Hollywood has increasingly become dependent on adaptations, even Steven Spielberg. He has committed to direct Harvey - an adaptation of the Mary Chase Pulitzer prize-winning play. It is about a man who befriends a 6½-foot-tall invisible rabbit. In the 1950 film version, the man is played by Jimmy Stewart.

The film will be produced by both DreamWorks and 20th Century Fox. DreamWorks will finance 50% of the production via its new funding relationship with Reliance and distribution domestic or international through another arrangement with Disney. Work on the movie is set to start early next year. Big names in the cast include Tom Hanks and Will Smith. This movie could prove to be quite a test for Spielberg, especially since DreamWorks’ deals with Disney and Reliance. Fox could potentially have complicated things however, its chairman Tom Rothman agreed to share the production once Spielberg came on board.

Harvey is a story about a man who befriends a ‘pooka’, a creature of Celtic folklore - who comes in the form of a six-foot, three-and-one-half-inch tall rabbit. Last year in June, Harvey made it to seventh place in AFI’s Ten Top Ten, fantasy genre. It was also placed in 35th position in the American Film Institute’s 100 years…100 laughs. In 1951, Harvey won an Oscar for ‘Best actress in a supporting role’ (Josephine Hull) and a Golden Globe for ‘best supporting actress’. It was nominated at the Oscars for ‘best actor in a leading role’ (James Stewart), at the Golden Globes for Best Motion Picture - Drama and Best Motion Picture Actor - Drama and at the Hugo for Best Dramatic Presentation.

The first Ghost Rider was alright, but not fantastic. However, that has not stopped Columbia Pictures from trying again with a sequel. The studio is already in talks with David Goyer, attempting to convince a story out of him, and to supervise the writing team responsible for drafting the screenplay. Nicolas Cage will appear in the sequel.

David Goyer still has not signed anything yet regarding the Ghost Ride sequel. However, he wrote a script for Columbia Pictures years ago, but it was not used for the first one. Instead, Director Mark Steven Johnson’s script got approved. Disney’s acquisition of the Marvel library for $4 billion has all the other studios rushing to get the most of their still-owned Marvel properties. Fox is in the process of rebooting the Fantastic Four franchise, but are also intently working on a sequel of Wolverine and other X-Men spinoffs. They might also try again with Daredevil, and there is talk of giving the Silver Surfer his very own movie.Sony meanwhile has already hired James Vanderbilt to write Spider Man 5 and 6. Paramount also has more Marvel projects in the pipeline. These include Iron Man 2, Thor and Captain America.

All this activity from other studios is because their agreement with Marvel is the only way they can hold onto their Marvel superheroes. Any inactivity gives Marvel Entertainment the right to reclaim them. One of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, Marvel Entertainment Inc has over the year, built over 5,000 characters featured across a wide variety of media over seventy years.

In a move, seemingly to counteract Disney’s 4 billion dollar purchase of the entire Marvel library, Warner Bros. Has created DC Entertainment. “The formation of DC Entertainment will help us bring more DC properties across additional platforms to fans around the world,” said Alan Horn, President and COO of Warner Bros. Entertainment.

This specialized arm has been created to efficiently adapt DC properties into Digital properties, TV shows and of course Movies. DC Entertainment will be run by Diane Nelson, a Warner Bros. Veteran and Paul Levitz the hitherto President of DC comics will step down. He will, however, continue within the new outfit and function as Consultant to DC Entertainment, Contributing Editor and writer. Warner Bros. is keen to have him on board as he is credited to have written Wonder Woman, Superman and Batman comic books in the past. “After so many roles at DC, it’s exciting to look forward to focusing on my writing and being able to remain a part of the company I love as it grows into its next stage,” said Levitz.

DC comics was originally founded as National Allied Publications. The name “DC” was derived from its popular Detective Comics series which debuted in December 1936. The series became a sensation when Batman was introduced in May 1939. From the rudimentary DC logo that appeared April 1940 to the current one we see today, the logo and the company have gone though many changes, with DC Entertainment being the latest.

Walt Disney Pictures has, at last, officially titled the fourth installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean.

The fourth movie in the hugely successful multi-billion dollar franchise will be known as Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. Although very little is known about the plot direction, it was vaguely implied at the end of the third movie “PotC: At World’s End”, that Captain Jack Sparrow and Captain Barbossa would set off on their own adventures with the Fountain of Youth being the focus of their attention.

The movies are part of a franchise incorporating a Theme park ride, Video Games, Spinoff novels and other publications. As of August 2006 the movies alone have been estimated to have grossed over 2.7 billion dollars. The original theme park attraction has the honor of being the last one ever designed with input from Walt Disney himself. While it was first envisioned in the 1950’s as wax museum that visitors would walk through, the experience and technology gained from the 1964-1965 World Fair soon changed that. Disney Imagineers made the attraction into a boat ride, which took visitors through environments featuring Audio-Animatronic Pirates in the process of sacking a Caribbean port. The theme song “Yo Ho (A Pirate’s Life for Me)” brings about a light hearted tone to the violent characters depicted in the scenes.

Since the attraction opened in 1967 at Disneyland, it has been reproduced in different forms, first at Magic Kingdom at the Walt Disney Resort in 1973, then in Japan at Tokyo Disneyland in 1983, and finally in France at Disneyland Paris in 1992.

In a recent LA Times article, J.J. Abrams and Roberto Orci discussed the possibility for a possible Star Trek sequel. Speaking cautiously, Abrams said that he would not make another movie simply to cash in on the sequel, and said they were currently looking at the next angle they would like to approach.

Speaking to the LA Times, he said: “The ambition for a sequel to ‘Star Trek’ is to make a movie that’s worthy of the audience and not just another movie, you know, just a second movie that feels tacked on. The first movie was so concerned with just setting up the characters — their meeting each and galvanizing that family — that in many ways a sequel will have a very different mission. It needs to do what [the late 'Trek' creator Gene] Roddenberry did so well, which is allegory. It needs to tell a story that has connection to what is familiar and what is relevant. It also needs to tell it in a spectacular way that hides the machinery and in a primarily entertaining and hopefully moving story. There needs to be relevance, yes, and that doesn’t mean it should be pretentious. If there are simple truths — truths connected to what we live — that elevates any story — that’s true with any story.”

Previously, screenwriters for Star Trek were asked to split their idea for the Star Trek sequel into two separate movies, however, at a recent press conference, the writers said they would not.

Star Trek is the 8th highest grossing film of 2009 and is the highest-grossing film in the series.

Summit Entertainment has hired Justin Lin to direct the next instalment of Highlander. Neal H. Moritz will be the producer for the movie.
The combination, a favourite of the Summit is because Lin and Moritz were responsible for the delivery of Universal Pictures’ most successful title of the year, ‘Fast and Furious’.

Although a cast for the next Highlander movie has not been decided as yet, Summit already has Art Marcum and Matt Holloway working on the script.

The original instalment of Highlander, released in 1986 starred Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery, Clancy Brown and Roxanne Hart. It resulted in four sequels and three TV spinoffs. With the new movie, Summit plans to take the original story and expand on it a great deal. It will centre on the immortal Scottish swordsman Connor MacLeod who has to confront a murderous barbarian who lusts for a fabled prize.

Lin, a Taiwanese American film director earned an MFA in film directing from the UCLA Film School. Better Luck Tomorrow, his solo directorial debut made a huge splash amongst critics and fans. Annapolis, his next work, brought in mixed reviews but sold over 4 million DVD copies, and stayed on top 10 rental lists across the US.

His latest work, the fourth in the Fast and Furious series grossed $30.5 million and peaked at the top spot of the weekend box office with $70,950,500. It is also the highest-grossing opening weekend even in April and of any car-oriented movie. The previous record was held by Cars, which raked in $60.1 million.

Fox owns some of the rights to the Fantastic Four, namely for making films. Although Disney is the new owner of Marvel Comics library, Fox is planning to have another go at Fantastic Four. Since the previous two Fantastic Four films have not been exemplary, 20th Century fox is planning on making a better and bigger one this time around. Akiva Goldsman is overlooking the new project and they have got Michael Green doing the writing. He has played a major role in NBC’s hit TV series Heroes and helped write The Green Lantern.

Since the franchise is looking at a full revamp, it is not yet clear whether any of the previous cast will return for the new installment. However, it is rumored that any cast member signing up will look at signing up for multiple installments, like the cast members of Iron Man did. With Disney spending over $4 billion on Marvel Comics more and more screenplays are drawn up for their vast array of comics. So look forward to seeing many more of your favorite comic book characters coming to life on the big screen in the coming years.

Warner Brothers is so thrilled with their success of the first Sherlock Holmes film with Disney executives that they have given the green light for a sequel. The production house has also claimed that the sequel will star some big names in the movie business; Brad Pitt to name one. It is also rumored that Pitt might just make an appearance in the first Sherlock Holmes film, due to release this December.

Brad Pitt will star as Moriarty, Holmes’ new nemesis. According to sources, although nothing has been signed yet, it appears that Jude Law, Robert Downey Jr. and Rachel McAdams will all return to play their roles in the sequel. So far however, Guy Ritchie is the only certainty for the sequel and it appears he has never done a sequel in his life.
The film based in 1891 and revolves around Sherlock Holmes and his able aid Watson putting an end to a conspiracy to destroy Britain. The film will open with Holmes apprehending Lord Blackwood who is a murderous cult leader, who vows to return from the dead and exact revenge as he is being led to the gallows.

Roman Polanski, Oscar-winning director was arrested by police on Saturday, 26th September 2009. In 1978, Polanski fled the United States after pleading guilty to having sex with a 13-year old girl. A US warrant was issued for his arrest following his departure.
Rumour has it that the US, having learnt that Polanski was to appear at the Zurich Film Festival to accept a Lifetime Achievement Award, instructed Swiss officials to have him arrested upon arrival at the Zurich Airport. Polanski is now in a provisional detention in Switzerland. Ministry Spokesperson, Guido Balmer, speaking to AP said, “There was a valid arrest request and we knew when he was coming. That is why he was taken into custody.”

It has been thirty years after his exit from the US, and like his victim, Samantha Gailey, he is looking to get the case closed. Gailey, who has received a settlement, says she wants the whole thing dropped.

It is still to be seen if Polanski will still make it to courts in the United States. If it was to be so, he would first have to agree, or it would be up to the Swiss courts to decide, which would then add on months of delay.

Polanski and his lawyers have been consistently trying to get the case resolved, but Polanski has always refused to come back to the United States to make a court appearance.

Aged 76, Polanski is the director of movies including Chinatown and Rosemary’s Baby. He won an Academy Award in 2003 for The Pianist, but due to his absence, the award was accepted on his behalf by Harrison Ford. Polanski is married to French actress Emanuelle Seigner and has two children.