Sci-Fi Movies Tuesday: Clash of the Titans, Ghost Rider 2, Transformers 3, Magneto, World War Z + more

This week’s Sci-Fi Movies column features updates on the Clash of Titans (including new images of the cast), an official date for Transformers 3, David Goyer talking about Ghost Rider 2 (plus a brief update on Magneto), and much more. We also have all the latest casting bites, images and videos, including lots of new stuff from Avatar.

 

GENRE MOVIE NEWS

Louis Leterrier & Sam Worthington Talk Clash of the Titans + New Images
The latest issue of Empire Magazine features director Louis Leterrier’s upcoming film "Clash of the Titans", and the magazine chatted with the director and star Sam Worthington about the film:

"What I wanted to do was just tell a very human story," says director Louis Leterrier. "Yes, I was really interested in doing the big monster fight at the end of that, but what was really interesting for me was the human side of it. Perseus is a conflicted hero, he hates it, which is so much better than a ‘real’ hero. The original Perseus is embracing it and takes the weapons Zeus gives him."

Here’s an excerpt of their interview with Sam Worthington, who plays Perseus (and look below for some new images):

"He’s just your golden hero that you’re meant to follow," says Worthington. "I feel when my Perseus starts out, he should be this bombastic tank. The gods have killed his family. He’s Charles Bronson! He’s gonna go for revenge, and the best way to achieve that is to kill the Kraken. Well, to kill the Kraken you gotta kill Medusa. To get to Medusa, you gotta take on the witches. Then once he kills the Kraken, he’s gonna kill fuckin’ Hades and Zeus and everybody else! But along the way he needs to learn to calm down, ask for help. And out of that comes the true hero. A hero isn’t someone who leads men; a hero is someone that’s in the trench with the men."

Set images, including first look at Liam Neeson [more at EW]

New images [Empire]

David Goyer Talks Ghost Rider 2 + X-Men Origins: Magneto Update
Last week Sony announced that they were moving forward with "Ghost Rider 2" based on a script written by David Goyer several years ago.  Collider recently had the opportunity to talk with Goyer and asked him about the project, which he confirms will be based on a script he wrote 9 years ago:

"“Ghost Rider 2” was going to be based on his 9 year old script and all they were going to have to do is polish it up. The reason for the polish is his script was written for an R rating, and Sony wants to make “Ghost Rider 2” PG-13. But while many of us would love to see an R rated “Ghost Rider”, he did say they got away with a lot in “The Dark Knight”, and he hopes to walk a similar path on “Ghost Rider 2”."

You can watch the video of the interview below:

Goyer also briefly discussed the still-in-development "X-Men Origins: Magneto", which he explains Fox is "still mulling" over but with all the other projects they’re working on (‘Deadpool’, ‘Wolverine 2’, etc.) isn’t sure when it’ll get off the ground, which is probably a good thing considering he’s so busy right now anyways:

Transformers 3 Officially Set for July 1, 2011 + Bay Knocks Fox
Writing on his official website, Michael Bay announced that "Transformers 3" will hit theaters on July 1, 2011.  The date has actually been in place since this past July, but Bay voiced concerns at the time of the announcement and made it known he preferred a July 2012 date.  But Bay’s now on board with the date, and also took the opportunity to call out star Megan Fox on some of her recent statements against him:

Well its official: We have a great Transformers 3 story. The release date is now July 1st 2011. Not 2012.

Today is Day One. This morning started with an ILM meeting for five hours in San Francisco. Currently I’m flying with writer Ehren Kruger to Rhode Island to talk to Hasbro about new characters.

P.S. Megan Fox, welcome back. I promise no alien robots will harm you in any way during the production of this motion picture. Please consult your Physician when working under my direction because some side effects can occur, such as mild dizziness, intense nausea, suicidal tendencies, depression, minor chest hair growth, random internal hemorrhaging and inability to sleep. As some directors may be hazardous to your health, please consult your Doctor to determine if this is right for you.

Roberto Orci also confirmed this morning that he and fellow "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" screenwriter Alex Kurtzman will not be returning to script the third film.

James McTeigue Talks About His Ideas for Superman
In the past, "V for Vendetta" director James McTeigue had been linked to a Superman movie — with possible involvement by the Watchowski brothers — and First Showing recently asked McTeigue if there was any truth to the rumor:

"Maybe some truth to… I’ve had some discussions, the Wachowskis to a lesser degree, but the Superman franchise is in a strange kind of place at the moment," McTeigue revealed. "I think they’re still trying to work out the mechanics of how that can come together."

Asked specifically about his pitch, here’s what McTeigue said:

"I think I would be interested in doing it if they let me do it the way I wanted to do it. I would say that, if you take the Richard Donner Supermans and the last Superman [from Bryan Singer], I think that Superman is probably ripe for a bit of a change up. I think society has changed around the core idea of what Superman was."

"And I’m not saying you do the ubiquitous dark Superman, I’m not saying that… I’m just saying that I think there are some things that you could excise from the Superman mythology that people would get into it, if you took the world that he was in and changed that a bit, and maybe even project that into the future a bit. I think you don’t really have to play into the origin story anymore. I think there’s a whole bunch of things you could do to make that film more alive and exciting again."

New World War Z Script Expected Within Weeks
"World War Z"
author Max Brooks assures fans that the big screen adaptation of his novel is still on track and told MTV that he was left very impressed with the film’s first script, written by "Babylon 5" creator J. Michael Straczynski:

"I read Straczynski’s first draft, and it was f—ing brilliant. As the book writer i know that’s sacrilege to say, but it really was good," Brooks said. "I turned to my wife and said ‘Honey, this is as good as the book. This is gonna be an amazing movie.’"

Matthew Michael Carnahan ("The Kingdom") has been brought on board to write a second draft, which Brooks says is due within the next few weeks:

"You know… the studio comes in and gives their notes and [director Marc] Forster came in and gave his notes," he explained. "Carnahan was brought in for reasons unbeknownst to me. Maybe he’s doing a polish, maybe he’s doing a top-down rewrite. I know that his draft is supposed to come in in the next few weeks."

Zombieland Wins Weekend with $25M + Paranormal Activity Expanding
The Woody Harrelson starring horror comedy "Zombieland" won the weekend with a solid $24.7 million from 3,036 sites.  The film finished ahead of "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" which took in $15.8 million from 2,977 theaters in its third week, pushing its domestic cume to $81.5 million ($87 million worldwide) and the 3D double-feature "Toy Story/"Toy Story 2" ($12.5 million).  "Surrogates", meanwhile, fell to fourth place in its second weekend with $7.2 million ($26.3 million domestic cume/$35 million worldwide).  Check out the complete list at Box Office Mojo.  Getting back to "Zombieland", writers Rhette Reese and Paul Wernick told io9 that they have ideas for a sequel (and more):

Rhett Reese: We don’t know it all depends on how the first one does. So grab your friends, and make them cast their vote for Zombieland 2 by buying a ticket to Zombieland 1.

Paul Wernick: We’ve got some really fun ideas. And interestingly the last day of the movie, Woody told us that, "I generally never go back to a world, I don’t love sequels, but this is one I would be honored to do." So pending the movie doing well and everyone being excited and loving it. As we hope they will, we’d love to do it.

Rhett Reese: And we’ll take what we intended to be episode three of the television show and start movie number two.

Paul Wernick: We got a 23 episode season in our head. So divided by two that’s about 12 movies in our head swimming around.

Elsewhere on the charts was the impressive performance turned in by "Paranormal Activity".  Appearing in just 33 theaters — and playing only after midnight — the film grossed $532,242 (a per theater average of $16,129).  The sold-out performances have caught Paramount’s attention and the studio will expand the film — just slightly — by moving up to all-day screenings at 40 theaters this weekend (beginning Friday, October 9th).

NEW IMAGES

2012

John Cusack on the set [EW]

Avatar

Mattel toyline (more to see/preorder at Amazon and Toys"R"Us) [via io9]

Concept art

Promotional images [more at SpoilerTV-Movies]

Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant

Promotional images [more at io9]

The Green Hornet

Set images (includes first look at Seth Rogen as the Green Hornet) [more at People, Daily Mail and Splash News]

Iron Man 2

Set image of Robert Downey Jr./Iron Man [EW]

The Lovely Bones

Saoirse Ronan on the set [EW]

The Twilight Saga: New Moon

First look at Tinsel Korey as Emily [Dread Central]

CASTING BITES

  • Walton Goggins has reportedly been cast in the Robert Rodriguez-produced/Nimrod Antal-directed sci-fi film "Predators".  There are no details on what role he may play. [ComingSoon]
  • Kodi Smitt McPhee, Chloe Moretz and Richard Jenkins have all joined the cast of Matt Reeves’ ("Cloverfield") "Let Me In", an adaptation of the novel "Let the Right One In". The film begins principal photography this fall in New Mexico. [Overture Films]
  • Contrary to online rumors, Robert Pattinson will not be starring in Peter Berg’s adaptation of "Dune". [Zap2It]
  • Stellan Skarsgard has reportedly joined the cast of "Thor".  His role is currently unknown. Stellan’s son Alexander was actually in the running to play Thor. [Ystands Allehanda via Cinematical]
  • Edward James Olmos plays Michael Axford, a reporter at the Daily Sentinel, in Columbia Pictures’ "The Green Hornet" and discusses his role in interview with the LA Times’ Hero Complex Blog.
  • Robert Downey Jr. is reportedly in talks to star in Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Broadway show/1950 big-screen film "Harvey". [LA Times’ Hero Complex Blog]
  • Hugh Jackman is in talks to star in the Shawn Levey-directed "Real Steel". The DreamWorks film is described as a "Rocky-esque tale of a fighter who has to reinvent himself when human boxers are replaced by robots."  Jackman would play the ex-fighter, who becomes a struggling Robot Boxing promoter. [Variety]


NEW VIDEOS

2012

Five-minute clip

Cirque due Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant

Clip

Watch eight more clips here [via io9]

The Crazies

Trailer

Iron Man 2

Interview with Don Cheadle (Col. James ‘Rhodey’ Rhodes/War Machine)

Justice League: Crisis On Two Earths

Sneak peek

The Lovely Bones

On the set

The Princess and the Frog

First five minutes

The Revenant

Trailer

Shutter Island

Trailer #2

Splice

Clip

Tooth Fairy

Trailer

Zombieland

End credits scene [SPOILERS]

MOVIE BITES

  • Olivia Wilde called her experience working on "Tron Legacy" "the most difficult thing [she’s] ever done". [ComingSoon]
  • Jane Lynch talks about her cameo in the Simon Pegg/Nick Frost sci-fi comedy "Paul", where she plays the role of a restaurant owner: “[My character] owns the Ailey-Inn and she’s way into it,” Lynch said. “She’s profiting financially from [all these alien-hunting tourists], so she’s their good friend.” [MTV]
  • Warner Bros. has set an August 13, 2010 release date for "Friday the 13th Part 2".  The film will be the 13th in the franchise. [Bloody-Disgusting]
  • Emily Blunt on "The Adjustment Bureau", an adaptation of the Philip K. Dick novel: "It’s like a modern love story, but it’s got an ominous sci-fi backdrop to it," Blunt said. "It’s going to be exciting and disconcerting and strange, which is what I like about [Dick’s] work. It’s very cool and clever. It’s got a really tight script." [MTV]
  • "A Nightmare on Elm Street" producer Brad Fuller chats about and confirms the film will get an R-rating: "Are you kidding me," Fuller said when asked if the film will be rated PG-13. "Make no mistake about it this is a R-rated movie." [Bloody-Disgusting]
  • Warner Bros. has announced that Christopher Nolan’s sci-fi film "Inception" will be released in IMAX as well as conventional theaters on July 16, 2010. [Warner Bros.]
  • Check out an interview with "Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant" star John C. Reilly at Shock Till You Drop.
  • MGM’s money troubles have subsided some.  The studio has been granted three months of leniency on their interest payments (on debt of roughly $3.7B).  The studio’s highest-profile project, "The Hobbit", is also safe thanks to partner Warner Bros., who is leading the production, stepping up to cover any immediate expenses on the project. [Variety and THR]
  • Although "Where the Wild Things Are" author Maurice Sendak encouraged writer/director Spike Jonze and writer Dave Eggers to change some things when bringing the classic story to the big screen, the two reveal that Sendak was concerned with one key change they made involving the way Max enters the world of the Wild Things.  More observations from a reporters roundtable with the cast and crew of "Where the Wild Things Are" can be read at io9 and SCI FI Wire.
  • "Avatar" producer Jon Landau on a possible sequel: "If the public likes Avatar, it’s a possibility. After all, here we are exploring the surface of the planet Pandora. The interior remains to be seen."… [SlashFilm]
  • …Landau also talked about how director James Cameron is considering expanding the story in a novelization: "Trying to condense our story into a 140-page screenplay, or two-and-a-half hours of screen time, is no easy task", Landau explained. "There are great ideas and themes and character journeys that we did not have the time to go on in the script or in the movie. I think Jim wants to take the opportunity to flesh those out and make them available to people."… [IGN]
  • …And lastly, Mattel has launched a new website for the film at Avatar i-Tag where you can scan your Avatar i-Tags (included in the Mattel toys) to take part in augmented reality interaction.


Follow Russ on his blog: Your Entertainment Now and on Twitter: Twitter.com/YourEntNow.

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Can’t wait to see The Lovely Bones. It looks like it’s going to be really good!

I won’t lie, I’m baffled. “Wolverine 2”? Why are they even making it?? Didn’t enough people kill themselves after seeing the first one?

Magneto deserves his own movie but his story has already been told, ie. the first 3 X-Men movies, starting with the Auschwitz thing and ending with the horrid CG flashback in X-Men 3. For everything else there’s Schindler’s List.

And I can’t even pretend to understand the logic behind making a Deadpool movie. The character was so unspeakably lame in Wolverine… the actor hasn’t the charisma to hold up a movie on his own. I sincerely hope that someone notices this and changes the character a lot.

@ 2 – I concur largely, except I like the idea of a Magneto film. But yes Wolverine 2 and Deadpool…no thanks

Yay Justice League. Yay Andrea Romano….one of the best in the biz. I’d love to work with her.

I’m not surprised orci and kurtzman are not writng for transformers 3. They took a lot of heat for Bay’s over the top presentation in the last one.

…oh yeah. And Michael Bay’s response to Megan Fox is proof that he wouldn’t know funny if it bit him in the ass. I mean what was he getting at? Quite lame.

I don’t blame O & K for not wanting to return to Transformers. I mean, this’ll be a great opportunity for them to write even lousier scripts for future films! :D

more time to focus on Trek for Orci and Kurtzman!

Jazzed about The Crazies and The Vampires Assistant.

@ 3 Well I’d like a GOOD Magneto film … and I understand that’s a subjective thing to say to begin with, but I stand by it.

I’m just not sure what more there is to tell – that is to say, if they go the Origins route. Of course they’ll probably just retcon the hell out of things and make it hopelessly mismatched with the movies that exist already.

Ugh! Nothing new or terribly interesting here. As I’ve said in the past, Hollywood is all out of original ideas.

I really hope Disney’s foray back into 2D animation is successful. They seem to think it’s the style and not the substance which made Pixar so much more successful than the traditional Disney films of the late 90s. 2D can work and work well, but you’ve got to be willing to break away from the Disney “outcast boy from one place meets overly independent girl from another place and they team up to stop exploitative guy from boy’s place from destroying girls place” model. I really want to see more hand drawn cartoons.

New animated Trek anyone?

While I love DC Comics, DC’s animated films and I’m especially intrigued by an Earth-1/Earth-3 story…I’m really not sure about the voice acting.

After using the incredible talent of the original animated cast for Public Enemies, why change everything up for this one. Mark Harmon actually sounded great as Superman but Baldwin’s Batman was ‘Meh’ at best. Also, shouldn’t Batman and Owlman have the same voice actor is they’re parallel versions of each other?

Well, I’m sure it’ll be good but I’m a little surprised by the choices is all.

So apparently they’re just doing Clash of the Titans as a straight fantasy. Not that surprising, I guess, and at least people won’t come into myth classes thinking it’s the way things work.

Don’t really care about any of these projects though.

Wow. Seth Rogen AND Edward James Olmos together in “The Green Hornet”? Well, there’s ten bucks I can spend on a book instead.

How many Zombie pictures have been produced in the last 5 years?

I’m glad Orci and Kurtzman quit the transformers franchise. Michael Bay was a complete ass ! He really made them both look stupid after the Transformers 2 mess. Including the michael bay ”black-stereotypes” in Transformers 2, which was soooooo racist !

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again… To fix Superman, they’ve got to stop pretending he’s a wimp. You’ve got to restructure your story to be like Gladiator — where every time the hero stepped into the ring, we KNEW he was going to come out the winner. Question was, HOW? It created an ongoing feeling of catharsis the entire way through. And then, probably just as essential, is that anyone making a new Superman should really recognize that this hero in blue tights has been around for a very very long time and that there is more to him than Lex Luthor and green kryptonite. For crying out loud, tell a new story!

Problem solved. :)

16 – Too many.

I’m gettin’ good at math! :D

I hope that Transformers 3 gets made without Meagan Fox.

Anyway…Clash of the Titans looks good. I’m excited for that..

STOP it with the Transformers movies… They really, really suck.

Deadpool will be good if they totally ignore Wolverine.

So, what did Fox say about Bay that got him so riled up? Also…no Orci and Kurtzman? This isn’t going to end well.

Also, I’m so SICK of hearing how the 2nd movie sucked. They did it RIGHT. The basic plot(Decepticons plot to drain an Earth resource for Energon) is straight out of the old show!

I don’t get the preemptive nerdgasm over “Avatar.”

New 3D film-making technology. Big deal. Visual effects don’t make the movie.

#23: Amen. If Avatar is good, it’ll be because it’s written, acted and most importantly directed well. FX are parsley, not steak.

Frankly, I think that 2012 movie looks way cool. Let’s hope it isn’t a prediction of the future!

#22 Micheal Bay’s farting robot Transformer movies are quite lame. Even Battlefield Earth had better writing and directing.

And just because they used some old idea and applied it to the Bay-universe where everything is changed beyond recognition, well, that doesn’t make it good.

A robot humping the leg of Megan Fox.

Sam’s idiot parents.

Soundwave without his vocoded voice.

Constant immaturity.

Nah, thats not Transformers.

In the 60’s 70’s and 80’s..No big studio would even touch a zombie movie..especially the Romero kind..Seems also that the studios are running out of ways to scare audiences, so they are utilizing what’s left. I don’t mind new takes on zombie films, like resident evil, shaun of the dead and now zombieland.. I just wish Romero would get more credit for the genre he started. I’m taking my son to see zombieland this weekend, and can’t wait to see avatar!

Most of you people just make me laugh! Clueless and confident at the same time.

11 – Yes, they’re mostly dry on originality. But there are some out there trying to make it better.

15 – Seth, eh, yeah I can see where he may not be your cup of proverbial tea, but what’s the beef with Eddie Olmos? He’s a very talented, award-winning actor.

23 and 24 – Just wait. You will understand when you are meant to. And yes, story and character are the most important and in those regards, Cameron has always delivered fun, well made, films that have become classics; so trust in that. 3D is where the film and tv industry are moving…that you will have to get used to. Doing it right? That’s what AVATAR has done, changed the game. And the FX are brilliant! I would recommend waiting and seeing it in IMAX 3D when it comes out. Until then, hold off the naysaying a bit.

It always surprises me how people (especially sci-fi/fantasy fans) can so quickly attack films and stories about which they know very little and haven’t learned that the best way to truly enjoy these films is to quit spoiling them for yourselves. I’ve learned that. I read very little about a film now before going to see it, and it makes all the difference!

CE

#16 THX-1138

“How many Zombie pictures have been produced in the last 5 years?”

Like bad adaptations of Stephen King’s “The Children of the Corn”, they… just… keep… coming…!!!

(BTW, I just checked. IMDB lists NINETEEN “Children of the Corn” movies!!)

Congratulations to Bob and Alex on deciding not to do Transformers 3.

You could show 3 hours of transforming fighting robots with no story at all, and Transformers fans would pay $400 million to see it. It’s a shallow franchise.

28: “It always surprises me how people (especially sci-fi/fantasy fans) can so quickly attack films and stories about which they know very little and haven’t learned that the best way to truly enjoy these films is to quit spoiling them for yourselves.”

Yes. Too much bitching and not enough willingness to suspend judgment at least until it’s been seen the way it was meant to be seen.

I haven’t seen the 3D footage, but even the 2D footage looks beautiful. I’d go see it on the strength of that alone, and the fact that Cameron makes good movies.

Looking forward to Avatar but don’t get the spinal injury plot. So they can master interstellar travel, clone aliens and transfer your mind into these clones but they can’t repair spinal damage. Also why a wheel chair and not a robotic endo-skeleton.

28 – Thank you so much for enlightening us! Gee, I feel more clueful even while less confident.

EJO is just boring to me and hardly a box-office draw.

But thanks for the free, unsolicited judgment, Mr. Pomposas.

Plus, I forgot to mention that it’s a big-screen treatment of “The Green Hornet,” for cryin’ out loud. So, who cares?

33. “Also why a wheel chair and not a robotic endo-skeleton.”

Are you kidding me? The guy’s a Marine. You think the government is going to spring for an endo-skeleton over a wheelchair for a Marine? He’s lucky he got TWO wheels on that chair.

Fixing Superman, comment #18) cagmar kind of has it right, but there is one seene he never saw that explains why he became a whip (also known as a Beta or Gamma male) and the event was never caught of film. The script writers have been sprayed with Feminatzi perfume, this perfume turns Male Alpha Characters into Gamma Males. And it has nothing to do with Krypton. But it is a factor of Gender. And it does not effect only those from the planet Krypton, but it effects Places on Earth like DC. So if they ever find a cure for DC it will cure Superman’s ills. If not you’ll see Superman going were it looks like the last superpower is headed, and that’s history.

One more time:
Superman.
Period piece- 1930’s.
Savior of the people.
Limited powers.
Just do it!!!

I’m glad Robert and Alex got out of the Transformers bit, I hate Michael Bay and think that, despite being able to produce films that make a lot, is a horrible film maker. Those two proved that they can do better working with someone like JJ that actually isnt in it just for money. Also, when they had the previews before Zombieland, the one for the newest Twilight came on and everyone started booing, seriously made my day.

It’s been long enough they should make a Superman movie without tying in the the story line of previous films. Superman’s optimism, morality, and philosophy, however cannot be tinkered with.

Personally I would love it if they made something like the Highlander where they jump between an (identical) younger Superman of the 1930’s who was fighting social injustice and smaller crime and a modern Superman who is a strong old soul, looking at it all. An aging, dying Lois (or a woman like Lois from before– maybe Lana) and a novel threat worthy of him and I think you could make a really reverend but enjoyable film. If you had a story line like the 1st act of Doomsday (but maybe with Braniac as the villain) could be pretty interesting but suggest it end more positively. The only remaining question is how you make a sequel??? You’d need some cursory love interest, heroin in distress to bring him back to life.

The whole status of Superman confuses me a little, Superman Returns made $391M world wide and scored a respectable 76% on rotten tomatoes! Why then was there never the consideration to make a sequel?! I know it didn’t do Batman Begins kind of numbers which of course led to The Dark Knight being a phenominal sucess but you would have thought that a second Superman film would have been worthwhile, instead the Franchise is in limbo and with issues with owenership rights i fear another film could be years away. Superman and Batman have always been my favourite Superheroes and its awesome to see Batman have the recent success that it has had, it would be awesome to see Superman have that kind of success as well! :)

23: Not only that, but blue cat-elves don’t make a movie either.

There’d better be some serious story and character substance if it’s going to overcome the goofy factor, and not to be completely judgemental of the film before it’s out, but the trailer they released (of their own free will) shows nothing in the way of an original plot — and it does make suggestions, so you can’t say it just shows nothing, period. To be honest, when I heard there was going to be an alien race involved, I was hoping they’d think outside the box and create a species that wasn’t so bound to human anatomy. Perhaps they were just too worried about limiting the characters’ relatability.

#28: “Cameron has always delivered fun, well made, films that have become classics; so trust in that.”

Um. What? Sure, he’s made more classics than many directors can claim, but it’s ridiculous hyperbole to say that he’s _always_ done it.

“3D is where the film and tv industry are moving…that you will have to get used to.”

Um. What? What makes you think I need to ‘get used to’ it? (A) it’s old news (B) I love 3D animation and (C) it’s old. news.

“Doing it right? That’s what AVATAR has done, changed the game.”

How do you know? What does “changed the game” even mean? What game?

“Until then, hold off the naysaying a bit.”

Um, what? What naysaying?

#43: Thanks for responding to #28 exactly the way I would have.

Just to add my two cents:

I’m not being a bitchin’ naysayer. I happen to love 3D. I’m just suggesting that effects aren’t everything, and I can’t understand this ectstatic buzz to a movie that hasn’t been released yet.

It doesn’t mean I’m judging a movie before I’ve seen it; in fact, I’d say that’s what everyone *else* is doing when they call “Avatar” a classic based on 20 minutes of footage. It may well be the greatest genre game-changer since “Metropolis,” I dunno. But I’ll decide for myself when I see it.

So, Colonyearth, go ahead and call me “clueless and confident.” By all means, suggest imperiously that “you will understand when you are meant to. . . ” Because, frankly, I’m glad to hear the Truth Will Be Revealed When I Am Ready. Thanks for that. I was worried.

(I take it you’ve actually seen “Avatar,” then? The entire movie?)

Hopefully the lack of involvement in Transformers just means that Alex & Roberto will have that much more time to work on Trek 2. Or Trek 12. Or Trek: Something Something. Whatever.

Number 43 and 44 are right! Good effects do not make a good movie. If you want proof of that go see Transformers.

And not to jump on the attack of Avatar as well, but I just don’t see it. While the movie isn’t out for two months, the hype is entirely relegated to small corners of the internet.

Some people have such ungodly expectations of this film (Best Picture nom/win, 400+ million domestic take) that even a year ago they were praising the film based entirely on a treatment he wrote a decade ago and hype that smelled like studio fabrication. I just don’t see how anyone can believe that this is the second coming in cinema, with nothing but the trailer and a 16 minute long promo.

I’ve heard all these arguments before with people calling an upcoming movie to be the “biggest” ever whether it was because of technical achievement (Final Fantasy, Beowulf) or because of a rabid fan-base (Watchmen). Hype only works so far outside of fan circles before it is rendered meaningless by people who just don’t have any interest in the project.

The film may be good, but I can’t imagine it really being the kind of success that some people claim it will be.

Re:Avatar –

The expectations are a result of the hype, which is usually hard to live up to.

We’ve been promised a revolutionary, ground-breaking, game changing film…….. for 10 years no less!

Unless the story is great and interesting, I’ll pass, thank you. The images and footage I’ve seen so far leave me limp. I don’t care if it’s 3-D, 2-D, or on my 19″ monitor. It’s still CGI effects done over human actors, still obviously so, and still unbelievable. Been there, done that, no thanks.

That being said, everyone that made Transformers a hit will see this as well and make it a hit. Oh well, that’s the state of film-making these days.