Friday, August 30, 2013

Trusting The Brain...







The Lamp confirmed that Bob Peterson is no longer directing its next film...

I wonder what prompted them to speak up about it?  You woundn't know by the article, thanks LA Times, we can always count on you being classy.  Everyone here knows where it came from.  Still, the article had some revelations which weren't known yet about the evolving "The Good Dinosaur".

Like the fact that they haven't chosen a director to replace Bob with yet (he is an extremely talented and nice to a fault person, btw). It appears now that four of Pixar's "Brain Trust" will be in charge of various scenes, making sure that the picture has a cohesive direction while they search for someone to finish directing it.

From what I hear, there will likely be decisions soon as to who will take over the film's production.  Likely in the next two or so weeks. it is unknown as to who Lasseter will choose for certain, but odds are that Peter Sohn or Mark Andrews may get the go.  If not them, word is it could be an outsider.

Now, this isn't final, it's not written in stone. It's just the vibe the Bothans are getting from other Pixar employees as to who they are betting on in their Fantasy Film Maker Pool. And these are only a few rumblings I'm hearing.  Some speculation, I'm waiting for more info on.

Everything is still fluid in this situation.  It all depends on who John and Ed get a feel has the right handle on the scenes they 're working on.  So think of what is going in now as a test for the future director of the film.

Soon, we'll know who passed....

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Age Of Spader...





Pic: Sideshow Collectibles



Well so much for those rumors of Paul Bettany being the villain of A:AOU...

Unless he is the pre-Ultron voice, presuming the talk of Jarvis becoming the megalomaniacal robot are true.  I did like the idea of Bettany becoming the Vision.  That's almost inspired casting there.  We won't find out for sure till we get closer to lensing on the film commences.  But I digress.

So if you haven't heard, Ultron has been cast. James Spader will be the persona of the Marvel supervillain.  It's not specified if he's going to just voice the part or MoCap it ala Mark Ruffalo's performance as the Hulk.  Read the official press release below:

James Spader will face off against Earth’s Mightiest Heroes as the villain in Marvel’s "Avengers: Age of Ultron," the sequel to 2012’s record-breaking "Marvel’s The Avengers." The Emmy Award-winning actor will play Ultron in the Avengers’ much anticipated return to the big screen from writer/director Joss Whedon. The film comes to theaters on May 1, 2015.  
Spader earned three Emmy Awards for his role as Alan Shore on "Boston Legal" and "The Practice," and will return to television this fall in NBC’s highly anticipated series "The Blacklist." Most recently Spader was seen in the critically-acclaimed film "Lincoln" directed by Steven Spielberg and has previously worked with a long list of accomplished film directors including David Cronenberg, Curtis Hansen, Sidney Lumet, Mike Nichols, Tim Robbins, Robert Rodriguez, Steven Soderbergh, and Oliver Stone.  David Mamet also directed Spader in the Broadway play Race. 
"Avengers: Age of Ultron" will bring the Marvel Universe’s biggest heroes together again to face one of their biggest villains, with "Marvel's The Avengers" director Joss Whedon returning to write and direct the sequel.  "Marvel's The Avengers" was released in 2012 and went on to earn $1.5 billion worldwide, making it the third largest grossing movie of all time.


Now we all want to know who will play Thanos in "Avengers 3" in 2018...

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

The Dark Fairy's Brilliant Bard...








I've looked forward to seeing "Maleficent" from the moment I heard of it...

But now I am even more excited about the film, and the reason is simple.  It's not Angelina Jolie, it's not the director, Robert Stromberg, and it's not the writer, Linda Wooverton.  Ok, it's not the original writer.  It's the other writer that is attached to the film.


He's the reason this film could be great.  Not only is he responsible for the best animated series ever on television: "Batman: The Animated Series", but he's written some of the best animated series, comics and video games ever created.  

He is highly praised by fan geekdom, but not given near enough credit as a writer.  And as a writer he's known to write some very great stories that are about women.  Dini created the Joker's sidekick, Harley Quinn.  Some of his best episodes of BTAS involved female protagonist/characters.  He's a fountain of pop-culture that is perfect to take on this iconic Disney fairy.

Knowing that his prose is going to be on the pages these actors read is a huge benefit to the believability of this story.  Dini knows character.  Heck, he knows characters.  Not only comics, but cultural. He's able to handle the worlds of Star Wars, Batman, and yes, Disney.  The fact that he's handled diverse comic book characters like Poison Ivy, Barbara Gordon, Catwoman, to his own Jingle Belle, make him perfect for handling a Disney princess like Aurora or the Dark Fairy who cursed her.

Maybe if this does well they'll actually let him tell a story from the princesses point of view?  Perhaps John Lasseter would/could get him to help write one of Walt Disney Animation Studios' films?  And then hopefully someone will get Kathleen Kennedy to have him work on his/my, dream project:  "Indiana Jones the Animated Series".  He does want to do it after all.

If he runs into Kennedy on the Burbank Lot maybe they can strike up a conversation…

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Cultural Icon...




Joss Whedon is a writer with his finger on the pulse of modern culture...

In his interview last week with Entertaiment Weekly, he gave his thoughts extensively on many subjects. One of them was his problem with "The Empire Strikes Back" and it's ending.  I don't necessarily agree, but I understand his point.  Star Wars is modeled after a serial, Joss (Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers, Phantom Empire, etc.).  I know there are three years between chapters, buuuut.  Sigh.

Anyway, another story structural nemesis he had was with Indiana Jones.  Not the masterpiece that is "Raiders of the Lost Ark", but the flawed prequel that was "Temple of Doom".  Even though it's not the problem I have with the film, he makes a serious and compelling argument:


A movie has to be complete within itself; it can't just build off the first one or play variations.  You know that thing in Temple of Doom where they revisit the shooting trick?...  That's what you don't want.  And I feel that's what all of culture is becoming - it's becoming that moment.

What he seems we saying is that the originality that makes up the world, art, film, books is dissipating.  We are rehashing ourselves. We're making carbon copies of everything. There's no spark, no originality.  We're remaking movies that were only out a little more than a decade ago because our culture is so brand identified that suits believe we can't handle something original.

We're making remakes of remakes, And new books that tend to tell stories that seem to fall along tired, familiar lines we've seen before.  We're remaking classic television shows into new television shows, and old movies into new television shows. It is essentially the death of a new idea.

How much longer can society go on when all it does is repeat what it just did, and not grow and move forward?  At least that's what I take from his statement.  Our brains have the ability to come up with a unique idea that could be shown a thousand times, in a million different ways.  we shouldn't have to simply repeat everything.  Where will we be in another decade simply rehashing the ideas that came out last year?  Or last month?  Or even yesterday.

Of course, it could all be for naught. Societies change, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. Hopefully the idea drain that we are suffering through will not be a permanent one.  There is so much treasure to be found in the idea of originality.  There is no need to create what has already been created.  We don't have to chain ourselves to stories that loop over and over.  It is freedom to do something different, to be repetitive, continually trapped in the past doing what has been done forever is to relinquish free will.  And that is to be a slave.  A slave to dead culture.

And a dead culture is only for the dead, not the living…

Doo Over...





As much as I love the Mouse, the Bunny has a lot of love to offer...

Putting aside the fact that I'm a DC Guy (while loving all things Disney), not a Marvel Guy, there are many properties they own that I love.  And just like Disney, Warner has a great deal of IP that it has acquired.  While the Walt Disney Company has bought everything from Pixar, Marvel and Lucasfilm, Warner Bros. bought DC Comics in the 70's and through other mergers took control of major parts of my childhood.

One in particular would be Hanna-Barbera.

Most people today think of Batman as Warner, as well as the Flinstones or Johnny Quest (my fav HB property, btw) as always being a Warner Bros. property.  One of the most beloved of all HB series was Scooby-Doo (my second fav).  Kids today that pay attention wouldn't know the difference, but when I grew up it was HB that owned them.  And owned Saturday mornings across America.

Kids today might be more familiar with the "Scooby-Doo" 2002 film and the "Scooby-Doo: Monsters Unleashed" 2004 sequel.  Those films, particularly the first were decent although half-hearted attempts at bringing to life these beloved animated characters.  The law of dismissing returns after the second film put the brakes on what could have been a trilogy.  There have many animated series and animated films based in the characters, including the latest series, "Scooby-Doo: Mystery Incorporated".  That one was a high point over many of its predecessors.

But old characters never die.  Not when suits can take something proven and offers less risk.  Now, Warner Bros. has decided to move forward with an animated feature of the famous Great Dane and his beatnick crew.  The medium which it'll be animated in isn't known yet.  Several have speculated that it will be computer animated, although it wasn't clear if it would be CG or hand drawn from Variety's article.  Personally it would suit me to see it hand drawn styled like the classic 1969 "Scooby Doo, Where Are You?" series with more detail and higher quality. Everything doesn't have to have a 3D dimensional look to be good.  It needs a good writer with a strong story/script.

Which will it be?  Will the writers and producers try to achieve a film that pays homage to the original while moving forward for new audiences?  Will they hire the right director?  What animation division inside Warner will animate it?

That sounds like a mystery that the gang can try and solve...

Monday, August 26, 2013

Not Extinct, But Evolving... (Exclusive)









The animation business can be a very chaotic experience...

The Lamp has had many films in production that would either shut down (Newt) because of similarity to another project (Rio), or drastically changed (Ratatouille) to make the release date. Word from my Bothans is that there is another having such difficulties.  It's not a good thing, but it is a normal, yet chaotic process.  Which film?

The Good Dinosaur.

The producer and director of the film had been removed, but the film is not as of yet in turnaround. John Lasseter has reportedly taken Bob Peterson off the film, and is attempting to still meet the 2014 release date.

This will not be an easy task, but they're hopeful that another director will be able to bring the project back in to better focus as the story wasn't coming together.  The meteor that killed the dinosaurs hasn't yet destroyed this film, but it has put it in jeopardy.

Developing...

A Better Tomorrow...







We now have a clearer idea of what Brad Bird's "Tomorrowland" will be...

With an official press release from Disney about the beginning of shooting in Vancouver, a new synopsis has been released.  It gives a much more expansive description of what the film will be, while still shrouding the story in enough mystery to make everyone wonder what Bird and Lindelof have in store for us.  Here is the release;

DISNEY’S “TOMORROWLAND” BEGINS FILMING IN VANCOUVER
STARRING ACADEMY AWARD® WINNER GEORGE CLOONEY, HUGH LAURIE, BRITT ROBERTSON, RAFFEY CASSIDY AND THOMAS ROBINSON
 
Burbank, Calif. (Aug. 26, 2013) —Principal photography has begun on Disney’s mystery adventure “Tomorrowland,” starring two-time Academy AwardÃ’ winner George Clooney (“Michael Clayton,” “Syriana”), Hugh Laurie (“Monsters vs. Aliens,” “Arthur Christmas”), Britt Robertson (“Under The Dome”), Raffey Cassidy (“Dark Shadows,” “Snow White and the Huntsman”) and Thomas Robinson (“The Switch”). 
The film is directed, produced and co-written by two-time Oscar® winner Brad Bird (“Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol,” “The Incredibles”). Damon Lindelof (“Star Trek Into Darkness,” “Prometheus”) and Jeffrey Chernov (“Star Trek,” “Star Trek Into Darkness,” “Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol”) are also producers. The screenplay is written by Brad Bird and Damon Lindelof from a story by Lindelof & Jeff Jensen and Brad Bird. 
Jeff Jensen and John Walker (“The Incredibles”) will executive produce with Bernard Bellew (“Les Misérables,” “28 Weeks Later”) and Tom Peitzman, VFX producer (“Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol,” “Alice in Wonderland”) serving as co-producers. 
Bound by a shared destiny, a bright, optimistic teen bursting with scientific curiosity and a former boy-genius inventor jaded by disillusionment embark on a danger-filled mission to unearth the secrets of an enigmatic place somewhere in time and space that exists in their collective memory as “Tomorrowland.”   
Bird has gathered a great team behind the lens with Oscar® winning director of photography Claudio Miranda (“Life of Pi,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”), production designer Scott Chambliss (“Star Trek,” “Star Trek Into Darkness,” “Cowboys & Aliens”), Oscar® nominated costume designer Jeffrey Kurland (“Inception,” “Ocean’s Eleven”) and Academy Award®-winning editor Walter Murch (“The English Patient,” “Cold Mountain”). 
“Tomorrowland” will be released through Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures on December 12, 2014.


The trailer for this is going to be so welcome...

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Agents Of Zeppo...









The most highly anticipated show this season has to be the "Agents of Shield" series...

Debuting on the Alphabet Network next month, the show based on the human exploits in a world filled with superheroes is the most high profile live-action series announced by any network this year.  At least any broadcast network.  Not to mention that it's from Whedon and takes place in the MCU.

Whedon did an extensive interview with Entertainment Weekly and discussed a laundry list of opinions, not all based on Marvel.  When describing the show, the director tonally said AOS is the series version of a famous "Buffy: The Vampire Slayer" episode:

The Zeppo.

If you're a fan of the cult series then you get a visage of what to expect.  In a world where these heroes take all the oxygen, others have to breath.  The world goes on,  people's lives continue.  Humanity is left to pick up the pieces and the show is about how normal people (that look remarkably pretty) deal with the repercussions a society after we come to terms with the existence of super powered underweared people.  Both good and bad versions of these beings.

Plus, being discribed as an "X-Files like model" by Jeb Whedon is a good thing also.  No shame in that kind of comparison.  Normal people investigating the abnormal parts of the life around us.  Watching this season develope will be interesting.  Joss Whedon's shows tend to get better as the seasons go on, like aged wine or cheese.  Here's hoping the show has a long, long run.

No more "Firefly" fates please...

Validating Tales...







Another piece of the Disney Animation falls into place...

Those of you that read last month's post "Clear Road Ahead" where we exclusively revealed the upcoming slate of WDAS for the next five years.  Other sites link to our post, but strangely disappeared within a day.  now, the guys over at Bleeding Cool have posted a lot more detail about a project we told you about.

I can verify that much of what they report is true according to Bothans.  The project began when Nathan Greno pitched the idea to Lasseter around the time he was working on co-directing "Zootopia" with Byron Howard.  The creatives decided that they were both capable of directing on their own on differing projects.

Check out their article for the details.  I had promised my Bothans to not reveal too much, but now that it's out there it's fair game.  It'll be a great film if it makes it out based on what I've seen.

I wish I could say the same for Dean Wellins' project...

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

A 90 Year Journey...






The Disney Brothers Cartoon Studios has come a long way...

When Walt and Roy formed their company nine decades ago, I don't think they had any idea what the company they formed would look like today.  I'm sure they would be surprised to find that their studio which would turn into Walt Disney Productions and finally became known as the Walt Disney Company wound up being the largest entertainment company in the world.

Certainly, all of Walt Disney's contemporaries wouldn't have believed it.  From Jack Warner to Darryl F. Zanuck, none of the old Hollywood moguls would have thought that a guy that made little cartoon shorts would ever be on equal footing with them.  Remember when Walt made the leap from shorts to full length features with "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs"?  The disaster that they thought would happen.  No one will set through a hour+ long cartoon.

Disney's Folly.

That's what they called it before it was released.  The night of the premiere when the crowd gave it  such an enthusiastic response didn't even make the suits across town to ponder it much.  Even though it went on to be the number one film at the box office in 1937.  It certainly was no folly.

The money that Walt Disney made from that film bought the land in Burbank where he built the new studios that the company has called home for sixty years.  And with the land, he and Roy built sound stages.  His goals became bigger, and after World War 2, he had a lot of cash in England that he couldn't get out because of tax policy, so he used it as an opportunity.  He made some live-action films.  And they were classic Disney, particularly "Treasure Island".

And he took chances that the moguls didn't expect.  He attempted things that if had failed would have ended the company.  His production of "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea" was an expensive gamble that, if it failed would have destroyed his dream of a family park that was to open the following year.  If it failed, he most likely would have had to sell it and maybe even the studio.  But he didn't have to, it was a huge success.  And that park was supposed to be another project doomed to fail.

Not that he didn't fail from time to time.  But he succeeded when it counted. And his rivals misread him.  They underestimated him.  They didn't believe in him or his dreams.  And although all studios in this storybook land are built on dreams,  the base of the Walt Disney Company are built on the dreams of one man. A man that started off with big ideas, a pad of paper and a worn out pencil.  Oh, and a mouse.

Can't forget about that Mouse...

Monday, August 19, 2013

The Other Disney Fairies...






It looks like the Mouse is going to give Tinker Bell a few siblings...

It's been rumored that Lucasfilm Animation was working on a fairy film for a few years, but of late the talk around the water coolers have virtually vanished.  No one has heard anything in the past couple of years about the project.  Some have thought the film was dead or had sadly been put into turnaround.

That appears now to not be the case.  Kathleen Kennedy has been busy behind the scene doing more than just Star Wars apparently.  In addition to working with J.J. Abrams on "Episode VII", she's also determined to make sure Lucasfilm isn't known only for Luke Skywalker and that far off galaxy he lives in.

It seems once one door closes, another opens.

Once the production of Pixar's "Newt" was shut down a couple years ago, its director found himself ready to make a film that was no longer there because of similarities to a competing film.  Luckily for him, when Kathleen Kennedy took the top job at Lucasfilm, she went through the inventory of projects in development at Skywalker Ranch and saw potential in the musical about fairies that had been languishing in development for the past few years.  She realized it needed a new direction and a director to take it there.  Right place, right time.  Gary Rydstrom found himself being asked to helm the film, and before you know it, Brenda Chapman was brought in to help focus on the story structure (she's known for strong characters, particularly female characters).

Don't expect to hear much about the film right at this moment, but there'll probably be more focus on it, as well as a possible announcement of it next year, should the creative process not hit anymore speed bumps before then.  It'll be nice to see some of the creativity of George's company expanding beyond its most famous piece.  There are several other properties the division owns that could still make amazing entertainment for years or decades to come.

Like a particular Archeologist's animated adventures...

Thursday, August 15, 2013

The New Emperor...








Take it with a huge grain of space smuggler's salt, but...

There is a rumor going throughout the Internet that J.J. Abrams is going to be much more involved in the lives if the Skywalkers than previously suspected.

It's a trap!

Well, possibly but it's a geeky rumor that could have lasting affects if true.  The news comes from Stat Wars Episode 7 News via Comic Book Movie and as of right now is just a new hope.  Yes, I went there.

So what is this news?

That J.J. Abrams could wind up being the Galactic Overlord, the creative advisor of all things Star Wars.  In a sense, what Joss Whedon is to Marvel, J.J. would be to Star Wars.  And not just the films, but television, books, comics, video games, merchandise, and Internet.  A position he doesn't hold in that other science fiction series he's trekking across.

What's this effect would have on his producing capacity over at Paramount, no one knows.  But it seems highly unlikely that he would have a very deep integral position with that franchise after the next film in the series.  Which is fine by me, were he to retain power over Wars and Trek it would be a little too much cross pollinating fot myself. now that's been proven you can go on without the original Kirk and Spock, finding another director/producer to take control of the series shouldn't be that difficult. Although I'm sure the fans will definitely weigh in on this.

But Abrams taking control of the creative aspects of the Star Wars universe, while allowing Kathleen Kennedy to retain the managerial part would be a fine set up for most Star Wars fans, I believe.  The Mouse has set up its divisions with strong executives to keep production going strong for years.

Alan Horn has Sean Bailey working on Walt Disney live action, over at animation he has Ed Catmull handling the business side and John Lasseter handling the creative.  At Marvel he has Kevin Feige doing the business side and Joss Whedon on the creative side.  And if this is true, Kennedy in charge of day to day management, while J.J. Keeps the Star Wars Universe turning.  After Episode VII, he'll probably step back into a producer role.  Like he did with "Mission: Impossible 3" when he stepped aside and let Brad Bird direct the next one.

Yes, I went there...

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Another Bear For The Mouse...







The Walt Disney Company loves bears...

From Winnie the Pooh, Humphrey the Bear, Duffy to Brother Bear, the company has had lots of these furry creatures.  Now with Disneynature, the environmental division of the studio has added another one: "Bears" with the release of the new trailer.

I've always been a fan of the True-Life adventure series, and remember fondly sitting in front of the television watching it on The Wonderful World of Disney.  When Dick Cook launched this label a few years ago I was happy to see the continuation of a long, valued tradition.  And I look forward to more of these films.  How about one dealing with a school of clown fish?

But how about giving Humphrey a new short...

Episode Dux...











The Prequels were not the high point in the Star Wars universe...

"The Phantom Menace" was a highly anticipated film that wound up being a devastatingly bad start to a trip back into the Star Wars galaxy.  Many people have speculated about what went wrong and what could have been fixed and countless what if's.  One of the best Episode One "what if's" was by Belated Media.

Well, they're back with a continuation of those "what if's" on Episode Two, and just like their first one, they're spot on again.  It would have been great if a Suit or someone with his ear had the same taste as that guy.  And the bigger obstacle: getting George to listen.  The films we deserved, we might have actually seen.

Now, we dream and wait for their interpretation on Episode Three...

Monday, August 12, 2013

The Mechanics Of Cars…








Pixar has had a long running streak of sucess in animation...

For most of its slate, the Lamp has not only had financial hits, but critical hits as well.  Out of these films the low bar by many is considered the "Cars" film series (yes, there will be more films from the inhabitants of Ornament Valley).  And even though the film is one of the least loved by animation fans, it's still a much better film than ninety-percent of everything out there.

There have been many critics of these films, but the one thing that can't be argued is the success of it among sales of merchandise.  It falls just behind the mouse and bear in terms of earnings.  There are a lot of fans out there of anthropomorphic metal creations.  And there are also a lot of people that hit a logical roadblock there as well.

A lot of people had this problem with the first film, and the second, and even the new DisneyToon Studios spinoff, "Planes" which opened this weekend.   Take the review of that film by Capone over at Ain't It Cool, or Drew McWeeny's review of the film over at Motion Captured.  There is a common thread of confusion or detachment from the ability to suspend disbelief in a world of talking vehicles.  While the Transformers get a pass, the cars, planes, trains and ships get no such break.

It all comes down to the question of where the humans are?  Or where did they go?  This is the psychological pothole in the road that has some people hitting the brakes on enjoying what happens next.  Well, I'm here to put an end to this question.  I'm here to tell you where the humans are in the world of Cars.  Or to put it more precisely, I'm going to define what humans are in this world/reality.

Humans are the souls of these cars.  The souls are the drivers, the conscience of the automobile.

That is why you don't see them, yet the cars seem to function as a repository for them.  We are watching the world through their experiences and that is reason they're not visible.  Souls can't be seen, but they're there.  What you see in the personality of the vehicles, is reflective of the human that owns it. The experiences you see are from the unliving objects point of view based on the guidance of the driver, the soul.

When you see Mater interacting with Lightning or Sally, you're getting a look into the unseen soul of the driver of that car, or plane.  The actions that they do are the result of the decisions of the soul.  He/she is the one that puts his/her foot on the gas and he/she is the one that decides the destination and makes the decisions.  When the wheels move, the heart follows.  The driver takes you on the journey.  So the next time you watch one of those films, imagine the souls guiding the action of the events that unfold.  Think about your soul: the one you know you have, but isn't really visible to the naked eye.  It's the driver of your actions, the lead foot on the gas pedal of your choices.  Even though it's not tangible to you, you know it's there.

Just like the unseen driver that is the soul in each piece of metal that rolls down the street chasing tractors for fun...

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Bird Watching...










So those rumors of J.J. Abrams leaving "Episode VII" circling about...

Alan Horn put an end to them at D23 Expo 2013 yesterday, unless he's not in the loop with the director.  Which I have to say is unlikely.  So, with JJ moving full steam ahead directing the latest episode, one has to wonder if they are moving ahead planning for who will direct the next one.  It is unlikely that Abrams will direct the rest of the series as it will keep him occupied for the rest of the decade were he to do so.  As much as a fan as he is, I don't expect him to want to be tied exclusively to nothing but Star Wars for that long a time.  I mean, look at what it has done to George.

So the question becomes who will direct Episode VIII?  My response would be the person I wanted to direct Episode VII.

Brad Bird.

Now I know it's early, but Kathleen Kennedy isn't going to want to wait too long before looking ahead to who will helm the franchise after the next film.  Unlike the original trilogy, or even the Prequel's where there were three years between each film, this new one will have a film out every other year.  This will mean that by the time EP7 is in post, they will have to be preparing the next film already.  Not long after the film is released they will be very close to starting production on the next one.  That is how tight the schedule will be.

And many like myself were hoping that Bird would get the nod, but as he has talked about in interviews, the director is too busy with his current project: "Tomorrowland".  That film comes out next year, and he will just so happen to be looking for his next project.  Hello luck, meet opportunity.  I hope that Horn and Kennedy are being proactive and focusing on the great chance they have here.  He's ripe for the picking.  Imagine the continuation of the new trilogy under his command?

It could be "The Empire Strikes Back" of this Postquel...

Friday, August 9, 2013

Big Six...















Anonymous 


So after "Frozen" comes out the Mouse moves in a very different direction...

And today at the D23 Expo guest got a tease of how different that would be with the news about "Big Hero 6".  Unfortunately, I wasn't able to be there this year. I have the real world pressing me so I had to make other plans. But luckily, I've seen what everyone else saw today.  And if you look around the web, you've noticed a reaction from people that have seen the clips and the concept art.  It is definitely Disney, but it is also different.

I've known about this for a while (I mean, what did you think Blue Sky meant when we said Don Hall was directing a marvelous film?), but they finally revealed the list of characters that are going to be in the film. And they're mostly from the second volume of the comic book, not the original comic. Keep in mind that these are adaptations of those characters, and they aren't exactly the same as the ones in the comics.  Don Hall wanted characters that weren't as well formed in the minds of comic book fans so that he could play with the characters more. He didn't want fans screaming at him that you didn't include this or you changed that.  So if you've read the comic, you'll enjoy the movie, but it will not exactly be the same.

Here are the list of characters in the film.  For those that know, and don't know:



Hiro Hamada  - Based on the comic character Hiro Takachiho, a brilliant teen with computer skills far beyond his age.

Baymax - The character is basically the same as the comic, he's almost like a robotic best friend, and is largely like the character in the comic, slightly Disneyfied.

Go Go - Known in the comic as GoGo Tomago, she is the bad girl of the group; the one with attitude and reflecting as an outsider in the group.  In the film she's a bike messenger.

Wasabi No Ginger - An assassin chef that is an expert knife thrower, think Bullseye if he were a cook.

Honey Lemon - She is the possible love interest for Hiro in the film, a chemist that he has a slight crush on.

Fred - Known in the comic as Fredzilla, he has the ability to transform into monstrous creature, thus explaining the name.  In the film he is a comic book geek.



A little note, if you watched the atmosphere teaser that came out a while ago, if you look inside the trolley going down the streets you can see Hiro's inside.  Just a little detail that you didn't know and might like.

And just wait until you see the first trailer…

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Tommorow, Today..









This is a very important week for film fans...

It marks the start of filming of another Brad Bird film.  And I always say that any time that that man is making a film it's a momentous occasion.  Each work of his is a joy to behold. A little jewel, a cinematic treasure really, given to us to enjoy for two hours that allow us to step away from the world that is into a world That could/would be.  From his first, best film "The Iron Giant", to his stepping into live-action with the thrill filled fun of "Mission: Impossible-Ghost Protocol", Bird has never not amazed me.

This marks the first week of shooting of "Tomorrowland", a new film from Walt Disney Pictures, directed by Brad Bird from a script that Damon Lindelof co-wrote based on his own idea.  I expect nothing short of greatness from this film.  I've never been disappointed by his work, and I don't expect to be by this one.  Even with all the hype amd mystery that has surrounded it, I still have lofty expectations for this film.  With his amazing list of actors in it including George Clooney, Hugh Laurie and others, I look forward to an amazing experience.  And with each passing day, I expect us to get snippets of the supersecret story as more spy pictures come in and more details emerge.

I have to wonder how much, if any will be shot at Disneyland in Tomorrowland?  Or perhaps it will just be a metaphor for something very Disneyesque?  Bird is an accomplished and skilled storyteller who knows structure like very few directors do, much less screenwriters do. So if Lindelof's script piqued his interest, then it'll definitely peak mine.  If I were Alan Horn, I'd sign him up to an exclusive agreement for years so that every work of art he made had the Magic Kingdom's castle in front of it.

If the Bunny can have a Governor, then the Mouse should have a Bird

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Star Wars 3 Battlefronts...









Yes, I know many were disappointed that Battlefront 3 won't be out till 2015…

And from what I hear it will look pretty impressive. But a little news to tide you over till then that just might make you a little happier, that game isn't the only one that Electronic Arts has planned for you.

In fact, they have a couple more plan for you.

They won't be released anytime soon, and they are in an embryonic stage at this time, but there are a total of three games in development at the gaming studio.  The plans are evolving and nothing is set in stone of course, but there are other games already on the fast track. one of them is a space action shooter, and you can guess what that would be about, and the other is currently being developed as a online role playing game.  Neither game is a continuation of any former series, at least as of right now.

So in addition to DICE's Battlefront game, two other development teams are fast at work to give you even more fun with the Force.  Well the details are scarce right now, but plans are for one of these titles to be released early 2016, or late 2016.  That could change, as videogame releases tend to be quite mercurial.  At this time neither game is definitively scheduled to be released before the other, but they are both actively being worked on by game planners and Suits at Lucasfilm.

Yes, even Kathleen Kennedy is providing input on some of these titles.  And I've heard that there is talk of the screenwriters helping out with suggestions as well.  It is unknown right now if J.J. Abrams will have any input, but with his micromanaging of all things Bad Robot it is likely.

It appears that the Force will be with us a lot more than just on the battlefront…