I have to say I agree with Jeremy that Gore Verbinski needs to work on some projects other than enormously-budgeted pirate movies. Though pirates (including those of the Sid Meier variety) can be fun, Verbinski has filmmaking potential that extends far beyond what is required to guide those kinds of films. As evidenced by his excellent non-POTC filmography (Mouse Hunt, The Mexican, The Ring, The Weather Man), the guy has range.
And Verbinski is looking to widen that range with his next project, which I will call Untitled Gore Verbinski Animation Project. That’s right, Gore Verbinski’s next film will likely be an animated picture. A $100 million animated picture. And it’ll be coming in 2010.
Gore’s already got a team working on this thing. Graham King, whom you might remember as the guy who accepted The Departed’s Best Picture Oscar, will be producing, and John Logan will write the script. King’s involvement explains the large budget (which is a presumption on someone’s part at this point). King has a first-look deal at Warners, who won’t make a decision until they see a script.
As for Logan, well, it’s hard to predict the quality of his contribution to the project; he did, after all, follow up his Oscar nomination for Gladiator with The Time Machine, Star Trek: Nemesis and that Sinbad animated movie. On the other hand, his most recent work includes The Aviator and Sweeney Todd. For this project, Logan will be working with a story conceived by Verbinski and the folks at his production company, Blind Wink.
Gore’s team for this project (probably) includes “creature designer” Mark McCreery. That makes me wonder what kind of animation this project will utilize. Will it be more of that newfangled computer animation, with which McCreery has experience, or will it be traditional animiation, with which McCreery has a ton of experience? $100 million says they go computer-animated. I find it odd, though, that neither the Hollywood Reporter nor Variety nor the PRNewswire makes that specification.
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John Logan seems pretty solid. The Aviator and Sweeny Todd gives forgiveness for Nemisis and Sinbad. I don't forgive him for Sinbad the comedian though.
Dang. I thought the headline was indicating some kind of Edward Gorey project– maybe starring the cast of the Mystery credit sequence.
Obligatory anti-Phil Owen comment.
That's the first time I've seen The Mexican described as anything other than "slightly better than Mexican tap water".
"slightly better than Mexican tap water"….ha ha funny shit! Ah, "The Mexican" one of the two movies (The Devil's Own) that made Brad Pitt cry like a man-child and beg to be let go from the production. Why don't they include that stuff on special features: "Anatomy of a Bitch: watch Brad Pitt weep openly and grovel at producer's feet".
First time I've ever heard any of his other films be called "excellent." Anyone else get the feeling Phil makes jokes but forgets to let anyone else in on it.
And here I was hoping Al Gore would be directing an animated Y the Last Man where you find out global warming killed all the men.
Don't care much about the rest of his filmography (POTC included), but "The Weather Man" is underrated. That film made me smile. A lot. And I hate Nicolas Cage with a smoldering passion.
Fuck – I thought it was news about an Edward Gorey adaptation too…Mousehunt is the closest Verbinski has come to that vibe.
The Mexican and The Weather Man excellent? In what universe?
Mousehunt was EXCELLENT.
I feel this article was poorly written. I don't think it was witty or entertaining. I feel it's rather sad. I hope Owen gets better as a writer. Soon. Thank you.
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