July 8th Roundup and Comic Con

Thankful to be back from LA. 

T’wasa good trip. Positive for career and good to spend time with friends I see all too rarely.  I showed Kane to a few more studio execs – most of them loved or really liked and all at least admired the film.  (No, I tell a lie; one exec simply didn’t like it at all but I’d feel weird if everyone loved it. Art is supposed to be at least a little devisive.)    These men and women were production execs and nothing to do with distribution so their passion for the film sadly has no bearing on getting the film into theatres.   All I’m hearing is that this is the hardest market there has ever been for selling and distributing a movie.  Every studio is making cutbacks, jobs are going, budgets are being slashed, production slates contracting and the independents are mostly in a terrible panic.  It’s nasty out there.

But regardless of this, there is as great an appetite for movies from the audience as there has ever been so I was meeting with studios, independents and producers to talkabout other projects and new ideas with them.  Now that we all know Nimrod Antal has got the Predators job – gutting but as someone told me “thems is the breaks” – I need to decided what I’m doing next.  The Wes Craven thing might work out but in these difficult times you’ve got to spread-bet just a little.   So I’m not just talking about my own stuff but also reading other scripts and books that are currently circulating to try and find something that I’m passionate enough about to spend two years of my life working on.    There are one or two very interesting challenges but nothing that leaps out at me from the huge reading pile next to my bed.  A few books are available that I’d love to adapt, so I’m taking meetings on these and I’m trying to secure the rights to a couple of graphic novels I’ve loved since I was young. 

Casting for The Unblinking Eye is moving forwards slowly – hoping to be able to announce something soon or at least before I go grey and die of old age.  And I have another dark little ghost story which is gathering steam under the careful eye of a smart young producer. It’s called ‘The Memory of Stone’  and has a Devil’s Backbone/The Others kind of vibe about it.   It’s such a hard ‘market’ to get anything made right now but the script is smart, character driven and very creepy so I’m hoping to get a good cast attached and find a way to bring it in at a sensible price.  Hopefully something will come of this as I’d love to make what I’d call a classic European ghost story.  Of course, I’m still chasing after a few of the extremely cool comic book movies and blockbusters which are always grinding towards the summer weekends but that’s a tough world to crack.  Kane is swinging those studio doors wide open and having been on the short list for something high profile helps enormously too.  But it is the oddest time to be in this business; anything can happen.

Also, and this is super cool, Solomon Kane is going to Comic-Con.  It’s not finally, finalised but I think the hunky Mr Purefoy and myself will show a few little clips and maybe the trailer (if the damn thing is finished) around midday on Saturday 25th.   Details still a little up in the air but I can’t wait to go.  Stay tuned.

News…(none) and stuff

…actually none at all but it seems I should try and post something at least once a week, even if it is simply to state the absence of anything really interesting happening.

I’ve still not heard either way about the ‘other’ project I went out to LA for a few weeks ago. I have to assume that they’ve given it to someone else which is a damn pity as I’d love to have got my hands on it.  I’m not even sure it’s going to who I thought but as nothing has been announced, I’m as in the dark as the next person. 

Heading back out to Hollywood for a few weeks to pitch another project with Wes Craven as producer.  He’s somewhat of a hero of mine so it’s a great pleasure to spend time with him – he’s very softly spoken and extremely smart; not at all the gore hound you’d expect from someone whose created what he has.  Once again, I shouldn’t really elaborate too much as I, quite literally, don’t want to queer the pitch.  If it works out it will be a really fun, gory and exciting movie. 

No Solomon Kane news – at least none that I know of.  Creatively there is nothing left for me to do and the business side of it is still ticking along but as I have no influence or input into that side of things, I keep out of it.  I’m  never told release dates or schedules and only find out when some far more dilligent person than I discovers info.  The guys at the REH forum seem to be on the case though.  I check in their to find out info about my own movie.  They even turned up a little review from someone who attended the LA screening a few weeks back… I’ll quote it here but only because it’s nice about the film. 

“I was at that distributor’s screening of Solomon Kane that Aint It Cool News had set up here in LA. I’m biased because this was my kind of movie, but I will say that this was was of THE best sword and sorcery films I’ve seen to date and I’ve pretty much seen them all. Played straight with no one-liners or sidekicks, Solomon Kane was dark, grim and brutal. And that is why I loved it. Still my favorite movie of the year so far.”

I can’t ask for a better comment than that. 
If you’re a SK fan you could do worse than paying the forum a visit… http://www.conan.com/invboard/index.php?showforum=14  They’re pretty serious about all things Robert Howard and are far more informed about the history and literary details of Kane than I ever am. 

What else….?  Lots of other things.  Looks like I’m closing in on a co-lead for James Purefoy to play against in The Unblinking Eye.  If I can snag this Oscar winning actor it will be an amazing experience as I think he’ll make James work harder than he ever has before and I know he’ll elevate what I have written into something extraordinary.  Lots of challenges  before it becomes official but it is nice to know the script gets such a positive reaction.

Also I’m waiting to hear about a fantasy-adventure project I’ve been dying to get into development.  It’s my homage to the legendary Ray Harryhausen, with loads of high adventure and lots of monsters.  (I love monsters)  Expensive in this climate but it’s a lot of fun for a wider audience and something I’ve wanted to do for years. 

And also I’m thinking of developing a graphic novel of a science fiction story I’ve been writing recently.  It’s just too gigantic in scope for a movie but I love working on the visuals as well as the character and narrative, so it seems a graphic novel is the way to go.  I’ve never written one before so we’ll have to see how much  spending time with Alan Moore has helped. 

Gotta get some sleep now, flying tomorrow.

Back in Blighty

Always nice to get back home, even after a short trip like last week. I managed to catch up with a few friends in LA but the schedule was very tight and I had a specific reason for going so it was all pretty focused on that one thing.  There are several directors being met and considered so I can’t/won’t be specific about what this is.  I’m also pretty sure I’m not at the top of anyone’s list for this gig, though god knows I pitched my little heart out for it.   I met with the producer  (even though arranging the meeting was like trying to juggle mercury) at the very swanky Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills and spent a pleasurable few hours chatting about his work and achievements as well as this project. He’s a director as well and it was really interesting listening to some of his war-stories. He’s not much older than I am but has been far more productive in his time and I was pretty blown away by that sheer heads-down determination and work ethic he’s got. Makes me feel like a lazy underachiever in comparison.  Though he’d seen Solomon Kane and really liked it, the film of mine that he dug most was WILDERNESS.  He responded to the strong performances of the young cast and sheer ferocity of the kills which I think plays to elements of this project.  Interestingly, Bill Duke was sitting just a few seats away… a sign perhaps? Perhaps not.  Then I met with the executives at the studio that’s financing.  Once again, a great meeting with a huge amount of positive energy and enthusiasm from me and them.  I came away thinking that – whoever gets the gig – they’re going to have a really passionate team behind them.   I know people really criticize ’studio executives’ en masse but so far it has been my experience that none of them are stupid and none of them are going out of their way to insult the intelligence of their audiences or make ‘bad’ movies.  And yet, so often in the mix things just don’t seem to go quite right.  On this trip I met the executive who put Terminator Salvation together and also the one helped put Wolverine together.  Neither entirely artistically successful films (in my opinion) despite huge resources and yet both executives loved and respected the source material and wanted to help make something truly special but things just got in the way.  (Their war-stories were something else, I can tell you.)  Part of it, of course, is the need to feed the studio machine itself which really doesn’t care about quality or artistry, simply the bottom line.  If you can somehow satisfy both then…. well, then you’re probably called James Cameron or Steven Spielberg or Robert Zemeckis or…. you get the idea.
Anyway, back home now and awaiting feedback from this trip. It’s a long shot but the game’s not over just yet.  I think I know who’s most likely to get the job out of the other names I’ve heard and if I’m right, then we’ll all get a great movie and if it’s me, we’ll then, we’ll get an even better one

Los Angeles next week

I’m going to be in LA for Monday through Thursday next week. Travelling all the way there on my own dime from rainy England to meet with a producer about a project I’d love to be involved with. He’s seen all my films now and likes them enough to want to meet face to face. Hell, I think I’d do an awesome job – sci-fi, action, aliens and violence – everything I became a director to do. Obviously can’t say what it is and in all likelihood it won’t work as I know he’s meeting with a bunch of guys who, I’m sure, are just as geeky as me but you can’t pass up the chance to take a swing at these things. I’m going to try and blog and twitter my way through the trip and will tease out more info as I think I can.

Free time and dream projects

Now Kane is finally done (release dates pending etc)  and astonishingly, I’ve finished all the scripts, treatments and notes that were overdue on all my other projects I find myself without a pressing deadline for the first time in over two years.  I should luxuriate in these creatively calm waters but I prefer the intensity of a slightly more storm-tossed world.  I’m finally getting back to some of the projects I had to shelve because of Kane and loving this freedom to flit around a little until I settle on something that really engages me.  I should make the most of it as things could change quickly; James Purefoy and I have a thing we want to shoot this summer and it might just kick off at any moment if the rest of the cast fall into place quickly.  It’s a very dark, very intense psychological thriller which will push James to places he’s never been before as an actor.  Not a big film at all but something very different for us both.  It may not come together but I’m hoping it will.

Of course, I’m waiting on news of a few other projects I’m up for as director but these things take forever, and I’m working my way through a huge pile of scripts – some pretty good, others just terribly dissapointing. 

But this lull does give me a chance to consider some dream projects too.  I’m pretty sure everyone,  film makers and fans alike,  has dream projects they’d love to see make it to the screen.   I know I have;  things I read as a kid which left a big impression or even more recent discoveries that are just crying out to be made.  So, ignoring my own scripts and ideas that I’m developing here’s a list of some things I’d love to take a swing at.  Not in any order and many of them, I know, are already in development (or development hell) but you never know…

HALF LIFE -  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Half_life_game I’m a bit of a gamer and to me the holy grail of games to adapt is HALF LIFE (1&2).  I love these games so much and can just see how they would adapt so damn well.  Huge project, massive ambition to make a sophisticated, visually stunning peice that has crazy action and lots of real depth.  No gloss, just lots of grit. 

THE ETERNAL CHAMPION SERIES from Michael Moorcock.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Moorcock Sure I love Elric but I think that whole cycle and complex world is terrific. Hawkmoon (which I’m reading to my daughter at the moment), Corum, Erikose and the rest.  I’d love to bring it all together somehow.

AMERICAN TABLOID  by James Ellroy.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Tabloid Stunning and bleak. Hard boiled as hell.  The history of America filtered through the underbelly of Cuba, Kennedy and Hoover. Probably not a movie but a massive HBO series.  Needs making on a grand, intense scale.  I love dark noir and Ellroy is the prince of darkness.  Who doesn’t want to see Big Pete Bondurant and Kemper Boyd come to life?  Casting suggestions anyone?

THE SAGA OF THE EXILES by Julian May.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saga_of_Pliocene_Exile  A fantastical world – time travel,  pre-history and aliens all mixed in with battling telekinetics and some awesome characters.  Needs some serious trimming to be adapted properly but there’s some great material in there. 

ALIEN 5 – Alien is the reason I became a film maker.  I don’t care about Ripley (edit – just to qualify this comment; Fincher finished her story in Alien3 and bringing her back felt like a diservice to her character in Alien4.)  I want to know about the Aliens; their world, the ecosystem or intelligence that created them.  Imagine if the Alien in its home world was nothing more than a wasp or ant?  What kind of planet would that be? I’d rather Ridley Scott or James Cameron did it but if they won’t I’ll happily take a swing.  Anything has to be better than the Alien movies we’ve been served up so far. (And this is coming from a guy who went to New York to see the opening of Alien3 in Times Square. I’ve long since forgiven Fincher who is clearly a genius but boy, it stung at the time. In fact you can kinda see what he was trying to do if you look at the extended cut. Still bad but now at least a really noble failure.)  I hear now that the Ridley is producing a prequel with his favourite new Wunderkind director protege.   Maybe we’ll finally find out what the hell the ’space jockey’ was all about.  Wish it was me doing it though…

OUTLAND – Peter Hyams and Sean Connery’s sci-fi High Noon in space.  Would really benefit from a great reimagining.  Clearly this is true because Doug Liman is developing it now. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outland_(film)

THE SPOOK’S APPRENTICE by Joseph Delaney.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_spooks_apprentice Essentially the stories of a trainee witch hunter/exorcist in a fictional middle ages England.  I read a lot of stories to my kids and these have had them transfixed like few others.  Dark and bleaker than Harry Potter so it totally fits into my world.  Warner Brothers are actively developing these with Kevin Lima attached to direct.  I only hope he has a nasty accident…

MORTAL ENGINES  by Philip Reeve.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortal_Engines Again, something I read to my kids.  It’s a wonderful adventure set in a distant, post apocalyptic future where vast cities are built on huge caterpillar tracks allowing them to crawl over the devastated landscape hunting down other cities to cannibalise.  Visually, I’ve rarely come across something so unique and maybe it would be better as animation but I just loved these stories.

JONATHAN STRANGE AND MR NORRELL by Susanna Clark – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Strange_and_Mr_Norrell Holy hell, this is a great novel.  A re-imagining of English history as if magic was real.  It’s like a grown-up prequel to the Harry Potter series. Vast, detailed, rich, romantic and utterly, utterly wonderful.  I have read a couple of the scripts they’ve had done for this but none have really captured it.  The producers know I’m keen, they’re just waiting to see Kane.

SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES….. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Something_Wicked_This_Way_Comes_(novel) Just a stunning, creepy, vivid tale and one that would really benefit from another cinematic visit.  I didn’t love the original film and I feel there is a genuinely terrifying film to be made.

HIGHLANDER – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highlander_(film) the company that made Twilight is actively developing a big-budget reboot of this.  I absolutely adored the original and hated everything that came after and I’d love to get my hands on the script to see where they’re taking it.  If there’s something wonderful and fresh in this new take on it, I’d be so there.

So there you go, a few of the things that would make my little heart flutter if only they’d let me at ‘em.  There’s loads more but now I want a cup of tea.  What would you love to see made?

Kane in the LA Times

I was told about this article about Solomon Kane the literary character in the LA Times. It’s in interesting overview and pretty good primer on our hero. Worth a read.

http://www.latimes.com/features/books/la-caw-sirens-call24-2009may24,1,449642.story

Kane reviews

Quick post – Harry has archived the AICN Kane review, so if you still want to read it. it’s here – http://www.aintitcool.com/node/41022

Also one at a site I’d never heard of called Twitch – not sure how they got to see the film. Either in Cannes or the single LA one… review is pretty good here…http://twitchfilm.net/site/view/solomon-kane-review/

And I noticed a couple at IMDB… one good, the other great. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0970452/usercomments

Another one just surfaced but I’ve no idea who this person is – clearly they were in on the LA screening.  http://pseudo-intellectual.com/ People were asked not to review but since it’s positive, I’m not going to complain.

Of course, just a tiny sample of opinions since we’ve not really made it available at all.  I hope they all stay this positive, though I’m sure there’ll be naysayers along the way.

Cannes screening

The Cannes Golden ticket

Never been here before.  Never wanted to without a reason, without a film that would generate a little buzz.  Thankfully Kane is doing just that so it’s been worth the trip. Spent the day strolling the grey and drizzly croisette. Finally find a nice spot to sit and watch the world go by. 

The most interesting part of the festival is not the public front-end but the behind the scenes but with all the buyers and sellers deciding the fates of movies people have slaved over for years or are so desperate to get made.  Movies are treated like any other product here; there’s only one real question – will it make money?  Very occasionally something that just sparks an interest will make it through because people have faith that the audience will come if they just try hard enough.  But that’s pretty rare.

Thankfully, the market screening for Kane was jam packed with buyers from all over the world.  We’ve kept this so under the raider that everyone is totally jazzed to see what we’ve been up to.  A room full of buyers is probably the world’s hardest, most cynical audience . These men and women are seeing at least three movies a day and have to decide where their increasingly diminished funds are heading.  I’d been warned that people will just get up and walk out without a care.  They’ll know within minutes if a film fits their profile or if they can afford it.  I’d braced myself for an ego bruising of quite monumental proportions but as it turned out I lost just four people out of two hundred and that was only because we started the film late and they had to go.  They sat, seemingly riveted throughout and very into the whole thing.  Were they Kane fans before? Probably not  but were they Kane fans after? You know, I think there are a few converts today.  Certainly, I don’t think James Purefoy ever has to worry about getting a job again.

Some of the biggest hitters in the film world came out of the screening seeming almost astounded, the major comments revolved around; ”Purefoy is awesome.”,  ”It is just so intense” and “it’s just so big”.  I can tell, you I paced the sidewalk outside the screening for the whole running time but at the end, it seems to have worked.

Now the work of the producers and sales people really begins; every territory in the world needs to be covered.  Every distributor has to come online and make sure it gets seen.  Many, many are still in process but I’m so confident now that everyone, everywhere is going to get to see this on the big screen.  I know the Americans liked it and I’m pretty sure that’s all going to get done – so you can begin to relax.  Of course, the question now is when it’s coming out and sadly, that is all still to be decided.  Releasing a film is a titanic and expensive business for the distributor and they have to be certain it’s done in the right way at the right time.  Whatever dates are out their now, I wouldn’t have any faith in because there will probably be some kind of consensus to try and make the release as universal and synchronised as possible.  I have to trust that they’re going to make the right decisions but you can be sure that even though I have absolutely no power or control over this, I’ll be keeping an eye on it all and when there’s thing worth sharing, I’ll be posting info here.

UK Release of Kane

Just so you guys know;  Solomon Kane has a UK distributor attached – Entertainment Film Distributors.  They’re the biggest indie distributor, having released Lord of the Rings and whole bunch of other huge films in the UK.  This kind of material is right up their street and I know they’re really behind the movie.  As we’ve only just delivered the movie we’re all waiting on them to decide on a release strategy, dates etc.  But I think UK residents can certainly be confident that its going to get to your local multiplex sometime later in the year.  Of course, no promises – I’m just the director.

UPDATE: As for the rest of the world, lots of places already on the map and details will follow when I have them to share. .

Jason Flemyng, Jonathan Ross and Solomon Kane

A few people have mentioned this to me so I thought I’d share it if you didn’t hear.  Got a little story for ya:

A couple of Saturday mornings ago I turned on the radio which, typically, had been changed from the magnificent Radio4 to some other godawful station by the kids. Randomly stabbing buttons to try and find 92.7FM again I heard the came across the dulcet tones of Jonathan Ross and in the fraction of a second he was on before I continued on to John Humphries I heard the words “Jason Flemyng will be on later”.    Peaked my interest.  Remained tuned to Radio2.

I love Jason Flemyng -  he’s in Solomon Kane and is one of the easiest going, nicest actors you could ever want to work with.  Purefoy is a joy but he’s quiet and reserved and very English. Jase is much more gregarious and has just amazing celebrity anecdotes and gossip.  He’s up for anything, has great energy and humour. He came to work on Kane at the very end of the shoot when I was just so weary after 60 hard, cold and long  days and his presence on the set was one of the few things to look forward to.  

So I text Jase and ask him to mention Kane if there’s a chance. He responds nice and sharpish saying ‘course he will.

Sure enough Flemyng was on. Good value. Nice banter. Mostly talking about a little indie flick called ‘Shifty’ that he’s supporting and about ‘Clash of the Titans’, that he’s shooting right now.  I’m mentally urging him to talk Kane. Which, finally, he does.

JR asks what else he’s been up to. Jase says he’s just done a great movie called SK.  Amazingly JR is totally aware of Kane (not the movie, he seemed surprised that existed) but the books and REH’s whole oeuvre.  He talked El Borak and other more obscure characters from the canon.  All very cool – this guy is a proper genre fan and seems to know his stuff.  Very welcome in the BBC’s primary film reviewer.  Even better, JR asks Jase whose made the film – I’m going to get a name-check, which is always nice – and what happens?  Flemyng dries. Can’t remember my name.  “Michael…er…… It’s a secret”  3 million people listening and he can’t remember the name of his director. Sheesh.

JR saves further embarrassment and goes to a song.  I text Jason…reminding him exactly what my name is. (politely, of course)  They come back from the song and finally he gives me due credit and explains that on his phone I’m simply ‘Michael – Solomon Kane’.  

My daughter put it best -  “Gee dad, you really must have made an impression.”

Made me laugh. Snivelling, grovelling apologies from Jason and all is forgiven.

And anyway, as I said to him when he called, it’s easy to get names mixed up – when I cast him, I thought I was getting Jason Statham…:)

You can download the Jonathan Ross show as a podcast from itunes and listen for yourself, if you like.