vineri, 15 august 2008

Madagascar 3 and Kung Fu Panda 2 film Nou !

DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg says that the computer animation studio is in talks for a Kung Fu Panda sequel, and plans to have at least one more Madagascar film, if not more. Katzenberg told reporters on Wednesday that they are currently having conversations about a possible Kung Fu Panda 2, and to expect an announcement in the next 30 to 60 days.

Panda was one of the last DreamWorks Animated films that will be released in 2D, but the studio did some 3D tests with sequences from the film in preparation of the company’s three dimensional future. Katzenberg told /Film a couple weeks back that directors John Stevenson and Mark Osbourne were so impressed with the tests, that they had very early discussions about the possibility of re-releasing the film in 3D. But who knows if that would still be a possibility with the release of a 3D sequel.

Katzenberg also said that Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa will probably spawn a sequel: “There is at least one more chapter. We ultimately want to see the characters make it back to New York.” But does anyone really care about a third Madagascar film? While I certainly understand the New York return story being a neat third act of the series, I’d much rather see a spin-off following the adventures of the penguins.


Fan Created Dark Knight Sequel Movie Poster

/Film readers Max B and David B have sent over this fan made poster for a possible sequel to The Dark Knight. Seems like the artist, like most everyone I have talked to, wants The Riddler to attack Gotham City in the next film. But yes, it is just a fan creation (If the question mark didn’t give it away). But the rest of the poster is well done. I doubt they would use the title The Dark Knight Returns unless it was an adaptation of the Frank Miller graphic novel. I have heard that the next film might employ the cape crusader’s on screen nickname “The Batman” in the title. “The Return of The Batman” anyone? Click on the image below to enlarge.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Moved to Summer 2009


Warner Bros has just announced that they are moving Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince from November 21st 2008, back to July 17th 2009. The reasons given are that the summer season is a more ideal window for for a family tent pole release, and that the writers strike left a big gap in the Summer calendar. I’m not quite sure if I buy the first reason. The three Potter films released in November averaged $916 million worldwide, while the two summer releases averaged $866 million worldwide, which is about a $50 million difference.

It’s also worth noting that ICE Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs opens two weeks earlier, Ronald Emmerich’s sci-fi disaster movie 2012 opens the week before, and Land of the Lost opens on the same day as the new date. The november release had virtually no competition until a month later when Twilight hit theaters on December 12th. The good news is that the release date change will not alter the production schedule for the future Harry Potter films, and the move will shorten the gap in-between.

Kick-Ass New Movie

Christopher Mintz-Plasse (McLovin from Superbad) is in negotiations and Chloe Moretz (Dirty Sexy Money) has been cast in Mathew Vaughn’s big screen adaptation of Mark Millar’s comic book Kick-Ass.

Based on the creator-owned comic from Marvel’s Icon imprint, the story follows a a 15-year-old boy named Dave Lizewski who attempts to become a real-life superhero. The catch is that he has no powers or any of the stereotypical reasons for choosing to fight crime. The screenplay was written by the Stardust team of Jane Goldman and Matthew Vaughn. The violent nature of the source material and obvious issues with the useage of the title in marketing has caused Hollywood studios to pass on the project. Some studios showed interest but wanted Vaughn to either tone down the violence or raise the age of the lead character. Vaughn believed in the project so much that he raised $30 million from private investors to produce the project independently.

Mintz-Plasse is not in line for the lead role, but instead that of the Red Mist, an angry teenage son of a mobster who is out to uncover Kick-Ass’ true identity. Moretz’s character is described by THR as “a ferocious, potty-mouthed 11-year-old who chops down crime thugs with a ninja sword.” Vaughn is also talking to “several high-profile stars” to play the parents or mobsters. The main character, Dave Lizewski, has not yet been cast. Vaughn hopes to begin production in the fall.

Mark Millar is also the creator of Wanted, and writer on many successful Marvel comics titles such as Spiderman, Wolverine, X-Men, Civil War, The Ultimates, Marvel Knights Spider-Man, Ultimate Fantastic Four and Fantastic Four