Tradecraft For Friday, August 24, 2007

Ang Lee Spies An NC-17

Director Ang Lee's new film, which Variety describes as an "erotic espionage thriller," has been slapped with an NC-17 rating in America. Lust, Caution is the story of a shy, young Chinese woman recruited to seduce a Japanese collaborator in order to lure him into an assassination attempt during WWII. Focus Features will not appeal the restrictive rating, and will release the uncut movie this fall. Lust, Caution is co-written by Focus CEO and frequent Lee scripter James Schamus, and stars Tony Leung.

G.I. Joe Storms Theaters In 2009

If Ang Lee's spy movie is limited to adult audiences, what do younger spy fans have to look forward to? Variety reports that Mummy director Stephen Sommers has signed on to direct a big budget feature version of G.I. Joe for Paramount. The studio hopes to duplicate the success of this summer's toy-based blockbuster Transformers. Readers who remember a beach-head storming plastic WWII fighter may wonder why this is spy news. Well, this is how the trade describes the film: "G.I. Joe is now a Brussels-based outfit that stands for Global Integrated Joint Operating Entity, an international co-ed force of operatives who use hi-tech equipment to battle Cobra, an evil organization headed by a double-crossing Scottish arms dealer. The property is closer in tone to X-Men and James Bond than a war film." Remember, also, that the 80s Marvel comics version of G.I. Joe was famously influenced by Jim Steranko's groundbreaking Sixties run on Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.!