Let the Meetings Play, Down at Fraggle Rock

Just a quick update: Still taking meetings with outside parties who may finance the film. These meetings usually involve people from Weinstein Company, Jim Henson Company, and my company, all sitting around a table big enough to play hockey on, at which point I pull out lots of artwork and talk my butt off for about twenty minutes while the smiling studio exec nods.

Just had another good meeting last Monday. Friends always ask, "How'd the meeting go?" Here's the thing: they're all good meetings. I take good meetings. It's one of my strengths. Everyone is always ecstatic and laughs at my jokes and loves Fraggles and tells me I was born to make this movie and they'd love to be in business. But good meetings don't really mean much. I know because I've had YEARS of "good meetings," but I have yet to become Peter Jackson.

I've heard a little chit-chat online about Henson dragging their feet and holding up the movie. Let me be clear: Henson is not holding up the movie. They are "all systems go." The holdup is financing and putting together studio partners in this economy.

Meanwhile, "Marmaduke: The Movie" is in production. Sigh.

However, while I am so very, very tired of the way this town does business, I remain optimistic. And I'll let you know if I hear anything else.

Bloggity Blog Blog

I love to blog. I love to let you all know what's up in my world and how the movie making business is going. This is a difficult stage for a lot of my projects: if I told you everything that was happening day-to-day, I'd get a lot of people mad at me. This is the "behind the scenes" part of moving projects along that people don't talk about until deals are done and the trailer is running in theaters. So on one hand, I feel this people-pleasing urge to gush about some stuff, but know that it will cause harm (and a smackdown) if I share too much.

Okay, I'll spill the beans. Zac Efron is playing Gobo. There! I said it. That feels so good.

Alright! Real information! I will speak in code and say as much as I can. But if I "disappear" after this, you'll know corporate goons have yanked me off the street and shoved me in an abandoned airplane hangar somewhere (I always love how in the movies, when someone is nabbed by goons, instead of being tied up in a hotel room, it's always in some kickass art directed airplane hangar or steel mill with some huge neon sign outside one window.

Where would we be without Michael Bay?*).

The certain studio that has just released a movie about killing Nazis is now very happy, since said movie totally "scalped" at the box office (sorry). And while said studio is interested in moving ahead on Fraggle Rock, they have also been entertaining interest from other parties who want to come aboard to co-finance. These other parties are entities that make big, big movies. These parties would not only give me the budget I need to make this picture, but would market the poop out of it. Armed with some pretty tasty production art (so cool, I wish I could show you) and storyboards, I have had some great meetings with these entities and will continue to meet with more. We are on the CUSP, people. I know this boy has cried wolf for months, but it's true. The cusp!!

And I apologize to the few Fraggle fans who just get pissed off by these empty reports with no identifiable progress. But the progress is real. It's just very hard to put into words why this takes so long and to describe all of the hoops I've had to jump through to move towards production.

What else... I've got my dream lead actor saying he is IN. That's good. I've got a major music talent saying that they want to write songs. I've cut three storyboard sequences to temp dialogue and music. I've tweaked the script again to make it tighter and more emotional and just turned that in to the aforementioned Nazi-scalping studio. Still very excited about the script and what you guys will think of it.

And the other reason that it's been hard to blog a lot is that I am awaiting the birth of my second child. And he's coming like, any second now. To say that event has preoccupied my life a lot would be an understatement. I usually keep the personal stuff out of this blog, but that's my whole world right now! Baby comin'!!

Good grief, I didn't even have time to post my SAN DIEGO COMIC CON wrap-up blog this year. I go every year, and always have fun. This year was a little lean on the industry shmooze for me, but I did enjoy the Henson Publishing panel (Fraggle Rock comics, coming soon) and spoke with Brian Henson for a moment after the Farscape panel. What a cheery, positive guy that is. You'd think he grew up around puppets or something.

And then I have to say that DISTRICT 9 ROCKS. It has its critics, but man, I thought it was fan-ding-dong-tastic. Loved it. Blew my mind and my ideas of what sci-fi can be. Go Wikus!

Before I close out, can I just kiss some fan butt for a moment? You Fraggle/Muppet fans are awesome. You're opinionated, you're passionate, but you respect what I'm trying to do. You've been so positive over these months with encouragement as you voice concerns and excitement for what is to come. And it is coming. (Sing it with me) Every morning, every day... every evening, calling me away...

Stay Fraggley. Peace out.

*We'd be watching better movies, that's where we'd be. Hey Mike, can you "Transform" my movie ticket into a refund?

Pushing The Boulder Up The Hill

Thanks for all of your encouragement and your patience. Here is a little more that I can tell you from "The Fraggle Frontier."

I've got a better understanding of what's happening right now in the development process. All parties are circling up to keep this ball moving down the field (although it's always more like pushing a boulder up a hill). For those of you who are frustrated and impatient about how long this is taking, Welcome To The Movie Business! This is nothing new. Each project of this size involves huge amounts of money and lots of people (and multiple companies) agreeing on the same creative, financial and strategic plans. And then some of those plans take a lot of time to execute. Yes, I am speaking in code again, but this is what I can tell you.

The good news is that the material that I've handed in is solid. Everyone loves the story, the script, the comedy, and my approach to making the movie. All the main characters have fun arcs and their own adventures within the big story. And we've never wavered from the main story and the approach -- to say a lot of important things about our society and what's really important in life. That's always been important to me, and it's always been important to Henson and the Weinstein Company. Because frankly, it was always important to Jim.

More good news to report: while awaiting production greenlight, I have continued to have very productive meetings as if I'm already making the movie. I'm meeting with my top casting choices, I'm meeting with some really cool music talents, and I am continuing to visually develop the movie. I've storyboarded two new sequences and am in the middle of contracting some concept artists to create some very big full-color scenes from the film.

And I will say again that we are striving to bring on any and every ORIGINAL PUPPETEERING CAST MEMBER that we can. Some may not work out, but that is what we are shooting for.

I was also encouraged to hear that Henson is going to publish a series of Fraggle Rock Comic Books. I think it would be cool to tie some of those comics stories to the mythology of the feature, maybe even cook up a direct prequel or B-story. I'm just throwing that out there, Henson Publishing. Call me!

But the news that you really want to hear -- the news that the movie is moving into production -- just hasn't happened yet. There are some major chess pieces that need to be in place to make sure this film has the best possible budget, distribution and promotion when it comes out. And I'm sure that's what we all want! The time we take now insures that this is a major release that brings a lot of hype and excitement and creates a new generation of Fraggle Fans. So as I wait, I'm proceeding with all that I can do on my side. I just wanted to feed you all something, anything, as you check the blog. At least this lets you know that I'm not dead or sleeping and that I'm working my tail off.

Yes, I've had a tail added. That's how far I've gone to keep a Fraggle perspective.

In other Cory News, I am cooking on some new pitches to take out. These are wildly different movies, so it has been fun. One involves a lot of crazy music, another involves storyboarding a 150-panel action sequence, and another one has got me designing robotic technology and weapons. So with the uncertain future this job carries with it, it's still a pretty cool job.

Peace from the Trash Heap,

Cory

FOLLOW ME, SOLDIER! And yes, that's a Churro I'm smoking.

The Lord of the Rings... with singing and dancing

If you are in the L.A. area this month, you must see this show: "Fellowship!" The Musical Parody of 'The Fellowship of the Ring'. My friend Joel co-wrote and directed it, and it has received much hype since being remounted this year. Yes, it's funny, but the music is also actually GOOD. Let's just say the highlights include a duet between an Elf and a Dwarf, and Aragorn rocks an 80's power ballad.

A Very Thin Update

Sorry guys. The reason there have been no updates here in such a long time is because there is nothing to report. I am in a baffling holding pattern. The last draft of my Fraggle Rock script received raves, quite a while ago. It is now in the hands of bigger people than me. Beyond that I have no real info to give.

In the meantime, I am simultaneously prepping three pitches at once for other features. All different genres, all extremely fun. But yes, I really, really, really, really, really want to make a Fraggle movie this year. 

So you can all join me in "sitting tight," something I don't do very well at all. The best thing to do while you're waiting is to go see Up, one of the best films I've seen.... ever.

Invasion of the Adorable Robots

Is the world ready for a Fraggle Movie?

You tell me... Check out this experiment in human kindness.

You Can't Beat a Muppet Heist

There's been some stuff happening with the Fraggle Rock script that I will talk about soon, but you need to see this first. 

THIS IS OFFICIALLY AWESOME.

Why can't I SEE this movie? Right now?