Disney's Magic Camp - Steve Martin

[Walts Ghost]

‘Mean Girls’ Director Mark Waters To Make ‘Magic Camp’ For Disney

Mean Girls director Mark Waters has signed on to direct a Disney live-action family comedy called Magic Camp with comedian Steve Martin in talks to star in the film.

According to TrackingBoard, the film “follows a rigid and cautious banker who returns to the summer camp he attended as a boy: a camp for magic.”

One of my interests outside of film has always been magic, an art which I think goes hand in hand with the mastery of storytelling and incorporation of visual effects in movies. I’m also a huge fan of coming of age films, so this project connects with me on multiple levels.

In the past years there have been several great magic documentaries: Make Believe (which is like Spellbound but about the teenage world magic championships, from the producers of King of Kong), The Magic Life (focused on the struggles of being a magician), and Magic Camp (which was about Tannen’s Magic Camp, the oldest and most prestigious training camp for young magicians). Magic Camp got an honorable mention in my list of the best Magic movies of all time. While that documentary isn’t as good as others in its category, it was a charming film, and you can see the obvious adaptation possibilities.

No word on if this film is a loose adaptation of the 2012 Judd Ehrlich documentary of the same name. If it isn’t, then I think Ehrlich should probably hire a lawyer to explore his options.



Transparent writer/producers Noah Harpster and Micah Fitzerman-Blue wrote the most recent draft of the script based on an idea from Martin. The project was first developed by writer/director Max Winkler (Ceremony) and his partner Matt Spicer, who are now working on Disney’s Rocketeer reboot/sequel The Rocketeers. Other writers who have worked on this long-in-development project include Jeff Judah and Gabe Sachs (who wrote the original draft) and Stu Zicherman and potential star Martin. At one point Martin was attached to direct the film. Steve Martin has practiced magic for many years. He once worked at the magic shop on Disneyland’s Main Street.

The project is being produced by Suzanne Todd, who worked on Memento and Disney’s Alice In Wonderland films. I haven’t liked a Mark Waters-directed film since Mean Girls. I didn’t see 2014’s Vampire Academy (heck, no one has — the film was buried) but Angie Han says it’s “a silly but enjoyable entry in the YA vampire subgenre, anchored by an utterly charming performance from Zoey Deutch.” I also haven’t seen Bad Santa 2 either. This film will mark Water’s return to Disney after first directing 2003’s Freaky Friday remake starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan.

[esteban²]

I have to say I actually miss Steve Martin in (good) movies ... I think he still has 'the funny' in him and is great in what he does. He just isn't getting the right scripts. And people lost interest in him, a shame.

[Zorkel567]

Jeffrey Tambor and Adam Devine have been set to star in Disney’s Magic Camp, a comedy that Bad Santa 2 helmer Mark Waters is attached to direct. Production is set to start in December in and around Los Angeles.

The most recent version of the script is by Dan Gregor and Doug Mand and centers on Andy (Devine), who at the urging of his former mentor and Magic Camp owner Roy Preston (Tambor) returns as a counselor to the camp of his youth hoping to reignite his career. Instead he finds inspiration in his ragtag bunk of rookie magicians. Suzanne Todd is attached to produce.

Former Disneyland magician Steve Martin worked on an early draft of the script as was in negotiations to star, but he no longer is involved in the project.

Devine, who starred opposite Zac Efron in Fox’s raunchy summer comedy Mike & Dave Need Wedding Dates, also is aboard to star opposite Alexandra Daddario in the romantic comedy When We First Met, which he co-wrote. Repped by WME and Avalon, he also is toplining Paternity Leave at New Line.

Tambor stars on Amazon’s Transparent, which earned him two Emmys and a Golden Globe. He is repped by Gersh and the Burstein Company.

Magic Camp Casts Adam Devine, Jeffrey Tambor

[Walts Ghost]

I gotta say, without Martin, I'm less excited for it.

[esteban²]

The only reason I cared about this project was Steve Martin. He's out? I'm out.

[headphones]

I think Steve could make great kids movies. Movies that would be considered classics 20 years from now. If Steve just did that for the rest of his career, it would be amazing. Older comics usually are great in kids' films.

[Zorkel567]

Also, the studio revealed that the live-action film it had dated on Aug. 3, 2018 will be Magic Camp and it’s now scheduled for April 6, 2018, taking the place of A Wrinkle In Time.

Disney Dates a Slew of Movies

[prkprkprk]

This is Finally Coming Out on August 14

Been on the shelf for years, likely because Disney didn't think it would make much money, along with the allegations leveled toward co-star Jeffrey Tambor. They're now completely burying it by not only putting it on D+, but also releasing it the same day as The One and Only Ivan, the much bigger release. Apparently in their press release, they listed this film below a new episode of Muppets Now on the release calendar. Yikes.

[kylor]

I'll still see it.

[prkprkprk]

Originally Posted by kylor

I'll still see it.

I probably will too. Not much new stuff to choose from.

[Mikezilla3k]

Someone aught to change the thread's title.

[Himmel]

http://youtu.be/GAmcupYhwKA

[kylor]

Looks decent, I'll give it a crack.

[SteelbookCat]

the main actor is imitating jack black

[Hardback247]

Well, someone has to change the board title, because Steve Martin isn't in this movie after all.

[HD Canuck]

And here I thought it was gonna be about Steve Martin in his first job back at Disneyland in the magic shop... or berating the car rental lady.

[gkolb]

What a letdown, it’s Bumper and Britta.

[DanTheMan]

Kids look clean. Haircuts look fresh and non-messy. All of their clothes look like they came straight out of a department store, with virtually zero wrinkles. When you go to any camp and unpack, clothes.....get....wrinkled.

Not one of those kids appear to pass off as nerds/geeks, and they’re at a magic camp.....

What the hell happened to dirty and awkward teens, like in Heavyweights? Disney, don’t turn into The CW Network, man.

[kylor]

Originally Posted by DanTheMan

Kids look clean. Haircuts look fresh and non-messy. All of their clothes look like they came straight out of a department store, with virtually zero wrinkles. When you go to any camp and unpack, clothes.....get....wrinkled.

Not one of those kids appear to pass off as nerds/geeks, and they’re at a magic camp.....

What the hell happened to dirty and awkward teens, like in Heavyweights? Disney, don’t turn into The CW Network, man.

It's Magic Camp. They are magically unwrinkled.

[kylor]

Overall it's a movie that was ok. It's not anything great by any means but I never got bored by it.

The cast were decent for the most part, the music was ok as well. Everything was just ok.

And no, there is no Steve Martin in the movie that I saw.

All in all it's a Disney film about a magical camp, so that's what you get. Nothing special or over the top. Just neutral.

3/5.