SAN ANDREAS Rocks A New Trailer !

Check the latest trailer for Dwayne Johnson's SAN ANDREAS! I'm liking what I'm seeing from an effects point of view and hopefully the story matches that standard. I want as much REALISM as is possible in a disaster movie. You know - fault lines are authentic, fissures form where they are most likely to form, intensity of the quake is portrayed correctly, etc. 

Here's the movie's storyline:
After the infamous San Andreas Fault finally gives, triggering a magnitude 9 earthquake in California, a search and rescue helicopter pilot (Dwayne Johnson) and his estranged wife make their way together from Los Angeles to San Francisco to save their only daughter. But their treacherous journey north is only the beginning. And when they think the worst may be over…it’s just getting started.

The action thriller “San Andreas,” from New Line Cinema and Village Roadshow Pictures, reunites Dwayne Johnson with director Brad Peyton and producer Beau Flynn, following their collaboration on the global hit “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island.”

The film also stars Carla Gugino (“Night at the Museum,” TV’s “Entourage”), Alexandra Daddario (“Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters,” TV’s “True Detective”), Ioan Gruffudd (“Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer”), Archie Panjabi (TV’s “The Good Wife”), Hugo Johnstone-Burt (Australian TV’s “Home and Away”), Art Parkinson (TV’s “Game of Thrones”) and Oscar nominee Paul Giamatti (“Cinderella Man”).

“San Andreas” is produced by Beau Flynn (“Hercules,” “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island”). Richard Brener, Samuel J. Brown, Michael Disco, Rob Cowan, Tripp Vinson and Bruce Berman serve as executive producers. The screenplay is by Carlton Cuse, story by Andre Fabrizio and Jeremy Passmore.

SAN ANDREAS rocks theaters on May 29. 

Official Teaser Trailer For Dwayne Johnson's SAN ANDREAS!

I've been waiting for this! I do get a flashback to Emmerich's 2012 with a few scenes in this. I was hoping for a more accurate depiction of what a large scale fault event would look like, but judging from having a huge crevice open up just in front of the movie's protagonist and ripping a gas station EXACTLY in half, it seems this may be more of a popcorn movie. Still, that's fine by me as long as expectations are communicated well.

Dwayne Johnson can carry just about any movie so I'm not worried about being entertained, but I still have high hopes for some realistic action - I don't want to have to work too hard at suspension of disbelief.

SAN ANDREAS is a 3D conversion headlined by Graham Clark of Stereo D - these are the guys that do the lion-share of the Marvel universe conversions, so they are getting pretty darn good at it.

Here's the movie's storyline and description:
After the infamous San Andreas Fault finally gives, triggering a magnitude 9 earthquake in California, a search and rescue helicopter pilot (Dwayne Johnson) and his estranged wife make their way together from Los Angeles to San Francisco to save their only daughter.

But their treacherous journey north is only the beginning. And when they think the worst may be over…it’s just getting started.

The action thriller “San Andreas,” from New Line Cinema and Village Roadshow Pictures, reunites Dwayne Johnson with director Brad Peyton and producer Beau Flynn, following their collaboration on the global hit “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island.”

The film also stars Carla Gugino (“Night at the Museum,” TV’s “Entourage”), Alexandra Daddario (“Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters,” TV’s “True Detective”), Ioan Gruffudd (“Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer”), Archie Panjabi (TV’s “The Good Wife”), Hugo Johnstone-Burt (Australian TV’s “Home and Away”), Art Parkinson (TV’s “Game of Thrones”) and Oscar nominee Paul Giamatti (“Cinderella Man”).

“San Andreas” is produced by Beau Flynn (“Hercules,” “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island”). Tripp Vinson (“Red Dawn”) also serves as producer. Richard Brener, Samuel J. Brown, Michael Disco, Rob Cowan, and Bruce Berman are the executive producers, and Hiram Garcia is co-producer. The screenplay is by Carlton Cuse, story by Andre Fabrizio & Jeremy Passmore.


The creative filmmaking team includes director of photography Steve Yedlin (“Looper”), production designer Barry Chusid (“The Day After Tomorrow”), editor Bob Ducsay (upcoming “Godzilla”), VFX producer Randall Starr (upcoming “Into the Storm”), VFX supervisor Colin Strause (“The Avengers”), and costume designer Wendy Chuck (“Twilight”).

Shot on location in The Gold Coast and Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, and in Los Angeles and San Francisco, “San Andreas” is slated to open in theatres in both 3D and 2D format on Friday, May 29, 2015.

New Line Cinema presents, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, a FlynnPictureCo. Production, “San Andreas.” It will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and in select territories by Village Roadshow Pictures.

SAN ANDREAS opens on May 29, 2015.

Dwayne Johnson's SAN ANDREAS Release Moves Up One Week

New Line's disaster movie SAN ANDREAS has a new release date one week earlier. The Dwayne Johnson project is now slated for a late May 2015 opening.

The movie was originally slated for June 5th.

In SAN ANDREAS' new berth it will attempt the subduction of some serious competition, namely a Cameron Crowe comedy, “INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 3”, MONSTER TRUCKS and the second frame of TOMORROWLAND which will still be red hot.

Joining Johnson in the cast will be Alexandra Daddario (TEXAS CHAINSAW 3D), Carla Gugino (ALMOST HEROES 3D), Ioan Gruffudd, Will Yun Lee and Kylie Minogue.

Here's the movie's storyline:
In the aftermath of a massive earthquake in California, a rescue-chopper pilot (Johnson) makes a dangerous journey across the state in order to rescue his estranged daughter.


I'll have more details on the exact date soon.

Second HERCULES Trailer - SPOILER!!

Yeah I have to shake my head at this one. Outside of being a pretty good indication that the movie seems to be an action juggernaut, there's a spoiler in this trailer that made me stop and wince. I thought there's no need to include that one line in this thing, but there it is.

I will tell you below this line in white text - just highlight the area if you want to read it.

**SPOILER BELOW**

The trailer invest significant time I believe to the development of the love interest of Hercules. She is shown many times and it seems to me to be a major part of the movie and to Hercules' character development. Later in the trailer the narrator states "Revenge your family" while showing a shot of the women and their children I am assuming. Also, the narrator says "The Gods that have killed your family". *SIGH* I hate that marketers these days think they can get away with things like that.

**SPOILER ABOVE**

Moving on, I enjoyed the rest of the trailer but I DO NOT recommend watching it if you want a pristine viewing experience going into the theater.

The practical effects look AMAZING in this movie, but I'm not convinced yet about the visual effects. Something about the multi-headed water beast (Hydra?) bothers me. The lines are TOO sharp to me. Motion blur seems lacking. Perhaps in 3D it will all work out - I'm hopeful.

Dwayne Johnson is Dwayne Johnson. Charismatic, owns the screen and instant audience interest in his well being. I really want this thing to work but I don't know how well they have delivered yet.

HERCULES opens on July 25 in 3D, IMAX 3D and flat. This is a 3D conversion.

CinemaCon 2014: Day One Overview - Paramount

Tim here, and I just finished the first day of CinemaCon. There's more that will happen through the rest of the week than today because today was a start day. Mainly registration, plus a opening dinner, but most importantly a presentation from Paramount Studios. Paramount showed exclusive footage from their upcoming line up of films. Stars were on hand for the presentations such as Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson (Hercules), Will Arnett and guest David Cross (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) entered in on segways, and finally Mark Wahlberg, his daughter, and upcoming stars Nicola Peltz and Jack Reynor (Transformers: Age of Extinction).

I can't go into too much detail about the footage seen, but all these films are being released in Stereoscopic 3D. This means that all these movies will be pretty big at the box office. Hercules was more or less a new trailer, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was the teaser trailer that's coming out this Thursday morning. The most amount of footage shown was for Transformers: Age of Extinction, which looks like it's bigger than any of the previous Transformers movies.

The footage we saw showcased a good deal of the beginning of the film that sets up the story. We see the relationship between Wahlberg's character and his daugher played by Nicola Peltz. He's a character the audience is instantly going to connect with and Wahlberg looks like he has fun with the role. We got to see plenty of explosions and destruction caused by the Transformers and the humans fighting them. The VFX for the film already look spectacular as we likely were seeing rough drafts or uncompleted shots (some shots still had green screen), and the movie could be the biggest in the franchise. It helps having a star like Wahlberg. Michael Bay wasn't in attendence because he was busy working on the the film.

In regards to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles teaser trailer it was pretty action packed. You'll be able to check it out later this week, but the advance preview did assure that I can tell you that it will feature the CGI turtles front and center. They look pretty massive standing in front of Megan Fox, who plays April O'Neil. Hercules will also be an action packed film, and with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson at the film's center it should be a fun thrill ride. 

Overall it was a great opening day. Sadly none of those presentations were in 3D, but I did check out a demonstration from Real D about their TrueImage technology that I'll write about later in the week. Also, MasterImage has their new MI-Horizon3D system which I got to check out so I'll write about that later as well. Keep an eye out for the 3D news here on MarketSaw reporting from Caesars Palace in Las Vegas!

About CinemaCon

CinemaCon will attract upwards of 5,000 motion picture professionals from all facets of the industry –from exhibition and distribution, to the equipment and concession areas – all on hand to celebrate the movie-going experience and the cinema industry. From exclusive Hollywood product presentations highlighting a slate of upcoming films, to must-see premiere feature screenings, to the biggest stars, producers and directors, CinemaCon will help jumpstart the excitement and buzz that surrounds the summer season at the box office.

CinemaCon is delighted to have both the International Cinema Technology Association (ICTA) and National Association of Concessionaires (NAC) as its tradeshow partners. CinemaCon is also delighted to have as its official presenting sponsor, The Coca-Cola Company, one of the industry's greatest and highly regarded and respected partners in the world of the movies.

Dwayne Johnson On SAN ANDREAS: The First Ever Big 3D Earthquake Disaster Film

Yes! Very interested now in The Rock's new motion picture that is pulling together titled SAN ANDREAS. The movie is slated to begin lensing in Brisbane, Australia in April with an anticipated 2015 release.

I'm looking forward to seeing a disaster film in 3D with as much realism as possible. Last word had Brad Peyton helming the pic, but with an eye of outdoing the master of over the top disaster movies, Roland Emmerich. Perhaps it'll be great popcorn entertainment - I guess either way I'm good for a Dwayne Johnson 3D disaster movie.

Here's the rough storyline for the movie:
After a devastating earthquake hits California, the story centers on a rugged rescue-helicopter pilot (Johnson) making a perilous trip across the state to rescue his estranged daughter.

And here's the tweet that gave away the 3D goodness coming our way:

I'll clarify. SAN ANDREAS (my next movie shooting in April) is the first ever big 3D earthquake disaster film. #RockTalk @OliverRosslee
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) December 31, 2013

More info when we get it! Definitely digging to find out if this is a native 3D production or what.

Want To See A New HERCULES BTS Photo? Direct From The Rock!

Straight away - I don't know if HERCULES will be in 3D, but I'm guessing that they're going to have to convert it to 3D in post to effectively combat Renny Harlin's HERCULES 3D starring Kellan Lutz which is also due in 2014. One thing is certain, that's not a 3D rig in the photo.

Either way, you have to enjoy Dwayne Johnson's tweets, especially when the man is on set. That's the case with his current project HERCULES which is currently shooting. Yes it's being directed by Brett Ratner and I've never been a great fan of his, but the RUSH HOUR movies made a mint (and were ok). I'm just not tuned into his work.

Back to Johnson - he seems to always have a great catchphrase with his set tweets too. Take the one that came with this photo:

No 'over-intellectualized actor speak'. Straight gut talk..bring it on motherf*cker. #EpicWar #HERCULESMovie pic.twitter.com/DKUohPb2QY

Got a way with words right? We'll have more on whether HERCULES goes 3D and definitely more on HERCULES 3D from Harlin. Confused? Don't blame you!

HERCULES opens on July 25, 2014 while HERCULES 3D is slated for March, 2014.


Source: Twitter

Two more TV Spots For G.I. JOE: RETALIATION!

Normally I find TV Spots lacking in new content but Jon Chu's G.I. JOE: RETALIATION is here to save the day! Check these two new TV spots...

Here's the movie's storyline:
In this sequel, the G.I. Joes are not only fighting their mortal enemy Cobra; they are forced to contend with threats from within the government that jeopardize their very existence. The film stars D.J. Cotrona, Byung-hun Lee, Ray Park, Adrianne Palicki, Jonathan Pryce, RZA, Ray Stevenson, Channing Tatum with Bruce Willis and Dwayne Johnson. Directed by Jon M. Chu, and produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Brian Goldner, from a screenplay by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick based on Hasbro’s G.I. Joe(R) characters.

G.I. JOE: RETALIATION opens on March 29.

New Extended Clip For G.I. Joe: RETALIATION *AND* See 4 Minute Preview Of The Movie This Weekend!

Got some great news if you're a G.I. Joe fan like I am - a new trailer and the opportunity to see a 4 minute preview of the movie this weekend!

Jon Chu's G.I. JOE: RETALIATION gets a 4 minute pre-roll in front of HANSEL AND GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS and I plan on checking it out tonight in IMAX!

Here's the official press release:
EXCLUSIVE 3D FOOTAGE OF “G.I. JOE: RETALIATION” TO PLAY IN ADVANCE OF “HANSEL AND GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS” IN THEATERS ACROSS THE GLOBE

THE 4-MINUTE PREVIEW WILL BEGIN PLAYING JANUARY 24TH IN IMAX 3D, REALD 3D AND DIGITAL 3D LOCATIONS AROUND THE WORLD

HOLLYWOOD, CA (January 23, 2013) – Paramount Pictures, MGM and Skydance Productions, in association with Hasbro, will release a 4-minute preview of the highly anticipated “G.I. JOE: RETALIATION” in IMAX 3D, RealD 3D and digital 3D theaters in advance of Paramount and MGM’s “HANSEL AND GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS.”

This first-look at the film will play across the globe beginning January 24th and run throughout “HANSEL AND GRETEL: WITCH HUNTER’S” theatrical engagement.

Based on the best-selling HASBRO characters, this follow-up to the 2009 release of “G.I. JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA,” which grossed more than $300 million worldwide, is di Bonaventura production and is presented by Paramount Pictures, MGM and Skydance Productions, in association with Hasbro.

In this sequel, the G.I. Joes are not only fighting their mortal enemy Cobra, they are forced to contend with threats from within the government that jeopardize their very existence. The film stars D.J. Cotrona, Byung-hun Lee, Adrianne Palicki, Ray Park, Jonathan Pryce, Ray Stevenson, Elodie Yung, Channing Tatum with Bruce Willis and Dwayne Johnson. Directed by Jon M. Chu, and produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Brian Goldner of Hasbro, from a screenplay by Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick, based on Hasbro’s G.I. Joe® characters.

“G.I. JOE: RETALIATION” is in theaters everywhere March 29th, 2013.

“HANSEL AND GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS” stars Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton as Hansel and Gretel, who, after getting a taste for blood as children, become the ultimate vigilantes, hell bent on retribution. Now, unbeknownst to them, Hansel and Gretel have become the hunted, and must face an evil far greater than witches… their past. In addition to Renner and Arterton, the film stars Famke Janssen and Peter Stormare. Written and directed by Tommy Wirkola and produced by Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, Kevin Messick and Beau Flynn.

“HANSEL AND GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS” opens in the U.S. and Canada on January 24, 2013 with show times beginning at 10 p.m.

Here's the latest trailer for the movie - check it out!

Check The New Action Packed G.I.JOE: RETALIATION Japanese Trailer!

The more I see of the special effects and stunt work the more I hope the story matches the action! G.I. JOE: RETALIATION looks amazing so far and with the time being put into the 3D conversion we should be happy with that result too.

Here's the storyline for the movie:
A follow-up to the 2009 release of G.I. JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA, which grossed over $300M worldwide, Paramount Pictures, MGM and Skydance Productions, in association with HASBRO and di Bonaventura Pictures, commences production on G.I. JOE: RETALIATION. In this sequel, the G.I. Joes are not only fighting their mortal enemy Cobra; they are forced to contend with threats from within the government that jeopardize their very existence. The film stars D.J. Cotrona, Byung-hun Lee, Ray Park, Adrianne Palicki, Jonathan Pryce, RZA, Ray Stevenson, Channing Tatum with Bruce Willis and Dwayne Johnson. Directed by Jon M. Chu, and produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Brian Goldner, from a screenplay by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick based on Hasbro’s G.I. Joe(R) characters.

G.I. JOE: RETALIATION opens on March 29.


Hit the jump for the trailer...

New G.I. JOE: RETALIATION Poster... With More Channing Tatum *AND* New Trailer Coming!

Here's the new poster for G.I. JOE: RETALIATION with Dwayne Johnson looking like a mountain behind the "upscaled" Channing Tatum and Bruce Willis.

Tatum is thought to be one of the reasons why the studio took the movie off of 2012's book and into 2013; he's come into his own during the production and so the brass want to exploit his fan base to it's maximum potential.

Of course the 3D conversion is the other reason why the delay took place, causing some Internet backlash about the wait. Personally, I am ALL FOR IT. Can't wait to see this thing in 3D. The G.I. Joe franchise is evolving into where it should have been in the first place I believe.

Here's the storyline for the movie:
A follow-up to the 2009 release of G.I. JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA, which grossed over $300M worldwide, Paramount Pictures, MGM and Skydance Productions, in association with HASBRO and di Bonaventura Pictures, commences production on G.I. JOE: RETALIATION. In this sequel, the G.I. Joes are not only fighting their mortal enemy Cobra; they are forced to contend with threats from within the government that jeopardize their very existence. The film stars D.J. Cotrona, Byung-hun Lee, Ray Park, Adrianne Palicki, Jonathan Pryce, RZA, Ray Stevenson, Channing Tatum with Bruce Willis and Dwayne Johnson. Directed by Jon M. Chu, and produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Brian Goldner, from a screenplay by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick based on Hasbro’s G.I. Joe(R) characters.

G.I. JOE: RETALIATION opens on March 27, 2013. Stay tuned for their new trailer premiere on December 12th!

Dwayne Johnson Supports The 3D Decision On G.I. JOE: RETALIATION - So Do I...

Dwayne Johnson has chimed in on the move by Paramount to reschedule the launch of G.I. JOE: RETALIATION until March 29, 2013 so that the studio could add a 3D conversion. Many expressed their disappointment in having to wait after a somewhat good marketing effort had raised awareness to a fairly high level. Johnson replied to one of those concerned fans:

It will be. Designing new scenes to enhance 3D. RT: @JimmyinGA: Was looking forward to GI Joe next month. Hope the 3D is worth the wait.

— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) May 24, 2012

Others still have read rumors of advanced screenings that didn't look all that great and asked it's audience questions like: "How did you feel about (Channing Tatum) in the film?" and "Do you feel there should have been more of him...?" 

It's probably a bit of both. Paramount wants to add the 3D conversion no doubt but that added time also gives them opportunity to address story and characters. Want more Tatum? Done. Want more head nodding to the fanboys? Done. And so on...

I think we will be in for a much better movie in the end, so have at it Paramount!

JOURNEY 2 Has Mysterious Box Office Mojo! International Pacing 76% Better Than First Movie!!

Those are some serious numbers for a sequel so be prepared for a very nice launch for JOURNEY 2: THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND when it lands in North America on February 10!

The sequel starring Dwayne Johnson this time around rather than Brendan Frasier has already claimed $26.5 million in only 8 markets. Don't forget about Josh Hutcherson who seems to be heating up his commodity lately, especially with THE HUNGER GAMES posed to explode this year.

Given the strength of the original's strong international clout it was just about a no-brainer for Warner Bros. to launch internationally first and it is becoming more and more prevalent as an opening gambit for studios.

From THR: Journey 2 opened nearly three weeks ago in Hong Kong, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan, where the Chinese New Year holiday makes for prime moviegoing. It also opened in Australia and New Zealand, where there are school holidays. The sequel has earned $6.6 million in Korea, followed by $5.6 million in Australia, where Fast Five -- also starring Johnson -- did massive business.

I find the success overseas to be very interesting. Certainly because the movies are based on classic Jules Verne tales it helps, but it seems that there were no repercussions to using Johnson instead of Frasier which is surprising me. Perhaps The Rock's star is bigger than I thought!

Source: THR

Watch: New International Trailer For JOURNEY 2: THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND

We are going to find out soon enough if Dwayne Johnson can fill the rather large boots of Brendan Fraser who starred in the first movie of this new franchise JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH 3D. You see Fraser has an absolutely huge and diehard following overseas probably due to his famous MUMMY roles. But Johnson is bigger here in North America so it is an interesting thing to watch.

Josh Hutcherson is returning though to try and elegantly segue this second installment. It seems they are still in the family action adventure business so that is going for them. I hope their visual effects will improve, but so far the clips are not showing me that.

I'm looking forward to seeing Michael Caine again - I saw him at ShoWest a few years ago. A class act.

Here's the movie's storyline:
Young adventurer Sean receives a coded distress signal from a mysterious island where no island should exist–a place of strange life forms, mountains of gold, deadly volcanoes, and more than one astonishing secret. Unable to stop him from going, Sean’s new stepfather joins the quest. Together with a helicopter pilot and his beautiful, strong-willed daughter, they set out to find the island, rescue its lone inhabitant and escape before seismic shock waves force the island under the sea and bury its treasures forever.



Look for JOURNEY 2: THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND on February 10, 2012.

Watch: First Trailer For JOURNEY 2: THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND

And here we go! Part 2 of the family oriented popcorn JOURNEY franchise begins its marketing quest to bring in viewers. As far as trailers go, I like them to first introduce characters effectively and then throw them into turmoil. I don't think this trailer succeeds, but more on that later.

Here's the storyline:
The new journey begins when young adventurer Sean (Josh Hutcherson) receives a coded distress signal from a mysterious island where no island should exist--a place of strange life forms, mountains of gold, deadly volcanoes, and more than one astonishing secret. Unable to stop him from going, Sean's new stepfather (Dwayne Johnson) joins the quest. Together with a helicopter pilot (Luis Guzman) and his beautiful, strong-willed daughter (Vanessa Hudgens), they set out to find the island, rescue its lone inhabitant and escape before seismic shockwaves force the island under the sea and bury its treasures forever.



Director: Brad Peyton
Writer: Richard Outten
Studio: New Line Cinema
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Michael Caine, Josh Hutcherson
Release: February 10, 2012

There is simply too much turmoil in this trailer right from the get-go. I want to know these characters more to be attached to it. How do they explain the lack of Brendan Frasier? How did The Rock get involved? Too many questions.

I was waiting for the real reason why Dwayne Johnson was in this movie (I wasn't quite buying that he was some sort of expert in saying that the island was going to blow) and it wasn't really provided until the end of the trailer. Bouncing a berry off of his chest is pure gold. Pure gold Jerry!

Brendan Frasier eat your heart out. Not a complete fail for a trailer (the effects look half decent) but c'mon. Characters please.

JOURNEY 2: MYSTERIOUS ISLAND Starts Shooting In Wilmington's EUE/Screen Gems Studio Today

I did a little digging and located the studio shooting location for Brad Peyton's JOURNEY 2: THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND. The adventure film starts shooting today in Wilmington, NC according to the city's StarNewsOnline.

The production is set to run through to February 10 and is centered mainly in the EUE/Screen Gems Stage 10 (the largest on site). Also, a brand spanking new water tank has been built specifically for this production.

We have seen exterior production shots already here.

Green screen will also play an obvious key role in production and all that activity will be housed in yet another sound stage. The original movie had PLENTY of green screen scenes if you will recall.

Here's the movie's storyline:
Josh Hutcherson will reprise his role as young adventurer Sean Anderson in this follow-up to the 2008 worldwide hit "Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D," the first live-action film ever to be shot in digital 3D. Dwayne Johnson stars as Sean's stepfather, Hank Parsons; Michael Caine as Sean's grandfather, Alexander Anderson; Vanessa Hudgens and Luis Guzman as a father-daughter tour guide team; and Kristin Davis as Sean's mom, Liz Anderson.

The new journey begins when Sean receives a coded distress signal from a mysterious island where no island should exist — a place of strange life forms, mountains of gold, deadly volcanoes, and more than one astonishing secret. Unable to stop him from going, Sean's new stepfather joins the quest. Together with a helicopter pilot and his beautiful, strong-willed daughter, they set out to find the island, rescue its lone inhabitant and escape before seismic shockwaves force the island under the sea and bury its treasures forever.

For our complete JOURNEY 2 coverage click here. More info when I get it! Stay tuned...

First Glance: Set Photos From JOURNEY 2: THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND!!

Got some brand spankin' new behind-the-scenes photos from Brad Peyton's sequel to JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH. Warner's JOURNEY 2: THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND stars Dwayne Johnson, Josh Hutcherson, Vanessa Hudgens and the fine character actor Luis Guzman. It just so happens that we have shots of all of them via Comingsoon.

Click on the images to enlarge...

Here's the movie's storyline:
Josh Hutcherson will reprise his role as young adventurer Sean Anderson in this follow-up to the 2008 worldwide hit "Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D," the first live-action film ever to be shot in digital 3D. Dwayne Johnson stars as Sean's stepfather, Hank Parsons; Michael Caine as Sean's grandfather, Alexander Anderson; Vanessa Hudgens and Luis Guzman as a father-daughter tour guide team; and Kristin Davis as Sean's mom, Liz Anderson.

The new journey begins when Sean receives a coded distress signal from a mysterious island where no island should exist — a place of strange life forms, mountains of gold, deadly volcanoes, and more than one astonishing secret. Unable to stop him from going, Sean's new stepfather joins the quest. Together with a helicopter pilot and his beautiful, strong-willed daughter, they set out to find the island, rescue its lone inhabitant and escape before seismic shockwaves force the island under the sea and bury its treasures forever.

Interesting casting choice with Dwayne Johnson - he is along the same mold as Brendan Fraser when it comes to comedic relief. Fraser has that outstanding worldwide following though - can Johnson compete? We'll see on September 23, 2011.

Huge Casting News: Neeson Signs On For BATTLESHIP And Caine Close To Joining JOURNEY 2!!

Wow! Some on the edge action oriented movies just got a whole lot more endearing for me.

I have always been a huge Liam Neeson fan and especially after TAKEN took the world by storm at the box office, he has been on a bit of a action genre smorgasbord. Variety says that next up for Colonel Hannibal Smith is actually playing an Admiral in Universal's BATTLESHIP.

**Note: Even though director Peter Berg is not shooting the movie in 3D, I am still covering it in case Universal decides to convert it in post production (and hopefully doing a good job of it). After all, the project did start out as being shot in native 3D.

Neeson joins Rihanna, Alexander Skarsgard, Brooklyn Decker and Taylor Kitsch on the cast.

The movie is centered on an alien invasion with the entire planet in jeopardy.

Look for BATTLESHIP in theaters May 18, 2012.

**AND**

Michael Caine is reportedly (THR) close to signing on for JOURNEY 2: THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND. Yes, the legend himself will have significant screen time and will be involved in several action sequences supposedly involving giant bees!

Caine will be joining Dwayne Johnson and Josh Hutcherson on the cast. Hutcherson's and Johnson's character set out to find his grandfather (played by Caine) who has been lost on a mythical island. You can read more info on the casting of The Rock right here.

Solid, legitimate acting has just been added to these two projects and my expectations just rose quite a few notches. Here's hoping they can deliver.

Another casting possibility of note is Natalie Portman reportedly being offered the lead in GRAVITY, Alfonso Cuaron's space thriller with Robert Downey Jr. The $80 million sci-fi is about a female astronaut sent to make repairs on the Hubble Telescope. She becomes the sole survivor when space debris hits her transport and will have to find a way back home. Apparently Portman has yet to read the highly anticipated movie's script, so I have not posted on this yet in full form. I will if she grabs it!

Dwayne Johnson Set For JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH Sequel

THR is claiming that Dwayne Johnson is now attached as the top line star for New Line's JOURNEY 2: THE ROCK THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND.

Brendan Frasier had scheduling conflicts and is unable to return, although director Brad Peyton and Josh Hutcherson are back for the sequel.

Apparently the movie is loosely based on Jules Verne's THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND and Johnson plays Hutcherson's mother's boyfriend. All three travel to a mythical island is search of the young man's grandfather.

Shooting will take place in North Carolina and Hawaii in native 3D.

More when I get it!

Sgt. Rock Bowling For 300?

Recently David Gambino with Dark Castle Entertainment was interviewed and he stated: "There's been talk about possibly doing (Sgt. Rock) like a "300", really making it like a graphic novel come to life, but no decisions have really been made on that. It's pretty exciting though. It's a project that Joel (Silver) has had for probably going on 15 or 20 years now. It was something that he almost had in production with Arnold Schwarzenegger in the late '80s, and it ultimately fell apart in financing at the studio. But it's something he's been hoping we can crack forever, and we finally have a script that everybody's happy with, and now it's just a matter of getting the ball rolling here and trying to put it into production."

He also was very vocal about trying to find the lead for the Joel Silver film (script by John Cox) and that it was a challenge to find a suitable actor with a substantial muscular frame. Maybe whoever winds up doing Marcus Fenix in Gears of War could switch gears for the sergeant.

Well the CGI in "300" was excellent and made the movie far more successful than it would have been without it. And far cheaper to make. I am all for CGI'ing "Sgt. Rock" to the max.

Hmmm. Lead actor for Sgt. Rock. Well - The Rock comes to mind... Built-in brand awareness!