Summit Picks Up Frankenstein Origin Story, ‘This Dark Endeavor’

Who out there has always wanted to learn more about what exactly drove Victor Frankenstein to become the brilliant but maniacal scientist who sought to defy death in Mary Shelley’s classic horror novel? Kenneth Opel did at least, and he organized his thoughts on the matter into a book he dubbed This Dark Endeavor, which will be published this summer.

Summit Entertainment has won the movie rights to Opel’s work, which is fully titled This Dark Endeavor: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein. The studio has brought onboard a specialist (or something like that) in the field of teens, romance, and the supernatural to produce the pic, in the form of Karen Rosenfelt (Twilight).

Deadline broke the news about Summit’s acquisition of This Dark Endeavor, an action-adventure tale that follows a young (presumably, adolescent) Victor Frankenstein as he and his best friend Elizabeth set out to produce the Elixir of Life, in the hopes of saving his sick twin brother, Konrad. Matters become difficult when a love triangle forms between the trio, in a tale that frequently makes reference to and sets up the main narrative of Shelley’s Frankenstein (a.k.a. The Modern Prometheus).

This Dark Endeavor marks the third in-development feature based off Shelley’s original text in some form, alongside Sony’s contemporary Frankenstein re-imagining and Guillermo del Toro’s long-gestating adaptation. While the novel Frankenstein itself is no stranger to the Hollywood scene, this is the first time a legitimate prequel to the iconic cautionary tale about science and mortality has been conceived. We’ve seen what effects V. Frankenstein’s legacy had on his descendants (sort of – see below for the punchline) – and now it shall be revealed what made him the twisted genius he was.

The eventual repercussions of Victor Frankenstein's actions.

Opel’s novel looks to be the latest addition to the ever-growing young adult supernatural romance genre of literature. Unlike Stephenie Meyer’s re-envisioning of the vampire and werewolf mythos, Dark Endeavor aims to expand upon and flesh out the history behind the classic Frankenstein tale. In that sense it’s kind of similar to next month’s Red Riding Hood (from Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke – take that as you will), which adds teens, romance, and a Gothic touch to the famous fairy tale, so as to reveal “the truth” behind the legend.

While Dark Endeavor will lack the straightforward horror elements of Shelley’s original work, it sounds like more of a period action-adventure tale and less like just another story about broody teen romance and drama. That doesn’t guarantee that the book or its film adaptation will turn out to be interesting or even good, but it’s an encouraging thought for those who cringe at the prospect of Frankenstein being refashioned in some way for the Twihard crowd.

Does This Dark Endeavor sound like it has potential?

Source: Deadline

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‘Star Trek 2′ Writers Reveal They’ve ‘Broken the Story’

Screenwriters Alex Kurtzman and Robert Orci have settled on a story for ‘Star Trek 2' and discuss what fans can expect from the sequel.

After the critical and commercial success of the Star Trek reboot, moving forward with a sequel was probably an easy decision. Determining exactly what Star Trek 2 would be about has turned into a more complicated matter.

Screenwriters Alex Kurtzman, Robert Orci, and Damon Lindelof have been mulling over story ideas since this past summer, but so far they’ve given the impression that in these early stages there’s still quite a bit that’s up in the air.

With a franchise that has spanned five television series (the canon status of the cartoon is debatable) and ten previous films, there’s certainly no shortage of inspiration available – but there’s also the challenge of delivering something audiences haven’t seen before. They’ve wisely decided not to use Khan as Star Trek 2‘s villain and last we heard, they were instead considering bringing back another well-known adversary from the original series.

In addition to settling on the film’s villain, the plot for Star Trek 2 has evidently taken shape at last. Kurtzman and Orci recently chatted with Geoff Boucher from Hero Complex and Kurtzman explained:

“Well, we have broken the story, which is very exciting. I think one of the weird challenges that we’re facing on this one is that in many ways, with the first movie, I don’t think people knew what to expect, so when we were in the writing process, Bob and I really spent our time going to things that we loved about “Trek” and it was a very unfiltered process. It felt intimate and small. There weren’t a lot of voices other than [producer] Damon [Lindelof], J.J. and [executive producer] Bryan Burke. Now, that first movie has come up and did well and everyone wants to know what happens next. We didn’t have that pressure, exactly, on the first one.”

The duo is well-known for keeping a finger on the pulse of Star Trek‘s passionate fan base and listening to their ideas and concerns. However, Kurtzman acknowledges that ultimately he and Orci have to filter out all of those expectations when they sit down to write the script:

“Part of what we have to do is listen to it all, ask a lot of questions about what people’s expectations are — and then let all of that go when we sit down to write. We need to find our way back to the same kind of vibe that we had when we wrote the first one: What do we want to see here? What moved us about “Trek”? Where can we go from where we left off?”

Orci admits that with the first Star Trek being an origin story, finding a meaningful role for each member of the ensemble was a little bit easier. The challenge with Star Trek 2 was not just finding a compelling premise, but giving each of the returning characters something worthy to do:

“So now you want the character stories to be good for everybody but also not just be there to be stories but also fit into the plot and be organic. We’re looking at a lot of the old episodes for inspiration, still. Whereas the last movie was all about breaking free from “Star Trek” and its canon, now that we can do whatever we want, we still want it to feel like good ol’ “Star Trek” even though it’s a new story.”

Honestly, this is something every Star Trek film has struggled with. Inevitably, some members of the supporting cast are reduced to window dressing as the movie centers itself around the three or four most popular characters. The duo acknowledge what an amazing group they’ve managed to assemble and it’s reassuring to know they have no intention of shortchanging any of them.

The Empire Strikes Back always seems to get mentioned in any discussion about successful sequels, particularly within the sci-fi genre. Boucher wonders if – like Empire- Star Trek 2 might be designed as the second act in a potential trilogy, but Kurtzman indicates they’re developing it as a standalone entry:

“I don’t know that we’ve ever thought of it in terms of a trilogy. We thought of the first one as, “How do we tell how this happened the first time and how do we free it so that it can go on forever without stepping on what came before.” So, if you were thinking of this movie as a second act, yeah, you would think of it as an “Empire Strikes Back” sort of story, but I’m not sure we’re thinking of it as a second act. I can’t speak for everybody on that, though.”

Orci adds that Empire isn’t necessarily successful because it’s a cliffhanger or the second part in a larger story, but because first and foremost it was an engaging film:

“The movies you’re talking about are movies that we’re still talking about, what, 25 or 30 years later, because they have such emotional impact not just on us as viewers but because they put the characters through the mill in a way that was so primal and visceral. Good sequels do that; they find ways to challenge their characters in ways that they couldn’t have necessarily been challenged with in the first movie because, as Bob said, the first is always, ultimately, an origin story. So now [with the second] it becomes about this family that’s together, so now it becomes about the thing that shakes them up and challenges them.”

These statements, coupled with Lindelof’s desire to see Star Trek 2 infused with a great deal of thematic substance, leave me incredibly optimistic about the film. I know many Star Trek fans felt that the first movie favored spectacle over story, but to me it really sounds like they understand what made the best entries in this franchise so memorable.

We’ll find out when Star Trek 2 hits theaters on its recently announced release date – June 29th, 2012.

Source: Hero Complex.

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Will ‘Toy Story 3′ Win Best Picture? Disney’s Chairman Thinks So

The Academy Awards are still a few months away, and while some of its biggest contenders are yet to be released in theaters, Disney Studios Chairman Rich Ross feels the competition is already over. Ross feels confident that Disney/Pixar’s latest gem Toy Story 3 will be the first animated feature (and first Disney film, for that matter) to win the Oscar for Best Picture.

Since the Academy changed the number of nominees to 10 last year, Toy Story 3 is sure to be a lock for a nomination at the very least. Ross’ argument is sound, albeit a bit haughty. The competition is steep this season, but Disney/Pixar has its most promising opportunity since Beauty and the Beast was nominated in 1991.

Last year Up earned a Best Picture nomination, but fell to The Hurt Locker. This year’s group of potential nominees seems much tougher than those from last year. That said, Ross is tired of hoping for a Best Picture win and walking away with just a Best Animated Feature award.

The chairman didn’t hold back in an interview with Deadline on the possibility of an unprecedented victory:

“We’re going for the Best Picture win. We wanted to have the best movie and the reviews have clearly said that and it’s the number one box office hit of the year so I’m not sure why we would not go for it all.”

“The theory is pretty simple for us. It’s thrilling that there is a separate category for animation and that allows animated movies to be recognized but for some reason an animated film has never gotten Best Picture and I always wondered was there not an appetite? We decided this year we have the biggest and best reviewed film of the year. If not this year, and not this movie, when?”

His confidence may be brash, but it is far from misplaced. If the Academy is in line with the majority of critics, Toy Story 3 is the early frontrunner. But the box office argument is a bit overzealous. Only two of the seven movies that have grossed over $1 billion worldwide have won Best Picture – Titanic (1997) and Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (2003). While it doesn’t hurt Toy Story 3‘s chances, it won’t sell the Academy.

‘For Your Consideration’ campaigns always rub me the wrong way. If a film is the best of the year, it should speak for itself. Why does a studio need to remind the industry of its superb quality? Unfortunately, the answer is simple: business. We don’t complain about Pepsi commercials when the company clearly needs no help in selling product (well, we do, but you know what I mean). In addition, if you quintuple your production budget, the least you can do is dish out a few more dollars for an Oscar campaign – especially one as cool as Toy Story 3‘s.

Disney/Pixar has launched a public campaign to target Academy voters, loaded with posters that tip a hat to past award winners. Like a high school student council campaign, the flashiest and most dedicated nominee may push itself to the top. If that is the case, Toy Story 3 is ahead of the curve.

Check out one of the posters below. Ironically, it features a nod to Shakespeare in Love – a Best Picture winner shrouded in the controversial rumor that the Weinsteins “bought the Oscar.” Considering its competition, it sure seemed like a suspicious victory.

Mr. Pricklepants channels his inner Shakespeare

So what kind of chance does Toy Story 3 have in the upcoming Academy Awards? Surely it will be the cream of the crop. But when votes pour in, will it earn the most? Competition is steep, but also unpredictable right now.

Popular opinion has already reserved a few spaces for the final ten nominations. Christopher Nolan’s Inception and David Fincher’s The Social Network exploded on the scene with rave reviews.

But it seems the majority of potential nominees’ films might release in the coming weeks. According to early reviews, Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan, Peter Weir’s The Way Back, The Coen Brothers’ True Grit, David O. Russell’s The Fighter and Tom Hooper’s The King’s Speech are all top notch contenders for the final 10 Best Picture slots. All release between now and the Oscar deadline.

Woody, Buzz and Jessie run from a monkey stampede in 'Toy Story 3'

Members of the Academy are considered a fickle bunch, infamous for picking the more artistic films over generally beloved blockbusters. The Dark Knight and Avatar are a pair of films from the past two years that provided voters an opportunity to side with the fans, but were passed over for Slumdog Millionare and The Hurt Locker (great films in their own right).

Toy Story 3 is the rare instance where critics and the general public seem to be in agreement. A victory for the animated feature will surely win over the show’s dilapidated crowd. Let’s face it, the Oscars are in dire need of a popularity boost. Whether it was your favorite film of 2010 or not, few people would argue against a victory for Toy Story 3.

Do you agree with Rich Ross that Toy Story 3 deserves the Oscar? What film from this year do you want to see walk home with the top prize?

Source: Deadline

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