You know you're in Hobbit-land when Peter Jackson turns a mind-numbing question from Stephen Colbert about the Elves of Mirkwood into an observation about whether the coffee mugs on The Colbert Report are sanitary. more »
Given the behind the scenes false starts that seemed to plague the production of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey – lawsuits, studio bankruptcy, a change in directors — it's perhaps a tad ironic that beginning the story of Lord of the Rings before the story of Lord of the Rings was never a problem. No, for Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens, the power troika behind the flick, beginning an episodic, rollicking, children's adventure story cum three-film epic was the easy part. Deciding where to end, however...
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An often overlooked 80s classic is getting a slick HD makeover on the occasion of its 25th birthday: the George Lucas-produced and Ron Howard-directed fantasy film Willow comes to Blu-Ray on March 13. more »
The hero of Jean-Luc Godard's Le Petit Soldat declared “The cinema is truth, 24 times per second,” as The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw noted while pondering frame rates and cinematic standards last year. Peter Jackson insists that it’s closer to 48 frames per second, as demonstrated by the groundbreaking new frame rate he utilized for this weekend’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. But do scientific theories about the way our brains perceive images and reality — truth unfolding onscreen, in front of our eyes — support Jackson’s brave new vision for cinema, or undermine it?
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Peter Jackson and Steven Spielberg will switch roles in the follow-up to last year's Tintin. Also in Friday's round-up of news, Lincoln crossed the $100 million mark in the U.S.; The Who is heading to the big screen; Dylan McDermott is headed to a Stephen King pic; and a look at some of the weekend's new Specialty Release newcomers.
Peter Jackson Plans Tintin 2 for 2015
Jackson will begin work on a sequel to last year's feature version of Tintin before he completes his current Hobbit trilogy. Jackson told reporters in Belgium that he would work on the follow up to The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn next year. The first Tintin film was directed by Steven Spielberg with Jackson as producer; Spielberg revealed in February that the Oscar-winning pair would swap roles for its sequel, The Guardian reports.
Lincoln Crosses $100 Million Domestically
Thirty-four days after its initial limited release in 11 theaters, Steve Spielberg's Lincoln crossed the $100 million mark. The feature, starring Daniel Day-Lewis received seven Golden Globe nominations Thursday.
The Who Pic Heads to the Big Screen
Actor Cary Elwes will direct the story of the life and death of Kit Lambert, the rock impresario and manager of The Who, with production set for late spring 2013. Lambert discovered The Who, ironically, when he was trying to make a film about a band, THR reports.
Dylan McDermott Boards Mercy
McDermott has joined the fantasy horror project based on a Stephen King story from the author's Skeleton Crew series. Frances O'Connor, Chandler Riggs and Joel Courtney are also starring with Peter Cornwell directing, Deadline reports.
Weekend Specialty Preview: Any Day Now, Yelling to the Sky, Save the Date, Let Fury Have the Hour
A slew of indie actors have movies opening in the specialty arena this weekend.Alan Cumming has won festival raves for his role in Any Day Now. Zoë Kravitz and Gabourey Sidibe star in Yelling to the Sky, Deadline reports.
Peter Jackson's initial Hobbit is looking to match its Lord of the Rings brethren. Also in Wednesday's news round-up, Joel Edgerton is eyeing to star in next Natalie Portman pic; Andy Samberg is set to take on the Spirit Awards; Top Gun is flying toward IMAX; and Hobbit mock-buster gets a new title.
The Hobbit Tracking for $70 Million Opening
Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey looks like it will take in $70 million-plus at the box office this weekend, putting the 3-D pic on par with the Lord of the Rings franchise. On the same weekend in 2003, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King opened to $72.6 million in North America, THR reports.
Joel Edgerton Eyes Jane Got a Gun
Edgerton is in talks to join the Lynne Ramsey-directed Western action pic Jane Got a Gun, which stars Natalie Portman and Michael Fassbender. The film revolves around Jane Hammond (Portman), who reaches out to her ex-lover (Fassbender) to help her when her outlaw husband becomes the target of a violent gang, Deadline reports.
Andy Samberg to Host 2013 Film Independent Spirit Awards
The Saturday Night Live veteran will host the 28th annual event in February, which honors the best in the indie film world. The 2013 Film Independent Spirit Awards will take place in Santa Monica on February 23rd, LAT reports.
Top Gun Aims for IMAX in 3-D
The 1986 Tom Cruise feature has been remastered in 3-D, which the late director Tony Scott supervised. Top Gun will head back to the big screen for a six-day IMAX engagement beginning February 8th followed by the latest Blu-ray release in a 3D/2D two-disc set coming February 19, Deadline reports.
Age of the Hobbits Set for Cambodian Release Under New Title
Backers of the mock-buster who were stopped by a Federal judge Monday from releasing their film with the title saying it could be confused with Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, will now release the pic under the title, The History of Mankind in its native Cambodia, THR reports.
Warner Bros. won its lawsuit against mock-buster Age of the Hobbits. Also in Tuesday's news round-up, Amy Adams will be feted for The Master; Tim Buckley feature is heading to U.S. theaters; Disney will adapt Dolphin pic for a feature; and Gus Van Sant is lending his name for the U.S. release of acclaimed Laurence Anyways.
Warner Bros. Triumphs in Hobbit Mock-buster Case
A federal judge granted Warner Bros., MGM and others a restraining order against mock-buster Age of The Hobbits, saying the victory over Global Asylum's "cynical business model." Global had planned a to release a parallel pic, Age of the Hobbit against Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Deadline reports.
Amy Adams to Receive Santa Barbara International Film Festival's Cinema Vanguard Award
The three-time Oscar-nominated actress will be presented the events's prize January 31st. Adams is a contender for Best Supporting Actress for her role as the wife of a cult leader in Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master, THR reports.
Greetings From Tim Buckley Heads to U.S. Theaters
Directed by Dan Algrant, the Toronto Film Festival feature explores two generations of musicians, Tim and Jeff Buckley. Penn Badgley plays Jeff Buckley as a young musician who rehearses his public singing debut at a Brooklyn tribute to his father and struggling to come to terms with his legacy with the help of an unlikely woman at the show. While they discover each other and New York City, the film also explores Tim’s (Mr. Rosenfield) 1960s heyday, as he drives cross-country with a girlfriend and finds himself on the verge of stardom. Tribeca Film will distribute the pic with Focus World, a subsidiary of Focus Features.
Disney to Adapt Dolphin Boy Feature
The studio secured rights to the Israeli documentary, which revolves around a teenager from an Arab village in northern Israel who is traumatized from a violent attack and slowly recovers with the help of dolphins. The Bucket List writer Justin Zackham will write the script for Disney, Variety reports.
Gus Van Sant Joins Xavier Dolan's Laurence Anyways in U.S. Release
Van Sant's Promised Land is gathering some Oscar buzz, but he'll lend his name as executive producer to acclaimed young Quebecois filmmaker Xavier Dolan's third Cannes title, Laurence Anyways as it heads out to U.S. screens in 2013. Set in the '90s, Laurence Anyways is the tale of a young couple and the difficult decisions they must face after the man decides to start living his life as a woman.
The world premiere of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in New Zealand last week may have caught the attention of an entire nation and a good chunk of the world's press, but the 166 minute feature's New York premiere nevertheless turned into a lively event Friday night at the Ziegfeld Theater in Midtown. Peter Jackson, fittingly, kicked off the festivities introducing much of the cast, including Sir Ian McKellen (in fact there were a lot of "Sirs" Thursday night including Jackson himself), Martin Freeman, Elijah Wood, Andy Serkis and many of the dwarfs.
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The Hobbit doesn't make you heave, according to Warner Bros. The studio behind the first film in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings prequel trilogy is batting down reports that the the high-frame rate of the picture caused nausea and dizziness for some fans who saw early screenings of the picture in New Zealand. more »
Middle-earth may have some perils of the stomach variety if Kiwi viewers are an indication of things to come. Early screenings of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in New Zealand have left some movie-goers feeling nauseous.
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The biggest question surrounding Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings prequel, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, has nothing to do with its strength of story, its Oscar chances, or whether or not Tolkien fans will embrace yet another uber-ambitious adaptation of their beloved fantasy world, but rather: How does it look?
Specifically, how will Jackson's 48 frames-per-second gamble play after months of talk and one particularly disastrous Cinema Con debut? I'll tell you this: The grumblings and rumblings after my screening of The Hobbit - in bold, daring, frustrating 48 frames-per-second 3-D - were decidedly not raves. And that's a very bad sign for Jackson & Co.
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Peter Jackson's denial came ahead of the Hobbit premiere in New Zealand Wednesday. Also tracking in film news, Cate Blachett is eyeing a Wicked Stepmother role; MGM is considering a remake of a 1975 horror pic; And the Friar's Club is set to roast Jack Black.
Peter Jackson Again Denies The Hobbit Animal Cruelty
Jackson said, "Absolutely none - no mistreatment, no abuse," at a news conference in Wellington hours before Wednesday's premiere. He also described PETA as "pretty pathetic" for seeking publicity ahead of the premiere of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Deadline reports.
Palm Springs Film Festival to Honor Robert Zemeckis
Zemeckis will be feted at the festival for his latest pic, Flight, starring Denzel Washington. The festival, which take place January 3 - 14, will present the award to Zemeckis at a gala January 5th, Variety reports.
Cate Blanchett Eyes Disney's Cinderella
Blanchett could play Cinderella's evil stepmother in the Mark Romanek-directed film and would be the first actor to join the project, written by The Devil Wears Prada writer Aline Brosh McKenna, Deadline reports.
MGM Eyes Sundown Remake
The possible re-do is a remake of the 1976 horror movie The Town that Dreaded Sundown. The original was based on five unsolved murders attributed to a Phantom Killer during a three month period in 1946 in the border area between Texas and Arkansas, Variety reports.
Friar's Club to Roast Jack Black in 2013
Black will sit in the hot seat at the group's next annual roast. The comedian follows previous roastees including Betty White and Quentin Tarantino. "We only roast the ones we love, and with Jack, we love his comedy, we love his music and we love his enormous talent," said Friars Club "Abbot" Jerry Lewis. "It’s going to be a great day for all of us." The event will take place April 5 in New York. THR reports.
December 14th is the day when Peter Jackson will unleash the first of his Hobbit films, but that doesn't mean it's practically in the can. Jackson is bunkering down in the Park Road Post Production facility in Wellington, New Zealand to finish up the first in the trilogy, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
"It's due to be completed literally two days before the premiere. Hopefully," Jackson comments in the film’s latest production video (below). "You're going to see a lot of sleep-deprived people in this blog — everybody’s working around the clock to get the film finished."
The behind the scenes look shows Jabez Olssen and Jackson editing the film, final construction of hundreds of CGI shots and working on sound effects for the feature which stars Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Cate Blachett and Elijah Wood.
"We’ve got another three weeks...and then another couple films,” Jackson said. “The journey’s long from over, it’s just really starting."
Meanwhile, a new clip from the film also rolled out. The scene shows Gandalf (Ian McKellen) giving a magical sword to Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman). It's rather quick and Gandalf seems to forewarn of its pending need.
Peter Jackson interview:
First clip:
[Sources: Wired, The Film Stage]
The people behind The Hobbit are no fans of what they perceive as imitators. Warner Bros., New Line Cinema and MGM as well as Hobbit producer Saul Zaentz are taking backers of low-budget pic Age of the Hobbits for trademark infringement.
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Also in Wednesday morning's round-up of news briefs, theater chains are OKing Peter Jackson's Hobbit technology; Sundance Channel is developing programs by Robert Redford and Michael Fuchs; And the MPAA gives Obama a congratulations.
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