First Look: Warner Bros YOGI BEAR!!

Gotta love it! This movie looks to be done just the way I had imagined it and seems to be capturing the pure fun and enjoyment of the original TV animation.

Click to enlarge.

Eric Brevig (JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH) is directing in NATIVE 3D. Next up for him will be the Korean War epic 17 DAYS OF WINTER.

Mark my words, this movie is going to do serious business. Of course kids are going to want to watch it, but it will also bring in all those baby boomers who grew up on the picnic basket pilfering bear.

Here's the storyline:
Jellystone Park has been losing business, so greedy Mayor Brown decides to shut it down and sell the land. That means families will no longer be able to experience the natural beauty of the outdoors — and, even worse, Yogi and Boo Boo will be tossed out of the only home they’ve ever known. Faced with his biggest challenge ever, Yogi must prove that he really is “smarter than the average bear” as he and Boo Boo join forces with their old nemesis Ranger Smith to find a way to save Jellystone Park from closing forever.

Voices by Dan Aykroyd, Justin Timberlake, Anna Faris, TJ Miller, Tom Cavanagh, and Andrew Daly.

YOGI BEAR hits theaters December 17!

Just pure fun. We need more of that! More when I get it...

Brendan Fraser Not Returning To The Center Of The Earth?

Brendan Fraser may not be making that trip after all. According to Deadline, Fraser is closer to leaving JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH 2 than returning, as the project will be going forward with a different director than Fraser would prefer. Eric Brevig (Fraser's choice) is still engaged with YOGI BEAR and is not available for the sequel and which has prompted New Line / Walden to set up Brad Peyton (CATS & DOGS: THE REVENGE OF KITTY GALORE; a conversion btw) for the director's chair. JOURNEY will be shot in native 3D, just like the original.

It doesn't matter who is at the helm for actor Josh Hutcherson (Fraser's nephew in the original) - he is returning for the sequel.

I see Fraser returning. Personally I think the two parties will meet somewhere in the middle and get him back in the driver's seat. Fraser has a HUGE worldwide following and is needed to ensure a successful second crack at the franchise. Just a hunch. What do you think?

MarketSaw Exclusive Confirmed: Brevig's 17 DAYS OF WINTER To Begin Shooting Mid 2011 In New Zealand

Jim here. We now have the title of Eric Brevig's upcoming Korean War epic: 17 DAYS OF WINTER. The story focuses on the 1950 Battle of Chosin Reservoir and Variety has confirmed MarketSaw's exclusive info that it will be shot on the South Island of New Zealand and will begin shooting mid 2011. South Korea will also see production and potentially S3D post production. Charlotte Huggins is producing.

From Variety: Story will follow the 1st Marine Division over the brutal 17-day battle of Chosin Reservoir, where United Nations forces including 12,000 U.S. Marines and soldiers were encircled by a vastly superior Chinese force. In a brutal battle fought amid rugged mountains and sub-zero temperatures, U.N. forces escaped to safety, though American forces suffered more than 6,000 casualties.

It looks like the final budget for the epic could reach $100m.

(Brevig) isn't aiming for an effects-driven spectacle but that 3D is critical to the pic. "Telling a personal story against an epic background involves bringing the audience into the story with the characters," he said. "The ability to create amazing immersive images that have never been seen before is what makes 3D an exciting and appropriate tool for the story."

I love how this project is taking shape and the potential for this story is practically limitless. Here is a great example of a director coming out of seemingly nowhere (Brevig actually has outstanding visual effects credentials), grabbing the S3D head by the horns and creating an amazing career for himself.

I have sources close to the project and will update as news comes in! Stay tuned.