Spielberg & Cruise Team Up Again for "War of the Worlds"
03-17-04 | 03:56 PM
#1
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Spielberg & Cruise Team Up Again for "War of the Worlds"
From DARK HORIZONS.COM & VARIETY:
Variety reports that Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise will bring "The War of the Worlds" to the big screen, with Cruise expected to star. Depending upon how long it takes to find a script that both could agree on, production could begin late 2005 on the sci-fi epic based on the classic H.G. Wells alien-invasion novel.
David Koepp ("Jurassic Park", "Mission Impossible") will rewrite a Josh Friedman-penned first-draft script - the property was setup at Cruise-Wagner Productions and Paramount in May 2002, but with Spielberg involved expect Dreamworks to come aboard as a partner.
The famous tale of strange alien creatures in giant spaceships from Mars which attack Earth was first written in 1898 and previously made into a film in 1953, though its most famous adaptation was Orson Welles' radio play version in 1938 which caused public mass hysteria in the US when it aired and many listeners mistook it for a real broadcast about an actual invasion from another world.
Spielberg, Cruise, Paula Wagner, Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald are all expected to be involved in a producing capacity. With the fourth "Indiana" movie on hold, expect this to take precedence next year. Between now and then Spielberg is tipped to be helming the 19th-century drama "The Rivals" and Cruise gets to work on "Mission Impossible III".
David Koepp ("Jurassic Park", "Mission Impossible") will rewrite a Josh Friedman-penned first-draft script - the property was setup at Cruise-Wagner Productions and Paramount in May 2002, but with Spielberg involved expect Dreamworks to come aboard as a partner.
The famous tale of strange alien creatures in giant spaceships from Mars which attack Earth was first written in 1898 and previously made into a film in 1953, though its most famous adaptation was Orson Welles' radio play version in 1938 which caused public mass hysteria in the US when it aired and many listeners mistook it for a real broadcast about an actual invasion from another world.
Spielberg, Cruise, Paula Wagner, Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald are all expected to be involved in a producing capacity. With the fourth "Indiana" movie on hold, expect this to take precedence next year. Between now and then Spielberg is tipped to be helming the 19th-century drama "The Rivals" and Cruise gets to work on "Mission Impossible III".
And this could have been so great...
03-17-04 | 05:53 PM
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I'm very enthusiastic about a Spielberg War of the Worlds, because there's never been a proper movie version.
Spielberg has the clout to do it right, without the gooey sentiment of the 50s version or the underdog-humans-kick-alien-butt cliches of the eight million bad imitations of it. The original novel is pretty bleak end-of-the-world stuff.
However, I bet a bunch of the moviegoing audience is gonna say, "Heeyyyyy, this movie is a total ripoff of Independence Day!"
Spielberg has the clout to do it right, without the gooey sentiment of the 50s version or the underdog-humans-kick-alien-butt cliches of the eight million bad imitations of it. The original novel is pretty bleak end-of-the-world stuff.
However, I bet a bunch of the moviegoing audience is gonna say, "Heeyyyyy, this movie is a total ripoff of Independence Day!"
03-17-04 | 08:20 PM
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Hopefully he'll use someone other than John Williams to score it. John's shit has been annoying me for over 20 years 
03-17-04 | 08:27 PM
#12
Banned by request
Originally posted by Giantrobo
Hopefully he'll use someone other than John Williams to score it. John's shit has been annoying me for over 20 years
Hopefully he'll use someone other than John Williams to score it. John's shit has been annoying me for over 20 years
03-17-04 | 08:32 PM
#13
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Originally posted by Inverse
The original novel is pretty bleak end-of-the-world stuff.
The original novel is pretty bleak end-of-the-world stuff.
03-17-04 | 09:22 PM
#15
DVD Talk Legend
I'm mixed on this statement. While I would typically be enthused about Spielberg helming a sci-fi classic, I just know he would want to portray the aliens in a sympathetic light and give the movie a happy, upbeat ending.
My only hope is that they at least retain the book's original setting and have it take place in the 1890s with the tripod walkers. Personally, I think that it's about time for Spielberg and co. to abandon Indy 4 as there would be no real way for it to meet our expectations and TLC is such a great wrap-up IMO.
My only hope is that they at least retain the book's original setting and have it take place in the 1890s with the tripod walkers. Personally, I think that it's about time for Spielberg and co. to abandon Indy 4 as there would be no real way for it to meet our expectations and TLC is such a great wrap-up IMO.
03-17-04 | 10:45 PM
#17
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I'm up for this 
03-18-04 | 03:09 AM
#18
Maybe instead of dying from Earth's diseases, maybe in this version they'll simply get scared away by all the walkie talkies being waved around.
03-18-04 | 03:14 AM
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I think the scariest part of that press release is the part about there being a 'Mission Impossible III'.
But I'm with Dr. DVD. I'm hoping it's a period piece set in the 1800's. If they try to do it modern day, I'm not really interested.
But I'm with Dr. DVD. I'm hoping it's a period piece set in the 1800's. If they try to do it modern day, I'm not really interested.
03-18-04 | 01:14 PM
#24
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Originally posted by Panda Phil
But I'm with Dr. DVD. I'm hoping it's a period piece set in the 1800's. If they try to do it modern day, I'm not really interested.
But I'm with Dr. DVD. I'm hoping it's a period piece set in the 1800's. If they try to do it modern day, I'm not really interested.
I'd rather not have the this movie be a clone of a movie that was inspired by the book.
1890's setting or no movie.
03-18-04 | 01:29 PM
#25
Banned
Originally posted by UAIOE
Well if they did do it modern day it literally would be an "Independence Day" rip-off (as odd as that seems).
I'd rather not have the this movie be a clone of a movie that was inspired by the book.
1890's setting or no movie.
Well if they did do it modern day it literally would be an "Independence Day" rip-off (as odd as that seems).
I'd rather not have the this movie be a clone of a movie that was inspired by the book.
1890's setting or no movie.
One rendition that was not mentioned was the musical that was done in the mid 70's, by Jeff Waynes I think?
It's bloody brilliant!