Here are some recent notes about movies that will be important to pop culture retailers.
Preacher
Rupert Harvey's Electric Entertainment announced that Rachel Talalay, who directed Tank Girl, is set to start lensing the film version of Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon's The Preacher in November. Based on the cutting edge Vertigo title, The Preacher is sure to be one of the most bizarre westerns ever produced in Hollywood. If filming does get underway as planned, The Preacher film could be ready for release late in 2002.
Fathom
James Cameron's production company, Lightstorm Entertainment, announced plans to develop a live action film based on Michael Turner's Fathom, which is a comic published by Top Cow. Lightstorm will work with 20th Century Fox to develop the property, which Fox acquired some two years ago for its animation division. Unfortunately, Fox has given up the idea of competing with Disney in creating feature-length animation, but the project did catch the fancy of Cameron, the director of Titanic and The Abyss, who is fascinated with Fathom's undersea settings. Although this development is promising, no date has been set for shooting on Fathom, so the project, if indeed it ever gets made, is at least several years away.
Austin Powers 3
New Line has green lit the third Austin Powers film, which is now set for a summer 2002 release on July 26. Austin Powers 3: Goldmember features Mike Myers as the orthodontically challenged super spy, his nemesis Dr. Evil, and the well-padded Fat Bastard. Myers will also play the eponymous Goldmember. From the sound of the New Line press release, Austin Powers 3 will be the final film in the 'Austin Powers' trilogy. However, if Austin Powers 3 manages to come close to the $310 million that Austin Powers 2: The Spy Who Shagged Me earned, it will be hard for New Line to resist the temptation to extend the franchise. Meanwhile retailers should be able to plan on having a new Austin Powers film added to a very promising slate of films for 2002.
