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EXCLUSIVE: Who said the franchise business was easy? Two big Warner Bros sequels are in the offing, and both of them are wrestling with major elements changes from the original moneymakers. Warner Bros and Legendary Pictures are moving ahead with a sequel to Clash of the Titans, which the studio would like as early as spring, 2012. But they will make the journey without Louis Leterrier, who will not return for an encore as director. Sam Worthington will return, as well as most every other character that survived. Greg Berlanti will write the story and the studio is already canvassing the agencies for a writer and director who can whip the movie into shape to shoot before Worthington makes Avatar 2. Leterrier will remain peripherally involved as executive producer. It isn’t unheard of for the original director of a big hit film to drop off the sequel–Doug Liman on The Bourne Identity comes to mind–and insiders swear that the Leterrier move was harmonious and are saying he wasn’t of a mind to rush into another installment of Greek mythological mayhem. The original has grossed around $390 million, on a $120 million budget with no real gross outlay. By the time it’s done, Clash will be one of the year’s biggest hits.
At the same time, New Line and Walden Media are putting together the sequel to Journey to the Center of The Earth, and sources said that Brendan Fraser is definitely teetering. The reason: the studio wants to make a fall, 2011 release date which would mean hiring another director to replace Eric Brevig, who’s busy with another Warner Bros 3D film, Yogi Bear. Fraser wants to be loyal to Brevig and is resisting New Line’s suggestion of filmmakers like Brad Peyton. New Line’s alternative would be re-fashion the film around Josh Hutcherson, who played Fraser’s character’s nephew in the original film. Such a move would save an eight-figure star salary, but it is a major risk to go without a star to return to a film that grossed $242 million worldwide.
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They should build it around the son and the daughter. NO ONE LIKES FRASER. You will see next week when that turkey film bombs huge. Make it the kids and do very very well. You won’t have Fraser or his bad acting or any payoffs. DO IT NOW RICHARD>
Trash of the Titans was a horrible film so its no surprise they replaced the director.
The problem is that people DO like Fraser. If you look up the interview/ article that Entertainment Weekly did on him in the last year or two his movies always gross in the hundreds of millions and he’s remained one of the most bankable, dependable actors in Hollywood. Whether the movies are Oscar worthy or not (or even worth multiple viewings – I thought Journey was an awful film) is up for debate. What is not though is the fact of his being a consistently worthy investment – in an age when you can’t count on even the Tom Cruise’s to be guaranteed box-office gold. And in the end, for studios, its money first, acclaim second.
The new “Clash of the Titans” was an utter abomination of the original–in fact, the only thing I liked about it was the girl who played Perseus’ love interest, but strangely–there was only a brief flirtation with it, their romance, that is, that lasted under 1 minute—and then, bam, nothing, save for the final sequence…in which we only see our hero step toward his revived loved interest–at a distance?
The film suffered from bad writing, pacing, and–well, where was the humor, where was the aforementioned romance (this film was largely A-SEXUAL BTW)? The audience only chuckled once, and no one ever cheered, there was no applause, just dull silence–and lastly, the film looked no more expensive than the original? It just seemed like the filmmakers replaced the stop-motion animation, with poor CGI…and that was it?
One more thing: The Kraken was foreshadowed in the original, with a huge tidal wave that destroyed a whole Greek city!!! We knew from the beginning of that movie just what a great threat the Kraken was, but not in this film–that scene was removed–and so when we finally see the Kraken in the new film, at the climax, we, the audience, had no sense of real fear or anticipation as we never saw prior, what great destruction the Kraken was capable of. Chalk this up to just plain bad writing, bad plotting, and bad directing!!! They destroyed a possibly great franchise, already???!!!!
I like how much fuss was made about “releasing the Kraken” and it took about 20 minutes of screentime of the Kraken rising from the ocean only to be killed after 1 minute.
I couldn’t agree more. This film clearly suffered from “development.” No sense of character or narrative and the CG was all realized by storyboard artists and pre-viz guys. Don’t directors know they’re responsible for this as well and it must serve the story? It was like a VFX reel.
Medusa scared the bejeezus out of me as a kid and here it’s just rushed through. The whole movie, in fact, felt like a rush to get the end so the filmmakers could collect their paychecks. They rode on the backs of nostalgia with this one.
Everyone cool died all in one fell swoop with Medusa.
I didn’t care about the film after they died, considered I was left with Sam Worthington trying to convince me he was the only bald Australian Greek in all of Greece.
you are a utter abomination
Haste makes waste.
Are you trying to tell me that first JTTCOTE — an unfunny, incoherent steaming pile — made money? Enough money to engender a sequel? Inconceivable!
I loved Journey… it was a helluva lot of fun. Without Brendan, it won’t be the same.
Given reports of the major surgery performed on CLASH during reshoots and editing, I’m thinking the only thing “harmonious” about Leterrier’s departure was that both sides agreed they didn’t want to go through THAT again.
“Journey To The Center of The Earth” was cheap looking, and lite on story, but, despite its failures, and there were many, it was still a very fun–and funny, lite family film.
Eric Brevig no more worth waiting for than Brendan. Talented VFX artist. Mundane director. You get to make the first live action digital 3D feature in history and your coverage looks 1980s television? Go directly to Director’s Jail. Do not pass go. Do not collect option for a sequel.
I’ve worked with Brevig. He’s more than a mensch — he’s unflappable in the face of some of the worst production scenarios I’ve ever seen or heard of. Creative, funny and engaged.
I doubt you could have even pulled off a releasable movie given the challenges he faced on that show, no less one that makes $200mm worldwide at the box office.
INKHEART made 17 million domestic and 45 international. Journey 2 is safe without Fraser.
What, wait? Yogi Bear??
To answer Media Messiah’s concerns over the lackluster narrative of Clash of the Titans, Lawrence Kasdan had written the original draft which addressed all of your concerns, but the studio brass felt it was too nuanced and complicated for a mass audience to digest so they ditched his draft, hired a couple of hacks to streamline the plot and just make it all about Perseus defying his destiny as a demigod. Apparently Letterier was all too willing to oblige. That’s Hollywood for you.
Are you trying to tell me that first JTTCOTE — an unfunny, incoherent steaming pile — made money? Enough money to engender a sequel? Inconceivable!
“Clash” was a disappointment. It had some excellent elements (Fiennes as Hades…very nice, and the crusty soldier characters added some needed humanity), but the story was muddled and hurried. The sequel needs to be a reboot toward coherence.
I wonder if WB forced Letterrier out or if he decided to leave knowing that COTT did well but not as well as he must have hoped (he was talking enthusiastically about a trilogy just a month or so before the release).
I remember reading in an interview with Hero Complex last year that he was still contracted to make another movie with Marvel. They always seemed pretty high on him (and his Incredible Hulk was much, much better than COTT) so maybe his next project will be a post Avengers movie…
He wasn’t the son in Journey, he was the newphew of Fraser’s character.
They’ll find a way to move forward WITH Fraser WITHOUT having to wait for Brevig’s schedule to clear
All I know is that I WON’T be seeing a CLASH sequel. And I am sure, that I’m not the only one who shares this sentiment.
this sounds like two of the worst film ideas since Ghost Dad and Cool as Ice. $242 million worldwide is not as impressive as it sounds.
The 3D suck, the costumes suck, worst movie of the year. No sex appael, the Kraken was way to big (300 foot monster, should have been a 30 foot) killed off most interesing actors, a complete mess.
Does anyone look a dalies anymore, Warner Brothers shopuld be ashamed.
Glad Greg Berlanti will be involved in the CLASH sequel. The storyline was boring and weird in the remake…why wouldn’t Perseus fall in love with Princess Andromeda and why introduce the Gin and Io and get rid of Bubo instead? Where were the other Olympian Gods besides Hades…relegated to background. WTF? Maggie Smith’s portrayal of the jealous Goddess Thetis’s revenge of her son Calabus was a great element of the original. Helen Mirren would have been perfect to play that part. All they had to do was make a fun ride use the original as a blueprint. A new director and new writers is good news for this project. Stick the the Greek myths…there is a lot of untapped material that’s way more interesting than anything these hack writers and director cooked up in the remake. As a writer it’s so frustrating to see assignments like this go to people with no imagination or respect for the classics. Whoever gets the job do your research, read a book or two, or better yet – I’m available.
u guys above talking rubbish,how can u lament over the remake being bad because it doesnt stick to the original?+it’s nearly made 400 million worldwide.
The medusa sequence in the remake is far superior,h.hamlin didnt care for his fellow soldiers except for one,2010 clash has far more gravitas than pale faced over acting of the 81 version,dont get me wrong i cherrish the original but the new movie was epic,the kraken sequence was five minutes not 20,
you say the writers didnt come up with anything new yet you are upset because they didnt bring ideas/sequences from the 81 version-make ur minds up.
3rd time ive posted positive remarks about clash,why are there so many whiners about the remake-its not a good film because it doesnt follow a film that came out in 81?gimme a break with ur story telling opinions please!
The COTT had one big failure: the film didn’t fulfil the title. Not taking into consideration that by the mythology the Titans were the parents of the 3 boys: Hades Zeus and Poseidon (they were Gods) – that was the inheritance of the 1981 film so we have to accept it. But there was very short screen-time for the two best performances, those of Fiennes and Neeson actually the Titans (Gods)However the film spoke only and mainly from Perseus’ fight against CGI-s. IMHO Sam Worthington had nothing to play although he tried to make a thinking human being from his part with restrained acting tools. I don’t know whether the script or the realisation hindered him to do so…
My question is that the Zeus-Hades line will be continued at all in the second or perhaps third part or we’ll see only CGI and technic without human psychological and dramatic contain.
i think your all crazy, clash of the titans was a good movie. just because it wasnt full of blood and gore and naked women does not make it worthless. and it most definitely did not look cheap. sam worthington did great as well as the rest of them, actors and directors, you should stop to think maybe they shouldn’t have did it exactly as the original, hello that would be boring, but as for all of you “critics” why don’t you pull your heads out and watch with an unfilthy mind.
like this movie