Christopher McDonald’s never done a spoof movie before and he wasn’t even supposed to play a large role in Superhero Movie, but one meeting with writer/director Craig Mazin changed all that. McDonald sat down with Mazin, a man he describes as one of the funniest people he’s ever met, and although he was originally set to play a small part in the film, Mazin switched things up and offered him Lou Landers/Hourglass, one of the film’s starring roles.

So what sets working a spoof movie apart from just a normal goofball comedy like Happy Gilmore? “It’s just fun the way he says some of the stupidest lines in the world. And Craig Mazin said to me, ‘do you know how hard it is to write those stupid lines?’ You are basically given carte blanche to be as big and chew as much scenery as you can,” explained McDonald.

via movies.about.com

The Weinstein Company announced its plans for Fanboys on Monday:

The Weinstein Company announced today that it plans to jointly release two versions of its highly anticipated film, "Fanboys," on home video, with the Company exploring options for its theatrical release. In recent weeks, Star War fans nationwide have built a multi-tiered grassroots effort to voice their strong support for one of the earlier versions of the film, including a campaign which generated over 300,000 emails in support for the film. Based on the tremendous feedback and interest from the fans, today's announcement will ensure both versions will be equally available within the marketplace.

Set in 1998, the film, starring Jay Baruchel ("Million Dollar Baby"), Tony Award Winner Dan Fogler (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”), Sam Huntington ("Superman Returns"), Chris Marquette ("Sugar Mountain," "Joan of Arcadia"), and Kristen Bell ("Veronica Mars," "Pulse") is a heart warming comedy of a group of young, passionate Star Wars fans, drive cross-country to raid George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch, and watch "Star Wars: Episode 1- The Phantom Menace."

via comingsoon.net

One of the most ferociously entertaining horror flicks of the past several years is Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury's Inside (aka A l'interieur), which will be hitting DVD a little later this year. We already knew that the Frenchmen had been tapped to direct the Hellraiser remake for Dimension, but the project recently got bumped back to 2009.

Now that the strike is over, the producers can take some steps towards getting the flick moving. To that end, horror-lovin' screenwriters Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton have been hired to help get the new (Barker-approved) Hellraiser ... raised. Genre fans will remember Marc and Pat from their debut flick Feast, plus they also joined the Twisted team last year when they provided the screenplay for Saw 4. (And yes, they also worked on Feast 2. And Saw 5. Oh, and Feast 3.)

via cinematical.com

According to the rotten one over at STYD.com, Dimension's remake of the Joe Dante / John Sayles mini-classic is now scheduled for release on July 24, 2009. And I'm sure that date will stick because the Weinsteins never change release dates over and over on their aquatic horror movies. (Seriously, where the hell is Rogue already?) But the news gets even campier...

3-D! Yes! The plot -- "a tremor causes Arizona's Lake Havasu floor to open, setting free scores of prehistoric piranhas" -- will be in service to that awesomeness known as 3-D exhibition! Hundreds of gross, ugly, scary, ravenous piranhas ... in 3-D! The spirit of William Castle is alive and well and living in the Weinsteins' attic.

via cinematical.com

Todd Haynes is one of the most intelligent filmmakers our country has to offer. The question remains, however, whether his intelligence allows for any emotion to come through in his films. I think it does, but it's not an obvious, worn-on-your-sleeve type of emotion...

via cinematical.com

A drama about a young father whose soldier wife has just been killed while in the line of duty in Iraq. Rather than tell his two daughters the news, he decides to take them on a cross-country road trip to an amusement park...

via movies.yahoo.com

John Cusack and Sean Hayes have joined the voice cast of Exodus Film Group's CG-animated feature comedy Igor. The Weinstein Company will distribute the film, which is being directed by Tony Leondis.

Cusack, who replaces Christian Slater on the project, will voice the title character of Igor, a gifted scientist who is born with a hunch on his back and is forced to serve a cruel scientist named Dr. Glickenstein. Hayes is playing Brian the Brain, a brain in a jar who is one of Igor's sidekicks and inventions.

The voice cast includes Jeremy Piven, Jay Leno, Jennifer Coolidge, Molly Shannon, Steve Buscemi and John Cleese.

Chris McKenna wrote the screenplay. The film is set for an Oct. 24, 2008, release.

via

Premise: Four extreme "Star Wars" fans and childhood friends drive across America to Skywalker Ranch in order to sneak a peak at the yet unreleased "Episode 1: Phantom Menace" as one last hoorah for their dying friend. 

Production Status: In Production/Awaiting Release 
Genres: Comedy and Drama 
Release Date: August 17th, 2007 (wide) 
Production Co.: Trigger Street Productions 
Studios: The Weinstein Company  
Produced in: United States

via

The Weinstein Company has renewed its exclusive first-look deal with Sydney Pollack and Anthony Minghella's Mirage production company for another three years.

The new deal also includes English-language remake rights to Oscar-winning film The Lives of Others.

In addition to "Others," Mirage has set up several projects under the deal. Of those, The Reader appears closest to being made. Director Stephen Daldry and screenwriter David Hare are preparing the romance for a late-summer shoot...more click on heading

via

The Weinstein Company has picked up Dirty Step Stomp, Steve Basilone & Annie Mebane's spoof, setting it up with Benderspink.

Variety says the project will spoof such dance pics as Dirty Dancing, Save the Last Dance, Step Up and Stomp the Yard.

Chris Bender, Mason Novick and JC Spink will serve as producers.

via

Set in 18th-century Kazakhstan, a boy feels destined to one day unite the three warring tribes of the region.
 
Genres: Drama
 
Release Date: January 12th, 2007
 
Distributors: The Weinstein Company

via

Life becomes a mysery when a person falls into such scene..........yo.......you what what is happening----- its an underachiever guy story who is noe fallen to prey to the outside world when his wife due pregnanacy has to quit her high salary job.

 A 30 year-old underachiever takes a job when his pregnant wife quits her high-pressure, big salary job.....more click on heading...

Genres: Comedy
 
Release Date: December 29th, 2006 (limited)
 
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sexual content, brief language and a drug reference.
 
Distributors: The Weinstein Company , MGM Distribution Company

via

”Shut Up And Sing” travels with the Dixie Chicks, from the peak of their popularity as the national-anthem-singing darlings of country music and top-selling female recording artists of all time, through the now infamous anti-Bush comment made by the groups lead singer Natalie Maines in 2003.

In Theatres: October 27th, 2006
Drama
Rating: R

Barbara Kopple, Cecilia Peck (dir.)
Martie Maguire
Natalie Maines
Simon Renshaw
Emily Robison

 

 

via

Revisits the night Robert F. Kennedy was gunned down at the Ambassador Hotel in 1968. With an incredible ensemble cast portraying fictionalized characters from a cross-section of America, the film follows 22 individuals who are all at the hotel for different purposes but share the common thread of anticipating Kennedy’s arrival at the primary election night party


In Theatres: November 17th, 2006

Emilio Estevez (dir.)
Harry Belafonte
Joy Bryant
Nick Cannon
Emilio Estevez
Laurence Fishburne

via

Release Date: November 3rd, 2006

Five men waking up in a chemical warehouse and realizing they don't know who they are and how they got there. But through time they deduct that some of them are hostages and some are kidnappers. The men now must figure out who is who as they've learned the lead kidnapper is on his way and plans to kill the hostages.

 

Starring: Jim Caviezel, Greg Kinnear, Joe Pantoliano, Bridget Moynahan, Jeremy Sisto
Directed by: Simon Brand
Produced by: Frederick Levy, Darby Parker, Rick Lashbrook

via