Now that the writers' strike has come to an end, Universal is once again ramping up its feature film production slate. The big news, coming from
Variety, is that Universal is moving ahead with a fourth installment of the
The Bourne Identity franchise. Though both Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass claimed they were calling it quits after the third installment
The Bourne Ultimatum, they have both jumped back on the bandwagon for another film.
The studio is also gearing up the long rumored
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan follow-up
Bruno, which would see Sasha Baron Cohen's fey hairdresser to the bigscreen. They are also trying to keep Guillermo Del Toro from heading off to New Zealand with New Line for four years, where he will likely be directing the two
The Hobbit prequels. Their hope is that the director will stay with Universal and makes the H.P. Lovecraft adaptation
At the Mountains of Madness instead.
Counting Universal's international production, it's domestic slate, and the films coming from its genre label Rogue and its specialty label Focus, the studio could have thirty-five films ready by 2010.
36 Comments
As for Universal trying to keep Guillermo del Toro away from the Hobbit. Ha! What a joke.
If anyone other than Peter Jackson is to direct the Hobbit it should be del Toro and everyone knows this, including both Jackson and del Toro. If its offered to him he will take it, no question. I'm pretty excited for At the Mountains of Madness (at least from what I have read about it so far) but its no comparison to The Hobbit.
I just have to post a "lol" about that. If they offer him the hobbit, he'll take it. It's worth ALOT more money.