So, has MGM’s "Red Dawn" remake been shelved or not?
The L.A. Times says yes; TheWrap is being told no by the studio.
According to a report in the Times Friday morning, Dan Bradley’s redo of John Milius’ 1984 original is in the can but has been delayed indefinitely from its scheduled Nov. 24 release due to MGM’s uncertain future.
But when TheWrap contacted the studio, its head of marketing, Mike Vollman, was adamant the the movie is "still dated for Nov. 24." He had no comment regarding the Times report besides pointing out that it didn’t quote anyone from MGM.
If "Red Dawn" has, in fact, been delayed indefinitely, it’s just the latest project to be affected by MGM’s financial woes .
Sam Mendes’ "Bond 23" was put on indefinite hiatus earlier this year, and Guillermo del Toro recently left the director’s chair of "The Hobbit," which MGM has still not greenlit.
MGM was also the original studio behind the Kevin James comedy "The Zookeeper," but Sony will now distribute that movie next summer.
Aside from its soundtrack, "Red Dawn" has been completed, but the up-for-sale studio is awaiting a buyer or an investor willing to pay for the marketing and distribution of its movies, or take them off its hands. Until one of those things happens, the fate of "Red Dawn" will remain up in the air.
"Red Dawn" stars Chris Hemsworth ("Thor"), Josh Hutcherson ("Journey to the Center of the Earth"), Josh Peck ("The Wackness"), Adrianne Palicki (TV’s "Friday Night Lights"), Jeffrey Dean Morgan ("Watchmen") and Connor Cruise (son of Tom).
The alleged delay wouldn’t necessarily be a bad move for the project. If "Red Dawn" is released after "Thor" makes Hemsworth a bigger household name, there could be more money to be made — especially if Hutcherson lands the coveted role of Peter Parker in Sony’s "Spider-Man" reboot, as has been rumored.
Which leaves the 3D horror film "Cabin in the Woods," the only other movie on MGM’s release schedule.
Drew Goddard ("Lost") directs from a script he co-wrote with "Avengers" director Joss Whedon. The film stars Richard Jenkins, Bradley Whitford and Hemsworth (again).
"Cabin" is set to open on Jan. 14, 2011, having already been pushed back once. It was originally scheduled for a Feb. 5, 2010, release before the studio decided to convert the creature feature to 3D.
