Thursday, January 31, 2013

Wishing Upon A Branagh...

A new fairy godmother...




Looks like someone is still going to the Ball...

Walt Disney Pictures is negotiating with Kenneth Branagh to direct the live-action version of "Cinderella" according to a new article over on Vulture.  This comes soon after news hit that Mark Romanek had departed the project.

Branagh is no stranger to classic stories with his updated adaptations of "Much Ado About Nothing," "Henry 5," and "Hamlet" among others.  And he doesn't have a problem with guys dressed in period costumes like that little film called "Thor" a couple years ago.

He has had a relationship with the Mouse through Marvel, so it should be interesting seeing him work on this new interpretation of the classic tale.  Cate Blanchett is still attached to play the wicked stepmother, but no one has yet tried on the glass slipper, although Saoirse Ronan has been rumored to be flirting with the role.

Then of course, they have to bring Bob Hoskins out of retirement to do a mo-cap mouse...

Match Game...

A match made in...










It looks like the Mouse's attempt to enter the YA genre is moving forward...

When something is a hit in Tinseltown, everyone wants a piece of the action.  The "Young Adult" craze started with the "Twilight" franchise and has been growing (with movies like "The Hunger Games" in theaters and shows like "The Vampire Diaries" on television).  

A couple of years ago, Walt Disney Pictures purchased the film rights to the Ally Condie "Matched" trilogy of novels (the second book is called "Crossed" and the third is entitled "Reached") with the intent of getting a bit of this Midas gold.  Michele and Kieran Mulroney (Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows) were hired to pen the adaptation with Offspring Entertainment producing through Adam Shankman and Jennifer Gibgot.  Now, if looks as though they are happy with the latest draft as they're now in negotiations with a director.

Jon Chu (G.I. Joe: Retaliation) has apparently been tapped to help the first of the series according to HeatVision.  The visually arresting director of the "Step-Up" films and the upcoming action sequel should be the kind of talent that Alan Horn and his Suits hope will drive many a Tween to the box office.

Let's hope this match is successful...

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

The Second Coming Of Lucasfilm...

Help me, J.J. Abrams, you're my only hope...








The Lucasfilm of the past three decades is finally moving on, growing up...

There's a great article in The Hollywood Reporter about Kathleen Kennedy, and what it's like for her to run the company that makes Star Wars.  It really is a crack into the world she travels in and her approach to all this madness.

You can tell that her style will definitely be different from the Bearded One.  It's going to be an interesting five years ahead (which is how long her contract will be).  Not just for these films, but the others that she moves into production for the Lucas brand.

My favorite part of the article is the quote where she talks about J.J. Abrams leaving a three hour meeting with Michael Arndt and Lawrence Kasdan and her, where she said afterwards he "was on the ceiling" when it was over.  That must of been some story session they had with him.  Wouldn't you like to be a fly on the wall in that room when it went down?  How many people would kill to see that script Arndt is going to turn in?  I have a feeling this is the beginning of something beautiful.

It's a new century, a new world, and a whole new galaxy ahead of us...

Blue Sky Buzz: Pixar's Place In Disney's World...

I got time...


Let me tell you a story...

Two actually.  A tale really.  The tale of two, possible future worlds.  One is what the vision of Suits have for this world, and the other is what Creatives want for this world.  You see the see the Suits see only profit and opportunity.  The Creatives see ideas as the real treasure.  The trick is finding somewhere in the middle.  In a balanced world, the Creatives will find a way to prove to the Suits that their vision is what is needed, and creating something just for the sake of dollar signs isn't actually good for the bottom line in the end, as it diminishes what the Founder successfully created that made his company so profitable.

Translation is, originality and thinking outside the box to give the guest what they didn't know they wanted was how Walt Disney blazed his path to create a company that is now the pinnacle of, and largest deliverer of entertainment in the world.

This tale is of the Disney World part of that world.

There is a lot going on in that Florida haven right now.  Construction of the Fantasyland Expansion, the continued work on expansion of Disney's Animal Kingdom with the fantasy animal park coming to fruition with the "Avatar" land, and most importantly, the addition and bringing new life into Disney's Hollywood Studios that will happen in the next few years.

This park has been waining over the past decade+.  It has lost focus on what it is and where it is going.  It's in the process of trying to find what it is trying to entertain guests with, to tell who it is really.  It's beginning to shake off the narrative that it is the Mouse's alternative to Universal Studios and now trying to figure out what film experience it wants to tell to everyone entering it's gate.  While DAK is expanding to a full day park with the myth element (albeit, a sci-fi mythical creatures design, not a fantasy mythical creature design) of the park, DHS is now planning on moving away from being a movie "tour" park, and being a movie "experience" park.

I have great hope for Walt Disney World.  With the hiring of George Kalogridis, the languishing quality of WDW will finally be addressed.  The lower standards that are accepted there as the norm will hopefully, slowly be replaced by what we expect in a Disney Experience.  Kalogridis is a nuts and bolts guy, so we should expect operations, and quality to be made a much more prominent focus over the next few years.  If you're unhappy with what you get there, please make sure you let guest relations know so that it reaches Team Disney Orlando.  It has a much better chance of getting addressed with George now in charge.

Now, back to that vision thing.  Here's what the dilemma is.  Right now, actually the last few months of last year and into the new year, the company has been working with the decision of what path to move forward with on the expansion of Hollywood Studios.  You see everyone loves success since it's so elusive in business.  In a world where profit is king, you want to replicate what works.  In Burbank's case, this means clone it.  Duplicate it.  Copy it and hope lightning strikes twice, or even three times.  Such is the case with Cars Land, which is the single most profitable creation for the parks in twenty years.   The easy answer for the Suits is to clone it, the more difficult answer from the Creatives is to recreate what made it successful.

I'm sure you've read all the rumors floating around the Internet about cloning Cars Land down in Florida.  How it's going to go where the old Hollywood Backlot Area is and expand the Pixar Place area of the park.  This is partially true.  The Pixar Place area is where Imagineers expect to create the expansion of the park that I refer to, mainly at least.  But therein lies the fight.

One path is that one.  To clone Cars Land and expand the Pixar Place and give it a much grander imprint in the Hollywood Studios park.  The shadow of the Lamp will fall heavily on this gate if that choice is the direction they head.  It'll be destined to be a hit just like out here in California.  There will be no shortage of demands if the land is announced, with its immersive theming and escapist fun that literally draws you into an animated world.  This would make the Studio Backlot an inviting plot of real estate to put this WDI creation.  Instant hit: just add three years of construction, hundreds of millions of dollars, and in 2015 you'll have a swarm of people descend on the Florida resort for the experience we have out here.

Then there is the alternative.

Expand the Pixar Place, but not with a clone.  Imagine that?  Now what would/could it consist of?  Well, the area as pitched would have several other Pixar character creations.  This lists rings like a laundry list of the last decades hits for Disney animation via Emeryville.  Nemo ideas, lots of Toy Story ideas thrown around (including several attractions out of the "Toy Story Land" areas in Paris and Hong Kong), even talk of a Ratatouille clone like the one being built at Walt Disney Studios Paris (not likely, though, but not impossible).  But the new E-Ticket surrounding all of these minor C and D Ticket attractions would be something better.  Something incredible even.

Yes, that pun was intentional.  The proposal, which wasn't a done deal when I talked to my Bothans near the beginning of the year, would involve the Brad Bird creation.  If the Mouse decides to go the non-clone route, the largest part of the expansion would be an attraction based on "The Incredibles" film.

It's not the same one that was going to go into DCA when they were scrambling for something to stop the bleeding and the laughter, but it is a project that is designed to take you into the idealized world that Bird created where Supers were very real.  This one would feature cutting edge technology, with animatronics and possible 3D/4D effects that rival anything done with Cars or the new Ratatouille ride.

It's part of what Lasseter wanted with each park having its own original creations.  Attractions to make you want to travel to different parks for different reasons.  Imagine that?  The plan was to have two or three C-Tickets, budget permitting of course, and a large E-Ticket based on this film to define the entire area as a fully immersive experience of Pixar's imaginative stories.  A Pixar land so to speak.  Will that happen?  It's a matter of numbers, time and justification of money that comes down to a battle of Suits and Creatives trying to figure what will be best.  Cloning?  Or creativity?  So which side will win?

We'll likely find out what the answer is to that question sometime later this year...

Crafting A War...

Your move...



Man, 2015 is going to be a monster of a year for film...

It looks like the "World of Warcraft" film is moving onto the fast track.  Now known simply as "Warcraft," the film has a new director.  With the departure of Sam Raimi the film was thought to be dead, or at the very least on life support.  And then news came of a new screenwriter being hired.  Charles Leavitt (Blood Diamond) being hired was news that Legendary Pictures still wanted to make this film.

Well, that script must have given the producers confidence in the story, because now they've hired a new director.  He's not as well known as Raimi, but he's gotten a lot of ink based on his previous two films.  Duncan Jones has been hired to adapt the video game into a compelling and cohesive tale that can escape the game adaptation curse.  The film is tentatively scheduled for 2015.  Which, if Episode VII still arrives then, will turn out the most mind blowing year in cinema for geeks.

Now, if they can just get "Starcraft" going...

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

The Power Of The Dark Side...

What I really want to do is direct a Star Wars film...








It's hard to resist what you love...

Especially if it's offered dangling before you like the dream you always wanted, but never thought you'd get. That's what J.J. Abrams came up against over the past couple of months it seems.  When you get offered what you never thought would be available, the temptation to say no fades into the background when you see the possibility of what lies ahead.

He had meetings with Kathleen Kennedy and talked to Michael Ardnt.  He had discussions with them about what they wanted to do, and where they wanted to go.  And he saw the 40-50 page treatment that the new trilogy will follow.  The one that Ardnt wrote and is using as the template for his "Episode VII" script.  He apparently liked the direction they were heading.  So he said yes to the most scrutinized directing effort he will ever have.

He will have fans of both "Star Trek" and "Star Wars" watching his every move, his every decision, and his every word for the next two or three years.  And the fans of Trek will have factions that not only don't like this, but downright believe that this is a betrayal.  I can only imagine the next Comic-Con that Abrams shows up to will look like.  Remember also, the next D23 is this fall.  Can you imagine there won't be a strong Star Wars presence there?  It will, and I happen to believe that there will be a panel, or large section of the main Walt Disney Pictures panel that will focus just on Star Wars.  You better get your tickets now, and stand in line soon because it's going to be mind numbingly busy.

This will be the same type of panel/session as what happened last time with Marvel when Kevin Feige walked out.  With that in mind, expect to see Kathleen Kennedy show up on stage, and I would be surprised if she didn't introduce the director of the new film.  And I expect him to come out and talk how excited he is to be working on a childhood dream, and not reveal ANY information  about the film.  This is J.J. Ambrams, after all.  And we're all going to be living through his dream over the next couple of years.

Hopefully, that won't feel like a long, long time...

Monday, January 28, 2013

World Of Tomorrow...



And so the film keeps getting curiouser and curiouser...

Yeah, I know.  The grammatics of that sentence just don't work (or this one for that matter).  But it does describe the reaction and feelings to Brad Bird and Damon Lindelof's "1951" film.

Or as it's now known as: "Tomorrowland"

A little strange, isn't it?  I know that the Mouse was trying to see if they could come up with a film based on this famous land of Disneyland; recently, with The Rock connected to it, but this ain't it.  In fact, it doesn't revolve around that concept at all.

It appears that Lindelof came to Burbank with the unique pitch, and they signed off on him developing it.  He had mentioned it to Bird, who took a spark to it, and eventually Lindelof asked him if he'd like to direct it.  It's obviously a clever enough story for him to say yes, and commit to it as his next film.  Of course, that tells us nothing about it really.  Looks like we won't find out for sure till the holidays in 1952.

Oops, I mean 2014...

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Beck's End...

Get with the picture programs...






Well, this is it...

The season finale of "Tron: Uprising" is tonight at Midnight/11:00 Central if you want to see what may be the last episode.  Let the Mouse know what you think about this series.  Unless the ratings improve for this show it will likely not return for a second season on Disney XD.

And that would be sad, because it's way above most other animation out there.  So tune in if you like the program, programs.  The final episode of Tron: Uprising Season 1, Ep. 19 is called "Terminal," appropriately.

Let's just hope it's not prophetic...

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Jedi Abrams...

I'm really a Star Wars fan...









It's as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced...

Wow, now this is news I didn't expect to see. For those not aware, The Wrap is reporting that Kathleen Kennedy has chosen J. J. Abrams to direct the next Star Wars film.  The more important part is that he has apparently accepted the offer.  His mission, now that he's chosen to accept it, is to make us forget the Prequels.  And with a script by Michael Arndt that he's read and has mentioned he liked, that could be possible.

So now we have to wonder what the name of Episode VII will be?  Rise of the New Republic?  Rage of the Sith?  The Return of Organa?  I have a feeling we'll hear about that soon as well.  Exciting news to hear.

This film is shaping up to not be a reboot, but a rebirth...

UPDATE:

A day later and the Mouse and Lucasfilm have ponied up with the truth.  Here's the official press release:


STAR WARS IS BEING KICK-STARTED WITH DYNAMITE J.J. ABRAMS TO DIRECT STAR WARS: EPISODE VII 

After a bevy of emails and phone calls, the formalities have been wrapped up, and at long last everyone can exhale and properly share the word with an excited Internet. Yes, J.J. Abrams will direct Star Wars: Episode VII, the first of a new series of Star Wars films to come from Lucasfilm under the leadership of Kathleen Kennedy. Abrams will be directing and Academy Award-winning writer Michael Arndt will write the screenplay."It's very exciting to have J.J. aboard leading the charge as we set off to make a new Star Wars movie," said Kennedy. "J.J. is the perfect director to helm this. Beyond having such great instincts as a filmmaker, he has an intuitive understanding of this franchise. He understands the essence of the Star Warsexperience, and will bring that talent to create an unforgettable motion picture."George Lucas went on to say "I've consistently been impressed with J.J. as a filmmaker and storyteller." He's an ideal choice to direct the new Star Wars film and the legacy couldn't be in better hands.""To be a part of the next chapter of the Star Wars saga, to collaborate with Kathy Kennedy and this remarkable group of people, is an absolute honor," J.J. Abrams said. "I may be even more grateful to George Lucas now than I was as a kid."J.J., his longtime producing partner Bryan Burk, and Bad Robot are on board to produce along with Kathleen Kennedy under the Disney | Lucasfilm banner."Also consulting on the project are Lawrence Kasdan and Simon Kinberg. Kasdan has a long history with Lucasfilm, as screenwriter on The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Return of the Jedi. Kinberg was writer on Sherlock Holmes and Mr. and Mrs. Smith.Abrams and his production company Bad Robot have a proven track record of blockbuster movies that feature complex action, heartfelt drama, iconic heroes and fantastic production values with such credits as Star TrekSuper 8Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol, and this year's Star Trek Into Darkness. Abrams has worked with Lucasfilm's preeminent postproduction facilities, Industrial Light & Magic and Skywalker Sound, on all of the feature films he has directed, beginning with Mission: Impossible III. He also created or co-created such acclaimed television series as Felicity, Alias, Lost and Fringe.

Past Star Wars veterans, dating back to the classic trilogy, offered words of praise from their direct experience with Abrams: 
Visual Effects Supervisor Dennis Muren, ASC, whose credits include the original Star Wars trilogy as well as landmark films such as E.T. and Jurassic Park, also worked with Abrams on Super 8. "He puts everything he has into his work," said Muren. "He totally immerses himself. He's got such a visual eye, which is so important to the Star Wars films. It seems that a lot of the same things that were in George when he made the first Star Wars films are also in J.J. I think he's going to fit into the other movies perfectly, with the energy that J.J. has. We're kick-starting Star Wars again with dynamite. It will knock people out, including the people who get to work on it. I think it's a great choice." 
Ben Burtt, responsible for such iconic Star Wars sounds as Darth Vader's breathing, R2-D2's beeps and the classic lightsaber, has worked with Abrams as sound designer and sound editor on Star Trek and Super 8. "J.J represents the next generation of filmmakers from those that were making Star Wars when I started," said Ben Burtt. "When he was a teen, he was a fan of Star Wars, and a great deal of his love for movies came out of his reaction of that firstStar Wars film. You feel that he's already invested so many years in it, and he's going to propel it forward in a new way. In other words, you're having a fan who has grown up and developed tremendous directorial skills finding himself at the steering wheel to take the franchise into the next stage. I feel like I'm there watching history turn over from one era to another." 
Matthew Wood, who served as supervising sound editor on Super 8, similarly grew up as a Star Wars fan before working on the films through the prequels. "Working with him, it was so obvious to me that J.J. and I have the same nostalgic love of that era. Now we have someone from that generation who is going to be at the helm of the Star Wars franchise that I've known and worked on, so it's a great circle. Just seeing what he did with Super 8 and capturing those moments, and knowing what was so special about that era, it's going to speak to a new generation of audience as well."

ReflecTRONs...

Don't derez...








With the apparent end of Uprising, I thought we'd reflect on what it was and what could have been...

The world that they expanded on from "Tron: Legacy" was amazing.  The animation is some of the best I've seen on television, and the stories were surprisingly complex and well thought out.  Sadly, it wasn't enough.  And it seems that after a while, the Mouse got tired of promoting it, eventually relegating it to a late time slot when it wasn't expected to succeed, just wither and die like a vine with no sunlight.

Perhaps if the DVD/Blu-Ray sales are good enough, or the showings on Netflix and other places get enough viewers it could be brought back.  Not likely, but possible (ala: Family Guy).  Then there is the chance that maybe a straight-to-DVD film could be made?  Maybe a series of them even, so they could tie up the loose ends and flesh out the world some more?  It's Hollywood, anything could happen, nothing could happen.

Here is a cool montage of the show/series that you might find interesting.




The entire Comic-Con panel for the show from last year, or the sizzle reel if you just want to see that.



An interview the Hollywood Reporter did with Bruce Boxleitner.




And then there are all these interviews with the cast and crew.




Disney XD released the first episode, "Beck's Beginning" free for all to see last year, and it's pretty good if you haven't seen it.



And if you care to give it a try, there's always a petition you can sign to let the Suits know that you care.






But the Grid will survive, and in a couple years we may take another trip there...

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Back From The Dead...

A film about the dead, rising from development hell...


Or maybe it should read dead stop-motion, live-action...

The film version of Neil Gaiman's "The Graveyard Book" continues to move along in production at the Mouse.  Just not as a stop-motion film by Henry Selick anymore, but a live-action film directed by Ron Howard.  According to a scoop by The Hollywood Reporter, it appears that Howard is in talks to take the directing chair, and change the direction of the project as well.

I had always hoped that Henry Selick would try and do the project live-action, since they never actually said that it was a stop-motion film.  It was only his other film that was confirmed as a animated film.  It now appears that it will indeed be live-action, just not with Selick.  It's a loss to not get him to do this film, but hopefully Disney will find a project that they can both agree to work on.

For those of you that don't know, the book is a twist on Rudyard Kipling's "The Jungle Book" with the character being taken to a graveyard instead of a jungle and ghosts instead of wild animals taking care of the boy.  It's a very sweet story, told through a dark prism with an affirming take on what it is to be alive.  It won the Newberry Medal, the Hugo Award, the Carnegie Medal, and was nominated for several others.  It'll be a great tale for the screen if Howard gets a good screenwriter, and will be a classic Disney film when it comes out.

It appear this project about the dead is very much alive...

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Raiding, Honestly...

Da, da, da, da, da, da, da...




I like truth in advertising...

And truth is the most pure form of honesty.  The folks over at Screen Junkies have come up with a painfully honest trailer for the fourth outing of Henry Jones, Jr. that will have you rolling on the floor.  Well, at least it did for me.  It lets you know that it's time to pass the baton, and it shows why Lucasfilm should be in more reasoned hands now.

Now, let him ride off into the sunset like he did in the third film...

Monday, January 21, 2013

Dreams Are Good For Everyone...

If you dream, dream big... 


Lasting Impressions...

Know business, like no business..



Twenty-four years ago today the Walt Disney Company bought the assets of the Wrather Corporation...

The biggest asset that it had was the Disneyland Hotel, which most people didn't realize that it was owned by another company.  But there were other assets that the company had which were/are of important to the Mouse.

The land near Long Beach Harbor where the Queen Mary was docked, and the Spruce Goose was stored was owned by them.  And eventually, they were planned to be the home for the impressive "Port Disney Resort" that Disney was debating about building early in the 90's.  It was never built, but it did inspire the amazing Tokyo DisneySEA.

The character the Lone Ranger was also owned by the company, as well as the rights to the old "Lassie" television series.  Both were sold off to make up for the money Michael Eisner had to pay for the hotel.  The irony is that Walt Disney Pictures has had to pay five times what it got for the character to simply lease it.  Not one of the best decisions that Disney Suits made back in the early 90's.

But business is business, and time will tell what today's decisions mean for tomorrow...

Friday, January 18, 2013

Ten In Twelve...

The honor roll for last year...





It's that time of the year when I look back on 2012 in film...

There were a lot of films that I saw that didn't make the top ten.  Many were good, but didn't make it in to my list.  It doesn't mean they weren't good, or I didn't like them, but it's simply a matter of taste.  These are the films that reflect what I liked best.  I'm sure your list would be different because everyone has their own likes and dislikes.  Life is filled with variety and flavor, and it's great we all have the choices we do, and the freedom to actually choose our own desires.

So, without further ado...


10  Looper - Finally, a futuristic film that didn't try and rip off "Blade Runner" in its approach to the story.  Looper is a great twist on time travel, and originality with Joseph Gordon Levitt and Bruce Willis channeling the same character; one from the future and one from the far future.  A clever script, a interesting tale, and a compelling ending that wasn't all wrapped up in a bow.

 9 - The Grey - A harsh tale, centering on Liam Neeson and a band of survivors of a plane crash as they trudge through the wilderness looking for civilization.  I've never been so happy to have electricity.  It shows how primitive things can get when all that we have fails us.  All we have left is what makes us human to survive with.

 8  Argo - Watching the first ten minutes of this film make it seem like it was set in current times, with current conflicts.  But this film is shot like the wonderful 70's films like "All the Presidents Men" and "The Parallax View," even though it's a clean cut story of getting a group of Americans out of a very bad situation.  It shows you the messy bureaucracy that people have to go through, to get common sense done in a chaotic situation.  Ben Affleck shows his directing chops at their best with his third film behind the camera.  A gripping film that has you invest in all the characters and root for their escape from a bit of history that many have forgotten.

 7  The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - The first third of a massive nine hour film, really.  And since you know I love "The Lord of the Rings," I'm sure you'd think I like this.  And you would be right.  Even though the film has added scenes not in the book, the story feels great and expansive.  It takes almost an hour to get out of The Shire, but for those like me who love Middle-Earth, it's a wonderful chance to enjoy the world that Tolkien created.  While some were left frustrated with the open ended conclusion, I simple was frustrated at having to wait an entire year to see Smaug.

 6 - Zero Dark Thirty - A intriguing portrait of what it takes to find a monster.  The details of what it took to find Osama Bin Laden in what would be the biggest manhunt in human history is at once, both frustrating and fascinating.  It takes you to a very different place and shows you how, and why the murky shades of grey fall to one side or the other.  The last act as they descend on the compound in Pakistan is incredibly gripping with tension, even though we know the outcome.

 5   Django Unchained - It was as if Sergio Leone had made a comedy.  A bloody, bloody comedy.  Quentin Tarantino's revisionist/escapist take on the War of Northern Aggression is a funny, brutal twist on the spaghetti westerns of the 60's/70's that were so iconic in American film history.  The characters were all interesting, even when they were bad, really bad.  The tale of a slave taking revenge for the act that led to his people being put in chains was an interesting twist on the Western, or the Southern, as Tarantino would call his.

 4   Jack Reacher - Tom Cruise plays a character that looks nothing like him with a great amount of skill and believability.  I was skeptical when I heard that he had signed on to play the character of Jack Reacher, but will admit that there was no need to be.  It's a fine detective story of a man who was built to take and handle a whole lot of pain.  Reacher is a man that finds himself in some serious trouble, but it's usually trouble that he is looking for.  This film was like watching an old, late 60's/early 70's film with the very organic way it was handled.  A great through back to the kind of films that Steve McQueen used to do.  The car chase in it is very reminiscent of the one in "Bullitt" and Cruise gets kudos for doing most of the stunt work himself.

 3   Skyfall - A great Bond film.  Not as good as "Casino Royale" was, but darn good.  Daniel Craig shows why he's the best James Bond since the original here in this tale that actually delves into the past of 007, and shows us a bit of why he is who he is.  With a very muted ending that comes out as if it is something from the Seventies (like Jack Reacher), like "Get Carter" or "Point Blank" type films.   More license to kill, the better when in the capable hands of Sam Mendes and Craig.

 2   Marvel's The Avengers - Nothing like going to the theater for a Saturday matinee, even if it's not on a Saturday.  This big budget superhero film is a refreshing break from the bleak, dark and serious stories told by Hollywood today.  It didn't try and explain away the tights, it embraced them and had a grand time doing so.  I look forward to more of these adventures.

 1   Prometheus - A controversial film that many either loves or hated.  I was in the "loved" camp.  I found the correlation between our own history and the creation of our existence a fascinating story.  Finding out we didn't evolve from monkeys has never been so interesting to me.  Ridley Scott's return to a film that made his career is a grand tale, told by a master of film in a way that few films do today.  If you haven't seen it, please do.  If you have seen it, take a look at it again.  There is so much here to ponder.



Honorable Mention (In No Particular Order):

The Impossible

 The Amazing Spider-Man

Les Miserables

The Cabin In The Woods

John Carter 

The Raid: Redemption

Snow White and the Huntsman 

Wreck-It Ralph

Life of Pi

Flight

Cloud Atlas 

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

To Infinity And Beyond...

Gaming fail...

 The Mouse's most disappointing division is gaming...

The least profitable division after that one is the film studio, and it made a profit in the hundreds of millions.  But not the gaming division.  It suffered a very large loss, and it has been bleeding money over the past four or five years.  It's the one area that the Walt Disney Company hasn't got a grasp on.  Part of it has to do with gaming strategy, and part has to do with the companies that Disney purchased as it tried to buy its success.

That may have worked in film, but it hasn't in gaming.  Mainly, because the companies that it looked into getting weren't of the same caliber in games as Pixar, Marvel or Lucasfilm are in films.  Disney Interactive has been struggling to find a path to that elusive success.  One of the new directions that it's planning on heading is with a new strategy that is the focus point of a game called: "Disney Infinity" that comes out later this year.

It basically lets you blend into different worlds of the Disney empire (Pirates, Animation, etc.), and go on adventures that immerse you in those experiences.  There are plans to spread it out across multiple platforms, and numerous levels.  If you'd like to see what it'll look like, click here.  Of course, this doesn't address all, or most of what is wrong with the gaming division, but it could be a path to profit.  Not the only one, but one.

But Iger and his Suits need to take a look at what he could have bought, and buy them...

Monday, January 14, 2013

Uprising's Downfall…

Get on the Grid, watch now...


It looks like Beck's life on the grid may turn out to be a short one…

It appears that the ratings for the Disney XD show "Tron: Uprising" aren't nearly as strong as the Suits would like, and this series is on the verge of being canceled at the end of the season.  Not enough people are turning in to the shows toward a second season. That's kind of sad, because it's really quite good. The stories are interesting, characters are the kind you care for, and the animation is top notch, particularly for television show.

No decision has been made yet, but the artist working on the show appear to see the writing on the wall as well as some of the producers/directors of the show.  So unless a lot more people start paying attention the series, this tale will never be fulfilled, and we'll just have to wait and see if a legacy continues.

If you haven't seen the series, may I suggest you take a look at it. It's really quite fun, and something the creators of the show are quite proud of. I feel one the main problems is a long hiatus, erratic time slot and a lack of a cohesive advertising strategy across various platforms.  Disney's marketing started off marketing the show cleverly, but has since dropped the ball badly.

As for as for how this affects the green lighting of the sequel to the sequel, we don't yet know...

Seven Jedi...

Do or do not, there is no try... 












Breaking news here on the Star Wars News Network...

That's what it feels like lately with all the rumors and news that seems to show up.  I can't wait to see what happens when they announce the release date and director (likely this month).

But if you haven't heard, the Vulture is reporting that Zack Snyder wasn't exactly truthful when he said he wasn't interested in directing a Star Wars film.  What he meant was that he doesn't want to direct one of the "Episode" Star Wars films.  He wants to do one that is set apart, but in the same universe as the upcoming films that take place after Episode VI.

Snyder's developing a film set against a narrative based on Akira Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai" film.  A classic tale of seven masterless Samurai that protect a village from a band of raiders.  There has been an American film based on this film, called "The Magnificent Seven," which was set in the Wild West (ironic, because Kurosawa based his film on the American Wild West).  Apparently the film will not happen until after the release of Episode VII in 2015.

This is all in addition to the films that Lawrence Kasdan, and Simon Kinberg are working on.  This is in perspective with the two television shows, Clone Wars and Star Wars: Detours, plus ABC looking at the live-action series Lucasfilm has been developing make for a staggering amount of entertainment coming from this galaxy far, far away.  Hard to believe, but Star Wars is about to get much bigger.

But that's ok, it's a very big sand box...


UPDATE: Snyder has responded via a spokesperson to The Hollywood Reporter and he denies having any Star Wars projects on his future.  Not that Lucasfilm would be ready to say it was true, if it were.  

Time will tell...

Friday, January 11, 2013

A Fifth Trove Of Treasure...

There's a lot of booty where that came from...




 





You knew that it was coming...

When something is as successful as the Pirates franchise, a film studio isn't going to let it die.  And as long as they can make interesting stories into films I don't really mind.  That means that "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" offers a bit of an obstacle.  If we judge by the good story standard then that film should put a bullet in the tale of these pirates for eternity.  It was bad.  It was boring, it was bland, and felt like a relative that had stayed too long after the clock struck twelve on New Year's Eve.

I didn't think it was a great continuation of the Jack Sparrow character, and it was a waste of a villain as deliciously evil as should have been Blackbeard played by Ian McShane.  And Rob Marshall should not have been the director, nor should he be the one behind the camera in any future Pirate films.  He was simply the wrong man for the job, unless Walt Disney Pictures planned on making the film a musical, which they weren't.

So today we find out that the Mouse has hired a new screenwriter to take over from Terry Rossio and craft a new story with a fresh take.  For those of you that haven't heard, Variety is reporting that Jeff Nathanson has been hired to be that writer.  I don't know what to think yet about this because Nathanson has done some great work (Catch Me If You Can), but he's also did a lot of mediocre work (Rush Hour 2), and even some bad work (Speed 2, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull).

Now, time will tell if the drafts that made it up on the silver screen were actually his, or the result of a Frankenstein-like script process where many authors put in a clueless collection of their own words.  Sometimes the person to blame for something bad belongs to one man/woman, and sometimes the blame should be spread around.  When we see the results of his work on this we can then make a better judgement.

I'm hearing that Suits in Burbank want to do a Mission Impossible thing and bring in someone that can take over the franchise when Depp no longer wants to, or is just too old to be plundering.  The same way Jeremy Renner came into "Ghost Protocal" to be there for Tom Cruise to hand off the series once he's done.  Maybe that's why Nathanson was hired: to prepare for that day.  We'll know more as the year moves forward, but right now all we have is the name.

We'll have to wait till we see more of the map toward this new treasure...

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Lucastv...

This is only a test... 








The Mouse has created a monsters...

Star Wars all the time.  It seems to be in the news every other day, which is why we keep having stories about them.  This one seems logical, and makes sense based on the fact that Disney now owns Lucasfilm.

At an ABC Paul Lee president was asked about doing more Star Wars for the network.  While speaking in an article with Entertainment Weekly, he mentioned that he'd love to work with Lucasfilm more now that they're part of the Disney family.  But the quote that really stood out was that he/ABC were taking a look at the Star Wars television series that had been put on hold.

While it's not a guarantee that the show will be picked up by the network, it is a positive note on the long talked about series.  If they like the project, and can make the expensive budget work (reportedly 5 million an episode), then perhaps we'll see a green light for the project later this year.  That means if all the stars align then we could possibly see a Star Wars series by next fall.

Now, you must remember that this is Hollywood, and it's rare that such an alignment takes place at all, much less quickly.  But this is a property that most networks would kill to have access to.  Bob Iger talked about exploiting the Star Wars property across the many platforms the Walt Disney Company owns and this would be a golden opportunity to do so.  It's there for the taking if Lee can be convinced that the price is right.

And we must remember that it doesn't have to be the only thing they use.  It's up to Kathleen Kennedy and ABC to decide on sever other properties in the vast Lucasfilm library (not all of which are Star Wars).  Imagine another Saturday morning television show?  It could be an update of "Droids" or "Ewok" (god forbid).  A new Star Wars Holiday Special (not likely)?  How about solo adventures of Han Solo and ChewieClone Wars is likely to make it to Disney XD, or maybe even broadcasts on the Saturday morning schedule.  Perhaps a tale of new Jedi making their way through the galaxy?

And there are other properties the company could use that are more obscure, like "Willow" for instance.  What if they were to take that story, and hire some talented writer to take it and make a fantasy television show out of it?  A revision of it along the lines of what happened recently with "Battlestar Galactica" with Ron Moore (who just happens to have written one of those Star Wars episodes).  The possibilities are limitless.  Even an animated series on Indiana Jones could be an attractive possibility.

Another chance for me to get up on my soapbox...

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

New World Order...

The world is not enough... 



















Well that didn't take long...

Less than a week, actually.  So George Kalogridis is really going to the Florida Project.  Which is a very good thing for Florida.  It means the standards there will rise dramatically.  Hopefully he brings some of his own team and brushes away much of the deadwood that resides in the Team Disney Orlando building.

But I expect a lot from Walt Disney World now that he's in charge.  He's human, so I don't expect him to be able to move mountains.  It's a huge bureaucracy that he'll have to maneuver though, but he should be able to clear a lot of the obstacles and start having incremental, positive steps.  And each step forward is a good thing.

Now, as for Micheal Colglazier, I'm not of a particular opinion on him.  I don't know him as well, I haven't met him, and don't want to color it, casting a negative light on him before he's even gotten a chance to show us what he can/will do.  He was one of two people who I heard were up for this.  The other one, unfortunately couldn't get out of contractual obligations, and wasn't able to take the job.  Micheal is apparently well liked by the Cast Members at Animal Kingdom, and so far what I hear sounds like he's a talented and sociable suit.  Time will tell how he does as the head of the Disneyland Resort.

I know many people are upset about the "Avatar" reference that was applied to his name, but that truly came from higher-ups.  He had nothing to do with it other than endorsing it, which is about all he could do at the time.  DAK has been in kind of a frozen state over the past five years and he's been there, so the best that can be said is he didn't let it go downhill during his time there.  No astounding news or breakthroughs, no major challenges or surprises.  He seems to be a safe bet.

It'll be interesting to see if Stagg and Iger's bet pays off...

Twenty-Six Years Of Star Tourist...

I wanna go to Hoth... 














Twenty-six years ago today, Star Tours opened to the public at Disneyland...


For two and a half decades the Star Wars universe has been a part of the parks.  Today, many kids think of Darth Vader as much Disney as Mickey Mouse.  For decades guest have enjoyed being transported to that galaxy far, far away as if it were another adventure by the Mouse.

After the surprising announcement last October of the Walt Disney Company purchasing Lucasfilm, you can expect to see a lot more Star Wars in the parks.  From films, to television, to rides, to lands, to merchandising, there will be a lot more star touring.

And with any luck, someday an entire theme park...

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Left At The Ball...

Not a perfect fit...















The Mouse has a lot of planned adaptations of its animated material...

But the live-action version it's retelling of "Cinderella" has lost the director. Mark Romanek has left the film over "creative difference" it has been revealed.  It appears that those differences are the darkness of his vision to the tale of the girl with a lot of fairy connections.  As announced by Disney itself via the news breaking on Deadline:


The Walt Disney Studios and Mark Romanek have parted ways on Disney’s Cinderella project. We are committed to moving the project forward and have begun the search for a new director. The team here at Disney respects Mark as both a director and a friend, and we hope to find something to work on together in the future.

Apparently the hunt is already on for a director to take his replace.  The script by Chris Weitz and Aleen Brosh McKenna, with Cate Blanchett portraying the wicked stepmother.  A number of Hollywood starletts are still up for the starring role of the girl that just wants to go party.  With
Saoirse Ronan the leading contender.  It's doubtful that a lead will be chosen before a new director is hired.  The film is supposed to start production in the summer so time is short before the clock strikes midnight.

This is one of many live-action adaptations that Walt Disney Pictures has in various stages of development, most visibly the Sleeping Beauty reinterpretation: "Maleficent" starring Angelina Jolie.  More an more films appear to be coming from within the fairy tales that Disney has made, as well as a growing number of films and television projects based on theme park attractions.  The most prominant being the "Haunted Mansion" reboot written by Guillermo del Toro and Matthew Robbins, and produced by del Toro (if only he would direct it).

Hopefully that adaptation won't fall into the same development hell that the "Jungle Cruise" got stuck in...