Fox Filmed Entertainment Chairmen Jim Gianopulos and Tom Rothman announced today that Academy Award-winning filmmaker James Cameron has agreed to make Avatar 2 and 3 as his next films.
Cameron, who had always viewed “Avatar” as the creation of a new world and mythology, will begin work on the scripts early next year with an eye towards commencing production later in 2011. Cameron will decide if he will shoot the films back-to-back after he completes the scripts, but the release of the first, as yet untitled sequel, is targeted for December 2014, with the third film contemplated for a December 2015 release.
Then again, we all saw the mediocre after-the-fact 3D conversion of the CLASH OF THE TITANS remake. Lucasfilm seems aware of the potential for a let down:
“Getting good results on a stereo conversion is a matter of taking the time and getting it right,” said John Knoll, Visual Effects Supervisor for Industrial Light & Magic. “It takes a critical and artistic eye along with an incredible attention to detail to be successful. It is not something that you can rush if you want to expect good results. For Star Wars we will take our time, applying everything we know both aesthetically and technically to bring audiences a fantastic new Star Wars experience.”
Source: ComingSoon.net
JAMES CAMERON on the focus of an ‘AVATAR’ sequel:
“Part of my focus in the second film is in creating a different environment – a different setting within Pandora. And I’m going to be focusing on the ocean on Pandora, which will be equally rich and diverse and crazy and imaginative…”
Source: IGN.com
Not too big of a stretch considering the AVATAR 3D experience was so successful financially. No specifics on when as of yet.
“George [Lucas] has publicly expressed an interest in doing Star Wars 3D. Right now there are a number of different technologies, there’s some criticism out there about some of the movies that have quickly changed to 3D, so you have to pick the right technology, you have to get it to a cost that makes sense, and you have to have the time of the director and producer — George — to actually go in there, because you can’t push a button and stuff goes in one end and comes out 3D…
“Saying all that, George remains very interested in doing the Star Wars movies, all six, in 3D, and I hope it will happen someday in the not too distant future.”
Paramount has found a new director for its remake of the sci-fi classic Dune, after Peter Berg dropped off the project in October. The studio has hired Taken helmer Pierre Morel to oversee the movie.
Morel plans to make a very faithful adaptation of the 1965 book by Frank Herbert.
Source: FORA.tv THRALL WORLD stumbled across this interesting interview with LOST HIGHWAY and MULHOLLAND DRIVE director DAVID LYNCH who chats about a date he had with Star Wars creator GEORGE LUCAS sometime before the third and final installment of the hugely popular Star Wars franchise; RETURN OF THE JEDI was filmed. The purpose of the get-together? Lucas offering Lynch chance to direct the aformentioned and iconic movie.
Couple of quick notes – this offer came before Lynch was to inevitably direct the much criticized DUNE science fiction movie (which THRALL WORLD loved).
Also, in the interview Lynch mentions how Lucas showed him some pre-production artwork for “wookies”. This may have been wookie art or it may have actually been ewok art – we may never find out for sure – but if it was in fact ewok art then we can see how Lynch might have passed on the opportunity.
DEAD EWOK Action Figure
We all know by now that the ewoks weakened the Jedi movie by about a billion-fold. They clearly made the stormtroopers look much less dangerous and when Emperer Palpatine says “An entire legion of my BEST troops” is supposedly guarding the shield that is enveloping the presumed unfinished Death Star you really have to wonder what the heck was up with those clones!? For 20 years the ewoks would end up being an unfortunate testament to Lucas’s claim that the Star Wars movies were in fact geared more towards children as opposed to teens or adults.
But all does end well – eventually Lucas would make up for his error and we would all end up seeing the missing REVENGE OF THE WOOKIES scenes in the brilliant ‘REVENGE OF THE SITH’ installment. And with that in mind, if you go back and try to re-imagine that the ewoks are in fact wookies and not the other way around then you can reclaim a bit of that danger needed to give JEDI the weight it needed to be a fantastic overcoming-overwhelming-odds final act in one of the greatest stories ever told.
Check out the interview portion that deals with Star Wars below and the entire interview HERE.
Source: Sizemore.co.uk
Maybe. But don’t look for it on television. Not yet anyways. At the very least it gets the award for thee longest THRALL WORLD headline EVER…
Following in the footsteps of ‘District 9′ and ‘Paranormal Activity’ comes ‘SLINGERS’ – a sort of interstellar OCEAN’S 11 complete with the snappy dialogue and wit of say SNATCH.
Plot synopsis: Slingers is set in the year 2960 A.D., following mankind’s first interplanetary war. Humanity is now clustered into a finite, but still vast section of the universe known as Enclosed Space. Humanity won the war with an aggressive alien enemy, but at a cost. The way back to Earth is now cut off by an impassable barrier – a side effect of the blast that finally pushed the enemy back.
The show takes its name from a group of people thrown together on board an experimental spacecraft that is capable of Slinging itself to any point in space. In theory it’s the only craft capable of getting home. In reality the crew are using it to carry out a series of high tech heists and get even with those who are now exploiting their positions in the post war hierarchy.
Dominic ‘DM’ Monroe, a special ops war veteran becomes the de facto leader of this small team of thieves who rail against the decision by military command to just ‘stay where they are and make the best of it’. They’re determined to get home and if that means breaking a few rules and picking up a lot of enemies along the way then so be it.
Keep up with the latest at Sizemore’s official site HERE.
Source: AvatarMovie.com, ComingSoon.net
Caught the trailer in the theater before ‘SAW VI’. Cameron’s back is (again) against the wall with the rumored $200-300 million+ budget for the movie. But in his defense he had the same budget issues with TITANIC and then knocked it out of the ballpark with the stunning result.
The bottom line? THRALL WORLD couldn’t help but notice how incredibly REAL the aliens looked in a good portion of the trailer. It really was remarkable and will probably make or break the movies success. No SHREK or HULK cartoons here. They have upped the photo-realistic CGI to an eye-bending level and made THRALL WORLD a believer and we can’t help but wonder how much more of a difference watching it in 3D will make.
But we do hope the “going native” plot (a la DANCES WITH WOLVES, TORAL RECALL, THE LAST SAMURAI) has more behind it than the main character sympathizing with the aliens because an “evil” corporation wants a valuable gem which only seems to exist right underneath the aliens home.
Set to open in conventional 3D theaters and IMAX 3D on December 18th, 2009 and written and directed by James Cameron (TERMINATOR, TITANIC), ‘AVATAR’ stars; Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez, and Giovanni Ribisi, Zoe Saldana, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Peter Mensah, Laz Alonso, Wes Studi, Stephen Lang and Matt Gerald.
Read more HERE and check out the official ‘AVATAR’ movie site HERE.
Peter Berg completely dropped the project a few weeks ago — his Film 44 production company backed out, and now Paramount is scrambling to find a new director.
The search, however, has run into two issues: 1) they’re looking for a director who can put the movie together for under $175 million, which sounds manageable, but they don’t want anything resembling the crap effects of the ‘84 film, and 2) they want a director who already has a preexisting passion for the novel and is enthusiastic about the project. Right now, Paramount is shopping the script to two directors: They like Neill Blompkamp (District 9), who has the right vision, but the frontrunner, at the moment, is Neil Marshall (The Descent), who was sent the script early this month. However, despite the enthusiasm of producer, Kevin Misher (Public Enemies), the studio is somewhat tepid on Marshall, uncertain about handing over a $175 million film with franchise potential to a somewhat unknown director whose only hit was the modestly successful The Descent.
Set for release on December 18th, 2009 and written and directed by James Cameron (TERMINATOR, TITANIC), ‘AVATAR’ stars; Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez, and Giovanni Ribisi.
Source: SciFiWire.com
Peter Berg (HANCOCK, THE KINGDOM) on his upcoming DUNE adaptation currently in development:
“I think I had a much more different experience, I think, with the book than David Lynch did. To me, I think my interpretation will feel significantly different from that and the [Syfy] Channel miniseries that aired. I have a different experience than both of those filmmakers did.”
Berg sees the story more as an epic adventure.
“[The book] was much more muscular and adventurous, more violent and possibly even a little bit more fun. I think those are all elements of my experience of the book that can be brought in without offending the die-hard fans of the Bene Gesserit and Kwisatz Haderach. There’s a more dynamic film to be made.”
Also, check out “ALIVE IN JOBURG” below which is a short made several years ago by the same creative team:
From Google:
This short by Neill Blomkamp depicts a fictional world where extraterrestrials have become refugees in South Africa. Producers: Neill Blomkamp, Simon Hansen, Sharlto Copley, Shannon Worley.
Check it out the Official ‘District 9′ movie website HERE.
Also, check out “ALIVE IN JOBURG” below which is a short made several years ago by the same creative team:
From Google:
This short by Neill Blomkamp depicts a fictional world where extraterrestrials have become refugees in South Africa. Producers: Neill Blomkamp, Simon Hansen, Sharlto Copley, Shannon Worley.
Also, check out “ALIVE IN JOBURG” below which is a short made several years ago by the same creative team:
From Google:
This short by Neill Blomkamp depicts a fictional world where extraterrestrials have become refugees in South Africa. Producers: Neill Blomkamp, Simon Hansen, Sharlto Copley, Shannon Worley.
Source: MNUSpreadsLies.com, Multi National United
Things are heating up in the viral marketing campaign for ‘DISTRICT 9′. Check out the MULTI-NATIONAL UNITED viral site HERE. Make sure you click on CAREERS.
Check out an updated ‘DISTRICT 9′ trailer HERE. Towards the end of the trailer, the aliens, which were previously shown blurred out, are shown unblurred and you can get a better peek at them.
Directed by NEILL BLOMKAMP, ‘DISTRICT 9′ hits theaters on August 14th, 2009 and stars Sharlto Copley and David James.
An extraterrestrial race forced to live in slum-like conditions on Earth suddenly find a kindred spirit in a government agent that is exposed to their biotechnology.
Check out the ‘District 9′ Official movie site HERE.
Also, check out “ALIVE IN JOBURG” below which is a short made several years ago by the same creative team:
From Google:
This short by Neill Blomkamp depicts a fictional world where extraterrestrials have become refugees in South Africa. Producers: Neill Blomkamp, Simon Hansen, Sharlto Copley, Shannon Worley.
Plot synopsis: A pair of crew members aboard a spaceship wake up with no knowledge of their mission or their identities.
Directed by Christian Alvart, ‘Pandorum’ will hit theaters on September 4th, 2009 and stars; Ben Foster, Dennis Quaid, Cam Gigandet, Antje Traue, Cung Le, Eddie Rouse, and Norman Reedus.
Source: SciFiWire.com
GRACE PARK (who played Sharon “Boomer” Valerii) on what to expect from ‘BSG: THE PLAN’:
“…we took scenes that we already shot, that you’re going to recognize, and then either add another angle, or add some dialogue… So if someone whispered something in someone’s ear, which you never heard, we’re actually adding that dialogue.”
Watch the teaser trailer and several quickie interviews with producers and cast below.
The Cast of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
Directed by EDWARD JAMES OLMOS, ‘BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: THE PLAN’ will air on the Sci Fi channel sometime in November 2009 and stars; Edward James Olmos, Tricia Helfer, Grace Park, Callum Keith Rennie, Dean Stockwell, Michael Trucco, Kate Vernon, Aaron Douglas, and Michael Hogan.
IMDB does not list Mary McDonnell (President Laura Roslin), Jamie Bamber (Captain Lee ‘Apollo’ Adama), James Callis (Dr. Gaius Baltar), or Katee Sackhoff (Captain Kara ‘Starbuck’ Thrace) as being involved in this movie and that might be most weird in the case of Thrace who ran across Anders in the first place. Then again, the series finale covered some fairly detailed back-story on the above characters so the absence is understandable since there’s always a lot of ground covered in Moore’s stories.
Source: SciFiWire.com, IMDB
KATE VERNON (who played Ellen Tigh) on what to expect from her character in ‘THE PLAN’:
“…they’ve written me with more heart and more compassion, and this intention to bring some enlightenment and peace, and I got to expand a character, just show a deeper side of myself.”
On her interest in reprising her role (if offered) in the BSG ‘CAPRICA’ spinoff series:
“I’d love to see where Ellen is at emotionally during the Caprica era.”
Read the entire interview HERE and watch the teaser trailer and several quickie interviews with producers and cast below.
The Cast of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
Directed by EDWARD JAMES OLMOS, ‘BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: THE PLAN’ will air on the Sci Fi channel sometime in November 2009 and stars; Edward James Olmos, Tricia Helfer, Grace Park, Callum Keith Rennie, Dean Stockwell, Michael Trucco, Kate Vernon, Aaron Douglas, and Michael Hogan.
IMDB does not list Mary McDonnell (President Laura Roslin), Jamie Bamber (Captain Lee ‘Apollo’ Adama), James Callis (Dr. Gaius Baltar), or Katee Sackhoff (Captain Kara ‘Starbuck’ Thrace) as being involved in this movie and that might be most weird in the case of Thrace who ran across Anders in the first place. Then again, the series finale covered some fairly detailed back-story on the above characters so the absence is understandable since there’s always a lot of ground covered in Moore’s stories.
Source: SciFiWire.com, IMDB
MICHAEL TRUCCO (who played Samuel Anders) on what to expect from ‘THE PLAN’:
“It doesn’t extend the story beyond what we saw in the finale. It actually picks up the story between season one and season two. It’s actually prequel to the entrance of Anders, my character, and Cavil, Dean Stockwell’s character. The movie is told from that perspective.”
On whether his character might show up in the prequel series ‘CAPRICA’:
“The Cylons, once we saw them in Battlestar, we realized, ‘Oh, they’ve been around for a long time.’ So it’s certainly possible, and it would be kind of cool.”
On whether or not BATTLESTAR GALACTICA might return as a series, mini-series, or in another movie:
“Ron [Moore] was pretty adamant about not resurrecting the series…
…he said this was the end of the show.”
Read the entire interview HERE and watch the teaser trailer and several quickie interviews with producers and cast below.
The Cast of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
Directed by EDWARD JAMES OLMOS, ‘BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: THE PLAN’ will air on the Sci Fi channel sometime in November 2009 and stars; Edward James Olmos, Tricia Helfer, Grace Park, Callum Keith Rennie, Dean Stockwell, Michael Trucco, Kate Vernon, Aaron Douglas, and Michael Hogan.
IMDB does not list Mary McDonnell (President Laura Roslin), Jamie Bamber (Captain Lee ‘Apollo’ Adama), James Callis (Dr. Gaius Baltar), or Katee Sackhoff (Captain Kara ‘Starbuck’ Thrace) as being involved in this movie and that might be most weird in the case of Thrace who ran across Anders in the first place. Then again, the series finale covered some fairly detailed back-story on the above characters so the absence is understandable since there’s always a lot of ground covered in Moore’s stories.
Source: MNUSpreadsLies.com
Check out an updated ‘DISTRICT 9′ trailer on a new viral site we just found HERE. Towards the end of the trailer, the aliens, which were previously shown blurred out, are shown unblurred and you can get a better peek at them.
Directed by NEILL BLOMKAMP, ‘DISTRICT 9′ hits theaters on August 14th, 2009 and stars Sharlto Copley and David James.
An extraterrestrial race forced to live in slum-like conditions on Earth suddenly find a kindred spirit in a government agent that is exposed to their biotechnology.
Check out the ‘District 9′ Official movie site HERE.
Also, check out “ALIVE IN JOBURG” below which is a short made several years ago by the same creative team:
From Google:
This short by Neill Blomkamp depicts a fictional world where extraterrestrials have become refugees in South Africa. Producers: Neill Blomkamp, Simon Hansen, Sharlto Copley, Shannon Worley.
