| FirstShowing.net |
| Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:36:24 +0000 Like Battlestar Galactica? You'll Love the Witchblade Movie! |
The previously announced Witchblade movie, adapted from the Top Cow comic, finally has its director. "Battlestar Galactica" regular Michael Rymer will direct and co-produce the film with a script written by long-time television writer Everett De Roche. Given I'm not personally familiar with "Battlestar Galactica", I can't say this makes me any more interested, but considering Rymer has directed 20 episodes and is filming the series finale, this should be a pretty good sign of the direction that Witchblade is going in. I know Witchblade, about a gauntlet with special powers that a chosen female wears, doesn't have much in common with "Battlestar Galactica", but I still think Rymer should be a good fit. Hopefully this doesn't turn out like a long television show episode, because I actually would like to possibly enjoy it.
My concern is that the film will feel more like a two-hour SciFi Channel movie than an ... The previously announced Witchblade movie, adapted from the Top Cow comic, finally has its director. "Battlestar Galactica" regular Michael Rymer will direct and co-produce the film with a script written by long-time television writer Everett De Roche. Given I'm not personally familiar with "Battlestar Galactica", I can't say this makes me any more interested, but considering Rymer has directed 20 episodes and is filming the series finale, this should be a pretty good sign of the direction that Witchblade is going in. I know Witchblade, about a gauntlet with special powers that a chosen female wears, doesn't have much in common with "Battlestar Galactica", but I still think Rymer should be a good fit. Hopefully this doesn't turn out like a long television show episode, because I actually would like to possibly enjoy it. My concern is that the film will feel more like a two-hour SciFi Channel movie than an actual theatrical feature. Rymer's last feature film was Queen of the Damned, a notably poor feature that doesn't instill any more confidence. I was quite hesitant about this from the start, but now I'm even more hesitant. But maybe it's just being made for those "Battlestar Galactica" and SciFi Channel fans and no one else. If you haven't already seen it, you can check out a sexy teaser poster for the film that was released before even Rymer or De Roche were announced. As for a more specific story in the film, no one really knows yet, but we can expect to hear more within the next few months before it begins filming. Who would be the best actress to play a lead in Witchblade? And can Michael Rymer pull off an actual feature film? |
| Tue, 22 Jul 2008 03:21:28 +0000 Update From Will Ferrell and Adam McKay on Anchorman 2 |
Back in early May (when the most we had all seen so far was Iron Man), filmmaker Adam McKay had confirmed that they were indeed working on a sequel to Anchorman, but that it was dependent on the return of the cast and so much more. As time has gone on, we've heard rumblings of interest from both Will Ferrell and Steve Carell, but it's still not official or even close to moving into production. ComingSoon recently caught up with both McKay and Ferrell at the Step Brothers junket and got a quick update from each on the status of the sequel. Unfortunately, it hasn't truly progressed anywhere yet, but they're all very enthusiastic about it. Ferrell says that they "just had so much fun making that movie" and that "it's just one of those that feels like an evergreen thing that we can go back and do it again." ... Back in early May (when the most we had all seen so far was Iron Man), filmmaker Adam McKay had confirmed that they were indeed working on a sequel to Anchorman, but that it was dependent on the return of the cast and so much more. As time has gone on, we've heard rumblings of interest from both Will Ferrell and Steve Carell, but it's still not official or even close to moving into production. ComingSoon recently caught up with both McKay and Ferrell at the Step Brothers junket and got a quick update from each on the status of the sequel. Unfortunately, it hasn't truly progressed anywhere yet, but they're all very enthusiastic about it. Ferrell says that they "just had so much fun making that movie" and that "it's just one of those that feels like an evergreen thing that we can go back and do it again." Definitely sounds good! McKay mentioned that they've thrown around a lot of ideas, including taking Ron Burgundy into the 1980's, but nothing has worked out yet. "The opportunity to be that free and loose. The audience would give us a lot of rope with that character at this point, a lot of free rein. They all know it, and they all know it's going to get crazy, and that's just too tempting. It's like oh my God, where can we go? What's the next level of this idea we can push to?" He goes on to say that "we got about seven ideas we're kicking around right now, so somewhere out of all of them, it will somehow fit together." As much as I wish this would already be moving forward, much like School of Rock 2, unfortunately it's still gestating. Hopefully McKay and Ferrell work out something soon because all of this talk has made me anxious for Ron Burgundy's return! If you're curious to hear about more Will Ferrell projects as we wait for Anchorman 2 to come together, you can head over to ComingSoon and read more about Channel 3 Billion, The Goods: The Don Ready Story, Sherlock Holmes, and Land of the Lost. Unlike Mike Myers or Jim Carrey, I think Ferrell is one of the few comedic actors who is still going strong, even though he occasionally has mediocre flicks like Blades of Glory or Semi-Pro. I loved Anchorman, easily one of my favorite Will Ferrell movies, and I've said time and time again that I'm excited to see it return. McKay is right - we, as an audience, are willing to give him free reign and let him take Ron Burgundy to insane places and I'll still love it. I know it might not live up to the original, but that's not the point. Who else is looking forward to Anchorman 2 no matter what? |
| Tue, 22 Jul 2008 02:33:51 +0000 The Force is with Fanboys - Film to Screen at Comic-Con! |
Fanboys are certainly having a pretty good summer. Earlier this month Merriam-Webster officially added the likable collective label to the dictionary, and now we hear via Cinematical that the Weinstein's are actually releasing the Star Wars inspired film that bears the same name in its intended, geek-approved glory. Directed by Kyle Newman, Fanboys will screen at Comic-Con later this week and is set for a September theatrical release instead of being sent straight to DVD. The exact day, along with where and on how many screens is currently unknown. Considering the ups and downs the film has been subjected to, it's pretty incredible that the original version is coming to the masses in the way it should.
Producer Kevin Spacey (yes, that one) brings us the good news: "I could not be more excited that Fanboys is being released this September and is the version of the film that the fans ... Fanboys are certainly having a pretty good summer. Earlier this month Merriam-Webster officially added the likable collective label to the dictionary, and now we hear via Cinematical that the Weinstein's are actually releasing the Star Wars inspired film that bears the same name in its intended, geek-approved glory. Directed by Kyle Newman, Fanboys will screen at Comic-Con later this week and is set for a September theatrical release instead of being sent straight to DVD. The exact day, along with where and on how many screens is currently unknown. Considering the ups and downs the film has been subjected to, it's pretty incredible that the original version is coming to the masses in the way it should. Producer Kevin Spacey (yes, that one) brings us the good news: "I could not be more excited that Fanboys is being released this September and is the version of the film that the fans want. I am enormously grateful to Jedi Knight Harvey Weinstein for having allowed Trigger Street to restore Fanboys to its original story and am thrilled that it will first screen during Comic-Con. We believe in this film and are honored that George Lucas and all his team gave us permission to film Skywalker Ranch and let us have so much fun with Star Wars. We also have a couple of surprises in the film that I think will bring added enjoyment to all the fans of Lucas' great and epic movies and Trigger Street is proud to have produced this film and to have kept the dark side at bay." You might recall that earlier this year the long-in-production film suffered a decidedly frustrating setback - the Weinstein's recut the film and changed the original, self-effacing formula, much to the outrage of fanboys the nation over. Newman seems to give credit for the film's turnaround to the Stop Darth Weinstein campaign. "Speaking for everyone involved in the project, we are truly grateful for all the passion the fans have shown the film. Their support has been nothing short of phenomenal and I couldn't think of a better place in the world than San Diego during Comic-Con to unveil the final cut of Fanboys." If you're one of the lucky ones to be attending Comic-Con this year - I'm, sadly, holding down the fort here a FS.net - the details of the exclusive screening are as follows: tickets will be given away to the first 300 people in line at the Lucasfilm's 7th Annual Star Wars Fan Movie Challenge Awards, held on July 24th at 8:30pm in Ballroom 20 at the San Diego Convention Center. During the Awards Ceremony director Kyle Newman will introduce select footage from the film, providing fans a sneak peak of the full-length feature to be shown at 10:30pm that same evening. Set in 1998, the story tells of a group of friends who, anxious for the premiere of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, decide to break intoSkywalker Ranch and steal an early print of the film. The reason: One of them is suffering from cancer and wishes to see the film before his death. |
| Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:05:27 +0000 FS.net's Comic-Con 2008 Coverage Details and Live Blogging Schedule |
I'm currently on my way to catch a plane to Los Angeles to stop by DreamWorks (you'll hear more about this tomorrow) before eventually ending up in San Diego for the greatest event all year - the San Diego Comic-Con! As always, we've planned extensive coverage including live blogging, interviews, feature editorials, reports from the showfloor, and much more. We are definitely going to be one of the essential stops for all your Comic-Con coverage, so be prepared for one hell of an exciting week. Not only will we have the latest on Zack Snyder's Watchmen, but other highlights include Fox's The Day the Earth Stood Still and Max Payne, James McTeigue's Ninja Assassin, Frank Miller's The Spirit, Judd Apatow's Pineapple Express, and Sam Raimi's Drag Me to Hell. Read on for our full schedule this week!
If you follow Twitter, you can find our official Comic-Con page here: twitter.com/comiccon. We ... I'm currently on my way to catch a plane to Los Angeles to stop by DreamWorks (you'll hear more about this tomorrow) before eventually ending up in San Diego for the greatest event all year - the San Diego Comic-Con! As always, we've planned extensive coverage including live blogging, interviews, feature editorials, reports from the showfloor, and much more. We are definitely going to be one of the essential stops for all your Comic-Con coverage, so be prepared for one hell of an exciting week. Not only will we have the latest on Zack Snyder's Watchmen, but other highlights include Fox's The Day the Earth Stood Still and Max Payne, James McTeigue's Ninja Assassin, Frank Miller's The Spirit, Judd Apatow's Pineapple Express, and Sam Raimi's Drag Me to Hell. Read on for our full schedule this week! If you follow Twitter, you can find our official Comic-Con page here: twitter.com/comiccon. We will be posting quick updates to Twitter on top of the regular updates posted on the site, so we suggest following both for the latest news in real time. You will find our complete schedule below of panels we're planning on attending for coverage. If they have LIVE! listed in front of them, this means we will be live blogging that panel (laptop battery permitting). Beyond that, we've got some additional exciting coverage planned, which includes early screenings of Tropic Thunder and Pineapple Express and other unrevealed debuts. Thursday, July 24th: 10:00AM-11:00AM PST: Masters of the Web - Moderated by filmmakers Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor. Debut footage from Game and Crank 2. LIVE! 11:30AM-1:00PM PST: 20th Century Fox - The Day The Earth Stood Still and Max Payne with Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Connelly, Scott Derrickson, Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Ludacris, John Moore in attendance. 2:00PM-3:00PM PST: Red Sonja: One-on-One - Robert Rodriguez, Rose McGowan, Doug Aarniokoski, and David White presenting. 3:00PM-4:00PM PST: Disney - Race to Witch Mountain with Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino, and Andy Fickman in attendance. LIVE! 5:30PM-6:30PM PST: Dark Castle Entertainment - RocknRolla and Ninja Assassin with Gerard Butler, Guy Ritchie, Rain, and Joel Silver attending. 8:00PM-8:30PM PST: Lionsgate and Marvel - Punisher: War Zone with Gale Anne Hurd, Ray Stevenson, and Julie Benz in attendance. 8:30PM-9:00PM PST: Lionsgate and Twisted Pictures - Saw 5 with David Hackl and cast in attendance. 9:00PM-10:00PM PST: Lionsgate and Twisted Pictures - Repo! The Genetic Opera with Darren Lynn Bousman, Alexa Vega, Bill Moseley, Ogre, and others in attendance. Friday, July 25th: LIVE! 11:55AM-1:00PM PST: Warner Brothers - Watchmen with Zack Snyder and cast in attendance. 2:00PM-2:30PM PST: Universal - The Wolfman with special effects artist Rick Baker in attendance. LIVE! 2:45PM-3:45PM PST: Lionsgate and Odd Lot Entertainment - The Spirit with Frank Miller, Deborah Del Prete, Gabriel Macht, Samuel L. Jackson, and Eva Mendes in attendance. 5:15PM-6:15PM PST: Entertainment Weekly's The Visionaries: Filmmakers - Kevin Smith, Frank Miller, Zack Snyder, and Judd Apatow will all be in attendance. Saturday, July 26th: LIVE! 1:15PM-2:00PM PST: Warner Brothers - Terminator Salvation with McG and cast in attendance. 2:30PM-3:30PM PST: Disney / Pixar - Bolt and UP with directors Chris Williams and Byron Howard as well as Pixar's Pete Docter in attendance. 3:45PM-5:15PM PST: Universal - The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor and Death Race with various cast and crew in attendance. 5:30PM-7:00PM PST: Sony Pictures - Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, Quarantine, Pineapple Express with Rhona Mitra, Bill Nighy, Michael Sheen, Patrick Tatopoulos, Judd Apatow, David Gordon Green, Seth Rogen, James Franco, Danny McBride, Amber Heard, and Evan Goldberg in attendance. Sunday, July 27th: 11:30PM-12:00PM PST: Focus Features - Hamlet 2 with Steve Coogan, Elisabeth Shue, Pam Brady, and Andrew Fleming in attendance. 1:00PM-1:30PM PST: Warner Brothers / New Line - Friday the 13th with Jared Padalecki, Derek Meaks, Brad Fuller, and Andrew Form in attendance. 1:30PM-2:30PM PST: Rogue Pictures - The Unborn, 25/8, and Drag Me to Hell with Wes Craven, David Goyer, and others in attendance. This isn't the best year for live blogging, but there are some big panels that will definitely be exciting to follow as they unfold. I'm personally looking forward to Watchmen, Max Payne, Ninja Assassin, The Spirit, and Terminator Salvation the most out of everything featured, but I'm always up for surprises. Although some key films from 2009 are missing (like Wolverine and Star Trek), there is still a solid line-up this year and we expect it to be just as exciting and fun as always. Be sure to plan your daily schedules accordingly if you wish to follow our live blogging on Thursday, Friday, or Saturday this week, and stay tuned for all the latest coverage straight from the San Diego Comic-Con right here on FS.net! For the full Comic-Con 2008 schedule with official details and locations, head over to: comic-con.org. |
| Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:05:53 +0000 All of The Dark Knight's Broken Records - Box Office Dominance! |
As a final wrap up to all of our Dark Knight coverage, I thought I'd put together a quick list of all the records that the film has broken. Normally we don't discuss box office earnings unless they're truly significant and this time they are. If you haven't already heard, The Dark Knight just beat Spider-Man 3's opening weekend box office with a total of $158,400,000 (estimated). The film has gone on to break numerous other records and is likely to continue plowing its way through the box office for the next few months. With continual positive buzz, it's likely to end up being the biggest earner all year long anyway. We promise that this will be one of the last articles we write about The Dark Knight! But it's one final one you need to see...
Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight has officially set a new record in the following ... As a final wrap up to all of our Dark Knight coverage, I thought I'd put together a quick list of all the records that the film has broken. Normally we don't discuss box office earnings unless they're truly significant and this time they are. If you haven't already heard, The Dark Knight just beat Spider-Man 3's opening weekend box office with a total of $158,400,000 (estimated). The film has gone on to break numerous other records and is likely to continue plowing its way through the box office for the next few months. With continual positive buzz, it's likely to end up being the biggest earner all year long anyway. We promise that this will be one of the last articles we write about The Dark Knight! But it's one final one you need to see… Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight has officially set a new record in the following categories: Theater Count - 4,366 theaters Tickets Sold Online in a Single Day (MovieTickets.com) The $155 million weekend total is currently a studio estimate and not confirmed. We expect the total to go up later today once the tally has been finalized. We'll update this list with any changes and additions as they're announced over the next few weeks. Current statistics come from Box Office Mojo. I can't even begin to tell you how big of a relief it is to see The Dark Knight kick Sider-Man's ass! I've been predicting all along that it would do this well, but no one believed me. Even before I saw it, I could sense that it was on its way to becoming a huge success. This masterpiece deserves this glory and I'm glad that it really shook up expectations and performed so damn well. Although Spider-Man 3 also did this good last year, The Dark Knight is actually an amazing movie, whereas the success of Spider-Man 3 was fueled purely by interest and not appreciation. The Dark Knight is not only an awesome film, but it's on its way to revolutionizing Hollywood and potentially going down in history next year at the Oscars. |