Those who can remember the last heyday of 3D cinema back in the 1980s which spawned such forgettable efforts as Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone, Metalstorm and Jaws 3D might be forgiven for having doubts about another revival. The memory of headache-inducing images and the resultant eye-fatigue have formed a misconception that the 3D viewing experience must be an uncomfortable one.

Click here to read the exclusive interview on the X-Boards…

Posted in Interviews, Movies •

Contrary to recent whispers from the Latino Review that suggested a split between Star Trek XI director J J Abrams and Paramount, Trekmovie.com are reporting that the production is now at the point where it will go from development into production, with Abrams very much involved. However, the Lost writer will no necessarily be helming the feature.

When asked if his friend will direct, Greg Grunberg said “One week he tells me he’s not sure. One week, he told me, ‘No. I’m definitely just producing.’ And then just last week he was like, ‘Man, I’m really excited to do it.’ I said, ‘Are you doing it?’ He said, ‘I don’t know.’ I mean, honestly, it’s like he’s still really up in the air. But he’s really happy with the script. I know that. Really, really happy.”

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Posted in Movies, Star Trek •

The official TMNT (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) movie website has been launched. The impressive site includes images, downloads and an official synopsis which reads as follows -

“After the defeat of their old arch nemesis, The Shredder, the Turtles have grown apart as a family. Struggling to keep them together, their rat sensei, Master Splinter, becomes worried when strange things begin to brew in New York City. Tech-industrialist Max Winters is amassing an army of ancient monsters to take over the world. Only one super-ninja fighting team can stop them- those heroes in a half shell- Leonardo, Michaelangelo, Donatello and Raphael. With the help of old allies April O’Neil and Casey Jones, the Turtles are in for the fight of their lives as they once again must face the mysterious Foot Clan, who have put theur own ninja skills behind Winters’ endeavors.”

TMNT is scheduled for release February 23 2007.

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Posted in Movies •

Ben Stiller and Tom Cruise could be teaming up as on-screen brothers in a detective comedy from Night at the Museum director Shawn Levy.

The Hardy Men, from 20th Century Fox follows Franklin W. Dixon’s literary teen detective heroes Frank and Joe Hardy as adults, according to TMZ.com. The original series of detective/adventure books for boys was produced between 1927 and 1979 and has been adapted for television five times

Filming is slated to begin in October.

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Posted in Movies •

Earlier reports about The Power of the Dark Crystal being canned may have been false. According to a member at Muppetcentral, production is on track and the film is still planned for a Spring 2008 release.

“The film is coming and things are moving along beautifully.” claims the source, who has spoken to Jim Henson Company’s Head of Publicity and Head of Features this week, “The goal is to finish post-production by the end of the year, so we should see the physical production gearing up real soon.”

Apparently the film should be ready for its debut at Cannes in May 2008.

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Posted in Movies •

Walt Disney Studios has teamed-up with Robert Zemeckis, Jack Rapke and Steve Starkey to create a new company that will produce movies using the cutting-edge performance capture technology employed for The Polar Express, Monster House and the upcoming Beowulf.

The system can capture not only body movement, but also facial performance to create incredibly realistic CG characters.

Zemeckis, Rapke and Starkey will produce all of the films with Zemeckis expected to direct a number of the projects. The Walt Disney Studios will handle worldwide distribution.  The upcoming Beowulf is an adaptation of an Anglo-Saxon poem about a warrior who battles a creature who is terrorising the hall of a Danish King.

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Posted in Movies •

The author of Peter Jackson in Perspective: The Power Behind Cinema’s The Lord of the Rings, has predicted that the Kiwi director will oversee both The Hobbit and the other LOTR prequel movie.

In an essay written for TheOneRing.net, Greg Wright has said “The smart money is on Jackson making both The Hobbit and the other planned film, and making them with New Line. Will that take place on Shaye’s watch? Maybe not. But since New Line has corporate masters who may be even more demanding than Shaye, that may just mean bad news for Shaye — and good news for Tolkien film fans.”

Wright goes on to explain why it would be difficult for another director to take over the reings, saying that the project is an “allegorical bildungsroman” that needs the steady hand of someone who clearly understands how to translate Tolkien for modern day, action-crazy audiences. Click here to read the entire essay.

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Posted in Movies, The Hobbit / LOTR •

Following the news that Ben Barnes will be playing Prince Caspian and that Alicia Borrachero has been cast as Prunaprismia, Walt Disney Pictures have announced two more cast members for The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.

Peter Dinklage will play Trumpkin the Dwarf and Vincent Grass has been cast as Doctor Cornelius, Prince Caspian’s mentor. Dinklage has appeared in Jon Favreau’s Elf and the short-lived CBS science fiction series Threshold. Belgian actor Grass has a film and television career in his native country going back to the early 70s.
 
The newcomers join the returning Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, Anna Popplewell, William Moseley and Liam Neeson as the voice of Aslan.

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Posted in Chronicles of Narnia, Movies •

Jeff Bridges has joined the cast of Jon Favreau’s Iron Man. He will play a confidant and close business associate of Stark, a longtime employee at defense contractor Stark Industries who plays a major role in shaping Stark’s life.

“We’ve been talking to Jeff for long time,” Marvel’s president of production Kevin Feige said. “He’s excited about doing a movie like this, and we’re excited to have him in this particular role. There are many facets to this character which I can’t discuss, but looking at the spectrum of all of Jeff’s roles, this fits in nicely with the man who played ‘Starman,’ ‘Tucker,’ ‘Big Lebowski’ with a little bit ‘Tron’ thrown in. This rounds out our ensemble, and I think it’s one of the strongest casts ever assembled for one of our films.”

Iron Man, based on the classic Marvel comic book tells the story of a troubled billionaire scientist who creates a life support suit to assist him after a life threatening accident, and ultimately decides to use its technology to fight evil and crime.

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Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Posted in Iron Man, Movies •

Box Office Mojo has reported that Paramount Pictures has chosen Thursday, May 22, 2008 for the release of Indiana Jones IV and is now officially referring to the project as the ‘Fourth Installment of the Indiana Jones Adventures.’

Both the second and third installment of the franchise were released on Memorial Day weekend and the Thursday launch matches the strategy used for Star Wars Episode II & III and The Matrix Reloaded.

Indy IV will be battling for box office supremacy against Warner Bros. Speed Racer, Paramount’s Iron Man and Buena Vista’s The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.

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Posted in Movies •