Version française
Release Date:
Summer 2001
Distributor: Screen Gems (the recently revived film cousin
of Columbia Pictures; this is the first film they will be producing)
Title Note: At first the movie would called Ghosts of Mars.
But often it is called John Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars... However they changed the title.... now it's Ghost of
Mars (now singular and not plural).
But lots of people still use the GhostS of Mars title.. So I wanted to know more about this! Well i've read that
the Ghosts of mars domain was registred... so i try with Ghost of mars... this domain is registred too... i looked
the registration domains and here are the results:
| Registrant: DE SOUZA, CHAD (GHOSTSOFMARS-DOM) 9/28 Wells Street SOUTH MELBOURNE, VICTORIA 3205 AU Domain Name: ghostsofmars.com Administrative Contact, Billing Contact: DE SOUZA, CHAD (CD11372) riposte@NETSPACE.NET.AU DE SOUZA, CHAD 9/28 Wells Street SOUTH MELBOURNE VICTORIA 3205 AU 613 9682 3252 (FAX) 613 9682 0940 Record last updated on 20-Oct-1999. Record expires on 20-Oct-2001. Record created on 20-Oct-1999. |
Registrant: Hilltop New Media (GHOSTOFMARS-DOM) 3960 Ince Blvd Culver City, CA 90232 US Domain Name: ghostofmars.com Administrative Contact, Billing Contact: Columbia TriStar Interactive Hostmaster (CT148-ORG) hostmaster@SONYPICTURES.COM Columbia TriStar Interactive 9046 Lindblade Ave. Culver City, CA 90232 US (310) 840-8753 Fax- (310) 840-8710 Record last updated on 23-Mar-2000. Record expires on 23-Mar-2002. Record created on 23-Mar-2000. |
So here is the truth: the right title is GHOST OF MARS!
Cast:
Ice Cube......................................Desolation Williams
Natasha Henstridge..................... Melanie
Jason Statham........................... Jericho
Clea DuVall
Pam Grier
Joanna Cassidy
Director: John
Carpenter
Screenwriters:
John Carpenter et Larry Sulkis
Story: The
story takes place some 175 years in the future in a dusty frontier mining town on Mars. A small squad of police
have been sent to transfer an extremely dangerous criminal, Desolation Williams, back to the main administrative
Martian city, Chryse. Our heroine, Melanie, is second in command of this squad. What no one realizes is that mining
operations have uncovered --and disturbed-- the ruins of an ancient Martian civilization and unleashed a kind of
spiritual doomsday defense system that will relentlessly destroy any alien presence (in this case, Earthlings)
inhabiting Mars. When the cops arrive at this remote outpost, no one but the criminals locked away in the local
jail have survived... And the "Martian Ghosts" are determined not to let them get away.
Shooting: It has begun since 08/14/00 in the North of Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Some dates:
03/15/00:
Whoopi Goldberg and Jason Statham are in a possible cast.
03/25/00:
Courtney Love and Ice Cube are announced as title roles... Courtney Love as Melanie and Ice Cube as Desolation
Williams.
06/08/00:
Clea DuVall, Pam Grier and Joanna Cassidy joined the cast.
07/21/00:
Love is forced to leave the cast cause an ankle injury during training. As budget and schedule are tight shooting
can't be pushed back. (According to some rumours Love's deaparture is due to an artistic disagreement and not an
ankle injury....)
08/01/00:
Whereas Carpenter is looking for a replacement, names like Famke Janssen (Goldeneye, Rounders, The faculty, X-men)
and Michelle Yeoh (Tomorrow never dies) are given. But finally it's Natasha Henstridge (Species, The nine whole
yards) who will replace Courtney Love.
08/14/00:
Start of shooting at Albuquerque New Mexico.
Comments:
06/26/00:
Carpenter will make another Mars movie. This one looks like
the very disappointing Mission to Mars. Remain to know wether Carpenter will do better than De Palma. The cast
is however attractive. I'm curious to see Courtney Love as a super cop. Moreover note Pam Grier's cameo. One more
time Clea DuVall has chosen the right project. But which character will she play??... According to the story I
think she might play a prisoner: with shaven head and tatooed bar code look.... well, ok, it was just a suggestion...
08/14/00:
well, inspite of myself, i've read everything has been written
about Ghost of Mars. As it'll come out in 1 year I don't want to know too much about it and i want to keep a part
of mystery. But i couldn't resist it and thus here is what i think is interesting to say while keeping mystery
and making this project interesting.
Hum, where to start? Well, the Melanie business. Courtney Love was supposed to play this role. Me, i had nothing against it. I thought it would be interesting and i was quite curious to see what she would have done. And especially when we know more about the script (see below). About Famke Janssen it was the same thing.... why not?... With Goldeneye she showed us that she can play some physical roles. About Michelle Yeoh... I say no! Why? I don't really know.. she didn't really impressed me in Tomorrow never dies. And i don't think it's a role for her. And finally Natasha Henstridge. A lot has been written about her. Lots of people are scandalized by this choice! Reference is The species... personally I saw only species 2 and i didn't think it was great! After i saw The nine whole yards... and to tell the truth i can't imagine her as Melanie.... So finally the best choice would have been Courtney Love!!
Then here is the great news. A fight coordinator is committed. It means that it'll have some good stunts. There's going to be some fun! And he isn't just anybody! According to rumours, it would be Mr. Yuen Wo Ping himself!. For those who don't know him, well he's the fight coordinator of Matrix and Fight Club... So guys there'll be some great scenes. I can imagine Clea doing stunts like Trinity.... So we've got our fingers crossed for that.
Finally, more details about the script... As I already said it, Melanie is a cop, not the head screw, just one of the grunts... She's been on the job for a while, but keeps being passed over for promotion because... well, she isn't a lesbian. In this future, Women Rule and men are lowly dogs. She's a breeder, which means... she'll bare children and sleep with man. But as a result she's treated as a lessor. This give the tone of the movie!!! There may have some good lines!!
So Clea will play again a lesbian after Graham in But i'm a cheerleader. Moreover in IGN interview she explained: "She's like the valedictorian of her police class and she's just the best, but she's a rookie and she's young and she's scared. She's definitely the most vulnerable person in the film."
Shooting began August 14th in Albuquerque New Mexico. Here is what I read on Dark Horizons about this shooting:
'Agent X' scored some up to the minute information on John Carpenter's
new project:
"Filming is supposed to start on Monday (August 14) at a location just north of Albuquerque. The extras are
being told to show up at 4 PM and that they will work until 4 AM. They have hired over 100 extras for the film,
of which nearly 100 will be "warriors" in leather and dark, raggy clothing (some with spikes). I've heard
some say "Think of the 'Road Warrior'". There are minors, scientists, and warriors. I don't know how
many miners but there are very few "scientists".
It sounds like Carpenter may produce an unusually high body count even for one of his own movies in this one. New
Mexico is experiencing an unusually hot season this year and the extras have been told to bring canteens with plenty
of water for themselves. It sounds like filming will be under extreme conditions."
Page created on June 26 2000
© Vanessa 2000
