Ooo! Scary!
Scaring audiences has been a sure box office
draw since the Brothers Lumiere terrified audiences with
the screen-filling spectacle of an onrushing locomotive.
Modern audiences, more accustomed to film and knowing that
the train will not actually leap off the screen and crush
them, need something a little more inventive to scare them
silly.
Since we are utterly used to depictions
of the mundanely frightening, paradoxically it’s the things that couldn’t
possibly happen that seem to scare the bejeebers out of
us. Think “Nosferatu,” “The Exorcist,” “Rosemary’s
Baby” and Pamela Anderson’s career.
The late-summer successes of “Freddy Vs. Jason” and “Jeepers
Creepers 2” continue the tradition, and there’s
more supernatural scariness in store.
Did someone mention witches? We somehow
sensed that you did. “Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban” finds
the titular hero, in the summer before his third year at
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, forced to
contend with Sirius Black, a believed enemy of the Potter
clan
who has just escaped after 12 years of imprisonment. It’s
based on the 2001 novel by J.K. Rowling. Alfonso Cuarón
(“Great Expectations,” “Y Tu Mama También”)
directed. Returnees from “Harry Potter and the Chamber
of Secrets” include screenwriter Steve Kloves (“Wonder
Boys”) and actors Daniel Radcliffe (“The Tailor
of Panama”) as Harry Potter, Rupert Grint as Ronald
Weasley, Emma Watson as Hermione Granger, Robbie Coltrane
(“From Hell”) as gamekeeper Rubeus Hagrid,
Maggie Smith (“The Divine Secrets of Ya-Ya Sisterhood”)
as headmistress Minerva McGonagall, Alan Rickman (“Blow
Dry,” “Love Actually”) as Professor Severus
Snape, Julie Walters (“Billy Elliot”) as Mrs.
Molly Weasley, David Bradley (“Nicholas Nickleby”)
as Argus Filch, Warwick Davis (“Leprechaun 2”)
as Professor Flitwick, Tom Felton (“Anna and the
King”) as Draco Malfoy, Richard Griffiths (“Vatel”)
as Vernon Dursley, Miriam Margolyes (“Cats & Dogs”)
as professor Sprout, Harry Melling as Dudley Dursley, Oliver
Phelps as George Weasley, Chris Rankin as Percy Weasley,
Fiona Shaw (“The Triumph of Love”) as Petunia
Dursley and Danielle Taylor as Angelina Johnson. Newcomers
to the series include Gary Oldman (“Hannibal”)
as Black, Michael Gambon (“Open Range,” “Sylvia”)
as Albus Dumbledore, Julie Christie (“No Such Thing”)
as Madame Rosmerta, David Thewlis (“Gangster No.
1,” “Timeline”) as professor Remus Lupin,
Timothy Spall (“Nicholas Nickleby”) as Peter
Pettigrew, and Pam Ferris (“Death to Smoochy”)
as Aunt Marge. A key no-show is John Cleese, who will not
reprise Nearly Headless Nick this time around. Warner Bros.
breaks it out June 4.
On March 26, Universal wakes up to “Dawn Of The
Dead.” The horror thriller is about a handful of
survivors who, to escape the flesh-craving zombie hordes
that now roam the planet, take refuge in an abandoned shopping
mall. It’s a remake of the 1979 sequel to “Night
of the Living Dead.” Zack Snyner makes his feature
directorial debut from a screenplay by Scott Frank (“Minority
Report”), James Gunn (“Scooby-Doo,” “Scooby-Doo
2: Monsters Unleashed”), George A. Romero (“The
Dark Half,” the original “Dawn of the Dead”)
and Michael Tolkin (“Changing Lanes”). Independent
film star Sarah Polley (“My Life Without Me,” “The
Event”) stars with Lindy Booth (“Wrong Turn”),
Mekhi Phifer (“8 Mile”), Kevin Zegers (“Wrong
Turn”), Ving Rhames (“Dark Blue”), Jayne
Eastwood (“Chicago”) and Jake Weber (“The
Cell,” “Wendigo”).
The supernatural debunkers (“Hey, It’s
not a ghost, it’s mean old Mr. Crabtree!”)
collectively known as The Scooby Gang return with “Scooby-Doo
2: Monsters Unleashed.” The Scoobsters take
on a criminal mastermind in possession of a machine capable
of manufacturing monsters. Returnees from the original
2002 blockbuster include director Raja Gosnell (“Big
Momma’s House”) and screenwriter James Gunn
(“The Specials,” “Dawn of the Dead”)
as well as actors Mathew Lillard (“Thir13en Ghosts”)
as Shaggy, Freddie Prinze Jr. (“Summer Catch”)
as Fred, Sarah Michelle Gellar (“Harvard Man”)
as Daphne, and Linda Cardellini (“Legally 
Blonde”)
as Velma. Newcomers to the series include Seth Green (“The
Italian Job,” “Party Monster”) as a museum
curator and Alicia Silverstone (“Love’s Labour’s
Lost”) as a reporter. Warner Bros. has mysteriously
also picked March 26 for the release.
“Constantine” is an action thriller about
a pragmatic occultist who travels the world investigating
supernatural trouble spots. It’s based on the DC
Comics character created by Alan Moore (“From Hell,” “The
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen”) and the long-running
comic-book series “Hellblazer.” Veteran music-video
helmer Francis Lawrence (P.O.D.’s “Alive,” Pink’s “Just
Like A Pill”) was set to make his feature directorial
debut from a screenplay by Frank Cappello (“Suburban
Commando,” “Timeline”), Kevin Brodbin
(“Mind-hunters”) and Mark Bomback. Keanu Reeves
(the “Matrix” series), Rachel Weisz (“About
A Boy”), Tilda Swinton (“Adaptation”),
Djimon Housou (“Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle
of Life”) and Gavin Rossdale (“Zoolander”)
were set to star. Warner Bros. is investigating Sept. 17
for the release.
Vampires never go out of style. Hugh
Jackman (“X2”)
takes on the title role in “Van Helsing.” The
horror thriller, set in the late 19th century, follows
the famed monster-hunting doctor to Eastern Europe, where
he sets out to destroy Count Dracula, the Wolf Man and
Frankenstein’s monster. Stephen Sommers (“The
Mummy” franchise) directed from his own screenplay.
Kate Beckinsale (“Underworld”), Richard Roxburgh
(“Moulin Rouge”), Shular Hensley (“The
Bread, My Sweet”), Will Kemp (“Mindhunters”)
and David Wenham (“The Lord of the Rings: The Two
Towers”) co-star. Universal has staked a claim on
a May 7 release date.
Continuing in the same vein, “Blade: Trinity” is,
understandably, the third in the lucrative franchise based
on the Marvel Comics vampire slayer. David S. Goyer (“Zigzag”),
who scripted all three installments, was reportedly set
to direct this episode as well. Other expected returnees
include Wesley Snipes as the title character and Kris Kristofferson
as Whistler. Actors new to the franchise are expected to
include Jessica Biel (“Texas Chainsaw Massacre”)
and Ryan Reynolds (“The In-Laws”). New Line
expects it to make the cut next August.
“Hellboy,” covered in these pages in other
contexts, is an actioner about a demon-like creature from
another dimension (originally summoned by Nazi occultists
in 1944) who grew up to work as an investigator for the
U.S. government’s Bureau of Paranormal Research.
Based on the Dark Horse comic book created by Mike Mignola,
it was written and directed by Guillermo del Toro (“The
Devil’s Backbone,” “Blade 2”).
Ron Perlman (“Star Trek: Nemesis”) stars as
Hellboy, with Selma Blair (“A Guy Thing”) as
Liz Sherman, John Hurt (“Owning Mahowny”) as
Professor Bruttenholm, Doug Jones (“Adaptation”)
as Abe Sapien, Jeffrey Tambor (“Never Again”)
as Dr. Tom Manning, Karel Roden (“Bulletproof Monk”)
as Grigori Rasputin and Victoria Smurfit (“Bulletproof
Monk”) as Ilsa. Sony fires it up May 21.
“Exorcist: The Beginning,” a prequel to the
phenomenally successful 1973 thriller, is set in the early
part of the 20th century and details a young priest’s
journey through Africa and his first encounter with demonic
possession. It’s based upon characters and events
depicted in William Blatty’s novel “The Exorcist.” Paul
Schrader (“Affliction,” “Auto Focus”)
directed from a screenplay by novelist Caleb Carr (“The
Alienist”) and William Wisher Jr. (“Judge Dredd,” “13th
Warrior”). Stellan Skarsgård (“City of
Ghosts”), Clara Bellar (“A.I.”), Gabriel
Mann (“The Life of David Gale,” “Buffalo
Soldiers”), Antonie Kamerling (“Left Luggage,” “Mindhunters”),
Andrew French (“The Tailor of Panama”), Ralph
Brown (“Mean Machine”) and Billy Crawford star.
Warner Bros. takes possession of theatres Feb. 6.
Of course, the supernatural is not
always scary. “Son
of the Mask” is a comedy fantasy prequel to the 1994
smash “The Mask” about a man whose infant son
gains superpowers when the tot dons the mask of Loki. Directed
by Lawrence Guterman (“Cats & Dogs”) from
a screenplay by Tom Gammill & Max Pross (TV’s “Seinfeld”),
Lance Khazei (“Romantic Comedy”) and Rob McKittrick,
it will star Jamie Kennedy (“Malibu’s Most
Wanted”) and Alan Cumming (“Spy Kids 3D: Game
Over”). New Line puts it on Oct. 8.
Jim Carrey is reportedly still in talks
to play Darrin Stephens opposite already-signed Nicole
Kidman in a big-screen
version of “Bewitched.” Based on the 1964-1972
ABC sitcom, the film will reportedly deal with Darrin’s
courtship of the supernaturally powerful Samantha. Nora
Ephron (“You’ve Got Mail,” “Lucky
Numbers”) was reportedly set to direct from her own
screenplay. It will also reportedly be “in color.” Sony
has yet to spell out a release date.
“Topper” is a remake of the classic 1937 Cary
Grant-Constance Bennett comedy about a lively dead couple
who haunt a stuffed-shirt banker. Adam Shankman (“The
Wedding Planner,” “Bringing Down the House”)
was reportedly set to direct from a screenplay by Randi
Mayem Singer (“Mrs. Doubtfire”). Steve Martin
was reportedly set to star. It’s in development at
Universal.
“The Princess Of Paradise Park” is
a supernatural drama about two brothers who rebuild an
old carousel in
Paradise Park, an area along the boardwalk in Atlantic
City, N.J., in hopes of communing with their sister, who
died there 18 years before. Screenwriter Michael Seitzman
(“Angel Eyes,” “Here on Earth”)
makes his feature directorial debut. Jim Caviezel (“High
Crimes”) was reportedly set to star. Warner Bros.
has yet to set a release date.
Finally, the reigning champ of cinema du spooky, M. Night
Shyamalan (“The Sixth Sense,” “Unbreakable,” “Signs”),
takes us out to a film he has temporarily titled “The
Woods.” The thriller, set in
1897, is about a close-knit rural community with a shared
awareness of a mysterious
race of beings living in the adjacent forest. Shyamalan
was set to write and direct. William Hurt (“Changing
Lanes”), Sigourney Weaver (“Holes”),
Adrien Brody (“Love the Hard Way,” “Dummy”),
Bryce Dallas Howard (“How the Grinch Stole Christmas”)
and Joaquin Phoenix (“Signs,” “Buffalo
Soldiers”) were reportedly set to star. Disney,
somewhat mysteriously, refuses to be more specific than
August 2004 for the release. 
