1.) Producer Frank Marshall revealed the progress for a fifth Indiana Jones movie in a recent interview. “As far as I know he’s not writing a fifth Indy,” he said, which contradicts previous quotes from both Steven Spielberg and Harrison Ford. “I think he’s thinking about ideas but he’s certainly not writing one,” he continued. It sounds like they’d like to do one but he’s waiting to come up with a good story before he commits to writing a screenplay, which makes sense because Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was chock-full of good ideas.
He was much more positive when asked about Jurassic Park IV, however. “It’s got new life. I can tell you that it’s moving forward.” He also debunked the rumor that the film would center on government-developed weaponized dinosaurs. [Crave]
2.) J.J. Abrams has begun developing a sci-fi pic called Collider with Edgar Wright attached to direct and co-write with Mark Protosevich (I Am Legend). Abrams would serve as producer under his Bad Robot banner, and in typical Abrams fashion, the plot details are being kept tightly under wraps. [Deadline]
3.) While he was at one point attached to star, Russell Crowe will instead step behind the camera and make his directorial debut on a biopic of stand-up comic Bill Hicks. The film could shoot at some point next year. Hicks died of pancreatic cancer in 1994 at the age of 32, so the decision for Crowe to look for a younger actor seems to be a smart one. But who do you like for the role? I’m not very familiar with Hicks’ act, but from a purely physical standpoint I could see Joseph Gordon Levitt being a good fit. [The Telegraph]
4.) With Despicable Me 2 slated for a July 3, 2013 release, Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment are moving forward with a spin-off that would focus on the hugely popular Minions for the following summer. The script is already written by Brian Lynch (Hop), while Despicable Me co-director Pierre Coffin will be joined by The Lorax co-director Kyle Balda. Coffin also does the voices for the little yellow dudes with Chris Renaud, his directing partner on the two Despicable Me films. [Deadline]
5.) Arnold Schwarzenegger could soon team up with another former Terminator star in Ten, as Sam Worthington is in negotiations to join the cast. David Ayer (Street Kings, the upcoming End of Watch) will direct the film, which follows an elite DEA task force that robs a dangerous drug cartel under the guise of a tactical raid on one of its safe houses. They think they’ve gotten away with a load of stolen cash, but the team members begin getting picked off one by one. There’s still no word on Bo Derek’s involvement. [Variety]
