(superheroauthority.comz)
The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise has been a cash cow for Disney, having brought in nearly $4 billion worldwide for all four films.
After "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" managed to only pull in $241 million domestically—the lowest of all four films—it still managed just over $1 billion worldwide. Because of its overall take at the box office, you can bet Disney has been planning a fifth film.
The script for a fifth film was handed in back in May 2011, per The Hollywood Reporter.
Superstar actor Johnny Depp, also told The Hollywood Reporter he is "in no hurry" to reprise his role of Captain Jack Sparrow, despite already being signed on to play the famous on-screen pirate.
"We should hold off for a bit," Depp said. "[The movies] should be special, just like they are special to me.
Seeing as how Depp is the big draw of this franchise it appears Disney has been honoring his request, since no word of pre-production or a shooting schedule has been announced, yet.
Depp has earned a reported $350 million for his part in all four films, so you can bet when he's ready, Disney will be too and green light production immediately.
Money talks with this franchise and hopefully the script of the fifth film will be much better than the script of "On Stranger Tides" was.
Double Negative To Recruit School Leavers
(PRNewswire)Facebook, Twitter, RSA Films, Aardman Animation, Saatchi & Saatchi, Omnicom Media Group, Spotify, Zynga, global gaming company Activision and special effects company Double Negative are just some of the 100 creative and digital media companies uniting behind an innovative new recruitment drive across the country to fast track 300 young people into employment in the UK. Spearheaded by advertising trade body the IPA, (Institute of Practitioners in Advertising), this unique initiative has the backing of Govt with Ed Vaizey, Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries championing it.
Called the 'Creative Pioneers Challenge', applications open today (Tuesday 20th March 2012) and anyone aged 16+ can enter at http://www.creativepioneers.co.uk. Deadline for entry is noon on Friday 27th April.
Successful applicants will begin work in September in a rich variety of roles as apprentices or paid interns in television and film production, gaming, digital technology, web design and analytics, social media, media planning and buying, creative services, marketing communications and advertising. Furthermore budding entrepreneurs with a strong creative business idea can also apply, and if selected will get access to the best in the business, and support to get their idea off the ground via office space, mentoring or investment.
The Creative Pioneers Challenge marks the latest phase of Nicola Mendelsohn's IPA Presidential agenda. It is being supported by sector skills council Skillset, and in partnership with UK's leading urban media brand Metro who will be running a four month editorial and promotional campaign in 50 cities around the UK.
SaysCulture Minister Ed Vaizey: "This brilliant scheme will create hundreds of exciting and rewarding new jobs for young school leavers in the creative sector. The creative industries represent a massive opportunity for growth and the IPA and the companies involved in this challenge are to be commended for nurturing and developing the next generation of film directors, web and video game designers, advertising chiefs and marketing experts."
Says Nicola Mendelsohn, IPA President and Executive Chairman and Partner, Karmarama: "When almost a million 16-24 year olds are out of work, the need for this sort of initiative couldn't be more apparent. One hundred companies across the creative and digital media sector, and across the country, have pulled together to give 300 school leavers the opportunity to get fast tracked into their first real job, or to realise their dream of turning a business idea into a company start up. It's a real first - an employer-led collective committed to finding a solution to the national need. And the creative and digital media sector is well placed to do so, because there is high growth and big ambition for the UK's potential. The government thoroughly supports us in this, as we play our part in helping the economy to recover.
Furthermore, we hope this nationwide hunt for digital and creative talent will help push apprenticeships into the mainstream and make our industry more accessible. We want young people from any background to enter; it's not just about qualifications, it's about having the right mindset and attitude; it's about seeing yourself as part of the next generation of creative pioneers. This country's position in the world market relies on us being ready for our digital future as well as our ability to innovate."
Shortlisted candidates will take part in a speed dating event with companies offering placements and the winning candidates will be announced at the end of July.
Go to http://www.creativepioneers.co.uk
Hunger Games Looks For $120 million Open
(comingsoon.net)Could The Hunger Games be heading for a few box office records? Opening in March could be seen as a problem because other than schools on Spring Break, it's not exactly thought of as a month where blockbusters would normally open (versus the summer), at least not until the release of Zack Snyder's 300 back in 2007. Currently, the March opening record to beat is Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, which opened with $116 million in March two years ago, and we think The Hunger Games can kick that number to the curb. Even without an added bump from 3D prices and the Saturday bump that comes with a PG family movie, it's likely to end up with nearly half its opening weekend business on Friday, including Thursday midnights. We think that opening day could come close to $60 million (roughly $25 million from midnights)--those paying attention will immediately realize that this is more than the amount we predicted the movie would make its opening weekend three months back--and that should lead to an opening weekend in the $120 million range, maybe a little higher. That should be a good base for the movie to end up grossing just over $300 million even though the next couple of weeks have some strong movies to offer competition for all audiences.
VFX Is All Going To… San Diego?
(vfxsoldier.wordpress.com)I came across an article (paywall) that reported San Diego 3D conversion company Legend3D has approached the mayor of San Diego to lobby for tax incentives. The hope is to attract 5000 (yes, 5000) VFX professionals from LA and other locations to convert various studio film libraries into 3D.
The mayor has put together a task force to look into the possibility. However as much as I’m sure many VFX professionals would love to soak up the fun and sun in “America’s Finest City”, I have to be incredibly skeptical about this.
First off, the current subsidy race is incredibly expensive. Even California which supplies film subsidies to lower budget productions, has been criticized for being uncompetitive:
California’s program is uncompetitive with locations such as New York, Louisiana and Canada that offer $400 million to $500 million per year in subsidies, have no caps and offer much higher percentages.
Furthermore, Legend3D’s business model is pretty risky. According to the article they offer to convert the studios’ libraries for free with the promise they get a portion of the revenue on it’s release. In this biz, it’s expected that the backend deal is a suckers bet.
The lofty goal of luring 5000 VFX professionals is admirable but in a cyclical industry, people need to be able to jump to other places and San Diego doesn’t have that. That was sort of the problem with Sony New Mexico.
Finally, it’s important to note that Legend3D has also had a partnership with various facilities in India to employee over 800 workers to help in the conversion process. If VFX is supposed to go all to India why is there such an ambitious attempt to get 5000 workers to do it in San Diego? Perhaps because even supposedly trivial tasks like conversions require well paid artistic and technical professionals?
"Chronicle" Helmer Directs "The Red Star"
(darkhorizons.com) "Chronicle" helmer Josh Trank is developing to direct the Soviet-themed sci-fi fantasy graphic novel adaptation "The Red Star" for Warner Bros. Pictures and Original Film says Deadline.
Christian Gossett's comic is set in an alternate USSR where futuristic technology co-mingles with magical elements, while the protagonist is a Red Fleet soldier who goes up against an ex-leader who rules with an iron fist.
Jason Rothenberg penned the script while Neal Moritz will produce. Warners picked up the project after Universal put it into turnaround.
Over 160 VFX Shots for "21 Jump Street" Produced By duMonde Visual Effects, New Orleans
(broadcastnewsroom.com) duMonde Visual Effects has produced and delivered over 160 VFX shots for the new action/comedy film "21 Jump Street" for client Sony Pictures. The film opened nationwide on March 16th.
For "21 Jump Street," duMonde produced numerous creative CGI sequences, including various scenes in which the lead characters played by Jonah Hill and Tatum Channing experience hallucinations and fantasies. Other CGI-heavy sequences produced by duMonde include a car chase scene, CG-generated motorcycles and a big limousine explosion. duMonde also provided fluid dynamics, set extensions, and blue screen/composites, as well as several action scenes that included superstar Johnny Depp, who appears in this film and originally starred in the "21 Jump Street" television series.
duMonde co-founders Richard Edlund and Helena Packer served as VFX Supervisors on "21 Jump Street."
ABOUT "21 JUMP STREET":
Sony Pictures' "21 Jump Street," which opened March 16th, stars Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum and Ice Cube, in a story about a pair of underachieving cops who are sent back to a local high school to blend in and bring down a synthetic drug ring. The film, which grossed $ 35-million in its opening weekend, was directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller. For more information, please see: http://www.21jumpstreet-movie.com/?hs308=JMP6186
ABOUT duMONDE VISUAL EFFECTS:
duMonde Visual Effects is a creative collaboration between Academy Award winner Richard Edlund, ASC, and Helena Packer, award winning visual effects supervisor. Launched in New Orleans in 2011, duMonde is an all-inclusive visual effects company bringing together over 30 years of experience in the industry.
"TRON 3" To Explore Digital Life and Death
(darkhorizons.com)"TRON: Legacy" scribes Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis tell io9 that another "TRON" sequel continues to be shaped.
At last report David DiGilio is penning the follow-up because Horowitz and Kitsis are busy with their commitments to ABC's "Once Upon A Time", the pair are instead serving as co-producers on the third "TRON".
"Joe [Kosinski, director] is right now shooting 'Oblivion', but we've had a lot of meetings and conversations and we've seen the first draft of the 'TRON' sequel. Sometimes movies don't happen as quickly as you want... Our hope is to get something going sooner [rather than later]" says Kitsis.
The pair also drop the hint that "the definition of life and death in the digital realm will be explored in the sequel".
Speaking of the "TRON" franchise, Heat Vision reports that "The Raid" composer Joe Trapanese is set to do the score for the upcoming prequel series "Tron: Uprising". Said series will connect the dots between the original "TRON" and "TRON: Legacy".
The 10 Best Special Effects Movies Ever
(likethisposts.blogspot.com)Ask any fanboy and they’ll tell you that one of the big reasons they go see a science fiction or genre movie is to have their face melted off by awesome special effects. Over the years there have been some amazingly convincing effects created, and we’ve compiled a list of the 10 movies that pulled off their special effects so well that they still hold up years after the original release.
The 10 - Take a look: http://likethisposts.blogspot.com/2012/03/10-best-special- effects-movies-ever.html
Disney in $200m Writedown for 'John Carter'
(Financial Times) -- Walt Disney will incur a $200m writedown on John Carter, the action film based on the Edgar Rice Burroughs novel which has failed at the box office despite a $300m production budget and an extensive global marketing campaign.
The film about an American civil war hero who journeys to Mars is shaping up to be one of Hollywood's costliest flops. It has generated $184m in global ticket sales but with about half its takings going to cinema chains, Disney has had to adjust its earnings guidance for the quarter to reflect the film's performance.
The company said its "current expectation" is that its movie studio division will incur an operating loss of between $80m and $120m for the quarter following the release of the movie.
The writedown deals a blow to Rich Ross, the chairman of Walt Disney Studios, who has been trying to improve returns at the division following a restructuring and a focus on films made under the Disney, Pixar and Marvel brands.
The studio has better prospects for the rest of the year, when it will release Brave, the latest film from Pixar, and The Avengers, a superhero movie featuring characters such as Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk. Disney said the two movies had "tremendous potential to drive value for the studio and the rest of the company".
However, the abject failure of John Carter is not likely to be forgotten in an industry where a single flop can wipe out a studio's annual profits. Hopes were initially high for John Carter: Its director, Andrew Stanton, had made the critically lauded and commercially successful Finding Nemo and Wall-E.
But the director openly admitted to struggling with the transition from animated film-making to live action directing. Meanwhile, Burroughs' source material, which inspired filmmakers such as James Cameron, has failed to energise young, male cinema goers, a crucial demographic for any big-budget action movie.
The film comes a year after another costly Disney flop -- Mars Needs Moms -- but although it is likely to provoke some soul-searching at the company, privately executives are standing behind Mr Stanton and saying the company will continue to take risks in the pursuit of creative success.
John Carter was "greenlit", or put into development, by the previous management regime at Disney's studio. Since the departure of Dick Cook, the former studio chairman, Disney has cut its marketing costs and reduced the headcount at its home entertainment division to reflect an industry-wide slump in DVD sales.
It is also producing fewer movies, concentrating instead on distributing titles produced by DreamWorks, the movie studio created by Steven Spielberg, Pixar and Marvel, the comic book publisher it acquired in 2009 for $4bn.
Animated Sean Connery Film to Debut in Sonoma
(sonomaportal.com) The Sonoma International Film Festival has scored the U.S. premiere of “Sir Billi,” an animated film with Sir Sean Connery voicing the lead role.
Connery plays a skateboarding grandfather and veterinarian trying to save the last beaver in Scotland with the help of his goat Gordon, voiced by Alan Cumming. The film is the first full-length animated feature to be produced entirely in Scotland.
“We are thrilled to host the U.S. premiere of ‘Sir Billi’ featuring the powerfully dynamic voice of Sir Sean Connery,” said Kevin McNeely, director of the April 11-15 festival.
Sascha Hartmann directed the CGI film from a screenplay written by his wife Tessa Hartmann. The husband and wife duo will appear with the film in Sonoma for its first American showing.
Smithsonian Scores with ‘Art of Video Games’ Exhibit
(herocomplex.latimes.com)The dawn of popular video games can be traced back to a small white square ponging back and forth across a basic black screen. A few generations later, games have transformed into full-throttle cinematic experiences with orchestral scores, stunning visual effects, creative narratives and in-depth player interaction.
Though some may debate the validity of video games as an art form, the Smithsonian American Art Museum is celebrating the medium with “The Art of Video Games.” The Washington, D.C., exhibition explores the 40-year evolution of the form with images and videos from 80 classic games voted on by the public online last spring. Those that made the list include Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Tomb Raider, Final Fantasy and Super Mario Galaxy.
Sketches, digital photographs and several gaming systems representing classic machines from their respective eras, such as the original wood-grain Atari VCS console and Sony’s PlayStation 3, are featured.
Chris Melissinos, curator of "The Art of Video Games" (Smithsonian American Art Museum)
“Video games today stand as this extraordinary art form that is an amalgam of all traditional art from sketching, painting, sculpture, music and narrative,” said curator Chris Melissinos. “It gives the opportunity to anyone to have an expressive voice.”
Melissinos, former gaming officer for Sun Microsystems, sees video games as a fusion of computer technology and art. Three distinct voices are involved: The designer or artist who is telling the story; the game itself (how the mechanics and controls are presented); and the player, who brings his or her own perspective and personal experiences to the game.
“This is where the game becomes art,” he noted, citing 2009′s Flower, as an example of players’ choices (in this case, which way the wind blows) creating different feelings. Touted as a video version of a poem, Flower was co-created by China-born Jenova Chen, who grew up in very urban Shanghai. A move to California, with its lush hills, inspired him to try to evoke that emotional response.
Initially, the process of creating video games was a task for one person who produced the coding, audio, graphics, box art and instruction manual. Leap ahead a few decades and game production now can involve 200-member teams collaborating on one vision. “It’s a process not unlike a massive movie production,” Melissinos said. Electronic Arts’ recent release, the multiplayer online game Star Wars: The Old Republic, had an estimated $200-million price tag.
Marble Madness, 1992, Mark Cerny, Steve Lamb, SEGA Master System. (Smithsonian American Art Museum)
Many game designers are influenced by traditional fine art. Visual and sensory elements in Tetsuya Mizuguchi’s Rez were inspired by Wassily Kandinsky. Echoes of M.C. Escher are evident in Marble Madness.
In addition to five playable games (Pac-Man, Super Mario Brothers, the Secret of Monkey Island, Myst and Flower), a performance of video game music by the University of Maryland’s Gamer Symphony Orchestra is scheduled, along with a discussion by the father of electrical gaming, Atari founder Nolan Bushnell.
The exhibit runs through Sept. 30, then travels to 10 venues across the U.S., though, currently, none are in California.
Homeowners Appeal Huge Lucasfilm Studio Plan for Grady Ranch
(Marin Independent Journal) The Board of Supervisors will get a chance to weigh in on plans by George Lucas to build a huge film production studio on the old Grady Ranch.
The Lucas Valley Estates Homeowners Association, appealing approval of the project in their neighborhood by the Planning Commission, asserts that "plans for this project were not subject to full notice and review and lack sufficiently-detailed information." In addition, "questions remain about the risks to public safety and many other impacts to the habitat and residents."
The association said officials failed to comply with California Environmental Quality Act regulations, approved a plan inconsistent with residential zoning and improperly assumed Lucas has vested rights to build.
Tom Taylor, an association board member, said in a statement issued this week that "none of the neighborhood's concerns were addressed by the Planning Commission."
County supervisors approved the land use and a bigger project in 1995 but Lucas never built it, and returned last year to request revisions that reduce its scope.
The project would transform 52 acres at the Grady Ranch into a three-story digital technology fortress flanked by two towers rising amid 187 acres of open space.
The 263,197-square-foot building would feature just about everything 340 movie-making employees, actors and guests would need. Plans include 51,000 square feet of film stages, 27,918 square feet of screening rooms, a
4,381-square-foot cafe, a 1,151-square-foot kitchen, 19 units providing 11,228 square feet of guest quarters, a general store and a gym. The building would top underground parking for 202 cars and 24 bicycles.
Outside, plans include nine bridges spanning creeks, as well as a cave to age casks of wine from the filmmaker's vineyards.
Excavated material would be used to build a knoll hiding the project from neighbors, and to shore up, raise and restore Miller, Grady and Landmark creeks. The entire project would be largely hidden from view, especially as landscaping matures.
Supervisors will review the project at 1:30 p.m April 3 at the Civic Center.
Zenescope Entertainment Launches Kickstarter for Grimm Fairy Tales Animated Series
(geekadelphia.com)Grimm Fairy Tales, the flagship series from Horsham-based Zenescope entertainment, has been a runaway success since its start in 2005. Our own David Goodman has had plenty of nice things to say about the comics over the years.
But what if instead of just comics we could have an animated series that dug deeper in to Joe Brusha and Ralph Tadesco’s dark take on the brothers’ classic stories? What if that series was animated by the dudes who do pretty much all the good shows on Adult Swim. That’d be awesome, right? Right. Time to warm up those wallets again, geeks. Here’s the pitch, straight from Brusha:
We believe that our Grimm Fairy Tales comic book series would make an excellent animated series, and we’ve been pitching the idea to the Hollywood big-wigs for years. They’ve said “There is too much Fairy Tales stuff out there”, or “No one wants to see a gritty, dark, modern take on the fairy tales.” That’s where they’re wrong. We have tons of devoted fans that would love to see more of our series, and that is our chance and yours to make it happen.
Grimm Fairy Tales has been the flagship series of Zenescope Entertainment since the company started. Zenescope has grown to a top comic book publisher due to its continued success. Grimm Fairy Tales is currently the longest running independent color comic being published today and has over 1 million copies in print.
Jon Schnepp will be directing this project. He is one of the hottest animation directors in Hollywood, having already seen a great deal of success working on such series as Aqua Teen Hunger Force , Metalocalypse, and the Venture Brothers. Not only will Jon be working closely with the creators of the comic book, Joe Brusha and Ralph Tedesco; Zenescope will be enlisting Titmouse Inc, one of the premiere animation studios, to help with this vision.
Titmouse Inc is a premiere animation studio with top-tier talent and experience. Jon Schnepp has worked with them before on many of his projects, and much of their work rounds out the Adult Swim animation block on Cartoon Network. Their variety of experience is suited well for the Grimm Fairy Tales animation series anthology.
We also want to include you, the fan, in the process as much as possible. Bringing this project to life is going to be hard, and we want you to get to see behind the curtain. That’s why we’re going to be shooting a lot of exclusive, behind-the-scenes footage to include with the series so that you really get to see how we made it all happen.
VIDEO Pitch - Take a look: http://geekadelphia.com/2012/03/19/philly-area-zenescope- entertainment-launches- kickstarter-for-grimm-fairy- tales-animated-series/
Michael Bay Responds to Fan Outrage About ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’
(popwatch.ew.com)Producer Michael Bay, who upset fans when he announced that he would be changing the origin story of his upcoming live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot by making the turtles “from an alien race,” has responded with a statement on his website.
“Fans need to take a breath, and chill,” wrote Bay. “They have not read the script. Our team is working closely with one of the original creators of Ninja Turtles to help expand and give a more complex back story. Relax, we are including everything that made you become fans in the first place. We are just building a richer world.”
I assume that Bay has never actually told anyone to “chill” or “relax,” as those are pretty much the most incendiary words you can say to an upset person. Fan reactions were overwhelmingly negative on Twitter and Facebook yesterday, and one of the voice actors from the original 1990 movie even spoke out against Bay’s plans. Robbie Rist, who voiced Michelangelo in the first live-action film adaptation, posted an open letter to Bay on his Facebook, saying that Bay is “sodomizing” the first set of movies and causing “the rape of our childhood memories.” Oooo-kay, Robbie: Chill.
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