The
musical duo Chemistry had released the song as the title track of
its Yakusoku no Basho album in the fall of 2006. A sample of the
song can be heard on Sony Music's website. Matsumoto has dealt with
the legal system before in his dispute with producer Yoshinobu
Nishizaki and Tohokushinsha Film Corporation over the rights to the
Space Battleship Yamato anime.
Afro Samurai:
Resurrection's U.S. TV Premiere Dated posted on 2009-01-02 23:57 EST
The American television network Spike TV has announced that
the Afro Samurai: Resurrection movie's premiere is set for Sunday,
January 25. Spike TV premiered Gonzo's first television anime
adaptation of Takashi Okazaki's original manga in January of 2007.
In the Resurrection sequel, Lucy Liu (Charlie's Angels, Kill Bill)
and Mark Hamill (Star Wars) have joined Samuel L. Jackson on the
cast. RZA will also return to provide the soundtrack. Funimation is
collaborating on the production and merchandising, and it will ship
the eventual DVD release on February 3. The cast was announced at
Comic-Con International in San Diego last July.
Sunrise
Plans for Gundam Anime's 30th Anniversary (Updated) posted on
2008-12-31 15:20 EST
Events, products promised; creator
Tomino, studio head Uchida offer thoughts
Sunrise has launched a
website on New Year's Day to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the
Gundam robot war anime franchise. The first Gundam series premiered
in Japan on April 7, 1979. The anniversary website promises to
commemorate the occasion with events and new products. Gundam
creator and director Yoshiyuki Tomino provides his perspective on
the anniversary, as does the newly promoted Sunrise president and
Gundam producer, Kenji Uchida. On the 10th anniversary of Gundam,
the Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket video series and the
"All That Gundam" event anime special debuted in 1989. For
the 15th anniversary, Mobile Fighter G Gundam (the first Gundam
anime set in a different timeline from the original Gundam series)
premiered on Japanese airwaves. Sunrise marked the Gundam's 20th
anniversary with its Big Bang Project, which consisted of Tomino's
Turn A Gundam television series, the live-action G-Saviour
television special, and the theatrical versions of the Mobile Suit
Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz and Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team
series. The 25th anniversary ushered in the Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam
movie trilogy, the Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Destiny sequel, and the
Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO: The Hidden One Year War
computer-graphics project.
Naruto.com, Crunchyroll, Hulu
Begin Shippūden Streams posted on 2009-01-02 08:45 EST
8
episodes a week until latest are up; Crunchyroll drops unauthorized
content
Viz Media's Naruto.com website, the Crunchyroll
video-sharing website, and the Hulu.com website have begun streaming
the first eight English-subtitled episodes of the Naruto Shippūden
ninja anime sequel series for free at 6:00 a.m. ET on Friday. The
websites will continue adding eight more episodes of Shippūden
at that same time every week until they are caught up with the
latest episodes broadcasted in Japan. Crunchyroll will also
simulcast the latest episodes of Shippūden within an hour of
their Japanese broadcast to Crunchyoll Anime Membership subscribers,
starting on January 8. Naruto.com, Crunchyroll, Hulu, and Joost.com
will stream the same episodes for free a week later. Crunchyroll has
also announced that it has removed user-uploaded content and
officially added the following anime series to its website: Gintama,
Eyeshield 21, Skip Beat!, Shugo Chara!, Dear Boys, Chrono Crusade,
and Neo Angelique Abyss. The website will begin simulcasting
Gintama, Shugo Chara!, Skip Beat!, Natsume Yūjin-Chō, Web
Ghosts PiPoPa (Net Ghost PiPoPa), Linebarrels of Iron, and The Tower
of Druaga: the Sword of Uruk within hours of their Japanese
broadcast next week. Crunchyroll has posted a list of its authorized
content, with some titles that have yet to be announced. The anime
content on the different sites will not be available to all
countries — for example, Naruto Shippūden on Crunchyroll
will be available to all countries except Japan and France.
Auditors Concerned for IMAGI's Funds for Films after
Astro Boy posted on 2009-01-03 11:25 EST
Astro Boy still set
for October, but audit says not enough funds for Gatchaman
IMAGI
International animation studio is still on track to release its
computer-animated film adaptation of Osamu Tezuka's Astro Boy manga
in October 23. However, the audit firm Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu said
in late December that "it is uncertain whether the group will
have the necessary financial resources to complete" work on its
planned films after Astro Boy, which are Gatchaman, Tusker, and Cat
Tale. Gatchaman was originally a 1972 science-fiction hero anime
series from Tatsunoko Production. Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu based its
audit on the half-year results of IMAGI and said that the studio had
about HK$88.9 million (about US$11.5 million) in the bank and in
cash on September 30. However, IMAGI projects that it will need
about US$66 million to complete its films and pay operating expenses
through June 2010. US$45.6 million of that amount is needed within
the next 12 months. IMAGI is still raising funds that may meet its
projected needs for 2009 and 2010, but the audit firm still
expressed "material uncertainty." MTV reported in February
2007 that IMAGI and its TMNT director Kevin Munroe were aiming to
release the Gatchaman film in 2008. Writers Robert Mark Kamen
(Karate Kid, The Fifth Element) and Paul Dini (Batman: The Animated
Series, Lost) were both attached to the project later that year.
IMAGI then announced in September 2007 that Warner Brothers and The
Weinstein Company would distribute its Astro Boy and Gatchaman films
in 2009. Astro Boy has since picked up a new distributor, Twilight's
Summit Entertainment, and adhered to its 2009 release window, but no
futher news on Gatchaman's distribution have been announced. Munroe
has since left the Gatchaman project, and Felix Ip, the creative
director at IMAGI, posted in his blog that "Gatchaman will not
come in 2009." Ip noted on Thursday that two new Astro Boy
images have been added to IMAGI's website. The film features the
scriptwriter Timothy Harris (Trading Places, Kindergarten Cop) and a
cast with Freddie Highmore in the title role, Nicolas Cage, Donald
Sutherland, Nathan Lane, Bill Nighy, Eugene Levy, Kristen Bell, and
Matt Lucas. The trailer premiered in theaters and online in
November.
Estimated 300,000 Visit Lucky Star Shrine on New
Year's posted on 2009-01-02 16:31 EST
Creator
Yoshimizu's former home to be remodeled as Konata character's
home
Over the first three days of the new year, an estimated
300,000 visitors are coming to the Washinomiya Shrine, the Tokyo
area's oldest shrine and a real-life backdrop for the Lucky Star
anime series. Otaku have been flocking to this shrine since the 2007
anime featured Kagami and Tsukasa Hiiragi — twin sister
characters who supposedly work at the shrine as miko (shrine
maidens). This year's attendance estimate is 130,000 higher than the
attendance at last year's festivities. To mark the occasion, the
Good Smile character goods company offered exclusive O-Nenga (New
Year's Greetings) Capsule versions of its Lucky Star Nendoroid Petit
figures. The Brother hardware maker raffled off the official Lucky
Star MyMio multi-function printer, a P-touch label-writer, and an
original MyMio x Lucky Star clear file to people who filled out a
questionnaire. The local Saitama Shimbun paper printed a special
edition with a sightseeing guide, an interview by manga creator
Kagami Yoshimizu, and a new four-panel comic by him. Bandai offered
special presents to people who bought Gashapon character items
during New Year's Eve and the following three days. As they have in
the past, the local merchants offered 12 different ema-style phone
straps in shops scattered (PDF file) across the shrine's entire
town. (Ema are the traditional wooden plaques that contain written
wishes from shrine visitors.) The Akibahobby website posted pictures
from the site maintainer's New Year's Day visit to the shrine.
Akihabara Channel also visited the area and reports on the Lucky
Star cafe, which was newly built to resemble a Japanese classroom.
Just east of Washinomiya, the Satte City Chamber of Commerce and
Industry is renovating Yoshimizu's former home to resemble the home
of Lucky Star's main character, Konata Izumi. Saitama Shimbun
reports that the association is planning to reopen the "birthplace"
of Lucky Star as a new mecca for fans this spring. Yoshimizu himself
moved out of the house in last May, but the association has been
leasing it ever since for free. The half-year lease started in
December, and the association is exploring the possibility of
extending it beyond that. The plan is to take Yoshimizu's own former
room on the first floor and turn it into Konata's room. Nearby will
be the room renovated as the character Yutaka Kobayakawa's room and
a gallery of Yoshimizu's original illustrations and handwritten
memos. The room of Konata's father Sōjirō and their living
room will be replicated on the second floor. The desks, chairs,
tables, and other furniture in the anime will be reproduced as
closely as possible. The site will be open on Saturday, Sundays,
holidays, and Japan's traditional seasonal breaks.
Miyazaki's
Ponyo to Open in North America This Summer posted on 2009-01-03
13:16 EST
The Nikkei financial news source reports that
Studio Ghibli plans to open Hayao Miyazaki's latest film, Ponyo on
the Cliff by the Sea, in North American theaters this summer. The
film will be the first salvo in Ghibli's renewed advertising and
publicity campaign to break into the North American market. Nikkei
notes that Miyazaki's longtime friend and colleague, Pixar and
Disney's John Lasseter (Toy Story, Cars), will produce the North
American release as he had for Miyazaki's Howl's Moving Castle and
the Oscar-winning Spirited Away. Studio Ghibli producer Toshio
Suzuki announced last June that co-producers Frank Marshall and
Kathleen Kennedy (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Back to the Future,
Jurassic Park) are also handling the North American release.
Time
magazine confirmed last September that Disney will release the film
in 2009, although it did not mention the month or release format. An
early screening of the film in Southern California in November
revealed a partially confirmed cast list: Matt Damon, Tina Fey, Cate
Blanchett, Liam Neeson, Lily Tomlin, Betty White, Frankie Jonas,
Noah Cyrus, and Cloris Leachman. Along with previous efforts,
Lasseter opened a September charity auction at Pixar's own
headquarters for the Totoro Forest Project, an effort to save one of
the forests that inspired Miyazaki's My Neighbor Totoro
film.
Kodomo no Jikan Second Term Anime's Promo Streamed
posted on 2009-01-06 10:45 EST
First episode to ship on DVD
with sixth manga volume in Japan this month
The Biglobe
video-streaming website has posted a promotional video for the
Kodomo no Jikan Second Term original video anime (OVA) series.
(Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 or higher is required to play the
video.) The site also has a video message from the voice actresses
Eri Kitamura (Rin Kokonoe), Kei Shindou as (Kuro Kagami), and Mai
Kadowaki (Mimi Usa). The anime will begin with a preview episode
bundled with the sixth volume of Kaworu Watashiya's original manga
on January 21 in Japan.
The new anime series will follow after
the story of the Kodomo no Jikan television series and cover the
elementary schoolgirl characters' time in fourth grade. The actual
video series will launch with its first 55-minute volume on February
20. The anime's official website announced that it would stream the
opening and ending animation footage last week, but the footage may
not be accessible outside Japan.
80% of Seiyū Take
Part-Time Jobs to Make Ends Meet posted on 2009-01-05 23:14
EST
Voice-acting agency head says only 10% have full-time
voice careers
Ameba News posted the first part of an interview
with Shōmu Shirogane, who is a seiyū (voice actor), a
narrator, and the president of the Winner Entertainment voice-acting
management agency. According to Shirogane, there are about 1,600
people who work as seiyū in Japan. Of that number, about 10%
work full-time as freelancing seiyū. However, 80% cannot make
ends meet with their voice-acting assignments alone, and have to
take on part-time jobs elsewhere. The remainder includes actors,
idols, and media talents who perform in other fields. Another 80,000
are said to be potential seiyū and people who are applying to
be seiyū.
Many in the latter group are training to be seiyū
in over 50 vocational schools for the profession in Japan. Shirogane
acknowledges that becoming a seiyū is difficult with little
guarantee of success, even for the approximate half of the
profession that are affiliated with an agency. Ameba News' second
part of the interview will include Urara Takano, another seiyū
who runs a seiȳu
management agency called Remax.
2.1-Meter-Tall
Pine-Cone Totoro Unveiled in Japan (Updated) posted on 2009-01-05
23:43 EST
100-kilogram figure made from 10,000
pine-cones
Here is one of the stories that fell through the
cracks in 2008.
On November 29, a Japanese shopping center
unveiled a 2.1-meter-tall (7-feet-tall) statue of the title
character of Hayao Miyazaki's My Neighbor Totoro film — made
of 10,000 pine cones. The Aeon Ayagawa Shopping Center is located in
the town of Ayagawa in the southwestern Japanese prefecture of
Kagawa. The figure is part of a promotional event for the timber
industry of Kagawa and the neighboring prefecture of Tokushima. The
figure measures 3.6 meters (12 feet) around the waist and weighs 100
kilograms (220 pounds). It took 10 shopping center employees and
volunteers two months to assemble the pine cones around the
wire-and-bamboo frame.
Update: The third-party website
GhibliWorld.com notes that Hayao Miyazaki celebrated his 68th
birthday on Monday.
Final New Year's Tally for Lucky Star
Shrine: 420,000 posted on 2009-01-07 10:40 EST
120,000 more
people than earlier estimate visit Washinomiya shrine
The local
prefectural police report that 420,000 people visited the
Washinomiya shrine, one of the real-life locale inspirations for the
Lucky Star manga and anime series, during the first three days of
the year. That was an increase of 120,000 over even the previous
year's estimated high mark. Otaku have been flocking to the Tokyo
area's oldest shrine since the 2007 Lucky Star anime featured Kagami
and Tsukasa Hiiragi — twin sister characters who supposedly
work at the shrine as miko (shrine maidens).
Many Japanese visit
a local shrine or temple during the New Year's break in a tradition
called hatsumōde. Washinomiya became the #2 most visited shrine
or temple in the metropolitan Tokyo's Kanto area for hatsumōde.
Only the larger Ōmiya Hikawa Shrine, with its 2.05 million
visitors, had more attendance. In all, 4.43 million people visited
the main shrines and temples in Kanto, an increase of 410,000 over
last year's previous record high.
Hollywood's Lone Wolf
and Cub No Longer in Development posted on 2009-01-07 13:06 EST
Darren Aronofsky confirms film "rights from Japan were
never cleared"
Director Darren Aronofsky (Pi, The Fountain,
The Wrestler) has told MTV's Splash Page that he remains interested
in doing a film adaptation of Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima's Lone
Wolf and Cub manga, but the project is no longer in active
development. According to Aronofsky, "The rights from Japan
were never cleared. They tried for a while. I don't think it's
getting out of there anytime soon." Nevertheless, he called it
"one of [Japan's] great pieces of literature." The Variety
entertainment trade magazine reported in 2003 that Aronofsky and and
his Protozoa producer Eric Watson were attached to a proposed Lone
Wolf and Cub project with Paramount and the Mutual Film Company. In
2007, Koike launched Kazuo Koike Gekiga Sonjuku Co., Ltd., a company
to educate manga creators about copyright issues and their
intellectual property rights. Dark Horse releases the original manga
in North America, while Media Blasters licensed a Japanese
live-action television series based on it. Previously, AnimEigo
licensed a Japanese 1972 live-action film version and its two
sequels.
Voice Actor Osamu Ichikawa Passes Away posted on
2009-01-07 22:17 EST
72-year-old had played Voltes V's
Heinell, Yamato's Mil, Macross' Boddole Zer
Veteran voice actor
Osamu Ichikawa passed away due to a heart attack in his Tokyo home
on January 2. He was 72. Ichikawa voiced dozens of animated and
live-action projects for television and film from the 1960s into the
21st century. He voiced the title role in the 1965-1966
black-and-white anime television classic, Mirai Kara Shonen Super
Jetter.
He continued acting in prominent roles during the 1970s
in Space Battleship Yamato 2 - The Comet Empire (Mil), Brave Raideen
(Prince Shurkin), Cho Denji Robo Combattler V (Great General
Garuda), Choudenji Machine Voltes V (Prince Heinell), and several
Kamen Rider series. He made a name for himself by taking on handsome
villain roles. In the 1980s, he played slightly against his type by
voicing the grim-faced alien antagonist Golg Boddole Zer in both the
Macross television series and its Macross: Do You Remember Love?
film remake. He was still active even in the past decade, when he
reprised his Gundam and other robot anime roles for the Super Robot
Wars game franchise, as well as marketing campaigns for reissues of
classic
anime.
-
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rachel
Weisz The New Catwoman?
Posted by Joseph Baxter - Tuesday,
December 16, 2008 10:37 AM
The "Batman 3" rumor
mills were buzzing once again when according to E! Online, "sources
close to Warner" have revealed that Oscar winner Rachel Weisz
is being considered for the role of Catwoman in the upcoming sequel.
While Warner is officially denying this, the rumor has erupted
things once more. This contradicts the primary rumor floating around
that Angelina Jolie was in top contention, as well as the one
reported last summer by the UK's Daily Telegraph that 62 year-old
Cher would be filling the tight cat-suit. (Unfortunately for her,
they can't really "turn back time.")
One thing is for
sure, action would not be a problem for Weisz. Anyone who has seen
The Mummy Returns knows that Rachel knows how to throw down (when it
comes to intricately choreographed sai fights among reincarnated
would-be Egyptian Princesses, anyway.) Rachel Weisz would bring an
exotic, dignified touch to the role of Catwoman, which was so badly
wounded by the Halle Berry atrocity. I can definitely see, given the
complexity of the current Batman films, how she would be a great
fit. We need someone who can really draw us in, as it seems likely
that director Christopher Nolan will be looking for a script that at
least somewhat follows the Frank Miller version of Catwoman's
origin, in which she is a down on luck prostitute who takes a lesson
from Batman and takes things into her own hands. (As a cat-burglar.)
While Angelina Jolie seems to be on the minds of alot of fanboys,
for this one frankly, I think she would turn the film into a
super-celeb vehicle that would come at the expense of the integrity
of the series.
'Tron' Sequel = Babes In 3-D
Posted by
Joseph Baxter - Wednesday, December 17, 2008 11:49 AM
Ain't
it Cool News is reporting that TR2N, the upcoming and long-awaited
sequel to 1982's ahead of its time techno-thriller, Tron will be
shot entirely in 3-D. According to them, the new technology being
utilized is so advanced that they will be able to watch in 3-D
through the monitors what is being filmed as it is being filmed,
virtually eliminating the post-production process. Apparently, the
team behind the film plans to take advantage of the technology for
entirely new kinds of sequences. One mentioned specifically, is a
first-person perspective shot from the iconic light cycles.
As if
there wasn't enough Tron news (or as former G4 host Tommy Tallarico
would say, "Troooooooon!",) two new cast members have
signed on for the film. There is Olivia Wilde, best known from House
as the Doctor known as 13 or "the bi-sexual dying chick,"
and from the slasher flick, Turistas. Also on board, is Beau Garrett
who also shared the screen with Wilde in Turistas, but is probably
best known as the beautiful, but ice-cold military Captain whose
heart was eventually melted by the Human Torch in Fantastic Four:
Rise of the Silver Surfer. (The angle was not even half as dramatic
in the film as I make it.) The two beauties will join Jeff Bridges,
who was already on board to reprise his role as Kevin Flynn. Wilde
will play a worker in the virtual world, who ends up joining the
fight against the villainous Master Control Program. Garrett will
play what is described as "a siren in the virtual world,"
So,
are you psyched yet for this? Is it all coming together for you?
While the technology in the 1982 film is something that blew away
the minds of summer movie-goers, today, there is much of it that is
laughable. So it begs the question, how much reinvention will be
necessary? Reinvent too much, and it is not Tron any longer.
Reinvent too little, and you get a parody of what made the first
film so great.
R
IP:
Majel Barrett Roddenberry
Posted by Joseph Baxter - Friday,
December 19, 2008 11:37 AM
It was a sad day for Trekkies
yesterday. For those of you who may not have heard, the "First
Lady of Star Trek," Majel Barrett Roddenberry has passed away
Thursday at the age of 76 from leukemia. She embarrased Captain
Picard numerous times with her telepathic abilities, bared it all to
seduce Ferengi captors, nonchalantly stopped a terrorist attack
while multi-tasking, and had the shapeshifter, Odo running scared
from her womanly advances. Besides being the widow of Trek creator
Gene Roddenberry, Majel also held the distinction of playing a role
of some kind in every incarnation of the Trek franchise. With also a
long and decorated acting career, her impact on Trek was felt
whether it was as the groundbreaking female first officer "Number
One" in the original Trek pilot "The Cage," to her
role as Nurse Chapel on the 1960's series, to the memorable and
hilarious character of Lwaxana Troi on The Next Generation and Deep
Space Nine, or her work as the iconic voice of the ship's computer
in nearly every episode of any Trek. (A role she reprises in the
upcoming J.J. Abrams reboot of the Star Trek franchise.) She will be
missed by millions of fans worldwide.
Famous Stoners
Cheech and Chong Get Animated
Posted by Sinden Lee - Tuesday,
December 16, 2008 12:17 PM
As Cheech and Chong's reunion
stand-up tour, Light Up America, blazes through the States, the
stoner duo is going to get an animated film made too.
Two
companies purchased renowned comedy bits for the film rights from
the Cheech and Chong library that's owned by music producer and Ode
Records owner Lou Adler (he's that famous grey bearded dude that
always sits court side next to Jack Nicholson at Lakers home games).
Adler discovered the comedic due back in the early '70s.
"It's
great to be doing a movie where Cheech and I never have to get out
of bed or be on camera," said Tommy Chong.
Eddie
Murphy As The Riddler? Shia LaBeouf As Robin?
Posted by Joseph
Baxter - Thursday, December 18, 2008 9:12 AM
The UK Sun is
reporting some hefty "Batman 3" rumors implying that
director Christopher Nolan has signed none other than Eddie Murphy
to play the role of The Riddler and that Shia LaBeouf would be on
board for the role of Robin. It is critical to emphasize the part of
the sentence that says "the UK Sun is reporting."
Hardly
famous for its accuracy, (if that's what you want to call bold-faced
lies,) if the UK Sun was simply yanking our chains, you would think
that they would approach the task in a much smarter way. The
headline in huge text reads "Eddie is new Riddler in Batman"
with a photoshopped pic of Murphy's head swapped out with Jim
Carey's as the Riddler. Almost hidden among the text of the article,
is a statement that almost nonchalantly reads "Execs have also
signed up rising Transformers star Shia LaBeouf, 22, to play Robin."
As if to say "Hey guiz, Eddie Murphy's gonna be the
Riddler!!!....Oh and Shia LaBeouf as Robin, yada, yada." (Not
to say that the latter would have been good news, mind you.) Almost
as if to legitimize this mess, they then mention the rumor regarding
Rachel Weisz as Catwoman, which while still a loose rumor, has been
treated seriously.
Among other "oh no they didn't"
rumors mentioned: The film is under the working title Gotham.
(**cough**Bull***t!**cough**) Also, the film will apparently end in
a cliff-hanger in which we are left wondering if Batman survives a
blast in Wayne Towers. (**cough**Bull***t!**cough**)
It's a
funny thing being online late at night, checking the latest news,
only to find this major bit of news reported with such certainty,
yet not finding it reported on any of the news wires, or any other
site except as a "just for kicks" link on The Drudge
Report, almost as if there was a credibility issue here. (Imagine
that?) But you know what? People are talking about it, and perhaps
that was their only intention. A big laugh had by all. Ha,
ha......Right?
Tim Robbins On Board For 'Iron Man
2?'
Posted by Joseph Baxter - Thursday, December 18, 2008 9:54
AM
Latino Review is reporting that one of their sources is
saying that Tim Robbins has been cast as Howard Stark in Iron Man 2.
Besides being Tony Stark's father, it is being implied that he will
play an important role in the formation of the Avengers. According
to them:
Tim Robbins is going to be playing Howard Stark in an
important flashback sequence that is going to set up the Avengers
and Captain America films. Jon [Favreau] wanted to get a good actor
because he didn't think the guy who played Howard in the last film
could carry such an important scene.
The speculation is that in
the film, Howard Stark, via flashback, will somehow be involved in
the Super Soldier Experiment, which is the catalyst for the origin
of none other than Captain America. Additionally, they are also
reporting that Avengers team members Hawkeye and Black Widow will be
in the film. (And not just as a small cameo.)
Reporting rumors is
what we do here, so take it for what it is worth. However, if indeed
this passes the B.S. detector, this has to be considered good news.
One of the most promising aspects of the upcoming Marvel
Avengers-themed films, is the promise of a singular, coherent
universe between the films. It has never been attempted before, as
filmmakers always have given in to the creative vanity of telling a
consolidated story within their films (often resulting in the deaths
of key characters.) The walk-on cameo of Tony Stark in The
Incredible Hulk was just the jolt that not only that film needed,
but sent all the right messages. So, if this is the direction
towards which we are heading, then I say "floor it."
Dark
Knight To Not Storm China
Posted by Frank Meyer - Wednesday,
December 24, 2008 11:19 AM
Sad to say, but blockbuster The
Dark Knight will not be seen the Chinese market. Yes, Warner Bros.
has opted not to release the Bat-flick based on a number of
prerelease conditions that are being attached to the film by the
Chinese government, as well as cultural sensitivities to some
elements of the film.
The move is not likely to hurt the film's
$996 million and growing ticket sale bounty, especially given the
massive bootleg DVD market in China, but will save the WB from
having to deal with the communist government's Ministry of Culture,
which has to approve all films for release in the country. Hmmmm…I
wonder if those insane Hong Kong sequences where Batman kidnaps a
Chinese executive to get around extradition laws could have anything
to do with it?
New 'Judge Dredd' Film Set To Go
Posted
by Joseph Baxter - Monday, December 22, 2008 11:09 AM
It is
being reported that a new Judge Dredd film is set to be made. DNA
Films, Rebellion and 2000 AD will jointly attempt to revamp, reboot,
or frankly, just make a legitimate attempt at bringing the
futuristic rogue lawman to the big screen. Responsible for putting
out such films as Sunshine and 28 Weeks Later, DNA Films, hopes that
its brand of Sci-Fi/Horror will provide them with the right recipe
for the task of getting moviegoers to "prepare to be
judged."
Certainly, this is not a case where fans will spout
"the original's perfect, so why mess with it?" Sylvester
Stallone's 1995 rendition of the character was destined to be
nothing short of a slap in the face to die-hard "Dreddheads"
(if that is a real term.) From announcement of its existence to the
actual moments in the theaters where what we thought would happen
came to fruition, very few had faith in the film. (That being said,
it wasn't as bad as I thought it could have been.)
So this is a
reboot situation that in theory, may be welcomed.
However, one
must gauge the field of films out there, as well as the general
state of focus among moviegoers. In that respect, this reboot may be
a bad idea. Undoubtedly, film producers have looked to the
unbelievable success of The Dark Knight and thought,"hey, let's
take (insert comic book character,) make a new film, make it all
dark and preachy and WE'LL make money too!" Well, the fact is,
TDK also raised the bar tremendously, and left us with expectations
for our comic book films that will be difficult to even come close
to matching. Moreover, amateurish attempts to siphon off the themes
or atmosphere of TDK will be met with an unprecedented level of
repudiation. The next few years will be dominated by "Avengers"
and "Hobbits" (and I say that with no exaggeration.) And
looking at that landscape, I just don't get the general feeling
where moviegoers are saying "gee, I could really go for a new
Judge Dredd movie." As we learned from the box-office
performance of Punisher War Zone, people are not exactly in the mood
for the "dark, tortured, vigilante" story. People want to
be blown away, not depresed enough to blow themselves away. Given
that, one must wonder where a new film with the good Judge will
fit.
Like in all situations where it looks like we are about to
be served up a big fat turkey, I truly hope they prove me
wrong.
RZA Wants Rihanna For Last Dragon Remake
Posted
by Frank Meyer - Monday, December 22, 2008 4:33 PM
Wu Tang
Clan leader RZA wants R&B diva Rihanna to co-star in his
upcoming remake of 1980s cult favorite The Last Dragon. The
rapper/producer is co-producing a remake of the Berry Gordy-produced
martial arts musical and told MTV yesterday he would like to see her
take on the role of video show host/singer Laura Charles. Prince
protégé Vanity played the role in the original 1985
flop (whcih gained fame on cable later).
"That's the one I'm
rooting for," RZA said of Rihanna. "We're keeping that
same concept of the girl being in the music business. We're gonna
make it real classic. We're not gonna take it back to the '80s.
We're gonna try it a few years ahead. Modern times, but a few steps
ahead in the future. We got some crazy ideas, but the main thing is
still finding that glow. That's still the theme of the film, to find
that glow in yourself."
"I'm co-producing and I'll add
my martial arts expertise and add my ideas and make a phat film from
that cult classic we all loved as kids," RZA continued. "The
first draft of the script is in right now. We definitely should be
shooting in '09.
FYI: Julius Carry, played Sho'nuff, the Shogun
of Harlem, in the O.G. Last Dragon. Sho'nuff battles black belt
Bruce Leroy, the hero, who is trying to reach the highest level of
karate training, which involves finding a mythical sensei who could
teach him how to find "the glow."
Meanwhile, RZA
co-stars in Judd Apatow's upcoming comedy Funny People alongside
Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen, and is releasing Afro Samurai:
Resurrection, the second soundtrack to the animated TV show Afro
Samurai, on January 27. Jackson stars in and executive-produced the
animated series.
"He's my man, he's a cool muthaf***a,"
RZA told MTV. "Sam loves kung fu movies and exploitation films.
I love the same things. I recognize Sam as the big O.G. We as
hip-hop artists gotta realize something when we step into other
worlds. I'm the master of my world. I'm a bad muthaf***a. I showed
and proved that already. I got my footprints clear in the sand. But
in Hollywood, I'm the student now. We gotta learn when we're the
master and the student."
"Kiss my Converse!"
Nintendo
Wii To Get Unique Video Service
Posted by Jeffrey Kanjanapangka -
Friday, December 26, 2008 11:50 AM
Wii-only gamers looking
for some video DLC love... the horizon in finally within view! To
further push their revenue streams on the best-selling console on
the market, Nintendo is teaming up with one of the largest ad
agencies in the world, Dentsu Inc, to offer a video content
distribution service for the Nintendo Wii. To keep things unique
however, this gaming/marketing colossal duo, will be aiming to
create cartoons and other programming specifically availabe to the
Wii's service. Having Sony and Microsoft already offering a huge
variety of material for purchase, this move will work to make the
Wii's video service stand apart. Expect the service to start early
next year in Japan with the overseas markets seeing action later in
2009.
Disney Cuts Ties With The "Narnia"
Films
Posted by Joseph Baxter - Wednesday, December 24, 2008
11:54 AM
Disney has proverbially left the folks behind the
"Narnia" films naked in the woods, holding their kibbles
n' bits. It seems that they have cut off ties with the franchise and
will neither co-produce nor co-finance the upcoming third film, The
Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
So what happened here? Someone slept
with someone's wife or daughter? A fulfillment of a blood oath of
vengeance? Well, probably not. However, while Disney declined to
give an official reason for their withdrawal, the writing may
already be on the wall in terms of the financial motives. The fact
is, the franchise was dealt a bit of a blow when Prince Caspian was
released last May. While 2005's The Lion, the Witch, and the
Wardrobe was a tremendous success at $292 million domestic and $453
million internationally, the aforementioned 2008 follow-up performed
significantly less at $141 million domestic and $278 million
international.
So one must be left wondering, "So what? It
still made tons of money." Indeed it did, however the
speculation going around, is that the fantasy genre that came full
speed ahead thanks to Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings, may be on
a decline in terms of interest and bankability. Perhaps Disney saw
the disparity between the takes of the two Narnia films and came to
the conclusion that participation in the third one was not worth
breaking out the checkbook.
It is also believed that the
decision to move the release date of Caspian from last December to
May of this year was a horrible mistake. In 2005, the first film hit
on a comfortable December 9 release date, making it an easy holdover
pick in the weeks between the releases of Harry Potter and the
Goblet of Fire and King Kong. Also, the winter and Holiday
atmosphere complemented the general theme and snowy look of the film
itself. While there is also the fact that the film struck when the
iron was hot in the fantasy genre, Christmas is a time when people
are more apt towards light-hearted fantasy with a classical feel.
Caspian instead, was moved to May as an ill-conceived attempt to
capitalize on the early summer movie season. It faced a rough
landscape, barely dethroning the top spot from a month-old Iron Man,
and was diluted from huge summer marketing hype from better
films.
While the fate of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader remains
in the air, it seems likely among speculators that Fox will pick up
the financing slack, as they already have a working relationship
with producer Walden Media.
The Terminator
Preserved
Posted by Frank Meyer - Tuesday, December 30, 2008
11:16 AM
A new slew movies films have been chosen for
preservation by the National Film Registry at the Library of
Congress, including the 1984 sci-fi flick The Terminator.
Yes,
James Cameron's cyborg assassin film, which starred Arnold
Schwarzenegger, joins a list of 25 classics that have deemed
"culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant
and are considered a contribution to cinema history. It appears
alongside such classics as John Boorman's Deliverance and Richard
Brooks' film version of Truman Capote's In Cold Blood.
"The
registry helps this nation understand the diversity of America's
film heritage and, just as importantly, the need for its
preservation," Librarian of Congress James H. Billington said
at the list's unveiling. "The nation has lost about half of the
films produced before 1950 and as much as 90 percent of those made
before 1920."
Here's a complete list of the 25 films chosen
(what do you think they missed?):
|
1. The
Asphalt Jungle (1950) |
14. No
Lies (1973) |
New
Details On The 'Thor' Film
Posted by Joseph Baxter - Monday,
January 05, 2009 10:59 AM
It seems that the upcoming film
adaptation of Thor will be a much different film than we imagined.
IESB is reporting that their "reliable sources" are saying
that the script for the film will be set entirely in Asgard, the
land of the Norse Gods, back in the ancient times. (???!)
For
those unfamiliar with his origin story, Thor's father Odin decides
that his son needs to be taught a lesson in humility. (Next up: the
Governor of Illinois.) Odin then decides to use his powers to place
Thor into the body of a disabled medical student named Donald Blake,
without having memories of his life in Asgard or his own powers as a
Thunder God. Later on, Blake learns the secret of the magic hammer
which gives him the ability to transform into the form of the
Thunder God himself and utilizing his powers. Unlike most super
heroes who maintain a secret identity, but are actually always the
same person, Thor actually lives a dual existence between two
distinct people as Blake and as Thor.
The film will tell the
backstory of Thor in Asgard and the events that will lead to this
harsh, "tough love" punishment from his father.
(Apparently, making the "cracking noise" with a folded
belt did not work.) IESB also learned from their sources that Donald
Blake WILL be featured in the film (presumably at the end.) This
will lead into the continued story of Thor in the Avengers
films.
This leaves one to wonder exactly how will the actual
events in which Blake becomes Thor be handled. While it may seem odd
that the majority of the film will be the Asgardian story, leaving
little time to explain Blake's story, it is not entirely unworkable.
The fact remains, that as long as the film establishes the powers
and character traits of the Thor character, Blakes's involvement
could only be considered a wrap-up to the primary story. A bunch of
stuff happens in Asgard...evil brother Loki...exile on Earth in
Blake's body...FINE. I can even envision the ending of the film with
Blake discovering the hammer, transforming into Thor, and a quick
cut to the credits. That's all I would need! At that point, Thor
showing up in The Avengers would work quite well. Besides, there
will be MANY origin stories to be addressed from the Avengers team
members in this surely crowded film (not to mention a little
character named CAPTAIN AMERICA.)
And
The New 'Doctor Who' Is...
Posted by Joseph Baxter - Monday,
January 05, 2009 10:06 AM
The 11th actor to fill the
time-traveling phone booth on the BBC's Doctor Who has been named.
Replacing the popular David Tennant, will be a virtual unknown by
the name of Matt Smith. At 26, he will be the youngest incarnation
of the good Doctor thus far. The announcement settles rumors that
went so far as to speculate that Catherine Zeta-Jones would be
taking the role as the first female "Who." According to
the BBC's Piers Wenger:
"It was abundantly clear that he had
that 'Doctor-ness' about him. You are either the Doctor or you are
not. It's just the beginning of the journey for Matt."
Coincidences
are aplenty here, as Smith actually made his TV debut in the BBC
drama The Ruby in the Smoke, with former "Who" sidekick
Billie Piper, and later appeared in an episode of Piper's TV series
Secret Diary of a Call Girl (you know, one of those "randy"
British trash shows that contain a plethora of accents, almost
making you feel like you were watching something cultured and
tasteful, when it is really just one step above the "I had a
sex change to marry my gay sister" episodes of Jerry
Springer.)
Smith will join a historic lineage of actors who have
portrayed the cult favorite time lord. It will be interesting to see
if this newcomer is up to the task. According to him:
"David
Tennant has made the role his own, brilliantly, with grace, talent
and persistent dedication. I hope to learn from the standards set by
him. The challenge for me is to do justice to the show's illustrious
past, my predecessors, and most importantly, to those who watch it.
I really cannot wait."
Smith will debut in the role sometime
in 2010.
L
ead
In 'Tron' Sequel Has Been Named
Posted by Joseph Baxter -
Wednesday, January 07, 2009 10:17 AM
The upcoming sequel to
1982's Tron (now known as Tron 2.0) has finally found its new lead.
Enter Garrett Hedlund, a young actor probably best known for his
role in 2004's Friday Night Lights. After an extensive search
process for a lead consisting of meetings with (possible future
Green Lantern) Ryan Gosling and (confirmed future Captain Kirk)
Chris Pine, and a screen test with Cloverfield's Michael
Stahl-David, the unknown Hedlund was awarded the huge role. Hedlund
has been one of those actors that have been considered a future star
just on the brink of landing that one breakthrough star-making
vehicle. The $150 million dollar sequel, which begins shooting in
the spring, could very well be that vehicle.
So, does this
casting decision ruin/improve things for you? Personally, (and I'm
not sure what it means myself) I have NO expectations one way or
another. It is foolish to approach this as some kind of purist and
expect the film to play out in the exact style of the original. At
best, they can "capture the spirit" of the original, but
not so much that it becomes a farce dependent on overdone 80's
retro. We have a big budget FX bonanza that will utilize the
old-school trend of a 3-D release, and the primary original cast
will be on board to legitimize it as a sequel. However, I see
nothing truly substantive to allow an opinion just yet.
'Iron
Man 2' Villains Cast?
Posted by Joseph Baxter - Thursday, January
08, 2009 10:53 AM
It seems that Iron Man 2 has just got its
villains. The question remains however, WHICH ONES? Yesterday, E!
reported that Mickey Rourke and Sam Rockwell would be on board for
the metallic Avenger's sequel; Rourke as the Russian arms dealer in
nuclear-powered armor called Crimson Dynamo, and Rockwell as the
multi-billionare industrialist rival of Tony Stark, Justin Hammer.
However (here's where the confusion sets in) The Hollywood Reporter
later released info that Rourke would be playing the villain
Whiplash, who in the comics is an assassin that carries a pair of
deadly cybernetic titanium whips and is regularly employed by
Hammer.
Hopefully we will have this cleared up soon, but Rourke
as Crimson Dynamo seems to be a more ideal role for him, since
Whiplash (later renamed Backlash) is a flamboyantly dressed, younger
man in the comics. However, we might also take into consideration
the fact that the last Iron Man film already had an armored villain,
and to have another in the sequel might be going back to the
well.
Despite the confusion, it will be interesting to see how
this set of villains will fare. From not even being able to pay his
rent, to critical success in The Wrestler and quickly becoming
possibly one of the most ubiquitous film stars of the year 2009,
Mickey Rourke is back for sure. Sam Rockwell (probably best known to
mainstream fans as Zaphod Beeblebrox from The Hitchhiker's Guide to
the Galaxy) is someone who has made his reputation for the most part
on the independent scene. The character of Justin Hammer is one that
is much older than him, so either they are reinventing Hammer as a
younger man to paralell Stark more closely (like Topher Grace cast
as an "Evil Peter Parker" version of Eddie Brock/Venom in
SM3), or Rockwell was brought on board for his skills as a character
actor to play an evil old man.
Personally, it is kind of
perplexing why Iron Man's primary villain, The Mandarin was not
utilized. Even with a subtle reference to him in the first film (the
mentioning of the terrorist organization "The 10 Rings"),
it seems like something was terribly missed here. Even if they
wanted to do the parallel play between Stark and Hammer, that
dynamic could have fit in a film centered on a conflict with
Mandarin. However, WHO KNOWS? He might still be in the film, among
the others. John Favreau might just be leading us in different
directions with the release of this
info.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'Watchmen'Timeline
News
Original Posts by Joseph Baxter; Short version edit by
Octavio Soto.
The original lawsuit stems from Fox, who filed
it in February, maintaining that they retained the rights to the
original graphic novel from a 1994 agreement (yes, that's how long
this movie has been talked about,) due to film producer Larry
Gordon's failure to utilize his options to acquire them. Warner
however, maintains that Fox no longer holds that copyright. Fox
however, did spend over $1 million on the film, (and it wasn't out
of the goodness of their hearts.) Thus, we have this legal debacle
that is threatening to take this entire film down.
A recent
decision to delay a ruling, Judge Gary Allen Feess decided that Dec.
24 was a good time to put coal in someone's stocking, as he chose to
award the distribution rights of the Watchmen film to 20th Century
Fox over the claims of Warner Bros. According to the ruling:
"Fox
owns a copyright interest consisting of, at the very least, the
right to distribute the Watchmen motion picture. The parties may
wish to turn their efforts from preparing for trial to negotiating a
resolution of this dispute or positioning the case for review."
So
the question remains: What does this mean for the film? Fox was
indeed attempting to prevent Warner from releasing the film,
however, that was because they believed they were entitled to a
piece of the pie (which it appears they will now get.) So the
speculation that the legal drama might get the film scrapped
entirely may be a bit unfounded. However, the potential squabbles
over the "who gets how much" may jeopardize the slated
March 6, 2009 release.
Fox will now attempt to get an injunction
to delay the March 6, 2009 release of Watchmen. Warner is fighting
the issue tooth and nail.
Watchmen Lawsuit Cliff Notes:
1986:
Fox acquired the rights to the Watchmen comic
1994:
Watchmen was put into a turnaround agreement (where rights are sold
to another studio) that placed the fate of those rights in the hands
of producer Larry Gordon. However, the 1994 deal was complimented
with a previous deal from 1991 which allegedly placed certain
conditions on Gordon's retention of those rights. It is those
"conditions" that is the crux of Fox's case, with which
Warner obviously disagrees.
2005: Warner began to develop
the film. After passing on the film themselves, Fox claims that the
conditions of the 1991 agreement that modifies the 1994 turnaround
deal with Gordon would have allowed Fox to maintain distribution
rights as well as a share of the profits, should any major creative
personnel changes occur (in this case, the hiring of director Zack
Snyder.) Fox also maintained that they contacted Warner during the
developmental period, while Warner claims it was unaware of the 1991
or 1994 deals. Director Zack Snyder himself, also claims that there
was no one attempting to prevent him from completing the film.
2008: In February, Fox initiated a copyright infringement
suit against Warner, who come August, would fail to get the case
dismissed. The fate of the film remained in question until a
Christmas Eve bombshell in which Judge Gary Allen Feess awarded
distribution rights to Fox.
In the aftermath of his awarding of
distribution rights for the Watchmen film at the expense of Warner
Bros. to 20th Century Fox, LA Federal Judge Gary Allen Feess has
been agreed upon by both parties to make yet another critical
decision towards the fate of the much hyped comic adaptation. On
January 20, he will decide on whether or not to allow Fox the power
to delay the March 6, 2009 release of the film.
Would another
decision in Fox's favor be a deathblow to the set release date?
Possibly, but it is more likely that Fox is NOT fighting for the
ability to stick a middle finger in the face of fans by delaying the
release of the film, but rather, is fighting for a bargaining chip
(and a very valuable one at that.) With the threat of a very costly
delay, Warner may find itself in the position of having to concede a
great deal more of the profits from the film. (Even more so than the
alleged 1994 agreement would have them collect.) March 6 is under
two months away, and each day becomes more critical for the process.
The movie business is all about money! Who would have ever thought
such a thing?!