13 replies to this topic

[solitaire]

Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise will bring "The War of the Worlds" to the bigscreen, with Cruise expected to star.
Depending on how quickly the two get a "War of the Worlds" script they like, the sci-fi epic could start in late 2005. Spielberg is now completing work on "The Terminal" with Tom Hanks and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

David Koepp will rewrite a Josh Friedman-penned first-draft script based on "War," the classic H.G. Wells alien-invasion novel.

Cruise and his C/W Prods. partner Paula Wagner set up the pic at Paramount in May 2002. DreamWorks will come aboard as a partner, now that Spielberg is involved.

Cruise and Wagner will produce, and it is likely Spielberg and DreamWorks Pictures co-heads Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald will be involved in that capacity as well.

"War" became permanently etched in American culture when Orson Welles' Mercury Theater performed the story on radio in 1938 and ignited a nationwide panic when listeners didn't realize it was fiction.

H.G. Wells wrote "The War of the Worlds" in 1898. In addition to the Mercury Theater radio production, the book inspired a 1953 film starring Gene Barry and Les Tremayne.

Producers have been toying with "War" for many years. David Brown persuaded Paramount to commission a script by Anthony Burgess during the Barry Diller regime, but the project didn't gel. Years later, Brown pitched it to Spielberg, resulting ultimately in the development of a related story, "Deep Impact." But, the Wells story was again sidetracked.

Spielberg's plans for a fourth installment of the Indiana Jones series for Paramount have stalled, and he's now interested in "The Rivals," the Robin Swicord-scripted drama centered on 19th-century legit stars Sarah Bernhardt and Eleonora Duse. That pic, produced by "American Beauty" duo Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen along with Carl Rumbaugh and Susan Batson, seems likely for a winter start at DreamWorks.

The emergence of a Spielberg-Cruise pairing gives Paramount another opportunity to alter its image as the town's most cautious studio, and instead show it will step up for occasional swing-for-the-fences projects. Studio recently engaged Robert Rodriguez to write and direct another sci-fi classic, Edgar Rice Burroughs' 1912 novel "A Princess of Mars," which is being prepped by Alphaville's Jim Jacks and Sean Daniel. Par's also signed Charlize Theron for sci-fi fantasy "Aeon Flux" and Adam Sandler for "The Longest Yard" in a Sony co-production.

C/W is prepping the third installment of its "Mission: Impossible" series for Par, to be helmed by "Narc" director Joe Carnahan. Pic is expected to go into production this summer, with Cruise to star.

Paramount and DreamWorks have become frequent dance partners. They teamed on "Paycheck" and are paired on three films due out this year: "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events," starring Jim Carrey; "Collateral" with Cruise; and the comic remake of "The Stepford Wives," which stars Nicole Kidman.

DreamWorks did, however, recently drop out of co-financing Cameron Crowe's "Elizabethtown" with Par.

As a scribe, Koepp was the go-to guy for Spielberg on the first two "Jurassic Park" films. He also proved adept at large-canvas fare with "Spider-Man" and its sequel, and he most recently scripted and directed the Johnny Depp starrer "Secret Window."

[Genrewriter]

Cool. If it's even half as good as Minority Report we're in for a treat.

[IndyB007]

gag

[Loomis]

Well, it seems INDIANA JONES 4 has more or less been scrapped. A pity, but not exactly a surprise. Not sure there's ever been a more ridiculous case of filmmakers refusing to get off the pot instead of *******, and finally leaving it all too late.

Not excited by this planned Cruise/Spielberg reunion. I loathed MINORITY REPORT (I'm a big Spielberg fan, though), and can't they find something more original to do than "War of the Worlds"? Looking forward to THE TERMINAL, though - I reckon that'll be quality.

[Athena007]

Cool. If it's even half as good as Minority Report we're in for a treat.

I TOTALLY agree, G!!!

[Agent 76]

Well, it seems INDIANA JONES 4 has more or less been scrapped. A pity, but not exactly a surprise. yes it's

yes.. it's a pity
I would have love to see Indiana Jones IV sonner...guess we'll just have to wait till 2006 or 2007...


But "The War of the Worlds" sounds it's going to be a really good movie..let's see what they come up with..

[ChandlerBing]

In Spielberg's version, the aliens are really just misunderstood.

[Tarl_Cabot]

gag

I'll second that...I hate Tom Cruise!

[DanMan]

I was always under the impression that Independance Day was a re-working of 'Worlds', or it could of just been a total rip-off.

[Triton]

I would only be interested in War of the Worlds if it was true to the H.G. Wells novel. We don't need another Independence Day, which essentially was an updating of War of the Worlds anyway. Plus Tom Cruise's involvement lowers my interest in the project several notches.

As for Indiana Jones IV being scrapped, it's probably for the best anyway. George Lucas hasn't made a decent movie in the last 15 years.

I am actually more excited about the news that Robert Rodriguez will write and direct an adaption of Edgar Rice Burroughs' A Princess of Mars. Anyone for hordes of CGI-generated tharks! Done properly, it could be a very exciting fantasy epic.

[Qwerty]

Can anyone tell me who knows some information about this, is the Indiana Jones 4th film indeed scrapped or severely pushed back?

I saw a post or two in this thread about that, but I want to know for sure.

Many thanks in advance, as I'm very interested.

[Triton]

I don't think that any one involved has ever said that it will never happen or that the project has been scrapped.

The most recent news was that Frank Darabont completed his screenplay, which was rejected by George Lucas. George wants the screenplay to be reworked.

Production on the film was expected to start this July with a summer 2005 release, but with a rewrite of the screenplay the production isn't expected to start until 2005 at the earliest.

In the meantime, we hear stories that Steven Spielberg has started to work on other projects.

I also presume that Harrison Ford will start pursuing other projects as well.

I just have a gut feeling that this project will never happen. It's very rare that Spielberg, Lucas, and Ford have time in their schedules to work together on a project and this project keeps on getting delayed and delayed and the years pass.
Haven't we been hearing stories about an Indy IV project for the past fifteen years?

Although Harrison is in great shape, he may be at the age where he just isn't a very credible Indiana Jones anymore. Plus Sean Connery can't wait forever either to reprise his role as Henry Jones Sr.

Maybe I'll eat crow, but I am very skeptical that there will be a fourth Indiana Jones film.

[Qwerty]

Again, thanks for the info Triton!

I had felt that with the publicity surrounding this, that we would in fact see it very soon. But I completely understand and partially agree that there is a certain age credibility that will show in the screen presence of the actors.

We'll see what happens I guess.

[booyeah_]

I would only be interested in War of the Worlds if it was true to the H.G. Wells novel. We don't need another Independence Day, which essentially was an updating of War of the Worlds anyway. Plus Tom Cruise's involvement lowers my interest in the project several notches.

As for Indiana Jones IV being scrapped, it's probably for the best anyway. George Lucas hasn't made a decent movie in the last 15 years.

I am actually more excited about the news that Robert Rodriguez will write and direct an adaption of Edgar Rice Burroughs' A Princess of Mars. Anyone for hordes of CGI-generated tharks! Done properly, it could be a very exciting fantasy epic.

I agree we don't need another Independence Day(or the 1996 version), but that's probably what it's going to be.