Jason Statham, John Rhys-Davies, Ron Perlman, Burt Reynolds, hell even Leelee Sobieski - these are all competent, if not downright good, actors. Not only that, but look at the crew - the guy who is choreographing the action scenes is a real talent. And he got a SIXTY MILLION dollar budget? Alone in the Dark barely broke six million worldwide - and he somehow convinces someone to give him SIXTY MILLION dollars to work with?Scott Weinberg writes: "After putting the finishing touches on his upcoming "BloodRayne," controversial German director Uwe Boll ("House of the Dead," "Alone in the Dark") has announced the cast for his next project: a big-screen adaptation of the video game "Dungeon Siege" -- and wait till you get a load of this eclectic ensemble! (Full press release follows below)
Based on the popular video game of the same name, Dungeon Siege follows the hard life of lowly Farmer on a mighty mission to save his wife and child. An unspeakably evil army is rampaging across the land, destroying everything in its path and focusing on conquering the mighty Castle Ehb, and vanquishing the King himself. This evil army threatens an otherwise ideal world of peace. Dungeon Siege is a passionate epic adventure, a solid heart at its core and story line that reveals more information and adventure with each passing minute.
Jason Statham ("Cellular") is Farmer, our hero. Ron Perlman ("Hellboy") plays Norick, an old friend of Farmer's and his stalwart companion. Matthew Lillard ("Without a Paddle") plays Duke Fallow, the nephew of King Konreid, who is played by Burt Reynolds ("The Longest Yard").
John Rhys-Davies ("Raiders of the Lost Ark") is Merrick the Magus, the court sorcerer. Leelee Sobieski ("The Glass House") is Muriella, Merrick's daughter, and Kristanna Loken ("Terminator 3") is Elora, an enchanted tree-like creature whose support proves critical to Farmer.
"We're fortunate to have such a depth AND breadth of talent on this picture," says Boll. "So many faces with great experience, talent and audience appeal. This picture's going to be a superb showcase for their talents."
"We are excited about the tremendous cast members who have chosen to join us this summer in shooting Dungeon Siege," added producer Shawn Williamson. "We are confident that they will bring the magic of this story to life."
With all this firepower, there are some choice parts remaining to be cast: Gallian, the antagonist, is a former Magus turned bad and has enlisted the Krug using magic to gain power. Duke Fallow has partnered with him. In exchange, Gallian would be future Magus when Duke takes over as King. Solana, Farmer's wife; Zeph , Farmer's son who is killed early in the story; Bastian, Farmer's brother-in-law and Solana's brother; and Commander Tarish, who gives all of the military orders for the King.
Based on Gas Powered Games' wildly popular game, Dungeon Siege is directed by Uwe Boll from a screenplay by Doug Taylor, David S. Freeman and Glenn Benest. The film is executive produced by Boll KG's Uwe Boll ("BloodRayne," "Alone in the Dark") and Wolfgang Herold ("BloodRayne," "Alone in the Dark"). Brightlight Pictures' Shawn Williamson ("White Noise") and Daniel Clarke ("The Long Weekend") will serve as producers. Shan Tam ("Rumble in the Bronx") will serve as line producer. The behind-the-scenes team will be led by director of photography Mathias Neumann ("BloodRayne," "Alone in the Dark"), production designer Jim Steuart ("The Long Weekend," "Scary Movie 3"), costume designers Carla Hetland ("The Butterfly Effect") and Toni Rutter ("Man of the House"), and editor David M. Richardson ("House of the Dead"). Tony Ching -- best known for his work on "House of Flying Daggers" and "Hero" --just signed on to helm the film's action sequences.
And the following tidbits come courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter:
-Shooting begins this weekend in Vancouver.
-Boll has a $60 million budget for this movie.
-"Boll said "Dungeon Siege" will transcend the video game genre and appeal to mainstream audiences. He added that the film's blend of action and fantasy should appeal to fans of "The Lord of the Rings." A three-hour running time is envisioned.""
At this point I'm truly baffled by Uwe Boll's apparent success. My only possible explanation for all this is that someone is cooking the books at Boll KG, and making his movies appear much more profitable than they actually are. Either that, or humanity is a cursed, evil, demonic race, irredeemable and deserves to be cleansed permanently by nuclear fire.
