I'm astounded that I only found out this morning about Corman's new multi-million dollar "re-imagining"/sequel/whatever of Paul Bartel's original DEATH RACE 2000 - via a Corman interview on BBC Radio 4's "Today" programme, of all things! * - but the IMDB had even more surprises in store, besides the twin disappointments of Jason Statham** and Paul W.S. Anderson's names being attached as star and director respectively...
...How ON EARTH did Tom Cruise become involved as co-producer on this thing? That has to be one of the more astonishing movie credits of recent memory. Anyone know any more about this?
For those interested, the full Corman interview is, I think, available as a download of some sort at the BBC radio 4 site. I have no idea how you get to it, but good luck.
* I may have misheard Corman, or misunderstood the context of the remark, but I'm positive I heard him state that Sly Stallone played "Machine Gun Jack McGurk" in the original. Well, he's getting on a bit. As, indeed, am I.
* For the record, I actually don't mind Statham that much - he was fine in CRANK, although I have no time at all for the TRANSPORTER movies - but he's a poor substitute for David Carradine, that's for sure. I'm assuming, of course, that he's taking on the Frankenstein role...
| QUOTE (Steve Guariento @ May 1 2008, 04:36 AM) |
...How ON EARTH did Tom Cruise become involved as co-producer on this thing? That has to be one of the more astonishing movie credits of recent memory. Anyone know any more about this?
|
Tom Cruise has been attached as producer for several years now. At one point, it was rumored that he would also star in the Frankenstein role.
| QUOTE (Steve Guariento @ May 1 2008, 10:36 AM) |
| * I may have misheard Corman, or misunderstood the context of the remark, but I'm positive I heard him state that Sly Stallone played "Machine Gun Jack McGurk" in the original. |
I wonder if that was the name in the original script, and it was changed to Joe Viterbo when the Italian Stallion was hired.