Hoping for More Universal Appeal

For a movie company weathering a prolonged box-office drought and turmoil in its executive suites, Universal Studios appears to have assembled a surprisingly strong-looking slate of films for 1999.

In the months ahead, Universal has a Jim Carrey comedy, two Eddie Murphy movies, an Arnold Schwarzenegger action film, a movie directed by Ron Howard, a remake of “The Mummy” starring Brendan Fraser, a suspense thriller starring Denzel Washington, a Ben Stiller comedy and a romantic drama that features Kevin Costner’s return to baseball.

Through corporate acquisitions, the studio has also picked up a romantic comedy starring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant and a Rob Reiner-directed romantic comedy teaming Bruce Willis and Michelle Pfeiffer.

To be sure, what looks good on paper doesn’t always translate into box-office gold. Last year, for example, Universal had high hopes for “Meet Joe Black” starring Brad Pitt, the family comedy sequel “Babe: Pig in the City” and a remake of “Psycho.” But each of those films flopped.

But there is precedent for quick turnarounds by studios.

In September 1996, Sony Pictures Entertainment was an ailing studio when it fired Columbia/TriStar chief Mark Canton. Ironically, the studio made a dramatic turnaround in the months that followed when a number of movies that Canton had earlier green-lighted became hits, such as the Oscar-nominated “Jerry Maguire,” “My Best Friend’s Wedding,” “Air Force One” and “Men in Black.”

Now, it’s Universal turn to suffer through hard times. Late last year, film Chairman Casey Silver resigned under pressure after a dismal year. But it would be the supreme irony if Universal’s fortunes reversed themselves in 1999 on the strength of films Silver green-lighted.

In March, Universal comes out with “EDtv,” director Ron Howard’s film about a video clerk whose life is chronicled on cable TV 24 hours a day. While the movie will draw obvious comparisons to “The Truman Show,” the central character in “EDtv” knows he is being filmed and the movie is much more lighthearted than last year’s movie starring Jim Carrey.

The following month, Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence star in “Life,” a story of two men wrongly convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment in a Mississippi penitentiary.

Then Murphy returns in July with Steve Martin in “Bowfinger’s Big Thing,” a comedy about a shameless small-time producer (Martin) whose plans to reach the big time are thwarted when he’s unable to land the hottest action star in Hollywood (Murphy).

Brendan Fraser, who starred in the surprise 1997 hit “George of the Jungle” for Disney, will star in two Universal movies this year: a remake of the 1932 horror classic “The Mummy” in May and a film version of that hapless Mountie, “Dudley Do-Right,” coming in the fall.

In a film acquired from PolyGram Filmed Entertainment, Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant will star this summer in “Notting Hill,” the story of an unusual courtship between a movie star and the owner of a little bookstore.

Ben Stiller, one of the hottest actors in Hollywood since he appeared in last year’s hit comedy “There’s Something About Mary,” will star this August in “Mystery Men.” Based on the Dark Horse comic, the movie features seven lame superhero wannabes who are called upon to use their dubious “powers” to save a bustling metropolis.

Baseball films like “Bull Durham” and “Field of Dreams” helped make Kevin Costner a star. This August, Universal has him paired with Kelly Preston in “For Love of the Game,” a story of a legendary pitcher nearing the end of his career.

From Castle Rock Entertainment, Rob Reiner directs Bruce Willis and Michelle Pfeiffer in “The Story of Us,” a romantic comedy scheduled to come out this fall about a couple trying to save their marriage.

And this fall, Carrey is back in “Man on the Moon,” his comedic take on the life of Andy Kaufman, the late, offbeat comedian.

Later in the year, Spike Lee will produce “The Best Man,” a romantic comedy written and directed by Lee’s cousin, Malcolm D. Lee, about a group of successful college friends who are reunited at the wedding of one of their buddies.

Also on tap for 1999 are “Snow Falling on Cedars” starring Ethan Hawke, “The Bone Collector” starring Denzel Washington, and an Ang Lee-directed film called “Ride With the Devil,” a coming-of-age story set in the Civil War featuring pop star Jewel in her motion picture debut.

And this fall, Schwarzenegger returns to action films with a big-budget turn-of-the-millennium film called “End of Days.”