Chris Columbus

Adam Sandler used to make comedies. Now he makes Adam Sandler movies; bland exercises in nostalgia where he hangs out with his actor buddies, cracks a few jokes, and exerts as little effort as is humanly possible to the sounds of early ’80s rock and pop. Pixels is the latest and canniest Adam Sandler movie yet. It mines his older audience’s affection for the classic arcade games of their youth, and his younger audience’s affection for the ideas of video games coming to life. The famous gaming cameos are sure to make Pixels a huge hit, even though it’s just as unfunny as everything else Sandler produces these days.

Reboots of Gremlins and Goonies have been in the works for so long, that we tend to tune out the myriad “updates” as they happen. Each movie has gone in and out of development hell so many times over the past few years — It’s finally happening!....Nevermind, it’s dead. — it’s very easy to wonder if either of these films will ever actually happen. We caught up with director Chris Columbus, the original writer of both films, and asked him straight up: Do you really think either of those movies are ever going to happen? And, as the Goonies would say, never say die.

A couple of updates on that Gremlins reboot (or whatever it is) today: Original writer and producer Chris Columbus wants fans to know that the upcoming, long-developing film is not a remake, and confirms that they have indeed hired Goosebumps writer Carl Ellsworth to pen another draft of the script. Meanwhile, original Gremlins director Joe Dante assures fans that he is not involved in this new version at all — and he doesn’t seem very happy about it happening, either.

What are we to make of ‘Pixels,’ the big budget feature adaptation of a cute short film that made the internet rounds a few years back? On one hand, it’s a cute premise. But it stars Adam Sandler. It’s the next film by Chris Columbus, who has made his fair share of amusing family adventures. But it stars Adam Sandler. It features the acting talents of the great Peter Dinklage and the often funny Josh Gad. But it stars Adam Sandler. However, these new posters for the film don’t feature Sandler’s name or face, so consider this a good start.

With so many comedy hits of the past getting supposed follow ups ('Ghostbusters 3,' the 'Twins' sequel 'Triplets') it's no surprise that 'Mrs. Doubtfire 2' is being prepped, with both star Robin Williams and director Chris Columbus set to return for more cross-dressing hijinks.

Currently there are three Sherlock Holmes-based TV and movie franchises going strong. There's 'Elementary,' which is coming to CBS, there's the BBC 'Sherlock' and the Robert Downey Jr.-headed 'Sherlock Holmes' movies. Paramount has seen that the game is afoot, and is talking to Chris Columbus about rebooting his script for  'Young Sherlock Holmes.'

Chris Columbus, known for  decades as a director who strikes terror and fear into the hearts of moviegoers (kidding) is going to produce and direct a movie that's a bit out of the family friendly zone he's normally accustomed to.