Monday, January 31, 2011

Pooh's Corner Passing...

On this day Fifty-five years ago, the creator of a very expensive teddy bear passed away...

A.A. Milne left this world for the next in Hartfield, Sussex, England.

All around the Hundred Acre Woods hearts were broken because that's not what Tiggers do best.

Oh bother...

Last Son Of Krypton Found...

Up, up and away...






Well, I get back from a nice leisurely weekend to find this interesting news from The Daily Planet...


Ok, it's really from Deadline HollywoodWarner Bros. and Zach Snyder have found their Man of Steel.

Henry Cavill.

He's a very good actor and seems to fit the role with his all-American looks, which is strange since he's British.  I like the look though of him more than Brandon Routh, who, although good in "Superman Returns" seemed a bit too pretty boyish.  I can't wait to see the look that Snyder gives this film.  If anything, it'll be a lot more action than the last film.  The last film didn't seem to show Superman being super enough for me.  Too much talk, too much of a retread of old material from the original film.  I await each morsel of news that Nolan, Snyder and Warner release as the days tick down to the shooting, which begins in four months for a December 2012 release.

Here's the official press release:

Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures announced today that Henry Cavill has won the coveted role of Superman, the iconic superhero.

The film will be directed by Zack Snyder, who stated, “In the pantheon of superheroes, Superman is the most recognized and revered character of all time, and I am honored to be a part of his return to the big screen. I also join Warner Bros., Legendary and the producers in saying how excited we are about the casting of Henry. He is the perfect choice to don the cape and S shield.”

Charles Roven, Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan and Deborah Snyder are the producers of the film. The screenplay is being written by David S. Goyer based on a story by Goyer and Nolan. Thomas Tull and Lloyd Phillips are serving as executive producers.

Cavill recently wrapped production on “The Cold Light of Day” and stars in the upcoming “Immortals,” opening this fall.

Targeted for release in December 2012, the new Superman movie will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Now if Warner can just secure the rights to the characters before they revert back to the families in 2013...

Friday, January 28, 2011

To Be Made In Japan...

Thirty-one years ago today, the Oriental Land Company received confirmation that its loans were approved for a new little project...

The Japanese real estate company was granted loans for the creation of a Disneyland park inside Japan: the first Disney Park outside America.  Drawing on the Japanese people's love of Disney, Walt Disney Productions enters into a partnership that will produce the third Magic Kingdom styled park some three years later.

Three years to opening, twenty-one till the crown jewel...

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

To Convert Or Not To Convert...




That is the question... Honor here. The Colonel wanted to chime in on something he knows quite a bit about: 3-D. Being a colonel in the Army and all he deals with technology a great deal of the time. So in this battle of wills, this war of words about 3-D and conversion versus filming it, he wanted to set the field of battle for you...


Now that the “Green Hornet” is out in theaters, I thought this would be a perfect time to discuss the 3D conversion at length. While many Internet users and bloggers attack the 3D conversion process for over a year now (I vaguely remember how many people rallied that the upcoming “Priest was SHOT with 3D cameras after they saw the trailer at comic-con only to have an epic FAIL finding out that it was post-converted). The truth is finally beginning to rise to the surface and that is that 3D POST CONVERSION IS BETTER THAN SHOOTING IN NATIVE STEREO.

Yes, I said it, now let the hate mail come. People that have been screaming and writing that the 3D process is just a “gimmick” and it is “dead’ might as well stop reading this right now, and respond to that email from the Nigerian Prince who has a million dollars to give you if only you just send him a couple of thousands. 3D is here to stay, the numbers show it (50%-70% of Box Office revenue is derived from stereoscopic 3D movies”. Price Waterhouse Cooper) as well as it might be the only thing to save the Blu-Ray format. Because streaming is becoming more and more popular, the DVD is going the way of the dodo bird, but not Blu-Ray and certainly not 3D Blu-Ray. In fact, 3D Blu-Ray will wind up saving the Blu-Ray format. Because you can’t pirate it (yes, the studios love this), and because it requires higher bandwith (much higher than what is available out there right now), and even if they get the bandwidth, they have to send a right eye, left eye file and that would be double the bandwidth, so Blu-Ray 3D will be the format for a long time to come. The content has just started to come out for the home market and it will double by the next year thanks to Disney (they are releasing 15 titles in the next year).

Many companies have begun to ‘retro-fit’ older properties (please don’t equate this with Ted Turner’s colorization, and in the end you have the original just the way you like it on pristine Blu-Ray, dvd or God forbid VHS), this helps bring in new revenue for the studios, and we know how they love to “double-dip”, well this would be “quadruple dipping”. In a few short years we will have the Star Wars Saga in 3D (and of course Lucas loves this because you will be paying money to see his flawed trilogy at the cinemas and then a year later they will be on Blu-ray 3D, not to mention the gift pack of 3D action figures exclusives at your local wal-mart), Indiana Jones (yes, Indy), Titanic 3D (Really Cameron? You are down on conversion but you are converting Titanic?).  Maybe it’s because you want to sell more Pace cameras, Terminator, LOTR trilogy (3D Gandalf and Balrog just in time for a 3D Hobbit theatrical release), “Spider-Man” trilogy (so Sony can bundle with the TVs in 2012 when the Spidey reboot hits theaters nationwide) just to name a few. Those films mentioned will all be converted because they were shot in 2-D. I haven’t even mentioned “Matrix”, “Harry Potter” trilogies.

This is backed by the 3D TV market exploding this year (3D TVs were the number one item bought on black Friday). Now I get it, if you are older you may not enjoy 3D as much (we lose 1 diopter of eye coordination every 5 years after the age of 30. The older the person gets, the harder it is for them to see in stereo.), but we all know that the studios pander to the young crowd (16-35 males specifically), so you are not their target audience. But now that 3D has infiltrated video games and mobile devices, you can bet on that the generation “NOW” kids will be only used to 3D, just like they are to cell phones, ask them to remember a world without a laptop and iTunes and they will probably stare at you doe-eyed like a deer caught in headlights.

A lot has been said about shooting 3D rather than post converting. Just because some studios wanted to rush a conversion and the conversions came out poorly, people have just assumed that all conversion is poorly done. The way conversion should be used is just like any other art form, it should be viewed like cinematography, editing, sound, it is essential to the picture to be done right. “Conversion is a artistic process, not a technical one” – Jon Landau. I hear people cry over the Internet about how Avatar is so amazing and that everything 3D should be shot like that, but what they don’t know is that “Avatar” was 35% converted (and it was 50% animated but it won the Oscar for best live action cinematography, that will be another argument for another time).

 People love a fight, and they want to make it out like the HD vs. Film war, or the HD vs. Blu-Ray, but what really is happening is that shooting native 3D and post converting 3D will go hand in hand. Some movies will be shot in 3D, but some sequences of the film will be post converted because conversion is like having 1000 cameras on set and being able manipulate every pixel and sub-pixel is far advantageous than just shooting everything on set. In fact, it makes sense especially with the blockbusters that are using mo-cap or heavy fx, why would you want to shoot Optimus Prime or Yogi Bear twice by dual rendering? You have to shoot the left and than the right, instead you can just wait till the fx are done, hand the material over and then post convert it. Shooting a film in 3D is only right for the big boys, the studio tent poles, it costs over 30% more (sometimes up to 50%) to shoot a 3D show, where as converting is a fraction of that cost. And just because “Titans” and other hack job conversions are done, that doesn’t mean they should all be done that way. That is like judging “Batman and Robin” was a bad film, so nobody should see “The Dark Knight” because Batman sucks.

Don’t judge the conversion process by one, two or even five films, when the technology is so new and fresh. And that is the exciting thing about 3D, is we are on the cutting edge of technology. 3D gets us away from the music video Michael Bay like cinematography and makes us focus more on the classic style of film-making. 3D is a check and balances, because it makes the filmmaker focus on the frame and everything in it, makes them think before shooting –

Shooting has its variety of problems, the rigs are huge, and you are using two cameras at once. Now I understand there is the new EPIC RED camera that Spidey is using but let’s wait and see when they get into post before we judge shall we? According to my sources, Transformers are in trouble, along with the other films that were shot with the pace cameras. The other bummer is you can’t shoot on film, so say goodbye 35mm and hello digital capture. It is also a fact that the way the cameras record the info, it distorts the face if the actor is standing 5ft away, so you can say adios to close-ups, unless you want your main movie star’s face to look like it was rolled like a fruit roll up. If anybody has made a movie, then they can tell you how hard it is to make a great 2D film, let alone a 3D one.

With conversion, the artists are left alone to concentrate on creation, rather than throwing another technical monkey wrench into the mix – “Shooting 3D can put you under enormous pressure” – Oliver Stone. With many new 3D conversions coming out – “Thor”, “Captain America”, “Priest” audiences will be able to have more of a variety to compare to instead of just a 6 week conversion of “Clash”. If studios and filmmakers alike treat 3D as a integral part of the story, and give it the time it needs, than post conversion 3D solves many problems and takes all the headaches away from shooting 3D.

Most directors are control freaks, I understand it is their baby, but I think shooting 3D comes from a place of fear, rather than knowledge. As Cameron once said “Technology should come to the filmmaker – not the filmmaker go to the technology”, shooting 3D makes the filmmaker succumb to the burden that he/she does not need. If Filmmakers take their time in post, they find the movie there with the editing, enrich it with sound, make it come alive, then they too should post convert 3D because it is another tool that allows them the time they need to get it right. Yes, you should make your movie with 3D in mind. That is what Michele Gondry did with “The Green Hornet”. His ‘Kato vision” is exactly what 3D was intended for. But that is not what 3D is all about either. 3D is best used when it is submersive, when it allows the audience to partake in the story with the characters, inhabit the world they live in.

Now the audience can live, breathe with the characters and look at the story through a “window” as James Cameron says. I can understand that there is a need for films like “Piranha 3D” , but that is like just shooting a movie all handheld because it looks cool, or if it’s good enough for Bourne it is good enough for me. But in the end I guess this article is moot because what is the underlying factor of this be it 2D, 3D, 4D or smellovision is script. In real estate it is location, location, location but in the film business it is script, script, script (yes, I am quoting Lucas but it was during the golden days of “New Hope and “Empire”, before the dark times) and without a good story with enriched characters, 3D means nothing. But when a story has layers, 3D has layers, it has subtext and meaning and if you use those qualities wisely, than it can be an experience that we will never forget.

After all we see the world in 3D, why shouldn’t we see our films the same way?

Kurtz Out.

Monday, January 24, 2011

ObservaTRONs...

Game over, man...

Or not...



A lot of news/rumors about Walt Disney Pictures' "Tron Legacy" have circulated over the past few days...

Just wanted to chime in on it with a combination of opinion and knowledge from Blue Sky's unique perspective. I know Harry from Ain't It Cool News has been quite vocal in his support of the film as well as his reporting on the green lighting of TR3N/inclusion of a trailer for it on the upcoming DVD/Blu-Ray release. While I don't have his contacts, my own Bothans haven't given me any news about that, but I do have my own musings.

There was an initial belief that for the film to be a worthy success that it would have to gross $200 mil domestic/$200 mil international, but at the certain studios that logic could fly out the window. The film is on track to top out around $175 million domestic and around $190 million more internationally. That puts the film on track to come in somewhere around $365/$375 million total. Not chump change, but not a picture that turned in "Avatar" numbers of course. Still, it will come pretty close to the that $400 million mark that studios tend to use as a guide for judging if a film could/should have a sequel.

But as in the case of a film like "Cars," box office isn't the only factor in such a matter. That little film grossed only $461 million during its run in theaters. While not a small amount, it was far less than other Pixar films had or have made during their runs. Still, we look forward to a sequel to that film to come out this summer. That's what happens when a film has merchandising levels of 2 billion dollars a year. And that's why with all the marketing power of Disney behind it and five years of building that brand with new, young males it has the potential to do far more at the box office than the original film.

Tron merchandise hasn't quite reached that level, but it is selling remarkably well. Enough so that they have had trouble keeping stock of specific items in the theme parks. The Disney rave known as "ElecTRONica" has been an unprecedented success that has been extended till April. And as a brand factory, the Mouse is looking for properties that it can take and exploit. Tron could be one of those properties. While a movie like "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time" has made a slightly similar box office take ($335 million), it hasn't produced nearly the benefit of expanding beyond people actually going to see it in a theater. Translation: Not enough shirts, toys and games were sold to justify any sequel.

And for those that think studios won't make a sequel to this because of the box office, remember a little film called "G.I. Joe" that came out in 2009? It had a worldwide gross of $302 million dollars. And if anyone has been paying attention, Paramount is moving ahead with a sequel, albeit without original director Stephen Sommers. And for those that think it cost less than Legacy; it cost more (Joe: $175 mil/TL: $170). The Studio suits saw the potential for merchandising and it was justified to make another one. I'm sure Disney Suits are taking note of all the people that have seen this film 2,3, and some up 7 or 8 times in a theater. That kind of brand loyalty is very difficult to find.

So a sequel to the sequel to the original isn't dead and doomsayers and haters should caution their tantrums and insults. Tron Fans should also take a note of caution as well, there is no green light yet. Those plans for a trailer of TR3N could turn out to be just extra scenes for the Blu-Ray/DVD or maybe even just a teaser for "Tron Uprising."

But either way, the last line of code has yet to be written on the Grid...

Friday, January 21, 2011

Eleven In 11...

By the NUMBers...






Before we go any further into this year I wanted to mention what I'm looking forward to in the coming year on the silver screen...

Since this is 2011 I thought I'd give you my Top Eleven films that I'm looking forward to over the next twelve months. Some of them are obvious and some might be a surprise. I know many of you will notice the absence of several films I've talked about before. These are simply what I've found most interesting. I had to make the cut somewhere and eleven it was, or twenty-two if you count the runner ups. Again, personal taste here. Your list will most likely be different than mine since you, are naturally not me. No big surprise there, but if you have your own preferences feel free to leave them in the comments section, guys.

The Top Eleven:

1: Captain America: The First Avenger - One of favorite Marvel characters finally comes to life in an authentic adaptation. And it's set in World War II with period dialog. I am so there. Joe Johnston has always had a particular look that I feel suits this property, but he's never had a great script to work with. From what I've heard, the script for this is spot on and he has no excuse not to make a great, pop-culture piece of cinema this time.

2: X-Men: First Class - Matthew Vaughn has made some entertaining films. I've been a fan of all three of the films he's made, particularly "Layer Cake" and "Kick-Ass." He's one of those people in Hollywood that gets it when it comes to comic books and adapting them. This being the origin of how Professor Xavier's School for Gifted Children began is intriguing. Setting it in a retro-James Bond 60's!? A period comic book movie!!? One that actually follows the time line of the original comic!!!? Bring it on.

3: Sucker Punch - I remember hearing about Zack Synder's "Dawn of the Dead" film and was totally against it. Till I was forced to watch it. I thoroughly enjoyed "300" and yes, even "Watchmen," so I was curious to see what his first film not based on a comic would be. I still have no clue, but man does it look like a visually, drug induced trip to someplace I want to be. Watching this trailer made me imagine what's in store for us with his "Man of Steel" project. Until then, this film is what will be calling me in March.

4: Super-8 - Spielberg and Abrams together. A film that hearkens back to the Wunderkind's early days of Ambin and all that magic he created? A science fiction piece that sounds like a dark "E.T." meets "Stand By Me" from this duo is just what summer was created for.

5: Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol - Yeah, I hear you. Two words: Brad Bird. That alone is enough to get me in that theater seat. Add in to the mix the story being from J.J. Abrams and his "Lost" writers and I'm willing to see this. Bird has never done me wrong so I'm not going to doubt him now. He's a director that has an amazing sense of story and action and pacing with endearing characters that you feel for. I hated MI 1 and MI2, but really liked MI3. It was the only one of the three that seemed to have a soul. I have high hopes that this one will be even better than Abrams own take on the franchise. Fourth time's the charm.

6: The Beaver - This script was on the Black List a year or so ago as one of the best unmade scripts. Jodie Foster is a very good, restrained director with an eclectic taste in material. I have heard rumors that Mel Gibson gives a performance that is Oscar worthy and unflinchingly raw with emotion. One that could bring him back in the graces of many in Hollywood. Come March, we'll all find out.

7: Cowboys & Aliens - We've reached the saturation point where no one genre can support itself it seems. Everything that's been done, has been done. So now we have to meld them together. Sci-Fi and Western are or were a hard concept to fathom, until seeing the trailer featuring the new James Bond and the only Indiana Jones in the Old West. Spaceships and steam trains? In the war for new ideas this is a battle I'm ready to sign up for.

8: Hugo Cabret - Very simple. A phrase I never thought I'd hear. A children's film by Martin Scorsese in 3D. I know it's a period piece that involves an innocent boy and the world he constructs around him. Other than that, all I know is that I'll be in line on opening night.

9: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo - When December comes around it's always time for another David Fincher film. This one is a remake of Swedish film based on an incredibly popular novel in a series based on a female investigator named Lisbeth Salander. It sounds like a "Corporate Se7en" with shades of elements from "The Big Sleep." I look forward to seeing this film from the future director of "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea." It is Fincher after all, his credit sequences are better than most films.

10: Kung Fu Panda 2: The Kaboom of Doom - I adore "Kung Fu Panda," as it's the only film that DreamWorks Animation has done that is Pixar quality ("How to Train Your Dragon" was a close second). It'll be interesting to see if the sequel can hold up to the original. I certainly hope so and plan on paying to find out. All those little teasers so far have been hilarious. And how can you go wrong with a screenplay that was polished by Charlie Kaufman?

11: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows - Part 2 - I thought that part one of "Deathly Hollows" was the best in the series. Some found it slow and boring, but I loved getting to see these characters react to their increasingly bleak futures. I hear that part two is nothing short of a full blown action film with wizards and battles between good and evil. I'm bringing my wand and hoping for a satisfying finish to one of the most successful franchises in film history.


And the Top Eleven Runner Ups (in no particular order):

Battle: Los Angeles - Black Hawk Down meets District 9? I'm in.

Immortals - Another visually interesting take on mortals and the gods that abuse them? So long as it's not rushed into conversion like "Clash of the Titans" was.

The Hangover: Part 2 - Laughed my backside off watching the original and hope for the same with this one. Will it? Don't know, but will give it a chance.

Source Code - Duncan Jones' Sci-Fi story of a soldier that wakes up in a different body of an unidentified man and forced to relive over and over again a horrifying train bombing until he can figure out who is responsible for it.

Rango - A very surreal Western told with animals. Gore Verbinski's first animated film. Curious to see. It should be interesting, no mater what.

Haywire - Steven Soderbergh's spy-action story of a female black ops super soldier that gets betrayed on a mission and seeks revenge. This should be a nice warm up before he films "The Man from U.N.C.L.E."(with I hope, George Clooney).

Drive Angry - This looks like a perfect drive-in movie for an age that doesn't know what a drive-in is. Nick Cage looks cheesy in a very good way and this film looks like something that I want to see. Similar to how I felt about "The Expendables" last year.

We Bought A Zoo - I would watch a foot massage commercial if Cameron Crowe directed it. The story for this doesn't sound that interesting to me, but Cameron Crowe directed it.

The Adventures of Tin Tin: The Quest for the Unicorn - I am not European and therefore have no idea what Tin Tin really is. I know it's well loved, even beloved in the Old Country, but the reason for me is Spielberg teaming up with Peter Jackson.

The Rum Diary - This film keeps getting pushed back, but I've been wanting to see Johnny Depp play in another work of Hunter S. Thompson's for the longest time. "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" was a bizarre, but absolutely mesmerizing experience. I look forward to more of this tale of a reporter lost amid the daze of revolution, violence sex and drugs. Lots and lots of drugs, it is Thompson of course.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides - The trailer for this has me yawning. That said, I love Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow, I love adventure films and my favorite attraction at Disneyland is Pirates of the Caribbean. I'll be there, I just hope a great script turned into an enjoyable film will also.

And then there are several foreign films that I'm looking forward to coming out in 2011, but I'll leave that for another post at another time...

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Prequels Past In Present...




A character from the very first, and very worst prequel returns to the Star Wars Universe...

This week on the Cartoon Network, the Clone Wars has two episodes featuring Qui-Gon Jinn in Obi-Wan Kenobi-like afterlife appearance. Now, while I loath most of Episode I, Liam Neeson as the mystical and wise Jedi was one of the bright and underused parts of the film. Entertainment Weekly has the scoop as well as a nice CG clip showing the animated Jedi Jinn.

While the episodes of this series has been uneven, the majority of them have been far more entertaining and watchable than the first and second prequels (as well as bits of EP III). I think the further they get away from the prequels and the more Lucas lets others take control of this property, the better.

Now, if he'll just let go of Lucasfilm and let someone else take over...

Wizard Of Ours...

We're off to see the pirate...





So Robert Downey Jr. has dropped out of "Oz, The Great and Powerful" for unknown reasons...

And the rumor is the Mouse is now considering hiring one of its own Cast Members for the part. That's right, the Hollywood Reporter's Heat Vision blog is uhm, reporting that Disney Suits want Johnny Depp to take over the part of the charlatan snake oil salesman that becomes a wizard. Having read the script, I can tell you that Downey was perfect. Although I can see Depp shape shifting to fill the role. Still, RDjr. was an inspired choice who seems to have his pick of projects today. But the Drugged Journalist/Candy Maker/Pirate/Indian/Stop-Motion actor isn't exactly waiting for things to do.

No word as to how the busy actor will fit it into his already cramped schedule. He's due to start filming the "Dark Shadows"adaptation shortly and then goes to "The Lone Ranger" after that. Something would seem to have to give if this were to happen. One of these films would likely have to be bumped. Disney seems to want to put this on the front burner, but Lone Ranger has been sitting for a couple years. Which one will Disney push aside/delay? Too bad they couldn't clone him and then he could star in all Disney's films.

Imagine what "The Black Hole" and a new "The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes" with Depp in the Cesar Romero role! Now that's casting.

Hey, I'm joking but he's pulling a lot of overtime in Disney's land...

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

No More Propaganda...

Buy Naughty Dog, buy Naughty Dog...









One piece of the gaming puzzle that Bob Iger put together is no longer there...

Propaganda Games, the game makers of "Turok," which the Walt Disney Company bought and made part of Disney Interactive has been disbanded and will be no more. Seventy employees have been let go. Part of that synergy that the Mouse was hoping to create hasn't worked so well in the gaming world... yet.

You could see signs when they canceled "Pirates of the Caribbean: Armada of the Damned" last October. Trouble was brewing as the company was restructured. They still came out with "Tron Evolution" which was kind of a weak game that had great possibilities. All other game development from the company has been shelved.

I think Disney expected this company to help create some of the content that would attract the young male demographic which has been so elusive to the brand. Unfortunately it seems that this company wasn't the correct fit. If Bob Iger wants to get that group he needs to go after a different/better company. One with a proven track record with these type of titles. May I suggest Valve, or dare I say Naughty Dog? These two companies could/would create the kind of testosterone driven action play that would send the right audience coming there way.

If they don't buy them then Lucasfilm should buy them for LucasArts. Or at least contract someone like ND to make an Indy game that is worth playing or better yet, purchasing. You move, Bob.

Game on...

Number Two Poster...

A simple hello would do...




Another international poster for Walt Disney Animation Studios' "Winnie the Pooh" film is out...

I like it. Simple and sweet like the characters A.A. Milne created. This film will be a success simply because of what it's not trying to be. Not sure what I mean? I'll explain in a future post. Can't wait?

Oh bother...

The Bane Of Hour Existence...

So this is going to be realistic...



Whoa, now this is surprising news...

Christopher Nolan and Warner Bros. have made it official just an hour or so ago who will be starring as the villains in "The Dark Night Rises" as well as who those villains actually are. Not exactly what I'd expect, but in Nolan I trust.

Here's the official press release:

BURBANK, CA, January 19, 2011 – Warner Bros. Pictures announced today that Anne Hathaway has been cast as Selina Kyle in Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight Rises.” She will be starring alongside Christian Bale, who returns in the title role of Bruce Wayne/Batman.

Christopher Nolan stated, “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Anne Hathaway, who will be a fantastic addition to our ensemble as we complete our story.”

In addition, Tom Hardy has been set to play Bane. Nolan said, “I am delighted to be working with Tom again and excited to watch him bring to life our new interpretation of one of Batman’s most formidable enemies.”

Nolan will direct the film from a screenplay he wrote with Jonathan Nolan, from a story by Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer. Nolan will also produce the film with his longtime producing partner, Emma Thomas, and Charles Roven.

“The Dark Knight Rises” is slated for release on July 20, 2012. The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

He hasn't steered me wrong yet, so I'm not going to be doubting him now...

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Stagg Party...

Creating a magical moment...



So a big event is being held tonight for the Fantasyland expansion of the Magic Kingdom...

Later this evening (7:00 pm Eastern) there will be a press event that further expands on the details of this expansion. Part of this is a result of leadership change. With Jay Rasulo moving over to the cold, hard numbers department where he belongs, Tom Staggs control of the project has resulted in some alterations. Tom has young boys, not girls and he listens to what they like and one of the things males don't like is princesses. At least not till they reach puberty.

So we can expect a little less focus on that matter. The inclusion of a Seven Dwarf's Mine Coaster which we broke here a long, long time ago and a mixture of some of the projects already approved and a few surprises. I haven't talked to Bothans about this project much, as most I deal with are more focused on West Coast comings and goings. That said, I've heard that the budget (approximately $300 million) has stayed relatively the same while the projects has shifted to be less girl-centric.

Come tonight, we'll get a better view of the road map that Tom has in store for Walt Disney World and the world of Disney Imagineering as well. This is a holdover project that Jay was working on that he's had to tinker with. It'll be interesting to see the next project he announces as it will likely be his own, and likely show the direction he (and Iger) are planning on going. But I trust him far than I do or did Rasulo. In my opinion, having Staggs there is a vast improvement and this is the best management that Disney Parks have had since the late 90's.

Now, if he can just do something about that WDW management...

Creator Of Pooh...


Born on this day was the man that envisioned the Hundred Acre Woods...

A.A. Milne came into this world one hundred and twenty nine years ago, but his creations will be timeless.

Children the world over smile because of him...

Friday, January 14, 2011

Studio Identity...

Shine that bright light over here...


There's a really nice interview with Glen Keane over at a French website called CloneWeb that you might be interested in...

The video of the interview with my favorite living animator is all in French. Who would have thought living over in France during the making of Tarzan would have left him so, uhm, fluent and cultural? But there is also an English translation of the interview as well. And it's a very thoughtful piece that has an interesting jewel of information near the end.

It begins with a typical question about wondering if John Lasseter really is now Walt Disney. But during that part Glen boils down what he believes is what Pixar Animation Studios is and what Walt Disney Animation Studios is as well.

Keane says that when you strip it apart down to what the Lamp really is about is this: "Wouldn’t it be cool if?"

And then he says that what the Mouse really is about is this: "Once upon a time…"

He goes on to talk a bit about how different that means they are/should be. And how it's taken John a difficult journey over the past two years as he figures what the animators in the Hat Building are like, and how they should be and why he's learned to not make them Pixar South.

Which when you think about it kind of explains the journey the animation studio has been on over these last three years and how now the animators have some success to show for all their hard work. And how now, after all these years of being in free fall, the heart of the Walt Disney Company may have figured out its place in the world again.

Just like they did once upon a time...

Hat Tip to Cartoon Brew via Michael Barrier.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

28 Years Versus 28 Months...

Game on, again...




I'm sure you all saw that post over at Ain't It Cool News yesterday...

Now, I have no confirmation of this. In fact, I've been waiting to hear back from several bothans, and I know as of last week the Bothans in Glendale were still waiting to hear if their proposals would be moving forward out of the blue sky phase.

But according Harry and his sources, the Mouse is about to green light a third Tron film. A sequel to Legacy would be the second of a proposed new trilogy that sets the original in a place of its own. Now I know many people didn't expect another Tron film, several have considered this one a bomb. It's not a bomb, but it certainly isn't the "Star Wars" type of blockbuster that Disney was hoping for. That said, it has just crossed the $300 million figure and will likely top out between $350 and $400 million global. Not bad, but for it to have been the hit Burbank Suits were wanting, it would have had to come close to half a billion. Still, the merchandise is selling well, the ElecTRONica event at DCA is a HUGE hit that has been extended to April (at least) and there are still those cable, pay-per-view and DVD/Blu-Ray sales to consider.

When it all comes to a close the film will be profitable, but the question is how popular? And if that will be enough to green light another film. One thing I can tell you is that if another film comes together, John Lasseter and the Brain Trust will have much more say in the story. Rich Ross has been actively involving John in the process far more than Dick Cook ever did. He's been picking apart what the folks at the Lamp feel about much of the upcoming slate. So if we do get to go on the grid, next time you're going to see a more solid script before they start filming. From what I've heard, the animated series is still going ahead. Nothing has been stopped, no plugs have been pulled. So all you haters can hold off on your funeral for Kevin Flynn and his kin.

There may yet be another chance to ride those light cycles...

Monday, January 10, 2011

Second World/Sixth Kingdom...

What a Onederful Wurld...






There seems to be a lot of news coming out from the Chinese media about the Mouse's Middle, Magic Kingdom...

Over at my friend Alain's website, Disney and More, he's been posting a great deal of coverage of the news about Shanghai Disneyland. Great stuff if you haven't read his blog.

From what I've been told, the media has had very limited knowledge of what Disney and the Shanghai government are planning. This is by intention and one of the reasons you haven't seen or heard much about it. This is Bob Iger's first park on his own and not fixing up Eisner's messes. I believe he wants to get it right and he wants it to be a surprise. Getting details about this park/resort has been very difficult. Put all the secrecy together with a weak economy and you can imagine the trouble prying open those Bothans mouths.

There was an article the other day that Alain quoted as saying the total cost of the 107-square-kilometer project would exceed 100 billion yuan ($15 billion). Now, while the resort is not as big as Walt Disney World (twice the size of Manhattan Island), it is far bigger than any other resort I believe except Disneyland Paris (which is 20 km, like Shanghai). Far bigger than Hong Kong Disneyland which will tap out at two parks and a half dozen hotels approximately, far bigger than the Tokyo Disney Resort or the original Disneyland Resort. And now officials have come out to discount this as they say final cost have not been determined. I have no inside knowledge as to how much exactly will be spent, but my suspicion is that the article was quoting an estimate as to what the final resort price would be. That is, over a three phase period. As in three gates, multiple hotels, retail environment, etc. and so on. This would make that projected cost of 15 billion much more reasonable as it would occur over decades, not years. The initial cost I've heard is somewhere around/between 3 and 4 billion. Of this amount, the Shanghai government and the partnership company, Shanghai Shendi Group Co. Ltd. will assume the majority of that cost. The Mouse will retain a minority interest similar to the contract with Hong Kong, while still running the actual resort.

From what I've gathered, the first phase will be the "Magic Kingdom" style park and two or three hotels and a version of the Downtown Disney retail area (something that has yet to come to HKDL, but will soon enough). This phase should be done by late 2014 with a planned opening of early 2015. The style may be similar to past parks, but it will also strike out in a different direction, perhaps being the most different of any Disney theme park that shares the trademark style fans are used to. From what I hear, the area around the park will be more extensively used than in Hong Kong as well.

While the public face of Honk Kong Disneyland Suits is that they have nothing to fear from a Shanghai Disneyland, the behind the scenes are a different matter. As work on their expansion winds to a close in 2014, expect a new announcement to counter the opening of the second Disney park in China. Bothans have already told me that work and proposals, all blue sky of course, are quietly underway in Glendale. The scope and grandeur of Shanghai will be bigger and different. The plan will be to offer a different reason to go to this theme park as opposed to the one in Hong Kong. Just as there are reasons to visit Disneyland versus Disney World, there will be reasons to travel between these two parks/resorts. And if you were wondering, Shanghai is WDW to Hong Kong's Disneyland. Each Disney, both different. I like that. I hate the idea of cloning and if they're going to have these two parks on the Asian mainland, it's good that they will have their own personalities.

When 2015 rolls around it's going to be interesting to see what the birth of this Sixth Kingdom means to our world and the Disney world...

Sunday, January 9, 2011

The Thinking Man's Legacy...


There is a lot of discussion out there about "Tron Legacy's"story or lack thereof...

I read this article by Massawyrm over at Ain't It Cool News the other day and thought it was an insightful response to critics of the film. Love it, like it or hate it, the man has some very thoughtful analysis of the film that many should read.

And then maybe go watch it to see what you've missed out on the Grid...

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Foreign Cars...

Start your engines...





One of many to come international posters for "Cars 2" is out...

And it's a steal for only 52 payments at the low, low price of- wait. Sorry, I got carried away there for a second. Look for this film to do gangbusters come summer and blow away the take that the original came up with. There are a lot of boys that love this Pixar film that were just babes when the original came out. There's also a nice character banner for us Americans as well.

Now that John is done with this film he can get back to guiding the animators in the Hat Building, where he hasn't been seen near enough of late...

Hat Tip to Collider.

Experiment 626's Idol...


Stitch's musical inspiration would have celebrated his birth today...

Elvis Aaron Presley was born on this day in Tupelo, Mississippi in 1935. He would have been 75 years old, but passed away at the spritely age of 42 earth years. Lilo introduce his songs to the cuddly alien from another planet and he took a likin' to his blue suede shoes.

Hey man, lay off of his blue suede shoes...

Friday, January 7, 2011

No Wonder...



It appears that David E. Kelly's planned adaptation of the Amazon Princess has hit a snag...

No one wants it. Or at least is willing to fork over the kind of cash it'll take to produce from pilot to series. Deadline: Hollywood has all the details here. So DC Comics hits a speed bump in their attempt to move more characters besides the Billionaire Vigilante and Kryptonian-American into the general public's consciousness. And to think: the Mouse had something to do with this.

We'll just have to wait and see if Diana gets off that island...

One Sheet For Pooh...

Oh bother...










A teaser poster for WDAS's "Winnie the Pooh" is out...

Minimalist, ain't it? Not bad since there is no reason to show much being as almost everyone knows who the silly ole' bear is. Enjoy this hand-drawn creation when it comes out this summer. It'll be the last film from Disney Animation till 2013 and probably the last hand-drawn till 2014/15.

Next year will be a lull in production as the Mouse switches gears into a different direction and adjusts from a lack of development projects. Don't worry, it now has several films that are being worked on, but this is the result of a lean period of projects that got put into turn around or were delayed, retooled or outright canceled.

See what happens when development lags? After next year, "Reboot Ralph," "King of the Elves," "Mort," and a couple "Untitled" projects are in the works. But it's amazing where we are compared with Pre-Tangled.

Success has a way of brightening up the road ahead...

Son Of Indy...

If adventure has a name, it must be Nathan Drake...




You've seen a lot of talk about a fifth Indiana Jones film...

There are stories going around about how Harrison Ford wants to do another film featuring the famed archaeologist and that he wants to kill off Indy. The same way he wanted to kill off Han Solo. And that he wants to hand off the series to Indy's son, Mutt.

Some of my friends feel that Lucas and Spielberg already did kill off Indy with "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull." The idea of handing it off to Shia Labeouf is not only laughable, but ridiculous. He's not Indiana Jones' son. There's no way that that character came from or can match the Man with the Hat. But it got me wondering. Who really is the son of Professor Henry Jones, Jr. really?

To me, that's an easy question with many answers, but the most obvious is fairly straight forward.

Nathan Drake.

Some will argue that Benjamin Franklin Gates is a good choice. But if there is any character that feels like he's a direct decedent of Indy, it's the rouge and charismatic lead from the fabulous "Uncharted" series by Naughty Dog. Another reason I have a PS3 instead of an XBox 360 is the exclusivity of this game series. Yeah, Drake is the real successor to the Indiana Jones franchise at least in terms of games. LucasArts needs to fire their entire staff for taking such properties as "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones" and making horrible games with great characters. How is that possible? Who knows, in the near future we may have a film franchise of this series if they're ever able to nail down a story worthy of a film. Looking back at the source material should provide a wealth of ideas.

As to whether Mark Walberg or Nathan Fillion or whoever gets the roll, that'll depend on a number of factors. I know there's a big campaign by fans to get Fillion the part, but Hollywood doesn't just deal with physical looks, but box office looks as well. They're going to look at what actor can come closer to guaranteeing a return on a $200 million dollar investment, which is what a legitimate cost for something like this would be. Fillion really doesn't have that status, but it doesn't mean that he couldn't be good as the character. I have no dog in the fight, just wanting a good script for the film. Something the last Indy didn't have. So we wait for this film to arrive as we fear another feeble attempt an bringing back my favorite adventurer.

Perhaps it's just time to hang up the hat. At least live-action wise. Go ahead with that animated series Paul Dini dreams of doing. That way Indiana Jones will never get old, never have a Mutt and never be subjected to humiliation on the silver screen every again. That way the adventures can happen weekly like the serials from which "Raiders of the Lost Ark" was born.

In the meantime I'm looking forward to "Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception" on 11-1-11...

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Rhapsody In Blue Sky (Part Three)...

All the news that's fit to post...





There were a lot of interesting subjects that came up as the year wound down...

Joseph Kosinski was so hot a property earlier in the year based on Tron buzz that the Mouse secured the rights to his graphic novel for a future adaptation.

At the time, not many knew that Marvel had a channel on YouTube that was filled with fun things to watch.

The reports that we broke here about S.H.I.E.L.D. eventually getting their own film were given more validation Marvel's Suits seemed to indicate there was one in the planning after "Avengers" release.

We got the official date for Andrew Stanton's "John Carter of Mars" when fall finally came.

Our very own Decadent Dave reviewed "The Expendables" and felt the love for all things Eighties.

When we first heard the idea of an X-Men film set in the 60's, I loved it and it turns out that it was true.

Blue Sky published an exclusive interview with Janet Scott Batchler, who wrote one of my all time favorite screenplays: "Smoke & Mirrors" that gives you insight into writing and this particular writers perspective on it.

"Prep & Landing" garnered a lot of awards this year as well as great ratings for ABC and WDAS. Pre-Tangled, this was the best thing that the animation studio under Lasseter had done.

"Toy Story 3" went on to make a billion dollars for the film division, thus ensuring that the Lamp's winning streak continued.

The poster for Tokyo DisneySEA's "Fantasmic!" was released.

A detailed look into the narrative of DCA's "World of Color" was focused on here. There was quite a debate as to the story that was told through this show with all its changes during the testing process and we wanted to set the record straight.

A decade of Pooh was celebrated in Tokyo and no, I'm not being dirty.

DisneySEA celebrated its ninth anniversary and has never looked better. That's saying something when referring to this park.

The end of one of many mistakes happened in DCA as fall came around.

We discussed some of the new theming and narrative behind the designs and architecture of Disney California Adventure.

Disney's smallest Magic Kingdom styled park had its fifth anniversary as it planned for the future expansion of the park.

We clarified what exactly was the marketing of "Tron Legacy" was going to be like at World of Color.

My favorite soundtrack of the year was also the best soundtrack of the year.

George Lucas in his effort to make even more on Star Wars announced that Lucasfilm would release the films in 3D over the coming years. What could be next?

The Oriental Land Company turned half a century.

We examined the various film divisions of the Walt Disney Studios and what their responsibilities were.

In a surprising move, ABC announced a television series based on the Incredible Hulk. In an even more surprising move, Guillermo del Toro actually had time to be involved in it.

More rumors about Lucas creating another trilogy of Star Wars films.

And on a similar note, we reported that George was going to convert the Indy series to 3D and it could even be announced as soon as November. That date came and went, but we stand by the report that they will be converting the films to 3D. They may have not announced it yet, but I have solid sources that tell me it's not a matter of if, but when it will be official. So rant all you want haters, I STAND BY what I report. It will happen.

We shared some beautiful Christmas commercials that have promoted the holidays at the resorts around the world.

It seems that not everything being done at DCA is a step forward. Please fire whoever came up with this and hire the people that do Tokyo Disneyland/DisneySEA's entertainment.

We all learned what John Musker and Ron Clements were doing now that TPATF was completed. I've known bits and pieces of this but not the exact book/name of the future film. And then we learned more.

Our own Tron Unit revealed a juicy rumor about "Tron Legacy" that turned out to be true.

Disney announced that "Tron Uprising" would premiere on Disney XD in 2012.

The Walt Disney Company made it official about Shanghai Disneyland.

The reviews for "Tangled" started coming in and surprising to some, they were good. Real good.

I lot of people couldn't understand why Brad Bird would do a Mission: Impossible film. We could.

Not only did we get to see "Prep & Landing" again this year, but they added a little short that gave us more time with Lanny and Wayne.

DCA is nothing if not a work-in-progress, but the good news is that it's continually improving. Just not as quickly as some might want it to.

And lastly as it came out, "Tron Legacy" was reviewed by Tron Unit and something was found lacking. But not something that would prevent him from seeing it four or five times more.

And that was the year that was Blue Sky Disney. Or at least some of the things I and others found interesting.

Now on to the future because we're already living it...

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Honor Roll: 2010...

Admit one please...




And here I am with my annual list of the the Top Ten films I enjoyed in 2010...

So, first off as always, this is just my opinion, my taste and my choices. There were plenty of films that came out this year that I liked, some I loved, but these are the ones I'll be getting Blu-Rays of. That means I really enjoyed them enough to put down cold, hard cash. Now, on with my film list for the year of the year that was:



#10 Tron Legacy - I know this film had a lot of negativity surrounding it coming out of the gate. It has flaws, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and the evolving world that TRON had become. It's not been as big a hit as the Mouse had hoped, but it's been a steady trooper at the box office over the last few weeks and is doing well overseas. A sequel/tv series? Depends on final numbers for B.O., DVD/Blu-Ray and merchandise, but I definitely want to return to the grid. Time will tell.

#9 Scott Pilgrim vs. the World - A truly modern, teen fairy tale. Scott Pilgrim was a beautifully crafted gift to film lovers everywhere. Michael Cera was born to play this role. Everything from the cast to the script to the direction was top notch. I have a feeling this one is going to become a cult classic.

#8 The Expendables - I loved the heck out of this film. Is it perfect? No, but it's so much fun. A classic example of an 80's action film brought into the the 21st century. Stallone has proven to be a better director than an actor and I look forward to the day he directs a film he doesn't star in. Oh, and I look forward to "The Expendables 2."

#7 Harry Potter: The Deathly Hollows - I love how the young wizard series is getting steadily darker and more complex. "The Prisoner of Azkaban" was my favorite before this one, but following these characters through their childhood to becoming an adult has been a pleasure. I can't wait for the conclusion.

#6 How To Train Your Dragon - DreamWorks Animation has made some good films and some bad films. Along the way they've made a few great ones. This is one of those. While I still think "Kung Fu Panda" is their only Pixar quality film, Dragon comes mighty close. It's my second favorite film from the studio and if more of Jeffrey's films are like Panda and Dragon then the Lamp and Mouse will have major competition.

#5 Tangled - Walt Disney Animation Studios is moving up. Last year "TPATF" got up to number eleven. This years film not only made it into the top ten, it got into the top five. "Tangled" is the best Disney animated film since the end of the Second Golden Age a decade and a half ago. I look forward to having more films like it.

#4 Kick Ass - Most people mistook this film for an action film. It wasn't, although it had a lot of action. It was a comedy. A brutal, bloody comedy. A great adaptation of the comic. Matthew Vaughn is one of those new directors that I look forward to following. He's one of the people that "get" how to adapt a comic into a film. I don't know if there will be a sequel, but there should be.

#3 Toy Story 3 - Pixar can do no wrong. Even their worst films are better than 90% of all films out there. When I go into a theater to watch one of the Lamp's films I know I'll get my moneys worth. This was a great conclusion to the best trilogy of films ever. There was more heart, emotion and depth in the first ten minutes of this film than almost any film this year.

#2 The Social Network - David Fincher is a genius and an amazing film maker. Putting him in charge of a script by Aaron Sorkin is a brilliant stroke of art and business. I can only hope that Scott Z. Burns script for the 20k remake is as good. This film is a pearcing take on how one man created a new way for the world to interact and how it can almost cost you your soul, and sometimes does.

#1 Inception - Christopher Nolan is like the human version of Pixar. The man can do no wrong. The words "bad Chris Nolan film" have never come out of my mouth. This incredibly complex sci-fi take on who we are and what are dreams make of us was an amazing film to watch. With each scene I just kept thinking to myself: "please do Batman 3." The world that Nolan creates is so facinating and filled with interesting, flawed characters that you want to watch. Just like all Nolan's films.


Runner Ups (in no particular order, mostly):

The Town

Shutter Island

The Infidel

Harry Brown

Get Him to the Greek

Legends of the Guardians

Four Lions

Red

Monsters

The Illusionist

Again, there were many films I like which didn't get on the list. That doesn't mean they weren't any good, it simply means I preferred something else just a bit more. I must admit that there were a lot of films that I was looking forward to this year that didn't make the list and were actually nowhere near my top ten. Films like life are filled with surprises.

Now, on to 2011...

Monday, January 3, 2011

Letter Go...

Wiped away from the errors of the past...





Today is the last time to take pictures of those letters...

Tomorrow the C-A-L-I-F-O-R-N-I-A letters and parts of the front entrance will go behind walls for removal. Over the next year and a half we will have to be re-directed through various temporary entrances which will be a pain. Come summer next year the entrance that should have been there from the beginning will finally be there. Gone will be the hub cap, gone will be the shopping area that looked like something you'd find at your local mall, gone will be the bathroom tiles.

And also gone are most of the Suits and Bean Counters that actually thought this was a brilliant idea...

Saturday, January 1, 2011

So You're Eleven Now...

To old friends who shouldn't be forgotten...



And so another grain of sand slips through the hour glass...

We now welcome the second year of the second decade of the Twenty-first century. Don't just sit there, life is passing you by. Go out and do something!

From all of us here at Blue Sky Disney, to you and your family and friends, Happy New Year! May 2011 bring you much happiness, greater wealth and good health.

And don't forget those resolutions...