Here’s a new trailer for the Cloverfield-meets-Paranormal Activity flick Apollo 18. The Timur Bekmambetov-produced and Gonzalo López-Gallego-directed sci-fi thriller has been pushed from its original spring release to September 2.
Category Archives: Entertainment
Pixar ventures into new territory with upcoming fairy tale ‘Brave’ [Update: teaser trailer]
Oh, isn’t it beautiful? Take some time to scan the official movie poster for Pixar’s Brave above.
Pixar’s thirteenth animated film Brave is going to shake things up on more than one level. Firstly, go girls: Brenda Chapman is helming the film alongside Mark Andrews; she is the Pixar’s first female director. In addition, the movie stars Princess Merida (voiced by Kelly Macdonald), the first female protagonist in a Pixar film. Second, Brave plans to go where no Pixar film has ventured before. “What we want to get across [with the teaser] is that this story has some darker elements,” co-director Mark Andrews spills to EW. “Not to frighten off our Pixar fans — we’ll still have all the comedy and the great characters. But we get a little bit more intense here.”
The animation is spectacular, and the first official poster really does an impressive job getting that idea across. The detail is incredible. See those stones looming behind the letters? “[They] are actually a pretty important set in the film,” producer Katherine Sarafian tells EW. “We can’t say what happens there, but they were inspired by an actual location in Scotland that we visited multiple times during our research. It was a very powerful setting for the kind of things we want to have happen in the story.”
Here’s a brief synopsis of the story: Brave is set in the mystical Scottish Highlands, where Merida is the princess of a kingdom ruled by King Fergus (Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson). An unruly daughter and an accomplished archer, Merida one day defies a sacred custom of the land and inadvertently brings turmoil to the kingdom. In an attempt to set things right, Merida seeks out an eccentric old Wise Woman (Julie Walters) and is granted an ill-fated wish. Also figuring into Merida’s quest — and serving as comic relief — are the kingdom’s three lords: the enormous Lord MacGuffin (Kevin McKidd), the surly Lord Macintosh (Craig Ferguson), and the disagreeable Lord Dingwall (Robbie Coltrane).
Brave is slated to release in 3D on June 22, 2012. After a look at this grand poster, anticipation is high. A teaser trailer is expected to play before Cars 2 (which hits theatres tomorrow, June 24). Once it hits the ‘Net I’ll make sure to embed it after the break.
Update: The teaser trailer has arrived. And it’s just as gorgeous and thrilling as you probably expected it to be. Watch it after the break.
[Via EW-InsideMovies] Continue reading Pixar ventures into new territory with upcoming fairy tale ‘Brave’ [Update: teaser trailer]
First look: Martin Freeman is Bilbo Baggins in ‘The Hobbit’
Look it! It’s Bilbo Baggins in the flesh! Actor Martin Freeman has donned the elfish ears, shaggy hair and clothes to fully transform into The Hobbit’s protagonist. Says director Peter Jackson of his Bilbo: “He fits the ears, and he’s got some very nice feet. I think he’s got the biggest hobbit feet we’ve had so far. They’re a little bit hard to walk in, but he’s managed to figure out the perfect hobbit gait.”
EW also managed to scoop up two additional images that I’ve pasted after the break. The second is of veteran actor Ian McKellan as Gandolf the Grey. Jackson again: “He’s in fantastic form. ‘In a way, his role in The Hobbit has more technical difficulties than Lord of the Rings did, because he has scenes with 14 smaller characters — obviously the dwarves and the hobbit are shorter… I remember saying to him [laughs], ”Look, this isn’t Waiting for Godot or King Lear. This is The Hobbit. This is the real thing.”
The third and final image is a rather candid photo of Jackson directing Freeman inside the hobbit’s small hut. Jackson once more: “There’s no way you can pace yourself for shoots like these. When we were going through the schedule for The Hobbit, I felt a terrible drop in my stomach when I saw that we’d be shooting for 254 days. We’re only 12 days short of The Lord of the Rings even though we’re only doing two movies. When I saw that, I had to sort of pick myself up off the floor and carry on.”
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey releases December 14, 2012 and this will be followed by part two subtitled There and Back Again exactly one year later. The Hobbit follows the journey of Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome dragon Smaug.
[Via EW] Continue reading First look: Martin Freeman is Bilbo Baggins in ‘The Hobbit’
Trailer: Footloose
Reboot time! The 1984 classic Footloose is making a comeback with a brand new cast. Newcomer Kenny Wormald is ready to step into the big shoes once filled by a young Kevin Bacon to star as the rebellious Ren MacCormack. Country singer Julianne Hough plays the minister’s daughter Ariel, Dennis Quaid is her father, and Miles Teller is Ren’s friend Willard. Need a recap on the story? Here it is:
Ren MacCormack is transplanted from Boston to the small southern town of Bomont where he experiences a heavy dose of culture shock. A few years prior, the community was rocked by a tragic accident that killed five teenagers after a night out and Bomont’s local councilmen and the beloved Reverend Shaw Moore responded by implementing ordinances that prohibit loud music and dancing. Not one to bow to the status quo, Ren challenges the ban, revitalizing the town and falling in love with the minister’s troubled daughter Ariel in the process.
Footloose is a timeless classic. Is a remake necessary? Probably not. But the music and dancing entwined in this love story is so fantastic that I wouldn’t mind watching it all over again in a slightly altered modern form. Dig the trailer above and get ready to snap in the aisles when Footloose circa 2011 hits theatres this October.
Trailer: Puss in Boots
DreamWorks Animation is readying its first Shrek spinoff franchise Puss In Boots. Antonio Banderas is back to lend his voice to the Zorro-like kitty. And I’ve got to say–this trailer is highly entertaining. Shrek got stale quick; lets hope that Puss and his gang of furry friends can reinvigorate the vibrant world inhabited by the green ogre. The film serves as a prequel, so the cast of characters haven’t met Shrek and Donkey just yet. Salma Hayek and Zach Galifianakis voice Puss’ friends Kitty Softpaws and Humpty Dumpty, respectively. Billy Bob Thornton and Amy Sedaris are Jack & Jill, the film’s antagonists.
Puss in Boots hits theatres in 3D on November 4, 2011.
Trailer 2: Captain America: The First Avenger
Check out this shiny new trailer for Marvel’s upcoming summer flick Captain America: The First Avenger. This one expands upon the original trailer, and it’s definitely more bad-ass. Again we get to watch a scrawny Steve Rogers transform into the super solider Captain America and this time we get a better look at Red Skull’s army HYDRA. As much as I enjoyed Thor and Green Lantern, Cap is going to blow those away. The First Avenger makes his way to the big screen July 22.
‘Terra Nova’ posters surface, Jurassic Park vibe in tact
Today FOX released a trio of promotional posters for the upcoming sci-fi drama Terra Nova. It wouldn’t take a rocket scientist for one to suspect that Jurassic Park director Steven Spielberg serves as executive producer on the dino-inhabited show. The posters scream “Warning”, “Do Not Feed”, and “Be Aware” and they pertain to the wild, carnivorous creatures that the time-traveling humans will run into. Now don’t expect to only see the typical T-Rex kind of dinos on this show. Says producer Brannon Braga, “We have dinosaurs we know existed from the fossil record, but what’s fun is that you get to make up your own dinosaurs.”
Terra Nova follows Jim Shannon (Jason O’Mara), a man who is sent back in time 85 million years to prehistoric Earth with his family in an attempt to save the human race. The show’s garnered a ton of buzz. Those who have seen the pilot say its going to sit well with audiences. And that select group of people is about to grow; FOX has announced that they will screen the pilot and hold a panel consisting of the creative team behind the show and the main cast at Comic Con next month in San Diego. I’ll be there and let you know if all the hype is worth generating.
Jump after the break to see the other posters.
[Via EW-InsideTV] Continue reading ‘Terra Nova’ posters surface, Jurassic Park vibe in tact
Josh Friedman’s ‘Locke & Key’ not dead yet, pilot will screen at Comic Con
I’ve got some good news for those of you following the saga that is the TV adaptation of Joe Hill’s comic book Locke & Key. When FOX’s upfront presentation came and went without a pickup for the spooky pilot, whispers surfaced saying that backing studio 20th Century Fox TV was tempted to pitch it to other networks and cable stations like The CW and Syfy. Unfortunately these networks passed on the pilot, too. After all this rejection typically this would mark the end of a TV project. But Locke & Key is special, you see. Instead of being shelved in the attic, 20th Century Fox TV granted the comic book’s publisher IDW Publishing permission to screen the pilot at Comic Con.
What makes Locke & Key worthy of coming back from the dead. In a word: pedigree. The following people are involved in the making of this show: Josh Friedman (showrunner/executive producer/writer), Steven Spielberg (executive producer), Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman (executive producers), and Mark Romanek (director). Miranda Otto and Nick Stahl star. The high-profile pilot was all the buzz during pilot pickup season, but due to production costs and other financial reasons FOX (and the other networks that considered taking it on) ultimately decided to pass on it.
Kudos to IDW for having the guts to ask 20th to screen the pilot in its entirety at Comic Con. And not only that–a panel consisting of Hill and collaborator Gabriel Rodriguez, Friedman, Orci, and Kurtzman will be on hand to discuss the making of the pilot. If there’s any place to resurrect a high-profile comic book adaptation with spooky and mysterious elements attached, it’s Comic Con. If the pilot is well-received by the crowd, there is a chance that network execs might hear their cheers and decided to pick up the series for midseason or fall 2012. I will be attending the screening next month and will report back my impressions. I have a gut feeling Locke & Key is going to be a crowd-pleaser.
Joe Hill shared his reaction to the pilot on his blog. “Mark Romanek and Josh Friedman turned in a hell of a good pilot (says a dude who is, of course, completely unbiased). The finished episode is scary, and lean, and emotionally authentic, and has a similar feel to Super 8; it very much has a kind of early 80s scary-Spielberg vibe. It’s also very faithful to the source material. I’m so, so proud of everyone who worked on it and of what was accomplished. Locke & Key doesn’t have a TV home at the moment, but there’s quite a bit of good will out there for the pilot among those who have seen it. So I can’t say what will happen after SDCC. We’ll just have to – ah – stay tuned.”
[Via Deadline]
Terry O’Quinn joins ‘Hawaii Five-0’ for season 2
It’s a Lost reunion in Hawaii! The incredibly talented Terry O’Quinn (John Locke) decided it is time to go baaaack to the Island and join his fellow castaway Daniel Dae Kim (Jin Kwon, now Chin Ho Kelly) in what TVLine describes is a “pivotal recurring role” on Hawaii Five-0. Furthermore the source says, “O’Quinn will play a Navy Seal Lt. Commander who trained Alex O’Loughlin’s McGarrett in Coronado, and served with his father in Vietnam. Described as strong, stubborn and a man you want in your corner when things go south, the character holds some of the answers to the mysteries surrounding the respective murders of McGarrett’s mother and father.” O’Quinn was ready to star in Marc Cherry’s ABC pilot Hallelujah but it was not picked up. Also, at one point he was supposed to star alongside Lost alum Michael Emerson in the tentatively titled Odd Jobs but that idea is shelved for the time being. Fortunately for us it all worked out in the end–O’Quinn returns to TV this fall! (And so does Emerson in the CBS procedural Person of Interest).
In related Five-0 casting news, Masi Oka (Heroes) who plays the quirky coroner has been promoted to series regular status. So you can expect to see much more of him next season. All good news.
Weird Al parodies Lady Gaga in “Perform This Way” video
“I’m sure my critics will say it’s a grotesque display/Well, they can bite me, baby — I perform this way/ I might be wearin’ Swiss cheese or maybe covered with bees/It doesn’t mean I’m crazy — I perform this way.”
Weird Al Yankovic is back and this time he’s taking on pop queen Lady Gaga. From the intelligently goofy lyrics (see above) to the strange and bizarre direction of the music video everything here is pure win. I can’t wait to see what else the master of parody comes up with next; we can expect more content coming soon since his thirteenth studio album Alpocalyse drops tomorrow.
Trailer: The Muppets
It’s finally here. After rom-com and Green Lantern teasers and this, the first full-length real deal theatrical trailer for The Muppets has been released. Human stars Jason Segal and Amy Adams are joined by the entire Muppet cast (including Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy) in this super fun trailer that’s filled to the brim with action, adventure, and…driving! Watch it above and look forward to the movie’s November 23 release date.
Bloodthirsty kids deal fake drugs in this spectacularly animated music video
You may not have heard of London-based pop group Is Tropical, but I guarantee you will get a kick out of their music video for their latest single “The Greeks.” Directed by Megaforce (the man behind the trippy Cudder clip “Pursuit of Happiness“), the video follows a bunch of bloodthirsty kids who indulge themselves in murdering each other in the most spectacularly disturbing of ways. The cartoonish animation is provided by Seven and it helps spin the rather graphic nature of the music video into an enjoyable visual feast.
The band describes the video like this: “Part Rumblefish, part Die Hard, part Akira, we wanted to work together to create something both visually appealing and aesthetically relevant to the band. We like kids, we like gangs, we really like daydreaming and imagination; the video straddles the line between nostalgia and the visual death-porn of our generation – the action film. Don’t get carried away by politics – this is a straight-up kid brawl the way it played out in your head when you were stealing your mums mascara to be like Arnie in Predator. It isn’t a shocking rebuke to our drama queen, populist news culture either – just naive, blissful shoot-yr-mate until he’s definitely dead war-games – the way you wish it still could be.”
Sure the video is great and all, but do you also like what you hear? The single “The Greeks” is available to download for free right here, and Is Tropical’s debut album Is Native is out now in the UK.