Like we didn't know the old posters were fan-made, but here's a picture if the original.
Saturday, 30 August 2008
Look familiar?
Like we didn't know the old posters were fan-made, but here's a picture if the original.
Friday, 22 August 2008
Watch out FOX! Watchmen Legal Troubles Tick-off Fans
From: ComicBookMovie.com
20th Century Fox's legal dispute with Warner Bros. over the rights to Watchmen has sparked a war mentality among fans. Some have already started threatening to boycott X-Men Origins: Wolverine if the litigation is pursued.
This from ScreenRant.com's Vic Holtreman...
"I solemnly swear: if Watchmen ends up on the list of great movies that almost made it, I will be leading the charge to make Fox PAY. I will slam every one of the crap movies and TV shows they put out, and use every bit of my blogger-power (it’s about 3/4 as potent as flower-power) to downright brainwash every suggestible reader into boycotting any movie released by 20th Century Fox until Watchmen sees the light of day. (Sorry Wolvy, you’ll be my first victim. Just to let these stuffed-suits know I ain’t playing!) Fox will come to learn the TRUE meaning of the word “backfire,” and I think I speak for a great many Watchmen fans when I say that."
AMEN Vic! You ain't kiddin' when you say that the fans feel the same way. As the outrage continues, we have more on this mess from EW...
Caught in the crossfire of murky legal vollies and overheated online venting: some of Fox's biggest upcoming films, including a remake of The Day The Earth Stood Still, starring Keanu Reeves, and 2009's other hotly anticipated superhero flick, Fox’s own X-Men Origins: Wolverine, starring Hugh Jackman and slated for a May 1, 2009 release. In the wake of a report in Tuesday's Daily Variety asserting that “Fox … would rather see [Watchmen] killed instead of collecting a percentage at the box office,” comic books fans hit the boards at EW.com and deadlinehollywood.com vowing to punish Fox for denying them the chance to see Snyder’s long-awaited movie by boycotting various Fox films. Over at comics2film.com, Watchmen fans also blustered about a ban and even floated the idea of damaging Wolverine in particular via piracy — presumably, by making a crappy cam recording of the film and posting it somewhere on the Internet for illegal download.
It’s hard to imagine a boycott or a digital pirate attack could significantly skewer Wolverine’s prospective box office, even if they did actually come to pass. Fanboys are pretty amped for Jackman’s franchise bid — the trailer Fox showed at Comic-Con killed — and a vast majority of geeks probably shy away from doing anything that will rile up a small army of Fox lawyers armed with court orders. Still, Fox is counting on those fanboys' dollars to make Wolverine profitable, and alienating them risks creating bad PR. Should this boycott blather intensify throughout the fall, it will no doubt put Jackman in the unenviable position of fielding questions about the controversy during the tubthumping to come for his big Oscar-baiting epic, Australia, also a Fox production. (Needless to say, such drama would also create more awareness for Watchmen.)
Asked for a response to the fan uproar, a Fox spokesman said in a statement: “Of course we are concerned about the fans; however, any disappointment from the core fans should not be directed toward Fox. What we are doing is seeking to enforce our distribution rights to Watchmen. Legal copyright ownership should not just be swept under the rug and ignored.”
One question many observers have had about this situation is the timing of the lawsuit. Fox filed its complaint back in February — just as Snyder was wrapping production on Watchmen. The assumption many are making is that Fox stood by and did nothing as Warner Bros. actively and publicly developed and produced a movie it had no right to make, and then, at a maximum moment of leverage, sandbagged its rival with a lawsuit. And yet, according to a Fox source, studio lawyers contacted Warner Bros. about the distribution rights issue several times prior to the start of production but were rebuffed.
All of this would seem to suggest that Warner Bros. either massively screwed up or is pretty darn certain that Fox is grossly mistaken. In a statement issued to the press on Tuesday, a Warner Bros. spokesman said: “We respectfully disagree with Fox's position and do not believe they have any rights in and to this project." But the studio also made the claim that the judge in the case, Judge Gary Allen Fees, "did not opine at all on the merits, other than to conclude that Fox satisfied the pleading requirements.” This is technically true. But the tenor of Fees’ edict does sound rather leading. For example: "It is particularly noteworthy that nothing on the face of the complaint or the documents supplied to the Court establishes that [Watchmen producer Larry] Gordon, the claimed source of Warner Brothers' interest in Watchmen, ever acquired any rights in Watchmen."
At the very least, the judge’s order seems to put Warner Bros. and Gordon in the position of producing proof that clearly shows that Fox is wrong, or confuses the situation so much that the judge will have no choice but to throw them into a slime pit and let them slug this thing out. (If you want to examine the legalese yourself, check it out here.) Regardless, the two most likely outcomes are: 1. Warner Bros. wins. 2. Warner Bros. offers Fox a big fat settlement and Fox takes it. They could certainly use the bump after a weak summer season in which none of its films crossed the $100 million threshold.
Sign the petition against FOX HERE.
Watchmen Fan Plans Protests Against FOX
20th Century Fox's legal dispute with Warner Bros. over the rights to Watchmen has sparked a war mentality among fans. Some have already started threatening to boycott X-Men Origins: Wolverine if the litigation is pursued.
This from ScreenRant.com's Vic Holtreman...
"I solemnly swear: if Watchmen ends up on the list of great movies that almost made it, I will be leading the charge to make Fox PAY. I will slam every one of the crap movies and TV shows they put out, and use every bit of my blogger-power (it’s about 3/4 as potent as flower-power) to downright brainwash every suggestible reader into boycotting any movie released by 20th Century Fox until Watchmen sees the light of day. (Sorry Wolvy, you’ll be my first victim. Just to let these stuffed-suits know I ain’t playing!) Fox will come to learn the TRUE meaning of the word “backfire,” and I think I speak for a great many Watchmen fans when I say that."
AMEN Vic! You ain't kiddin' when you say that the fans feel the same way. As the outrage continues, we have more on this mess from EW...
Caught in the crossfire of murky legal vollies and overheated online venting: some of Fox's biggest upcoming films, including a remake of The Day The Earth Stood Still, starring Keanu Reeves, and 2009's other hotly anticipated superhero flick, Fox’s own X-Men Origins: Wolverine, starring Hugh Jackman and slated for a May 1, 2009 release. In the wake of a report in Tuesday's Daily Variety asserting that “Fox … would rather see [Watchmen] killed instead of collecting a percentage at the box office,” comic books fans hit the boards at EW.com and deadlinehollywood.com vowing to punish Fox for denying them the chance to see Snyder’s long-awaited movie by boycotting various Fox films. Over at comics2film.com, Watchmen fans also blustered about a ban and even floated the idea of damaging Wolverine in particular via piracy — presumably, by making a crappy cam recording of the film and posting it somewhere on the Internet for illegal download.
It’s hard to imagine a boycott or a digital pirate attack could significantly skewer Wolverine’s prospective box office, even if they did actually come to pass. Fanboys are pretty amped for Jackman’s franchise bid — the trailer Fox showed at Comic-Con killed — and a vast majority of geeks probably shy away from doing anything that will rile up a small army of Fox lawyers armed with court orders. Still, Fox is counting on those fanboys' dollars to make Wolverine profitable, and alienating them risks creating bad PR. Should this boycott blather intensify throughout the fall, it will no doubt put Jackman in the unenviable position of fielding questions about the controversy during the tubthumping to come for his big Oscar-baiting epic, Australia, also a Fox production. (Needless to say, such drama would also create more awareness for Watchmen.)
Asked for a response to the fan uproar, a Fox spokesman said in a statement: “Of course we are concerned about the fans; however, any disappointment from the core fans should not be directed toward Fox. What we are doing is seeking to enforce our distribution rights to Watchmen. Legal copyright ownership should not just be swept under the rug and ignored.”
One question many observers have had about this situation is the timing of the lawsuit. Fox filed its complaint back in February — just as Snyder was wrapping production on Watchmen. The assumption many are making is that Fox stood by and did nothing as Warner Bros. actively and publicly developed and produced a movie it had no right to make, and then, at a maximum moment of leverage, sandbagged its rival with a lawsuit. And yet, according to a Fox source, studio lawyers contacted Warner Bros. about the distribution rights issue several times prior to the start of production but were rebuffed.
All of this would seem to suggest that Warner Bros. either massively screwed up or is pretty darn certain that Fox is grossly mistaken. In a statement issued to the press on Tuesday, a Warner Bros. spokesman said: “We respectfully disagree with Fox's position and do not believe they have any rights in and to this project." But the studio also made the claim that the judge in the case, Judge Gary Allen Fees, "did not opine at all on the merits, other than to conclude that Fox satisfied the pleading requirements.” This is technically true. But the tenor of Fees’ edict does sound rather leading. For example: "It is particularly noteworthy that nothing on the face of the complaint or the documents supplied to the Court establishes that [Watchmen producer Larry] Gordon, the claimed source of Warner Brothers' interest in Watchmen, ever acquired any rights in Watchmen."
At the very least, the judge’s order seems to put Warner Bros. and Gordon in the position of producing proof that clearly shows that Fox is wrong, or confuses the situation so much that the judge will have no choice but to throw them into a slime pit and let them slug this thing out. (If you want to examine the legalese yourself, check it out here.) Regardless, the two most likely outcomes are: 1. Warner Bros. wins. 2. Warner Bros. offers Fox a big fat settlement and Fox takes it. They could certainly use the bump after a weak summer season in which none of its films crossed the $100 million threshold.
Sign the petition against FOX HERE.
Watchmen Fan Plans Protests Against FOX
Romijn plans baby tribute to Parton
From: Newschannel34.com
Model-turned-actress Rebecca Romijn is planning the ultimate tribute to Dolly Parton. She'll name one of her twins after the country music icon.
The X-Men star recently met Parton at her Tennessee themepark DollyWood, and told her she'd be naming one of her babies, due in 2009, after the singer.
Romijn tells magazine In Touch, "I have been a Dolly fan all of my life. She's a wonderful woman. I really connect with her music. I can't think of a better role model for my children."
"She has this great, sweet personality but she's also strong and wise."
The actress reveals Parton was thrilled by the tribute: "She was honored."
The country singer even dedicated her song Little Sparrow to Romijn when she sang it at a show the actress attended on August 17th.
Model-turned-actress Rebecca Romijn is planning the ultimate tribute to Dolly Parton. She'll name one of her twins after the country music icon.
The X-Men star recently met Parton at her Tennessee themepark DollyWood, and told her she'd be naming one of her babies, due in 2009, after the singer.
Romijn tells magazine In Touch, "I have been a Dolly fan all of my life. She's a wonderful woman. I really connect with her music. I can't think of a better role model for my children."
"She has this great, sweet personality but she's also strong and wise."
The actress reveals Parton was thrilled by the tribute: "She was honored."
The country singer even dedicated her song Little Sparrow to Romijn when she sang it at a show the actress attended on August 17th.
Wolverine Article In Wizard Magazine
If you have the chance you should pick up Wizard Magazine #203, it features Wolverine on the cover. If you missed it you can read the entire article online on the magazine’s official site here.
Is Fox Head Tom Rothman Dulling the Claws of 'Wolverine'?
From: Defamer.com
If there's one important lesson that can be drawn from the blockbuster performance of Warner Bros.' The Dark Knight, it's that audiences aren't afraid of a comic-book movie that takes a walk on the dark, grim side. However, the same can't necessarily be said for Fox topper Tom Rothman (the bane of AICN) who greenlit two Fantastic Four movies, hired Brett Ratner to direct X3, and now is allegedly mucking with the X-Men spinoff Wolverine. Despite the fact that the gritty, Hugh Jackman-topped film was met with a giddy response at this year's Comic-Con, Jeff Wells says that Rothman is pressuring director Gavin Hood to make the movie more kid-friendly — and when Hood won't cave, Rothman is taking matters into his own hands:
There was/is a huge Wolverine set being recently used. I'm not even sure which lot it was built on, but the look or mood of the set is, according to a source who was told Hood's view of things, supposed to be on the dark, dinghy and somber side. I only know what I was told, but the basics are that Hood was away from the set for whatever reason (shooting something else, taking a day or two off), and when he returned to the big somber set he was shocked to find that it had been repainted top to bottom on Rothman's orders. The murky-scuzzy vibe was gone, and a brighter and less downish look had taken its place.
Perhaps Rothman has taken his fan letter from Steven Spielberg too much to heart, but a child-friendly Wolverine feels less "X" and more "Y?" Does this mean his bristly greeting of "Bub" will be redubbed "Buddy," or his iconic cigar will be replaced with a pixie stick? C'mon, Tom: Wolvie isn't meant for buoyant musical numbers — or don't you remember what happened last time?
If there's one important lesson that can be drawn from the blockbuster performance of Warner Bros.' The Dark Knight, it's that audiences aren't afraid of a comic-book movie that takes a walk on the dark, grim side. However, the same can't necessarily be said for Fox topper Tom Rothman (the bane of AICN) who greenlit two Fantastic Four movies, hired Brett Ratner to direct X3, and now is allegedly mucking with the X-Men spinoff Wolverine. Despite the fact that the gritty, Hugh Jackman-topped film was met with a giddy response at this year's Comic-Con, Jeff Wells says that Rothman is pressuring director Gavin Hood to make the movie more kid-friendly — and when Hood won't cave, Rothman is taking matters into his own hands:
There was/is a huge Wolverine set being recently used. I'm not even sure which lot it was built on, but the look or mood of the set is, according to a source who was told Hood's view of things, supposed to be on the dark, dinghy and somber side. I only know what I was told, but the basics are that Hood was away from the set for whatever reason (shooting something else, taking a day or two off), and when he returned to the big somber set he was shocked to find that it had been repainted top to bottom on Rothman's orders. The murky-scuzzy vibe was gone, and a brighter and less downish look had taken its place.
Perhaps Rothman has taken his fan letter from Steven Spielberg too much to heart, but a child-friendly Wolverine feels less "X" and more "Y?" Does this mean his bristly greeting of "Bub" will be redubbed "Buddy," or his iconic cigar will be replaced with a pixie stick? C'mon, Tom: Wolvie isn't meant for buoyant musical numbers — or don't you remember what happened last time?
Saturday, 16 August 2008
Brett Ratner brings 'Harbinger' to Hollywood
From: MTV.com
Director Brett Ratner — he of “X-Men: The Last Stand” fame — has decided the future looks bright for the cape & tights set. So much so that he’s moving shop from New Line on over to Paramount, and bringing a bunch of comic properties with him — most notably, “Harbinger” — the classic, Valiant Comics franchise created by legendary comic writer Jim Shooter.
Given that the news of a possible “Harbinger” film just broke, there will still be some time before any major announcements are made, so instead, Splash Page turned to Shooter for his take on the news, and how he hopes Ratner and Co. handle the next possible comic book blockbuster.
To Shooter, it’s no surprise that “Harbinger” found its way to Hollywood since the title’s history started out geared that way. Read more…
Director Brett Ratner — he of “X-Men: The Last Stand” fame — has decided the future looks bright for the cape & tights set. So much so that he’s moving shop from New Line on over to Paramount, and bringing a bunch of comic properties with him — most notably, “Harbinger” — the classic, Valiant Comics franchise created by legendary comic writer Jim Shooter.
Given that the news of a possible “Harbinger” film just broke, there will still be some time before any major announcements are made, so instead, Splash Page turned to Shooter for his take on the news, and how he hopes Ratner and Co. handle the next possible comic book blockbuster.
To Shooter, it’s no surprise that “Harbinger” found its way to Hollywood since the title’s history started out geared that way. Read more…
'Wolverine' crew backed green guide
From: Otago Daily Times.
By James Beech
Hollywood star Hugh Jackman has thrown his support behind a "how-to zero waste" initiative launched this week by the Queenstown Lakes District Council in association with Film Queenstown.
The Sydney-born actor starred in and co-produced X-Men Origins: Wolverine, filmed on location around the Wakatipu earlier this year.
The producers volunteered to participate in the trial that has become the council's "Green Screen Guide and Directory".
"It's great to be a part of a project that benefits the local economy while looking after the environment," Jackman said in a statement.
"The cast and crew really got behind this initiative, and we are proud to be a part of the new generation of sustainable film makers."
Film Queenstown manager Kevin Jennings said the appeal of shooting international movies in the district was its pristine environment.
The council had produced a "first-class insurance policy" to keep it that way.
"Wolverine was enthusiastic to be involved. They were willingly audited and the results were outstanding.
"The outcome is you can watch the new movie in the knowledge that it comes with a significantly reduced carbon footprint.
"The production made 670 tonnes of waste - 615 tonnes, or 92%, of which was diverted from the landfill, saving the film company an estimated $55,000."
Film production companies spent $38.7 million in Otago-Southland in the 2007 financial year, Statistics New Zealand said.
There were up to four television commercial and still photography crews operating in the district last month.
Wolverine, Peter Jackson's Lovely Bones and a Dutch drama, Bride Flight, were among the film projects to visit in the past 12 months.
The guide, which included information about how to recycle in the various departments of a film production, will be supplied to all future productions in the area and is on the council's website.
By James Beech
Hollywood star Hugh Jackman has thrown his support behind a "how-to zero waste" initiative launched this week by the Queenstown Lakes District Council in association with Film Queenstown.
The Sydney-born actor starred in and co-produced X-Men Origins: Wolverine, filmed on location around the Wakatipu earlier this year.
The producers volunteered to participate in the trial that has become the council's "Green Screen Guide and Directory".
"It's great to be a part of a project that benefits the local economy while looking after the environment," Jackman said in a statement.
"The cast and crew really got behind this initiative, and we are proud to be a part of the new generation of sustainable film makers."
Film Queenstown manager Kevin Jennings said the appeal of shooting international movies in the district was its pristine environment.
The council had produced a "first-class insurance policy" to keep it that way.
"Wolverine was enthusiastic to be involved. They were willingly audited and the results were outstanding.
"The outcome is you can watch the new movie in the knowledge that it comes with a significantly reduced carbon footprint.
"The production made 670 tonnes of waste - 615 tonnes, or 92%, of which was diverted from the landfill, saving the film company an estimated $55,000."
Film production companies spent $38.7 million in Otago-Southland in the 2007 financial year, Statistics New Zealand said.
There were up to four television commercial and still photography crews operating in the district last month.
Wolverine, Peter Jackson's Lovely Bones and a Dutch drama, Bride Flight, were among the film projects to visit in the past 12 months.
The guide, which included information about how to recycle in the various departments of a film production, will be supplied to all future productions in the area and is on the council's website.
Friday, 15 August 2008
Jones' Tears As Soldier Son Graduates
From: Imdb.com
Movie tough guy Vinnie Jones fought back tears on Thursday as he watched his teenage son graduate from the British Army.
The former soccer hard man-turned-actor flew in from his current residence in Los Angeles to Yorkshire, England to attend 17-year-old Aaron Ellison-Jones' ceremony.
Snatch star Jones says, "It was very emotional. I've done a few things in my life and he's starting out in his and it's probably bigger than anything that I've achieved...
"This lad is going to protect our country so I'm very proud of him."
Junior soldier Ellison-Jones is now set to join the Household Cavalry's Blues and Royals regiment - the same one British royal Prince Harry fights for.
Movie tough guy Vinnie Jones fought back tears on Thursday as he watched his teenage son graduate from the British Army.
The former soccer hard man-turned-actor flew in from his current residence in Los Angeles to Yorkshire, England to attend 17-year-old Aaron Ellison-Jones' ceremony.
Snatch star Jones says, "It was very emotional. I've done a few things in my life and he's starting out in his and it's probably bigger than anything that I've achieved...
"This lad is going to protect our country so I'm very proud of him."
Junior soldier Ellison-Jones is now set to join the Household Cavalry's Blues and Royals regiment - the same one British royal Prince Harry fights for.
Wednesday, 13 August 2008
Wolverine Trailer Analisys
Coventry Telegraph has posted an analisys of the trailer footage shown at the San Diego Comic-Con, there are a few spoilers, but nothing you don't know if you haven't seen the trailer.
Jackman Back in the Sadle
From: AdelaideNow.com.au
RIDING high at Fox Studios, Hugh Jackman was back in the saddle yesterday - trimmed of his Wolverine beard and swapping hats to play his part in the upcoming Australia blockbuster.
With co-star Nicole Kidman making a low-key return to the set as a working mum for the first time, with baby Sunday Rose and a nanny in tow, Jackman took centre stage filming "pick-up" clips for the movie's final edit.
Having just holidayed on the Italian Riviera, not to mention getting his X-Men flick in the can, Jackman has been a busy leading man since he last donned the Akubra.
But grabbing the reins again, with the help of a few pointers from the film's handlers, Jackman impressed onlookers with his easy-riding style.
More from Adelaide:
Australia the movie: Special Section
Gallery: On the set of Australia
Nicole Kidman in steamy love scene with Hugh Jackman
Gallery: New parents - Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban
RIDING high at Fox Studios, Hugh Jackman was back in the saddle yesterday - trimmed of his Wolverine beard and swapping hats to play his part in the upcoming Australia blockbuster.
With co-star Nicole Kidman making a low-key return to the set as a working mum for the first time, with baby Sunday Rose and a nanny in tow, Jackman took centre stage filming "pick-up" clips for the movie's final edit.
Having just holidayed on the Italian Riviera, not to mention getting his X-Men flick in the can, Jackman has been a busy leading man since he last donned the Akubra.
But grabbing the reins again, with the help of a few pointers from the film's handlers, Jackman impressed onlookers with his easy-riding style.
More from Adelaide:
Australia the movie: Special Section
Gallery: On the set of Australia
Nicole Kidman in steamy love scene with Hugh Jackman
Gallery: New parents - Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban
David Goyer May Bump ‘Magneto’ To Make Way For ‘Invisible Man’
From: MTV.com
Published by Larry Carroll
David Goyer is a busy man these days. Making the most popular film of the year, and one of the highest-grossing movies of all time, will do that to a guy.
Now, the “Dark Knight” screenwriter is hoping to capitalize on his success with such recent superhero scripts as “The Flash” and “X-Men Origins: Magneto,” which he’ll also direct.
“That may be next,” he told us recently. But first, Goyer revealed, he hopes to vanish for awhile.
“I’m writing a new version of ‘The Invisible Man’ for Universal,” said the red-hot writer/director, who was at Comic-Con recently to promote “The Unborn,” a horror flick due in theaters next year. “I’m in the process of doing ['Invisible Man'] right now, and I’m working with some conceptual artists in tandem with writing the script. I’m actually working with one of the artists from ‘Batman Begins’ and ‘The Dark Knight.’ So it could be ‘Magneto,’ or it could be ‘The Invisible Man’ next.”
Old–school horror fans will undoubtedly be rooting for the latter. And it should make them giddy to know that Goyer has been tracing the non-material man all the way back to his roots, in order to yank him into the modern age.
“Well, ‘The Invisible Man,’ the Universal film, is a great movie, a Claude Rains film,” Goyer said with admiration. “My take is kind of an extrapolation. It actually deals with a nephew of the first character. It’s got some of the characters from the H.G. Wells book, but it’s kind of a continuation.”
Goyer said that if you’ve seen the Rains film, you might actually get more out of the new version; but at the same time, there’ll be no prior knowledge required.
“It involves Scotland Yard getting their hands on the current Invisible Man and basically saying, ‘Wow, you’d be a really good secret agent to send into Imperial Russia right now,’” an enthusiastic Goyer said of the plot. “It starts off from there.”
As for the intended look of the film he’ll direct as well as write, Goyer made reference to a popular style of fantasy that has emerged over the last few decades: “It kind of crosses a lot of genres. It’s very steam punk.”
And if you’re thinking that the nephew of Jack Griffin will similarly be rendered as a floating hat and scarf in our age of CGI, think again.
“I don’t want to give too much away, but I took what being invisible could mean to the next logical extreme,” he explained. “We do a lot of crazy things in it that are sort of far beyond what anyone’s done with it yet.”
Published by Larry Carroll
David Goyer is a busy man these days. Making the most popular film of the year, and one of the highest-grossing movies of all time, will do that to a guy.
Now, the “Dark Knight” screenwriter is hoping to capitalize on his success with such recent superhero scripts as “The Flash” and “X-Men Origins: Magneto,” which he’ll also direct.
“That may be next,” he told us recently. But first, Goyer revealed, he hopes to vanish for awhile.
“I’m writing a new version of ‘The Invisible Man’ for Universal,” said the red-hot writer/director, who was at Comic-Con recently to promote “The Unborn,” a horror flick due in theaters next year. “I’m in the process of doing ['Invisible Man'] right now, and I’m working with some conceptual artists in tandem with writing the script. I’m actually working with one of the artists from ‘Batman Begins’ and ‘The Dark Knight.’ So it could be ‘Magneto,’ or it could be ‘The Invisible Man’ next.”
Old–school horror fans will undoubtedly be rooting for the latter. And it should make them giddy to know that Goyer has been tracing the non-material man all the way back to his roots, in order to yank him into the modern age.
“Well, ‘The Invisible Man,’ the Universal film, is a great movie, a Claude Rains film,” Goyer said with admiration. “My take is kind of an extrapolation. It actually deals with a nephew of the first character. It’s got some of the characters from the H.G. Wells book, but it’s kind of a continuation.”
Goyer said that if you’ve seen the Rains film, you might actually get more out of the new version; but at the same time, there’ll be no prior knowledge required.
“It involves Scotland Yard getting their hands on the current Invisible Man and basically saying, ‘Wow, you’d be a really good secret agent to send into Imperial Russia right now,’” an enthusiastic Goyer said of the plot. “It starts off from there.”
As for the intended look of the film he’ll direct as well as write, Goyer made reference to a popular style of fantasy that has emerged over the last few decades: “It kind of crosses a lot of genres. It’s very steam punk.”
And if you’re thinking that the nephew of Jack Griffin will similarly be rendered as a floating hat and scarf in our age of CGI, think again.
“I don’t want to give too much away, but I took what being invisible could mean to the next logical extreme,” he explained. “We do a lot of crazy things in it that are sort of far beyond what anyone’s done with it yet.”
Stan Lee Teams With Disney For Cross-Media Superhero Series ‘Time Jumper’
From: MTV.com
Add another one to Stan Lee’s burgeoning media empire. The co-creator of such iconic characters as Spider-Man, the X-Men, and the Hulk — is joining forces with Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment to produce what the studio calls the “most ambitious digital comic book series ever designed.”
Titled “Time Jumper,” the project is set to release on numerous platforms including online, print and mobile. According to Lee, “‘Time Jumper’ is more than a typical superhero. He’s a trend-setting breakthrough across all media; a hero for today’s digital age and tomorrow’s multiplatform entertainment.”
The series will follow Terry Dixon, a secret agent for a government org known as HUNT (Heroes United, Noble and True). His secret weapon? A cell phone invented by Dixon’s father called the Articulus that doubles as a time machine.
Disney says the book “combines the traditional print look and feel, including dialogue and thought bubbles, with today’s cutting edge multimedia elements, including edgy visuals, music, voices and a fast-paced storyboard, to take a classic genre into the next dimension.”
The project is one of multiple deals for Lee. In April, his company POW Entertainment announced a partnership with Virgin Comics where Lee will write, edit and oversee a “new universe of superhero characters.” POW is also producing the CGI superhero series “Legion of 5,” in addition to a slate of direct-to-video films under the “Stan Lee Presents” banner.
Add another one to Stan Lee’s burgeoning media empire. The co-creator of such iconic characters as Spider-Man, the X-Men, and the Hulk — is joining forces with Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment to produce what the studio calls the “most ambitious digital comic book series ever designed.”
Titled “Time Jumper,” the project is set to release on numerous platforms including online, print and mobile. According to Lee, “‘Time Jumper’ is more than a typical superhero. He’s a trend-setting breakthrough across all media; a hero for today’s digital age and tomorrow’s multiplatform entertainment.”
The series will follow Terry Dixon, a secret agent for a government org known as HUNT (Heroes United, Noble and True). His secret weapon? A cell phone invented by Dixon’s father called the Articulus that doubles as a time machine.
Disney says the book “combines the traditional print look and feel, including dialogue and thought bubbles, with today’s cutting edge multimedia elements, including edgy visuals, music, voices and a fast-paced storyboard, to take a classic genre into the next dimension.”
The project is one of multiple deals for Lee. In April, his company POW Entertainment announced a partnership with Virgin Comics where Lee will write, edit and oversee a “new universe of superhero characters.” POW is also producing the CGI superhero series “Legion of 5,” in addition to a slate of direct-to-video films under the “Stan Lee Presents” banner.
Saturday, 9 August 2008
Paris Hilton to become a superhero
From: DigitalSpy.com
By Simon Reynolds
Paris Hilton has revealed that she will star in an animated superhero TV show.
The socialite told San Diego CityBeat that she had devised her own crime-fighting character with Stan Lee, the Marvel Comics writer behind Spider-Man, X-Men and the Fantastic Four.
Hilton said: "I've created a superhero with Stan Lee, which is [based on] me, and we’re doing a cartoon right now with MTV."
Hilton recently starred in a spoof election campaign video online poking fun at Republican candidate John McCain. The clip has been viewed more than 5.5 million times on the website FunnyOrDie.com.
By Simon Reynolds
Paris Hilton has revealed that she will star in an animated superhero TV show.
The socialite told San Diego CityBeat that she had devised her own crime-fighting character with Stan Lee, the Marvel Comics writer behind Spider-Man, X-Men and the Fantastic Four.
Hilton said: "I've created a superhero with Stan Lee, which is [based on] me, and we’re doing a cartoon right now with MTV."
Hilton recently starred in a spoof election campaign video online poking fun at Republican candidate John McCain. The clip has been viewed more than 5.5 million times on the website FunnyOrDie.com.
Thursday, 7 August 2008
X-Men go west, to San Francisco
From: Chronicle Datebook.
by: Peter Hartlaub.
If you pay attention to the national news, it's been the world against San Francisco lately. If we aren't getting hammered for the city's activism in the gay marriage debate, our role as a "sanctuary city" routinely causes controversy.
But San Francisco just got some pretty big (albeit fictional) allies in its progressive fight for equality: The X-Men have moved to the Bay Area.
This isn't a small deal in the world of comic books. The X-Men, who settled in the Bay Area in the just-released 500th issue of the Uncanny X-Men, are arguably the most popular and recognizable superhero team in comic book history. And they've spent most of their 40-year existence based out of a mansion in Westchester County, N.Y.
But it should be no surprise. The trials of the X-Men, who discover at puberty that they are mutants, and are often forced to hide their true identities out of shame, have a lot in common with left-leaning causes, most notably the gay rights movement. In the comics, the X-Men have had gay and bisexual team members and associates, and their numbers were once decimated by a virus that had strong similarities to the AIDS epidemic.
Marvel Comics Executive Editor Axel Alonso says the city will be more than just a backdrop for the comic.
"The X-Men moving to San Francisco isn't just a physical move, it's a spiritual move. I love San Francisco and we want to see it really represented," says the city native during an interview last week at Isotope Comics in Hayes Valley. "Anyone who looks at the X-Men, the analogy is right there: If you're different in any way due to race or sexual orientation or just being nerdy, there's an X-Men character for you. They're about being different and finding strength in that weakened position."
Action movie fans will note that the X-Men and their nemeses have already been to San Francisco, destroying the Golden Gate Bridge and much of Alcatraz in the 2006 film "X-Men: The Last Stand." But for that sequel, the filmmakers didn't do any meaningful filming in the Bay Area. The movie was shot in Vancouver, and visual effects were used to add a few landmarks to the background.
The comic has much more of an insider's vibe. Marvel Comics artists will be visiting San Francisco frequently to get a feel for the fashion, architecture and even the way residents walk and talk. There are no cable cars in the first issue, but the artists did include a KRON TV news truck and a panel where the iconic mutant Wolverine walks through Noe Valley. The heroes make their base in the concrete bunkers beneath the Marin Headlands and join the protest of a controversial art installation at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
Perhaps most significant, they seem to appreciate San Francisco's much publicized (and recently criticized) role as a sanctuary city.
"San Francisco is now a mutant sanctuary," X-Men group leader Cyclops proclaims, near the end of Issue 500. "Any of you - and your family or loved ones - are invited to join us here, and know safety and protection our kind has never known."
Of course, this being a comic book featuring a guy who looks like a giant blue cat, there are a few moments of pure fantasy. While the leader of San Francisco in both worlds is a young attractive politician with great hair who seems more than a bit starstruck, in the comics, the mayor is a woman not named Gavin Newsom. And the X-Men somehow establish their enormous base without a historical society protest or a single tree-sitter in sight - although, to be fair, they do set up a hippie-friendly hydrokinetic power plant, presumably using tidal power from the ocean.
"We believe that homo sapiens superior represent the future, so we better start living like it," says X-Men member Beast, sounding as if he's about to run for governor. "Soon the X-center won't just be green, it'll be positively viridian."
Whether the X-Men will settle here for the next four decades isn't known, although Alonso says the story arc is mapped out for at least a year. Marvel Editor in Chief Joe Quesada says the length of their stay has a lot to do with reader reaction.
"Temporary or permanent is a weird thing in the world of comics," Quesada says. "As far as we're playing it right now, we just got to San Francisco. We're not planning to leave any time soon."
X-Men and the sanctuary city
Parallels between the X-Men and the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender movement have been so strong that some real-life conservative groups have denounced the comics and movies for being pro-gay rights. Here are a few themes from the X-Men comics:
-- The X-Men don't discover their super powers until puberty. They often try to hide their differences until finding others like themselves.
-- The mutants suffered (mostly in 1990s comics) from the Legacy Virus, which wasn't understood at first and killed many mutants before treatment was found.
-- Anti-mutant slurs are frequently heard in the Marvel Universe. ("Mutie" is a common one.)
-- Efforts have been made to "cure" mutants by changing them back into nonpowered humans.
-- One of the biggest struggles for the X-Men is a political: establishing rights for mutants that are equal to humans without powers.
by: Peter Hartlaub.
If you pay attention to the national news, it's been the world against San Francisco lately. If we aren't getting hammered for the city's activism in the gay marriage debate, our role as a "sanctuary city" routinely causes controversy.
But San Francisco just got some pretty big (albeit fictional) allies in its progressive fight for equality: The X-Men have moved to the Bay Area.
This isn't a small deal in the world of comic books. The X-Men, who settled in the Bay Area in the just-released 500th issue of the Uncanny X-Men, are arguably the most popular and recognizable superhero team in comic book history. And they've spent most of their 40-year existence based out of a mansion in Westchester County, N.Y.
But it should be no surprise. The trials of the X-Men, who discover at puberty that they are mutants, and are often forced to hide their true identities out of shame, have a lot in common with left-leaning causes, most notably the gay rights movement. In the comics, the X-Men have had gay and bisexual team members and associates, and their numbers were once decimated by a virus that had strong similarities to the AIDS epidemic.
Marvel Comics Executive Editor Axel Alonso says the city will be more than just a backdrop for the comic.
"The X-Men moving to San Francisco isn't just a physical move, it's a spiritual move. I love San Francisco and we want to see it really represented," says the city native during an interview last week at Isotope Comics in Hayes Valley. "Anyone who looks at the X-Men, the analogy is right there: If you're different in any way due to race or sexual orientation or just being nerdy, there's an X-Men character for you. They're about being different and finding strength in that weakened position."
Action movie fans will note that the X-Men and their nemeses have already been to San Francisco, destroying the Golden Gate Bridge and much of Alcatraz in the 2006 film "X-Men: The Last Stand." But for that sequel, the filmmakers didn't do any meaningful filming in the Bay Area. The movie was shot in Vancouver, and visual effects were used to add a few landmarks to the background.
The comic has much more of an insider's vibe. Marvel Comics artists will be visiting San Francisco frequently to get a feel for the fashion, architecture and even the way residents walk and talk. There are no cable cars in the first issue, but the artists did include a KRON TV news truck and a panel where the iconic mutant Wolverine walks through Noe Valley. The heroes make their base in the concrete bunkers beneath the Marin Headlands and join the protest of a controversial art installation at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
Perhaps most significant, they seem to appreciate San Francisco's much publicized (and recently criticized) role as a sanctuary city.
"San Francisco is now a mutant sanctuary," X-Men group leader Cyclops proclaims, near the end of Issue 500. "Any of you - and your family or loved ones - are invited to join us here, and know safety and protection our kind has never known."
Of course, this being a comic book featuring a guy who looks like a giant blue cat, there are a few moments of pure fantasy. While the leader of San Francisco in both worlds is a young attractive politician with great hair who seems more than a bit starstruck, in the comics, the mayor is a woman not named Gavin Newsom. And the X-Men somehow establish their enormous base without a historical society protest or a single tree-sitter in sight - although, to be fair, they do set up a hippie-friendly hydrokinetic power plant, presumably using tidal power from the ocean.
"We believe that homo sapiens superior represent the future, so we better start living like it," says X-Men member Beast, sounding as if he's about to run for governor. "Soon the X-center won't just be green, it'll be positively viridian."
Whether the X-Men will settle here for the next four decades isn't known, although Alonso says the story arc is mapped out for at least a year. Marvel Editor in Chief Joe Quesada says the length of their stay has a lot to do with reader reaction.
"Temporary or permanent is a weird thing in the world of comics," Quesada says. "As far as we're playing it right now, we just got to San Francisco. We're not planning to leave any time soon."
X-Men and the sanctuary city
Parallels between the X-Men and the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender movement have been so strong that some real-life conservative groups have denounced the comics and movies for being pro-gay rights. Here are a few themes from the X-Men comics:
-- The X-Men don't discover their super powers until puberty. They often try to hide their differences until finding others like themselves.
-- The mutants suffered (mostly in 1990s comics) from the Legacy Virus, which wasn't understood at first and killed many mutants before treatment was found.
-- Anti-mutant slurs are frequently heard in the Marvel Universe. ("Mutie" is a common one.)
-- Efforts have been made to "cure" mutants by changing them back into nonpowered humans.
-- One of the biggest struggles for the X-Men is a political: establishing rights for mutants that are equal to humans without powers.
Monday, 4 August 2008
"Magneto" to Begin Filming Next Year.
From: WP.com
IGN caught up with David Goyer to find out what's going on with the other "X-Men" spin-off, "Magneto," which Goyer has been announced to direct.
"'Magneto' seems to be a movie that Fox still wants to make," he revealed. "They called me about it a couple of weeks ago. I'm still working on 'Unborn' through November. We said that when I finish 'Unborn,' we'll talk and maybe get that going next year."
Goyer previously revealed that the story will concentrate on the origins of Magneto and Professor X, starring with the young Magneto crushing the Auschwitz gates as seen in the Brian Singer-directed "X-Men." To find out more about his plans, click here.
IGN caught up with David Goyer to find out what's going on with the other "X-Men" spin-off, "Magneto," which Goyer has been announced to direct.
"'Magneto' seems to be a movie that Fox still wants to make," he revealed. "They called me about it a couple of weeks ago. I'm still working on 'Unborn' through November. We said that when I finish 'Unborn,' we'll talk and maybe get that going next year."
Goyer previously revealed that the story will concentrate on the origins of Magneto and Professor X, starring with the young Magneto crushing the Auschwitz gates as seen in the Brian Singer-directed "X-Men." To find out more about his plans, click here.
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