'Vacation' Sequel/Reboot Has It's Team

The planned sequel/reboot of the Vacation franchise by New Line Cinema has found it's team in John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein.

The studio has entered negotiations to hand the reins of the project to John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, the team behind the Vacation script, as well as the New Line hit Horrible Bosses and the studio's upcoming Horrible Bosses 2 and Burt Wonderstone.

Daley is an actor-turned-writer who has appeared in shows such as Freaks and Geeks, Kitchen Confidential and Bones. Goldstein worked on comedies such as The New Adventures of Old Christine and $#*! My Dad Says as a writer-supervising producer.

The duo's big break came on New Line's Horrible Bosses, which grossed more than $200 million worldwide last summer. The Warner Bros.-owned studio moved quickly to lock up Daley and Goldstein, who are busy writing a Bosses sequel and worked on the Steve Carell-Jim Carrey magician comedy Burt Wonderstone, which is currently in production.

Daley and Goldstein's Vacation script, first set up in 2009, plays like both a sequel and a reboot of the franchise that began with the 1983 Harold Ramis-directed comedy National Lampoon's Vacation and continued with European Vacation, Christmas Vacation and Vegas Vacation. A now grown-up Rusty Griswold, the son of the Chevy Chase character in the original series, experiences a misadventure with his own family.

David Dobkin (Wedding Crashers) was originally attached to produce and direct the film but has since moved on. Now the project will act as the directorial debut for Daley and Goldstein, who are both repped by UTA. 

Source: The Hollywood Reporter 

'I Am Legend 2' Is A Go

I Am Legend, 2007

The follow-up to 2007's I Am Legend is finally beginning to gain momentum.  Check below for the skinny...

Arash Amel has been hired to write a screenplay for I Am Legend 2 for Warner Bros. Will Smith is on board to produce through his Overbrook Entertainment shingle, with the potential once again to star. Akiva Goldsman, who co-wrote and produced I Am Legend, also will return as a producer. The 2007 horror thriller starred Smith as the last surviving human in a New York cityscape overrun by monsters that survived the plague that killed most of humanity. Co-written by Mark Protosevich and directed by Francis Lawrence, it grossed $585 million worldwide. It is unclear how the storyline will be developed in the new project since Smith's character, Robert Neville, perished at the end of the first film. The CAA-repped Amel has the action thriller The Expatriate in production, and his screenplay Grace of Monaco is in development. Smith produced Fox's recent release This Means War, and he stars in the Sony sequel Men in Black III, which hits theaters in May.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter 

TV: NBC Orders 13 'Hannibal' Episodes

Red Dragon, 2002

NBC has officially picked up a 13 episode order for Brad Fuller's Hannibal TV series.  To my great pleasure, the series will revolve around the first novel, Red Dragon (my personal favorite), and deal with Dr. Hannibal Lecter and FBI agent Will Graham.  Graham's character was most recently portrayed by Edward Norton and originally played by CSI's William Peterson.  It is yet to be determined who will don the face mask as Hannibal.

The logline...

One-hour contemporary thriller series featuring the classic characters from Thomas Harris’ novel Red Dragon – FBI agent Will Graham and his mentor Dr. Hannibal Lecter – who are re-introduced at the beginning of their budding relationship.

Source: Entertainment Weekly 

Jonathan Liebesman To Direct 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'

It appears that Jonathan Liebesman (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning) will be directing the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot for Platinum Dunes.  I expect this to be very Transformers-esque -- and that's not a good thing.  I want more than just a flashy fireworks display for my beloved Turtles.

"Battle: Los Angeles" helmer Jonathan Liebesman is in negotiations to direct Paramount's live-action reboot of "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles."  Michael Bay, Brad Fuller and Andrew Form would produce for Platinum Dunes.  Plot details are being kept under wraps except that it would be a new reimaging of the famous comic and cartoon series.  Josh Applbaum and Andre Nemec penned the script.  Liebesman's next film "Wrath of the Titans" bows March 30.

Source: Variety 

'Cabin Fever: Patient Zero' Director, Art Revealed

Although two sequels are in the works for the Cabin Fever franchise (Patient Zero and Outbreak), some early poster artwork for Patient Zero, which is actually a prequel, has been released as well as the reveal of who will helm the direct-to-video sequel.

It appears that comic book artist Karre Andrews will be directing the project.

Source: Shock Till You Drop