Whedonesque : Comments on 17639 : MGM hopes for February 'Cabin' start.

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September 19 2008

MGM hopes for February 'Cabin' start. An article about Mary Parent's new UA responsibilities (in addition to those at it's, um, parent MGM, says The Cabin in the Woods has a $30M budget and she "hopes to begin production in February to make an already planned Oct. 23 release date."

The One True b!X | Cabin in The Woods | 03:28 CET | 60 comments total | tags: the cabin in the woods, mgm, mary parent

That would be nice.

Craig Oxbrow | September 19, 03:37 CET

Yes! So October 23rd was the actual release date, as that one site reported a while ago.

This is... I'm giddy.

Like a tiny little child.

Jobo | September 19, 03:48 CET

With Dollhouse and Cabin in the Woods it looks like 2009 is going to be a good year indeed.

Likewithpie | September 19, 03:53 CET

Ahhhhhh man I can't wait for this.

patxshand | September 19, 03:56 CET

I hope it's not, like, really, really gory scary.

swanjun | September 19, 03:58 CET

I'm flipping out over this movie. An Evil Dead like film written by Joss and Drew, directed by the later. It's just marvelous. I love Drew's work on Buffy (Angel too), both the show and the comics, as well as his writing on Lost (he's had a hand in some of my favorite episodes), not to mention how awesome Cloverfield was. I just hope he can pull off directing but he's really talented so I'm expecting it to be shiny.

Good luck with this one guys. We're rooting for an awesome movie.

The Xan Man | September 19, 03:59 CET

I am so excited, and I do hope it's "really, really gory scary." That's my favorite kind of horror, a la the aforementioned Evil Dead series (though those were hilarious as well, which I also expect a Joss/Drew collaboration to be).

Can't wait for 10/23/09! (And let's hope Dollhouse has started production on its second season by then! Or possibly made a fall series, like what happened to Buffy.)

UnpluggedCrazy | September 19, 04:18 CET

Wow, sounds good!

Invisible Green | September 19, 04:21 CET

Hmmm, $30 million budget.

Anonymous1 | September 19, 04:26 CET

Don't knock the budget, Sunshine was $20 million and they worked it. The limited locations/sets will really go a long way for them budget wise. And look what Joss did with $40 million on Serenity, which had a lot of locations/sets/costumes/etc... comparatively.

I'm sure there are plenty of other examples, I just happened to watch Sunshine today is all.

bobw1o | September 19, 05:29 CET

Heck, they did Army of Darkness for $11 mil, anything over that is just gravy. Or, rather, Karo-flavored blood. ;)

cabri | September 19, 05:37 CET

$30 million is a lot more than most Good movies get (by Good, I don't the stuff that tends to come out of Hollywood).
I have faith in Joss and Drew!

Valentyn | September 19, 05:40 CET

Yeah, I'm psyched about the budget. It's great for a project like this.

The Xan Man | September 19, 05:55 CET

I wasn't knocking the budget...I was just thinking hmmmm, $30 million, Mary Parent, Joss Whedon...

Anonymous1 | September 19, 06:06 CET

You left it open-ended again Anonymous! To mine eyes it still looks like you're knocking the project, except that you said you're not. I'm torn between worlds!

Maybe not so much. |-)~

bobw1o | September 19, 06:44 CET

Considering what Joss and Mary did with $40 mil on Serenity, that's a huge budget for a horror movie. The Saw series had only just hit a $10 mil budget on Saw IV. I can only assume we're talkin' either big star or lots of CGI.

cabri | September 19, 06:51 CET

Is MGM no longer in trouble? I think I read some talk of it getting bought or asset stripped a few weeks back.

Simon | September 19, 07:18 CET

This sounds great! I'm sure Joss and Drew will do an amazing job with this kind of a budget.

Ameer | September 19, 07:19 CET

I'm starting to think I may have underestimated the size of this project. Yes, I know 30 mil isn't super-huge in Hollywood terms, but considering the film is likely centered around a cabin in the woods, one kind of wonders where the rest of the money is going to go. I'm curious to find out.

GreatMuppetyOdin | September 19, 09:34 CET

one kind of wonders where the rest of the money is going to go. I'm curious to find out.

Catering.

zz9 | September 19, 11:22 CET

one kind of wonders where the rest of the money is going to go

Production staff I would have thought. I assume Joss is going to stick his principles and film in L.A..

Simon | September 19, 11:34 CET

Don't knock the budget, Sunshine was $20 million and they worked it.

'Sunshine' was actually about £20 million, or about $40 million. 'Bout the same as 'Serenity' basically and it looked just as good IMO, put a lot of more expensive films to shame (those images of the Sun will stay with me a long time - partly cos i've got the DVD ;).

I'm actually slightly worried that the budget is too high for Cabin, seems to be putting pressure for returns where it's maybe unnecessary (as others note, horror films are normally very cheap which is why the studios keep churning them out - not only is there a ready market but they don't have to do spectacular business to make a profit). Certainly don't want Joss/Drew to compromise their vision but I wouldn't hate them both to have an unalloyed runaway hit either, along the lines of the first 'Saw' movie (financially I mean i.e. about $2 million budget making $103 million gross) so that they then had the clout to do more of what they want to do.

Still, it does make me even more curious as to what exactly the film's about, sounds like there might be big sets, big effects, a big star or some combination of all of them if they need that sort of money.

Saje | September 19, 11:41 CET

Any news or rumors on casting yet?

SteveP | September 19, 12:17 CET

I heard Morgan Freeman is "in talks".

Saje | September 19, 12:20 CET

I share Saje's concerns about a budget being too high... I've seen plenty of really good horror films that were done on a fraction of that, including ones with CGI.

I assume Joss is going to stick his principles and film in L.A.

Why is Joss so insistent about filming in L.A. when it costs so much more money? Aside from it being his home, I'm assuming there are other benefits of which I'm not aware.

MattK | September 19, 12:20 CET

I think it's to pay his dues and support the local crews. He did an interview about it around the time of the release of Serenity but I'm having diffs finding it.

ETA: Found it

Link:

Simon | September 19, 12:23 CET

Is that picture of Mary Parent?

Someone called 'Mary' 'Parent' shouldn't look like that.
She should look like my Auntie Margaret.

What's she playing at?

I'm really worried now. You have to question her judgment.

ZodKneelsFirst | September 19, 12:48 CET

Exactly. If you're gonna have a name like that then it's practically your duty not to be good looking. It might even be in the Bible (depending on whether you've written stuff in your copy or not). So she hates God and love and America and is probably a Communist. Which means Joss is too. Which means anyone that watches "Cabin in the Woods" is going to hell, special Communist hell. QED.

Saje | September 19, 13:07 CET

Is MGM no longer in trouble? I think I read some talk of it getting bought or asset stripped a few weeks back.

There was a buy rumor that MGM completely denied at the time.

The One True b!X | September 19, 13:11 CET

Thanks for that link Simon, I missed that interview. In spite of saying at one point that his reasons were selfish and personal (two small kids, didn't want to be too far from home for too long), if you read the entire interview, it's obvious that he has the exact consciousness we'd expect from our Great Purple Leader.
That is, take care of the local community of unsung workers that comes together to make a film. No wonder all Joss's work has that feel of family-like solidarity. No wonder he inspires such admiration and loyalty from everyone who works with him.
No wonder we love him so much. I think there might be tears. ;-)

Shey | September 19, 13:30 CET

I hope it's not like 'Evil Dead.' Let alone the fact that I'm not a big fan of that movie, it would just be a waste for 'Cabin in the Woods' to be a retread of another film.

QuanticoMVP | September 19, 14:17 CET

The release date worries me. Saw VI comes out a week later and will seriously cut into Cabin's legs.

The Dark Shape | September 19, 16:36 CET

I have absolute faith that a Joss/Goddard collaboration, on something brand new, will blow an old slice and dice right out of the water. Especially since, by then Dollhouse will be the biggest new hit on network TV. :_)

Shey | September 19, 16:41 CET

MGM is not out of the woods. I would put these dates in with pencil.

TamaraC | September 19, 17:32 CET

I haven't bought next year's calendar yet anyway ;).

Saje | September 19, 17:37 CET

Out of the woods. Heh. Is this actually going to be a documentary on MGM's problems?

hacksaway | September 19, 17:53 CET

I'm pretty intrigued to see what a Whedon/Goddard horror movie looks like.

Sunfire | September 19, 19:56 CET

I'm going to predict that an axe will be used as a weapon.

Simon | September 19, 20:00 CET

I predict that at some point, they'll split up.

Saje | September 19, 20:02 CET

I wouldn't bet on anything except it being really scary. They're pretty quirky, those two.

Sunfire | September 19, 20:03 CET

I predict something bad will happen to Xander in this movie. :D

crazygolfa | September 19, 20:23 CET

He'll lose a hand and suddenly it's a pirate movie. Arrrgh!

Sunfire | September 19, 20:33 CET

I predict some sort of cabin.

The One True b!X | September 19, 20:59 CET

I am predicting lots of night scenes.

TamaraC | September 19, 21:02 CET

There will be blood !

And maybe woods.

Saje | September 19, 21:16 CET

You guys realize that now they'll have to rewrite the whole thing because y'all have spoiled it, right?

jcs | September 19, 22:03 CET

The moon might make an appearance, too (blood looks black in the full moonlight, according to Hannibal Lecter.)

Sounds ominous.

m'cookies actual | September 19, 22:11 CET

It's true - make a careful note of where you leave your blood in a full moon cos it's hell to find again.

You guys realize that now they'll have to rewrite the whole thing because y'all have spoiled it, right?

Heh ;).

Joss: "Shit, they guessed about the cabin and the woods !"
Drew: "Dude, I totally told you they'd get it from the title ! What was wrong with 'Arboreous Abode' ?"
Joss: "Hmm, OK, bait and switch, bait and switch, c'mon head brains, think mind thoughts ... OK, how about 'Cabin in the Woods ... on a Cruise Liner' !?".
Drew: "Jesus Joss, what the hell man ? You've totally gone and ... done it again babe ! I fucking love it. It'll be like 'Die Hard' in a Cabin. In the Woods. On a Cruise Liner. We are gonna shit money man, we'll totally be like that chicken that laid the golden egg !".
Joss: "But better cos you can spend money ! And then i'll be able to hire assassins whenever i'm asked about a 'Serenity' sequel !".
Drew: "Dude, I would so totally chip in for that. Seriously".
...

Saje | September 19, 22:33 CET

It'll be just like Speed II, but on a bus.

zz9 | September 19, 22:41 CET

A bus in the woods though, see ? Legs.

Saje | September 19, 22:49 CET

I'd pay to see it.

UnpluggedCrazy | September 20, 03:11 CET

SLiTHER cost 15 million. Filmed in Canada at night in the woods. No cabins. There was a barn owned by some monks who loved the Matrix.

Anonymous1 | September 20, 03:34 CET

I'd recommend not getting too close to any characters that happen to fall in love after a long and convoluted courtship.
In a cabin.
In the woods...

missb | September 20, 04:19 CET

A bus in the woods though, see ? Legs.

So, the bus will have legs, Saje? A legged bus?
Brilliant!

icallitvera | September 20, 05:04 CET

I see a rabbit hopping by....

toast | September 21, 03:20 CET

I'm still hoping this'll be really scary (or, just mildly scary, but very amusing and true-to-life), but not so gory. I don't like the gore (which, is, for instance, why I haven't seen 'Slither', though I'd probably totally enjoy that otherwise). Then again, this being Joss: I'd say Saje's guess has more chance of being true than any of our typical genre-convention-following ideas ;)

GVH | September 21, 14:27 CET

A hopping bus with legs, in the woods (on a cruise liner). If you really study Joss' work that's just the next logical step, it's all been building up to that.

If Hollywood Stock Exchange were real i'd pile my life savings into it.

Saje | September 21, 17:38 CET

Yes Saje, I can totally see it now.

icallitvera | September 21, 18:37 CET

A rabbit hopping by, and a heroine with a bunny phobia.

ActualSize | September 21, 19:37 CET

Happy we will always be? Nah, no way.
Anya was right.

toast | September 22, 00:24 CET

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