Nick Cassavetes sues New Line Cinema big time

Nick Cassavetes has had enough, and it seems his collaboration with New Line Cinema is now coming to an end. The filmmaker has decided to sue the studio over the upcoming "Peaceable Kingdom," which is based on the life and career of Dame Daphne Sheldrick, an animal conservationist.

The Hollywood Reporter says trouble started when Cassavetes was promised to direct the film but ended up being fired instead. Jeff Stockwell wrote a draft of the script, which Cassavetes was apparently asked to rewrite. When he turned in his new version, New Line supposedly kicked him out.

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Movie Review: “My Sister’s Keeper”

Seen on: June 27, 2009

The players: Director: Nick Cassavetes, Writer: Jeremy Leven, Cast: Cameron Diaz, Abigail Breslin, Alec Baldwin, Jason Patric, Joan Cusack

Facts of interest: Nick Cassavetes also directed "Alpha Dog" and "The Notebook."

The plot: After their daughter is diagnosed with leukemia, a married couple decides to genetically conceive a donor child.

Our thoughts: Nick Cassavetes’ “My Sister’s Keeper” could have been a compelling drama, but instead, it’s nothing but a simplistic tearjerker desperately trying to get audiences to shed tear after tear. The film raises several interesting issues, but sadly enough, it fails to examine them in greater detail because it’s just too busy rolling in schmaltz.

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'My Sister's Keeper' web reviews

Cameron Diaz, Jason Patric, Alec Baldwin, Abigail Breslin and Sofia Vassilieva star in Nick Cassavetes' latest drama "My Sister's Keeper," based on the popular novel by Jodi Picoult. Here's what some of the Web's critics have to say about the flick:

• CinemaBlend's Katey Rich: "It feels unbelievably cynical to start giggling during a movie about a girl with cancer, but My Sister's Keeper is just as cynical, calibrating its every move to get us to cry so hard we recommend the movie to our friends."

• Peter Martin at Cinematical: "It's a disappointing step back for Cassavetes after the vim and vitality that infused his most recent effort, 'Alpha Dog.'"

• Kevin Carr at FilmSchoolRejects: "However, the emotional jabs just seemed a bit too calculated and deliberate to fool me."

• Brian Orndorf at BrianOrndorf.com: "It’s a tear-jerking Terminator, an unstoppable force that beats the screen with tragedies of all shapes and sizes, looking to wear down the viewer until they’re a puddle of tears and snotty tissue."

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This week's new movie releases - June 26, 2009

This week, we're only looking at two wide releases: Michael Bay's sequel "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" with Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox, and Nick Cassavetes' "My Sister's Keeper" with Cameron Diaz, Abigail Breslin, Jason Patric and Alec Baldwin:

TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN

Synopsis: The anticipated sequel to Michael Bay's "Transformers" will open June 24 (this Wednesday), and Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) again joins with the Autobots against their sworn enemies, the Decepticons. Of course, Megan Fox returns as well.

First thoughts: I highly enjoyed the first flick and I've pretty much enjoyed all the recent previews I've seen, so I admit I'm quite excited to experience this explosive follow-up. The story will probably stink, but as long as the action delivers, the humor works and the visual effects look great, I'll be satisfied.

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Cassavetes to enter 'Peaceable Kingdom'

Nick Cassavetes, helmer of the acclaimed romantic drama "The Notebook," is set to direct New Line Cinema's upcoming drama "Peaceable Kingdom."

According to Variety, the film is based on the life and career of Dame Daphne Sheldrick, an animal conservationist in Kenya who spent most of her life fighting against elephant extinction.

Jeff Stockwell, the guy behind the decent "Bridge to Terabithia," wrote the script. Producer Cathy Schulman told Variety she hopes "Kingdom" will be a "four-quadrant family film."

Cassavetes' directing credits also include "John Q," a thriller I mildly enjoyed. He also helmed "Alpha Dog," a rather intriguing drama based on the life of Jesse James Hollywood. The filmmaker most recently finished "My Sister's Keeper," due in theaters June 26, 2009.

For more information about Dame Daphne Sheldrick, check out this Web site.

Keira Knightley is ‘The Beautiful and the Damned’

Nick Cassavetes is set to direct Keira Knightley in “The Beautiful and the Damned” for Film Department, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

The film centers on Zelda Sayre and F. Scott Fitzgerald, two Jazz Age icons known for their extravagant lifestyle and turbulent marriage.

Says the trade, “Fitzgerald used their relationship as material for his novels, and Sayre -- who tried hard to find an artistic identity of her own and ended up being admitted to a sanitarium -- did the same.”

Cassavetes, whose credits include “The Notebook” and “Alpha Dog,” is directing a script by Hanna Weg.

Knightley can currently be seen in Saul Dibb’s period drama “The Duchess.” Future projects of hers include “King Lear” and “Last Night.”