Adaptations are always risky business for lovers of the written word. While Hollywood may see the built-in audience as a quick way to cash in on a popular title, followers of a series often view Hollywood’s move to snatch up new and old titles as the beginning phase of a future bastardization. Take The Great Gatsby for instance, the film currently sits on Rotten Tomatoes at 49%, essentially splitting critics in two, yet it somehow managed to earn $50 million in its opening weekend. Whether or not its success continues is anyone’s bet, but numbers like that are all studios …
Posts Tagged ‘adaptation’
James Franco Shines In First ‘As I Lay Dying’ Trailer
May 14th, 2013 
James Shotwell 
Posted in Movies, News 
Tags: 2013, adaptation, as i lay dying, faulkner, james franco, movie trailer, trailer 
2 Comments »
Downton Abbey Star Lily James Cast As Cinderella In Disney’s Upcoming Live-Action Film
April 30th, 2013 James Shotwell Disney searched for months (probably years) to find the perfect foot for their glass slipper, and in the end Downton Abbey‘s Lily James was chosen as the perfect fit.
In an announcement made around 2pm EST today, Disney confirmed plans to move forward with a live-action adaptation of Cinderella starring actress Lily James. Kenneth Branagh is directing and Cate Blanchett will play the manipulative stepmother. Allison Shearmur, David Barron and Simon Kinberg are producing.
Cinderella was first published by Charles Perrault in Histoires ou contes du temps passé in 1697, and later by the Brothers Grimm in their folk …
Posted in Movies, News Tags: adaptation, cinderella, disney, downtown abbey, Lily James, live action No Comments »
HOLY SH!T: Michael Fassbender Will Portray Desmond Miles In “Assassin’s Creed”
October 22nd, 2012 James Shotwell Video game nerds everywhere should be breathing a huge sigh of relief this afternoon as New Regency has announced plans to move forward with an Assassin’s Creed adaptation starring Michael Fassbender. That’s right, Mr. Shame is taking his huge “acting talents” to the world of videogames. Getting your girlfriend to give a shit about your Xbox has never been easier.
As Deadline reports, the idea was originally developed by the game maker’s Ubisoft Motion Pictures division, and the company will have strong creative input as the project moves into the script stage. No details about the plot have been …
Posted in Movies, News Tags: 2012, adaptation, assassin's creed, assassins creed 3, desmond miles, michael fassbender, movie, prince of persia, Ubisoft No Comments »
HOLY SH!T: Breaking Bad’s Aaron Paul To Star In “Need For Speed” Adaptation
October 15th, 2012 James Shotwell Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston has a lengthy filmography behind him, and it now seems his co-star is working hard to catch up. Aaron Paul, known by fans of the show for his portrayal of Jesse Pinkman, has been cast as the lead in Scott Waugh‘s adaptation of the EA Sports video game series Need For Speed.
EW broke the story earlier today, which goes on to mention that Dreamworks hopes to have production rolling as early as February 2013, with plans to release the following Spring. The film was conceived by George and John Gatins and is being …
Posted in Movies, News Tags: 2013, 2014, aaron paul, adaptation, breaking bad, casting, coming soon, ea sports, jesse pinkman, movie, movie news, need for speed, Video Games No Comments »
“Hunger Games” Earns $155 Million, Shatters Box Office Records
March 25th, 2012 James Shotwell We all knew The Hunger Games would be big, but I do not think anyone could have predicted just how successful it would become.
In only three days (and some midnight showings), early estimates from Lionsgate report that The Hunger Games has earned an amazing $155 million domestically. The film, which is an adaptation of the bestselling novel by Suzanne Collins, now has the third-highest opening weekend ever, behind Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2 and The Dark Knight. Additionally, it’s also the highest opening of all time for a non-sequel movie and the highest gross for a …
Posted in Movies, News Tags: 2012, adaptation, Box Office, earnings, film, Jennifer Lawrence, lionsgate, movie news, opening, records, the hunger games, total, weekend 1 Comment »
MOVIE REVIEW: The Woman In Black
February 3rd, 2012 James Shotwell Film: The Woman In Black
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe
Directed by: James Watkins
Trying his best to take a semi-bold step away from the world of Harry Potter, Daniel Radcliffe kicks off his first Rowling-free year with a film that stumbles on fear, but does its absolute best to look good in the process.
Directed by James Watkins (who wrote the fantastic Eden Lake), Hammer Films’ adaptation of Susan Hill’s The Woman In Black follows a young lawyer (Radcliffe) who discovers the vengeful spirit of a woman while working in a remote village. The setting is
DAMMIT: Adam Sandler To Star In “Candy Land” Adaptation
January 31st, 2012 James Shotwell As if we needed further proof that Adam Sandler host lost touch with his core fanbase, UTG has just received confirmation that Sandler has agreed to star in Columbia Pictures adaption of the Hasbro game Candy Land.
Yes, you read that right, Adam Sandler is over playing his own twin sister and will now set course to ruin whatever fleeting memories of childhood bliss generation Y has left with a big screen adaptation of the popular board game. So far, no plot has been discussed, but Enchanted‘s Kevin Lima is attached to direct. You can read an official press …
Posted in Movies, News Tags: adam sandler, adaptation, candy land, candyland, hasbro, movie news casting No Comments »
SCENE & HEARD: We Bought A Zoo
December 26th, 2011 James Shotwell Written by UTG critic Grace Duffy, Scene & Heard takes a look at the music that makes our favorite films so memorable. Whether it’s the 400-piece orchestra Christopher Nolan used for The Dark Knight, or the dozen or so bands that contributed to the soundtrack of Top Gun, there is no denying the impact music has on movies and this column hopes to highlight the best of the best.
If you have a suggestion for a film we should cover on Scene & Heard, please contact us by emailing utgjames@gmail.com.
Given my location upon the European shores of the …
Posted in Columns, Features, Movies, reviews, Scene & Heard Tags: adaptation, film, Jonsi, matt damon, movie, music, review, score, sigur ros, soundtrack, soundtrack review, spotlight, we bought a zoo ost No Comments »
REASONABLE REMAKES: Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
December 14th, 2011 James Shotwell Under The Gun is continuing our efforts to bring you more original and engaging content with REASONABLE REMAKES. Written by film-nerd Justin Proper, this column aims to highlight Hollywood’s forgotten gems and spark debate.
You see, we’ve grown tired of Hollywood rehashing ideas we’re old enough to remember. Why remake something the majority of the planet still remembers and loves deeply when there are tons of films that deserve a chance to be as great as modern technology and skill can make them? If you agree, this column is for you.
It’s Christmas time again and that means …
Posted in Columns, Features, Movies, Reasonable Remakes Tags: 1964, adaptation, animation, christmas 2011, christmas movies, column, editorial, gossip, Jason Segel, justin proper, live action, neil patrick harris, reasonable remakes, reboot, remake, Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, rumor, xmas movies 1 Comment »
Are You Ready For “Dead Island: The Movie”?
September 27th, 2011 James Shotwell Video games aren’t for everyone, but they’re definitely a second passion for most the UTG staff. One of this season’s biggest games, Dead Island has just been acquired by Lionsgate and it seems the most obvious adaptation in video game history is now one step closer to being a reality.
According to an article on Slashfilm, Lionsgate won the bidding war to over the game, which has raged since its initial viral debut in early 2011 (see below). Sean Daniel, the guy who was originally reported by HitFix to be the first rights buyer, will produce the film. The …
Posted in Movies, News Tags: adaptation, dead island movie, deal, lionsgate, rights, screewriter, sold, video game movie No Comments »
REASONABLE REMAKES: The Graduate
August 10th, 2011 James Shotwell Under The Gun is continuing our efforts to bring you more original and engaging content this week with the continued deubut of our latest feature, REASONABLE REMAKES. Written by film-nerd Justin Proper, this column aims to highlight Hollywood’s forgotten gems and spark debate.
You see, we’ve grown tired of Hollywood rehashing ideas we’re old enough to remember. Why remake something the majority of the planet still remembers and loves deeply when there are tons of films that deserve a chance to be as great as modern technology and skill can make them? If you agree, this column is for …
Posted in Columns, Features, Movies, Reasonable Remakes Tags: adaptation, editorial, feature, film, hollywood, joseph gordon-levitt, movie, movies, new movie, opinion, reasonable remakes, redo, remake, remaking the graduate, the graduate, will gluck 13 Comments »
