Genre: Western/Adventure/Science Fiction/Fantasy.
Studio:
Warner Brothers.
Production Company:
Peters Entertainment/Warner Brothers.
Project Phase: Greenlighted.
Who's In It:
Will Smith (James T. West); Kevin Kline (Artemus Gordon); Kenneth Branagh (Dr. Arliss Loveless);
Salma Hayek (Rita Esobar); Robert Conrad (rumored).
Who's Making It:
Barry Sonnenfeld (Director); Brent Maddock, Steve Wilson
(Screenwriters); Jon Peters (Producer); Kim LeMasters,
Bill Todman, Jr., Joel Simon (Executive Producers); Elmer Bernstein (Musical Score); based upon the
CBS television series The Wild, Wild West.
Premise: Unknown.
Release Date: Summer 1999.
Developments:
December, 1997... Clooney decides to not star in the picture.
August, 1997... George Clooney agrees to play the Artemus Gordon character.
Comments: Featuring a eclectic combination of western, action and pinches of sci-fi, the series ran four seasons from 1965 to 1969. It starred Robert Conrad (as James T. West) and Ross Martin, who played West's loyal sidekick Artemus Gordon. Johnny Depp, Kevin Kline and Matthew McConaughey had been also considered for the Gordon role but in early August of '97 Clooney nabbed it.
Sonnenfeld's previous films include 1997's Men in Black and the two Addams Family shows.
Rumors: Unknown.
Scoop Feedback:
May 4, 1997... [Project information supplied by 'gurghi' and Joe Hanna.]
June 24, 1997... Fresh of his ultra-hot stint as the latest Batman, George Clooney is being considered for the other lead role. [Submitted by 'kevinkevdo'.]
Sonnenfeld is apparently really keen to get cracking on this project by February next year. Look for a X-Mas '98 or Summer '99 release. [Sent in by 'seand'.]
In an TV interview Robert Conrad gave a while back, this scooper caught the actor express his desire to cameo in the movie version of the TV show. [Sent in by 'Diamond Drinker'.]
August 5, 1997... George Clooney agrees to star alongside Will Smith in the picture. Clooney passed on the Jack Frost fantasy film for WB to put on the silver screen shoes of Artemus Gordon. [Scoops contributed by 'hansolo', 'st7i9' and anonymously.]
We're waaaay behind on getting this info up (tends to happen with the volume of mail we get) but even though it's not the latest ultra hot scoop we like to give the impression we know everything. Subsequent scoopers have emailed us that the original television show only ran four seasons, from September 1965 to April 1969. Luckily, we learned this before selecting the answer while on Jeopardy!, thus bagging $500 for shooting the question back to Alex. Also, two TV movies were made of the series and later aired. All this advantageous information is kindly appreciated, amigos. [Sage-like knowledge passed down by 'The Dragon', 'sunlight' and anonymously.]
This scooper told us the premise will be about two U.S. Treasury agents sent undercover in the old west during the Civil War. Well, that's kinda a general way of saying what the gist is but not the movie's actual plotline - but it's enough to give non-Wild Wild West fans an idea as to what to expect. [Mailed in by 'Wax Ecstatic.]
November 22, 1997... 'Uncle Bob' comes through for us in a big way! Our missing family relative dropped by for Thanksgiving dinner, and while we were passing him the cranberries he told us a whole ton of info about this soon-to-be-filming project that perks up our interest level more than a few notches. We even let him have seconds first to loosen his tongue some more.
This project has all of those fun things the old series had going for it: classic turn-of-the-century science fiction/fantasy escapism and good ol' fashioned western adventure. There's a scene like the ones we're used to watching in the James Bond movies where Smith, Clooney and Conrad (he's back!) find out about all the new weaponry and technologies being invented by Mark Twain, Jules Verne, H.G. Wells and others. The U.S. government has hired these writers to design 'futuristic' gadgets so they'll all have a 19th century 'look and feel' to them. Expect to see some neat stuff using steam power and similar Victorian-age technology.
If they stick close to the script currently in use, the entire movie will be chock full of references to every big media event of the past twenty years. Everything from Bonanza to the X-Files will be given an homage to. The James West musical theme will ring out whenever West is going to come save the day, except when something like, oh, the Bonanza theme strikes up unexpectantly. The producers want to create some nostalga for the audience.
Storyline is like this: there are two Asian contingents that are more advanced than the Americans in many ways. Apparently the 'evil' Chinese are trying to retrieve a crashed UFO spacecraft and bring it back to China to backengineer, but it sinks in San Francisco Bay, where it is recovered by the 'good' Chinese guys.
As we mentioned earlier, Uncle Bob tells us that Robert Conrad is back for more than just a cameo role. Now he's a Chicago cop around the turn of the century. Bob also hinted there was something about the release date being purposfully set a couple weeks before the release of the new Star Wars film because it even has some tie-ins to that!
He stopped short of learning any more about the film right now though. He doesn't want to ruin his enjoyment when he goes to see the picture. But from what he did tell us, it sounds like it'll be a lot of fun. [Thanks to our 'Uncle Bob'. You have to visit us more often!]
We heard it through the grapevine Warrick W. Davis has joined the cast...but playing who!? [Signed anonymous.]
November 25, 1997... Thankfully, there are readers who are old eno...er, recall in detail the series (we loved it, but we couldn't stay up that late when it hit syndication.) If Warwick Davis has joined the cast, chances are pretty good he'll be portraying a character named Miguelito Loveless. Loveless was the evil dwarven genius who regularly hounded James West with his schemes (consider him this series' Q [a la Star Trek: The Next Generation].) [Thanks to these cowboys for their scoops: 'fuzzguy', 'ghill', 'Hawkeye', 'rickj', 'dmccaw', 'jjay' and a couple of anonymous fellas.]
November 27, 1997... Thanks to all who corrected Miguelito's errouneously-spelled surname. We've corrected the error and humbly beseech for your forgiveness...or a merciful death. [You guys know who you are.]
December 9, 1997... George Clooney has decided not to play Artemus Gordon in the picture. With WB citing no comment, scuttlebutt has it that there were creative differences between Clooney and director Barry Sonnenfeld. Also to be considered was that the Gordon character was always considered more of a sidekick to West, and that may have not fit Clooney's leading man image. Filming is still on track to start next April, and Smith is still with the production. [Relayed via telegraph by 'tjandrie', 'PKT', 'prime', 'Flagen', 'Trek30yrs' and 'wbandla'.]
December 14, 1997... Even though Variety reports Kevin Kline is the man they're betting on to snag the Gordon role soon, we've been told the front-runner is Tim Robbins. [Credit to 'LEYR44A' for that one.]
February 17, 1998... Hollywood Reporter and Variety both report that Kenneth Branagh will star in the picture as Dr. Arliss Loveless, not Warwick Davis as we were told late last year. Loveless is out to assassinate President Ulysses S. Grant using a giant armed walking vehicle known as 'The Tarantula'. Neato! [Scoops sent in by Todd Dupler and anonymous; originally appeared in Variety and The Hollywood Reporter.]
April 11, 1998... Worth the $8 ticket alone, sexy Salma Hayek will star in The Wild, Wild West. She'll play Rita Esobar, who gets caught up in a love triangle between Will Smith and Kevin Kline. [Couriered by Christian and 'lcuga'.]
April 16, 1998... A scooper who happened to be in the right place at the right time said that a "sizable number" of papier mache heads are being constructed for this film; they're to be used for the Mardi Gras scenes. [Thanks to our anonymous friend!]
In an interview with Tom Snyder a few weeks ago, Barry Sonnenfeld said that Wild, Wild West would be released in the summer of 1999. Sonnenfeld also said that this film will have more effects in it than either Men in Black or The Addams Family. [Contributed by Den.]
April 24, 1998... Jaqui Lopez, ILM visual effects supervisor, said in a lecture at Copenhagen that there will be a lot of digital stuntmen for this movie. [Thanks to 'Duck'.]
September 1, 1998... "There are trailers being cut together now," said the shadowy figure at the end of the driveway, late one night when CA's Director was preparing to drive back home. "The great ones upstairs intend to release it with Soldiers (for which they have high expectations) on Oct. 23."
By this point every word was being etched in Patrick's brain, as if Sharon Stone were using her trademark ice pick upon the back of his skull. There was a silent pause that drew out into a longer moment that seemed to stretch for minutes. Perhaps the figure had finished speaking what they had to say; nevertheless the mysterious individual didn't move from his spot. Just as Patrick had just finished working up the courage to ask him (or her) who they were when the icy chill of the stranger's speech broke the silent night once again...
"Don't forget to post up the fact that Elmer Bernstein is the movie's music man. Do it tonight Sauriol or else."
Then the figured moved off. Patrick stood there for a moment gathering his thoughts. Well, maybe I could spend another fifteen minutes doing a small update before I take off for tonight, he thought to himself. Turning around and heading back to CA's studio, his mind also focused on the fact that the lower part of his body seemed to be growing unusually cold. That also may give me enough time to change my pants, too, he realized.
[Thanks to a dark figure known as 'Mr. WB' for scaring Patrick nearly to death late last night.]