Tag Archives: Drew Goddard

‘Hunger Games’ Finale ‘Mockingjay’ Finds A Writer

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Despite the fact that filming has only just begun on the second chapter in the “Hunger Games” franchise, it’s never too early to plan ahead for the 2014 and 2015 releases of the third and fourth installments, which will be based on “Mockingjay,” the final book in Suzanne Collins‘ bestselling trilogy.

According to The Hollywood Reporter‘s Heat Vision blog, Lionsgate has reached out to recent Emmy winner Danny Strong to pen the two-part version of “Mockingjay.” THR reports that Strong is “in talks” for the job, which in industry speak usually means that negotiations are ongoing. They also claim that Strong beat out other top screenwriting talent, including Drew Goddard, who wrote “Cabin in the Woods” and “Cloverfield”; Vanessa Taylor, writer/co-exec producer on “Game of Thrones”; and Chris Terrio, who wrote this season’s buzzworthy Best Picture contender “Argo.”

Lionsgate announced that “Mockingjay” would be split into two parts earlier this year and that the first film will be released November 21, 2014, and the second one a year later, on November 20, 2015.

Strong has been racking up an impressive list of screenwriting credits since he wrote “Recount,” the HBO movie based on the 2000 election. He won an Emmy for another HBO political movie, “Game Change,” last month. The actor-turned-writer started out his career in front of the camera with appearances on shows like “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Mad Men” and “Gilmore Girls” and has since contributed to scripts for Lee Daniel‘s star-studded upcoming White House drama “The Butler” and the big-screen adaptation of Dan Brown‘s novel “The Lost Symbol.”

Check out everything we’ve got on “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1.”

The Five Best Moments From Drew Goddard’s Reddit AMA

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d7b3b cabin The Five Best Moments From Drew Goddards Reddit AMA

There are a multitude of things you might have spent your Saturday doing but, if you were lucky enough to be on Reddit, then you might have noticed that Drew Goddard did an Ask Me Anything.

The “Cabin in the Woods” director opened up about all things “Cabin” and Joss Whedon, including his time working on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and the fact that the two of them are “always cooking up something.” The conversation is full of plenty of fun nuggets — like did you know “Cabin” was originally Whedon’s idea? — but some of them are worth more than a passing glance. (Hint: if you’re a “Left 4 Dead” fan, keep reading). We decided to put together the top five best moments from Goddard’s AMA for your viewing pleasure, so keep reading to find out some of the most interesting tidbits from the director’s chat with the Reddit community.

The “Left 4 Dead” Crossover That Never Was
Hey video game fans, did you know that there originally was supposed to be a “Left 4 Dead 2″ expansion pack that allowed you to play in the “Cabin in the Woods” world? Unfortunately the fact that MGM went bankrupt forced the idea to be ditched, but that’s why there are some “L4D” infected who make cameo appearances in the movie. “The game was gonna be amazing,” Goddard writes. “You were gonna be able to play in both the upstairs ‘Cabin in the Woods’ world and the downstairs ‘facility’ world with all the monsters. Believe me, I HATE all video games based on movies, they always suck, but porting Cabin into Left For Dead felt like the right fit. It pains me that it didn’t happen.”

Missed Merchandising Opportunities
Remember that collapsible bong that turns into a coffee mug from the beginning of “Cabin in the Woods”? Well, so does Goddard. When a fan asks where he can buy one of them, Goddard (jokingly?) explains that he’s been trying to get Lionsgate to sell the item for a while now. “Every single day I tell Lionsgate to start manufacturing collapsible coffee mug bongs. Please help me and call them nonstop until this happens. Tell them Drew sent you,” he says.

Writing With Joss Whedon Is A Treat
We have a feeling that Goddard and Whedon are both crazy enough for Goddard’s account of their writing process to be true. “Every time he writes a new line, he screams, ‘Daddy did it again!’ and then spikes a football at me,” Goddard recalls of writing the “Cabin” script with Joss Whedon. “It’s super annoying, I’m not gonna lie. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t even know what a football is. He yells things like ‘Three pointer!’ and ‘Hole in one!’”

The Staff Of “Buffy The Vampie Slayer” Were Big Geeks
If you look up Drew Goddard on IMDb like one Redditor did, you’ll find that he used to go by the name of “Ultimate Drew.” When asked to explain the nickname, Goddard says, “When I first started writing for Buffy The Vampire Slayer, there was already another ‘Drew’ on staff (the great Drew Z. Greenberg.) So everyone started calling him ‘Golden Age Drew’ and me ‘Ultimate Drew.’ (There were a lot of comic book geeks on the staff.)” This just makes us happy.

The Could Be A “Cabin In The Woods” Prequel
Thank you, Redditor SillySully7, for asking the question we all wanted to ask: Would Goddard write a movie explaining how all the monsters got into their cubes in “Cabin in the Woods”? The director’s simple answer: “Yes.” When another Redditor begged him to make a prequel and a prequel to that prequel and so on and so forth, Goddard followed with, “Okay.”

Would you like to see another “Cabin in the Woods” film? Tell us in the comments section below or on Twitter!

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Fran Kranz Worried ‘Cabin In The Woods’ Would Haunt Him Forever

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0fbcc Fran Kranz Cabin Fran Kranz Worried Cabin In The Woods Would Haunt Him Forever

This year has been a good year for Fran Kranz. He starred in “Much Ado About Nothing,” one of the most anticipated and well-received movies at the Toronto International Film Festival. He acted alongside Philip Seymour Hoffman and Andrew Garfield in Mike Nichols’ Broadway revival of “Death of a Salesman.” And “The Cabin in the Woods” finally hit theaters, after a long and frustrating wait (it’s now available on DVD and Blu-ray).

Kranz says he had a great time playing wise stoner Marty. “There was something truthful and juicy that you could sink your teeth into and look at him as a three-dimensional, real human being.”

But when he first read the script, he had a decidedly negative reaction, but it wasn’t that he didn’t like it. “It was so funny, far funnier than your typical horror film,” he said. “And a lot of horror films have a lot of good humor, but this was like a great comedy on its own.”

The problem was imagining what his future would be like if he didn’t get the gig. “I knew if I didn’t get this role it would haunt me for the rest of my life. It would be on my mind and nagging at me forever,” he said. “I remember putting it down and kind of pacing around my living room and walking outside and just being like, ‘Oh God, this is terrible, this movie’s going to just destroy me.’”

Kranz needn’t have worried; Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard were already eyeing him for Marty. “I didn’t know that at the time, but they had me in mind from the beginning,” he said. “Thankfully it all worked out.”

What was your favorite Marty moment in “The Cabin in the Woods”? Let us know in the comments below and on Twitter!

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On Video This Week: ‘Indiana Jones,’ ‘Cabin,’ ‘The Game’ Criterion

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Pick of the Week
19985 Indy Blu Cover On Video This Week: Indiana Jones, Cabin, The Game Criterion
“Indiana Jones: The Complete Adventures”
Director: Steven Spielberg
Cast: Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, Karen Allen

Story: For the first time, all four films in the “Indiana Jones” series have been collection on Blu-ray discs.

On the Disc:
The four film are all presented in high-definition, but perhaps the most important aspect of these discs is the fact that the films are presented in their original theatrical version. So no added special effects!

Reviews:
“Raiders of the Lost Ark”
Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
Metacritic: 90

“Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom”
Rotten Tomatoes: 85%
Metacritic: N/A

“Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”
Rotten Tomatoes: 89%
Metacritic: 65

Where to get it
Amazon: Blu-ray – $64.99, DVD – $76.20
Apple: Not available
Netflix Instant: Available

19985 Cabin Blu Cover On Video This Week: Indiana Jones, Cabin, The Game Criterion
“The Cabin in the Woods” (2012)
Director: Drew Goddard
Cast: Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth

Story:
Five friends go to a remote cabin in the woods. Bad things happen.

On the Disc:
The disc comes with a bunch of behind-the-scenes features and a commentary from director and co-writer Drew Goddard and co-writer Joss Whedon.

Reviews:
Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
Metacritic: 72

Where to get it
Amazon: Blu-ray – $19.96, DVD – $15.00, Digital Download – $14.99
Apple: Digital Download – $14.99 (HD: $19.99)
Netflix Instant: Not Available

19985 The Game On Video This Week: Indiana Jones, Cabin, The Game Criterion
“The Game” (1997)
Director: David Fincher
Cast: Michael Douglas, Sean Penn

Story:
Michael Douglas plays Nicholas Van Orton, a Scrooge-like San Francisco investment banker following in his father’s Scrooge-like footsteps. On Nicholas’s 48th birthday (the age at which his father committed suicide), his younger, free-spirited brother Conrad (Sean Penn) blows into town and gives Nicholas a special gift for “the man who has everything” — a ticket to CRS (Consumer Recreation Services), a company that constructs games custom-fit for each participant to provide, as CRS salesman Jim Feingold (James Rebhorn) cryptically puts it, “whatever is lacking.

Reviews:
Rotten Tomatoes: 71%
Metacritic: 61

Where to get it
Amazon: Blu-ray – $24.99
Apple: Digital Download – $9.99 (HD: $14.99), Digital Rental – $2.99 (HD: $3.99)
Netflix Instant: Available

The Video Score is your guide to everything you need to know about what’s out this week, all in one place. What’s available? Which formats? Is it streaming? How much will it set you back? We’ll break down the week’s biggest new releases and some smaller ones that deserve your attention. Check back each Tuesday to find out what’s hot that week and where you can catch it all!

What are you checking out this week on video? Let us know in the comments below and on Twitter!

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Drew Goddard Downplays ‘World War Z’ Rumors, Won’t Get Writing Credit

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2f43c World War Z Drew Goddard Downplays World War Z Rumors, Wont Get Writing Credit

With news of delays, reshoot, and rewriters, “World War Z,” Marc Forster‘s adaptation of Max Brooks‘ zombie novel, became the troubled production everyone loved to talk about.

Most recently, the movie, which is now set for release next summer, reportedly brought on “Cabin in the Woods” director Drew Goddard to rewrite the script. Goddard had previously downplayed his role in the production, and when MTV News spoke with him for the Blu-ray release of “Cabin,” he clarified his involvement.

“A lot got blown out of proportion about that,” Goddard said. “This happens a lot where studios ask you to come and look at movies, and then you give your opinion on them. That’s really what happens, and then you throw out some ideas for ways to make the movie better, but that happens on tons of movies.”

Goddard described the job as something he did for friends at the studio. “I’m just friends with people at Paramount, and they had me do it,” he said. “Somehow that leaked out. It became a much bigger deal. I just watched the movie and gave them ideas for how to make it better.”

He even said that his work was so minor that it won’t qualify him for a writing credit. “I wrote down some ideas, but it wasn’t like ‘Drew’s rewriting the movie,’ ” he said. “I will not have a writing credit on that movie.”

“World War Z” opens on June 21, 2013.

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‘Cabin In The Woods’ Stars Talk Death Scenes

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A group of teenagers visiting a remote cabin for a weekend getaway might seem like a predictable setup for a horror movie, but “The Cabin in the Woods” is not your average slasher flick.

Those brave enough to take the trip to the “Woods” this weekend found that the film’s genre takes you off the grid, incorporating elements of not only the horror and thriller genres, but of sci-fi and even comedy as well. If you haven’t experienced it yet, go see the movie now! Otherwise we advise that you stop reading this article until you do, because the rest of this story contains major SPOILERS about character deaths.

We’re talking mostly about the film’s action-packed third act, which features not only the Big Brother element promised in previews, but a bombardment of nightmarish surprises, huge plot twists and plenty of carnage. And with deluges of blood comparable to scenes from “The Shining” come epic death sequences.

Last warning to turn away as Bradley Whitford and Richard Jenkins take MTV News into SPOILER TERRITORY with regard to two very special interactions their characters have with two others.

“It was so sweet, I remember, when it was coming towards me,” Whitford recalled wistfully of filming his scene with the surprisingly grotesque and bloodthirsty merman with whom his character has a Captain Nemo-esque obsession.

“We’d have to stop, and they’d have to spray water on him because he got dried out … so they had to keep him moist,” the actor continued of shooting with the merman, who ends up devouring Whitford’s character in a hilariously ironic twist.

“I was looking away at that time,” Jenkins chimed in, joking that Whitford really did fall in love with the merman on set and adding that his co-star kept asking for more and more takes with the creature. With regard to Jenkins’ character’s death, the actor said he enjoyed every minute of it.

“It was really cool, I loved it,” Jenkins said about his on-screen stabbing.

“Just meeting the rest of the cast [was cool]!” Whitford added.

“It’s the only time I got to see [Kristen Connolly, who plays leading lady Dana], except on the screen, when I confronted her face-to-face,”
Jenkins revealed.

Up until that scene, Whitford and Jenkins’ characters had remained in the control room. This meant that during the movie’s production, they had little interaction with the victims of the cabin, who shot primarily in Canada.

“We did it four or five different ways, and I love the take [director Drew Goddard] used — I thought that was really cool,” Jenkins said. “But the surprise on her face was the best part of it.”

Check out everything we’ve got on “The Cabin in the Woods.”

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

‘The Hunger Games’ Wins Box Office For Fourth Consecutive Week

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“The Hunger Games” is the first movie since “Avatar” to top the box office for four weekends in a row.

The adaptation of the popular young adult novel fended off competition from the Farrelly brothers’ “The Three Stooges,” the positively reviewed “Cabin in the Woods” and sci-fi indie “Lockout” over the weekend, collecting another $21.5 million in North American theaters for an estimated domestic gross of $337.1 million.

“Games” is expected to take in at least $370 million domestically and has already earned more than $500 million worldwide, even as director Gary Ross announced he will not return for the follow-up, “Catching Fire,” which is set to reunite Jennifer Lawrence and company next year.

The #2 and #3 spots on the box-office scorecard represented a stark contrast in critical opinion. At press time, “The Three Stooges” had a “rotten” 41 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, which aggregates reviews from film critics, while “The Cabin in the Woods” boasted a “fresh” 92 percent. With $17.1 million in receipts, “Stooges” was the biggest opening for any movie directed by Bobby and Peter Farrelly in over 10 years, having lined up more with early successes like “There’s Something About Mary.” Following the departures of Jim Carrey and Sean Penn from the long-gestating project, “Stooges” ultimately cast lesser-known actors in the iconic “Stooges” roles.

Speaking of long-in-the-works movies, “Cabin in the Woods” was originally scheduled to be in theaters in 2009. The horror thriller fell victim to MGM‘s bankruptcy proceedings before eventually being rescued by Lionsgate, the studio behind “The Hunger Games.” Co-written by “Avengers” filmmaker Joss Whedon and his “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” collaborator Drew Goddard (who directed), “Cabin” set social media accounts abuzz in film critic circles. It’s the type of movie whose supporters have been careful not to spoil the plot. MTV News’ own Josh Horowitz tweeted, “Awesome thing alert! ‘The Cabin in the Woods’ is out. It’s real good. That is all.”

The only other widely released new film brave enough to do battle with “The Hunger Games” was “Lockout,” which floundered with an estimated $6.3 million debut. Produced by action maestro Luc Besson (who directed 1994′s classic “Léon: The Professional”), the sci-fi flick’s opening fared worse than recent Besson-associated projects including “Transporter 3″ ($12.1 million) and “Colombiana” ($10.4 million). “Lockout” had a “rotten” 32 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes at press time. “Lockout” played in 2,308 theaters; by comparison, “Stooges” opened in 3,477 theaters and “Cabin,” in 2,811. “The Hunger Games” played in 3,916 theaters.

In 2009, “Avatar” held on to the top spot for seven consecutive weekends, but “Titanic,” also helmed by Jim Cameron, still has the top spot both in terms of all-time gross ($600.7 million in the U.S. alone) and consecutive weekends at #1 (15!). The “Titanic 3D” re-release overseen by conversion-convert Cameron was #4 over the weekend, taking in another $11.6 million for a 12-day total of $44.4 million (bringing the overall haul for “Titanic” to $645.2).

More than 1,500 people lost their lives when the Titanic sank in the North Atlantic 100 years ago this month — the wreckage wasn’t found until 1985. Cameron’s epic 1997 film blends facts with romantic fiction. “Titanic” added another record to its box-office scorecard over the weekend as the re-release enjoyed the highest opening ever in China, taking in $58 million.

“American Reunion” rounded out the top five with $10.7 million in its second weekend. The latest entry in the “American Pie” franchise has made $39.9 million to date. All three of the previous theatrically released entries passed the $100 million mark at the domestic box office, a feat that doesn’t seem likely for “Reunion.”

Zac Efron will be next up to bat against “The Hunger Games” when “The Lucky One” arrives in theaters this weekend, alongside comedian Steve Harvey’s “Think Like a Man” and Disneynature’s True Life Adventure “Chimpanzee.” Joss Whedon will have another crack at the box-office crown with “Marvel’s The Avengers” in May.

Check out everything we’ve got on “The Hunger Games” and “The Cabin in the Woods.”
For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.

Five Reasons To See ‘Cabin In The Woods’

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bdf6e cabin Five Reasons To See Cabin In The Woods

It’s here! It’s here! It’s finally here! After years of collecting dust on a shelf, “The Cabin in the Woods” is finally getting the wide theatrical release it deserved ever since the idea sprung into Joss Whedon‘s wonderfully twisted mind.

Hopefully you won’t need any additional convincing to go check it out this weekend, but if you do, here are our Five Reasons to see “The Cabin in the Woods” this weekend.

The Secrets
Oh, the spoilers! Everyone’s talking about the spoilers. “Read nothing.” “Watch nothing.” “Talk to no one.” It all seems a little ridiculous at this point, but there is a reason for it all. When it comes to “The Cabin in the Woods” the old adage applies. It’s not about the destination. It’s about the journey. Yes, there is a “final” secret to “Cabin in the Woods,” but the way each secret is carefully parsed out by the screenplay makes the movie as great as it is. The world of the film becomes clearer and clearer with each scene and eventually you see the big picture, but the whole thing is one hell of a ride.

Bradley Cooper and Richard Jenkins
The two middle-management working stiffs from the trailer are definitely the oddest part of the setup for those who haven’t seen the whole film. Their back story provides most of the material for the reveals, but it should be pointed out that the actors playing them absolutely steal the show. Jenkins and Cooper have been character actors in Hollywood for decades, and here they’re given so much great material to work with that you’re always looking forward to their next scene.

Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard
A large part of the draw of “Cabin in the Woods” has to be the pedigree attached to the screenplay. Whedon and Goddard have racked up more geek cred than most writers could ever earn in a lifetime. With works like “Buffy,” “Lost” and “Firefly” between them, you just know you’re in for something special, and there are elements of the story that could be easily traced back to a story in the past. There’s a love of monsters, a mysterious door in the floor and dialogue that’s wittier than it should be in a horror movie. In short, it’s a movie for the fans.

The Love of Movies
At the same time, “Cabin in the Woods” is a movie for people who love movies. It’s a movie that should be enjoyed and taken apart in conversations over the next few days. There’s so much meat on this bone that half of the fun will be dissecting it with everyone who enjoyed it as much as you did. Even if you aren’t a fan of the horror genre, there’s so much to enjoy in “Cabin in the Woods” that the distinction shouldn’t throw off the casual viewer.

Because It’s Fun
That may sound strange. We always go to the movies to have fun, right? Well, the actual thrill of sitting in a theater has faded a bit recently. You may have liked that movie you just saw in 3D, but did you have fun? Was there a palpable excitement in theater? Probably not, but you’re likely to feel it if you see “Cabin in the Woods” in a packed house with the right crowd. Trust us on this one.

We break down the weekend box office on the newest episode of Talk Nerdy!

Are you going to see “Cabin in the Woods” this weekend? Let us know in the comments below and on Twitter!

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‘Cabin In The Woods’: The Reviews Are In!

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The critics have (kinda) spoken about the latest from Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard, “The Cabin in the Woods.” The mysteries of “Cabin” have been some of the most closely guarded secrets at the movies in recent years. If you’re seeking out reviews of the buzzed-about horror flick, do so with caution. Not everyone is equally keen to keep their reviews spoiler-free.

The critics are largely positive, overall. There is some concern that the film, a send-up of the horror genre, isn’t as scary as the movies it’s commenting on.

Here is our spoiler-free roundup of reviews of “The Cabin in the Woods.”

The Spoilers
“Stop reading this review right now. Go see ‘The Cabin in the Woods,’
then come back and we can have a conversation about it. Just trust me on this. The less you know going into it, the better.” — Christy Lemire, The Associated Press

The Story
“Five college friends pile into a camper for a frolicsome vacation.
There’s the alpha male hunk (Chris Hemsworth), his va-voom girlfriend (Anna Hutchison), the stoner and Shaggy of the group (Fran Kranz), the shy but charismatic brain (Jesse Williams) and the sympathetic, smart and not incidentally pretty hot protagonist (Kristen Connolly). Early on, we’re shown that they’re being watched very closely, and perhaps controlled, by a massive control room. Their primary handlers are played by Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford.” — Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune

The Whedon-verse
“Some dialogue will remind audiences of the sassy sarcasm tossed off in the face of monstrous creatures in Whedon’s cult TV series ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer,’ episodes of which Goddard also co-wrote.” — Claudia Puig, USA Today

The Scares
“With compulsive effort that is meant to feel like giddy abandon, they have tried to make a horror movie that is frightening, original and knowing, all at the same time. Two out of three is not bad, given the difficulty of the task. A wink can sometimes undermine a scare.
Novelty and genre traditionalism often fight to a draw. Too much overt cleverness has a way of spoiling dumb, reliable thrills.” — A.O.
Scott, New York Times

The Final Word
“If ‘Scream’ was a meta-hack-’em-up, ‘Cabin’ takes five giant steps back to reveal a wider canvas, gleefully jumbling together every kind of modern horror picture, paranoid-conspiracy thrillers, ‘Matrix’-style sci-fi, and a dollop of H. P. Lovecraft. Is it scary?
Not especially. But there are enough gory surprises around every bend to keep you laughing/screaming/cringing.” — David Edelstein, New York

Check out everything we’ve got on “The Cabin in the Woods.”

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

‘Cabin In The Woods’ Is A ‘Shiny Toy,’ Joss Whedon Says

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If you haven’t yet heard the buzz surrounding the upcoming horror thriller “The Cabin in the Woods”, than you must be avoiding Internet and television entirely. Everyone is talking about it, in a roundabout, non-spoilery way!

In a nutshell, the film mostly revolves around four friends who drive to a distant relative’s cabin in order to spend a relaxing weekend away from their college campus. Unfortunately the group’s goals are not at all met and a series of shocking and unbelievable things happen — to everyone.

When MTV News caught up with writer/producer Joss Whedon and director Drew Goddard, we asked them how in the heck they came up with the story and if any specific element or occurrence inspired the chaos that unfolds.

“It’s actually kind of a dull tale because it did just pop into my head and then, of course, Drew was one of the first people I told about it,” Whedon said. “We knew instantly that this was something that we wanted to do. We took a while before we actually sat down to write it. It was like a shiny toy that we played for a long time, the structure just seemed so right. It’s very seldom that a movie occurs to you with the whole structure in place.”

“Do you remember the moment when it popped into your head?” Goddard asked Whedon.

“I honestly don’t remember a time I wasn’t thinking about it. It’s one of those things that seems so logical it feels like, ‘Why hasn’t this been done before?’ It has this absurd integrity that appeals to us.”

“The Cabin in the Woods” opens everywhere Friday, April 13.

Are you planning on seeing “The Cabin in the Woods”? Leave your comment below!