Posts Tagged ‘Fox’
Posted by Michael in Latest News, Movies on March 13th, 2010
Fox unveiled its official site for the upcoming summer release Predators earlier today, bringing the sneak peek that was shown at SXSW last night online.
Produced by Robert Rodriguez and Elizabeth Avellan, and directed by Nimród Antal (Armored, Vacancy), the story has its roots in a treatment that Rodriguez developed years before the Aliens Vs. Predator films. Adrien Brody stars as Royce, a mercenary leading a group of elite warriors brought to an alien planet to serve as prey for a new breed of Predators.
“The idea with the film was to not make it feel like it was the fifth or sixth movie in a series, but the first,” says Rodriguez.”You can’t compete with Arnold Schwarzenegger, so it’s much better to go the other direction and do something the audience isn’t expecting.”
The cast also includes Topher Grace, Alice Braga, Laurence Fishburne, Danny Trejo, Walton Goggins and Oleg Taktarov. One of the actors under the Predator mask will be Derek Mears, a guest at our very own Famous Monsters Convention July 9-11, the weekend that Predators opens.
According to the site, the first full trailer will available for viewing online on March 18, while Rodriguez expects the theatrical version to be attached to Repo Men, opening next Friday. Keep checking the film’s site and FamousMonsters.com for more news!
Posted by Bryan in Latest News, Television & Web Series on March 8th, 2010
If J.J. Abrams had created Fringe ten years ago, it could have served as a coy little meta-joke about the writer/director/producer’s career to that point. But today, with the news via Entertainment Weekly that Fringe has been picked up for a third season on FOX, the name is a true oxymoron.
Abrams began his career writing assigned scripts for a few big-budget Hollywood productions (Armageddon, Joy Ride), before finding his niche in the realm of network television. He gave Keri Russell minor stardom in the WB college dramedy Felicity, and then made a splash by essentially tweaking a similar premise with the qualifier “what if she was also a spy,” and creating Alias. Despite critical praise for his creations, neither managed to garner huge ratings. Nevertheless, Abrams would gain further critical attention with his next brainchild, Lost, and manage to accumulate enough clout to be hired on to direct a few huge blockbuster franchise films — Mission Impossible III and Star Trek.
In the midst of his rising stardom, Abrams carved out enough time to create his first televised serial since Lost (excluding a string of other short-lived Abrams-produced offerings that bore little more than his stamp of approval), the paranormal detective tale, Fringe.
Since debuting two seasons ago, the series has proved relatively prosperous for the network that is forced to measure all ratings against their one cultural behemoth, American Idol. Although a recent timeslot shift to the more crowded Thursday nights has led to a decrease in overall viewership — estimates are at 7.6 million viewers per episode, enough for just 50th overall in the key 18-49 demographic — FOX clearly still feels kindly enough to keep it around.
J.J. Abrams produces alongside longtime collaborators Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. It stars Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson, John Noble, Lance Reddick, Blair Brown and Jasika Nicole. Currently on a hiatus, Fringe will return with new episodes beginning April 1.
Posted by dominie in Latest News, Movies on April 2nd, 2009
In the last year and a half, I ventured into the world of production (long story but life really does steer you in funny paths) and discovered a new-found respect for the film industry, both behind and in front of the camera. One cannot truly ever understand how hard it is make a film (good or bad) until he’s experienced making a film. And as I say this, I’ve only seen a fraction of the burden behind the madness.
Thus, it is with great disappointment to learn from various sites that the latest Wolverine workprint has already made its way onto the torrent sites. Despite all the commercials that deter the masses from piracy, I believe most downloaders out there are still ignorant as to how many jobs they are jeopardizing per single download, and in Wolverine’s case a crisp cut a full month before release. The consequential damages in many cases are irreparable and Fox has issued the following response to take severe action against such thefts.
Last night, a stolen, incomplete and early version of X-Men Origins: Wolverine was posted illegally on websites. It was without many effects and had missing scenes and temporary sound and music. We immediately contacted the appropriate legal authorities and had it removed. We forensically mark our content so we can identify sources that make it available or download it. The source of the initial leak and any subsequent postings will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law – the courts have handed down significant criminal sentences for such acts and the last person who committed such a crime is still in jail. The FBI and the MPAA also are actively investigating this crime. We are encouraged by the support of fansites condemning piracy and this illegal posting and pointing out that such theft undermines the enormous efforts of the filmmakers and actors, and above all, hurts the fans of the film.
View X-Men Origins: Wolverine for the first time in its intended form in theaters May 1, 2009.
Posted by dominie in Movies on January 31st, 2009
20th Cenury Fox sent out a press release containing the official teaser poster for X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which hits theaters everything May 1, 2009. The release is said to be the result of a fan made poster finding its way on the official Fox press site.
In X-Men Origins: Wolverine, “Hugh Jackman reprises the role that made him a superstar – as the fierce fighting machine who possesses amazing healing powers, retractable claws and a primal fury. Leading up to the events of X-Men, X-Men Origins: Wolverine tells the story of Wolverine’s epically violent and romantic past, his complex relationship with Victor Creed, and the ominous Weapon X program. Along the way, Wolverine encounters many mutants, both familiar and new, including surprise appearances by several legends of the X-Men universe whose appearances in the film series have long been anticipated” (/Film). 
Posted by dominie in Movies on January 29th, 2009
The final poster for Zack Snyder’s Watchmen, based on Alan More and Dave Gibbons’ graphic novel, has arrived. Yahoo unveiled the poster earlier today and I must say, its looking very blue… As previously announced, Watchmen hits theaters March 6, 2009 from Warner Bros.
Posted by dominie in Latest News, Movies on December 22nd, 2008
Fox network has announced that production is underway on a new hour-long dramedy series titled Bitches. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Bitches, is “a quirky urban fairy tale” literally “about a quartet of female friends in New York who are werewolves.”
Michael Dougherty, who wrote X2: X-Men United and Superman Returns, will pen the script under the supervision of TV writers Gretchen Berg and Aaron Harberts (Pushing Daisies) for Warner Bros. TV. The project has received a penalty commitment from the network so I don’t expect this will get as easily dumped as Doughtery last werewolf project, Trick ‘r Treat, did.
Bitches will add to our already full slate of upcoming werewolf films in the 2009 following the release of Universal’s remake of The Wolfman, Twilight’s sequel New Moon, and Underworld: Rise of the Lycans. I’m sure there will be more to come. Stay tuned!
Posted by dominie in Latest News, Movies on November 12th, 2008
It looks like The Asylum’s The Day The Earth Stopped, a spoof of Fox’s upcoming big budget The Day The Earth Stood Still remake starring Keanu Reeves and Jennifer Connelly, is running into some legal problems reports Yahoo! News and Dread Central.
“This week, [Fox] quietly took action against The Asylum, firing off a lengthy cease-and-desist letter and hiring attorneys to go after the prolific purveyor of high-end, low-budget knockoffs of Hollywood blockbusters.”
The article’s summation of The Asylum’s game plan?—“[To] produce a movie with themes similar to an upcoming blockbuster, then borrow a trick from the porn industry and title it something comically derivative, create parallel marketing materials and take advantage of the millions the studios spend to promote their hits.” The result is hardly a high-end film. The Asylum is the production responsible for the knockoffs Snakes on a Train after new Line’s Snakes on a Plane, Street Racer after Warner Bros.’ Speed Racer, and Transmorphers after DreamWorks’ Transformers. The article proceeds to go into a name game and citation of ancient film title issues from various studios.
“Then there’s the question of whether the new title causes a ‘likelihood of confusion’ in the marketplace or competes unfairly with the original. That’s where marketing materials — especially those featuring nearly identical typefaces and spherical blobs — might raise copyright and trademark eyebrows.” (more…)
Posted by dominie in Latest News, Movies on November 11th, 2008
X-Men Origins: Magneto is now back in action. The project first got the greenlight in April 2007 with a script by David Goyer who was also attached to direct. Put on hold due to the writer’s strike however, Goyer went on to direct The Unborn and The Invisible. Fox is now ready again to take on the mutant origin story and is waiting on Goyer to complete his current projects. Development is underway and the current issue of Production Weekly featured a new plot synopsis for Goyer’s X-Men Origins: Magneto.
“The original X-Men film began with a prologue that showed the character as a child being led to a concentration camp by Nazis and that is the period in which the Magneto film will take place. This setup will allow a future villain to at least flirt with the designation of protagonist since the character will be seen almost exclusively in his formative years. The storyline will heavily involve Professor X, the wheelchair-using X-Men leader. That character was a soldier in the allied force that liberated the concentration camps. The professor meets Magneto after the war and while they bond over the realization that they are alike in their special powers, their differences soon turn them into enemies.”
Sir Ian McKellen who starred in all three of the X-Men films is said to be involved only as the bookend to Origins. As the synopsis reveals, the studio will need to cast a youthful Magneto for the story—where he started, where he got his powers, the very beginning.
Posted by EricC in Latest News, Movies on July 27th, 2008
The show won’t be on the air until January at the earliest but that didn’t stop rabid fans from filling Hall H to hear Joss Whedon, Eliza Dushku and Tahmoh Penikett hold forth on their Fox series Dollhouse.
Whedon opened the talk by admitting to a long-standing man-crush on Penikett. The Battlestar Galactica star now will play an FBI agent who gets close to Dushku’s character, Echo, but the distance grows each time she portrays a new character.
Dushku recounted, again, the origins of the series, which has a seven episode commitment from the network. She then said Whedon “makes the words party on the page.” Whedon “fully puts me at ease and its fun work and fun livin’.” (more…)
Posted by EricC in Latest News on July 23rd, 2008
Joss Whedon has posted a lengthy piece over at Whedonesque where he talked with Rutherford D. Actualperson about why he felt it necessary to shoot a new inaugural episode to his Fox series Dollhouse.
“The fact is, I’m very proud of the ep we shot and the series is making me crazy with the excitement,” he admitted to himself. “But I tend to come at things sideways, and there were a few clarity issues for some viewers. There were also some slight issues with tone – I was in a dark, noir kind of place (where, as many of you know, I make my home), and didn’t bring the visceral pop the network had expected from the script. The network was cool about it, but not sure how to come out of the gate with the ep.” (more…)
Posted by EricC in Latest News on July 8th, 2008
There’s a handful of genre programming coming to the major networks this fall and the prognosticators are starting to handicap the season. J.J. Abrams’ thriller Fringe is hands down the consensus choice for bets new series. Right behind it in the estimates is ABC’s Americanization of Life on Mars. The new version of Knight Rider is expected to perform poorly.
Horizon Media suspects Selma Blair’s NBC comedy Kath & Kim to be the network’s turkey.
Posted by EricC in Latest News on July 6th, 2008
With the second season currently in production, the cast of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles spoke with E!’s Kristin Veitch about what’s in store. First, despite the horrific explosion at the end of the first season, of course Summer Glau returns as the Terminator. After all, she nabbed the Saturn Award for best supporting actress and is too much fun to leave out.
Glau mentioned that “Cameron definitely has some issues after the explosion. And everybody changes after the first episode.”
News includes the fact that Garret Dillahunt and his Cromartie character have been upgraded to series regular status. “I like him,” the actor said of his T-888 alter ego. “They’re really not bad guys—they’re doing their job. He has no hate in him. He’s like: ‘Look, it’s my job, sorry…Gotta snap your neck.’ ” (more…)
“The idea with the film was to not make it feel like it was the fifth or sixth movie in a series, but the first,” says Rodriguez.”You can’t compete with Arnold Schwarzenegger, so it’s much better to go the other direction and do something the audience isn’t expecting.”
