Movies Being Made: Disney’s It’s A Small World, Barbie, & Peeps (Yes, The Easter Candy)
Oh Hollywood
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. I have to laugh, you see, or I’ll cry.
Today started off with us reading about the It’s a Small World film, but then the hits, they kept on comin’. But let’s start with that, shall we?
Disney has hired Jon Turtletaub to direct a feature film based on their famous theme park ride, which Deadline points out, is celebrating it’s 50th anniversary today. They write, “Jared Stern pitched Small World and will write the script. He, Turteltaub and The Lego Movie‘s Dan Lin will be the producers. This one will take awhile to come together but it is envisioned as a potential franchise for the studio.”
And that’s all we know about that. On the one hand, great potential for a diverse cast, on the other It’s a Small World: The Movie? Obligatory “eat the tourists” line here.
Next up, Mattel is teaming with Sony Pictures for a live-action comedy based on the Barbie doll. Deadline says Jenny Bicks, writer of Sex and the City, The Big C, and Rio 2, will be putting together the script. Deadline writes:
The plan for Barbie is also clever. Some of the doll’s appeal has been cool clothes and of course Ken, but beyond accessorizing, the toy has always been about female empowerment. Barbie has been part of merchandise packages that span over 150 careers, and Bicks and [Walter] Parkes and [Laurie] MacDonald won the rights from Mattel when they plugged into that with their pitch for a contemporary tale. It allows the character Barbie to use her personal and professional skills to step into the lives of others and improve them, almost like a modern-day Mary Poppins. That storyline allows for the discovery of a young actress to play the title character, and young cast to play Ken and Barbie’s best friend, putting stars around them that can change in subsequent movies. Much the way that Marvel has managed its costs with deals that call for options on future films as they create stars with their superhero movies, this seems a way to keep costs manageable for another live-action series meant to span multiple films.
Again, there’s potential and potential to go very wrong.
Finally, and most unbelievably, the announcement of a Peeps film comes a tad bit late to cash in on Easter news. Then again, Peeps ARE on sale right now. I digress.
“The classic Peeps marshmallow candies could be making the leap from Easter baskets to the big screen via filmmaker Adam Rifkin (Detroit Rock City, Underdog), who has optioned film and TV rights to the sugary confections along with his producing partners Brent Tinter and Brian E. Rochlin,” writes Deadline. “[Company Just Born] sprung for a full-length animation feature pitch from Rifkin & Co. to adapt Peeps into a Lego Movie-esque family epic set the night before a Peeps diorama contest, when a wayward Peep gets misplaced and must adventure through the fantasy lands of different-themed dioramas before the contest’s judging begins.”
I just wrote about a Peeps movie. I’m gonna go lay down now…
(via Geekosystem, /Film, /Film)
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