Tag: sony pictures

GREEN HORNET Trailer To Fly In Monday, June 21st!

Finally…a trailer for THE GREEN HORNET! Next Monday night that is.

IGN Movies is exclusively reporting that the first trailer for Sony Pictures THE GREEN HORNET will debut on the TV program Jimmy Kimmel Live on Monday June 21. The Green Hornet himself, Seth Rogen, will be Kimmel’s guest that night and will introduce the trailer. THE GREEN HORNET will be in theatres in 3D on January 14, 2011.

Here’s the latest synopsis buzzzzzz:

Columbia Pictures’ feature film, The Green Hornet, stars Seth Rogen as the vigilante crime-fighter. The film will be directed by Michel Gondry (ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND) from a screenplay written by Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg (SUPERBAD, PINEAPPLE EXPRESS), based upon “The Green Hornet” radio series created by George W. Trendle, and produced by Neal H. Moritz (THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS).

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Source: IGN Movies

Kato in 3-D and in 2011? Say It Ain’t So GREEN HORNET

 

From Sony Pictures Twitter page comes the news today that their big event film, THE GREEN HORNET, will (shocker!) be released in 3-D. As the Green Hornet used to say on the 60’s tv show, its time to “rig for silent running,” and put a halt to another 3-D wannabe. Seems director Michel Gondry will have more time to futz with his film as Variety is also reporting that the Seth Rogen movie is being moved from the crowded 3-D December 2010 date and dumped into the Martin Luther King weekend.

“We’ve had a lot of success with the Martin Luther King frame, including ‘Paul Blart,'” said the studio’s marketing and distribution topper Jeff Blake. “We couldn’t be more excited about ‘Green Hornet.’ In fact, we’re doubling down by making it 3D.”

Yeaaahh. Ok. THE GREEN HORNET has been surrounded by some negative buzz for awhile now. Today’s announcement comes as no surprise. Anxious fans will have to wait until January 14, 2011 to hear “Hornet gun… check. Hornet sting… check. Let’s roll, Kato!”

SPIDER-MAN 4 Gets a Stardate, As Well

Someone’s about to flinch, and in more ways than one.     Sony Pictures announced this afternoon that the Marc Webb-directed reboot of the SPIDER-MAN franchise will not only be coming at you on July 3rd, 2012, it will be literally coming straight for you in 3-D.

Those of you who know me pretty well know how I feel about the whole 3-D concept and how overly used it is becoming in Hollywood.   What was an annoying gimmick that never really did anything for my cinematic experiences (yes, I’m even including AVATAR with that statement) is now quickly becoming the norm, a commonplace element of movie watching that, years down the road, will be the catalyst for a new type of brain cancer.   I can’t back that up, so, RealD, please put the phone call to your lawyers on hold for a bit.

But the 3-D aspects of having pieces of web and a John Malkovich-driven Vulture coming right at audience’s face wasn’t what I was referring to with that “someone is going to flinch” comment.   In fact, that aspect of the film isn’t even news worthy as just about every film is likely to, at least, be tempted by the 3-D bug.   SPIDER-MAN 4, which Sony, for now, is just calling SPIDER-MAN, is set for release on July 3rd, 2012.   This comes just four days after the intended STAR TREK sequel is set to bow.   Like I said, someone is going to flinch.   If both of these high profile films hold these, exact dates all the way until their respective releases, I will eat my movie-loving hat.   As a cute aside, I will be sure it is my newly bought Spyder skull cap for good measure.

Actually, if I had to guess, and the verbose writer in me tells me I do, I would see Sony pulling SPIDER-MAN’s July 3rd release before Paramount moving STAR TREK 2’s release date.   For one, the good favor the STAR TREK franchise has coming off last year’s success is undoubted, and people are skeptical at best of this new SPIDER-MAN.   Webb is an unchallenged filmmaker coming into a franchise whose last entry was a failure on so many levels and whose next entry is toning it back in every aesthetic aspect imagineable.   Not exactly the type of film that cries out 4th of July weekend material.

For now, both June and July 2012 are pretty well open with only STAR TREK and SPIDER-MAN having potential release dates.   I either see SPIDER-MAN getting pushed back to mid-July or moved up to the first or second weekend in June.   This would seem a much more likely debut date for it.   Of course, I could always be proven wrong.   That Spyder cap will probably go down a lot easier with some garlic salt splashed on it.

WAMG Exclusive: Fox Acquiring James Bond Distribution

daniel craig fox bond

James Bond is finding a new home, and he’ll have Jedi and aliens to welcome him into the fold.  For the last few weeks, movie goers have been curious as to what is going to become of some of MGM’s more prominent franchises.  Over the last, couple of days, the company has entered into a forbearance agreement.  The agreement expires in the middle of December, and, for now, ‘The Hobbit’ is safe and sound where it is.  However, the company said nothing of the future of 007 adventures.

Well, fear not you shaken-not-stirred fanatics.  A source close to the dealings has let We Are Movie Geeks know that Bond is alive and well, and will be settling into his new domicile for marketing and distribution at 20th Century Fox.  That’s right, expect the official word to come out any day now, but it looks like ‘Bond 23’ is going to be running behind the Fox banner.

Sony, who acquired MGM in 2004, has run the last, two James Bond films, ‘Casino Royale’ and ‘Quantum of Solace’ through their own, Sony Pictures distribution and marketing company.  Up until these, two films, Fox handled all home video and international marketing for MGM, so the transition to Fox for domestic releases for the Bond franchise from here on out should not be that difficult a move.

There is no word in what state this leaves ‘Bond 23,’ though, with MGM/Sony still backing the production side, this bit of news shouldn’t cause much if any kind of delay.  The film is still tentatively scheduled for release in 2011.

‘inFAMOUS’ Getting Feature Film Adaptation

inFAMOUS

Sony Pictures has picked up the rights for a feature film adaptation of the Sucker Punch video game ‘inFAMOUS.’   The pitch came from screenwriter Sheldon Turner, who has previously worked on the screenplays for ‘The Longest Yard,’ ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning,’ and ‘Up in the Air.’   That’s quite an eclectic slew of films to write.

The video game centers on a bike messenger who, after a massive explosion, discovers he has powers to control electricity.

“What excited me most about the game was it was the first of which I’ve come across that had a big idea and a character arc,” Turner said. “It is, I believe, the future of gaming. The game, while big and fun, is at its core a love ballad to the underachiever, which is what our hero, Cole McGrath, is.”

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Sony and Platinum Developing an Animated Feature

open-season1

Sony Pictures Animation and Platinum Studios, Inc. have made a deal to develop an animated feature.   The news came today from  Bob Osher, president of Sony Pictures Digital Productions and Hannah Minghella, president of production for Sony Pictures Animation.

Platinum Studios, which controls an international library of comics and graphic novel content with over 5,600 characters, brings comic book projects to feature film and television.

“I have known and respected Scott Rosenberg for many years as a great resource of characters, stories and ideas,” said Bob Osher. “We’re looking forward to working with him and Platinum Studios to develop a feature from their library of stories and characters.”

“It is great to be working with Bob and Sony again,” said Rosenberg. “And Hannah has the perfect energy and creative tenacity to drive us into a fantastic feature world.”

Platinum Studios’ film and TV division has various other properties in development at major film studios, including ‘Atlantis Rising’ at DreamWorks with Kurtzman/Orci (‘Transformers’) set to produce, ‘Cowboys and Aliens’ also at Dreamworks with Kurtzman/Orci partnering with Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment, and ‘Unique’ at Walt Disney Pictures and ‘Dead of Night’ with Hyde Park Entertainment with Brandon Routh (‘Superman Returns’) starring and Kevin Munroe (2007’s ‘TMNT’) directing. Gale Anne Hurd’s Valhalla Motion Pictures and Platinum Studios are currently co-developing feature films based on the soon-to-be-published action thriller graphic novel Final Orbit and Top Cow’s Magdalena.

Source: Coming Soon.net

‘2012’ Gets Pushed Back to November

‘2012’, the new end-of-the-world blockbuster helmed by Roland Emmerich was scheduled to hit on July 10th. Â  It looks like Sony has decided to push the film back all the way to November 13th, two weeks before Thanksgiving.

“We’ve had such success with the James Bond films in November that we wanted a big tent-pole film in that slot this year,” Sony distribution president Rory Bruer said Tuesday. “We’ve got so many films in the summer that this is the perfect answer to that.”

The studio’s remaining films set for release this summer include ‘The Taking of Pelham 123’ starring Denzel Washington and John Travolta, ‘The Year One’ starring Jack Black and Michael Cera, ‘Julie and Julia’ starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams, ‘District 9’, and ‘Mardi Gras’.

‘2012’, originally scheduled to open against the Christopher Columbus comedy, ‘I Love You, Beth Cooper’. Â  It will now contend with Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law in ‘Sherlock Holmes’ and Dwayne Johnson in ‘The Tooth Fairy’.

Sony execs said ‘2012’ could have been completed by its summer date, though the new date will add some extra time for the effects-laden production.

What do you think? Â  Is this a good move for Sony? Â  Is it really important for them to have a big, November release? Â  How well do you think ‘2012’ will do against ‘Sherlock Holmes’ and ‘The Tooth Fairy’? Â  Let us know by commenting below!

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Sony Developing ‘The Boys’ Adaptation

Only one word describes this bit of news.   AWESOME!

‘The Boys’ is the only comic book that I pick up month after month, and, now, it is being developed for the big screen by Sony.   After the success of ‘Wanted’, it’s no surprise that more mature-audiences-only comic books are getting adaptations.

The series follows a CIA-funded group that monitors real-life superheroes, and, if the situtation should arise, take said superhero out.   The series is written by Garth Ennis (Preacher) and illustrated by Darick Robertson, and, yes, the character of Hugh Campbell (AKA ‘Wee Hughie’) intentionally looks like Simon Pegg.   He’s the one above in the bottom right.

The production is being headed by producer, Neal Mortiz (‘The Fast and the Furious’, ‘XXX’) with the screenplay being written by Matt Manfredi and Phil Hay, the team that brought us ‘Aeron Flux’ and ‘The Tuxedo’.   We won’t hold those projects against them, though.

‘Goosebumps’ Series Picked Up By Sony

The popular children’s series of horror books by R.L. Stine, ‘Goosebumps’, is going to be turned into at least one feature film.   The rights to the series of books were picked up by Sony Pictures who already has two screenwriters working on the script.

Larry Karaszewski and Scott Alexander are the writers working on the screenplay.   The team has previously worked on ‘Ed Wood’, ‘Agent Cody Banks’, and ‘1408’.

Neal Mortiz, who produced ‘Evan Almighty’ and ‘I Am Legend’, is producing the film, which is likely to be a horror themed anthology film geared more towards the PG-rated audience.   Sony is looking to cast young actors in the lead roles and well-known adult actors in the supporting roles.