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Brendan Fraser quits Journey franchise

With “Journey to the Center of the Earth” director Eric Brevig opting out of the upcoming sequel, and star Brendan Fraser declaring a while back he wouldn’t be going anywhere near the sequel if Brevig wasn’t onboard, it’s safe to say the follow-up to the 2009 3D hit is going back one Encino Man short of a full-blown kiddie fair.

So who is onboard the sequel?

Brad Peyton, director of WB’s big Summer release (heh) “Cats & Dogs 2”, has been tapped to direct the sequel to “Journey”. And Deadline says with Fraser unlikely to be reprising his role as Prof Trevor Anderson for the film, the script will be retooled so that the focus is on the character of Anderson’s nephew Sean, played by Josh Hutcherson (also one of the rumoured “Spider-Man” contenders).

The site says there’s still a chance Fraser could be coaxed back – after his most recent flick “Furry Vengeance” flopped like a Golden Girls’ bust, he needs a hit – but it’s gonna take a lot of money, and, I’m guessing, quite a few slabs of red bull.

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