Geek news of the day I stumbled across while reading issue 107 of The Thunderbolts*:
Apparently, somebody still loves Bucky O'Hare, which manages to be one of the few comics/cartoons from the 80s and early 90s that I feel absolutely no nostalgia about. Creator Neal Adams has launched Buzzworthy, a production company which will handle the new CGI treatment. CGI Bucky, anyone?
I know you're already scanning this thing looking for news on that new Frank Miller movie. I won't disappoint today -- Yahoo! presents twelve pretty new 300 stills!
Newsorama says Joker co-creator Jerry Robinson has been talking about being a consultant on the new film. Head here for details.
Did you know there were two Nolans writing the script for The Dark Knight? Yeah, I sometimes forget about the other one, too, even though he helped on both Prestige and Memento. But today, Sci Fi Wire takes a break from Chris and has a chat with brother Jonathan instead. For another perspective on the Knight script, you can dig their confab.
*I love the title line "Justice, Like Lightning...The Thunderbolts!" It never gets old.
Both Fox and Universal have decided to pull the plug on the Halo movie adaptation due to concerns over the rising budget and novice director Neil Blomkamp. The budget on the film has been rumored to approach $200 million, well above the original $135 million, a claim strongly denied by executive producer Peter Jackson's agent Ken Kamins.
According to Kamins, "What happened was this: Universal, on behalf of both studios, asked for a meeting with the filmmakers just prior to the due date of a significant payment. Basically, they said that in order to move forward with the film, the filmmakers had to significantly reduce their deals. They waited until the last minute to have this conversation. Peter and Fran, after speaking with their producing partners and with Microsoft and Bungee (the studio that designed the original game), respectfully declined." The due date he refers to is the now past-due October 15th deadline that Microsoft set for an up-front payment of $5 million for the rights to the film and the script penned by Alex Garland, and a further payment of 10% of the gross.
While waiting until the last minute is nothing new in Hollywood or other business ventures, it is hard to argue with Universal and Fox's decision to pull out at this stage. Even though the two studios were partnered on the film, they would have both been laying out more than $100 million each in budget costs, to share only 45% of the profits, in a genre that has never performed well at the box office -- video game adaptations.
The involvement of Peter Jackson was a huge shot in the arm for the production, but there have been many concerns over the hiring of first-time director Blomkamp to the project, who only has 3D animation and short film credits to his name. Not exactly someone you'd want to trust with a $200 million dollar budget, and the reins to the crown jewel in Microsoft's gaming empire. Blomkamp's short film Alive in Joburg does have strong visual elements reminiscent of the Halo universe, but it would be an enormous leap to go from that to a mega-budget Hollywood tentpole.
Pre-production work continues on the film, and Kamins claims that they remain behind Blomkamp's vision for the film, but with two major Hollywood studios pulling out, what are the chances it will make it to theaters?
Geek news culled from the great harvest of the internet while I was watching Angry Beavers reruns:
It just wouldn't be a Geek Bytes without some new eye candy from 300, now would it? Okay, maybe it would, but it wouldn't be a good Geek Bytes. Swing by CanMag for a new 300 video journal showcasing some of the creatures which will appear in the film. As always, be warned: viewing the material will only make you more hungry for the full film.
Speaking of movies we love to talk about, Sci Fi Wire has a new chat with director Chris Nolan in which he breaks down the structure of The Prestige. As always, Nolan is entertaining and instructive.
Still at Sci Fi Wire, Henry Czerny says his new horror/comedy Fido is "the thinking man's zombie movie." I only point this out because there seems to be an irony there, what with zombies loving to eat brains and all. Zombies would feast on the thinking men who watch this film.
For those of you who share Cinematical's love of all things Muppet, you may want to know they've released a new CD of Christmas music this week. Yeah, yeah, it is way to early for Christmas ... but it features new music from Rowlf the Dog and Doctor Teeth and the Electric Mayhem -- characters who have been sadly silent since the passing of Jim Henson. Familiar muppeteer Bill Barretta has worked long and hard on the voices, so it oughta be interesting to hear what he has to say.
Director Tim Story's current mood is "productive," in case you were curious. But not just productive, no, productive with a little winky smiley face -- the kind which playfully says "hey, we're buddies, you understand!" I know this because Story just stopped by his old MySpace to drop off a Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer update. Unlike certain other movie creators, Story did not get angry about photos being released from on set (the wedding pictures which have been floating around lately); he just promised there were still a few surprises from the scene which the photos didn't share. He also said he and Michael Chiklis were having "a ball" with The Thing wearing regular old clothing, as Ben Grimm is becoming more comfortable with his monstrous form. The only other news Story dropped before signing off with "peaces" was a quick note on early production stuff from WETA: "Bad a** Ladies and Gentlemen. Trust me - digital is the way to go with this."
Now granted Story is the director, and thus is supposed to say very positive things about his own film, but nonetheless I trust him on this one. Whatever else happens with the film, and regardless of how great or terrible the whole movie turns out, I expect to love the look of the Silver Surfer.
Okay, so here is where I show my age ... which is none of your business thank you very much. I am not at all familiar with the Bratz dolls, other than the fact that they look like underage hookers and have really disproportionate heads and bodies. But, since little girls seem to love them, there are already magazines, albums, a TV show and now a live-action movie on the way.
Back in May, Erik reported on the live-action film which is being put together by MGA Entertainment and Crystal Sky Pictures, but a director had not yet signed on. However, it was announced on Tuesday that Sean McNamara (Raise Your Voice) would hop onboard and take over helming duties on the project. The screenplay follows Yasmin, Ari, Cloe, and Jade bonding over social pressures at Lewis & Clark High School -- it sort of sounds like Mean Girls, except with no actual point. I mean they're dolls, people! I always thought Barbie was a bit of a "good time girl" but these gals dress like Soul Train dancers and wear as much makeup as a Vegas cocktail waitress. Yeah, it's kind of disturbing.
I may poke fun at Ain't It Cool news from time to time for their overwhelming enthusiasm and use of exclamation points, but like most geeks, I respect Harry Knowles and the crazy, crazy job he does. The same apparently cannot be said for Transformers producer Don Murphy, who in a recent flame post on his message board referred to Harry's site as "Ain't it S**t news." A profoundly witty man, that Murphy ... he can really zing those insults off, and with such clever turns of phrase. At any rate, Murphy was responding to images of Optimus Prime seen on Ain't it Cool News, and the money part of his quote was: "You know -- no one from the production ever confirmed anything that was leaked to Ain't It S**t News. So it may have been actual photos or it may not have been. The bad poet Diabetes has reported on here that Megatron's head will be changed. From what? Did we ever release an official pic of Megs? No sir we didn't. I CAN tell you that Megs' head will not look like he did in the leaked pics."
So there you have it, folks. Your friendly neighborhood producer Don Murphy reminds you "don't trust the internets." Thanks, Don!
In a move that sent hearts atwitter in the fanboy community, director Guillermo del Toro spoke about the anticipated Hellboy sequel while in Manhattan promoting his latest film (Pan's Labyrinth). The long awaited sequel to 2004's Hellboy has been wasting away in development -- well, hell. Universal Studios has now come to the rescue and is going to be the new home of Mike Mignola's stubby horned anti-hero.
Now you would think that would be enough to get everyone's attention, but del Toro wasn't done. The director went on to drop a few bombs about what he had in mind for the sequel "My hope is that if everything goes well and we continue [the franchise], Hellboy can start fighting the Universal monsters! I would love to see that." -- why am I getting flashbacks to The Monster Squad? del Toro is quick to point out that he wants to use the classic Universal monsters and is not interested in "modernizing" them.
So before we all start arguing over who's going to win in a fight between Hellboy and Dracula, its probably best to take this news lightly. Guillermo del Toro isn't committing to anything yet -- "We talked briefly about this because I think it is such a great possibility for the future, to do that either in the animated universe or in another universe we create just for that. ..." Man, what a tease.
I am currently holding what I like to call "the big bag-o-comics." Inside this wonderful, imaginary bag, are thousands of slips of paper, each with the title of a comic book series on it. When a production company wants to land a comic book movie (a very popular genre these days, as you well know), they simply contact me, and I reach into the bag to give them their box office gold. Today's candidate is Rogue Pictures, who will be buying the rights to -- shake shake shake -- Blood on the Tracks? This is ridiculous, there is no such comic. That's just the title of a Bob Dylan album.
What? Oh, I see -- it will exist sometime soon, but doesn't actually exist quite yet. But no worries, this won't stop Rogue from "preemptively" buying the rights for film purposes. After all, who doesn't want another vampire movie filled with a sequence of killings in the New York subway which *gasp!* turn out to be the work of a rogue vampire? I know, this will make a killing at the box office, right? I can't wait for -- what was it called again -- oh yeah, Blood on the Tracks. Congratulations, Rogue!
When I saw this list over at IGN of their picks for the top ten wrestlers-turned-actors, I just couldn't pass it up. Someone else besides me has a soft spot for these larger-than-life heroes. Some highlights of the list include Hulk Hogan, Jesse 'The Body" Ventura, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and my personal all-time favorite "Rowdy" Roddy Piper. I know what you're thinking: How could I, an obviously sophisticated, intelligent, thoughtful and articulate movie-goer and commentator, ever sink so low as to enjoy movies featuring muscle-bound former wrestlers blowing the crap outta stuff? Well, the answer is pretty simple -- I like movie where people blow the crap outta stuff.
It's not that hard to understand really. I like almost all movies I have ever seen in some way or another. They each have their strengths and weaknesses. It's pretty rare that I hate a film or rarer still, will walk out during a film. Although, it did happen at least twice that I can remember. Once during a film called The Allnighter with Bangles lead singer turned "actor" Susanna Hoffs and once during a screening of the remake of Invaders from Mars starring Karen Black and directed by Tobe Hooper. Trust me, if you had seen these films, you would have walked out too. They were seriously awful.
There's a place in the multiplex for all kinds of movies, even ones featuring wrestlers-turned-actors, because people are different and like different things. That's one of the great things about going to the movies -- you can usually find something you like. Besides, you gotta love a movie where the hero gets to say lines like "I'm here to chew bubblegum and kick ass and I'm all outta bubblegum." That's a classic in my book.
After a week away, you look around the movie world and ask yourself what, exactly is news? Casting? Gossip? Deals? Or something less immediate? I mean, Wesley Snipes is getting indicted for tax fraud -- but when was the last time Snipes had a project that didn't go straight-to-video? Or, for another example, David Fincher's Zodiac will be the first film ever - or, more appropriately, the first movie ever --to incorporate an all-digital workflow -- shot and edited without a speck of tape. That's interesting, and a sea change in the industry -- but it's not exactly sexy. Or the fact that Terrence Howard is joining Robert Downey Jr. in Iron Man -- which strikes me as weird, nearly suicidal casting in both cases. (Back when Nick Cassavetes was slated to direct Iron Man, I joked that what with the character's history of alcoholism, what I really wanted to see was John Cassavetes' Iron Man --ideally starring Ben Gazarra, and focusing just on character stuff. Is that what Favreau's going for?)
And while I was away, it feels like someone dropped a flag and started Oscar season -- this week alone Flags of our Fathers and Little Children open in the Bay Area; Infamous and The Queen have already done so; there's a screening of Fur tomorrow. Add in a few minor things to keep life interesting -- like being in a 6.7 quake on Sunday morning and making it to the last seat on the last flight out of Kona afterwards -- and I'm a little discombobulated. So what was your biggest news in the last week? And are you looking forward to any end-of-year Oscar contenders?
Top Thought of the Week -- The Ghost Riderteam amuses me. I'm probably one of the five or so people on earth who really, really want to like this movie, and even I can't help but chuckle at them. Here's the deal. You're talking about a guy who admits to loving the Punisherflick. I'm willing to accept some high levels of cheese in my Marvel movies because -- let's all be honest here -- Marvel comic books are full of cheese. A level of goofiness is to be expected in nearly every Marvel story, and that's just how it is. The trick for movie directors is exactly the same as it is for comic book writers: Find a happy balance between action, drama, and yes, humor, and you'll be a success with the fans. The Spider-Manfranchise is probably the best example of this balance ... possibly in both the books and the movies. If you want to be optimistic about the Ghost Rider flick, hold out hope for a strong script (yeah, I'm having trouble holding down the laughter, too) and solid acting performances.
The other rule you generally need to follow in creating Marvel comics is don't be Rob Liefeld. In other words -- make it pretty. You don't have to be the champion of all digital effects, but for goodness sake, don't look like an early 2000s video game. This has been a strong negative for the Ghost Rider camp lately, and their attempts to fight back against internet geeks vocally roasting their look is what has given me such amusement this past week. Nonetheless, hope springs eternal in this geek heart of mine.
Although he is one of the primary characters in The Dark Knight, Michael Caine knows nothing of the script for the upcoming Batman Begins sequel (which puts him in the same category as fellow actor Christian Bale and the rest of the known world). This has not stopped the talented and amusing Caine from suggesting a plot point or two to writer/director Christopher Nolan. Caine told Sci Fi Wire he'd had a discussion with "the widow of the man who wrote Batman" and she told Caine of a scene her husband had written which Caine felt should be included in the movie. Here's how Caine tells it: "She told me that he wrote a sequence where Batman was trying to get bad guys, and he wanted to use the butler dressed as Batman as a ruse, and then go back around behind him ... I think that if he dresses me as Batman, it could be one of the funniest sequences in the history of movies."
Caine said he pitched the idea to Nolan, but has no idea if it'll be used. (Hasn't read the script, remember?) What do you think, Bat-fans? Campy comedy scene with Alfred dressed in the Batman digs? Handled well, I'm sure it'd be a good gag, but I'm not going to be heartbroken if doesn't make the cut. Honestly, I'm more or less in favor of anything Michael Caine wants to do. Anyone who has appeared in both a Muppet production and an excellent Batman film is entitled to every ounce of my respect. ...
Marvel's new director Jon Favreau is using his MySpace blog to ask for your help yet again. Favreau has done a reasonably good job thus far of at least pretending to be interested in the fans' thoughts, and I applaud his efforts to stay connected to the fan base he (and Marvel) desperately need to turn out for Marvel's first self financed flick, Iron Man. Today's question of the hour: who should be Pepper Potts?
For you non-True Believers, Pepper was Tony Stark's (he's the guy inside the Iron Man costume) secretary, first showing up back in the 60s, who spent the early years with a mad crush on Mr. Stark. She's a redhead, for what it's worth, but I rather imagine that'll have very little to do with casting decisions, what with wigs, dyes and such being readily available. Swing on over to Fav's blog and have a look at the names suggested so far (they cover most of the current starletts), and then come back here and impress us with your far wiser suggestions.
Geek news I found while taking a break from baking Pac-Man shaped cakes:
Over at the Don Murphy Message Board, writer David Cian stopped by to share news about his new book: "Since it's now listed (albeit without a great deal of information) on Amazon, I can now announce that I'll be writing the Transformersprequel novel. In short, this will be the story of some of the events prior to what happens in the film." You know, I find myself oddly intrigued by a Transformers novel -- maybe because in my head, the Transformers can still look like they did in the 80s.
Speaking of that wily Nolan, you can read a nice little discussion with the director and his co-writer brother over at the ever-present Coming Soon. As always with Nolan, it is a good read.
Haven't you had enough imagery from 300? Yeah, neither have I. Go get some more eye-candy at IGN, which has updated their gallery with a few new pictures.
In the increasing effort to prove critics of his early trailers and posters wrong, Mark Steven Johnson and the Ghost Rider team have released a new trailer showing Johnny Blaze transforming in more impressive, detailed fashion than the previously seen transformation scene. The transformation scene was one of those most viciously attacked after the trailer release, so it makes sense a new version was quick to follow. Check out the official blog for the new trailer, and see if it looks any better to you.
Better? Yeah, I guess so ... although really, that isn't saying much. Despite my geek-nature longing to enjoy this film, there really haven't been a lot of positive things to say about it. Really, the best you can say about this flick is "hey, at least it isn't one of Marvel's self-financed films, so it probably won't hurt so bad if it doesn't do well." On the other hand, all the negative buzz isn't setting great momentum for Marvel's subsequent films. I'm still crossing my fingers on Ghost Rider, but even I don't expect much.
Geek news of the day I stumbled across while reading issue 107 of The Thunderbolts*:
Both Fox and Universal have decided to pull the plug on the Halo movie adaptation due to concerns over the rising budget and novice director 
Geek news culled from the great harvest of the internet while I was watching 
Director 
I may poke fun at Ain't It Cool news from time to time for their overwhelming enthusiasm and use of exclamation points, but like most geeks, I respect Harry Knowles and the crazy, crazy job he does. The same apparently cannot be said for 
In a move that sent hearts atwitter in the fanboy community, director 
I am currently holding what I like to call "the big bag-o-comics." Inside this wonderful, imaginary bag, are thousands of slips of paper, each with the title of a comic book series on it. When a production company wants to land a comic book movie (a very popular genre these days, as you well know), they simply contact me, and I reach into the bag to give them their box office gold. Today's candidate is Rogue Pictures, who will be buying the rights to -- shake shake shake -- Blood on the Tracks? This is ridiculous, there is no such comic. That's just the title of a Bob Dylan album.
When I saw 
After a week away, you look around the movie world and ask yourself what, exactly is news? Casting? Gossip? Deals? Or something less immediate? I mean, 
Although he is one of the primary characters in T
Marvel's new director 
In the increasing effort to prove critics of his early trailers and posters wrong, 
