Aug 5 2009 'Lovely Bones' Trailer: To Catch a Stanley Tucci
I've grown so used to having Dateline NBC's Chris Hansen around to stop all the world's predators, it's hard to remember a time before that--a pre-Hansen era when crimes against children still existed. Peter Jackson's The Lovely Bones takes us back to that time, the early '70s, when Hansen was still in school and Stanley Tucci was still able to rape and murder a girl without a camera crew busting in with some chat transcripts. The trailer has just been released, and it looks like the must-see dead-girl-watching-from-Heaven-as-Mark-Wahlberg-solves-her-murder film of the year.
UPDATE: Alright, I guess it's not on YouTube anymore. It's on the Apple, though.
Apr 17 2009 From the Set of 'Tintin': Actors in Motion Capture Suits
Empire has been on location on the set of Steven Spielberg's chapter of the Tintin trilogy, The Secret of the Unicorn, where the magazine took the above shot of actors Jamie Bell and Andy Serkis motion-capturing their respective parts as Tintin and Captain Haddock. The shot obviously reveals nothing about the look of the film, but I have to say, Serkis is doing a pretty good job masking his resentment that he has to wear one of these futuristic American Gladiator suits every fucking time Peter Jackson gets near a camera. Well done, Gollum.
Nov 3 2008 Someone Might Pay for 'Tintin' After All
You may recall, back in September, Universal told Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson, "Look, buds, you've made some great films, and we plan to re-buy them on Blu-Ray, but we're not going to give you $130 million dollars and 30% gross revenue to make a few films about some Belgian comic that isn't all that popular here." Now it looks like Sony and Paramount have stepped in, and might co-finance the films despite losing the prospective star:
Sony Pictures Entertainment and Paramount Pictures are in talks to co-finance "Tintin," Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson’s digital 3-D pic based on the Belgian "Tintin" comics.While neither Sony nor Paramount would comment, both confirmed talks are under way for one film.
Spielberg had hoped to be in production by fall. However, when financing fell apart at U on the eve of the DreamWorks/Par divorce, he lost the participation of his lead actor, Thomas Sangster.
Well, guys, if this doesn't work out, there's always being selected as a contestant 130 times and playing all perfect games on Howie Mandel's Pick a Box. That's what I always consider my greatest possibility of making enough money to get haircuts.
Sony, Paramount financing 'Tintin' [Variety]
Sep 22 2008 Universal Will Not Pay For Your 'Tintin' Movie, Steven Spielberg
Universal has rescinded financing on Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson's CGI motion-capture Tintin project after learning they would never make any money on this whole Tintin scheme:
The two legendary directors submitted to Universal a 130 million dollar budget to produce a trilogy of films based on the beloved Belgian comic-strip boy reporter.But Universal refused to green light the project, and production, scheduled to begin in October, is on hold until Spielberg and Jackson find other financing, the Times said.
Universal officials winced when they saw the two Hollywood luminaries demanding about 30 percent of the movie's total gross revenues, meaning that "Tintin" would have to rake in some 425 million dollars globally before the studios could break even, according to the newspaper.
In my understanding, the main problem is the price of digitizing the actors, which involves hiring a programmer to write an evil program and then waiting for a computer to get hit by lightning while the actors make a quiet wish that they could live in the video game, thus sucking them inside the screen for use in computer-animated films. We need to get that cost down somehow. Any ideas?
Mar 24 2008 'Love, Actually' Drummer Kid Might Be Tintin
Thomas Sangster, the drumming, now awkwardly-aging kid from Love, Actually, has reportedly taken the role of douchebag-haired protagonist Tintin in the Steven Spielberg/Peter Jackson adaptations of the comic. Wikipedia describes the eponymous hero as a young reporter somewhere between 16 and 18, so 17-year-old Sangster certainly fits the bill age-wise. And since the films will use motion-capture technology á la Beowulf, there's still a chance to digitally edit out the sinister, elf-like qualities of the actor that make me fear for my soul every time I stare into his large, empty eyes.
Spielberg, Jackson may have a Tintin [Hollywood Reporter]
Jan 14 2008 'The Hobbit' Sequel To Lead Into 'Lord of the Rings'?
Elijah Wood has sent shockwaves through the geek community with the comment that, according to an email from Peter Jackson, while the first of two planned Hobbit will cover the book, the second will serve as a bridge between that and Lord of the Rings.
I haven’t spoken to him directly about it [but] I’ve e-mailed him, and as far as I know the two films that they’re doing, one will be ‘The Hobbit’ and another will take place between the 60 years that happened between ‘The Hobbit’ and ‘The Lord of the Rings.'
The problem with this? That aside from some brief mentions of a few events that occur in the interim period, there is no actual information as to what happened between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, meaning any film covering that span would basically be glorified fan-fiction (minus the standard fan-fic inclusion of furry erotica).
For once, can't we just be happy with what we have, and not try to bleed every bit of life out of this? If there were a story meant to be told between books, I'm sure Tolkien would have written it. Let's just make a televised Hobbit Holiday Special and call it a day. Or at least leave in the furry erotica.
Dec 18 2007 Peter Jackson Will Executive Produce 'The Hobbit', 'The Hobbit 2: Hobnobbin''
After months of litigation over money, kingship of Middle Earth, and whether Aragorn or Legolas is the dreamier warrior (come on, Jackson, did you not see Legolas slide down stairs on a shield?), Peter Jackson and New Line have finally come to an agreement that will allow him to executive produce the two planned Hobbit films.
Los Angeles, CA (Tuesday, December 18, 2007) Academy Award-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson; Harry Sloan, Chairman and CEO, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM); Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne, Co-Chairmen and Co-CEOs of New Line Cinema have jointly announced today that they have entered into the following series of agreements:MGM and New Line will co-finance and co-distribute two films, “The Hobbit” and a sequel to “The Hobbit.” New Line will distribute in North America and MGM will distribute internationally.
Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh will serve as Executive Producers of two films based on “The Hobbit.” New Line will manage the production of the films, which will be shot simultaneously.
Peter Jackson and New Line have settled all litigation relating to the “Lord of the Rings” (LOTR) Trilogy.
Said Peter Jackson, “I’m very pleased that we’ve been able to put our differences behind us, so that we may begin a new chapter with our old friends at New Line. ‘The Lord of the Rings’ is a legacy we proudly share with Bob and Michael, and together, we share that legacy with millions of loyal fans all over the world. We are delighted to continue our journey through Middle Earth. I also want to thank Harry Sloan and our new friends at MGM for helping us find the common ground necessary to continue that journey.”
“Peter Jackson has proven himself as the filmmaker who can bring the extraordinary imagination of Tolkien to life and we full heartedly agree with the fans worldwide who know he should be making ‘The Hobbit,’” said Sloan, MGM’s Chairman and CEO. “Now that we are all in agreement on ‘The Hobbit,’ we can focus on assembling the production team that will capture this phenomenal tale on film.”
Bob Shaye, New Line Co-Chairman and Co-CEO comments, “We are very pleased we have been able to resolve our differences, and that Peter and Fran will be actively and creatively involved with ‘The Hobbit’ movies. We know they will bring the same passion, care and talent to these films that they so ably accomplished with ‘The Lord of the Rings’ Trilogy.”
So do you think he'll direct, too? Maybe his friend Sam Raimi? Let Michael Bay throw in more explosions and Will Smith shouting "Welcome to Middle Earth!"?
PETER JACKSON AND NEW LINE CINEMA JOIN WITH MGM TO PRODUCE “THE HOBBIT” [Hobbit Blog]
Oct 5 2007 Some Other Crap That Happened...
- The chances of Peter Jackson directing The Hobbit have risen marginally with reports that the director and New Line are talking again. Just talking? Or flirting? Wheeeeeeww! [EW]
- JJ Abrams is creating a 2-hour, $10 million pilot for Fox he describes as mixing elements of The X-Files, Altered States, and a "slight Twilight Zone vibe." I know a lot of people like Lost, but are we really going to keep pretending the writer of Armageddon (look it up) is so infallible? [Variety]
- Old School director Todd Phillips will direct Hangover, featuring the familiar concept of three crazy guys getting in misogynistic trouble in Vegas. Yet somehow this isn't Old School 2, which he's also making. [Variety]
Aug 14 2007 Sam Raimi Directing, Peter Jackson Producing The Hobbit
Following up on the earlier rumor that Sam Raimi might be taking over to helm The Hobbit, IESB is reporting Peter Jackson is finally settling disputes with New Line and has stepped on board to produce, putting Raimi in the director's seat. I will be starting the line for tickets tomorrow morning.
If you ask me, this is a pretty solid second choice that New Line's scoring. I've always been a firm believer in the idea that if you can't get your dream girl, might as well get her slightly uglier best friend, right? Or if not her, maybe some old, fat, drunk whore at a local bar. Then turn to the old, fat, drunk man who's dressed like a woman. If not him, how about pantyhose sewn into the shape of a human and stuffed with old socks?
May 15 2007 Spielberg and Jackson Team Up for Tintin
Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson have announced they will develop a trilogy of computer animated 3D Tintin films. Based on Georges Remi's (under the pen name of Herge) popular Belgian comic strip, each director will helm at least one of the pictures, though it's still unclear who will do the third.
Jackson explained that the characters will retain Remi's original designs, but alter the cartoon look to a photorealistic level, making them look "like real people — but real Herge people!" Or, in other words, they're going to look really f***ing creepy. Looking like Tintin works in an illustrated world, but can you imagine it as reality? Imagine those beady little eyes, glassy and real, staring out of his perfectly ovular head, straight into your soul. Absolutely terrifying.
