First trailer for Brett Ratner's Hercules starring Dwayne Johnson

March 25, 2014, 10:09 am

≫ Next: Another TV spot and new featurette for Captain America: The Winter Soldier

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After yesterday's first look images and theatrical poster, Paramount Pictures has now debuted the very first trailer for Hercules, director Brett Ratner's (Rush Hour, X-Men: The Last Stand) adaptation of the graphic novel Hercules: The Thracian Wars, which sees Dwayne Johnson (Fast & Furious 6, Pain & Gain) leading the cast as the mythological hero. Check it out after the official synopsis...

Everyone knows the legend of Hercules and his twelve labors. Our story begins after the labors, and after the legend… Haunted by a sin from his past, Hercules has become a mercenary. Along with five faithful companions, he travels ancient Greece selling his services for gold and using his legendary reputation to intimidate enemies. But when the benevolent ruler of Thrace and his daughter seek Hercules’ help to defeat a savage and terrifying warlord, Hercules finds that in order for good to triumph and justice to prevail… he must again become the hero he once was… he must embrace his own myth… he must be Hercules.


So, more promising than The Legend of Hercules?

Hercules is set for release on July 25th in North America and August 8th in the UK, with a cast that also includes Ian McShane (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides), Rufus Sewell (Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter), Joseph Fiennes (American Horror Story), Peter Mullan (Tyranosaur), John Hurt (Snowpiercer), Rebecca Ferguson (The White Queen), Ingrid Bolsø Berdal (Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters), Aksel Hennie (Headhunters), Reece Ritchie (Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time), and Tobias Santelmann (Kon-Tiki).

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Another TV spot and new featurette for Captain America: The Winter Soldier

March 25, 2014, 10:46 am

≫ Next: Official Gotham character image for Oswald Cobblepot, a.k.a. The Penguin

≪ Previous: First trailer for Brett Ratner's Hercules starring Dwayne Johnson

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There's just a few short hours to go before Captain America: The Winter Soldier opens in UK cinemas, but if you're desperate to feast your eyes on some new footage from the eagerly-anticipated Marvel sequel, then we've got an international TV spot and new Winter Soldier featurette that you can check out below courtesy of CBM....

"After the cataclysmic events in New York with The Avengers, “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” finds Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, living quietly in Washington, D.C. and trying to adjust to the modern world. But when a S.H.I.E.L.D. colleague comes under attack, Steve becomes embroiled in a web of intrigue that threatens to put the world at risk. Joining forces with the Black Widow, Captain America struggles to expose the ever-widening conspiracy while fighting off professional assassins sent to silence him at every turn. When the full scope of the villainous plot is revealed, Captain America and the Black Widow enlist the help of a new ally, the Falcon. However, they soon find themselves up against an unexpected and formidable enemy — the Winter Soldier."



Captain America: The Winter Soldier is set for release on March 28th in the UK and April 4th in North America, with Chris Evans (Captain America), Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury), Sebastian Stan (Winter Soldier), Cobie Smulders (Agent Maria Hill), Hayley Atwell (Peggy Carter), Toby Jones (Arnim Zola) and Maximiliano Hernandez (Agent Jasper Sitwell) joined in the cast by MCU newcomers Anthony Mackie (The Hurt Locker) as Sam Wilson / Falcon, Emily VanCamp (Revenge) as Sharon Carter / Agent 13, Frank Grillo (Zero Dark Thirty) as Brock Rumlow / Crossbones, George St-Pierre (Death Warrior) as Georges Batroc / Batroc the Leaper and Robert Redford (All Is Lost) as Alexander Pierce. 

Official Gotham character image for Oswald Cobblepot, a.k.a. The Penguin

March 25, 2014, 11:07 am

≫ Next: Robert Downey Jr. talks Avengers: Age of Ultron as more set photos of Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch emerge

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Fox has debuted another first look character image from its currently-in-production Batman prequel pilot Gotham, this time featuring Robin Lord Taylor (Another Earth) as Oswald Cobblepot, a.k.a. The Penguin....

Be sure to check out the previous Gotham character images for Donal Logue (Sons of Anarchy) as Detective Harvey Bullock , Sean Pertwee (Dog Soldiers) as Alfred Pennyworth and newcomer Camren Bicondova as Selina Kyle.

Everyone knows the name Commissioner Gordon. He is one of the crime world’s greatest foes, a man whose reputation is synonymous with law and order. But what is known of Gordon’s story and his rise from rookie detective to Police Commissioner? What did it take to navigate the multiple layers of corruption that secretly ruled Gotham City, the spawning ground of the world’s most iconic villains? And what circumstances created them – the larger-than-life personas who would become Catwoman, The Penguin, The Riddler, Two-Face and The Joker?

Gotham has been developed by Bruno Heller (The Mentalist), with Danny Cannon (Judge Dredd) directing the pilot. The rest of the cast also includes David Mazouz (Touch) as Bruce Wayne, Jada Pinkett Smith (The Matrix) as Fish Mooney, Zabryna Guevara (The Guilt Trip) as Detective Essen, Erin Richards (Being Human) as Barbara Kean and Drew Powell (Malcolm in the Middle) as Butch Gilzean.

Robert Downey Jr. talks Avengers: Age of Ultron as more set photos of Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch emerge

March 25, 2014, 11:37 am

≫ Next: Line-up announced for Sundance London 2014

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Chatting with Variety, Robert Downey Jr. has offered up a few thoughts on the hotly-anticipated sequel Avengers: Age of Ultron, stating that: "This one is a very ambitious sequel. If you read it, it’s dense, it’s smart. Joss Whedon is a really smart guy. My 2-year-old is crazy about Hawkeye, and I think Jeremy Renner has a lot to do with the plot. There’s always so many plates to spin to get these things half-right, and I’m really excited about this one."

Meanwhile, yesterday we brought you a couple of batches of set photos from Italy featuring Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) battling who we can only presume to be Ultron and his cronies [see here and here] and now we have a few more courtesy of Just Jared as Olsen and Taylor-Johnson return to the set...

The Avengers: Age of Ultron is set for release on May 1st 2015, with Whedon directing a cast that also includes returning MCU stars Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Chris Evans (Captain America), Mark Ruffalo (The Incredible Hulk), Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), Don Cheadle (War Machine), Cobie Smulders (Maria Hill), Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury) and Paul Bettany (JARVIS / The Vision) alongside new additions Thomas Kretschmann (Dracula) as Baron Strucker and James Spader (The Blacklist) as Ultron.

Line-up announced for Sundance London 2014

March 25, 2014, 1:18 pm

≫ Next: Every Second Counts in new 24: Live Another Day trailer

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The full program for Sundance London 2014 has been announced and there are some good International premieres for our viewing pleasure including The Voices, Frank and Fruitvale Station.

21 films have been revealed along with 18 shorts, talks, music and retrospective screenings including Reservoir Dogs, Memento and Winter's Bone.

Below are a few of the highlights:

Frank

An offbeat comedy about a wannabe musician who finds himself out of his depth when he joins an avant garde rock band led by the enigmatic Frank—a musical genius who hides himself inside a large fake head.

Fruitvale Station

Oscar Grant was a 22-year-old Bay Area resident who loved his friends, was generous to strangers, and had a hard time telling the truth to the mother of his beautiful daughter. He was scared and courageous and charming and raw, and as human as the community he was part of. That community paid attention to him, shouted on his behalf, and filmed him with their cell phones when BART officers, who were strong, intimidated, and acting in the way they thought they were supposed to behave around people like Oscar, shot him in cold blood at the Fruitvale subway stop on New Year’s Day in 2009.

The Voices

This genre-bending tale centers around Jerry Hickfang, a lovable but disturbed factory worker who yearns for attention from a woman in accounting. When their relationship takes a sudden, murderous turn, Jerry’s evil talking cat and benevolent talking dog lead him down a fantastical path where he ultimately finds salvation.

Blue Ruin

A mysterious outsider’s quiet life turns upside down when he returns to his childhood home to carry out an act of vengeance. Proving to be an amateur assassin, he winds up in a brutal fight to protect his estranged family.

Hits

A small town in upstate New York is populated by people who wallow in unrealistic expectations. There, fame, delusion, earnestness, and recklessness meet, shake hands, and disrupt the lives around them.

Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter

Winner of a U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Musical Score at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. A lonely Japanese woman becomes convinced that a satchel of money buried in a fictional film is, in fact, real. Abandoning her structured life in Tokyo for the frozen Minnesota wilderness, she embarks on an impulsive quest to search for her lost mythical fortune.

The Case Against 8

A behind-the-scenes look inside the case to overturn California’s ban on same-sex marriage. Shot over five years, the film follows the unlikely team that took the first federal marriage equality lawsuit to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The full line-up can be found at the official Sundance London 2014 website where you can also buy tickets.

Flickering Myth co-editors Luke Owen and Oli Davis will be attending this year's festival and will be posting their coverage throughout.

Every Second Counts in new 24: Live Another Day trailer

March 25, 2014, 1:38 pm

≫ Next: Flickering Myth co-editor Luke Owen to take over hosting duties of The Twilight Zone Podcast

≪ Previous: Line-up announced for Sundance London 2014

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With just over a month to go before the return of Jack Bauer, FOX has released a new poster for the upcoming event miniseries 24: Live Another Day, as well as a 60-second trailer which you can check out below...

Four years after the events in the series finale, Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) is now an exile and is being hunted by a CIA agent. Nevertheless, he is willing to risk his life and freedom to avert yet another global disaster. He attempts to thwart an unthinkable terrorist attack in London that could change the world forever.

Chloe (Mary Lynn Rajskub) is now working underground, and William Devane reprises his role as James Heller who is now President of the United States. Benjamin Bratt stars as CIA head Steve Harries, Yvonne Strahovski plays CIA agent Kate Morgan, Giles Matthey is CIA computer tech Jordan Reed, and Gbenga Akinnagbe is cast as a strong and arrogant field operative named Erik Ritter. The cast also includes Michelle Fairley, Stephen Fry, Michael Wincott, Tate Donovan, Branko Tomovic, Duncan Pow and Kim Raver.


24: Live Another Day is set to get underway on FOX on May 5th.

Flickering Myth co-editor Luke Owen to take over hosting duties of The Twilight Zone Podcast

March 25, 2014, 1:48 pm

≫ Next: Dwayne Johnson confirms upcoming DC superhero role, rules out Green Lantern

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It was announced on the latest episode that Tom Elliot would be stepping down as the host of the popular Twilight Zone Podcast. Episode 30, A Stop at Willoughby, acted as his last stop.

However, fans of the podcast will be pleased to know that the podcast is not coming to an end. In Tom's place will be our own Luke Owen, himself a Twilight Zone enthusiast.

"I'm really excited to take over the show", Owen said. "Tom did such a great job with the show and he's created a great platform for fellow Twilight Zone fans to come together. I hope I can keep the legacy of the show alive!"

Luke's first episode will be The Chaser and will be launched next week.

The Twilight Zone first aired in 1959 and ran for 5 seasons. It had a movie adaptation in 1983 and a rebooted series in 1985 which ran for 3 seasons. The series would get another chance at life in 2002 hosted by Forest Whitaker, but didn't quite get the praise the original series did. In more recent times, rumours have surfaced about a new TV series by Bryan Singer, a new movie and even a biopic about the show's creator Rod Serling.

The Twilight Zone Podcast looks at each and every episode of the classic sci-fi series in the order that they aired. More information can be found at The Twilight Zone Network. You can hear Tom's last episode here.

Dwayne Johnson confirms upcoming DC superhero role, rules out Green Lantern

March 25, 2014, 1:59 pm

≫ Next: Arnold Schwarzenegger reveals plot details for Terminator: Genesis

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Over the past few months we've heard several comments from Dwayne Johnson suggesting that he'll be joining DC's fledgling Cinematic Universe with an upcoming superhero role, and now The Rock has been at it again at CinemaCon this past weekend, stating (via Comic Book Resources) that:

"So, you know, there’s been mutual interest with myself and DC for many years to find the right character. I, like everyone here in the room, love superheroes. So there’s been mutual interest with us for years, and we’ve been having ongoing discussions, myself and DC, for years about the right character, what the right character would be. That’s another thing, too: It had to be right.

"The first quality we were looking for was that he had to be extremely complex and have a lot going on. What that does for me as an actor and the studio is it gives us space that we can explore; his complexities. The other quality was that he had to – the character we were looking for had to be well-known but never brought to life. Then what that does again as an actor, it gives me a little bit of space, and we talked about personality. It just gives me a chance to put an imprint into his personality, with the set of tools that I could bring to the table and put a very unique twist on his personality, but still pay homage to who he is. The third thing – and most important – is he had to be a badass motherfucker, OK, and on a Superman level of power, where [he] could throw down. In those three qualities, I’m happy we’ve found that character."

Coinciding with the release of the first trailer for his next movie Hercules (hmm...), Johnson has now taken to Twitter to confirm that "myself and DC have agreed on a character... extremely complex, well known (but never played) and a pure BAD ASS MF;)" before seemingly ruling out an appearance alongside the likes of Henry Cavill (Superman), Ben Affleck (Batman) and Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman) in either Batman vs. Superman or Justice League as the John Stewart incarnation of Green Lantern: "Green Lantern (John Stewart) and Black Adam are my fav superheroes, but GL's already been made and stamped."

As it happens, Johnson was previously attached to the role of Black Adam back when Peter Segal (Grudge Match) was attached to the Captain Marvel project Billy Batson and the Legend of Shazam. He's also been linked to another DC character in the alien bounty hunter Lobo, which would have reunited him with Journey 2: The Mysterious Island director Brad Peyton. However, could you really describe Black Adam and Lobo as "well known" outside of comic book fans?

Which DC role would you like to see Johnson taking on? Let us know in the comments below....

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Arnold Schwarzenegger reveals plot details for Terminator: Genesis

March 25, 2014, 2:02 pm

≫ Next: Deadpool creator Rob Liefeld says X-Force is Fox's mystery 2018 Marvel movie

≪ Previous: Dwayne Johnson confirms upcoming DC superhero role, rules out Green Lantern

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With production on the latest instalment of the Terminator franchise getting underway, we should expect to hear more details coming out about Terminator: Genesis. With that in mind, the former Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger has spoken to MTV about what we can expect from the fifth installment of the series.

"Terminator deals a lot with time travel," the action legend said "so there will be a younger T-800, and then [there is] what that model does later on when it gets reprogrammed, and who gets ahold of him. So it will be all kinds of interesting twists in the movie."

Arnie, who will be featuring in Sabotage which comes out this week, also went on to talk about how this version of the T-800 will look 30 years older than he did in the first movie.

"The way that the character is written, it's a machine underneath," he says. "It's this metal skeleton. But above that is human flesh. And the Terminator's flesh ages, just like any other human being's flesh. Maybe not as fast. But it definitely ages."

Do we buy this as a reason?

Terminator: Genesis is set for release next year and will be directed by Thor: The Dark World director Alan Taylor and will feature Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones) as Sarah Conner, Jai Courtney (A Good Day to Die Hard) as Kyle Reese, Jason Clarke (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes) as John Conner and J.K. Simmons (Spider-Man) in an unknown role.

Deadpool creator Rob Liefeld says X-Force is Fox's mystery 2018 Marvel movie

March 25, 2014, 2:29 pm

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Last week, 20th Century Fox announced that it had set release dates for several Marvel properties, with a sequel to The Wolverine and The Fantastic Four 2 arriving in 2017, followed by a mystery title in 2018.

Well, according to Rob Liefeld, creator of the Deadpool character, the Merc with a Mouth will be teaming up with Cable and company for said mystery movie, with Liefeld stating on Twitter that the July 13th 2018 slot will be occupied by X-Force, which as we already know has been scripted by Jeff Waldow, writer-director of Kick-Ass 2.

A spin-off from the main X-Men team, X-Force made their comic book debut in 1991 and over the years its roster has featured several characters who have already featured in Fox's X-Men movie universe, including Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds), Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), Cyclops (James Marsden), Storm (Halle Berry), Colossus (Daniel Cudmore) and Psylocke (Meiling Melancon), as well as Bishop (Omar Sy), Sunspot (Adan Canto) and Warpath (Booboo Stewart), all of whom will make their debut this May in X-Men: Days of Future Past.

Would you like to see X-Force as Fox's 2018 release, and what line-up would you go for? Let us know in the comments below...

Velociraptor concept art from Jurassic World

March 25, 2014, 3:21 pm

≫ Next: Daredevil to shoot in New York City in July

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It's been a long time since we've visited Jurassic Park. With the new instalment, this time titled Jurassic World, set for release next year details are very slowly creeping out.

There have been several concept images released lately, but this new artwork from Twitter is the sort of thing you really want to see...

The account may not be verified or official, but that logo has been used on other behind the scenes images from films that Stan Winston's company has been involved in before.

Lets get it all out of our systems shall we? Yes they are still too big. Yes they don't have feathers. Yes they are clever girls.

Exactly how we want them to be.

Update - Turns out this could be a still from Jurassic Park III. Sorry about that.

Jurassic World is set for release on June 12th 2015, with Colin Trevorrow (Safety Not Guaranteed) directing a cast that includes Chris Pratt (The LEGO Movie), Bryce Dallas Howard (Spider-Man 3), Vincent D'Onofrio (Law & Order: Criminal Intent), Nick Robinson (The Kings of Summer), Ty Simpkins (Iron Man 3), Jake Johnson (Drinking Buddies), Omar Sy (X-Men: Days of Future Past), Irrfan Khan (The Amazing Spider-Man), David Oyelowo (The Butler), and the returning BD Wong as Dr. Henry Wu. 

Daredevil to shoot in New York City in July

March 25, 2014, 8:00 pm

≫ Next: Chris Evans plans to retire from acting after The Avengers 3

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Marvel Studios is set to continue its TV expansion this year by kicking off production on Netflix's miniseries for The Defenders, and speaking to Hitfix at Paleyfest, Marvel's head of television Jeph Loeb has confirmed that cameras will start rolling on Daredevil in New York City this July.

"Jessica Jones comes after that," said Loeb. "And then after that, Iron Fist and then after that Luke Cage, and then that'll culminate in The Defenders."

The pilot for Daredevil is being written and directed by Drew Goddard (The Cabin in the Woods), who will also serve as showrunner, while Melissa Rosenberg (Twilight) is set to oversee Jessica Jones.

So, we should probably expect to hear who'll be succeeding Ben Affleck as Matt Murdock in the coming months. Who would you like to see donning the horns? Let us know in the comments below...

Chris Evans plans to retire from acting after The Avengers 3

March 25, 2014, 11:00 pm

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Chris Evans can currently be seen in his third outing as Marvel's Man Out of Time here in the UK with the arrival of Captain America: The Winter Soldier today [read our spoiler-free review here], but it seems we'll not be seeing much more of the actor on screen, with Evans revealing that he plans to retire from acting once his contract with Marvel Studios expires.

"I’ve known for a while I wanted to direct," Evans tells Variety. "But (time) never really opens up. There’s another movie to do, there’s another acting job. It just got to a point where I was like, you know what — I have to do this. If I’m acting at all, it’s going to be under Marvel contract, or I’m going to be directing. I can’t see myself pursuing acting strictly outside of what I’m contractually obligated to do... We can do this out loud. [Avengers: Age of Ultron] will shoot till August. I wouldn’t be surprised if for all of 2015, we didn’t do a movie. I bet by 2017, I’ll be done."

Of course, we already know that Evans will be back as Steve Rogers in Phase Three with Captain America 3, which will reunite him with The Winter Soldier directors Anthony and Joe Russo, while his contract takes him up to The Avengers 3, which will presumably shoot in 2017 for release the following year. So, might we see Marvel Studios taking a page out of the comics and bringing us the death of Captain America in Avengers 3?

Meanwhile, here's a new TV spot for The Winter Soldier....


Captain America: The Winter Soldier is out now in the UK and opens April 4th in North America, with Evans joined in the cast by Marvel veterans Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury), Sebastian Stan (Winter Soldier), Cobie Smulders (Agent Maria Hill), Hayley Atwell (Peggy Carter), Toby Jones (Arnim Zola) and Maximiliano Hernandez (Agent Jasper Sitwell) and franchise newcomers Anthony Mackie (The Hurt Locker) as Sam Wilson / Falcon, Emily VanCamp (Revenge) as Sharon Carter / Agent 13, Frank Grillo (Zero Dark Thirty) as Brock Rumlow / Crossbones, George St-Pierre (Death Warrior) as Georges Batroc / Batroc the Leaper and Robert Redford (All Is Lost) as Alexander Pierce.

Tucker & Dale vs. Evil sequel in the works

March 26, 2014, 12:03 am

≫ Next: Snowed Under: Chris Buck talks about Frozen

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It looks like we'll be seeing more of those loveable rednecks Tucker and Dale, with stars Alan Tudyk and Tyler Labine revealing during a panel at the HorrorHound Weekend that a sequel to the rather splendid 2010 Canadian horror-comedy Tucker & Dale vs. Evil is in development. At present, little is known about the planned sequel, although it's said that co-writer and director Eli Craig won't be back for the follow-up. Check out the announcement video from the HorrorHound panel here...


Are you excited to see more of Tucker & Dale? Let us know in the comments below...

Snowed Under: Chris Buck talks about Frozen

March 26, 2014, 12:03 am

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Trevor Hogg chats with Chris Buck about the creating an animated musical with a snowballing appeal with critics and moviegoers....

Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee and Producer Peter Del Vecho

With a flurry of Best Animated Feature awards from the Visual Effects Society, BAFTAs and the Oscars, Frozen co-director Chris Buck (Surf’s Up) is overwhelmed by the worldwide movie industry acclaim.  “It has been crazy." Adapting the classic Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale The Snow Queen about a royal who casts an icy spell and a young woman who attempts to break it began in 2008 when Buck pitched his version to Disney.  “There were two female protagonists.  We were always trying to get these two together and Elsa [Indina Menzel] was more of a villain at the time too.  It wasn’t until someone asked, ‘What if they were sisters?’  Suddenly everybody could wrap their heads around the emotion of the story and how do you take these two people who have a problem and split them up?   If they’re family it just made the movie so much stronger and emotional.”  Sharing the directorial duties was Jennifer Lee (Wreck-It Ralph).  “Jen being the writer, especially, when it started to get into our crunch time she took on the responsibility of more the story end of it and working with the story artists while I was off working with the animators, effects artists, and the backgrounds.  We still worked together quite a bit during the day.   There were a few hours here and there that we would have to split up to keep everything going.  All the balls were up in the air and we didn’t want to drop any of them.”

Despite being computer generated Frozen remains grounded in the tradition of hand-draw animation.  “It’s Disney’s legacy,” observes Chris Buck.  “We still have quite a few of our hand-drawn animators there and CG guys.  I come from hand-drawn too.  In the animation dailies room we would stop on a frame when a CG animator was showing his scene and Mark [Empey] would go over it and give a wonderful hand-drawn appeal to the poses.  There’s the combination of that in all of the animation where you get that feeling of the hand-drawn and then we do have some hand-drawn effects that are in the movie too.  It’s a nice blend in the whole thing.”  Scouting trips were taken to Norway and Canada.  “The one I did was the ice hotel in Quebec City; that was a huge inspiration for Elsa’s ice palace.  We could see how the light came through the ice, and the reflections and refractions of things.  We took a little of pictures and videos while we were there and that was terrific.  Jen and I did not go on the Norway trip because we were still working on the story while our Art Director Mike Giaimo [Pocahontas] and several of his artists went.   They took in everything in Norway from the scope of the environment all the way down to the detail of the folk art which is called rosemaling in Norway; we even put it into the clothing and architecture.  There are so many things even the opening song happened to come from a bit of music they found in Norway.  Norway was terrific even though we’re not saying that the movie was in Norway it was still a huge inspiration.”

                

“One of the things I was drawn to was that Disney had never done a feature that all took place in this ice and snow,” states Chris Buck.  “Ice and snow to me is magical.  You don’t even have to add the Disney magic but we did.  The challenge of the ice and snow was that the snow we first did looked like Styrofoam or packing peanuts.  It didn’t have the quality of believable snow so we created this software for that and the same thing for the ice.  The first ice that we did was too perfect.  It looked too much like glass or plastic so we had to go in and give it the flaws that real life has.  Those were the struggles throughout and we did have to create some new software to make those things happen.  I’m very happy with the result.”  A dramatic blizzard had to be simulated by the CG animators.  “They took a box and put different kinds of snow falling in it.  Some snow had wind to it, some was falling straight down and some swirled around.  We had different choices of snow to look at and put it into the scene.  But then they would still have to go in there by hand to craft it so it would fit. That’s how we did it on the fjord in the final sequence.  They would take some of the snow they’d already done but would have to go in and say, ‘We have to clear this area out here.  You have to be able to see Anna [Kristen Bell] and Kristoff [Jonathan Groff].’”

Music plays a pivotal role.  “The songs have to be part of the story,” notes Chris Buck.  “We worked closely with Bobby Lopez [Avenue Q] and Kristen Anderson- Lopez [Winnie the Pooh] to craft the story with the songs.  We were working with them everyday.  For two hours we were video conferencing between L.A. and New York making sure that we were never stopping the action for a song.  It was always telling some story within the song and we were hopefully moving the story along.  Bobby and Kristen taught Jen and I the shape of a musical so they helped us immensely and are very talented people.  Christophe Beck [Edge of Tomorrow] used a beautiful score but also used some of the elements of the songs in there to remind the audience once and awhile the feeling that they had when hearing the song so to bring back some of that emotion to something that happens later in the movie.”  Amongst all of the music are sound effects.   “Our amazing Sound Designer Odin Benitez [Silver Linings Playbook] went up to Mammoth Mountain, a resort in California; he went on a frozen lake and recorded stuff there.  What it was like when you put a hammer on the ice or threw things.  Odin had some beautiful ice and snow falling effects that he got on his own.  These weren’t from his library; they were special for our movie.  All sorts of things he took care of that give you the feeling of being out there in these mountains and fjords yet are unique.  Odin did a beautiful job.”

“There were a lot of technical challenges,” remarks Chris Buck.  “Luckily the studio was on board when we said we wanted to do a musical.  One of the challenges was we had two strong female protagonists and as we went through we had to define them and finally found it.  Anna is ruled by love and Elsa is ruled by fear.  That took us awhile to get there to clarify who they were and once we did the story clicked in and was much easier but it took us a few years to get there.”  Two sequences standout to Buck.  “One is the Let It Go Sequence, the song is so wonderful and amazing that the challenge was there for us to match it visually and the artists were all up to it.  We worked really hard on that one.  The other one is the finale on the fjord with everything that went on and all of the effects and snow, and the emotion of that whole sequence where Anna goes and saves her sister.  That was a real bear to do but luckily it was one of the first sequences that went into production so we had time to craft that one.”  The creative talent behind Frozen is a source of admiration for the filmmaker from Wichita, Kansas.  “They have become our family throughout and we work on these movies for a long time.  I’m forever grateful to these amazing artists.”

Production stills, concept art and video © 2013 Disney.  All rights reserved.

Many thanks to Chris Buck for taking the time for this interview.

Make sure to visit the official website for Frozen.

Trevor Hogg is a freelance video editor and writer who currently resides in Canada. 

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Comic Book Review - Star Slammers #1

March 26, 2014, 12:04 am

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Villordsutch reviews the first issue of Star Slammers: Re-mastered #1...

"Once upon a time, there was a race of men who could out-shoot, out-fight, and out-kill anybody. They were paid fabulous sums to act as mercenaries. The practice became so lucrative, they decided to go into business. They became the most successful businessmen in history, and they called themselves…The Star Slammers!"

When I finally emerged past the pages of the Beano as a child (was never a Dandy fan) I immediately fell into the lap of 2000AD. Occasionally I bought a copy the odd politically incorrect (even then) Warlord; but mostly it was 2000AD and it was an odd step from the Beano with Dennis worrying Softy Walter to Dredd executing Perps, but it was a cool step and it made me appreciate the nicer things as I grew older.  In the 1980’s our comics were amazingly violent and looked fantastic too, though as I grew up I expected my comics to join me. Star Slammers is a comic that like an obstinate toddler has shrugged off its parents arm and not only yelled, “NO!” to me wanting my comics to grow up, but it’s also flicked the V at me whilst wearing a bright red Samurai Suit.

Honestly this comic is one chunk of my history and I read it like I’d just found it tucked behind an old radiator.  Looking over at Wikipedia, low and behold this was written and drawn as Walt Simonson’s thesis back in the early 1970s but then released by Marvel in 1983. I wouldn’t be surprised if this is a chunk of my history I’m re-reading.  Even Len O’Grady brings a palette that he must have kept on his shelf for the past thirty years. I adore this comic and I read it smiling.

The story is brief and to introduce our heroes we get a Seven Samurai / Magnificent Seven set-up with a citadel being surrounded by those who want to get in.  The residents of the citadel call in the aid of the Star Slammers who make short work of the situation; it’s here we get our backstory to our youngest member.  I know it all sounds rather glib and a bit empty but this is part of a bigger story which we will be treated to other the coming months.  However, it looks brilliant from the opening fly near the eye to the violent ways to die - even the onomatopoeia is drawn in such a way that I found myself mouthing out the citadel doors opening.

I known people could raise the question of the lasting power of this comic and perhaps balk and bleat, “You can never go back!” and that may be the case.  I’m hoping here that Star Slammers is just returning with the small but powerful piece of a magic it clearly had back in the 1980s like a comet sharing it’s magnificent tale [sic] with us - once every generation.

Walt Simonson and Len O’Grady have given you something to grab hold of that’s Cool, Retro, Nowtro etc. etc. etc. I’ll let you choose your hip word, but whatever you choose make sure that you choose Star Slammers and this classic 1st issue.

Villordsutch likes his sci-fi and looks like a tubby Viking according to his children. Visit his website and follow him on Twitter.

Comic Book Review - Godzilla: Rulers of Earth #10

March 26, 2014, 2:18 am

≫ Next: Three new TV spots from The Amazing Spider-Man 2

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Luke Owen reviews Godzilla: Rulers of Earth #10...

With many monsters now inhabiting a new home, peace seemingly descends on Earth. Little does humanity realize that the greatest danger now lurks under the waves! Lucy and the Kaiju Watchers will have to act fast to determine the nature of the new threat!

The War of the Gargantuas is a bit of a cult favourite among an already niche genre. And while it will never be as recognised as its Godzilla contemporaries, it's fair to say that it is a decent little movie that has two interesting kaiju - the siblings Gaira and Sanda. They may not be "officially" part of Godzilla cannon, but Chris Mowry and Matt Frank have once again delved deep into the Toho back catalogue of characters to give them a chance to shine. And guess what? They nailed it.

Godzilla seems a bit bruised and battered after his encounters with Manda and Titanosaurus, but he isn't going to rest for too long as he follows Sanda and Gaira, who are having a sibling-tiff, to Brisbane for a monster rumble. Meanwhile in the human portion of our story, the decision to build Monster Island and house all of these kaiju is given the go ahead - and Sanda and Gaira will be its first inhabitants.

Returning to the fight after a one-issue hiatus is Matt Frank whose artwork is again at a high level and his attention to detail on monster fights is impeccable. Sanda and Gaira are hardly the most intricate of designs, but somehow Frank makes them look really imposing. The true highlight of the issue is the fight in Brisbane and this is mostly down to Frank's art. It's been a while since Godzilla: Rulers of Earth has had a fight in a city landscape and I think this change in scenery really brings this comic (and the three-way battle) to life. There is something about buildings crumbling around giant monsters that really brings a smile to a kaiju fans face, and this is an issue that has that in spades.

The comic also does a good job of setting up future plot threads with a good final panel return which will tie us back to the original alien invasion (who have been missing since being taken out by Jet Jaguar), and there is a very subtle hint of an appearance from Spacegodzilla. If you're up on your Heisei knowledge and storylines, you should be able to spot this.

Enough good things cannot be said about Godzilla: Rulers of Earth. Mowry's script is great, Frank's art is brilliant and the whole comic is a joy to read. It manages to balance the story and monster action so each issue feels new and fresh and it's a series that has yet to have a dud issue. Next issue we should be seeing the return of Destroyah, so you can expect to see more of the same in Godzilla: Rulers of Earth #11.

Luke Owen is one of Flickering Myth's co-editors and the host of the Flickering Myth Podcast. You can follow him on Twitter @LukeWritesStuff.

Three new TV spots from The Amazing Spider-Man 2

March 26, 2014, 4:23 am

≫ Next: The Grand Budapest Hotel tops the UK box office chart

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With just over three weeks to go until its UK release, Sony has debuted a trio of TV spots for the upcoming superhero sequel The Amazing Spider-Man 2, which offers up some previously unseen footage; check them out below after the official synopsis....

We’ve always known that Spider-Man’s most important battle has been within himself: the struggle between the ordinary obligations of Peter Parker and the extraordinary responsibilities of Spider-Man. But in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Peter Parker finds that a greater conflict lies ahead.

It’s great to be Spider-Man (Andrew Garfield). For Peter Parker, there’s no feeling quite like swinging between skyscrapers, embracing being the hero, and spending time with Gwen (Emma Stone). But being Spider-Man comes at a price: only Spider-Man can protect his fellow New Yorkers from the formidable villains that threaten the city. With the emergence of Electro (Jamie Foxx), Peter must confront a foe far more powerful than he. And as his old friend, Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan), returns, Peter comes to realize that all of his enemies have one thing in common: OsCorp.




The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is set for release on April 18th in the UK and on May 1st in North America, with returning stars Andrew Garfield (Spider-Man), Emma Stone (Gwen Stacy), Sally Field (Aunt May), Chris Zylka (Flash Thompson), Campbell Scott (Richard Parker), Embeth Davidtz (Mary Parker), Martin Sheen (Ben Parker) and Denis Leary (George Stacy) joined by new additions Jamie Foxx (Django Unchained) as Electro, Dane DeHaan (Chronicle) as Harry Osborn, Paul Giamatti (12 Years a Slave) as The Rhino, Chris Cooper (American Beauty) as Norman Osborn, Colm Feore (Thor) as Donald Menken, Felicity Jones (Like Crazy) as Felicia Hardy, Marton Csokas (The Lord of the Rings) as Dr. Kafka, B.J. Novak (The Office) as Alistair Smythe.

The Grand Budapest Hotel tops the UK box office chart

March 26, 2014, 5:17 am

≫ Next: John Boyega eyed for Danny Dyson role in Terminator: Genesis

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UK box office top ten and analysis for the weekend of Friday 21st - Sunday 23rd March 2014....

In its third week of release, Wes Anderson's star-studded comedy The Grand Budapest Hotel has climbed to the top of the UK box office chart, pulling in £1.27 million over the Friday to Sunday period to give the film an impressive £6.3 million to date.

Elsewhere in the chart, three newcomers managed to crack the top ten, with the British prison drama Starred Up debuting in sixth with £495,181, followed by the Nick Hornby adaptation A Long Way Down in seventh with £361,901 and the Jason Reitman drama Labor Day in eighth with £278,726.

Number one this time last year: The Croods

1. The Grand Budapest Hotel - £1,267,408 weekend (3 weeks)
2. Need for Speed - £988,255 weekend (2 weeks)
3. The LEGO Movie - £815,020 weekend (6 weeks)
4. 300: Rise of an Empire - £785,538 weekend (3 weeks)
5. Non-Stop - £697,128 weekend (4 weeks)
6. Starred Up - £495,181 weekend (New)
7. A Long Way Down - £361,901 weekend (New)
8. Labor Day - £278,726 weekend (NEw)
9. Ride Along - £211,644 weekend (4 weeks)
10. Mr. Peabody & Sherman - £198,623 weekend (7 weeks)

Incoming...

Well, there's absolutely no question which will film sit atop the UK box office this coming weekend, with Marvel Studios unleashing its latest superhero blockbuster Captain America: The Winter Soldier (cert. 12A) in cinemas today [read our review here]. Friday also brings us another Disney effort in the musical comedy sequel Muppets Most Wanted (cert. U), while other newcomers include Renny Harlin's The Legend of Hercules (cert. 12A) and documentary 20 Feet From Stardom (cert. 12A).

John Boyega eyed for Danny Dyson role in Terminator: Genesis

March 26, 2014, 5:19 am

≫ Next: Turning The Page: Dispatch from Disneyland by John Frost

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A couple of weeks back, Attack the Block star John Boyega was linked to a role in Star Wars: Episode VII alongside Jesse Plemons (Breaking Bad) and Ed Speleers (Downton Abbey). Now according to Borys Kit of The Hollywood Reporter, the British actor is also wanted for a role in the upcoming Terminator: Genesis, where it's said he'll play Danny Dyson, the son of Skynet creator Miles Dyson, who of course appeared in Terminator 2: Judgement Day back in 1991.

Just yesterday, Arnold Schwarzenegger confirmed that he'll be back as an aged version of The Terminator in the reboot, which has Alan Taylor (Thor: The Dark World) directing a cast that also includes Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones) as Sarah Connor, Jai Courtney (A Good Day to Die Hard) as Kyle Reese, Jason Clarke (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes) as John Connor and J.K. Simmons (Spider-Man) in an unknown role.

Terminator: Genesis is set for release on July 1st, 2015.