New Trailer For Raimi's OZ: THE GREAT AND POWERFUL

This trailer looks amazing to me. Visually we could be nearing a masterpiece here and if the comparisons to Disney's other recent magicial 3D trip to another realm, ALICE IN WONDERLAND stay true, then it should be a great trip indeed for us. And for Disney's coffers. 

Here's the storyline for the movie:
Disney's fantastical adventure "Oz The Great and Powerful," directed by Sam Raimi, imagines the origins of L. Frank Baum's beloved character, the Wizard of Oz. When Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he's hit the jackpot--fame and fortune are his for the taking--that is until he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone's been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity--and even a bit of wizardry--Oscar transforms himself not only into the great and powerful Wizard of Oz but into a better man as well.

Official Site: http://www.disney.com/thewizard

Disney's OZ: THE GREAT AND POWERFUL opens on March 8, 2013.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer...

MUST WATCH AND LISTEN: TV Spot 6 For THE HOBBIT *AND* The Entire Soundtrack Online!!

This is a spectacularly great day in that not only do we get a new TV Spot for THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY (which is, I think, the best one yet) but we also can now listen to Howard Shore's ENTIRE soundtrack for the movie!

The TV Spot shows some of the heart of the movie - why Bilbo is helping the dwarves in their quest to regain their home. It's the meat and potatoes (errr... taters) of the movie really and while there are some minor, minor visual spoilers (character reactions and such), I think it's fine to watch.

The soundtrack is of course a spoiler. A big one. Music is such a huge component of the movie and it's LOTR pedigree that one should think twice about listening to it. I did, but it's your call. FAIR WARNING.

Unfortunately we cannot divide up the tracks for the soundtrack and you have to listen to it in it's entirety, but it's worth it - believe me. For a listing of all the included tracks, click here.

Here's the movie's storyline:
THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY follows title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, which was long ago conquered by the dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior Thorin Oakenshield. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers. Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain, first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever… Gollum. Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths of guile and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum’s "precious" ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities… A simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know.

THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY opens on December 14 in HFR-3D, IMAX HFR-3D, IMAX 3D, RealD 3D and 2D. Yes, you saw that correctly - the movie will be shown in some IMAX theaters in HFR-3D! Here's the list of available theaters.

Hit the jump to listen to the soundtrack and watch the new TV Spot!

One Direction And Morgan Spurlock Team Up For New Behind The Scenes 3D Movie: 1D3D

First of all, my daughter is going to LOVE this news. She simply adores this band along with all of her friends. Morgan Spurlock will be helming 1D3D, a behind the scenes 3D movie of the phenomenon known as  One Direction. They're a boy band out of the UK and they have been burning up the charts of late with hits such as LIVE WHILE WE'RE YOUNG.

TriStar will be releasing the movie on August 30, 2013.

Here's the press release (emphasis is mine):

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony Pictures announced today that it's making a 3D film showcasing London-based global music sensation One Direction. Acclaimed documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me) will direct the film, which TriStar Pictures will release on August 30, 2013 (Labor Day weekend).

"This is an incredible opportunity and an amazing moment in time for the band," said director/producer Spurlock. "To capture this journey and share it with audiences around the world will be an epic undertaking that I am proud to be a part of."

Simon Cowell said, "I'm delighted we're making this film and Morgan is the perfect person to give that access-all-areas, behind-the-scenes look into what it's like to be One Direction today. What the band have achieved is incredible, they and their fans have made history around the world – this is for them."

Spurlock emerged in 2004 with his Academy Award®-nominated feature Super Size Me, in which he subjected himself to eating only at McDonald's for 30 days. He has since gone on to produce other acclaimed documentary features such as Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?, The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, and Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope, as well as non-fiction TV series including FX's30 Days and CNN's upcoming Inside Man. He was nominated for an Emmy Award and Writers Guild Award in 2010 for the Fox TV Special The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special: In 3-D! On Ice!

One Direction – Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson – were discovered by Simon Cowell on the U.K.'s "The X Factor" in 2010. The band quickly gained a following to become one of the competition's all-time most popular acts, finishing in the final three and garnering a gigantic and loyal fanbase along the way. In March 2012, One Direction's debut album, "Up All Night," made U.S. history, as it was the first time a U.K. group's debut album entered the U.S. Billboard 200 chart at No. 1. The band has sold over 13 million records worldwide. Today, One Direction released their sophomore album, "Take Me Home," which includes the No. 1 single, "Live While We're Young."

Morgan Spurlock, Ben Winston, Simon Cowell, and Adam Milano will produce the film. Executive Producers will be Richard Griffiths, Harry Magee, Will Bloomfield, Matthew Galkin, Jeremy Chilnick and Doug Merrifield. Hannah Minghella, President of Production for Columbia Pictures, and Lauren Abrahams, Vice President of Production for Columbia Pictures, will oversee production for the studio.

Follow @1D3Dmovie on Twitter for exclusive updates about the movie. The official movie account on Twitter will announce news using the hashtag #1D3Dmovie.

About Sony Pictures:
Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution; television production and distribution; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; a global channel network; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of entertainment in 159 countries. For additional information, go to http://www.sonypictures.com/

I will be sure to keep you updated on this movie just as I'm sure my daughter will keep ME updated :-) More soon...

LEARN -- How G.I. JOE: RETALIATION Uses 3D // LISTEN -- Marc Webb Discusses 3D, James Cameron And More!

Today we've got a double shot of 3D goodness from producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura (G.I. JOE: RETALIATION) and director Marc Webb (THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN).

First, Di Bonaventura opens up about advancements in 3D conversion and how it affected the new release date for G.I. JOE: RETALIATION:

"We learned a lot about 3D—I personally learned a lot about 3D in Transformers. The conversion part of the 3D process is night and day, you know, every three, four months it’s better than it was before. It’s amazing how fast that thing has changes. And originally we didn’t really have the time or the resources to try to figure out how to shoot it in 3D in the time frame that we were originally talking about, you know, starting in August and releasing in June. So this delay has allowed us to go at it now.

Jon [Chu] has some sequences that are really, there’s a phenomenal—for G.I. Joe fans it’s going to be one of the really great scenes for them, because there’s a fight between Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow in a hallway that is so perfect for 3D I can’t tell you. It’s going to be like one of the coolest fights ever in 3D, because there’s so much about it that’s dynamic. That’s going to be really fun. And you know people have seen bits and pieces of the Himalayan sort of rock climbing thing, it’s almost 3D without having turned into 3D, so I can’t wait to see that. That one’s going to be like what the hell?"

//

Finally we have director Marc Webb (and VFX Supervisor Jerome Chang) talking all about the 3D in THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN and how he used his 3ality Technica 3D rigs on set, outfitted with Red Epic cameras.

The result? A truly AMAZING experience in 3D. Well done Marc and 3ality. THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 3D is now available for purchase from Amazon and would make a perfect gift for the Marvel fans in your life!

Hit the jump to hear Marc!

Watch: New JURASSIC PARK 3D Trailer Is Here!

Man do I have fond memories of seeing JURASSIC PARK in the theaters - loved that first scene when they encountered the giant plant eaters out in the SUV and of course the first T-Rex scenes.

I saw this trailer pre-roll in 2D in front of SKYFALL in IMAX on Wednesday night (midnight). Looked AMAZING.

With his remastering of the epic into a state-of-the-art 3D format, Spielberg introduces the three-time Academy Award-winning blockbuster to a new generation of moviegoers and allows longtime fans to experience the world he envisioned in a way that was unimaginable during the film's original release. Starring Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Samuel L. Jackson and Richard Attenborough, the film based on the novel by Michael Crichton is produced by Kathleen Kennedy and Gerald R. Molen. 

Universal Pictures will release Steven Spielberg's groundbreaking masterpiece JURASSIC PARK in 3D on April 5, 2013. ENJOY!! And check out JURASSIC PARK 3D's poster right here.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer!

Does STAR WARS: EPISODE VII Have It's Writer? Spielberg To Review Treatment??

Things are developing fast to get STAR WARS: EPISODE VII fully written and in the hands of would-be directors. Apparently Disney and Lucasfilm have found a writer they have confidence in to at least be involved in fleshing out the full storyline, if not the main writing contributor. Using George Lucas' existing material of course.

And that writer is Oscar winner Michael Arndt (TOY STORY 3, OBLIVION, THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE,  LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE) a so-called STAR WARS expert. Further, Arndt's 40-50 page treatment that he has supposedly already churned out will be read by none other than Steven Spielberg (on our list already), Brad Bird (an interesting potential choice) and J.J. Abrams (I really have to say I hate this idea).

All this speculation comes from Vulture and it's all the more powerful as they do collaborate our exclusives that are already out there, namely Spielberg's interest and that the studios want the top line cast from the original STAR WARS to return. FirstShowing seems to back up Arndt as the guy too.


Hit the jump to read what Vulture's source had to say:

YES!! MAN OF STEEL Definitely Going 3D! And IMAX Too!!

You have GOT to love this 3D conversion confirmation! All along I have said that if DC / Warner Bros want to compete with Marvel / Disney then they have go 3D. I can just imagine the flack they got from Christopher Nolan about this decision (who is producing), but hats off to them, they made the right call.

Remember MAN OF STEEL helps set up expectations for JUSTICE LEAGUE too. It's imperative that they get all their ducks in a row for the DC universe and doing 3D now just makes sense. Heck BATMAN should have been 3D too, but certain creative differences do exist from time to time.

Hit the jump to read what director Zack Snyder had to say about it:

New JURASSIC PARK 3D Poster - Trailer Drops Tomorrow

Check out the new poster for Steven Spielberg's classic JURASSIC PARK, coming soon in converted 3D.

I've been waiting for this conversion for a long time now and even though this may be the only Spielberg movie to get a conversion other than potentially CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND, I can live with that. For now.

What a great way to introduce a new generation to Spielberg and this amazing adventure! The movie will celebrate it's 20th anniversary next summer.

"If I may... Um, I'll tell you the problem with the scientific power that you're using here, it didn't require any discipline to attain it. You read what others had done and you took the next step. You didn't earn the knowledge for yourselves, so you don't take any responsibility for it. You stood on the shoulders of geniuses to accomplish something as fast as you could, and before you even knew what you had, you patented it, and packaged it, and slapped it on a plastic lunchbox, and now [bangs on the table] you're selling it, you wanna sell it. Well..."

Be sure to watch for the trailer for JURASSIC PARK 3D that's coming out tomorrow on Yahoo! Movies.

Can't wait for this. How about you?  :-) JURASSIC PARK 3D is coming to theaters on April 5, 2013.

Mark Wahlberg Looking Solid For TRANSFORMERS 4

A while ago, Michael Bay quickly dismissed rumors about Mark Wahlberg being considered for TRANSFORMERS 4 but apparently those very same rumors got Michael Bay thinking about actually using Wahlberg for the the movie.

That, or the original rumors were true. Doesn't really matter though - the end result is that Bay is indeed thinking very seriously about Wahlberg and it looks like it will happen.

Hit the jump to read what Bay had to say on the matter:

**UPDATED!! Where To Watch THE HOBBIT In 48 Frames Per Second!! Includes Regal, AMC, Cinemark, Cineplex (Canada) And Empire (Canada)!

Click to enlarge

**UPDATED, November 7, 2012 - List now includes Regal, AMC, Cinemark, Cineplex (Canada) and Empire (Canada) HFR-3D locations!!

There has been some confusion as to where THE HOBBIT will be made available in 48 frames per second HFR-3D and this post is meant to clear that up.

So far we have the locations that have been set up to accommodate High Frame Rate (HFR) 3D for Regal Theatres and we will have more to present to you when they are made available to us.

I urge you to see THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY the way Peter Jackson intended you to see it, HFR-3D. So have a look and see if there's one near you!


Tickets on sale Wednesday, November 7 online and at these participating locations: 

Hit the jump for more...

More Spotlight On The Potential Director Of STAR WARS: EPISODE VII: Matthew Vaughn !!

Well it seems that Matthew Vaughn MAY be the director of choice for STAR WARS: EPISODE VII for a couple of reasons:

1. You heard it hear first that MarketSaw's own proven STAR WARS source included Vaughn as a definite possibility for the coveted role right here.

2. My friend Steve Weintraub over at Collider now has a source that now says that Vaughn is in talks with Lucasfilm / Disney for the directorship and that is why he has dropped out of the X-MEN sequel. The timing of the fact that Vaughn dropped out and that he is being considered for STAR WARS: EPISODE VII was speculated in the comments section of the various sites that picked up our news - it definitely makes sense and lends credibility to substantiate this.

Hit the jump for more...

Must Watch: TV Spot #3 For THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY

Yes! More Middle-earth! I soak this stuff up just as fast as Peter Jackson and the studios can release it! We get a few more snippets of the biggest movie left in 2012 with this third TV spot for THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY.

Here's the storyline for the movie:
THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY follows title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, which was long ago conquered by the dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior Thorin Oakenshield. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers. Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain, first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever… Gollum. Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths of guile and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum’s "precious" ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities… A simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know.

Hit the jump for more...

EXCLUSIVE: More Secret Details Revealed From My Original STAR WARS Source! SKYWALKER Returns Again!!

Ok guys, by now you know of my history with this particular source and the stellar information that has been given us about STAR WARS way back in 2009. We remain in touch to which I am deeply grateful. Again this source has spoken up about what we can now expect from the Disney / Lucasfilm tandem in the coming years, and it is all very, VERY exciting.

Here is what my source has told me, some segments and some word for word, from his email I just received:

"Disney now has the power to make STAR WARS films, and everything else in the Lucasfilm archives. The movies I told you about are indeed the primary focus. Luke Skywalker is a primary focus, as are many of the original trilogy cast. Disney also realised that George Lucas and STAR WARS are one and the same, so George will certainly have a voice on any angle taken, in fact I believe it's one of many stipulations. However he will no longer have creative control, and as I said before George was already looking at other creative talents to bring his canon to life back before Disney and Lucasfilm really started negotiating (or at least to the best of my knowledge)..."

Hit the jump for more...

*SPOILERS* Check Out The Tracklisting / Scene Sequences For THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY

Hey guys - check out the newly released listing of tracks from Howard Shore's THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY's soundtrack. We have the listings for both the Special Edition discs as well as the Standard Edition.

Keep in mind that the soundtrack listings will give away hints as to the scenes in chronological order of their happening in THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY, so SPOILER ALERT.

As per normal, Shore's take on the movie sounds gorgeous in the trailers - can't wait to hear more. Look for the soundtracks on December 11th with the movie releasing on December 14th.

THE HOBBIT SPECIAL EDITION TRACKLIST

Hit the jump for more...

Karl Urban Joins Willow Shields In THE WONDER 3-D

Karl Urban fan? Of course you are. Urban will be joining Willow Shields (THE HUNGER GAMES) and Leehom Wang in an interesting new family adventure movie, THE WONDER 3-D.

Ron Underwood (CITY SLICKERS, MIGHTY JOE YOUNG) is directing along with producers Steve Sachs, Robert Sidaway, Iain Brown and Chun-Yi Yuehare. THE WONDER 3-D will be made available during AFM.

Shooting is set to commence in New Zealand and China in March, 2013 and Pixomondo (HUGO) will be doing the effects.

From Variety: The film follows a 14-year-old (Shields) who, along with two of her classmates, finds the end of a rainbow. As they step inside the rainbow, it takes them away to China where local authorities and a mysterious organization are soon after them. Urban will portray a consul who delivers unexpected help.

Sounds fun. More info when we get it!

WATCH: New Trailer For DESPICABLE ME 2!

The best part of the original DESPICABLE ME was the minions in my minion opinion. So naturally when you have a resource you exploit it right? Right.

DESPICABLE ME 2 seems to be all about that with the apparent alien abduction of various minions going about their innocent (?) lives. Of course we will have a search and recover mission soon embarked upon right? Right!

Here's a brief description for the movie:
Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment's worldwide blockbuster, Despicable Me, delighted audiences around the globe in 2010, grossing more than $540 million and becoming the 10th-biggest animated motion picture in U.S. history. In Summer 2013, get ready for more minion madness in Despicable Me 2. Chris Meledandri and his acclaimed filmmaking team create an all-new comedy animated adventure featuring the return of Gru (Steve Carell), the girls, the unpredictably hilarious minions... and a host of new and outrageously funny characters.

Director: Chris Renaud
Writer: Cinco Paul
Studio: Universal Pictures
Cast: Al Pacino, Jason Segel, Steve Carell

DESPICABLE ME is slated for release on July 3, 2013.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer... 

MarketSaw Exclusive Confirmed: STAR WARS 7, 8 And 9 Tabled. 3D Announcement Coming... DISNEY HAS BOUGHT LUCASFILM!!

Just as we said all along. STAR WARS 7, 8 and 9 are definitely coming starting in 2015 and then every 2 or 3 years. Not only that - and mark my words - they will be 3D movies too. We also said that Lucas would NOT be directing them. Boy, did we get some flack for passing along that story to the masses (almost as much as when we broke the exclusive that Peter Jackson's legal issues with new Line have been settled, he will be directing not just 1, but 3 Hobbit movies and that they will be shot in native 3D), but in the end we were right on both stories.

MarketSaw also had the story that the existing STAR WARS library would be converted as well.

$4 billion dollars later and Disney owns Lucasfilm, complete with STAR WARS 7, 8 and 9 in development already. Nice job! Add in Pixar and Marvel with Disney's already burgeoning resources and wow, what a modern media company!

Hit the jump for more...

Movie Review: SILENT HILL: REVELATION - 7 Stars

Click to enlarge

I just saw SILENT HILL: REVELATION last night and I have mixed thoughts about it. If you are a fan of horror, the video game and heck, movies with a good story and characters than you probably won't be jumping for joy at the end of it.

However, I will say that the 3D looked amazing. The cinematography, 3ality Technica (3D camera rigs & expertise) and the visual effects saved whats left of the movie and actually salvaged a 7 out of 10 score from me. Without them we're probably looking at a 4 or 5 star movie.

Why? Where to begin. How about at the top - directing. Michael J. Bassett (SOLOMON KANE) just didn't get the job done here. What irked me most was when you have an actor of the caliber of Sean Bean and you have scenes where he does look all that good at all, you're in trouble. Bassett couldn't have had enough takes for these scenes or just couldn't edit it effectively.

Hit the jump for more...

Watch: New Red Band Trailer For HANSEL AND GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS

You know what? This movie is growing on me. I was a bit worried after the first trailer - it didn't seem like the suspension of disbelief would be there. Now it's looking more and more like humans vs. zombies (a very GOOD thing), only replace the zombies with witches. Very bloody. Amazing visual effects. And throw in 3D, Jeremy Renner and Famke Janssen and voila!

I haven't heard much about the 3D as of yet, but my eyes are on it and I'll have more soon. 

HANSEL AND GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS opens on January 11, 2013. In the meanwhile feast your bloody eyes on this:

Hit the jump to watch the trailer...

First Gollum, Now The Trolls Want To Eat Bilbo! Watch The New TV Spot For THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY!!

Click to enlarge

Check out this TV Spot for THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY featuring Bilbo encountering some trolls - hungry, talking trolls to be precise.

I love that Bilbo seems to have a sense of humor even when the situation is grim. Those trolls are not exactly civilized - although they do speak English.

Combine this TV Spot with the trolls wanting to eat him, and Gollum from the trailer stating "If Baggins loses, we eats it whole", one starts to imagine a very succulent Hobbit this time around. Or perhaps Bilbo is carrying around some rather enticing cooking spices in his backpack which would naturally led any conversation to eating... ? :-)

Here's the movie's storyline:
THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY follows title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, which was long ago conquered by the dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior Thorin Oakenshield. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers. Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain, first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever… Gollum. Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths of guile and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum’s "precious" ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities… A simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know.

Hit the jump for more...