6/27/2014
Sam Raimi Boards 'The Outpost'; Steve Pink Goes 'Overnight'; Joe Carnahan Takes 'Five Against a Bullet'
* Sam Raimi's Oz the Great and Powerful didn't exactly leave audiences begging for a sequel, which is probably why we haven't heard Disney say anything about one. So what's he going to do next? Well, he's been keeping busy with TV projects and there's always talk of more Evil Dead movies, but it looks Raimi will next be producing and possibly directing The Outpost. Penned by Paul Tamasy and Eric Johnson (The Wrestler) and based on the book by CNN reporter Jake Tapper, the true story centers on the war in Afghanistan and the defense of Combat Outpost Keating by 53 American soldiers as they were overrun by more than 400 Taliban fighters. This is the kind of film we've never seen Raimi tackle before and hopefully the script comes together in a way that allows him to take the helm. [Deadline]
* Steve Pink, who has been keeping busy with remake of About Last Night and the upcoming Hot Tub Time Machine 2, will direct Disney's kiddie adventure movie, Overnight. Ruben Fleischer had been in talks for the job it didn't get very far. Written by Oren Uziel (22 Jump Street), the story follows an absent-minded, recently divorced father and his son staying overnight in a toy store until thieves break in and hostage situation must be defused. [THR]
* Joe Carnahan (Smokin' Aces, The Grey) is taking on another macho flick in Five Against a Bullet, which Bruce Willis was attached to at one point. His name is missing from The Wrap's report so we can assume he's dropped out of the film about "five bodyguards hired to protect a Mexican politician over the course of a contentious election after his father is murdered by a drug cartel." It's described as in the vein of The Magnificent Seven and The Wild Bunch which is a pretty good place to start and right up Carnahan's alley.