Well it's a good movie so I'm not surprised with the box office so far. UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING took in just under $10m on Friday on track for a very cool $25m for it's opening weekend.
Further U:A garnered a solid "A-" for a CinemaScore according to Sony Screen Gems.
George Lucas' RED TAILS came in second on Friday with $6m on track for a $15m weekend which is excellent for it's genre. Wish it was in 3D. Those soaring dogfights suspended in midair in three dimensions would have been spectacular!
I'll update you on the box office results for the weekend as well - get out and see it! I was snowed in last night, but trying for it tomorrow!
I had the privilege of having lunch with the directors of UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING, Måns MårlindandBjörn Stein (SHELTER) and naturally I recorded the whole thing! Please bear with the background noise of us stuffing our faces while conversing.
I must say right up front that not only are these two directors solidly on their game, but they are total class acts and great company.
Allow me to impart to you what it was like to watch both of them at work on the set together. It is amazing to see in action. First of all, they take turns directing for a day, but they are both normally on set at the same time. They frequently discuss their shots together and really operate as one after a quick consensus. I saw no real disagreements or slowness in their process and in fact there were many benefits that I could see to their way of doing business! Clearly they had control of the set and creative freedom that any director insists upon, but they had almost a omnipotent feeling over the production to me. But the set was a relaxed yet thoroughly professional! The speed at which everyone worked to pull together the next shot was amazing. I liked what I saw and certainly the end result is fantastic. You are going to love it, especially if you are a fan of the series or action. Their passion in filmmaking was completely evident to me in person and so is their final result to you I'm sure.
0:15 -On how to pronounce their names! :-) Mads and Bjorn play along with me as they have obviously encountered this issue with other English speaking individuals! 1:00 -On what drew them to the production. Obviously the script attracted them and the fact that they had an idea about how they were going to shoot it put it over the top. They wanted to make something new out of this gothic series. 3:30 -How they are using S3D as another tool to differentiate this movie from the earlier efforts. This is their first stereoscopic 3D project and so they have brought on some expertise in the field to assist - but it still all done in house and without a third party. 4:15 -Being terrified at first about using 3D for the first time. After getting over the fear and that their shooting would change slightly for 3D, they accepted the challenge as a good thing for their careers. They both took the same 3D professional training course that James McQuaide (Visual Effects Supervisor, Executive Producer) took with Sony and the lights went off in their heads: 3D wasn't actually a problem, but a solution for their needs on UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING. 5:30 -On lens changes. The only issue, after getting up to speed with shooting 3D, is lens changes. Once that was addressed though, they are shooting now pretty much like an ordinary movie (given that the handheld shots are more restrictive in the format). 6:30 -On 3D bring much richer experience for audiences. 7:00 -On being one of the first filmmakers to be able to use the 5K Red Epic Cameras. This is their first digital production (other than commercials)! Imagine having your first experience in digital using the best on the market in Red Epics! Kasimir Lehto (Stereographer and 3D Supervisor) was at our table too - you can hear him speak up now and again. They simply love shooting in 120 frames per second (all those tricks that become possible in post - outstanding slo-mo, etc) and the fact that you don't have to keep changing cameras for different shots - the Red on max framerate covers them all. 8:30 -On using the 3ality Technica 3D rigs. They compared the 3ality rigs to the Pace Fusion rigs and thought that the Fusion ones were much larger (at least the older versions that they might have seen) and that the crew says they can work twice as fast as Fusion equipped productions. Their guess is that it has something to do with the rigs, but lets face it - directors don't mess around with the cameras very often at all (unless your James Cameron!). 10:00 - On clearing up misconceptions about 3D. Yes, handheld shots are hampered by using 3D as it is hard on the eyes of the audience if the camera is jostling around. The Red Epics can be used by restricting to 60 or 70% of the frame size to zoom because of the immense resolution of the camera. DPs like using prime lenses (artistically) and directors like zooms (because they're fast) but it doesn't take as long to align the latter.
Thank you so much Sony Screen Gems and Gloria Davies for setting this whole thing up! I loved my time on set and being back in my old neighborhood, beautiful Vancouver. I still have more interviews that I will get up soon and also for when the UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING 3D blu-ray disc hits. Stay tuned!
UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING bites into theaters TOMORROW! Check it out!
Ok guys - here's interview #2 for the lead up to release of UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING. This time I have the pleasure to speak with one of the busiest stereographers in the world right now, Kasimir Lehto. He was Lead Stereographer on THE DARKEST HOUR and now of course the latest UNDERWORLD iteration. Kasimir also directed 6 projects and was cinematographer on 12.
Kasimir is Finnish and so English is not his first language but the interview goes very well. He is the son of another filmmaker, Pekka Lehto who directed 17 projects - mainly documentaries. Entertainment definitely runs in the family.
Keep in mind that we recorded this interview inside a cafe so there is the typical barista background noises!
Enjoy the interview...
0:30 -Kasimir just came off of shooting THE DARKEST HOUR (which was amazing!) 1:00 -On how he was attached to UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING. Kasimir was working with the same Director of Photography on THE DARKEST HOUR and he asked him to come with him to the project. 2:00 -On the Red Epics, workflow and 3ality Technica rigs. He loves the atom rigs as they are much smaller and designed for the smaller form factor of the Epics. Kasimir talks about how 3D equipment is getting more and more compact, fast and light, much less cabling and a lot less hassle in using it. 4:10 -On what exactly a Stereographer does for a production. Every project is a little bit different. The starting point is how adept are all the other crew in 3D (and how willing to learn and utilize 3D) - then the stereographer inserts his/her knowledge. On a daily basis, he starts with the 3D concepts within the script (creates a "depth script") and brings these ideas to the director and cinematographer for discussion. One of the biggest demands of the stereographer is to evangelize 3D within the film's departments - to build the excitement and educate on how to use it for their line of work. Stereographers are responsible for the quality of the film's 3D and must be willing to adapt to fast changes in the direction of the movie. 6:40 -Tips for aspiring filmmakers who want to be stereographers. His background is cinematography and he did films and commercials before getting into 3D. Kasimir's story is similar to mine and MarketSaw as he noted that Cameron was going to do AVATAR and that the digital screen revolution was poised to explode. He studied 3D full time to accomplish this. 8:10 -On co-founding a S3D company called Stereoscape. Back when they started the company there were not many 3D opportunities so they had to make it themselves. 8:35 -On 3D research projects where they measured the psychological and emotional impact of 3D on audiences. Kasimir learned 3D the way everybody should - on how audiences experience it. If they don't like something, they took note. When they did, the researchers jumped all over it and optimized their work for the end viewer. Further, with a differential analysis they determined how the creation of 3D differs from 2D. 10:20 -On moving from Finland to LA to find work in 3D. 11:00 -Potentially supervising the post production 3D for UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING. 11:40 -On using the 3ality Technica 3D rigs. 12:25 -Setting up shots in 3D with 3ality's Stereoscopic Image Processor. The SIP is an intelligent and image pair optimizing tool to assist filmmakers in real time and in all stages of production. 13:35 -On whether UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING will break the screen, rely on depth alone or a mixture of the two. He is mixing the effects - there will be some objects coming out to the audience, but depth will be there as well for full immersion. 17:10 - On the learning curve on using the Red Epics. 17:40 -On setting up 3D continuity. Keeping depth to a minimum for dramatic shots - closeup of the eyes and faces so that the audience is paying attention to that instead of how much a character's nose is coming out at them! Always reinforcing what the directors and DP are trying to achieve with their lens choices and set up.
Thank you very much Kasimir for your time and expertise! Looking forward to talking again very soon and keeping up to speed with your next project. Again, thanks to Sony Screen Gems for this opportunity and in particular Gloria Davies.
Oh and I had some lengthy discussions with actor Michael Ealy(2nd photo) who is a tremendous basketball fan, however his choice in team leaves much to be desired! Sorry Michael. :-)
Stay tuned for more interview surprises coming up! UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING opens January 20.
Saw this trailer in front of THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO (which rocked btw) last night! The UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING trailer reveals much more including a great glympse of the new uber-lycan.
Further, Eve (India Eisley) is shown to have a pretty big role in this movie. You'll see what I mean.
Note how humans are now up close and personal now with UNDERWORLD characters. Should prove interesting!
Here's the storyline: The vampire warrioress Selene, escapes imprisonment to find herself in a world where humans have discovered the existence of both Vampire and Lycan clans and are conducting an all-out war to eradicate both immortal species.
Don't forget I am going to be releasing a series of interviews with the team that I had the pleasure of meeting over a three day stay on the UNDERWORLD set in Vancouver. Definitely stay tuned for the that in early January!
Jim here. I think this iteration could be the best of the lot. I have seen the previz and the actual shooting of the finale for UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING and let me tell you I was thrilled at what I was seeing.From a technical and cinematic point of view, all the pieces are there and from the storyboarding it all looks amazing.
When I spoke with the co-directors Måns Mårlind and Björn Stein, I got a keen sense of where they were going with it and it all made sense to me as a fan of the universe. This fourth movie definitely adds a new take! I will have my interviews up during the coming months once I get clearance from the studio.
Now we have our first trailer and I am even more amped! I am beginning to see just how well those Red Epics captured the native S3D action and the level of detail is simply staggering. UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING snaps you out of mundane sequels and into a visual and vibrant new take on the franchise.Yeah, I'm sold on it.
Here's the official storyline: After being held in a coma-like state for fifteen years, vampire Selene (Kate Beckinsale) learns that she has a fourteen-year-old vampire/Lycan hybrid daughter, Eve, and when she finds her, they must stop BioCom from creating super Lycans that will kill them all.
UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING opens in theaters January 20, 2012. Stay tuned for my exclusive interviews coming soon!
Jim here. Word from our friends over at ShockTilYouDrop is that Sony's Screen Gems is going to be shooting UNDERWORLD 4 in 3D after the successful third movie in the franchise made over $90 million worldwide. Not bad for a $35 million budget.
No word on casting, but hopefully Michael Sheen (loved him as David Frost!) and Bill Nighy make it back from the last one.
Release is slated for a January 2011 timeframe.
The franchise got a needed boost with the prequel I believe. It has powered up the storyline and makes subsequent iterations that much easier to present. I would love to see sweeping vistas in 3D for the fourth movie - instead of being relegated to only a few set locations in the prequel. Bring back Kate somehow too.
What Do Gears Of War & Escape From New York Have In Common?
Len Wisemanapparently. An unconfirmed source from New Line has passed on (IESB) that Wiseman is in talks to helm not one, but both of these juggernauts! I know he's good, but c'mon. They are both slated for a 2009 release and I don't like seeing directors torn in two directions when push comes to shove six months prior to release. If confirmed, those movies are certainly great to keep his momentum up after Live Free Or Die Hard and the 2 Underworlds.
Well it's a good movie so I'm not surprised with the box office so far. UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING took in just under $10m on Friday on track for a very cool $25m for it's opening weekend.
