Scott W. Davis
09-12-2003, 02:38 AM
After the success of FREDDY VS. JASON, everyone is talking about other possible battle royales in the world of horror. Will it be MICHAEL VS. LEATHERFACE? CHUCKY VS. PINHEAD. Nah, my money's on WES VS. HARVEY. That's veteran filmmaker Wes Craven versus Miramax/Dimension honcho, Harvey Weinstein. Let's get ready to rrrrrumble!
We have reported on the tough breaks visitied on Wes Craven's newest film, the Kevin Williamson-penned werewolf opus, CURSED. Now, just when all the dust seemed to have settled, Craven has bit the hand that feeds him. And it's about goddamn time too.
Craven let it out at , offering a peek at what has really been going on. It's Craven's viewpoint, but says a lot of interesting things about the production and about Dimension's business practices.
First of all? That that was due to be over this month? Forget it. Craven says CURSED is actually on hold for ELEVEN WEEKS and will not resume production until November. The crew was about to start shooting the third act (equivalent to the final half-hour of film), but the studio was not happy with that act as written. Eleven weeks is huge, longer than some shooting schedules for Hollywood productions, and Craven is feeling it. "It's just been a matter of trying to get it done, so it's been a very long arduous process, and frankly I'm just sick of the process and want to go out and do something I can feel really good about," he said.
Does he not "feel really good" about CURSED? Hard to say, everything may still work out. But it would appear CURSED was not his first choice. Remember the remake that was cancelled? Originally, it appeared the project was scrapped because of CURSED's problems. But in fact, it seems they were blown out of the water beforehand and that CURSED was not in the cards originally. "We started with me being offered to do a remake of a Japanese film called PULSE," he said. "The usual translation was sometimes called CIRCUIT. It's by , Craven talked about other projects that went nowhere at Dimension. Remember the adaptation of the video game, AMERICAN MCGEE'S ALICE? Dimension balked at every script they got, "so it's been pushed way on the back burner," Craven said. ALICE is a rare game that is visually and intellectually stimulating, involving a twisted take on Lewis Carroll's trippy fairytale heroine.
Also dead is the adaptation of Wes Craven's science fiction novel, FOUNTAIN SOCIETY. The original story involved an old man's brain being transplanted into the body of a younger clone, and the effect it has on those around him. Dimension nixed this approach as well. "The studio's feeling was that that story should be discounted, because the audience wouldn't be interested," Craven said. "It kind of turned us into a movie that was just basically a chase movie, and we were never really able to get to the point where we were all enthusiastic about it." Two years and three writers later, Craven was done. "I think the studio ran out of money... and I guess I kind of got exhausted on the process of FOUNTAIN SOCIETY," he said.
The comments made by Craven illustrate a once great chemistry that has soured over the years. Craven scored the biggest box office of his career when he helmed SCREAM, written by Kevin Williamson. A profitable sequel followed just short of a year later, in an amazingly brief turnaround. Miramax even let him direct his first bonafide dramatic film, MUSIC OF THE HEART starring Meryl Streep in the true story of a dedicated violin teacher. SCREAM 3 quickly followed in 2000, and then... nothing. Well, not exactly nothing. Many Craven projects started and halted, either by their own lack of momentum or some other force. Craven continued to have his name literally attached to several productions, including and THEY. But nothing from the director's chair until CURSED reunited him with SCREAM writer Kevin Williamson. And now it appears the union was not as spontaneous as originally thought. Hmmm...
CURSED is slated for release early next year. The werewolf film, which has had other problems not touched upon in this article, is an all-star affair, featuring Neve Campell, Christina Ricci, Skeet Ulrich, Shannon Elizabeth, Scott Foley, Omar Epps, James Brolin, Illeana Douglas, Robert Forster, Judy Greer and appearing as themselves, Scott Baio, Corey Feldman and Mandy Moore.
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[I 30h news-260 I]What the hell is going on here? Comment on this story in our !
We have reported on the tough breaks visitied on Wes Craven's newest film, the Kevin Williamson-penned werewolf opus, CURSED. Now, just when all the dust seemed to have settled, Craven has bit the hand that feeds him. And it's about goddamn time too.
Craven let it out at , offering a peek at what has really been going on. It's Craven's viewpoint, but says a lot of interesting things about the production and about Dimension's business practices.
First of all? That that was due to be over this month? Forget it. Craven says CURSED is actually on hold for ELEVEN WEEKS and will not resume production until November. The crew was about to start shooting the third act (equivalent to the final half-hour of film), but the studio was not happy with that act as written. Eleven weeks is huge, longer than some shooting schedules for Hollywood productions, and Craven is feeling it. "It's just been a matter of trying to get it done, so it's been a very long arduous process, and frankly I'm just sick of the process and want to go out and do something I can feel really good about," he said.
Does he not "feel really good" about CURSED? Hard to say, everything may still work out. But it would appear CURSED was not his first choice. Remember the remake that was cancelled? Originally, it appeared the project was scrapped because of CURSED's problems. But in fact, it seems they were blown out of the water beforehand and that CURSED was not in the cards originally. "We started with me being offered to do a remake of a Japanese film called PULSE," he said. "The usual translation was sometimes called CIRCUIT. It's by , Craven talked about other projects that went nowhere at Dimension. Remember the adaptation of the video game, AMERICAN MCGEE'S ALICE? Dimension balked at every script they got, "so it's been pushed way on the back burner," Craven said. ALICE is a rare game that is visually and intellectually stimulating, involving a twisted take on Lewis Carroll's trippy fairytale heroine.
Also dead is the adaptation of Wes Craven's science fiction novel, FOUNTAIN SOCIETY. The original story involved an old man's brain being transplanted into the body of a younger clone, and the effect it has on those around him. Dimension nixed this approach as well. "The studio's feeling was that that story should be discounted, because the audience wouldn't be interested," Craven said. "It kind of turned us into a movie that was just basically a chase movie, and we were never really able to get to the point where we were all enthusiastic about it." Two years and three writers later, Craven was done. "I think the studio ran out of money... and I guess I kind of got exhausted on the process of FOUNTAIN SOCIETY," he said.
The comments made by Craven illustrate a once great chemistry that has soured over the years. Craven scored the biggest box office of his career when he helmed SCREAM, written by Kevin Williamson. A profitable sequel followed just short of a year later, in an amazingly brief turnaround. Miramax even let him direct his first bonafide dramatic film, MUSIC OF THE HEART starring Meryl Streep in the true story of a dedicated violin teacher. SCREAM 3 quickly followed in 2000, and then... nothing. Well, not exactly nothing. Many Craven projects started and halted, either by their own lack of momentum or some other force. Craven continued to have his name literally attached to several productions, including and THEY. But nothing from the director's chair until CURSED reunited him with SCREAM writer Kevin Williamson. And now it appears the union was not as spontaneous as originally thought. Hmmm...
CURSED is slated for release early next year. The werewolf film, which has had other problems not touched upon in this article, is an all-star affair, featuring Neve Campell, Christina Ricci, Skeet Ulrich, Shannon Elizabeth, Scott Foley, Omar Epps, James Brolin, Illeana Douglas, Robert Forster, Judy Greer and appearing as themselves, Scott Baio, Corey Feldman and Mandy Moore.
--------
[I 30h news-260 I]What the hell is going on here? Comment on this story in our !