Director Todd Phillips has made three films for Warner Bros. so far: The Hangover, Due Date, and The Hangover Part II. Say what you will about their varying degrees of quality, but there’s no denying the fact that they were all huge financial successes for both Phillips and the studio, so Warner Bros. is obviously very committed to being in the Todd Phillips business. To that end they’ve signed him to a new first look deal that will keep him making movies for the studio until at least the end of 2013, and will give him first crack at quite a few potential projects. Deadline Dix Hills has a rundown of four different scripts that are all being put together as potential Phillips vehicles.

On January 11, 1991, the then-head of Disney studios, Jeffrey Katzenberg, circulated an incredibly important memo about the state of the movie industry and the products they were making. It was called, “The World is Changing: Some Thoughts on Our Business,” and it had a simple purpose: to locate the root of a growing problem and to take steps to avoid falling victim to it. Katzenberg began the memo by stating: “As we begin the new year, I strongly believe we are entering a period of great danger and even greater uncertainty. Events are unfolding within and without the movie industry that are extremely threatening to our studio.” As we begin a new year two decades after this memo was written, it’s critical to look back at the points Katzenberg made to see that his period of great danger is now our period of great danger, to note that the same events unfolding within and without the industry still threaten the entire studio system in 2012, and to predict our future based on the past.

It’s been my opinion for a while now that all-you-can-eat subscription services like Netflix are going to be a temporary thing with a limited window of success. Back when movie streaming was a minor thing aimed at a niche, tech savvy audience, it probably made sense for studios to sign deals with Netflix giving them access to their film libraries. Even five years ago high speed Internet wasn’t so ubiquitous, and if you wanted to stream something over the Internet, that pretty much meant you were streaming it to your computer monitor. But in today’s world of omnipresent wifi and apps that allow everyone to stream movies to smart TVs, video game consoles, app-enabled Blu-ray players, smart phones, and tablet computers, the entire game has changed. Now people can stream movies wherever they are, whenever they want. And they do… a lot. I think we’ve all seen that statistic floating around that 1/3 of all Internet traffic in the evenings comes from people streaming movies through Netflix. While I’m not in any position to prove that such a statistic is true, let’s just assume that it’s mostly true; that accounts for a huge amount of movie watching that ten years ago was being done through the more profitable to studios vehicle of DVD purchases and rentals.

The proposed live action Akira being developed over at Warner Bros. is slowly and steadily becoming the most talked-about film project of all time. The ups and downs of bringing this beloved story to the big screen have been well documented, but the most recent news made it look like this project might finally be ending its wild ride. Reports came in last week that all work on the film had been halted, the entire thing was being rethought, and maybe it could get scrapped indefinitely. But that was last week. This week, Variety is reporting that a new strategy for resuscitating director Jaume Collet-Serra’s project is being hatched. It sure didn’t take long to get the roller coaster going again. Last week’s reports said that the main reason for Akira being halted was that it needed to, yet again, go through some budget cuts. But according to a source that talked to Variety, that’s not exactly the case. While trimming some more fat from the budget is certainly something that Collet-Serra and his producers are looking at, mainly the reason the film is being re-tooled is just that there are still problems with the script they’re working with. Reportedly there are still questions about some character elements and the film’s look. And that’s after this thing has already received rewrites from the likes of Steve Kloves and David James Kelly.

After sitting through the snoozefest ball-kick that was The Devil Inside (refresh your memory of my disdain by giving my review another look), a large part of me hoped that I would never need to think (or write) about the film ever again. Of course, that was before the “found footage” (fauxtage! fauxtage!) flick won the box office for the weekend, despite that F CinemaScore and some of the worst buzz surrounding a film ever. Of course such insipid, uninspired filmmaking would be rewarded! And how, as director and co-writer William Brent Bell has already been signed to direct a new film for Warner Bros. You will be shocked to learn that the film will be called The Vatican, and that it will also employ the found footage style that The Devil Inside used, though it’s described as “a hybrid.” I, too, am utterly shocked! The film is still in pitch format, and Deadline Atrani describes it as “a conspiracy driven thriller” that will be penned by David Cohen. Man, William Brent Bell must really hate the Holy See.

It’s been a long time since we’ve talked about producer Dan Jinks trying to get a live action version of Pinocchio together over at Warner Bros. So long that many people probably assumed that the project was dead. That’s not the case though. As a matter of fact, it’s probably about to get quite a bit of attention. THR is reporting that none other than Tim F’n Burton has taken an interest in the Pinocchio script, which was written by Pushing Daisies creator Bryan Fuller. And I know what you’re thinking already…who wants to see a version of Pinocchio starring Johnny Depp as the puppet and Helena Bonham Carter as Geppetto in drag? Don’t be so quick to judge. Early reports don’t say anything about Depp or Carter at all. As a matter of fact, apparently Burton wants Robert Downey Jr. to come on board to be his Italian puppeteer. How’s that for a switch?

The live-action adaptation of the legendary manga and anime property Akira has had one of the rockiest roads to the big screen of any movie I can remember. There is a lot of disagreement out there about what a Hollywood version of Akira should look like, but I think the one thing everyone can agree on is that nothing Warner Bros. has tried to do with the property so far has come close to hitting the mark. Back when Albert Hughes was still going to direct the project there were fan gripes about the film being forced into a PG-13 rating, after Hughes left the project everyone was left to complain about a new director and a slashed budget, and I don’t think anybody has been thrilled with any of the casting that has been done. But, finally, the time for tears may be over. Heat Vision is reporting that a stop has been put to all work on the project. Offices are closing, talent is being sent home, and the whole thing is being re-thought. Director Jaume Collet-Serra and producers Jennifer Kiloran Davisson and Andrew Lazar will spend the next couple weeks ironing out issues with the script and trying to once again cut the budget, this time from the $90m range down to the $60 or $70m range, so that deals can be made with more actors. As of now, Garrett Hedlund (Tron: Legacy) is the only name that they’ve been able to secure, with actors like Kristen [Due to Content Scraping and Theft, we have been forced to try abbreviated feeds. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and woud very much appreciate you clicking through to view the full article on FilmSchoolRejects.com]

Do you remember how there is somebody out there trying to put together a big screen re-boot of Buffy the Vampire Slayer that doesn’t involve the property’s creator Joss Whedon, or is that a memory that you’ve repressed? Well, it’s happening, at least on some level. Warner Bros. wants the property to live on, and to that goal they hired a screenwriter named Whit Anderson to write a script some time ago. Unfortunately for those hoping for more Buffy, that script was submitted to the studio over the summer and Hero Complex has sources saying that the studio didn’t like it at all. Because of the disappointing words on page, the project has been sent back to square one and executives are looking for a new writer to take a crack at it. Someone Hero Complex describes as a “key player” in the production said of their progress so far, “If you’re going to bring it back, you have to do it right. Anderson came in with some great ideas and she had reinvented some of the lore and it was pretty cool but in the end there just wasn’t enough on the page.” So I guess now that the proposed film has hit a stumbling block the question has to be raised, is this the beginning of the end for a new Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or is the next writer who gets hired going to be able to do something with the property that the studio finds acceptable?

There have been hushed whispers going around the Internet for a while that Warner Bros. was interested in getting Steven Spielberg to direct a movie about Moses called Gods and Kings. It’s apparently an epic movie that spans the whole life of Moses, from the slave freeing, to the plagues, to the ten commandments, to all of the rest, and it comes from a script by Michael Green and Stuart Hazeldine. It makes sense that Warners would be looking to Spielberg for a project like this for a couple reasons. Primarily, a film of this scope is going to need a huge budget, and that’s something Spielberg has a history of handling well and getting a return on. Also, Spielberg is a filmmaker who has a history of making projects that explore his Jewish heritage, and when he dealing with that sort of subject matter he ends up making movies as awesome as Schindler’s List and Munich; so who better than him to explore the life of Moses, one of the most badass Jews ever? Probably no one, so it’s good news for Warners that they are reportedly now in official talks with the legend to sign on to direct. According to Twitch, the talks between the two parties are “formal,” so take that as you will. Is that the difference between sitting down face to face in a boardroom instead of just chatting on the phone? Or does it just mean everyone is in fancy dress and slapping each [Due to Content Scraping and Theft, we have been forced to try abbreviated feeds. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and woud very much appreciate you clicking through to view the full article on FilmSchoolRejects.com]

Once an actor reaches a certain level of success in the acting world, the next step up the ladder for them is usually to form a production company and start getting their name put on all of their films as producers. It’s kind of like how all of the biggest rappers have a clothing line. Not one to be outdone by rappers, British comedian/actor Russell Brand has his own company named Branded Films, and through it he will be co-producing his next starring vehicle, The President Stole My Girlfriend. Though this seems to be one of those movies with a fairly self-explanatory title, I’ll let Brand explain the film to you himself. When talking about the new movie to The Hollywood Reporter he said, “In this movie, the president steals the girlfriend of a sexy hippie—me, obviously. It was inspired by the night I naively invited [Warners president] Jeff Robinov for dinner.” Random zings to Jeff Robinov aside, The President Stole My Girlfriend was actually written by Matt Portenoy, who recently did a well liked re-write of the in-development Porky’s remake, and who is now making his first big sale with this script going to Brand and his new Warner Bros.-based company.

In a move that would make Walt Disney cheer from his cryochamber, Warner Bros has announced they will halt all shipments of the Harry Potter films starting December 29th. Existing copies will be allowed to sell out, but once they’re gone the eight films will no longer be available for sale. Per Deadline Azkaban, WB is taking a page from the Disney playbook and pulling all eight films from circulation on that date. It doesn’t appear that they’ll actually remove unsold product from store shelves but instead will just stop shipping new orders. What’s interesting is that the final film in the franchise, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, doesn’t hit shelves until November 11th, meaning it will only be available for six weeks before the moratorium starts. Obviously WB will flood stores with copies of the title, so no one should worry about not finding it for sale, but this window of availability is incredibly small for such a major title. Like Disney has done repeatedly with their animated titles, WB is hoping to increase demand for the franchise by decreasing the supply. My guess is next November will see a marketing blitz announcing special editions, box sets, and more available for a limited time only. There’s little chance this will backfire for the studio, but will it actually increase sales? Is the draw of the series the same as it is for classic Disney films like Dumbo and The Lion King? We’ll all find out next [Due to Content Scraping and Theft, we have been forced to try abbreviated feeds. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and woud very much appreciate you clicking through to view the full article on FilmSchoolRejects.com]

Francis Lawrence keeps himself busy, and it shows when you look at his untrusty IMDB page. The director’s name has been tied to a lot of projects in the past few years – Survivor, Sgt. Rock, Houdini, and more — but many of those films aren’t ones Lawrence will be making. In my interview with the director, we spent some time discussing what may be next for him, either Houdini or Unbroken, and why certain projects didn’t come together. First off, Lawrence won’t be adapting Survivor, which he backed away from over two years ago. Not because the project died while he was working on it, but over a tonal issue:

There was a moment when Julie and Julia came out that made everyone pause and consider the possibilities of replicating the success story. After all, it was a blog that became a book that became a movie. That’s still a rarity, but the hull had been breached, and for a day or two it seemed entirely possible that anyone’s dumb musings could become a feature film. Apparently that was only the first step in the internet revolution invading film. In the span of less than two months, a poster named The_Quiet_Earth posted a hypothetical question to Reddit, James Erwin answered it with a sci-fi short story, and now that story has been picked up by Warner Bros. for a feature film. Our friends over at Screen Rant had the foresight to interview Erwin back when he was developing the script with Madhouse Entertainment, and now Variety is reporting that Madhouse’s Adam Kolbrenner brought the project to Warners and set up the deal. The short story imagines that a group of Marines headed to Afghanistan is sent inexplicably into Pre-Common Era Rome and must do battle with the Roman Legion and figure out how to get back to their own time. It’s high-concept, and the story gained a serious following on Reddit (which caught Kolbrenner’s attention), resulting in fan-made posters and trailers. You can read the story for yourself, and watch the mash-up style trailer below:

Robert Downey Jr. and his wife Susan Downey continue to use their production company, Team Downey, to acquire starring vehicles for the actor. The latest movie that they’ve got their hands on is a joint venture with Warner Bros. that comes from an Adam Gibgot pitch called The Accidental Genius. Downey will play a normal guy in a coma who, when he wakes up, finds that’s he’s now ridiculously smart. That’s not it though, there’s a twist; he’s also having visions of some crazy symbol. In researching the phenomenon, Downey’s character teams up with a “burnt out prodigy” who also recognizes the symbol, and the two men go on to solve a hundred year old mystery with world-changing consequences. So basically what we have here sounds like a mix between Flowers for Algernon and a mystical version of National Treasure. Hopefully, the Downeys can get Nic Cage to play the guy he teams up with. Add this role together with Downey’s previous performances as Sherlock Holmes and his upcoming involvement with a Perry Mason adaptation and he’s becoming quite the on-screen detective. Perhaps he and Susan can eventually team up on a different venture and open up the Team Downey Detective Agency. I’d definitely hire them to follow around my wife. [Deadline Sherman Oaks]

It’s no coincidence that I was just discussing the growing trend of hardboiled crime and neo-noir with mystery writing icon Max Allan Collins. It’s a movement that has infiltrated novels (even more so than in years past), and it’s working its way into the world of film. The next brick in that wall, according to Variety, is being placed by Warner Bros. and Robert Downey Jr. They will be teaming up to bring the skinny tie of Perry Mason back to the world. The character was a massive success in the book series written by Erle Stanley Gardner, but Raymond Burr truly popularized the clever 1930s defense lawyer in the television show that ran from 1957-1966 and continued its life with Burr in the lead with television movies well into the 90s. It’s an iconic figure – so it’s no wonder that a studio would want to capitalize on the name recognition – and Downey Jr. is a strong choice to play the dashing attorney who always gets his man. If he plays his cards right, Downey Jr. could keep playing the character until he’s fat and gray-bearded.

If I told you a couple years ago that a movie about two MMA-fighting, down-on-their-luck brothers who inexplicably enter into a professional fighting tournament and subsequently beat all of the best in the world to face each other in the finals was really good and you should check it out, you probably would have looked at me like I was stupid. But then Warrior came out, and it had Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton in it, so we checked it out despite the ridiculous premise, and it actually turned out to be a fine little film. It’s funny how the world works. While the performances were definitely my favorite part of Warrior, I must admit that the movie had a subtle touch when dealing with potentially cheesy material, and that went a long way toward keeping me along for the ride. Credit for that, and the casting for that matter, has to be largely given to director Gavin O’Connor. So now this guy finds himself on my radar. I’m going to be following whatever he does next very closely. And according to Deadline Suffolk, the next thing he’s going to be doing is a movie called The Samurai, which he co-wrote with Michael J. Wilson and has sold as a spec script to Warner Bros. for six figures and change.

In the summer of 2010, a Michael Jai White-starring short film set in the “Mortal Kombat” video game universe hit the Internet. Nobody really knew what it was at first, but it ended up being a proof of concept short that Kevin Tancharoen directed in order to prove that there was room for a new Mortal Kombat movie that would take a different approach than New Line’s original take on the material. That short has since become known as Mortal Kombat: Rebirth, and though it didn’t immediately land Tancharoen an offer to do a full-length film, it did garner him some additional studio change from Warner Bros. to fund an entire series of web shorts, which were called Mortal Kombat: Legacy. I guess they were another toe dipped in the water to see if there was any interest in a new series of Mortal Kombat films. Stretching the original short out to a series of them had mixed results in this reviewer’s eyes, but the reaction to them must have been positive and large enough to prove something to someone, because it’s looking like Tancharoen is finally going to get to direct his feature. Heat Vision is reporting that New Line is picking up this ball and running with it, as they’ve hired Tancharoen and his writerOren Uziel to come and make a new feature-length Mortal Kombat for them. New Line’s last attempt at a full length Mortal Kombat movie was 1997’s Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, which was pretty much a giant bomb.

You want big things to happen to your little movie? The secret seems to be to get it in as an entry to TIFF’s Midnight Madness program. The good news just keeps rolling in for films that played at midnight at this year’s festival. First up for a Hollywood remake was director Gareth Evans’s Indonesian SWAT team movie The Raid, which was very nearly just one non-stop action sequence. Then there was news that Adam Wingard’s home invasion horror flick You’re Next was being purchased by Lionsgate and set up for a wide release. And now Midnight Madness hits the hat trick, as THR reports that director Frédéric Jardin’s French thriller Sleepless Night is next in line for an English language remake. Sleepless Night is the story of a dad, a drug deal, dirty cops, a stabbing, a kidnapped son, a big bag of cocaine, and a nightclub all coming together to create chaos. Like The Raid, it’s getting a lot of comparisons to Die Hard because it’s full of action and takes place mostly in one setting.

You may already be a film industry cynic. Maybe you think Hollywood is a barren wasteland, devoid of creativity and originality. Maybe you’re sick of seeing talented people get ignored and vapid hacks get splashed all over the trades. Maybe you’re tired of 3D everything and having to re-buy your movies every five to ten years. I’m not here to dissuade you of any of that. Hell no, I’m here to make it worse. Get ready, because this is some of the rottenest shit of which the film industry is capable. These are the things so terrible that Hollywood has to cover them up, lest God see their sin and smite them accordingly (and keep various government entities and lawyers off their backs, of course). If you still had any kind thoughts toward Hollywood, I suggest you prepare yourself for crushing disappointment. But first, I’d like to give a very huge shout out and thank you to writers C. Coville and Maxwell Yezpitelok for their help on this article. You guys are great! And now back to the shit storm, already in progress:

David Katzenberg and Seth Grahame-Smith, now together known as Katzsmith Productions, have signed a new feature producing deal with Warner Bros. Who are these guys? Katzenberg wrote and directed a short film about a teenage nerd with a big unit that he later developed into the MTV series The Hard Times of R.J. Berger, and Garahame-Smith is the guy who wrote Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. The two have been working together for a while, and Warners likes what they see; so much so that they’re expected to be handed the reigns of a sequel to the 1988 horror-comedy Beetlejuice as their first project. Warner Bros. production president Greg Silverman explains the new deal, “We first got to know Seth through his fantastic work on Dark Shadows, and it immediately became a priority to expand our relationship with him. Seth introduced us to David, who greatly impressed us with the vision for KatzSmith from the very first meeting. We firmly believe in their talents and are extremely excited to welcome them to the Warners family.”