Back in 2006, Erik posted about the tragic death of Nick Papac -- a 25-year-old assistant propmaster who was then working on The Kingdom. While he was driving a motorized cart on a closed stretch of highway in Arizona which was used for shooting, it accidentally collided with an SUV that happened to be carrying director Peter Berg. Papac was thrown from the cart, and pronounced dead later at the local hospital.

Now the AP/Yahoo reports that Papac's parents are suing Berg, a driver, and the production company asking for an unspecified amount that includes funeral costs, lost earnings, and medical expenses. (Papac's father, Michael, is a longtime propmaster who has worked on films like Die Hard and Iron Man.)

It seems like a fairly reasonable request, and I have to say that I'm surprised it has gotten to this stage. Perhaps things will become clear as the lawsuit continues. Papac's lawyer stated that the lawsuit is still in the early stages, so specifics could not be given.

When you've made a very modern tale of a troubled man struggling to live with his super powers, what's left but to tackle a mythical yet tormented Greek hero? Peter Berg, who directed Will Smith to box office success in Hancock, will reboot one ot the original superheroes, Hercules, according to Variety.

Hercules: The Thracian Wars, a five-issue comic book series by Steve Moore issued in May by Radical Publishing, will provide the source material. Ryan Condal, recently tapped to adapt Warren Ellis' comic mini-series/graphic novel Ocean, will write the script; Berg will direct and co-produce.

The plot synopsis for the series describes Hercules as a "tormented soul ... neither god nor man." When the King of Thrace hires him "to train his men to become the greatest army of all time," Herc and his buddies are prompted to consider whey they have such a ruthless, bloodthirsty reputation. Berg intends to stay true to the "conflicts and redemption" in Moore's character-driven comic book series.

When another project about Hercules was announced last year, Christopher Campbell questioned if there had ever been a decent Hercules movie. (He ran down most of them.) So, three questions: (1) Is the comic book any good? (2) Is Berg the right director to reboot Herc? (3) Who could play the muscular Greek hero without making people laugh at him?

Okay, so we went through something similar with Frank Darabont's unused draft of the latest Indiana Jones installment, which managed to be a bit better (read: Mutt-less) compared to the still entertaining end result. Now, it appears that the original draft for Hancock -- long titled Tonight, He Comes -- has popped up by way of Jeff Wells over at Hollywood Elsewhere (read it here). Oh, and if it's authentic, it happens to be missing the next-to-last page.

I've found the behind-the-scenes hearsay -- conveniently summed up in this NY Times piece -- on this film to be fairly fascinating. First, as scripted by Vy Vincent Ngo, Tonight had made the rounds as a reportedly hard-R superhero drama that capitalized on the somewhat sexual nature of the title. However, it seems once Will Smith was brought on board, Sony saw fit to tame things down considerably.

Even as recently as April, the MPAA had twice handed them an R instead of the sought-after PG-13, and now the finished result runs a choppy 92 minutes -- distinctly shorter than indicated in AICN test screening reports which made particular mention of a subplot involving statutory rape. Of course, as Wells brings up, it's hard to ignore the involvement of producer/screenwriter Akiva Goldsman, whose recent work on Smith's last hit, I Am Legend, had a similarly slapdash second half at the compromise of the original material.

I've yet to get more than a couple of pages into this thing, but do you guys think this is the real deal, and if so, do you guys think that this is the real film compared to what's on thousands of screens this week?

Well here's something you don't see every day: A big, flashy summertime "tentpole" movie that A) takes chances, B) bucks convention, and C) takes some real risks with its subject material. Obviously the safe approach is for Will Smith to do (yet another) easily-digestible (if somewhat mindless) blockbuster like I, Robot or I Am Legend or Independence Day -- but this time the endlessly profitable Will Smith is working with a rather distinctive director who refuses to cater to formula. That director would be Peter Berg, and this guy has yet to make a bad film.

Unfortunately the production history on Hancock is not a fantastic one. There was a revolving door of directors and script polishers before Columbia finally started production -- but there were still marketing issues, last-minute reshoots, and MPAA miseries to deal with. And yet, despite all that, Hancock arrives like a breath of weirdly fresh air for moviegoers who like a little heart and soul mixed in with their hyper-kinetic action mayhem. Toss some sharp wit and an impressive display of edge into the mix, and I think you may have one of my favorite movies of the summer. (Although one can plainly tell that there was some late cutting done to the flick, all in the name of the almighty PG-13 rating, of course.)

I wanted to go into Hancock knowing as little as possible, so I deliberately avoided reading anything about it -- at least, as much as that was possible given the amount of movie blog reading I do on a daily basis. Nonetheless, it was hard to miss that early reviews trickling in from places like Variety and Hollywood Reporter were not, shall we say, overly positive. On the other hand, several of those reviews were written by people who often seem to have cinematic tastes directly opposite mine, so I wasn't too dissuaded.

And I'm glad I wasn't, because I'm here to tell you Hancock is both an enjoyable film and one of Will Smith's best performances ever, even if it is a bit schizophrenic in its execution. The film starts out as one thing -- all we know is we're getting a film about a grumpy, alcoholic guy with super powers who's awfully deficient in the social skills department. The film opens on a scene right out of COPS: three bad guys leading police on a chase down an LA freeway, firing away on police and other cars. In between shots of the action, we see a disheveled guy snoozing drunkenly on a park bench.

Although Will Smith plays an emotionally fragile superhero in Hancock, as a movie star he's practically invincible. By industry standards, the last genuine Smith dud was The Legend of Bagger Vance, but the actor's standing among many audiences has remained decidedly rocky. As a result, he occupies a unique corner of the Hollywood marketplace where quality and taste don't necessarily match up. Unlike, say, The Dark Knight, not many people eagerly await the latest Smith offering -- which currently has a 32% rating on Rotten Tomatoes -- but they'll see it anyway. Hancock is tracking well, thanks to a poster exclusively dominated by Smith's unshaven mug, and that pretty much seals its potent box office fate. Just as Smith's slapdash onscreen persona is bullet-proof, Smith himself is steadfastly critic-proof.

Which places movie in an interesting quagmire: After pulling in waves of cash, it will probably get relegated to the void of forgettable Smith fare, where spectacles offer passing amusement before scampering off forever. Hancock, however, deserves better than a fleeting moment in the limelight and a crash landing in the bargain bin. It's part of a genre that speaks directly to the modern state of blockbuster cinema: The superhero satire.

Oh, this is going to be huge. There's a new 3-minute trailer for Will Smith's Hancock available here and ... well, go see for yourself. I recommend the Quicktime version.

I know the all-too-common criticism that "all the good parts are in the trailer" makes this less meaningful, but: Every frame of that thing is gold. The first minute or so, with Will Smith as a sarcastic, rude, drunken superhero, is simply brilliant; I've watched the five-second exchange between Hancock and the indignant bystander ("I can smell that liquor on your breath!" "'Cause I been drinkin'!") a half-dozen times now and giggled every time. Smith deserves an Oscar just for his delivery of that line, and we don't even get to hear the whole thing (I'm guessing the next word is "b*tch"). The second half of the trailer, giving us a glimpse of Hancock's attempted PR comeback with the help of an opportunistic publicist (Jason Bateman) isn't as incredible, but I love the focus on what it's like to be a superhero not in a universe where you can do whatever you want, but in the American bureaucratic state. Hancock's canned press conference apology is priceless.

The special effects look seamless, and I'm particularly curious to see a full-on summer blockbuster done in director Peter Berg's signature volatile shaky-cam style. From what I can tell, it's a bit toned down but still unmistakably present; look at the SUV scene in the opening seconds, and the introduction of Jason Bateman about a minute in.

This looks like a summer movie made by a bunch of very smart, very talented people. And that's something to look forward to.

Why We Can't Wait to See It: For the first time in his career, Mr. Fresh Prince himself dons the superhero costume and will fly off to save the day. Sure, his superhero is a bit washed-up and drunk half the time, but if any man can bring the BIG budget and get nominated for an Oscar in the same year, it's our homeboy from Philly, Will Smith.

Why It Might Do Well: Is there anything more alluring than a combo that includes Will Smith, superheroes and the high stylings of director Peter Berg (Friday Night Lights, The Kingdom)? Additionally, you want the funny, there's Jason Bateman. You want the hotness, there's Charlize Theron. You want my opinion? I'm sold.

Why It Might Not Do Well: Will Smith always draws big numbers, but when people become so used to seeing a sequel or a film based on a familiar property (like last year's Transformers), it might be somewhat difficult to convince them that it's still okay to support an original idea.

Fun Fact: On its way to theaters, Hancock went through three different directors (Michael Mann, Jonathan Mostow and Gabriele Muccino), as well as two different titles (Tonight, He Comes and John Hancock) before settling on Hancock, directed by Peter Berg.

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In a summer full of old and new superheroes, one guy has been kinda flying under the radar. The big film arriving this year for Fourth of July weekend doesn't involve any giant f**king robots and it's one we haven't heard much about. USA Today just posted a sneak peek at Hancock; the new Will Smith flick directed by the very talented Peter Berg (Friday Night Lights, The Kingdom). Above you will see the brand new image that went along with their story which adds to the other bits and pieces floating around the net (check out our full Hancock gallery below). A bunch of set photos hit awhile back, there was a teaser trailer and a poster, but that's been about it as far as Hancock goes. It's sorta like the huge summer film no one is talking about.

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Now this shall be a hotly debated remake. Variety has just announced that Peter Berg will be directing the latest version of Dune for Paramount (as previously rumored). It will be produced by Kevin Misher, who has spent the last year trying obtain rights from Frank Herbert's estate.

Dune has been made twice already -- most famously by David Lynch, less so by the Sci-Fi Channel. This time, they are looking for writers who can adapt the definitive version for movie audiences. However, just a glance through any "geek" forum shows fans are already worried that the studio's belief that "its theme of finite ecological resources [is] particularly timely" is already missing the point.

The Lynch version is a film that people either love or despise. Most critics despised it upon release, but it has a fairly large fan following. (I know one guy who considers loving it a dating criteria.) Well, except me -- it's been so long since I have seen it that I fall into neither camp, especially since I watched it at 2am through very bleary eyes. I must remedy that so I can discuss this properly. So I'm not entirely convinced a remake is a bad idea -- after Lord of the Rings, no book is considered impossible, and it would please many Herbert fans to see a more loyal adaptation. Then again, there are so many sci-fi books I would love to see tackled that I'm disappointed to see them simply pick up Dune again. Perhaps it is the beginning of a trend.

Mid-strike, filmmaker Peter Berg and Mark Wahlberg signed on for Cocaine Cowboys, a feature adaptation of that cocaine trafficking documentary that came out back in 2006. Mr. Wahlberg was set to play Jon Roberts, a Miami drug dealer who distributed billions of dollars worth of cocaine. Now Page Six says that he'll be joined by Departed co-star Leonardo DiCaprio for all of the retro drug shenanigans.

A movie insider told the site that this film "will blow Blow out of the water," and that Leo "is excited about the opportunity to play the airplane pilot who travels with Mark's character to obtain kilos of cocaine from Pablo Escobar." Correct me if I'm wrong, but I assume that means Leo will be Mickey Munday? (Get more info on the story through the above doc link, or in an old interview here.)

Considering how schnazzy the documentary about Roberts is, I would hope that this isn't just a straight-out drama, but something with a Basketball Diaries sort of life to it -- the film that first brought Marky Mark and Leo together. I like Leo best when he gets to be a little crazy -- a poetic, struggling Jim Carroll, or a wacky Howard Hughes, and would love to see him with a little flair in this. But what do you think? Are you ready for Leo and Marky Part 3?

So I know these aren't the first pictures to come out of Peter Berg's Hancock, but these are the first that capture Will Smith in full superhero gear. Cine21 is hosting two images of Smith in his 'tights.' Well, to be fair, they aren't tights. In fact, like most superhero costumes, it's kind of a spandex and body armor combo -- which really does make the most sense if you think about; comfortable and bullet-proof. Smith stars as Hancock; a superhero that is down on his luck. In desperate need of a PR makeover, he hires a new agent (played by Jason Bateman) in hopes of recapturing some of his former glory. Charlize Theron also stars as Bateman's wife and her involvement with Hancock causes some serious problems in her husband's working relationship with the scuzzy superhero.

I'll admit that I'm a little surprised that it took this long to get the first look at Smith in his 'Super' look. There have already been plenty of photos released from the set, a poster, and the first trailer was released back in December -- all of which featured the ordinarily dapper Smith looking like a bum. Now maybe it's just my Arrested Development nostalgia clouding my judgment, but I do think that this movie has a shot at being pretty funny. Say what you like about Will Smith, but he's got one of the best track records in the business. Plus, Berg has a knack with make comedies from unlikely premises. From a dead stripper in Vegas to a misanthropic superhero is not that much of a leap if you think about it. Hancock opens in theaters on July 2nd, 2008.

[via Empire]

Back in 1981, Miami was "Paradise Lost" -- suffering from its gig as the cocaine center of the States and murder capital to boot. In 2006, Billy Corben and Alfred Spellman set out to document those times, and former dealer Jon Roberts, in Cocaine Cowboys -- a film Martha Fischer said was "celebrating what it set out to simply document." Still, there's a story in all of that, and Paramount is planning on capturing it. Variety reports that the company has tapped Mark Wahlberg to star in the untitled film, which will focus on Roberts' life, with Peter Berg slipping into the directorial chair.

Roberts was a Vietnam soldier who headed to Miami after returning home. Somehow, he fell in with the wrong crowd and "formed a relationship with the Medellin drug cartel, distributing cocaine worth billions of dollars. Wahlberg will play Roberts, who was turned in by a cohort and served a decade in jail for his crimes." Marky Mark must really like this project, since it's going to be a while before it gets made. First, they have to wait for the WGA strike to end, then get together a working script, and then figure out scheduling. In the meantime -- Wahlberg's making some Lovely Bones and fighting with Brad Pitt, while Berg is in the throes of post-production on Hancock.

Before he was saving humanity, Will Smith was all about the comedy. ComingSoon.net is now hosting the first teaser poster for the superhero comedy, Hancock. Directed and co-written by Peter Berg (The Kingdom), the film stars Smith as a down on his luck superhero with a serious need for an image makeover. Enter Jason Bateman (Juno) as a PR agent who is hoping to do just that. Also starring is Charlize Theron as Bateman's wife and possible love-interest for Smith -- or at least those paparazzi pictures taken back in August certainly make it look that way. The project had been kicking around since the 1990's and had passed through the hands of some high-profile directors before Berg landed the job.

The first trailer for the film was released earlier this month and other than a slightly re-cycled gag about flinging marine life, it looks like there is a potential for a pretty funny flick. Personally, I'm not sold on the one sheet -- for starters Smith's expression on the poster has the unfortunate look of someone smelling something unpleasant. Not to mention there is the unfortunate choice of a tag line. But, all in all, I guess there is really not that much to tell audiences about the film other than the fact that Smith is the star. Of course, judging by the man's record at the box-office that seems to be enough to pack them into the seats. Honestly, I'm just looking forward to watching Smith in a comedy that has a little bit of edge -- this is the same director who gave us Very Bad Things after all. Hancock is set for release on July 2nd, 2008.

DVD releases are a little wacky and slow due to the holiday, so here's some nibbles from this week. Happy whatever-it-is-your-celebrating-or-not!

The Kingdom
Taking a cue from Babel, Peter Berg's The Kingdom details a deadly attack on American forces in Saudi Arabia that becomes an international news piece. However, unlike the other film, Berg's adds in the quest for retribution. While diplomats work slowly, an FBI special agent played by Jamie Foxx puts together a team to hunt down the man behind the attack. As our own James Rocchi described it: "if The Kingdom does offer bitter pills to swallow, it's also smart enough to offer a little action-flick sugar to help them go down." It's action also starring the likes of Chris Cooper, Jennifer Garner, and Jason Bateman, so it's hard to go wrong.

The DVD offers deleted scenes, a breakdown of "The Apartment Shootout" scene as well as another about "The Freeway Sequence," a making-of featurette, commentary, and even a history education piece. You can search a timeline of events to learn more about the issues through news stories and featurettes.

Check out James' Take and Ryan's Take | Buy the DVD


The Heartbreak Kid
I admit, this is a bit of Christmas charity since it's a slow week of releases. The Heartbreak Kid probably wouldn't have made the list otherwise, but Merry Christmas, Ben Stiller. Coming to us from the Farrelly Brothers, who have brought us the likes of Dumb & Dumber, There's Something About Mary, and Stuck on You, The Heartbreak Kid tells the case of really, really bad timing -- the tale of a man who falls for someone else during his honeymoon. On the one hand, you've got Malin Akerman (who will soon kick butt in Zach Snyder's Watchmen) playing the wife who reveals her rough spots after marrying ol' Ben. On the other, there's Michelle Monaghan, who plays Stiller's perfect girl.

Like any good comedy DVD, the extras include a gag real, as well as commentary, deleted scenes, "The Farrelly Brothers in the French Tradition," "Ben & Jerry," "Heartbreak Halloween," and an egg toss, just in case you needed some added action on the disc.

Check out James Rocchi's Review | Buy the DVD

Other New DVD Releases

The Brothers Solomon
Pan's Labyrinth -- Blu-ray or HD
Living & Dying
Lost and Found: The Harry Langdon Collection

Check out Peter Martin's Indies on DVD for even more new releases.