David Koepp Performs MIB3 Re-Writes

Although I thought "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" was an absolute mess, David Koepp has shown over his career that he is a master at penning the big-budget screenplay. Koepp has written and done unaccredited work on numerous high-profile films in his career, including "Angels and Demons," "Spider-Man," "Men in Black," "Jurassic Park" and "Mission: Impossible," and it looks as if he can add another to that list.

According to Deadline, Koepp has been brought in for several weeks of script doctoring on "Men in Black III," which has been on hiatus before it's scheduled to kick off again March 28th.

The newest installment of the film involves time travel with much of the action taking place in 1969, where Josh Brolin plays the younger version of Tommy Lee Jones' Agent Kay. Present day-set scenes were shot late last year in New York City.

"Tropic Thunder" writer Etan Cohen wrote the first draft of the script while scribe Jeff Nathanson, who has written some successful big-budget films himself including "Catch Me If You Can" and "Rush Hour 2," was hired very late last year to perform rewrites. Koepp's work will tweak the various past-set scenes which the studio has been having some major difficulties with.

Although the project has been on hiatus and has gone through some rewrites, the studio is still excited about the project and even with the delays, they say it should be ready for its release date. Koepp is an excellent writer and the scenes he is working on are sure to improve with his help.

The film's premise actually sounds pretty awesome because time travel ideas always are a solid plot device to use, especially in a comedy setting. While Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones had some solid chemistry, I'm excited to see Josh Brolin as a young Kay, because in both of the previous films his past life and work was eluded to a lot, but never explicitly shown.

The film is scheduled still for a May 25, 2012 release date.

'True Grit' to Open Berlin Fest

The Berlin Film Festival just got a bit gritty. The Coen Brothers' upcoming remake "True Grit", which is scheduled for a December 22 release in the US, will open the 2011 Berlin International Film Festival on February 10.

The film, which stars Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon, will screen out of competition and Berlin will serve as its international premiere. Bridges and the Coens made their last joint trip to Berlin in 1998 with "The Big Lebowski".

Said Berlin Festival director Dieter Kosslick: “Joel and Ethan Coen stand for first-rate American independent cinema. With their penchant for irony and off-the-wall characters and stories they have repeatedly captivated audiences."

"True Grit," stars Bridges, Damon, Josh Brolin and newcomer Hailee Steinfeld. The Western tale, based on the novel by Charles Portis, tells the story of 14-year-old Mattie (Steinfeld), who, with the help of fearless, one-eyed U.S. marshal Rooster Cogburn (Bridges), sets out to find the man who murdered her father.

The role of the tough lawman was made famous by John Wayne, who won his only Oscar for Henry Hathaway's 1969 version of "True Grit."

The Coen Brothers have truly proven themselves as some of the most talented filmmakers in Hollywood, and there's no doubt in my mind that "True Grit" will be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards early next year. The cast is exceptional and just from watching the preview it's clear that the Coen Brothers are on top of their game, especially in the Western genre.

Bridges is dominating the month of December, which will see the US release of two of his films, "True Grit", as well as "TRON: Legacy", which opens December 17th.

Paramount will release "True Grit" in Germany on Feb. 24, four days after the festival ends.