Posts with tag WarnerBros
Fan Rant: Critics of 'The Dark Knight' Are Allowed to Hate
Filed under: Action », Drama », Casting », New Releases », Celebrities and Controversy », Fandom », Comic/Superhero/Geek », Columns »
Look, I thought The Dark Knight had a lot of strong selling points: Combine a deft pace with thoughtful characterizations and a whopping IMAX design that turns the entire experience into a plot-driven theme park ride, and you've got one hefty dose of Batman adrenaline.
Still, comparisons to The Godfather Part II notwithstanding, The Dark Knight isn't foolproof -- in fact, no single movie in history is foolproof. The subjective experience of movie watching ensures that nothing can be universally liked by everyone, and rules of civility insist that humanity respect that truism. It's acceptable to feel passionately about a great work of art, and defend that perspective with rigorous argumentation, but much of the outrage over the minority perspective that The Dark Knight isn't any good has made such practical thinking impossible.
Deemed the first critic to pan the movie, New York's David Edelstein went out of his way to list the allegations against him sent along by various Batman fans. The House Next Door editor Keith Uhlich, meanwhile, fielded over a hundred rants in the comments section following his astute critique of director Christopher Nolan's questionable portrayals of violence. What's particularly shocking about this frightful deluge of negative responses is that many of these people began posting their disapproval before they even saw the movie.
Warner Bros and Capcom Are Looking For a 'Lost Planet'
Filed under: Action », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Deals », Warner Brothers », Newsstand », Games and Game Movies »
According to Variety, Warner Bros and Capcom (who is becoming very hands on with its movie adaptations) are teaming up to bring an adaptation of Lost Planet to the big screen. The script is to be penned by David Hayter, who is fresh off Watchmen.Funnily enough, Variety is describing the story as revolving around an expedition to an ice planet that harbors an energy source which could save all of mankind. Well, I've never played this, but just looking at the cover proves that to be an understatement. What would he need that big gun for if it's just a simple expedition?
Well, obviously there's more to it than that. It actually follows a group of snow pirates who battle the local nasties, the Akrid, to obtain the precious commodity known as thermal energy. (This is why it's easier to be a pirate in the Caribbean.) One pilot, Wayne, is rescued from an untimely death, and has an unfortunate case of amnesia. He can only remember bits and pieces of his past, including the death of his father by the monstrous Akrid. But as he searches for the truth of his attack, he uncovers a conspiracy that could destroy not only the Akrid, but all the snow pirates. Now that sounds like a more promising movie. Hopefully, some of you readers have played the game, and can sound off on whether it deserves to be on the big screen or not.
Discuss: Why Do Studios Heavily Promote Films That Don't Need Promotion?
Filed under: New Releases », Warner Brothers », Fandom », Movie Marketing », Comic/Superhero/Geek »
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Back in December we ran an article covering some of The Dark Knight's promotional activities, and not to toot my own horn or anything, but I posted what I thought was an extremely witty and observant comment: "I'm just glad they're doing something to raise awareness of this small film that might have otherwise slipped through the cracks."
Admit it, that's probably the funniest joke you've ever read. Because The Dark Knight isn't a small film at all, you see! It's a huge film that already has a great deal of public awareness! See how that's super funny?
Anyway, though we all had a good laugh at how funny I am, I also brought up a puzzling aspect of the Hollywood machinery. Warner Bros. is spending untold millions to promote The Dark Knight, and expending a lot of creative effort, too, with viral sites and games and events and so forth -- and for what? To promote a film that everyone was already going to see anyway. It's a highly anticipated sequel to a hugely popular film, it's gotten terrific buzz from those who have seen it, and it has the unfortunate-but-attention-getting Heath Ledger connection. You'd think the WB promotional team could relax a bit and let the film sell itself -- or, better yet, use that money to promote some lower-profile films that do need the help. So why didn't they?
Bearing in mind that attempts to grasp the logic of a Hollywood studio usually end in frustration, we can generally trace the thought process back to one thing: money.
Warner Bros and DC Hold Superhero Summit
Filed under: Action », Warner Brothers », Newsstand », Comic/Superhero/Geek », Remakes and Sequels »
Isn't that the most exciting headline? My mind is whirling with images of Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and Flash showing up to some remote mountain location and saying "Where's my movie?!" Unfortunately, the goings-on at the summit are a lot less glamorous, but if you're a DC fan they might be nearly as exciting. According to Variety, Warner Bros and DC are busy charting a course for their superhero franchises, trying to decide which hero or what franchise to kick into high gear. While Marvel Studios is announcing origins and crossovers left and right, Warners is still holding onto their DC characters, and finding themselves unable to take the big screen plunge. Even the two they've shoved out the door are about to languish -- Christopher Nolan hasn't committed to a third Batman film, and Superman is wondering why he ever bothered returning. (Though the rumors swirling around the Man of Steel this week suggest he may be a big part of Warners' new strategy.)
They have been in a similar predicament before. Five years ago, Warners was getting ready to hire someone just to oversee their DC movies, aware they could lose an entire generation of young geeks if they didn't get going. And while they did manage Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and Watchmen, it's just not enough. While there's no real indication of what their strategy will be, expect the studio to start buckling down and decide what to do with the Justice League.
So, Cinematical readers, which DC property are you hoping they'll concentrate on first? As you can probably guess, I favor Wonder Woman. I think it would be a huge statement for them to concentrate on such an iconic female superhero when no one else has. But based on the persistent comments that pepper my inbox, I'm betting that it's a close call between her and the Green Lantern. Sound off, my friends.
Was 'Hulk' Director Offered New 'Superman' Gig???
Filed under: Action », Deals », RumorMonger », Fandom », DIY/Filmmaking », Comic/Superhero/Geek », Remakes and Sequels »
There was an interview with Incredible Hulk director Louis Leterrier over at AlloCiné (via AICN) in which someone threw out a number of different sequels (Spider-Man, Superman, Indiana Jones), and (I think) asked if he'd be interested in directing any of them. Now, according to someone who wrote in to AICN, Leterrier stopped at Superman and said something like ... "maybe they have already asked me." We here at Cinematical have watched the video in question (you can too over here), and he definitely does look at the camera, smile and say something regarding the Superman sequel. I don't speak French, though, but it appears as if that's the correct translation.So, has Warners already talked to Leterrier about possibly directing the next Superman movie? And is Leterrier the big-name action director Wanted's Mark Millar mentioned when he recently talked up his own Superman project? As AICN points out, Leterrier is currently working on the Clash of the Titans remake for Warners, so it seems reasonable for them to also talk to him about Superman. Is DC trying to steal a Marvel guy? Interesting development ...
What say you? Would Leterrier do a better job than Singer on Superman?
UPDATE: Leterrier contacted AICN and said the following: "What I meant was that I had been told about a possible reinvention of Superman. Not that I was offered the job." Take that as you will ...
'Elfquest' Coming to the Big Screen
Filed under: Action », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Deals », Warner Brothers », Scripts », Comic/Superhero/Geek »
Now here's some old school fantasy! According to The Hollywood Reporter, Wendy and Richard Pini's cult comic book series Elfquest has just been optioned by Warner Bros. Rawson Thurber (of Dodgeball fame) is set to write, direct, and produce, and there's no word yet on whether it will be animation or live action. Hollywood has been toying with an adaptation for a long time, but have only managed a few animated attempts. Elfquest really belongs to that 70's and 80's style of fantasy -- Tolkien inspired, but with more sex and magic powers. It's all about a tribe of elves called the Wolfriders, who fight for survival on an alien world called Abode. There they war with trolls, encounter primitive humans, and discover that they aren't the only elf tribe on the planet.
An underground comic in its day, Elfquest was pretty notable for the sex, war, and the fact that Wendy Pini played such a huge part in its inception. (A chick writing and drawing a comic book? The world nearly ended.) You can read the mythology, and a bunch of free issues over on Elfquest's official website.
Despite my medieval/fantasy nerd reputation here on Cinematical, this is actually the first time I've known what Elfquest is all about. It's one of those things I have only encountered in passing. As I explore the website, I'm beginning to realize that some of the very skimpily clad attendees at my Renaissance Faire are, in fact, Wolfriders. And now with a movie on the horizon, there will be even more of them! It certainly takes all kinds to make a world, doesn't it?
Warner Bros is 'Hiding in Time'
Filed under: Action », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Deals », Warner Brothers », Scripts », Newsstand », Comic/Superhero/Geek »
Every day, another graphic novel is optioned by a studio great or small, and very rarely do they stir much interest in me. They always seem to be a variation on the assassin-with-a-heart-of-gold or superhero deconstruction, which can't even motivate me to pick up the graphic novel, let alone buy a movie ticket. So, it's a rare treat when the trades run the latest comic to be snatched up and I go "Okay -- this one I get." Hiding in Time is one of these. According to Variety, Warner Bros has bought the rights to Christopher Long and Ryan Winn's series. Time is set in a future where the Witness Protection Program is no longer interested in changing your name and moving you to Tampa -- instead, they send you back in time to hide from those you snitched on. If hiding out in the Black Death to escape your mob buddies sounds too good to be true, it is, as a group of armed thugs begin hunting them down across the ages. It's up to one humble scientist in the Time Portal Division to stop them. (The trades mention that the scientist teams up with a master thief to track down his old crew -- I don't know if that's part of the movie pitch, or if that actually happens in the series.) No director has been named, but Beau Thorne is tackling the screenplay.
Matthew Fox is 'Billy Smoke'
Filed under: Action », Thrillers », Casting », Deals », Warner Brothers », Newsstand », Comic/Superhero/Geek »
According to Variety, Matthew Fox is in talks to play the title character in Warner Bros' Billy Smoke, an adaptation of Oni Press's newest comic book series. Don't feel bad if you're wondering who the hell Billy Smoke is, and why you can't keep up with comic books these days -- it won't be published until next year. Oni Press doesn't even have a preview of it up, so we can't judge it based on six pages.However, the story goes a little something like this: Smoke is an elite hit man, who is nearly killed during a botched job. He has a change of heart, and realizes that his only way to find redemption is to rid the world of all assassins. It's waking up the ghost of another film in my brain, but I'll be damned if I can remember what it is. Readers?
The series is being written by by B. Clay Moore, who already has racked up some luck in the movie business. His graphic novel, Leading Man, was recently optioned by Universal. And yes, that too is published by Oni Press. I'm a little worried they are actually taking over Hollywood, as this is the fifth book of theirs to be optioned by a studio. The Last Call was bought just last week. I'm not sure what titles are even left to buy at this point -- may I nominate Polly and the Pirates?
WB Home Video Preps a Bunch of New SEs
Filed under: Warner Brothers », Home Entertainment »
...and by SEs I mean big, fat, loaded mega-special editions of the studio's most popular stuff. And when WB delivers a Special Edition, they generally don't mess around. (Unlike some home video distributors *koff Universal* who throw the SE term around willy-nilly.) Just a quick scan through my mega-awesome DVD collection reveals WB SEs like Goodfellas, Dirty Harry, Amadeus, The Shawshank Redemption, Blade Runner, Superman, and a whole bunch more. If there's a catalog title you love, you should pray it gets the WB 2-disc SE treatment.
And a bunch more are on the way! According to Video Business, WB plans to double its SE output moving forward, and while we don't have any specs just yet, we do know that the following titles will be available (in fancy form) later this year: 300 (yes already, even though I thought the first 2-discer was pretty damn excellent), Casablanca (also again, but if any film deserves it...), A Christmas Story (cool!), JFK (a movie I need to see again), and I Am Legend. Come to think of it, all five of these movies already have Special Edition releases! These new discs better be pretty dang impressive.
Also on the way: The Peanuts Complete Holiday Collection. Which I definitely will own.
New 'Where the Wild Things Are' Photo!
Filed under: Classics », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Warner Brothers », RumorMonger », Celebrities and Controversy », Exhibition », Family Films », Newsstand », Images »
MTV snagged an exclusive photo from the mysterious Where the Wild Things Are, which they spotted at the New York Licensing Expo. Click on the tantalizing photo on the right to see the whole thing over on MTV. It isn't very big, but it is one of those evocative images that makes you absolutely crazy to see this movie. It really is perfect -- from the wolf suit down to those mysterious monster paws. The rumors still abound about it. The fact that it is appearing at the Licensing Expo gives one hope that we will see it, and that they won't actually recast a child they have featured on the advertising. To catch you up, Kim talked to Tom Noonan at Cannes. He thought the film would be released as Spike Jonze and Dave Eggers had intended it to be.
Yet, as Monika reported at the beginning of June, Warner Bros is prepping a month of reshoots. It was unclear how much was being changed, but new casting calls went out for various stand-in roles. That suggests that it is more than a few pick-up shots, and that all the whispers of unhappiness and drastic alterations are true. The silence from all involved (with the exception Noonan and Forrest Whitaker) doesn't help. At least we can enjoy the picture and wonder.
[via Empire]
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