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Thursday, July 31, 2008

Don't Forget Your 'Tween Kids: Hannah Montana On Blu-ray And 3D - August 19th

Hey Moms and Dads and those 'tweens that have access to your parent's credit cards - Hannah Montana's Best of Both Worlds Concert: The 3-D Movie is available right now on pre-order and best of all it is on Blu-ray and it is in fact 3D!

Yep. This two-disc set has both 2-D and 3-D viewing options, Dolby 5.1 sound (I have heard that uncompressed 7.1 PCM audio is available too!) and both fullscreen and anamorphic widescreen formats.

You can order right here:

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: Luna Lovegood Embraces 3D!

In case you have forgotten that Warner released "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" with 3D scenes for the ending - it only makes sense that they should do it again!

And they are of course as we found out in March. Too bad the whole movie is not in 3D - but we will take it. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will be digitally converted into IMAX with select scenes in 3D and will be released concurrently with the 2D counterpart on November 21, 2008.

A new photo showing that Luna Lovegood obviously has embraced 3D as should we all!! UNITE!! With the 3D scenes in mind - take a look at the brand spankin' new trailer for the movie here:



Anyone care to lay odds for "Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows" being shot ENTIRELY in 3D? I think the handwriting is on the wall...

The Spielbergs Finally Enter The 3-D Horror Business

Hey guys - Jim here. Just got word that Steven's sister Nancy Spielberg will be filming her role as The Dead Body Guy's wife in the upcoming 3D Horror spoof movie HORRORWEEN on August 25th in Hollywood.

I am really looking forward to this production as, well... I am in it along with a lucky MarketSaw contest winner! However, there are some other pretty darn exciting actors involved: William Shatner, Jenna Jameson and Chuck Lamb (The Dead Body Guy) just to name a few.

Are we going to have fun shooting this? You bet. Joe Estevez (Martin Sheen's brother and uncle of Emilio Estevez and Charlie Sheen) is directing. Ed Meyer of Adirondack International Pictures is handling production.

Can anyone suggest any lines for me? My role is a Zombie and perhaps after presenting my case I may be able to ad-lib a bit! My friends keep saying that I have been typecast already... Hmmm...

Looking forward to seeing Nancy Spielberg in this role!

James Cameron to Headline 3DX keynote - Avatar footage may be shown

Hi everyone - Michael here. James Cameron will join Fox co-chair Jim Gianopulos and Dreamworks boss Jeffrey Katzenberg for the keynote address of the 3DX: 3D Film & Entertainment Technology Festival, which will be held in Singapore from November 19-23 and touts itself as the world's first fully 3-D based film festival.

Gianopulos tells Daily Variety that he expects to screen footage from either Ice Age 3, Avatar, or both, depending on what is ready to show, with the hope to speed the international transition to digital, which he calls, "slower than we'd like."

Certainly revealing Avatar would be the best way to pique the interest of the international exhibitors, as it will be the first 3-D film with mega-blockbuster potential. The timeframe also fits with Zoe Saldana's comment that we may see a teaser by December.

Keep an eye on the 3DX website for updates!

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Piranha 3D: Release Slated For July 2009!

Alexandre Aja

Alexandra Aja
was caught in a net over at the San Diego Comic Con by JoBlo and he spilled his guts about his gore fest movie coming at us in stereoscopic splendor: Piranha 3D. Probably the newest bit of information about the "earthquake releases prehistoric piranhas on spring break students" is that the window for release has been set for July 2009! I am speculating that the movie will most likely fit in between "Ice Age: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs" (July 1st) and "G-Force" (July 24th).

And yes, you're right! 2009 is breaking at the seams for 3D releases. We need to get those 3D screens in rollout project plans RIGHT NOW. Take a look at the scheduled releases. There is no less than 19 3D movies set to be screened in 2009 and only three of those movies do not have a date set yet. The studio response to 3D has been OVERWHELMING. Now with those recent theater chain commitments in place for RealD, we need to see some action to get those screens in place immediately. But I digress...

Here is some extracted info about Piranha 3D from JoBlo's recent interview (be sure to read the whole conversation here):

Q: Is PIRANHA 3D going to stick close to the Joe Dante original?
Aja: You know, it’s not really a remake at all. It’s a piranha movie, but there is not even one element or one scene from the Dante or the James Cameron movie. The story’s very simple: an earthquake releases a prehistoric piranha during Spring Break. So there’s going to be some crazy drunk kids getting killed.

Q: Is there going to be a lot of campy aspects to this? Is your movie going to be funny or is it going to be hard core horror?
Aja: It’s going to be hard core horror, but funny at the same time. You know, kind of like DEAD ALIVE.

Q: Are you looking forward to using the new 3D technology in the making of PIRANHA 3D?
Aja: When I was getting exdited about James Cameron coming out with AVATAR 3D, I was thinking about when we would see the first horror movie in 3D. You know, most of the work when making a horror movie is creating a world where you throw them inside the screen to scare them—but their only watching it. I’m looking forward to having the stuff come out of the screen at the audience, and give them nightmares. When you think about Spring Break, you think about drinking, you think about topless girls, and this movie is going to have it all.

Q: When is PIRANHA 3D expected to be released?
Aja: Next July. Yeah, it’s going to be happening very fast.

Anyone seeing a trend here in 3D movie making? Yep. Horror movies. I love it! Horror applies itself so well to 3D in many respects and should really enjoy the spoils of stereoscopic spectacularism!
If that's even a word... Guess it is now even if it wasn't! lol.

Image Source: TV Guide

Monday, July 28, 2008

Quick Post: New Clip From "Fly Me To The Moon"

Hey guys - Jim here: A new video clip has surfaced for FLY ME TO THE MOON - check it out!




"Journey To The Center Of The Earth" 3D Still Kicking Butt

Jim here. Well what do you know? JOURNEY 3D is still raking in respectable dollars at the box office and after having recouped its production costs, it is now into pure profit mode. This is quite astounding as it had to fight off a couple of new entries this weekend, but it still managed to overcome THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE on Saturday and Sunday. Amazing.

Adding in the international receipts and JOURNEY 3D is now at ~$72m. The numbers are showing amazing durability for the 3D movie as more and more families are realizing the value of seeing it. There is littl
e violence in the movie aside from an attacking T-Rex which never does land a bite and death is only hinted at and is not focused on at all. Some scenes can be intense yes, but can be easily explained away to a child of correct age. I feel comfortable bringing a child to this movie and so do others it seems! For such a moderate budget movie to do so well in 3D is awesome for the industry. Heck, JOURNEY 3D did twice the business of Hellboy 2 this weekend and they were released at the same time. Again the power of 3D screens comes to bear as JOURNEY 3D is in only 2,688 theaters, while X-FILES was in 3,185 and HB2 in 3,018.

The success of JOURNEY 3D is certainly setting the stage for FLY ME TO THE MOON which is due out in theaters this August 15th.

Images and Stats courtesy of Box Office Mojo


Johnny Depp Wears Many Hats: Takes Mad Hatter Role in Burton's "Alice In Wonderland" in 3D!

Hi all - Jim here. Johnny Depp has accepted the role of The Mad Matter in Tim Burton's 3D fantasy epic ALICE IN WONDERLAND. While there was some talk of the role going to a lesser known actor, ultimately I think we all knew that Depp BELONGED in this flick somehow and if the role of Alice was really going to an actress, then what would the next plum role be? Of course. It all kinda makes mad sense.

So what does this mean for the movie? Well obviously AIW3D is going to have an edge to it and just how far will Burton take that edge is anyone's guess. The man has a blank slate in front of him and a full palette of imagination - that is SCARY in his hands! Should make for a simple awesome stereoscopic movie.

Stay tuned for more casting news when it comes!! What do you think of the casting so far? Sound off!

Source: The Sun



Sunday, July 27, 2008

Comic-Con 2008: Pixar's UP & Pete Docter on 3-D!

Hi everyone, Michael here with some words from UP director Pete Docter (Monsters, Inc.) at the Pixar / Disney panel regarding his plans for the stereoscopic aspects of the first ever 3-D Pixar film.


During the Q & A portion of the panel, I asked Docter the following:

Q:  "I was wondering, because it is the first Pixar movie that will be shown in stereoscopic 3-D, what your process is like in planning for a 3-D movie?"

A:   "I don't know. (crowd laughs) Yeah, we're still figuring it out ourselves. We have a whole team that's set up to operate specifically for the 3-D part of it. We're thinking it's pretty much just in terms of our normal storytelling: what's the best way to communicate this visually?

This team has done a lot of study in terms of what 3-D does, and how to maximize the effect of it and they are going to be advising us as we go along, so it's going to be a learning curve for everybody. We just got into it."


Check out Comingsoon.net for great in-depth descriptions of both the Bolt and UP panels and footage.  I thought both looked great: Bolt seems like it will be an extremely cute, funny movie (especially for pet owners), while UP is like Pixar doing Miyazaki.  Docter's answer to the 3-D question gives me a lot of confidence that Pixar is living up to their reputation as a studio that always puts the story first, and that will use all tools (including 3-D) to further that story.

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Comic-Con 2008: Terminator: Salvation panel pics!

Michael here with some pictures of the Terminator: Salvation cast from the panel earlier today. The best news out of the panel in my opinion was director McG saying that the movie will be whatever rating it needs to be...he is not cutting the film in order to fit a predetermined rating. So an "R" is definitely still in the cards-- it will just depend on what McG thinks makes a better film.

Sam Worthington and Moon Bloodgood:



Sam Worthington:




Anton Yelchin and Bryce Dallas Howard:



McG:



Moon Bloodgood:



After today's amazing footage Terminator: Salvation is now firmly my second most anticipated movie of 2009.  Can't wait to see more!




First Look: "My Bloody Valentine 3D" Poster!


Hey all - Jim here. Something interesting from our friends over at BloodyDisgusting.com - a first look at the upcoming "My Bloody Valentine 3D" poster! Looks pretty darn bloody. The image is slightly askew as it was actually being held by someone.

Lets see the heart must mean Valentine's Day right?? Not too hard to grasp that one. Well, if you are familiar with the original story you know that there is a unique slant on the human heart in one scene particularly...

I really like how this movie is shaping up guys! I think the potential is there to break horror film box office records with this... We. shall. see.

Oh and the second image is another closer view from ShockTillYouDrop.com (I enchanced the original a bit)...







Comic-Con 2008: Terminator: Salvation footage ROCKS!

Hey folks, Michael here, and Comic-Con 2008 has a clear winner in terms of raw spectacle, scope, and badass characters--and that winner is Terminator: Salvation, which just screened a whole bunch of footage featuring Christian Bale as John Connor, an insanely intense Avatar lead Sam Worthington, Anton Yelchin, the incredibly attractive Moon Bloodgood, and rapper Common as Connor's right hand man.

Worthington was amazing in the clips, especially in the scenes where he faces off against John Connor.  Director McG said that he wanted an actor with the manliness and toughness to stand up against Christian Bale, and that Sam has those qualities in spades.  Indeed, the animosity between the two is palpable and should be awesome to watch this coming May.  I definitely see what James Cameron was talking about when he said the following of Sam:

“You know how Russell Crowe has this kinda innate strength about him and how in GLADIATOR men would follow him into hell. Well Jake needs to have that and for a young guy. And most of these young guys, they’re either physical, meaning that they’re like buff handsome guys who are pretty good actors; or they have a kind of vulnerability that they can reach, but very few of them know how to stand up and be a man……He’s just a really good actor”


The full Terminator: Salvation teaser will debut in front of Quantum of Solace on November 7.

Friday, July 25, 2008

Comic-Con 2008: Disney Reveals "TR2N" Sneak Peak - Not In Disney Digital 3D Yet

Jim here. Got word from Jim Hill that Disney just surprised a "Race To Witch Mountain" audience with a 3 minute sneak preview of their newly in production TR2N. Word is that this movie will showcase their Disney Digital 3D process and is pegged for release in the spring of 2011.

Disney has kept this hush hush for some time now and even had Jeff Bridges come in to do a scene in only a single afternoon to keep the buzz low. Jim also says that if you missed the TR2N clip - Disney MAY be showing it again in the BOLT and UP presentation on Saturday!

From Mr. Hill's blog: "Showing two lightcycles zooming across a seemingly infinite game grid. Of course, this being 2008 rather than 1982 ... The game has changed somewhat over the past 26 years. Now players can race across different levels of the same terrain, using spiral ramps up or down in an attempt to gain an advantage over their opponents.

And as for the lightcycles themselves ... They were very reminiscent to the bikes seen in the original Steve Lisberger film. Only bigger and meaner-looking. Which -- given the way that these two vehicles battered against one other as they raced across the course, sending showers of blue & yellow sparks flying everywhere -- only seemed appropriate.

Yeah, this was definitely not your Daddy's "Tron." As was apparent by the appearance of first a grey, bearded version of Flynn (Jeff Bridges). Who was holed up in this austere furturistic penthouse which overlooked the game grid. This was then followed by the appearance of a much younger looking CG Flynn. Who -- as the injured lightcycle rider lay crumpled at Flynn's feet said "Hey, it's only a game" -- he powered up his energy disk and then said "Not anymore." And as this CG Flynn moved in for the kill, the "TR2N" logo formed onscreen."

This sounds like kinda how SPEEDRACER should have been done if you ask me. And with the movie blazing away in glorious 3D, it should be quite the spectacle! Nice call Disney!

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Comic-Con 2008: Quantum Quest panel!


Michael here.  Quantum Quest (aiming for a September 2009 release in both IMAX 3D and RealD) just had its panel, and the artwork and early CG animation they showed look very promising.  The opening shot--moving through the ice chunks of Saturn's rings until we rest on the Cassini craft--is breathtaking.  Moreover, the passion of the NASA/JPL scientists, astronauts, writers, and voice actors involved in the project is contagious.

Despite the educational outreach efforts of the film, the panel made it clear that Quantum Quest is first and foremost a great, fun time at the movies, and promised that it will be spectacular when viewed in 3-D.

The plot centers on "Dave the Photon", a gold-skinned, dreadlocked particle/wave of light with spiral tattoos on his chest and face (voiced by the new James T. Kirk, Chris Pine).   Born in the center of the Sun, the young Dave must confront the Core (William Shatner), a Godlike being, before escaping the confines of his birthplace.  Once outside his home, Dave meets an assortment of quirky characters--and perhaps a love interest?--on his voyage to the outer Solar System, where he must confront his fears and battle enemies (including the aptly named Ignorance and Major Moron, who only have a half a brain between them and seek to promote willful stupidity) to save the Cassini spacecraft and, hence, human knowledge of space.

The character designs are very creative.  Besides Dave, we have creatures with horns, dinosaur inspired creatures, a lithe female reptilian alien with acrobatic skills, and a smallish alien with multiple eye stalks popping from the top of its head.  

And, of course, the science in the film will be great--the project uses actual data and images from NASA probes to create its worlds.

The all-star voice actor cast also includes Neil Armstrong in his first ever film role, Samuel L. Jackson, Brent Spiner, Robert Picardo, Jason Alexander, Doug Jones, William Shatner, Gary Graham, James Earl Jones, Mark Hamill, Sandra Oh, Abigail Breslin, and Tom Kenny.  Neil and Chris Pine even recorded personal messages for the Comic-Con audience!

Check out more information on the film (including more on the characters, including artwork) at http://www.qqthemovie.com

I can't wait to see more of this.  It looks to be something special.


Comic-Con 2008: Wolverine trailer & Hugh Jackman!!!


Hey folks, Michael here.  Hugh Jackman just came out at the end of the Fox panel to rapturous applause, literally right off the plane from Australia after wrapping the Wolverine shoot merely hours ago!

After telling the audience how much he had always wanted to bring X-Men to Comic-Con, he played an AWESOME trailer. Gambit was shown throwing charged cards in a fanlike pattern, Sabretooth, Deadpool, and a few other mutants were present, the adamantium bonding process was shown, and there was a kickass action scene involving military vehicles, a helicopter, and claws.  The movie looks very much in the realistic vein of The Dark Knight.  And with an amazing director in Gavin Hood, we'll all hopefully be in for something special come May 1, 2009!

P.S. No Avatar announcements, but the Wolverine surprise was really cool.  The audience went insane!

Thanks to Ronald Sanchez & Tabitha DeVuyst (the awesome people sitting next to me) for the photo!

Quick Post: "Fly Me To The Moon" Launch Date Moved Up To August 15th! Check Out The Trailer...

Jim here. Summit Entertainment's FLY ME TO THE MOON has been moved up to August 15th for their release date in the US and Canada.

July 16, 1969. NASA's space program was in full swing. A moon landing was about to become a reality. Astronauts, Neil Armstrong, "Buzz" Aldrin and Michael Collins headed up the historic mission.

That's what you do know...
What you don't know is that FLY ME TO THE MOON is the story of how three ordinary flies, NAT, I.Q. and SCOOTER managed to sneak aboard the Apollo 11 and forever changed the course of history! Not to mention, gain heroic confidence, overcome a few death-defying challenges and just maybe put an end to the notion that "dreamers get swatted."

Hey great! The sooner the better. I think the trailer looked pretty good in front of JOURNEY 3D and whats with space missions always changing their launch dates anyway? :-) The trailer is below:


Mia Waskowska is Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland!


Jim here. It's official! Australian Mia Waskowska has been named the lead in Tim Burton's upcoming 3D fantasy flick "Alice In Wonderland".

Would like to hear what you think of the selection given that SOOOO many actresses (and an actor - Johnny Depp) wanted this plum role.

Personally I think that Amanda Seyfried would have been my choice (Mamma Mia was spectacular), but Burton must have his reasons!

As always - will let you hear more when I get it. I have said it before and will say it again - this movie has blistering blockbuster written all over it. The amount of fan questions coming in about this movie top most others (AVATAR excepted of course) and you can almost visually see the excitement building in the blogoshere. Gotta love 3D!



Image Courtesy of Getty Images


MarketSaw Exclusive Update: GODSPEED 3D In Active Pre-Production

Jim here. Just spoke again (last conversation was here) with Sherry Voigt last night who is a Producer for the upstart racing movie GODSPEED 3D. She says they are still in active pre-production and that they will be attaching their main cast shortly.

There is precious little to go on in this movie at the moment. We know the tag line is: "Sibling rivalry at 200 MPH".

Sherry did say that "Our audience will experience what it's like to be behind the wheel of a car going 200 mph!" So it doesn't take much to imagine that GODSPEED will involve some sort of competition between siblings at a professional racing level with in-car perspectives in 3D for the audience.

Star Wars Producer, Rick McCallum is attached as the Executive Producer. The last we left it, they were still in talks with NASCAR - but she says the movie will be made regardless of that affiliation or not. They will be shooting in Michigan, Florida, Georgia and probably North Carolina and the tentative start date is September 15, 2008.

More exclusive info when I get it. The movie sounds like a rush! I am kinda hoping that there will be a high speed accident just to see what that would be like in 3D - but that sounds kinda morbid! Still... :-)

Logo Courtesy of NASCAR


Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Katzenberg Confirms What MarketSaw Already Knows: George Lucas To Re-release Star Wars I - VI in 3D!

Jim here. Comingsoon.net spoke with Jeffrey Katzenberg on the 22nd and lo and behold the cat is out of the bag from someone who ought to know: George Lucas is re-releasing STAR WARS Episodes I through VI in stereoscopic 3D! Well, we already knew this - since at least April of last year. Furthermore, I have a source within the Lucas camp that has told me that he will not release the franchise in 3D until there are at least 5000 screens to handle the medium. Now is the time to start the conversions because RealD alone has commitments for 5500 3D screens. This is awesome news to the die hard Star Wars fans who will get to see yet another reworking of the franchise.

I've got my feelers out on this one again to get further information about the details surrounding this dealio. Who is doing the conversions? What is the cost to do this - I mean per MINUTE even? Will he take advantage of the reworking to insert more CGI using today's more advanced technologies? Etc.

I would like to see him pump them up a bit from the originals. But that is just me. They will look AWESOME in 3D.

"Monsters vs. Aliens" Photos From The Wild...


Brian over at our friends Film School Rejects scored some AWESOME photos directly from Dreamworks Animation for the upcoming "Monsters vs. Aliens" tentpole 3D animation next spring. Have a look and check out his full story and more images here!

These images look pretty darn good at this stage in the game. He received images of B.O.B. (voiced by Seth Rogen), Dr. Cockroach Ph.D. (Hugh Laurie), The Missing Link (Will Arnett), Ginormica (Reese Witherspoon), Insectosaurus, General W.R. Monger (Keifer Sutherland), The President (Stephen Colbert), and Gallaxhar. Still plenty of production left on their schedule but I am pumped to see these images! Thanks Brian!



"Journey To The Center Of The Earth" 3D Poll Results Are In: 81% Checking It Out In Theaters!


Hey guys - Jim here. Just closed our latest 3D Poll question which asked: "How excited are you for "Journey to the Center of the Earth" in 3D - opening July 11th?" Over 80% of you are interested enough to go check it out in the theaters and another 7% will wait to view it on DVD or 3D media. Sure, MarketSaw's readership is skewed towards folks interested in 3D, but still it is a great indication of the level of acceptance for the movie.

Incidentally, "Journey" 3D has raked in over $45 million domestically ($57m worldwide) and ALMOST ($1,624,423) overtook "Hancock" ($1,684,785) for Monday) -- on a ~1000 fewer theaters mind you -- to take over the number 3 position behind "The Dark Knight" and "Mamma Mia"!

THAT is 3D at work baby. I love it.

Stats: Box Office Mojo


Comic-Con 2008 Coverage Preview!


Michael here.  I'll be in San Diego covering Comic-Con for MarketSaw from Thursday through Sunday, updating as often as possible (let us hope the free wifi in the convention center stands up to the 140,000 attendees!)

There will be several 3D related panels this year, including UP and Bolt from Disney/Pixar on Saturday and the NASA-sponsored, Star Trek-actor-filled Quantum Quest on Thursday. And, of course, I'll be attending Warner Bros.' Terminator Salvation event on Saturday, where Avatar actor Sam Worthington might be on hand, and Thursday's Fox panel, where The Day the Earth Stood Still and Max Payne are the only films announced so far to have a presence at the panel...but, as any regular conventioneer knows, however, surprises are a dime a dozen at the Con.  Might there be an Avatar-related announcement at the Con?  If there is, the Fox panel is where it will most likely be!

The panels:

Thursday, July 24

11:30-1:00 20th Century Fox: The Day The Earth Stood Still and Max Payne—
Stars Keanu Reeves and Jennifer Connelly, plus director Scott Derrickson and producer Erwin Stoff, present an exclusive look at The Day The Earth Stood Still, Fox's contemporary reinvention of its 1951 classic. Keanu is Klaatu, an alien whose arrival on our planet triggers a global upheaval. As governments and scientists race to unravel the mystery behind the visitor's appearance, a woman (Jennifer) and her young stepson get caught up in his mission—and come to understand the ramifications of his being a self-described "friend to the Earth." Klaatu Barada Nikto.

The legendary interactive video game Max Payne comes to the big screen, telling the story of a maverick cop determined to track down those responsible for the brutal murder of his family and partner. Hell-bent on revenge, his obsessive investigation takes him on a nightmare journey into a dark underworld. As the mystery deepens, Max is forced to battle enemies beyond the natural world and face an unthinkable betrayal. "Max Payne" himself—Mark Wahlberg—will be on hand with Mila Kunis, Ludacris, and director John Moore to discuss turning the game's noirish, hard-hitting, and complex world and characters into a movie event. Hall H

3:30-4:30 Quantum Quest— This stellar panel will introduce Comic-Con audiences to Quantum Quest, the 3-D, large format CGI-animated film designed to both excite and educate young audiences about the wonders of science. Joining the panel will be co-directors Dr. Harry Kloor (Star Trek Voyager) and Dan St. Pierre (Everyone’s Hero, Shark Tales), voice actorsBrent Spiner (Indpendence Day, Star Trek: The Next Generation), Robert Picardo (Star Trek), Gary Graham (Enterprise), Anousheh Ansari, the world’s first female private space explorer whose blog from space thrilled millions of visitors daily, and Charles Kohlhase, the NASA/JPL coordinator for the film. Shawn Clement, the film’s composer, rounds out the panel. Ballroom 20

Saturday, July 26

1:15-2:00 Warner Bros.: Terminator Salvation— In the highly anticipated new installment of The Terminator film franchise, set in post-apocalyptic 2018, Christian Bale stars as John Connor, the man fated to lead the human resistance against Skynet and its army of Terminators. But the future Connor was raised to believe in has been altered in part by the appearance of Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington), a stranger whose last memory is of being on death row. Connor must decide whether Marcus has been sent from the future or rescued from the past. As Skynet prepares its final onslaught, Connor and Marcus both embark on an odyssey that takes them into the heart of Skynet’s operations, where they uncover the terrible secret behind the possible annihilation of mankind. Hall H

2:30-3:30 Disney Pixar: Bolt and UP
For superdog Bolt, every day is filled with adventure, danger and intrigue, at least until the cameras stop rolling. Be the first to see exclusive animation as directors Chris Williams and Byron Howard present the new 3D comedy-adventure from Walt Disney Animation Studios!

Then it's UP: From the inventive storytellers that have taken you into the worlds of space, toys, and superheroes comes the extraordinary adventure that will take you to a lost world where anything can happen, and everything will. Meet director Peter Docter (Monsters, Inc.) as he presents the first-ever look at Disney Pixar's new animated 3D adventure comedy, UP. Hall H

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

3D Eh? Cineplex and RealD Join To Bring 175 3D Screens To Canada

Bringing RealD's committed screen count to well over 5,500 now, Cineplex Entertainment of Canada signed up for 175 today to usher in the new modern era of 3D across Canada. Cineplex already has 41 installed RealD systems and will look to bring that total up to 175 starting this year. The expectation is that the total rollout will be done in time for the major 3D tentpoles next year.

This is great news for Canucks. While Empire Theatres already has some 3D screens across the country, Cineplex is signaling full steam ahead for coast to coast 3D entertainment. I love the commitment to getting these up and running for the big 3D titles next year!

"We are pleased to partner with RealD, the leader in 3D technology," said Ellis Jacob, President and CEO, Cineplex Entertainment. "There is an exciting slate of 3D films scheduled for release during the next 18 months that includes Jeffrey Katzenberg's Monsters vs. Aliens in addition to about a dozen other 3D films and this agreement with allow us to provide even more guests across the country with the most advanced digital 3D movie-going experience possible."

"We are thrilled to be the 3D provider of choice for Cineplex Entertainment," said Michael Lewis, Chairman and CEO, RealD. "The partnership brings next-generation 3D to even more cinemagoers across Canada." RealD is the global leader in 3D, with 90% of the worldwide digital 3D market and 97% of the domestic market. RealD is the most advanced digital 3D experience available in cinemas. The RealD cinema experience is based upon visualization technology used by NASA and Fortune 500 companies, and utilizes a circular polarization system to create a vivid and immersive three-dimensional picture.

About RealD:
RealD is the global leader in 3D, bringing the most advanced digital 3-D experience to cinemas worldwide. RealD's next-generation technology, deployed across the world's largest 3D platform in 27 countries, provides a stunningly realistic and immersive viewing experience beyond the usual concepts of 3D cinema. The impact of 3D upon today's moviemaking has been compared to the advent of color film when once there was only black and white.

About Cineplex Entertainment LP:
Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, Cineplex Entertainment LP owns, leases or has a joint-venture interest in 132 theatres with 1,337 screens serving approximately 61 million guests annually. Cineplex Entertainment LP is the largest motion picture exhibitor in Canada operating the following brands: Cinema City, Cineplex Odeon, Coliseum, Colossus, Famous Players, Galaxy, SilverCity and Scotiabank Theatres. The units of Cineplex Galaxy Income Fund, which owns approximately 76% of Cineplex Entertainment LP, are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (symbol CGX.UN).

Monday, July 21, 2008

Quick Post: SMPTE To Establish 3-D Home Entertainment Task Force

SMPTE to Establish 3-D Home Entertainment Task Force
Committee to Define Parameters of Stereoscopic 3-D Mastering Standard for Home Display

WHITE PLAINS, NY – July 21, 2008 -- The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) is establishing a task force to define the parameters of a stereoscopic 3-D mastering standard for content viewed in the home. Called 3-D Home Display Formats Task Force, the project promises to propel the 3-D home entertainment industry forward by setting the stage for a standard that will enable 3-D feature films and other programming to be played on all fixed devices in the home, no matter the delivery channel. The inaugural meeting of the Task Force is open to entertainment technology professionals interested in participating in the effort, subject to available space (SMPTE membership not required). It takes place on August 19, 2008 and will be hosted by the Entertainment Technology Center (ETC) at the University of Southern California, near downtown Los Angeles.

“Digital technologies have not only paved the way for high quality 3-D in the theaters, they have also opened the door to 3-D in the home,” explained SMPTE Engineering Vice President Wendy Aylsworth. “In order to take advantage of this new opportunity, we need to guarantee consumers that they will be able to view the 3-D content they purchase and provide them with 3-D home solutions for all pocketbooks.”

The 3-D Home Display Formats Task Force will explore the standards that need to be set for 3-D content distributed via broadcast, cable, satellite, packaged media and the Internet and played-out on televisions, computer screens and other tethered displays. After six months, the committee will produce a report that defines the issues and challenges, minimum standards, evaluation criteria and more, which will serve as a working document for SMPTE 3-D standards efforts to follow.


The first 3-D Home Display Formats Task Force gathering will feature demonstrations of 3-D technologies. All technology professionals in content creation and distribution, consumer electronics and entertainment tools and services who are considering joining the group are welcome to attend. Non-members will be asked to pay a small fee for the initial meeting, and ongoing participation in the work requires membership in the SMPTE Standards Community. Register at: www.smpte.org

About the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers
The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) is the leading international technical society for the motion imaging industry. As an internationally recognized and accredited standards-setting body, SMPTE develops standards, recommended practices and guidelines and spearheads educational activities to advance engineering and moving imagery. Since its founding in 1916, the Society has established more than 600 standards including the physical dimensions of 35mm film and the SMPTE time code. More recently, it codified the MXF file format to support the exchange of professional AV content and crafted the Digital Cinema Standards, which paved the way for digital movie theaters. Headquartered in New York, SMPTE is comprised of engineers and other technical specialists, IT and new media professionals, filmmakers, manufacturers, educators and consultants in more than 65 countries. They are joined at SMPTE by more than 200 sponsoring corporations, principal players in content creation, production and delivery for all platforms and in entertainment hardware and software. www.smpte.org .

About the Entertainment Technology Center @ USC
The Entertainment Technology Center @ USC is a non-profit organization within USC’s School of Cinematic Arts which brings together the top entertainment, technology and consumer electronic companies to discuss how to understand what next-generation consumers want and then to work towards new entertainment products and services for the future. ETC’s Executive Sponsors are Disney, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox, Viacom/Paramount, Warner Bros., along with Alcatel-Lucent, Cisco, Deluxe Entertainment Services Group, Inc., Lucasfilm Ltd, Sharp, TATA Consultancy Services, Thomson and Volkswagen of America. Additionally, ETC’s Anytime/Anywhere Content Lab (AACL) is sponsored by Dolby, LG Electronics and Sandisk.
One of ETC’s current initiatives is to map 3-D and identify gaps and opportunities for improvement in acquisition, production, to distribution in theaters, the home and digital devices. ETC is now conceptualizing the Digital 3-D Lab, as a part of the Anytime/Anywhere Content Lab, which will build on the success of ETC’s world-renowned Digital Cinema Laboratory. For more information, email: info@etcenter.org



For More Information, Contact:

Rochelle Winters Kimberly Maki
Smoke & Mirrors SMPTE
213 250-4603 914 761-1100 ext. 4960
rochelle@sampr.net kmaki@smpte.org

For ETC contact:
Shana Starr / Jason Kirshner
LFPR (for ETC)
949.502.7750 x 209/210
shanas@lucidfusion.com/ jasonk@lucidfusion.com


Sunday, July 20, 2008

"Journey To The Center Of The Earth" Has Got Staying Power

As most of us expected, JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH has got some teeth. In fact JOURNEY beat out HELLBOY 2 on Friday! HB2 made only $3.16 million and a 38% increase over it's Thursday take on Friday - while JOURNEY made $3.59 million and a 56% jump from Thursday.

All this was done on ~400 fewer theaters! Journey was in only 2,830 theaters while HB2 enjoyed 3,212! What does this tell you?

It means that the 3D screens are performing and performing big time. Imagine the take for THE DARK KNIGHT had it had a 3D version? Staggering!! Sure they have the IMAX additional revenue when they set that record of $66 million, but it could have been all the more with another ~1400 3D screens!

Guillermo and Peter take note. The Hobbit(s) will be much better served in 3D not only because of the beauty and creativeness it brings you in storytelling, but also the bottom line. JOURNEY just beat out HB2 (both were released July 11th)! It must bother you a bit to see a pragmatic advantage given to a movie that you could have enjoyed too. Give The Hobbit(s) what they need: Stereoscopic rewards for the audience AND the studio.

The studio profits will be staggering for a wide release in 3D when the screen numbers get up there - there are only ~1400 3D screens right now, but as you have read on MarketSaw - those numbers have commitments in place from the major theater chains to double and triple. Bring it on!

Data Source: Box Office Mojo

Friday, July 18, 2008

Quick Post: "My Bloody Valentine 3-D" Release Moved Up To January 16, 2009

In order to avoid Screen Gems' "Underworld: Rise of the Lycans", MBV 3-D has been moved to January 16, 2009 from January 23. Mark your calendars!

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Exclusive! Interview With Thomas Jane Director/Actor In "The Dark Country": New 3D Techniques!

Guys - Jim here. I have a special treat for you this week - Thomas Jane agreed to talk about his upcoming 2009 3D thriller entitled THE DARK COUNTRY with yours truly and he has more than a couple of surprises in store for you! The movie involves a newly married couple coming across a dying victim in the middle of the road in the desert.

One item in particular is VERY intriguing: Tom uses something he calls an "Articulate Matte" (I believe that is how he would spell it) and he believes this is the first time anyone has ever accomplished this feat - he cuts the movie frame down intentionally for the whole movie and uses the extra black space surrounding the picture to augment certain 3D effects that are going to be SPECTACULAR. With modern 3D, the images are already popping off the screen when so desired - but with Tom's Articulate Matte, he is able to have the 3D extend even further, tricking the eyes into even more depth!

He also uses 4K RED ONE cameras in stereo configuration as well as tiny cigarette pack sized 3D cameras that were used for intricate scenes involving 360 degree wrap around shots and extreme angles.

He is very proud of his movie and what they have managed to pull off on a fairly tight budget. He is working with Sony on this picture and co-stars include Lauren German and Hellboy himself, Ron Perlman. Tom is a steadfast advocate of using 3D to help tell the story and not as a gimmick - THE DARK COUNTRY was shot as a traditional Film Noir - plenty of shadows and lighting effects - it really does sound gorgeous.

Have a listen! (~18 minutes) I have been a fan of his since "61*" (he played Mickey Mantle) and of course "The Punisher". He also recently topped Stephen King's "The Mist". A great guy and extremely knowledgeable about the 3D process. Can't wait for this picture to come out next year!



I will have more info and teaser material for THE DARK COUNTRY as it becomes available. Stay tuned!

Jonas Brothers 3D Concert: Fan Captures Footage!

Have a look below. In fact there are several various fan captured clips of the Jonas Brothers being shot in 3D (July 14th) on YouTube. Look carefully and you will see the 3D cameras staring at them and Taylor Swift...





Taylor Swift was quite a surprise for all the 'tween fans! All I can say is the RIGHT people are involved in shooting this concert in 3D. I don't want to have to say, but his initials are VINCE PACE.

"Dead Still": Thriller Being Read By Raimi's Ghost House Productions For 3D

Jim here. Peter Skagen is a Canadian actor (Lonesome Dove) but also a script writer it seems. His recently penned "Dead Still" (took him only 2 weeks to write it) has been garnering plenty of attention lately and in particular from Sam Raimi's Ghost House Productions. They are currently considering ramping up the script into a $25 million stereoscopic 3D thriller.

The movie is set in the jungles of the Asia and is said to be an eco-thriller and a throwback to the action movies of the 80's. Less blood and gore, but more suspense.

"Our picture takes place 95 per cent in the jungle, and in an old, abandoned sort of native longhouse -- a perfect enclosed, musty space -- and the action -- logs crashing through doors, giant snakes and lots of falling water -- turns out to be perfect for 3-D," says Skagen.

It is not only Sam Raimi who is on his side. Charlotte Clay Huggins was the first to option it - she is one of the producers of "Journey To The Center Of The Earth" and "Fly Me to the Moon" - both hot 3D commodities right now.

All the power to him! Hmmm... I have a few ideas for a 3D movie - time to spend a couple of weeks and put it together :-)

RealD Links To Another Chain: Cinepolis Adding 500 3D Screens

Jim here. Today Cinepolis has agreed to roll out 500 3D theaters in its chain using RealD technology. This is on top of the previous commitments from Cinemark and Regal theater chains to also use the Beverly Hills 3D projection solutions.

Cinepolis is the world's fifth largest cinema exhibitor with theaters in over 60 cities in Mexico (53% market share) and in five countries in Central and South America.

This deal is important to get the 3D ball rolling outside of the US and Canada.

Some quotes from the release:

"We are thrilled with the support and commitment Cinepolis has made towards 3D entertainment and RealD," said Anthony Marcoly, President, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International. "We look forward to bringing our next Disney Digital 3D animated release, BOLT, to their cinemas this Christmas season as well as many others during the coming years."

"Cinepolis confirms its commitment to innovation and client service by placing its confidence on 3D technology. As a company that has always been at the forefront in market innovation and new products and services, Cinepolis is proud to join forces with RealD. We believe this cutting-edge technology represents the future of the exhibition business and with this deal Cinepolis moves ahead in the very competitive Latin American market," said Miguel Mier, COO of Cinepolis.

"We are thrilled to be the choice of Cinepolis for premium digital 3D," said Michael Lewis, chairman and CEO of RealD. "This partnership marks an expansion of the RealD 3D platform into one of the world's strongest movie markets, as 3D continues to be a truly international phenomenon."

RealD's next-generation 3D experience has garnered over 90% of the global market for 3D cinema, with RealD 3D theaters in 25 countries with over 70 exhibition partners.

This is awesome news! The momentum is truly building for 3D around the world now that the infrastructure commitments are falling into place...


Help Me Out: What Company Is Filming These Concerts in 3D??


**UPDATE July 18th: Got word from a couple of sources both confirming that: The Bill White 3D Camera Company in Toronto shot the concert, and that Paul Taylor shot it as DP / Cinematography. Thanks for the input Nick Constable and James Stewart!

Jim here. Have a question for readers from the 3D industry - take a look at these pictures from a recent Rush concert in Toronto. What company is this - actively shooting concerts in 3D?

I could be mistaken but the cameras look to be RED ONEs in 3D configuration - that could help narrow down the organization.

Would LOVE to see a Rush 3D concert just as much as enjoyed U23D! Let me know through the 'Contact Me' forms below if you can help out tracking them down...








Images Courtesy of Christopher Schneberger













































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Jim Dorey
Editor-in-Chief
jim (at) marketsaw (dot) com

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