On Thursday, December 4th at 11:00am GMT (3:00am PST; 6:00am EST) Albert R. Broccoli’s EON Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios and Sony Pictures Entertainment will present a live announcement and photo call from the 007 Stage at Pinewood Studios.
The title and cast of the 24th Bond film will be revealed, marking the start of principal photography on Monday, December 8th. A global audience will be able to watch the announcement live via a web stream at www.007.com.
James Bond is the longest running, and one of the most successful franchises of all time, with twenty-three films produced and the twenty-fourth about to go in production. Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli succeeded Albert R ‘Cubby’ Broccoli and have produced the past seven Bond films together, including the highly successful, Casino Royale, Quantum Of Solace and Skyfall. All of the James Bond films have been made in collaboration with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios or United Artists, its predecessor.
SKYFALL, the 23rd James Bond adventure, was a worldwide box office phenomenon, opening #1 in 70 territories around the world, taking in over $1.1 billion worldwide, and setting a new all-time box office mark in the UK by becoming the first film to take in over £100 million.
Albert R. Broccoli’s 007 Stage: The world famous 007 stage at Pinewood was built in 1976 for the Bond movie The Spy Who Loved Me. After a search across Europe, the Bond producers failed to find a stage large enough to house the three submarines the scene required, so they decided to build a new stage and tank specifically for that film. The 007 stage remains one of the largest sound stages in the world.
Paramount Pictures, a division of Viacom, Inc., and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios announced today that they will co-produce the upcoming film HERCULES, starring Dwayne Johnson and directed by Brett Ratner. The film is set to begin production in early 2013.
Based on Radical Studio’s graphic novel “Hercules: The Thracian Wars,” the ensemble-action film is a revisionist take on the classic myth set in a grounded world where the supernatural does not exist.
The screenplay was adapted by Ryan Condal, with revisions by Evan Spiliotopoulos. Producers are Beau Flynn, Barry Levine and Brett Ratner; executive producers are Peter Berg, Sarah Aubrey and Jesse Berger.
Johnson, who earlier this year starred in the box-office hit JOURNEY 2: THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND, will next be seen in the highly anticipated sequel G.I. JOE: RETALIATION, from Paramount Pictures, MGM and Skydance Productions, in association with HASBRO, directed by John M. Chu and written by Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick, on March 29, 2013, and will then co-star in Paramount Pictures’ PAIN AND GAIN on April 26, 2013, based on the Magazine Article by Pete Collins, screenplay by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely and directed by Michael Bay. In May, Johnson will reprise his role in FAST AND FURIOUS 6, the next chapter in the successful franchise. The actor is represented by WME and Manager Dany Garcia of The Garcia Companies.
Ratner is represented by CAA and attorney Jake Bloom.
LOS ANGELES, CA – May 19, 2011 – MGM announced today that Vin Diesel will star in and also produce through his One Race Films, the action-comedy THE MACHINE, based on an original script by Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garant (NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM, NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: BATTLE FOR THE SMITHSONIAN, THE PACIFIER), who are also producing. Production is scheduled to start in the fall.
Vin Diesel stars as a human-like machine created in secrecy by the Pentagon as the world’s first true ultimate weapon. Twenty years after the project was buried and decommissioned for reasons unknown, The Machine is discovered by a kid who befriends him. When the government learns it has been reactivated, the Machine must protect the family harboring him.
MGM’s Jonathan Glickman, President of the Motion Picture Group, says “We could not be happier to be partnering with Vin again, especially on a film with such classic themes that will appeal to his broad audience around the world.” Adam Rosenberg, Senior Vice President for the MGM Motion Picture Group, is supervising the film for the studio.
About Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. is actively engaged in the worldwide production and distribution of motion pictures, television programming, home video, interactive media, music, and licensed merchandise. The company owns the world’s largest library of modern films, comprising around 4,100 titles. Operating units include Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc., United Artists Films Inc., MGM Television Entertainment Inc., MGM Networks Inc., MGM Distribution Co., MGM International Television Distribution Inc., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Home Entertainment LLC, MGM ON STAGE, MGM Music, MGM Consumer Products and MGM Interactive. In addition, MGM has ownership interests in domestic and international TV channels reaching over 130 countries. For more information, visit www.mgm.com.
About One Race Films
ONE RACE FILMS (ORF), founded in 1995 by writer, director, producer and actor Vin Diesel has produced the two highest grossing films in the Fast franchise, Fast Five as well as Fast & Furious. He has directed Multifacial, Strays, Los Bandoleros and the digital series The Ropes. Previously, ORF launched multiple franchises in the action space including the science fiction thriller Pitch Black and the follow up Chronicles of Riddick along with the hit XXX. Reaching beyond the action genre, One Race developed and produced the critically acclaimed courtroom drama helmed by Academy Award winning filmmaker Sidney Lumet, Find Me Guilty. In addition to a thriving film production company, ORF launched a gaming company in 2002, Tigon Studios, which has produced three critically acclaimed console titles including Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay and original property The Wheelman.
As promised, here’s Peter Jackson’s first video from the set of THE HOBBIT. Enjoy
No word on the dragon, Smaug, as of yet. However, THE HOBBIT Blog posted this:
We receive a lot of questions about Smaug, and while it is a bit soon to let the dragon out of the bag, we can point you to this excellent bit of research by Forbes, which has just ranked Smaug in 7th place on the 2011 Forbes Fictional 15 ranking of the richest fictional characters.
As was first reported in the Hollywood Reporter, Andy Serkis, who played the iconic Gollum in Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings, has been tapped by Jackson to serve as second unit director on the two Hobbit films, which are now in production in New Zealand. Serkis will, of course, also be reprising his role as Gollum in The Hobbit.
“I think I understand Peter’s sensibility and we have a common history of understanding Middle Earth,” Serkis told The Hollywood Reporter. “A lot of the crew from The Lord of the Rings was returning to work on The Hobbit. There is really a sense of Peter wanting people around him who totally understand the material and the work ethic.”
THE HOBBIT films are co-produced by New Line Cinema and MGM, with New Line managing production. Warner Bros Pictures is handling worldwide theatrical distribution, with select international territories as well as all international television licensing being handled by MGM. The two films are planned for release in late 2012 and 2013, respectively.
In Mid-March, production commenced in Wellington, New Zealand, on “The Hobbit,” filmmaker Peter Jackson’s two film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s widely read masterpiece.
“The Hobbit” is set in Middle-earth 60 years before Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings,” which Jackson and his filmmaking team brought to the big screen in the blockbuster trilogy that culminated with the Oscar-winning “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.”
The two films, with screenplays by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Guillermo del Toro and Peter Jackson, will be shot consecutively in digital 3D using the latest camera and stereo technology. Filming is taking place at Stone Street Studios, Wellington, and on location around New Zealand.
Check out THE HOBBIT’s Facebook page HERE, Peter Jackson’s Facebook page HERE and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy Official Facebook Page HERE. Visit the official HOBBIT blog HERE.
“The Hobbit” follows the journey of title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, which was long ago conquered by the dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakensheild. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers.
Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever – Gollum.
Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths of guile and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum’s “precious” ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities – A simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know.
Martin Freeman takes the title role as Bilbo Baggins and Ian McKellen returns in the role of Gandalf the Grey. The Dwarves are played by Richard Armitage (Thorin Oakenshield), Ken Stott (Balin), Graham McTavish (Dwalin), William Kircher (Bifur) James Nesbitt (Bofur), Stephen Hunter (Bombur), Rob Kazinsky (Fili), Aidan Turner (Kili), Peter Hambleton (Gloin), John Callen (Oin), Jed Brophy (Nori), Mark Hadlow (Dori) and Adam Brown (Ori). Reprising their roles from “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy are Cate Blanchett as Galadriel, Andy Serkis as Gollum and Elijah Wood as Frodo. Jeffrey Thomas and Mike Mizrahi also join the cast as Dwarf Kings Thror and Thrain, respectively. Further casting announcements are expected.
“The Hobbit” is produced by Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh, alongside Carolynne Cunningham. Executive producers are Ken Kamins and Zane Weiner, with Philippa Boyens as co-producer. The Oscar-winning, critically acclaimed “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, also from the production team of Jackson and Walsh, grossed nearly $3 billion worldwide at the box office. In 2003, “The Return of the King” swept the Academy Awards, winning all of the 11 categories in which it was nominated, including Best Picture – the first ever Best Picture win for a fantasy film. The trilogy’s production was also unprecedented at the time.
Among the creative behind-the scenes team returning to Jackson’s crew are director of photography Andrew Lesnie, production designer Dan Hennah, conceptual designers Alan Lee and John Howe, composer Howard Shore and make-up and hair designer Peter King. Costumes are designed by Ann Maskrey and Richard Taylor.
Taylor is also overseeing the design and production of weaponry, armour and prosthetics which are once again being made by the award winning Weta Workshop. Weta Digital take on the visual effects for both films, led by the film’s visual effects supervisor, Joe Letteri. Post production will take place at Park Road Post Production in Wellington.
ABOUT NEW LINE CINEMA:
New Line Cinema continues to be one of the most successful independent film companies. For more than 40 years, its mission has been to produce innovative, popular, profitable entertainment in the best creative environment. A pioneer in franchise filmmaking, New Line produced the Oscar®-winning “The Lord of the Rings†trilogy, which is a landmark in the history of film franchises. New Line Cinema is a division of Warner Bros.
ABOUT PETER JACKSON/WINGNUT FILMS:
Peter Jackson is one of the world’s most successful filmmakers. His monumental achievement co-writing, co-producing and directing The Lord of the Rings trilogy (with fellow Academy Award winners and frequent collaborators Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens) earned a total of 30 Academy Award nominations and 17 Academy Awards. Jackson and Walsh received their first Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay for their acclaimed film Heavenly Creatures. Jackson, through his New Zealand-based Wingnut Films banner, also was responsible for the globally successful 2005 remake of King Kong which earned over $500 million worldwide and 3 Academy Awards. Jackson most recently directed the Academy Award nominated The Lovely Bones; an adaptation of the acclaimed best-selling novel by Alice Sebold, which to date has earned nearly $100 million worldwide; and produced the global sensation, District 9, which received an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture. He is also developing a trilogy of films with Steven Spielberg based on Tintin, the world renowned comic book series by Herge. In 2010 he received a Knighthood for his services to film.
ABOUT METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER STUDIOS INC.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. is actively engaged in the worldwide production and distribution of motion pictures, television programming, home video, interactive media, music, and licensed merchandise. The company owns the world’s largest library of modern films, comprising around 4,100 titles. Operating units include Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc., United Artists Films Inc., MGM Television Entertainment Inc., MGM Networks Inc., MGM Distribution Co., MGM International Television Distribution Inc., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Home Entertainment LLC, MGM ON STAGE, MGM Music, MGM Consumer Products and MGM Interactive. In addition, MGM has ownership interests in domestic and international TV channels reaching over 130 countries. For more information, visit www.mgm.com.
