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Resumé of the King

What’s all this talk about a waning interest in sequels? Now that “Return of the King” has been released and the “Lord Of The Rings” trilogy is completed (and well on its way toward comprising the entire gross national product of New Zealand), it seems like a good time to check in on what the $1.78- (and counting) billion-grossing multipart epic’s cast and crew is up to – besides waiting for their mailboxes to fill with profit participation statements.

The returning king himself, Viggo Mortensen, is due next in “Hidalgo,” a Western adventure, set in 1890 and based on a true story, about a U.S. cavalry courier who raced his mustang against purebred Arabian steeds in a 3,000-mile survival race across the Arabian Desert. Joe Johnston (“October Sky,” “Jurassic Park III”) directs from a screenplay by John Fusco (“Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron”). Zuleikha Robinson (“Timecode”), Malcolm McDowell (“I Spy,” “The Company”), Adam Alexi-Malle (“AI: Artificial Intelligence”), Frank Collison (“The Majestic”), Adoni Maropis (“Scorpion King”) and Omar Sharif (“Monsieur Ibrahim”) co-star. Buena Vista plans a March 5 release.

Ian McKellen is seeking “Asylum.” Set in 1959, it’s the story of a woman who falls in love with a mysterious inmate of the mental hospital that employs her husband. She eventually helps him escape. David Mackenzie (“Young Adam”) directs from a screenplay by playwright Patrick Marber based on the novel by Patrick McGrath (“Spider”). Natasha Richardson (“Maid in Manhattan”) co-stars with “Rings” alumnus Marton Csokas, Sean Harris (24 Hour Party People”), Hugh Bonneville (“Iris”) as the husband, Joss Ackland (“K-19: The Widowmaker”), Amy Horton, Rhidian Jones, and Peter Yates. Paramount Classics has prescribed 2004 for the release.

The trilogy’s Frodo, Elijah Wood, has opted for lighter fare to clear his acting palate. Up next for him is “Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind,” a comedy about a man who undergoes a procedure to erase memories of his ex-girlfriend – but begins to regret the erasure when he’s left with only memories of their earlier, happier days together. Michel Gondry (“Human Nature”) directs from a screenplay by Charlie Kaufman (“Being John Malkovich,” “Human Nature,” “Adaptation,” “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind”). Wood’s co-stars include Jim Carrey (“Bruce Almighty”), Kate Winslet (“The Life of David Gale”), Kirsten Dunst (“Mona Lisa Smile”), Tom Wilkinson (“Girl with a Pearl Earring”) and Mark Ruffalo (“In the Cut”). Focus plans a March 19 release. Focus plans a March 19 release.

“Happy Feet” is an animated musical comedy about a young, musically talented penguin and his many adventures in the Antarctic. George Miller (the “Mad Max” and “Babe” franchises) directs from a screenplay by Warren Coleman and John Collee (“Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World”). Wood adds his voice to those of Denise Blasor, Brittany Murphy and Robin Williams. Warner Bros. has it on ice until 2006.

Frodo’s hobbit helper Sean Astin has left the trilogy and “Elvis Has Left The Building.” Astin co-stars in this comedy about a traveling cosmetic saleswoman who turns fugitive after she is suspected of killing Elvis impersonators. Joel Zwick (“My Big Fat Greek Wedding”) directs from a screenplay by Adam-Michael Barber and Mitchell Ganem. Astin’s castmates include Kim Basinger (“People I Know”), John Corbett (“My Big Fat Greek Wedding”), Billy Ray Cyrus (“Mulholland Drive”), Angie Dickinson (“Big Bad Love”), Jenny Gabrielle (“Festival in Cannes”), Richard Kind (“The Station Agent”), David Leisure (“10 Things I Hate About You”), Phill Lewis (“I Spy”), Pat Morita (“The Center of the World”), Annie Potts (“Texasville,” “Breaking the Rules”) and Denise Richards (“Love Actually”). It has yet to secure a domestic distributor.

Astin’s also in “50 First Kisses,” a comedy about a guy who falls in love with a woman with short-term memory loss. Read more about the Feb. 13 Sony release in this month's Preview.

Astin’s also in “50 First Kisses,” a comedy about a guy who falls in love with a woman with short-term memory loss. Read more about the Feb. 13 Sony release in this month's Preview. (Bet you didn’t think we’d try that joke twice, did you?)

Liv Tyler trades Middle Earth for the tri-state area in “Jersey Girl.” The comedy, about a man whose already complicated life is further complicated by the addition of a new wife and 6-year-old daughter, was written and directed by Kevin Smith (“Dogma,” “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back”). Recurring Smith cast members Ben Affleck (“Gigli, “Paycheck”), Jason Lee (“Dreamcatcher”), Jason Mewes (“Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back,” “Vulgar”), Joey Lauren Adams (“Harvard Man,” “In the Shadows”) and George Carlin (“Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back”) co-star with Tyler and Jennifer Lopez (“Gigli”). Miramax gets gigli with it March 19.

Tyler also stars in “Voltage,” an ensemble comedy about a new engineering-school grad who finds his bosses’ goals impossible to meet when he accepts a job with a defense contractor. It’s based on the novel “A Shortage of Engineers” by Robert Grossbach (“Easy and Hard Ways Out”). Robert Altman (“Gosford Park,” “The Company”) directs from a screenplay by Alan Rudolph (“Breakfast of Champions,” “Trixie”). Tyler’s co-stars include Joaquin Phoenix (“Signs,” “Buffalo Soldiers”), Phillip Seymour Hoffman (“Love Liza”), Steve Buscemi (“Spy Kids 2,” “Big Fish”), William H. Macy (“The Cooler”), Campbell Scott (“The Secret Lives of Dentists”), Tony Shalhoub (“Spy Kids 2”), Taye Diggs (“Malibu’s Most Wanted”), Harry Belafonte (“Kansas City”) and Elliot Gould (“Ocean’s Eleven”). The film has yet to wire up a distributor.

Miranda Otto’s Eowyn couldn’t quite capture Aragorn’s heart, but she did manage to snatch the title of “busiest LOTR alum.”

“Hypnotic” is next for the actress. The thriller, set in London, is about an American hypnotherapist who uses his ability to receive flashes from inside patients’ minds to help a detective catch a ritualistic killer. It’s based on the novel by Madison Smartt Bell (“Master of the Crossroads”). Nick Willing directed from a screenplay by Willing and William Brookfield (“Rough Magic”). Numbered among Otto’s castmates are Goran Visnjic (“The Deep End”), Shirley Henderson (“Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets”), Paddy Considine (“In America”) and Corin Redgrave (“Enigma”). It’s also known as “Doctor Sleep.” First Look plans an April 16 release in New York and Los Angeles.

“The Flight Of The Phoenix” is an action thriller, set in the Mongolian desert, about a group of plane crash survivors who attempt to find their way out of the desert by piecing together wreckage from the airplane. It’s a remake of the 1966 action adventure of the same name starring Jimmy Stewart. John Moore (“Behind Enemy Lines”) directs from a screenplay by Scott Frank (“Minority Report”). Dennis Quaid (“Cold Creek Manor”), Giovanni Ribisi (“Lost in Translation,” “Cold Mountain”), Jacob Vargas (“Dragonfly”), Tony Curran (“The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen”) and Tyrese (“2 Fast 2 Furious”) are Otto’s co-stars. Fox plans a Nov. 12 takeoff.

Otto takes another unconventional flight in “Danny Deckchair.” This Australian romantic comedy is about a truck driver who finds love with a meter maid after he ties huge helium balloons to a lawn chair and accidentally floats off to a strange town. Longtime storyboard artist Jeff Balsmeyer (“Canadian Bacon,” “Operation Dumbo Drop,” “Heat”) makes his feature directorial debut from his own screenplay. Otto’s co-stars include Rhys Ifans (“The 51st State,” “Once Upon A Time in the Midlands”), Justine Clarke (“Bootmen”), Rhys Muldoon, Andrew Crabbe and Angus King. Lions Gate says its release date is still up in the air.

“In The Winter Dark” is a thriller from Down Under about a rural farmer’s wife determined to track down the mysterious force that has begun preying on the local livestock and wildlife. It’s based on the story by Tim Winton (“That Eye, the Sky”). James Bogle (“Mad Bomber in Love”) directs from a screenplay by the “Mad Bomber in Love” team of Bogle and Peter Rasmussen. Brenda Blethyn (“Lovely and Amazing,” “Pumpkin”), Ray Barrett, Richard Roxburgh (“The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen”), Steve Le Marquand (“Vertical Limit”), Justin Monjo (“Tunnel Vision”), Les Dayman (“Holy Smoke”) and Marjorie Child are Otto’s co-stars. It was a Cowboy release before that distributor folded, so its status is uncertain.

Orlando Bloom next buckles the armor back on (and rejoins “Fellowship of the Ring” castmate Sean Bean) when he plays Paris in “Troy.” The epic drama, set around 1193 B.C., is about a Trojan prince who incites a bloody, decade-long war with the Greeks after he steals away the wife of the Spartan king Menelaus. It’s based on Homer’s epic poem “The Iliad.” Wolfgang Peterson (“Air Force One,” “The Perfect Storm”) directs from a screenplay by David Benioff (“25th Hour”) and Michael Tabb. Co-stars include Bean (“Equilibrium”) as Odysseus, Brad Pitt (“Full Frontal,” “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind”) as Achilles, Eric Bana (“Black Hawk Down,” “Hulk”) as Hector, Diane Kruger (“Wicker Park”) as Helen, Brendan Gleeson (“28 Days Later,” “Cold Mountain”) as Menelaus, Brian Cox (“X2”) as Agamemnon, Peter O’Toole (“Phantoms”) as Trojan king Priam, Julie Christie (“No Such Thing”) as Thetis, Saffron Burrows (“Frida”) as Andromache, Rose Byrne (“Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones,” “City of Ghosts,” “I Capture the Castle”) as Briseis, and Garrett Hedlund as Patroclus. Warner Bros. hopes you’ll wine-dark see it May 14.

Bloom segues from the Mediterranean to another storied sea to reprise his Will Turner role in “Pirates of the Caribbean 2.” The sequel to the 2003 hit is expected to reunite director Gore Verbinski, screenwriters Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio and actors Bloom, Johnny Depp and Keira Knightley. Disney says there will be at least an 18 month wait from this point in line.

Bloom gets to make fun of of indie costume dramas in “The Remains Of The Piano.” The spoof is about a wealthy rubber mogul who, after returning to England after a lengthy stay in India, meets two senseless women and loses his fortune. Screenwriter-actor Eric Idle (“Splitting Heirs”) was set to make his feature directorial debut from his own script. Expected opposite Bloom are Idle (“Hollywood Homicide”), Geoffrey Rush (“Intolerable Cruelty”), Anjelica Huston (“Daddy Day Care”), Patrick Stewart (“X2”), Catherine O’Hara (“A Mighty Wind”), Neve Campbell (“Scream 3,” “The Company”), Alfred Molina (“My Life Without Me”) and Billy Connolly (“Timeline”).

“Haven” is a thriller about two shady businessmen who flee to the Cayman Islands to avoid federal prosecution. Their escape leads to a sequence of events that causes a British man (Bloom) to commit a nation-changing crime. Written and directed by Frank Flowers, it co-stars Bill Paxton (“Spy Kids 3D: Game Over,” “Broken Lizard’s Club Dread”) and Gabriel Byrne (“Ghost Ship”) as the businessmen, Joy Bryant (“Honey”), Anthony Mackie (“Hollywood Homicide”) and Victor Rasuk (“Raising Victor Vargas”). It is currently filming.

“Kingdom of Heaven” is a period drama about a blacksmith (Bloom) who rallies the people of Jerusalem to battle the Crusaders. Ridley Scott was set to direct from a screenplay by William Monahan (the upcoming “Tripoli” and Jurassic Park IV”). Fox plans a December 2005 release.

David Wenham takes part in “Van Helsing.” The horror thriller, set in the late 19th century, follows the famed monster-hunting doctor as he travels to Eastern Europe to destroy Count Dracula, the Wolf Man and Frankenstein’s monster. Stephen Sommers (the “Mummy” franchise) writes and directs. Hugh Jackman stars as Abraham Van Helsing, Kate Beckinsale (“Underworld”) as Anna, Richard Roxburgh (“The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen”) as Count Dracula, Will Kemp as The Wolf Man, Shuler Hensley (“Someone Like You”) as Frankenstein’s Monster, Kevin J. O’Connor (“The Mummy”) as Igor and Samuel West (“Notting Hill”) as Victor Frankenstein. Universal has staked out May 7 for the release.

Andy Serkis sheds his Gollum CGI-”makeup” for “13 Going On 30.” The romantic comedy is about an ungainly 13-year-old whose wish to become popular and sexy comes true after she miraculously skips 17 years and finds that she has grown into a beautiful, successful 30-year-old executive. Gary Winick (“The Tic Code,” “Tadpole”) directs from a screenplay by Cathy Yuspa & Josh Goldsmith (“What Women Want”), Rita Hsiao (“Toy Story 2”) and Niels Mueller (“Tadpole”). Serkis’ castmates include Jennifer Garner (“Daredevil”), Mark Ruffalo (“Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”), Judy Greer (“Adaptation”), Samuel Ball (“Pumpkin”), and Kathy Baker (“Assassination Tango,” “Cold Mountain”). Sony releases it May 28.

“The Aviator” finds new screen icon Cate Blanchett playing old screen icon Kate Hepburn in the biography of the reclusive and eccentric inventor, pilot, filmmaker and billionaire Howard Hughes. Martin Scorsese (“Bringing Out the Dead,” “Gangs of New York”) directs from a screenplay by John Logan (“The Time Machine,” “Star Trek: Nemesis,” “The Last Samurai”). Leonardo DiCaprio (“Gangs of New York”) stars as Hughes, Frances Conroy (“Maid in Manhattan,” “Die Mommie Die”) as an older Hepburn, with Kate Beckinsale as Ava Gardner, No Doubt vocalist Gwen Stefani as Jean Harlow, Adam Scott (“Torque”) as Johnny Meyer, Kelli Garner (“Confessions of a Dangerous Mind”) as Faith Domergue, Alec Baldwin (“The Cooler,” “Dr. Seuss’ The Cat In The Hat”) as Juan Trippe, Danny Huston (“21 Grams”) as Jack Frye, John C. Reilly (“Anger Management”) as Noah Dietrich, Matt Ross (“Down With Love”) as Glenn Odekirk, fellow “Ring”-er Ian Holm as Fitz, Brent Spiner (“Star Trek: Nemesis”) as Robert Gross, Alan Alda (“What Women Want”) as Sen. Ralph Owen Brewster, Edward Herrmann (“Intolerable Cruelty”) as Joseph Breen, Stanley DeSantis (“The Man Who Wasn’t There,” “Die Mommie Die”) as Louis B. Mayer, Amy Sloane (“Timeline”) as Hughes’ mother, and Nellie Sciutto (“The Closet”) as Nadine Henley. Willem Dafoe (“Once Upon A Time in Mexico”) also stars. Warner Bros. takes it out of hiding Dec. 19.

Bernard Hill goes from playing Theoden to playing in “Wimbledon.” The romantic comedy is about a low-ranked tennis pro who falls for a rising female tennis star as he takes his last real shot at a Wimbledon victory. Richard Loncraine (“Richard III”) directs from a screenplay by Jennifer Flackett & Mark Levin (“Madeline”). Kirsten Dunst (“Mona Lisa Smile”), Paul Bettany (“Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World”), Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (“Black Hawk Down”) and Austin Nichols star. Universal serves it up Sept. 24.

Karl Urban moves out of Middle Earth’s imagined past to the Earth’s imagined present in “The Bourne Supremacy.” The thriller is about what happens when someone assassinates the Chinese vice premiere and frames “Jason Bourne,” the false identity used by CIA agent David Webb, for the slaying. It’s a sequel to the 2002 blockbuster “The Bourne Identity” and based on the second novel in the “Bourne” series authored by Robert Ludlum (“The Osterman Weekend”). Returnees from “The Bourne Identity” include screenwriter Tony Gilroy (“Proof of Life”) and actors Matt Damon (“Stuck On You”), Franka Potente (“Blow”), Brian Cox (“Troy”) and Julia Stiles (“Mona Lisa Smile”). Newcomers to the franchise include Urban and director Paul Greengrass (“Bloody Sunday”). Universal’s expectations for a release will be borne out July 23.

Urban plunges into a space-faring future in “Riddick.” The sci-fi actioner about an escaped convict who learns more about his special vision powers as he is drawn into a galactic war is a sequel to 2000’s “Pitch Black.” It was written and directed by David Twohy (“Pitch Black,” “Below”). Vin Diesel (“A Man Apart”), reprises the title role. Aside from Urban, his co-stars include Thandie Newton (“The Truth About Charlie”), Judi Dench (“Die Another Day”) and Colm Feore (“Paycheck”). The film was previously known as “The Chronicles of Riddick” and “Pitch Black 2.” Universal shines it on screens June 11.

The aforementioned Marton Csokas gets back in fighting trim for “The Great Raid.” The action-drama, set in the Philippines during World War II, is about Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s daring 1945 raid on a POW camp, engineered to free 500 Americans facing certain death. John Dahl (“Joy Ride”) directs from a screenplay by Hossein Amini (“Wings of the Dove,” “The Four Feathers”). Csokas’ castmates include James Franco (“Sonny,” the “Spider-Man” series), Joseph Fiennes (“Enemy at the Gates”), Connie Nielsen (“Basic”), Benjamin Bratt (“Abandon”), Freddie Joe Farnsworth (“Spy Game”), Robert Mammone (“Vertical Limit”) and Natalie Mendoza (“Moulin Rouge”). Miramax has yet to seize a release date.

The “Heavenly Creatures”-”Frighteners”-”Lord of the Rings” team of writer-director Peter Jackson and screenwriters Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens have lined up their next collaboration. “King Kong” is a remake of the 1933 thriller about a simian leviathan from the jungles of darkest Africa who is captured and displayed in New York. Naomi Watts (“21 Grams”) was reportedly set to play the primate’s prime mate. Universal plans a Dec. 14, 2005 release.