I really thought that 'The Question: Dark Tomorrow' was going to make more than $100 million at the box office. Oh well, it did a little better in theaters than the first and it's still a profitable series. Maybe the third will do slightly better. As long as there is forward momentum in the box office results I'll be happy. I as kind of hoping that it would pull a 'Dark Knight' and make a shit load. 'The Dark Knight' grossed about three times as much as 'Batman Begins' did, so I was hoping for something like that. But it didn't happen.

I also must agree with the critics about one thing. 'Dark Tomorrow' definitely lacked the great villain that the first had with Ray Winstone's Reverend Hatch. I just couldn't come up with an villain that would be as interesting as Hatch so I went a different route and made the city (Hub City) the real villain. This will continue into the third movie which will deal with the aftermath of the second. The city is in shambles both figuratively and literally. I want to explore what Myra does now that she's become Mayor of the cesspool that is Hub City. In the third we'll see the gangs take over the city following the tornado. Can The Question save Hub City, or will he choose to save himself? That's what will be explored in the third movie.

Will there be a fourth Question movie? I'm not sure yet. I don't have a clear idea for one at this point. A lot depends on the box office results of the third. If it manages to do as well or better than 'Dark Tomorrow,' then probably. If not, I don't know. I have designed the third movie so that it could serve as the end of the series just in case. But before I can really even think about a fourth Question movie I really have got to turn my focus onto other series and finally finish writing sequels to 'Tarzan' and 'Green Arrow: Year One'. That's my priority right now.

It's been awhile. The past couple months I've become a busy person, but I have decided to take a moment to give a quick update on things:

- I haven't written anything new for a while now. I have one original story that I haven't submitted yet, and then I have an entire series of 'Splinter Cell' movies written up (making a total of five).

- Two projects I really need to get working on are a sequel to 'Green Arrow: Year One' and a sequel to 'Tarzan' since both did pretty well at the box office. Thankfully the holidays are coming up which should loosen up my schedule a little bit and give me little time to write up those two important projects along with finishing up the third film in 'The Question' series (which has a middle and ending, but no beginning right now).

- 'Survivor' is about to come out, which I find incredibly exciting as I am a huge fan of Chuck Palahniuk's novel. The project has had something of a troubled history within Hollywood with Francis Lawrence set to direct at one point, but ultimately the events of 9/11 scared away studios from the content (which includes a plane hijacking) and continue to do so to this day. However, in CMP the project has been smooth-sailing, and should easily bring Ryan Gosling another Best Actor nomination for his duel role as Tender and Adam Branson. I am also happy that Mark Pellington is making his CMP debut with the project. He made what I feel is one of the great under-appreciated thrillers in 'Arlington Road' and I think that he's perfect for the material.

- I have another horror remake coming out. But don't worry, 'Suspiria' is much more in the vain of 'Midnight' than 'Prince of Darkness.' Blake Lively is making her CMP debut with the project (which as usual for one of my movies will also see the debut of a few more actors). She brings an audience and she was great in Ben Affleck's 'The Town', but ultimately what put her over the edge and got her the role is that she was almost cast in 'Black Swan' in the role filled by Mila Kunis. To play it safe I originally planned on teaming her up with a young actress who is quite a big name within CMP, but she ended up turning the project down so another young British actress will make her debut instead.

- As for the blog. Don't expect weekly or twice a week updates like I had been doing. I will try to post something at least every other week though, but don't hold your breath.

David Slade has decided to jump ship and team up with Tom Cruise instead of directing a sequel to 'The Question.' I'm certainly not happy with the situation. I think that this movie could be something special and Slade's abandonment of the project complicates things. I'm pretty pissed at Cruise for poaching my director, making him an offer he can't refuse. Damn. To replace Slade, I have narrowed it down to a short list of directors: John Dahl (Joy Ride, The Last Seduction, You Kill Me, The Great Raid, and my film 'Short on Time'), Mikael Hafstrom (Derailed, The Rite, 1408), Duncan Jones (Moon, Source Code), and Dennis Iliades (The Last House on the Left). One of those guys has officially been offered the job.

I recently re-read 'Skin Tight' which has made me even more excited for the release. I'm also a little disappointed though with my script. A lot of great characters had to be removed. If I had to do it over again I would definitely make some changes to the adaptation, make it longer and more complex.

'Oedipus Rex' is another week closer to release. I'm happy that Robert De Niro has accepted the role in this film. If he wasn't friends with Scorsese I don't think he would have taken the role. Also, Mel Gibson will have a small role in the film. I decided to ignore Gibson's personal problems and just try and cast the best actor I could think of for the role. No matter what allegations have been made against Gibson over the past few years, he is still a top talent as evidenced in his most recent film 'The Beaver'. I believe there is only one small role left to be cast, so the film will probably be released in two weeks.

One of my first scripts has finally been greenlit, 'Jonestown'. I think that Josh Brolin is absolutely going to knock it out of the park with this role. In fact, I'm going to call it right now - before the movie is even done shooting - Josh Brolin will be nominated for a Best Actor GMA. I couldn't be happier with him accepting the role and what he is doing with it, but believe it or not someone else was almost cast in the role. I thankfully came to my senses when watching 'Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps'. Giving me the idea of casting Brolin as Jones is probably the best thing to come from that movie. Brolin is of course joined by the great David Strathairn, who is playing U.S. Congressman Leo Ryan. Strathairn's role is pretty much the co-lead, but it is a far less showy role. It's probably the least showy role in the movie.

With the summer break from CMP I have taken something of a break from posting anything here. But with the break soon to end in a week or so I decided to go ahead and give an update on some projects that have been filling my time...

- First up is a biographical film based on the life of a somewhat controversial filmmaker. I plan to produce and direct this project myself. I don't want to say exactly who the movie is out until I finish writing it, but I am willing to say that whoever they are, they will be portrayed as something of a tragic figure.

- I'm developing a few more Green Arrow films. The villains and basic plot are already set for the second and third films, with just a villain set for a fourth film. It seems to me that the main thing that didn't really work in 'Green Arrow: Year One' were the villains, so I have carefully selected who Garrett Hedlund will square off against in the rest of the series.

- A slightly-fictionalized account of the life of Lee Harvey Oswald. I'm going to produce this movie but won't direct as I feel it will require a special talent in order for the audience to care for the character. I plan on offering the director's chair to an A-List director who may or may not have a movie coming out soon in CMP.

- I'm just about done writing the finale of my 'Y: The Last Man' trilogy. The first two scripts have been done for some time now, but I've had trouble with the third. I'll probably submit it to Harry Stark any day now.

- I've already written a sequel to 'The Question' and have been developing a third film that would potentially put an end to the franchise, but then again it could lead to an entirely new trilogy. 'Green Arrow' might have made a shit-ton of money, but 'The Question' is my baby. My goal for the second 'Question' movie isn't so much for it to be a box office hit, instead I want it to not only be nominated for Best Picture - but win. Same goes for Ryan Gosling as Best Actor.

- I have also recently begun co-writing a story with Yuri Redding called 'Hometown Hero'. The plot is still being fleshed out but the main character returns to his hometown after several years away.

- And last but not least, a sequel to my upcoming film 'Tarzan'. With the origin out of the way you can expect to see a lot more action in the sequel, with Tarzan squaring off against a tribe of cannibals. Right now I'm calling it 'Tarzan: Lord of the Jungle', but that is still subject to change.

A box office hit (my first) sure is a nice way to lead into the summer hiatus. It's especially nice since I'm pretty convinced that 'Oedipus Rex' is not going to work at the box office - at all. I'm just not sure there's a real large audience for a classic Greek myth with no big action scenes and a main character in a situation that is definitely difficult to relate to.

The numbers for 'Green Arrow: Year One' are so good that I am going to go ahead and make AT LEAST another two Green Arrow movies, maybe more. Green Arrow may not have Batman or Superman's rogues gallery, but I think that the Green Arrow film series can be one in which the hero is the most interesting character instead of the villain. That's definitely the case with 'The Question'. I've already written the second 'Question' film (which finally has a title), which has a decent/realistic villain (a corrupt politician). I have since started working on a third 'Question' film, but I have run into the problem of not having a real villain propelling the plot along. So instead of a main villain, I'm thinking of having Vic Sage square off against one real villain and then the rest of the time he'll just be fighting thugs and gangs.

This week sees the release of 'Green Arrow: Year One', which is exciting. I have a really good idea for a sequel just in case this one does well. Hell, as long as it doesn't lose money I'll write it up. Garrett Hedlund has already moved on to filming 'Oedipus Rex' which should give him a shot at some critical notice. Speaking of 'Oedipus Rex,' Anjelica Huston, Timothy Olyphant, and the great Ian McShane have joined the cast. All great actors. If Bob Felton's article is any indication, expect to Anjelica Huston in an upcoming movie featuring a young first-time leading lady.

Felton mentioned that I have planned a trilogy based on 'Y: The Last Man'. It's one of my all-time favorite comic book series. The first two films are all written, but that third one has given me a lot of trouble. The problem is that the last twenty or so issues of the series is mostly just wrapping up the storylines, and I really don't want to have like 20 endings like 'The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King.'

I'm excited for 'Skin Tight' to be entering production as it is one of my favorite books and it will be one of my only attempts at a comedic film. I'm one of the few big fans of the film 'The Ice Harvest' which was also directed by Harold Ramis and also starred John Cusack and Billy Bob Thornton. I really liked the chemistry between Cusack and Thornton so I cast them in this. Expect to see one more actor from 'The Ice Harvest' make an appearance. I created a really lazy teaser poster for the film awhile back.

This has turned out to be a big week...

For some reason I am really worried about how Oedipus Rex will turn out. I shouldn't really be worried though. It's a classic story being handled by one of the greatest directors of all-time, so really I just hope I didn't screw the story up somehow. These next few weeks will definitely test Garrett Hedlund as an actor. First he has to push himself to physical limits in Green Arrow, and then he'll have to hold his own against actors like Al Pacino and Michelle Pfeiffer (with more luminaries to come, including a cameo from a great but troubled actor). I brought the project to Scorsese after watching 'The Last Temptation of Christ' for the umpteenth time, and I just really wanted to see what he could do with Ancient Greece (which also happens to be my favorite historical period).

Oedipus turned out to be an incredibly difficult role to cast. I looked at a slew of rising stars, and it finally came down to two actors: Garrett Hedlund and Taylor Kitsch. Ultimately I chose Hedlund, but the next movie I wrote was 'Tarzan' and gave that role to Kitsch.

Naomie Harris has rounded out the cast of 'Green Arrow: Year One,' playing Taiana, a pregnant woman enslaved by China White (Sanaa Lathan) who nurses Oliver Queen (Garrett Hedlund) back to health after a fight with Hackett (Paddy Considine). I have pretty high hopes for this movie, especially after the mediocre box office returns of 'The Question.' I don't think this movie will get nearly the same kind of critical love that 'The Question' saw, because really, it's just not quite as good.

And finally, this week sees the release of 'The Goonies II'. I was never a fan of the original, but I do hope that the fans of the original enjoy this one. I really hope it makes a lot of money so that I finally have a box office hit to my name. When I was originally asked to co-write, my initial idea was to have Brolin and Astin's characters be treasure hunters, and their kids have to end up rescuing it. Joey Stark then fleshed it out to the story it is now, and then I punched it up and gave the grown up Goonies a little more to do. Maybe the rumored third Goonies movie could use a bit of my original idea, I don't know. I am however pretty sure that if 'The Goonies II' becomes a hit, there will be a sequel, and that ideas have already been bandied about, but I can tell you right now that I have no interest in writing the script. One thing I would definitely want out of a third movie is less Corey Feldman, Sean Astin, and Martha Plimpton. I guess that's three things. Oh well.

A couple more casting announcements for 'Green Arrow: Year One.' Paddy Considine has been cast as Oliver Queen's right-hand man turned enemy Hackett and Sanaa Lathan has been cast as drug lord China White. The character of China White, I believe was written as Asian, but I felt might be a little more compelling and add an extra layer to the character if she looked more like the locals of the area. I don't delve into her backstory in the movie, but I like to think that she was born on the island and eventually took it over and enslaved her own people.

There is just one role left to be announced, Taiana, the native who saves Oliver Queen's life.

Also, if you want to have some input on the potential sequel, I am asking everyone which villains they would like to see in a potential sequel. Here's the link to vote: http://cmpictures.forumotion.com/t66-who-would-you-like-to-see-as-the-villain-in-a-potential-green-arrow-sequel .

Bob Felton sure doesn't seem to like 'The Question' (which recently became the first superhero movie to be nominated for Best Picture at the Golden Moon Awards). This is the second week in a row that he went out of his way to put the movie down. I feel like pulling an Uwe Boll and challenging him to a fight.

Turns out I was wrong about 'Tarzan' being my next movie. That position is instead held by 'Green Arrow: Year One.' Which, of course, is an adaptation of the amazing limited series depicting Oliver Queen stranded on a desert island where he learns how to be a hero. Christopher Nolan is taking the time out of his ever busy schedule to guide the project along as producer while Wayne Kramer (The Cooler, Running Scared, Crossing Over) directs. Garrett Hedlund will play the lead role of Oliver Queen. It was also mentioned that he'll be appearing in some other movies this season, one of which may be for me again. I obviously can't give away which one, as things are not yet set in stone, I will however tell you that it is a project that has been mentioned by both me and Bob Felton before (perhaps back in May).

If things go well with 'Green Arrow' I would be open to making a sequel. Of course, the hope with every superhero property is that it'll become a franchise. But unlike with 'The Question' where I already had a sequel written by the time it was released, I have even thought about ideas for a second Green Arrow movie.

One more thing. I've got to say, I didn't really appreciate Bob Felton subtly criticizing 'The Question.' It's become something of a groundbreaking movie, being the first superhero movie to be nominated for Best Picture. It might open up doors for more genre films to be considered for the prize. But I sure am glad he's happy it didn't win. Dick.

Other actors considered for the role of Oliver Queen: Armie Hammer, Taylor Kitsch, Charlie Hunnam, Alexander Skarsgard, Bradley Cooper, and Ryan Gosling. Robert Schwentke and Peter Berg were considered to direct.

Well, the 17th Golden Moon Awards were tonight. My movies manged to sneak away with a couple of awards: 'The Question' won Most Wanted Sequel and John Turturro won Best Actor for his performance in 'A View From the Bridge.' Not a bad night. Only James Bradley's 'Eye of the Needle' and Steve Connors' 'Heavy Rain' managed to take home more than one award. I was really hoping 'The Question' would spoil Bradley's night and take home Best Picture, and I was pretty sure that Ray Winstone could pull the upset over Ralph Fiennes in the Best Villain category, but alas, it was not meant to be.

I've only got one movie in production right now: The Goonies II. But as I've stated before, I was more of a gun for hire on that project. I think the next project of mine to make its way into production will be 'Tarzan', but that's really just a guess on my part.

Well, the GMA nominations have just been announced. Sadly, I didn't receive a "Best Screenplay" nomination for any of my movies. My movies did receive some nominations though, with 'The Question' getting four nominations on its own. Seven nominations in my first season. Not bad. It's nice to see 'Midnight' get a couple of nominations despite being the biggest box office bomb of the season. I'm really hoping that 'The Question' at least picks up the 'Most Wanted Sequel' award since it is already written and I can guarantee everyone that it won't disappoint. I think that Ray Winstone has created one of the more memorable comic book villains in recent years in 'The Question', but he is up against some steep competition from Colin Farrell in 'Midnight' and Ralph Fiennes in 'Eye of the Needle.' 'The Question' also becomes the first "superhero movie" to ever be nominated for Best Picture.


My films that are nominated:
Midnight - Best Production Design, Best Villain (Colin Farrell)
A View From the Bridge - Best Actor (John Turturro)
The Question - Best Picture, Best Actor (Ryan Gosling), Best Villain (Ray Winstone), Most Wanted Sequel

No real news. The new Goonies have been announced, but I was only responsible for casting one of the youngsters: Callan McAuliffe. Everyone else was handpicked by Joey Stark.

The GMAs are right around the corner. I just submitted my nominations. I would hope that some of my movies are not forgotten during this phase. Just as a refresher as to some of my work, here are the awards I'm "campaigning" for:

For Your Consideration...

Best Picture
"A View From the Bridge"
"The Question"

Best Director
David Slade - "The Question"

Best Actor
John Turturro - "A View From the Bridge"
Ryan Gosling - "The Question"
Johnny Depp - "Short on Time"

Best Supporting Actor
Ray Winstone - "The Question"
Bobby Cannavale - "A View From the Bridge"
John Malkovich - "The Question"

Best Supporting Actress
Marisa Tomei - "A View From the Bridge"
Christina Hendricks - "The Question"

Best Villain
Ray Winstone - "The Question"

Best Screenplay
"The Question"

Best Original Concept
"Short on Time"

Best Adaptation
"A View From the Bridge"
"The Question"

Well, 'The Question' didn't exactly set the box office on fire, I guess people were too busy seeing 'Hunger Games.' But even with the competition it managed to make a profit of $21 million, and thankfully, it also scored some very good reviews. The combination of the good reviews and the minor profit should be enough to convince the studio to give a greenlight to the already-written, still-untitled sequel. If the reviews weren't so overwhelmingly positive I'd be more worried about the sequel's chances. 'The Dark Knight' ended up grossing three times what 'Batman Begins' did, which gives me some hope. 'The Question' is my last movie to be released this season, and I think that it totally warrants some GMA consideration (at the very least for Ray Winstone in the Best Villain and Most Wanted Sequel categories).

'The Question' is here, and I couldn't be more excited. 'The Question' has long been one of my favorite comic characters. I am really hoping it does well, as I have a already written a sequel. I believe that the sequel (which does not yet have a title) is probably the best thing I've written. It escalates everything to a breaking point, much like 'The Dark Knight.'

'The Goonies 2' is coming out soon. I'm not really as invested as the other people involved as I have never been a fan of 'The Goonies.' As a standalone film, I think that '2' should turn out to be a fine film for the family to see together as there's enough action to appeal to both kids, and adults who enjoyed the original will get a kick out of it.

For once Bob Felton didn't publish inaccurate information regarding a movie of mine (aside from a misspelling of Taylor Kitsch's last name).

My 'Tarzan' leading man has been announced. Taylor Kitsch will play Tarzan in my upcoming movie. I've been a fan of him since the first season of 'Friday Night Lights,' and now he's on the verge of super-stardom what with two huge films coming out next summer (Battleship, John Carter of Mars), with him playing the main character in both. Anyways, I felt he was the perfect actor to bring my Tarzan to life. Below is a teaser poster I constructed a while back. I'm not sure when exactly the movie will go into active production.

Bob Felton obviously isn't familiar with the Justice Society, nor has he read my script. The characters are not the same as the ones used by Taylor and Edwards. All of my heroes in the story are from the Golden Age, set decades earlier. The only hero in common is 'The Flash,' but their Flash is Wally West, while my Flash is Jay Garrick. I do not use the very same characters as Felton claims. The Justice League series featured Clark Kent/Superman, Bruce Wayne/Batman, Wally West/The Flash, Wonder Woman, Hal Jordan/Green Lantern, and Arthur Curry/Aquaman. My lineup for the Justice Society consists of Jay Garrick/Flash, Alan Scott/Sentinel, Carter Hall/Hawkman, Kent Nelson/Doctor Fate, Al Pratt/The Atom, and Ted Grant/Wildcat. So as you can see, no heroes in common.

The studio made a gutsy move, trying to turn 'Midnight' into a blockbuster. It's a move that completely backfired, resulting in a loss of $16 million. Audiences just don't seem to want to go out to the theaters to see one of my movies. My four releases have now combined for a net loss of $18.7 million. On the other hand, the reviews were all very good, but I still find myself looking for my first box office success, a task that now falls into the hands of my next film, 'The Question.'

As my first order of business I must make a correction to the latest post on CMP. I am tackling the Justice Society of America, not the Justice League of America (which is the same as the regular Justice League). I'm talking about the Golden Age Justice Society: Jay Garrick, Alan Scott, Carter Hall, etc. Just felt that I had to clear that up.

Now to more present news...

For the first time, the studio is really pushing one of my movies. It's really an odd choice too. 'Midnight' is getting a nice studio push as the top release this week, even ahead of a Ben Stiller comedy. It's encouraging, but the studio doesn't have a great track record with horror movies, and my only experience in the genre has been a complete failure. I'm really hoping that Colin Farrell can really bring the film to another level and push it over the top quality-wise and financially.

Next up is 'The Question' with Lucy Liu and John Malkovich joining the cast in supporting roles, as Lady Shiva and Mayor Wesley Fermin respectably. They join Ryan Gosling, Christina Hendricks, and Ray Winstone. As I've stated before, 'The Question' is my first real shot at a box office hit. I've got a young star, a talent-packed supporting cast, a producer with a pedigree, and a director on the rise. In my mind, it's got all the makings of a hit.

A View From the Bridge's Release, Next up: Midnight

Another movie, another box office failure. At least this time around, I got some good reviews. That's not saying much though. I played it safe with a classic. I guess I have to take solace in the fact that 'A View From the Bridge' was received positively by the critics and didn't LOSE any money. One of these days, a movie of mine has to make some money, right? Right now it's looking like the first real chance I'll have is when 'The Question' comes out in a few weeks. Until then I have 'Midnight,' a horror film, and based on 'Prince of Darkness,' I'm not holding up any hope for it. Far as I'm concerned it has already failed, so anything good that comes from it will be a win. But you never know, the combination of Colin Farrell and Bill Murray might interest just enough people to make it a success. I can tell you right now, that no matter how successful 'Midnight' is, I will not make it into a franchise like the original became.

A View From the Bridge in Theaters, Midnight, Question

Another week and another release. This time it is my adaptation of Arthur Miller's 'A View From the Bridge,' which is very much a prestige project. It probably won't do gangbusters at the box office, but I can see the critics enjoying this one. All I really want is a net gain over $1 million. That's all. Out of all my releases so far, 'Bridge' had by far the breeziest production. No casting changes, or drastic rewrites. It's been smooth sailing.

The pieces continue to come together for 'Midnight' which should see a release real soon what with the cast all announced now. Filling out the cast are Anjelica Huston, Gabriel Macht, and Bill Murray in a rare serious role. Huston will be playing a fortune teller, Macht will be playing Colin Farrell's friend, and Murray will be playing a small-town doctor. This was a hard movie to cast, and if 'Prince of Darkness' is any inclination, this project may not turn out too well, critically and financially. But I would love to be wrong about that.

Also in casting news, Christina Hendricks and Ray Winstone have joined 'The Question.' Ryan Gosling will playing the titular hero under the direction of David Slade. Zack Snyder is producing. I'm very glad to be giving Hendricks her first role in CMP, as she is a remarkable talent and beauty. 'The Question' should be my best shot at a box office hit, at least until 'Green Arrow' and other action projects make it production.

Speaking of Green Arrow, it's has come out in the news that Christopher Nolan, fresh off the release of the third 'Justice League' movie will serve as producer on my upcoming Green Arrow movie.

Short on Time is Released

Well, this weekend was as improvement on the release of 'Prince of Darkness.' 'Short on Time' has managed mixed reviews, an improvement on the critical beating 'Prince of Darkness' took. 'Short on Time' also avoided losing the studio any money, it just didn't make any. Looks like Johnny Depp's presence didn't make much of a difference at the box office. Hell, with Timothy Olyphant the movie might've made money if only because he'd command a much lower salary. Oh, well. A profit of $900,000 is better than nothing. Hopefully my next release, 'A View From the Bridge,' manages better reviews and better box office.

Short on Time's Release, The Question, Midnight, 'Bridge'

'Short on Time' is finally ready for release. Hopefully, this project makes a little money. Otherwise, what's the point in the studio insisting upon Johnny Depp? It's a breezy race against time movie that plays mostly in real time, which is something Depp has done before in the underwhelming 'Nick of Time.' Hopefully the addition of poison helps out matters. The production was a messy one, but if it goes out and makes a little money, it'll all be worth it.

The cast for 'A View From the Bridge' is all lined up with Steve Buscemi and Bobby Cannavale joining the film. Buscemi is playing a small role, John Turturro's lawyer who he goes to for guidance. Cannavale's role was by far the hardest to cast in the movie. I needed someone who could play an Italian immigrant who was big, but also a good actor who could handle the ample drama the project requires. I thankfully remembered Cannavale from a great little movie called 'The Station Agent.' This one might see its release as early as next week now that all of the pieces have been announced. I'm hoping that it acts as something of a comeback for Francis Ford Coppola, even though he's only producing. He's been away from the studios for far too long.

'Midnight' has added a bevy of beauties for Colin Farrell to terrorize: Ginnifer Goodwin, Imogen Poots, and Deborah Ann Woll. I'm not convinced the movie is going to work very well to be honest. The failures of 'Prince of Darkness' have really made me cautious towards more horror remakes. Hopefully this one changes that.

Apparently the studio had already given a contract to Jeremy Piven to play DC Comics' The Question in my upcoming movie. He just wasn't the right guy for the role, so I made it clear that Ryan Gosling should get the part, as I needed someone who I felt could still have a commanding presence, even behind a featureless mask, I just wasn't convinced that Piven could do that. It seems that Piven wasn't all that happy with the situation and raised enough of a fuss that he'll get paid anyways, at least he doesn't command much of a salary. The Question joins Green Arrow on my slate of upcoming superhero projects, with The Question getting the first chance at release. I chose David Slade to direct. I've always liked his style (I didn't see the Twilight movie he directed, nor will I) and felt he could do something interesting with the character. Zack Snyder has dropped out of directing 'The Hunger Games' in order to produce the film, which is totally fine by me since Slade hasn't really directed anything this big before.

Too Many Projects to Name in the Headline

A lot of news to cover this week. First, the cast of 'Short on Time' is finally completed with the addition of Idris Elba and Emily Deschanel. Now all that's left to wait for the release, which should be coming up soon.

Second, Eva Amurri will play the niece of John Turturro and Marisa Tomei who falls in love with an Italian immigrant played by Sebastian Stan. There are just two more roles left to announced.

Third, a new project is entering production: a remake of the 1963 Brazilian horror film ‘À Meia-Noite Levarei Sua Alma’ (At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul), which has been shortened to the more acessible title of 'Midnight.' The flick will star the always great Colin Farrell. It will closely follow the original story, but will be completely Americanized, set in Louisiana during the 1930s with an added voodoo element. The original movie was turned into a trilogy of films, but I have no intention of making a sequel even if the movie is a success. I also believe it'll be the last horror movie you'll see from me for a while.

Martin Scorsese will be directing a big-budget adaptation I wrote of the Greek tragedy 'Oedipus Rex.' It's a risky, highly ambitious project, but if it works, it should turn out well.

And finally, more news on 'The Goonies 2,' which Matt Kubrick will officially direct. It looks like it will come out next season.

Short on Time, A View From the Bridge

The hiatus is finally over, and right off the bat I'm in the production news twice. More actors have joined the cast of 'Short on Time' and a new project has been announced: an adaptation of Arthur Miller's 'A View From the Bridge.'

Melissa George, Barry Pepper, Kyle Chandler, Kathryn Morris, Joe Anderson and Jessica Chastain have all officially joined Johnny Depp in John Dahl's 'Short on Time.' Melissa George, of course, is taking the role meant for January Jones. Believe it or not, that's not the entire cast. Two key roles have yet to be finalized/announced. It's a big cast. The large cast has really given me the chance to cast some under-appreciated actors I've always liked, especially Kyle Chandler, who now that he's no longer working on 'Friday Night Lights' is free to pursue more movies. If things go as planned this will not be the last time you'll Kyle Chandler in one of my movies.

John Turturro and Marisa Tomei are set to headline 'A View From the Bridge.' The always dependable Stephen Frears is set to direct with Francis Ford Coppola producing. I was thinking about who I'd like to have produce and direct the movie, and Francis Ford Coppola's name kept coming up, obviously because of 'The Godfather.' But seeing as he's already made the quintessential "Italian-movie" I decided that it would be best if he just produces and leave the actual directing to someone else. Let's face it, this movie is award bait. It's got critically acclaimed leads, director, and producer, and it's based on a classic play. I'm not expecting it to set the box-office on fire, but it should fare well critically, I hope.

Short on Time, John Dahl

Not a whole hell of a lot to report this week. I'm still reeling from the complete failure that was 'The Prince of Darkness.' A new project has been announced: Short on Time, directed by John Dahl (Kill Me Again, Red Rock West, The Last Seduction, Rounders, Joy Ride, The Great Raid, You Kill Me) and starring Johnny Depp. This is the movie I wanted to cast Timothy Olyphant and January Jones in, but Jones was busy with 'Woman' and well Timothy Olyphant ain't Johnny Depp, I guess. John Dahl is a director I've always enjoyed, and I wanted to work with him and see what he can do with a Hitchcockian thriller, with the Johnny Depp character similar to Cary Grant in 'North by Northwest.'

'Short on Time' was inspired by several noir film I've seen over the years. It's got all the elements, the shady supporting cast, the race against time, the hero who will stop at nothing short of his own death, a MacGuffin. It's not terribly original, but I think it's a nice addition to CMP's film vault, and can only be an improvement over 'The Prince of Darkness.' This project also went through some major changes just before production: a change of setting (from Cedar Rapids, Iowa and Chicago, Illinois to Biloxi, Mississippi and New Orleans, Louisiana), and the aforementioned casting issues which were amplified by the change in setting and a last minute rewrite.

Not a very good weekend.

Well 'Prince of Darkness' didn't do much of anything at the box office. On an optimistic note, it only lost four million dollars. The reviews have been less than kind, but honestly, I don't think it's a very good movie either. So we're all in agreement. 'Prince of Darkness' sucks. And I'm willing to bet that my next movie will also suck, but maybe not as much. I have a feeling that my movies will progressively suck less and less. The critics are right, but it would've been nice if it had made a little more money. Oh well.

The Prince of Darkness Is Upon Us!

Well, it's finally happened. The 'Prince of Darkness' has come, that is, to a theater near you. I'm not feeling very confident as to its commercial appeal, and I'm pretty sure the critics are going to rip me a new asshole. But hey, everyone's got to start somewhere. I am digging the poster that the studio churned out, especially the font used on the title, and the tagline. One thing that does surprise me is the inclusion of Armie Hammer's face on the poster. Sure, he does technically play the villain, its just surprising is all. I think this is the first time Richard Gere has ever starred in a movie, but failed to get his name on the poster along with a picture of him looking handsome. I wonder if the poster would be any different if I'd have gone with Jeff Bridges as Father Pleasance and Kyle Gallner as David.

I wish I would've changed the story a little more than I did. Maybe spend more time in the oily hellish realm. But its too late now. Pretty much all I can do now is wait until Monday to see how it fares. Thankfully, my expectations are so low that just about anything that comes out will be an improvement.

I'll end this update with some behind the scenes trivia. The main character, Father Pleasance, is named after Donald Pleasance, who played the priest in the original.

New Season, Golden Moon Awards, The Prince of Darkness

Not much to report this week. The town has pretty much shut down for the Golden Moon Awards. I'm surprised by the results. I'm hoping that within a few seasons I'll have one of those gold-plated paper weights.

The release of 'The Prince of Darkness' is rapidly approaching. I don't really expect it to set the box office on fire, nor do I expect it much in the way of good reviews. But hey, a man has got to start somewhere. And my somewhere happens to be an uninspired horror remake. Call me unoriginal. See if I give a shit. This upcoming season should be a very productive one for me. You can fully expect to see my name a few times. On top of my own projects, I've got the Goonies sequel coming out eventually.

I'll keep this one short, but fully expect a lot of new information this time next week.

The Goonies 2, Co-Writing, and Timothy Olyphant vs. Johnny Depp.

'The Goonies 2' is written, and my involvement is officially through, unless I'm asked to hope promote it or something, which I would gladly do. I've heard rumors that Matt Kubrick might direct it, but don't take that as any sort of official word. Director of the original 'Goonies' Richard Donner is probably a little old and burnt out to be working with a bunch of kids (he is 80 years old, after all). The process pretty much went like this: Harry asked me if I'd like to co-write the script with Joey. And even though I've never liked 'The Goonies', I agreed and came up with the concept which Stark then expanded upon, then it came back to me and I punched it up, added scenes, and deleted scenes. I imagine it is probably on the fast track to production and will see the light of day before many other projects I wrote prior.

Speaking of co-writing, I just finished another pitch, this time with Chad Taylor. He shot me a message saying that he had a vague idea and a title, but hadn't figured out how to write it. I took his concept and ran with it. Even though I did all the writing, the credit will read that the movie is written by D.R. Cobb & Chad Taylor, because I never would've written any of it with him asking me to and giving me the concept. In Hollywood, the credit would probably be something more along the lines of: Story by Chad Taylor & D.R. Cobb, Screenplay by D.R. Cobb, but things are a little more simple at CMP. As for the plot, I'm not going to give anything away other than the genre: Thriller/Science Fiction.

Stark has rebuffed my desire to drop Johnny Depp from the lead role in one of my movies. I'm okay with it, but I really wanted to give the role to someone less overexposed, namely: Timothy Olyphant. I've always been a fan of Olyphant, and I wanted to give a lead role in a big movie, turn him in the movie star he should be. But I guess Stark had already begun work on the poster, or at least had a really good idea for the poster. In the same movie, I had also tried to recast the female lead, but January Jones will be busy acting in 'Woman' for director Sofia Coppola, which is a bummer. I ended up giving the role back to the actress I had originally cast opposite Depp, before all the changes. I had also wished for a change of setting, but after the Depp decision I am unsure if my requests will be met.

Armie Hammer, My Casting Process, and Johnny Depp.

Armie Hammer has been announced for 'The Prince of Darkness.' His role is the final role to be cast, which I suppose means production will probably kick into gear soon. I'm pretty sure it will be with the first batch of release in the new season. As with Hayley Atwell, I am trying to beat people to the punch with an actor, this time Armie Hammer. He was great in 'The Social Network,' and I knew I wanted him in one of my movies. He was also one of the actors considered for 'The Green Arrow,' but you'll have to wait awhile (maybe until Season 18) to see who ends up with the role, Armie Hammer or someone else.

Now that my first movie is done casting, I guess I'll go into my casting process a little bit. Generally I have a pretty good idea of who I want for each role. Usually I will compile a shortlist of three actors for each role and then I mix and match the actors to get the "perfect" balance. For example: the lead role in 'The Prince of Darkness' came down to Richard Gere, Jeff Bridges, and Harrison Ford. The female role came down to Bryce Dallas Howard, Hayley Atwell, and Katie Holmes. I already knew I wanted Stephen Dorff in the co-lead role so I chose the actress I felt would work best with him. Dorff and Atwell kind of gave the cast a sort of identity. This was not a big blockbuster movie, so I went with Gere. For different movies I do different variations on that.

I also always try to cast someone who isn't being used frequently by the other writers at CMP. I even went so far as to recast the lead role in what I believe will be my third movie. I recently dropped Johnny Depp from the lead role in the suspense-thriller because I felt that he is a tad over exposed at CMP. Hell, he had three movies come out this season. But I didn't replace him with just another movie star. You'll just have to wait and see though as that movie is still some ways off (I'm pretty sure it will be released next season).

Hayley Atwell, Alfred Molina, and The Goonies

There's not a whole lot to report this week. Hayley Atwell and Alfred Molina have been announced as cast members in 'The Prince of Darkness.' I am shocked that it will be Alfred Molina's first work for the studio. He's such a great character actor, and no two roles of his are the same. Originally I was going to go with Bryce Dallas Howard for the lone female role, but I wanted to use somebody people aren't as familiar with. People will soon know all about Atwell though, what with her role in 'Captain America: The First Avenger', it also doesn't hurt that she's fresh off of a Golden Globe nomination.

And I have been tapped to co-write (with Joey Stark) a sequel to 'The Goonies.' I have never been much of a fan of the original. I always felt it was overrated. But I thought that maybe I could bring in a fresh perspective. And I had an idea almost right off the bat. I just received Stark's initial draft which I will immediately start working on. So 'Goonies' fans have that to look forward to.

The Prince of Darkness, Richard Gere, and Stephen Dorff

More details of my remake of John Carpenter's Prince of Darkness have been announced. Namely, my leading men: Richard Gere and Stephen Dorff. Those of you who have seen the original can probably figure out what characters they are playing, as the cast of characters is pretty similar to the original, although updated and in some cases re-imagined. I have sent Harry Stark a more polished version of the script, in which I attempt to distance myself a little more from Carpenter's vision, and also try to elaborate a tad more on some concepts. The actors portraying the three other primary roles have yet to be announced, but I don't think the names will disappoint.

It might seem weird to cast someone based on a couple of 30-year-old performances, but that's exactly what I did with Richard Gere. His performances in "Days of Heaven" and "American Gigalo" are the primary reasons I wanted to work with him. As for Stephen Dorff, I think that his performance as Deacon Frost in "Blade" is probably the most underrated comic book villain role to date and he's due for a comeback with Sofia Coppola's "Somewhere," so I decided to jump on the Stephen Dorff train sooner rather than later.

First Post: The Prince of Darkness, Westworld, and Green Arrow.

I've got a few things to address today. First up, my debut film for the studio has been announced. It will be a remake of 'John Carpenter's Prince of Darkness.' I feel that the original had a good idea but it was poorly executed. I fear that my version will fall into some of the same traps as the original, and if Harry Stark will allow it, I would really like to do a quick polish on the script to make it better and to make it a little more different from the original. And say what you will about Scott Derrickson's filmography, his movies look great. His remake of 'The Day the Earth Stood Still' wasn't very good at all, but the overall look of the movie is amazing. 'The Prince of Darkness' is a little more about mood than story and I think he's a good choice for those type of movies. Now cast announced yet, but if everyone accepts the roles written for them, it will be a rather competent cast for a horror remake. Once more information is released by the studio expect comments from me on all of my decisions, regarding this project along with future projects.

Next up, it is mentioned that I am interested in a remake/revamp of 'Westworld.' I would like to go ahead and announce that at this moment I am no longer pursuing it. I hit some snags trying to explain the technological breakdown of the park in a modern fashion. The biggest snag was trying to explain away cell phones in a logical fashion, and eventually I just lost my taste for the project.

It has also been previously announced that I have written a script for a Green Arrow movie, but I can't really speak about that right now, other than that it won't quite be a traditional superhero movie. I don't expect to see it until the end of Season 17 or the beginning of Season 18, but if it does well, fully expect a franchise.

At this point that is all that I am at liberty to discuss, seeing as I don't want to get in any trouble with the boss.