VES Awards
Presenters to Include Directors Lucas, Bay and Stanton
(vfxworld.com) The
Visual Effects Society (VES) has lined up a prestigious group of
presenters for the 5th Annual VES Awards, Sunday, Feb. 11, at the Kodak
Grand Ballroom in Hollywood.
George Lucas has been tapped to present this
year's VES Lifetime
Achievement Award honoree Dennis Muren with his award. Muren,
who broke
into the visual effects industry 30 years ago on Lucas' landmark STAR
WARS, has eight Oscars for best achievement in visual effects and is
the creative force at Industrial Light & Magic. Key presenters
include directors Michael Bay (PEARL HARBOR, ARMAGEDDON) and Andrew
Stanton (FINDING NEMO and the upcoming WALL-E) and cinematographer
Dean
Semler (APOCALYPTO, BRUCE ALMIGHTY).
Actors Masi Oka, star of NBC's new
hit series Heroes, who moonlights in his non-acting life as one of
ILM's software geniuses, and Gerard Butler, star of the upcoming 300,
will also be among this year's presenters.
"This year's presenters represent many aspects of
entertainment," said
exec director Eric Roth."It's another indication of how widespread the
use of visual effects across these industries truly is and also shows
how popular our awards show has become."
For VES Awards ticket information, please contact
Michael Teta Associates at 818/906-0240.
Indiana Jones 4 Faces Off With Speed
Racer
(movieweb.com) According to Box Office Mojo, Paramount
Pictures has set Thursday, May 22, 2008 as the release for Indiana
Jones 4.
Warner Bros. Speed Racer is also currently scheduled for Memorial Day
weekend 2008.
What will fans do?
Paramount, Fox Fight Over 'Avatar' Movie Name
(defamer.com) Mere hours after Fox shocked the world by
announcing that director James Cameron had ended a decade of
well-publicized indecision by choosing a project called Avatar as his
long-awaited follow-up to Titanic, Paramount proudly revealed that it
was getting into the M. Night Shyamalan business by hiring the master
of gotcha! cinema to adapt a Nickelodeon TV series into a possible
movie franchise. The name of this high-profile undertaking? You
probably already see where this is going: Avatar: The Last Airbender.
The projects have nothing in common except the small matter of their
nearly identical titles, but both studios are already claiming sole
ownership of the name, according to Var:
Although they may have the same name, the two projects have nothing
to do with each other in terms of storylines. Cameron's is a sci-fi
action-adventure that he's been working on for 11 years.
Par said it has registered the name of its project with the Motion
Picture Assn. of America.
A Fox rep said, "We own the movie title 'Avatar.' There won't be
another film called 'Avatar' coming from anyplace."
If this matter can't be resolved amicably and goes to some kind MPAA
arbitration (or, God willing, the courts--we love a good legal pissing
match between rival studios), don't be surprised to see things get
personal, with Fox supporting its claim to the title by asking, "Which
Avatar would the public rather see, the one utilizing entirely new
special effects technology and directed by a visionary whose last film
grossed more than any other in history, or one by the guy who cried
when the mean lady from Disney said she didn't like his movie about the
chick who lives in a swimming pool?"
Zemeckis To Teach Revolutionary Moviemaking Technology
(media.www.dailytrojan.com) The director of films such
as "Forrest Gump" and "Back to the Future"
is teaching a new graduate studies course on revolutionary moviemaking
technology at the USC School of Cinematic Arts.
This spring, Robert Zemeckis has teamed up with digital systems
specialist Eric Furie to launch and teach a new class, "Motion Capture
Performance."
Zemeckis has been driving the widespread use of the motion capture
forward in the professional world, utilizing this new medium in his
recent feature films, "The Polar Express" and "Monster House."
"We're ecstatic to have (Robert Zemeckis) come and do this," Furie
said. "He brings sheer experience in directing this new art medium, but
he also brings decades' worth of filmmaking and directing experience,
which is extremely valuable."
The School of Cinematic Arts, which has been consistently ranked the
No. 1 film school in the nation by U.S. News and World Report, is the
first film school in the United States to utilize this state-of-the art
technology.
Motion capture performance, also known as performance capture, has been
gaining steady ground in transforming the way animation is made in the
movie industry, allowing actors to become the animators.
The idea is to capture the movement of performers and transform it into
animation. In the past, animators had to fastidiously draw or program
each blink, breath or bend of a character, Furie explained.
Now, filmmakers essentially can direct actors for animation reels just
as they would in a live-action movie.
Motion capture also allows for the subtleties and details of human
movement to be rendered.
"It's a powerful new tool that allows you to capture the nuance of
human performance, not just in terms of big body gestures, but of
detailed facial expressions," said Richard Weinberg, cinematic-arts
research associate professor.
Motion Capture technology has been used in the past in the fields of
medicine and engineering, but using is it for filmmaking is a new
avenue that is quickly opening up, Furie said.
"Zemeckis is one of the only directors really pushing this technology
at the moment, so it's interesting to see his perspective of what he's
seeing in the future for cinema," said Matt Clausen, a master's
candidate in film animation, who is enrolled in the class this spring.
The new method is about using the synergy between traditional
directorial techniques and cutting-edge technology, Clausen said.
The class of 12 graduate students will be taught not only the
technicalities of learning how to use the breakthrough equipment but
also the entire process of producing a movie, from casting actors to
editing camera movement, Furie said.
By the end of the course, each of the cinema-television students will
have produced a two-minute motion capture film as their final project.
Their shooting and producing will take place in a newly set up motion
capture room in the Robert Zemeckis Center for Cinematic Arts.
The center was established nearly six years ago to keep students
on the cutting edge of digital technology for filmmaking. The motion
capture room was put together about a month and half ago after four
companies donated high-end equipment to facilitate the new program,
Furie said.
The way the technology operates looks as if it were a scene from
"Mission: Impossible" movie. The idea is to outfit an actor in a black
leotard, with reflective tracking markers the size of cherries
strategically placed at the joints.
When the performer is ready, the lights are turned off and 20 high-end
Vicon cameras around the room all simultaneously point to the center
area where the actors execute their movement. The cameras then target
infrared signals to where the actor is and the markers bounce the
signals right back to the lenses.
The animation software then creates a virtual skeleton of the movement
that just occurred, a foundational blueprint of an animated movie.
"We're really just introducing another whole medium for our students to
use to tell their stories, and (telling stories) is what our school is
after all about," Furie said.
Sweeney Todd Ad Art
(fangoria.com) Some nifty key art for Tim
Burton’s SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET just appeared
in the Hollywood trade papers, and we thought we’d give you a gander.
Take a look: http://www.fangoria.com/news_article.php?id=3657
ANIMATION PRODUCTION DAY 2007
(ses.fi) In order to enhance financing and marketing of
animated feature films on a long-term-basis the Animation Production
Day (APD) will, for the first time, bring producers of feature film
projects into contact with world distribution companies, marketing
experts, banks and equity investors, focusing on gap financing and the
potential for international distribution.
The production costs of European animated feature films will rise in
the near future, from 7-8 million Euros to 10-15 million Euros and
more. Gap & Bridge financing by banks will become an essential part
of production financing. It always depends on the last 15-20 percent
missing in a budget, if the financing of a project can be completed and
if the film will be made.
This is where the marketing concept of the Animation Production Day
sets in. Producers and potential partners for financing, sales and
co-production will meet in intensive one-to-one-meeting sessions. The
strict selection criteria for the projects and companies to be chosen
guarantee a high professional standard. The total number of
participants is limited to 50.
Feature film projects are admitted at their concept, development or
production stage. In general, producers should have a record of having
successfully produced a number of feature films already. The projects
have to be promising commercially, and they have to have a potential
for international distribution. They should also have the potential for
brand development, so that they can be exploited in other applications
such as TV, games and mobile phones.
The Animation Production Day takes place during and within the
framework of the 14th Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film
and the 12th International Conference on Animation, Effects, Realtime
and Content, fmx/07.
The Animation Production Day is presented by 14th Stuttgart Festival of
Animated Film in cooperation with fmx/07 12th International Conference
on Animation, Effects, Realtime and Content and Michael Schmetz
Mediaconsult.
For further information please refer to:
www.animationproductionday.de
Dreamworks
Animation's New Motto: Slow Down!
(cgchar-animation.com) In the summer
of 2005, DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc.'s board held a retreat at the
exclusive Jackson Hole, Wyo., mountain resort. The animation studio
behind the "Shrek" franchise had stumbled badly in its first few months
as a publicly traded company and executives were under pressure to come
up with a new game plan. One of the board's conclusions was basic: the
company needed to make better movies. While arch-rival Pixar Animation
Studios was making one highly-polished movie a year, DreamWorks was
rushing to meet a more ambitious slate of two. Consequently, DreamWorks
was suffering from a decidedly mixed track record outside of its
flagship "Shrek" movies.
So DreamWorks has a new motto for its business going forward:
Slow down. The company has decided to add a year to the production of
its films.
"We've been racing to the finish line and that has meant
compromising on story telling sometimes," says DreamWorks Chief
Executive Jeffrey Katzenberg. There's a strong financial incentive, he
adds: "If we improve our box office performance by 10 percent, it adds
$100 million pre-tax profit to the company."
The studio has been making other changes, too. It has
overhauled its top team after its problems in 2005, when it had to
restate its earnings estimates twice because of miscalculating how many
"Shrek 2" DVDs it would sell. That episode resulted in an informal SEC
inquiry, which was later dropped. The Glendale, Calif. company also has
has unified its production systems and streamlined its corporate
structure.
The changes are important because, as it stands, DreamWorks
Animation risks looking like a one-trick pony whose only trick is the
popular "Shrek" franchise, the third installment of which comes out in
May. Two of its last three movies have required write-downs, including
"Flushed Away," which Cowen & Co. analyst Lowell Singer estimates
could be as high as $115 million.
There also is the realization that "Shrek" may not last
forever. That has forced the company to think about developing other
franchises -- a particularly difficult task at a time when a flood of
animated films is hitting movie theaters, many of them about cute
talking animals. This summer alone has "Surf's Up," about surfing
penguins, and "Ratatouille," about a rat's adventures in Paris.
"I didn't realize how similar they were all going to be,"
says Mr. Katzenberg, who describes a moment a year ago when he was in a
movie theater and sat through back-to-back trailers for several
near-identical animated movies. "Fortunately, our next six or seven
movies are unlike anything we've done before or anything anyone else is
doing."
The next 18 months or so will bear out whether DreamWorks
Animation can make the transition it has in mind. Despite the slower
production schedule, it still is aiming for one original movie and one
sequel each year.
Mr. Katzenberg says the studio is able to stick to its goal
of two movies a year while also extending the production time because
it had a "deep bench" of movies in development. That is unlikely to
include movies with its production partner Aardman Animations though,
with the two expected to break up this year after "Flushed Away."
Having put some of its early problems behind it, Mr.
Katzenberg says the studio already is in better shape, with a strong
slate of movies. After "Shrek 3," it is releasing Jerry Seinfeld's
animation debut, "Bee Movie," in November. Next year brings "Kung Fu
Panda" and "Madagascar 2."
To strike the jackpot of one sequel a year in the long term,
the studio needs at least three franchises running at any one time. It
currently has two: "Shrek" and "Madagascar."
DreamWorks executives say "Shrek" likely has two movies left
in it after No. 3 (a fourth is already in the works for 2010).
"Madagascar" has been sketched out as a four-chapter series, with a
third movie teed up for either 2011 or 2012.
Darabont
Takes On The Mist
(moviehole.net) Frank Darabont ("The Green Mile", "The
Shawshank Redemption") waxed lyrical with the gang from Stephen King
fansite today about his next movie – again, based on a King yarn - “The
Mist”.
Among topics discussed, the cast of the upcoming book cum movie. At
this stage, only "Punisher" boy Thomas Jane has been announced.
Darabont says the cast also includes “Laurie Holden, who was my
leading lady in The Majestic and recently played the motorcycle cop in
Silent Hill. She's probably best known to fans as Marita Covarrubias
from X-Files. Gorgeous and incredibly talented. Very excited to be
working with her again. Also Andre Braugher -- a hugely talented man,
I've been a fan of his since Glory. Frances Sternhagen, who is a
legend, will play Irene...folks may remember her from Starting Over,
Outland, and Misery. Alexa Davalos...wow, a remarkable young lady, a
stunning new talent. Let me be the first to predict she's going to have
an amazing career -- remember, you heard it here first. Sam Witwer, a
terrific young actor who played Crashdown on Battlestar Galactica. Plus
a few of my stalwarts that I love working with again and again: Bill
Sadler (Heywood in The Shawshank Redemption and the father of the two
dead girls in The Green Mile), Jeff DeMunn (who's been in every movie
I've made starting with The Shawshank Redemption)...and, hey, I just
cast Brian Libby! The real hardcore fans will recognize him as The
Prisoner from my Stephen King short, The Woman in the Room...plus he
was Floyd in The Shawshank Redemption. It'll be great to work with him
again.”
James Cameron Accepts Oceana Award
(ecorazzi.com) Oceana, the nonprofit international
advocacy organization dedicated to protecting and restoring the
world\u2019s oceans honored actor Pierce Brosnan and his wife, Keely
Shaye Smith, ABC Entertainment president Stephen McPherson, Annett
Wolf, president of PR firm Wolf-Kasteler-Van Iden & Associates, and
filmmaker James Cameron at their annual Partners Award Gala last week
in Beverly Hills.
Ted Danson, Nicholas Cage, Salma Hayek, Ron Meyer and Jamie Lee Curtis
were on hand to present the awards. The gala, took place Nov. 9 at the
Esquire House 360 in Beverly Hills. The event honored individuals who
have made outstanding contributions through their personal commitment
to the cause of protecting our oceans. Jason Priestley, Alyson Hannigan
and husband Alexis Denisof, James Denton, Lindsay Sloane, Kate Walsh,
and Mary Steenburgen were also on hand to show their support for the
oceans. Below are some additional images from the event. Click to
expand \u2014 captions coming soon!
Gremlins 3 Going Straight to DVD
(Moviehole) Gremlins seems to deserve much better than this...
In a story from Moviehole.net, they report that the tiny critters from
the 1980s might be making a return... to DVD.
There is no reason given for why Gremlins 3 would be bypassing a
seemingly lucrative theatrical release, but original director Joe Dante
and producer Michael Finnell won't be a part of it.
Apparently, Warner Bros. new direct to DVD unit will be responsible for
this third installment in the franchise.
According to Joe Dante, "Gremlins was governed by the technology that
produced it. Now it would be CGI, and you could do anything. There may
be places for the jokes to go [The White House?]. But you've got a
company who owns the rights to a movie that they don't quite
understand. I think it's going to be difficult for them to make another
one".
Voice
Actor Defends Jar Jar Binks
(pr-inside.com) Voice actor and on set performer AHMED BEST
has defended his most famous creation JAR-JAR BINKS, insisting the
staggeringly unpopular STAR WARS character is a "film pioneer". The
fully computer generated character was heavily criticised by Star Wars
fans and film critics when he first appeared in 1999's THE PHANTOM
MENACE, but Best believes he paved the way for future special
effect characters like GOLLUM from LORD OF THE RINGS and KING KONG.
He tells Empire magazine, "I have nothing but love for Jar-Jar. He was
film history. He helped pave the way for Gollum and King King. I think
in time Jar-Jar will be seen as a film pioneer."
The Art of Ralph McQuarrie: The Book Fans Have Been Waiting For
(starwars.com) When Star Wars blazed across movie
screens for the first time nearly three decades ago, fans could hardly
realize they were being introduced to iconography that would define
movie magic and myth for a generation, and perhaps beyond. Leaving the
theater with imaginations electrified, audiences found the real world a
little livelier, recognizing a bit of Star Wars in the buildings,
vehicles, and people around them. Could anyone ever look at a
barrel-shaped vacuum cleaner again without thinking of Artoo? Or a
classic Samurai helmet without instantly conjuring the signature
silhouette of Darth Vader?
Bridging the everyday world to that of a galaxy far, far away became
the mission of illustrator Ralph McQuarrie, whose visionary concept
paintings and designs so influenced the signature look of the saga that
he is widely acknowledged as a founding father of the Star Wars
aesthetic. This April, McQuarrie's contributions will be celebrated in
a massive 400-page tome spanning an artistic career that includes
technical aviation illustration, movie poster design, book cover art,
matte painting, and cinematic concept design.
John Scoleri and Stan Stice, who were inspired to create the official
Ralph McQuarrie website (ralphmcquarrie.com) after meeting the artist
in 1996, have taken on the monumental task of compiling McQuarrie's
entire body of work and selecting nearly 1,000 pieces to best represent
his contribution to the arts. For author Scoleri, who worked closely
with McQuarrie and book designer Stice on the project, the adventure
was a labor of love.
"First and foremost, we're fans," says Scoleri, who coveted his
well-worn copy of the Star Wars Portfolio of McQuarrie prints and The
Art of Star Wars book he had as a kid. "We're regularly asked why
there's never been a book of just Ralph's Star Wars art, and we think
it's because there's been a sense that so much of his art has been
published that there's not a huge demand to reprint it in a single
volume (which we would respectfully disagree with). I think Lucasfilm
is rightfully protective of their assets, but seeing our proposal, I
think they felt comfortable allowing us to include Star Wars alongside
a huge selection of Ralph's non-Star Wars work, which in turn allowed
us to paint a full picture of Ralph's career as an artist."
As Scoleri suggests, The Art of Ralph McQuarrie will include a huge
amount of the artist's material beyond his Star Wars work (although
130-plus pages are devoted exclusively to Star Wars). Scoleri was
committed to showcasing the full gamut of McQuarrie's work, which
expands well beyond the borders of the Star Wars universe.
"It's important to note that while the book does contain the largest
single-volume collection of Ralph's Star Wars artwork, we set out to
produce The Art of Ralph McQuarrie -- not just 'The Star Wars Art of
Ralph McQuarrie'", explains Scoleri. "I think that's one of the reasons
we've been so fortunate to have the gracious support of Lucasfilm --
they recognized that we were really focusing on Ralph -- not just on
Star Wars -- and also that it wouldn't be right to try and do the book
without including examples of his amazing contributions to the Star
Wars universe."
Pixar Executive Team Keeps Company Going
(exduco.net) Pixar thrives because it seeks out small
crises, said Ed Catmull, the animation studio’s president and
cofounder.
Rather than skate on the success of animated hits such as Toy Story,
Finding Nemo, and The Incredibles, Pixar’s executive team continually
solves problems in hopes of avoiding big ones, Catmull told a packed
auditorium at the Stanford Graduate School of Business Conference on
Entrepreneurship on January 31.
The last thing anyone wants to do after producing a hit movie is
dissect what worked and what didn't but Catmull insists on postmortems.
“Organizations are inherently unstable,” he said. “You have to work to
keep them going.”
To not engage in workplace soul searching is to invite potentially
catastrophic problems for your business. Look at what happened to Evans
& Sutherland and Silicon Graphics, Inc., both of which lost their
place at the top of the computer graphics industry after a few serious
mistakes, Catmull said. Success can mask a company’s problems until it
buckles.
Catmull thought he’d learned this lesson from watching other companies,
but when he and his colleagues began working on their second movie, A
Bug’s Life, they faced lingering problems from Toy Story, their first
release in 1995. Pixar’s jump into the movie business left newly
arrived production managers feeling like second-class citizens to the
artists and computer animators who had shaped the company’s first
success. Coordinating the detail-oriented work of moviemaking had
choked off communication. The problems were fixable, but they could
easily have festered.
Making movies at Pixar also taught him the value of people over ideas.
“If you give a good idea to a mediocre group, they’ll screw it up. If
you give a mediocre idea to a good group, they’ll fix it,” he said.
To avoid such problems, Pixar’s development department now spends much
of its time building healthy creative teams.
Catmull also believes in taking care of employees, both in principle
and as a money-saving tool. With so many “overachieving people working
for overachieving managers” to produce Toy Story 2,
Pixar
started
limiting the number of hours people could work and hired a full-time
ergonomist and masseuse. Injuries dropped dramatically, along with
insurance premiums, he said.
DreamWorks' Split From Firm Doesn't Bode Well
(deseretnews.com) Just when you thought things
couldn't get any worse for DreamWorks, the
studio's officials do something colossally stupid — something that only
makes the financially struggling studio look worse than it already did.
According to trade-paper reports, those in charge of DreamWorks'
animation division have decided to part ways with Aardman Animation,
the British firm that produced "Chicken Run" in 2000, "Wallace &
Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit" in 2005, and last year's
"Flushed Away."
DreamWorks pointed to the disappointing box-office performances of
those films, which weren't exactly blockbusters. Of the three, only
"Chicken Run" managed to break the $100 million mark. And the
production budget for "Flushed Away" was considerably more than that.
Of course, DreamWorks hasn't exactly had a stellar scorecard for
most of its other animated efforts, either. The "Shrek" franchise and
the 2005 comedy "Madagascar" did well, but "The Prince of Egypt"
(1998), "The Road to El Dorado" (2000) and "Spirit: Stallion of the
Cimarron" (2002) didn't exactly set the box office on fire.
On the other hand, the well-reviewed Aardman features brought
some prestige to DreamWorks, especially when the "Wallace & Gromit"
film won the best animated-feature Oscar.
But there's been bad blood between the studio and the animation
firm after DreamWorks officials scrapped an in-development Aardman
project, "The Tortoise and the Hare." Speculation has been that Aardman
reluctantly rushed the CGI-animated "Flushed Away" into production to
appease DreamWorks (other Aardman efforts were done with clay
animation).
Aardman spokesman Arthur Sheriff insisted in an interview that the
split was "amicable," telling Daily Variety that it occurred because
"the business model of DreamWorks no longer suits Aardman and vice
versa."
Hopefully, this means the Aardman folks can forge a new
relationship with Pixar officials, who are pretty much running Disney's
animated division these days. Pixar/Disney appears to have a much more
creative and nourishing environment than DreamWorks.
Meanwhile, the news could affect one project Aardman already has
in development — "Crood Awakening," a prehistoric comedy that was
written by Monty Python veteran John Cleese.
As for DreamWorks, the studio recently joined forces with
Paramount Pictures, which basically took it over — although DreamWorks
Animation is supposedly a separate entity from the live-action division.
There is some speculation that the deal with Paramount likely
means that DreamWorks Animation's upcoming slate will be filled with
in-progress Paramount productions.
The studio has been relying on film spinoffs from the Nickelodeon
cable network, such as the "Rugrats" movies, and isn't exactly
considered to have a state-of-the-art or award-winning animation arm.
On the other hand, Nickelodeon films don't cost much to make and have
all turned a profit so far.
Pixar Intern's Dream Comes True
(content.hamptonroads.com) Fantasy became reality for
Valerie LaPointe when landed a job as a story artist with Pixar
Animation Studios.
The 1999 Tallwood High graduate had dreamed of becoming an animator
since watching "The Little Mermaid" over and over as a child.
"This is the job that I wanted," said LaPointe, who started Jan. 8,
"and I pursued everything that could lead me to it. It takes a lot of
persistence and determination.
"A lot of people have talent, but that's only half of it. You have to
pursue it and go for it."
LaPointe earned her Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of
Southern California, and completed a summer internship with Pixar
Animation Studios before being offered a job.
LaPointe's interest in animation dates to when she was a 9-year-old at
Centerville Elementary School.
"I'd sit and draw Ariel, the heroine from 'The Little Mermaid,' " said
LaPointe, 25.
At 12, she wrote a letter to Disney asking for career advice.
LaPointe got her undergraduate degree in animation and video from
Virginia Commonwealth University in 2003. A f ellowship led her to
attend graduate school on the West Coast, which offers more
opportunities in her field.
Pixar, which is a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Co., created and
produced movies such as "Toy Story," "A Bug's Lif e," "Monster's Inc.,"
"Finding Nemo," "The Incredibles" and "Cars."
LaPointe, who grew up in Charlestown Lakes and now lives in San
Francisco, is working on an unnamed project.
"It could be anything. It's a secret," said LaPointe, whose job is to
turn ideas into sequences.
She recently worked on an animated commercial for McDonald's featuring
origami characters.
Film production at Pixar has four stages: development, or creating
storyline; pre-production, or addressing technical challenges;
production, or making the film; and post-production, or polishing the
final product.
LaPointe works on storyboards, which are hand-drawn comic book versions
of movies that serve as the blueprint for action and dialogue. As a
storyboard artist, she receives script pages, or what's known in the
industry as a "beat outline," to envision and draw assigned sequences.
LaPointe's name will appear soon on the big screen, along with feature
movies she helps to create.
Creating Asia's Answer To Pixar
(forbes.com) The cost advantages of manufacturing toys,
cheap clothing and fake Christmas trees in Asia can also apply to the
production of 3-D computer-animated films.
The logic isn't lost on Douglas Glen, former chief strategy officer at
the world's largest toy maker, Mattel (nyse: MAT - news - people ), and
an ex-Silicon Valley venture capitalist, who is trying to turn a Hong
Kong-listed company, IMAGI, into Asia's answer to Pixar, the world's
leading computer animation company before being acquired by Walt Disney
(nyse: DIS - news - people ) in 2006.
Glen's efforts will be put to the test in March with the global release
of its first feature film, "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles."
More:
http://www.forbes.com/2007/02/07/mattel-douglas-glen-cx_jc_0206autofacescan02.html
Sandman Movie Rumors Squashed
(movies.ign.com) File this one under "Rumor Patrol."
Earlier this week a rumor began to spread online that DC Comic's
beloved series
Sandman
-- one of those rare comic books that managed to elevate the form above
its pulp origins -- might become a movie. And not just that, but a
movie from reviled
Batman & Robin director Joel Schumacher.
Upon hearing this "news," millions of fans suddenly cried out in
terror, and then were suddenly silenced.
The thing is, there was nothing to this so-called news report from
IESB.net
at all, and that's why IGN didn't report on it. If we did publish every
rumor or offhanded mention about a would-be genre project, there'd be
no way to differentiate fact from fiction. Basically,
IESB was
at a press event that Schumacher attended, and they asked the director
if there was a comic book movie he'd like to take on. His answer was
Sandman,
but, you know, IGN's old Grandma could say she wants to direct a
Thor
movie, but that doesn't mean that's going to happen either.
And now, Neil Gaiman, the creator of
Sandman himself, has
posted a bit about
IESB's "scoop" on his blog. Bear witness:
"I remember about eight years ago the then Warner Brothers co-studio
head Billy Gerber told me that he got weekly calls from people who
wanted to make, direct, or star in a
Sandman
film. 'On Wednesday,' he said, 'Michael Jackson called about it.' Given
the comments some months ago from Alan Horn and Jeff Rubinoff, who now
run Warner Brothers, I don't believe the calls from people who want to
make
Sandman have decreased in the last eight years -- quite
the reverse. Which I mention because I got a small deluge of letters
from people asking me what I thought about Joel Schumacher saying in an
interview that he'd love to direct a Sandman film and wondering if that
meant that it was now about to happen, and of course it doesn't and it
isn't. It simply puts Mr. Schumacher in a very long line of people who
want to make
Sandman, some way ahead of Michael Jackson."
VFX Marathon
2007: Here It Comes!
(metromix.chicagotribune.com)
Ready for more? Movies
this year will bring more pirates, more penguins and more kid flicks.
Look for return visits from Spider-Man, Shrek and Harry Potter too.
From live action to animation, there are many films that will interest
and entertain you. Here's a preview for kids of the year's most
promising films:
Bridge to Terabithia, Feb. 16
Elementary school outsider Jess
makes an unlikely best friend when new
girl Leslie beats him in a school race. The two pals create a magical
fantasy world, Terabithia, where they reign supreme over giants, trolls
and other magical creatures. Starring Josh Hutcherson and AnnaSophia
Robb. (PG.)
Shrek the Third, May 18
Shrek's
father-in-law unexpectedly dies, and the green ogre is next in line to
be king of Far Far Away. Shrek needs to find a suitable replacement,
and Princess Fiona's slacker teen cousin Artie doesn't seem right for
royalty. The full gang is back, including Donkey and Puss In Boots.
Starring the voices of Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy and
Justin Timberlake. (Not yet rated.)
Bee Movie, Nov. 2
Barry B. Benson is an animated bee with a college diploma and only one
job prospect -- making honey. Bummed by his lack of choices, Barry
breaks the bee code and chats with a New York florist. He learns humans
have been stealing and eating the bees' honey. Shocked, Barry decides
to sue the human race on behalf of worker bees. Starring the voices of
Jerry Seinfeld, Renee Zellweger and Matthew Broderick. (Not yet rated.)
TMNT, March 23
The heroes in a half shell are back! It's been more than a decade since
the last Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle movie, and Leonardo, Michelangelo,
Donatello and Raphael have had a makeover. This animated film follows
the teen turtles as they battle evil enemies trying to take over the
world. (Not yet rated.)
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, May 25
Disney is keeping a tight lid on the next "Pirates of the Caribbean"
movie. Little is known except Capt. Jack Sparrow, Will Turner and
Elizabeth Swann will be back in the third installment of the saga.
Starring Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley. (Not yet
rated.)
Fred Claus, Nov. 9
Meet Fred, the
brother of Santa Claus. While Santa is nice, Fred is naughty, and lands
in jail. Mrs. Claus agrees Fred can come to the North Pole only if he
works off his debt by making toys. Fred's bad attitude jeopardizes
Christmas in a comedy older kids may enjoy, especially when Santa gives
his brother a wet willy. Starring Chicago native Vince Vaughn, and Paul
Giamatti as Santa. (Not yet rated.)
Meet the Robinsons, March 30
In this animated movie, lonely Lewis wishes he had a family. Then
suddenly he's whisked away to the future and meets the Robinsons, a
loving but crazy family that leads him on an adventure. But how will
Lewis get home? And will he ever have a family of his own? (Not yet
rated.)
Surf's Up, June 8
If "March of the
Penguins" and "Happy Feet" have only made you want more, there's
another penguin movie coming your way. This animated film is a
"documentary" about the Penguin World Surfing Championship and its new
competitor, Cody, a penguin from Antarctica. Starring the voices of
Jeff Bridges and Shia LaBeouf. (Not yet rated.)
FoodFight! Nov. 16
At night, after all the humans leave, the grocery store comes alive.
And there's a battle waging between the brands. Who will control the
store? The new Brand X battles Dex Dogtective and Daredevil Dan in a
fight for power in this animated flick. Features the voices of Haylie
and Hilary Duff. (Not yet rated.)
The Water Horse, Dec. 7
Based on the children's novel, this movie follows the story of a
Scottish boy, Angus, who finds an abandoned egg. When the enchanted egg
hatches, Angus is taken on an adventure-filled journey. Starring Emily
Watson, and Alex Etel as Angus. (Not yet rated.)
Spider-Man 3, May 4
Say it ain't so, Spidey! After years of fighting dark forces,
Spider-Man's suit turns jet black, bringing him new powers. But his new
suit also brings out his vengeful, dark side. He becomes overconfident
and his relationships are strained with the people closest to him,
including Mary Jane. While he struggles to find balance, he also must
battle two of his most vicious enemies -- Sandman and Venom. Starring
Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst. (PG-13.)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, July 13
In the fifth movie, Harry returns to Hogwarts after battling and
escaping the evil Voldemort. Now Harry has even more problems,
including the vicious new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Harry,
Hermione and Ron need to learn defense against the dark forces, and
they meet secretly with a band of classmates ready to practice. What
will happen when their survival skills are put to the test? Starring
Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson. (Not yet rated.)
