The Hollywood Universe – 3/2/08

1) Dimension Films has acquired screen rights to Locke & Key, a supernatural graphic novel by Joe Hill put out by IDW Publishing. Hill’s first novel, Heart-Shaped Box, has also been optioned for film by Warner Brothers. Locke & Key tells the story of three children who become the caretakers of a magical New England mansion where doors lead to different realms. The graphic edition of the story was released by IDW in late February and a second volume will be out on March 5th.
 
2) Rachael Taylor, Joshua Jackson and James Kyson Lee are starring in Shutter, the remake of the Thai horror film about ghosts that begin appearing in photographs taken by a young couple. The remake opens on March 21^st.

3) The chief honchos of troubled studio New Line Cinema have been let go in the consolidation of New Line as a unit of Warner Brothers. Co-chairs Michael Lynne and Bob Shayne, who founded New Line 40 years ago, have not seen New Line have a hit since the Peter Jackson-directed Lord of the Rings trilogy, a franchise that’s been damaged by several lawsuits against New Line, including one with Jackson and one with J.R.R. Tolkein’s estate. New Line’s last big movie, the adaptation of Philip Pullman’s The Golden Compass, did not do as well domestically as had been expected. As part of Warner, New Line will be maintaining its own brand identity with separate development, marketing and distribution divisions, but will be losing part of its staff to lay-offs.
 
4) Oscar-nominated actress Ellen Page has had to drop out of Sam Raimi’s up-coming horror movie, Drag Me to Hell, because of scheduling conflicts. The production had to be delayed yet again in the wake of the writers’ strike, which meant Page could no longer participate, and the film may now be facing an actors’ strike in June.

5) Warner Brothers has scheduled the release of the fourth Terminator movie, Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins, for May 22, 2009, the start of the Memorial Day weekend. The new movie stars Christian Bale and is directed by McG, and begins shooting in May of this year. The fourth installment follows a now adult John Connor, who has failed to stop Skynet from launching a nuclear holocaust and releasing its killer machines on a ravaged human populace, as he attempts to rally a group of rebels to stop the robots.

6) Dwayne Johnson will star in 20^th Century Fox’s comedy film The Tooth Fairy, about an ordinary man who tries to save the fairies’ kingdom. The movie is directed by Michael Lembeck. Johnson is also appearing in this summer’s film Get Smart for Warner Brothers with Steve Carell, and Disney’s remake Race to Witch Mountain, due out in March 2009.