Oh, what could have been!
The post Watch Never-Before-Seen Animation From Dreamworks’ Aborted ‘Me and My Shadow’ appeared first on Cartoon Brew.
Add a Comment
Oh, what could have been!
The post Watch Never-Before-Seen Animation From Dreamworks’ Aborted ‘Me and My Shadow’ appeared first on Cartoon Brew.
Add a Comment
Johnny Depp, Edgar Wright, and Bret McKenzie have signed on to adapt Neil Gaiman’s middle grade novel, Fortunately the Milk. The collaborators intend to create a live-action/animation hybrid movie.
According to Digital Spy, Depp will serve as a producer and take on an acting role. Wright will take the helm as the director. McKenzie will write the script.
Here’s more from The Hollywood Reporter: “Gaiman’s children’s book is described as ‘a story of time travel and breakfast cereal.’ It starts out with a father who goes to the store to buy some milk and returns with wild tales of aliens, space-time travel, pirates and more. The best-seller originally hit shelves Sept. 30, 2014, via HarperCollins.” (via MovieWeb)
Add a Comment
After a painfully long production process, Marvel’s smallest big-screen hero has finally arrived, and according to studio estimates (which could see some adjustment by Monday morning) Ant-Man is looking at about a $58 million domestic haul.
For what it’s worth, that’s the second lowest debut for a Marvel Studios picture, just shy of 2008’s The Incredible Hulk opening to $55 million and on the low end of Marvel’s projections for the property.
Ant-Man was always a bit of a dicey proposition for Marvel; he’s a little-known “C-list” hero, and while I doubt most members of the general audience know Edgar Wright from Edgar Bergen, there had been a certain level of tough buzz surrounding the production of the film due to Wright’s storied exit just before shooting was to begin in Atlanta.
Strangely enough, Guardians of the Galaxy was seen as an equally tough sell and opened in a worse month (August), yet it thrived. Both films had an “A” Cinemascore, the not terribly scientific polling of audience-goers who actually attend these screenings, so they were equally well received.
So why did Guardians thrive in its opening weekend (at $94.3 million) where Ant-Man failed to reach similar heights? If I had to guess, marketing was likely the key issue. It never seemed as though the studio knew how to actually sell the picture. Was it a fun romp for families? Was it a 20’s-30’s male leaning comedic affair? And Marvel’s last-minute attempt at stressing the connections to their shared cinematic universe with a number of ads to that effect didn’t really do the trick either.
That’s not to say $58 million is a flop by any means, because it’s not, particularly given Ant-Man‘s more modest $130 million budget (not counting whatever was sunk into marketing). But, this is a case of Marvel becoming a victim of their own success a bit. With each opening since 2010 ranging from $65-210 million, the inevitable film that hit below that was going to face some scrutiny.
It’s possible that Peyton Reed‘s newest directorial outing may find some legs in the coming weeks, and the international numbers are only now coming in ($56.4 million and counting), but as of now Ant-Man‘s “Avengers bump” is a bit non-existent it seems.
For the record, I don’t think if Wright stayed on as director it would have really done much, if any, better.
What did you think, readers? Was Ant-Man all you hoped it would be?
After yesterday’s Valiant and Daredevil news items and today’s Eisner nominations, you’d think we could shut the door down on news for a while. But, surprise surprise, there’s still a few other items of note, here’s the rundown:
– Joss Whedon, while on the press circuit for next week’s Avengers: Age of Ultron, held court with Buzzfeed, and in a pretty revealing interview about his time at Marvel that is well worth reading, he happened to elaborate on his feelings regarding Edgar Wright‘s departure from Ant-Man:
I thought the script was not only the best script that Marvel had ever had, but the most Marvel script I’d read. I had no interest in Ant-Man. [Then] I read the script, and was like, Of course! This is so good! It reminded me of the books when I read them. Irreverent and funny and could make what was small large, and vice versa. I don’t know where things went wrong. But I was very sad. Because I thought, This is a no-brainer. This is Marvel getting it exactly right. Whatever dissonance that came, whatever it was, I don’t understand why it was bigger than a marriage that seemed so right. But I’m not going to say it was definitely all Marvel, or Edgar’s gone mad! I felt like they would complement each other by the ways that they were different. And, uh, somethin’ happened.
One you hear Whedon make a statement like that, it’s hard not to wonder what could have been (not that many weren’t already). I’ve long held that parting ways with Edgar Wright was one of the biggest missteps Marvel has made thus far and the loss of his idiosyncratic take on Scott Lang would be felt pretty heavily come this July. But, movies have to be seen before you can judge them, and we’ll find out soon enough.
On that note, Avengers: Age of Ultron is currently sitting at 84% on Rotten Tomatoes with 49 reviews in. If that score holds, it’ll put the film just below Iron Man (93%), The Avengers (92%), Guardians of the Galaxy (91%), and Captain America: The Winter Soldier (89%) in the Marvel canon, if you care about that kind of thing.
– One more Ultron related note, those of you who are aspiring to be professionals in the field of journalism may not want to follow the example set by Krishnan Guru-Murthy from Britain’s Channel 4 news, whose junket press questions caused Robert Downey Jr. to walk out of the interview:
Seriously, save the hard hitting stuff for when it’s warranted and expected, not in promotional interviews for a superhero film.
– The third Star Trek film in the rebooted franchise now has a rumored title: Star Trek Beyond. The rumor comes via TrekMovie who discovered Paramount’s recent MPAA registration of the title. To be honest, I don’t love it, but it’s also a good sight better than Star Trek Into Darkness, which was an awful pun. At the very least, perhaps this ensures that exploration will be the key factor for the new Star Trek entry.
– With True Detective Season 2 just a couple of months away, HBO has released some ominous looking motion posters via the show’s official twitter feed:
We get the world we deserve. #TrueDetective pic.twitter.com/iTkuP2t04n
— True Detective (@TrueDetective) April 22, 2015
We get the world we deserve. #TrueDetective pic.twitter.com/CFJuv00Nws — True Detective (@TrueDetective) April 22, 2015
Creepy stuff!
– And finally, in a fun little piece, here’s what this Summer’s big blockbuster releases would look like in 90’s VHS form. Oh, do I ever miss Blockbuster, until I think about the late fees and scrambling to get the latest video tapes.
It is popular now to say that Guardians of the Galaxy was a risky movie and everyone thought it would suck until it turned out to be the biggest movie of the year but…from the first time they showed the footage at San Diego, it looked like EXACTLY what it was. A big SF actioner with heart, a quirky sensibility and actual humor. It was still risky because no one know who Starlord was, but the movie always looked like a fun ride.
And now we have the distant drumming of Ant-Man’s july debut coming from over the hill, with all sorts of promo pieces landing yesterday. The pig with the apple in its mouth of this particular banquet was the trailer. If you’ve been following the Ant-Man saga at all you know this is probably the most troubled MCU movie, with the project starting under director Edgar Wright, who developed it for eight years or so before parting ways with Marvel a few months into production over creative difficulties. It seemed that for eight years, no one had noticed that Wright wanted to make an Edgar Wright movie, while Kevin Feige wanted to make a Marvel movie. Even with new director Peyton Reed, some vestiges of the Wright version remain—funny man Paul Rudd is in the title role, and the movie is still about a guy who gets very tiny, which is funny.
But the trailer delivered was…well, I thought it was awful. All the generic trappings that are the worst part of the MCU—gotta be a hero talk from an older white man, in this case Michael Douglas, a winsome child to motivate the hero, and the hero himself looking anxiously into a darkening sky. And then, to show that it is silly after all, Rudd delivering what is sort of a funny line but with a listless demeanor.
This was no GotG trailer, sorry. And a lot of people have been saying the first trailer is always dark and brooding, and that’s so. I’m sure the humor will be saved for later trailers, because, as Guardians showed, no one wants to see a humorous Marvel movie starring a hilarious actor as a hero with weird powers.
Like I said, I’m sure I’ll be proven wrong, and I retain an open mind.
Luckily, even if the trailer lacked the humor I required, people on twitter were there to supply what I craved!
“He’s the tiny dude riding an ant we deserve, but not the one we need right now. So we’ll hunt him. With some glue traps maybe.”
— Glen Weldon (@ghweldon) January 7, 2015
“Oh no! Yellowjacket’s put the kettle on! We’ve only got two minutes to escape!” — Steve Morris (@stevewmorris) January 6, 2015
“Oh Ant-Man, we’re stuck! Ultron’s laid a line of talcum powder across the entrance to his base!”
— Steve Morris (@stevewmorris) January 6, 2015
Plus it seems Paul Rudd got mad fit for the role.
Speaking of mad fit…Agent Carter. I forgot to DVR his so only saw the last hour and only paid half attention while I tried to knock off a few levels of Bubble Witch Saga 2. But Hayley Atwell is both super fit and super can do, and it was nice to see a heroine who is just as dedicated and driven as a Marvel guy hero. I liked her banter with Jarvis. I did not like it when occasional beat contributor James Urbaniak, assaying his usual “creepy doctor guy in a lab coat” role, was smacked repeatedly in the face, but I guess he’s a bad guy and that’s what happens. Anyway, Hannah Lodge will be around with more pertinent thoughts in a bit.
What happens when you cross Harry Potter with Scott Pilgrim vs. The World?
The comedian behind “The Unusual Suspect” YouTube channel tried to answer this question with his “Harry Potter vs. The World” mash-up trailer. The video embedded above features scenes from all eight Harry Potter films.
Thus far, the video has drawn more than 607,000 views. Two days ago, The Unusual Suspect announced on his Facebook page that filmmaker Edgar Wright (the Scott Pilgrim movie director) complimented this project. What do you think? (via io9)
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
Add a Comment
Marvel and Edgar Wright jointly announced today that the studio and director have parted ways on ANT-MAN due to differences in their vision of the film,” a statement read. “The decision to move on is amicable and does not impact the release date on July 17, 2015. A new director will be announced shortly. Stay tuned as more develops! Will update the story as I find out more. I been hearing things but coughed it up to gossip. Unfortunately, it was true. I’m just shocked that production being this close that Wright bails.
WHOOPS here’s the bad news to get you off on the weekend — Edgar Wright has left Ant-Man the film he’s been working on for…like…EIGHT YEARS. Marvel released a short statement and Latino Review had a short mysterious addendum
Okay will you all go back and read this post by moi again? Marvel movies are good but homogenous and Edgar Wright—Scott PIlgrim, Shaun of the Dead, The World’s End—was an autuer. Not a Spielberg-esque auteur, but a guy who makes movies that are his OWN.
And MArvel had no room to do that. I’m guessing here but…is there any other way it could have played out?
Wright has been attached to Ant-Man since 2006 and even showed footage at Comic-Con a few years ago. On paper this looked like a weird, quirky film. Maybe that’s not what Marvel was looking for.
Ant-Man is still slated to come out in 2015, starring Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lilly, Corey Stoll, Michael Pena and Patrick Wilson.
The first trailer for Steven Spielberg‘s The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn has been released. Above, we’ve embedded the trailer.
What do you think about this first peek at the footage? The adaptation of Herge’s beloved Tintin series hits theaters December 23rd.
Here’s more about the film: “Paramount Pictures and Columbia Pictures Present a 3D Motion Capture Film ‘The Adventures of Tintin’ directed by Steven Spielberg from a screenplay by Steven Moffat and Edgar Wright & Joe Cornish. Starring Jamie Bell (“Billy Elliot,” “Defiance”) as Tintin, the intrepid young reporter whose relentless pursuit of a good story thrusts him into a world of high adventure, and Daniel Craig (“Quantum of Solace,” “Defiance”) as the nefarious Red Rackham.” (Via i09)
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
Add a Comment
Purely for research purposes (I have a (sort of) zombie character in my WiP, Bartholomew Jones and the Demon Pirate), I watched Zack Snyder's 2004 remake of George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead over the weekend.
(Read more ...)
It’s just a puzzle to me with all the properties that Marvel owns, that they would close this one. Inhumans, Moon Knight, Powerman, and/or Iron Fist, Hawwkeye, the list goes on and on, but any of these would have been better choices.
When people see a tree in their backyard they think it’s neat. When they see a raccoon, they crow with delight. When they see and ant…they’re ambivalent.
I think this one will pick up more fans in the weeks following release. No, it’s not anything any of the standard fans have expected but there a lot more general movie fans who seem to really have enjoyed it. I’m betting that word of mouth will help boost tickets over the next two weeks.
Edgar Wright’s previous comic book movie, SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD, was a box-office flop (despite its good reviews and acclaim by fans and film buffs). His name obviously doesn’t sell tickets, at least not to a mainstream audience in the U.S. So I doubt an ANT-MAN directed by Wright would have done any better.
I can’t comment on ANT-MAN’s quality because I haven’t seen it yet, but I’m looking forward to it. At least it looks fun (and funny), and I’m all for fun superhero movies — as opposed to the dark and humorless DC movie style.
From what I’ve gathered, ANT-MAN has more in common with classic caper films (like RIFFIFI) and ’50s sci-fi (like THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN) than to modern superhero movies. As John S. said above, it may be more to the liking of general movie fans than to standard comic-book fans.
You know, we say Ant-Man should have legs, and perhaps it will…but I think the Adam Sandler-Kevin James starring Pixels may actually prove a roadblock for that happening. I know, it’s a horrible thing to think about, but I’m just throwing it out there.
Just saw the movie and loved it. Would I have preferred a Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne movie that was more in line with the classic comics but as far as the MCU goes it’s a nice fit. I think $58 million for a movie about Ant-Man is pretty good.
PIXELS looks like a bomb, with poor marketing. ANT-MAN was a fun caper film, with a charming star that works well for kids too. Hard to expect too much from a character that hasn’t sold well ever. I like that Marvel keeps mixing genres with these films–love to see a Hammer like version of Tomb of Dracula down the line!
It opened at #1, maintaining Marvel’s streak. It’s making money.
The bottom four MCU movies with the lowest openings are all solo Part Ones.
I would not be surprised if, in Phase Four, Marvel releases only Team movies, and uses them as backdoor pilots to introduce new characters (as seen with Falcon, Black Widow, Hawkeye).
This makes for better chemistry (as seen in Guardians of the Galaxy).
It also avoids the Internet minefield of producing a movie starring a strong female protagonist… you can place them in an ensemble, and give them a few moments on screen.
Single characters? Netflix. “TV”. More time (13 hours for Daredevil), less risk, better return on investment. (The Netflix deal? $200 Million budget for 60 episodes. $6 Million for two hours? (It’s about the same cost as Mad Men or Walking Dead.) Compared to… $130 Million for Ant-Man?!? (Yes, Ant-Man has lots of CGI, but it’s not much different than the Marvel Knights, it’s very grounded in gritty urban San Francisco.)
Like the Netflix deal working up to “The Defenders”, any other solo series can do the same (See: They Fight Crime! trope), or cameo the character in one of the Marvel movies.
If a story demands great special effects (Ant-Man, Dr. Strange) or action (Black Panther?), then push it through IMAX and Real 3D.
Also, Marvel can use the movies to springboard television series.
The credit cookie in Dr. Strange can tease Man-Thing and the Nexus of Realities. (Half of the episodes involve strange things in the Florida Everglades, half deal with alternate realities.)
Shawn Kane said: “I think $58 million for a movie about Ant-Man is pretty good.”
Right. I don’t think anyone expected ANT-MAN to do AVENGERS or X-MEN business. Some observers didn’t expect it to open at No. 1.
A lot of people were amazed by GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY’s success, but GUARDIANS tapped into the public’s desire for Star Wars-like space opera; it filled a need as we wait for the actual Star Wars movie in December. ANT-MAN is more of a left-field hit.
Interesting article: “How ANT-MAN highlights the sad state of Marvel’s female characters”:
http://screencrush.com/wasp-marvel-female-characters/
$58 million for an Ant-Man movie is just fine. $58 million for a Marvel superhero movie in a post-Avengers climate is a bit less so. That’s really what it boils down to, and it highlights that the Marvel brand won’t sell HUGE on its own. We didn’t know that up until now. We’ll see what effect that has on Doctor Strange (starring Benedict Cumberbatch, and should be an interesting test case for his popularity), Black Panther, and Captain Marvel. Does the expected threshold for a Marvel solo debut lower? Probably.