The Business: News, Rumours, Analysis, and More

[Schweedie]

Yeah, I really, really don't see that happening. I haven't heard anything at all about who they're after for Ariel, but I wouldn't be surprised if they go with Emma Stone (if she's interested).

ETA - I could see Jane Levy, too, but I don't know that she's a big enough name.

Edited February 20, 2017 by Schweedie

[Spartan Girl]

Personally, I'm hoping for Emma Stone. She sang well in La La Land, so she could do it. But if they want to keep Ariel 16 years old, they'll probably go with someone younger.

[Silver Raven]

9 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

Personally, I'm hoping for Emma Stone. She sang well in La La Land, so she could do it. But if they want to keep Ariel 16 years old, they'll probably go with someone younger.

Ariana Grande?

[Bruinsfan]

23 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

Lindsay Lohan campaigning to play Ariel in Disney's live action Little Mermaid

How about no?!

I'm sorry, I understand Lindsay wants to get back into movies and maybe pull herself together, but there are literally a million ways this would go wrong.

Also, I doubt that Disney would have her back at this point. Not as Ariel for sure.

On the other hand, if they ever decide to remake Cool World she'd be perfect at Kim Basinger's batshit crazy toon character. Assuming Basinger herself doesn't look younger and fresher than she by that point.

[ChelseaNH]

I could see them aging up Ariel a bit, to the 18-20 range, but that still rules Lohan out.  I'd be more impressed if she were campaigning to play Ursula.

[Kel Varnsen]

11 minutes ago, ChelseaNH said:

I could see them aging up Ariel a bit, to the 18-20 range, but that still rules Lohan out.  I'd be more impressed if she were campaigning to play Ursula.

I would hope so. I know it is a fairy tale but a 20 year old wanting to give up her entire life and leave her family over some guy she has seen and thinks is hot, but has never spoken to is problematic enough. Making her a 16 year old would be even worse. 

[xaxat]

I suspect Lohan's post was more about getting her name in the headlines than actually getting the role. And on that point, it worked brilliantly.

[Bruinsfan]

Is it really doing her any good if her name in the headlines just provokes an "OH HELL NO!" reaction from every casting director who sees it, though?

[xaxat]

I don't think she cares if it gets her a job. The attention is the thing. Here's her latest.

Lindsay Lohan claims she was ‘racially profiled’ over a headscarf at London airport

More headlines!

[topanga]

51 minutes ago, xaxat said:

I don't think she cares if it gets her a job. The attention is the thing. Here's her latest.

Lindsay Lohan claims she was ‘racially profiled’ over a headscarf at London airport

More headlines!

Idiotic comment aside, I'm confused about what happened: 

 “She opened my passport and saw 'Lindsay Lohan' and started immediately apologizing, but then said, 'Please, but take off your headscarf.' "

“And I did. I mean, it's okay,” Lohan said. “But what scared me was, is that moment, how would another woman who doesn't feel comfortable taking off her headscarf feel? "

So a woman can't wear a head scarf or a hijab in the Heathrow security line? Can men wear yarmulkes? 

[BetterButter]

The Matrix' Reboot in the Works at Warner Bros. (Exclusive)

[topanga]

1 minute ago, BetterButter said:

The Matrix' Reboot in the Works at Warner Bros. (Exclusive)

For the love of God, why? Let The Matrix stand as it is in pop culture history 

[kiddo82]

Taking my answer to the UO thread

[Kel Varnsen]

16 hours ago, topanga said:

For the love of God, why? Let The Matrix stand as it is in pop culture history 

I would say for the love of god why, because no reboot could ever erase the memory of those two crappy sequels.

[ribboninthesky1]

Ha! Maybe the residue of the sequels is why they're trying to reboot it. 

[Lugal]

It hasn't even been twenty years.  They should remember the lesson from the sequels: It's not good to keep doing the same thing over and over.

Why can't they just make the Snow Crash movie that everyone (well, me) has been waiting for.

[Joe]

The sequels weren't that bad. There's a lot of good action in Reloaded, though Revolutions is pretty average. But not terrible.

[ribboninthesky1]

You have a point - the highway chase in Reloaded is quite memorable. 

[Trini]

The best Matrix sequel was the Animatrix. At least a 'reboot'/sequel of the Matrix universe makes more sense than the Terminator reboots. I can see how there may be more stories to tell in that world.

[Trini]

'New Matrix is not a remake or reboot, says Zak Penn'

[Silver Raven]

The new live action Mulan will not be a musical.

[AshleyN]

On 2/20/2017 at 5:18 AM, Schweedie said:

Yeah, I really, really don't see that happening. I haven't heard anything at all about who they're after for Ariel, but I wouldn't be surprised if they go with Emma Stone (if she's interested).

ETA - I could see Jane Levy, too, but I don't know that she's a big enough name.

I saw someone somewhere suggest Saoirse Ronan, and now I'd really like to see it. I've been a fan of hers since Atonement and think she's easily the most talented actor in her age group. It'd be nice to see her do something big to raise her profile, especially after she's been rumoured to be either in the mix or outright offered a role in everything from The Hobbit to The Avengers to Star Wars to Fantastic Beasts. 

This is the only clip I could find of her singing, but it seems alright.

The other name that came to mind (if they were going to go younger as suggested) was Elle Fanning, who seems to be the go-to teenage ingenue right now. I don't know if the fact that she's already played a different Disney Princess in Maleficent would help or hurt her though.

Edited March 21, 2017 by AshleyN

[aradia22]

I would rather see Saoirse do an interesting movie about a selkie and have someone more commercial do The Little Mermaid. I know it's Hans Christian Andersen but from Jodi Benson to Alyssa Milano, the Disney version has this energetic wholesome American vibe. It's the kind of blind optimism and earnestness that makes you root for the character when more cynical viewers criticize the problematic elements.

[Silver Raven]

It looks like Paramount is through with the Terminator franchise.

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/terminator-franchise-shelved-paramount-arnold-schwarzenegger-a7641651.html?ex_cid=SigDig
 

[Kel Varnsen]

4 hours ago, Silver Raven said:

It looks like Paramount is through with the Terminator franchise.

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/terminator-franchise-shelved-paramount-arnold-schwarzenegger-a7641651.html?ex_cid=SigDig
 

Probably about time. I have figured, at least since Salvation, that the whole entire concept of Skynet and trying to fight it was totally dated. Not so much AI, but the idea that you could stop Skynet in a world where where computers can be wirelessly connected. It is not skynet is a big mainframe somewhere you can blow up. 

Edited March 22, 2017 by Kel Varnsen

[NumberCruncher]

Now if only FOX would come to the same conclusion. for the Alien franchise.

[Bruinsfan]

Not while Ridley Scott is alive.

[Silver Raven]

Michael Bay wants to make 14 more Transformers movies.

https://moviepilot.com/p/tranformers-michael-bay-14-potential-new-movies/4239947?u

[dusang]

1 minute ago, Silver Raven said:

Michael Bay wants to make 14 more Transformers movies.

https://moviepilot.com/p/tranformers-michael-bay-14-potential-new-movies/4239947?u

Well, technically he doesn't want to make them, he just wants them to be made.

[thuganomics85]

So, apparently Adam McKay (The Big Short) is doing a biography on Dick Cheney (why not, I guess), and Christian Bale is in "talks" to play Dick Cheney, along with Steve Carrell as Donald Rumsfeld and Amy Adams as Lynne Cheney.  Not sure what to make of any of this.  On paper, it seems like it easily could be a mess, but I guess McKay's earned some leeway after The Big Short.  

But since Christina Bale is known for being one of those good old "method" actors, I kind of fear for everyone's safety when he "becomes" Dick Cheney....

[BetterButter]

Will Smith In Talks For Genie Role In Disney’s Live-Action ‘Aladdin

[topanga]

2 hours ago, BetterButter said:

Will Smith In Talks For Genie Role In Disney’s Live-Action ‘Aladdin

Honestly, I think he would do a great job with this character. Will Smith is silly but is also a strong actor. I just wonder if the public still likes him enough to support him in this role. 

[Spartan Girl]

When I first saw this, I wasn't happy just because it's not Robin Williams. It still hurts that he's not here. After Disney got James Earl Jones to play Mufasa again for The Lion King, I know if things had been different, they would have pulled out all the stops to get Robin.

Still, Will Smith is funny and he can sing. And hopefully this is an in idication that Guy Ritchie won't whitewash this.

[methodwriter85]

Could you imagine the uproar if they did whitewash Aladdin and Jasmine? Holy shit.

Edited April 20, 2017 by methodwriter85

[dusang]

36 minutes ago, methodwriter85 said:

Could you imagine the uproar if they did whitewash Aladdin and Jasmine? Holy shit.

I'm pretty sure I saw a YouTube thing recommending Tyler Posey for Aladdin so...

Yup, here it is: 

[methodwriter85]

Tyler Posey is at least biracial. They wouldn't need to give him a tan like they did to Natalie Wood in her "ethnic' roles because he already has one. I wouldn't be so concerned about him not being Middle-Eastern than I would about him not being a very good actor.

I could see it being Dev Patel. He's gotten a pretty great career boost from Lion.

I do think Will Smith should be good.

[dusang]

2 minutes ago, methodwriter85 said:

Tyler Posey is at least biracial. They wouldn't need to give him a tan like they did to Natalie Wood in her "ethnic' roles because he already has one. I wouldn't be so concerned about him not being Middle-Eastern than I would about him not being a very good actor.

I could see it being Dev Patel. He's gotten a pretty great career boost from Lion.

I do think Will Smith should be good.

So "vaguely non-white" is now all that's required for appropriate representation? That's ... atrocious logic.

[ChelseaNH]

I think the equation is:

appropriate > biracial > generic white guy

[topanga]

28 minutes ago, ChelseaNH said:

I think the equation is:

appropriate > biracial > generic white guy

I think that's the same logic producers used to cast biracial Zoe Saldaña as dark-skinned singer Nina Simone.

[Athena]

8 hours ago, methodwriter85 said:

I could see it being Dev Patel. He's gotten a pretty great career boost from Lion.

I would love if Dev Patel got the Aladdin role. He has a lot of charisma and talent. The character would not be a stretch considering his Slumdog Millionaire and Marigold Hotel characters were Aladdinesque.

In any case, I'll be sighing with relief if they cast someone appropriate.

[GHScorpiosRule]

5 hours ago, dusang said:

I'm pretty sure I saw a YouTube thing recommending Tyler Posey for Aladdin so...

Yup, here it is: 

 

That's Aladdin? Looks more like the Prince from The Little Mermaid to me.

[ribboninthesky1]

6 hours ago, ChelseaNH said:

I think the equation is:

appropriate > biracial > generic white guy

Ha!

5 hours ago, topanga said:

I think that's the same logic producers used to cast biracial Zoe Saldaña as dark-skinned singer Nina Simone.

The schadenfreude was SWEEEEETTTT when this mess crashed and burned. I know there was some legal stuff going on as well, but I'll take what I can get. 

[aradia22]

Quote

So "vaguely non-white" is now all that's required for appropriate representation? That's ... atrocious logic.

The logic in that video was hilarious. You could already hear the voiceover woman backpedaling anticipating the uproar in the comments.

I think I'm relatively good with Will Smith as the Genie in order to have a name talent to back up some less famous faces. I've gotten used to a cuddlier James Monroe Iglehart genie but as long as they don't try to make him sexy because it's Will Smith, I think I'm good. 

[Spartan Girl]

Honestly, I was hoping for James Monroe Inglehart because he was so awesome on Broadway. On a related note Will's Fresh Prince costar Alfonso Ribeiro would be a great Genie on Broadway too.

Fingers crossed they don't fuck up casting Al and Jas. This is my favorite Disney couple ever.

[dusang]

15 hours ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

That's Aladdin? Looks more like the Prince from The Little Mermaid to me.

The thumbnail is Eric, the video includes Aladdin.

[GHScorpiosRule]

1 hour ago, dusang said:

The thumbnail is Eric, the video includes Aladdin.

Ah! Thanks.

[thuganomics85]

According to the rumor mill, Seth Rogen and Billy Eichner are in "final negations" to be Timon and Pumbaa in the live action Lion King remake. Almost a bit too obvious there, but I can believe it.  I'm still waiting for Scar.  Or they going to try something new or take the same approach they did with Mufasa and just bring Jeremy Irons back because why mess with perfection?

[Spartan Girl]

Couldn't they at least TRY to get Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella back?!

Screw it, it's not like I'm going to see it.

[methodwriter85]

1 hour ago, Spartan Girl said:

Couldn't they at least TRY to get Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella back?!

Screw it, it's not like I'm going to see it.

I feel like a rare breed because I was never all that into the Lion King.

[Silver Raven]

M Night Shyamalan has announced a sequel for Unbreakable and Split, called Glass.  Supposedly out in 2019.

Edited April 26, 2017 by Silver Raven