From ComingSoon.net:
"Warner Bros. Pictures has debuted the trailer for director Sylvain White's The Losers, starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Zoe Saldana, Chris Evans, Idris Elba, Columbus Short, Holt McCallany, Oscar Jaenada, Jason Patric and Peter Macdissi. The action-thriller opens in theaters on April 9.
Based on the DC Comics title, the film centers upon the members of an elite U.S. Special Forces unit sent into the Bolivian jungle on a search and destroy mission. The team--Clay (Morgan), Jensen (Evans), Roque (Elba), Pooch (Short) and Cougar (Jaenada)--find themselves the target of a lethal betrayal instigated from inside by a powerful enemy known only as Max (Patric). Presumed dead, the group makes plans to even the score when they're joined by the mysterious Aisha (Saldana), a beautiful operative with her own agenda. Working together, they must remain deep undercover while tracking the heavily-guarded Max, a ruthless man bent on embroiling the world in a new high-tech global war."
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
No Mel Gibson in MAD MAX: FURY ROAD
From SciFi Wire:
"After [speculating] that he might appear in a proposed fourth Mad Max movie, Mel Gibson is now saying he won't be in it just as news breaks of other casting for the sequel. Gibson talked with the Los Angeles Times about it:
'On the plans for a fourth Mad Max film: 'I'm glad [franchise director George] Miller is making it, and it's going to be the best one. I'm not going to be in it, that'd be corny.'
Meanwhile, The Hollywood Reporter says that Nicholas Hoult (About a Boy), Zoe Kravitz, Teresa Palmer and Adelaide Clemens also are in various states of negotiation to join the sequel, called Fury Road, which will star Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy (Star Trek Nemesis):
'The movie is set a short while after the story detailed in 1985's Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, which keeps Mad Max, the character originated by Mel Gibson, relatively young. Details are being kept quiet, but it is known that Hoult's character is named Nux. Kravitz, whose character's name is Five Wives, Palmer and Clemens are in a convoy being chased by bad guys. The movie is slated to shoot in Australia this summer.'"
There, are you happy?
JOE DIRT rides again
From ComingSoon.net:
"David Spade has cut a deal with TBS to develop an animated series based on the character from his 2001 feature, Joe Dirt. The project is produced through Sony Pictures TV and Happy Madison Productions. TBS has been hunting for original animated properties that it can pair with 'Family Guy' reruns, which are a big draw for the comedy-oriented cabler.
'Joe Dirt' revolves around a loveable loser who sports a mullet and has a passion for muscle cars. Script for the smallscreen 'Joe Dirt' will be written by Spade, Fred Wolf and Donick Carey ('The Simpsons'). Spade and Wolf co-wrote the 'Joe Dirt' feature for Columbia Pictures and Happy Madison. Happy Madison's Doug Robinson will exec produce with Spade, Wolf and Carey."
Now, if David Spade does the voice of Joe, I will be watching this show. If not, maybe not.
By the way, this is post #500 - in honor of Joe Dirt, "DAAAANNNNNNGGGG!!!"
Have Yourself a Merry LITTLE FOCKERS
From ComingSoon.net:
"It's the release date shuffle today as a couple anticipated movies grab new dates as well as the announcement of a couple new Universal summer releases. Universal has announced an update to their 2010 line-up including the move of their comedy threequel Little Fockers, being pushed back from its original July 30 release to come out instead on December 22, in order to take full advantage of the holidays much like the previous installment, Meet the Fockers. Already scheduled for a Dec. 22 release were The Green Hornet [and] Gulliver's Travels.... Meanwhile, Edgar Wright's anticipated follow-up to Hot Fuzz, the movie version of Brian Lee O'Malley's graphic novel Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, starring Michael Cera, has finally settled on its summer release date of August 13. It faces the Lionsgate action-thriller The Expendables.
We're still waiting for confirmation that Warner Bros' remake of Clash of the Titans has indeed been pushed back to Easter weekend to give some extra time for its 3D conversion."
IT'S A FRAT PACK SHOW DOWN!!! Owen Wilson/Ben Stiller tag-teaming with Jack Black against 27-year-old newcomer Seth Rogen!!! FRIDAY!!! FRIDAY!!! FRIDAY!!!
(technically, Seth Rogen is not actually sure he is in the Frat Pack. I would go so far to say as yes, he is. Ben Stiller actually loathes the term 'Frat Pack'.)
"It's the release date shuffle today as a couple anticipated movies grab new dates as well as the announcement of a couple new Universal summer releases. Universal has announced an update to their 2010 line-up including the move of their comedy threequel Little Fockers, being pushed back from its original July 30 release to come out instead on December 22, in order to take full advantage of the holidays much like the previous installment, Meet the Fockers. Already scheduled for a Dec. 22 release were The Green Hornet [and] Gulliver's Travels.... Meanwhile, Edgar Wright's anticipated follow-up to Hot Fuzz, the movie version of Brian Lee O'Malley's graphic novel Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, starring Michael Cera, has finally settled on its summer release date of August 13. It faces the Lionsgate action-thriller The Expendables.
We're still waiting for confirmation that Warner Bros' remake of Clash of the Titans has indeed been pushed back to Easter weekend to give some extra time for its 3D conversion."
IT'S A FRAT PACK SHOW DOWN!!! Owen Wilson/Ben Stiller tag-teaming with Jack Black against 27-year-old newcomer Seth Rogen!!! FRIDAY!!! FRIDAY!!! FRIDAY!!!
(technically, Seth Rogen is not actually sure he is in the Frat Pack. I would go so far to say as yes, he is. Ben Stiller actually loathes the term 'Frat Pack'.)
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Lucasfilm doing a CGI Fairy Musical?
From ComingSoon.net:
"Heat Vision is reporting that Lucasfilm is developing an untitled, top-secret CGI-animated musical at George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch.
Kevin Munroe (TMNT) is directing the film, which is expected to feature music from a variety of sources. Munroe recently wrapped production on Dead of Night, a live-action adaptation of the horror comic series 'Dylan Dog'.
David Berenbaum (The Spiderwick Chronicles, Elf) wrote the screenplay for the project, which reportedly features fairies."
I'm gonna paraphrase a Luke Skywalker line from Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back - "If you think this is a bad idea, I'm beginning to agree with you."
"Heat Vision is reporting that Lucasfilm is developing an untitled, top-secret CGI-animated musical at George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch.
Kevin Munroe (TMNT) is directing the film, which is expected to feature music from a variety of sources. Munroe recently wrapped production on Dead of Night, a live-action adaptation of the horror comic series 'Dylan Dog'.
David Berenbaum (The Spiderwick Chronicles, Elf) wrote the screenplay for the project, which reportedly features fairies."
I'm gonna paraphrase a Luke Skywalker line from Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back - "If you think this is a bad idea, I'm beginning to agree with you."
Kevin Fiege updates on Marvel Movie Universe!
From SuperHero Hype:
"SFX Magazine's March issue features an interview with Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige in which he talks more about the studio's upcoming projects and makes one fairly big reveal.
Feige talked about how Iron Man, Iron Man 2 (May 7), Thor (May 6, 2011) and The First Avenger: Captain America (July 22, 2011) will lay the foundation for what should be the ultimate superhero epic - The Avengers (May 4, 2012).
'It's fun now, and we're introducing some new characters in [Iron Man 2],' he told the magazine. 'But it's not about just cramming in lots of new people; that's sort of the cardinal sin of the sequel - adding in too many characters. This is totally Tony Stark's story. And that's gonna weave into Thor's story, and Steve Rogers' story, and it's already ingrained with Nick Fury's story and an organization known as S.H.I.E.L.D.'
He says that it is important to first focus on each character. 'My only concern is that when we launch a franchise--whichever character's franchise that may be--it should stand on its own two feet... So by the time The Avengers comes in 2012, it's not just a team superhero movie with a bunch of characters with powers. It's three people - four including the Hulk; five including Nick Fury - who you've seen before in other movies, coming together for the very first time.'
Catch that Hulk bit? Feige also said that he won't rule out the possibility of a second Incredible Hulk film with Edward Norton. 'That would be post-Avengers, if it happened... I think there's a chance. It's certainly our intention to use the same actors from film to film where we can.'
Feige was asked it will be difficult to meld the fantasy of Thor with the high-tech science fiction in Iron Man and The Avengers. 'No,' he said, 'because we're doing the Jack Kirby/Stan Lee/Walt Simonson/J. Michael Straczynski Thor. We're not doing the blow-the-dust-off-of-the-old-Norse-book-in-your-library Thor. And in the Thor of the Marvel Universe, there's a race called the Asgardians. And we're linked through this Tree of Life that we're unaware of. It's real science, but we don't know about it yet. The Thor movie is about teaching people that.'
The magazine asked Feige what other characters may come to the big screen after The Avengers. 'I love Doctor Strange. Ant-Man is like Whiplash - one of those chracters where you're like, 'Really?' that we've got a fun story with. I've always wanted to do something with Black Panther. I think what Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction have done with Iron Fist lately is great, and the Iron Fist mythology opens up a whole other part to us. I'd love to break into the cosmic side of the Marvel Universe even more - it's kind of there in Thor. J.J. Abrams' Star Trek got me jonesing to do that. It's what I grew up on - Star Trek and Star Wars. I want to do a big space epic. And we've got them in Marvel.'"
Sounds good. Just don't let Disney get its "gloved" hands on it.
"Case reopened!"
From ComingSoon.net:
"Producer Joel Silver told the Los Angeles Times that Guy Ritchie is no longer attached to direct Warner Bros. Pictures' adaptation of the DC Comics title Lobo because the studio is moving forward with Sherlock Holmes 2.
'I don't think he's going to do it now,' Silver, who is producing both properties, said. 'The studio wants us and Guy to focus on making another Sherlock Holmes... So we're trying to see if we can do something quickly with another Sherlock Holmes movie. We have some ideas and some good story points.' Silver added that they'll likely go with another director for Lobo.
He expects everyone to come back for Sherlock Holmes 2. 'Downey loves the experience of playing Sherlock and would love to play him again, and I'd love to see him play it again. Jude and all of them will be back and it will be great.'
Silver was also asked about the [rum]or that Brad Pitt would appear in the Holmes sequel as Professor Moriarty. 'Well, I mean, we talked about that at one point, but you know as of right now we're not sure what we're going to do. We'll see what happens,' he said."
I know a lot of people are going to be very, very happy!
"Producer Joel Silver told the Los Angeles Times that Guy Ritchie is no longer attached to direct Warner Bros. Pictures' adaptation of the DC Comics title Lobo because the studio is moving forward with Sherlock Holmes 2.
'I don't think he's going to do it now,' Silver, who is producing both properties, said. 'The studio wants us and Guy to focus on making another Sherlock Holmes... So we're trying to see if we can do something quickly with another Sherlock Holmes movie. We have some ideas and some good story points.' Silver added that they'll likely go with another director for Lobo.
He expects everyone to come back for Sherlock Holmes 2. 'Downey loves the experience of playing Sherlock and would love to play him again, and I'd love to see him play it again. Jude and all of them will be back and it will be great.'
Silver was also asked about the [rum]or that Brad Pitt would appear in the Holmes sequel as Professor Moriarty. 'Well, I mean, we talked about that at one point, but you know as of right now we're not sure what we're going to do. We'll see what happens,' he said."
I know a lot of people are going to be very, very happy!
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
AVATAR is now #1 of all!
From ComingSoon.net:
"After just 39 days in theaters, James Cameron's Avatar surpassed Cameron's own Titanic on Monday, January 25th at the worldwide (U.S., Canada and international) box office to become the highest-grossing film of all time.
Avatar has reached $1,858,866,889 while Titanic earned $1,843,201,268 total.
The theatrical run of Avatar continues in 122 countries around the world on over 16,000 screens with 72% of the box office, or $1.35 billion, coming from 3D screens thus far. The domestic (U.S. and Canada) total now stands at $554,981,691, which still trails Titanic's $600,788,188, but probably not for long. Internationally (outside of US and Canada), the film has reached $1,303,885,198 compared to Titanic's $1,242,413,080.
'We are deeply gratified that so many millions of people around the globe have embraced Avatar,' said Fox in a statement. 'Its success results from the efforts of literally thousands of people, who, over the course of several years, worked to bring James Cameron's vision of Pandora to life. The themes of protecting the environment, respecting life, and yearning for a peaceful planet have united moviegoers worldwide. We're very proud of, and grateful to, James Cameron, his amazing and dedicated team, and all the many people at Fox, who worked so long and so hard to achieve this milestone.'"
Hoo-rah! Somebody has finally sunk Titanic! And who better than the man who made it?
Also, from Slashfilm:
'Over the course of the weekend, James Cameron’s Avatar was on track to beat Titanic’s record and become the top-grossing film of all time. The numbers have been verified, and Avatar’s worldwide gross stands at over $1.292 billion dollars, which tops Titanic’s $1.242 billion. The domestic record hasn’t yet fallen — by Sunday Avatar was still about $50m shy of Titanic’s $600.8m US gross. About 70% of Avatar’s revenue comes from foreign markets, compared to Titanic’s 67%. High 3D ticket prices have helped Avatar reach that total, without a doubt. But so have Russia and China, which weren’t nearly as powerful movie markets for US films when Titanic was in theaters. Avatar is the biggest-grossing film of all time in those markets, as well as the highest-grossing American film ever to play in India. Chances that anyone will ever again doubt James Cameron have fallen significantly. Not an Avatar fan? Take comfort in the fact that, when adjusted for inflation, Gone With the Wind is still the box office champ, with a $400m worldwide gross in 1939 translating to $6b today. Titanic’s 1997 gross would be worth $2.5b total."
Now, Gone with the Wind in 3D would make people's heads explode. Not just in 3D, but the sheer length of it! The film actually has a built-in INTERMISSION!
UPDATE:
From ComingSoon.net:
"James Cameron's Avatar passed up the filmmaker's own Titanic at the domestic box office on Tuesday to claim that crown as well. Avatar reached $601,141,551 after 47 days to pass up the $600,788,188 that Titanic earned its entire run.
Internationally, Avatar had already passed up Titanic's $1,242,413,080, and now stands at $1,446,989,293.
Worldwide, Avatar has brought in $2,048,130,844 so far, while Titanic earned $1,843,201,268 total."
"After just 39 days in theaters, James Cameron's Avatar surpassed Cameron's own Titanic on Monday, January 25th at the worldwide (U.S., Canada and international) box office to become the highest-grossing film of all time.
Avatar has reached $1,858,866,889 while Titanic earned $1,843,201,268 total.
The theatrical run of Avatar continues in 122 countries around the world on over 16,000 screens with 72% of the box office, or $1.35 billion, coming from 3D screens thus far. The domestic (U.S. and Canada) total now stands at $554,981,691, which still trails Titanic's $600,788,188, but probably not for long. Internationally (outside of US and Canada), the film has reached $1,303,885,198 compared to Titanic's $1,242,413,080.
'We are deeply gratified that so many millions of people around the globe have embraced Avatar,' said Fox in a statement. 'Its success results from the efforts of literally thousands of people, who, over the course of several years, worked to bring James Cameron's vision of Pandora to life. The themes of protecting the environment, respecting life, and yearning for a peaceful planet have united moviegoers worldwide. We're very proud of, and grateful to, James Cameron, his amazing and dedicated team, and all the many people at Fox, who worked so long and so hard to achieve this milestone.'"
Hoo-rah! Somebody has finally sunk Titanic! And who better than the man who made it?
Also, from Slashfilm:
'Over the course of the weekend, James Cameron’s Avatar was on track to beat Titanic’s record and become the top-grossing film of all time. The numbers have been verified, and Avatar’s worldwide gross stands at over $1.292 billion dollars, which tops Titanic’s $1.242 billion. The domestic record hasn’t yet fallen — by Sunday Avatar was still about $50m shy of Titanic’s $600.8m US gross. About 70% of Avatar’s revenue comes from foreign markets, compared to Titanic’s 67%. High 3D ticket prices have helped Avatar reach that total, without a doubt. But so have Russia and China, which weren’t nearly as powerful movie markets for US films when Titanic was in theaters. Avatar is the biggest-grossing film of all time in those markets, as well as the highest-grossing American film ever to play in India. Chances that anyone will ever again doubt James Cameron have fallen significantly. Not an Avatar fan? Take comfort in the fact that, when adjusted for inflation, Gone With the Wind is still the box office champ, with a $400m worldwide gross in 1939 translating to $6b today. Titanic’s 1997 gross would be worth $2.5b total."
Now, Gone with the Wind in 3D would make people's heads explode. Not just in 3D, but the sheer length of it! The film actually has a built-in INTERMISSION!
UPDATE:
From ComingSoon.net:
"James Cameron's Avatar passed up the filmmaker's own Titanic at the domestic box office on Tuesday to claim that crown as well. Avatar reached $601,141,551 after 47 days to pass up the $600,788,188 that Titanic earned its entire run.
Internationally, Avatar had already passed up Titanic's $1,242,413,080, and now stands at $1,446,989,293.
Worldwide, Avatar has brought in $2,048,130,844 so far, while Titanic earned $1,843,201,268 total."
AC/DC "Shoots to Thrill" with IRON MAN 2
From ComingSoon.net:
"Through a unique collaboration between Marvel Studios and Columbia Records, AC/DC's music will be featured in Marvel Studios' Iron Man 2. Also, Columbia Records will release the album 'AC/DC: Iron Man 2' on Monday, April 19, 2010. 'AC/DC: Iron Man 2' features 15 classic AC/DC songs selected from ten of the band's studio albums, ranging from 1976 to 2008. The complete track listing can be found below.
The debut video from 'AC/DC: Iron Man 2' is the AC/DC's classic album cut 'Shoot To Thrill', which was filmed live last month in Buenos Aires during the band's highly acclaimed Black Ice World Tour. The video also incorporates exclusive footage from Iron Man 2 and can be watchwed at ACDC.com! 'Shoot To Thrill' was originally recorded for the band's 50-million selling album 'Back In Black', one of the best selling albums of all time.
'Jon Favreau's vision and passion for AC/DC's music blend seamlessly into this incredible film,' said Steve Barnett, co-chairman of Columbia Records. 'The music really underscores the high energy and excitement of the film.' 'Music is an integral part of the Tony Stark and Iron Man experience, and we are pleased that Columbia and AC/DC are taking part in the franchise's phenomenon. Through this relationship, the band is delivering fans supercharged Iron Man branded music through all our combined consumer touch points, from the movie to retail outlets and even virally with the debut of the new video,' said Tim Connors, Chief Operating Officer, Marvel Studios.
In the U.S., Iron Man 2 will be released on May 7, 2010.
'AC/DC: Iron Man 2' Track Listing:
Shoot to Thrill
Rock 'N' Roll Damnation
Guns for Hire
Cold Hearted Man
Back in Black
Thunderstruck
If You Want Blood (You've Got It)
Evil Walks
T.N.T.
Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be
Have a Drink on Me
The Razor's Edge
Let There Be Rock
War Machine
Highway to Hell'"
Now this is interesting.
"Through a unique collaboration between Marvel Studios and Columbia Records, AC/DC's music will be featured in Marvel Studios' Iron Man 2. Also, Columbia Records will release the album 'AC/DC: Iron Man 2' on Monday, April 19, 2010. 'AC/DC: Iron Man 2' features 15 classic AC/DC songs selected from ten of the band's studio albums, ranging from 1976 to 2008. The complete track listing can be found below.
The debut video from 'AC/DC: Iron Man 2' is the AC/DC's classic album cut 'Shoot To Thrill', which was filmed live last month in Buenos Aires during the band's highly acclaimed Black Ice World Tour. The video also incorporates exclusive footage from Iron Man 2 and can be watchwed at ACDC.com! 'Shoot To Thrill' was originally recorded for the band's 50-million selling album 'Back In Black', one of the best selling albums of all time.
'Jon Favreau's vision and passion for AC/DC's music blend seamlessly into this incredible film,' said Steve Barnett, co-chairman of Columbia Records. 'The music really underscores the high energy and excitement of the film.' 'Music is an integral part of the Tony Stark and Iron Man experience, and we are pleased that Columbia and AC/DC are taking part in the franchise's phenomenon. Through this relationship, the band is delivering fans supercharged Iron Man branded music through all our combined consumer touch points, from the movie to retail outlets and even virally with the debut of the new video,' said Tim Connors, Chief Operating Officer, Marvel Studios.
In the U.S., Iron Man 2 will be released on May 7, 2010.
'AC/DC: Iron Man 2' Track Listing:
Shoot to Thrill
Rock 'N' Roll Damnation
Guns for Hire
Cold Hearted Man
Back in Black
Thunderstruck
If You Want Blood (You've Got It)
Evil Walks
T.N.T.
Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be
Have a Drink on Me
The Razor's Edge
Let There Be Rock
War Machine
Highway to Hell'"
Now this is interesting.
Super Bowl Time in WONDERLAND
From ComingSoon.net:
"Walt Disney Pictures has announced that exclusive first looks at Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland will air on ABC, ESPN and ABC Family starting on January 31st and a spot will air during the Super Bowl on February 7th:
'Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures is teaming up with sister networks ABC, ESPN and ABC FAMILY for a week-long, cross-network extravaganza that will send viewers straight down the rabbit hole with Alice in Wonderland. The stunt provides 60-second first-looks customized for each network, all of which will air between Jan. 31 and Feb. 6, 2010. Featuring exclusive, never-before-seen footage from visionary director Tim Burton’s 3D theatrical motion-picture event, the first looks will culminate with a spectacular Super Bowl spot on Feb. 7, 2010. Entitled 'Tick-Tock,' this action-packed spot features intense imagery and a few surprises from Burton’s Wonderland.
'We wanted to kick off our television campaign for Alice in Wonderland in a big way,' says David Singh, executive vice president of worldwide marketing for Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. 'With Tim Burton at the helm and a cast that includes Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter and rising star Mia Wasikowska, the film already has a passionate following. Fans are eager to step into the incredible 3D Wonderland that Burton has created and get a glimpse at what he’s done with these brilliant characters, and we’re ready to give it to them.'
FIRST LOOK SCHEDULE:
ABC
'Desperate Housewives' Jan. 31, 8c
'The Bachelor' Feb. 1, 8/7c
ESPN
2010 NFL Pro Bowl, Jan. 31, 7:20ET
NBA NUGGETS/LAKERS game, Feb. 5, 10:30ET
ABC FAMILY
'Greek' Feb. 1, 9c
The Parent Trap Feb. 6, 7c
Cross-network promo spots for the stunt begin on Jan. 26, 2010. The campaign will be supported, and the creative maximized on the studio’s online/social networking sites including Facebook, Twitter, You Tube, Disney.com and more.
The other confirmed movie Super Bowl TV spots so far are for Paramount's Shutter Island, Iron Man 2 and The Last Airbender."
The only real family programming that these spots are going to appear on is The Parent Trap. Other than that, they are gonna appear on non-family programming. Why? It's not like 10 year olds watch "Desperate Housewives"!
From AVATAR to DRACULA?
From ComingSoon.net:
"Latino Review is reporting that Avatar and upcoming Clash of the Titans star Sam Worthington is a frontrunner to star in Universal's Dracula Year Zero, to be directed by Alex Proyas (Knowing, I, Robot).
The film is an origin tale of Vlad the Impaler, the Romanian royal who inspired Bram Stoker's vampire tale. It centers on how Vlad became the creature; the choices that he made to make him into the tragic character.
Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless wrote the script."
Who knows? This may be the first good vampire movie in years.
"Latino Review is reporting that Avatar and upcoming Clash of the Titans star Sam Worthington is a frontrunner to star in Universal's Dracula Year Zero, to be directed by Alex Proyas (Knowing, I, Robot).
The film is an origin tale of Vlad the Impaler, the Romanian royal who inspired Bram Stoker's vampire tale. It centers on how Vlad became the creature; the choices that he made to make him into the tragic character.
Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless wrote the script."
Who knows? This may be the first good vampire movie in years.
Monday, January 25, 2010
"Weird Al" is back!
From ComingSoon.net:
"'Weird Al' Yankovic announced on his official blog this morning that he has signed a production deal with Cartoon Network which includes a live-action feature film.
'I’ve just signed a production deal with Cartoon Network. When I say that I’ve 'just' signed, that means that I actually signed several months ago, but this is the first time I’ve been allowed to openly talk about it. Without going into too much detail, the good folks at Cartoon Network decided that they liked me and wanted me to provide some content for them – series, features, animation, live-action… they were open to anything. So after a couple years (yes, really) of the lawyers going back and forth, we finalized a deal – now all I have to do is start making stuff! The first thing I’m on track to do for them is, in fact, a live-action feature film.
You may ask all your obvious questions now.
Have you already written the script?
Yes – in fact, I’m about to start the third draft. It needs to be fine-tuned a bit more and it hasn’t been officially green-lit yet, but it’s gotten some very positive buzz at the network.
Is is going to be a sequel to UHF?
Sorry, no.
Is it going to be a documentary about Winston Churchill?
Again, no.
Is it going to be funny?
Well, that’s the intention.
Are you going to star in it?
No, but I’ll be making an appearance in it. Cartoon Network had requested that I develop a show with a much younger protagonist – the actual star of the movie will most likely be teenage.
Are you going to direct it?
Yes. I’m very excited about that. I’ve directed a lot of music videos as well as the 'Al’s Brain' 3-D attraction and the 'Spy Hard' title sequence, but I’ve never shot an entire feature film, so this will be a big first for me.
When’s the movie going to be done?
Hey, don’t rush me! I don’t know. It’s a miracle any time a movie actually gets made, so I don’t want to jinx it too much. The very earliest we’d be able to shoot it would be this fall (after my national concert tour). I’ll definitely keep you posted.
What’s the movie going to be abou—
That’s it. No more questions. I’ve said all that I can say for now. Thanks for coming to the press conference.'"
Good to see that "Weird Al" is still as popular as ever!!
"'Weird Al' Yankovic announced on his official blog this morning that he has signed a production deal with Cartoon Network which includes a live-action feature film.
'I’ve just signed a production deal with Cartoon Network. When I say that I’ve 'just' signed, that means that I actually signed several months ago, but this is the first time I’ve been allowed to openly talk about it. Without going into too much detail, the good folks at Cartoon Network decided that they liked me and wanted me to provide some content for them – series, features, animation, live-action… they were open to anything. So after a couple years (yes, really) of the lawyers going back and forth, we finalized a deal – now all I have to do is start making stuff! The first thing I’m on track to do for them is, in fact, a live-action feature film.
You may ask all your obvious questions now.
Have you already written the script?
Yes – in fact, I’m about to start the third draft. It needs to be fine-tuned a bit more and it hasn’t been officially green-lit yet, but it’s gotten some very positive buzz at the network.
Is is going to be a sequel to UHF?
Sorry, no.
Is it going to be a documentary about Winston Churchill?
Again, no.
Is it going to be funny?
Well, that’s the intention.
Are you going to star in it?
No, but I’ll be making an appearance in it. Cartoon Network had requested that I develop a show with a much younger protagonist – the actual star of the movie will most likely be teenage.
Are you going to direct it?
Yes. I’m very excited about that. I’ve directed a lot of music videos as well as the 'Al’s Brain' 3-D attraction and the 'Spy Hard' title sequence, but I’ve never shot an entire feature film, so this will be a big first for me.
When’s the movie going to be done?
Hey, don’t rush me! I don’t know. It’s a miracle any time a movie actually gets made, so I don’t want to jinx it too much. The very earliest we’d be able to shoot it would be this fall (after my national concert tour). I’ll definitely keep you posted.
What’s the movie going to be abou—
That’s it. No more questions. I’ve said all that I can say for now. Thanks for coming to the press conference.'"
Good to see that "Weird Al" is still as popular as ever!!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Joseph Kosinski updates on TRON LEGACY
From MTV.com:
"Joseph Kosinski deserves a spot on MTV News' 10 to Watch in 2010 list because of his sheer creative guts. For the director's feature-film debut, he's taking on one of the most venerated sci-fi flicks ever in Tron, the 1982 Jeff Bridges-starring escapade about artificial intelligence, gaming and the boundaries of moviemaking technology. And for his sequel, Tron Legacy, due in December, Kosinski is going big with a motion-capture 3D adventure that picks up after the events of the first movie and seeks to pay homage to the original while utilizing the very latest digital tools Hollywood has to offer.
With principal photography on the film wrapped, the director is hard at work on the visual-effects work Disney is hoping will be unlike anything audiences have ever seen. In the midst of all of this work, Kosinski called MTV News to talk about his film's 3D tech, the elements from the first film we're sure to see in the sequel and how Daft Punk were recruited to record the score.
MTV: 'Much of the work was done last year, but looking at 2010, does it feel like this is an important professional year for you?'
Joseph Kosinski: 'I'm about two and a half years in on this, with about another year still to go. We still have a tremendous amount of work still to do, because there are a lot of visual effects on a movie like this, and we're also doing it in 3D, which doubles up everything. Then sound design and tweaking the music. It's not the home stretch by any means. '
MTV: 'How immersive is the 3D? Is it start to finish, or does it pop up in key sequences?'
Kosinski: 'Our approach is not like Avatar, which I think is 3D from the first shot to the last. Ours is sort of a Wizard of Oz approach. Ninety-eight percent of the 3D is in the world of Tron. The 3D really starts once we get into the Tron world.'
MTV: 'Is the technology you're using similar to what James Cameron used or what Robert Zemeckis has used?'
Kosinski: 'It's a combination of technologies that Zemeckis has been using in terms of the completely digital motion-capture of a character and for the live-action camera system. We used a camera developed by James Cameron's company. We used a newer generation of camera than the one used on Avatar. They built it specifically for us.'
MTV: 'Will the finished film look pretty much like what we've seen in that test footage from Comic-Con?'
Kosinski: 'I would say it's not far removed. The teaser, at least tonally, represented the direction I wanted to take it. That sequence actually doesn't appear in our film at all. It represents a period of time before our film begins. We were able to refine the design of the light cycles, the characters, the world and kind of flesh it out to a much higher level of detail than we were able to do for the test. What we're going to see in the film will feel a lot more photorealistic. They did that test with eight or 10 people in a matter of months. We have thousands of people working on the film. It's a whole different scale.'
MTV: 'So the takeaway is that Jeff Bridges is playing at least two representations of himself, one that is a contemporary of the original character and one that is a younger version. How much of Jeff are we going to see?'
Kosinski: 'Jeff is playing two characters. He's playing Kevin Flynn, the character from the original film, and he's playing Clu, the avatar that Kevin Flynn created in the 1980s. I'd say he's Clu 2. There was a Clu in the first film who looked like Jeff but was very simple in terms of his abilities. He's very stiff. Clu 2 is a second incarnation of Kevin's avatar. He doesn't only look like Jeff, but he can think like him too. So it's a whole new level of artificial intelligence.
MTV: 'What strikes me from the teaser and my visit to the set is that this is a dark film, an adult approach to the material. It's not a G-rated Disney film.'
Kosinski: 'I don't know if I would say adult. There's nothing in the film that would keep kids from watching it. I think the aesthetic of the film is largely a reflection of my aesthetic and what I'm interested in. When you make a movie, you can only make the movie that you would want to see. For me, it was taking what I loved about the first film, which was the design elements that Syd Mead and Moebius [a.k.a. Jean Giraud] did, which I feel is timeless, and extrapolate it forward 28 years. We're saying in the world of the computer, it's been thousands of years and it has evolved.'
MTV: 'Has there been a mandate in terms of rating?'
Kosinski: 'While making the movie, we never did anything to serve a particular rating. We made the movie we wanted to make. I think Disney would be really happy with a PG rating. But I haven't had it reviewed by anyone. I imagine it will be PG or PG-13.'
MTV: 'It's going to be released in IMAX, presumably. Did you shoot anything specifically for that format?'
Kosinski: 'We did not shoot anything with an IMAX camera, because it uses film, and since we were shooting in 3D, we used two digital cameras. That being said, we are doing an IMAX version. What I am considering doing now is finishing four or five sections of the film in a tall format — not letterbox — and in an IMAX theater, the black bars at the top and bottom of the frame will disappear and it will become a full-screen sequence, which should be really cool. I think IMAX will be the way to see this movie.'
MTV: 'What were the hallmarks that you felt you needed to retain to satisfy the core audience who loved the original?'
Kosinski: 'The focus was always to serve the story we are telling. To include Bruce Boxleitner is not at all a cameo or stunt casting. He is integral to the story we're trying to tell, which is why he's in it. We've taken the events of the first movie as historical facts. In our story, Kevin Flynn emerged from his first experience as CEO of ENCOM and actually released the Tron video game based on his experiences in the first movie. ENCOM has become the most innovative, most successful, most forward-thinking digital company in the world as of 1989. There are fun references to parts of the first film. Sam Flynn [Garrett Hedlund], in searching for his father, has to retrace his steps and comes upon clues and places that we visited in the first film, like Flynn's Arcade. Even in the world of Tron itself, a lot of vehicles and sequences have evolved. We'll get to see how the disc game has changed, how the light cycle battle has changed. We get to see the new version of these iconic sequences. Things have gotten bigger and a bit out of control.'
MTV: 'Why'd you choose to go with Daft Punk for the soundtrack?'
Kosinski: 'I'm a huge electronic-music fan. This is a film where there was a lot of interest from different electronic bands that I follow to work on the film. I felt it was important, just as the first film was so forward-thinking visually and Wendy Carlos' music was so innovative, I felt we had to do the same thing here. So rather than going with a traditional film composer, I wanted to try something fresh and different. I set up a meeting with Daft Punk. We met for pancakes at the 101 Coffee Shop in L.A. one morning. These guys take Tron very seriously. Obviously, Tron was a huge influence on them. It was almost like they were interviewing me to make sure that I was going to hold up to the Tron legacy. But the more we talked, we realized that creatively, we were totally synced up. I've been working on it with them for over a year and a half. I don't know of a movie where you're working on the soundtrack months before you start filming. The level of integration between the music and the film is incredibly strong.'
MTV: 'Will it integrate any of the original themes?'
Kosinski: 'There's a certain level of nostalgia with something like this, but we never want it to go to a level of campiness. So we've been very careful to make sure we're serving our story. If you hear any music from the original film, it will only be in the appropriate place.'
MTV: 'I know it's early, but are you thinking of franchise possibilities?'
Kosinski: 'Yeah. I think the world we've built here is big enough and has scale to support another story. As to whether that will happen, that depends on how the film is received when it comes out.'"
I. STILL. CAN'T. WAIT!!!!!!!!!!
"Joseph Kosinski deserves a spot on MTV News' 10 to Watch in 2010 list because of his sheer creative guts. For the director's feature-film debut, he's taking on one of the most venerated sci-fi flicks ever in Tron, the 1982 Jeff Bridges-starring escapade about artificial intelligence, gaming and the boundaries of moviemaking technology. And for his sequel, Tron Legacy, due in December, Kosinski is going big with a motion-capture 3D adventure that picks up after the events of the first movie and seeks to pay homage to the original while utilizing the very latest digital tools Hollywood has to offer.
With principal photography on the film wrapped, the director is hard at work on the visual-effects work Disney is hoping will be unlike anything audiences have ever seen. In the midst of all of this work, Kosinski called MTV News to talk about his film's 3D tech, the elements from the first film we're sure to see in the sequel and how Daft Punk were recruited to record the score.
MTV: 'Much of the work was done last year, but looking at 2010, does it feel like this is an important professional year for you?'
Joseph Kosinski: 'I'm about two and a half years in on this, with about another year still to go. We still have a tremendous amount of work still to do, because there are a lot of visual effects on a movie like this, and we're also doing it in 3D, which doubles up everything. Then sound design and tweaking the music. It's not the home stretch by any means. '
MTV: 'How immersive is the 3D? Is it start to finish, or does it pop up in key sequences?'
Kosinski: 'Our approach is not like Avatar, which I think is 3D from the first shot to the last. Ours is sort of a Wizard of Oz approach. Ninety-eight percent of the 3D is in the world of Tron. The 3D really starts once we get into the Tron world.'
MTV: 'Is the technology you're using similar to what James Cameron used or what Robert Zemeckis has used?'
Kosinski: 'It's a combination of technologies that Zemeckis has been using in terms of the completely digital motion-capture of a character and for the live-action camera system. We used a camera developed by James Cameron's company. We used a newer generation of camera than the one used on Avatar. They built it specifically for us.'
MTV: 'Will the finished film look pretty much like what we've seen in that test footage from Comic-Con?'
Kosinski: 'I would say it's not far removed. The teaser, at least tonally, represented the direction I wanted to take it. That sequence actually doesn't appear in our film at all. It represents a period of time before our film begins. We were able to refine the design of the light cycles, the characters, the world and kind of flesh it out to a much higher level of detail than we were able to do for the test. What we're going to see in the film will feel a lot more photorealistic. They did that test with eight or 10 people in a matter of months. We have thousands of people working on the film. It's a whole different scale.'
MTV: 'So the takeaway is that Jeff Bridges is playing at least two representations of himself, one that is a contemporary of the original character and one that is a younger version. How much of Jeff are we going to see?'
Kosinski: 'Jeff is playing two characters. He's playing Kevin Flynn, the character from the original film, and he's playing Clu, the avatar that Kevin Flynn created in the 1980s. I'd say he's Clu 2. There was a Clu in the first film who looked like Jeff but was very simple in terms of his abilities. He's very stiff. Clu 2 is a second incarnation of Kevin's avatar. He doesn't only look like Jeff, but he can think like him too. So it's a whole new level of artificial intelligence.
MTV: 'What strikes me from the teaser and my visit to the set is that this is a dark film, an adult approach to the material. It's not a G-rated Disney film.'
Kosinski: 'I don't know if I would say adult. There's nothing in the film that would keep kids from watching it. I think the aesthetic of the film is largely a reflection of my aesthetic and what I'm interested in. When you make a movie, you can only make the movie that you would want to see. For me, it was taking what I loved about the first film, which was the design elements that Syd Mead and Moebius [a.k.a. Jean Giraud] did, which I feel is timeless, and extrapolate it forward 28 years. We're saying in the world of the computer, it's been thousands of years and it has evolved.'
MTV: 'Has there been a mandate in terms of rating?'
Kosinski: 'While making the movie, we never did anything to serve a particular rating. We made the movie we wanted to make. I think Disney would be really happy with a PG rating. But I haven't had it reviewed by anyone. I imagine it will be PG or PG-13.'
MTV: 'It's going to be released in IMAX, presumably. Did you shoot anything specifically for that format?'
Kosinski: 'We did not shoot anything with an IMAX camera, because it uses film, and since we were shooting in 3D, we used two digital cameras. That being said, we are doing an IMAX version. What I am considering doing now is finishing four or five sections of the film in a tall format — not letterbox — and in an IMAX theater, the black bars at the top and bottom of the frame will disappear and it will become a full-screen sequence, which should be really cool. I think IMAX will be the way to see this movie.'
MTV: 'What were the hallmarks that you felt you needed to retain to satisfy the core audience who loved the original?'
Kosinski: 'The focus was always to serve the story we are telling. To include Bruce Boxleitner is not at all a cameo or stunt casting. He is integral to the story we're trying to tell, which is why he's in it. We've taken the events of the first movie as historical facts. In our story, Kevin Flynn emerged from his first experience as CEO of ENCOM and actually released the Tron video game based on his experiences in the first movie. ENCOM has become the most innovative, most successful, most forward-thinking digital company in the world as of 1989. There are fun references to parts of the first film. Sam Flynn [Garrett Hedlund], in searching for his father, has to retrace his steps and comes upon clues and places that we visited in the first film, like Flynn's Arcade. Even in the world of Tron itself, a lot of vehicles and sequences have evolved. We'll get to see how the disc game has changed, how the light cycle battle has changed. We get to see the new version of these iconic sequences. Things have gotten bigger and a bit out of control.'
MTV: 'Why'd you choose to go with Daft Punk for the soundtrack?'
Kosinski: 'I'm a huge electronic-music fan. This is a film where there was a lot of interest from different electronic bands that I follow to work on the film. I felt it was important, just as the first film was so forward-thinking visually and Wendy Carlos' music was so innovative, I felt we had to do the same thing here. So rather than going with a traditional film composer, I wanted to try something fresh and different. I set up a meeting with Daft Punk. We met for pancakes at the 101 Coffee Shop in L.A. one morning. These guys take Tron very seriously. Obviously, Tron was a huge influence on them. It was almost like they were interviewing me to make sure that I was going to hold up to the Tron legacy. But the more we talked, we realized that creatively, we were totally synced up. I've been working on it with them for over a year and a half. I don't know of a movie where you're working on the soundtrack months before you start filming. The level of integration between the music and the film is incredibly strong.'
MTV: 'Will it integrate any of the original themes?'
Kosinski: 'There's a certain level of nostalgia with something like this, but we never want it to go to a level of campiness. So we've been very careful to make sure we're serving our story. If you hear any music from the original film, it will only be in the appropriate place.'
MTV: 'I know it's early, but are you thinking of franchise possibilities?'
Kosinski: 'Yeah. I think the world we've built here is big enough and has scale to support another story. As to whether that will happen, that depends on how the film is received when it comes out.'"
I. STILL. CAN'T. WAIT!!!!!!!!!!
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Caught In the Webb
From ComingSoon.net:
"Marc Webb, the director of the Golden Globe-nominated Best Picture (500) Days of Summer, will direct the next chapter in the Spider-Man franchise, set to hit theaters summer 2012, it was jointly announced today by Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios.
Written by James Vanderbilt, Webb will work closely with producers Avi Arad and Laura Ziskin in developing the project, which will begin production later this year.
Commenting on the announcement, Amy Pascal, co-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Matt Tolmach, president of Columbia Pictures, said, 'At its core, Spider-Man is a small, intimate human story about an everyday teenager that takes place in an epic super-human world. The key for us as we sought a new director was to identify filmmakers who could give sharp focus to Peter Parker's life. We wanted someone who could capture the awe of being in Peter's shoes so the audience could experience his sense of discovery while giving real heart to the emotion, anxiety, and recklessness of that age and coupling all of that with the adrenaline of Spider-Man's adventure. We believe Marc Webb is the perfect choice to bring us on that journey.'
Arad and Ziskin added jointly, 'Over the years, the Spider-Man comics have been told with bold and creative new writers and artists who have re-calibrated the way audiences see Peter Parker. Marc Webb will do for the new direction of the films what so many visionary storytellers have done with the comic books. He is an incredibly talented filmmaker and we look forward to working closely with him on this new adventure.'
Webb said, 'This is a dream come true and I couldn't be more aware of the challenge, responsibility, or opportunity. Sam Raimi's virtuoso rendering of Spider-Man is a humbling precedent to follow and build upon. The first three films are beloved for good reason. But I think the Spider-Man mythology transcends not only generations but directors as well. I am signing on not to 'take over' from Sam. That would be impossible. Not to mention arrogant. I'm here because there's an opportunity for ideas, stories, and histories that will add a new dimension, canvas, and creative voice to Spider-Man.'
Stan Lee, co-creator of Spider-Man, added, 'I'm excited that Sony has chosen a director with a real penchant and understanding for the character. This is a brave, bold direction for the franchise, and I can't wait to see what Marc comes up with next.'
Added Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, 'The idea of re-imagining the on-screen story for one of the world's most iconic superheroes is sure to deliver an exciting new dimension to Spider-Man fans everywhere. There are volumes of comics and material available to inspire fresh and compelling takes on Peter Parker and his journey as Spidey and we look forward to seeing this come alive onscreen.'
Marc Webb has won acclaim with his film debut (500) Days of Summer. He has several MTV VMAs™ including 2009's Best Director award for Green Day's '21 s', 2006 Best Rock Video for AFI's 'Miss ', and Best Group Video for The All-American Rejects' 'Move Along'. The Music Video Production Association honored him in 2006 as the Director of the Year for his work with Weezer, AAR, and My Chemical Romance.
In addition to two Golden Globe nominations including Best Picture (musical or comedy), his first feature film, (500) Days of Summer, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel, has been nominated for three Independent Spirit Awards, including Best Feature. Webb was also awarded the Spotlight Award, which honors outstanding directorial debuts, by the National Board of Review."
That was actually the good news. Here's the bad news:
"Marc Webb is going to direct the Spider-Man reboot. In reporting on the news, the Risky Business blog has some possible more details on the project:
'Webb, who has options on two sequels, will now tackle a Jamie Vanderbilt script that sees a Spider-Man movie that will look and feel very different from the big movies that went before it.
The plan for the movie is to be in the $80 million range and feature a cast of relative unknowns (so you can quash those Rob Pattinson or Gordon-Levitt rumors at this point). And the story will be pared down to center on a high school kid who is dealing with the knowledge that his uncle died even though the teen had the power to stop it.
The touchstone for the new movie will not be the 1960s comics, which were the inspiration behind the movies by Raimi, who grew on up on them, but rather this past decade’s 'Ultimate Spider-Man' comics by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley where the villain-fighting took a back seat to the high school angst."
"Marc Webb, the director of the Golden Globe-nominated Best Picture (500) Days of Summer, will direct the next chapter in the Spider-Man franchise, set to hit theaters summer 2012, it was jointly announced today by Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios.
Written by James Vanderbilt, Webb will work closely with producers Avi Arad and Laura Ziskin in developing the project, which will begin production later this year.
Commenting on the announcement, Amy Pascal, co-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Matt Tolmach, president of Columbia Pictures, said, 'At its core, Spider-Man is a small, intimate human story about an everyday teenager that takes place in an epic super-human world. The key for us as we sought a new director was to identify filmmakers who could give sharp focus to Peter Parker's life. We wanted someone who could capture the awe of being in Peter's shoes so the audience could experience his sense of discovery while giving real heart to the emotion, anxiety, and recklessness of that age and coupling all of that with the adrenaline of Spider-Man's adventure. We believe Marc Webb is the perfect choice to bring us on that journey.'
Arad and Ziskin added jointly, 'Over the years, the Spider-Man comics have been told with bold and creative new writers and artists who have re-calibrated the way audiences see Peter Parker. Marc Webb will do for the new direction of the films what so many visionary storytellers have done with the comic books. He is an incredibly talented filmmaker and we look forward to working closely with him on this new adventure.'
Webb said, 'This is a dream come true and I couldn't be more aware of the challenge, responsibility, or opportunity. Sam Raimi's virtuoso rendering of Spider-Man is a humbling precedent to follow and build upon. The first three films are beloved for good reason. But I think the Spider-Man mythology transcends not only generations but directors as well. I am signing on not to 'take over' from Sam. That would be impossible. Not to mention arrogant. I'm here because there's an opportunity for ideas, stories, and histories that will add a new dimension, canvas, and creative voice to Spider-Man.'
Stan Lee, co-creator of Spider-Man, added, 'I'm excited that Sony has chosen a director with a real penchant and understanding for the character. This is a brave, bold direction for the franchise, and I can't wait to see what Marc comes up with next.'
Added Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, 'The idea of re-imagining the on-screen story for one of the world's most iconic superheroes is sure to deliver an exciting new dimension to Spider-Man fans everywhere. There are volumes of comics and material available to inspire fresh and compelling takes on Peter Parker and his journey as Spidey and we look forward to seeing this come alive onscreen.'
Marc Webb has won acclaim with his film debut (500) Days of Summer. He has several MTV VMAs™ including 2009's Best Director award for Green Day's '21 s', 2006 Best Rock Video for AFI's 'Miss ', and Best Group Video for The All-American Rejects' 'Move Along'. The Music Video Production Association honored him in 2006 as the Director of the Year for his work with Weezer, AAR, and My Chemical Romance.
In addition to two Golden Globe nominations including Best Picture (musical or comedy), his first feature film, (500) Days of Summer, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel, has been nominated for three Independent Spirit Awards, including Best Feature. Webb was also awarded the Spotlight Award, which honors outstanding directorial debuts, by the National Board of Review."
That was actually the good news. Here's the bad news:
"Marc Webb is going to direct the Spider-Man reboot. In reporting on the news, the Risky Business blog has some possible more details on the project:
'Webb, who has options on two sequels, will now tackle a Jamie Vanderbilt script that sees a Spider-Man movie that will look and feel very different from the big movies that went before it.
The plan for the movie is to be in the $80 million range and feature a cast of relative unknowns (so you can quash those Rob Pattinson or Gordon-Levitt rumors at this point). And the story will be pared down to center on a high school kid who is dealing with the knowledge that his uncle died even though the teen had the power to stop it.
The touchstone for the new movie will not be the 1960s comics, which were the inspiration behind the movies by Raimi, who grew on up on them, but rather this past decade’s 'Ultimate Spider-Man' comics by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley where the villain-fighting took a back seat to the high school angst."
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Tim Burton weaves the tale of MALEFICENT?
From ComingSoon.net:
"Ain't It Cool News is reporting that Alice in Wonderland director Tim Burton might be adapting another classic tale soon, but this time from the point of view of the villain.
The site says that Burton is interested in making a live action feature based on Maleficent from Disney's 1959 adaptation of the fairy tale Sleeping Beauty. Burton's Dark Shadows is 'stumbling', according to AICN, so Maleficent could possibly be his next project."
Wow, there's one out of left field. She is, however, one of Disney's greatest and well-known villains. Although the one that scares me the most is the Queen from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
"Ain't It Cool News is reporting that Alice in Wonderland director Tim Burton might be adapting another classic tale soon, but this time from the point of view of the villain.
The site says that Burton is interested in making a live action feature based on Maleficent from Disney's 1959 adaptation of the fairy tale Sleeping Beauty. Burton's Dark Shadows is 'stumbling', according to AICN, so Maleficent could possibly be his next project."
Wow, there's one out of left field. She is, however, one of Disney's greatest and well-known villains. Although the one that scares me the most is the Queen from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
PUSH to the small screen
From ComingSoon.net:
"Summit Entertainment and E1 Entertainment announced today they are developing a TV series based on the February 2009 release Push. David Hayter will write the pilot and executive produce with Dark Hero Studios partner Benedict Carver:
'Summit Entertainment, a worldwide theatrical motion picture development, financing, production and distribution studio, and leading independent studio E1 Entertainment announced today that they plan to jointly develop and produce a television series based on Summit’s 2009 feature film Push. The project marks a natural evolution for Summit of not only producing feature films but also developing and producing material for the global television marketplace. The television series will be an extension of the film, a science fiction thriller, centered on people with paranormal powers who band together to take down a corrupt government agency. The Push television series furthers the relationship established in 2007 between Summit and E1, with E1 licensing exclusive distribution rights to Summit produced feature films in the UK and Canada.
Screenwriter David Hayter, who penned the blockbuster films Watchmen, The Scorpion King, X2: X-Men United and X-Men, will script the series pilot. E1 and Dark Hero Studios, co-owned by Hayter and producing partner Benedict Carver, will jointly produce the series based on the screenplay created by David Bourla for Summit Entertainment. Hayter and Carver will be executive producers, along with E1’s Noreen Halpern and John Morayniss. Summit, E1 and Dark Hero are currently in discussion with US broadcasters about the series. Hayter and Dark Hero Studios are repped by UTA.
'The concept behind the Push feature film offers a broad and rich canvas on which to extend the storyline and characters introduced in the feature film,' said Summit Co-Chairmen Rob Friedman and Patrick Wachsberger. 'The project is also the perfect vehicle to initiate Summit’s plans of producing programming for the global television marketplace. The opportunity to do this with our trusted partners at E1 re-enforces that this is the right opportunity to grow Summit’s platform.'
Patrice Theroux, E1’s President of Filmed Entertainment says, 'It’s a pleasure to witness the next step forward of our theatrical relationship with Summit take place with the television series 'Push'. The strengths that exist between E1, Summit and Dark Hero are going to result in a phenomenal TV series, which will resonate on a worldwide basis.'
John Morayniss, CEO of E1 Television, added 'This is one of those ‘perfect fit’ moments: David Hayter’s work on Watchmen gives him super-hero status on the sci-fi front, and instantly ensures that Push gets the right kind of attention.'
'I’m looking forward to translating the fantastic concept behind Push to the small screen,' said Hayter. 'I’m also thrilled for Dark Hero to be in business with two independent powerhouses like Summit and E1.'
Summit and E1 will jointly arrange for the U.S. television license to the Push series. E1 is set to handle the TV sales in Canada as well as home entertainment and broadcasting rights in Canada, UK, and The Benelux. Summit will distribute home entertainment in the U.S. Both Summit and E1 will split foreign sales by each handling separate territories as part of their stated multi-territory content distribution strategy.
Summit Entertainment released the moderately budgeted feature film Push on February 6, 2009. The film, directed by Paul McGuigan and starring Chris Evans, Dakota Fanning, Camilla Belle and Djimon Hounsou, went on to gross nearly $50 million worldwide. The film is currently available on DVD."
Too bad Chris Evans and Dakota Fanning won't likely be in the series. It's a perfect idea for a TV series (things that keep you guessing) but I'd still like to see a movie sequel.
In case you've never seen the movie, here's the trailer:
"Summit Entertainment and E1 Entertainment announced today they are developing a TV series based on the February 2009 release Push. David Hayter will write the pilot and executive produce with Dark Hero Studios partner Benedict Carver:
'Summit Entertainment, a worldwide theatrical motion picture development, financing, production and distribution studio, and leading independent studio E1 Entertainment announced today that they plan to jointly develop and produce a television series based on Summit’s 2009 feature film Push. The project marks a natural evolution for Summit of not only producing feature films but also developing and producing material for the global television marketplace. The television series will be an extension of the film, a science fiction thriller, centered on people with paranormal powers who band together to take down a corrupt government agency. The Push television series furthers the relationship established in 2007 between Summit and E1, with E1 licensing exclusive distribution rights to Summit produced feature films in the UK and Canada.
Screenwriter David Hayter, who penned the blockbuster films Watchmen, The Scorpion King, X2: X-Men United and X-Men, will script the series pilot. E1 and Dark Hero Studios, co-owned by Hayter and producing partner Benedict Carver, will jointly produce the series based on the screenplay created by David Bourla for Summit Entertainment. Hayter and Carver will be executive producers, along with E1’s Noreen Halpern and John Morayniss. Summit, E1 and Dark Hero are currently in discussion with US broadcasters about the series. Hayter and Dark Hero Studios are repped by UTA.
'The concept behind the Push feature film offers a broad and rich canvas on which to extend the storyline and characters introduced in the feature film,' said Summit Co-Chairmen Rob Friedman and Patrick Wachsberger. 'The project is also the perfect vehicle to initiate Summit’s plans of producing programming for the global television marketplace. The opportunity to do this with our trusted partners at E1 re-enforces that this is the right opportunity to grow Summit’s platform.'
Patrice Theroux, E1’s President of Filmed Entertainment says, 'It’s a pleasure to witness the next step forward of our theatrical relationship with Summit take place with the television series 'Push'. The strengths that exist between E1, Summit and Dark Hero are going to result in a phenomenal TV series, which will resonate on a worldwide basis.'
John Morayniss, CEO of E1 Television, added 'This is one of those ‘perfect fit’ moments: David Hayter’s work on Watchmen gives him super-hero status on the sci-fi front, and instantly ensures that Push gets the right kind of attention.'
'I’m looking forward to translating the fantastic concept behind Push to the small screen,' said Hayter. 'I’m also thrilled for Dark Hero to be in business with two independent powerhouses like Summit and E1.'
Summit and E1 will jointly arrange for the U.S. television license to the Push series. E1 is set to handle the TV sales in Canada as well as home entertainment and broadcasting rights in Canada, UK, and The Benelux. Summit will distribute home entertainment in the U.S. Both Summit and E1 will split foreign sales by each handling separate territories as part of their stated multi-territory content distribution strategy.
Summit Entertainment released the moderately budgeted feature film Push on February 6, 2009. The film, directed by Paul McGuigan and starring Chris Evans, Dakota Fanning, Camilla Belle and Djimon Hounsou, went on to gross nearly $50 million worldwide. The film is currently available on DVD."
Too bad Chris Evans and Dakota Fanning won't likely be in the series. It's a perfect idea for a TV series (things that keep you guessing) but I'd still like to see a movie sequel.
In case you've never seen the movie, here's the trailer:
From 6 to 2?
From ComingSoon.net:
"Heat Vision is reporting that Saw VI director Kevin Greutert will helm a sequel to Oren Peli's Paranormal Activity for Paramount Pictures. Michael R. Perry is penning the script.
Made for about $15,000, Paranormal Activity became a box office sensation as it earned $151 million worldwide.
Paramount is looking to release Paranormal Activity 2 on October 22, which puts it up against Saw VII 3D. The Greutert-directed sixth Saw wasn't able to beat Paranormal its opening weekend, making $14.1 million compared to Paranormal's $21.1 million that same weekend last October. Summit's graphic novel adaptation Red is also scheduled to open on Oct. 22.
Jason Blum and Oren Peli, are producing the second iteration. Steven Schneider will serve as executive producer.
'These guys get it, and the fans won't be disappointed,' said Peli of Perry and Greutert's participation."
I have yet to see the first Paranormal Activity. Mostly because I am too scared to.
UPDATE:
From ComingSoon.net:
"Just a week ago, Paramount announced that Saw VI director Kevin Greutert would helm the sequel to Oren Peli's Paranormal Activity and that the studio would release the movie on October 22, directly up against Saw VII 3D.
It sounds like the breaks have been put on that deal as reports [come in] that Saw franchise partners Twisted Pictures and Lionsgate have exercised an option that puts Greutert back in the director's chair for Saw VII 3D, leaving Paranormal Activity 2 without a director for the moment.
The site adds that David Hackl, who directed the fifth Saw installment and was previously attached to helm #7, has been taken off the project and will be assigned another film quickly."
Wow, that was weird.
"Heat Vision is reporting that Saw VI director Kevin Greutert will helm a sequel to Oren Peli's Paranormal Activity for Paramount Pictures. Michael R. Perry is penning the script.
Made for about $15,000, Paranormal Activity became a box office sensation as it earned $151 million worldwide.
Paramount is looking to release Paranormal Activity 2 on October 22, which puts it up against Saw VII 3D. The Greutert-directed sixth Saw wasn't able to beat Paranormal its opening weekend, making $14.1 million compared to Paranormal's $21.1 million that same weekend last October. Summit's graphic novel adaptation Red is also scheduled to open on Oct. 22.
Jason Blum and Oren Peli, are producing the second iteration. Steven Schneider will serve as executive producer.
'These guys get it, and the fans won't be disappointed,' said Peli of Perry and Greutert's participation."
I have yet to see the first Paranormal Activity. Mostly because I am too scared to.
UPDATE:
From ComingSoon.net:
"Just a week ago, Paramount announced that Saw VI director Kevin Greutert would helm the sequel to Oren Peli's Paranormal Activity and that the studio would release the movie on October 22, directly up against Saw VII 3D.
It sounds like the breaks have been put on that deal as reports [come in] that Saw franchise partners Twisted Pictures and Lionsgate have exercised an option that puts Greutert back in the director's chair for Saw VII 3D, leaving Paranormal Activity 2 without a director for the moment.
The site adds that David Hackl, who directed the fifth Saw installment and was previously attached to helm #7, has been taken off the project and will be assigned another film quickly."
Wow, that was weird.
Agent Coulson gets THOR a lot
From ComingSoon.net:
"Variety reports that Clark Gregg, who plays Agent Coulson in Iron Man and the upcoming Iron Man 2, will reprise his role for Thor as well.
Coulson is an agent of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division (S.H.I.E.L.D). In the Marvel Studios films, Samuel L. Jackson plays S.H.I.E.L.D director Nick Fury, who will make multiple appearances as well.
Iron Man 2 hits theaters on May 7 and Thor is now filming for a May 6, 2011 release.
The Kenneth Branagh-directed adaptation stars Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins, Rene Russo, Ray Stevenson, Tadanobu Asano, Josh Dallas, Jaimie Alexander, Idris Elba, Colm Feore, Kat Dennings, Stellan Skarsgard and Adriana Barraza."
"Variety reports that Clark Gregg, who plays Agent Coulson in Iron Man and the upcoming Iron Man 2, will reprise his role for Thor as well.
Coulson is an agent of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division (S.H.I.E.L.D). In the Marvel Studios films, Samuel L. Jackson plays S.H.I.E.L.D director Nick Fury, who will make multiple appearances as well.
Iron Man 2 hits theaters on May 7 and Thor is now filming for a May 6, 2011 release.
The Kenneth Branagh-directed adaptation stars Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins, Rene Russo, Ray Stevenson, Tadanobu Asano, Josh Dallas, Jaimie Alexander, Idris Elba, Colm Feore, Kat Dennings, Stellan Skarsgard and Adriana Barraza."
BRUCE is Back!
From ComingSoon.net:
"Bruce Campbell announced via an email message to Ain't It Cool News that he'll be reprising his role as... well, himself for the My Name Is Bruce sequel titled Bruce Vs. Frankenstein. Here's his official statement:
'Hello everyone. Bruce Campbell here. This urgent message is short, because my keystrokes are monitored and I fear for my life. My partner at Dark Horse comics, Mike Richardson (normally a very rational and talented man), threatened to have his foot soldiers 'crush my spleen' if I did what I am about to do. But the fans deserve to know, so with great trepidation I officially announce Bruce Vs. Frankenstein, the sequel to My Name is Bruce. Principal photography begins this fall in Oregon. I'd like to live long enough to see the cameras roll, so please, for the love of God, do not tell anyone - I can't risk this announcement getting back to Mike! Thank you.'"
HOO-RAH!!! Too bad I have yet to see My Name is Bruce.
Here's the trailer for My Name is Bruce:
"Bruce Campbell announced via an email message to Ain't It Cool News that he'll be reprising his role as... well, himself for the My Name Is Bruce sequel titled Bruce Vs. Frankenstein. Here's his official statement:
'Hello everyone. Bruce Campbell here. This urgent message is short, because my keystrokes are monitored and I fear for my life. My partner at Dark Horse comics, Mike Richardson (normally a very rational and talented man), threatened to have his foot soldiers 'crush my spleen' if I did what I am about to do. But the fans deserve to know, so with great trepidation I officially announce Bruce Vs. Frankenstein, the sequel to My Name is Bruce. Principal photography begins this fall in Oregon. I'd like to live long enough to see the cameras roll, so please, for the love of God, do not tell anyone - I can't risk this announcement getting back to Mike! Thank you.'"
HOO-RAH!!! Too bad I have yet to see My Name is Bruce.
Here's the trailer for My Name is Bruce:
A RESURRECTION to Remember
From ComingSoon.net:
"Variety reports that indie producer Bill McKay is developing The Resurrection of the Christ. Set for an Easter 2011 release through Samuel Goldwyn Films, the $20 million production will shoot for 10 weeks starting in July.
Dan Gordan (The Hurricane, Murder in the First) is writing the screenplay with a focus on the power, greed and ambition of those involved in the crucifixion -- Pontius Pilate, Herod, Caiaphas and Judas.
'It's as much about the key players as it is about Jesus,' McKay said. 'We want to bring in the Gladiator dimension of the first century against the political milieu of the time."
Jonas McCord (The Body) will direct the film, which is set to shoot in Israel, Morocco and Europe."
But will it have Jim Caviezel?
"Variety reports that indie producer Bill McKay is developing The Resurrection of the Christ. Set for an Easter 2011 release through Samuel Goldwyn Films, the $20 million production will shoot for 10 weeks starting in July.
Dan Gordan (The Hurricane, Murder in the First) is writing the screenplay with a focus on the power, greed and ambition of those involved in the crucifixion -- Pontius Pilate, Herod, Caiaphas and Judas.
'It's as much about the key players as it is about Jesus,' McKay said. 'We want to bring in the Gladiator dimension of the first century against the political milieu of the time."
Jonas McCord (The Body) will direct the film, which is set to shoot in Israel, Morocco and Europe."
But will it have Jim Caviezel?
Friday, January 15, 2010
JOHN CARTER OF MARS sets off into production.
From ComingSoon.net:
"Walt Disney Pictures announced today that principal photography is underway in London for John Carter of Mars. Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Andrew Stanton brings this captivating hero to the big screen in a stunning adventure epic set on the wounded planet of Mars, a world inhabited by warrior tribes and exotic desert beings. Based on the first of Edgar Rice Burroughs' 'Barsoom Series', the film chronicles the journey of Civil-War veteran John Carter, who finds himself battling a new and mysterious war amidst a host of strange Martian inhabitants.
Produced for Walt Disney Pictures by Jim Morris (WALL•E, Ratatouille) and Colin Wilson (Avatar, War of the Worlds), the live action/animation film marks Academy Award®-winning director/writer Andrew Stanton's (Finding Nemo, WALL•E) first foray into live action. Stanton directed and co-wrote the screenplay for Disney•Pixar's WALL•E, which earned the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature (2008); Stanton was nominated for an Oscar for the screenplay. He made his directorial debut with Disney•Pixar's Finding Nemo, garnering an Academy Award-nomination for Best Original Screenplay and winning the Oscar for Best Animated Feature (2003). He has worked as a screenwriter and/or executive producer on Disney•Pixar's Toy Story, A Bug's Life (which he also co-directed), Toy Story 2, Monsters, Inc., Ratatouille and Up.
'I have been waiting my whole life to see the characters and worlds of John Carter of Mars realized on the big screen,' says Stanton. 'It is just a wonderful bonus that I have anything to do with it.'
The ensemble cast is led by Taylor Kitsch (NBC'S 'Friday Night Lights', X-Men Origins: Wolverine) in the title role, Lynn Collins (50 First Dates, X-Men Origins: Wolverine) as the warrior princess Dejah Thoris and Oscar nominee Willem Dafoe (Spider-Man, Shadow of the Vampire) as Martian inhabitant Tars Tarkas. The cast also includes Thomas Haden Church (Sideways, Spider-Man 3), Polly Walker (upcoming Clash of the Titans, Patriot Games), Samantha Morton (Elizabeth: The Golden Age, In America), Mark Strong (Sherlock Holmes, Body of Lies), Ciaran Hinds (Munich, There Will Be Blood), British actor Dominic West (300, Chicago), James Purefoy (Vanity Fair, Resident Evil) and Bryan Cranston ('Breaking Bad'). Daryl Sabara (Disney's A Christmas Carol, Spy Kids films) takes the role of John Carter's teenaged nephew, Edgar Rice Burroughs.
The creative team includes Oscar-nominated production designer Nathan Crowley (Public Enemies, The Dark Knight, Batman Begins), costume designer Mayes Rubeo (Avatar, Apocalypto), cinematographer Daniel Mindel (Star Trek, Mission: Impossible III, Spy Game) and video effects supervisor Peter Chiang (The Reader, The Bourne Ultimatum)."
"Walt Disney Pictures announced today that principal photography is underway in London for John Carter of Mars. Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Andrew Stanton brings this captivating hero to the big screen in a stunning adventure epic set on the wounded planet of Mars, a world inhabited by warrior tribes and exotic desert beings. Based on the first of Edgar Rice Burroughs' 'Barsoom Series', the film chronicles the journey of Civil-War veteran John Carter, who finds himself battling a new and mysterious war amidst a host of strange Martian inhabitants.
Produced for Walt Disney Pictures by Jim Morris (WALL•E, Ratatouille) and Colin Wilson (Avatar, War of the Worlds), the live action/animation film marks Academy Award®-winning director/writer Andrew Stanton's (Finding Nemo, WALL•E) first foray into live action. Stanton directed and co-wrote the screenplay for Disney•Pixar's WALL•E, which earned the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature (2008); Stanton was nominated for an Oscar for the screenplay. He made his directorial debut with Disney•Pixar's Finding Nemo, garnering an Academy Award-nomination for Best Original Screenplay and winning the Oscar for Best Animated Feature (2003). He has worked as a screenwriter and/or executive producer on Disney•Pixar's Toy Story, A Bug's Life (which he also co-directed), Toy Story 2, Monsters, Inc., Ratatouille and Up.
'I have been waiting my whole life to see the characters and worlds of John Carter of Mars realized on the big screen,' says Stanton. 'It is just a wonderful bonus that I have anything to do with it.'
The ensemble cast is led by Taylor Kitsch (NBC'S 'Friday Night Lights', X-Men Origins: Wolverine) in the title role, Lynn Collins (50 First Dates, X-Men Origins: Wolverine) as the warrior princess Dejah Thoris and Oscar nominee Willem Dafoe (Spider-Man, Shadow of the Vampire) as Martian inhabitant Tars Tarkas. The cast also includes Thomas Haden Church (Sideways, Spider-Man 3), Polly Walker (upcoming Clash of the Titans, Patriot Games), Samantha Morton (Elizabeth: The Golden Age, In America), Mark Strong (Sherlock Holmes, Body of Lies), Ciaran Hinds (Munich, There Will Be Blood), British actor Dominic West (300, Chicago), James Purefoy (Vanity Fair, Resident Evil) and Bryan Cranston ('Breaking Bad'). Daryl Sabara (Disney's A Christmas Carol, Spy Kids films) takes the role of John Carter's teenaged nephew, Edgar Rice Burroughs.
The creative team includes Oscar-nominated production designer Nathan Crowley (Public Enemies, The Dark Knight, Batman Begins), costume designer Mayes Rubeo (Avatar, Apocalypto), cinematographer Daniel Mindel (Star Trek, Mission: Impossible III, Spy Game) and video effects supervisor Peter Chiang (The Reader, The Bourne Ultimatum)."
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Bill Murray gets a PASSION PLAY
From ComingSoon.net:
"Bill Murray is replacing Toby Kebbell as murderous mobster Happy Shannon in writer/director Mitch Glazer's Passion Play, now filming in New Mexico.
Murray joins Mickey Rourke, Megan Fox and Kelly Lynch in the dramatic thriller.
Rourke plays a down-on-his-heels trumpet player and Fox portrays an angel in 1950s Los Angeles. Rourke finds redemption in Fox after he attempts to save her from the mobster."
Oh man. Bill Murray... as a bad guy? Especially after Zombieland? Man. Well, at least it will be interesting to see him with Mickey Roarke... and with... Megan Fox. Oh, am I drooling? Sorry about that.
"Bill Murray is replacing Toby Kebbell as murderous mobster Happy Shannon in writer/director Mitch Glazer's Passion Play, now filming in New Mexico.
Murray joins Mickey Rourke, Megan Fox and Kelly Lynch in the dramatic thriller.
Rourke plays a down-on-his-heels trumpet player and Fox portrays an angel in 1950s Los Angeles. Rourke finds redemption in Fox after he attempts to save her from the mobster."
Oh man. Bill Murray... as a bad guy? Especially after Zombieland? Man. Well, at least it will be interesting to see him with Mickey Roarke... and with... Megan Fox. Oh, am I drooling? Sorry about that.
Joe Johnston updates on CAPTAIN AMERICA and JURASSIC PARK IV
From ComingSoon.net:
"Boxoffice Magazine has posted some new comments from The Wolfman director Joe Johnston about his next film, The First Avenger: Captain America, and the possibility of a Jurassic Park IV.
About Marvel Studios' Captain America, he stated the following:
'It's not going to be a Captain America that you expect. It's something different. It is influenced by the comic book, but it goes off in a completely different direction. It's the origin story of Captain America. It's mostly period—there are modern, present-day bookends on it—but it's basically the story of how Steve Rogers becomes Captain America. The great thing about Captain America is he's a super hero without any super powers. Which is why this story, among the hundreds of super hero stories, appealed to me the most. He can't fly, he can't see through walls, he can't do any of that stuff. He's an every man who's been given this amazing gift of transformation into the perfect specimen—the pinnacle of human perfection. How does that affect him? What does that mean for him emotionally and psychologically? He was this 98-pound weakling, he was this wimp, and he's transformed instantly into this Adonis. You'd think he got everything he wanted. Well, he didn't get everything he wanted. The rules change at that point and his life gets even more complicated and dire. For me, that's the interesting part of the story. It's got some great action sequences in it and some incredible stuff that we've never seen before. But at the heart of it, it's a story about this kid who all he wants to do is fit in. This thing happens and he still doesn't fit in. And he has to prove himself a hero—essentially go AWOL to save a friend... '
He said the following about Jurassic Park IV:
'Well, there is going to be a Jurassic Park IV. And it's going to be unlike anything you've seen. It breaks away from the first three—it's essentially the beginning of the second Jurassic Park trilogy. It's going to be done in a completely different way. That's pretty much all I can tell you.'"
Okay. First quote, looks okay but I don't like the way he words, "It's not going to be a Captain America that you expect. It's something different. It is influenced by the comic book, but it goes off in a completely different direction." I smell Will Smith rumors. (not that I don't like Will Smith; I just don't want him playing Captain America.) I'm an old-school kind of guy. I didn't mind that they used the black Nick Fury in Iron Man and the upcoming Iron Man 2. He was the more popular version of the character (more than likely thanks to David Hasselhoff's TV movie).
However, you gotta have faith in the guy. His last comic book movie, Disney's The Rocketeer didn't do well in theaters (thanks to the admittedly better movie, Terminator 2: Judgement Day being released the same weekend). It was almost like the '40s pre-cursor to Iron Man (as stupid as that sounds, and admittedly, Cliff Secord is nowhere near as cool as Tony Stark and NEVER will be). The only problem with that movie is that they didn't cast a movie star. They cast Bill Campbell. And, honestly who knows who Bill Campbell is? They know who Jennifer Connolly is, they know who Timothy Dalton is (who is apparently making a comeback in Toy Story 3. Go figure.) and they NOW know who Terry O'Quinn is (THANKS to Lost). Though I felt his Howard Hughes was lame, compared to Leonardo DiCaprio's superior performance in The Aviator.
Second quote, almost as bad. "...it's going to be unlike anything you've seen." Now that can be used for good or for evil. Good: they take the revolutionary Jurassic Park special effects and kick it up to Avatar level. Bad: They get even worse than Jurassic Park III.
"Boxoffice Magazine has posted some new comments from The Wolfman director Joe Johnston about his next film, The First Avenger: Captain America, and the possibility of a Jurassic Park IV.
About Marvel Studios' Captain America, he stated the following:
'It's not going to be a Captain America that you expect. It's something different. It is influenced by the comic book, but it goes off in a completely different direction. It's the origin story of Captain America. It's mostly period—there are modern, present-day bookends on it—but it's basically the story of how Steve Rogers becomes Captain America. The great thing about Captain America is he's a super hero without any super powers. Which is why this story, among the hundreds of super hero stories, appealed to me the most. He can't fly, he can't see through walls, he can't do any of that stuff. He's an every man who's been given this amazing gift of transformation into the perfect specimen—the pinnacle of human perfection. How does that affect him? What does that mean for him emotionally and psychologically? He was this 98-pound weakling, he was this wimp, and he's transformed instantly into this Adonis. You'd think he got everything he wanted. Well, he didn't get everything he wanted. The rules change at that point and his life gets even more complicated and dire. For me, that's the interesting part of the story. It's got some great action sequences in it and some incredible stuff that we've never seen before. But at the heart of it, it's a story about this kid who all he wants to do is fit in. This thing happens and he still doesn't fit in. And he has to prove himself a hero—essentially go AWOL to save a friend... '
He said the following about Jurassic Park IV:
'Well, there is going to be a Jurassic Park IV. And it's going to be unlike anything you've seen. It breaks away from the first three—it's essentially the beginning of the second Jurassic Park trilogy. It's going to be done in a completely different way. That's pretty much all I can tell you.'"
Okay. First quote, looks okay but I don't like the way he words, "It's not going to be a Captain America that you expect. It's something different. It is influenced by the comic book, but it goes off in a completely different direction." I smell Will Smith rumors. (not that I don't like Will Smith; I just don't want him playing Captain America.) I'm an old-school kind of guy. I didn't mind that they used the black Nick Fury in Iron Man and the upcoming Iron Man 2. He was the more popular version of the character (more than likely thanks to David Hasselhoff's TV movie).
However, you gotta have faith in the guy. His last comic book movie, Disney's The Rocketeer didn't do well in theaters (thanks to the admittedly better movie, Terminator 2: Judgement Day being released the same weekend). It was almost like the '40s pre-cursor to Iron Man (as stupid as that sounds, and admittedly, Cliff Secord is nowhere near as cool as Tony Stark and NEVER will be). The only problem with that movie is that they didn't cast a movie star. They cast Bill Campbell. And, honestly who knows who Bill Campbell is? They know who Jennifer Connolly is, they know who Timothy Dalton is (who is apparently making a comeback in Toy Story 3. Go figure.) and they NOW know who Terry O'Quinn is (THANKS to Lost). Though I felt his Howard Hughes was lame, compared to Leonardo DiCaprio's superior performance in The Aviator.
Second quote, almost as bad. "...it's going to be unlike anything you've seen." Now that can be used for good or for evil. Good: they take the revolutionary Jurassic Park special effects and kick it up to Avatar level. Bad: They get even worse than Jurassic Park III.
Who will replace Sam Raimi?
From ComingSoon.net:
"After Monday's big announcement that Sony is rebooting the Spider-Man franchise, the attention has turned to which director and star will bring the new version to life.
According to Deadline Hollywood, (500) Days of Summer and music video director Marc Webb is the frontrunner for the director's chair, but that the studio has a 'wish list' of directors that also includes James Cameron [who was interested in directing a Spider-Man film before Sam Raimi was on board for the first film and his scriptment apparently matches the studio's request to make the film darker and edgier], David Fincher and Wes Anderson. You would think that District 9 helmer Neill Blomkamp is somewhere on that list as well.
The site says that Webb has met with the Spidey producers and studio executives to talk about getting the movie underway later this year for a summer 2012 release. The studio is also reportedly wanting to shoot the film in 3D."
Okay. Not the worst of directors but nobody's heard of this guy. Only one noteworthy film. Sam Raimi had Evil Dead, Evil Dead II, Army of Darkness (my favorite Evil Dead film), The Quick and the Dead (a Western), For Love of the Game and The Gift under his belt when the proposal for Spider-Man came along.
I still say nobody can outdo the fun of the original Spider-Man films. Nobody. And it's because of that it will take some doings by Sony to say "This is the Spider-Man that fans are waiting for." Oh, wait. No, it's not because the majority of them loved the originals!!
"After Monday's big announcement that Sony is rebooting the Spider-Man franchise, the attention has turned to which director and star will bring the new version to life.
According to Deadline Hollywood, (500) Days of Summer and music video director Marc Webb is the frontrunner for the director's chair, but that the studio has a 'wish list' of directors that also includes James Cameron [who was interested in directing a Spider-Man film before Sam Raimi was on board for the first film and his scriptment apparently matches the studio's request to make the film darker and edgier], David Fincher and Wes Anderson. You would think that District 9 helmer Neill Blomkamp is somewhere on that list as well.
The site says that Webb has met with the Spidey producers and studio executives to talk about getting the movie underway later this year for a summer 2012 release. The studio is also reportedly wanting to shoot the film in 3D."
Okay. Not the worst of directors but nobody's heard of this guy. Only one noteworthy film. Sam Raimi had Evil Dead, Evil Dead II, Army of Darkness (my favorite Evil Dead film), The Quick and the Dead (a Western), For Love of the Game and The Gift under his belt when the proposal for Spider-Man came along.
I still say nobody can outdo the fun of the original Spider-Man films. Nobody. And it's because of that it will take some doings by Sony to say "This is the Spider-Man that fans are waiting for." Oh, wait. No, it's not because the majority of them loved the originals!!
Bryan Cranston joins JOHN CARTER OF MARS
From ComingSoon.net:
"Bryan Cranston ('Breaking Bad') has joined the cast of director Andrew Stanton's John Carter of Mars. Walt Disney Pictures' live action/CGI hybrid will start filming next week.
The adaptation of the Edgar Rice Burroughs book series centers on a Civil War veteran (Taylor Kitsch) who finds himself mysteriously transported to Mars, where he becomes involved with the planet's warring people. Cranston plays a Civil War colonel who comes into conflict with Carter.
The cast also includes Lynn Collins, Willem Dafoe, Samantha Morton, Dominic West, Polly Walker, Thomas Haden Church, James Purefoy and Mark Strong.
Stanton wrote the screenplay with Mark Andrews."
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Ivan Reitman is back for GHOSTBUSTERS III
From ComingSoon.net:
"Speaking to MTV, Ivan Reitman confirmed he will return to direct Ghostbusters III. Reitman directed the first two films, which were released in 1984 and 1989.
Reitman said that screenwriters Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky had turned in a first draft of the script and are working on a second draft right now. 'Good work is being done and all of us have our fingers crossed... There's some very cool things in the new draft,' he said.
While he wouldn't comment on recent ors about the story, he added that he hopes to start in this next year."
NOW this movie's moving in the right direction. Let's just hope the rest of the cast thinks so.
"Speaking to MTV, Ivan Reitman confirmed he will return to direct Ghostbusters III. Reitman directed the first two films, which were released in 1984 and 1989.
Reitman said that screenwriters Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky had turned in a first draft of the script and are working on a second draft right now. 'Good work is being done and all of us have our fingers crossed... There's some very cool things in the new draft,' he said.
While he wouldn't comment on recent ors about the story, he added that he hopes to start in this next year."
NOW this movie's moving in the right direction. Let's just hope the rest of the cast thinks so.
Peter Sarsgaard hates GREEN LANTERN
From ComingSoon.net:
"Peter Sarsgaard (upcoming Knight & Day) is in talks to play villain Dr. Hector Hammond in director Martin Campbell's Green Lantern, reports Heat Vision. Hammond is a pathologist and son of a senator who is seen as a disappointment in his father's eyes. He becomes infused with psychic powers when he discovers a meteor.
Sarsgaard is joining Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively in the Warner Bros. comic book adaptation, opening in theaters on June 17, 2011.
Filming is scheduled to start in March in New Orleans. Donald De Line and Greg Berlanti are producing."
"Peter Sarsgaard (upcoming Knight & Day) is in talks to play villain Dr. Hector Hammond in director Martin Campbell's Green Lantern, reports Heat Vision. Hammond is a pathologist and son of a senator who is seen as a disappointment in his father's eyes. He becomes infused with psychic powers when he discovers a meteor.
Sarsgaard is joining Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively in the Warner Bros. comic book adaptation, opening in theaters on June 17, 2011.
Filming is scheduled to start in March in New Orleans. Donald De Line and Greg Berlanti are producing."
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Robert Downey Jr. is not a COWBOY
From ComingSoon.net:
"The Los Angeles Times says that Robert Downey Jr. won't be reteaming with his Iron Man franchise director Jon Favreau for Cowboys & Aliens, DreamWorks' adaptation of the graphic novel. Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Damon Lindelof wrote the script.
Favreau will still direct, but Downey Jr. had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts. Production is tentatively set to begin this year for a planned release in summer 2011 [June 24, 2011, coming the same day as Disney/Pixar's Cars 2]. The sci-fi Western explores what would happen if the traditional Old West enemies -- cowboys and Native Americans -- found the prairie attacked by aliens in mid-1800s Arizona."
While I was hoping to see RDJ as a cowboy, I'd rather see him as Iron Man/Tony Stark and Sherlock Holmes anyday!
UPDATE:
From Collider:
"Robert Downey Jr. has dropped out of the adaptation of Scott Mitchell Rosenberg comic book series Cowboys & Aliens. But now we are hearing through sources that Daniel Craig is in negotiations to replace him in the lead role of Zeke Jackson. Obviously, this would be very cool since it would be his first collaboration with Jon Favreau, who is directing the film from a script by Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman (Star Trek), and Damon Lindelof ('Lost').
Let me stress: 'In negotiations' means that Craig has not been cast in the role. What it means is that they’re trying to work out a deal for him to star, but sometimes things don’t work out. Maybe the schedule for Bond 23 moves up or he decides to do a different project. Whatever the reason, let me stress once more: Daniel Craig is in negotiations for the role, but he has not been cast. "
James Bond as an American cowboy? Hmm.
And the Beatles are...
From ComingSoon.net:
"Heat Vision reports that Cary Elwes, Dean Lennox Kelly, Peter Serafinowicz and Adam Campbell are in talks to play The Beatles in Robert Zemeckis' Yellow Submarine at Walt Disney Pictures.
In the 3D performance capture film, Kelly (BBC's 'Robin Hood', [Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel]) is portraying John Lennon, Serafinowicz [(Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace)] plays Paul McCartney, Elwes (Disney's A Christmas Carol) is George Harrison, and Campbell [(Date Movie, Epic Movie)] will be Ringo Starr.
The 1968 animated feature was based on the music of The Beatles and featured the inspired art direction and design of Heinz Edelmann. The movie is set in Pepperland, an undersea paradise inhabited by music lovers who live in peace and harmony and are protected by Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. That is... until they are threatened by the music hating Blue Meanies. It's up to John, Paul, George and Ringo to set off on a magical adventure in their yellow submarine and bring music and harmony back to Pepperland."
Aw, and here I was hoping for Tom Hanks or Jim Carrey to be involved somehow. Mmm.
Ooh, interesting - Peter Serafinowicz also played the voice of Darth Maul in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. "At last, we will reveal ourselves to the Meanies. At last, we will have revenge."
UPDATE:
From RollingStone.com:
"For the performance footage in Zemeckis’ motion-capture take on Yellow Submarine, the Back to the Future director has recruited 'The Ultimate Beatles Band,' the Fab Four. Producers for Yellow Submarine have secured the rights to the Beatles’ music, so the songs in the film will come courtesy of the real Fab Four and not the tribute band. By hiring actors to portray the Beatles, Zemeckis is keeping in tradition of the original film, which also employed voice actors in place of the actual band. The Beatles themselves only appeared in the film’s live-action epilogue.
As Rolling Stone previously reported, Zemeckis was interested in bringing in the two surviving Beatles, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, to contribute to the Yellow Submarine remake. With actors being cast in their roles, it’s unclear whether Zemeckis still has plans for the pair, but considering new Spock (Zachary Quinto) interacted with old Spock (Leonard Nimoy) in the Star Trek reboot, Zemeckis — who is writing the screenplay — can surely construct a subplot where the faux Macca and Starr meet the real Paul and Ringo."
Now that sounds interesting.
"Heat Vision reports that Cary Elwes, Dean Lennox Kelly, Peter Serafinowicz and Adam Campbell are in talks to play The Beatles in Robert Zemeckis' Yellow Submarine at Walt Disney Pictures.
In the 3D performance capture film, Kelly (BBC's 'Robin Hood', [Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel]) is portraying John Lennon, Serafinowicz [(Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace)] plays Paul McCartney, Elwes (Disney's A Christmas Carol) is George Harrison, and Campbell [(Date Movie, Epic Movie)] will be Ringo Starr.
The 1968 animated feature was based on the music of The Beatles and featured the inspired art direction and design of Heinz Edelmann. The movie is set in Pepperland, an undersea paradise inhabited by music lovers who live in peace and harmony and are protected by Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. That is... until they are threatened by the music hating Blue Meanies. It's up to John, Paul, George and Ringo to set off on a magical adventure in their yellow submarine and bring music and harmony back to Pepperland."
Aw, and here I was hoping for Tom Hanks or Jim Carrey to be involved somehow. Mmm.
Ooh, interesting - Peter Serafinowicz also played the voice of Darth Maul in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. "At last, we will reveal ourselves to the Meanies. At last, we will have revenge."
UPDATE:
From RollingStone.com:
"For the performance footage in Zemeckis’ motion-capture take on Yellow Submarine, the Back to the Future director has recruited 'The Ultimate Beatles Band,' the Fab Four. Producers for Yellow Submarine have secured the rights to the Beatles’ music, so the songs in the film will come courtesy of the real Fab Four and not the tribute band. By hiring actors to portray the Beatles, Zemeckis is keeping in tradition of the original film, which also employed voice actors in place of the actual band. The Beatles themselves only appeared in the film’s live-action epilogue.
As Rolling Stone previously reported, Zemeckis was interested in bringing in the two surviving Beatles, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, to contribute to the Yellow Submarine remake. With actors being cast in their roles, it’s unclear whether Zemeckis still has plans for the pair, but considering new Spock (Zachary Quinto) interacted with old Spock (Leonard Nimoy) in the Star Trek reboot, Zemeckis — who is writing the screenplay — can surely construct a subplot where the faux Macca and Starr meet the real Paul and Ringo."
Now that sounds interesting.
Monday, January 11, 2010
SPIDER-MAN 4 dead, long live the reboot!
From ComingSoon.net: 
"Peter Parker is going back to high school when the next Spider-Man hits theaters in the summer of 2012.
Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios announced today they are moving forward with a film based on a script by James Vanderbilt that focuses on a teenager grappling with both contemporary human problems and amazing super-human crises.
The new chapter in the Spider-Man franchise produced by Columbia, Marvel Studios and Avi Arad and Laura Ziskin, will have a new cast and filmmaking team. Spider-Man 4 was to have been released in 2011, but had not yet gone into production.
'A decade ago we set out on this journey with Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire and together we made three Spider-Man films that set a new bar for the genre. When we began, no one ever imagined that we would make history at the box-office and now we have a rare opportunity to make history once again with this franchise. Peter Parker as an ordinary young adult grappling with extraordinary powers has always been the foundation that has made this character so timeless and compelling for generations of fans. We're very excited about the creative possibilities that come from returning to Peter's roots and we look forward to working once again with Marvel Studios, Avi Arad and Laura Ziskin on this new beginning,' said Amy Pascal, co-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment.
'Working on the Spider-Man movies was the experience of a lifetime for me. While we were looking forward to doing a fourth one together, the studio and Marvel have a unique opportunity to take the franchise in a new direction, and I know they will do a terrific job,' said Sam Raimi.
'We have had a once-in-a-lifetime collaboration and friendship with Sam and Tobey and they have given us their best for the better part of the last decade. This is a bittersweet moment for us because while it is hard to imagine Spider-Man in anyone else's hands, I know that this was a day that was inevitable,' said Matt Tolmach, president of Columbia Pictures, who has served as the studio's chief production executive since the beginning of the franchise. 'Now everything begins anew, and that's got us all tremendously excited about what comes next. Under the continuing supervision of Avi and Laura, we have a clear vision for the future of Spider-Man and can't wait to share this exciting new direction with audiences in 2012.'
'Spider-Man will always be an important franchise for Sony Pictures and a fresh start like this is a responsibility that we all take very seriously,' said Michael Lynton, Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures. 'We have always believed that story comes first and story guides the direction of these films and as we move onto the next chapter, we will stay true to that principle and will do so with the highest respect for the source material and the fans and moviegoers who deserve nothing but the best when it comes to bringing these stories and characters to life on the big screen.'"
THIS IS NONSENSE!! WHY IN THE WORLD IS SONY THROWING AWAY A MONEY PIT LIKE THE SAM RAIMI SPIDER-MAN SERIES!!!
"Don't let yourself go/'Cause everybody cries/And everybody hurts sometimes..." - R.E.M.
"Peter Parker is going back to high school when the next Spider-Man hits theaters in the summer of 2012.
Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios announced today they are moving forward with a film based on a script by James Vanderbilt that focuses on a teenager grappling with both contemporary human problems and amazing super-human crises.
The new chapter in the Spider-Man franchise produced by Columbia, Marvel Studios and Avi Arad and Laura Ziskin, will have a new cast and filmmaking team. Spider-Man 4 was to have been released in 2011, but had not yet gone into production.
'A decade ago we set out on this journey with Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire and together we made three Spider-Man films that set a new bar for the genre. When we began, no one ever imagined that we would make history at the box-office and now we have a rare opportunity to make history once again with this franchise. Peter Parker as an ordinary young adult grappling with extraordinary powers has always been the foundation that has made this character so timeless and compelling for generations of fans. We're very excited about the creative possibilities that come from returning to Peter's roots and we look forward to working once again with Marvel Studios, Avi Arad and Laura Ziskin on this new beginning,' said Amy Pascal, co-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment.
'Working on the Spider-Man movies was the experience of a lifetime for me. While we were looking forward to doing a fourth one together, the studio and Marvel have a unique opportunity to take the franchise in a new direction, and I know they will do a terrific job,' said Sam Raimi.
'We have had a once-in-a-lifetime collaboration and friendship with Sam and Tobey and they have given us their best for the better part of the last decade. This is a bittersweet moment for us because while it is hard to imagine Spider-Man in anyone else's hands, I know that this was a day that was inevitable,' said Matt Tolmach, president of Columbia Pictures, who has served as the studio's chief production executive since the beginning of the franchise. 'Now everything begins anew, and that's got us all tremendously excited about what comes next. Under the continuing supervision of Avi and Laura, we have a clear vision for the future of Spider-Man and can't wait to share this exciting new direction with audiences in 2012.'
'Spider-Man will always be an important franchise for Sony Pictures and a fresh start like this is a responsibility that we all take very seriously,' said Michael Lynton, Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures. 'We have always believed that story comes first and story guides the direction of these films and as we move onto the next chapter, we will stay true to that principle and will do so with the highest respect for the source material and the fans and moviegoers who deserve nothing but the best when it comes to bringing these stories and characters to life on the big screen.'"
THIS IS NONSENSE!! WHY IN THE WORLD IS SONY THROWING AWAY A MONEY PIT LIKE THE SAM RAIMI SPIDER-MAN SERIES!!!
"Don't let yourself go/'Cause everybody cries/And everybody hurts sometimes..." - R.E.M.
THE A-TEAM gets into action with a trailer
From ComingSoon.net:
"The trailer for director Joe Carnahan's The A-Team, which hits theaters this weekend, has come online! Opening in theaters on June 11, the big screen adaptation of the TV series stars Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Sharlto Copley, Jessica Biel, Quinton Jackson and Yul Vazquez."
"The trailer for director Joe Carnahan's The A-Team, which hits theaters this weekend, has come online! Opening in theaters on June 11, the big screen adaptation of the TV series stars Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Sharlto Copley, Jessica Biel, Quinton Jackson and Yul Vazquez."
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Stardate: June 29, 2012.
From ComingSoon.net:
"It looks like Paramount Pictures has decided at least on a tentative release date for J. J. Abrams' anticipated [Star Trek: Untitled Sequel] as it stakes claim to the coveted pre-4th of July weekend of June 29, 2012. At this time, it is the only movie scheduled for June that summer, and absolutely nothing is known of the sequel except that one expects most of the cast introduced in the first movie to return."
WOO-HOO!! BUCKLE UP!!
"It looks like Paramount Pictures has decided at least on a tentative release date for J. J. Abrams' anticipated [Star Trek: Untitled Sequel] as it stakes claim to the coveted pre-4th of July weekend of June 29, 2012. At this time, it is the only movie scheduled for June that summer, and absolutely nothing is known of the sequel except that one expects most of the cast introduced in the first movie to return."
WOO-HOO!! BUCKLE UP!!
Blake Lively loves GREEN LANTERN
From ComingSoon.net:
"Looks like Warner Bros. and director Martin Campbell have finally found the female lead for their Green Lantern movie, and Hal Jordan's lady love Carol Ferris will be played by none other than Blake Lively, star of the CW's hit 'Gossip Girl', The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and its sequel.
Ferris is the one who hires hot-shot test pilot Hal Jordan, played by Ryan Reynolds, to her father's aerospace company, which she's running, before he gets the ring to become Earth's Green Lantern. As the Heat Vision Blog mentions, Carol ultimately becomes the villain Star Sapphire, although there's no word whether there might be some hint of that in the first movie.
Rumors had been swirling for the past month about a possible lead with Keri Russell and Jennifer Garner among those being talked to for the role. The movie is scheduled to start shooting in March."
I honestly think she's too young to be playing Carol Ferris. Would've been interesting to see Ryan Reynolds and Jennifer Garn-- oh, wait. She doesn't do comic book movies anymore.
"Looks like Warner Bros. and director Martin Campbell have finally found the female lead for their Green Lantern movie, and Hal Jordan's lady love Carol Ferris will be played by none other than Blake Lively, star of the CW's hit 'Gossip Girl', The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and its sequel.
Ferris is the one who hires hot-shot test pilot Hal Jordan, played by Ryan Reynolds, to her father's aerospace company, which she's running, before he gets the ring to become Earth's Green Lantern. As the Heat Vision Blog mentions, Carol ultimately becomes the villain Star Sapphire, although there's no word whether there might be some hint of that in the first movie.
Rumors had been swirling for the past month about a possible lead with Keri Russell and Jennifer Garner among those being talked to for the role. The movie is scheduled to start shooting in March."
I honestly think she's too young to be playing Carol Ferris. Would've been interesting to see Ryan Reynolds and Jennifer Garn-- oh, wait. She doesn't do comic book movies anymore.
Friday, January 8, 2010
From Funny Zombies and Funny Mutants to Not-So-Funny "Yo, Joe!"?
From ComingSoon.net:
"Just yesterday it was announced that Zombieland screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick are going to write the script for the Ryan Reynolds spin-off Deadpool. Now comes word from IESB that they may also write the sequel to G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra for Paramount.
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, directed by Stephen Sommers, cost about $175 million to make and earned $301.5 million worldwide. The action-adventure stars Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Christopher Eccleston, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Byung Hun Lee, Sienna Miller, Rachel Nichols, Ray Park, Said Taghmaoui, Channing Tatum, Marlon Wayans and Dennis Quaid."
IESB is not that trust-worthy. Unlike ComingSoon and Slashfilm.
"Just yesterday it was announced that Zombieland screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick are going to write the script for the Ryan Reynolds spin-off Deadpool. Now comes word from IESB that they may also write the sequel to G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra for Paramount.
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, directed by Stephen Sommers, cost about $175 million to make and earned $301.5 million worldwide. The action-adventure stars Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Christopher Eccleston, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Byung Hun Lee, Sienna Miller, Rachel Nichols, Ray Park, Said Taghmaoui, Channing Tatum, Marlon Wayans and Dennis Quaid."
IESB is not that trust-worthy. Unlike ComingSoon and Slashfilm.
Updates on GHOST RIDER 2
From ComingSoon.net:
"Collider spoke to producer Mike De Luca and was able to learn new details on Ghost Rider 2 (it might be called Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance). They sent us the following summary:
– Mark Steven Johnson is not directing the sequel
– Eva Mendes will not return as Roxanne Simpson
– Ghost Rider 2 (or Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance) will be a hard PG-13 [(in the vein of Lord of the Rings and The Dark Knight)
– The film is going to take place in Europe
– De Luca is open to David Goyer directing the sequel but it all comes down to his very busy schedule [(he is, after all, working on the TV series 'Flash Forward')]
– Says the sequel will be like 'pushing the reset button' on the franchise
– As you might expect from the success of Avatar, Ghost Rider 2 might be done in 3D
– Says Goyer has just delivered his updated outline to the studio
– And says Ghost Rider 2 could easily be in front of the cameras this year."
Also, Nicolas Cage is returning to play Johnny Blaze/Ghost Rider. But you knew that already.
"Collider spoke to producer Mike De Luca and was able to learn new details on Ghost Rider 2 (it might be called Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance). They sent us the following summary:
– Mark Steven Johnson is not directing the sequel
– Eva Mendes will not return as Roxanne Simpson
– Ghost Rider 2 (or Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance) will be a hard PG-13 [(in the vein of Lord of the Rings and The Dark Knight)
– The film is going to take place in Europe
– De Luca is open to David Goyer directing the sequel but it all comes down to his very busy schedule [(he is, after all, working on the TV series 'Flash Forward')]
– Says the sequel will be like 'pushing the reset button' on the franchise
– As you might expect from the success of Avatar, Ghost Rider 2 might be done in 3D
– Says Goyer has just delivered his updated outline to the studio
– And says Ghost Rider 2 could easily be in front of the cameras this year."
Also, Nicolas Cage is returning to play Johnny Blaze/Ghost Rider. But you knew that already.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
DIRECTV goes 3D
From ComingSoon.net:
"DIRECTV, Inc., the world's most popular television service, and 3D technology leader RealD are currently working together to deliver high-definition 3D movies and TV programming via satellite to DIRECTV subscribers. DIRECTV's content providers will be able use RealD tools to format their 3D content and deliver it to millions of homes with the crisp, clear 3D images that RealD has become known for. DIRECTV will be launching three 3D channels sponsored by Panasonic. The delivery of RealD Format content is compatible with DIRECTV's current HD satellite broadcast and on-demand systems and works with existing HD set-top boxes. As part of the agreement, RealD has delivered to DIRECTV a license to use the RealD Format and associated 3D technology patents.
'DIRECTV believes that the delivery of 3D content to our subscribers provides a fantastic new level viewing experience for movies, sports, and other TV programs. Many of the major television manufacturers are adding 3D capability to their products this year, and RealD is doing a great job of partnering with them to integrate the RealD Format,' said Romulo Pontual, CTO of DIRECTV. 'We look forward to working with RealD and our programming providers to deliver 3D content later this year to owners of 3D-capable TV's - no new set-top boxes will be required.'
'DIRECTV has been perennially at the forefront of new TV technologies, and this partnership will continue this and allow millions of DIRECTV subscribers to enjoy HD quality 3D in the home,' added Michael V. Lewis, Chairman and CEO of RealD. 'RealD and DIRECTV will continue to work closely together to optimize the 3D viewing experience to ensure that we delight viewers at home in much the same way we have with RealD's market-leading 3D cinema systems.'
The RealD Format builds on the company's patented side-by-side 3D formatting technology and is capable of delivering crisp, clear, high-definition 3D to the home utilizing all channels of the existing HD broadcast infrastructure. DIRECTV has chosen to use the side-by-side method as its primary method of delivering 3D content due to its ability to deliver high-quality progressive and interlaced video over existing infrastructure including existing HD set-top boxes and DVRs."
Everybody's promising 3D TV but WHEN?!! The only definitive date I heard is that ESPN 3D is launching June 11, 2010!
"DIRECTV, Inc., the world's most popular television service, and 3D technology leader RealD are currently working together to deliver high-definition 3D movies and TV programming via satellite to DIRECTV subscribers. DIRECTV's content providers will be able use RealD tools to format their 3D content and deliver it to millions of homes with the crisp, clear 3D images that RealD has become known for. DIRECTV will be launching three 3D channels sponsored by Panasonic. The delivery of RealD Format content is compatible with DIRECTV's current HD satellite broadcast and on-demand systems and works with existing HD set-top boxes. As part of the agreement, RealD has delivered to DIRECTV a license to use the RealD Format and associated 3D technology patents.
'DIRECTV believes that the delivery of 3D content to our subscribers provides a fantastic new level viewing experience for movies, sports, and other TV programs. Many of the major television manufacturers are adding 3D capability to their products this year, and RealD is doing a great job of partnering with them to integrate the RealD Format,' said Romulo Pontual, CTO of DIRECTV. 'We look forward to working with RealD and our programming providers to deliver 3D content later this year to owners of 3D-capable TV's - no new set-top boxes will be required.'
'DIRECTV has been perennially at the forefront of new TV technologies, and this partnership will continue this and allow millions of DIRECTV subscribers to enjoy HD quality 3D in the home,' added Michael V. Lewis, Chairman and CEO of RealD. 'RealD and DIRECTV will continue to work closely together to optimize the 3D viewing experience to ensure that we delight viewers at home in much the same way we have with RealD's market-leading 3D cinema systems.'
The RealD Format builds on the company's patented side-by-side 3D formatting technology and is capable of delivering crisp, clear, high-definition 3D to the home utilizing all channels of the existing HD broadcast infrastructure. DIRECTV has chosen to use the side-by-side method as its primary method of delivering 3D content due to its ability to deliver high-quality progressive and interlaced video over existing infrastructure including existing HD set-top boxes and DVRs."
Everybody's promising 3D TV but WHEN?!! The only definitive date I heard is that ESPN 3D is launching June 11, 2010!
Green Light for GREEN LANTERN
From SuperHeroHype:
"Visual effects supervisor Karen Goulekas (The Day After Tomorrow, Spider-Man) has announced on her Blog that Green Lantern got the official green light yesterday (Wednesday) and that filming will start in 10 weeks (sometime in March):
'Wow! Been a long time since I posted! But today is a day worth posting about!
Green Lantern got the official green light today! And not a second too soon - only 10 weeks out from shooting!
While it's great news we are a go - now we have to actually get our prep done in 10 weeks!
DOH!
But we have an amazing crew - so we will make it happen!'
In previous Blog posts, she has mentioned that the film will include over 1300 effects shots. To be directed by Martin Campbell (Casino Royale, GoldenEye), Green Lantern will star Ryan Reynolds and is scheduled for a June 17, 2011 release."
"Visual effects supervisor Karen Goulekas (The Day After Tomorrow, Spider-Man) has announced on her Blog that Green Lantern got the official green light yesterday (Wednesday) and that filming will start in 10 weeks (sometime in March):
'Wow! Been a long time since I posted! But today is a day worth posting about!
Green Lantern got the official green light today! And not a second too soon - only 10 weeks out from shooting!
While it's great news we are a go - now we have to actually get our prep done in 10 weeks!
DOH!
But we have an amazing crew - so we will make it happen!'
In previous Blog posts, she has mentioned that the film will include over 1300 effects shots. To be directed by Martin Campbell (Casino Royale, GoldenEye), Green Lantern will star Ryan Reynolds and is scheduled for a June 17, 2011 release."
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
May 2011 a Mess
From ComingSoon.net:
"Variety has confirmed reports that Sony Pictures has indeed postponed production on Spider-Man 4 so that more work can be done on the script.
Gary Ross, David Lindsay-Abaire and James Vanderbilt previously wrote drafts of the screenplay, and the trade says that Alvin Sargent is now 'retooling the story'. Sargent worked on the scripts for both the second and third Spidey movies.
Back in December, SuperHeroHype was told by the studio that the production was not on hold but that they were simply on hiatus for the holidays and that production would resume in the new year. Obviously, that is not the case.
Sony still has the movie scheduled for a May 5, 2011 release (not May 6 or May 11 as some sites are reporting), but Variety adds 'that date has become highly unlikely.'
'We'll try, but I think making May is a real question,' a source told the trade. 'We will not start until we have it right. The feeling is we are not going to rush it to make the date.'"
Because of that, May got rescheduled!
From ComingSoon.net:
"With yesterday's announcement that Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 4 will not start production in time for its planned May 5, 2011 release, other studios are looking to grab some of those dates for their own tentpoles. Making that rumored delay official is the news that Marvel Studios and Paramount will be releasing Kenneth Branagh's Thor on Spider-Man's original release weekend, kicking off the summer on May 6, two weeks earlier than its original release plan.
With Thor moved up two weeks, Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer Films' Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides grabbed its now-vacated date of May 20 for its own release one week before Memorial Day and the release of Todd Phillips' The Hangover 2.
According to Variety, Sony hasn't abandoned the date yet and still hopes to get Spider-Man 4 done in time, but Paramount has decided to not wait to see what Sony does before grabbing that date themselves. They suggest that if Sony decides to keep that date then Thor will move again, although it's doubtful they can get May 20 back again.
At this point, Sony hasn't announced a new release date for Spider-Man 4. July 4th that year has been held for Michael Bay's Transformers III followed two weeks later by the Harry Potter finale and then The First Avenger: Captain America, which hasn't even announced its cast yet, the following week. (Warner Bros.' Green Lantern has already grabbed June 17, potentially making it one of the busiest summers for comic book and superhero movies in some time.)
"Variety has confirmed reports that Sony Pictures has indeed postponed production on Spider-Man 4 so that more work can be done on the script.
Gary Ross, David Lindsay-Abaire and James Vanderbilt previously wrote drafts of the screenplay, and the trade says that Alvin Sargent is now 'retooling the story'. Sargent worked on the scripts for both the second and third Spidey movies.
Back in December, SuperHeroHype was told by the studio that the production was not on hold but that they were simply on hiatus for the holidays and that production would resume in the new year. Obviously, that is not the case.
Sony still has the movie scheduled for a May 5, 2011 release (not May 6 or May 11 as some sites are reporting), but Variety adds 'that date has become highly unlikely.'
'We'll try, but I think making May is a real question,' a source told the trade. 'We will not start until we have it right. The feeling is we are not going to rush it to make the date.'"
Because of that, May got rescheduled!
From ComingSoon.net:
"With yesterday's announcement that Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 4 will not start production in time for its planned May 5, 2011 release, other studios are looking to grab some of those dates for their own tentpoles. Making that rumored delay official is the news that Marvel Studios and Paramount will be releasing Kenneth Branagh's Thor on Spider-Man's original release weekend, kicking off the summer on May 6, two weeks earlier than its original release plan.
With Thor moved up two weeks, Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer Films' Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides grabbed its now-vacated date of May 20 for its own release one week before Memorial Day and the release of Todd Phillips' The Hangover 2.
According to Variety, Sony hasn't abandoned the date yet and still hopes to get Spider-Man 4 done in time, but Paramount has decided to not wait to see what Sony does before grabbing that date themselves. They suggest that if Sony decides to keep that date then Thor will move again, although it's doubtful they can get May 20 back again.
At this point, Sony hasn't announced a new release date for Spider-Man 4. July 4th that year has been held for Michael Bay's Transformers III followed two weeks later by the Harry Potter finale and then The First Avenger: Captain America, which hasn't even announced its cast yet, the following week. (Warner Bros.' Green Lantern has already grabbed June 17, potentially making it one of the busiest summers for comic book and superhero movies in some time.)
From Funny Zombies to Funny Mutants
From ComingSoon.net:
"20th Century Fox is moving forward with the planned Deadpool spin-off with Ryan Reynolds reprising his role as the 'Merc with a Mouth' from Fox's 2009 hit prequel X-Men Origins: Wolverine. According to Variety, they've hired writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, the creative duo behind Sony's 2009 hit Zombieland, to pen the screenplay, the duo having already written an earlier draft of Sony's planned Venom spin-off.
No word when they plan to start filming although presumably it will be sometime after Reynolds wraps filming his leading role in Green Lantern for Warner Bros."
ALLLLLLLLL RIIIIIIIIGGGGGHHHHHHTTT!!!!
"20th Century Fox is moving forward with the planned Deadpool spin-off with Ryan Reynolds reprising his role as the 'Merc with a Mouth' from Fox's 2009 hit prequel X-Men Origins: Wolverine. According to Variety, they've hired writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, the creative duo behind Sony's 2009 hit Zombieland, to pen the screenplay, the duo having already written an earlier draft of Sony's planned Venom spin-off.
No word when they plan to start filming although presumably it will be sometime after Reynolds wraps filming his leading role in Green Lantern for Warner Bros."
ALLLLLLLLL RIIIIIIIIGGGGGHHHHHHTTT!!!!
Ron Howard returns to comedy
From ComingSoon.net:
"Variety reports that Ron Howard will next direct Vince Vaughn in an untitled comedy written by Allan Loeb (upcoming Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps).
Imagine Entertainment's Brian Grazer hatched the idea and will produce with Vaughn and his Wild West Picture Show banner.
The film is an exploration of the fallout surrounding infidelity between lovers and friends.
The Universal Pictures release is expected to start filming in Chicago this spring."
The last "comedy" Ron Howard directed was Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Since then he's directed more serious fare like A Beautiful Mind, Cinderella Man and the "blockbusters" The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons. We'll see how this one turns out.
UPDATE:
From ComingSoon.net:
"[ComingSoon.net] has debuted the trailer for director Ron Howard's The Dilemma, starring Vince Vaughn, Kevin James, Jennifer Connelly, Winona Ryder, Channing Tatum and Queen Latifah.
Produced by Brian Grazer and written by Allan Loeb, the January 14 release is about a man who finds out that what you don't say to a friend is just as important as what you do. The Dilemma is a story of how far you can bend a brotherly bond before it snaps. Since college, confirmed bachelor Ronny (Vaughn) and happily married Nick (James) have been through thick and thin. Now partners in an auto design firm, the two pals are vying to land a dream project that would launch their company. With Ronny's girlfriend, Beth (Connelly), and Nick's wife, Geneva (Ryder), by their sides, they're unbeatable. But Ronny's world is turned upside down when he inadvertently sees Geneva out with another man and makes it his mission to get answers. As the amateur investigation dissolves his world into comic mayhem, he learns that Nick has a few secrets of his own. Now, with the clock ticking and pressure mounting on the biggest presentation of their careers, Ronny must decide how and when he will reveal the truth to his best friend."
"Variety reports that Ron Howard will next direct Vince Vaughn in an untitled comedy written by Allan Loeb (upcoming Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps).
Imagine Entertainment's Brian Grazer hatched the idea and will produce with Vaughn and his Wild West Picture Show banner.
The film is an exploration of the fallout surrounding infidelity between lovers and friends.
The Universal Pictures release is expected to start filming in Chicago this spring."
The last "comedy" Ron Howard directed was Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Since then he's directed more serious fare like A Beautiful Mind, Cinderella Man and the "blockbusters" The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons. We'll see how this one turns out.
UPDATE:
From ComingSoon.net:
"[ComingSoon.net] has debuted the trailer for director Ron Howard's The Dilemma, starring Vince Vaughn, Kevin James, Jennifer Connelly, Winona Ryder, Channing Tatum and Queen Latifah.
Produced by Brian Grazer and written by Allan Loeb, the January 14 release is about a man who finds out that what you don't say to a friend is just as important as what you do. The Dilemma is a story of how far you can bend a brotherly bond before it snaps. Since college, confirmed bachelor Ronny (Vaughn) and happily married Nick (James) have been through thick and thin. Now partners in an auto design firm, the two pals are vying to land a dream project that would launch their company. With Ronny's girlfriend, Beth (Connelly), and Nick's wife, Geneva (Ryder), by their sides, they're unbeatable. But Ronny's world is turned upside down when he inadvertently sees Geneva out with another man and makes it his mission to get answers. As the amateur investigation dissolves his world into comic mayhem, he learns that Nick has a few secrets of his own. Now, with the clock ticking and pressure mounting on the biggest presentation of their careers, Ronny must decide how and when he will reveal the truth to his best friend."
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