Archive for November, 2013

Source: Wired | Posted By: Dan Geer

While Thor: The Dark World didn’t score as big of an opening as The Hunger Games: Catching Fire did this past weekend at the box office (or Iron Man 3, for that matter), it still is one of the more exciting blockbusters to have premiered this year. This writer, for one, thought it topped the original (which I also liked), and enjoyed it just about as much as Joss Whedon’s The Avengers. And, while the main things to make the film superior to 2011’s Thor were the film’s story and intriguing plot twists, Thor: The Dark World also managed to up the ante in terms of visual effects.

In a new featurette for the film from Wired, the advances in pre-visualization techniques are highlighted, as well as the fact that many practical effects were still used in the film. Hit the jump to watch!

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Source: Official Star Wars Website | Posted By: Dan Geer

Star Wars fans have been speculating for months now just when J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars: Episode VII will be released. When Disney first acquired Lucasfilm and announced there will be new Star Wars films, a 2015 release was planned for Episode VII, but no release date was given. Initially, most fans expected a Spring/Summer release, as every other Star Wars film has been released in May. But, as more time passed with reportedly nothing happening beyond the writing stage (and endless casting auditions/rumors), and the film’s shooting schedule being officially set for a Spring 2014 start date, people really started to wonder whether a Summer release was realistic.

Then, after Lucasfilm revealed that writer Michael Arndt was off the project and replaced by Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan, it seemed by many that it was inevitable that the release of the film would be delayed to no sooner than December 2015. THR even reported that Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy lobbied for a 2016 release to allow Abrams and company more time to create a satisfying film, but that Disney CEO Bog Iger was adamant on a 2015 release. Well, today the dust has finally settled. Disney/Lucasfilm has finally announced that Star Wars: Episode VII is set to open on December 18th, 2015.

So, almost 2016. Read on for the official press release!

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Source: Peter Jackson Facebook | Collider | Posted By: Dan Geer

Need something to hold you over before the release of Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug next month? Well, how about a new (and long-overdue) behind-the-scenes production diary, video of today’s worldwide Live Q&A Fan event with Jackson and company, and an epic new trailer? Yeah, I think that just might do it.

Today’s Live fan event, which was simulcast all around the world, covered a wide range of topics surrounding The Hobbit Trilogy, including what it was like coming back to the production this past summer for 10 additional weeks of shooting, which apparently was the toughest block of shooting Jackson had ever endured in his life. Fans were joined by the likes of Andy Serkis, Orlando Bloom, Luke Evans, Evangeline Lily, Lee Pace, Richard Armitage, Peter Jackson, and others to answer questions fans have been dying to have answered. On top of that, the event saw the debut of Production Video #12 as well as a brand trailer for the film, which I’m guessing will be the last one we see before the film’s debut next month. You can check out everything in one video after the jump (or just watch the trailer and Production Video separately).

So sit back, relax, and take in a very heavy dose of Middle Earth!

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