‘Bride of Frankenstein’ Reboot to Be Written by David Koepp
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- Published on Saturday, 19 December 2015 12:58
- Written by Variety
David Koepp will write Universal’s remake of “Bride of Frankenstein” as the studio continues to make strides in forming its new monster universe.The film is part of the studio’s endeavor to expand and unify a network of classic monsters led by narrative architects Alex Kurtzman and Chris Morgan.Like so many of its current monster movies, plot details are under wraps. “Bride of Frankenstein” is set in the present day in order for the film’s characters to have cross-over capabilities with other monster movies.Universal’s exec VP of production, Jon Mone, and VP of production, Jay Polidoro, will oversee the project for the studio.Sources tells Variety that Universal wants to offer Angelina Jolie Pitt directing and starring gigs in “Bride of Frankenstein.” The studio has had their eye on Jolie Pitt for some time, but she will remain undecided on whether she takes on the project until a script is delivered.Koepp’s relationship with Universal dates back to the 1990s when the studio assigned him the job of penning the first “Jurassic Park.” He has helped launched other major franchises since then, including “Mission: Impossible” and “Spider-Man” with Tobey Maguire.Koepp most recently penned the next Robert Langdon pic, “Inferno,” which bows next fall with Tom Hanks returning to star as Langdon. He is repped by CAA, and Myman Greenspan Fineman Fox Rosenberg & Light LLP.
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Angelina Jolie finds inspiration in Cambodia
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- Published on Monday, 07 December 2015 11:44
- Written by AA
'I think we’ve all been affected by art,' she says. 'Some piece of music, film, story, has directed our life and the way we live our life -- every single person.' Hollywood star Angelina Jolie-Pitt is further cementing her ties with Cambodia -- directing a feature length film based on Loung Ung's harrowing memoir of the Khmer Rouge genocide, in which two million people were killed. Jolie-Pitt, who with husband Brad Pitt adopted her eldest child Maddox from the Southeast Asian nation, filmed Lara Croft: Tomb Raider in Cambodia in 2001 and also serves as president of the Honorary Committee of the Cambodia International Film Festival.On Saturday, she told a Phnom Penh audience how grateful she was to be working again in the country, calling it the "greatest experience" of her film career.Speaking to several hundred people at the Chaktomuk Theatre on a steamy late afternoon, Jolie-Pitt -- who is in the middle of directing First They Killed My Father -- spoke candidly during a panel discussion, which also featured veteran Cambodian filmmaker Rithy Panh and two younger Cambodian filmmakers."I'm fortunate in that I love what I do, my children are healthy and I'm blessed to be able to tell stories and I'm having the greatest experience I've ever had on a film, being able to work on something I care so deeply about, and also because of my husband, who's over there," she said, pointing to Hollywood actor Brad Pitt who was seated at the back of the auditorium.But Jolie-Pitt -- clad in a black top and skirt -- also spoke with great conviction about the importance of art and culture in post-Khmer Rouge Cambodia, saying she believed the country has developed an impressive archive of documentaries and feature films.Given that the ultra-Maoist Khmer Rouge were intent on ridding Cambodia of much of its cultural heritage -- from poets to singers, actors and artists -- "I think that says everything about art and culture" and its importance, Jolie-Pitt said."I think we've all been affected by art," she added. "Some piece of music, film, story, has directed our life and the way we live our life -- every single person."
Jolie-Pitt has a 1,000-strong Cambodian crew working on her film, and praised their professionalism during the talk."It's a dream," she said of being able to work in Cambodia again. Outside of her work as a Special Envoy for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Jolie-Pitt has spoken in depth about the effects of landmines in Cambodia and also brought added appeal to Cambodia's pre-Angkorian temple of Ta Prohm, which featured prominently the Lara Croft 2001 blockbuster."I had a very different artistic experience then, because I was acting, but I've spent over a decade working and coming back and forth and wanted so much to really be here and to make a film about this country, the history, and not about war, but about the resilience, the strength and family."First They Killed My Father is a memoir written by Loung Ung, which recounts her and her family's experiences under the Khmer Rouge.Jolie said making the film has been important to her for a number of reasons, not least because she wants her oldest son Maddox, whom she adopted in Cambodia in 2002, to learn "about his country".The six-day Cambodia International Film Festival opened Friday.First They Killed My Father will be released in English and Khmer next year, and submitted to major film festivals around the world.Pitt and Jolie-Pitt are parents to six children: Maddox, 14; Pax, 11; Zahara, 10; Shiloh, 9; and twins Vivienne and Knox, 7.
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Director Angelina Jolie-Pitt mingles with cast and crew on the set of her new Khmer Rouge film First They Killed My Father in Cambodia
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- Published on Wednesday, 02 December 2015 20:06
- Written by Daily Mail
Angelina Jolie-Pitt has been pictured working on her latest endeavour, a Netflix film version of the harrowing Khmer Rouge memoir First They Killed My Father.The actress and director was seen on location in Cambodia on Thanksgiving Day last week, speaking to members of the cast and crew in popular tourist town Siem Reap in the staggering heat.Covering up under a wide-brimmed hat, the 40-year-old Academy Award winner protected herself from the weather as she continued work on her latest directorial effort. Angelina is bringing human rights activist Loung Ung's 2000 memoir of the same name to life with her screen adaptation, which she has also co-written.First They Killed My Father tells the harrowing tale of Ung's life through the Khmer Rouge years, under the reign of dictator Pol Pot, and her escape from the 'killing fields' in the 1970s.The film will also star Angelina's 14-year-old adopted son Maddox, who hails from Cambodia: he'll also help out on the production side of things.The Unbroken director first expressed an interest in adapting the book after reading it over a decade ago.'I was deeply affected by Loung's book,' she said previously. 'It deepened forever my understanding of how children experience war and are affected by the emotional memory of it. And it helped me draw closer still to the people of Cambodia, my son's homeland.''Films like this are hard to watch but important to see,' she continued of the movie, which is set for release in late 2016.'They are also hard to get made. Netflix is making this possible, and I am looking forward to working with them and excited that the film will reach so many people.'Ung has said of the adaptation, which will be produced by Cambodian film-maker Rithy Panh: 'Angelina and I met in 2001 in Cambodia, and immediately, I trusted Angelina's heart. 'Through the years, we have become close friends, and my admiration for her as a woman, a mother, a film-maker and a humanitarian has only grown. It is with great honour that I entrust my family's story to Angelina to adapt into a film.'
As the actress-turned-director was seen on location in the town, along with a host of extras and a bustling film crew, her teen son Maddox was also believed to be there, doing his bit to help. While Angelina is in the Southeast Asian country - where she expected to remain until January while working on the film - she has also accepted a post as the president of the little-known Cambodia International Film Festival. The festival held in the capital, Phnom Penh, runs from December 4 - 10 and is screening 130 films from 34 countries. 'Cambodia's rich history, long culture and talented people mean it has a huge amount to offer the region and the world,' the Hollywood star said in a statement issued last week by the festival. 'I'm proud to support the Cambodia International Film Festival and Cambodia as a home for vibrant and innovative filmmaking.'Festival adviser Cedric Eloy, head of the Cambodian Film Commission, said Angelina's role would provide moral support and help 'bring attention to the rebirth of the Cambodian film industry.'Cambodia's film industry was devastated by the murderous reign of the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s.The regime executed artists, writers and filmmakers as part of its Maoist vision to eliminate the educated elite and transform the country into an agrarian utopia. More than 1.7 million people died under the regime. Meanwhile, Angelina recently teamed up with husband Brad Pitt on her film By The Sea, in which she both stars and directed.
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Angelina Jolie Could Play A Famous Movie Monster For Universal
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- Published on Wednesday, 25 November 2015 04:57
- Written by Cinemablend
For all the heroes Angelina Jolie has portrayed over the years, she has developed just as strong of a knack for creating iconic monsters. From Grendel’s mother in Beowulf to Maleficent, the actress’ beauty and gravitas have always endowed her with the ability to dominate a scene in a frightening way. Now, if rumors are to be believed, she may soon bring that skill to an iconic Universal monster: the Bride of Frankenstein.THR reports that Universal is currently eyeing Jolie to portray the venerable cinematic monster for producer Brian Grazer. The report indicates that the studio’s decision to back her recent passion project, By the Sea, was so that she will now return the favor by lending her household name to a likely more profitable project. It remains entirely plausible that Universal will use this leverage to get Jolie involved in a long-awaited sequel to the 2008 action film Wanted, but as of now it seems that getting her involved in the Bride of Frankenstein is the more likely scenario.Fans of classic movie monsters will undoubtedly remember that the Bride of Frankenstein debuted in the 1935 film of the same name. She was created by Doctor Septimus Pretorius – Dr. Frankenstein’s former mentor – to exist as a bride for Frankenstein’s original monster. In the years since the film’s release, she has become arguably as iconic as her male counterpart – especially her tall black and white hairstyle.
If Jolie does indeed sign on to the project, it seems likely that it will be a long term investment for both her and the studio. Universal has had plans to create their own "Universal Monster Universe" in the same vain as the Marvel Cinematic Universe for quite some time. Instead of Iron Man and Captain America, characters such as Frankenstein, the Mummy, Dracula, and the Creature from the Black Lagoon will inhabit this realm and interact with one another across films and storylines. Universal began this endeavor back in 2014 with Dracula Untold. Starring Luke Evans, the film experienced moderate success at best, but it got the ball rolling on this universe – albeit with shaky footing. Bringing Jolie and her star power into the fold may have the effect of stabilizing everything – similar to Warner Bros. decision to cast established star Ben Affleck as Batman opposite relative Hollywood newcomer Henry Cavill in the DC Extended Universe.It’s worth noting that, as of now, these are all just rumors. Until we know for sure that Jolie has signed on the dotted line, nothing can be confirmed. We here at Cinema Blend will keep you informed on all updates regarding Angelina Jolie, her role as the Bride of Frankenstein, and the Universal Monster Universe at large. Stay tuned.
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Angelina Jolie wanted by Universal for Wanted 2
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- Published on Monday, 23 November 2015 20:29
- Written by Superhero Hype
After two weeks of release, director/star Angelina Jolie’s relationship drama By the Sea has yet to cross the million dollar mark at the worldwide box office, but in spite of its perceived failure-to-launch, it could still prove a boon to Universal Pictures. In an article from The Hollywood Reporter about the studio’s tactics in greenlighting the art house film, it supposedly did so because they want Jolie to return to their long-in-development sequel Wanted 2.A sequel or, given the death of certain main characters, prequel to the Chris Morgan-scripted 2008 action hit Wanted has been batting around the studio for some time with little movement. Ultimately, Jolie is rumored to favor in-development sequels to more recent hits like Maleficent or Salt if she wanted to go the franchise route, a path she has avoided since the failure of 2003’s Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life.“Being dead makes it difficult,” Jolie stated to us in 2010 about the return of her deceased character Fox. “They were (trying to bring me back) but I kind of feel like if I die in a movie, I should die actually. I’m that way, and that character is not as complex as Salt. It would just be doing the exact same thing in another movie, so it’s not that interesting to me.” We got to talk to Marc Platt last year, who explained where the new Wanted installment was headed at that time, with a screenplay being worked on by the likes of Michael Brandt, Derek Haas and Evan Spiliotopoulos.“We have a script that’s getting pretty good,” Platt explained. “To do a sequel when it wasn’t really set up for a sequel–one of our main characters dies in it. You don’t want to just retread a similar story, but when we get the script to a certain bar, there will be a sequel. It’s taken a while because it’s challenging, as I said, because we lost a main, main character, so where that James McAvoy character goes now… we have good ideas though. It’s coming along.” Based on the comic book by Marc Millar and J.G. Jones, the original Wanted was helmed by Timur Bekmambetov and concerned a young man named Wesley (James McAvoy) who learns he’s part of a secret society of assassins with superhuman killing abilities. It grossed over $340 million worldwide.
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