Scifiwire Movie News (2/26/2002)

[Granite]

In this issue

Joel Silver talks super-scary Gothika
New Mission Impossible: 3 Director
Rumors and Tidbits

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Joel Silver on Gothika

Producer Joel Silver told SCI FI Wire that the upcoming horror film Gothika—in which a criminal psychologist (Halle Berry) awakens as a ghost-haunted patient—will be far scarier than his previous House on Haunted Hill, Thirteen Ghosts or Ghost Ship. Those films were also released under Silver and Bob Zemeckis' Dark Castle Entertainment banner.

"When I saw the success of The Ring—and frankly I liked The Ring—I didn't think it would have such tremendous appeal," Silver said in an interview. "But I thought The Ring was scary. So we said, 'Let's try and go in that direction.'"

Silver added that Oscar winner Berry signed on after reading writer Sebastian Gutierrez's script, which the producer described as "really, really scary." Penelope Cruz and Robert Downey have also joined the cast, under director Mathieu Kassovitz. Silver said that he's been watching Kassovitz's career.

"He made this picture, The Crimson Rivers, which I thought was really eerie and weird," Silver said. "I thought that he could be like a Darren Aronofsky-type guy, who could do a movie that could have weight and punch to it, and that would still be scary and eerie." Gothika begins shooting in a few weeks.
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MI:3

Paramount Pictures has tapped Narc director Joe Carnahan to helm Mission: Impossible 3, following the withdrawal of David Fincher from the project, Variety reported. The studio is in talks with Carnahan over the third installment, to be produced by actor Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner via their Paramount-based production outfit, with Cruise again starring as agent Ethan Hunt, the trade paper reported.

Fincher (Seven) had been attached to Mission: Impossible 3 since early last year, but the director recently committed to The Lords of Dogtown, the trade paper reported.

Robert Towne remains attached to pen the script for Mission: Impossible 3, which is eyeing a May 2004 release date.
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Rumors and Tidbits

Universal Pictures has signed producers Chris and Paul Weitz of Depth of Field to develop a film based on the book series The Elric Saga by Michael Moorcock.
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E! Online columnist Anderson Jones reported that a director and a screenwriter have been hired for the upcoming Fantastic Four movie. Newcomer Tristan Patterson will write the screenplay, while Peyton Reed (Bring It On) will direct.
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According to The Hollywood Reporter, Anthony Edwards has joined the cast of upcoming live-action film Thunderbirds, based on the 1960s British SF series featuring animated marionettes.
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[wirm]

mmm... truly scary movies are rare nowadays. Hopefully they can pull it off.

As for MI3, just put lots of action and explosions, and I'll watch it.