X-Men producer praises subsidy for blockbusters

From: Stuff.co.nz
By DAVID WILLIAMS

Government grants are essential for hooking big budget movies into coming back, the producer of the latest Hollywood blockbuster to film in New Zealand says.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine producer Ralph Winter, who cut his teeth on the Star Trek films and has produced the other three X-Men movies, told The Press from Sydney that the New Zealand Government's grant of 15 per cent made a huge difference.

"Particularly when the US dollar is taking a beating around the world and you're spending $15 million to $20m in New Zealand.

"We keep track of those things very, very carefully in our accounting department because those are big dollars."

Economic Development Minister Pete Hodgson said the Large Budget Screen Production Grant ensured New Zealand remained internationally competitive in the film sector.

"Since 2003 the Government has paid out just over $100m, which means that an additional $800m has been brought into the New Zealand economy."

Film New Zealand chief executive Judith McCann said the grants, introduced at 12.5 per cent in 2003 and lifted to 15 per cent last July, were crucial and had been hugely effective.

"Essentially it's to attract production here which generates more than 15 per cent of expenditures - it means you're attracting 85 per cent you wouldn't have had anyway."

McCann said the X-Men blockbuster was the first to be based out of Fox Studios in Sydney and filmed on both sides of the Tasman.

Location shooting in New Zealand for Wolverine finished at Easter. Filming will continue in Sydney until June, when post-production will move to Los Angeles.

Winter said he would love to work in New Zealand again.

Before filming, he talked to Wellington-based visual effects companies Weta Digital and Weta Workshop, co-owned by Peter Jackson, about working on Wolverine after using them on Fantastic Four and Rise of the Silver Surfer.

However, the companies were busy making Avatar and The Lovely Bones.

The producer said he could tell why the Narnia movies and Lord of the Rings were shot in Kiwi landscapes.

"The stuff in New Zealand is just extraordinary - it is unlike any other place on the Earth," he said.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine will be released in May 2009.

Dominic Monaghan’s Beak Brunch

From: JustJared.com

Dominic Monaghan grabs a quick brunch at Erewhon Natural Food Market in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

An exhibition of his photographs titled “Happy Accidents” opens this Friday in West Hollywood. It features pictures of his co-stars from Lost and Lord of the Rings.

Dominic, 31, was most recently in Australia filming scenes as Barnell Bohusk, aka Beak/Blackwing, in the new Wolverine movie.

Hmm, who’s the blonde chick covering her face? She’s sitting in the red MINI Cooper that Dominic’s about to get into…

EXCLUSIVE: Kevin Durand to play The Blob in Wolverine

From:

by Neil Miller

And just like that, we’ve got another little scoop for you from inside the production of X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Last week we told you that Wolverine would encounter The Blob at some point during the upcoming prequel, and now we know who will be jumping into the big rubber fat suit. His name is Kevin Durand.

Not familiar with the name? Just look at the picture to the right. Durand is “that guy” from movies like Wild Hogs, Mystery, Alaska and most recently 3:10 to Yuma. Our source inside the production tells us that Durand was “live-scanned” for The Blob a while ago, but has just officially signed on to the project in recent days. Word is that he will be heading up to his native Canada to shoot scenes for the film sometime next week. This is also important because the rest of the production is happening half way across the world in New Zealand and Australia. Does this mean that The Blob will not share too many scenes with Wolverine himself? Or does it mean that he will be shooting everything in front of a green screen and be digitally inserted into the film? Or better yet, is the production moving to Canada at some point? Time will tell, I’m sure.

In other Wolverine news, Lord of the Rings and Lost star Dominic Monaghan has also joined the production as Barnell, a former military ally of Logan with the power to harness energy and electricity.

Stay tuned for more Wolverine news in the coming weeks… We will keep our recon team working overtime for you.

Jackman Spotted on the Wolverine Set

From:

Blog posts are popping up on the net from folks saying they've seen the X-Men Origins: Wolverine production in New Zealand. Here's one from TravelMarla:

Saw Hugh Jackman running thru the woods today in full Wolverine costume. Apparently he is shooting a movie of the same name as the x-men character. New Zealand is doubling as canada. I went on a tour of the National Park where Lord of the Rings was filmed. Many films are made there. Wolverine is just the latest one. So that was the highlight of the day... We were in a van it was much like being at a theme park seeing him. He was outside the window. It was like seeing a lion at the San Diego Zoo. Although Hugh Jackman is mch better looking. But I digress.

And one from Kay's Travel Blog:

This afternoon we took a Lord of the Rings jeep tour up to where they did a lot of the filming for LOTR. We saw Fangorn forest, where Isengard would be if it was real (the backdrop for it anyway), the Misty mountains and other places. There was also a large crew there filming scenes from the new Wolverine movie. Hugh Jackman is in town but we haven't seen him. He took the jetboat ride yesterday tho, just a few hours before us.

20th Century Fox is planning a May 1, 2009 release for X-Men Origins: Wolverine.