Various rumours have emerged this week regarding Ridley Scott's next project after Robin Hood. DarkHorizons.com reports on progress on his Alien prequel, the fourth draft of which is "currently sitting on his desk". There will in fact be two films made, both of which will be shot in 3D. Elsewhere, ComingSoon.net reports the director also plans on bringing the board game Monopoly to the big screen.
Pixar projects announced
Pixar confirmed Thursday that there will be a Monsters Inc. sequel, with a release date of November 2012 expected. No director or writer has been announced yet. Pixar have also announced that The Bear and the Bow has been renamed to Brave. Described as the studio's first fairytale, the project stars Reese Witherspoon and is set for a June 2012 release.
Lynne Ramsay returns to filmmakingThe Guardian reports that Lynne Ramsay, director of 1999's Ratcatcher and 2002's Movern Callar, began filming this week on her third feature, We Need to Talk About Kevin. Adapting from Lionel Shriver's novel, Ramsay wrote the script herself. Given that the project, starring Tilda Swinton, faltered in 2008 due to budgetary concerns, this is welcome news.
Mickey Rourke to be play Genghis Khan
Mickey Rourke has revealed in an interview with The Orlando Sentinel that he plans to play Genghis Khan, reports AwardsDaily.com. John Milius, an uncredited writer on Dirty Harry and co-writer of Apocalypse Now and Conan the Barbarian, is set to script and direct the project.
Ronald Reagan and James Dean: rare footage discovered
Rare film footage has surfaced of James Dean and Ronald Reagan acting together in an episode of The Dark, Dark House. The episode first aired in late 1954; according to The Atlantic's John Meroney, "No one has seen this episode in the decades since."
I Am Love
Metrodome, the distributor of Luca Guadagnino's I Am Love, has been awarded £110,900 by the UK Film Council, "to widen distribution to 52 sites and boost publicity and advertising". In other welcome news, smaller awards were given to Artificial Eye to help with distribution of new films by Todd Solondz, Peter Greenaway and Claire Denis.
Batman 3 not in 3D
Wally Pfister, the cinematographer of Christopher Nolan's last five films as well as his upcoming Inception and the as-yet-titled sequel to The Dark Knight, has spoken out against the possibility of a 3D Batman film. Speaking to Cinematical.com, Pfister also revealed hints towards more use of IMAX technology.
Agnès Varda retrospective
Finally, the British Film Institute is celebrating the career of veteran French filmmaker Agnès Varda with a "near-complete retrospective" of her work. To coincide with the season at the BFI Southbank, London (April 30-May 31), watch this space for a review of Varda's breakthrough feature, Cléo de 5 à 7...
