A Fun Look At A Serious Matter: FINDING NEMO 3D And FRANKENWEENIE PSAs For Theater Etiquette

Have a fun look at something that is near and dear to my heart - no phones during the movie. Of course, no talking or kicking the seat in front of you, but definitely NO PHONES.

I appreciate that two 3D movies are stepping up to the plate to help out and even though it is clearly part of their marketing thrust, the effort really does help. Money well spent.

So below are the FINDING NEMO 3D and Tim Burton's FRANKENWEENIE public service announcements for the movie going public and the general consensus etiquette we should all strive to adhere to for maximum enjoyment of the movies...

FRANKENWEENIE opens on October 5 and FINDING NEMO 3D opens September 14.

via /Film

Weekend Movie Review: BRAVE 9 Stars, ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER 7 Stars

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In a showdown of 3D movies opening this weekend (indeed 4 out of the top 5 movies are 3D), Pixar's BRAVE easily comes out on top. In fact another 3D animation holdover, MADAGASCAR 3 may very well win second place over Timur Bakmambetov / Tim Burton's ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER. It's a shame too because I was looking forward to seeing how well this "newer" type of mash-up genre film could perform.

There are some MINOR, minor spoilers in these reviews. Nothing to worry about in my mind.

BRAVE is an amazing movie. I live in Nova Scotia (Canada) means New Scotland - our landscape, music and culture is deeply tied to Scotland. Many have the accent to some degree as well here. So who knows, I may be a little biased toward the content of BRAVE, but I had my reservations about the movie right from the start. Pixar proved me wrong.

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I was actually a bit surprised by the intensity of the mother / daughter dynamics despite being slightly clued into it by the run up marketing. Perhaps because this type of movie is so rare. Certainly word of mouth within the female demographics should nicely ramp. Believe me, my surprise was a GOOD one and I really appreciated watching this movie.

I purposely studied the mother / daughter pairs in the theater after the film - very, very interesting. Some were hugging. Others wiping their eyes. Others were watching the credits, then seemed to gain some insight, turned to look at each other and smile, talking about the movie; seemingly talking for the first time in a long time. Seemingly so anyway. I feel BRAVE has that kind of power and it is so needed today. I hope the marketing team can push the affinity of the movie for mothers to take their daughters. Bravo to the team. Of course the visuals continue to improve and amaze, but BRAVE had me with the females.

The 3D is suitably used, but not to the degree I feel that they should be considering. Pixar could use more depth - like some scenes in PROMETHEUS, but it was a safe 3D movie. There should be no complaints. Bob Whitehill, Pixar's 3D supervisor contacted me last night to ask whether I had seen it yet and I let him know how I felt. A spectacular achievement and a must see for mothers and daughters out there.

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ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER on the other hand suffered. Suspension of disbelief was NOT achieved for me. I could not immerse myself in the movie at any time whatsoever so in that respect it was a total failure.

The redeeming qualities of the movie were that director Timur Bakmambetov has some skill so the action scenes were quite well orchestrated. I found the historical references interesting too - like the construction of the various Washington landmarks and what was on Lincoln's desktop in the White House.

Improvements? If the President were fighting criminals or some sort of normal human threat to the nation well then the movie would have scored significantly higher for me. But vampires? It never sold me. The madly waving axe all about Lincoln's body while he positioned for his next kill looked idiotic, just as it does in the trailers. A complete waste of energy and certainly not a offensive tactic. How he came to be able to chop down that tree in the trailer with a single blow is ridiculous too. Sorry doesn't work.

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The story and character development was flawed to me as well, even in the face of the best selling book of the same name. I found it incredulous that a young boy would remember the details of his mother's murder - that he wouldn't block out certain aspects of it. The movie would have been served to us so much more effectively had Lincoln had a breakdown as a young man and suddenly realized what really happened.  If he had inherited some sort of power from his father would have helped too. We are made to realize that ANYONE could be a vampire killer if they had a simple 2 minute instruction. **Sigh**

And the ending? Well I don't want to spoil that for you, but an obvious ending did NOT take place that would have set up a sequel - a sequel that MAY have improved the story quite a bit. In fact had this ending occurred, I would have rather seen the subsequent years afterward as a movie instead of this "prequel". We may never see this now. Anyway, it's hard to discuss something I can't divulge here. We can discuss in the comments if you wish!

Here are the anticipated box office returns for the weekend:
1. Brave - $64.7 million
2. Abraham Lincoln - $17.1 million
3. Madagascar 3 - $15.3 million (-55%)
4. Prometheus - $10.7 million (-48%)
5. Seeking a Friend - $8.2 million

Special thanks to Empire Theatres for the screening!

Box Office Estimates: Box Office Mojo

Must Watch: New Red Band Trailer For ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER

Ok, this is getting better now. I was worried for a bit there, but things seem to be picking up nicely with this latest red band trailer for ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER.

Check out Abe dealing out some massive melee damage with his +5 Axe of POTUS! Seriously though, the awesome slo-mo and the cinematic flavor for the movie is starting to show and I like it. The vampires look creepy enough and the energy has picked up.

Here's the storyline for the movie:
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter explores the secret life of our greatest President, and the untold story that shaped our nation. Visionary filmmakers Tim Burton and Timur Bekmambetov (director of Wanted) bring a fresh and visceral voice to the blood-thirsty lore of the vampire, imagining Lincoln as history’s greatest hunter of the undead. 

Director: Timur Bekmambetov
Producer: Tim Burton
Writer: Seth Grahame-Smith
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Cast: Benjamin Walker, Dominic Cooper, Anthony Mackie 

Have a look for yourself:

ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER has an axe to grind with us on June 22.

New Featurette For ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER Repositions It To More Of A Superhero Origins Movie

I just don't know guys. I would love to see something happen in the alternative history of a US President, but does this work for me? Not yet. Yes, Tim Burton is amazing at getting us to suspend disbelief for his movies, but he's not directing this one - just producing. I will admit here that I am fearful that this movie is not going to do so well.

I think the casting looks good and the visuals are dark enough, but the premise leaves the trailer audiences LAUGHING. That's not a good sign for a movie that takes itself seriously. One can hope that the trailer was just not put together in the correct fashion, but that may be grasping at straws.

This featurette has author Seth Grahame-Smith talking about the movie with director Timur Bakmambetov and Tim Burton. They are talking as if this was actual history which kind of baffles me. The whole thing seems backwards to me. 

Are we seeing a reactionary measure here to try and save the movie by instilling the thought of a superhero genre? It may be too late. I cringe when I hear people laughing during the trailers and I admit without the knowledge of what is going to happen in the movie, seeing Lincoln blowing up a tree with his axe looks ridiculous.



To each their own. I have learned to never totally count out anything Burton touches! ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER opens June 22.

What's Bigger Than Tim Burton Rebooting His Own Movie FRANKENWEENIE? Releasing It In IMAX 3D!

Yes, Tim Burton's passion project FRANKENWEENIE is getting the IMAX treatment! Disney will be digitally re-mastering the painstakingly made stop motion movie into the large screen format. It will be the first IMAX movie ever released in black and white.

Here's the official press release:
LOS ANGELES, March 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ – IMAX Corporation and The Walt Disney Studios today announced that Tim Burton’s stop-motion, animated film, Frankenweenie will be digitally re-mastered into the immersive IMAX® 3D format and released in IMAX® digital theatres worldwide day-and-date on Oct. 5, 2012. The film marks the first black and white Hollywood feature and first stop-motion animated movie to be presented in IMAX.

From Disney and directed by Tim Burton, Frankenweenie: An IMAX 3D Experience features the voices of Catherine O’Hara, Martin Short and Winona Ryder. The film is a remake of the live-action short directed by Tim Burton in 1984.

“IMAX has a long-standing relationship with Tim Burton, whose unique artistic vision and brilliant storytelling has captured the imagination of audiences around the world,” said Greg Foster, Chairman and President of IMAX Filmed Entertainment. “We’re excited to add Frankenweenie as the second Tim Burton feature in our 2012 film slate, providing IMAX audiences a distinctive new way to experience animation.”

The IMAX release of Frankenweenie will be digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX 3D Experience® with proprietary IMAX DMR® (Digital Re-mastering) technology. The crystal-clear images coupled with IMAX’s customized theatre geometry and powerful digital audio create a unique environment that will make audiences feel as if they are in the movie.

About Frankenweenie

From creative genius Tim Burton (“Alice in Wonderland, The Nightmare Before Christmas”) comes Frankenweenie, a heartwarming tale about a boy and his dog. After unexpectedly losing his beloved dog Sparky, young Victor harnesses the power of science to bring his best friend back to life—with just a few minor adjustments. He tries to hide his home-sewn creation, but when Sparky gets out, Victor’s fellow students, teachers and the entire town all learn that getting a new “leash on life” can be monstrous.

A stop-motion animated film, Frankenweenie, will be filmed in black and white and rendered in 3D, which will elevate the classic style to a whole new experience.

Presented by Disney, Frankenweenie is directed by Tim Burton and produced by Tim Burton and Allison Abbate, with Don Hahn serving as executive producer. John August wrote the screenplay, based on an original idea by Tim Burton. The film will be released in U.S. theaters on October 5, 2012.

Now I'm REALLY looking forward to this!

SEE: First Poster For Tim Burton's FRANKENWEENIE

In what must be 3D movie poster day on MarketSaw, here's the first poster for Tim Burton's FRANKENWEENIE.

I would say that Burton got Disney to throw in this production as a kicker to the deal that had him make ALICE IN WONDERLAND. If they can make a FIFTH of what that behemoth made in the box office it will be a rousing success.

Note that Burton already made this movie in 1984 but he has wanted to revisit it for a long time.

Voice cast in this stop motion animated 3D feature are Martin Short, Winona Ryder, Catherine O'Hara, Martin Landau amongst others.

Here's the movie's storyline:
From creative genius Tim Burton (“Alice in Wonderland,” The Nightmare Before Christmas”) comes “Frankenweenie,” a heartwarming tale about a boy and his dog. After unexpectedly losing his beloved dog Sparky, young Victor harnesses the power of science to bring his best friend back to life—with just a few minor adjustments. He tries to hide his home-sewn creation, but when Sparky gets out, Victor’s fellow students, teachers and the entire town all learn that getting a new “leash on life” can be monstrous.

FRANKENWEENIE has an October 5 release date. Here's the movie's official Facebook Page.

MUST SEE: First Trailer For ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER

While it obviously looks like suspension of disbelief is a KEY ingredient to this feature, you can be assured by this film's pedigree: Produced by Tim Burton and directed by Timur Bekmambetov (WANTED).

It looks like Abraham Lincoln has superhero strength as he is wielding his famous axe around like Paul Bunyan. The president's an agile wall jumper too! Can all of this be presented in such a way that we believe it? With Tim Burton supervising I believe so.

Here's the quick storyline:
President Lincolns mother is killed by a supernatural creature, which fuels his passion to crush vampires and their slave-owning helpers.

Director: Timur Bekmambetov
Writer: Seth Grahame-Smith
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Cast: Benjamin Walker, Dominic Cooper, Anthony Mackie
Release: June 22, 2012



More soon!

New Images From Pixar's BRAVE And Tim Burton's FRANKENWEENIE

Check out a couple of new images from upcoming 2012 Disney productions: Tim Burton's FRANKENWEENIE and Pixar's BRAVE.

I love the palette of colors in BRAVE - I think they have nailed the Scottish influence admirably.

Here's the storyline:
Since ancient times, stories of epic battles and mystical legends have been passed through the generations across the rugged and mysterious Highlands of Scotland. In “Brave,” a new tale joins the lore when the courageous Merida (voice of Kelly Macdonald) confronts tradition, destiny and the fiercest of beasts.

Merida is a skilled archer and impetuous daughter of King Fergus (voice of Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (voice of Emma Thompson). Determined to carve her own path in life, Merida defies an age-old custom sacred to the uproarious lords of the land: massive Lord MacGuffin (voice of Kevin McKidd), surly Lord Macintosh (voice of Craig Ferguson) and cantankerous Lord Dingwall (voice of Robbie Coltrane). Merida’s actions inadvertently unleash chaos and fury in the kingdom, and when she turns to an eccentric old Witch (voice of Julie Walters) for help, she is granted an ill-fated wish.

Directed by Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman, and produced by Katherine Sarafian, “Brave” is a grand adventure full of heart, memorable characters and the signature Pixar humor enjoyed by audiences of all ages. The film takes aim at theaters on June 22, 2012, and will be presented in Disney Digital 3D™ in select theaters. A grand adventure full of heart, memorable characters and signature Pixar humor, “Brave” uncovers a new tale in the mysterious Highlands of Scotland where the impetuous Merida (voice of Kelly Macdonald) defies an age-old custom and inadvertently unleashes chaos, forcing her to discover the meaning of true bravery before it’s too late.”

BRAVE hits theaters June 22, 2012.

--AND--

Tim Burton's FRANKENWEENIE comes from the youthful mind of the creative genius as this project is actually a reboot of one of his earlier works. Both were shot in black and white and makes use of stop motion animation.

Here's the storyline:
From Tim Burton (“Alice in Wonderland,” The Nightmare Before Christmas”) comes “Frankenweenie,” a heartwarming tale about a boy and his dog. After unexpectedly losing his beloved dog Sparky, young Victor harnesses the power of science to bring his best friend back to life—with just a few minor adjustments. He tries to hide his home-sewn creation, but when Sparky gets out, Victor’s fellow students, teachers and the entire town all learn that getting a new “leash on life” can be monstrous.

Looking forward to seeing some vintage Burton nightmares in action! :-) FRANKENWEENIE opens October 5, 2012.

Source: Stitch Kingdom via Collider

MUST SEE: New Poster For ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER

We haven't seen a lot of material from the production of Timur Bekmambetov's ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE KILLER yet, but this lenticular poster goes a long way towards mitigating that. Tim Burton Productions is behind the movie as well.

Click on the images to enlarge.

Yes, these two images are really just one poster, but with lenticular lenses in front so that when you walk by it the poster changes from day to night. Cool. We have seen similar efforts before and they are an impressive memory trigger that the movie will be different and in 3D.

Here's the official storyline for the movie:
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter explores the secret life of our greatest President, and the untold story that shaped our nation. Visionary filmmakers Tim Burton and Timur Bekmambetov (director of Wanted) bring a fresh and visceral voice to the blood-thirsty lore of the vampire, imagining Lincoln as history's greatest hunter of the undead.

Look for ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER on June 22, 2012.

See: First Images From Tim Burton's FRANKENWEENIE

Tim Burton's 3D stop motion animated feature FRANKENWEENIE is finally cooking with full steam!

The movie is based on a much earlier short film (1984) done by Burton of the same title. In fact, the feature inherits black and white from the short too.

Here's the storyline:
From creative genius Tim Burton (“Alice in Wonderland,” The Nightmare Before Christmas”) comes “Frankenweenie,” a heartwarming tale about a boy and his dog. After unexpectedly losing his beloved dog Sparky, young Victor harnesses the power of science to bring his best friend back to life—with just a few minor adjustments. He tries to hide his home-sewn creation, but when Sparky gets out, Victor’s fellow students, teachers and the entire town all learn that getting a new “leash on life” can be monstrous.

A stop-motion animated film, “Frankenweenie” will be filmed in black and white and rendered in 3D, which will elevate the classic style to a whole new experience. In Tim Burton’s FRANKENWEENIE, young Victor conducts a science experiment to bring his beloved dog Sparky back to life, only to face unintended, sometimes monstrous, consequences.

The voice cast includes Winona Ryder, Martin Short, Catherine O’Hara and Martin Landau and will come alive in theaters Oct. 5, 2012.

Looks like Burton has this thing sewn up already! :-)

Source: EW

Here's The Story Line For Tim Burton's FRANKENWEENIE

We've got the story line for you from Tim Burton's FRANKENWEENIE. The information comes directly from Walt Disney who is backing the remake of Burton's original short story.

Here's the synopsis:
In Tim Burton’s “Frankenweenie” young Victor conducts a science experiment to bring his beloved dog Sparky back to life, only to face unintended, sometimes monstrous, consequences. A stop-motion animated film, “Frankenweenie” will be filmed in black and white and rendered in 3D, which will elevate the classic style to a whole new experience. From creative genius Tim Burton (“Alice in Wonderland,” The Nightmare Before Christmas”) comes “Frankenweenie,” a heartwarming tale about a boy and his dog. After unexpectedly losing his beloved dog Sparky, young Victor harnesses the power of science to bring his best friend back to life—with just a few minor adjustments. He tries to hide his home-sewn creation, but when Sparky gets out, Victor’s fellow students, teachers and the entire town all learn that getting a new “leash on life” can be monstrous.

Further details:
Genre: Comedy adventure
Rating: TBD
U.S. Release date: October 5, 2012
Voice Cast: Winona Ryder, Martin Short, Catherine O’Hara, Martin Landau, Charlie Tahan, Atticus Shaffer
Director: Tim Burton
Producers: Tim Burton, Allison Abbate
Executive Producer: Don Hahn
Screenplay by: John August
Based on an original idea by: Tim Burton

From creative genius Tim Burton (“Alice in Wonderland,” The Nightmare Before Christmas”) comes “Frankenweenie,” a heartwarming tale about a boy and his dog. After unexpectedly losing his beloved dog Sparky, young Victor harnesses the power of science to bring his best friend back to life—with just a few minor adjustments. He tries to hide his home-sewn creation, but when Sparky gets out, Victor’s fellow students, teachers and the entire town all learn that getting a new “leash on life” can be monstrous.

A stop-motion animated film, “Frankenweenie” will be filmed in black and white and rendered in 3D, which will elevate the classic style to a whole new experience.

In Tim Burton’s “Frankenweenie” young Victor conducts a science experiment to bring his beloved dog Sparky back to life, only to face unintended, sometimes monstrous, consequences.

Notes:
· When Tim Burton originally conceived the idea for “Frankenweenie,” he envisioned it as a full-length, stop-motion animated film. Due to budget constraints, he instead directed it as a live-action short, released in 1984.
· “Frankenweenie” follows in the footsteps of Tim Burton’s other stop-motion animated films “Corpse Bride” and “The Nightmare Before Christmas”—both of which were nominated for Academy Awards®.
· Over 200 puppets and sets were created for the film.
· The voice cast includes four actors who worked with Burton on previous films: Winona Ryder (“Beetlejuice,” “Edward Scissorhands”), Catherine O’Hara (“Beetlejuice,” “The Nightmare Before Christmas”), Martin Short (“Mars Attacks!”) and Martin Landau (“Ed Wood,” Sleepy Hollow”).
· Several of the character names—Victor, Elsa Van Helsing, Edgar “E” Gore and Mr. Burgermeister— were inspired by classic horror films.

The story line is not surprising as I already knew about his original short, but the details are interesting - like the sheer number of puppets being made. More when I get it.

Ben Walker Wins Election: Takes Titular Role In ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER

Beating out other actors for the coveted role (like Adrien Brody, James D'Arcy, Oliver Jackson-Cohen and Josh Lucas), Ben Walker has assumed the mantle of ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER.

The movie will be shot in native 3D starting this March and slated for release June 22, 2012. Timur Bekmambetov will direct the Tim Burton and Jim Lemley production for Fox.

SPOILERS: Here is a fairly detailed description of the book - Warning: Do not read if you want a pristine viewing experience!! Many elements are sure to be used in the adapted screenplay...

The epistolary-style book is written as a biography of Abraham Lincoln, based on "secret diaries" kept by the 16th President and given to the author by a vampire named Henry Sturges.

When Lincoln is eleven years old, he learns from his father Thomas Lincoln that vampires are in fact real creatures. Thomas explains to his son that a vampire killed Abraham's grandfather (also named Abraham Lincoln) in 1786. Young Abraham is also shocked to learn that his beloved mother Nancy Hanks Lincoln succumbed not to milk sickness but rather to being given a "fool's dose" of vampire blood, the result of Thomas's failure to repay a debt. Lincoln vows in his diary to kill as many vampires as he can. A year later he lures the vampire responsible for his mother's death to the family farm and manages to kill it with a homemade stake.

At the age of sixteen Lincoln gets word of a possible vampire attack along the Ohio River and investigates, but this time he is no match for the vampire and is nearly killed. He is saved at the last moment by the intervention of the vampire Henry Sturges. Henry nurses Lincoln back to health and explains some of the nature of vampirism, emphasizing that some vampires are good and others are evil. Lincoln spends the summer with Henry and trains for combat, becoming a skilled wrestler and axe-handler. For several years following, Henry sends Lincoln the names and addresses of evil vampires; Abraham dutifully tracks them down and kills them.

As a young adult Lincoln and a friend travel down the Mississippi River to New Orleans on a flatboat to sell a number of goods. Here Lincoln's life is changed forever after he witnesses a slave auction. Lincoln follows a slave buyer and his new slaves back to their plantation and discovers to his horror that the buyer is a vampire - the slaves are to be used not for labor but for food. Lincoln writes in his diary his belief that vampires will continue to exist in America as long as they can easily buy their victims in this manner - to end slavery is to end the scourge of vampires. Lincoln becomes an Abolitionist.

Lincoln returns to his home in New Salem and begins his business and political careers by day, continuing to track down the vampires in Henry's letters at night. His life is once again tinged by tragedy when his lover Ann Rutledge is attacked and murdered by her ex-fiance John McNamar, now a vampire living in New York City. With Henry's help, Lincoln catches McNamar and kills him, but he decides to give up vampire hunting and instead concentrate on his daytime pursuits. He marries Mary Todd, begins to raise a family, starts a law firm, and is elected to a term in the United States House of Representatives.

While in Washington, Lincoln meets his old friend Edgar Allan Poe, who also knows the truth about vampires. Poe tells Lincoln that the vampires are being chased out of their ancestral homes in Europe (in part because of a public outcry over the bloody atrocities of Elizabeth Báthory) and are flocking to America because of the slave trade. Poe warns that if the vampires are left unchecked they will eventually seek to enslave all Americans, white and black. Lincoln leaves Washington in 1849 and declines to seek re-election; Poe is found murdered that same year in Baltimore, the victim of a vampire attack.

In 1857 Henry summons Lincoln to New York City. Here Lincoln and fellow vampire slayer William Seward are told that the vampires in the South intend to start a civil war so that they can conquer the north and enslave everyone. Lincoln is ordered to debate Stephen A. Douglas in what become known as the Lincoln-Douglas debates. Although Lincoln loses to Douglas (an ally of the Southern vampires), he gains a great deal of publicity and respect, which allows him to capture the Republican Party nomination for president and then the office itself.

Lincoln's election triggers the secession of the southern states and the start of the American Civil War. Early battles, such as the First Battle of Bull Run go poorly for the Union troops after they are attacked by Confederate vampires. Lincoln decides that the best way to defeat the vampires is to eliminate their food source and starve them out — to that end, he announces the Emancipation Proclamation and encourages the slaves to fight back against slave owners and vampires alike. This begins to turn the tide of the war.

However, the war takes a personal toll on Lincoln. A vampire assassin sneaks onto the White House lawn and kills Willie Lincoln, the President's 11-year-old son. Henry appears at the White House and offers to turn Willie into a vampire so that he will "live" again, but Lincoln is unwilling to allow it. Enraged, he banishes Henry and all other vampires from the White House and refuses to speak to any of them ever again.

The war ends with the South's defeat. Lincoln receives reports that the vampires in the South are fleeing to Asia and South America in the wake of the slave system's collapse. Happy for the first time in many years, he attends a play at Ford's Theater, only to be assassinated by the actor and vampire John Wilkes Booth. Booth expects the vampires to rally around President Lincoln's death, but instead finds himself shunned and hiding in a Virginia barn as Union troops arrive to arrest him. Henry arrives and confronts Booth inside the burning barn; it is implied that Henry is the one who kills Booth.

Lincoln's death is mourned by the nation. His body is brought by a funeral train back to Springfield, Illinois, where Henry stands guard.

The biography concludes with Martin Luther King, Jr.'s famous "I Have a Dream" speech at the Lincoln Memorial. Both Abraham Lincoln and Henry Sturges attend and Lincoln writes about spending the previous night at the White House. Henry has used his powers to turn Lincoln into a vampire, believing that "some men are just too interesting to die".

Looking forward to this one! Zombies I think would have been more appealing to me, but that's personal preference :-) More when I get it...

Tim Burton Going 3D With ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER!!

After a vicious bidding war for an adaptation of Seth Grahame-Smith's ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER, Fox came out victorious (Variety). Studio will place Tim Burton in the producer's chair and Timur Bakmambetov to direct.

Pre-production starts immediately on the $69 million movie with a 2012 release slated.

Here is what Bakmambetov had to say about AL:VH - "It is not a comedy at all – it is a very entertaining, epic history lesson for millions and millions of teenagers. If you remember Night Watch, it is maybe in the vein of that kind of movie. We are keeping the traditional look of Lincoln – the big hat and the beard. He has to be historically correct, but with a few special weapons."

And here is Publisher's Weekly's (via /Film) book overview - "Seth Grahame-Smith inserts a grandiose and gratuitous struggle with vampires into Abraham Lincoln’s life. Lincoln learns at an early age that his mother was killed by a supernatural predator. This provokes his bloody but curiously undocumented lifelong vendetta against vampires and their slave-owning allies. The author’s decision to reduce slavery to a mere contrivance of the vampires is unfortunate bordering on repellent, but at least it does distract the reader from the central question of why the president never saw fit to inform the public of the supernatural menace."

I think the project gives us another unique slant on vampires to enjoy. I really liked watching both LET THE RIGHT ONE IN and the Americanized version LET ME IN too. I was excited to hear about this idea long before finding out that Burton intends to bring it to screens in 3D. Now I am doubly thrilled. I am not sure how slavery fits into the story, but hopefully it is done with tact. No word on whether it will be native or converted yet - will fill you in when I find out!

Disney Confirms JOHN CARTER OF MARS And FRANKENWEENIE Will Be 3D

Tim Burton's FRANKENWEENIE is being pushed back (not surprising looking at Burton's workload) from 2011 to a March 9, 2012 release.

The movie is based on the comedic horror short that Burton made in 1984 while a film school student. The story centers on a man who brings his dog back to life after it is killed by a car.

THR reports that FRANKENWEENIE will no longer be a live action film but will use stop-motion (similar to CORALINE) and will be in black and white.

JOHN CARTER OF MARS has a release date now: June 8, 2012.

From Academy Award-winning filmmaker Andrew Stanton (FINDING NEMO, WALL-E), JOHN CARTER OF MARS brings this captivating hero to the big screen in a stunning adventure epic set on the wounded planet of Mars, a world inhabited by warrior tribes and exotic desert beings. Based on the first of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ “Barsoom Series,” the film chronicles the journey of Civil-War veteran John Carter, who finds himself battling a new and mysterious war amidst a host of strange Martian inhabitants, including Tars Tarkas and Dejah Thoris.

Both movies will be in Disney Digital 3D.

Great to finally have confirmation on JOHN CARTER being 3D. I was fairly certain FRANKENWEENIE would be. JOHN CARTER should be a huge, tentpole release for Disney and I expect TRON-like marketing for it in the coming year. Something to be excited about!

Tim Burton Is Bringing MONSTERPOCALYPSE To The Big Screen!

This one slipped under my radar but I thought I should update you guys asap. My friend Peter over at /Film spoke with producer Roy Lee about the upcoming Tim Burton project MONSTERPOCALYPSE (quite a mouth full)...

Here are the abbreviated details:
- John August is writing the screenplay right now, consulting with the game’s creator Matt Wilson (who is also a co-producer)
- Tim Burton is developing the project to direct.
- Being developed as a 3D movie.
- It could hit theaters by the end of 2012.
- Will not feature other properties like Voltron.
- The plot involves giant monsters who attack earth. After the humans fight back, the monsters retreat, but it is quickly discovered that they didn’t leave, but instead burrowed underground and are sending some sort of signal into space. The humans prepare for a possible future attach and developed giant robots that will fight the monsters if and when they return.
- Most of the movie is going to be during that battle between the giant robots and the giant monsters.
- Tim Burton is developing the look for the monsters with Ken Ralston, four time Academy Award winner who has been involved with the visual effects on films such as Forrest Gump, Death Becomes Her, Back to the Future series, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Cocoon, Dragonslayer, Star Wars trilogy.
- The monsters and robots are each the size of a very tall building.
- The robots are controlled by a crew inside of each one of these robots, and we’ll be seeing the battles from the inside of the bridge and the outside.

Sounds like a better adaption than most of the other board game movies in development right now, but then again we have not heard too much about them other than casting (Rihanna is joining BATTLESHIP for example. Okaaaayyyyy).

Could be a very visually appealing Burton movie. No word on what role Johnny Depp will play... ;-)

ALICE IN WONDERLAND Joining Top Movies Of All Time: Passing $1B This Week!!

ALICE IN WONDERLAND is poised to enter the realm of $1 billion blockbusters! Disney has hit the jackpot with Tim Burton's 2D to 3D conversion and will have raked in 10 figures as of this week (most likely Thursday).

As of today, AIW has gathered $332m domestically and $665m overseas to bring about a near tidy sum of $997m! Its widest release was 3739 theaters and it still remains in 411.

Only AVATAR ($2.73b), TITANIC ($1.8b), THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING ($1.1b), PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST ($1.1b) and THE DARK KNIGHT ($1b) have hit the $1b plateau - so it is indeed quite a feat.

Of course, 3D played another huge role in this success story and ALICE is the second highest grossing 3D movie of all time (Fox's ICE AGE: DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS is third with $887m and Pixar's UP is in fourth with $731m).

This one tiptoed up on me! I knew it was doing very well, but what a pleasant surprise to see it top $1 billion. When 3D conversion is done right, it can be very appealing. It may be some time before we see near native 3D quality, but ALICE IN WONDERLAND was done right given today's abilities. Congratulations Disney!

Quick Post: ALICE IN BOX OFFICE WONDERLAND

Jim here. A quick tally of Tim Burton's ALICE IN WONDERLAND has Disney raking in $41m on Friday alone and potentially $110m for the opening weekend! This means that it will set a record for the largest first quarter opening ever. THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST previously held the mark at $84m.

AGAIN - S3D reigns king. I am taking it in tonight in IMAX - I don't want to be late! :-)

Welcome Aboard Martin Scorsese! Visionary Director Wants To See Dramas in S3D!

Jim here. Martin Scorsese has come out of the 2D shadows with very public aspirations to create his own 3D drama in the future. The AP (via FirstShowing) reports that he has come down firmly on 3D's side - the side wanting ubiquitous 3D in all forms of visual entertainment - drama included.

Scorsese ponders: "We see in depth, for the most part. We go to the theater — it's in depth. Why couldn't a film like PRECIOUS be in 3-D? It should be."

He expounds further: "I'd love to do one" (so long as he can still move the camera the way he'd like to). "It just seems natural that we'd be going in that direction. It's going to be something to look forward to, but to be used interestingly."

I agree!! What a wonderful moment to hear one of Hollywood's legendary directors speak so boldly about stereoscopic 3D. There will be moments I remember throughout my media career and this one is definitely among them.

Later in the excellent article, director Chris Columbus states that: "It's right out there, somebody just needs to do it." (speaking of dramas in S3D).

And Tim Burton chimes in: "It's just another tool. In fact, I'm very interested in kind of exploring it on some other levels, because it's like sound. 3-D is just another element to draw you in a little bit more, that's all."

You see, these guys get it. I love seeing this all happen around us as 3D flourishes. It's for that reason that I am still amused at the naysayers out there who continue to try and prove that their original notion of 3D being a gimmick is valid. Clearly they are in error. As Hollywood legend after legend signs up for S3D, the purveyors of perceived gimmickry are dying an agonizing death. Better to just throw up your hands now gentlemen. You were wrong. And that's ok. ;-)

Drama is all about the characters and environment. S3D heightens our immersion into the movies if done correctly and that is what Scorsese is talking about. I hope he leads the pack in releasing a S3D drama soon.

This post deserves to drive this home: MARTIN SCORSESE loves S3D!!

Alice in Wonderland Review

Michael here. If Avatar was the grand unveiling of stereoscopic 3D to the worldwide audience, then Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland is the afterparty. It is also a showcase for 2D to 3D conversion done right. Moreover, the story is well told, the characters memorable, and the themes poignant.

Burton's "Underland" is a vividly imagined place filled with fantastic creatures and characters. Actually, the creatures are the characters: from Stephen Fry's mischievous Cheshire Cat to Alan Rickman's Blue Caterpillar to the White Rabbit to the frumious Bandersnatch, they all get their moments in the spotlight. The prevalence of exotic flora and fauna isn't the only similarity "Alice" shares with Avatar. "Alice"'s "real world" bookend segments are a corollary to Avatar's "real world" opening. Like Jake Sully, Alice finds something wrong with her actual life, seeking escape from it by (re)entering a new world.

The movie is very briskly paced, which is both a positive and a negative. While we are quickly introduced to all of the inhabitants of Underland and to the main plot (which draws from Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass, with many elements from the Jabberwocky poem), we rarely get time to breathe and soak in a particular character or piece of scenery. The movie keeps the audience engaged in the story at all times, but I would have liked some more time one on one with some of the characters. I also wanted more weirdness. Given that this is Tim Burton making Alice in Wonderland, I expected to see some truly surreal and dark stuff. Strangely, Burton seems to be holding a lot back when it comes to the nonsensical.

"Alice" has plenty of clever humor, which is welcome given that the overall aesthetic of the film is dark and oppressed under the rule of the Red Queen. The audience (and I) laughed consistently throughout the film. Johhny Depp is great as the Mad Hatter (although it is strange to see him sword fighting), and Helena Bonham Carter's Red Queen and Fry's Cheshire Cat are other standouts. But it is Mia Wasikowska who carries the movie: her Alice combines the wonderment of her younger self with the poise of an adult--especially by the end of the film, where Alice comes back into the real world, carrying within her what she learned on her adventure.

The 3D is beautifully done. In-Three did the real world bookends, and Legend 3D worked on what takes place in between. There are plenty of complex shots that showcase some very immersive 3D that lacks the planes of depth found in some previous conversions. My only complaint regarding the 3D is that I wish Burton had cranked up the stereo even more throughout the movie. However, "Alice" proves that 2D to 3D conversion is a force to be reckoned with and a more than viable option for making a 3D movie. I still think that for those directors who take the time to learn to shoot in native 3D, native is the way to go. But conversion has arrived, is certainly the best option for some directors, and will only get better from here on out.

I will definitely be seeing "Alice" again. It has many great moments and adds up to something very touching by the time the credits roll. Well done Tim Burton and team!

Quick Post: New ALICE IN WONDERLAND Featurette!

Jim here. Take a look at a new Disney featurette for Tim Burton's ALICE IN WONDERLAND!

This clip talks about 3D a bit more with Mia mentioning it as well as Burton himself. I find it fascinating that Burton decided against a native 3D shoot in favor of a conversation - we'll see how it turns out March 5!