The Insider: 044

Getting To Work: Michael Bay

Depending on your feelings towards Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen (mine would best be summed up as “loathing-fuelled mockery”), you will be delighted or devastated to learn that he’s gearing up to make a third entry in the series. Yes, despite claims he might leave the robots behind altogether (a crisis no doubt averted by Paramount backing up a dump truck of money to his office) or make a smaller movie, Bay has announced he’s started work on TF3 with a “great story” – I’ll believe that when I see it – and that it’ll be out in July 2011.

 

Skarsgard joins Thor

That would be Stellan Skarsgard, not his son, Alexander, who was rumoured as one of the final choices to play Thor before Star Trek’s Chris Hemsworth was finally awarded the role. Yes, I don’t see that being awkward. At all. “So where are you today, dad?” “Oh, you know, working on that film you really wanted but someone else got. Bye!”

 

Low budget horror spooks America

Drawing comparisons to The Blair Witch Project (if not in box office terms yet), Paranormal Activity is slowly haunting its way across America, tapping an interesting release strategy that has seen limited midnight showings in select cities followed by web appeals for filmgoers to demand the movie arrives in their locale. So far, it’s drawing a huge response, with sold out showings and a ramped up release schedule.

 

Surprising fun

A recommendation from me for once – zom-com Zombieland is excellent and well worth your time. While I won’t go so far as to call it better than Shaun Of The Dead, it’s a rip-roaring, flesh-tearing, laugh-grabbing road kill road trip that boasts great gags, superb characters and more than one successful surprise.

 

Back on Vacation?

There truly is no film safe from the clutching hands of film executives looking for a name brand title to re-purpose. But at least New Line isn’t aiming to actually remake National Lampoon’s Vacation – the mad road trip comedy from 1983 that help solidify Chevy Chase’s film career (and helped launch John Hughes also – he wrote it.) No, the studio wants to make a new sequel, set after all the others, focusing on Griswold family son Rusty and his own family. New ideas? Who needs ‘em!

 

Brody Vs Predator

There are a few Oscar winners I could see taking down a team of Predators. Judi Dench, maybe. Barbra Streisand or Ellen Burstyn. But Adrien Brody? Surely not! It’s true, though – he’s signed on to Predators, the new take on the hunting-obsessed alien franchise that Nimrod Antal will start directing next month. He’s joining the likes of Alice Braga, Danny Trejo and The Shield’s Walton Goggins to play one of a group of tough characters that have trouble with the dreadlocked dangers. I still can’t see Brody as a tough guy, but perhaps he’ll surprise us all?