Category: Celebs

Maybe They Call It “Rocky Road”

Craig / / 2000, Celebs, Driven

STALLONE RACING MOVIE GETS STARTED
by MIKE HARRIS
AP MOTORSPORTS WRITER
JULY 14, 2000

TORONTO (AP) — Maybe they can call it “Rocky Road.”

SYLVESTER STALLONE, who portrayed underdog Rocky Balboa in a series of popular movies, is now hoping the same magic that worked for boxing can be translated to Champ cars.

SLY, whose original idea of a movie about Formula one never came to fruition, has written a script and put together an independent deal to make a movie tentatively titled “Driven.” He will also produce the movie, which is scheduled to be released in the summer of 2001.

The story will revolve around STALLONE‘s character, an aging racing star, being brought back to mentor a budding star [KIP PARDUE]. BURT REYNOLDS will play a cantankerous team owner, while ESTELLA WARREN will be STALLONE‘s love interest.

Some initial scene-setting filming was done earlier this year during the race weekend in Long Beach, Calif., but the action is almost nonstop this week in Toronto as Championship Auto Racing Teams puts on its 11th Molson Indy.

RENNY HARLIN, who directed STALLONE in his last big hit, “Cliffhanger,” in 1993, will also direct this project.

HARLIN said the Rocky film saga parallels “Driven” in many ways.

“Rocky wasn’t a movie about boxing and this won’t be a movie about cars going around the track,” he said. “It won’t be a documentary, but since we followed racing all our lives, we don’t want to take liberties with things that could never happen.”

During a press conference to introduce the cast, Reynolds got the biggest laugh.

Asked why STALLONE sought him out for the role of the team owner, Reynolds said: “BURGESS MEREDITH was dead.”

MEREDITH played STALLONE‘s crusty trainer-manager in three “Rocky” films.

The rest of the cast includes GINA GERSHON, ROBERT SEAN LEONARD, STACY EDWARDS, TIL SCHWEIGER, CRISTIAN de la FUENTE and BRENT BRISCOE. Several current CART stars including MICHAEL ANDRETTI, JUAN MONTOYA and DAN FRANCHITTI will also have cameo roles.

– Craig Zablo

SLY TALKING “ROCKY VI”…

Craig / / 2000, Celebs, Rocky 6

SLY TALKING ROCKY VI…

The following item appeared in the June 30, 2000 issue of USAToday:

Stars learn the phrase ‘Never say never’

By Josh Chetwynd and Andy Seiler, USA TODAY

Hit movies from the ’80s and early ’90s – and the actors who became stars in them – are trying to revive the magic.

Harrison Ford is waiting for a script from M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense) for a fourth Indiana Jones. Sharon Stone is ready to do Basic Instinct 2. Arnold Schwarzenegger is returning for a third Terminator. Sylvester Stallone is “in talks” for Rocky 6. Paul Hogan is shooting a third “Crocodile” Dundee. And Under Siege 3 is being developed for Steven Seagal.

Many of the stars vowed they’d never go back. But now, with the possible exception of Ford, their signature characters are their best bet for a career boost.

“Their careers have not been as great as they once were,” says syndicated columnist Marylin Beck. “So they are more susceptible to offers to a sequel that – on the way up – they said they wouldn’t do.”

More old favorites might be returning without their original stars. Planet of the Apes is returning with Mark Wahlberg in the Charlton Heston role.
Several producers are considering another Fletch, but someone younger than Chevy Chase likely would star. And writers are working on the script for Pink Panther 10, though attempts with Alan Arkin, Ted Wass and Roberto Benigni in the late Peter Sellers’ role failed.

Why the rush to bring back old movies? Hollywood is not making good new ones, Beck says. “Ask somebody, ‘Seen any good movies this year?'” and their list probably begins and ends with Erin Brockovich and Gladiator. You have to hunt out the art houses to find the foreign films to watch a decent story. So Hollywood leans more and more on the tried and true.”

Rocky VI anyone? Thanks to Andrew for posting this item on the SZ message board as well!

– Craig Zablo

(July 02, 2000)

“Champs” DVD News

Craig / / 2000, Celebs, Champs

In the June 23, 2000 issue of Entertainment Weekly there is an article about special edition DVDs by SCOTT BROWN entitled, “Isn’t That Special.” The article discusses directors who favor the extra treatment their films can get on DVD as well as some of the extras the discs include. In addition to the mention of the “Cliffhanger” special edition DVD which is now available, the article also quotes RENNY HARLIN about what we can look forward to on the “Champs” DVD! RENNY is “already planning custom photography for the DVD release of his next movie, the SYLVESTER STALLONE car-racing actioner tentatively titled “Champs” – though shooting hasn’t yet begun.” “The audience will be able to choose whether they want to watch the actor driving or look at what the actor is seeing through the windshield,” says HARLIN, who adds that he adores DVD and the creative flexibility it affords him. “I’d say I have about 100 percent creative control (over my special editions)… I’ll take the blame and I’ll take the glory.”

This absolutely is good news!

-Craig Zablo

Sly and Tom Cruise in “Death Race 3000”?

Craig / / 2000, Celebs, Unmade Films

Cinescape.com‘s Insider News and Rumors‘ column reports today that TOM CRUISE continues to move forward with his “Death Race 3000” project. The report states that TOM CRUISE will not only produce but probably star in “Death Race 3000” as well. The film is set to be directed by PAUL ANDERSON (“Soldier,” “Event Horizon”) from a script by JONATHON LAWTON (“Pretty Woman,” “Under Siege”). According to the report LAWTON “would really like to get SYLVESTER STALLONE to come back to reprise his role as Machine-Gun Joe Viterbo” from the original “Death Race 2000.” LAWTON is quoted as saying, “Machine-Gun Joe is definitely part of the story. It would be a great casting decision.”

One would have thought that “Death Race 2000” would be one of the least likely movies from SLY‘s filmography to get a sequel… but, and this is a BIG but, if TOM CRUISE does decide to produce and star in “DR3000,” then SLY should jump on board!

– Craig Zablo

TWO SLY TIDBITS!

Craig / / 2000, Celebs, Champs, Cliffhanger, FIST
TWO SLY TIDBITS!

In the June 20, 2000 issue of The National Enquirer there is a tidbit about SYLVESTER STALLONE in an article by Alan Smith, titled “Lust and Love in H’wood: Producer Bares All in Tattletale Book.” The article discusses American Rhapsody, the new book, by Joe Eszterhaus. Eszterhaus the well-known screenwriter of movies such as “Basic Instinct,” “Flashdance, and “F.I.S.T.” has written a tell-all account which has “Hollywood… quaking in their boots over the revelations.” According to the article, which provides a peek at some of the celebrities dissed or uh, discussed in the book; after the completion of “F.I.S.T.,” SLY “approached Eszterhaus and said that he wanted to be Jesus Christ in a movie.”
If the Stallone incident is an example of a story that will “bare all and have Hollywood quaking”… I think that the book will go the way of “Showgirls!”
-Craig Zablo
In the June 23, 2000 issue of Entertainment Weekly there is an article about special edition DVDs by Scott Brown entitled, “Isn’t That Special.” The article discusses directors who favor the extra treatment their films can get on DVD as well as some of the extras the discs include. In addition to the mention of the “Cliffhanger” special edition DVD which is now available, the article also quotes Renny Harlin about what we can look forward to on the “Champs” DVD! Renny is “already planning custom photography for the DVD release of his next movie, the Sylvester Stallone car-racing actioner tentatively titled “Champs” – though shooting hasn’t yet begun.” “The audience will be able to choose whether they want to watch the actor driving or look at what the actor is seeing through the windshield,” says Harlin, who adds that he adores DVD and the creative flexibility it affords him. “I’d say I have about 100 percent creative control (over my special editions)… I’ll take the blame and I’ll take the glory.”
This absolutely is good news!
-Craig Zablo

(June 20, 2000)

TWO STALLONE TIDBITS

Craig / / 2000, Celebs, Family, Jennifer Flavin-Stallone

TWO STALLONE TIDBITS

The June 20, 2000 issue of STAR contains the following item in Janet Charlton’s STARPEOPLE section: SYLVESTER STALLONE’S wife JENNIFER has put him on a curfew. He wears an alarm watch set for 1 a.m. when he’s out with the boys. When the alarm sounds, Sly heads for home…

The July issue of Movieline contains a piece called “100 Factoids of Love” by Leigh Niles. Factoid #49 contains the following along with a small picture of SLY and JENNIFER: Sylvester Stallone broke up with his girlfriend of five years, model Jennifer Flavin, by FedEx-ing her a letter in 1994, when he began dating Angie Everhart; a year and a half later, he went back to Flavin and she married him.

– Craig Zablo (June 14, 2000)

Two Movieline Tidbits

Craig / / 2000, Celebs

In the Spotted column: SYLVESTER STALLONE and STEPHEN BALDWIN having dinner at separate tables at Bambu on Meridian Ave. in Miami Beach.

In the Hollywood Ink column: … Our favorite what-are-they-thinking? casting of the month is news that the suave, sophisticated bank robber in Seven Arts International’s “Morton Orwell” will be played by SYLVESTER STALLONE. Jeez, this outdoes BRUCE WILLIS being cast as that sophisticated thief in “Hudson Hawk“…