Cross - Idris Elba, David Twohy - 2011
08-18-10, 10:24 PM
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I, Alex Cross - now with sass and flash (S: Tyler Perry, D: Rob Cohen)
Idris Elba has signed to play Dr. Alex Cross in Cross, a new installment of James Patterson's bestselling murder mystery series that will be directed by David Twohy. Kerry Williamson wrote the script. Elba takes over the role originated by Morgan Freeman, who played the sleuth in the Paramount Pictures thrillers, 1997's Kiss the Girls and 2001's Along Came A Spider. Twohy is doing a rewrite.
In the novel, Cross tracks a serial rapist who may have murdered his pregnant wife years before. The film is being produced by Lloyd Levin, Belle Avery and Leopoldo Gout, along with the author and Steve Bowen.
Production will begin in 2011, likely in the spring. The film will be privately financed and distribution is being set. Paramount is a possibility.
In the novel, Cross tracks a serial rapist who may have murdered his pregnant wife years before. The film is being produced by Lloyd Levin, Belle Avery and Leopoldo Gout, along with the author and Steve Bowen.
Production will begin in 2011, likely in the spring. The film will be privately financed and distribution is being set. Paramount is a possibility.
EDIT (2/1/11): Elba and Twohy are out; Tyler Perry and Rob Cohen (XXX, The Fast and The Furious) are in.
http://www.deadline.com/2011/01/tyle...as-alex-cross/
Last edited by DGibFen; 02-01-11 at 08:49 AM.
08-19-10, 08:29 AM
#2
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Re: Cross - Idris Elba, David Twohy - 2011
I'm down 
I liked the character in Kiss the Girls and Along Came A Spider, and I'm looking forward to what Elba brings to the role. Twohy can be a pretty solid director, too.
I liked the character in Kiss the Girls and Along Came A Spider, and I'm looking forward to what Elba brings to the role. Twohy can be a pretty solid director, too.
08-19-10, 06:02 PM
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08-19-10, 06:05 PM
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08-19-10, 08:46 PM
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Re: Cross - Idris Elba, David Twohy - 2011
I wonder how they pick which "Alex Cross" novels to turn into movies. There has to have been at least a dozen other books written between Kiss the Girls and Along Came a Spider and Cross. I believe Cross is fairly new while the other two were written in the mid 90's or even earlier. There are plenty of other good "Alex Cross" books so I'm just curious why "Cross" was chosen as the next one to become a movie.
08-19-10, 09:48 PM
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Re: Cross - Idris Elba, David Twohy - 2011
I wonder how they pick which "Alex Cross" novels to turn into movies. There has to have been at least a dozen other books written between Kiss the Girls and Along Came a Spider and Cross. I believe Cross is fairly new while the other two were written in the mid 90's or even earlier. There are plenty of other good "Alex Cross" books so I'm just curious why "Cross" was chosen as the next one to become a movie.
Nah'. Probably has something to do with the producer's ability to cheaply secure the rights. And their ability to find independent financing, or get a studio to greenlight it.
08-19-10, 10:07 PM
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Re: Cross - Idris Elba, David Twohy - 2011
Oh I get that, but Along Came A Spider was written in 1993 and Kiss the Girls was written in 1995. Cross was written in 2006. 9 other Alex Cross books were written in between and they all pretty much follow the same formula. I've read most of them but really have a hard time distinguishing one from the other because they're all so similar. I just wonder why Cross was picked as the next movie adaptation and not one of the other 9 books.
08-20-10, 01:44 PM
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Re: Cross - Idris Elba, David Twohy - 2011
Oh I get that, but Along Came A Spider was written in 1993 and Kiss the Girls was written in 1995. Cross was written in 2006. 9 other Alex Cross books were written in between and they all pretty much follow the same formula. I've read most of them but really have a hard time distinguishing one from the other because they're all so similar. I just wonder why Cross was picked as the next movie adaptation and not one of the other 9 books.
08-20-10, 07:41 PM
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DVD Talk God
Re: Cross - Idris Elba, David Twohy - 2011
the more i think about this, the more badass this could be. hopefully it turns out well. i think it's a great choice for casting. guess, i'd better get my ass in gear and start reading Cross. I'm 2 books behind.
08-20-10, 09:35 PM
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Re: Cross - Idris Elba, David Twohy - 2011
Anyway, Alex Cross is portrayed as a fairly young, big, powerful dude. I think something like 6 ft 4 or 5 and built. Certainly nothing like Morgan Freeman. I don't think Idris Elba is quite that big, but he's a pretty big dude and fits the character much better. I like him too.
I hope it does well and they end up making more of the Cross books into movies. Like I said before, they're all pretty similar and with some minor changes it wouldn't be a big deal to go backwards and adapt some of the other ones before Cross.
08-20-10, 11:03 PM
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Re: Cross - Idris Elba, David Twohy - 2011
Anyway, Alex Cross is portrayed as a fairly young, big, powerful dude. I think something like 6 ft 4 or 5 and built. Certainly nothing like Morgan Freeman. I don't think Idris Elba is quite that big, but he's a pretty big dude and fits the character much better. I like him too.
08-21-10, 02:32 AM
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Re: Cross - Idris Elba, David Twohy - 2011
Damnit, isn't Twohy supposed to be working on the 3rd Riddick film? He needs to make up for the embarrassment that was "Chronicles" and get back to the formula that worked with "Pitch Black" (one of the underrated sci fi films of the past decade, imo).
08-21-10, 03:44 AM
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08-21-10, 03:55 AM
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Re: Cross - Idris Elba, David Twohy - 2011
Elba is awesome. I will definitely see this. Interesting to see in the OP that this film will be privately financed. Hopefully Paramount picks it up and gives it a fairly decent release and promotion.
08-21-10, 07:17 AM
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Re: Cross - Idris Elba, David Twohy - 2011
I don't know, he is arguably the greatest TV villain ever, but at least for me, he has never come close to living up to Stringer so I'm surprised so many here are going nuts for him. His film career & performances have been completely forgettable.
02-01-11, 08:25 AM
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Re: Cross - Idris Elba, David Twohy - 2011
In the "What the Fuck" news of the day, Idris Elba out......Tyler Perry in????
http://www.darkhorizons.com/news/192...new-alex-cross
http://www.darkhorizons.com/news/192...new-alex-cross
02-01-11, 08:47 AM
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DVD Talk Hero
Re: Cross - Idris Elba, David Twohy - 2011
Elba and Twohy are out, Rob Cohen (d: xXx, Stealth, The Mummy 3) and Tyler Perry are in.
That effectively made it go from "might be good" to "fucking kill it!"
That effectively made it go from "might be good" to "fucking kill it!"
02-01-11, 12:49 PM
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02-01-11, 01:00 PM
#23
DVD Talk God
Re: Cross - Idris Elba, David Twohy - 2011
Will Tyler Perry be playing Alex Cross' wife and mother as well?
How the hell do you go from Elba to Perry? I looked at the original Deadline.com story and it doesn't mention why Elba dropped out.
How the hell do you go from Elba to Perry? I looked at the original Deadline.com story and it doesn't mention why Elba dropped out.
02-01-11, 01:09 PM
#24
Re: Cross - Idris Elba, David Twohy - 2011
In the "What the Fuck" news of the day, Idris Elba out......Tyler Perry in????
http://www.darkhorizons.com/news/192...new-alex-cross
http://www.darkhorizons.com/news/192...new-alex-cross
I don't mind his other crossdressing movies but I can't him in this role.
02-01-11, 08:22 PM
#25
DVD Talk God
Re: Cross - Idris Elba, David Twohy - 2011
This has to be the most unintentionally hilarious comment on the reason why they changed the lead from Idris Elba to Tyler Perry:
From EW.com
Elba’s rep had no comment, but Bill Block, CEO of QED International (District 9), which acquired the rights and the initial script by Kerry Williamson and Patterson late last year (and hired Marc Moss, who worked on the previous Cross films, to refine it for Perry and Cohen), just filled us in: “When we came on, we looked at it freshly, and just built it from the bottom up,” he tells EW. “Sure, Idris is a great actor; Tyler Perry is a phenomenon. Tyler Perry is one of the most significant entertainers in all of media. He is a huge cross-media talent and presence — and he’s a terrific actor whose range is going to be shown here. You’re going to see Tyler Perry like you haven’t seen him. He’s 6’5″, he is a linebacker. He is an awesome physical presence and is just going to tear it apart here. It’s an intense, dramatic role.” Block says the film — “a kickass, crusading action picture” — will be the first of several Alex Cross films. “This is going to be the new Tyler Perry franchise, a worldwide one,” he says. “That’s the other thing: Tyler Perry is going to take this to the worldwide audience. It’s just a very different, much bigger opportunity.” (It’s worth noting that Block was, in fact, phoning us as he arrived at the airport, about to fly to the European Film Market in Berlin to sell global distribution rights.) “We went to him,” Block says. “If you can get Tyler Perry or Will Smith, you try.”
From EW.com
Elba’s rep had no comment, but Bill Block, CEO of QED International (District 9), which acquired the rights and the initial script by Kerry Williamson and Patterson late last year (and hired Marc Moss, who worked on the previous Cross films, to refine it for Perry and Cohen), just filled us in: “When we came on, we looked at it freshly, and just built it from the bottom up,” he tells EW. “Sure, Idris is a great actor; Tyler Perry is a phenomenon. Tyler Perry is one of the most significant entertainers in all of media. He is a huge cross-media talent and presence — and he’s a terrific actor whose range is going to be shown here. You’re going to see Tyler Perry like you haven’t seen him. He’s 6’5″, he is a linebacker. He is an awesome physical presence and is just going to tear it apart here. It’s an intense, dramatic role.” Block says the film — “a kickass, crusading action picture” — will be the first of several Alex Cross films. “This is going to be the new Tyler Perry franchise, a worldwide one,” he says. “That’s the other thing: Tyler Perry is going to take this to the worldwide audience. It’s just a very different, much bigger opportunity.” (It’s worth noting that Block was, in fact, phoning us as he arrived at the airport, about to fly to the European Film Market in Berlin to sell global distribution rights.) “We went to him,” Block says. “If you can get Tyler Perry or Will Smith, you try.”