Prequels, Sequels & Remakes

Nikolaj Arcel will direct, and Jennifer O’Kieffe will write, Universal’s Island of Lost Souls, an American remake of Danish supernatural action adventure De fortabte sjaeles. The original, also directed by Arcel, is about a teenager who becomes important in a battle between good and evil when her younger brother becomes possessed by an 18th century magician.

Sony has hired Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless to write the remake of Flash Gordon.

Platinum Dunes’ Brad Fuller on The Birds remake: “We're working that out now but there's only so much that can happen. Birds attack. It's the explaining of why is it happening or if you explain why it's happening or who are the characters that it's happening to and the setting that it's happening in. Those are the things that we're contending with now. We're in the very early process on that, very early. The movie is a lot about the filmmaker. Martin Campbell is a guy, Casino Royale could be my favorite movie. I love that movie. I thought that he did an amazing job but that is the first true filmmaker who we've had an opportunity to sit down and really work with a guy who knows what he's talking about, is very passionate about the movie, has some fantastic ideas about what he wants that movie to be and with a guy like that, you just want to follow him up the mountain and do what he says.”

The Japanese release date for the second movie in Naoki Urasawa’s 20th Century Boys live action trilogy January 31, with the third coming fall 2009.

A rundown on Tron 2’s confirmed, rumored, and debunked.

Helena Bonham Carter on her character in Terminator Salvation: "I kind of play a baddie, definitely a baddie. I don't know how much I'm allowed to say, but I'm a very bad person."

Robert Downey Jr. on Iron Man 2: "Our goals are more of the same. The idea that he said he's Iron Man in part 1...it's one thing to say it, and it's another thing to actually evolve to the point where you can live in a heroic fashion. You know, they say, ‘The superhero movie always needs to follow...' and I said who is that guy? Get him out of here! We want to do what worked for us last time, in a way that evolves. We're talking about a guy who is put in an extraordinary circumstance, and the people that are around him, and how that creates a sense of family, and how that disrupts whatever forces that we have to say that are working [in his life]. I like the idea of an Iron Man 2 that you're able to understand various points of view. You're able to touch on some subjects that are a lot more far reaching, while still grounding it in entertainment."