Information in SFX magazine

[PaulaB]

I found some film information in the development hell part of sfx magazine. I don't know how reliable the magazine is (I only got it because of the HP info and info on Charmed season 4) but here goes;

Highlander 5: The Source
In a saner world, of course, the ailing Highlander franchise would have been genlty shot following the igominious performance of the fourth entry, Endgame, consigned to the Phantom Zone of direct-to-video in the UK. In this insane world Endgame's producers are currently plotting the fifth installment "Lambert has signed," they told a recent convention of sword-wielders. Seems that Lambert will cheat death to reappear, retuning in a time period before Endgame's rather terminal 2002 setting. Adrian Paul denies rumours that he's signed for the flick, but Elizabeth Gracen and Paul Wringfield may be and there's a chane of turns by Timoothy Dalton and Roger Daltrey.

Indiana Jones 4
We despair. We truly do. George Lucas would appear to have postponed the fourth Indiana Jones movie until some time just before the sun swallows the Earth. "Up to 2005 my mind is focussed on the Star Wars episodes," declares the sluggish one. "I don't know how I can manage to find time for Indy before 2006. Steven and Harrison have agreed for a new adventure but due to other projects, we are very busy. The most difficult thing will be to block on a schedule a whole year to focus only on Indiana Jones 4. Steven is not afraid on working on several projects in the sam time as writer producer and director. I cannot do that.

that is what they said about these two, now I don't know about you but isn't Indiana Jones 4 a bit weird. Having Harrison Ford do an action movie in 2006 means that he will be 64 which seems a bit old for an action movie.

[wong fei hong]

It is weird to think of Harrison as an old Indy (at 64 he has no choice but to play it mature)... but think of his real life dad :D Sean Connery in the Rock. He managed it perfectly.

If the script is up to scratch and doesn't ignore his age, it'll be fine. That said, I would question the need for another Indy film. I'm not a sequel-hater, but sometimes you've just got to leave well enough alone.

[jonathan.e]

Can you "feel the love" for George Lucas?

I wish it were the pre-Star Wars days: the studios would have had these movies made by now. Ya think Paramount doesn’t want to do it? Ya think they enjoy watching Indy 1-3 sit in a vault decomposing while the bearded wonder works on his next juvenile instalment guaranteed to be met with disdainful indifference by all but the fanboy geek element?

Directors like Spielberg and Lucas have far too much power. If they were a little more whipped we might not have to endure drivel like Ai and Phantom Menace.

In the same way that Thomas Harris’ book Hannibal was released without editorial input of any kind (so convinced were his publishers that his words were perfect) so are the studios kow-towing to the tidy-beards because they’re terrified they’ll take their juvenalia elsewhere. More input from Harris’ publishers would have prevented Hannibal being the risible half-baked mess that it is from a writer who barely leaves his parents house and has no idea about the world at large. Spielberg and Lucas live in a similar bubble and are both maniacally intent on keeping control over these movies and the only way they can do that is to (in the case of Indy) prevent their release. Classic control freak behavior.