ON HIS GAME FAMILY FARE `ZATHURA' LETS JON FAVREAU SWING INTO OUTER SPACE.Byline: Glenn Whipp Film Writer Jon Favreau Jonathan K. Favreau (born on October 19, 1966) is an American actor and director. Biography Early life Favreau was born in Flushing, New York to Charles Favreau, a special education teacher, and Madeleine, a schoolteacher who died of leukemia in 1978. knows that some people think his new PG-rated adventure movie ``Zathura'' totally rips off ``Jumanji.'' After all, it's about two kids discovering a board game, dusting it off and going on the ride of their lives, this time straight to outer space (instead of the jungle). The problem, of course, is that ``Zathura'' isn't a clone. Like ``Jumanji,'' it's based on a Chris Van Allsburg book. But most sci-fi fans don't spend their time in the children's section of bookstores, so Sony felt compelled to at least acknowledge the connection, revamping the movie's one-sheet poster to include a reference to ``Jumanji.'' Says Favreau: ``It's confusing because they're written by the same guy and they both share the motif of fantastic events emanating from a game. But, by the same token, 'Zathura' has a very different sensibility, shares none of the same characters and takes place on the other side of the country. ``I don't want to mislead people to think this is a sequel,'' Favreau continues, ``whether you liked the first movie and hope to see more of it, or didn't like it and wouldn't want to see anything related to it.'' Favreau is decidedly in the latter camp, saying ``Jumanji'' ``went down a lot of dead ends,'' ``got too complicated'' and was ``a little inconsistent tonally.'' But the 1995 film, which starred Robin Williams and Kirsten Dunst Kirsten[1] Caroline Dunst (born April 30, 1982) is an American actress, known for her roles in (for which she received a Golden Globe nomination), The Virgin Suicides, Marie Antoinette, and Bring It On and was at the forefront of computer-generated effects work, was a decent hit for Sony, generating $262 million in worldwide box office. So, for the past decade, Sony executives have pined for a sequel. ``There's been so much time since 'Jumanji' that I started wondering if they'd be marketing to the children of the people who saw the movie in theaters,'' says Van Allsburg by phone from his Rhode Island Rhode Island, island, United States Rhode Island, island, 15 mi (24 km) long and 5 mi (8 km) wide, S R.I., at the entrance to Narragansett Bay. It is the largest island in the state, with steep cliffs and excellent beaches. home. Van Allsburg, the Caldecott Medal-winning writer and illustrator of 15 books, including ``The Polar Express,'' watched without much enthusiasm as Sony tried to fashion a ``Jumanji'' sequel over the years. ``I didn't think having a couple of different kids playing the same game would be all that interesting,'' he says. ``Once you've seen a rhino stampede stam·pede n. 1. A sudden frenzied rush of panic-stricken animals. 2. A sudden headlong rush or flight of a crowd of people. 3. , it's not going to be that much different in someone else's house.'' So Van Allsburg came up with a solution, devising a new game, a game glimpsed on the final pages of ``Jumanji.'' As director Favreau noted, ``Zathura'' (published in 2002) has the same basic concept as ``Jumanji,'' but Van Allsburg says the newer book is deeper. In ``Jumanji,'' a brother and sister tested their courage. With ``Zathura,'' Van Allsburg tapped into sibling rivalry sibling rivalry Psychology The intense, emotional competition among siblings–brothers and/or sisters that pits one against the other to obtain parental affection, approval, attention, and love. See Cain complex. Cf Oy child, Sibling relational problem. , presenting two brothers needing to discover the importance of family. ``It's clearly related, but it's not a sequel,'' says Van Allsburg's producing partner, William Teitler. ``It's like a brother or cousin or something.'' Favreau, coming off a huge hit directing ``Elf,'' was looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. a movie that would continue expanding his capabilities as a director. After breaking through writing and starring in the hipster-lexicon landmark of lounge living, ``Swingers,'' Favreau, 39, has steadily, determinedly changed the way Hollywood perceives him. ``With 'Elf,' I went from independent comedy to studio comedy, but it was PG and a Christmas movie, so people were OK with me doing it,'' Favreau says. ``Now I've moved into another PG movie, a family movie that's funny but is science fiction. So it's slightly different, but I did good with 'Elf, so they gave me a shot. It was different enough from 'Elf,' but similar enough to 'Elf' to give me a certain amount of freedom creatively.'' Favreau used that creative freedom to impose his distinct artistic sensibilities on the material. Like ``Elf,'' ``Zathura'' uses mostly old-school practical environments instead of computer-generated effects and emphasizes the connections between the characters at the expense of a preponderance of gags. ``Originally, the script had more banter between the brothers, the stuff you might find in 'Beverly Hills Cop' or 'Bad Boys,' '' says co-producer Peter Billingsley. ``Jon took that out. He wanted the movie to feel real. If two kids were in a house that was transported into outer space and bad things are happening, then there is a seriousness to the mistakes that isn't always fun.'' Says Favreau: ``The studio was watching over our shoulders, constantly questioning anything that was not related to something that could be incorporated into the trailer. Everything is questioned that isn't funny or isn't exciting. But a lot of times, you're laying pipe emotionally, and scenes are serving purposes that might not, at first blush Adv. 1. at first blush - as a first impression; "at first blush the offer seemed attractive" when first seen , seem interesting.'' Favreau's model for all this wasn't ``Jumanji,'' but Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment movies from the 1970s and '80s, films like ``Close Encounters of the Third Kind'' and ``E.T.'' ``We looked at a movie like 'E.T.' and wondered, 'Why is that not considered a kids' movie?' '' Favreau says. ``It stars kids. It's a PG movie. It's a science-fiction adventure. But what Spielberg did was take a very relatable family situation and present it in a real way. It's almost like an independent drama at the beginning. Then once you create that framework, you put the family into incredible situations, but never at the expense of the reality of what the family is going through.'' Favreau is the father of a 4-year-old boy and a 2-year-old girl, so he has been immersed im·merse tr.v. im·mersed, im·mers·ing, im·mers·es 1. To cover completely in a liquid; submerge. 2. To baptize by submerging in water. 3. (for good and bad, he says) in kids' movies lately. (``Here's my buddy in the most successful R-rated comedy of all time, and I'm busy going to movies with talking animals The talking animal or speaking animal term, in general, refers to any form of animal which can speak human languages. This can by itself be interpreted in several manners, as listed in the below sections. in them,'' Favreau says of friend Vince Vaughn's summer hit, ``Wedding Crashers.'') Favreau believes the key to making a good family movie is ``believing in the lesson of the film and not feeling saddled with making it appropriate for kids. You really have to care,'' Favreau says. ``I was really proud of that aspect of 'Elf.' It left people feeling a little happier, friendlier, more hopeful. It brought about some Christmas spirit. But that never took precedence over making the thing funny or entertaining.'' Favreau will be leaving family films behind with his next movie, an adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs' novel ``John Carter John Carter may refer to:
``It's a chance to do something really big,'' Favreau says. ``I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. yet if I've hit that level. But I think I'm at the point in my career where I have enough enthusiasm and energy and probably know enough about the technology where I have a shot at it.'' Glenn Whipp, (818) 713-3672 glenn.whipp(at)dailynews.com Coming soon: booking more kids' movies Three years after it was published, the film version of ``Zathura'' arrives in theaters. For a children's classic, that's a veritable sprint. The progress on some other adaptations of beloved kids books: CURIOUS GEORGE Curious George inquisitive, mischievous monkey. [Children’s Lit.: Curious George] See : Curiosity : A traditionally animated version of this monkey's tale arrives in February, nearly 65 years after George first started snooping about. Will Ferrell John William "Will" Ferrell (born July 16, 1967[1]) is an Emmy- and Golden Globe-nominated American comedian, impressionist, writer and actor who first established himself as a cast member of Saturday Night Live, and Drew Barrymore head the vocal cast; more interestingly, laid-back surfer/troubadour Jack Johnson Jack Johnson may refer to:
NANNY McPHEE: After winning a screenplay Oscar for adapting Jane Austen's ``Sense and Sensibility Sense and Sensibility is a novel by the English novelist Jane Austen, that was first published in 1811. It was the first of Austen's novels to be published, under the pseudonym "A Lady". ,'' Emma Thompson Emma Thompson (born 15 April 1959) is an Emmy-, BAFTA- and Academy Award-winning English actress, comedian, and screenwriter. She is also a patron of the Refugee Council. Biography Early life Thompson was born in Paddington, London, England. turns her sights on Christianna Brand's ``Nurse Matilda'' books. Thompson also plays the title role, portraying a nanny altogether different than Mary Poppins. In theaters Jan. 27. WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE: After 15 years of starts and stops, director Spike Jonze (``Adaptation'') recently announced that preproduction pre·pro·duc·tion adj. 1. Taking place or existing before production: preproduction planning. 2. was ``well under way'' on the movie version of Maurice Sendak's picture book. Jonze co-wrote the screenplay with literary god Dave Eggers Dave Eggers (born March 12, 1970) is an American writer, editor, and publisher. Life Eggers was born in Chicago, Illinois, grew up in suburban Lake Forest (where he was a high-school classmate of the actor Vince Vaughn),[1] . WIDOW'S BROOM: This story of the friendship between a lonely woman and a witch's broom A Witch's broom is a disease or deformity in a woody plant, typically a tree, where the natural structure of the plant is changed. A dense mass of shoots grow from a single point, with the resulting structure resembling a broom or a bird's nest. will be the next Chris Van Allsburg book to hit the screen, probably some time in 2007. ``The problem is bringing the broom to life,'' Van Allsburg says. ``Let's face it, a broom's expressive powers are limited. It's just a stick. But they're working on it.'' - G.W. CAPTION(S): 4 photos, box Photo: (1 -- cover -- color) SPACE ODYSSEY First `Swingers,' then `Elf' now Jon Favreau blasts off with the family adventure `Zathura' (2) Josh Hutcherson, left, and Jonah Bobo Jonah Bobo (born January 24 1997) is an American actor. Biography Bobo was born in New York City, New York to an Orthodox Jewish family;[1] his father, Scott, works in software[2] and his mother, Denise, is a physical therapist and personal trainer. star in ``Zathura.'' (3) Director Jon Favreau, left, with Jonah Bobo and Josh Hutcherson as brothers Danny and Walter, and Tim Robbins Timothy Francis Robbins (born October 16, 1958) is an American Academy Award-winning actor, screenwriter, director, producer, activist and musician. He is the longtime partner of actress Susan Sarandon, with whom he shares liberal political views. as their dad, on the set of ``Zathura.'' (4) ``Curious George'' Box: Coming soon: booking more kids' movies (see text) |
|
||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion