News in Film

SXSW: ‘Predators’ Peek Details, Video, Images

Jeff Leins — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 06:24:09 +0000

At the South by Southwest Film Festival, just an hour after the conclusion of opening film Kick-Ass, lines literally curved around the block in downtown Austin for the first look at Predators. The city’s own Robert Rodriguez, who produced the film partially shot here, took the stage with director Nimród Antal to unveil the first look at the July 2010 release.

Unfortunately I was one of the people turned away once the theater packed to capacity — it was worth it for Kick-Ass — so I can’t bring you first-hand account of the screening and Q&A, but a few others have shared their thoughts. I’ve pieced together those tidbits and what I know from reading the script and hearing Rodriguez speak at a genre panel the following afternoon:

Rodriguez said the idea for this sequel came from the script he wrote for Fox in 1996 between directing gigs. It was originally intended as the third installment to the franchise starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, but negotiations fell through with the future governor and the concept was shelved for approximately 15 years.

After the awful Alien vs. Predator movies, the studio came to Rodriguez with the idea of rebooting the series and told him they were going to base it on his idea, so the script was retooled — Alex Litvak and Michael Finch contributed rewrites — into a plot about a group of Earth’s most dangerous killers transported to a planet and hunted by multiple predators.

Adrien Brody, Topher Grace, Alice Braga, Laurence Fishburne, Walton Goggins, Danny Trejo, Oleg Taktarov and Mahershalalhashbaz Ali star in the film.

The creative team introduced a new set of predators, including “superpredators” (they’re exactly how they sound), airborne creatures, Falconer predators, and a pack of predator dogs (see concept image below). The tribe from the 1987 original plays a small part in this film, but as Rodriguez described it, “the old style is the 8 track version while the new ones are iPods.” They did, however, stick to practical, man-in-suit effects rather than CG renderings of the iconic characters created by the late Stan Winston.

The movie will definitely be rated “R” promised Antal and Rodriguez, whose footage ended with the title “Predators” fading into just the single letter. The pair also said they have no intention to convert it to 3D, which is a relief considering the current Hollywood trend to rush it in post-production. Both seemed interested in making another sequel if this is successful.

This isn’t the full footage seen at the festival, but here’s a sneak peek from the movie’s official website:

Concept images of the Predator Hounds and a shot of the super predator “Mr. Black”

Sources: Collider, Heat Vision Blog, Bloody-Disgusting, LA Times

Steven Spielberg May Film the ‘Robopocalypse’

Jeff Leins — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 22:28:55 +0000

Speculation continues on what will become Steven Spielberg’s next trip behind the camera. The great director failed at bringing Abraham Lincoln to the screen and a remake of Harvey, and seems to only be playing an executive producer role on Matt Helm and biopics of Martin Luther King Jr. and George Gershwin.

Deadline suggests Spielberg’s first film under the new DreamWorks/Reliance partnership could be Robopocalypse, a big-budget movie about the human race’s attempt to survive a robot uprising. Cloverfield writer Drew Goddard is working on the script and adapting from a novel by Daniel H. Wilson.

Mike Myers was once attached to the Paramount picture (in 2006) as the lead, a technical administrator who has the thankless job of sounding warnings against the growing presence of robots.

Let’s face it, we know the robot rebellion is coming. (I had to fight with my laptop to write that sentence.) Wilson’s first book (”How To Survive a Robot Uprising: Tips on Defending Yourself Against the Coming Rebellion”) and possibly Spielberg’s movie could serve as valuable guides for what to do when that inevitability happens. With computers becoming more anthropomorphic and the Japanese creating daily advances in artificial intelligence, the Terminator scenario is coming. The only question is, will Spielberg rise to the challenge?

Third ‘Tron Legacy’ Billboard Has 2 Lightcycles

Jeff Leins — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 21:49:19 +0000

Walt Disney Pictures has released a third billboard for Tron Legacy which combines the two lightcycles seen in the previous advertisements. I wouldn’t ordinarily just post an image from a billboard, but these marketing pictures are looking extremely slick. If you live in Los Angeles, Disney is switching out the board at Santa Monica Blvd. and Westwood. I’ve included the other two below as well:

Sources: Collider, Slashfilm, The Hollywood Reporter

Weaving in Talks for ‘Captain America’ Villain

Jeff Leins — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 21:00:59 +0000

Hugo Weaving is in negotiations with Marvel to play Red Skull, the villain in The First Avenger: Captain America.

The deal will be finalized within the next few days, reports the Hollywood Reporter, and would reunite Weaving with director Joe Johnston after recently working together on The Wolfman.

In the comics, Red Skull is a long-time enemy of Captain America as part of the Nazi forces during WWII. After a chance encounter as a bellhop with Adolf Hitler, the Fuhrer turns Johann Schmidt (Weaving) into an officer and his right-hand man. As part of the transformation, he’s given a special Nazi uniform and grotesque red skull mask to intimidate his enemies.

Captain America ultimately defeats Red Skull, who becomes buried in the rubble of a bombed building but due to experimental chemicals is left in suspended animation. He is later revived in modern times, which means a potential for his return in sequels or The Avengers.

Weaving is perfect casting and brings instant geek credibility after appearing as the villain in multiple Matrix movies, an elf in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and playing another masked comic book character in the cult favorite V for Vendetta. He also voiced Megatron in the Transformers blockbusters, so this guy basically does it all.

Marvel has no picked the actor to play Captain America, though its down to a few names on the short list. ”The Office” star John Krasinski tested for the part, but did not accept the offer, which includes a reported $300,000 and a nine picture deal. The movie is scheduled for July 22, 2011.

New ‘Shrek Forever After’ Trailer

Jeff Leins — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 20:36:42 +0000

DreamWorks Animation has released the second trailer (the first that shows anything) for Shrek Forever After, the fourth installment of the fairy tale series that the studio is calling “the final chapter.”

The story is a fairy tale rehash of It’s a Wonderful Life where Shrek “falls victim to a terrible curse” by the evil Rumpelstiltskin and sees what Far Far Away is like without him. Mike Myers returns to voice the lovable ogre, along with Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, and Antonio Banderas, who is getting his own spin-off when Puss in Boots comes out in 2011.

Shrek Forever After is out in 3D on May 21, 2010.

Avatar, Titanic May Be Getting 3D Re-Release

Jeff Leins — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 19:51:02 +0000

James Cameron and Fox are in discussions about re-releasing the December blockbuster Avatar in theaters, as well as a possible release of 1997’s hit Titanic in 3D.

According to the Heat Vision Blog, the 2009 adventure to Pandora could be back in theaters by late summer 2010.

Cameron has said 10-12 minutes worth of additional scenes would be added to the re-issue that were edited out before the original release. With the maximum IMAX length set at 170 minutes, he could theoretically only add another eight to the already lengthy runtime.

The footage would likely include a scene where Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) proves himself to the Na’vi people, or a native festival where Tsu’tey gets his buzz on with a different kind of Pandoran spirits. These could also end up on the DVD (scheduled for shelves April 22) or the eventual 3D Blu-ray (no set date).

Avatar saw an increase in demand just before it was forced off IMAX theaters by Alice in Wonderland in early March, indicating there is still a desire to see the fantasy epic on the big(ger) screen. Cameron even told USA Today, “The word we’re getting back from exhibitors is we probably left a couple hundred million dollars on the table as a result.” The agony of something like that happening to a movie that has made $2.6 billion worldwide.

Cameron took another swipe at Warner Bros’ eight weight rush conversion of Clash of the Titans into 3D before saying it should take six months to a year to “do it right.” Then he added, “We’re targeting spring of 2012 for the release (of a 3D version of Titanic), which is the 100 year anniversary of the sailing of the ship.”

Tarantino Not Joining ‘Smurfs’ Cast, Who Is?

Jeff Leins — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 19:02:42 +0000

Earlier this week Alan Cummings spoke with MTV about his voice work as “Gutsy Smurf,” one of the CGI characters in the live-action/cartoon hybrid Smurfs movie. At the time, Cummings said Quentin Tarantino was lending his signature voice for Papa Smurf’s right hand man, “Brainy,” but the filmmaker’s publicist has denied his involvement.

Neil Patrick Harris is playing a new human character that helps the Smurfs during medieval times. Gargamel, the evil wizard nemesis, has not been cast but Cummings says the producers are working on someone “fabulous” for the part.

Singer Katy Perry is voicing Smurfette, Jonathan Winters is the aforementioned Papa Smurf, and George Lopez is “Grouchy Smurf.” Raja Gosnell, known for such classics as Beverly Hills Chihuahua and the Scooby Doo movie, is directing.

This movie sounds smurfing lame, even with NPH on board. As much as I love him, throwing Harris into a CGI setting spells bad news. Take a look at Jason Lee or David Cross in those awful Alvin and the Chipmunks movies. I’m not sure how Tarantino’s name ended up in the mix, but it looks like he dodged a bullet.

Final Trailer for Ridley Scott’s ‘Robin Hood’

Jeff Leins — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 18:22:43 +0000

Universal has released the final theatrical trailer for Ridley Scott’s medieval epic, Robin Hood. Starring Russell Crowe as the arrow-slinging outlaw, the trailer is filled with looks at the action packed into this early summer release. I counted at least four major battle sequences complete with clanging swords and galloping horses.

The rest of the cast includes Cate Blanchett, William Hurt, Mark Strong, Mark Addy, Oscar Isaac, Danny Huston, Eileen Atkins and Max von Sydow.

Take a look at the trailer below:

Robin Hood hits theaters May 14, 2010.

Clint Eastwood to Direct J. Edgar Hoover Biopic

Jeff Leins — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 17:41:53 +0000

Clint Eastwood is lining up his next directorial project in a biopic of the first director of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover.

According to the trades, the legendary actor turned filmmaker will be working with producer Brian Grazer and Ron Howard’s Imagine Entertainment on the film from a script by the Oscar-winning screenwriter of Milk, Dustin Lance Black.

Hoover was instrumental in founding the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 1935 where he remained director until his death in 1972. As part of his crime-fighting career, Hoover established an extensive fingerprint library and “Most Wanted” list in order to track down highly-publicized criminals like John Dillinger and Machine Gun Kelly following Prohibition. In 1956, he established a controversial organization called COINTELPRO that infiltrated and disrupted organizations such as the Communist Party, Martin Luther King’s SCLC, the Black Panthers, and other groups he deemed a possible threat.

I’m curious to see if Black, an openly gay writer and activist, includes historical claims that Hoover was a homosexual (not that there’s anything wrong with that!), a transvestite, and was rumored to have been romantically involved with associate director Clyde Tolson.

Based on Eastwood’s recent success with Million Dollar Baby, Invictus, and Gran Torino, I’m sure we can expect some level of old curmudgeon who does things his own way and maybe even serves as a mentor for a young, impressionable character with an eagerness to learn. At 79 years old (80 by the time this movie gets underway), I doubt Eastwood will act in the film, but of course we’d love to see him on screen again. Any thoughts on who should play Hoover?

Eastwood is in post-production on the supernatural drama Hereafter, starring Matt Damon and due out in October.

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse Teaser Trailer

Jeff Leins — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:38:25 +0000

Summit Entertainment has released the teaser trailer for The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, the third installment of the Stephenie Meyer series starring Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Taylor Lautner, and directed by David Slade.

The trailer opens on Edward proclaiming to Bella, “I promise to love you every moment forever.” This is followed closely by Jacob pleading, “I want you to pick me instead of him.” Which means you have your classic love triangle with Bella somewhere in the middle. Also one of them is shirtless again. Meanwhile, she’s being pursued by her redheaded nemesis Victoria (played by Bryce Dallas Howard), who practices leaping through the forest.

Watch the trailer below or in HD at Yahoo:

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse is out June 30, 2010.