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Philip Kerr To Script Nazi Party Rise Story ‘The Poison Kitchen’

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Tuesday November 13, 2012 @ 12:01pm PSTTags: Constantin Film, Robert Schwentke
Mike Fleming

British author Philip Kerr has come on board to script The Poison Kitchen for Constantin Film. Robert Schwentke is already attached to direct the film, which is based on a chapter from the 1998 Ron Rosenbaum book Explaining Hitler, and chronicles the rise of the Nazi Party in the 1920s as told through the eyes of journalists at The Munich Post. That paper published articles against the Nazis and tried to expose them as organized criminals. The journalists so got under the Nazis’ skin that Hitler referred to them as “The Poison Kitchen” for cooking up lies about him. Kerr’s work includes the Bernie Gunther thriller novels, which include March Violets, The Pale Criminal and A German Requiem, as well as many children’s books penned under the name P.B. Kerr. Constantin’s Robert Kulzer and Margo Klewans will produce and Martin Moszkowicz will be exec producer on the movie. Kerr is repped by CAA and A.P. Watt.

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Universal Pictures Chairman Adam Fogelson Re-Upped Through 2014

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Monday September 19, 2011 @ 12:37pm PDTTags: Aaron Johnson, Adam Fogelson, Akiva Goldsman, Alexander Skarsgard, Benicio Del Toro, Blake Lively, Brian Grazer, Carl Rinsch, Charlize Theron, Chris Hemsworth, Daniel Espinosa, Denzel Washington, Don Winslow, Guillermo Del Toro, Hugh Jackman, Jeff Bridges, Jeremy Renner, Joseph Kosinski, Keanu Reeves, Kristen Stewart, Liam Neeson, Mark Wahlberg, Michael Bay, Mila Kunis, Oliver Stone, Peter Berg, Rihanna, Robert Schwentke, Ron Howard, Ron Meyer, Rupert Sanders, Russell Crowe, Seth MacFarlane, Shane Salerno, Stephen King, Steve Burke, Taylor Kitsch, Tom Cruise, Tom Hooper, Tony Gilroy, Universal Pictures
Mike Fleming

BREAKING: NBCUniversal’s new owners at Comcast have given a vote of confidence to the studio’s feature film operation. They’ve exercised an option on Universal Pictures’ Chairman Adam Fogelson and extended his contract through 2014. I’m told that Fogelson is, in turn, in the process of exercising the option of Donna Langley and she will continue as the studio’s co-chairman. They will also keep their executive team intact. Fogelson will continue to have full day-to-day operating responsibility for the Motion Picture Group, reporting to Universal Studios President and Chief Operating Officer Ron Meyer (whose contract was recently re-upped through 2015) and will now also report to NBCUniversal Chief Executive Officer Steve Burke.

While Universal has had its ups and downs, higher-ups are clearly convinced that Fogelson, Langley and their team are making progress. They’ve had recent hits –Bridesmaids, Hop! and Fast Five– but also had some recent misses that include The Dilemma, Change-Up and Cowboys & Aliens. In the latter case, the studio was on the hook for one-third of the film, and shared that third with Relativity Media. It has also been a year in which Fogelson and his team have made some painful decisions and let pricey productions go. That began with the Guillermo Del Toro-directed At the Mountains of Madness, which Universal developed for years and which was ready to go with Tom Cruise, until the studio made a late decision not to go forward because of the possibility the $150M film could carry an R-rating. Universal also dropped two projects that were in advanced  stages of development: The Dark Tower, the Akiva Goldsman-directed adaptation of the Stephen King novel series that was to be made into three feature films and two limited-run TV series, with the first film and TV segment directed by Ron Howard and produced by Brian Grazer and Goldsman; and Oiuja, the Hasbro board game that had McG directing and Michael Bay and his Platinum Dunes partners producing with Hasbro. The moves were surprising because Howard and Grazer are cornerstone filmmakers for Universal; and Del Toro and Hasbro have overall deals there. Ouija is one of several Hasbro properties the studio dropped, the others being the Gore Verbinski-directed Clue, the Ridley Scott-directed Monopoly and Magic, The Gathering. These were part of a groundbreaking deal the studio made with the toymaker several years ago, but the studio and Hasbro have re-focused their attention solely on Battleship, Stretch Armstrong, and Candy Land. Read More »

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Jeff Bridges In Talks To Team With Ryan Reynolds In Corpse Comedy ‘R.I.P.D’

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Thursday April 28, 2011 @ 3:33pm PDTTags: Jeff Bridges, Robert Schwentke, Ryan Reynolds, Zach Galifianakis
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: Universal Pictures is negotiating with Jeff Bridges to star with Ryan Reynolds in the Robert Schwentke-directed supernatural comedy R.I.P.D. The Matt Manfredi & Phil Hay-scripted film centers on a police force comprised of undead officers, based on the Peter Lenkov … Read More »

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No ‘R.I.P.D’ For Zach Galifianakis

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Friday April 8, 2011 @ 1:35pm PDTTags: R.I.P.D., Robert Schwentke, Ryan Reynolds, Universal Pictures, Zach Galifianakis
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: Zach Galifianakis is withdrawing from starring with Ryan Reynolds in the Universal Pictures supernatural comedy R.I.P.D., which Robert Schwentke will direct. Galifianakis liked the project just fine–it’s about a force of undead police officers based on the Peter Lenkov … Read More »

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‘World War Z’ With Brad Pitt And Marc Forster Regroups; Can It Beat Imminent Zombie Pic Infestation?

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Tuesday March 29, 2011 @ 11:53am PDTTags: Brad Pitt, Danny Boyle, David Ellison, Jonah Hill, Marc Forster, Max Brooks, Michael Bay, Nicholas Hoult, Paramount Pictures, Robert Schwentke, Ryan Reynolds, Seth Grahame-Smith, Skydance, World War Z, Zach Galifianakis, Zack Snyder
Mike Fleming

While there have been reports that Paramount might kill World War Z because of a $125 million budget and no partners, I’m hearing that hot and heavy talks are going on with David Ellison’s Skydance and as many as two … Read More »

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Older Thesps Show Staying Power: ‘Red’ Sequel, Schwarzenegger Planning Pics

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Tuesday January 18, 2011 @ 6:09am PSTTags: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, John Malkovich, Mario Kassar, Mary Louise Parker, Morgan Freeman, Randall Wallace, Red, Robert Schwentke, Summit Entertainment
Mike Fleming

In a move that’s not exactly surprising, Summit Entertainment brought back Jon and Erich Hoeber to write another installment of Red, the overachieving Robert Schwentke-directed action film that had been widely spurned around town because studios were nervous building such … Read More »

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Fox 2000 Puts Scribe On ‘Shadow Divers’

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Thursday November 4, 2010 @ 6:58pm PDTTags: Fox 2000, Movie Deals, Movies, Robert Schwentke, Scott Free, Shadow Divers
Mike Fleming

Unstoppable scribe Mark Bomback has been set by Fox 2000 to do a new draft of Shadow Divers, the Robert Kurson book that follows two wreck divers who uncover the hull of a German U-boat off the New Jersey … Read More »

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Robert Schwentke In ‘R.I.P.D.’ Deal

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Tuesday September 7, 2010 @ 6:52pm PDTTags: R.I.P.D., Robert Schwentke, Robert Schwentke Director Red, Ryan Reynolds
Mike Fleming

BREAKING: Robert Schwentke has locked a deal to direct R.I.P.D., the Universal  Pictures supernatural-themed action film that will star Ryan Reynolds. Schwentke, who is creating buzz for the upcoming Bruce Willis-Helen Mirren-starrer Red, will start shooting late next summer, when … Read More »

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Scribe For Ludlum’s ‘Osterman Weekend’

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Friday September 3, 2010 @ 1:33pm PDTTags: Jesse Wigutow, Robert Ludlum, Robert Schwentke, Summit Entertainment, The Osterman Weekend
Mike Fleming

Summit Entertainment signed Jesse Wigutow to do a rewrite of The Osterman Weekend, the Robert Ludlum thriller. The picture was previously adapted into a 1983 Sam Peckinpah-directed film. Summit is trying to move fast to lock in Robert Schwentke, who is attracting buzz for his upcoming Bruce Willis-Helen Mirren starrer Red. Schwentke has competition for his next slot, as Universal wants him for RIPD with Ryan Reynolds. Wigutow just scripted an untitled Steve McQueen biopic, as well Divorcees for Universal and Snepp at HBO. Read More »

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‘Red’ Director Robert Schwentke Jumps Into Fox 2000′s ‘Shadow Divers’

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Wednesday August 4, 2010 @ 3:56pm PDTTags: Fox 2000, Robert Ludlum, Robert Schwentke, Robert Schwentke Director Red, Shadow Divers, The Osterman Weekend
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: Robert Schwentke, whose upcoming Helen Mirren-Bruce Willis-John Malkovich shoot-em-up Red got a big Comic-Con reaction, has taken the plunge on Shadow Divers, the Fox 2000 adaptation of the Robert Kurson book. It is one of a couple films … Read More »

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