(Left) ‘Nightbitch’ director Marielle Heller. (Right) 1992’s ‘FernGully: The Last Rainforest’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
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Director Marielle Heller is developing a live-action ‘FernGully’.
It’ll be a remake of the 1992 animated movie.
Amazon MGM Studios is backing the project.
1992’s Environmental-themed ‘FernGully’ wasn’t exactly a big hit upon its original release –– it made $32 million worldwide against a $24 million budget. But in the decades since, it has earned a place in at least some cinemagoers’ hearts.
That’s surely what Amazon MGM Studios will be hoping for as it sets ‘Nightbitch’ filmmaker Marielle Heller to write and direct a live-action update.
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And let’s not forget that the studio will also be aiming to replicate the success seen by the likes of Disney and DreamWorks Animation, which have seen several re-imaginings of their cartoon output do good business at the box office in the last few years.
1992’s ‘FernGully: The Last Rainforest’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
The original film followed the magical inhabitants of an Australian rainforest as they fight to save their home, which is threatened by logging and a polluting force of destruction called Hexxus.
We don’t yet know what elements Heller –– who has written and will direct the new film –– is retaining.
When will the new ‘FernGully’ be in theaters?
Amazon MGM Studios has yet to say anything about the movie’s potential release date (and we notice it wasn’t mentioned as part of the company’s CinemaCon presentation), so we’ll have to wait and see on that front.
1992’s ‘FernGully: The Last Rainforest’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
(L to R) Lesley Ann Warren and Colleen Camp talk 1985’s ‘Clue’.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with icons Lesley Ann Warren and Colleen Camp about the 40th anniversary of the classic film, their first reaction to the screenplay, their approach to their characters, working with the all-star cast and director Jonathan Lynn, and the film’s groundbreaking alternate endings.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews.
Moviefone: To begin with, Lesley, can you talk about your first reaction to the screenplay and what were your thoughts on adapting a board game into a movie, which is common now but very unusual in the 1980s?
Lesley Ann Warren: Well, the good news in a strange way is that I read it as a script for a film. I had not ever played the board game. So, I was not familiar with the characters. I didn’t know anything about the story of Clue. I was also asked to play Mrs. White because Carrie Fisher was playing Miss Scarlet. The cast was beginning to come together, and I was excited, some of them were on board already. Then Carrie had to drop out because she had personal issues she had to deal with. They came back to me and said, would you like to play Miss Scarlet? Well, I’ve always thought I was better Miss Scarlet than Mrs. White. So, I was thrilled to be able to step into the very high heels of Miss Scarlett.
MF: Just to follow up, the film’s multiple endings was also groundbreaking at the time, but again something that is quite common now. What was it like shooting the different endings and was that something that director Jonathan Lynn had to really fight for?
LAW: I don’t know whether he did have to fight the studio, but we did not know that there were going to be multiple endings until about two thirds of the way through the script, which was kind of great because we didn’t know where the murderer was. So, we were able to play those scenes really having no clue. If we had known, we would have been playing it very differently. So, when it was revealed to us, then we were able to embrace whoever was the murderer, and I was glad I was one of them. But it was it was a surprise to us as well.
MF: Colleen, Yvette was not a character in the board game, do you think that gave you a certain freedom in playing the character?
Colleen Camp: I think it did, and I was a clue fanatic. I loved that board game. I thought it was such a phenomenal board game. I had so much reverence for the board game that I never even imagined who could play all these characters. When I was faced with these icons playing these characters, I thought, I’ve hit pay dirt. I always loved the game. Now if I go back and play that game, I really believe they should have a game with every one of their faces on the board. I think there should be a year of ‘Clue’ anniversary celebrations. I think we should have ‘Clue’ parties. That’s not easy, when you have a board game and then these characters in the movie are so brilliant. There is no one that could have played Miss Scarlett but Lesley Ann Warren. So, for me, being a character that was not part of that initial board game, in one sense, I was apart from the group. But then it also gave me an opportunity to have a depth that may not seem on the surface of this French maid. I’m there taking a big view of what’s going on, and I’m much more calculated than you would expect. That was exciting because it did give me more freedom. In terms of the endings, no, we did not know. So, for me, all a sudden, to find out that I’m one of Miss Scarlet’s girls and I’m being strangled by the pool table was very interesting. Because at the time, we weren’t sure about those endings. We thought it was a great idea, but they thought that maybe it impacted the box office, that people were confused and what version they were watching.
MF: Lesley, the film features an all-star cast, what was it like working with them and was there anyone that you really bonded with?
LAW: Colleen! No lie. We really did, bond. We were talking a lot about our relationships, but we just did, and we hung out in each other’s trailers. But the other person that I personally bonded with was Martin Mull. I adored him beyond. We were put together, Colonel Mustard and Miss Scarlett a lot. But then we went on to do four or five different movie and television projects together. We stayed very much in contact. I was devastated at his passing. You know, you hear this a lot, but this is really the truth, we were so compatible as a group, both artistically compatible and emotionally compatible. There was no drama, no acting out, we supported each other’s work and were rolling in the aisles when somebody would do something. It was an amazing experience. One of the things that I say a lot, and I really mean it is that each one of these actors had such a specific perspective on comedy and character, and yet, the work blended, which is very unusual. We were all very different, and unique in our way of creating these characters that are now indelible. But it never got in the way of the ensemble rhythm and just ability to bring these moments to life.
MF: Colleen, what was your experience like working with the cast?
CC: Amazing. And what she just said is that there was such a love and generosity from the actors as see great work. Somebody would do “The flames” like Madeline Kahn or Eileen Brennan with the feathers or any of the other actors. You were so thrilled and so excited that you were cheering them on. Fortunately for me, I worked with Michael McKeon, and then I worked with Christopher Lloyd four times. When I start to think about the movies that we all did together, that were different films, that we were in, that created a bonding as well. So, that’s what was also exciting.
MF: Finally, Colleen, can you talk about collaborating with director Jonathan Lynn on set and his unique vision for this project?
CC: He’s a genius. He had a theater background, and he was a genius at direction. He understood humor and he understood the nuance and the rhythm. Jonathan Lynn had a style, and he was very brilliant. He’s an intellectual. So, I think it was a very smart script and I was very fortunate to work with Jonathan again in ‘Greedy’. Jonathan always had a great casting sense. The casting was very interesting, and I think that that’s the genius of ‘Clue’ because it’s great acting and big stars, but stars on a level that are also character actors.
‘Clue’ is now available to buy or rent on 4K Ultra-HD Digital in honor of the film’s 40th anniversary.
What is the plot of ‘Clue’?
‘Clue’ finds six colorful dinner guests (Eileen Brennan, Madeline Kline, Christopher Lloyd, Michael McKean, Martin Mull and Lesley Ann Warren) gathered at the mansion of their host, Mr. Boddy (Lee Ving), who turns up dead after his secret is exposed: He was blackmailing all of them. With the killer among them, the guests and Boddy’s chatty butler (Tim Curry) must discover out the culprit before the body count rises.
25 years ago, iconic pulp hero The Shadow made the leap to the big screen. The result wasn’t the smash success fans and studios execs were hoping for, but the movie is still an important reminder that Batman wasn’t the first vigilante detective on the block. Celebrate the film’s 25th anniversary by learning more about the making of the odd and deeply underrated “The Shadow.”
1. Like 1989’s “Batman,” “The Shadow” went through a prolonged period of development before finally seeing the light of day. Producer Martin Bregman originally bought the film rights in 1982.
2.Sam Raimi lobbied to direct the adaptation but was rejected. Raimi instead went on to create the Shadow-inspired “Darkman” instead.
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3. The version of the Shadow featured in the movie is intended to be an amalgamation of the classic radio and pulp magazine incarnations, drawing plot elements, lines of dialogue and powers from both.
4. Author James Luceno’s novelization delves even deeper into classic “The Shadow” mythology, including alluding to the fact that the hero’s true identity is Kent Allard, not Lamont Cranston.
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5. Production on “The Shadow” was set back after an earthquake destroyed the Hall of Mirrors set, forcing director Russell Mulcahy to shoot an abridged version of the climactic sequence.
6. Co-stars Tim Curry and Ian McKellen had worked together before, starring in the stage version of “Amadeus.”
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7.Chow Yun-fat was considered for the role of Shiwan Khan.
8. “The Shadow” was originally intended to serve as the start of a longer franchise and a major merchandising push. Those plans were abandoned due to its poor box office performance.
Universal Pictures
9. Among the various tie-in products canceled was a “The Shadow” video game for the Super Nintendo console. The game was actually completed before its last-minute cancellation, and playable ROM files have been circulating the Internet for years.
When Laverne Cox first heard Tim Curry, in character as Dr. Frank N. Furter, sensuously purr the signature lyric “Don’t Dream It, Be It” in the cult-classic 1975 musical horror send-up “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” she took the sentiment to heart. And her adopted credo has become a literal truth, now that she’s taking the role as her own for Fox’s broadcast of the enduring hit.
Offering up a refreshing 21st Century take on the gender-bending Frank N. Furter, Cox — who’s proven her dramatic chops on “Orange Is the New Black” as trans inmate Sophia Burset — demonstrates her fierceness as a singer and dancer performer, tearing into “Rocky Horror’s” indelible, sexually charged song list, including “Sweet Transvestite” and “I Can Make You a Man.”
And when Moviefone and other press outlets joined her for a conversation about the project, which airs Thursday, October 20 on Fox, it was clear she’d been preparing for this particular wild and untamed performance her whole life.
What did it mean to you to play such an iconic role?
Laverne Cox: It was a dream come true. It was magical. I think the cast and the crew, working with Kenny [Ortega, the director] and having Tim Curry there and [original producer] Lou Adler on set with us every day, it felt magical. It really was — everyone was so committed and loved the original move so much, we just wanted to honor it. We wanted to give our all and we all did. It was really wonderful. I feel like I have a new family.
The exuberance comes off the screen, with how much gusto you tackle the role.
The night we shot “Sweet Transvestite,” my entrance, a dear friend of mine was on set. It was the last day of the Transylvania backup dancers — their last day shooting. They gave me so much energy, every single day. Our dancers, who we call Transylvanians, were so committed. There were many days I walked in and I was so tired, I didn’t know how I was going to do it. They had so much energy and so much commitment. That night that we shot that, it was really about their energy and just the love that we all felt for that moment. It was magic.
What did that musical mean to you growing up?
I didn’t discover “Rocky Horror” until college. The first time I saw it, I was like, “What is this? This is me.” It felt like me. Frank N. Furter felt like me. At the time, I hadn’t started transitioning yet, but I was sort of in the androgynous space. I had a shaved head and I wore makeup every day to ballet class.
Then I saw this character who was gender non-conformant, like me, saying “Don’t dream it. Be it.” That became a personal mantra: “I am it” — “It” being Dr. Frank N. Furter.
Are there other inspirations you brought into the performance?
Oh yeah. I don’t know if I want to tell you! I think you’ll be able to see them when you see the film. When Richard O’Brien wrote this, he wrote it inspired by B horror films and ’50s rock ‘n’ roll. Knowing that, Kenny Ortega, Lou Adler, and I went back to some of that B horror and we looked at some Hollywood divas: Fay Wray, Katharine Hepburn, and Bette Davis. They influenced — it’s diva worship! I think Frank N. Furter would be very much influenced by these Hollywood divas.
But then there’s also rock ‘n’ roll, so there’s Tina Turner and David Bowie and Grace Jones. It was like a hodge-podge of a lot of different influences. The wonderful thing about Kenny is that he encouraged me to go there with all that.
Do you think there’s a trans tipping point on TV right now?
We’re not fully represented. We’re really diverse. There’s so much more representation, so many stories that need to be told. I was hanging out with Candis Cayne yesterday, who is the first transgender woman to have a recurring role in a primetime TV show. We were talking about how we’ve always been around. She’s been acting on television for years and doing this for a really long time. Now, people are paying attention and the way we’re represented in changed.
Fox’s upcoming remake of the horror-comedy-musical cult classic “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” just booked the perfect star: Laverne Cox, who will play Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the telepic.
The role was originated by Tim Curry, who played Frank-N-Furter — a self-described “sweet transvestite” — in the Broadway show, then the 1975 movie. According to Deadline, the project had been stalled for a while, but now, with Cox on board, it’s gotten the official greenlight, and is set to debut on Fox sometime next year.
Details about this new version of the flick — which also starred Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, and Meat Loaf — are being kept under wraps for now, though the project is being described as a “reimagining” of the beloved hit. The original film followed a young couple (Sarandon and Bostwick) who stumble upon the home of the flamboyant, flirtatious mad scientist Dr. Frank-N-Furter, who ensnares the pair in his wacky, horror-tinged web.
It’s a juicy role, and one we think Cox — who already has an Emmy nomination (for “Orange Is the New Black”) and Emmy win (for her documentary series “Laverne Cox Presents: The T Word”) under her belt — will absolutely slay. The actress shared her excitement on social media, posting on Twitter and writing on Instagram, “I am so honored to be a part of the Rocky Horror legacy.”
“The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is slated for a two-hour taped run on Fox in the fall of 2016.
Congrats to Tim Curry, who made a rare public appearance Sunday night in Los Angeles to accept an award. It was one of the first times the beloved “Rocky Horror Picture Show” star has been in the public eye since a 2012 stroke left him in a wheelchair.
The 69-year-old star may not be the same energetic force we remember as “sweet transvestite” Frank-N-Furter, but he told Moviefone he’s “very lucky” to be honored by his peers. “It feels amazing. I feel very lucky,” he said of accepting his Lifetime Achievement Award from the Actors Fund.
He also wished “good luck” to Will Poulter (“We’re the Millers”), who’s been cast as the new Pennywise the clown in the upcoming remake of Stephen King’s “It,” a role Curry played to perfection in the 1990 mini-series. “It’s a wonderful part,” Curry said of Stephen King’s unforgettable evil clown, who terrorizes a group of children. When I mentioned that a lot of people consider Curry’s Pennywise a tough act to follow, the actor humbly said, “I don’t know about that.”
We also remember Curry fondly from 1982’s “Annie,” in which he played con artist Rooster Hannigan to Aileen Quinn‘s orphan. Quinn was also at the June 7 event held at L.A.’s Skirball Center. She hadn’t seen Curry since making the film 33 years ago, but had great memories of his kindness on set. “He was so caring and nurturing. I know he’s known for these crazy, wild, evil characters, but offscreen, he was so kind to me. He would protect me and hold my hand real tight during stunt work. He would ask, ‘Are you nervous?’ He was so sweet. I can’t wait to give him a big hug,” she said.
As part of the tribute to Curry, the show began with a performance of “The Time Warp” from “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” featuring Sebastian La Cause (“Orange Is the New Black”), Renée Marino (“Jersey Boys”) and Ashley Argota (“The Fosters”).
Even if he can’t do “The Time Warp,” it’s great to see Curry out and about again.
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Fox’s upcoming remake of the horror-comedy-musical cult classic “
Congrats to