Fantastic Four...YA!

Updates:



Variety reports that the Sci Fi Channel has signed Ridley Scott to executive produce and supervise a four-hour TV mini-series remake of the 1971 thriller "The Andromeda Strain", whilst they're putting Frank Darabont in charge of a four-hour remake of the classic horror "The Thing".

Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Robert Schenkkan is writing the adaptation of "The Andromeda Strain" based on Michael Crichton's famous novel about a group of scientists who gather at an underground facility to destroy a virus from the upper reaches of the atmosphere that has killed the inhabitants of a small town in New Mexico. The four hour runtime will give Scott & co. more time to explore the characters and the situation they find themselves in.

David Johnson is working on the script of "The Thing," based on the short story "Who Goes There" by John W. Campbell Jr and most famously adapted in 1982 by John Carpenter. The tale is of an alien parasite, which can take over the mind and body of a human being, causing havoc on a military compound isolated at the tip of the South Pole. Johnson should complete his adaptation by Christmas and shooting could get under way next year for an airdate on Sci Fi of either December 2005 or early spring 2006.

Scott and Darabont join an already bulging roster of Hollywood players working on projects for Sci Fi, including Steven Spielberg ("Nine Lives"), Martin Scorsese ("The Twelve"), Gale Anne Hurd ("Red Mars"), Nicolas Cage ("Dresden Files") and Bryan Singer and Dean Devlin ("The Triangle").

Thanks to Dark Horizons



Mr. X announced it has contributed over 250 vital visual effects shots for the highly awaited horror sequel, Resident Evil: Apocalypse, including its rousing finale.

"Our creative team was thrilled to be able to contribute to this project," comments Mr. X founder Dennis Berardi. The Mr. X team was chosen for its "partnership approach" with filmmakers, as demonstrated in the making of such films as 'Dawn of the Dead', 'Wrong Turn, and 'Ararat'. Adds Berardi, "We went into this project with the goal of giving Resident Evil fans something they haven't seen before, while building upon the style established so effectively in the video games and the first film."

Resident Evil: Apocalypse continues the intelligent suspense of the original film, picking up the story right where it left off. After narrowly surviving the laboratory horrors she endured in Resident Evil, the film's sequel finds Alice (Milla Jovovich) waking up in the middle of Raccoon City, which is now a city of the dead. Alice must escape Raccoon City before the evil Umbrella Corp.'s newest creation Nemesis finds her -- and Nemesis is on the hunt.

Working in collaboration with the film's Visual Effects Supervisor Alison O'Brien, Mr. X not only provided the bulk of visual effects for the project, but also produced the miniature unit as overseen by Mr. X VFX/Miniatures Unit Producer Eric J. Robertson. "Although many members of our team have worked with miniatures," Robertson comments, "this was the first time Mr. X has produced a fully autonomous build/shoot solution." Led by Robertson, the miniature team created a 44-foot replica of Umbrella headquarters down to the smallest and most painstaking detail -- and then gleefully blew it up. The team also created six 1/8th scale models of the Umbrella helicopters for use and destruction in key climactic action sequences.

Mr. X also provided digital 'face replacement' in shots where filming would have posed a life-threatening risk to star Milla Jovovich. The Face Replacement Team, headed up by Compositing Supervisors Aaron Weintraub and Noel Hopper, and CG Supervisor Sean Cohen, worked to integrate Jovovich's face with the body of her stunt double. This was accomplished by using a 3D digital scan of Jovovich's head, which was then digitally tracked onto the stunt double's body. The resulting image was rendered in 3D and composited to blend seamlessly into the scene. This process helped to remove the limitations often experienced in film when selecting camera angles for complex action sequences.

Mr. X's other contributions to the film include bringing to life a prosthetic face created for Nemesis by Paul Jones FX Studio. Through a series of digital enhancements performed on the mask, the skilled team at Mr. X was able to bring a sense of frightening believability to the character, allowing him to express a wide range of emotions through realistic facial expressions. Mr. X also provided 44 different 'Screen Design' shots, in which the screen graphics played a prominent role in the progression of the film's story, such as the three-dimensional map of Raccoon City. Finally, Mr. X's visual effects creations added a sense of epic-scale devastation to the riveting ending sequence of the film.

The future looks bright for Mr. X, as it is currently contributing its inventive filmmaking style to a number of feature film projects, including 2005's The Ice Harvest, starring John Cusack, and the remake of John Carpenter's Assault on Precinct 13, starring Ethan Hawke and Laurence Fishburne, and slated for release early next year.

To create its effects contributions for Resident Evil: Apocalypse, Mr. X's creative team was led by Visual Effects Supervisor Dennis Berardi, and included Visual Effects/Miniatures Producer Eric J. Robertson, Visual Effects Coordinator Sarah McMurdo, Compositing Supervisors Noel Hooper and Aaron Weintraub, CG Supervisor Sean Cohen, as well as a team of talented VFX compositors, 3D Animators, Motion Graphics specialists, and many more. The team worked closely with Director Alexander Witt as well as an array of other talented creatives in order to bring the film's exhilarating effects sequences to life.

Thanks to Coming Soon



About a month ago, Buffy the Vampire Slayer mastermind Joss Whedon publicly declared an interest in taking on the next X-Men movie now that Bryan Singer has traded mutants for a cape and a big "S". Was someone at Fox listening?
If the industry newscatcher Production Weekly is to be believed (and I'm told they're rarely wrong, if ever), ears were indeed open, and wise decisions were made. According to them, Whedon is onboard to direct X3, with the production gearing up in Vancouver next June.
Of course, there's currently no script, and to the best of my knowledge no major talent has actually signed for the movie (and we know Halle Berry has little interest in returning unless she's in the spotlight). But Whedon certainly has a handle on the characters judging by his excellent run on Marvel's Astonishing X-Men series, and we know from his remarkable television work that he can juggle multiple characters, so it probably wouldn't be too difficult for him to whip up a fine screenplay (especially considering he worked on the first film's script).
As a massive Whedon fan I know I'd be first in line to see it, but he's currently putting the finishing touches on Serenity, the feature follow-up to his space western series Firefly, so we'll see if he's got time for mutant mayhem.

Another interesting superhero note: Production Weekly also lists (as rumored) Jim Caviezel as starring in Singer's Superman movie (subtitled Unbelievable).
Only time will reveal thier prognostication skills, and if Millar or Knowles wins their bet..


Thanks to CHUD



Mr. Oshii was live from Los Angeles - at offices of the film's distributor, Dreamworks. Freshly arrived from Japan as part of the film's publicity tour, Mr. Oshii, since he speaks limited English, conducted the interview with the assistance of a translator from Production I.G., the production company responsible for Ghost in the Shell 2.
During the interview, Mamoru Oshii, the creative mind behind such visual feasts such as Red Spectacle, Ghost in the Shell, and now, Ghost in the Shell 2:Innocence, seemed to be in good spirits, affable, laughing freely as he tackled questions regarding Ghost in the Shell 2 and his work in general...

Q: What's new with Ghost in the Shell 2?

Translator: What's new?

Q: What's new about the characters, the animation?

A: (Oshii): Technology-wise, it's the first movie where the background is made all in 3-D. The first Japanese animation where background is all 3-D.

Q: Mr. Oshii, from a fellow Leo, happy belated birthday(Oshii's birthday is August 8, 1951).
A: (Laughter)Thank you.

Q: I read that you were a big Godard fan...it seemed like the use of quotes and things on a intellectual/philosophical level seemed to be kind of influenced in this film, from Godard. Can you talk about Godardian influences in this film and your work in general.

A: Ah, my influence of Godard is more a basic, a basic way of thinking of how to make a movie. So I got an inspiration not only (just) the picture or the use of color, or any technical aspects, but more as the way that you approach the basic story. So one example would be, rather than making a movie for the audience, you, um, also make the movie for yourself, you acknowledge that the movie, you're making it for the audience but you're also making it for yourself.

Q: Mr. Oshii, one of the characters(in GITS2) makes a reference to multinationals and criminal elements which feed off their spoils. Is this a critique of multinational corporations and of American hegemony?

Translator: American what?

Q: Hegemony.

Translator: Can you explain?

Q: Hegemony. Ah, just American expansionism-globalism.

Translator: Go ahead and repeat question, please.

Q: (question repeated) Is this a critique of multinational corporations today and American hegemony?

A: (laughter is heard from Mr. Oshii) Ah, I think maybe twenty years ago, the common antagonist were you know, Russia or China, or those companies. And so? The Cold War is over. But since then, I was thinking of to make the most ideal, so that the viewer can identify, I thought that maybe the big corporations would be the best one to make as antagonist. And um, if you see the current places in the world. The major antagonist are the communists, guerrillas...so I thought maybe my movie, I could make the big corporations and a doll factory as the major antagonist.

Q: First, I was wondering, had you originally plan on Ghost in the Shell having a sequel, or was it expected to be a sort of one-off?

A: I wasn't thinking of making a sequel to Ghost in the Shell at all. I never expected the first one to be a success, a success overseas.

Q: Hello, Oshii-san. We had dinner many years ago at an animation festival.

A: Ah...

Q: And you autographed a self-portrait of you and your dog. I wanted to ask you, almost all of your films have been science fiction movies. And going back to Patlabor, Ghost in the Shell, and your live-action film as well, like Avalon; movies that have both celebrated technology, and been very cautious of the dangers of technology. Do you, as a science fiction filmmaker, do you have fears that the next evolutionary step is going to involve a melding of technology and human need?

A: So um, in the last century, technology has been developed very widely and quickly. I consider that to be a new type of environment which in addition to technology, to be both, a threat to humans, and also a help in the sense that it's gonna change people in a good way. And so, I think technology will, whether good or bad, will keep changing humanity, keep changing the world, keep changing human beings? An addition to? The changes? What religion, or ideology? Will? Will bring peace.

Q: There is definitely a difference between Japanese and American attention spans and cultures. What's hard about the translation to not only the language barrier plus cultural and attention span barriers?

A: (laughter heard from Oshii) So I don't believe that there is a movie that can be, ah, enjoyed, or that can be translated to the people in all countries, to all of the world. And I don't think its necessary to make a movie that can be understood by people all over the world. For example, um, if for instance, an American person that say, watches Japanese animation and finds it very interesting, weird and beautiful? We may be enjoying that because it is a transculture. And when a Japanese person and an American person watches Hollywood movies together...I'm sure they are not watching it the same way, as the other...the Japanese person is probably not watching it the same way as the American person watching. And I think, movies are very interesting in a way that people tend to (mis)understand the concept or the story of the movie because of which culture or country they come from. And as long as whether the person understands it or not, as long as he or she enjoys the movie, and I think that is all that matters.

Q: Like the Western here in America. Which is defined as the American genre. Anime is now kind of defined as the Japanese genre. What is Mr. Oshii's feelings on the definitive mark his films, GITS, and now this film, have made on animation, not only animation, but Japanese cinema history in general. Because Japanese cinema has a long tradition of specific genres?

A: (more laughter from Oshii) I don't think that my movies have any huge influence or huge impact on the companies, or distributors, or manufactures, or the sponsors. If any(thing) I think my movies may have influenced the animation directors, or the animators, or designers, or the production staff. And I think that it's what happens when somebody makes a movie and influences the people greatly. It's really not the companies or the entities that they influence, but it's more of the individual staff that they influence...In terms of whether my movies have influenced the animation industry in Japan or the Japanese film industry, is maybe I could say that rather than Japanese animation being used as things that are strictly for children, I think, I would say (now used) to entertain adult or the older audiences as well.

Q: When you make a film are you more concerned with capturing certain images and emotions, or with telling a story?

A: It's all case by case. In some of my movies, I put more weight on showing beautiful pictures. In other movies, I concentrate on the story. It basically depends on what kind of budget. What kind of production capacity I have for that movie. If I have a low budget, I tend to concentrate more on telling the story. If I have a bigger budget, then I concentrate on terms of a more beautiful picture.

Q: With such high-tech themes, particularly with the second movie(GITS2), how much research goes into the scientific and technical aspects of the storyline?

A: I didn't really do any research, just explicitly for this, Ghost in the Shell 2 movie. But, after finishing the production of the first movie, I directed two movies, and through the making of these two movies, I did a lot of research on how to make animation movies, essentially, by using computers. Those experiences led me to make this, Ghost in the Shell 2, the sequel.

Q: You mentioned at the beginning that this is - the first Japanese film to use completely computer generated background, but you still do all your character animation in hand-drawn technique. Tell me what you think the advantages of both, different types of animation are, do you think that the hand-drawn animation is threatened by the computer generated animation?

A: I think the biggest challenge in making all the background on 3-D for Ghost in the Shell 2, was to take advantage of the camerawork by making the background all in 3-D, I was able to give depth and more space to the background. And the reason I wanted to do the characters in 2-D rather than 3-D, is because of the group of very talented hand-drawn animators, I didn't want to lose their quality...I appreciate their quality and talent so much that I wanted use their skills in animating the characters by hand. And, in terms of whether the 3-D technology will eventually take over the 2-D animation, in Japan at least, I don't think it will happen, although I've seen people who appreciate, who highly value the quality of 2-D animation. In America, that may be the case where 3-D has basically taken over 2-D, animation in America are all work is done in 3-D CG. But I believe and hope that it is not really a case in Japan.

Translator: Thank you guys, that's all we have time for...

Thanks to The Movie Vault


More pics of Ghost in the Shell 2 are below.....

THE GHOST IS IN THE SHELL DUDE!

Hey zBLARz did you by any chance edit this post ? :eek:

Uh...maybe

Shame shame... :laugh:

I didn't wanna get nay bad rep...so I didn't want to.and

JRS IS COOL!

Some more X3 news as of yesterday....

Whedon it is...

Thanks for helping out out :yup: , but that has already been posted.

Updates:




Dan's JP3 Page reports that special effects guru Stan Winston spoke briefly at a Q&A session about the status of Universal's Jurassic Park 4.

"We made it through the entire night without any mention of JP4 until the very end," their source says. "A guy in the back row yelled out, 'Hey Stan, whats the deal with JP4?', to which Winston replied 'The script is a few weeks out'.

It's been rumored that former Angel star David Boreanaz will play a lead role in the anticipated fourth film, but that hasn't been confirmed yet by the studio.

Thanks to Coming Soon



- Warning! the details contained in this article might spoil certain aspects of the film. Read on at your own risk......

For a movie based on a console game, you might expect something full of computer-generated special effects. And while Resident Evil: Apocalypse will certainly be full of cool eye-candy, writer-producer Paul Anderson is relying on a mix of traditional and digital effects to produce realistic zombies, explosions, and other spectacles on the movie screen.

One of the outfits heading up the post-production work is a small effects workshop in Toronto (where the film was shot) called Mr.X . A new press release highlights much of the effects work – CG and otherwise – going into the film.

One task that Mr. X took on was to create an intricate miniature set of Umbrella Corporation's headquarters for some of the movie's climactic explosion sequences. The 44-foot model was built to exacting specifications and with painstaking detail, only to be blown to bits again soon afterward. 1/8-scale model helicopters were also constructed for the pyrotechnics.

And then there was the challenge of creating Nemesis, the movie's "boss villain." Mr. X began with a detailed face prosthetic, and as explained in an earlier article at Sci Fi Wire, makeup effects artist Paul Jones went to work on it. With the help of a rubber suit, a large stunt actor, some hefty weaponry, and some animatronics add-ons, Nemesis was born. Digital enhancements were applied to the film afterwards, completing the effect. "It's 80 percent reality and 20 percent CG enhancement," explained Anderson, who wrote and produced Apocalypse. "We went with the traditional design of the Nemesis from the video game, and we went with his traditional weapon, which is this huge rocket launcher that he carries. And then, just for extra fun, we made him carry around this huge rail gun as well, to mix up the action a bit."

Other CG work in Apocalypse involved face-replacement in scenes where using actress Milla Jovovich would have been too dangerous. Three-dimensional scans of Milla's head were made and then superimposed on the stunt actor in post-production.

Anderson says he's delighted with the finished product. "I think it's a very, very good sequel. We just showed it to Sony a couple of days ago, and they couldn't be happier. You kind of look at it, and you definitely want to know what's going to happen in Resident Evil 3."

Resident Evil: Apocalypse is due in theaters this weekend. Stay tuned for news of a potential second sequel!

Thanks to IGN Filmforce



The Fox adaptation of the classic Marvel comic about four intrepid space explorers who develop super-powers – has been shooting in Vancouver for, ooh, about a week or so now. But that didn't stop Chris Evans (no, not that one) aka Johnny Storm aka flaming flyboy The Human Torch taking time out from being dowsed in petrol and set alight to talk to Empire about the $100 million movie.

Hang on a mo, though – dowsed in petrol and set alight? Surely that's not how the Torch (who, in case you hadn't guessed it, is a being composed of living flame, rather than a giant instrument that can help you see in the dark) is being brought to big-screen life? Well, thankfully, no.

"The majority of it will be computer-generated images. I don't think they're going to light anyone on fire," said Evans, soon to be seen in the mobile phone thriller, Cellular. "I've only seen a little bit of the tests that they showed me the other day on a laptop on set. And so far I have to say that it looks pretty cool, man.

"I've never been on a project of this calibre before, so it's all so new and exciting to me. I get crazy just seeing our uniforms, so when I got to see this little 30-second clip of my character on fire, it was amazing. I'm still learning and trying to figure out when and how they're going to put my face in. But it's looking good so far."

The FF is composed of four distinct types. Reed Richards aka Mr. Fantastic (Ioan Gruffudd) is the team leader, and the cool, detached brainbox. Sue Storm, Johnny's sister aka The Invisible Girl (Jessica Alba) is sassy yet level-headed. Ben Grimm aka The Thing (Michael Chiklis) is a cantankerous yet loveable lunkhead. And Johnny is a cocky sonuvabitch, always ready with a killer one-liner, chat-up line, or outrageously bold statement. But Evans claims he understands the character perfectly.

"He's not the most likeable guy in the beginning," admitted Evans. "He's kind of a playboy. He's a hotshot. He's a hothead and he's a quick talker and he's sarcastic and witty, but intelligent. He's just a kid, in his twenties, right out of college, but he's got to be somewhat intelligent. He is a space pilot. It's fun to play him. He really is comfortable in his own skin so it's nice to have that feeling on set."

So, to get into the mindset of a maverick, who better to base it on than… Tom Cruise's Maverick?

"I went out and rented things like Top Gun. A lot of the guys who are accomplished pilots are risking their lives everyday and doing a thing that only a handful of people in the country can do, and they know it. So when it comes to being outside their work, these guys are cocky and they're bold and they're having a good time."

With Fox watchdogs presumably ready to slam his testicles into a vice should he say too much, Evans was understandably tight-lipped about plot details, but he did disclose one tidbit of information that will delight FF fans – Johnny's slightly camp catchphrase 'Flame On!', which he utters every time he transforms into the Torch, will be present and correct.

"That's right!" he laughed. "I say it a couple of times! It's the catchphrase!"

Thanks to Empire Online



At long last, Lord Voldemort has a face and that face belongs to Ralph Fiennes.

Warner Bros. announced today that the British actor - whose most memorable screen role was as the insidious Amon Goeth in Schindler's List - has been cast as the evil nemesis of boy wizard, Harry Potter, in the fourth flick in the franchise, Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire.

Fiennes' casting - which is perfect, by the way, and rather nicely puts those horrendous Rowan Atkinson rumours to the sword - is the last major piece of the jigsaw for the Mike Newell-directed Goblet Of Fire, which has been filming for a short while, with a summer 2005 release date in mind.

Although Voldemort has been glimpsed in the previous Potter pics - as a CG creation in ...The Philosopher's Stone and in the guise of the youthful Tom Riddle in ...Chamber Of Secrets, ...Goblet Of Fire will mark the first time we see the Dark Lord (no, not the one with the black armour and the bronchitis) at full strength, and in human form.

Fans will already be looking towards the climactic battle between Daniel Radcliffe's Harry and Fienne's Voldemort, which has fatal consequences for one Potter character.

In other Potter casting news, the ever-dependable Miranda Richardson has also been cast as rapacious tabloid journalist, Rita Skeeter - one of the few characters in J.K. Rowling's book that Empire would have guessed could have been cut out of the film adaptation without losing much sleep.

Still, it'll be interesting to see what Newell has up his sleeve - he's already talked about making the gargantuan novel into just one sub-three hour movie, tonally inspired by Three Days Of The Condor. Could be interesting. One thing's for sure, though - with Fiennes and Alan Rickman (as Snape) on villain duties, Harry's going to have his work cut out.

Thanks to Empire Online



Father Ted: The last time you stayed up to watch a scary film you ended up having to sleep in my bed. I wouldn't mind, but it wasn't even a scary film.

Father Dougal: Come on, Ted. A Volkswagen with a mind of its own. If that isn't scary, I don't know what is.

Cult comedy shows about Irish priests aside, most of us have fond memories of Herbie, the VW Beetle who never failed to appear on bank holidays and quiet Sunday afternoon TV schedules. Bestriding the car genre like a colossus, towering over lesser films like The Fast and the Furious and Gone in Sixty Seconds, Herbie starred in four films and a TV series before retiring, apparently for good.

All is not lost, however, for a new film, Herbie: Fully Loaded has been underway for some time, and today has come the news that former Dark Knight Michael Keaton is joining the film after a long break from our screens, opposite the already cast Lindsay Lohan. There's no word yet on what role he'll be playing, but if we had to guess, we'd say that the most likely part is the car's hapless owner, Jim Douglas. After all, while Keaton clearly enjoys playing the baddie, he has a nice sideline in hapless.

Fully Loaded pitches Herbie into the world of NASCAR racing, as in Days Of Thunder. There has been some discussion over the car model, which may be an old Beetle rather than the new design, but as long as it has go-faster stripes and the number 53 on there somewhere, as well as a penchant for merrily wagging his bonnet up and down, we'll be happy. Not sure about Father Dougal though.


Thanks to Empire Online

Thanks for the update! not excited about some of the movies, but i'll watch em

ya thanks for the updates jrs

thx Jason

Entertainment-rewind.com has kindly given out a link to an official fan site to all fans of The X-Files who are awaiting the next film. I, myself (who has been an X-phile since the birth of the show) am anxious for this sequel.

interesting development

Updates:



People Magazine is reporting that after many, many rumors, Bo and Luke Duke have finally been cast in the big-screen remake of The Dukes of Hazzard. People says Johnny Knoxville and Seann William Scott will star in the Warner Bros. adaptation. Now normally I'd take news from the pages of People Magazine with a grain of salt, but this news comes to us from the pen of a one Zorianna Kit, who recently left her post as scoop-breaker extraordinaire at The Hollywood Reporter. So I'd be inclined to believe this is the real deal folks. They article also mentions that Jessica Simpson - the oft-rumored favorite to star as leggy cousin Daisy Duke - is in talks for the role but hasn't sealed it yet. Burt Reynolds, currently filming The Longest Yard with Adam Sandler, is also in talks to star as the villainous Boss Hogg in the film. At one point Broken Lizard member Jay Chandrasekhar was directing but it's unclear if he's behind the camera. Dukes would mark the feature acting debut of the elder Simpson sibling though she's been trying to break into movies since her MTV series "Newlyweds" hit it big. While Simpson has been attached to the role of Daisy Duke for what seems like an eternity, Knoxville and Scott beat out the duo of Ashton Kutcher and Paul Walker who were frequently attached to the parts.

Thanks to Joblo.com and People Magazine



The highly-anticipated sequel to 2002's hit video game adaptation Resident Evil hits theaters on Friday and ComingSoon.net has a 6-minute behind-the-scenes look and a new clip from Screen Gems' action-packed movie. Resident Evil: Apocalyse, directed by Alexander Witt and written by Paul W.S. Anderson, sees the return of Milla Jovovich as Alice, one of only two survivors of the contained biochemical disaster from the first film.

Watch the featurette by clicking here

Watch the clip by clicking here

Thanks to Coming Soon



Talking to on the phone to our DH correspondent Paul Fischer in LA yesterday promoting John Waters' "A Dirty Shame", Selma Blair has confirmed that not only is she signed up for "Hellboy 2", but production is on the way. "I've been sworn to secrecy by Guillermo", Selma said, who plays a sex addict with giant breasts in the Waters film.

"I know Guillermo is writing the script as we speak and I think we're going to be in production by September next year." The first Hellboy was shot in Prague, but Blair says she's unsure of where the next one will be shot. "Tons of places have been mentioned but nothing is decided yet". More of his interview with Selma soon.

Thanks to Dark Horizons



The Inland Empire Strikes Back website covered the "Star Wars" DVD junket and caught up with lightsaber handler, Mark Hammil, who talked - or did he? - about the chances of a "Star Wars" 7,8 and 9, as well as the chances of a rumoured TV series spin-off.

“He talked about doing a VII, VIII, IX,” Hamill began. “You know when I first did this, it was four trilogies. 12 movies! And out on the desert, any time between setups… lots of free time. And George was talking about this whole thing. I said, ‘Why are you starting with IV, V and VI? It’s crazy.’ [Imitating Lucas grumble,] ‘It’s the most commercial section of the movie.’ He said the first trilogy’s darker, more serious. And the impression I got, he said, ‘Um, how’d you like to be in Episode IX?’ This is 1976. ‘When is that going to be?’ ‘2011.’ I defy anyone to add 36 years to their lives and not be stunned. Even an eight year old is like, ‘No, I’ll never be 47.’ So I did the math and figured out how old I’d be. I said, ‘Well, what do you want me to do?’ He said, ‘You’ll just be like a cameo. You’ll be like Obi Wan handing the lightsaber down to the next new hope.’ And I’m thinking, ‘I love the guy. If he wanted me to do light yard work at his house, I’d be out clipping the hedges.’ So I went, ‘Sure.’ But I thought he just realized that he’s going to be doing it the rest of his life and he’d rather not do that.”

When the prospect of a TV series was brought up, Hamill went into outright denial. “See, the thing is, on one hand, the way I look at it is there was a beginning, a middle and an end and it’s over. Even though it’s never over. But for me it’s over. But what’ll happen is these fans will come over, ‘But you just became a Jedi. Now what happens? It’s like doing the story of how 007 got his license to kill and then not telling any stories.’ So I said, ‘I wish my agent had this much passion.’ They really want me to do these stories. I loved it all, I really did, but I never in my mind ever thought it would be something I’d be talking about this long.”

While on the topic of the DVD, we can confirm that Hayden Christensen has indeed been inserted into that last scene of "Return of the Jedi" over Sebastian Shaw's ghostly-frame. Must go pickett...

Thanks to Moviehole and Inland Empire Strikes Back



Seems Quentin Tarantino is still keen to do a "Vega Brothers" movie - a film that would team "Reservoir Dogs" Vic Vega with "Pulp Fiction" pro-Mullet Vincent Vega - but whether it's due to budget or lack of interest on the former Sweathog's behalf, word is it might be without John Travolta.

Michael Madsen is keen to go - and not surprisingly, his only good pay day is when he gets a gig in one of QT's lil' numbers - but Travolta is apparently not so committed. The latest is that Tarantino might re-cast the part. C'Mon! Seriously?!

Sounds like someone better wave a big chunk of green in front of Danny Zuko before we end up with Matt LeBlanc in the role. Why Tarantino would even consider doing it without Travolta is beyond me. Hopefully this is a chinese whisper that's got twisted somewhere along the Hollywood/Highland route.

Thanks to Moviehole


Evil Dead IV News




Paramount has hired director Richard Linklater (School of Rock) to helm The Bad News Bears with Billy Bob Thornton starring.

The new version reteams Thornton with Bad Santa writers Glenn Ficarra and John Requa. The project is a contemporary remake of Paramount's 1976 comedy, which starred Tatum O'Neal as the pitcher and Walter Matthau as the manager of a team of misfits in an ultra-competitive Little League.

Variety says the comedy is moving into 11 weeks of pre-production with filming expected to begin in late November for a 2005 release.

Thanks to Coming Soon and Variety



Warner Bros. has acquired remake rights to Hawaii Five-O, with Ocean's Twelve screenwriter George Nolfi set to write the script, reports Variety. George Litto, who was the agent of series creator Leonard Freeman, will produce the film.

With its lush Oahu setting, popular theme song and signature lead detective character Steve McGarrett (played by Jack Lord), Hawaii Five-O is perhaps the most remake-friendly TV series not previously under studio control, says the trade. CBS broadcast the series from 1968 to 1980.

Nolfi has begun writing and filming is expected to start next Spring in Oahu for an early Summer 2006 release. There is even a time schedule for sequels. Nolfi is reportedly sticking close to the original "Five-O" series plot.

Thanks to Coming Soon and Variety



The folks that run The One Ring have opened up a brand spanking new site for Peter Jackson's highly anticipated King Kong.....the site is called Kong is King.

It has a cool video message from the hobbit master himself from the set of this big budget epic. While I'm sure this will be yet another massive undertaking for Jackson, the upside here is at least he won't have to do it for three movies. Check out the site HERE. The movie's set for release December 14th, 2005.

Thanks to joblo.com and The One Ring



Milla Jovovich, who reprises the role of Alice in the upcoming zombie sequel film Resident Evil: Apocalypse, told SCI FI Wire that she performed many of her own fights in the film, using a wide range of martial arts and weapons. "We wanted to focus on more like high-impact martial arts, so you know tae kwon do was a major element of that," Jovovich said in an interview. "Because in the first movie, Alice's big kick to the dog was like what people really loved, we wanted to take advantage of that and really have her lay down some great kicks."
In addition, Jovovich said she studied Filipino kali, a form of stick fighting, as well as capoeira, a Brazilian martial art characterized by sweeping movements and high kicks. "Just to put a little flavor in there and also because [director] Alexander Witt is from Argentina, he said, 'Wouldn't it be great to put some capoeira into it?'" she said. She added: "In the graveyard sequence, when you see her kind of flipping from one place to the next, ... she's like using capoeira moves. So it was quite a lot of different stuff."
But that wasn't the hard stuff, Jovovich said. The most difficult thing was running down the vertical face of a five-story building, suspended only by a single wire. "The martial arts I love, because it's something I love to do anyway in my life," she said. "You know, I prefer martial arts to the gym any day of the week ... because that stuff is fun for me. The scariest part was dealing with certain fears that I've had since I was a kid. Like a fear of heights and fear of small places. So when I had to like scale down a five-story building, I was like, 'Oh, my God.' It was probably like 6 a.m., negative 7 below [zero] in Toronto in the winter. I'm like hanging there [on a wire] at 6 a.m. going, 'Oh, my God. What did I get myself into?'"

Resident Evil: Apocalypse opens in theaters tomorrow.

Thanks to scifi.com



You just can't kill a good franchise. Heck, you can't even kill a bad franchise.

Talking to an insider at FOX in Century City a couple of days back , I heard that there's high hopes for everything 'Alien' and 'Predator' - what with the pleasing B.O figures for "Aliens vs.Predator" and all. Despite not even being previewed for critics (probably just as well, I caught it yesterday and thought it sucked more than Pammy Anderson)the film has made quite a packet over the past couple of weeks, leaving FOX with a fat smile on their face and everyone who has got an idea for a sequel, spin-off or stand-alone movie very, very optimistic, if not giddy with possibility.

The plan is - new stand-alone "Predator" movies, new stand-alone "Alien" movies. No sequel to "AvP" at the moment. If anything, "AvP" was a way of a re-introducing these characters so that there could be new stand-alone films in their respective series. Never was it a plan to do a series of "AvP" movies.

One 'Predator 3' pitch that's been doing the rounds sounds stellar. It's set in snowy New York, and re-introduces Arnold Schwarzenegger's character, Dutch. You'd think the possibility of this one happening hinders on whether Schwarzenegger returns to the Governors chair but not necessarily, word is they think they could easily have someone else play the character from here on in. They picture 'Dutch' as being this big 'Riddick/Snake Plissken' esque character that will inevitably be more of a drawcard than the monster itself.

The script's apparently hotter than the Californian Sun. Best of all, for the studio, it leaves it open for a "Predator 4" - which is rumoured to feature a female rogue.

As for "Alien", the latest is that it'll be a Ridley Scott - Sigourney Weaver re-team. Talk is underway, but it's still early days. Wouldn't be surprised if it's hurried though.

Thanks to IESB and Moviehole



As it was mentioned yesterday, Bryan Singer is still testing potential Supermen.

The Inland Empire Strikes Back website checked in with a couple of sources who confirmed that - adding that Singer is in no way interested in rumoured frontrunner Jim Caviezel.

"There has been no official announcement but two of my "inside sources" and I mean very "inside source" has told us today that Jim Caviezel is not going to be Superman for two reasons. Bryan believes that he is to old for role and that he does not look enough like Superman. The latter is up to debate but his age isn't. The storyline is supposed to take place right out of college and that would put Clark in the mid twenties not mid thirties", says the site.

I guess that puts Brendan Fraser, Mike O'Hearn, Jude Law, even Jason Behr out of the running?

Thanks to Moviehole



Joel B. who resides in France sent Batman On Film the following cover from the French magazine Score that features Batman Begins:



Thanks to Batman On Film and Score



Canadian reader 'Gerry' sent in some new photos today, that he took of the London Bridge set of The Fantastic Four production. The photos were taken on Low Level Road, North Vancouver BC Canada, where the movie is now filming.

Thanks jrs :D

Is it just me, or has Peter Jackson lost a lot of weight?

Thanks for the link, jrs.

I haven't seen any recent pictures of him so don't know. :)

AWSOME Punisher was the best movie of all time, now a punisher 2??!! That is soooooooo awsome!