Invasion Movie
laur...@erols.com
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117926842?categoryid=1236&cs=1
WB unearths 'Invasion'
Kidman to star in Hirschbiegel's first English-lingo pic
By MICHAEL FLEMING, CLAUDE BRODESSER
In a payday said to be worth close to $16 million, Nicole Kidman is set
to star in "Invasion," a sci-fi thriller for Warner Bros.
Pic will mark the first English-language studio feature for Oliver
Hirschbiegel, the German helmer of "Downfall." Joel Silver is producing
through Silver Pictures; shooting will begin in September.
The David Kajganich-scripted thriller revolves around an insidious and
behavior-changing epidemic that decimates the human race. Kidman, who
last haunted the thriller genre with "The Others," will play a D.C.
psychiatrist who figures out that extraterrestrials are behind the
invasion. She battles to protect her son, who may hold the key to
stopping the takeover.
Pic was originally hatched as a redo of "Invasion of the Body
Snatchers" (Daily Variety, March 26, 2004). Kajganich, a former English
professor from Miami U. of Ohio, instead crafted a thriller with a
concept different enough that the studio sees it as an original.
Silver chose Hirschbiegel for the directing assignment after watching
"Downfall," a drama about the final days of Hitler, which has grossed
over $87 million worldwide.
"Oliver's movie was dark, eerie, smart and felt a bit claustrophobic,
which is everything I want for this film," said Silver, who just
wrapped "V for Vendetta" with Natalie Portman and begins production in
two weeks on the Stephen Hopkins-directed "The Reaping," with Hilary
Swank.
Hirschbiegel said the parallels between his past film and a good genre
movie made this transition feel right.
"This premise is a metaphor for historical events and even a metaphor
for what is happening in this country right now," Hirschbiegel said.
"This was exactly the kind of studio movie I wanted to do. I'm a
specialist in human drama and three-dimensional characters, and I want
to emphasize that over big special effects and CGI."
Ooh, a boastful German "specialist" guy is telling us he's making his
first English language movie that's a metaphor for events happening not
in his own lousy country but in ours. Lovely. But the worst part is
the "insidious epidemic" (are there any good epidemics?) and the kid
that's the key to everything not to mention the unimaginative title
that also just happens to be a title of a TV show this year. If that
epidemic is black oil and that kid has a script sex change and morphs
into Dakota Fanning...yeah, I know, Kidman or not, I'll probably see it
on opening weekend. ;-P
Laura
Alan McHurshman
> WB unearths 'Invasion'
> Kidman to star in Hirschbiegel's first English-lingo pic
> behavior-changing epidemic that decimates the human race. Kidman, who
> last haunted the thriller genre with "The Others," will play a D.C.
> psychiatrist who figures out that extraterrestrials are behind the
> invasion. She battles to protect her son, who may hold the key to
> stopping the takeover.
Geeee. No X-Files or Buffy connections in this one.
LOL
> Ooh, a boastful German "specialist" guy is telling us he's making his
> first English language movie that's a metaphor for events happening not
> in his own lousy country but in ours. Lovely.
Fair is fair. You guys do the same thing. In Washington,
with some federal funds and much political support,
you have built a museum to the holocaust the German's are
responsible (the mass murder of Jews, Slavs, Romanie(sp?), the
mentally disabled) for but you have none to the two you guys
helped out with (slavery, native American extermination).
> But the worst part is
> the "insidious epidemic" (are there any good epidemics?) and the kid
> that's the key to everything not to mention the unimaginative title
> that also just happens to be a title of a TV show this year. If that
> epidemic is black oil and that kid has a script sex change and morphs
> into Dakota Fanning...yeah, I know, Kidman or not, I'll probably see it
> on opening weekend. ;-P
Hey, I've got a cool title for it. "Trust No One". ;-D
--
AlanH
laur...@erols.com
>with some federal funds and much political support,
>you have built a museum to the holocaust the German's are
>responsible (the mass murder of Jews, Slavs, Romanie(sp?), the
>mentally disabled) for but you have none to the two you guys
>helped out with (slavery, native American extermination).
Aw, you're just jealous. People in this country don't even know if
Canada has any famous museums.
We hear "Canada," we think lousy security, bacon and socialist
healthcare system, no well-known food dishes but good hockey, Vancouver
filming locations, Dudley Do-Right and beer. I think we could take you
but Mexico has better food and better weather for tourism. ;-D
Laura
Alan McHurshman
> >Fair is fair. You guys do the same thing. In Washington,
> >with some federal funds and much political support,
> >you have built a museum to the holocaust the German's are
> >responsible (the mass murder of Jews, Slavs, Romanie(sp?), the
> >mentally disabled) for but you have none to the two you guys
> >helped out with (slavery, native American extermination).
> Aw, you're just jealous. People in this country don't even know if
> Canada has any famous museums.
Jealous that you live in a terrorist state?
I don't think so.
--
AlanH
pam
> We hear "Canada," we think lousy security, bacon and
> socialist healthcare system,
Universal healthcare vs. no insurance at all or $400/month
premiums for people with preexisting conditions? I'm torn.
> no well-known food dishes
I was amazed at how easy & cheap it was to get vegetarian
fast food in Vancouver & Toronto. Ordinary *street vendors*
sold veggie burgers & veggie hot dogs right along with
everything else. Even GM Place stadium had them.
It was vegetarian heaven. :-)
> Vancouver filming locations, Dudley Do-Right
Constable Benton Fraser!
> I think we could take you but Mexico has better food and
> better weather for tourism. ;-D
But in Canada you can drink the water. ;o) The weather in
Toronto was unpleasantly hot & muggy when I was there, but
the weather in Vancouver was PERFECT. Perfect temperature
(not too warm in the day or cool at night) and NO humidity.
Like San Francisco's Mediterranean climate, but without the
fog or smog. And sooooooooooo CLEAN. There was drizzle, but
the lack of smog made up for it. Good public transportation
too. I'm all for adjusting the borders a bit. ;-)
http://zoom.cafepress.com/3/5628253_zoom.jpg
laur...@erols.com
Maryland? Puh-leeze, they don't call Baltimore, Charm City for
nothing. Of course, I don't know why they call it Charm City but there
HAS to be a reason that has nothing to do with homicides, right?
Francis Scott Key composed the National Anthem here. Not sure what he
was thinking during that high note but come on, right before hockey
games when some doped up celebrity forgets the words, it sends a little
shiver up your spine, right? The mayor is very handsome but he's not
my mayor.. And hey, we have famous crabs! Of course, I don't eat
seafood... We have NASA, the Naval Academy, the NSA and Andrews Air
Force base. And, come on, I think my own small town probably has more
fast food joints than any other town on the planet. We have Ft Detrick
- the home of Ebola and made famous in The Hot Zone . Let's see what
else...we vote down slot machines every year so me and others take our
money out of the state to West Virginia, Delaware and soon,
Pennsylvania. Every time we have a big concert in Maryland, they call
it a DC concert, which STINKS!. The "WASHINGTON" Redskins actually play
in Maryland. There are no bakeries anywhere except in the cities. We
have a State Flag that had to be designed by some drunk color blind guy
who thinks black, red, white and yellow and a design from hell actually
looked good but it flies everywhere because it's our ugly flag and
we're proud of our state. Our state motto is "If you can dream it, we
can tax it." But, it's MY state and we have dreams. Let's see you top
that, Hurshy!
Laura
laur...@erols.com
>fast food in Vancouver & Toronto. Ordinary *street vendors*
>sold veggie burgers & veggie hot dogs right along with
>everything else. Even GM Place stadium had them.
>It was vegetarian heaven. :-)
They have vegetables in Canada? How come no one hears about this?
Maybe because VEGETABLE HOT DOGS would actually drive away tourists
from any place but California! ;-D
Laura
Alan McHurshman
> >Jealous that you live in a terrorist state?
> Maryland? Puh-leeze, they don't call Baltimore, Charm City for
> nothing. Of course, I don't know why they call it Charm City but there
Try Nation State, Cappy.
--
AlanH
WG...@webtv.net
Stepford Wives?
Who ever decided to give Kidman a $16 million dollar payday for this
movie must already be a "Pod Person"! Her track record has been pretty
poor as of late, look at Stepford Wives, Birth. Bewitched, The
Interpreter, etc.! All losers at the box office. When was the last time
Kidman had a box office winner? These days she is more famous for being
famous, than for being an actress. JMO
Alan McHurshman
> poor as of late, look at Stepford Wives, Birth. Bewitched, The
> Interpreter, etc.! All losers at the box office. When was the last time
> Kidman had a box office winner? These days she is more famous for being
> famous, than for being an actress. JMO
Well be careful of assuming that because they did not
do huge business they were financial losers. You need
a lot of data on budget, method of financing and
ticket and DVD sales before you know how a movie has
done.
As for her fame, it is as much for her acting as any
other star in Hollywood. She has never been a person
who could draw large crowds. Rather, she has been known
for actual acting skill. Odd as it may seem, some people
actually get paid for that.
--
AlanH
WG...@webtv.net
] (Alan McHurshman)
]Well be careful of assuming that because they
] did not do huge business they were financial
] losers. You need a lot of data on budget,
] method of financing and ticket and DVD sales
] before you know how a movie has done.
As you can see by the link below the "Stepford Wives" cost $125 to make,
and distribute. It took in a little over $101 million world wide. Even
if you throw in DVD sales, and TV rights I do not think this movie made
any real money.
}As for her fame, it is as much for her acting as
] any other star in Hollywood. She has never
] been a person who could draw large crowds.
] Rather, she has been known for actual acting
] skill. Odd as it may seem, some people
] actually get paid for that.
I don't know, I just do not think she is worth $16 million dollars a
picture anymore. But if she can get it, and someone is willing to go
out on a limb, then by all means "Take the Money". Those $16 million
dollar pay days do not come around that often! LOL!
Skweezer: The Stepford Wives (2004)
http://www.skweezer.net/s.aspx/2/www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=stepfordwives.htm
Changed:2:18 PM on Wednesday, August 3, 2005
pam
> The mayor is very handsome but he's not my mayor..
The mayor of SF is quite handsome. We saw him as we were
leaving a restaurant in Chinatown on a Saturday night a
few months ago. He was taller than everyone else around
(not surprisingly, in Chinatown); wearing a suit; hair
gooped up with gel as always (I wish he wouldn't do that);
walking very fast; talking on a cellphone; with 2 or
3 orbiting flunkies scurrying to keep up with him.
My mom the Republican got all excited because even though
she disagrees with him on almost every possible issue,
she thinks he's cuuuuuuuuuuuute (and likes that he's
tall & a self-made successful businessman).
> And hey, we have famous crabs!
People in Maryland have crabs??? Someone better warn Mulder
& Scully to go get checkups, after all those Mulder/Bayliss
and Scully/Bayliss fanfics.
laur...@erols.com
Oh...nevermind.
Laura
laur...@erols.com
Baltimore's mayor is tall and handsome. I've got a small number of
photos of him taken during various filming and promotional events for
Ladder 49 that I attended. He was actually in the movie, too, to give
the characters of Joaquin Phoenix and Robert Patrick, medals. He's not
my mayor so I don't care about his politics right now.
Laura
Alan McHurshman
> ] 1:52pm From: alan.h...@gmail.com
> ] (Alan McHurshman)
> ]Well be careful of assuming that because they
> ] did not do huge business they were financial
> ] losers. You need a lot of data on budget,
> ] method of financing and ticket and DVD sales
> ] before you know how a movie has done.
> As you can see by the link below the "Stepford Wives" cost $125 to make,
> and distribute. It took in a little over $101 million world wide. Even
> if you throw in DVD sales, and TV rights I do not think this movie made
> any real money.
I would bet that you are right. But you still have
to look at the impact of tax breaks and indirect
incentives. For example, the studio only had to
pony up 20% of the cost for shooting the first Lara
Croft movie because they used a German tax break
scam. So it is very hard to know what the hell is
happening.
> }As for her fame, it is as much for her acting as
> ] any other star in Hollywood. She has never
> ] been a person who could draw large crowds.
> ] Rather, she has been known for actual acting
> ] skill. Odd as it may seem, some people
> ] actually get paid for that.
> I don't know, I just do not think she is worth $16 million dollars a
> picture anymore. But if she can get it, and someone is willing to go
> out on a limb, then by all means "Take the Money". Those $16 million
> dollar pay days do not come around that often! LOL!
I don't think any actor is worth 16 million. But
she, at least, can act which is more than you can
say for most of the big salaried types out in
Hollywood.
--
AlanH