By Jason Apuzzo. • Sex and the City 2 continues to draw fire for its supposedly non-p.c. depiction of Middle Eastern society. Women don’t seem to mind, with film off to roaring start at box office. The cast is also out defending the movie. Pic has incidentally been banned in Abu Dhabi, where some of the film is set (although shot in Morocco). Brassy American cougars new weapon in war on terror.
• Alice in Wonderland passes $1 billion mark worldwide, and Tim Burton has now officially made up for Planet of the Apes.
• Hollywood celebrities largely sitting-out oil-spill relief efforts, probably because they’re still cleaning up the mess made by MacGruber.
• The Wrap talks about Hollywood’s all-white WASP summer. Nice that this issue is finally being noticed – but will anyone’s head roll as a result? Hollywood suddenly providing affirmative action for white people. Prince of Persia played by white guy with Swedish name.
• Stallone and Kurt Russell mulling over Tango and Cash sequel, some 80 years after original. Pic may be put on hold, due to Stallone scheduling conflict with Over the Top prequel.
• There’s also, apparently, going to be a remake of Logan’s Run, the 70’s Michael York sci-fi thriller about a future where people are killed once they hit 30. Should be easy to cast, since everybody in Hollywood claims to be under 30.
• Congratulations to Christopher Lee on his 88th birthday today. From Count Dracula to Count Dooku, there’s never been a better screen villain.
• In franchise news, Sherlock Holmes 2 has a release date, The Flash is about to be greenlit, and Tommy Lee Jones has apparently been cast in Captain America as Al Gore’s Harvard roommate. Just kidding.
• Nice interview out today with the director of a cute new documentary, called Racing Dreams. We posted about this film recently.
• Panasonic has an extraordinary new 3D high-def camcorder that just hit the market, retailing at around $21,000. I’ve had my eye on this for months, because I may be shooting my next feature with it. Looks fantastic.
• AND … in an extraordinary new development, Heidi Montag – unfazed by the apparent casting of Victoria’s Secret model Rosie Huntington – has begun publicly lobbying Michael Bay to replace Megan Fox in Transformers 3! In an effort to display her bona fides for the role, so to speak, Ms. Montag has posted a video at You Tube in which she displays her prowess shooting a handgun at a firing range. [Footnote: how great must Bay’s job be? This stuff never happens to Ang Lee.] Ms. Montag is not likely to get the role, although she would’ve been perfect for Andy Sidaris’ films. WE WILL CONTINUE TO WATCH THIS STORY CLOSELY …
And that’s what’s happening today in the wonderful world of Hollywood.
[UPDATE: Govindini’s seen Sex and the City 2, and will be reviewing it shortly – with details of the controversy.]
