Tag: real steel

Hugh Jackman in REAL STEEL

What we have here is an image from early in the film REAL STEEL, directed by Shawn Levy and starring Hugh Jackman. In this picture, we get a partial view of the robot fighter, the choreography for which was provided in part by boxing champion Sugar Ray Leonard, whom served as an adviser.

The story, set in 2020, features Jackman as an out-of-work fighter who bonds with his estranged son when they go to work rescuing a junkyard find named Atom, and grooming it as a potential champion in the World Robot Boxing league.

REAL STEEL also features a supporting cast of Evangeline Lilly, Kevin Durand, Anthony Mackie and Hope Davis. REAL STEEL is set to hit theaters nationwide on November 18, 2011.

Source: USA Today

REAL STEEL Gets a Release Date

real steel

Hugh Jackman, DreamWorks, and Disney are set to have a very happy Thanksgiving on 2011.   According to The Hollywood Reporter, REAL STEEL, the first venture to be released by the new output deal between the two studios, will be released to the masses on November 18th, 2011.   This will be just in time for Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots to make a huge comeback before the Christmas buying season kicks into full swing.   That last bit was a joke…sort of.

Directed by NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM helmer Shawn Levy and based on a short story by Richard Matheson, REAL STEEL is set in a future world where robots have taken over the brutal sport of boxing from the humans.   Jackman will be playing a former boxer turned promoter who stumbles upon a robot who cannot lose.   There’s also a father/son element to it, which will make it perfect fodder for family entertainment after finishing up Thanksgiving dinner.

Also set to hit this date is George Miller’s follow-up to HAPPY FEET, which I’m guessing isn’t going to remain titled HAPPY FEET 2.   Being such dissimilar projects, I don’t see either of these films budging, and, unless another family drama with sci-fi elements decides to move into that spot, I’m going to assume the November 18th slot is pretty much set in stone for REAL STEEL.

Spielberg, Jackman, and REAL STEEL

real steel

Steven Spielberg is producing a film about robots.   Let the shocking continue.   Variety is reporting that Hugh Jackman has signed on to star in and DreamWorks has acquired the money to green light REAL STEEL, a film about boxing robots that is to be directed by NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM helmer, Shawn Levy.   This announcement comes as the first act of business in the newly financed DreamWorks, who secured $825 million in recent, financial dealings.

The film, a reworking of the Richard Matheson short story that inspired the TWILIGHT ZONE episode, “Steel”, centers on a world where the sport of boxing, believed to be too violent for humans, is done solely by machines.   Jackman will play a former boxer turned promoter who finds a discarded robot who can’t seem to lose.   The screenplay was initially written by Dan Gilroy with the most recent rewrite being done by John Gatins.

Says Mark Sourian, DreamWorks co-president of production on the project:

When we took it with us, we really highlighted it as something we would put the pedal to metal on.   It’s a project that Steven always wanted to do. It just came together rapidly after we left Paramount.

Production on the $80-million film begins in June.