BOP Daily News
October 17, 2003
The spirit of BOP News lives on in
This is So Last Week,
our pop culture week-in-review,
presented in a pleasing quiz form.
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Isaac Asimov seems to be the hot new science-fiction author when it comes to film adaptations, at least as far as 20th Century Fox is concerned. A film based on his I, Robot anthology is currently lensing, and now come reports that the studio is planning an adaptation of Asimov’s classic Foundation series. Twentieth has commissioned two scripts based on the first three books in the series, which Asimov initially intended as a trilogy. The story is set in the far future and concerns the fate of the Galactic Empire, a collection of human civilizations spread throughout the galaxy with Earth all but forgotten. A psychohistorian and mathematician invents a method for scientifically divining the future, and foresees a new Dark Age that will strike the Empire. He sets in motion a plan to save all the collected knowledge of the human race to preserve it through the Dark Age, but with the project taking generations to complete, he must find a way to continue the knowledge store after his demise. The studio is not sure yet whether the two scripts will be turned into two separate films or one giant epic. We have one word that the suits at 20th Century Fox should keep in mind that will undoubtedly help them make the right decision: Dune.
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The Rock is becoming a busy, busy boy. Currently filming the remake of Walking Tall and just being signed to the live-action/animated film Instant Karma, The Rock is now reportedly being courted to join the cast of Be Cool, the upcoming Get Shorty sequel. The Rock would play the bodyguard of the singer being managed by John Travolta’s character Chili Palmer, the loan shark-turned-film producer from the first film. The bodyguard, it turns out, also has show-biz aspirations, and...oh, yeah; he’s gay. Hey, if it worked for Alex Karras, it can work for The Rock.
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Looking to strike yet another familiar chord with the Baby Boomer generation, Columbia pictures is planning a feature film based on the classic NBC series from the ‘60s I Dream of Jeannie. For those of you too young to remember, Jeannie told the tale of Tony Nelson, an astronaut who finds a mysterious bottle after splashing down way off target and subsequently being stranded on a desert island. The bottle holds a female genie whom Tony cleverly dubs Jeannie. Once rescued, Tony and Jeannie return to life in America, with Tony trying to keep anyone from finding out about Jeannie, and Jeannie trying to please her master, and hilarity, so the laugh-track told us, ensued. Jessica Simpson, she of the towering intellect, is reportedly in talks to portray Jeannie, at least according to a revelation she made on a recent talk-show appearance. Perhaps after being given the knowledge one must surely need to be a genie, Simpson will be able to resolve that vexing Chicken of the Sea question.
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Revolution Studios is lining up an impressive cast for its next film, The Forgotten. The psychological thriller, which stars Julianne Moore, Gary Sinise and Alfre Woodard, tells the story of a mother grieving for the loss of her eight-year-old son whose life is plunged into turmoil when she learns from her psychiatrist that all of her memories of the boy were fabricated. Manufactured memories of an offspring that never really existed may sound like a great idea on paper, but trust us; it doesn’t work. Let’s just say we learned from bitter experience and leave it at that, mmm?
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"There's nothing more inconvenient than an old queen with a head cold."
Box Office Prophets offers quality, reliable news about the entertainment industry. BOP is also entertaining. To that end, please be advised that some content in this column is intended to be humorous and should not be considered factual.
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