The Weekly Ketchup: "300" Gets Positive Reaction, "Jaws" Gets Questionably Fifth Entry, "Iron Man" Has Grand Aspirations, And More!

by Nick Hershey | February 16, 2007

In This Week’s Ketchup, an exuberant reviewer praises an early screening of "300," "Jaws" may have a direct-to-video fifth entry, and "Iron Man" already seems to merit a trilogy.

Also, the "Pirates of the Caribbean" writer is fixing to pen a fourth, and Daniel Radcliffe seems to favor a grim fate for "Harry Potter." Read on.

This Week’s Most Popular News:

Early (and Exuberant) Reaction to "300"
One of AICN’s regular "scoopers" was able to squeeze his way into an early screening of Zack Snyder’s "300" — and it seems like the high-octane, mega-testosteroned action epic blew the kid’s mind in a big way.

This Can’t Be the Plot Synopsis for "Jaws 5," Can It?
I’ll advise you to take this whole story with a few grains of salt, but let’s just dive right in: There just might be a direct-to-video "Jaws" sequel on the way — and if it’s boasting the same plot divulged over at Filmrot.com, then we may be in for a flick on par with "Jaws: The Revenge."

"Iron Man" Will be a Trilogy
Not all that surprising, really, but cool nonetheless: Jon Favreau’s upcoming "Iron Man" movie is intended to be the first flick in a series of three. Sounds good to me!

"Pirates of the Caribbean" Writer to "Try" to Pen a 3rd Sequel
With "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End" only a few short months away, fans have started speculating about the possibility of a fourth "Pirates" adventure. Well, here’s what screenwriter Terry Rossio has to say about that.

Does Daniel Radcliffe Have a Death Wish for "Harry Potter"?
Do anything long enough and it’ll probably get a little tiresome — even if that something is playing the world’s most popular underage wizard.

Apparently, somebody finds scenes like this exciting.

In Other News:

Best friends Nicole Kidman and Naomi Watts will finally team up in "Nip/Tuck" creator Ryan Murphy‘s drama "Need."

Tim Meadows is close to joining the cast of Judd Apatow‘s musician biopic spoof "Walk Hard." John C. Reilly will play the lead as a famous musician.

Shawn Levy ("Night at the Museum") will direct the big-screen adaptation of John Grogan’s bestseller "Marley & Me," with filming to start in April.

Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer have acquired film rights to Mark Bowden‘s Atlantic Monthly article "Jihadists in Paradise," about the rise of the Philippine Islamic terrorist group Abu Sayyaf.

Lionsgate has acquired U.S. distribution rights to "Butterfly on a Wheel," a crime thriller starring Pierce Brosnan, Maria Bello and Gerard Butler.

Forest Whitaker, Kate Beckinsale, Guy Pearce and Dakota Fanning, will star in "Winged Creatures," the adaptation of Roy Freirich’s debut novel, with Rowan Woods set to direct.

ThinkFilm has acquired North American distribution rights to "The Last Confederate: The True Story of Robert Adams," a true account of Confederate Captain Robert Adams and his love of a northern woman during the Civil War. Julian Adams, a descendent of Capt. Adams directed, produced and co-stars in the film.

George Tillman Jr. ("Men of Honor") will direct the coming of age drama "The Siege of Fulton Avenue" for DreamWorks Pictures.

William H. Macy and Meg Ryan will team up for "The Deal," an adaptation of Peter Lefcourt’s comedic novel about Hollywood.

Finally, next to receive the music biopic treatment is Milli Vanilli, the notorious lip synching pop duo of the late 80s/early 90s. Jeff Nathanson will write the script for Universal Pictures, and reportedly will portray the duo in a sympathetic light.