$40 Million Deal for Bloom

:ex: Yay! More Orlando Bloom action figures! (and lunchboxes, and jammies, and trading cards, and breakfast cereal...)

Of course, Time Will Tell...

About the article, the movie will be directed by Mike Newell, with Jerry Bruckheimer as a producer.....

Prince of Persia?
*eeeeak*, that would be so coooooool :wub:

and more of Marocco aswell ?!?!? :twitch: :ex: :yahoo:

well, I will have to have a little conversatioon with the sand... ahemm... the time, so it'll tell us the right things... :D


___________________________________________________________

:clap:
*eakeak*
that still would be very cool
:clap:

crossing fingers for us :bigwink:

I know this story has been on and off for months but this is sounding pretty legitimate.

Mike Newell has directed some fabulous movies including Harry Potter, the wonderful 'Donnie Brasco' (with Johnny Depp) and Four Weddings and a Funeral. With Jerry Bruckheimer producing and Orlando starring we are going to be in for one heck of a ride! :woot:

But yes...Time Will Tell. :pray:

ETA: Same story at Contact Music, Fox 6, ABC 4 News...

:ex: I hope it´s true! :pray:

I don't want to rain on anyone's parade, but the key word in this report is "allegedly".

On one hand, I'd be happy to see Orlando get $20 million for the film as I feel he got cheated for his roles in Pirates, and hope that is $20 mil per film, and not all three. Hoping too his contract includes additional income for other merchandise.

But, I didn't think he would get involved in a trilogy again, and given how much of his life was taken up with LOTR and Pirates, I am just not convinced this is official.

If this is going to start filming in Morocco in July, will he be done with the film with Johnny To by then? I am aware that actors don't have to be on set when a film first starts, but I'm just a bit wary on this one, and hope I'm wrong.

This is certainly interesting because the 'news' is everywhere! I certainly remember Orlando stating that he didn't want to get involved in another triology and as you say Libra, the word "allegedly" is the keyword.

However, there are more reports on Hollywood.com and Cinematical yet if you read them closely, it seems one website is picking up the story from another.

Hmmmmmm! :huh:

From Jerry Bruckheimer, there is only a snyopsis of the film with no definite naming of any actor or starting date for production. I don't know if iMDB has any information there, but I have learned through personal experience, not to believe IMDB either.

I wondered about the whole scheduling thing as well. Also, as libra has pointed out, Orlando has said in interviews how LOTR and POTC were such a huge chunk of his life, it would seem odd for him to invest in another multi-year franchise (Of course, he would be the headline star this time around...)

It could all be grist for the Disney PR mill. Guess this thread isn't called "Time Will Tell" for nothing! :P

Still, I do hope there's some truth to the story...

The story so far isn't consistent. I've read reports of him getting #20 Mil than $40 mil. Will tomorrow be $60 mil? I'm all for him to rake in the bucks and I feel he was cheated out of a sizable income from the Pirates film, but if this is true then this will take a good 2-4 years of his life. Will he lose other opportunities to advance himself? And, if he wanted to lose the heart throb image which he has successfully done, will this put him back into that genre again?

When he finishes the To film, will he go from this one right into the next? The comments in the reports of "alledgely and reportedlY" have me concerned along with him getting involved in another trilogy. He'll become King of them soon, and typecast which I personally feel is dangerous for any actor.

I wish he would do what Johnny Depp does. Every film that Johnny does he re-invents himself. I watched the remake of Willy Wonka yesterday for a bit and was amazed at how different Johnny looked at acted compared to the other films. Orlando has to do what he feels is best for his career and what he is comfortable in, and he has already shown on a personal level that he marches to the beat of his own drum, but I am a bit concerned if this is true. It could very well be a great set of films, and with Bruckheimer on board, that is almost a guarantee, but I worry about his career.

Who knows though - if this is true, and he is the lead, this may prove all the doubting Thomas' that he is a good actor as lead and not just a supporting actor.

This is in from Variety. No word on Orlando here and negotiations are still taking place. I could be more skeptical and say this is based on a video game, but we all know what happened when a certain film was based on a Disney ride.

Disney, Bruckheimer talking 'Prince'
Newell in negotiations to direct live action film
By MICHAEL FLEMINGMore Articles:

Disney and producer Jerry Bruckheimer have made an offer to Mike Newell to direct "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time," a live-action feature based on the videogame.

Newell, who last ventured into franchise fare with "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," met execs at the studio to discuss the project this week, and negotiations are expected to begin shortly.

The vidgame has spawned six installments and several spinoffs, prompting studio hopes that the project will have tentpole potential.

"Prince of Persia" has a script by Jeffrey Nachmanoff ("The Day After Tomorrow") and vidgame creator Jordan Mechner.Disney, whose topper, Oren Aviv, will put as many as seven films in production between now and March, recently decided not to race to get "Prince of Persia" into production until labor issues are resolved.

Newell most recently helmed "Love in the Time of Cholera."

Some of the crew so far but no actors have been announced.
Directed by
Mike Newell

Writing credits
(in alphabetical order)
Jordan Mechner creator
Jordan Mechner original screenplay
Jeffrey Nachmanoff screenplay


Produced by
John August .... executive producer
Jerry Bruckheimer .... producer
Jordan Mechner .... executive producer
Chad Oman .... executive producer
Mike Stenson .... executive producer

Art Direction by
Robert Cowper
Stuart Rose

Production Management
Moncef Belam .... production staff

Art Department
Roberto Caruso .... assistant art director
Gary Freeman .... supervising art director
Nazha Kajja .... props coordinator
John Maher .... construction manager
Aziz Rafiq .... assistant to production designer

Visual Effects by
Michael L. Fink .... visual effects supervisor

Other crew
Mohamed Atbir .... production assistant
Rino Bonavita .... assistant accountant
Jerry Bruckheimer .... production executive
Dan Camins .... assistant to producer
Tina Ellis .... first assistant accountant
Hind Hanif .... production coordinator
Cynthia Quan .... financial controller
Jo Wallett .... assistant production coordinator

Thanks for the info from Variety.

Direct link to story

Hmm...

I'm going to go with the 'time will tell' attitude right now. I agree with much of what libra has already said. After the time committments he made with LOTR and Pirates, it's hard for me to see him doing this again just yet. The loss of other career opportunities is a definite possiblity.

If and that's a big IF, this deal is on the table for him, $40MM for 3 movies and quite possibly 5 years out of life and career is not that great a deal. That's only $13.3MM per movie; which is not that much more than what he was reportly paid for Pirates. Even though both are lead roles (despite the media relegating Will to a supporting character; which he wasn't :angry: ), he didn't carry Pirates alone. So for just a little more than Pirates he is to carry a trilogy/franshise and potential "tentpoles" (event movies) on his own. No. Jerry got a great deal on him for Pirates. He owes him a bigger bump than that for any future projects they do together.

And what libra said - what about beyond just the movies. If the movies are as profitable as Pirates, does he get a percentage of the box office off the top? Does he get points off the back end? What about merchandizing and future video games stories using his likeness? Which of course they would be stupid not to change should these movies be successful.

Sorry about my tangent, but I always thought he was ripped off for Pirates. But, of course, only 'time will tell'.

About contracts, it's up to each cast member's agent and lawyer to negotiate the best deal that they can for their client. The studio just doesn't just hand them a contract, take it or leave it, it's negotiated. Granted there is give and take and every detail, down to what's in the dressing room, time off to market other films, name placement, parking places, merchandising and dialogue approval..among a thousand other things... it's all up for negotiation. And it's negotiated based on the client's worth to the studio and producers at the time of the negotiations. At the end of a film or a film series the talent may be more bankable and more popular and it's up to the agent to get a better package for their client with the next project. Everything is something to be negotiated, give and take. The producers only pay what the agents negotiate for the cast or crew member. It's the agent's responsibility to try and get as much as is reasonably possible. Of course it's also the agent's responsibility to not over price or over demand for their client. Back end deals, residuals, profit on merchandise is all up for negotiations. A wise agent/talent team is reasonable with requests. A demanding agent/client team can lose future jobs. Because if demands are met by the studio on the presumption that the talent will bring in the box office dollars and then doesn't? That client's negotiating level has now dropped considerably.

Opps more than you probably wanted to know, but it's not an easy business. :boxing:

Karen,

Well said, and no it is not an easy business. A veteran actor recently told me that acting is not what it is used to be. It isn't always about the craft, but about the money. What will the actor get, and if they have a big ego, they can over-rate themselves and ask for more than what they are entitled to.

But, in having said that, Orlando's agent left a chunk of money on the table behind for him in terms of merchandise, etc. While Johnny Depp is a good actor, and his role as Jack Sparrow in Pirates was essential, I do not feel he could have carried the film without Orlando's part. I recently viewed AWE again, and for the heck of it threw Curse of the Black Pearl on for about an hour. The difference in how Orlando played and changed the part of Will Turner was remarkable. He along with his character grew right before our eyes.

Orlando has proven himself in the field of acting, and while there are other avenues he needs to pursue and prove to some of the public, if he were to revisit some of his earlier roles, I.e., Elizabethtown, his role as Shy in Haven and even Paris in Troy, we would get a different performance from him.

Call me greedy but breaking down $40 mil to five years out of his life is still peanuts to me. He got $10 mil for both of the Pirates films and that was not enough. Keira Knightley's agent was given an offer from the studio and her agent refused and came back with a higher figure than Orlando received. Excuse me, but there is no comparison here to her part vs. Orlando's. I've known a few people who found her portrayal of Elizabeth downright annoying at times. Perhaps Orlando is not as greedy as others are, but he should have received more than what he got, and coupled with his agent not pursuing other opportunities that he missed while doing Pirates, he got royally taken for a ride, and not on anything at Disneyland.

Thanks to Clarice from Orlando Love I have this news

So this I guess ends all the rumors...I really sorry for those who were excited with the idea.

On my case I just need to say... :yahoo:

Thanks nahla and OrlandoLad for posting the news that there is no truth in this rumor. Isn't it amazing how quickly one small article spreads like wildfire over the entire internet?

Its been fascinating reading all your thoughts and comments. Karen thank you for the extremely interesting insight into contract deals. Its incredible just how much as to be negotiated, not just the larger part of the deal but the minute detail.

Initially I was excited when I heard this news yesterday, but the more I thought about it, the more I could see the type-casting. Orlando broke that mold last summer when he took to the stage, he did an incredible job with what was certainly a very daunting experience. But he learned from those few weeks and gained greater knowledge. To go back to another swords and sandles film would have undone the work he achieved last year. Its time for Orlando to leave these roles to the younger actors and focus on a new genre of roles that will amaze and astound us all.

Couldn't be more agree with you,Jes :friends:

I am glad I went with my instincts on this one, but I could not in my heart of hearts believe that he would commit himself to another trilogy when he tried so hard to get away from that type of stereo type casting.

I would like to see him come out on a talk show without the themes of either LOTR or Pirates being played. He has shown more calibre than that, and while I am not distracting from these two bodies of work, Orlando has just grown as an actor in many ways.

For my part, I hope he never does another trilogy or epic film again.

Having worked for a couple of the studios myself, along with my sister and her husband, the complexities of negotiating a project contract is not all that new to me. But now that the rumors have been cleared up, thanks to our diligent :teambloom: , all I want to say is :pray: thank God these negotiations are not in the works. He's moved so beyond this. And I wish him the best at whatever he has coming down the line.

I just hope that he finds something to do that he will enjoy. We should be able to have fun with our chosen field of work, what ever that may be.

It would seem by his own actions that once the strike was over, and Johnnie To was able to start on his remake of The Red Circle, that this is what Orlando wanted to do first and foremost.

Just like any career, there is good and bad. Most likely he did films that he didn't want to do but did so out of commitment, loyalty or was told it was the right thing to do and unfortunately for his career it was the wrong thing to do. But, in having said that, a person will only grow when they experience the good along with the bad.

One can say he is seasoned enough, but as an actor recently told me even with a wealth of experience, knowledge and gut instinct, the potential to make the wrong choice is always there, and you've got to just ride it out.

I hope that Orlando will continue to pick roles that will challenge and stretch his acting abilities in both film and theatre, and along those choices where he may not be as successful, he comes away not with regret, but with learning and continues to move forward.

Sorry but.....which was the wrong thing to do for Orlando's career?
He worked in many and so different films, some have been great blockbuster, other not, but in every movie he showed great ability and achieved success.... :huh:

:thud:

He has been criticized for his role as Paris in Troy. Many critics thought he acted weakly in the film, but historically, he acted exactly the way Paris was. He was never a warrior in that era, but very much what we consider today as a lady's man.

In Kingdom of Heaven, one of my favorite films of his, they say he acted wooden, couldn't carry the film and didn't carry the film. I don't think Ridley Scott would have put him in that role if he didn't think he could carry it. There were many scenes in that film where he hardly said a word, or didn't say much, but if you look at his facial expression, that said a whole conversation. Take for example, when Liam Neeson comes to him and tells him he is his father stating he asks for forgiveness from him, he simply walks away. Right after that, he says tell him to take what he wants and he simply says he wants nothing from him. When he says his place is there and he is told what made it his home is no longer there, he looks at him and there is a slight nod of disagreement, not accepting his words. When he refuses to marry Sybilla, and she goes to kiss him, he averts his face. In that slight motion, he is saying I am not Guy and I cannot be bought.

In Elizabethtown, some critics and people just say the film was horrible, but people have to look beyond what is being shown on the screen.

This film is about a young ambitious career driven man who has spent 9 years working on a shoe. Think about that for a minute. Doesn't that seem ludicrous? Devoting your time and years of life to a shoe? But, that shoe was going to revoluntinize whatever, and it failed. In the middle of his own crisis, he finds his father has died, and in going there, he discovers a family of relatives that he never took the time to get to know, and unfortunately, he wasted nine years of his life that he could have spent learning and knowing who his father was, and then he realizes its too late, and what the heck was so important about the shoe anyway? In the middle of it, he meets a quirky girl who in her own way teaches him to stop and smell the roses.

And Haven - people hated that film, but again his acting was subtle in parts so much so that they were intense. When his friend tells him he shouldn't hide from the world, that its only looks. His anger and frustration brew on the top when he gives it right back to him, and tells him you try to live looking like this, but what he is really trying to tell his friend is don't tell me how to live looking like this unless you have walked in my shoes and if it is no big deal, then where were you? All you had to do was throw a pebble at the window, and if you did that, then my life wouldn't have turned out like this.

May, some critics didn't even like his portrayal as Will Turner in AWE. Hard to believe that but Orlando is not a flash actor in the sense that he is loud. He is subtle and those instances are full of strength and emotion. People viewing his roles just need to look beyond the screen and pay attention to what he is showing us through his acting.

But, I still want to see him dig deep inside of himself and continue to grow in diversity. He is young yet, and I feel he will explode on the screen in more ways than the public can envision. His best years and parts in theatre and film are ahead of him. He is very gifted in many ways, and given the right vehicles, he will continue to expound.

From Contact Music

LATEST: Disney has denied ORLANDO BLOOM will star in the studio's new blockbuster PRINCE OF PERSIA: SANDS OF TIME, according to internet reports.

The 31-year-old Pirates Of The Caribbean actor was reported to have beaten off competition from Zac Efron to land the lead role in the adaptation of Jordan Mechner's popular computer game series.

However, website comingsoon.net claims Disney hasn't signed Bloom up for the film, which will be directed by Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire moviemaker Mike Newell and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer.
The site states, "What we do know so far is that Mike Newell is expected to start shooting Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time soon at Pinewood Studios in the U.K. and in Morocco as well. Jerry Bruckheimer instead is producing the film, which the studio is targeting for a June 19, 2009 release."

The Sands Of Time will be the first in a trilogy of films based on the games.

Thanks for the article Libra.

My inbox has been quite amusing over the last few days, its a bit like a pantomime - "Oh Yes he is, Oh No he isn't, Oh Yes he is..." :lol:

I think we can safely settle on the 'Oh No he isn't!'

Must say I'm of mixed feelings. Certainly want Orlando to have a varied and faceted career (if that's what he wants), but I am a smidge disappointed we won't see Orlando doing the whole "swash, swash, buckle, buckle" thing again. Still, I understand why anyone wouldn't want to give up another long chunk of their lives to film yet another trilogy.

Ah well, there's always the new LOTR films yet to come. Until then, bring on The Red Circle!

I personally do not ever want to see him do another trilogy again on many levels.

First, he has already freed himself from the shackles of "teen idol", and if his career is to bloom (sorry for the pun there guys), then he has to move on in different roles. I can take Hugh Grant as an example, but when I see him in a film (and I try not to), I can be guaranteed of one thing - the same type of performance. There is no depth to him, and it leaves me wondering is he really acting or did he show up, stand in front of the camera and is just being himself.

I realize that Orlando has far more depth than that, and the way he goes into his acting mode on the character he is portraying, there is a definite difference to each of his performances, but I don't want years from now reading some article saying Orlando Bloom, actor of trilogies or swash buckling epics, but rather British Actor Orlando Bloom receives Lifetime Award for his many faceted roles and contribution to the film industry. He has it in him to get that far. He just needs those opportunities.

Jake Gyllenhaal in Orlando's slippers? Sounds like an even more dubious rumor...

Here's a link to the actual newsbyte:

Gyllenhaal in "Prince"

All I can think of is that song of "some day my prince will come". It will be interesting on who actually will be the prince.

I feel that this role may have been offered to Orlando, and declined by him. Orlando has shown he wishes to be taken seriously as an actor, and that won't happen if he is committed to years out of his life acting in another "swash and buckle" trilogy. He is too fine an actor to waste his talents this way. As for the rumour re Gyllenhaal, I somehow can't see him wielding a mean sword! But then, I'm not Disney hoping to hang a lucrative money spinner on another trilogy based on a game.

tinakel

Just a little "what might have been". Jake Gyllenhaal suited up for his role in Prince of Persia:



I like Jake (someone's been to the gym!) and wish him well with these films, but seeing this picture makes me very glad Orlando is not playing the titular prince. (Looks a bit twee...)

(image courtesy of justjared.buzznet.com)

I saw a clip of this on E! News yesterday and thought exactly the same as you - he's looking really good, but so glad Orlando didn't do this role.