peter jackson Tagged Articles at Cinematical

The battle of the undead on the big screen has been under way for some time now, and after months of hearing that vampires are taking over pop culture, it seems like we shouldn't quite put our friends the zombies (no, not those ones) down for the count. Over at Newsweek, Sarah Ball put together a few reasons as to why zombies will never beat vampires in a pop-culture zeitgeist-off thanks to our long-standing love-affair with the pale tortured types. But just this weekend, audiences proved that when it comes to the walking dead, the zombies still have what it takes to bring in the crowds.

Everybody has their personal preferences (and man I love those bloodsuckers), so even though I've watched more vampire content than I care to remember (I even sat through the pilot of The Vampire Diaries), and I'll always be a dedicated 'fan of the fang', I think that sometimes those drooling bumbling walking corpses might be better suited (at least these days) to the world of horror. Here's why:

After the jump: my top 3 reasons Zombies (might) make better horror movies.

MGM has been plagued by financial woes for much of their long and illustrious career, but their most recent crisis could end up costing them two of their biggest titles. Nikke Finke of Deadline Hollywood Daily is breathlessly reporting that the studio is teetering on the edge of bankruptcy with over $3.5 billion in debt. MGM held a very long conference call with their creditors, pleading with themto waive their interest payments until February 2010, and allow them the cash they need for the rest of the year, particularly to fund its upcoming slate of films. Naturally, some of those are highly anticipated, such as Robocop, The Hobbit, and the latest James Bond installment.

However, MGM's creditors aren't feeling particularly charitable, and may force the studio to file for bankruptcy. If that happens, they could lose James Bond, The Hobbit, and numerous other franchises as MGM would have to sell them to the highest bidder. Right now, they're trying to convince their Scrooges that bankruptcy is the worst possible option, and that Bond and Bilbo are big enough moneymakers to cover their debt. That's where the situation stands now, and it'll certainly be quite the economic spectacle to watch.

I find the news particularly interesting in light of Peter Jackson's remarks on The Hobbit at ComicCon, when he squashed rumors that the film was in the casting stages, and noted that it hadn't even really been green-lit or had its budget approved yet. It was a douse of cold water after a lot of breathless excitement, much of which seemed to come straight from the filmmakers themselves. Could the brakes have been put on because of MGM's financial woes? Possibly.

Continued below the jump

It may not be the future of film as some herald it, but it doesn't take a psychic to realize that 3-D, gimmick it may still seem, is here to say. Two unrelated news items today coalesced together into a dawning realization, is an Academy Awards category for Best 3-D Film inevitable? But before the examination of such a hypothetical category, let's take a look at the news that inspired this post.

The Final Destination wins the international Hollywood box office.
According to Screen Daily, The Final Destination took in $17.3mil on its opening weekend run around the globe. Considering how poorly received the newest entry in the death-claims-all franchise was critically, that may seem like a surprise, but the mere presence of eye wear is the chief explanation for the successful haul. Russia alone accounted for roughly half of the weekend total, and according to the same report, half of Russia's contributions were driven by the extra premium charged for the third dimension.

What's that mean? Well for one, more crappy horror movies are going to go the 3-D route from now on. This trend was already on the rise, but studios will not ignore a win at the domestic and international box offices. And for two, more 3-D films of all genres will be on the rise. Clearly The Final Destination is not the sole catalyst for this gimmick renaissance, but it is the latest check box in a long column of studio wins.

The Hole wins the inaugural Persol 3-D Award for the Best 3-D Stereoscopic Film of the Year at the Venice International Film Festival.

I realize that different movies receive different marketing campaigns to emphasize different elements for different audiences in different territories, but these two Thai posters for District 9 (courtesy of IMP Awards) are selling something different from what's in the actual movie.

If Exhibit A on the left is to be believed, the film features one city-destroying robot and multiple motherships. It's like Transformers meets Independence Day, and if it were actually the case, it'd guarantee beaucoup baht at the box office. The other poster, our Exhibit B, adhere to the one mothership present in the film, but then suggest that there are multiple man-sized robots running amok -- again, selling the idea of a robot rampage that is simply not in the film.

(Hell, that robot suit doesn't even factor in much before the last twenty minutes; how disappointing might that fact be?)

This is simply the most misleading piece of marketing I've seen in quite some time. The worst thing going on Stateside at the moment is a trailer for Whiteout that implies a monster movie is in the cards for anyone going to see their serial killer thriller. Now, I ask you guys and girls to share: what are some of the most egregious trailer and poster deceptions that you've experienced at the movies?

There's a huge rumor making the rounds today (courtesy of Marketsaw) that Peter Jackson now wants to direct a third bridge film connecting The Hobbit to The Lord of the Rings, and that he wants all three films (including Guillermo del Toro's two Hobbit movies) to be shot in 3D. Those of you following the progress of these films should remember that way back when The Hobbit was first announced, both Jackson and del Toro were keen on doing three movies total, with two based on The Hobbit and one based on other related material like appendices that Jackson had gotten a hold of.

A bit later on both men squashed the idea of a third film because, according to Jackson -- who spoke to MTV about a potential third film as recently as this month -- Warner Bros. and New Line only have the rights to make two films. However, it felt like Jackson wanted to make a third film if it was at all possible, so perhaps they've found a way to make that happen and we just haven't been told yet? Personally, though, I'm more interested in the 3D angle on all this because, well, I don't think they should be filmed in 3D. Not only would it be a bit rough to sit through a three-hour 3D movie (oh c'mon, you know those suckers are gonna be way long), but I just don't think 3D would add a whole lot to the finished product. Would Middle Earth look cool in a couple shots? Sure. Other than that ... eh?

I'll give you Avatar -- that's a film that belongs in 3D. And I can even see the potential in something gimmicky like Final Destination 3D. But The Hobbit? Really? Does every big upcoming film need to be in 3D now? Is that where we're at?

What do you think about The Hobbit in 3D?

Neill Blomkamp isn't a name that most moviegoers know yet, but in a matter of days that's going to change dramatically. After an overwhelmingly positive reception at this year's San Diego Comic-Con, Blomkamp's directorial debut District 9 arrives in theaters with a wave of critical acclaim (not to mention word of mouth) pushing it towards becoming the possible sleeper hit of the summer. Needless to say, it doesn't hurt that the film was nurtured through production by Peter Jackson, but given the depth and substance of its engaging, thought-provoking sci-fi subject matter, District 9 seems destined to be a place that many people will soon visit.

The film stars newcomer Sharlto Copley as a South African social worker who finds himself caught up in a battle between the alien refugees and the military who plans to relocate them. Cinematical spoke to Blomkamp in the days after Comic-Con to discuss its reception, its conception, and everything in between. In addition to talking about th the film's weighty themes, Blomkamp talked about its many technical challenges, and reflected on what about it seems to strike a chord with moviegoers.

Cinematical: Maybe just to get started you can talk about how you conceived the structure of this, in particular the idea of combining a loosely scripted structure with a lot of improvisation.

Do we really need another alien invasion picture? When it's as hellaciously entertaining as District 9, the answer is a resounding "Yes!"

A huge spaceship comes to a sudden halt above Johannesburg, South Africa, stranding all its passengers on Earth. Twenty years later, the alien settlement has become a crime-filled shantytown; the visitors from outer space, derisively called "prawns" because of their resemblance to sea creatures, have worn out their welcome. They have refused to assimilate into human culture and stubbornly insist on speaking their own language instead of learning an Earth-friendly tongue. Local residents have had enough. The government hires MNU, a weapons development corporation with its own private army, to evict the prawns from their walled-off ghetto and relocate to a new tent city, where it is hoped that they will no longer disturb humans.

The premise immediately invites comparisons with Alien Nation, Cloverfield, District 13, Escape From New York, E.T. the Extra Terrestrial, and on and on. The initial scenes only add to this impression by unreeling in a mock-documentary style, featuring interviews with human witnesses and excerpts from television broadcasts. But thanks to the ingenuity of director Neill Blomkamp and his co-writer Terri Tatchell (perhaps with a nudge in the right direction by producer Peter Jackson), District 9 swiftly establishes its own tough-minded, smart identity. Think of it as Independence Day for adults.

By Peter Hall

Last night Ain't It Cool News held a screening of the much anticipated District 9 in Austin, TX followed by a Q&A with Writer/Director Neill Blomkamp and D9's charismatic star/first time actor Sharlto Copley. It was a tremendous film in its own right, but hearing the behind-the-scenes devotion that went into even the smallest of details made me fall further in love with this special brand of Peter Jackson produced sci-fi adrenaline that Sony will be releasing in the US on August 14^th.

The hour long probing covered everything from what was shot that didn't end up in the film (a 900lb pig launched from a gas powered cannon), to what was written but never shot (including creatures not seen in the film), to what was in the film but never written (the majority of the dialog). I think it's all must-know stuff about what I'm sure will end up being one of the geek community's most talked about films of 2009.

Oh, and don't worry, I've kept the following spoiler free ... over at SciFi Squad!!

Okay, so I might've just knocked Sandra Bullock for going after the Oscar gold, but here's The Lovely Bones, with a story I can get behind (Alice Sebold's best-selling tale of a young girl murdered and the aftermath she observes from the afterlife), a filmmaker I can get behind (Peter Jackson, scaling things back post-Lord of the Rings), an ensemble* I can get behind (Rachel Weisz, Mark Wahlberg, Susan Sarandon, Stanley Tucci, and the critically-cast Saoirse Ronan), and now a trailer I can get behind.

Reading the novel earlier this year, I was struck by the simplest moments that captures almost too precisely how grief can change loved ones most unexpectedly, and while it seems that Jackson has certainly created a visually luscious realm for Ronan's character to inhabit and has retained the thrust of a somewhat supernatural murder mystery, part of what won me over was how Sebold's mystery took years to unfold, as the whole family comes to terms with the closure (or lack thereof) in their own personal ways.

If Jackson and company can balance the sprawling drama with the inherent whodunit (whydunit?) come December 11th, then The Lovely Bones could be lingering above all of the other contenders this coming awards season.

*I must confess a certain gratitude that Wahlberg replaced Ryan Gosling here. It's enough of an age difference to matter, let alone general temperament.

After a preview screening of District 9 -- by the way, make plans to go see that, right now. Seriously, stop what you're doing and clear your calendar on August 14 when the film opens -- we spent a couple of hours sitting down with Peter Jackson to talk about District 9, Halo The Hobbit, The Lovely Bones, and pretty much everything else he's working on. Plus, you won't believe what he does in his spare time. Suffice it to say, he's not cruising a luxury yacht around the world and eating caviar all day.

Read on beyond the jump for the full writeup of the event (which we were sadly not allowed to videotape), and to get all the goods. He also showed us four and a half minutes of footage from The Lovely Bones, which looks incredible. The trailer for that will be on iTunes on August 6th, and then will be playing in theaters in front of Julie & Julia. Jump through for all things Peter Jackson, including an update on all of his projects, and a rundown of his hobbies.