"Ghost Rider" Dimension Films Release
Date: Spring, 2003 ?? Confirmed Cast to date: Nicolas Cage ... Jonathan "Johnny" Blaze/Ghost Rider
Jon Voight Behind the camera: Director: Mark Steven Johnson Screenwriters: Shane Salerno Producers:
Avi Arad, Kevin Feige, Gary Foster, David S. Goyer, Stan Lee, Steven Paul, Bernard Williams Plot: Based on the Marvel Comic Book Series, a motorcyclist makes a deal with
the devil in order to save his mentor from cancer. What he doesn't realize is that he gets more than he bargained for. By day, he's
Johnny Blaze, by night, he is the Ghost Rider- a humanoid with a flaming skull as a head and makes those who are guilty pay the
price. *Side Notes: This will be Dimension Films' most expensive production to date. UPDATE: From
Comics2Film
"Ghost Rider's in play," Goyer said, indicating that new parties are looking to come on board and get it moving again. "It may end up at Sony but there are three or four different people interested in it."
Goyer told us that he, director Stephen Norrington and star Nicolas Cage still want to do the movie. However, there may be creative mandates that interfere with that. "I'm hearing now they want a kinder, gentler Ghost Rider," Goyer reports. "The film that Norrington and Cage and I would have made was a very tough film. It would have been fantastic but it was a dark movie. I'm hearing now that they want something with humor in it too. I don't know, man."
Apparently there's an initiative to retool Ghost Rider as a PG movie. "It's kind of an oxymoron to me. The guy's got a flaming skull. I guess you can do happy meals with that," Goyer remarked. "Norrington and I both said we didn't want to be involved with a PG Ghost Rider."
UPDATE:
Sony offers new life for 'Ghost Rider'
Wed May 22, 2002 Zorianna Kit
LOS ANGELES (The Hollywood Reporter) --- After a successful collaboration on "Spider-Man," Columbia Pictures is negotiating to acquire the rights to Marvel Entertainment's "Ghost Rider" in turnaround from Dimension Films. The studio is negotiating with screenwriter Shane Salerno ("Shaft") to rewrite the material. At Dimension, Steve Norrington and Nicolas Cage were attached to direct and star in the film, respectively. Both are no longer involved, though Columbia and Marvel hope that Cage will still be interested to play the title role of a former motorcycle stuntman who agrees to let his body become host to a vengeful spirit in exchange for the safety of his true love. The price he pays is that at night he is transformed into Ghost Rider, a bike-riding demon with a flaming skull. As his alter ego, he avenges souls tarnished by evil. Marvel Entertainment's Avi Arad and Crystal Sky's Steven Paul are producing the project. "Marvel and Columbia are in the middle of great celebration (with 'Spider-Man') and we are happy to be doing more business together," Arad said. "We have high hopes for the project." Salerno was the creator and head writer of the short-lived series "U.C.: Undercover." He was also a writer on "Armageddon."
UPDATE:
At last word on the film, Nicolas Cage was still in the lead role, but after talks of watering down the original script, David Goyer took himself off the project. Last rumor was Shane Salerno (Shaft) was in talks to write a script based on Goyer's drafts.
UPDATE:
Release Date Note: Spring, 2003 was mentioned as a possible release target at one point, when this was at Dimension Films, but with a new screenwriter signed on, it may be a few more years away yet.
UPDATE:
Nicolas Cage says the GHOST RIDER movie adaptation is getting revved up again.
From Sci Fi Wire:
Nicolas Cage confirmed to SCI FI Wire that Columbia may settle on a script for a proposed Ghost Rider movie early in the new year. "They're going to be done with the script after the holidays, and I think the studio's very excited about it," Cage said in an interview. The project, based on the Marvel Comics series of the same name, originated at Dimension, but was put on hold, when Columbia picked it up.
The new script will aim for a PG-13 rating. Original writer David Goyer's (Blade) draft was rejected for being too violent. Cage said that he was on board with that change. "The comic-book world is originally a world that was a fantasy place for children and younger people," he said. "By making it hard R, you'd alienate some of those younger people, who want to go to the movies and get lost in that world. So I can understand the argument for that."
As an actor, comic fan Cage was drawn to the film because of the hero's philosophical dilemma. "I always thought it was interesting: the concept of a character who's in the dilemma of making a deal with a negative force and then trying to do something positive with it," he said.
UPDATE:
From Yahoo Upcoming Movies:
(2/15/03) Marvel boss Avi Arad recently told the "Chicago Sun Times" that this film has a chance at getting a
2004 release.
(2/26/03) There were rumors over the weekend that Kiefer Sutherland might have replaced Nicolas Cage as Johnny Blaze
UPDATE:
Possible look for Ghost Rider! The "Red Hair" will most likely be replaced with CGI flames. Click
here to view!
UPDATE:
Friday 11th April 2003: Daredevil director Mark Steven Johnson is busy coming up with a completely new draft for Ghost Rider. Apparently, David Goyer’s script has been scrapped. Johnson says he’s just sitting down to write the script now and he’s looking to incorporate more source material, from the comics, into the film. Johnson also confirmed filming will start next winter.
UPDATE:
The project aims to go into production by year's end. Nicolas Cage is attached to star in the project, which will see him
play the title role of a former motorcycle stuntman who agrees to let his body become host to a vengeful spirit in exchange for the
safety of his true love. The price he pays is that at night he is transformed into Ghost Rider, a bike-riding demon with a flaming skull.
As his alter ego, he avenges souls tarnished by evil. Shane Salerno wrote the original draft of the Columbia script. Marvel
Entertainment's Avi Arad and Crystal Sky's Steven Paul are producing the project with Johnson's producing partner Gary Foster. "We
worked with Mark on Daredevil, which grossed over $100 million," Arad said. "Mark has been a pleasure and inspiration. We trust
him with our material, and it's a delight to keep him within our universe."
Ghost
previously was set up at Dimension Films, with Goyer attached to direct. Columbia acquired it in turnaround nearly a year ago. Matt
Tolmach, the studio's co-president of production, is overseeing the project.
UPDATE:
Production is scheduled to start in late 2003 or early 2004 on a budget of $75 million.
UPDATE:
"We are still on track for early 2004," Gary Foster said. Foster's producing partner, Mark Steven Johnson (Daredevil), will direct Ghost Rider. He is currently working on the screenplay. With the exception of Cage as the title character, no additional casting has taken place.
UPDATE:
Variety Reports:
Foster and Johnson, who last made the Johnson-directed "Daredevil," have a spring production start at Sony on "Ghost Rider," with Nicolas Cage starring. They are working on a "Daredevil" follow-up to be built around the character of Elektra, played by "Alias" star Jennifer Garner. That film is being scripted by Raven Metzner and Stu Zicherman and will begin production during Garner's series hiatus next summer.
UPDATE:
Ghost Rider is on Track
In an article talking about a new project for Daredevil director Mark Steven Johnson, Variety mentions that he will be doing Ghost Rider first....
"Daredevil" director Mark Steven Johnson has scared up an MGM pitch deal for "Succubus," a horror film with comic elements that Johnson will direct right after he completes "Ghost Rider" with Nicolas Cage.
A "Succubus" scribe will be secured quickly, and Johnson and Foster will supervise development as Johnson directs Cage in the Columbia adaptation of the Marvel Comics character "Ghost Rider." Johnson will then move over and direct a film he said aspires to the playful tone of "An American Werewolf in London."
UPDATE:
From IGN: Director Mark Steven Johnson is in the "final stages" of finishing his screenplay draft. As for the recent and persistent rumors that Oscar-winner Jon Voight might still be involved with the project – he was cast in a supporting role back when Ghost Rider was at Dimension Films – IGN FilmForce was advised that there have been no "substantive conversations" about casting Voight. That doesn't mean the door has been closed on the matter, however. Right now casting and shooting dates depends on Sony's reaction to Johnson's script. As soon as the studio gets the script then decisions on filming dates and the casting of supporting roles will be made. Nicolas Cage is "solid" to star as the title character. He will shoot The Weather Man before tackling Ghost Rider.
|
