Straight out of Hollywood
Archive for March 1, 2012
‘The Hobbit’ Set Video #6: A Journey Around New Zealand
0475 days
by Screen Rant
in TV News
Peter Jackson and his hundreds-strong production team have been hard at work (among other things) taking a seven week-long trip around the New Zealand countryside; one that requires helicopter rides, carefully setting up their camera/audio/lighting equipment up so as to not disturb the local flora, and even rushing to film a sequence involving dwarfs – and one anxious hobbit – taking a barrel ride down a roaring river, before the area is literally flooded by an encroaching storm.
Yes, it’s time for the latest installment in the Oscar-winning filmmaker’s ongoing behind-the-scenes video documentation of shooting on his $500 million adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit.
Feel free to enjoy some twelve minutes’ worth of interviews and footage featuring spectacular New Zealand vistas by watching the newest Hobbit set video:
While ...
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‘Muppets’ Sequel Officially in the Works
0476 days
by Screen Rant
in TV News
It’s been a foregone conclusion that Walt Disney Pictures would eventually push ahead with a sequel to (yes, Oscar-winning) The Muppets, seeing how that film successfully re-invigorated the Jim Henson franchise at the box office, while also managing to win over most longtime Muppet fans and newcomers alike.
Reports are in that Disney has indeed secured a deal for Muppets director James Bobin and co-writer Nicholas Stoller to work on the next installment in the continuing… uh, saga of Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, and the rest of the iconic googly-eyed felt characters (including new addition Walter). However, one vital ingredient from the first movie might be missing in the followup: co-writer/star Jason Segel.
Here’s the situation, according to Vulture: between starring on How I Met Your Mother, handling promotional duties on the upcoming The ...
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‘Despicable Me 2′ Teaser Trailer: Minion Barbershop Quartet
0476 days
by Screen Rant
in TV News
Universal scored a big win in the animated feature category with their 2010 film Despicable Me, which grossed over $540 million at the worldwide box office and made icons out of those pellet-shaped rascals known as the Minions. With that kind of success story, it’s only natural that the studio would want bring Despicable Me 2 to theaters – and today’s teaser trailer for the sequel announces that intent in familiar cutesy fashion.
The Minions are center stage in this first Despicable Me 2 trailer, doing a rendition of some barbershop quartet number with a one-eyed pellet-head blowing on a party horn in what is obviously supposed to be 3D moment. Check it out in 2D (for what it’s worth) below:
Now check out ...
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‘Frankenweenie’ Trailer: More Tim Burton Stop-Motion Madness
0476 days
by Screen Rant
in TV News
Even though Dark Shadows is the first Tim Burton-directed movie due to hit theaters in 2012, a trailer for that film has yet to be released. Instead, today marks the arrival of a teaser trailer for the Gothic artist’s upcoming return to the world of stop-motion animation: a feature-length treatment of Burton’s original 1984 black-and-white short riff on the Frankenstein story, otherwise known as Frankenweenie.
Frankenweenie is a 3D project which retains the B&W aesthetic of Burton’s original half-hour movie (as a homage to classic horror titles of the early 20th century) and reunites the filmmaker with such familiar folk as Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, Martin Landau, and Martin Short – who are all lending their vocals to Burton’s latest warped mix of macabre whimsy and tender sentiment.
Adolescent actor Charlie Tahan also lends his voice to ...
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‘Downton Abbey’ Director Hired For ‘The Book Thief’
0476 days
by Screen Rant
in TV News
Marcus Zusak’s extremely popular second novel – titled The Book Thief – has managed to stay on the New York Times’ bestseller lists for 4 years now. Hence, it’s no shock to hear that Fox 2000 is pressing ahead full-throttle with a film adaptation (which could begin production this summer).
Twilight franchise producer Karen Rosenfelt is working behind the scenes on the Book Thief movie, which Deadline says has found a director in Brian Percival: a veteran of such period TV mini-series as North & South and ShakespeaRe-Told, who recently stepped into the limelight (and snagged recognition from the Emmys and BAFTAs for his efforts) by directing several episodes during the first season of the popular Downton Abbey series.
For those not familiar with The Book Thief, here is a (sorta) official description of the original work:
Set during ...
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