Cary Fukunaga exits the It reboot

Director Cary Fukunaga is apparently out of the It reboot according to sources close to New Line. A couple reasons are being cited including poor box office performance for Poltergeist as well as budget cuts at New Line. Also, the film shifting studios from Warner Bros. to New Line Cinema has also been mentioned.

This comes just a week or so after confirmation that Will Poulter was on board to portray Pennywise the Clown. The biggest thing up for conversation here is whether New Line will keep the film split into two parts as Fukunaga wanted. I would assume if they are experiencing budget issues they will try and keep production under wraps and only have one film.

To me, this just shows that this is yet another movie that shouldn't be happening. It doesn't need a reboot at all.

It returning to New Line Cinema

Warner Bros. has been in the process of developing a new adaptation of Stephen King's It for quite a few years now. The studio previously hired Cary Fukunaga, Seth Grahame-Smith, Dan Lin, and Roy Lee to create this adaptation. Fukunaga is coming off a very successful series for HBO (aka, True Detective) and as a result the adaptation of It is shifting studios... kind of.

New Line Cinema recently announced that they are moving from West Hollywood to Warner Bros. lot in Burbank and are trying to make it clear that each division will be releasing specific kinds of films. With films like The Conjuring it is becoming apparent that the money maker these days, other than superhero films, are horror films. It will apparently follow suit and focus more on thrills and psychological horror rather than the classic slasher film.
The semi-tricky part about this one is they are apparently writing this adaptation into two films. The first film will focus on the children who have to defeat a creature called It. The second film will focus on the kids as adults who have to come together once again despite not remembering the initial events.

It was adapted into a television mini-series back in 1990. It starred Tim Curry in the title role along with Seth Green, John Ritter, and Emily Perkins. It has become somewhat of a cult classic among the horror community and many, including myself, are pretty skeptical of redoing it.

Rebel Wilson to star in Private Benjamin remake

Private Benjamin was released in 1980 and apparently isn't untouchable as New Line is pushing forward a remake. Attached to lead the film will be comedic actress Rebel Wilson.

New Line is currently seeking out a director, but Wilson will play the title role originally played by Goldie Hawn. In the original, she joined the Army after her husband dies on their wedding night. In this new version, Wilson will apparently be playing a redneck who enlists in the Marines to get out of a sticky situation. There is no word on who else might star in this remake.

You might recognize Wilson as Kristen Wiig's clueless, British roommate in Bridesmaids and as Fat Amy in Pitch Perfect. She also stars in an ABC sitcom titled Super Fun Night.

Three spin-offs for The Conjuring planned

In addition to the news of the Annabelle spin-off to James Wan's The Conjuring (read about it here), we now have learned that New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. is planning three spin-offs total.

It was announced that the companies are prepping the projects based off The Warren Case Files. The projects will be micro-budgeted and most likely fast-tracked. Rumors are circling that the Annabelle spin-off may enter production as soon as December for a 2014 release.
There is no further info on exactly which cases the other two projects will focus on, but the Warrens certainly have a decent archive with potentials. In my opinion, if these projects are going to be considered "spin-offs" they should be based off cases from within the room at the Warren's house. Maybe a project exploring Bathsheba Sherman a bit more in depth or something like that. Hopefully this isn't going to mean loose, low-budget reboots of The Amityville Horror or Haunting in Connecticut. Amityville has been done to death and Haunting in Connecticut didn't come out that long ago.

Leave it to Hollywood. They never know when to stop while they are ahead.

The Conjuring sequel and franchise in development

Just when you think you can have nice things, leave it to Hollywood to rain on your parade.

New Line Cinema has made a point to mention their plans to make more films based off the Warrens, the paranormal investigators in which The Conjuring revolves around. You have seen other movies already based off their cases including The Amityville Horror (1979 & 2005) and The Haunting in Connecticut (2009). Whether this exploration will involve a direct sequel to The Conjuring or will just explore the other cases Lorraine and Ed Warren investigated is still unclear, but they obviously don't want to pass up this opportunity.
It also must be said that it's unlikely James Wan would return to direct another film of this nature. He recently won the director's chair for Fast and Furious 7 and has mentioned his desire to expand beyond the horror genre and direct different types of movies. You have probably seen Wan's work already as he directed Saw, Insidious, Dead Silence, and Insidious: Chapter Two (out September 13th).

However, this all obviously depends on how The Conjuring does at the box office. So far the reviews have been overwhelmingly positive and New Line is expecting a solid release. All I have to say if it actually scares me I am a fan. I don't know how on board I would be with sequels without Wan, though.

The Conjuring tells the true story of the Perron family's experience with the paranormal in their Rhode Island farmhouse. It comes out this Friday, July 19th

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