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Movie News

Return of the Howl

Happy Halloween! And in that spirit…

That howling you hear just might be Benicio Del Toro in his new film The Wolfman… or, it might be the legion of fans who are dying to see the Oscar-winner’s new film! Universal’s big-budget remake of its classic horror film is directed by Joe Johnston (director of Jumanji, Jurassic Park III, and Hidalgo, among others) from a script by Andrew Kevin Walker (Sleepy Hollow) and David Self (Road to Perdition). Oscar-winner Rick Baker is handling the make-up effects — That’s right, it’s not all CGI! You can read an Entertainment Weekly interview with Mr. Baker here, and also see one of the first publicity photos of Mr. Del Toro in full wolf-face. The plot follows the sad story of an American named Lance Talbot (Del Toro, of course) who finds himself the victim of a savage curse when he returns home to the sleepy English village of Blackmoor… which is haunted by a ravenous werewolf! The film is set for release in February of 2010. Unpleasant dreams…

Play the Game. Then See the Movie. Soon…

Elysian Tail is a new creative property (with some decidedly anthropomorphic touches) from Dean Dodrill and Humble Hearts. Here’s how they describe it on their web site: “Elysian Tail is a series of loosely interconnected stories in the beautiful yet dangerous world of Falana, told across several mediums. At the moment they consist of a film and video game, both in production. The web site will eventually feature an in-depth look into the stories, world, and characters of Elysian Tail, and feature an ever growing gallery of artwork and media. The news page will serve as a production diary, and give insight into the creation [of the game and film]. ” First up the movie: “Elysian Tail is a traditionally animated feature film. The film follows a young girl, Bonnie, who must help her reclusive friend Leddinger rescue his daughter Tika, and in the process bring order and life back to their dying world. With the aid of an ancient sword, Leddinger must thwart a regime bent on taking over the lost kingdom of Elysium. As their adventure unfolds, Bonnie learns of the incredible potential not only within Tika, but in herself as well.  This film is currently in production, with release to be announced. ” First up though is the game, which has already been making the rounds on the Internet: “Dust: An Elysian Tail is  a 2D action-RPG video game created for the Xbox 360 platform, and available soon as a downloadable title. It has won the grand prize in Microsoft’s 2009 Dream.Build.Play competition. Set in the beautiful yet mysterious world of Falana, this game chronicles protagonist Dust’s journey to liberate an oppressed village, and rediscover his past. He is aided by an ancient sword, Ahrah, and his helpful if unreserved sidekick, Fidget. Meticulously hand-animated and painted, this episode of Elysian Tail welcomes exploration, platforming, and above all else, mastery of a fighting system that rewards skilled gamers.” You heard it all here, people. Check it out.

That’s One BIG Mammoth…

This just in from The Hollywood Reporter and rottentomatoes.com: As of this writing the Blue Sky / Fox GGI film Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs has grossed nearly $660 million (U.S. dollars equivalent) internationally. By the middle of next week, the film is expected to take the #3 spot for highest grossing films ever internationally, right behind Titanic and Lord of the Rings: Return of the King. Fourth go-round, anyone?

NIMH Returns… with Mrs. Frisby

Yahoo Movies is reporting that Paramount Pictures is developing a feature version of the Newbery Medal-winning children’s book Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O’Brien. “Director Neil Burger (The Illusionist) is in talks to write the screenplay. The movie would be the second theatrical go-round for the book, which MGM brought to the screen in 1982 as the animated film The Secret of NIMH, directed by Don Bluth.

Robert C. O’Brien’s book has been a staple in children’s bookstores and libraries since it was first published in 1971. The story centers on a mouse — the titular Mrs. Frisby, renamed Mrs. Brisby in the MGM movie — faced with a crisis when her son falls ill and she must move her family to escape a farmer’s plow. Mrs. Frisby enlists a group of former lab rats, whom she soon discovers possess advanced technologies and run a highly evolved society, dividing labor in the manner of a human community.

The new NIMH will likely combine live action and animation in the manner of Alvin and the Chipmunks and other kiddie hybrids.” No word yet on cast members or a planned release date, but we’ll let you know as soon as we do!

The Fantastic Mr. Fox is coming… from Fox!

People are talking about the new stop-motion animation film The Fantastic Mr. Fox, based on the book of the same name by the late Roald Dahl (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory). The film is the first foray into animation for director Wes Anderson (Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums), and it’s being released by (who else?) 20th Century Fox.  For those who don’t know, the story tells of Mr. Fox, who regularly steals chickens and ducks from three mean human farmers (named Boggis, Bunce and Bean) to feed his family.  When the farmers conspire to have them all killed, the foxes conspire right back with a group of badgers, moles, and other undergroud dwellers to take care of the humans once and for all.  The cast includes the voices of George Clooney and Meryl Streep as Mr. and Mrs. Fox, respectively, as well as Anjelica Huston, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Jarvis Cocker, Michael Gambon, Owen Wilson, and Willem Dafoe — several of whom have been frequent Wes Anderson collaborators in the past. The film is scheduled to be released on November 13th of this year, and the first trailers are scheduled to hit theaters on July 31st.

Guinea Pigs Gone Wild!

In a surprising development that few in or out of Hollywood were expecting, Disney’s 3-D guinea-pig-secret-agent film G-Force topped Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince AND a brand new romantic comedy (The Ugly Truth) for the top spot at the U.S. box office this past weekend, earning more than $32 million according to studio estimates. This is from The Los Angeles Times: “”We knew we had a really good-playing family movie, but when you’re competing against a film like Harry Potter, you can never presume anything,” said Mark Zoradi, president of Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Group. Although critics had few nice words for G-Force, audiences were pleased, giving the movie an average grade of B-plus, according to market research firm CinemaScore. That presages a healthy box-office run that could see it ultimately earning more than $100 million.” The film was directed by Hoyt Yeatman and produced by Mr. Action Movie himself, Jerry Bruckheimer.

Mad Monster Party… Again?

Word is out that a new CGI re-make of the classic Rankin/Bass comedy/horror film Mad Monster Party is in the works and has actually been green-lit. Warner Brothers optioned the new film about four years ago, but now there’s word that it might actually happen.

What furries want to know is: Will the werewolf have that cool gypsie outfit again?

There’s a fan site for the original 1967 film that’s closely following news of the remake. Check out www.madmonsterparty.com to find out more.

Comic Book Tie-In

Just in time!  Titan Comics has released Monsters vs. Aliens, The Comic, a new full-color 4-issue miniseries. The comic is here, of course, to tie-in with the new hit 3D CGI film from Dreamworks. The comic follows the plot of the movie — Captured classic monsters band together to save the earth from an evil alien invader — and also includes the secret files that General W.R. Monger keeps on various monsters, secret installations, presidential candidates, and more…

Award Season Recap

Awards season came barreling in again — with a few unexpected results. As largely expected, Disney-Pixar’s robot tale known as Wall-E won the Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature.  Then along came the Annie Awards, presented by the International Animated Film Society… and Wall-E was shut out, taking home nothing that night.  The big winner?  Kung Fu Panda! Not only did it win Best Animated Feature, but between the feature film and the Secrets of the Furious Five DVD short, Dreamworks took home 15 of the 17 awards that the Panda franchise was nominated for.  Among them were multiple awards for Directing, Writing, Best Character Animation, Best Character Design, Best Production Design, Best Music, Best Voice Acting (Dustin Hoffman as Shifu), and Best Video Game. The big winners for the night in the TV animation categories were Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II, Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs, and Avatar, The Last Air BenderWallance and Gromit in A Matter of Loaf and Death won for Best Animated Short Subject.

… and then along came the Oscars, and once again, Wall-E took home the statue for Best Animated Feature.

[And don’t forget — now it’s Furry Fandom’s turn to vote for the Ursa Major Awards!  Visit www.ursamajorawards.org to find out more — Rod O’Riley, ye ed-otter]