Update On SPIDER-MAN And ICE AGE 4 Opening Overseas And An Impressive Run For MIB3

It always kind of bothered me that so many websites take the domestic tally at the box office as the primary measurement of success for a movie. Clearly that's wrong and yet so many still only cite domestic take as if it was the only one. Heck Canada is a foreign country and yet is thrown in with the domestic take.

That should soon fade away I hope as the international box office plays a larger and larger role. The studios have finally recognized it and have begun releasing their tentpoles in foreign countries weeks if not months prior to North American venues.

Take ICE AGE: CONTINENTAL DRIFT which took in am impressive $78m and first place in ALL of its markets. Fox's marketing overseas has been done very well yet again, like with the "Sid Shuffle" being shot all over the world.


Or how about THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN which opened with $50.2 - it is doing better than THE AVENGERS in South Korea (which also opened overseas first). SPIDER-MAN also had the highest ever Hollywood launch in India ($6m) thanks to the appearance of Irrfan Khan, a Bollywood star.

Want more proof? How about MEN IN BLACK 3. It has grossed a HUGE $429.8m overseas and what did it do domestically so far? $169.6m. Clearly the foreign market is MORE important than domestic for some movies. MIB3 is now the highest grossing of its franchise.

We'll continue to watch these tentpoles as they open in more markets, including North America. SPIDER-MAN opens tomorrow here (midnight screenings tonight - free posters!) and ICE AGE 4 on July 13.

Stat source: Box Office Mojo

EXCLUSIVE: Interview With Corey Turner, 3D Visual Effects Supervisor On Sony's MEN IN BLACK 3

A special treat for you today as I have my recent interview with Corey Turner, 3D Visual Effects Supervisor for MEN IN BLACK 3!

Corey is an accomplished stereographer and while the title may change from project to project he essentially does the same work. He's worked on such mammoth projects as TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON, ALICE IN WONDERLAND and now MIB3. 

He's also had an awesome background in motion and performance capture so he's pretty much done everything I think is cool in technology for Hollywood today!

Below is the timecode breakdown of the 30 minute conversation so you can quickly jump to a key area of interest for you if your under a time crunch. Otherwise I invite you to have a listen to the whole thing as we discuss modern 3D, the advances being made and of course the current box office champ MEN IN BLACK 3.

Interview Timecodes:
0:30 Exciting time for 3D
1:00 On how far 3D conversions have come
2:23 How was he drawn to MIB3
3:10 Why Barry Sonnenfeld chose 3D conversion
5:20 On exactly what his role was on the production
9:54 On how Barry made his job easier
11:52 What shot excited him the most
15:30 How the action was easier to do than the comedic scenes
16:10 Barry doesn't do any panning, which added a challenge for the stereo effect
17:03 Prime Focus was the major 3D conversion house on this production
18:15 On not wanting to be considered a 3D conversion, but a 3D movie
19:15 On rendering native 3D effects shots and adding it to converted 3D
20:20 The major vendors: Prime Focus, Imageworks and Method
21:15 There were 700 VFX shots (1800 shots total)
21:34 On how many seats did Prime Focus use to get the job done (~600)
22:00 On his background in motion and performance capture
24:02 On whether there was mocap on MIB3 or was it all Rick Baker
25:36 Tips for up and coming stereographers
27:00 What's next for him regarding other projects (secretive answer!)

My thanks to Corey for taking the time to speak with me about MIB3 and 3D in general and of course Sony for setting this up for the awesome 3D readers of MarketSaw!

MEN IN BLACK 3 is currently #1 at the box office - if you haven't seen it, get out and get it done! I loved it and the movie effectively puts the finishing touches on an exceptional franchise. The 3D is beyond reproach - wonderfully done, thanks to people like Corey Turner and his team.

3D Geek Alert: Get A Free Ticket To See MEN IN BLACK III With A Pre-Order Of The Blu-ray

Amazon's got a pretty good deal going on right now for the first 10,000 customers who pre-order the Men In Black 3 Blu-ray from them before June 25, 2013. This will undoubtedly sell out fast, so if you plan on getting the Blu-ray anyway - go for it!

Here's what Amazon says about the deal:

Be one of the first 10,000 customers to pre-order Men in Black 3 on Blu-ray or Blu-ray 3D at Amazon.com between May 23, 2012 and June 25, 2012 and receive a promotional code that you can redeem by July 5, 2012 for a certificate valid for one admission up to $10 to see the movie at participating theaters. Terms and conditions apply.

• Step 1: Complete your pre-order of Men in Black 3 on Blu-ray or Blu-ray 3D between May 23, 2012 and June 25, 2012.
• Step 2: If you are one of the first 10,000 to pre-order, you will receive an e-mail within 48 hours containing your promotional code, click the link contained in the email to go to http://www.sonymoviecash.com/mib3 and redeem your promotional code by July 5, 2012. 
• Step 3: On the http://www.sonymoviecash.com/mib3, website follow the instructions to enter your promotional code and other required information and print your certificate. 

Sounds like a great deal to me. THE AVENGERS gave away poster at the midnight screenings but this deal of a free ticket AND potentially seeing a 6 minute clip of THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN at the screening tonight is adding up to a really good deal!

Thanks to /Film for the heads up!

MEN IN BLACK III Opens Thursday Night At Midnight In IMAX Along With A 6 Minute Preview Of THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN!!

Not only will you be getting to see a very hot movie in MEN IN BLACK III starring Will Smith, Josh Brolin and Tommy Lee Jones but you can also catch a six minute preview of THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN all in IMAX 3D on Thursday night at midnight!!

Count me there!

Here are the storylines for the two movies:

MEN IN BLACK III:
In Men in Black 3, Agents J (Will Smith) and K (Tommy Lee Jones) are back… in time. J has seen some inexplicable things in his 15 years with the Men in Black, but nothing, not even aliens, perplexes him as much as his wry, reticent partner. But when K’s life and the fate of the planet are put at stake, Agent J will have to travel back in time to put things right. J discovers that there are secrets to the universe that K never told him — secrets that will reveal themselves as he teams up with the young Agent K (Josh Brolin) to save his partner, the agency, and the future of humankind. 

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN:
Like most teenagers his age, Peter is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today. In his journey to put the pieces of his past together he uncovers a secret his father held…a secret that will ultimately shape his destiny as Spider-Man. This is the first in a series of movies that tells a different side of the Peter Parker story. On July 3rd, 2012, the untold story begins.

You can buy your tickets right here.

You Sank My BATTLESHIP! Third Weekend In A Row Owned By THE AVENGERS - Soon To Be In Top 5 Of All Time *AND* Some Disc Release Info!

BATTLESHIP never really stood a chance against the behemoth known as THE AVENGERS. The ensemble Marvel movie took in an astounding $55,050,000 in it's third week of domestic bliss bringing it's total up to $457m (US and Canada) thus far. Peter Berg's BATTLESHIP meanwhile took in $25,350,000 in it's first weekend.

THE AVENGERS is now Disney's biggest box office success topping the top two PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN films. Up next on the ladder? STAR WARS. That should happen THIS weekend propelling the superhero movie into 5th on the all time list.


So the obvious question is will THE AVENGERS defeat MEN IN BLACK III this coming weekend? I'm pretty sure this won't happen. MIB3 carries a huge fanbase into the theaters and let's face it, it is Will Smith. So, will it would be cool to see Marvel / Disney continue swinging it's big stick, it's time for another 3D movie to step in and clobber some aliens...

We do have some more information on what to expect regarding the upcoming disc offering for THE AVENGERS set for release on September 25:

AVENGERS 4-Disc BD Combo Pack:
2-Disc BD Combo Pack
2-Disc DVD Combo Pack Special Features:
• AUDIO COMMENTARY BY DIRECTOR JOSS WHEDON
• MARVEL ONE-SHOT: ITEM 47
• SECOND SCREEN
• GAG REEL
• DELETED SCENES
- Alternate Opening – Maria Hill Interrogation
- Extended Scene – Loki & Barton Strategize
- Steve Rogers – Man Out of Time
- Nick Fury & World Security Council
- Extended Viaduct Fight – Raw Footage
- Fury & Hill Discuss the World Security Council
- Extended Scene – Banner and Security Guard
- Alternate Ending – Maria Hill Interrogation
• FEATURETTES
A Visual Journey - Assembling the Ultimate Team
• SOUNDGARDEN MUSIC VIDEO – “Live to Rise”

AVENGERS DVD Special Features:
• AUDIO COMMENTARY BY DIRECTOR JOSS WHEDON
• FEATURETTES - Assembling the Ultimate Team

In other words, you really should get the Blu-ray :-) Rumor has it that Marvel is prepping a 10 disc set that will include ALL the previous films, namely Iron Man, Iron Man 2, The Incredible Hulk, Thor and Captain America. Rumor only at this point!

Disc details via JoBlo

MEN IN BLACK III Screening In Germany Sets World Record

An impressive 6,819 fans watched the premiere of MEN IN BLACK III at Germany's O2 World which just so happens to be a new Guinness World Record.

Also in attendance were the stars of the movie Will Smith, Josh Brolin and Nicole Scherzinger along with director Barry Sonnenfeld.

From the Guinness Book Of World Records: The projector set-up for the record-breaking screening comprised of an array of four Sony 4K SRX-R320's, projecting left and right eye 3D images simultaneously onto a giant 25.9m x 14m screen.

Sony Pictures and Telefónica Germany donated the total revenue of the première to the TRIBUTE TO BAMBI trust, supporting children in need.

MIB3 is set to be released later this month, almost 15 years after the first movie in the series set a record for the highest box office film gross for an opening weekend - a record now held by The Avengers.

New MEN IN BLACK III Featurette Covering Rick Baker And His Creature Artistry!

This one's a treat guys. If you're a fan of Rick Baker (I'd be surprised if your not) and all the creature and makeup effects the man has done over his career, then you going to love this clip!

I like hearing about how the director of MEN IN BLACK III, Barry Sonnenfeld works with Baker and how they come up with their various creatures time and time again for this franchise. Very cool.

Here's the movie's storyline:
In Men in Black 3, Agents J (Will Smith) and K (Tommy Lee Jones) are back… in time. J has seen some inexplicable things in his 15 years with the Men in Black, but nothing, not even aliens, perplexes him as much as his wry, reticent partner. But when K’s life and the fate of the planet are put at stake, Agent J will have to travel back in time to put things right. J discovers that there are secrets to the universe that K never told him — secrets that will reveal themselves as he teams up with the young Agent K (Josh Brolin) to save his partner, the agency, and the future of humankind.

Would dearly love to visit Baker's studio some time!

Stay tuned for an exclusive interview I did with Corey Turner, 3D Visual Effects Supervisor on the movie. I'll have that out sometime around the release of the movie. MEN IN BLACK III will be released on May 25.



via SuperHeroHype

Watch: Three Movie Clips From MEN IN BLACK III

Some cool stuff in these clips! I love the cycles in this thing and seeing them in action now only reinforces it! 

We see some aliens being obliterated in another clip and finally the scene where Agent J (Will Smith) explains why he is in the past to Agent K (Josh Brolin).

Here's the movie's storyline:
In Men in Black 3, Agents J (Will Smith) and K (Tommy Lee Jones) are back… in time. J has seen some inexplicable things in his 15 years with the Men in Black, but nothing, not even aliens, perplexes him as much as his wry, reticent partner. But when K’s life and the fate of the planet are put at stake, Agent J will have to travel back in time to put things right. J discovers that there are secrets to the universe that K never told him — secrets that will reveal themselves as he teams up with the young Agent K (Josh Brolin) to save his partner, the agency, and the future of humankind.





MEN IN BLACK III opens May 25.

Must Watch: New Trailer For MEN IN BLACK III - New Aliens!

Josh Brolin enters the fray in this trailer and the whole thing is starting to look fairly enticing. Brolin is really quite a doppelganger for Tommy Lee Jones don't you think? That, and the inventiveness that is required to come up with these aliens has me looking forward to seeing this thing.

How it all holds together is another thing altogether as the script was being written on the fly while shooting, but Sony has the team and budget to pull it off so I remain hopeful.

Besides, Will Smith is the king of the box office until his popularity recedes and I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon.

Here's the storyline:
In Men in Black 3, Agents J (Will Smith) and K (Tommy Lee Jones) are back… in time. J has seen some inexplicable things in his 15 years with the Men in Black, but nothing, not even aliens, perplexes him as much as his wry, reticent partner. But when K’s life and the fate of the planet are put at stake, Agent J will have to travel back in time to put things right. J discovers that there are secrets to the universe that K never told him — secrets that will reveal themselves as he teams up with the young Agent K (Josh Brolin) to save his partner, the agency, and the future of humankind.



MEN IN BLACK III saves the world on May 25.

SEE: New Images From MEN IN BLACK III - New Trailer To Drop!

Check out a couple of new images from Sony's MEN IN BLACK III featuring Will Smith and Josh Brolin.

Click on the images to enlarge.

Further Sony tells us that a new trailer for MIB3 will drop on March 5.

In the movie Agent J travels in time to MIB's early years in the 1960s, to stop an alien from assassinating his friend Agent K and changing history.

MEN IN BLACK III hits theaters May 25.

See: New Poster For MEN IN BLACK III

Yet another 3D movie poster! Love it. They do tend to come in bunches! Here's Sony's poster for MEN IN BLACK III starring Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin.

The movie's official storyline:
In Men in Black 3, Agents J (Will Smith) and K (Tommy Lee Jones) are back… in time. J has seen some inexplicable things in his 15 years with the Men in Black, but nothing, not even aliens, perplexes him as much as his wry, reticent partner. But when K’s life and the fate of the planet are put at stake, Agent J will have to travel back in time to put things right. J discovers that there are secrets to the universe that K never told him — secrets that will reveal themselves as he teams up with the young Agent K (Josh Brolin) to save his partner, the agency, and the future of humankind.

Kind of a plain Jane poster but I'm digging the black and white branding this franchise enjoys!

MEN IN BLACK III is being released on May 25.

via Collider

SEE: New Images From MEN IN BLACK III

Here are some more images from Barry Sonnenfeld's MEN IN BLACK III, scanned yet again from Empire Magazine.

Click photos to enlarge...

We see Will Smith with various facial expressions as Agent J jumping on cars and riding elevators and always armed. Yes even in the elevator without a weapon, he is MIMICKING holding a gun :-)

Here's the movie's storyline:
In Men in Black 3, Agents J (Will Smith) and K (Tommy Lee Jones) are back… in time. J has seen some inexplicable things in his 15 years with the Men in Black, but nothing, not even aliens, perplexes him as much as his wry, reticent partner. But when K’s life and the fate of the planet are put at stake, Agent J will have to travel back in time to put things right. J discovers that there are secrets to the universe that K never told him — secrets that will reveal themselves as he teams up with the young Agent K (Josh Brolin) to save his partner, the agency, and the future of humankind.

MEN IN BLACK III opens May 25.

As I see more media for this movie I am becoming more and more interested. I think I am anticipating the time traveling aspect of the story. Certainly the actors are appealing in their own right. Bring on some more teasers Sony!

Source: CBM

MUST SEE: New Photos From PROMETHEUS, THE HOBBIT, FRANKENWEENIE And MIB III

Try to match up the photos to the correct movie! :-) Shouldn't be too hard...

Click to enlarge.

And yes, those are "Space Jockey Suits" behind Noomi Rapace in the PROMETHEUS shot! It's hard to tell just how big they truly are due to the angle of the photo, but they certainly look menacing.

Should I tell you the solution to the lineup of photos? Haha! I think you all got it.

Sources: The LATimes | Badass Digest | via /Film

MUST WATCH: Trailer For MEN IN BLACK 3!

Well this was a long time coming and I must say I didn't know what to expect. The trailer seems to hold together quite well though and the "cliffhanger" at the end works, so good job Sony.

Very curious to see more of Josh Brolin's Agent K! The graffiti alien seems a bit childish to me, but I am hoping for never-before-seen aliens in this thing, so maybe it works in the end? I mean creatures that are beyond imagining and haven't been thought of before - similar to the aliens in THE DARKEST HOUR.

Here's the movie's storyline:
In Men in Black 3, Agents J (Will Smith) and K (Tommy Lee Jones) are back… in time. J has seen some inexplicable things in his 15 years with the Men in Black, but nothing, not even aliens, perplexes him as much as his wry, reticent partner. But when K’s life and the fate of the planet are put at stake, Agent J will have to travel back in time to put things right. J discovers that there are secrets to the universe that K never told him — secrets that will reveal themselves as he teams up with the young Agent K (Josh Brolin) to save his partner, the agency, and the future of humankind.

MIB3 is in theaters May 25, 2012.



Not bad right? We know the MIB formula and that it works so I am just looking for spectacle and for an interesting story. As of right now, I'm in!

PROMETHEUS Trailer Gets 14A Classification In Canada - That's Somewhere Between PG-13 And R In The US

Interesting bit of news from our friends at /Film - apparently the Canadian government has given the trailer for PROMETHEUS a rating of 14A which means that it is suitable for those 14 and older. Any children under 14 must be with an adult.

14A translate to somewhere between PG-13 and R in the US.

In other trailer related news, MEN IN BLACK III debuts their trailer on Monday so we will be getting our first glimpses of the agents in action soon. MIB III opens May 25.

Bring 'em on!! :-)

First Look: Will Smith & Josh Brolin Set Pics From MEN IN BLACK III

Here's a quick first look at Will Smith and Josh Brolin in Sony's MEN IN BLACK III.

Not much to comment on except a slicked back hair style for Brolin which actually looks better than his normal quaff if you ask me. Definitely fitting into a successful younger Tommy Lee Jones mold isn't he?

For more images click here.

Not many details about the plot have been confirmed though the movie will have a time travel storyline with Agent J and Agent K going back to the 1960s to see a young Agent K. Boris (the bad guy), also travels back in time to try and kill Agent K to set off a chain of events which will result in the end of the world.

CAST:
- Will Smith as James Darrell Edwards III/Agent J, an MIB agent
- Tommy Lee Jones as Kevin Brown/Agent K, an MIB agent
- Josh Brolin as a younger Kevin Brown/Agent K
- Rip Torn as Chief Zed, the head of the MIB
- Emma Thompson as Agent O, agent of the MIB in present day and a secretary in the 1960s
- Nicole Scherzinger as Lilly, a villain in the film and girlfriend to Agent J
- Jemaine Clement as Boris, the main villain in the film
- Gemma Arterton
- Alice Eve as a younger Agent O

Barry Sonnenfeld's MEN IN BLACK III is slated for a May 25, 2012 release.

Source: Mail Online

Promo Posters For SPIDER-MAN IN 3D, MEN IN BLACK 3 And ARTHUR CHRISTMAS!

I have three promo posters for you (via Collider), two of which are really only showing us official titles and font - but information so far on these properties has been hard to come by so have a look...

First up is the promo poster for SPIDER-MAN IN 3D - which I believe has already seen the light of day earlier in the year. Can't say enough how pleased I am that one of the best comicbook characters of all time is going S3D!

Oh, and I never liked Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane. Never bought it. So while I would like to see another actress in the role, apparently Mary Jane will not be in this re-imagining of SPIDER-MAN.

The $80 million SPIDER-MAN IN 3D reboot is slated to swing into theaters on July 3, 2012.

--

Next up is ARTHUR CHRISTMAS from Aardman Animations (if they sound familiar it's because they are behind WALLACE AND GROMIT), however ARTHUR CHRISTMAS will not be stop motion but rather a CGI film (Variety).

Should be a rather entertaining movie if they can capture lightning once again as they did with the WALLACE AND GROMIT characters. Sony Pictures Imageworks is also working on the animation with Aardman.

Look for ARTHUR CHRISTMAS in theaters November 11, 2011.

--

Finally a look at the promo poster for MEN IN BLACK 3 (the newest title anyway!). This time they are using the "3" as one would cube a number in mathematics.

Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones are indeed returning for this third iteration of the MIB franchise along with director Barry Sonnenfeld. Josh Brolin will be playing a younger Agent K (TLJ's character).

Supposedly the storyline "has Yaz (Jemaine Clement) traveling back in time to kill K and Agent J has to go to 1969 and team up with a young K in order to stop Yaz from setting off a chain of events that will destroy the world in the future."

I have always liked the premise of the MIB movies, but time travel? I guess time will tell on this one - it must be a great story to have Smith sign up so perhaps I am a little too paranoid about it. Love that it is going 3D though - should look brilliant!

Look for MIB3 on May 25, 2012.