Source: Deadline | Posted By: Dan Geer
When Disney acquired Lucasfilm in a multibillion-dollar deal last year, the company not only gained the rights to produce new Star Wars films, but new Indiana Jones films as well. Now, Deadline has learned that Walt Disney Pictures and Paramount Pictures have struck a deal that finally solidifies Disney’s ability to distribute any future films in the Indiana Jones franchise. Read on for more!
Source: Peter Jackson Facebook | Posted By: Dan Geer
Director Peter Jackson’s latest Production Video for The Hobbit Trilogy has made its way online, taking us deeper into putting the finishing touches on certain scenes through pick ups and re-recording sessions, while also featuring brief interviews with various artists responsible for rendering special effects, including those produced for the big confrontation between Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) and the dragon Smaug (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch). The video captures some of the momentum behind trying to finish a huge film like this before its deadline, and, as is tradition with these blogs, also treats us to some of the fun behind the scenes with the cast and crew. When the video becomes available, it will be posted here. In the meantime, you can find it over at Peter Jackson’s Facebook page.
Update: You can now watch the video below!
Source: Wired | Posted By: Dan Geer
While Thor: The Dark World didn’t score as big of an opening as The Hunger Games: Catching Fire did this past weekend at the box office (or Iron Man 3, for that matter), it still is one of the more exciting blockbusters to have premiered this year. This writer, for one, thought it topped the original (which I also liked), and enjoyed it just about as much as Joss Whedon’s The Avengers. And, while the main things to make the film superior to 2011’s Thor were the film’s story and intriguing plot twists, Thor: The Dark World also managed to up the ante in terms of visual effects.
In a new featurette for the film from Wired, the advances in pre-visualization techniques are highlighted, as well as the fact that many practical effects were still used in the film. Hit the jump to watch!
Source: Official Star Wars Website | Posted By: Dan Geer
Star Wars fans have been speculating for months now just when J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars: Episode VII will be released. When Disney first acquired Lucasfilm and announced there will be new Star Wars films, a 2015 release was planned for Episode VII, but no release date was given. Initially, most fans expected a Spring/Summer release, as every other Star Wars film has been released in May. But, as more time passed with reportedly nothing happening beyond the writing stage (and endless casting auditions/rumors), and the film’s shooting schedule being officially set for a Spring 2014 start date, people really started to wonder whether a Summer release was realistic.
Then, after Lucasfilm revealed that writer Michael Arndt was off the project and replaced by Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan, it seemed by many that it was inevitable that the release of the film would be delayed to no sooner than December 2015. THR even reported that Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy lobbied for a 2016 release to allow Abrams and company more time to create a satisfying film, but that Disney CEO Bog Iger was adamant on a 2015 release. Well, today the dust has finally settled. Disney/Lucasfilm has finally announced that Star Wars: Episode VII is set to open on December 18th, 2015.
So, almost 2016. Read on for the official press release!
Source: Peter Jackson Facebook | Collider | Posted By: Dan Geer
Need something to hold you over before the release of Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug next month? Well, how about a new (and long-overdue) behind-the-scenes production diary, video of today’s worldwide Live Q&A Fan event with Jackson and company, and an epic new trailer? Yeah, I think that just might do it.
Today’s Live fan event, which was simulcast all around the world, covered a wide range of topics surrounding The Hobbit Trilogy, including what it was like coming back to the production this past summer for 10 additional weeks of shooting, which apparently was the toughest block of shooting Jackson had ever endured in his life. Fans were joined by the likes of Andy Serkis, Orlando Bloom, Luke Evans, Evangeline Lily, Lee Pace, Richard Armitage, Peter Jackson, and others to answer questions fans have been dying to have answered. On top of that, the event saw the debut of Production Video #12 as well as a brand trailer for the film, which I’m guessing will be the last one we see before the film’s debut next month. You can check out everything in one video after the jump (or just watch the trailer and Production Video separately).
So sit back, relax, and take in a very heavy dose of Middle Earth!
Source: Legendary Pictures | EW | Posted By: Dan Geer
Director Michael Dougherty’s cult Halloween-themed film Trick ‘r Treat really faced an uphill battle getting off the ground. It was hard enough convincing people that a horror anthology film was something audiences wanted, and even when the film was finally green-lit, it still only received limited theatrical distribution. It wasn’t really until it hit DVD and Blu-ray in 2009 that the film really took off. Four years later, it is already widely regarded as a cult classic.
Because of the movie’s massive following, Legendary Pictures finally announced yesterday at Beyond Fest 2013’s Trick ‘r Treat panel that the studio has decided to move forward with a sequel – something fans have been dying to see ever since the first one made itself known to the masses. Hit the jump to read what director Michael Dougherty had to say on the matter!
Source: Collider | Posted By: Dan Geer
The X-Men Franchise seems to finally be at another pinnacle these days. After experiencing the less than stellar X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men Origins: Wolverine, 2011’s X-Men: First Class and this past summer’s The Wolverine both served to breathe new life into the series without having to reboot it. And if the newly-released trailer for X-Men: Days of Future Past is any indication, it seems to be that we will get to stay at this high point for a while longer.
In the trailer, we meet back up with The Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) in the not too distant future, along with Professor X (Patrick Stewart), Magneto (Ian McKellen) and the rest of the X-Men from the first three films, who face extermination by a clan of giant, mutant-hunting robots known as Sentinels. In order to stop this invasion, Wolverine’s consciousness must somehow be be sent back to 1973 to convince the First Class X-Men to do something about it before it starts. Needless to say, this is going to be one giant X-Men movie that has the potential to be the best yet. Hit the jump to watch the trailer!
Source: LA Times | Posted By: Dan Geer
This past May, it was revealed that Dave Filoni, supervising director of the recently canceled Star Wars: The Clone Wars, was hard at work at Lucasfilm as executive producer on an all-new CG-animated series called Star Wars Rebels, which will focus on the time period between Star Wars: Episodes III & IV and show the rise of the Empire and the elimination of the remaining Jedi Knights scattered throughout the galaxy. Needless to say, Star Wars fans are eager for details, almost as much as for anything regarding J.J. Abrams’ upcoming Star Wars: Episode VII.
As it turns out, Filoni revealed quite a bit this weekend at New York Comic-Con, not only giving us more details about the series, but also our first glimpse of a main villain he calls “The Inquisitor,” whom Darth Vader himself appoints to help hunt down the remaining Jedi Knights. Hit the jump for the full image, details on the series, and a behind-the-scenes video!
Source: Collider | Posted By: Dan Geer
The film adaptation of Kevin Grevioux’s Darkstorm Studios graphic novel, I, Frankenstein, has been in development for quite some time now, with the film getting the green light in 2010, and the casting of Aaron Eckhart and Bill Nighy as the Frankenstein Monster and main villain, respectively, happening in 2011. Needless to say, this classic monster fan was thrilled. A 200 year-old Frankenstein Monster battling the threat of demonic forces out to destroy mankind? How could I not be?
But then, photos started getting released of Aaron Eckhart as the Monster, named Adam in this film, and it was quite underwhelming at best. Here you’ve got a guy with great acting chops, looked great as Two-Face in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, and all we get is a few stitches on his face and he’s now the Monster? But because I’ve been fooled before by leaked set photos from various movies and have been completely won over once I saw footage, the decision was made to not post any imagery from the film and simply wait for the trailer to be released.
Well, the time has finally come, with today’s debut of first official trailer for the movie. You can check it out for yourself below!
Source: Warner Brothers | Posted By: Dan Geer
Warner Brothers has finally released a second trailer for Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, and there is definitely plenty to behold for the fans. While we do get to wander the paths of Mirkwood, visit Laketown, and of course see the Lonely Mountain again, we don’t get to see as much as you might think in this trailer, which is probably a good thing. This new trailer definitely emphasizes that Legolas (Orlando Bloom) has a pretty big role in the film, and lets us in on his relationship (or lack thereof) with Tauriel, played by Evangeline Lily. Also, while we actually see less of Smaug the dragon than we did in the first trailer, this time we really get to witness Benadict Cumberbatch as the voice of the dragon, which, after watching this trailer, is sure to blow us all away. Overall, this second chapter in The Hobbit Trilogy seems to have a much darker tone to it than An Unexpected Journey, which is fine by me.
Have a look at the new trailer for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug after the jump!
