The theatrical trailer for Transformers: Dark of the Moon has landed online. We see some pretty fantastic looking footage on the moon, followed by some really impressive stuff back on Earth. We’re talking full-on invasion this time around. We get our first look at Frances McDormand as well. However, as we all know from the second flick Revenge of the Fallen, simply watching robots fight for 2+ hours does not a good movie make (understatement). This one has to be better thanRevenge of the Fallen, right?Hitting 3D theaters on July 1st, Michael Bay’s Transformers: Dark of the Moon stars Shia LaBeouf, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Josh Duhamel, John Malkovich, Frances McDormand, Tyrese Gibson, Patrick Dempsey, and voice work from Hugo Weaving, Peter Cullen, and Leonard Nimoy.
Here’s the first synopsis for Transformers: Dark of the Moon:
When a mysterious event from Earth’s past erupts into the present day it threatens to bring a war to Earth so big that the Transformers alone will not be able to save us. The movie stars Shia LaBeouf, John Turturro, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Patrick Dempsey, Kevin Dunn, with John Malkovich and Frances McDormand.
The 2011 box office isn’t out of its slump quite yet, but at least it’s starting to make an effort. On Friday Sony’s PG-13 Battle: Los Angeles debuted to an estimated $13.5 million from 3,417 locations. That puts the alien invasion pic on track for a weekend above $35 million – right about where Rango finished last Sunday. The latter lizard landed in third this Friday but could leap back to second when weekend numbers are released. Warner Brothers’ Red Riding Hood claimed the second spot but will have to do much better than its $5.7 million debut to reach the high teens many were predicting for the film’s weekend. Finally, Disney has a real problem with Mars Needs Moms. The last of the creepy toons to come out of Robert Zemeckis’ IMD brand, the $150 millionMoms made just $1.7 million on Friday and will be lucky to see $10 million by Sunday. Full details and analysis tomorrow.
In what easily had to be one of the most painful, unfunny Oscar ceremonies in recent memory, The King’s Speech finally reached the end of its inevitable march to Best Picture. It was the first Best Picture winner to win less than five Oscars (it won four, including Best Actor, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay). Does that make it more or less unworthy of the Best Picture crown? I don’t know. I don’t care. But i was wishing that The Social Network win it.
In the last twenty-four hours, zombie horror game Dead Island has climbed into the top trending topics on Twitter and has merited coverage by numerous blogs and entertainment sites thanks to a provocative three-minute “announcement trailer.” There are even rumors that the property is being considered for a movie option. The short commercial already has fans drooling over its gory and gorgeous premise. @IGN tweets: “The Dead Island trailer is hands down the best trailer we’ve seen in 2011.”
Granted, it’s only February, but this has easily been the most chatter we’ve seen over a video game this year. Here’s where things get sticky: the trailer is very cinematic in the sense that it attempts to draw you into a story with beautiful (yet gory) imagery and expressive music. However, the trailer has drawn some criticism, as it shows next to nothing about actual game play.
So, is it a brilliant showing of viral marketing or a clever ploy to push a crappy game? Check it out yourself:
The trailer has almost 1 million hits as of this writing after being online for about 24 hours. But is it worth the hype? The praise is pouring in, calling it “beautiful, gripping, and amazing.” Attack of the Show’s Kevin Pereira tweets: “The Dead Island trailer is one of the most gripping things I’ve seen in a long while.” G4TV’s The Feed calls it “the best trailer I have ever seen in my life. The best video game trailer. The best movie trailer. The best anything trailer.” The LA Times calls it “a marvelously ambitious work, essentially a short film in all but name.”
But there is a much less visible minority out there who thinks the hype is just a gut reaction and won’t stand the test of time. HitFix says the trailer is “a nifty little mood piece, and that’s about all the thought (they) gave it.” Devin Faraci at Badass Digest calls it a “massive failure, both as a commercial and as art.” As a counterpoint to IGN, Wired calls for “cautious optimism” when viewing the trailer. They point out that Techland, the game developer for Dead Island, didn’t actually produce the trailer. Rather, Axis Animation was in charge of production.
And the naysayers may have a fair point, as not a lot of hype was generated overthis teaser trailer for Dead Islandreleased over three years ago. It still doesn’t have half the numbers of viewers generated by the new trailer. Perhaps the game mechanics were so underwhelming that the studio decided to take the marketing in a new direction and send out this short film.
Here’s my take on it: I love anything zombie-related and I’m a huge fan of the game, Heavy Rain. You will probably hear the comparisons being drawn, something along the lines of Heavy Rain meets The Walking Dead. I feel that this trailer is aiming for exactly that kind of sentiment, an emotionally engaging video game that happens to have an extremely high gore factor.
Was the trailer a tad on the schmaltzy side? Yes. Was it groundbreaking? Not really. Heavy Rainand L.A. Noire have the dramatic side covered. The Gears of War trailer years ago introduced some of us to the melancholy “Mad World” by Gary Jules. Was it virally successful just the same? Absolutely!
So is this trailer artistic genius or amateur schlock? Let us know in the comments!
As for the game itself, here’s what we know [via G4TV]:
Dead Islandis in development at Techland (makers of excellent Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood) and will be published by Deep Silver. It is set on an island (duh) and is an open-world, survival-horror game with a first-person perspective, but the idea is to focus on melee combat and RPG elements and it will feature a clear focus on story-telling as well as four-player, drop-in, drop-out combat.
Dead Island scheduled for a 2011 release on the PS3, 360 and PC.
WE DON’T POST VIDEO GAMES NEWS ON THIS BLOG, BUT THIS TRAILER WAS KIND OF CREATING A HYPE AND THATS WHY WE POSTED IT HERE! AND THE TRAILER IS COOL TOO..!
Michelle Pfeiffer is in talks to join the cast of Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows. The film is an adaptation of the 1960s gothic soap opera of the same name. Johnny Depp (who else) will star as Barnabas Collins, “a self-loathing vampire living in a Maine manor who is searching for his lost love.” According to Heat Vision, Pfeiffer is in negotiations for the role of “Elizabeth Collins Stoddard, the reclusive matriarch of the Collins family which runs the Maine town. The character has not left the mansion since the disappearance of her husband a decade earlier.” Meanwhile, Deadline reports that Helena Bonham Carter (again, who else) is in talks to play “Hoffman, a specialist in psychology and rare blood disorders who moves into Collinwood. While she initially is a threat to the vampire Barnabas, she eventually becomes his ally, who might be able to cure him of his thirst for blood.” Jackie Earle Haley, Eva Green, and Bella Heathcote have signed on to the project in the previous weeks.
Pfeiffer recently signed on to costar in the romantic-comedy New Year’s Eve and Alex Kurtzman’s directorial debut Welcome to People starring Chris Pine and Elizabeth Banks. Pfeiffer previously played Catwoman in Burton’s 1992 film, Batman Returns. Bonham Carter has costarred in six of Burton’s movies dating back to his remake of Planet of the Apes.
Daniel Radcliffe will star in the indie drama The Amateur Photographer. Emmy-nominated scribe Christopher Monger (HBO’s Temple Grandin) will direct the film from his own screenplay which is also, coincidentally enough, based on his own novel of the same name. Ted Hope and Anne Carey will co-produce the film, alongside Karen Montgomery, via their This Is That Prods. moniker. PerVariety, The Amateur Photographer is set in 1970’s New England and tells the story of a young man (Radcliffe) who discovers his knack for all things artistic after being recruited by the citizens of a small mill town to photograph their “most intimate moments.”
Although its elevator pitch may end on a somewhat awkward note, I’m interested in seeing how life after Harry Potter treats Radcliffe and The Amateur Photographer will seemingly constitute a small part of that. Speaking of life after Potter, Radcliffe will complete his run as the boy wizard on July 15th in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2. He can also be seen in the UK horror thriller The Woman in Black which opens October 28th of this year in the UK.
Chalk this up as our second official title news in as many days. Yesterday, we reported that Marc Webb’s upcoming Spider-Man film would be called The Amazing Spider-Man. Today, we can confirm that Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes sequel is officially titled Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. This news comes courtesy of E! Online [via /Film] and really doesn’t change anything about the film except that we no longer have to refer to it in any number of ambiguous ways (i.e.Untitled Sherlock Holmes Sequel or Sherlock Holmes II).
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows hits theaters later this year on December 16th. The film stars Robert Downey Jr. Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Noomi Rapace, and Stephen Fry.
Sony has announced that Marc Webb’s Spider-Man reboot will be officially titled The Amazing Spider-Man. That’s not too much of a surprise. I figured they would pull the title from one of the many Spider-Man comics and I assumed the title would either be “The Amazing Spider-Man” or “The Spectacular Spider-Man”. At least we can now stop referring to it as “Marc Webb’s Spider-Manreboot.”
Sony has also released a new image of Spidey, this time with the mask on. I have to say that I’m not crazy about it. The bug-yellow eyes weird me out and the mesh-pattern feels too busy. Also, the design of the gloves gives me flashbacks to the Spider-Man 2099 costume and that’s not a good thing. The image also gives us a better look at the new web-shooters, which look fine.
The Amazing Spider-Man stars Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, and Rhys Ifans. The film opens in 3D on July 3, 2012.
Click on the image to see it in high-resolution. [Photo Credit: Peter Tangen]
And here’s the press release:
“THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN”
TO BE RELEASED JULY 3, 2012
CULVER CITY, Calif., February 14, 2011 – Columbia Pictures announced today that the title of the next Spider-Man film will be The AmazingSpider-Man.
The studio simultaneously released a photo of Andrew Garfield as Spider-Man, the first shot of Garfield in the famous full mask and suit.
The film, which is now in production and is being shot entirely in 3D, will be released on July 3, 2012. The film stars Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Campbell Scott, Irrfan Khan, Martin Sheen, and Sally Field. The film is directed by Marc Webb from a screenplay by James Vanderbilt and Alvin Sargent and Steve Kloves based on the Marvel Comic Book by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Laura Ziskin, Avi Arad, and Matt Tolmach are producing the Marvel Entertainment production for Columbia Pictures. The executive producers are Stan Lee, Kevin Feige, and Michael Grillo. The film’s official website is http://www.TheAmazingSpiderMan-movie.com.
About Sony Pictures Entertainment
Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE’s global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution; television production and distribution; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; a global channel network; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of entertainment in more than 140 countries. Sony Pictures Entertainment can be found on the World Wide Web athttp://www.sonypictures.com.
About Marvel Entertainment
Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of over 5,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in licensing, entertainment (via Marvel Studios and Marvel Animation) and publishing (via Marvel Comics). Marvel’s strategy is to leverage its franchises in a growing array of opportunities around the world, including feature films, consumer products, toys, video games, animated television, direct-to-DVD and online. For more information visit www.marvel.com.
Here’s some news that may leave Batman fans scratching their heads. Scouting is currently underway in Michigan for The Dark Knight Rises; production crews reportedly scouted locations, including a water treatment plant, in Grand Ledge’s Fitzgerald Park last week, but for something entirely unexpected. Sources told Michigan’s WILX [via AICN] “the area is being considered as a hideout for Batman sidekick Robin.”
Another rumor? A killer joke? Didn’t Christian Bale say he’d “refuse to work” if Robin was introduced into the new Batman stories? Still, this news is quite intriguing, especially when coming off the heels of Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s possible addition to the cast. Could he be the boy wonder, forced to take the mantle when/if Bane breaks the Bat’s back? Could be a unique take on the Knightfall storyline … repeat after me: IN NOLAN I TRUST.
Anne Hathaway and Tom Hardy were recently cast as Selina Kyle (aka Catwoman) and Bane, respectively, in The Dark Knight Rises, scheduled for release on July 20, 2012.
The nominees for the 83rd Annual Academy Awards have been announced. The King’s Speech led the pack with 12 nominations. True Grit followed with 10 nominations while early favorite The Social Network racked up eight. Most of the nominees were easy to predict. While I’m not surprised that John Hawkes (Winter’s Bone), Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone), and Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit) nabbed acting nominations, I’m happy they were recognized for their work. I’m also ridiculously happy that Exit Through the Gift Shop picked up a nod for Best Documentary.
As far as snubs go, the biggest one has to be Christopher Nolan for Inception. While he picked up the DGA nomination, the Academy chose to go with Joel and Ethan Coen for True Grit. As someone who loved the hell out of True Grit, it’s hard for me to complain.
Winners will be announced on February 27th. James Franco and Anne Hathaway are set to host the awards ceremony.
BEST FILM
Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
The King’s Speech
127 Hours
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter’s Bone
[Matt’s note: Absolutely no surprises here, although I suppose you could argue that The Town got snubbed]
BEST DIRECTOR
Darren Aronofsky – Black Swan
David O. Russell – The Fighter
Tom Hooper – The King’s Speech
David Fincher – The Social Network
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen – True Grit
[These five films are the real nominees and actually, the contest at this point is really between The King’s Speech and The Social Network. I wouldn’t be surprised if Fincher ends up winning Best Director but The King’s Speechtakes home Best Picture]
BEST ACTOR
Javier Bardem – Biutiful
Jeff Bridges – True Grit
Jesse Eisenberg – The Social Network
Colin Firth – The King’s Speech
James Franco – 127 Hours
[Oscar writers are masturbating furiously about all the jokes they can make since host James Franco is also a nominee]
BEST ACTRESS
Annette Bening – The Kids Are All Right
Nicole Kidman – Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence – Winter’s Bone
Natalie Portman – Black Swan
Michelle Williams – Blue Valentine
[Again, no real surprises but nice to see Lawrence in the mix. However, at this point, the race looks like a contest between Natalie Portman and Annette Bening]
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Christian Bale – The Fighter
John Hawkes – Winter’s Bone
Jeremy Renner – The Town
Mark Ruffalo – The Kids Are All Right
Geoffrey Rush – The King’s Speech
[From now on, you can say Oscar nominee John Hawkes. That’s amazing]
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams – The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter – The King’s Speech
Melissa Leo – The Fighter
Hailee Steinfeld – True Grit
Jackie Weaver – Animal Kingdom
[Very happy that the Academy recognized Weaver’s tremendous performance in Animal Kingdom even though the film barely saw a release in the U.S.]
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Another Year
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
The King’s Speech
[It’s tough to see The King’s Speech not winning this although I think these are all worthy films, although I would have liked to seen Black Swanpick up a nomination]
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
127 Hours
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter’s Bone
[This is Aaron Sorkin’s award to lose.]
BEST ANIMATED FILM
How to Train Your Dragon
The Illusionist
Toy Story 3
[And the award for Best Toy Story 3 in Best Toy Story 3 goes to…]
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Biutiful
Dogtooth
In a Better World
Incendies
Outside the Law
[There are a lot of Dogtooth fans out there that are very happy this morning since the film didn’t seem likely to receive a nomination. I personally haven’t seen the film yet, but it’s been on my list for a while now]
BEST DOCUMENTARY
Exit Through the Gift Shop
Gasland
Inside Job
Restrepo
Waste Land
[Banksy is now not only one of the world’s most popular street artists. He’s an Oscar nominee. Also, the second biggest snub has to be not nominating Waiting for “Superman”. Why does the Academy hate children?!]
BEST EDITING
Black Swan
The Fighter
The King’s Speech
127 Hours
The Social Network
[Very surprised Inception didn’t get nominated in this category. The editing in that film is so crucial to the storytelling. In 127 Hours, it’s fine, but slightly abrasive]
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Black Swan
Inception
The King’s Speech
The Social Network
The King’s Speech
[This is a tough category, but it’s one of the few where Black Swan could take home the prize]
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Alice in Wonderland
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1
Hereafter
Inception
Iron Man 2
[Two major surprises in this category: First, there are five nominees when usually there are only three. Second, Hereafter? Really? For what? Afterlife blur effects? Yeah, the tsunami scene is cool, but it doesn’t hold a blurry candle to the entirety of how Edgar Wright used effects in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World]
BEST MAKEUP
The Way Back
The Wolfman
[Oh, Make-up. You’re such a lazy category.]
BEST ART DIRECTION
Alice in Wonderland
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1
Inception
The King’s Speech
True Grit
[Alice in Wonderland does have impressive art direction…provided you’ve never seen a Tim Burton movie before]
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Alice in Wonderland
I Am Love
The King’s Speech
The Tempest
True Grit
[I’m betting The King’s Speech will win because dressing people in period costumes is apparently the most amazing thing ever]
BEST SOUND MIXING
Inception
The King’s Speech
Salt
The Social Network
True Grit
BEST SOUND EDITING
Inception
Toy Story 3
TRON: Legacy
True Grit
Unstoppable
BEST SCORE
How to Train Your Dragon
Inception
The King’s Speech
127 Hours
The Social Network
[It was a long shot, but I was hoping Daft Punk would get a nomination for their TRON: Legacyscore. Oh well.]
And the naysayers may have a fair point, as not a lot of hype was generated over
Movies Hype! 