THE BOX NOW SAYS 'DO NOT OPEN UNTIL NOVEMBER'
- By Russ Fischer
- Published 11/25/2008
- News
In a move certain to incite supposition that Richard Kelly's career is all but over, Warner Brothers has pushed his next film, The Box, back to November 2009. The film stars Cameron Diaz and James Marsden in an adaptation of a Richard Matheson story in which a couple are given a mysterious box that commutes wealth, but which also kills a stranger with every use. Most recently slated for March of next year, this isn't the first time the film has moved around on the schedule. The film is finished (and rated: PG-13) so the delay isn't a post-production issue.
Given the problems with and ultimate reception of Southland Tales, this doesn't look good. But November isn't a dumping ground. Even if Warners only plans to throw the film in a few theatres, they could easily have done that in March. Can WB market the film into a modest hit next fall, or will this just be a late-season lob?
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Comments
Comment #1 (Posted by Chad)
I know I'm a fool for saying this, but I still have hope and look forward to seeing this film. I'll wait until I see a trailer, or more production footage before I decide a final verdict for myself.
Comment #2 (Posted by an unknown user)
No, the delay probably isn't post-production related. It's probably schedule related.
If WB really had no confidence in the film, why not September or January?
Comment #3 (Posted by sackley)
I still want it to be good because even Southland Tales couldn't completely obscure the fact that Kellly has talent. But he is in danger of going Shyamalan even quicker than Shyamalan did.
Comment #4 (Posted by perry)
i like richard kelly, if not his finished films, at least his ambition should be respected. but the above photo looks like a scene from That 70's show, and not just the clothes, or the decor, but it doesn't strike me at all as menacing or suspenseful, just kinda schlocky. i hope the trailer proves me wrong.
Comment #5 (Posted by an unknown user)
"But he is in danger of going Shyamalan even quicker than Shyamalan did." ------------------------------- so true. I really want this frat boy pothead to succeed and make awesome movies...but Southland Tales made me want to cut off my own head, burn it and toss it in the Ganges.
Comment #6 (Posted by A-Pathetic)
This was an interesting concept when Twilight Zone did it, but certainly doesn't seem to have enough meat on it to hold up an entire film.
Comment #7 (Posted by Joe Uman)
Looks like the used the exact same BOX from the Twilight Zone episode. Cost cutting.
Comment #8 (Posted by bpvalentine)
Wow, the box looks like a board game prop. Push the bubble and watch the dice bounce.
Comment #9 (Posted by NeuroticErotica)
Heh, plebians. Combining poetry from Robert Frost, an inversion of TS Eliot’s “whimper and not a bang” and a strong dose of quotes from The Book Of Revelation, Kelly weaves a fractured postmodern myth about the end of the world - Hell A style. The plot is weaving masterpiece of an action hero slash prophet Boxer Santoros (Dwayne Johnson) who writes a screenplay called that The Power, from which the film sort of unfolds. Set in an alternative ozymandian fascist state of the near now (2008), the story revolves around a mad scientist who invents a new power source based on the movement of the ocean and who secretly organises time travel experiments involving Boxer and ex soldier Ronald Taverner from a time rift created by his new technology. War is on going all over the Mid East after a nuclear bomb explodes in Texas but also strife is rife between the US based Neo-Marxist underground and the fascist police state. Various other plots intertwine with intrigues and diversions but I think the plot of Southland Tales is secondary to its dream scape world of porn stars, terrorism, violence, pop culture, fascism, movie culture, new technology, Neo-Marxism, musicals, the environmental crisis and of course, the Apocalypse. Sorry that you "CHEWERS" are too fucking stupid to understand this. Go to college and take a class on history, theology, and sociology for starters before you mouth breathers open up your ignorant traps.
Comment #10 (Posted by Peter Judson)
I am in complete agreement with Neurotic. With the exception of that "plebians" comment. Calling people names (even names they don't understand) is no way to get your point across. Look where it got Devin.
Comment #11 (Posted by Burt Reynolds)
Neurotic, that's a very good description of Southland Tales. Even with all of that being true, however, it's still a shitty movie that fails spectacularly on every level. High concept does not automatically mean high quality. And I think you could have thrown "Neo-Marxist" in there a few more times, too.
Comment #12 (Posted by Hidden_7)
Neurotic is surely joking with the bracketing of that explication. Clearly that's a reductio for the film... isn't it?
Comment #13 (Posted by PhukHue)
NeuroticErotica IS Richard Kelly.
Comment #14 (Posted by Lucas)
Neurotic has to be joking, but it would've been better conveyed with with a concluding "...and who wouldn't like that?" Anywise, thanks for the laugh. The last movie that turned on the supposedly "collegiate" taste was Boondock Saints, and what's that saying, exactly? Good ideas, poor execution. An art film without the art.
Comment #15 (Posted by Ryan)
Why does the "box" remind me of a Spencer's Gifts plasma ball?
Comment #16 (Posted by Mr_Hyppo)
I'm pretty sick of the whole "they pushed the movie so it must stink" thing. Studios shuffle their releases around for alot of reasons, there's no reason at all that this bodes badly for the film.
Comment #17 (Posted by NeuroticErotica loves ST almost as much as Twiligh)
Ummm NeuroticErotica. If ST is a fictional story set in an "alternative ozymandian fascist state" and filled with "future technology" why is it necessary to study history?
You can see how you look stupid.... yeah you see.
ps. you make it obvious when you cut and paste synopsis of film when you bookend with comments of a 2nd grade level. You are a true wanker.
Comment #18 (Posted by thejyav)
oh well....Darko was good but flawed and southland was awful so I really have no desire to see anything else he makes, espcially if it starts Diaz
Comment #19 (Posted by Blue Smoke)
Kelly totally fuck-wanked ST and the Darko Director's cut, but DD has genuinely creepy and atmospheric moments which would suit a twilight zone story like this. As long he stops hitting the bong while scripting (it's okay for dreaming up ideas, not good for structuring), he could have a future in movies.
