Google+





Thursday, June 26, 2014

TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION Opens Tomorrow! $100M Opening Forecast!!

3D Rig Technician Celine Tricart

Looks like Michael Bay's TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION will be the first movie of the year to break the $100M opening barrier. Tracking is through the roof for the $165M budgeted movie and we all know Mark Wahlberg is solid in bringing in the numbers.

Note that the run time of the movie is nearly 3 hours which will limit screenings somewhat though AVATAR was also in the same ball park and that didn't seem to be affected ;-) Further, no other movies are opening this weekend.

We will definitely see the impact of the Chinese market with this release as it was a joint production, marketing will be strong, and Chinese actors and skylines are involved. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if the numbers from China rival or even surpass domestic. We'll have a better idea tomorrow night.

Speaking of domestic box office, TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION opens in 4200 theaters (353 in IMAX 3D) and is tracking on par or above CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER ($95M opening).

I'm leaving you with some images of 3ality Technica's native 3D camera rigs in action on the production - it doesn't get any better than this! Get ready for some Michael Bay explosions and Mark Walhberg expletives! :-)

TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION opens tomorrow!!

Click to enlarge photos






Dawn of the Planet of the Apes VFX Evolution + Clips


Tim here, and there's a nice little BTS video for Dawn of the Planet of the Apes that appeared on IGN the other day. I've included it below followed by two short clips of a scenes from the film. The BTS video shows the challenges that had to be overcome with the performance capture technology and how far it has come since the last Apes film. It's very impressive to witness this kind of technological evolution combined with today's advanced native 3D - provided by 3ality Technica.


The scene that follows was shown to those in attendence at CinemaCon, and it got the most visceral reaction. For me it instantly became a favorite scene. It completely solidifies how insanely awesome the movie will be. Great tension. Enjoy.


Another clip that was released:


We're very close to the release of the movie. It lands in theaters on July 11th.

Monday, June 23, 2014

The Next FRIDAY THE 13TH Will Be 3D!


Yes! Finally we will have a modern 3D FRIDAY THE 13TH and I can't wait to see big ol' Jason in three dimensions! The thing is, it really is no holds barred with horror in 3D. You can do anything you want and get away with it so I'm expecting some jarring moments of things flying out to hit the audience, but also scenes drawing us into the screen as well. Not headaches mind you - just awesome creative stuff. Hopefully it's all done in native 3D too - I'll update you on that when I can.

Apparently David Bruckner (VHS, THE SIGNAL) has been tapped to direct the movie - awaiting confirmation.

Of course there was a 3D release in the franchise back in the early '80's shot in the same format as JAWS 3D (Arrivision over/under - thanks for heads up Mike). Looking forward to seeing it made with modern tech!

FRIDAY THE 13TH 3D will slice into theaters November 13, 2015 - which, of course, is a Friday :-)

Friday, June 20, 2014

Rian Johnson Tapped for STAR WARS Sequels!

star wars episode viii director

Rian Johnson (left) on the set of Looper with Joseph Gordon-Levitt (right)

Tim here, and I've got the most exciting news of the week. This may be more exciting for me than most of you, but believe me when I say this news is really exhilarating. The news is that young writer and director Rian Johnson will be taking over the screenwriting and directing helm for  Star wars episode viii from JJ Abrams. Reports are also varied as to whether he's also tackling episode ix, but consistently reported is that he'll at the least be writing the treatment. If lucky he will also be writing and directing episode ix. Fingers crossed that he is the man behind the helm.

For those of you who don't know who Rian Johnson in then you're in for a treat. I was first introduced to his filmmaking brilliance in 2006 when I first saw the trailer for his indie directorial debut Brick, which I then later saw in theaters. Brick was a surprise hit at the Sundance Film Festival in 2005. There it nabbed a Special Jury Price for Johnson's "originality of vision" and then went on to win several Independent Spirit nominations. Brick was a very creative breakthrough film that set the film noir genre in a high school environment and starred Joseph Gordon-Levitt. He followed Brick with another indie film called The Brothers Bloom in 2008. He also directed episodes of Breaking Bad in the following years, including "Ozymandias," which is considered one of the best episodes of the series. And then, in 2012 he made his first foray into sci-fi with Looper, which starred Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis. Ram Bergman, who produced Brick and Looper, will produce with Johnson.

I hope that gives you an idea why this news is so exciting for me. Now, JJ Abrams is shooting  Star wars episode vii in 2D on 35mm with IMAX cameras, so whether Rian Johnson will continue that is debatable. Johnson is most comfortable with 35mm Film as he shot that format on all his previous films, and as well on Breaking Bad. So if he chooses to shoot natively in 3D it would be his first time and as well his first time working digitally. Thus it is hard to say whether this  Star wars Trilogy will be native at all over being converted.

I hope this news excites you. JJ Abrams  Star wars episode vii is slated for release on December 18, 2015. Rian Johnson's sequel is supposed to hit soon after. Rian Johnson shared this video clip from The Right Stuff to express how he feels:

Thursday, June 19, 2014

Final Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Trailer

Hey everyone, Tim here, and I'm pleased to share the final trailer for The Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. This trailer includes a small bit of my favorite scene that was shown to us in full at CinemaCon. The movie looks incredible each and every time new footage is released - especially knowing it was shot on 3ality Technica 3D rigs. This trailer shows a bit more of the conflict and action between the ape community and surviving humans. The tensions are high in that clip Jim shared earlier this week, but the tensions seem to grow throughout the film until they reach the breaking point hinted at in this trailer.
Throughout the marketing campaign there has been photos and video showcasing the wonderful work of the actors behind the performance capture that helped bring the apes to life. With each image and video an immense amount of respect has been given to the artists who have worked so hard to bring the world to reality. It makes me very excited. I want to share the exclusive interview we got at MarketSaw with Andy Serkis during CinemaCon.
Here's the movie's storyline:
A growing nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar is threatened by a band of human survivors of the devastating virus unleashed a decade earlier. They reach a fragile peace, but it proves short-lived, as both sides are brought to the brink of a war that will determine who will emerge as Earth's dominant species.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes hits theaters on July 11th. Don't forget to visit the Official Website.


Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Watch: First Clip From DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES


Check out this clip from the actual movie DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES! Quite a bit of this clip has been seen in various other marketing releases like posters and trailers but not all in one rolling scene.

An important point raised in the clip's dialogue is the fact that many humans don't realize the apes are sentient. Apparently much has been held back from the human population and you can count on that single device as being an interesting channel of conflict - at least when the two factions first met up at least. Really looking forward to that.

Here's the movie's storyline:
A growing nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar is threatened by a band of human survivors of the devastating virus unleashed a decade earlier. They reach a fragile peace, but it proves short-lived, as both sides are brought to the brink of a war that will determine who will emerge as Earth’s dominant species.

DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES opens on July 11 in native 3D, shot on 3ality Technica rigs! Gotta love it.



Tuesday, June 17, 2014

New International Trailer For GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY



Next up on the marketing agenda for Marvel's GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY is this international trailer, full of more revealing interactions between the main characters. Love the comedic conflict - it just keeps getting better the more I see of it.

Here's the storyline for the movie:
An action-packed epic space adventure, Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” expands the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the cosmos, where brash adventurer Peter Quill finds himself the object of an unrelenting bounty hunt after stealing a mysterious orb coveted by Ronan, a powerful villain with ambitions that threaten the universe. To evade the ever-persistent Ronan, Quill is forced into an uneasy truce with a quartet of disparate misfits – Rocket, a gun-toting raccoon, Groot, a tree-like humanoid, the deadly and enigmatic Gamora and the revenge-driven Drax the Destroyer. But when Peter discovers the true power of the orb and the menace it poses to the cosmos, he must do his best to rally his ragtag rivals for a last, desperate stand – with the galaxy’s fate in the balance. Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” is presented by Marvel Studios. The film releases August 1, 2014, and is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY opens on August 1.

Saturday, June 14, 2014

Watch: What Happened After The First Movie And Before DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES?


Here's an interesting and needed trailer to help tie together the aftermath of RISE and the beginning of DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES. The narration and visuals tell the story of what humans went through in those 10 years.

The more I see of marketing for the movie the more I have to see it the second it opens - on the largest 3D screen possible of course. Native 3D courtesy of 3ality Technica rigs and expertise!

Since 2011, the Simian Flu has swept across the world. Witness how things have changed for mankind since.

A decade has passed since apes and man have come face-to-face. Now the two societies face a difficult choice between working together to co-exist, or battle to become the dominant species.

Here's the movie's storyline:
A growing nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar is threatened by a band of human survivors of the devastating virus unleashed a decade earlier. They reach a fragile peace, but it proves short-lived, as both sides are brought to the brink of a war that will determine who will emerge as Earth’s dominant species.

DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES opens on July 11.


Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Sigourney Weaver Returning For More AVATAR Sequels - But NOT As Augustine!


I had anticipated a twist in how Sigourney Weaver would be brought back to life in the sequels - this is sci-fi after all, so why not a different character? It makes sense. Perhaps a part of Ewya (the Na'vi "God" of Pandora)? Perhaps representing Ewya? Hmmm.

The news is exciting as it kind of delineates official communication about the AVATAR sequels from Cameron and the studio. The statement was made by Cameron and 20th Century Fox Monday.

Anyway, here's what James Cameron had to say bringing this to light:
"Sigourney and I have a long creative history, dating back to 1985 when we made ‘Aliens. We’re good friends who’ve always worked well together, so it just feels right that she’s coming back for the Avatar sequels. Her character of Grace Augustine, as fans know, died in the first movie, so she’s playing a different and in many ways more challenging character in the upcoming films. We’re both looking forward to this new creative challenge, the latest chapter in our long and continuing collaboration." 

Yes, Cameron said sequels - plural. Weaver will be playing this new character through at least 2 of the 3 upcoming movies it seems.

More info when I get it!

AVATAR 2, 3 and 4 are slate for release in December 2016, 2017 and 2018 respectively. For all of our AVATAR news, click here. Thanks Morka for the heads up :-)

Monday, June 09, 2014

Movie Review: EDGE OF TOMORROW - 9.1 Stars! No Spoilers

EDGE OF TOMORROW is an excellent movie and well worth seeing in 3D and especially IMAX 3D.  While it is my second highest rated review this year (CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER scored 9.2 stars), had director Doug Liman tackled a few things in a different way, EoT would have had my endorsement as the year best movie thus far.  But it certainly is in the same league as Cap.

Probably my largest complaint with the movie is the third act.  The first two acts had exceptional pacing and was just about perfectly edited - I'll talk about the finale later on in the review. Liman whisked us along with numerous "time loop gags" that worked very well for me - these are inventive and while the premise is reminiscent of GROUNDHOG DAY and BACK TO THE FUTURE, it is still it's own beast.  At no time was my suspension of disbelief blown by something reminding me of another movie.  So rest assured, the most important aspect of this movie - time loop - was done well.

I made the mistake of watching Tom Cruise on the late night talk show circuit and I came away with a very scripted and safe take of the actor.  It's getting worse.  A canned public persona.  Hated it.  I feel he's not capable of being himself in public.  I understand the microscope he is under and that many don't trust his instincts (probably including himself), but wow, I hated watching it.  I won't again.

Emily Blunt's publicity tour however was very upbeat, funny and great to watch. Well, at least up to the point where she starts to talk about Cruise and his quirks. Then it becomes quite awkward. Even the international premieres that opened in 3 cities all within 24 hours was Cruise's idea and while interesting, I don't believe it was worth keeping a mother from her child for that long. Blunt has just given birth. I'm sure that didn't go over very well with her and her family.

HOWEVER, Cruise's performance in EDGE OF TOMORROW is inspired!  He has come a long way as far as taking chances on screen.  In fact his best scenes in EoT are when his character is vulnerable.  Taking into account his performance in TROPIC THUNDER, Cruise is morphing into someone audiences can start to relate to, and not an actor who only plays characters that are safe and invincible.

Domestically EDGE OF TOMORROW is not performing as well as it should be. Cruise may have over extended his stay as a top tier actor in the minds of most - especially the younger crowd. In fact EoT ($29m) opened third behind a strong opening from THE FAULT IN OUR STARS ($48m) and Disney's strong hold over MALEFICENT ($34m). Internationally though, Cruise is still a behemoth of the box office taking in an astounding $82m this weekend bringing us to a total of $140m.

Half the movie's take has been in 3D thus far (47%) and while I thought the 3D was done well - there wasn't anything about the conversion that stood out for me. It was just there. It certainly helped with the immersion and suspension of disbelief - especially with the "Matrix sentinel" influenced aliens, but with the sci-fi genre (and horror for that matter), I like to have a few scenes dialed way up to amplify the anxiety. Other than my preference, there's nothing overly wrong with the 3D.

What shone for me was the story, suspension of disbelief and the visual effects / stunts. This, of course, is an awesome combination of superlatives to have for a sci-fi movie and thus a very nice score of 91 stars.

The weakest links in the movie I felt was the third act, directing and character development. Yes, Cruise character Major Cage goes through significant change but I felt as though there wasn't enough development for me to be invested in his character all that much. The final act lost the movie's outstanding pace and editing, plus I can think of many things that WOULD have worked much better than what finally made it to the screen. I haven't read the original source material (ALL YOU NEED IS KILL), but I bet you it's different in the finale somehow. If you know, please let me know.

So - well worth going to see! I recommend it and endorse the IMAX 3D version. It's a VERY close second to CAPTAIN AMERICA for this year's best movie, so go see it.

EDGE OF TOMORROW is now playing in 3D, IMAX 3D and flat.

Thursday, June 05, 2014

James Gunn On 3D *AND* The New GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY TV Spot!


Gotta love how this movie is shaping up! Take a look at the new shots in this TV Spot (from the NBA Finals) and try not to let a little grin spread across your face. Loving this.

And hey, as an added bonus - director James Gunn spoke out on Facebook about 3D and IMAX 3D, have a read:

Says Gunn: "Just got out of working on the Guardians cut for IMAX 3D and I’m unbelievably excited about it. Guardians of the Galaxy has been planned as a 3D film from its very inception. Yes, if you see the film in 2D, you’ll get a full experience. But the 3D experience promises a little something extra. Unlike many directors, I’ve been actively involved with converting every shot to 3D, making sure it works perfectly for the story and the film, making sure it’s spectacular and immersive without being silly, distracting, or overly showy. 3D conversion was once far inferior to shooting in 3D, but over the past couple years new technology has allowed us incredible control over the 3D effects, making it equal to or in some cases greater than shooting in 3D.

As an EXTRA benefit for those who see the film in IMAX 3D, we will be changing aspect ratios throughout the film in a way that makes the experience even fuller and more encompassing. I’ve personally chosen all the places where the changes occur and, again, I love how it’s coming along. The changing aspect ratios in this case are actually a part of the storytelling.

Just wanted to share some of this stuff with you guys since I haven’t had a chance to talk about the 3D much. Hope you’re all having a great day. Hi!"

Now I am over the top! Sounds like he really put his time into making GOTG a 3D experience to remember - can't wait.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY opens on August 1.

Tuesday, June 03, 2014

Ben Foster To Play A Mage In Duncan Jones' WARCRAFT


Yes! Was hoping for this role for him in WARCRAFT. I have been amazed at Ben Foster's work since I saw him in 3:10 TO YUMA and I have yet to see him fail at a character. I was so happy to hear he was cast in Duncan Jones' WARCRAFT and it didn't really matter what role he was cast for - I knew he'd nail it. Foster as a Mage makes sense. Foster isn't a huge guy (so a tank is out really) but he does have a scowl that can easily be the perfect accoutrement to cast spells. :-)

Says Foster: "The character in Warcraft that I play is named Medivh. He’s a mage, which is essentially a sorcerer. He came up in a time protecting an area, and the way he protected this area was through magic. As peace returned to this land he took a break. He hung up his staff, so to speak, or let his guns get dusty. We meet him as his friends are returning asking for his help in a battle.

What's exciting about Duncan Jones' take on this video game is that it shows both sides of the war. It shows both sides of a conflict, which is exciting to me. It's not just a video game turned into a movie. It's asking, hopefully, an important question of, where do we limit our compassion for what we consider to be the bad guys?"

...And Foster had this little nugget:  "The way that they're pushing motion-capture -- I just saw some of the test footage -- it's unlike anything I've ever seen. It's performance-capture. It pushes it to the next level. It's going to be one helluva 3D event."

And one whether his role is a performance captured character:  "No, mine's not, but there are interactions with a lot of characters that are. There are a lot of different kinds of creatures in this picture that I interact with."

WARCRAFT logs into our world on March 11, 2016.

Source: IGN 

Second HERCULES Trailer - SPOILER!!


Yeah I have to shake my head at this one. Outside of being a pretty good indication that the movie seems to be an action juggernaut, there's a spoiler in this trailer that made me stop and wince. I thought there's no need to include that one line in this thing, but there it is.

I will tell you below this line in white text - just highlight the area if you want to read it.

**SPOILER BELOW**

The trailer invest significant time I believe to the development of the love interest of Hercules. She is shown many times and it seems to me to be a major part of the movie and to Hercules' character development. Later in the trailer the narrator states "Revenge your family" while showing a shot of the women and their children I am assuming. Also, the narrator says "The Gods that have killed your family". *SIGH* I hate that marketers these days think they can get away with things like that.

**SPOILER ABOVE**

Moving on, I enjoyed the rest of the trailer but I DO NOT recommend watching it if you want a pristine viewing experience going into the theater.

The practical effects look AMAZING in this movie, but I'm not convinced yet about the visual effects. Something about the multi-headed water beast (Hydra?) bothers me. The lines are TOO sharp to me. Motion blur seems lacking. Perhaps in 3D it will all work out - I'm hopeful.

Dwayne Johnson is Dwayne Johnson. Charismatic, owns the screen and instant audience interest in his well being. I really want this thing to work but I don't know how well they have delivered yet.

HERCULES opens on July 25 in 3D, IMAX 3D and flat. This is a 3D conversion.

Monday, June 02, 2014

3ality Summer Sale!

Hey everyone, Tim here, and I stumbled on a GREAT SALE that 3ality Technica is having! If you click on the image to the left, well you'll find one of the greatest sales in stereoscopic history. Up to 75‰ off as the image makes clear. Now that's a deal.

3ality starts off summer with its first ever 3D sale! They're offering huge savings on rigs, the SIP 2101™, and even a limited supply of new Hedén motors! If you visit the site you can click a link to talk with one of the 3ality sales team members, and save on everything from Pelican Stormcases to 3D accessories. This is a first-come, first-call sall, so hurry! Supplies are limited. 

GET ON THIS WHILE SUPPLIES LAST! - www.3alitytechnica.com/email/Summer-3D-Sale.html

James Cameron On The "Parallel Process" Of Writing Three Avatar Sequels Concurrently


So James Cameron had some interesting things to say at the LA Times Hero Complex Film Festival over the weekend and in particular about writing AVATAR 2, 3 and 4.

At this point we know about his writing team of Shane Salerno (AVATAR 4), Amanda Silver and Rick Jaffa (Married and co-writers on AVATAR 3) and Josh Friedman (AVATAR 2), but we didn't know how it would all work. How do you bring together 5 writers (Cameron is obviously involved too) to get these productions done back to back to back?

Well as it turns out, I don't need to paraphrase what was said as Cameron can communicate very well - so here are his comments:

James Cameron: "We tried an experiment. We set ourselves a challenge of writing three films at the same time. I knew I could certainly write any one of them but to write three in some reasonable amount of time – we wanted to shoot them together so we couldn’t start one until all three scripts were done and approved. So I knew I was going to have to ‘parallel process’ which meant I would have to work with other writers. And the best experience I had working with other writers was in television when I did Dark Angel. The television room is a highly collaborative and fun experience. So we put together a team, three teams actually — one for each script. The teams consist of me and another writer on each one of those three films. Each [individual writer] would have their own script that they’re responsible for. But what we did that was unique beforehand was we sat in a writing room for five-months eight-hours-a-day and we worked out every beat of the story across all three films so it all connects as one three film saga. I didn’t tell [the three writers] which sequel was going to be theirs to write until the very last day. So everybody was equally invested story-wise in all three films. So the guy that got the third movie, which is the middle film of this new trilogy, he now knows what preceded and what follows out of what he’s writing at any given moment. We all consider that to be a really exciting, creative and groundbreaking experiment in screenwriting. It worked as a process to get our minds around this epic and all these new creatures and environments and characters."

Love how he did not disclose who would be writing what early on! That would cultivate the best ideas from all of them during the massive group sessions so that they can be spread out equally and thoughtfully throughout the timeline. It would also lead to cohesiveness of the storyline too - you don't want abrupt changes from one movie to the next. I'm thrilled to hear how this was done!

AVATAR 2 is slated for a December 2016 release with AVATAR 3 and 4 due out in 2017 and 2018.

Source: Collider

Contact Me

Jim Dorey
Editor-in-Chief
jim (at) marketsaw (dot) com

All contents Copyright © 2006-2021, MarketSaw Media. All Rights Reserved. All copyrights and trademarks on this website belong to their respective owners.