Frank Miller and Odd Lot Entertainment, the creator and production company behind the upcoming comic-book adventure "The Spirit," are close to teaming again on the classic sci-fi property "Buck Rogers."
Odd Lot, the shingle run by Gigi Pritzker and Deborah Del Prete, is in negotiations to option the rights to "Rogers" from Nu Image/Millennium, which obtained those rights this year from the Dille Trust. Millennium is expected to get a credit on the movie but won't be involved in day-to-day production.
John Flint Dille, a friend of Miller's, operates the trust, which may have partly prompted rumors at the time of the Millennium acquisition that the comic auteur-turned-filmmaker might come aboard to direct. But Miller was not attached at the time; he only became involved when Odd Lot entered the picture.
Miller will write and direct his own big-screen take on the comic serial; while the creator has only begun to sketch ideas, it's expected to be a darker take, with many of Miller's signature visual elements and themes, such as corruption and redemption.
It's likely to be a priority project for Miller, though he has been mulling a "Sin City" sequel.
YES MAN SHOULD TAKE BOX OFFICE WEEKEND
Even with winter storms plaguing parts of the country, moviegoers managed to make Jim Carrey's comedy Yes Man the top film Friday with $6.5 million and Will Smith's drama number two with $5.2 million.
Overall, bad weather drove the estimated B.O. for yesterday's top 10 pics ($24.7 million) down by 4% from a week ago. Nonetheless, award season limited fare continued to chart strong theater averages, led by Fox Searchlight's weekend entry The Wrestler which posted a per site take of $14,375.
Distributed by Warner Bros. and playing at 3,434 locales, Yes Man bested the opening day of Carrey's previous PG-13 December comedy, Fun With Dick and Jane which generated $3.8 million in 2005 as well as a three-day weekend of $14.4 million. Dick and Jane finaled its domestic take with $110.3 million.
Marking Smith's second Sony drama with Italian helmer Gabriele Muccino, Seven Pounds, playing at 2,758, charted under the $9 million first day of the duo's first December 2006 collaboration The Pursuit of Happyness. Happyness opened to $26.5 million and ended its domestic run with $162.6 million. Smith also landed an Oscar nod for best actor for his performance in Happyness.
CLASSIC FILMS
BY GENRE
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
Nothing Like the Holidays
Yes man
Slumdog Millionaire
Frost/Nixon
The Day the Earth Stood Still
Australia
Quantum of Solace
Milk
Four Christmases
Twilight
Bolt
