This is
still in the not-quite-concrete/rumor stage, as the source for this story is
gossip haven TMZ.com, but reportedly Tom Cruise looks to do a flick with Ben
Stiller tentatively called The Hardy Men,
which of course would be based on the Hardy Boys detective novel series. Except
that they’re grown-up now, see?
interesting about this, however, is that it is due to be directed by Shawn
Levy, helmer of The Pink Panther, Cheaper
By the Dozen, A Night at the Museum, and now…….The Flash.
always done my best to avoid anything associated with this guy. But it’s not
because I’ve heard he’s an abysmal director, though that is what everyone tells
me. It’s that I wouldn’t want to see the projects he’s done regardless of who
is directing them. These are conceptually uninspired films with the exception
of The Flash, and David Goyer’s
prior involvement there made me think that Warners/DC didn’t care about that
film being good anyway.
a selfish attitude, but I feel like as long as the guy keeps taking projects
that either looked to be dull from the ground up or good ones that a studio
didn’t take seriously, I can’t be enraged by him getting work. If
he didn’t do these films, some other hack would. There are better battles to
fight and get worked up over. If this happens, it’ll be a surefire hit for all involved, and hopefully Cruise and Stiller would take that momentum and do something else that’s actually worth watching.
If not, there’ll always be a "Shawn Levy" flick waiting for whoever needs a hit, whether it be a studio or an actor. And most of them won’t actually be directed by Shawn Levy.