The return to free falling food in CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS 2 looks to be more of the same funny material and a visual smorgasbord of treats.
Featuring the voices of Andy Samberg, Terry Crews, Benjamin Bratt and Neil Patrick Harris, Sony Pictures Animation is hoping for another audience embrace at the box office. The original movie made $243m worldwide - and that's not hard to swallow for the studio!
Here's the storyline for the movie: In the wake of the disastrous food storm at the end of the first movie, Flint Lockwood and friends are forced to leave their town of Swallow Falls. But when it is discovered that sentient food beasts have overrun the island, they are asked to return to save the world…again.
CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS 2 opens on September 27.
According to Variety, Sony Pictures Animation's CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS 2 is starting to develop.
Apparently the studio has tapped two of their artists to direct the sequel, Cody Cameron (OPEN SEASON 3) and Kris Pearn. They were also on the original film as story artist and head of story respectively. Phil Lord and Chris Miller (the directors for the first iteration) will executive produce.
Not much is known about where they are taking the movie except that it "will continue the adventures of inventor Flint Lockwood."
It is generally an automatic announcement for animations (alliteration!) that if the original does well (CWACOM made ~$230m), there will be a sequel(s). I happened to really enjoy the first one and its brilliant use of color, cool story and sight gags. Looking forward to it.
Jim here. We know Sony is going full tilt 3D across their product line and now is when it starts to get exciting for the mega electronics and entertainment company!
The 3D firmware update that Sony Playstation 3 owners have been waiting for to enable stereoscopic 3D capabilities has been clarified for us: The update will only enable 3D gamingthis time around with the intent to include 3D movies in the coming months.
There is significant urgency for them to include 3D movies ASAP as they are releasing their own CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS in S3D for June (in Europe at least). This coincides with Sony's release of their S3DHD televisions as well (June), namely their HX800.
Consumers will be getting free stuff with their 3D TV purchase: Free 3D Blu-rays (including bundles with CLOUDY and DEEP SEA) and 3D PS3 games. The games that will be included will be demo versions - not the full package, but they will be more than enough to whet your appetites!
Those 3D games will be: WIPEOUT HD, PAIN, SUPER STARDUST HD and MOTORSTORM PACIFIC RIFT. Word is all four demos will be included with purchase. The full versions will be available at the PlayStation Store in mid June.
It's getting hot in here isn't it? S3D is taking off and we are pretty darn close to those rocket booster flames! Can't wait to get my hands on this tech. I experienced it in Las Vegas at Sony's 3D Experience pavilion @ MGM Grand and let me tell you - it rocks. You have to see it in action yourself!
Jim here. So what do you think - consensus on everybody's number 1? :-) I think so! Anyway, this list was due and I am sure others will want to voice their opinion as well so feel free to chime in with your top ten list too.
Here is mine in reverse order (Title - Studio | World Box Office | Tomatometer | Format - comment):
10. G-FORCE - Disney | $283m | 24% Fresh | CG / Live Action - A notable conversion effort. 9. THE FINAL DESTINATION - Warners | $153m | 28% Fresh | Live Action - Interesting seeing Death work in three dimensions. 8. DISNEY'S A CHRISTMAS CAROL - Disney | $255m | 55% Fresh | CG MoCap - Visually quite stunning, though character's faces were soulless. 7. MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3D - Lionsgate | $100m | 55% Fresh | Live Action - Very good revisit to the original horror. 6. MONSTERS VS. ALIENS - DWA | $382m | 72% Fresh | Animation - Not Dreamworks best, but far from worst. Expect much more with HTTYD. 5. CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS - Sony | $195m | 85% Fresh | Animation - Excellent first outing in 3D animation for Sony. Impressed. Rivals DWA today. 4. CORALINE - Focus Features | $122m | 89% Fresh | Stop Motion - Henry Selick's vision and attention to details is astounding. 3. ICE AGE: DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS - Fox | $888m | 45% Fresh | Animation - There is no doubting the worldwide popularity. Family Appeal. 2. UP - Pixar | $683m | 98% Fresh | Animation - A masterpiece of storytelling. 3D used well. 1. AVATAR - Fox | $760m, Still In Theaters | 83% Fresh | CG PerfCap / Live Action - Revolutionary Cinema. Nothing short of an event movie for this generation. A must see... twice.
Honorable Mention: TOY STORY 1 & 2 3D Conversions. Worst of 2009: BATTLE FOR TERRA
There is no doubting AVATAR as the top 3D movie of 2009. It may be the top MOVIE of the past decade. I certainly believe it is. Pixar has a heckuva entry with UP because the story is typical Pixar and so is the visual quality. And ICE AGE: DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS was great family fun AND it raked in the cash.
All in all, a superb year for 3D! I look forward to 2010 and all the surprises in store: ALICE IN WONDERLAND, HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON, SHREK FOREVER AFTER, TOY STORY 3, MEGAMIND, RAPUNZEL, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, SAW VII, TRON LEGACY to name a few.
Stay tuned for the 2010 3D Movie Viewing Guide!Now what is your top ten list for 3D in 2009?
Jim here. Wow. I took in CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS last night and let me tell you the movie exceeded my expectations. And yes, Pixar should take note of just how far Sony Pictures Animation has come. Sure a few minor rough edges, but very minor. CLOUDY is a feast for the eyes.
Of course the basic premise is of a young inventor (Flint) who takes it upon himself (not initially on purpose) to save his economically dying town by introducing falling food for tourism. Of course things get out of control and the size of the morsels keep getting bigger and bigger. Talk about fodder for 3D!
And the 3D is done extremely well. In one superb sequence, Flint realizes he must get across town to his lab in order to reverse the oncoming food downpour - and the obstacles that are placed before him are all shot in wondrous 3D. That scene makes the movie in my mind.
Similarly, the Jello scene is memorable. Hilarious really. Cannonballs and belly flops into Jello make for a completely different results! :-)
While the movie is made with children in mind, there are plenty of adult gags to laugh at - like when Steve the monkey is fighting Gummy Bears and strikes a karate blow to reach in and pull out a gummy heart - very cool. Kids won't think it is a heart though, so still very kid friendly. The only scenes that could be considered more intense for kids is when Flint goes bonkers running around hitting people in the face with ice cream snowballs (a little overboard) and when roasted chickens start attacking - and EATING alive the humans - that last scene (and some language in the movie) probably earned the PG rating.
So I give CLOUDY an 8 out of 10. There is a great father - son message in it too. Take your kids to it (I would say 8 and over) - you will be glad you did. A great way to introduce 3D to them and keeps you entertained too.Oh and it is easily tops in the box office with an estimated $8.1 million on Friday alone. The ~$100 million production should top $30 million for the weekend.
Michael here. Take a look at this new 2-and-a-half minute Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs trailer - this one is narrated by protagonist Flint Lockwood (Bill Hader), and shows a lot of cool stuff from throughout the movie. I think the animation looks ace, and I'm betting Sony Pictures Imageworks will do amazing things with the 3D (check out Jim's interview here).
Jim here. Got a special treat for you stereographic 3D animation fans out there! Rob Bredow, Visual Effects Supervisor for Sony Pictures Imageworks spoke with me about the work they have done on CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS and I tell you, the more I see and hear about this project the more stoked I get.
CLOUDY rolls in for release in 3D theaters across the country on September 18.
So here is Rob Bredow!
Jim: How early in the process was the decision made to make this a 3d film? Rob: CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS was a great experience for us because the studio supported it being made in 3d almost from the very beginning. This gave us the ability to be 3d aware in the early planning stages and during the layout phase of the movie. This also gave us the ability to really tune the 3d experience from beginning to end.
Fortunately at Sony Pictures Imageworks we have a long history of making stereo films dating back to The Polar Express in 2005. Since then, we have approached each of our animated film as if they may be done in 3d because it’s been our experience that once filmmakers see the work coming together, there is almost always a desire to extend their films to three dimensions and make it as immersive as possible. We’re very fortunate that Sony Pictures Animation’s CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS is our 7th stereo production here at Imageworks.
Jim: From your experience, besides things like convergence and interocular, what do you find yourself focusing on in order to make a shot or sequences of shots work in 3D?
Rob: We talk a lot about our “stereo budget”. We like to budget how many of those high impact moments you will have in the film. We’ve found the more selective we are with the stereo moments, the more effective those moments are for the audience.
For a movie like CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS, it’s easy to imagine some amazing stereo moments when you’ve got food falling from the sky and feeling like its landing right in the audience. CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS is really a perfect movie for 3d.
Jim: Are they any new stereoscopic 3D techniques that you are pioneering on this film that you have not yet implemented in your previous 3D movies?
Rob: Our stereo 3d technology has come pretty far. We are no longer inventing as much new technology but rather refining our techniques for the creative requirements of the film. Specifically for Cloudy we refined the way we used our 3d camera layout and did that work as early as possible. That allowed for the most creative flexibility on our side which in turn will help create a great 3d experience for the audience.
Jim: What sort of computer and software do you use in your day to day tasks in creating CLOUDY?
Rob: We use a wide assortment of hardware and software to make our films. We use some off-the-shelf software like Maya and Houdini as well as our own in house software for cloth, hair, lighting and many of the other areas of our pipeline. One of our biggest achievements on Cloudy is using a new renderer called Arnold which we helped to develop in order to meet the needs of this film. Some of the scenes like the Jello bounce house and the Gummy Bears would have been nearly impossible without this new rendering technology.
Jim: If someone was starting out and wanted to be doing exactly what you are doing today, what advice would you give them? What education is required/suggested? Do you have to work at a single location all the time or can you work remotely?
Rob: First, go see lots of movies. It’s a great training ground. Then, get as much experience with 3d animation, lighting and rendering as possible. The nice thing is that home computers are very fast today and there are cheap or free training versions of some of the software we use everyday. That kind of experience goes a long way towards both teaching you how stuff works, and making sure you love doing it.
Most of our artists work in-house but we do have a few people who work remotely.
Jim: Some artists may have differing opinions on how to present their scenes in 3D - how is this brought into the creative mix to determine a final decision for the team?
Rob: For each show we have one person who makes the final stereo calls for the film—the stereo supervisor. This helps give the movie consistency and we make sure we make the strongest choices for the movie, not just each individual shot. Of course, artists often present creative ideas and as long as they contribute to the film overall, they make it into the film.
Jim: Describe a typical day in your life - How much of the day is spent in creative process as opposed to actual scene creation?
Rob: My job consists of supervising the teams of people working on the various aspects of the film. Most of my time is spent in the screening room reviewing work and providing direction as the teams work to complete their lighting or effects work. Most of my interaction is on the creative side, although we still spend time talking about the technical merits of one approach over another.
In terms of the life of an artist, we work really hard to provide tools so that they spend their time making creative choices instead of fighting technical problems. Even so, the best artist has a good mix of technical and artistic skills because there is always troubleshooting needed to pull together shots as complicated as the ones we create.
Jim: The color palette for CLOUDY is amazing - are there special techniques involved in creating this, and/or is it there a person on the team that is influencing in this direction?
Rob: Michael Kurinksy is the art director on the film, so thanks to him and his team, we were provided with great inspiration for the colors and lighting found throughout the film. Each of our supervisors and lighting leads then add their own personal touch as we take those ideas from paintings to an actual 3d world.
We’re also doing some things in the way we’re handling the color to make sure the version you see in every theater matches our original intent as closely as possible. Cloudy is going to look incredible on new digital projectors that many theaters are now adopting.
Jim: How long does a project like CLOUDY take to complete?
Rob: I’ve been working on the project for two and half years and that’s pretty normal for an animated project..
Jim: I enjoyed your CLOUDY display at ShoWest this year (That's me under that giant meatball)! Do you rely on actual physical science in your world (effects of gravity, etc) or do you employ a cartoonish freedom for this project?
Rob: I like to say that CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS is the first real “cartoon” I’ve ever had a chance to work on. I supervised animation before on Surf’s Up and The Polar Express, but those experiences didn’t offer the same freedom to bend the rules of physics like this film does.
Jim: How do you integrate the voice cast? Is it a kind of a chicken and egg thing where you need to have the actors give an emotional performance to get their faces just right - but to enable the actor's success you need to have the scenes playing out in front of them?
Rob: The actor drives the performance. We nearly always record the actors first and they are free to give the characters the voice they want and then we build the animation around their performance. Sometimes we even record video reference of the actors so we can be inspired by their facial expressions.
Jim: What are you the most proud of in CLOUDY?
Rob: I love the fact that we have such a wide variety of everything in CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS. From the amazing clouds, the food falling from the sky, the wide array of characters, the huge town—basically everything about the scope of the movie is incredible. We joked around at the beginning of this production that we didn’t have any thing in Cloudy that we didn’t know how to do, but we weren’t sure how to do it all together! That’s been the trick because Cloudy packs it all into an amazing 90 minute movie.
Jim: Why is there such a different feeling between animation houses? SHREK is so much more different than WALL-E, yet both are obviously very successful. Is the difference in the human resources or the technology involved? Both?
Rob: I think there are both technical and artistic choices that yield such different looks between houses. One thing that we are proud of at Sony Pictures Imageworks is that we don’t have one “house look.” This year we have worked on Watchmen for Warner Brothers and that had completely photorealistic human animation, G-Force for Disney which has hi-tech photorealistic computer generated guinea pigs, and Sony Pictures Animation/ Columbia Pictures highly stylized film CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS all at the same time. In fact, some of the same artists worked on multiple films. It’s one of the great things about working at a place that does animation and live action visual effects at the same time.
Jim: Did you use a 3D virtual camera while making CLOUDY?
Rob: Absolutely. Our hand-held virtual camera is a great tool in our arsenal. You’ll notice it especially during the action sequences where a hand held camera really helps compliment the action.
Jim: What project is next for you?
Rob: After Cloudy wraps, I’m moving into the Chief Technology Officer position for Imageworks and will be supervising the technology development for our studio. This will give me an opportunity to work very closely with the teams building the next generation of technology for our next round of films.
I want to thank Rob and Sony Pictures Imageworks for their help in putting this together! I am really looking forward to seeing how 3D is used here as the movie begs for some in your face action - normally I am against that of course, but for family adventure movies like this (and horror too) and if it is used tastefully (meatballs!!), then all is good.
Everyone who sees this movie owes me 100 meatballs. And I WANT my meatballs! :-)
If you haven't seen it yet, check out the trailer for the movie below...
Jim Here - got some photos of a cool CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS promo display at Showest. Sony did a good job with this and it was actually located in where they serve us lunch so kinda set the mood for chowing down! LOL
The previews we saw were the same as what I had seen previously so nothing new there - BUT it is an awesome looking project as I have already stated. Hats off to Sony.
Sony does need to kick 3D up a notch though - they are noticeably trailing Disney and Fox. I think we will hear something from them soon on upcoming 3D projects that should astound us. They are working sequels for MEN IN BLACK and GHOSTBUSTERS - both of which would look simply awesome in 3D.
Anyway here are the shots! Yes, that's me attempting to snag a meatball all for myself...
Jim here. Got an AWESOME new teaser trailer for CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS! I have to say that this movie is looking GOOD. I mean really good. Dare I say we now have a fourth valid entrant in the best 3D (or 2D for that matter) animation house running?
Yes, Pixar is still the leader in my mind (and many) and we will see further evidence when Pixar's UP is released May 29th - but hold on a minute. Dreamworks Animation has a very solid offering in MONSTERS VS. ALIENS coming out in about a week. Disney Animation had a really successful go with BOLT last November ($283 million worldwide box office) and now comes our fourth option: Sony Pictures Animation.
I am not just saying that to create controversy, I am serious. CLOUDY looks very good. It is not Pixar good yet, but I have to say it is approaching it. They need to improve background and character detail but their use of color and light is awesome!
So what do you think? Pixar had better be watching in their rearview mirror or what?The content looks perfect for taking a family to enjoy a little craziness and then perhaps getting a bite to eat after the movie? :-)
Michael here. Sony just released their 2009 movie preview, and included this first look at their 3D, September 18, 2009 release Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs.
I'm digging the art style-- this movie looks like it will be really fun, and will likely make a lot of its audience hungry.
With what can only be described as a defensive move at this point, Sony / Columbia has moved CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS up from its original date of January 15th, 2010 to September 18th, 2009.
The new September date gives CLOUDY some room in between FINAL DESTINATION 4 (August 21st, 2009) and TOY STORY in 3D (October 2nd, 2009). Obviously this was a good move as anything immediately after AVATAR will be eaten alive for quite sometime.
For more info on CLOUDY, check out this post on the announcement and this post on casting.
Michael here. Variety announced tonight that Bill Hader and Anna Faris have signed on to voice the two lead characters of Sony Pictures Animation's 3-D adaptationCloudy With a Chance of Meatballs.
Hader will voice Flint Lockwood, "a young inventor who dreams of creating something that will improve everyone's life." Faris plays Sam Sparks, "a weathergirl covering the phenomenon who hides her intelligence behind a perky exterior."
James Caan, Andy Samberg, Bruce Campbell, Mr. T and Tracy Morgan fill out the voice cast.
This should be a lot of fun. Tons of potential for amazing visuals!
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs rolls onto 3-D screens January 15, 2010
What an awesome premise for a family 3D movie! Food pours down from above just when the a town called Chewandswallow needs it most - however it soon overwhelms everyone. Especially when Gorgonzola cheese, overcooked broccoli and brussel sprouts was the menu one day - not especially popular (although I love broccoli and brussel sprouts!).
Sony Pictures (Digital Production division) Prez Bob Osher said "The story is about 'food weather' and so food falling from the sky lends itself so well to 3-D". Definitely will. And kids will absolutely love it.
3DPic is scheduled for Jan. 15, 2010. If you saw "Beowulf" and enjoyed it then you will be in for a treat - "Cloudy" uses the same 3D techniques by Sony Pictures Imageworks' animation!
