As
Tomorrow Never Dies approaches (12/17), the battle for Bond heats
up. Variety's Michael Fleming is reporting buzz that Sony
(the new franchisee) is looking to bring Sean Connery back to
Bond again under the ID4/Godzilla team of Roland Emmerich
and Dean Devlin. This isn't just a slap for MGM/UA (the long
term franchise holder), but for Fox, which is anxious to get the directing/producing
duo back in the fold for the Independence Day sequel A.S.A.P.,
preferably in time for the summer of 2000 between Star Wars pictures.
Meanwhile, someone overheard Pierce Brosnan asking Martin
Scorcese to take the helm for a Bond. Bond goes to Brooklyn? Bond
would never survive Joe Pesci as "Boombach. Vinny Boombach."
Pesci would never leave Bond to a tank full of sharks when he could
just beat him to death with a baseball bat and take the Bond girl.
Mousehunt and Mr. Magoo must be tracking like two dead
dogs. Disney reports that exhibitors are requesting a re-re-release
of The Little Mermaid for mid-December. Just what America needs
in a grotesquely overcrowded December marketplace. Ironically enough,
December is actually worse than the summer rush, when studios will actually
move of a competitive date. This week there are four major releases.
Next week it's Bond and Titanic. On Christmas Day there are
five major releases. Can you say "massacre?"
Role-ing, Role-ing, Role-ing: People's The Sexiest Man Alive
for 1997 (George Clooney) drops the Wild Wild West and
who do they go to? This year's favorite closet-buster, Kevin Kline.
And they couldn't have made a better choice. Artemus Gordon was
known for being clever, not pretty. And Kline is a world class actor
capable of almost anything. Meanwhile, Bette Midler has dropped
out of the Lisa Douglas role in the upcoming Green Acres just
as Ben Stiller has come on board. The two moves may or may not
be related. So, when this movie stiffs, will Stiller complain (as he
did with The Cable Guy) that the media just doesn't appreciate
his dark vision of "Green Acres?" Here's a hint, Ben. If Arnold dates
a pig, people will like it. If Arnold dates a human, they won't.
Lots of room for opinions with this week's openings (read: David could
really be wrong!) Join the growing crowd of box office guessers by e-mail.
