Lately, executives have been wringing their hands about how crowded the movie marketplace is. Peter Chernin, chairman of Twentieth Century Fox, says the studios will make fewer films ““if enough of us lose money by releasing too many.’’ Next summer they might. There’ll be so many movies about aliens you’ll wonder if there’s intelligent life … in Hollywood. (Thanks for nothing, ““Independence Day.’’) But battling sci-fi movies are only the beginning. Says Harold Vogel, an analyst at Cowen & Co., ““Next summer is going to be brutal.''
Blockbusters will have 48 hours to find an audience. And, given the number of budgets in the vicinity of $100 million, even the hits might not be hits. Says Vogel, ““The fact of the matter is, the movie business is not that profitable. You get record-breaking costs with record-breaking box office.’’ All in all, not a pretty picture for pictures. Barry Sonnenfeld, director of the forthcoming comedy ““Men in Black,’’ says you make the best movie you can. And then you wait and see. No doubt speaking for summer-movie directors everywhere, he hangs up with a request: ““Try not to make me sound too depressed.''
What follows is a partial list. Titles and so on may change. Hollywood probably won’t.
Director: James Cameron. The most anticipated movie of the summer – by us, anyway. A moonless night. An iceberg. We’re scared already. Cameron (““True Lies’’) dived down to the actual wreck to shoot footage. ““To see it sitting there on the ocean floor 83 years after it sank is quite awesome,’’ he has said. ““You see the inside of the Titanic: the furniture and the paneling, it’s all still there.’’ Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio play lovers from first class and steerage, respectively. Cameron’s budget is said to be more than $100 million. We’re expecting a night to remember.
Director: Steven Spielberg. Dinosaurs, good and evil. It’s based on Michael Crichton’s follow-up to ““Jurassic Park,’’ a sequel widely panned, not that it matters. Jeff Goldblum will be there – his character died in the first novel but was reborn in the second – and you will too.
Director: Joel Schumacher. ““It’s basically Batman, Robin and Batgirl facing the terrible deeds of Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy, two lethal villains,’’ says Schumacher. The cast is irresistible: George Clooney (the new Batman), Chris O’Donnell (Robin), Alicia Silverstone (Batgirl), Arnold Schwarzenegger (Mr. Freeze) and Uma Thurman (Poison Ivy). Schumacher denies reports that Schwarzenegger got $25 million – stars make real Bat money in merchandising, not salary – and he suspects the figure was leaked to hype ““Eraser.’’ The director has no problem with talk that the dinosaurs will stomp him. ““Let me tell you something. If we’re number two to Spielberg, I’m going to say, Thank you.''
Rene Russo and a gorilla.
Eric Stoltz and a snake.
Alicia Silverstone and Denis Leary.
Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Sigourney Weaver is back from the dead. Winona Ryder is an android. Danny Boyle (““Trainspotting’’) was set to direct, but apparently got nervous. Can Jeunet (““Delicatessen’’) shed any light on the new plot? Through his translator, the Frenchman declines: ““They have said they will rip out my tongue if I speak of it, and gouge out my eyes.’’ Is communicating with the cast a problem? ““No, when we speak of work we speak the same language: the language of our shared passions.’’ Jeunet says Weaver speaks French, and Ryder has expressed interest in learning. Quickly, no doubt.
Director: Wolfgang Petersen (““Outbreak’’). A thriller about the hijacking of Air Force One.
Director: John Woo. A futuristic L.A. thing called ““Face/Off.’’ Nicolas Cage is a terrorist chemically frozen. Travolta is a government agent who assumes his identity.
Director: Paul Verhoeven. Verhoeven says it loud and says it proud: ““This movie is about fighting giant bugs.’’ ““Troopers’’ is essentially a World War II movie, with seven-foot alien spiders standing in for the Germans. The cast is mostly unknown. Says the Dutch-born Verhoeven, ““These actors are very enthusiastic, and not easily tired. There is a lot of running up the hill to see this, and running down the hill to see that.’’ Special effects have reportedly brought the budget up near $100 million. Verhoeven had uneven luck with ““Basic Instinct’’ and ““Showgirls’’: ““One went to the top, the other went to the bottom, didn’t it?’’ But pre-sleaze, he directed ““RoboCop’’ and ““Total Recall.''
Disney rides again, though the grosses for its animated movies have been declining since ““The Lion King.’’ Hercules (Tate Donovan) battles Hades (James Woods) to a score by Alan Menken.
Julia Roberts – and not in a period piece, thank heavens. A woman agrees to marry her best friend (Dermot Mulroney) in 10 years if neither is otherwise engaged.
Director: Peter Weir (““Dead Poets Society’’). Jim Carrey, in his most serious outing, plays an on-the-skids insurance adjuster. ““Cable Guy’’ seemed too much of a departure for fans. If he fails as a straight man? ““I’ll go into a fetal position for a couple of days,’’ he’s said.
Director: Barry Sonnenfeld. Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones bust alien perps, saying things like ““That’s enough, Mikey, put up your hands and all your flippers.’’ Sonnenfeld (““Get Shorty’’) had the retro comedy rewritten for New York: ““I felt that if aliens were comfortable anywhere, it’d be here.’’ He’s trying not to fixate on the other alien movies but can reel off his competitors, omitting only ““Contact.’’ ““That won’t be ready,’’ he says. Yes, it will. Pause. ““Really?''
Director: Robert Zemeckis. A radio astronomer (Jodie Foster) picks up a signal from outer space, builds a spaceship and climbs in. Matthew McConaughey plays a homespun religious leader in his first major role after ““A Time to Kill.''
Director: Michael Caton-Jones. An updated version of the terrorist picture, now about a plot against the head of the FBI. The studio wanted Richard Gere and Matthew McConaughey. It got Gere and Bruce Willis.
Director: Jan De Bont. Keanu Reeves said he’d rather play bass. ““I was disappointed,’’ says De Bont, a Dutchman and the director of ““Twister.’’ ““And I’m totally convinced he made the wrong decision.’’ This time around, Jason Patric and Sandra Bullock are a couple on a cruise ship in the Caribbean. ““Unfortunately for them,’’ says De Bont, ““certain things happen to this boat which are not only very spectacular but also very adventurous and very exciting.’’ Sure, sure. Just promise us the movie will be good. ““I promise.''
