Film News
Little children and Little Children; plus, the Texas Bigfoot
By Joe O'Connell, Fri., Nov. 2, 2007
Somebody Tell 'Teen Beat'!
Those adorable 15-year-old twins Cole and Dylan Sprouse (The Suite Life of Zach and Cody) are in New Braunfels to shoot Kings of Appletown, a Tom Sawyer-esque tween flick from Bobby Moresco, co-writer of Crash. Moresco, who co-wrote the story with his daughter Amanda, apparently has a thing for Mark Twain. The pair recently finished a Prince and the Pauper remake also starring the 5-foot-2-inch Sprouse boys. Why New Braunfels? They needed a river, and the city has a fine one. Joining them in Appletown is Victoria Justice (Zoey 101). If you're too old to get any of this – I know I am – take note that Moresco based the short-lived TV series The Black Donnellys on his own youth in Hell's Kitchen.
Showtime for the Alamo at the Ritz
Tim League says to expect a celebrity guest for the secret midnight screening as the Alamo Ritz opens its doors Thursday, Nov. 1. But if you're reading this at the last minute and expecting to be able to buy a ticket, don't count on it. They're assuming a sold-out house. But you can join in the fun in the coming days with the premiere first-run film Confessions of a Superhero or the Texas Book Festival showing of Little Children, based on Tom Perrotta's novel, with Perrotta in attendance. How about the return of Master Pancake Theater and, my favorite, Weird Wednesdays? Ah, and Music Mondays. For more, see "ReReReReReopening Night."
And the Rest ...
What effect is the threatened Writers Guild of America strike having in Texas? Bob Hudgins, director of the Texas Film Commission, says they have been getting a few frantic calls as producers look to get film in the can before it's too late, but most productions still seem to be looking at early 2008. The last strike threat, which involved both writers and actors, resulted in a whole lot of reality television... 40 Love, the tennis comedy set to star Pras, has pushed the start of filming to December, apparently for star availability. I failed to mention last time that Brittany Murphy is also onboard for the project... John McLean's Z: A Zombie Musical is slated to play in Norway this month... A trailer for Wild Man of the Navidad, the Texas Bigfoot story from Duane Graves and Justin Meeks, is up at www.wildmanofthenavidad.com.
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