Bay tidbits
I’ve sent Michael the e-mails you all sent. Thank you. He should be getting them today.
Here is an interesting article. Read about Michael venturig into the IMAX & Extreme Sports arena.
New Line Catches ‘Chainsaw’ Buzz
New Line has picked up the rights to Michael Bay’s remake of the “Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
****
New Line Catches ‘Chainsaw’ Buzz
By Charles Lyons
NEW YORK (Variety) - New Line Cinema is shelling out $5 million-$7 million for North American and Italian rights to a toned-down, modern refiguring of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.”
New Line co-CEO Bob Shaye said the picture would be “an original, fresh and thrilling post-modern” take on the 1974 cult classic. In the new picture, he noted, blood-letting will be kept to a minimum, particularly since producer Michael Bay is active on a director committee against violence.
Studio production president Toby Emmerich added: “My sense from Bay is that he will not so much look at the previous ‘Chainsaw’ movies as look back to the original, real stories that informed it.”
Writer/director Tobe Hooper’s “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” helped spawn an entire genre of B slasher pics. When a dozen graves are violated in a rural Texas cemetery, five twentysomethings investigate. En route they discover a family of grave robbers, led by a vicious, saw-wielding butcher.
Shooting is expected to begin this summer with a budget between $13 million and $19 million.
Sony’s Screen Gems, Paramount Pictures and Dimension Films also pursued “Massacre,” but not as aggressively as New Line. Bay clinched the New Line deal after screening a one-minute promo for the picture. The picture has already lined up distribution deals in such countries as Spain, Britain, Germany and Japan.
BB2
“Sony Pictures kicked off the last day of ShoWest with a bang Thursday with the announcement that stars Will Smith and Martin Lawrence will reteam with producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Michael Bay for “Bad Boys 2.”
Asked how it felt to be able to finally announce the long-anticipated sequel to the 1995 hit “Bad Boys,” planned for a summer 2003 release, Columbia Pictures chairman Amy Pascal said: “It feels good. We’re very, very excited.”
Bay's birthday
As some of you might know, February 17 is Michael’s birthday. And as a custom in prior years, you can send Michael a little e-mail wishing him Happy Birthday. I usually print these emails and send them to him. Click here to find out when the deadline is and to fill out the b-day form.
And yes, he does read them.
In other news, Michael is will only produce the remake of the “Texas Chainsaw Massacre.” He will do “Pain & Gain” next year. He’s involved in the writing of “Bad Boys 2.” And he might do a movie with Will Smith before “Bad Boys 2” gets done (I Am Legend).
Server Issues
FYI, yesterday evening the server hosting this site crashed. To make a long story short, I had to upload everything. So if there are any broken link, please bear with me. Thanks.