Zemeckis Returning To 3D - MAJOR MATT MASON Has Greenlight With Tom Hanks

You may have heard that Robert Zemeckis is back into live action with a Denzel Washington topped 2D thriller in FLIGHT. So what's next on his plate?

Back to 3D! Zemeckis is casting Tom Hanks (or is Hanks casting Zemeckis as director?) in the Universal distributed MAJOR MATT MASON (which we covered back in June), an adaptation of the children's classic 1960's action figure. Remember SPEED? Yes that now classic "movie on a bus" starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock - was written by Canadian Graham Yost (who's father, Elwy Yost is very well known in Ontario - actually sent Graham to school late once with a note saying: "Graham is late for school because I had him stay up late to watch Citizen Kane."). Needless to say, the passion of movies was inherited. Graham Yost has co-written MAJOR MATT MASON with Tom Hanks and I expect nothing short of a STELLAR story from this tandem.

Here's Graham Yost on what to expect:
“The story is set on the moon, near future, and it’s a team of people on a base on the moon, on the south pole of the moon. And of course everything goes wrong. There’s no bad guys. There’s no aliens. Nothing like that. It’s just, can you survive? It’s really fun, and it’s just been a blast working with Tom on that. We had such a good time on ‘From Earth to the Moon’ that it’s sort of like, ‘We’ve got to go back to the moon. Some way, somehow, let’s go back to the moon.’”

“Who knows what’s going to happen with [timing], because Tom is very busy now acting in a bunch of things. I think he’s doing ‘Cloud Atlas‘ now over in Europe, [and then] I think probably going into the Maersk Alabama thing (Somalian pirate drama ‘Captain Phillips,’ directed by Paul Greengrass). So we’ll see if it happens. I hope it does, because we both love lunar exploration.”

I love that this is going to be a realistic survival thriller. No aliens. Just the lunar elements. And the Tom Hanks - Robert Zemeckis chemistry? Who can argue with that? FORREST GUMP? CAST AWAY? Simply amazing movies. Throw in 3D which Zemeckis knows like the back of his hand and we have a truly event worthy movie to look forward to.

Sources: Reuters | The Wrap via Collider

Oh YEAH! Zemeckis is BACK! In Talks To Direct Hanks In MAJOR MATT MASON!!

I could not be happier - I am beside myself. I simply love Robert Zemeckis' live action movies (and the ROGER RABBIT hybrid) and it is with great pleasure that I pass on to you (via Variety) that Zemeckis is in talks to direct Tom Hanks in MAJOR MATT MASON.

Yes, the Oscar winning team are at it again! It gets better. Hanks has championed this for a couple of years now and in fact co-wrote the screenplay with Graham Yost (I am a HUGE fan) of SPEED, BAND OF BROTHERS, THE PACIFIC fame. Graham is the son of Elwy Yost who fronted SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE MOVIES for 25 years (I lived in the Toronto area for 10 years). Their family oozes credibility.

Gary Goetzman is producing.

MAJOR MATT MASON will be a S3D release, but no official word that it will be native or conversion. My bet is native given the toys that Zemeckis could play with these days! Hanks' Playtone Productions has done one other 3D production to date: MAGNIFICENT DESOLATION: WALKING ON THE MOON 3D.

The budget is pegged at over $100 million and it is based on the retired (but probably soon to return) Mattel action figure.

Here's a brief Wikipedia description of the Mattel character:
Major Matt Mason was an action figure created by Mattel, an astronaut who lived and worked on the moon. When introduced in 1966, the figures were initially based on design information found in Life Magazine, Air Force Magazine, Jane’s, and other aviation- and space-interest periodicals. Later, the line would attempt to transition into the realm of science fiction.

Tom Hanks in space again!! Brilliant. More when I get it!