Norway’s monster horror “Troll Hunter” made somewhat of a splash in genre circles when it was released stateside a couple of years back, so naturally, a remake is in order. And taking on writing and directing duties is “The Descent,” “Centurion” and “Game Of Thrones” helmer Neil Marshall, who will redo the André Øvredal original (our review). Production will begin in early 2014 on the flick, which follows “a group of students investigating a series of mysterious bear killings. They follow a mysterious hunter into the deep woods, learning along the way that he is a troll hunter, and that the creatures killing those bears might not confine their appetites to that species only.” Chris Columbus is among the producers. [Deadline]
Nancy Meyers, the powerhouse behind hits like “The Parent Trap,” “Father of the Bride” and “Private Benjamin,” has exited what would have been her next directorial effort, a rom-com tentatively titled “Royal Wedding.” She was re-writing the flick originally penned by “The Spectacular Now” writers Scott Neustadter and Michael Weber, and planned to get behind the camera too, but for undisclosed reasons she’s bounced. So someone else will have to guide the movie which “focuses on the life of an American young woman, which gets turned upside down when she begins dating a very unlikely young man. The complexities that follow are bigger than both of them.” Let’s guess: he’s a prince. [Deadline]
Ariel Vroman, who helmed the Michael Shannon-starring assassin flick “The Iceman,” has lined up a new gig. He’ll direct “Criminal,” which follows “a brain damaged criminal—implanted with the memories of a murdered operative—who must help the CIA defuse a ticking bomb when a hacker overtakes the U.S. government’s nuclear submarines.” WTF. Doug Cook and David Weisberg dreamed up the script for this one. [Variety]
Lastly, the George Burns movie “Going In Style” is getting a remake, with Ted Melfi slated to direct, from his own script. Who is this guy? Well, he’s in post on the already buzzy “St. Vincent De Van Nuys” starring Bill Murray and Melissa McCarthy, but why he’s using that heat to do a remake about three old dudes planning a bank heist is beyond us. [Variety]