Free Of The Mountain...

Famed Archaeologist freed from unknown red tape...

Been keeping an eye on things even though I haven't posted lately.  I said I'd try to do a few posts before Blue Sky goes quite for a while.  This story is enough to make my fingers reach for the keyboard.  I'm sure you've heard the news, and if you haven't why are you reading this?

When The Walt Disney Company bought Lucasfilm last year, it was primarily for the Star Wars franchise. But George Lucas' company has many other valuable properties, but none more valuable besides Luke Skywalker than the Man in the Hat.  Many people thought that the Mouse would not do anything with the iconic character because of entanglement of distribution rights that belong, not to it but to Paramount Pictures.

Sure, Disney owned the character, but to distribute it they had to go through the original studio that Lucas and Spielberg partnered with back in 1979.  This all comes from a deal that then Paramount executive Michael Eisner made with the two wunderkind storytellers.  Many people thought that Iger and the Mouse Suits around him wouldn't want to deal with the hassle of the previous contracts and hoops the studio would have to jump through.

It appears now that they/we were wrong.

According to Variety today, the Walt Disney Studios has negotiated an agreement with Paramount Pictures where the new owner has distribution rights to all new films related to the classic adventure. Paramount does retain distribution rights to the original four films, and will receive a percentage of the profits from any new films of this valuable franchise.

Although this doesn't mean that Walt Disney Pictures has a Indiana Jones film in the pipeline, it does clear the way for one. And with Harrison Ford's interest in playing the character again it looks like the green light could soon be given, if it hasn't already been.  Hopefully they will play this smart and hire the right people for it. No more space aliens even if it fits the 1950s Red Scare time period.  I would immediately get Lawrence Kasdan to brainstorm ideas with Kathleen Kennedy and George Lucas over the coming months.

Once a great idea is approved, hire someone who is capable of creating great screenplays like Mark Protosevich or the hot flavor-of-the-month Simon Kinberg.  Any film that they make would likely be Ford's last adventure as the character since he is 72 years old and I can't imagine him in a sixth film because it would probably involve a wheelchair.  Let's face it, if there's an Indy VI then the MacGuffin will have to search for him instead of the other way around.

I'm sure after that Disney will want to continue such a valuable creation, but it leaves me fearful of the character's future. Sure, I would love to see an Indiana Jones Animated Series, or maybe an Indiana Jones animated film. But Harrison Ford IS Indiana Jones. Just like he IS Han Solo.  It's hard to imagine anyone with his form of masculinity playing those characters. Then again, I guess it would be hard for some to have pictured anyone taking over James Bond from Sean Connery, but someone did. Many, many times.

It might just be my soft spot for the portrayal he created in the character that sprang forth from his performance, but I have trouble imagining a future reboot/reinterpretation of the whip carrying, pistol packing, hat wearing archaeologist from America.  It could happen, and it likely will. But it won't be the hero from the past, his, yours or mine.  Sometimes it's hard to let go of things, even when you know it's right.  People, characters, and events seem to attach themselves to your heart and create a bond that is hard to separate.

Like the red tape Doctor Jones just was set free from...

Obi-yashi Maru...

Ok, so J.J. Abrams "Star Trek" sequel has been released over the weekend...

And just like J.J., I've always been a Star Wars fan.  I enjoyed Star Trek, but never to the point where it compared to the passionate love I had for Star Wars.  Luke Skywalker and Han Solo were always more interesting that Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock to me.  Lightsabers and blasters were more fun than phasers and communicators when playing with my friends.  Of the films, I was very fond of  "Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan" than any other Trek film.  But overall, I was never as in to the worlds of the Federation than the worlds of the Galactic Empire.

J.J. Abrams felt this way too.  To be fair, he said "he didn't get Star Trek", which I don't agree with.  I got it. I just didn't get into it as much as normal Trek fans.  And when Abrams finally took on the job of rebooting the franchise, I think to get it, he had to be able to relate to it more like his love of Star Wars.  At its most basic core, Star Trek is science fiction and Star Wars is science fantasy.  Trek is owes a lot more to "2001" and Star Wars owes a lot more to "John Carter of Mars" and "Flash Gordon".  Gene Roddenberry's show was pitched as a western in space, but it's more of a field trip, while George Lucas' film feels like an adventure.

And when Abrams made the first Star Trek film he seemed to be injecting some of that.  No matter how he has tried to explain the differences in all his interviews during his publicity for the film, it feels that this is what he's subconsciously done.  Which bodes well for "Episode VII", but that's another story.  And there are many Trek fans that simply don't like what he's done.  He's departed from the core of what they enjoy about the series/films.  The closest Star Wars film to Trek is "The Phantom Menace" because it's a film that has more analytically droning on in political exposition than action.  It only becomes a Star Wars film in the end during the battle with Darth Maul.

But the new films are filled with adventure and pure spectacle.  There are a lot of people that will go into the theater that will leave upset.  Some for reasons of continuity with the original films/series, but several may come out shaking their heads at the number of unanswered questions as to how events in the films could/should have happened.  I found "Star Trek: Into Darkness" to be an absolutely entertaining film, but a much different Star Trek film than hardcore fans will be used to.  And one that some fans will hate because it departs so much from the mythology they've grown up with.  It takes to warp speed and jettisons the original canon in favor of a clean slate.  No stories are sacred here.  And Trekkers and Trekkies have a Star Wars fan at the helm.

J.J. seems to have thrown out the curiosity of the original in favor of the thrills of the reboot.  And for most people in those theaters it'll be enough.  Most may not have been born early enough to see the originals or next generation.  Many of them may have not even seen the original cast.  They may only know them from the vague pictures they've seen in magazines or the shuffle of films in their Netflix cue.

This Star Trek, unlike the ones before, has finally gone far, far away...

Mission Statements...

     
   
 

          

Tom Cruise is building momentum for a fifth Mission: Impossible film...

While it was thought that Christopher McQuarrie would write and direct the film, another writer has been hired.  Drew Pearce ("Iron Man 3", "Pacific Rim") has been hired to pen the script for the next outing.  McQuarrie is still in talks to direct the film, but it's not known if he'll share the writing duties.

Given his pedigree it's likely he might still be involved in the script.  Pearce was initially the sole screenwriter on Iron Man 3 and Shane Black was hired as just the director.  But being a writer it was impossible to keep Black from coming in and doing some typing.  In the end he shared writer credit with Drew.  The same could happen with this next mission if Christopher wants to put his imprint on the page.

Nothing is impossible...

A3Dventure Is Coming...

Yes, I know Blue Sky mentioned this a while ago...

And we got a lot of serious flack from people saying it was just fanboi rumors and masturbatory dreams, but it wasn't and isn't still.  See, the only way what I said wasn't true, would be if the Lucasfilm Suit that told it to my Bothan was lying to his face.  And this particular Bothan I know very well, and would trust with my life.  He's in the know.  And the Suit I'm talking about is high up, not an underling.  So when Lucasfilm started issuing parsely worded statements, and then outright denial, they're not exactly telling you the truth.  You see, it's not a lie, if they haven't actually done it yet.  Read between the actual words when you hear their press releases.

The powers-that-be wouldn't want to announce it right now anyway, but that doesn't mean it's not in the planning.  The only thing that will stop this from happening is if the box office from the next few Star Wars 3D conversions turn out to be disappointing.  Now, Episode I wasn't a box office bonanza, but remember the film isn't exactly beloved by my most fans.  As each release comes out we'll be able to get a better reaction to the audiences' warming up to the conversions.  I'd think that Sith, Hope, and Empire will get a bigger slice of the box office pie when they come out.  Should they not, the guys in Burbank/Marin County might start having doubts, but second thoughts aren't in the cards right now.

If Kathleen Kennedy and her Lucasfilm Suits get cold feet then the Raiders conversion may be shelved, but as of a couple weeks ago it was still in the planning.  So adventure in the third dimension is up ahead.

It's just not around the corner yet...

A Themed World...

News of paramount importance... 

Walt Disney had it right when he created Disneyland...

It wasn't that people just wanted a collection of cheap thrills to stimulate the senses, it was that they wanted it structured, and filled with a narrative: a theme.  A purpose.  It took a while for others to catch on to this concept, but for the past few decades the idea of theme parks has exploded.  Disney had it correct from the beginning though.  What better way to have a theme park than build it around stories that people already know?  Movies.  The visual medium has a built in brand awareness.  A film studio is a factory churning out these stories, these dreams.  A dream factory, if you will.

Now, it's taken a while for other studios, (Universal was the only other studio to "get" it) but the Suits at the rest of the Hollywood entertainment companies have moved to compete in this area.  Not only do we have Universal expanding their brand all throughout the world, but Warner Bros. is licensing their properties to them (a mistake, if you ask me), Dreamworks Animation is doing the same, and now Paramount Pictures is starting to mine their properties.

Of course the deal is for an international park, the United Kingdom, specifically.  The famed studio is partnering with the London Resort Co. Holdings to turn 872-acres on Swanscombe Peninsula in Kent into a European destination to rival Disneyland Paris.  And at a cost of $3.2 billion, it might look quite pretty depending on what the theming looks like, as well as the properties they choose.  I can see a "Mission: Impossible" attraction, but properties like "Transformers" and "G.I. Joe" are owned by Hasbro, and we know that the films they distributed like "Iron Man" and "Captain America" are now owned by, uhm, someone else.

The deal looks similar to the agreement that Disney has with the Oriental Land Company.  It looks like the London Resort Co. Holdings will be the one making the decisions with Paramount getting a percentage of the earnings from the gate, merchandise and food.  Let's hope that they hire brilliant designers to create this park.  Possibly some brilliant, former Imagineers?

It'll be interesting to see what takes shape when this opens in 2018...

Out Of The Past, Into The Future...

Red, white and blue turning into green...







So Marvel Studios has released the new poster and trailer for the First Avenger...

Actually, that's the only think I can say negative about this. The reliance on using that tag line is all I don't like about this. The poster is great, although I would like to see one with him wearing his mask. But the poster with its washed out color is a throw back to those propaganda posters you would have seen during World War 2.

And that trailer? Don't get me started. This only validates my reasons for this being my number one movie to see this summer. It looks great, authentic and is getting great reviews from those that have screened it.

Counting down the days...

A Paramount Ending...

Make mine Marvel...



Interesting, but not too surprising news...

The Walt Disney Studios has bought out the remaining pictures that Paramount Pictures were supposed to distribute after 2011. Mighty Marvel will be in the free and clear come 2012, at least in terms of the characters that were or will be launched under the original agreement. Translation: "Thor" and "Captain America" will be Paramount's last films and "Avengers" in 2012 and "Iron Man 3" in 2013 will be under the Marvel Studios banner and distributed and marketed by the Mouse.

It's not likely that the deals with Fox or Columbia will be affected, as those would be far more expensive to resolve. That said, this makes you wonder if the theme park deals with Universal Studios could come to a similar resolution? Maybe Iger will make a deal to pay for the retheming/design of the Spider-Man attraction? Slowly, as the years pass most if not all the agreements and deals will expire or be bought out. By the end of this decade most outside sources of Marvel entertainment will disappear and by the beginning of the next decade nearly everything done with these underwear clad money makers will be done under Disney.

And the growing lads and testosterone filled tots will never know a time when Spider-Man, Hulk and the rest of the Super-Heroes/Villains were not Disney characters...

March Of The Runaways...

Run, run, run, runaway...



Everyone is wondering what the first film under a Disney/Touchstone banner would be...

With Marvel Studios agreement with Paramount Pictures, the next five films are supposed to be distributed by them. The fourth film in that list will be "Avengers," but it's not yet known what the fifth, and final film in that pact will be. Many thought that it would be "Iron Man 3," but I don't believe that will be the next one after Earth's Mightiest Heroes. With all the films in production, it's looking like the "Runaways" will be that fifth title. Unless there is something in the agreement they made that specified a third Iron Man would be part of the deal, it looks like this title could be the one. Because of all that is in development, this film is the closest to filming. Production Weekly recently tweeted that the film will begin production in March (after originally saying it would start in January).

It's going to be interesting to see what the last Paramount project is and the first Disney project turns out to be. Either way, come 2012/13 we will see the turnover of most of Marvel's production. Anything beyond that will be under the Mouse. Of course, we're not talking about Spider-Man, Ghost Rider (Sony), X-Men/Wolverine and Deadpool spin offs, Fantastic Four (Fox). Everything beyond these will be part of the Mouse's slate. Fox and Sony are scrambling to get films made, even ones that weren't big hits, because they don't want to lose the rights to these potentially lucrative franchises. Disney will hold them to the letter of the contract and the rival studios know that. The second those rights lapse you can expect the Disney/Marvel Suits to be in a planning session on how to integrate these characters into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Looking ahead, boldly going forward...

Company Men...

Men in tights are all the rage in Tinsel Town right now...

There's a nice article in the Los Angeles Times about Marvel Studios and the new relationship with the Walt Disney Company now that the Mouse owns them. Interesting read.

Give it a glance...

Impossible Bird...

If you haven't heard the news, Brad Bird is now signed for MI4...

Tom Cruise sorta, kinda admitted that the deal is done and Bird is ready to film the sequel to Cruise's popular franchise. I know that Brad is hoping this will convince the Suits at Warner to pony up the cash for his "1906" film. Once he's showed that he can handle a big budget actioner and it make money they'll feel more comfortable with him handling a $200 million dollar film, which is what that historical epic would have cost.

Thankfully, they've moved the release date to December 16, 2011. Which gives the genius that the "Incredibles" director much more time to craft the film's expensive/complex action scenes, instead of rushing them to meet impossible May release date. That was a year away and would have been increasingly difficult to accomplish. Even for Bird. More time, better film... hopefully.

Of course, my dream would be once this film is done, the Warner Suits actually have Nolan talk to him about directing that "Man of Steel" movie that they're developing.

But hey, that's just me...

Avengers Assembled...

Avengers Go... Go!

Well, we finally know what the final Avengers cast is going to be now that the final piece is in place...

This was going to be posted last week, but things happen. And then the antibiotics kicked in. Really, I think 2012 is going to be a great year for film in general and Disney in particular. Why not Marvel? Well, it will be good for them as well, but even though "Avengers" is being distributed by Paramount, you can bet that the Mouse is rooting for them, because the Walt Disney Company/Walt Disney Pictures is going to be the one to truly benefit in the long run. Why can that be you might be wondering? Well, most (not all) of those actors are signed to multiple deals and presuming the film is a huge hit then you can expect a sequel(s). When a second adventure comes out with these fellas in tights you can bet that it's going to be under a Disney moniker, or a Touchstone one.

And that year is going to produce some interesting and exciting films that audiences are going to be drawn to. Andrew Stanton's highly awaited live-action directorial debut of "John Carter of Mars" will finally be seen. We may even get a "Superman" film depending on how fast things progress (although 2013 is the likelier result). Unless it's delayed again we can expect to see "The Lone Ranger" with his Indian sidekick Tonto Depp also. Sony will have their "Spider-Man 4" reboot, based on Ultimate Spider-Man that summer. A new "Star Trek" feature will be beaming into theaters about this time. A return journey to Middle Earth should be halfway through as the second part of "The Hobbit" gets released (presuming the sale of MGM doesn't delay production, of course). The Ron Howard/Tom Hanks "The Lost Symbol" should be boring audiences, I'm sorry, I meant boring me, by then as well. Should luck drop on us like a ton of bricks or perhaps a giant rolling ball, we may get a fifth Indiana Jones film (possibly in a wheel chair this time). The Bryan Singer produced "X-Men: First Class" will likely come out the year before so we could possibly have "X-Men 4" this year as an added bonus. Oh, and Walt Disney Animation Studios will have a picture out that year as well, and it won't feature a princess from all the pitches I've been hearing that Lasseter and Ed and Co. have been taking.

Several other films are still being determined, but you can see from this partial list that this will be a big, big year for film. Even though Disney won't be part of several of these films, they will profit from them since the characters starring in them are owned by them. I'm sure Bob Iger will ultimately want these films to fall under his own studio, but he seems more than willing to wait them out in a decade long game of patience. But for many pop culture geeks/comic book nerds/sci-fi devotees, "Avengers" will be numero uno.

So the Mouse will be rooting for a film that isn't even under it's studio to be a great hit for that summer. Because a giant blockbuster for Paramount in 2012 means an even more anticipated sequel under Disney in 2014/15. So 2012 can't get here any sooner for the Burbank Suits at Walt Disney Pictures and their long term plans.

There goes that year again...

More Shell Games...

The new "Iron Man 2" trailer is out and it looks awesome...

Take a peek and count the days. This film will be huge.

Did I mention it was awesome?

Oh yeah, I did.

I Am Iron Man, Again...

The trailer for "Iron Man 2" has finally landed on the Net and in glorious QuickTime no doubt...

Check it out and then go online and order those tickets now. You really don't want to be the guy that has that nasty "Sold Out" sign come up in front of you as you get to the teller, do you?

Downey Jr. is the man, man...

Iron Man x2...

I am Iron Man...

Duh, duh, duh, duh, duh...



Duh, duh, duh, duh, duh...

They've released a new teaser poster for "Iron Man 2" today...

Pretty cool finally getting to see War Machine, ain't it?

Same Make, New Model...

Brought to you by a grant from the Stark Corporation...


The new issue of Empire is something worth getting if you're into Marvel superheroes that wear cool armor...

Nice looking new outfit for Shellhead, huh? Looking forward to this almost as much as Bob Iger is looking for that distribution deal with Paramount to end.

2012 can't come any sooner..

What? Are You Casting Me!?

Well now, this is turning into one interesting super hero film...

The casting of two more stars has quietly leaked out and it's another surprising pair. Not exactly who you'd expect to see with someone wearing their underwear on the outside of their clothes.

Robert De Niro and Jude Law have joined the cast of Kenneth Branagh's upcoming Marvel feature. The German edition of Gentlemen's Quarterly seems to be giving us the scoop.

I'm trying to imagine what parts these guys are playing. This certainly ain't the script I read a couple years ago. I just hope with all that talent this interpretation is as good as the one I read. I look forward to the interesting events that unfold around this film.

It looks like this slowly becoming the "it" comic book adaptation...

Hat Tip to Ain't It Cool News.

Lovely...

Hauntingly beautiful...

Too bad this isn't the first film under the Mouse's agreement to distribute Spielberg's Studios theatrical releases...

Peter Jackson's first small film since "The Lord of the Rings" comes out in December. Based on the best selling book, "The Lovely Bones," this film tells the story of a girl examining the lives of her family and her killer after being murdered and haunting search for justice that follows. The book is a mesmerizing read and Jackson is a perfect director to translate this material. Not so much for his Rings work, but because the subject is along the lines of his "Heavenly Creatures" film he did before reaching star status with the fantasy trilogy. This will be a great film and this is a great trailer. Be sure and check it out.

The deal with DreamWorks doesn't begin until next year, and sadly, it starts with a remake of a film that doesn't need to be remade: "Harvey." It doesn't need to be touched. The last thing Spielberg adapted was "A Guy Named Joe" which he turned into the forgettable "Always."

Now "The Lovely Bones" is a dream that works...

A Lost Secret Agent For The Mouse...

I'll have a Martini like the gentleman over there with the broad.



Sometimes things are unlikely to happen and then sometimes they are...

And then there are times when the improbable becomes not only possible, but reality. And in Hollywood reality is something rarely seen. Remember all that talk about Disney getting a distribution deal with DreamWorks? How it was in the running for it along with Steven Spielberg's old home Universal Studios? And naturally Universal won out... but then didn't. At the last moment the deal fell through and the Mouse was there to take on a roll that was thought impossible.

Here is another such case. Just as improbable, but possible. I've been a fan of the old Dean Martin "Matt Helm" films since I was a kid. Sure, they're cheesy, guilty pleasures, but in a world filled with the negativity we find rampant, it was a refreshingly silly break from the environment outside your window. Good was good and bad was bad. And when it was all over there was a fresh martini to drink and a beautiful woman to love. Of course, the Matt Helm of those films bears almost no resemblance to the one you find in Donald Hamilton's novels. No one has ever really explored what an adventure with the real Helm would be like. Variety is reporting that Spielberg is interested in turning that into a reality. Until a year or so ago we got word that DreamWorks had hired Paul Attanasio to do a rewrite on a new film version of the American spy. It has now been confirmed that Spielberg will produce the project. Were he to direct it, he and his DW partners would likely co-produce the film with Disney. The Helm project is one of many that Paramount Pictures retained ownership of in the divorce between the two companies last year. Spielberg and company would have to convince the studio to give up a hefty percentage of the production, something not likely unless Paramount finds themselves in a severe cash crunch. So, with Sony having James Bond, Universal has Jason Bourne and Disney could have had Matt Helm. And they may still have.

Remember, this is Hollywood and things can change on a dime. After all, that Universal deal with DreamWorks is doing swell, ain't it?

Developing...

Oh No, International Joe...

Vanilla! Did someone order vanilla? I got yer vanilla here...

The Final Frontier For The First Time...

Man, there are a lot of trailers being released right now...

If you plan on boldly going where no Roddenberry has gone before then click here to be beamed up, thanks to Latino Review.

Hey, I'm a doctor Jim! Not a comedian...