Must Watch: New Featurette For ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY!

Wow. This featurette (a must watch) really nails it home for me - ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY is looking extremely good.

The visuals are amazing, the message that director Gareth Edwards is emphasizing is bang-on, and I am a sucker for behind the scenes shots. I'm looking forward to some original material being exploited in the STAR WARS universe.

"It’s a style that is unlike any other Star Wars movie," Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy said. She recounted seeing director Gareth Edwards, camera on his shoulder, testing shots guerilla-style as a sign that this movie would be different. "I think that’s what’s so amazing about his style," she said. "This is going to be an incredibly immersive experience when you see Rogue One."

Director Gareth Edwards recounted traveling to New York for the voiceover session with Skywalker Sound’s Matthew Wood. When Jones delivered the line, “POWER,” Edwards summed up their reactions succinctly. "We looked at each other and had nerdgasms."

Yes. James Earl Jones returns as the voice of Darth Vader. You can't get any better than that! One of cinema's greatest villains (if not the best) will be back in all his glory.

Enjoy the featurette!!



ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY opens on December 16!!

New BTS Video And The New Extended Trailer For AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON

Take a look at the new extended trailer for Joss Whedon's AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON which features some new shots AND a cool 2 minute Behind The Scenes (BTS) video of the massive production.

I'm really looking forward to seeing the production value in this thing. There's nothing like a huge budget movie delivering the goods on the screen and with the confidence that Marvel has with it's franchise pedigrees I can see ULTRON topping the original both critically and financially.

Here's the storyline for the movie:
Marvel Studios presents AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON, the epic follow-up to the biggest Super Hero movie of all time. When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye, are put to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. As the villainous Ultron emerges, it is up to The Avengers to stop him from enacting his terrible plans, and soon uneasy alliances and unexpected action pave the way for an epic and unique global adventure.

Marvel’s AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON stars Robert Downey Jr., who returns as Iron Man, along with Chris Evans as Captain America, Chris Hemsworth as Thor and Mark Ruffalo as The Hulk. Together with Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow and Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, and with the additional support of Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Cobie Smulders as Agent Maria Hill, the team must reassemble to defeat James Spader as Ultron, a terrifying technological villain hell-bent on human extinction. Along the way, they confront two mysterious and powerful newcomers, Wanda Maximoff, played by Elizabeth Olsen, and Pietro Maximoff, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and meet an old friend in a new form when Paul Bettany becomes Vision.

Written and directed by Joss Whedon and produced by Kevin Feige, Marvel’s AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series “The Avengers,” first published in 1963. Louis D’Esposito, Alan Fine, Victoria Alonso, Jeremy Latcham, Patricia Whitcher, Stan Lee and Jon Favreau serve as executive producers.

AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON is due to hit theaters on May 1, 2015.

Post by Tony Stark Sincero.
 

Via /Film

HOBBIT: DESOLATION OF SMAUG LIVE EVENT

Hey all, Tim here with some thoughts on what I got to see today from THE HOBBIT: DESOLATION OF SMAUG Live Event Preview that happened at 3 PM EST. The Live Event was hosted by Peter Jackson for about an hour, and it included some a sneak peek of the film plus some behind the scenes. For those of you who were unable to catch the event it will was recorded and will be rebroadcast for you to watch at your own leisure starting March 27^th and will be available until May 24^th as the fine text says "Content may not be available after 5/24/13."

What did we see? Well in case there are those of you out there who want to remain spoiler free I will put the spoilerish stuff up in a block that you'll have to highlight in order to read. However, for the non-spoilerish stuff here are my thoughts and some interesting information divulged in during the event:
It started with Peter Jackson and James Nesbitt giving a tour of their post-production facility, including the mo-cap room, editing rooms, and the concept art on the walls. Jackson took questions sent in ahead of time via Twitter, with some video questions that were required to be submitted by March 19^th, and answered some live questions coming off Twitter. A lot of Behind the Scenes footage was shown from the film, and with that some incomplete shots right out of the editing room. These shots gave us our first looks at some new characters in the film including Luke Evans (Bard), Evangeline Lilly (Tauriel), Stephen Fry (Master of Laketown), and the returning character Legolas played by Orlando Bloom. There was also a special guest appearance by Stephen Colbert, who asked Peter a question regarding the movie. Peter in return had a question for him. Jackson showed a bit of the editing process by showing multiple takes of Martin Freeman (Bilbo) delivering a line. He showed which takes they chose in an edited sequence, which included a neat intro to Bard.
Now for the spoiler stuff. Highlight the white block below to read:

SPOILERS... There was a full scene shown between Gandalf (Ian McKellan) and Radagast (Sylvester McCoy) where they investigate the tombs of Dol Godur. It starts with Gandalf investigating by himself and then jumping at the appearance of Radagast. They converse for a bit as we see the expense of the tombs. This would have been a scene in the first movie before it was moved to the second with the decision to have three movies.

Some of the BTS footage that showed possible spoiler stuff was exchanges between Legolas and his father Thanduil (Lee Pace), Tauriel and Legolas fighting orcs, the barrel riding scenes, Bard running around Laketown, etc. There was a lot of footage that went by fast and require a second watching. However, Laketown and the Elven Kingdom of Mirkwood should be great sets. We also saw a small bit of Bilbo in the Lonely Mountain wading through mounds of gold... but no Smaug.

END SPOILERS. Breath easy, and relax. Jackson revealed that we can expect a trailer in the Summer. I know that seems so far away, but it's so that they can complete effects shots.

And that was the special live event preview held by Jackson and team. If you didn't get a chance to see it, and aren't afraid of spoilers, I suggest you check it out when it hits the public web on the 27^th. THE HOBBIT: DESOLATION OF SMAUG hits theaters December 13, 2013!

New Trailer For One Direction's ID3D Concert - Documentary

One Direction has taken off in only one direction - straight up. Naturally it makes sense that they would follow in the footsteps of Justin Bieber and Katy Perry and release a 3D movie featuring some behind the scenes footage as well as on stage.

But it's not just any documentary. It is being helmed by Morgan Spurlock (SUPERSIZE ME) so you can expect some interesting stories, surprises and above all entertainment. My daughter will definitely be looking forward to seeing this!

ID3D opens on August 30. More when I get it...

Hobbit Featurette: The Making Of The Trolls And The Giant Cavern Of The Goblin King! Friday Numbers Are In!

Take a look at this very cool featurette of how Peter Jackson's creative geniuses have crafted the very realistic trolls and Goblin King Caverns in THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY.

I thought the scenes mentioned in this featurette were among the best of the movie and certainly bears the time it takes to watch this thing.

My review of THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY is coming later today (Sunday) so stay tuned.

World wide reaction to the movie has been amazingly good: Friday totals are in at $37.5 million pointing at a $100 million weekend - easily a new record. A $200 million worldwide tally is certainly possible as well by Monday morning!

So here's the featurette! Enjoy!!

MUST WATCH: New Production Video From Peter Jackson For THE HOBBIT - Post Production!!

Well here's another must watch production video from Peter Jackson for THE HOBBIT. Needless to say when these things drop, it's something you ignore everything else for and enjoy.

This video is all about the post production mayhem that Jackson and his team is going through to get THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY ready for us in December.

Here's the movie's storyline:
THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY follows title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, which was long ago conquered by the dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior Thorin Oakenshield. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers. Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain, first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever… Gollum. Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths of guile and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum’s “precious” ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities… A simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know.

THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY opens on December 14.

Hit the jump to watch the production video...

One Direction And Morgan Spurlock Team Up For New Behind The Scenes 3D Movie: 1D3D

First of all, my daughter is going to LOVE this news. She simply adores this band along with all of her friends. Morgan Spurlock will be helming 1D3D, a behind the scenes 3D movie of the phenomenon known as  One Direction. They're a boy band out of the UK and they have been burning up the charts of late with hits such as LIVE WHILE WE'RE YOUNG.

TriStar will be releasing the movie on August 30, 2013.

Here's the press release (emphasis is mine):

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony Pictures announced today that it's making a 3D film showcasing London-based global music sensation One Direction. Acclaimed documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me) will direct the film, which TriStar Pictures will release on August 30, 2013 (Labor Day weekend).

"This is an incredible opportunity and an amazing moment in time for the band," said director/producer Spurlock. "To capture this journey and share it with audiences around the world will be an epic undertaking that I am proud to be a part of."

Simon Cowell said, "I'm delighted we're making this film and Morgan is the perfect person to give that access-all-areas, behind-the-scenes look into what it's like to be One Direction today. What the band have achieved is incredible, they and their fans have made history around the world – this is for them."

Spurlock emerged in 2004 with his Academy Award®-nominated feature Super Size Me, in which he subjected himself to eating only at McDonald's for 30 days. He has since gone on to produce other acclaimed documentary features such as Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?, The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, and Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope, as well as non-fiction TV series including FX's30 Days and CNN's upcoming Inside Man. He was nominated for an Emmy Award and Writers Guild Award in 2010 for the Fox TV Special The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special: In 3-D! On Ice!

One Direction – Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson – were discovered by Simon Cowell on the U.K.'s "The X Factor" in 2010. The band quickly gained a following to become one of the competition's all-time most popular acts, finishing in the final three and garnering a gigantic and loyal fanbase along the way. In March 2012, One Direction's debut album, "Up All Night," made U.S. history, as it was the first time a U.K. group's debut album entered the U.S. Billboard 200 chart at No. 1. The band has sold over 13 million records worldwide. Today, One Direction released their sophomore album, "Take Me Home," which includes the No. 1 single, "Live While We're Young."

Morgan Spurlock, Ben Winston, Simon Cowell, and Adam Milano will produce the film. Executive Producers will be Richard Griffiths, Harry Magee, Will Bloomfield, Matthew Galkin, Jeremy Chilnick and Doug Merrifield. Hannah Minghella, President of Production for Columbia Pictures, and Lauren Abrahams, Vice President of Production for Columbia Pictures, will oversee production for the studio.

Follow @1D3Dmovie on Twitter for exclusive updates about the movie. The official movie account on Twitter will announce news using the hashtag #1D3Dmovie.

About Sony Pictures:
Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution; television production and distribution; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; a global channel network; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of entertainment in 159 countries. For additional information, go to http://www.sonypictures.com/

I will be sure to keep you updated on this movie just as I'm sure my daughter will keep ME updated :-) More soon...

Peter Jackson's Final Production Diary Brings It Home - THE HOBBIT Is On It's Way...

Click to enlarge

Here's your chance to watch something and then have a silly smile planted on your face for at least a few hours! Honestly, Peter Jackson has created his own signature method of marketing a movie (two in this case) that at once underscores the need to go see it and at the same time minimizes the need for on set employees to feel as though they must share the magic they are creating.

Look, directors (let alone directors shooting back to back tentpoles movies) are busy enough. For Jackson to care enough about his product and audience to do this for us is remarkable.

3ality Technica Rig Housing Red Epic Cameras In 3D Config

In an amazing twist that kept creeping into my mind, I was feeling quite moved at the end of this eighth and final production diary (there will be more post-production diaries), quite moved indeed - and yet we still have the movies to look forward to! For me anyway, this is perfect marketing. This is how you make a classic movie in today's world. 

With that out of the way, I won't spoil anything for you in the diary. You WILL be able to see some brief footage of what was made available to audiences at Comic-Con this year - although nothing too earth shattering, so I think it's ok to watch it.

And a shout out to Jackson's team on these movies: WELL DONE! You know who you are and there certainly are far too many to list, but without you the magic just wouldn't be there. Congratulations on the wrap. Next up? All those creative talents in post-production! Time to pick up the ball and run with it like few others can...

Here is the storyline for the first movie, THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY:
From Academy Award-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson comes "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," the first of two films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece “The Hobbit,” by J.R.R. Tolkien. The second film will be “The Hobbit: There and Back Again.”

Click to enlarge

Both films are set in Middle-earth 60 years before “The Lord of the Rings,” which Jackson and his filmmaking team brought to the big screen in the blockbuster trilogy that culminated with the Oscar®-winning “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.”

The adventure follows the journey of title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakenshield. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers.

Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever…Gollum. Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths of guile and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum’s “precious” ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities … A simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know.

Ian McKellen returns as Gandalf the Grey, the character he played in “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, and Martin Freeman in the central role of Bilbo Baggins. Also reprising their roles from “The Lord of the Rings” movies are: Cate Blanchett as Galadriel; Ian Holm as the elder Bilbo; Christopher Lee as Saruman; Hugo Weaving as Elrond; Elijah Wood as Frodo; Orlando Bloom as Legolas; and Andy Serkis as Gollum.

Have a watch!

THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY opens this December 19. I can't believe it's almost time!

MUST WATCH: Behind The Scenes Of Sam Raimi's OZ: THE GREAT AND POWERFUL - Plus 3D Production Workflow Info!

3ality Technica Rigs With Red Epic Cameras

Ready for a fresh take on THE WIZARD OF OZ? I am. Well it's really a prequel. Moreover, it looks like Sam Raimi's going to deliver with some new perspectives on the famous characters. Plus, there is no singing and dancing - well very little according to Mila Kunis. In fact, due to licensing restrictions Disney has had to avoid some connections to the original movie, but that could turn out to be a blessing in disguise. I don't have any real interest in a total remake of the first Oz.

Click to enlarge

One of the cool things about the movie is that it's being shot in native 3D using Red Epics and 3ality Technica's 3D rigs. If you're interested in a technical and in-depth review of the workflow involved with OZ: THE GREAT AND POWERFUL, check out this great read found on 695 Quarterly.

James Franco's Oz takes on three witches played by the aforementioned Mila Kunis joined by Rachel Weisz and Michelle Williams.

Says Franco: "This Oz is a little different. You get to see a lot more of who this Oz is. The search for (his heart) is one of the main themes of this movie."

Stereoscopic Monitoring Setup

Here's the movie's official storyline:
Disney’s fantastical adventure “Oz The Great and Powerful,” directed by Sam Raimi, imagines the origins of L. Frank Baum’s beloved character, the Wizard of Oz. When Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he’s hit the jackpot—fame and fortune are his for the taking—that is until he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone’s been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity—and even a bit of wizardry—Oscar transforms himself not only into the great and powerful Wizard of Oz but into a better man as well. When small-time magician Oscar Diggs (James Franco) pulls one flimflam too many, he finds himself hurled into the fantastical Land of Oz where he must somehow transform himself into the great and powerful Wizard—and just maybe into a better man as well.

I would think that Disney will be revealing more OZ during Comic-Con this week - we'll see. 

OZ: THE GREAT AND POWERFUL opens on March 8, 2013. Click here for all of our coverage of the movie. Click here for the movie's official site.

Check out the behind the scenes ET video:



Original Clip Source: IndieWire
 

Behind The Scenes Clip From Pixar's DAY AND NIGHT

Here is a behind the scenes (BTS) look at Pixar's wonderful new short DAY & NIGHT which will be entertaining you prior to TOY STORY 3 on June 18.

You have got to love the culture at Pixar and how they cultivate new talent. This is easily one of my favorite shorts from them - I won't give away the ending but if you pay attention to the storyboard visuals during the BTS you get a feeling of where it is going.

Trust me, you are really going to enjoy TOY STORY 3. Having seen it at ShoWest, I can safely vouch for it. Heck I even went into the screening with trepidation as I was getting bored of the franchise. I was wrong. TOY STORY 3 pushes all the right buttons.

Enjoy the BTS scenes:

Jon M. Chu Needs YOU: Call For 1000 Extras For STEP UP 3-D

Jim here. Live in New York City? Like behind the scenes dancing action? Then email su3worldjam@gmail.com right away for your chance at getting to be one of 1000 audience members for the big dance fight finale of STEP UP 3-D this week.

First come, first served. Must be over 18. You will get more details if you get a reply from the production. Here is Chu personally asking for the extras:






These kids can DANCE. Damn. It'll be great to see them do their thing in 3D!

EXCLUSIVE: Bloody New Spy Photos From The Set Of Alexandre Aja's PIRANHA 3-D

Jim here guys. Got some recent exclusive photos from the set of Alexandre Aja's PIRANHA 3-D sent to me and of course you are the first to know! :-)

Click on images to zoom.

Here is what my source had to say about the photos: "These were taken with a cell phone, security was pretty tight. There is a great one with a half body laying on an overturned boat. You'll see the boats covered with blood, and a couple good pics of the hydraulic sound stage."

I don't think there are any spoilers in these photos to speak of, so have fun taking a look! Again, I love seeing behind the scenes (BTS) photos and set shots - gives me a really good feeling for the quality of the production and of course with Aja at the helm it is going to be awesome. Bloody awesome.

The top photo is obviously with someone missing a lower appendage no doubt bitten off in some gruesome fashion! The next photos are of the bloody decks of boats used in the movie. Finally we have some shots of the Soundstage complete with boats sinking and BTS hydraulics used in the movie. Seeing these scenes in 3D is going to be wicked.

I am super stoked for this movie guys. I am definitely an Aja fan and that could color how I am viewing this project, but heck - it looks good. And a blast to be on this production! Wish I was there! Just how much blood do you think Aja is using in this? :-)