Film Stories with Simon Brew

In the new episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, a sci-fi film that nearly starred Patrick Swayze - and the attempt to reimagine it. 1990's Total Recall took over a decade to come together, and in the end it took a bankruptcy for Arnold Schwarzenegger to get his hands on it. And he wasn't cheap. After a sequel nearly happened, a 2012 new take on Total Recall followed - but this one faced a few different challenges. Stories of both are told in this episode. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. Support our work at www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the new episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, a $115m standalone sci-fi film, and a much cheaper animated comedy. After breaking through with District 9, director Neill Blomkamp opted for Elysium next. And he'd be wary of working with the kind of movie star a $100m budget required. The MPAA ratings board meanwhile didn't get on with South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut at all - but the filmmakers had no intention of playing along with it all. Stories of both are told in this episode. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. Support our work at www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the new episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, a pair of films executive produced by Steven Spielberg - albeit one a lot better than the other! Back To The Future Part II was up against big challenges, high expectations, an actor in dispute, a director editing it while making the next movie, and a whole lot more. With The Flintstones, hopes were high at Universal for another Jurassic Park-style hit. But over 30 writers couldn't nail the script... Stories of both are told in this episode. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. Support our work at www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a special episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, producer Jason Blum makes a return appearance to chat about The Craft: Legacy and more. How did the project come to be? Why do actors make good directors? And why was The Gift so important to Blumhouse? This and more, in this latest Film Stories special. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. You can find the Film Stories website here.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the new episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, making a football film with actors who can't play football, and a blockbuster movie co-starring someone who'd not acted before. Escape To Victory saw Sylvester Stallone learning to be a goalkeeper and a chunk of Ipswich Town Football Club learning to be actors. With the director of The African Queen watching on. The Bodyguard saw Whitney Houston help Kevin Costner with singing, and Costner helping Houston with acting. It'd result in one of the biggest films of all time. Stories of both are told in this episode. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. Support our work at www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a special episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, Simon chats with Barnaby Thompson, director of Pixie, and producer of films such as Spice World, Wayne's World 2 and Kevin & Perry Go Large. They chat how Pixie came together, how he came to produce films for Saturday Night Live, and how he nearly directed the Spice Girls movie. Plus a whole lot more... Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. You can find the Film Stories website here.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a special episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, Simon chats with director Pete Docter about his new film Soul. And about being the new boss of Pixar too. They chat about the challenges of the film, and maintaining a working culture via remote working. Plus how to bring the invisible to the screen. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. You can find the Film Stories website here.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the new episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, the sci-fi film that put Danny Boyle off making sci-fi films, and a sequel that straight away needed a new director. Sunshine came into director Danny Boyle's life over a drink in a London pub - and he'd find himself making a $20m sci-fi film in a tight London studio as a result. With Final Destination 2, New Line was looking for a quicker turnaround sequel than it got - but it took around 70 writing pitches for a start to come up with its story. Stories of both are told in this episode. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. Support our work at www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the new episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, the hit remake that started life as a much cheaper project, and a different vehicle for Jason Statham. The Mummy went through many directors, getting gradually more and more expensive as it did so. Its effects would prove a bit of a challenge too. The Bank Job seemed to be a film destined not to be made when Miramax backed out of the project. Many years later, Jason Statham would help bring it back to life. Stories of both are told in this episode. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. Support our work at www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the new episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, how Paramount gambled heavily on a Michael Crichton book, and Warner Bros dug deep for an unusual blockbuster. Congo started as a project dreamed up in the 1970s as a vehicle for Sean Connery. By the time it made it to the screen, its author would be having nothing to do with it. For Conspiracy Theory, Julia Roberts took a lot of persuading to do the film - and it didn't help that Warner Bros wasn't happy with the movie's price. Stories of both are told in this episode. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. Support our work at www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices