Here is some news on upcoming films with the potential to generate God-talk:The U.S. release date for Jet Li’s Fearless (a film this blog is looking forward to) has been set back to Sept 22. In the meantime, check out the newest poster (right).
USA Today ran an article a couple of weeks ago on Evan Almighty (another film this blog’s been following), with these tidbits imbedded: “Unlike Carrey's underdog TV reporter who was emboldened by subbing for God, pretentious politician Evan is stripped of power and humbled by doing the Lord's bidding. . . Not only does Evan have three sons just like Noah, but he also exhibits an inconvenient animal magnetism once creatures sense a flood is nigh. . . . ‘Evan has big ideas,’ the actor [Steve Carell] says, explaining his character's foibles as he takes up the cause of saving the environment. ‘But he is a little self-aggrandizing. He doesn't see the big picture yet.’ He smiles. ‘But let's see if he does by the end of the film.’”
Check out the new TV spots for M. Night Shyamalan's Lady in the Water (another film this blog’s anticipating). When you’re done, hop over to this tidbit of news: looks like Shyamalan is still being courted to direct a Harry Potter movie. That would be something.
ComingSoon reports that “Faith-based media company Good News Holdings has teamed with Illinois-based Tyndale House Publishers — a company best known for publishing the Holy Bible — on Dudleytown, a series of teen-oriented novels Bodie Ingelvie is writing about the reputedly haunted town of Dudleytown, Connecticut. Deserted for years following a series of disappearances and murders, 1,000 acres of the town were bought by a private group and 'no trespassing' signs line the now-wooded area that was reportedly an inspiration for The Blair Witch Project. Variety says that Ingelvie, who'll also write the screenplay, starts the series with Dudleytown: Voice, a journal written from the viewpoint of a 17-year-old protagonist. The goal is for Tyndale House to publish the book when the movie is released in late 2007.” Hmm. Looks like Good News Holdings—or as Dark Hoizon's refers to them, heh, "The God Company"—is one busy little corp: it’s also just secured the rights to Anne Rice’s Christ the Lord.
Hat tip to CT’s Reel News which points to Cinematical’s short piece quoting Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (a film about which this blog has mixed feelings) actor Kevin McNally on the third installment of that trilogy: "'The only thing I can say is that we go to a completely other part of the world and we face a completely new range of baddies which are even worse than the ones we've faced before — they're really, really evil and nasty - even more so than Davy Jones, although he'll be back of course.' McNally also said the third film will include a ‘big supernatural element’ unlike anything seen in the first two. Which is impressive, since part one was certainly stuffed with the supernatural.” Also, it looks like Keith Richards is playing Cap’n Jack’s daddy, heh. (Another hat tip to CT on that one.)
Chronicles of Narnia’s Anna Popplewell (who played Susan) says producers are scouting locations and filming should start at the beginning of next year for Caspian. Are all the children returning for this second feature? Looks like it.
And here’s more on the hoopla over States of Grace (and its roundabout connection with current politics) at Christianity Today.
(Image: Rogue Pictures)