Knowles on Par's 'Mars' adventure
Knowles on 'Mars'
April 2, 2004
Harry Knowles, creator of the Internet movie gossip Web site Ain't It Cool News, is coming on board to co-produce "Princess of Mars," Paramount Pictures' adaptation of the Edgar Rice Burroughs pulp classic that Robert Rodriguez is directing.
Jim Jacks and Sean Daniel of Alphaville are producing the project along with Rodriguez and his wife and producing partner, Elizabeth Avellan.
In Knowles' 2002 autobiography, he describes Burroughs' "Martian Tales" series, revolving around adventurer John Carter, as one of the literary world's properties that is most deserving of a big-screen treatment.
Jacks, who had read Burroughs' "Martian Tales" books as a child, said he was reminded of them when he read Knowles' autobiography. Soon after Paramount secured Alphaville the rights to the books, Jacks began talking with Knowles about them.
Knowles -- based in Austin, Texas, where he oversees his Web site -- began consulting on the project, and Jacks suggested that he become involved in a more official capacity with a title, though any director who joined the project could have overruled that offer.
In the fall, Knowles gave the script by Mark Protosevich to Rodriguez, a longtime friend who also lives in Austin, and Rodriguez decided to join the team as director.
"So many filmmakers go to (Harry) for advice and he does it under the table," Rodriguez said. "I've always said to him that he should get credit for this, and with all the work we've done on this project, he deserves it."
Jacks said of Knowles' contributions: "He was very instrumental in us landing Robert, and he is truly well versed in all the John Carter books. With the help he had given and the help that he will give, it seemed only right that we include him in the movie, so we asked him to be a producer."
Knowles already has set up one other project as a producer, "Ghost Town" at Revolution Studios. He said his involvement in the two films shouldn't affect how he operates his Web site.
"I've been working pretty steadily on ('Princess') for the last several months and still updating and working on the site and writing columns for it," Knowles said. "I'm sure as things pick up, I'll need to bring on an editor. ... I don't want it to suffer."
Asked how Ain't It Cool will cover Paramount movies now that he is working on a Paramount project, Knowles said: "This is not about me coming on board as a publicist for Paramount. While I have been in talks for this, I've had test screenings of their movies, not all of which have been good. The site does what the site does. What I do creatively is a separate thing."
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The main option for teenage girls will be Paramount Pictures' "The Prince & Me," produced in association with Lions Gate Entertainment and Sobini Films. Directed by Martha Coolidge, who defined a generation of teenagers 20 years ago with "Valley Girl," the PG-rated romantic comedy stars Julia Stiles as a college girl who falls in love with a fellow student (Luke Mably) who turns out to be a European prince.
Bowing in 2,682 theaters, "Prince" is tracking in the $12 million range.
Newmarket Films' "The Passion of the Christ," which has continually confounded predictions, could do so once again. Entering Holy Week, the Mel Gibson-directed passion play is adding 194 theaters to bring its count to 3,408. While the film has been experiencing 35%-40% declines in its five weeks in theaters, the prospect of religiously inspired repeat moviegoing could give it an extra boost this weekend. It should easily pull in another $8 million, perhaps more, as it approaches the $330 million mark.
Jim Jacks and Sean Daniel of Alphaville are producing the project along with Rodriguez and his wife and producing partner, Elizabeth Avellan.
In Knowles' 2002 autobiography, he describes Burroughs' "Martian Tales" series, revolving around adventurer John Carter, as one of the literary world's properties that is most deserving of a big-screen treatment.
Jacks, who had read Burroughs' "Martian Tales" books as a child, said he was reminded of them when he read Knowles' autobiography. Soon after Paramount secured Alphaville the rights to the books, Jacks began talking with Knowles about them.
Knowles -- based in Austin, Texas, where he oversees his Web site -- began consulting on the project, and Jacks suggested that he become involved in a more official capacity with a title, though any director who joined the project could have overruled that offer.
In the fall, Knowles gave the script by Mark Protosevich to Rodriguez, a longtime friend who also lives in Austin, and Rodriguez decided to join the team as director.
"So many filmmakers go to (Harry) for advice and he does it under the table," Rodriguez said. "I've always said to him that he should get credit for this, and with all the work we've done on this project, he deserves it."
Jacks said of Knowles' contributions: "He was very instrumental in us landing Robert, and he is truly well versed in all the John Carter books. With the help he had given and the help that he will give, it seemed only right that we include him in the movie, so we asked him to be a producer."
Knowles already has set up one other project as a producer, "Ghost Town" at Revolution Studios. He said his involvement in the two films shouldn't affect how he operates his Web site.
"I've been working pretty steadily on ('Princess') for the last several months and still updating and working on the site and writing columns for it," Knowles said. "I'm sure as things pick up, I'll need to bring on an editor. ... I don't want it to suffer."
Asked how Ain't It Cool will cover Paramount movies now that he is working on a Paramount project, Knowles said: "This is not about me coming on board as a publicist for Paramount. While I have been in talks for this, I've had test screenings of their movies, not all of which have been good. The site does what the site does. What I do creatively is a separate thing."
ar="none" />
The main option for teenage girls will be Paramount Pictures' "The Prince & Me," produced in association with Lions Gate Entertainment and Sobini Films. Directed by Martha Coolidge, who defined a generation of teenagers 20 years ago with "Valley Girl," the PG-rated romantic comedy stars Julia Stiles as a college girl who falls in love with a fellow student (Luke Mably) who turns out to be a European prince.
Bowing in 2,682 theaters, "Prince" is tracking in the $12 million range.
Newmarket Films' "The Passion of the Christ," which has continually confounded predictions, could do so once again. Entering Holy Week, the Mel Gibson-directed passion play is adding 194 theaters to bring its count to 3,408. While the film has been experiencing 35%-40% declines in its five weeks in theaters, the prospect of religiously inspired repeat moviegoing could give it an extra boost this weekend. It should easily pull in another $8 million, perhaps more, as it approaches the $330 million mark.
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