Is Minimoys Besson's last movie?
French director says he may direct again.
Arthur and the Minimoys director Luc Besson claimed this would be his last directing job. Now he says he might change his mind. What gives?
(Source: www.productionweekly.com)
It seems politicians aren't the only ones who flip-flop. Director Luc Besson (La Femme Nikita, The Fifth Element) has said many times that he was retiring from directing after he completed his upcoming animated movie Arthur and the Minimoys (Arthur and the Invisibles in North America). Now Besson's saying that he might step back behind the camera again. Why?
It has to do with the Almighty Dollar (or the Almighty Sequel, whichever you prefer). Long story short: if Minimoys is a big enough hit, then Besson will adapt its sequel, Arthur and the Forbidden City, for the silver screen. Besson is so apparently attached to the Arthur books (not surprising, since he wrote them) that he sees no one but himself directing them if they're turned into movies.
Arthur and the Forbidden City will follow ten-year-old Arthur as he tries to enter the evil wizard Maltazard's Necropolis (the forbidden city of the title) to recover a stolen treasure, protect the Minimoys and save his grandfather.
Now Besson fans shouldn't start cheering at their hero's return just yet. Arthur and the Minimoys faces two major hurdles to becoming a hit. The first is that foreign movies rarely do well in the North American market. It seems American audiences prefer to see Besson's movies when they've been remade with American stars. Case in point: the highly-rocking La Femme Nikita becoming the craptacular Point of No Return.
The second hurdle is the box office-curdling presence of one Madonna Louise Ciccone, who voices the role of Princess Selenia. Madonna's success in movies has been inversely proportional to her success on the pop charts. Translation: none of her movies have been more than a modest hit, and she's been "honoured" many times at the Razzie Awards (which recognizes the worst of the silver screen).
Can Arthur and the Minimoys conquer the Madonna Curse? Find out when the movie opens in limited release on December 29th, and in wide release on January 12th.
