Although he had announced back in September that he wanted to revive the Police Academy franchise with a bang, it seems that producer Jerry Weintraub has lost interest.
According to MTV, Jerry Weintrub is no longer involved in the Warner/Village Roadshow project. No reason was specified, and no announcement made regarding the fate of the unlikely 7th sequel. Blast From The Past director Hugh Wilson was already onboard along with Bubba Smith and Michael Winslow.
As for Weintrub, he will now focus his energy towards God. One of his first credits as producer was for the classic George Burns comedy Oh God, and he intends to revisit the subject.
“I made the first one in 1976, and I’ve been trying to figure out how to do another one since then,” Weintraub said. “And then Ellen (DeGeneres) just came to me and said, ‘I’d play God if you would take a chance and do that.’ I said, ‘Take a chance? That’s the best idea I’ve heard! Let’s go for it.’ … I’m crazy about her. … And I don’t think you can be a woman and play God unless you’re likeable.”
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Disney and current partner Pixar announced a change in their release strategy for Cars, the next and last joint venture for both studios. The movie is pushed back from November 2005 to the following summer.
According to Pixar CEO Steve Jobs, the move isn’t due to any production problems, or their current situation with the Disney. Money, apppears to be the main reason.
” Cars longs to be a summer movie”, said Jobs. “We plan to finish Cars on its original schedule, and look forward to Cars and our future films benefiting by summer theatrical releases and holiday DVD releases.”
Disney Studios chairman Dick Cook added that the movie has the right ingredients to emulate Finding Nemo in its success.
“We feel the movie will have legs throughout summer and beyond,” said Cook. “It has a fantastic story full of action, adventure, comedy, heartfelt emotion with cutting edge animation and incredible voice talent.”
Directed by Toy Story creator John Lasseter, the movie will feature the voices of Owen Wilson, Bonnie Hunt, and Paul Newman.
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Paramount Pictures has decided to launch the first trailer for the upcoming film War of the Worlds directly on the internet this Friday.
The film, opening on June 29, 2005, adapts the classic H.G. Wells novel in a modern setting, putting the Martian invasion in New York, instead of the novel’s London based action. Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning and Tim Robbins headline the $250M production. The trailer will debut on the official website, located here.
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The Hollywood Reporter reports that Dakota Fanning will join the live-action/CGI film Charlotte’s Web.
The movie, based on the classic children’s novel by E.B. White, tells the story of a spider named Charlotte who tries to save the life of a pig named Wilbur by spinning messages into her web. Fanning will play the farm girl who owns the animals along with her family.
Gary Winick (13 Going on 30) will be directing the feature. Shooting will take place in Australia and will eventually be distributed by Paramount Pictures.
Credit: Cinecon.com, TheHollywoodnews.com
