Interestingly, one show not on his CV is I'm Alan Partridge.

According to Iannucci, we'll be seing Partridge on the big screen some time in 2013. In the meantime, he's hard at work bringing another, tantalisingly mysterious comedy to the screen. "We’ve written it," he confirmed, "but it’s a slapstick movie, it’s not political, it’s not satire."

Sounds like it's actually happening this time?

[Nicholas Taggart]

I love Selick, but I'd like to see a normal movie version of it, not an animated one, really (which I guess a Selick version would be?).

I have a lot more faith in Selick's ability to pull it off than I did Neil Jordan. I never felt he was quite right although I certainly admire some of his work. I think Selick is a better fit based purely on the kind of sensibility he has regardless of whether it ends up being live action or animated.

[Johnny Henning]

Yeah, the last time Jordan handled ghosts was:



Still, considering THE BUTCHER BOY and ONDINE, he probably would've made a good movie out of it... though it might not have resembled the book at all by the time he made it.

[garjones]

Armando Iannucci On Alan Partridge Movie: Shooting this year, director confirmed

Sounds like it's actually happening this time?

It's happening because of The Inbetweeners. In the UK and Ireland at least the crazy success of that film will change a lot of views from the guys giving the green light. That may change back if you get a bunch of TV spin-off failures. I think Iannucci and Coogan will have enough savvy to know the pitfalls though.

[steveuk]

Yeah, the last time Jordan handled ghosts was:



Still, considering THE BUTCHER BOY and ONDINE, he probably would've made a good movie out of it... though it might not have resembled the book at all by the time he made it.

A very troubled production. It's amazing they finished it really.

It's happening because of The Inbetweeners. In the UK and Ireland at least the crazy success of that film will change a lot of views from the guys giving the green light. That may change back if you get a bunch of TV spin-off failures. I think Iannucci and Coogan will have enough savvy to know the pitfalls though.

They'll make something solid and consistent with the show.

Lots of people love the character, but I'm not one of those people so I don't know if it'll be a cinema hit?

[garjones]

They'll make something solid and consistent with the show.

Lots of people love the character, but I'm not one of those people so I don't know if it'll be a cinema hit?

I don't know either but there was a huge, tens of millions, cinema hit. You know how it works, tell me what worked and replicate it. Partridge won't be alone but they could all fail or not. We have a single test case that was crazily succesful. It'll be fascinating to watch.

[Ewan Shepherd]

Armando Iannucci On Alan Partridge Movie: Shooting this year, director confirmed



Sounds like it's actually happening this time?

AHAHHHHHH!!!!!!

[Dave Wallace]

I'm a huge fan of both Iannucci and Coogan, and I've loved Partridge ever since I first saw the chat show on TV, but I definitely feel that they're going to have to do something a little different if they're to sustain the character over a full movie. It'll be interesting to see what they come up with.

[Paul F]

Autoplaying videos are the devil.

[Don Lerch]

Autoplaying videos are the devil.

I agree completely.

[steveuk]

Sharlto Copley is heading to Hungary to begin shooting Gonzalo Lopez-Gallego’s Open Grave, and he has closed his deal to play the villain in Spike Lee’s Oldboy, a remake of the cult 2003 Korean revenge thriller from Park Chan-wook. The actor, who made his mark with his starring role in the Oscar-nominated District 9 followed by The A-Team, will play the lead character in Lopez-Gallego’s follow-up to Apollo 18. Copley’s character wakes up in the pit full of rotting bodies with no idea how he got there, begins to have flashbacks of himself murdering people and stars to believe he’s the killer. Charles Roven’s Atlas Independent is producing. Copley has also been confirmed to play the villain Adrian Pryce in Oldboy. Pryce is a mysterious billionaire trying to destroy the life of Joe Douchett (Josh Brolin). The new Oldboy begins shooting in late September from a script adapted by Mark Protosevich, who will co-produce. Roy Lee and Doug Davison produce via Vertigo Entertainment with Lee’s 40 Acres & A Mule. Mandate president Nathan Kahane executive produces.

Copley, repped by WME, just wrapped filming District 9 filmmaker Neill Blomkamp’s Elysium opposite Matt Damon and Jodie Foster for MRC; it will be released in March 2013.

http://www.deadline....boy-open-grave/

So, the 'Oldboy' remake is back.

[Rory Abel]

http://www.deadline....boy-open-grave/

So, the 'Oldboy' remake is back.

When did it go away?

[Rory Abel]

I remember a couple people in the previous thread wondering how Asylum wasn't getting sued over their "American Battle" film. Well guess what:

Universal Sues The Asylum: 'You Sunk our Battleship!'

TMZ reports that Universal Pictures has filed a lawsuit against The Asylum for “unspecified damages” (i.e., big bucks) claiming their American Battleship (hitting DVD/VOD May 22nd, four days after Battleship opens on US movie screens) is “stepping all over its business”.

Honestly, if The Asylum could ever produce a mockbuster that legitimately cut into the profit margin of a $200 million studio blockbuster, they probably would no longer need to be in the business of producing mockbusters.

TMZ: According to the lawsuit, Universal spent $100 million producing its film ... and $30 million promoting it in the U.S. alone -- and Asylum's trying to piggy back on its hard work.

I’m going to assume that $100 million is just the portion of the budget Universal sunk into the movie because by all previously reported accounts the Battlefield budget is upwards of $200 million.

Can’t really blame the Universal execs for being nervous. Even though Battleship has already been released internationally and grossed over $100 million worldwide, they need this film to be a huge hit domestically, and the buzz has been bad pretty much from the moment it was announced. You know they have to be feeling jittery over this one after Disney whacked the head of its movie division in the wake of the John Carter fiasco, and that guy didn’t even greenlight the movie!

[brucegray666]

As someone who's been forced to sit through a couple of Asylum movies I hope Universal sue their arses into the ground.

[Johnny Henning]

Honestly, though, I think people are having a hard time telling the difference between the Asylum's piece of crap and Universal's piece of crap.

[Nicholas Taggart]

The worst thing about Asylum movies is that they are so boring. You watch thinking you are going to get some dumb but fun B movie but it ends up just being a total bore.

[Johnny Henning]

That's the thing, isn't it? You're always thinking with a little more imagination, this could at least be stupid - instead it's just blah.

On the other hand, that's also true of many of the blockbusters they mock.

[Rory Abel]

Honestly, though, I think people are having a hard time telling the difference between the Asylum's piece of crap and Universal's piece of crap.

The Asylum's response is pretty brilliant in that regard:

“The Global Asylum has promoted the feature film American Battleship for nearly a year while Universal raised no concerns. The timing of Universal’s recently filed lawsuit coincides with mixed reviews of its big-budget film Battleship — the first movie based on a board game since Clue. Looking for a scapegoat, or more publicity, for its pending box-office disaster, the executives at Universal filed this lawsuit in fear of a repeat of the box office flop John Carter of Mars. The Universal action is wholly without merit, and we will vigorously defend their claims in Court. Nonetheless, we appreciate the publicity.”

[Rory Abel]

Comedic teaser for the new Expendables 2 trailer.



Did Terry Crews have to go to the bathroom, he kept grabbing his crotch through out this.

Edited by Rory Abel, 02 May 2012 - 09:07 PM.

[brucegray666]

Heh, I like the fact they're taking the piss out of the "trailer for a trailer" thing but yeah, the whole "I'm touching my junk" thing was a bit distracting.