"Walt Disney Pictures has released the first trailer for Mars Needs Moms, based on the book by Berkeley Breathed and opening in 3D, 2D and IMAX 3D theaters on March 11. Directed by Simon Wells, the animated adventure is voiced by Seth Green, Dan Fogler, Elisabeth Harnois, Mindy Sterling, Kevin Cahoon and Joan Cusack. You can watch the trailer below the synopsis.
Take out the trash, eat your broccoli—who needs moms, anyway? Nine-year-old Milo (Seth Green) finds out just how much he needs his mom (Joan Cusack) when she's nabbed by Martians who plan to steal her mom-ness for their own young. Produced by the team behind Disney's A Christmas Carol and The Polar Express, Mars Needs Moms showcases Milo's quest to save his mom - a wild adventure in Disney Digital 3D™ and IMAX® 3D that involves stowing away on a spaceship, navigating an elaborate, multi-level planet and taking on the alien nation and their leader (Mindy Sterling). With the help of a tech-savvy, underground earthman named Gribble (Dan Fogler) and a rebel Martian girl called Ki (Elisabeth Harnois), Milo just might find his way back to his mom—in more ways than one. Based on the Book by Berkeley Breathed."
Now this is what I'm talking about! Not too kiddish, yet not too serious! Maybe this will be the movie to have Disney change their minds and reinstate ImageMovers Digital.
"Disney•Pixar has revealed... the new [trailer] for Cars 2, opening in 3D, 2D and IMAX 3D theaters on June 24. The trailers reveal that Michael Caine is providing the voice for Finn McMissile.
Star racecar Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) and the incomparable tow truck Mater (voice of Larry the Cable Guy) take their friendship to exciting new places in Cars 2 when they head overseas to compete in the first-ever World Grand Prix to determine the world's fastest car. But the road to the championship is filled with plenty of potholes, detours and hilarious surprises when Mater gets caught up in an intriguing adventure of his own: international espionage. Torn between assisting Lightning McQueen in the high-profile race and towing the line in a top-secret spy mission, Mater's action-packed journey leads him on an explosive chase through the streets of Japan and Europe, trailed by his friends and watched by the whole world. Adding to the fast-paced fun is a colorful new all-car cast that includes secret agents, menacing villains and international racing competitors.
The sequel is directed by John Lasseter and co-directed by Brad Lewis."
"Lucasfilm Ltd. announced today that the live-action Star Wars saga will be converted to 3D.
'There are few movies that lend themselves more perfectly to 3D; from the Death Star trench run to the Tatooine Podrace, the Star Wars Saga has always delivered an entertainment experience that is completely immersive," said the statement.
Presented by Twentieth Century Fox and Lucasfilm Ltd., the 'cutting edge conversion' will be supervised by Industrial Light & Magic.
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace is expected to be released theatrically in 2012. A release date has not yet been determined.
'Getting good results on a stereo conversion is a matter of taking the time and getting it right,' said John Knoll, Visual Effects Supervisor for Industrial Light & Magic. 'It takes a critical and artistic eye along with an incredible attention to detail to be successful. It is not something that you can rush if you want to expect good results. For Star Wars we will take our time, applying everything we know both aesthetically and technically to bring audiences a fantastic new Star Wars experience.'"
"Winona Ryder, Martin Landau, Martin Short and Catherine O'Hara have been cast to do vocal work on Frankenweenie.
The project is a stop-motion, feature-length adaptation of the live-action short film Burton directed in 1984. Short and O'Hara, who have appeared in Mars Attacks! and Beetlejuice, respectively, will voice five characters each. Ryder (Edward Scissorhands) will voice the character Elsa, while Landau (Ed Wood) will play Mr. Rzykruski. Martin Short (Mars Attacks!) and Catherine O'Hara (Beetle Juice and A Nightmare Before Christmas) take on the voices of five characters each. Short plays Bob, Nassor, Toshiaki, Victor's Dad and Mr. Bergermeister. O'Hara voices Edgar, Weird Girl, Victor's Mom, and Gym Teacher.
John August (Big Fish) penned the script and the film is on track for a March 9, 2012 release."
"The Walt Disney Studios announced today that Toy Story 3 will surpass the $1 billion mark at the worldwide box office today. It marks the first time a studio will have two $1 billion movies in one year:
Two weeks after becoming the highest-grossing animated film of all time, Disney-Pixar's Toy Story 3 will cross the $1 billion mark at the global box office today, joining Alice in Wonderland as the second $1 billion film this year from The Walt Disney Studios – the first studio in history to accomplish this feat. Disney first crossed the $1 billion threshold with Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest in 2006. Toy Story 3 becomes the only animated film to reach this milestone and the seventh title in industry history.
'It's been an incredible year as we saw the Pixar team bring Buzz and Woody back to the big screen and watched Tim Burton's vision for Alice in Wonderland take the world by storm,' said Rich Ross, Chairman, The Walt Disney Studios. 'These box office triumphs prove that creative storytelling brought to life by imaginative, inspired and talented professionals is something audiences respond to the world over.'
As of Thursday (8/26/10), Toy Story 3 tallied more than $592.9 million internationally, Disney's largest international animated release. Latin American audiences have contributed $138 million making Toy Story 3 the highest grossing Disney film ever released in the region. Toy Story 3 is the most successful UK release in Disney history and currently stands as the fourth biggest title in territory history with $102.4 million in box office receipts so far. In Japan, the film has taken in $111.2 million and spent five consecutive weeks as the #1 movie. Toy Story 3 currently ranks as the #7 film in global box office history and domestically ranks #9 with $404.6 million in receipts to date.
Alice in Wonderland began setting records during its opening weekend (March 5-7), becoming the biggest March opening in industry history, the highest 3D opening ever and The Walt Disney Studios' biggest opening for a non-sequel film. Internationally, the film went on to tally more than $690 million, becoming Disney's biggest overseas release of all time and the fourth biggest title ever released overseas. Worldwide, the film took in $1.0243 billion, ranking it as the #5 film in global box office history."
"Jessica Alba is reteaming with Robert Rodriguez a third time for Spy Kids 4: All the Time in the World. She has previously starred in Sin City, co-directed by Rodriguez, and has a role in the helmer's September 3 release Machete.
Heat Vision says the new Spy Kids film is a reboot of sorts. Alba will play a retired spy who has been reactivated. Her character is the mother of a baby and two preteen stepchildren.
The actors cast in the preteen roles will be the new Spy Kids. Alexa Vega and Daryl Sabara played the Spy Kids in the first three films, that also starred Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino as their superspy parents.
The trade adds that other roles seeking to be filled include Alba's husband, 'a slightly nerdy investigative reporter, and the villain, known as the Time Keeper, whose goal it is to stop time.'
Banderas, Vega and Sabara are expected to return in supporting roles. Shooting is scheduled to start on the 3D film next month."
Good to see Jessica Alba doing a slightly less-serious movie. And also good to see the original Spy Kids and their dad coming back.
"Hannover House, the entertainment distribution division of Target Development Group, Inc., has entered into a feature film development venture with Vancouver-based Red Bear Entertainment, for Terminator 3000, envisioned as a $70-million dollar budgeted, 3D animated feature film based on the characters and situations introduced in the original Terminator feature. Hannover House C.E.O. Eric Parkinson previously served as C.E.O. of Hemdale Home Video, Inc. and Hemdale Communications, Inc., and handled the distribution of the original Terminator feature.
Story details for Terminator 3000 are being kept under close wraps, but the writers and production team have a stated goal of minimizing violence in order to obtain a PG-13 level of material.
Hemdale produced and distributed director James Cameron's original Terminator feature, but released the sequel rights in 1990 to Carolco, which later transferred the rights to ultimately end up under the control of Halcyon Media. Santa Barbara based Pacificor, LLC prevailed in the most recent auction and transfer of rights to the franchise in January, and retains approval and licensing authority over the proposed Terminator 3000 project.
Hannover House and Red Bear Entertainment will release details of the production timing, financing and principal production personnel later this year, in advance of a proposed January, 2011 start."
McG's gonna be mad.
Maybe this is a good way to get Arnold Schwarzenegger back as the Terminator. He's too old to play the Terminator in a live-action movie, but he's still got the voice.
UPDATE:
From ComingSoon.net:
Maybe the news about the $70 million computer-animated film was premature because now Deadline is reporting that Pacificor, the company that owns the rights to the Terminator franchise have sent a cease and desist letter to Hannover House following the announcement earlier today. Hannover House CEO Eric Parkinson, former head of the Home Video division of Hemdale, who made the original Terminator, claims that he owns the animation rights to the property which weren't included in the sale to Carolco."
"The unlikely pairing of Dan Aykroyd and Justin Timberlake provide voices to the classic animated characters Yogi Bear and Boo-Boo, respectively, in a big screen adaptation of the Hanna-Barbera cartoon series.
'When Jellystone Park is found to be losing business, greedy Mayor Brown decides to shut it down and sell the land. That means families will no longer be able to experience the natural beauty of the outdoors -- and, even worse, Yogi and Boo Boo will be tossed out of the only home they've ever known. Faced with his biggest challenge ever, Yogi must prove that he really is 'smarter than the average bear' as he and Boo-Boo join forces with their old nemesis Ranger Smith to find a way to save Jellystone Park from closing forever.
The film also stars Tom Cavanagh as Smith and Anna Faris as Rachel. Yogi Bear hits theaters on December 17, 2010."
Okay. It's a step-up from Alvin and the Chipmunks. The character design is a bit better than Scooby-Doo, which didn't even remotely LOOK like Scooby-Doo. Both Yogi and Boo-Boo look like CG versions of The Country Bears. Hopefully, it won't end up BEING The Country Bears (which has since faded into obscurity).
Yogi sounds like a cross between his normal self and Space Ghost. If they ever made a live-action Space Ghost movie, Dan Aykroyd would be a good voice.
Justin Timberlake was my biggest concern before the trailer came out. I used to think he'd be a terrible voice for Boo-Boo. After seeing the trailer, he sounded eerily like Boo-Boo. It was uncanny! I'd go so far as to say he actually nailed it!
"ComingSoon.net's SuperHeroHype is at the Warner Bros. Comic-Con presentation for director Martin Campbell's Green Lantern, starring Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Mark Strong, Peter Sarsgaard, Tim Robbins and more, and we're live-blogging the event as it takes place.
There's a lot of excitement to see the very first footage for the first Warner Bros. superhero movie done under the DC Entertainment banner, the production having been shooting in Louisiana since February with two more weeks to go.
Not sure if this is something that many people will realize but apparently, there are hurricane warnings along the Gulf, which means the cast and crew of Green Lantern had to run in to do the panel and they have to get right back to Louisiana.
Moderator is Geoff Boucher of Hero Complex. He started things off by saying the Green Lantern oath, great way to kick things off and the first person out is Green Lantern writer and DC Entertainment CCO Geoff Johns!
They're starting things off with some footage! It's essentially a teaser which starts off with a glowing green ball and an alien voiceover that says:
'Welcome inhabitants of sector 2814. The Guardians have chosen you as candidates for enlistment but before you can be recruited, you must be tested. The light you see before you is controlled by your will. Focus on the light. If you will it, it will be. Now, focus.'
That ball of green light continues to pulse and get larger and larger before it blasts the screen with a wave of green light.
We then hear Reynolds' voiceover saying the Green Lantern oath and a quick montage of footage cut together that went by very fast, including a close-up of Reynolds as Hal Jordan, his hand holding the ring, we see him in street clothes being pulled upwards and see a later scene in which he's taking on criminals by using the ring to form a giant fist that throws a roundhouse punch knocking out a bunch of guys. We get a very brief glimpse of Hector Hammond and Tomar Re.
After the oath is done, we hear the original alien voiceover saying, 'The choice has been made.'
The light we saw earlier starts forming into the GL emblem and then we see the logo is 'Await Further Contact Summer 2011.'
They're now bringing out the cast and crew including producer Donald DeLine, writer/producer Greg Berlanti, director Martin Campbell, Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Mark Strong and Peter Sarsgaard.
Ryan Reynolds says he was influenced by Han Solo and Chuck Yaeger for the part of Hal Jordan. The rest of the cast are talking about their characters and doing a superhero movie.
Director Martin Campbell is talking about the tone about keeping it very real and that the humor is apparent due to the presence of Ryan and Blake.
Producer Donald DeLine just listed a roster of Green Lanterns we're likely to see in the movie... he did mention that we get to see Killer Wasp.
Geoff Johns is talking about the origins of the project and how ten years ago, he never thought a GL movie would happen cause someone at Warner Bros. asked, 'Can we do it without the ring?' [I'm sure that the previous Green Lantern project was brought up - a comedy that would've starred Jack Black. Massive negative response from the fans convinced Warner Bros. to stick with the comic books]
Sarsgaard described Hammond as 'the kid who licked the battery or went up the rooftop with a coat hanger [in a thunderstorm]' to see what happened.
A question from the audience asks how they picked the characters to use for the movie, and it focuses on Kilowog, Sinestro and Tomar Re. They mention that Green Man and Bzzt will both be seen briefly.
Geoff was asked about other DC projects and he said that he can't talk about them. Same as always.
Ryan Reynolds was also talking about how he got the gig, and how they showed him the worlds and he was trying to play hard to get, but they really wanted him, though they made him work for the part by doing a couple screen tests before he got the role.
Martin Campbell is talking about Hal's relationship with his father Martin as seen in the 'Secret Origins' arc and how that's going to play a large part in the movie, finally culminating at the end of the movie when Hal becomes a Green Lantern.
Geoff Johns was asked about a Justice League movie but he's sidestepping it, saying that it will depend on the success of Green Lantern.
A question from the audience asks if there's room for Alan Scott, and Johns says, 'There's always room.' Ryan Reynolds says that Parallax is in the movie.
Asked about whether Mogo may appear, Johns says, 'There's a lot of Green Lanterns in the film.'
When asked which DC character they might make into a movie next, Johns says Green Lantern 2.
Ryan Reynolds and Mark Strong talked a bit about how their character fly in the movie, and then Martin Campbell is talking about Hal and Carol as test pilots and how that's shown in the movie as the two of them test out some of Ferris Aviation's latest jets. We definitely will see Carol in the skies flying the jets as well, rather than being only on the floor.
Ryan Reynolds says he's been wearing the ring for six months and he plans on passing it onto someone else, similar to Abin Sur giving his ring to Hal Jordan. They told the audience that there's a piece of paper under someone's seat and they will be given the ring. And we have a winner!
From Ain't It Cool News:
"One aside: Ryan Reynolds had one of the classiest and coolest moments in the history of the Con when he recited the Green Lantern oath for a young fan. When he finished, he lifted up his hand to reveal that he was wearing the ring. The awestruck look on the kid’s face elicited a chorus of 'Awwws!' from the crowd. Reynolds then signed a comic book for the kid. There’s a lot of self-promoting nonsense that goes on during the Q&A periods at these panels, but something like this reminded me what Comic Con is all about. Well done, Mr. Reynolds."
Here it is, the first footage of Ryan Reynolds saying the Green Lantern oath:
"As a surprise for attendees exiting the Tron Legacy panel, Disney showed a special teaser for Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, now shooting in Hawaii.
Johnny Depp appeared as Captain Jack Sparrow in full 3D, sitting on the beach with a bottle of rum and speaking directly to the Comic-Con audience. He told everyone that it certainly wasn't the case that he would soon be embarking on a quest to find the fountain of youth but that, even if he were, he wouldn't be looking for a crew. But, if he did, would anyone in the audience be interested?
He promised that such an adventure would include 'zombies, cutthroats, mermaids and... Penelope Cruz' and that it would be the kind of quest that would require 'A bloody map. Or a bloody Mary. Or both.'
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides will hit theaters on May 20, 2011."
Who knows? Maybe there'll be a trailer attached to Tron Legacy.
There used to be a video up here but Jerry Bruckheimer took it off YouTube. You can still see it on YouTube but not here.
Here's a transcript of the video:
JACK SPARROW: Hello boys and girls.... or whatever. My name is Captain Jack Sparrow. Ah, I take it some of you have heard of me. As you may well know, there are times - almost constantly, in fact - where I prefer to look at the world from the bottom of the glass... of rum. Something like this. [drinks rum] Oh. [holds it out to audience, remember this is 3D] You may have also heard whisperings and rumors that Jack Sparrow be recruiting a crew to undertake a voyage to the Fountain of Youth. Not true, course not. But even if it weren't not true, you wouldn't be interested in joining me, would you? Eh? No, thought not. I do admit that there will be varied and substantial dangers along the way including but not limited to zombies, cutthroats, mermaids and the vicious and vivacious Penelope Cruz... which is why I’m not going, no sir. Impossible to find the place anyway. No one knows where it is, plus I'd have to have a bloody map. Or a Bloody Mary. Or both. Which is not a bad idea, in fact, a Bloody Mary. [smiles] Bloody Maries all around! It's on the Mouse! [cue Pirates music]
"The Los Angeles Times has revealed this new photo from Marvel Studios' Thor featuring Anthony Hopkins as Odin, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, and Chris Hemsworth as Thor with his hammer. The article also confirms that both Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger will be released in 3D.
The article says that both films will be released in 3D, but Thor was not shot with 3D cameras and neither will Captain America: The First Avenger. The films' directors, though, say they will be doing the post-conversion right as compared to some recent pics like Clash of the Titans and The Last Airbender.
'We came to feel that in our case 3D could be the very good friend of story and character for a different kind of experience,' Thor director Kenneth Branagh said, 'It's another draft of the story that can reveal itself in a different way... I had a healthy degree of skepticism up front... I've become somebody extremely excited about working with possibilities of doing it this way.'
Captain America: The First Avenger director Joe Johnston added, 'I think it tends to be overused and can be a little bit gimmicky... A lot of people are using 3D now because they feel have they have to... that will come and go and the pictures that deserve to be in 3D will continue to be. When it's done bad, it can make you carsick.'
Johnston said they tried a one-day test shoot with a 3D rig but that it was 'a nightmare' due to bulky gear, calibration issues and restricted filmmaking options. He said he's a firm believer, though, in the conversion approach if done right and he's enthused to move forward. 'It's a new challenge and it's exciting.'
While both films use 2D for principal photography, the special effects were conceived and executed from the beginning in 3D. Kevin Feige said that 'an unprecedented amount of time' would be devoted to the conversion process.
Thor hits theaters on May 6, 2011 and Captain America: The First Avenger on July 22, 2011."
Oh, boy. Here comes the post-convert 3D hate!
UPDATE 2:
I forgot I never put up the first looks at the Captain America suit.
Sony Pictures has officially announced that Andrew Garfield has landed the role of Peter Parker/Spider-Man in director Marc Webb's untitled Spider-Man [reboot]! The film focuses on a teenager grappling with both contemporary human problems and amazing super-human crises. The action adventure will open in 3D and 2D theaters on July 3, 2012.
Here's the official press release followed by the announcement photos:
'After a comprehensive worldwide casting search, Andrew Garfield has been chosen to portray Peter Parker when Spider-Man swings back onto the screen in 3D on July 3, 2012. The new film will begin production in early December directed by Marc Webb from a screenplay by James Vanderbilt. Laura Ziskin and Avi Arad will produce the film from Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios.
Today's confirmation culminates what has been one of the most eagerly anticipated casting announcements in recent memory. Bloggers, pop culture speculators, and everyday fans have pored over and analyzed every conceivable online rumor in an attempt to discover the identity of the next actor to play Peter Parker. Garfield will immediately begin preparing for the coveted role.
The Spider-Man franchise is one of the most successful in film history and the three previous motion pictures have collectively grossed more than $2.5 billion in worldwide box office.
On selecting Garfield, director Marc Webb said, 'Though his name may be new to many, those who know this young actor's work understand his extraordinary talents. He has a rare combination of intelligence, wit, and humanity. Mark my words, you will love Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker.'
Commenting on the announcement, Amy Pascal, co-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Matt Tolmach, President of Columbia Pictures said, 'Spider-Man is a classic superhero -- a young man who balances his responsibility to serve humanity and crush evil with the shyness and normalcy of someone struggling to find himself. The role demands an extraordinary actor. You need someone who can magically transform himself from Peter Parker into Spider-Man. An actor who will depict the vulnerability of youth and the strength and confidence of a legendary figure at the same moment. We have found that actor in Andrew Garfield. From the first time we saw him in the upcoming film The Social Network, to his glorious screen test, which floored all of us, we knew that we had found our new Peter Parker.'
Producer Avi Arad added, 'I'm incredibly excited about Andrew Garfield. In the Spider-Man tradition, we were looking for a smart, sensitive, and cool new Peter Parker who can inspire us and make us laugh, cry, and cheer. We believe we have found the perfect choice to take on this role and lead us into the future.'
Producer Laura Ziskin said, 'We are thrilled to have Andrew Garfield for this new incarnation of Spider-Man under Marc Webb’s direction. We were fortunate enough to meet with a group of fantastically talented young men. In the end, we all agreed that in addition to being an extraordinary actor, Andrew had the right mix of humor, youth, and pathos, along with an underlying sense of strength and power necessary to bring Peter Parker and Spider-Man to life on screen.'
The selection of Garfield was revealed at a press event in Cancun, Mexico for international journalists attending a media tour promoting upcoming films from Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Garfield is fast becoming one of the most respected and sought-after young actors working in the industry today. In a short career, spanning only five years, he has already been directed by, and starred alongside, some of the greatest names and received a BAFTA for a role that won him international praise.
Garfield most recently worked with director David Fincher on the upcoming film The Social Network. He previously starred for Spike Jonze on his robot love story I'm Here, which premiered at Sundance this year. He plays the lead male opposite Keira Knightley and Carey Mulligan in Mark Romanek's Never Let Me Go, due for release later this year.
Other notable screen credits include Terry Gilliam's The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus playing opposite Christopher Plummer, Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, Jude Law and the late Heath Ledger; Robert Redford’s Lions For Lambs, where he starred alongside Redford, Tom Cruise and Meryl Streep; Revolution Films' Red Riding Trilogy – 1974 directed by Julian Jarrold, where he lead a stellar cast including Rebecca Hall and David Morrissey, and his unforgettable portrayal of a young ex-con in John Crowley's Boy A, for which he earned the best actor BAFTA in 2008."
"Hollywood was host to a very special reception this evening as guests gathered at Mann's Chinese 6 for the first ever look at The Green Hornet trailer that just debuted online. Joining the private screening was director Michel Gondry, star Seth Rogen, writer Evan Goldberg and producer Neal Moritz, who fielded questions with an audience of journalists and their friends.
Q: 'Can you sum up the basic story in your own words?'
Seth Rogen: 'To explain it, I guess, briefly, I'm an irresponsible kind of idiot (as one might imagine) and my father dies and I form a friendship with someone else who did not have the highest opinion towards him. One of his employees, Kato. Through that friendship, we realize that maybe we can create this kind of thing that will help us both live out our dreams. In time, we realize that each other's personalities are the most difficult thing to overcome and try to form this thing. That's how the story goes.'
Michel Gondry: 'We see a bit of his childhood and home. This friendship finds its resolution through his inner voice. He's talking to his dad in his mind.'
Q: 'Some of the shots look very different in terms of how the action is shot. Is this the final look of 'Kato Vision' or is it still evolving?'
Gondry: 'It's not really represented here. There's an outside of Kato vision. There's the way he sees things... [which is] more like a surprise I guess.'
Rogen: '[There are] two steps to 'Kato Vision' as I guess we've called it. The way you see the fights as an observer and then the way Kato sees fights in his own eyes.'
Q: 'Have you reconsidered how you stage fights, now that you're doing it in 3D?'
Gondry: 'To be honest, we were always hoping to go 3D. The way I put the camera was always [thinking] it would be so cool to see it in 3D. We pushed a little more of the effects. The way the fight works... the use of the 3D to split the screen. We sort of always wanted to do it in 3D.'
Q: 'This is the first time an audience has seen any of the movie? How involved were the four of you in deciding what went into the trailer? Do you have another version of this trailer?'
Rogen: 'There have been a lot of versions of this trailer. We were pretty involved. We watched it every step of the way. I have to acknowledge, honestly, that our perceptions of the movie are different sometimes to your general person who knows absolutely nothing about the movie... I'm sure every person in this audience knows a millions times more about the Green Hornet than 99% of people who will be seeing this trailer. And some of you came to set and saw another thing... We really had to keep reminding ourselves that we were presenting to people who knew nothing about the Green Hornet. And we really wanted to make sure that it portrayed the real feel of the movie more than anything.'
Neal Mortiz: 'We really showed it a lot and we got a lot of feedback. We tested the trailer a lot of times quite a few times to make sure that what we liked about it was the same thing that the audience was going to like about it as well.'
Gondry: 'We wanted to make sure our enthusiasm for the story and the characters would be portrayed. We really worked close. For the first time I'm really excited about the movie.'
Moritz: 'The goal of the movie is the relationship between Kato and Britt and in the subsequent trailer we really want to develop that more.'
Rogen: 'We have to introduce the idea of the Green Hornet to people first. There will be more trailers and more advertisements down the line and we can explore the intricacies of what the movie is about. To make sure people understand the general concept of what it is we are doing.'
Q: 'There's sort of been the idea in the past that Kato is more the superhero and the Green Hornet is a work in progress? Is that still an aspect that will remain?'
Evan Goldberg: 'Kato is definitely the more skilled individual. We joke about it with Seth that he had to get in shape to do the movie and Jay didn't. He was in shape. It was inherently there. He is a very talented, genius kind of guy and Seth is a normal guy.'
Rogen: 'We didn't want the joke to be, 'Look at this!' One of complete and utter goofiness and complete physical incompetence at all times. And we knew that, ultimately, it had to live up to the expectations of a superhero movie and needs to have the kind of action, full-blown action that people expect from that genre and we knew that we couldn't just rest on the comedy to make it interesting.'
Moritz: 'Something they create together.'
Q: 'What kind of tone are you going for? What kind of tone do you see emerging? Balancing action and comedy? This is clearly not some kind of dark superhero film.'
Gondry: 'There is comedy but, overall, the tone is not a spoof. You get that in the trailer. We never intended to do something comical. We really embraced the superhero feature and there are serious parts. Of course, there is some comedy but I think it's more of an action movie.'
Moritz: 'We always talk about it as an action movie with comedy versus a comedy with action.'
Rogen: 'Michel and Sally [Menke], our editor, are really coming up with a lot of interesting ways to tell the story, Both of them are really great at that. She had Pulp Fiction and movies like that, which really are great at telling the narrative, the story and it's really amazing to see what they've done in the editing room and how giant a creative step the movie has taken, leaving it in Michel and Sally's hands for a little while. It's really exciting for us as fans to see our movie filmed and then taken to this whole other place.'
Q: 'How close does storyline fit into the comic?'
Rogen: 'The Green Hornet comic has nothing to do with our movie. Other than it's called The Green Hornet. Unless you love the Green Hornet comics, then it's exactly based on the comic. We clearly all got our ideas from the same source. There are some elements that are the same. But I think naturally when you are trying to update something, the ideas are going to go to similar places, but there is no collaboration on behalf of comic and the filmmakers.'
Goldberg: 'The one constant is that he poses as a criminal to catch criminals.'
Gondry: 'What is important to say is that the Green Hornet has so many forms. It was a comic. Then it was on television and then you have Bruce Lee. We had to digest all of that to find what would be our version of the Green Hornet. As a director, I was thinking to make a movie before it was asked to be a film. And as well the notion of Kato has evolved so much over the years. He was supposed to be Japanese and then, during WWII because of the war, they had to change the character so he was not Japanese. He was Filipino and then he was Chinese. So all of that inspired us. We respected that, but we had to bring it to a place that it would fit now.'
Q: '3D conversion process has gotten criticisms lately because of Clash of the Titans and Alice in Wonderland. What measures are you taking to avoid pitfalls?'
Moritz: 'That's why we moved the release date back. We wanted the 3D to look really good. The only way was buying ourselves time to make it look good. We already have some sequences that we've turned over now in 3D so we have plenty of time to actually make it good and do it the right way as opposed to Clash of the Titans which was done in six to eight weeks.'
Rogen: 'It's like any other visual effect. There's really good applications of it and really bad applications of it. It all depends on whose hands it's in. You look at CG sometimes and it's terrible. You look at CG sometimes and it's great. I think it's no different. Very good versions and very bad versions. I think it's like any other creative decision. It's going to be gauged by the levels of enthusiasm... of the creative people behind it. It's something that we all feel really strongly about... something that we've always wanted to do... since the first idea of this movie came along. I've been working in 3D movies for years. I started in Monsters vs Aliens almost four or five years ago. It was then that I traveled around the world with Jeffrey Katzenberg, hearing him pontificate on 3D and what a big evolution it was going to be. So its always something I've been a big fan of. It started in the society of the 60's I believe so its always been something we've been big supporters of and I think just like I said there's good versions and bad versions and we hope to do a really good version.'
Gondry: 'You could imagine a movie in 2D in 3D and transform it. If you take this type of movie where they really use the full depth of field. This movie, if it was transformed in 3D, would use much more fast editing. And even before we could do it in 3D, we'd talk about the fight or we'd say, 'Okay, we don't want to rely too much on the other team, so we didn't make it so fast with editing and this is a very important element to make 3D work well.''
Moritz: 'We didn't make a rash decision by any means. We saw a lot of demonstrations with a lot of different companies and then ultimately brought in a number of these companies into the editing room and then went through the film with them together and really looked at the pitfalls, positives and negatives to doing it. And kind of weighed those all out before we even approached the studio and asked them to let us turn it into 3D which is obviously a huge financial impact. After that as well. And I remember Amy Pascal said to us, 'This is going to cost a lot of extra money. Are you sure about this?' And we were because we had done so much homework on it. And we did not want to be reprimanded like Clash of the Titans was. We really wanted to take our time and do it right.'
Rogen: 'First thing people like you say is that the studio is forcing us to do it and it's a quick fix. The funny thing is it could not be more opposite. It was us begging and pleading as creative entities to the studio to allow us to have this tool to tell our story in an original way. And were super excited that were able to do it.'
Gondry: 'There were some ideas. The father relationship is such that, even after he's passed away, he keeps talking to him in his mind. Several times. We got this idea to represent his father by his silhouette, which you can only see if you watch the movie in 3D. In 2D, you would hear the voice but in 3D, he's going to pop out. So that's why we were so thrilled to be able to execute this in 3D. We always had the voiceover of the father in the story but then when we decided to do it in 3D, it was perfect.'
Q: 'In marketing this film, are you gonna try to evoke the Bruce Lee thing? Some kind of selling point?'
Rogen: 'If you ask most high schoolers who Bruce Lee is they will say that it someone they sit next to in English class. I don't think that it would. I think its not something that would never be my instinct to do and not to attempt. Jay Chou is one the coolest dudes I've ever met or been around. What we say is that he's like Steve McQueen. He does everything cooler than anyone else does anything. And I think Jay... Man, I've never been psyched to show up to work and be completely overshadowed by somebody on a regular basis. And it's just how it is. Jay in his own right will win people over. He is an incredibly impressive and charismatic performer. Jay is an incredibly talented martial artist and he's just a rad dude and I don't think we will need to do that.'
Moritz: 'No one here thinks that we will replace or be better than what Bruce Lee was.'
Rogen: 'Yeah, we didn't try. Just as different as I am from Van Williams, Jay is from Bruce Lee. We wanted to create new characters in telling it.'
Gondry: 'Of course, for any actor from Asia, it's a very heavy task over Bruce Lee. So Jay never wanted to emulate Bruce Lee by any means. Did not want to use his type of expression, sound or scream. So out of respect we didn't want to mimic him.'
Rogen: 'Yeah, he definitely was very conscious of not doing a Bruce Lee impression. He wanted to make his own character. He was into that and thank god he did because he makes a great Kato.'
Q: 'Since the character is lesser known than, say, Superman or Spider-Man or other superhero movies, is there any concern going into that? Marketing-wise?'
Rogen: 'For whoever saw the first trailer and then this one. I think that thought is exactly what led us to say this is the approach that we need to take. Like we look at Iron Man. I remember when Iron Man came out. I drove by a billboard with my girlfriend and she said, 'Who's Iron Man?' and they did a good job at taking Iron Man and, believe it or not, he was a relatively unknown Marvel character when that first movie came out. And they did a good job at introducing it. They didn't really tease it. There was no teaser. They just kind of showed you exactly what it was and that's something that we talked about. That they successfully took a pretty obscure character and made him well known and introduced him to people and that's kind of what we realized we had to do. Not show our version of the Green Hornet, but to say, 'Here's what... the Green Hornet is....'
Q: 'We are a month away from Comic-Con? Are you guys gonna be there and what are you gonna show the fans?'
Moritz: 'We are definitely going to be at Comic-Con and will be there with a big presence. We are going to show a piece of the film. As long as the 3D is done to the standard that we want it, we will show the trailer in 3D.'
Rogen: 'Yeah, we've already been looking at stuff to show. We are all Comic-Con fans and as comic book nerds and it's important to us to show respect for those people who go out there...'
Goldberg: 'Show the whole movie backwards. With voice over of the teaser guy.'
Q: 'Is there more of bringing your Michel Gondry style to a comic book? I didn't see it much in the trailer. Is there more?'
Gondry: 'There is more. I don't want really to... There is a danger of having a shtick. It's different than you will see in the movie. There's a difference between a trailer and a movie. That's traditional for a movie. There is some sequences that we're still working out that you didn't see in the trailer, that's more of my specific signature. But when we met, they said we want to see Michel Gondry sequences and I said no.'
Rogen: 'Originally, I was going to be made a string.'
Q: 'Seth you talked about always being a comic book fan, is this the first time you're getting an action figure that's actually you?'
Rogen: 'I have a B.O.B., but that's not really an action figure. It's a blue toy. But yeah, it's pretty cool. I'm excited, but yeah, it's my instinct to blow it up with firecrackers. I might do that.'
Q: 'More than people are saying 'This is the Green Hornet movie' than are saying 'This is the Seth Rogen action movie'. You slimmed down. What is your approach to getting people over that hump to Seth Rogen as an action hero?'
Rogen: 'My guy is not exactly like Bruce Wayne. The whole story of the movie is that I'm an irresponsible idiot who is trying to get his life together and do something worthwhile. So, as an irresponsible idiot, I'm quite good. And that's why we always knew it was an easy buy. We didn't want to just tell people what the whole story of the movie was.... But that's why we knew it was going to be fine because the story wasn't that of a completely serious well-groomed man who decides to become a superhero. It's about a guy who is grappling with his own irresponsible old activities and tendencies and can he put those all aside and do something worthwhile and that's why I think, as an actor, I thought it was something I could tackle. It displayed what people expected of me and what maybe I could show as a growth through the character.'
Gondry: 'What I was hoping when I took the job, basically is that my contribution could help that. I think that with Jim Carrey, as good as he was at being a comedian, he was excellent at being much more dramatic in Eternal Sunshine. I think Seth is selling himself short a little bit because I think that he really conveys a really complex and interesting character and what I hope is that people will see him evolve.'
Rogen: 'It's true that part of the reason we decided to approach Michel was that we knew that it was gonna be something different, taking it in a new direction and that he was traditionally someone who worked with comedic actors and took them in new directions. Just as he had taken people not traditionally known as comedic actors and made them much funnier than they were before as Kate Winslet in Eternal Sunshine. That's something that was one of his strengths and something that we hoped he could bring to this.'
Q: 'Who was really the champion among you guys who said to Sony, 'We need to make THE Green Hornet movie?'
Moritz: 'It's a good question. We were all champions at different times.'
Rogen: 'Yeah, we've all been champions at different times. Where does an idea come from? I'm sure Inception will answer that for all of us. It's hard to think... I mean Michel Gondry was attached to a Green Hornet movie 13 years ago. It's hard to say who is the first one who wanted to do it. I would say that no matter what they are making a Thor movie and no matter what they are making a Captain America movie. But they are not no matter what making a Green Hornet movie. We had to work really hard to have them let us do it. It wasn't a given that it was eventually going to get made no matter what. We were lucky enough to be the guys that got to do it. We really creatively saw this as an opportunity that was exciting to us and we've all fought really hard. A lot of uphill battles. A lot of bad press, a lot of strikes against us and it hasn't been easy but ultimately we are all really proud of the movie. We all love the movie and I'm excited to be able to show you some of it. I was just saying to Evan as we were walking up here, 'Today is the first day I believe this might get released,' which is exciting.
Moritz: 'I've been involved in a movie where we had so many starts and stops and I think it was August of last year that Amy Pascal was on vacation and I think that was the reason we got to go ahead. It's been a great experience.'
Rogen: 'Honestly, it's something we all strongly agreed. We were passionate about. It's an idea for some reason. The relationship between those two guys. The idea of exploring that relationship. It's creative. Evan and I, as writing partners, Michel as the director, make these relationships and you try to make something out of it and it's something that we all felt very strongly about. It was not a movie that was going to get made no matter what. It's something we had to will into being. We had to work to make happen. If we didn't do it there would not be a 'Green Hornet' movie on screen right now.'
Q: 'Seth, you're know for improv. Was there much improv on set?'
Rogen: 'We definitely wanted it at times in the relationships. When the relationships have that spontaneous feel. I just think that me and Evan found something that works really well. The things in movies that people relate to a lot and the ways characters interact. They see themselves in the characters and a lot of that is through improv. Jay is amazing at it and even in that thing 'I don't want to touch you.' He improvised that and we were joking around one day on a scene and, yes there was a lot and everyone got really into it. I mean, obviously, as an action movie there's limitations to what you can do, but it doesn't have a rigid feel to it. It's a very loose conversational feel.'
Gondry: 'I think always my interest in making movies is to have something really technical mixed with something that was not so formal... something free. I realized very soon that it's not because there are constraints like that and there is a lot of it in-camera effect. The person wants us to be stiff. That is a lot of time the actor. They don't think too much about what they have to do to act or be funny. This context is a very good or great performance.'
Q: 'What was it like working with Christoph Waltz? What comes from his background in European cinema?'
Rogen: 'Working with him was great. I would say that his character is a very unique villain, I hope. Not something we're gonna talk about a lot because I think it's something that people are excited to discover on their own. Christoph is a great actor. Really fun. He embraced coming and doing things in our strange way with open arms. And I don't know. He's technically a very impressive actor to watch. And the way he does things is very demanding at times. At the same time he is very nice and collaborative. I would love to work with him many more times.'
Q: 'Have you started work on score? Can you talk about the process and what we should expect?'
Gondry: 'Danny Elfman is doing the score. It's in the beginning stages.'
Rogen: 'Watching him and Michel weird out together is pretty rad.'
Q: 'How was working with Cameron Diaz? How much did she get into all the action?'
Moritz: 'Nicest lady in whole world.'
Rogen: 'As to how much she gets involved in the action, we should keep that somewhat under wraps. She's amazing. She gets very involved creatively. The character is very important to us that it was not just an obligatory character. The character added a lot to the movie both comedicaly and story-wise. She had a lot of great ideas. Anytime someone that famous puts any extra effort into anything. I really feel great about it. Anyone that famous... you don't expect them to get involved at all. Evan literally had a party one night and she showed up when Evan was really drunk and literally gave him two hours worth of notes and made Evan drunkenly type them on his computer. And I thought wow, that's so impressive.'
Goldberg: 'She came in like ten times to help Jay Chou learn English.'
Rogen: 'His English at first was a little sketchy at times. She put an enormous amount of time and energy into making sure that their scenes were natural and understandable and very loose and funny. Again, it’s the kind of thing where you're like 'She's too... famous to be doing this. She should be on her island.'"
"Fox Walden has released the first trailer for The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, opening in 3D and 2D theaters on December 10. Directed by Michael Apted, the third film in the franchise stars Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, Ben Barnes, Will Poulter, Gary Sweet, Bruce Spence, Arthur Angel, Shane Rangi and Liam Neeson.
This time around – Edmund and Lucy Pevensie, along with their pesky cousin Eustace Scrubb – find themselves swallowed into a painting and on to a fantastic Narnian ship headed for the very edges of the world.
Joining forces once again with their royal friend Prince Caspian and the warrior mouse Reepicheep, they are whisked away on a mysterious mission to the Lone Islands, and beyond. On this bewitching voyage that will test their hearts and spirits, the trio will face magical Dufflepuds, sinister slave traders, roaring dragons and enchanted merfolk. Only an entirely uncharted journey to Aslan's Country – a voyage of destiny and transformation for each of those aboard the Dawn Treader – can save Narnia, and all the astonishing creatures in it, from an unfathomable fate."
"IMAX and Sony Pictures announced today that The Green Hornet will also be released in IMAX 3D. The full announcement:
IMAX Corporation and Sony Pictures Releasing announced today that The Green Hornet, the highly anticipated adaptation of the radio and television masked superhero character will be released to IMAX theatres, simultaneously with the film's wide domestic 2D and 3D release on January 14, 2011. The film will be digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience and presented in IMAX 3D.
'We are tremendously excited that The Green Hornet will be released in IMAX 3D as part of our wide release of the film,' said Rory Bruer, President, Worldwide Distribution for Sony Pictures Releasing. 'When you have a film that has such an imaginative and unique depth, scope, and visual style, you really should experience the film with the outstanding 3D elements that the filmmakers are delivering. We believe The IMAX 3D Experience will offer audiences a truly state of the art cinematic experience.'
'Superhero movies typically play very well with IMAX audiences, making the release of The Green Hornet a great way to kick off our 2011 slate,' said IMAX Chief Executive Officer Richard L. Gelfond. 'We're pleased with the continued expansion of our relationship with Sony Pictures, and we're excited to work with them to reach our growing audience base with another quality film.'
'We're excited to welcome Michel Gondry to the list of acclaimed directors who have released films into the IMAX network and we believe his innovative creative vision will play very well in IMAX,' added Greg Foster, Chairman and President, Filmed Entertainment. 'This film is ideally suited to our fanboy audience, and in IMAX 3D, they will be transported into the world of The Green Hornet.'
In the film, Britt Reid (Seth Rogen), son and heir to Los Angeles' largest newspaper fortune, is a rich, spoiled playboy who has been happy to maintain a direction-less existence. When his father James Reid (Tom Wilkinson) mysteriously dies, Britt meets an impressive and resourceful company employee, Kato (Jay Chou). They realize that they have the resources to do something worthwhile with their lives and finally step out of James Reid's shadow. Kato builds the ultimate weapon, The Black Beauty, an indestructible car with every weapon and gadget imaginable and Britt decides that in order to be heroes, they will pose as villains. With the help of Britt's new secretary, Lenore Case (Cameron Diaz), they learn that the chief criminal in the city is named Benjamin Chudnofsky (Christoph Waltz). He has united all the gangs under his power, and he quickly sees that the Green Hornet is a direct threat to the prosperous criminal underworld he controls. Directed by Michel Gondry. The screenplay is by Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg, based upon 'The Green Hornet' radio series created by George W. Trendle. The film is produced by Neal H. Moritz."
"USA Today visited the set of Transformers III and got new details on the third film, opening in theaters on July 1, 2011. The newspaper confirmed it will be released in 3D.
Talking about the second film, director Michael Bay said, 'I'll take some of the criticism' while standing at a set built to resemble a dilapidated nuclear reactor. 'It was very hard to put (the sequel) together that quickly after the writers' strike (of 2007-08).'
Bay said that 'This one really builds to a final crescendo. It's not three multiple endings... As a trilogy, it really ends. It could be rebooted again, but I think it has a really killer ending.'
'One thing we're getting rid of is what I call the dorky comedy,' Bay added. So the twins, 'They're basically gone,' he said, though John Turturro returns for comic relief.
The newspaper says the new villain will be Shockwave, 'the robot cyclops-turned-laser-cannon, who became dictator of their home world of Cybertron after the other Autobots and Decepticons journeyed to Earth.'
According to USA Today, 'The new film features Sam Witwicky (LaBeouf) taking his first tenuous steps into adulthood while remaining a reluctant human ally of Optimus Prime.' 'Shia has this great line: 'You know, I've saved the world twice, but I can't get a job,' producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura said.
Transformers III centers around the space race between the U.S.S.R. and the USA, suggesting there was a hidden Transformers role in it all that remains one of the planet's most dangerous secrets.
'The movie is more of a mystery,' Bay said. 'It ties in what we know as history growing up as kids with what really happened.'"
Cool. 3D Transformers. Just like Megan Fox to skip out on the 3D.
"20th Century Fox has brought online the trailer for Gulliver's Travels, starring Jack Black, Emily Blunt, Jason Segel, Amanda Peet, Billy Connolly, James Gorden, Catherine Tate and Chris O'Dowd. Opening in 3D and 2D theaters on December 22, the fantasy action adventure is directed by Rob Letterman from a script by Nicholas Stoller and Joe Stillman.
In the contemporary re–imagining of the classic tale, Black stars as Gulliver, a big–talking mailroom clerk who, after he's mistakenly assigned a travel piece on the Bermuda Triangle, suddenly finds himself a giant among men when he washes ashore on the hidden island of Lilliput, home to a population of very tiny people. At first enslaved by the diminutive and industrious Liliputians, and later declared their hero, Gulliver comes to learn that it's how big you are on the inside that counts."
Okay, it's not that bad of a kids' movie. Great Star Wars references (we're that much closer to a 3D Star Wars)! Jack Black is definitely going back to the School of Rock crowd.
"The classic children's fairy tale, Snow White will be getting an updated live-action retelling in 3D courtesy of Brett Ratner and Relativity Media.
The new version, said to take an 'edgy' and comedic look at the original Brothers Grimm story will come from a script written by Melisa Wallack, whose sole produced credit is the 2007 Aaron Eckhart film Bill, which Wallack co-directed.
Claiming, 'This is not your grandfather's Snow White,' Ratner promises a departure from the Disney version of the film.
'His dwarves were miners, and here they are robbers. There is also a dragon that was in the original folk tale... [O]urs is edgy and there is more comedy. The original, made for its time, was soft compared to what we're going to do.'
Ratner will produce alongside Wallack's Bill co-director, Bernie Goldmann."
Basically, I'm getting a vibe that no old childhood story is safe from the 3D-explosion going on right now.
"Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote, two of the most popular Looney Tunes characters of all time, are returning to the big screen in three all-new animated 3D shorts. The studio will attach the cartoon shorts to three of its upcoming family features—all three features to be released this year in 3D. The first short will be seen with Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore on July 30th; the second with Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole, on September 24th; and the third with Yogi Bear, on December 17th. The announcement was made today by Dan Fellman, Warner Bros. Pictures President of Domestic Distribution.
In the new cartoon shorts, each three minutes in length, Wile E. Coyote is as determined as ever to catch the elusive Road Runner, who continues to leave his hapless nemesis in the dust with a taunting 'beep-beep'. However, bringing the classic characters into the 21st century, the resourceful Wile E. will now be employing an arsenal of state-of-the-art ACME gadgets to snag his quarry—with all of the action in stereographic 3D.
In making the announcement, Fellman said, 'Audiences have always delighted in Wile E. Coyote's dogged pursuit of the Road Runner, with hilarious, albeit predictable, results. We are thrilled to be presenting these characters for the first time in 3D, which will heighten the excitement and humor of the chase, not to mention the impact—at least for Wile E. We're sure these three new adventures will entertain a new generation of fans while reminding us all why these two characters have been beloved for so long.'
The shorts will act as a lead-up to a new 26-episode half-hour series called 'The Looney Tunes Show,' which will air on Cartoon Network this fall featuring Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck as roommates with the other classic Looney Tunes cartoon characters as their neighbors."
"A lot of the 2011 summer tentpole releases have already been announced as being either filmed in 3D or converted afterwards, but so far, May 2011 has been somewhat devoid of 3D release announcements... until now!
Walt Disney Pictures has announced that the fourth installment of Jerry Bruckheimer's popular action franchise Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, directed by Rob Marshall, will be filmed in Disney Digital 3D. Bruckheimer's only previous 3D movie before that was last year's G-Force.
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is still slated for release on May 20, 2011."
Too bad Johnny Depp has a problem with 3D. It's not a matter of opinion, he has a physical condition with his eyes and 3D doesn't work for him.
