Disney Releasing A CHRISTMAS CAROL on S3DHD Blu-ray In Q4 This Year

Jim here. Disney is releasing A CHRISTMAS CAROL on Blu-ray in the fourth quarter of 2010 along with a special 3D Showcase Disc. And yes, it will be aligned closely with the launch of the S3DHD TVs from various manufacturers.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL is pegged to be their first S3DHD Blu-ray disc ever.

The Showcase Disc includes upcoming promotional items for Disney 3D Home Videos - like trailers and clips. Likely to be highlighted will be ALICE IN WONDERLAND, TOY STORY 3 and some original content exclusively for this disc. The disc is actually available right now for manufacturers to include with their new S3DHD TV offerings.

Finally we are getting 3D home videos that are NOT anaglyph (blue & red glasses)! Can't wait. I have not decided on equipment for myself yet, but I will keep you informed as to what I decide upon.

3D Movie Review: A CHRISTMAS CAROL - 7/10

Jim here. Saw Zemeckis' wonderful interpretation of A CHRISTMAS CAROL (ACC) last night and I was more impressed than I thought I would be. But do I think it is in the caliber of AVATAR? Heck no. More on that later. No real spoilers here at all - read the whole thing!

I arrived 45 minutes early for the last show of the evening at 9:40PM and the lineup was already 200 deep. ACC is doing VERY well at IMAX, thank you very much. It will be interesting to see the 2D vs. 3D numbers!!

No AVATAR trailer in front of it at IMAX 3D. Saw ALICE IN WONDERLAND though and that was an unexpected treat. Looked, well... wonderful. 

A CHRISTMAS CAROL does exceptionally well with it's 3D, environments and excitement. I saw the movie in IMAX 3D and while there was some ghosting going on (not a pun!), I blamed it on the projection system and not the distribution. Could be a local event too, but these wrinkles need to be worked out. Several times through the showing dust dropped on the Projector lens and it was VERY distracting in 3D. It blew off about a minute later. Could hardly focus on the screen at all - interesting phenomenon. 

Jim Carrey is a genius. He really is. To pull off so many characters through facial expressions and vocally must have been quite a task. I can think of no one better suited for performance capture - and that includes Andy Serkis (did I say that?). You have to see JC's performances! 

Zemeckis did a heckuva job with the ghosts too. I was skeptical at first and still believe the 2D versions of them would not hold up nearly as well - but they were superb. Especially the Ghost Of Things To Come. If you have kids under 10 years of age you should strongly consider not bringing them. At least I won't be. 

ACC's old London was riveting! I love that era. Let's put it this way - if I had a holodeck in my basement, old London would be one of the first I would be dialing up. Sure it was kind of candy coated, but it's the holidays! And the close to first person flybys of the countryside is as close as you can get to a Disney ride in the theater :-) 

Does it compare to expectations for Cameron's AVATAR? No. No way. There are some similarities, like for example ACC is completely CG and performance captured - while AVATAR is about 60% CG and perfcapped. But the comparison ends there. The characters in ACC are clearly, CLEARLY CG, not photo real and no where near crossing the "uncanny valley". And yes, some of the characters were doing inhuman feats of acrobatics and I guess that helps with the feeling that "you shouldn't be thinking of these characters as human". But you can see the tremendous work that was put into the show and let me tell you to have something so well put together, end to end in pure CG is an awesome feat. Someday Zemeckis' expertise will be on top of the heap simply because that is where we are eventually heading. But for now? Good entertainment. Just not AVATAR. 

Oh and to Alan Silvestri I say well done on A CHRISTMAS CAROL's score! A pleasure to listen to indeed. How would I improve it? I would have scored it much better had they elaborated on the ending more - turn on the happiness faucet and sprayed goodwill all over the audience. As it is, it is far shorter than something like IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE. The potential is clearly there and it would atone for the darker scenes for family viewing. 7 out of 10 for the ride. It could have been an 8 with the right emotions though.

Quick Post: AVATAR 3D Trailer In Front Of A CHRISTMAS CAROL

Jim here. I want to see all your comments on the new AVATAR trailer now being shown in 3D in front of A CHRISTMAS CAROL! I just heard from @cfimages via twitter that it was indeed in front of ACC and looks pretty good.

I will be finally seeing it tonight with my daughter and will let you know my thoughts on both the trailer and the Zemeckis movie in a matter of hours :-)

New A CHRISTMAS CAROL Photos And BTS Shots...

Jim here. My good friends George Roush from LatinoReview and Mike Sampson from JoBlo got their hands on some exclusive images from Disney's A CHRISTMAS CAROL and so I am passing them on to you guys - love the behind the scenes (BTS) shots. Course I am a sucker for those as much as George is for Patron Silver. :-) Be sure to click through to see them all!

Interesting how Zemeckis prefers to not paint the volume floor (save $?) where Jim Cameron leans toward battleship grey. Further evidence of Zemeckis' frugalty (ala Scrooge) during the production? He did not even allow the purchase of tables for the laying out of scenes. "SCENE PREP - take a knee!" (See photo below!)

Seriously though, my exuberance has increased tenfold since the original trailer which I was not terribly impressed with really. Subsequent promos have been far superior, which I am tremendously happy about. I do believe Disney and Zemeckis have a winner here and a classic for years to come.

New Trailer For Zemeckis' A CHRISTMAS CAROL

Jim here. In one of the more anticipated 3D movies of the year - Disney's A CHRISTMAS CAROL - we see Robert Zemeckis delivering his finely tailored performance capture wizardry once again.

Now comes a new trailer showing us some more scenes from the classic tale starring Jim Carrey as, well, just about EVERYONE :-) Check it out...

3D Geek Alert: A CHRISTMAS CAROL Pre-order Items Available Online

Jim here. Thanks to the heads up from James, I can now list some of the items now available for Disney's A CHRISTMAS CAROL by either pre-order or email notification:

Disney's A CHRISTMAS CAROL "The book of the film" paperback and you can also drop a hint to the guys at Amazon that you would like to be able to download and read this on your Kindle.

Should be your standard movie storyline transposed to paperback with tons of illustrations and/or movie screen shots.

You can also sign up to be among the first notified when A Christmas Carol [Theatrical Release] DVD is available for purchase on Amazon - or the Blu-ray edition.

There is also another paperback available entitled SEASON'S GREEDINGS which will be released on September 22 for only $3.99. The description is as follows:

"The timeless tale of an old miser who must face Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet-to-Come, is re-imagined by cinematic visionary Robert Zemeckis. The three Ghosts remind Scrooge of the man he once used to be, the cold truth of who he is today, and what will happen if Scrooge does not strive to be a better man for tomorrow! Set during the holidays, A Christmas Carol is sure to stand out as a classic holiday film for years to come."

This edition has 8 pages of photos from the movie.

Last but not least is the Nintendo DS game version of the movie.

You can also play dominoes with it apparently and select classic Christmas songs to play.

The game is rated for 10 year olds and up and will be released on November 3.

The screen shots look compelling for young children without question. My kids are heavily in Nintendo so I will be picking this one up undoubtedly.

Alice, TRON: Legacy, Carol, Final Destination + The Hole reactions!

Michael here with some stuff from yesterday's 3D panels.

A new Alice in Wonderland trailer, set to rock music, is leagues above the leaked one. We get some amazing glimpses of Alice tumbling down the rabbit hole, taking a shrinking potion, with the Mad Hatter, on a balcony with the White Queen, the Cheshire Cat, and an assortment of fantastic creatures. The overall style was great, and the trailer - which was shown three times - got the audience pumped.

A Christmas Carol masterfully incorportated its 3D, as can be expected by Zemeckis. We were shown an entire scene that progressed from Scrooge plucking the coins off the eyes of his departed friend's corpse, to his solitary walk back to his mansion, to his panic and fright when visited by the ghost of his departed colleague, who promises him visits from three spirits. The stylized CG works and the acting is great, but I must emphasize that there are some pretty dark and disturbing scenes and subject matter.

Lastly, TRON: Legacy looks like it will be a huge amount of fun. They just finished principal photography last Monday morning. They reshowed the test footage from last year's Comic-Con, but this time in 3D. They also showed off a very well-shot live action 2D scene of Sam Flynn (Jeff Bridges' son) entering the arcade, which has been closed for twenty years. Journey’s “Separate Ways” plays in the background as he explores the dated 80’s game machines. At the end of the clip he finds the TRON machine, pushing it aside to find a secret passage.

The movie's plot will involve Sam's search for his father. Olivia Wilde plays a confidante to Sam.

We were shown a lot of concept art from the virtual world, but what struck me as super cool was was that some of the martial arts /sports scenes were shot at 1000 frames per second with a Phantom camera, and then played back at regular speed for an amazing super slow motion effect. We were shown behind-the-scenes footage of martial artists (in 2D) performing amazing spinning flips and kicks. In finished 3D these scenes will be absolutely spectacular.

Here is a short clip to give you an idea of what this will look like:



The Final Destination and The Hole clips both caused many of the 6500 in Hall H to jump up in their seats or squirm in fear. The Final Destination is certainly not holding back in terms of violence and the creativity of its kills. And, other than Avatar itself, it has the best live-action 3D I have seen. Everything is bright, crisp, and framed to perfection to surround the audience with the action. The Hole isn't up to that level 3D-wise, but it definitely has a very strong scare factor: possessed dolls and clowns are always scary.

But The Final Destination footage - which included scenes at a car racetrack, in a mall, and in a swimming pool - was as seamless and immersive as any 3D to date. I could feel the years of knowledge and experience of PACE and the Fusion Camera System in both this and the live action Avatar footage.

3D Shorts: Disney is Cratcheting Up The Heat In 3D At Comic-Con!

Jim here. Disney is jumping down the 3D rabbit hole for Comic-Con - can't wait to see what they have in store for us this year. One thing is for sure, these guys mean business. 3D business. Disney knows entertainment and have been doing 3D for a long time - what better studio to keep the pressure on the others?

Keep it on MarketSaw for fast 3D updates from Comic-Con and breaking images like these official title photos. Disney will have updates soon on their upcoming 3D projects including TRON LEGACY, Zemeckis' A CHRISTMAS CAROL and Burton's ALICE IN WONDERLAND. Should be a blast!

A CHRISTMAS CAROL: A First Low Quality Glimpse

Jim here. For those that have not seen the new trailer for Robert Zemeckis' A CHRISTMAS CAROL here is a low quality bootleg copy from YouTube featuring an Italian version.

I have seen this footage in full quality and while it is no where near what AVATAR is going to bring us, I see improvements since BEOWULF and the way the scenes are played in 3D it will be sure to please.

One scene in particular with Scrooge being shot up through the atmosphere with old Victorian London beneath him will be spectacular in three dimensions. So have a look:



I have said all year that A CHRISTMAS CAROL will be one of the finest 3D achievements of the year - stay tuned for more.

Disney to Showcase "Alice in Wonderland", "TRON", "Toy Story 3" and More at D23 Fan Expo!

Michael here.  Disney has announced that they will be holding their first-ever D23 Fan Expo from September 10-13 at the Anaheim Convention Center.

The show will give fans sneak peeks at Alice in Wonderland, TRON, Toy Story 3, A Christmas Carol, Rapunzel, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, and more.

Disney President and CEO Bob Iger calls it "the ultimate event for the multitude of fans who have been so instrumental in Disney's success."

From the D23 site: From September 10–13, 2009, the D23 Expo will transform the Anaheim Convention Center into the single largest gathering of all things Disney ever assembled in one place at one magical time. The incredible experiences, exhibits and presentations at the Expo are another way D23 will connect fans to the timeless stories, characters and amazing worlds that we create here at Disney.

For tickets, schedule of events, and more, visit d23expo.com.

Disney's A CHRISTMAS CAROL Update: Cannes Interview - Photos - Concept Art! And More ALICE!

Jim here. Got wind of a great video of Jim Carrey and Robert Zemeckis' stage discussion of A CHRISTMAS CAROL at Cannes, through my friend Graham Fortin of Movieset. These guys do a great job. Check out the clip below!

Isn't Jim Carrey a likeable guy? Just watching his discussion here underscores what a treasure he is. Hope the kid never dies inside you man!

Oh and ANOTHER great Zemeckis interview right here. I hate it when embedding is disabled! :-(

Further 3D news: The Russian site Filmz.ru (via /film) has landed what seems to be authentic concept art from ALICE IN WONDERLAND. It appears real due to the uncanny resemblence to an actual film capture of Alice approaching a large outside door. I have a couple of shots embedded here, but click through to see the rest.

I have said all along that A CHRISTMAS CAROL is going to surprise people and be one of the best of 2009. I think they are firing on all cylinders here. I hope the early clip of ACC was just a working reel - as it seemed very out of place. I believe that once we are immersed into the Dickens classic through Zemeckis' eyes, we will all be haunted by lingering thoughts of how great the movie is! :-)

And sure I harbor some concerns over the conversion of ALICE IN WONDERLAND from 2D to 3D, I think the project is going to be wild! I hope I am convinced that 3D conversion is viable for first run movies through this project.

First Footage and Still from "A Christmas Carol"!

Hi, Michael here with the first official image and footage from Robert Zemeckis' upcoming 3D performance capture A Christmas Carol!

Click on the picture for a high-res version.

Also, our friends at Latino Review have snagged the first ever footage from the movie.  Check it out to see Ebenezer Scrooge visited by one of the ghosts.  This looks great so far- Zemeckis' Beowulf in "true" IMAX 3D (not Liemax, mind you!) is still the most amazing 3D experience I've had.  Click here and scroll to the bottom to check out the clip.

Also be sure to check out the first trailer for A Christmas Carol in front of Disney/Pixar's Up later this month!

A Christmas Carol opens in the US on November 6

New A CHRISTMAS CAROL Posters From Cannes Film Festival

Jim here. My friend Alex Billington from FirstShowing is over there in Cannes, France right now and he grabbed some poster shots of A CHRISTMAS CAROL.

These look damn good! I am loving the vibe I am getting from them. The candle effect is cool too - one of the ghosts I presume?

This movie is going to be a keeper guys. In fact I see it playing every Christmas for all eternity! Seriously, there should be nice returns for Disney and Zemeckis on this one. Can't wait to see this.

Disney's A CHRISTMAS CAROL Rolls Into 40 Cities Via... TRAIN?

Jim here. Kinda cool marketing ploy - certainly brings out the Dickens in everyone I would imagine! Disney is ramping up for A CHRISTMAS CAROL already (I told you it would be big!) and they are using four gorgeously decorated trains to do it.

The Train Tour kicks off Memorial Day Weekend 2009 in Los Angeles, traveling across the country with stops in 40 cities, culminating in New York City in November. Visitors will be treated to a behind-the-scenes look at the magic and the cutting-edge technology of “Disney’s A Christmas Carol.” The train cars will be showcasing immersive and interactive experiences: the Landscape Gallery offers a digital slideshow of preproduction concept art, taking visitors into the homes of characters like Ebenezer Scrooge.

All aboard the Marketing Hype Express! Well, I jest. This movie deserves a rousing introduction like this - can't wait to see it.

Concept Art: "Disney's A Christmas Carol" & Spoilers

Jim here. Collider got their hands on some scans of DISNEY'S A CHRISTMAS CAROL concept art and it is right along the lines of what I have already posted here and here from the actual movie poster and stills.

I will reiterate that Disney is keeping the imagery to be very Dickens indeed and old London looks stunning and inviting (at least the shots I have seen). Insert Robert Zemeckis' wonderful performance capture prowess and you have what should be an instant Christmas classic to be watched on future Christmas Eves on your 3D Home Entertainment system... of course!

How far can Zemeckis take us down this journey? All the world is a canvas with motion capture so it is really only limited by his imagination - and one would imagine that Jim Carrey is ready and willing to fulfill any wish that he might have in this pic.

I am reprinting some of the spoiler info that was originally posted here back in March 2008 as I thought there is some very interesting items in it in light of the poster and stills we have seen:

**SPOILERS BELOW** Highlight the white text below to read the contents:

OVERALL COMMENTS:
- A Christmas Carol is full of Jim Carrey humor: Lots of yelling, screaming and facial expressions.
- He plays 4 characters at least - Scrooge and the ghosts. This is not new info of course, but confirmed.
- Michael J. Fox is DEFINITELY in the movie (IMDB shows it as a rumor). He has plenty of lines that are pure Fox humor - always down on himself, and very SARCASTIC. My source did not pass on what role he is playing however, although IMDB has him as Tiny Tim.
- There is a "Beggar" character that is constantly piping up with witty one liners throughout the movie. He will be seen carrying a cup.

JIM CARREY RELATED:
- There is a scene where ALL THREE of Carrey's ghost interact. They don't speak English either exactly - they speak with thick accents and the words don't sound right. There are actually spaces -or gaps of silence - between their words. Weird! Sounds awesome, but very odd. Right up Carrey's alley to be sure!
- Jim Carrey does A LOT of improvisation here. This is to be expected, but now it has been confirmed by a source. Apparently this improvisation has been a part of the movie since it was written! This openness to creativity has all been approved and made to happen by Zemeckis. Good on you Bob! They have a lot of confidence in Carrey and justifiably so. The guy cracks me up - always has.

SANTA CLAUS RELATED:
- YEP! THE BIG GUY IS IN IT. Remember little Sammi Hanratty letting this slip? Well it has been confirmed by my source.
- Santa wears - get this - a red and PURPLE Santa suit!
- My source heard John Goodman could be the actor in this role but he was NOT sure, so do not count on this. Only count on seeing Santa Claus in it.
- You can expect the REINDEERS to talk! Yep. Apparently Rudolph doesn't like Blitzen and they all have very unique voices.
- Santa and the reindeer don't have a very big impact on the film as far as storyline goes, but you can expect this part to be HILARIOUS. It's more like a cameo appearance :-)
- Apparently Santa is thinner in this movie than others.
- Sammi Hanratty is the character that interacts with Santa and the reindeer. I suspect it is her catching him performing his "Christmasly duties".

**SPOILERS ABOVE** Highlight the white text above to read the contents:

So, yeah - I am pretty hyped about this movie; that's why it is number 3 on my list of the Top Ten Most Anticipated 3D Movies of 2009. Stay tuned for more when I get it! :-)

More A CHRISTMAS CAROL Images

Jim here. Got another "pic within a pic" here for you - hard to see too much in it as their is reflections and such, but you can get an idea where Zemeckis is taking it. Again this was a section of a much higher resolution image sent to me by a source. You can see the new poster for DISNEY'S A CHRISTMAS CAROL right here.

You can see that a great deal of attention is being spent on the environments - warm sunlight effects, deep shading and meticulous details like in the London street scene on the right.

Looks like an interior shot of a bank or dining hall perhaps on the top left, with the bottom left being the shot used for the original poster.

Time is of the essence with Zemeckis' style of directing and motion capture post production and he has had a lot of time to perfect his craft here. BEOWULF was a huge step forward for him from THE POLAR EXPRESS and I think he has gone to the next level with ACC.

Stay tuned for more!

Must See: First Look At Jim Carrey As Scrooge In "Disney's A Christmas Carol"

EXCLUSIVE

Hey guys - Jim here. A new source of mine sent me a rather interesting hi-res photo and I have been able to blow it up revealing some interesting pictures within the picture! The photo is of Robert Zemeckis' and DISNEY'S A CHRISTMAS CAROL.

A couple people have asked why I placed A CHRISTMAS CAROL well above Pixar's UP in my list of most anticipated 3D movies in 2009. Because quite simply Zemeckis is going to astound with this effort - he has the knowledge and certainly has had the time to pull this one together and I say WATCH OUT.

First up is a new poster from the movie! It is clearly of Jim Carrey playing Scrooge - his face lit up by candlelight and superimposed over the streets of old London.

Can you feel it? I sure can - this movie is going to blow people's minds! Yeah, I am a Jim Carrey fan and with him playing SEVEN roles in this movie we should all get a taste of his range within a movie :-) Of course Gary Oldman is no slouch.

I will have more pics for you tomorrow from the same hi res photo and hopefully I can get more out of it as some of it is a bit grainy blown up.

ENJOY! And be sure to check back tomorrow!

Update On Disney 3D Movies For 2009

Disney had just given us their 2009 schedule of releases and I have snagged the 3D ones of course! There is an amazing FIVE 3D movies from Disney in 2009. Let's take a look:

1. February 27th - JONAS BROTHERS: THE 3D CONCERT EXPERIENCE
"...a high-energy Walt Disney Pictures rockumentary feature film event from director Bruce Hendricks (“Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert”). The film blends excerpts from the Brothers’ red-hot “Burning Up” concert tour, including guest performances from Demi Lovato and Taylor Swift, with exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, off-the-wall segments, a never-before-heard song ("Love Is On Its Way"), swarming fans and a lot of JB-style humor—giving fans never-before-seen insights into the lives of KEVIN, JOE and NICK."

CAST: Kevin Jonas, Joe Jonas, Nick Jonas, Demi Lovato, Taylor Swift
DIRECTOR: Bruce Hendricks
PRODUCERS: Art Repola, Johnny Wright, Philip McIntyre, Kevin Jonas Sr., Alan Sacks
GENRE: Rockumentary
RATING: G
RELEASE DATE: February 27, 2009
NOTES:
• The “Burning Up” tour was one hot ticket: the Brothers sold out three Madison Square Garden shows in record time. On November 18, 2008, the Brothers released a photo diary
book: “Burning Up: On Tour with the Jonas Brothers.”
• Jonas Brothers’ “A Little Bit Longer” album debuted in August 2008 at # 1 on the Billboard Top 200 as the 3rd highest debut of 2008. It has since gone platinum. Their next
single is “Tonight,” which hits the radio in January 2009.
• Disney’s “Camp Rock” debuted on Disney Channel in June 2008 as the network’s #2 original movie of all time with 8.9 million viewers.
WEBSITE: Disney.com/JONAS3D.com

2. May 29th - UP
From Disney•Pixar comes “Up,” a comedy adventure about 78-year-old balloon salesman Carl Fredricksen, who finally fulfills his lifelong dream of a great adventure when he ties thousands of balloons to his house and flies away to the wilds of South America. But he discovers all too late that his biggest nightmare has stowed away on the trip: an overly optimistic 9-year-old Wilderness Explorer named Russell. From the Academy Award®-nominated director Pete Docter (“Monsters, Inc.”), Disney•Pixar’s “Up” invites you on a hilarious journey into a lost world, with the least likely duo on Earth. “Up” will be presented in Disney Digital 3-D™ in select theaters.

VOICE TALENT: Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer, John Ratzenberger, Delroy Lindo, Jordan Nagai
DIRECTOR: Pete Docter
CO-DIRECTOR: Bob Peterson
PRODUCER: Jonas Rivera
COMPOSER: Michael Giacchino GENRE: Animation/Adventure
RATING: TBD
RELEASE DATE: May 29, 2009
NOTES:
• John Ratzenberger is tapped yet again to lend his voice, this time as Construction Foreman Tom.
Ratzenberger is the only actor to voice a role in all of the Disney•Pixar films.
• Award-winning composer Michael Giacchino has received numerous accolades for his work on previous Disney•Pixar films “Ratatouille” (GRAMMY® Award winner, Best Score Album Soundtrack; Annie Award winner, Best Music in an Animated Feature Production; Oscar® nomination, Best Original Score) and “The Incredibles” (Annie Award winner, Best Music in an Animated Feature Production; GRAMMY nomination, Best Score Album Soundtrack).
WEBSITE: Disney.com/UP

3. July 24th - G-FORCE
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer brings his first 3-D film to the big screen with G-FORCE, a comedy adventure about the latest evolution of a covert government program to train animals to work in espionage. Armed with the latest high-tech spy equipment, these highly trained guinea pigs discover that the fate of the world is in their paws. Tapped for the G-FORCE are guinea pigs Darwin (voice of SAM ROCKWELL), the squad leader determined to succeed at all costs; Blaster (voice of TRACY MORGAN), an outrageous weapons expert with tons of attitude and a love for all things extreme; and Juarez (voice of PENELOPE CRUZ), a sexy martial arts pro; plus the literal fly-on-the-wall reconnaissance expert, Mooch, and a starnosed mole, Speckles (voice of NICOLAS CAGE), the computer and information specialist. Directed by two-time Oscar®-winning visual effects master Hoyt Yeatman—G-FORCE takes audiences on a high-octane thrill ride, proving once and for all that size really doesn't matter.

CAST: Bill Nighy, Will Arnett, Zach Galifianakis, with the voices of Nicolas Cage, Sam Rockwell, Jon Favreau, Penelope Cruz, Steve Buscemi, Tracy Morgan
DIRECTOR: Hoyt Yeatman
SCREENPLAY BY: The Wibberleys and Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio and Tim Firth, based on a story by Hoyt Yeatman (credits not final)
PRODUCER: Jerry Bruckheimer
GENRE: Comedy-Adventure
RATING: TBD
RELEASE DATE: July 24, 2009
NOTES:
• Director and visual effects master Hoyt Yeatman has teamed with producer Jerry Bruckheimer on such movies as “Armageddon,” “Con Air” and “The Rock.” G-FORCE is Yeatman’s directorial debut.
• G-FORCE is producer Jerry Bruckheimer’s first 3-D movie.

4. October 2nd - TOY STORY
They’re toys, they talk—at least when people aren’t around—and they’re back…celebrating the return of the “Toy Story” franchise—in Disney Digital 3-D™ this time! TOY STORY, the film that started it all, takes moviegoers back to that fantastic fun-filled journey, viewed mostly through the eyes of two rival toys—Woody (voice of TOM HANKS), the lanky, likable cowboy, and Buzz Lightyear (voice of TIM ALLEN), the fearless space ranger. The comically-mismatched duo eventually learn to put aside their differences when circumstances separate them from their owner Andy and they find themselves on a hilarious adventurefilled mission where the only way they can survive is to form an uneasy alliance. Disney•Pixar’s TOY STORY kicks off a Disney Digital 3-D™ Toy Story celebration, which includes “Toy Story 2,” opening Feb. 12, 2010, and culminates in a brand new adventure starring Buzz and Woody: “Toy Story 3”—in theaters June 18, 2010.

CAST: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles, Jim Varney, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger,
Annie Potts, John Morris, Erik von Detten, Laurie Metcalf, R. Lee Ermey
DIRECTOR: John Lasseter
PRODUCERS: Ralph Guggenheim, Bonnie Arnold
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Ed Catmull, Steve Jobs
ORIGINAL STORY BY: John Lasseter, Pete Docter, Andrew Stanton and Joe Ranft
SCREENPLAY BY: Joss Whedon, Andrew Stanton, Joel Cohen and Alan Sokolow
GENRE: Animation-Comedy/Adventure
RATING: G
RELEASE DATE: October 2, 2009
NOTES:
• TOY STORY, originally released on November 22, 1995, was the first fully computer animated feature film and the highest grossing movie of the year with nearly $192 million domestically and $362 million worldwide.
• The four people behind the original story of TOY STORY—John Lasseter, Pete Docter, Andrew Stanton and the late Joe Ranft—are the key creatives (writers and/or directors) responsible for most of Disney•Pixar’s subsequent releases: "A Bug's Life," "Toy Story 2," "Monsters, Inc." "Finding Nemo," “Cars," "WALL•E" and the 2009 release "Up."
• TOY STORY was nominated for three Academy Awards® and two Golden Globes.®
• Director John Lasseter was awarded a Special Achievement Award (Oscar®) by the Academy Awards® for his “inspired leadership of the Pixar TOY STORY team, resulting in the first feature-length computer-animated film."
• John Lasseter made his feature film directing debut with TOY STORY in 1995. He has since directed such Pixar classics as “A Bug’s Life,” “Toy Story 2” and “Cars” and served as executive producer of all other Pixar films to date. He is currently the chief creative officer of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios and principal creative advisor of Walt Disney Imagineering.

5. November 6th - DISNEY'S A CHRISTMAS CAROL
DISNEY’S A CHRISTMAS CAROL, a multi-sensory thrill ride re-envisioned by Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Robert Zemeckis, captures the fantastical essence of the classic Dickens tale in a groundbreaking 3-D motion picture event. Ebenezer Scrooge (JIM CARREY) begins the Christmas holiday with his usual miserly contempt, barking at his faithful clerk (GARY OLDMAN) and his cheery nephew (COLIN FIRTH).
But when the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come take him on an eye-opening journey revealing truths Old Scrooge is reluctant to face, he must open his heart to undo years of ill will before it’s too late.

CAST: Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Bob Hoskins, Robin Wright Penn, Cary Elwes, Fionnula Flanagan
DIRECTOR: Robert Zemeckis
PRODUCERS: Steve Starkey, Robert Zemeckis, Jack Rapke
SCREENPLAY BY: Robert Zemeckis
BASED ON THE CLASSIC NOVELLA BY: Charles Dickens
GENRE: Fantasy Adventure
RATING: TBD
RELEASE DATE: November 6, 2009
NOTES:
• Jim Carrey tackles seven roles, including Ebenezer Scrooge and the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come.
• The Dickens novella was first published on December 19, 1843, becoming an instant—and enduring—success.

What an AWESOME lineup of 3D from Disney to meet what will surely be the year of 3D: 2009! I have got to say I am looking forward to each and every one of these efforts and especially UP and A CHRISTMAS CAROL.

Which one(s) are you looking forward to?

Quick Post: Zemeckis and Carrey Talk "Christmas Carol"

Hey everyone, Michael here.  Movieweb has an interesting article detailing Disney's presentation of Bob Zemeckis' 3-D performance capture A Christmas Carol at today's Walt Disney Studios Showcase event at the Kodak Theater.  While no footage was shown, both Zemeckis and Carol star Jim Carrey had a lot to say about the film. Some snippets:

Zemeckis: "It is one of the greatest time travel tales ever written. A Christmas Carol has never been shown on film the way it was intended. This is the perfect story for this new motion capture technology.”

Carrey: "Robert Zemeckis has come in and freed up the process. He has revolutionized Motion capture...I loved being the king in Robert’s virtual kingdom."

Also, /Film has a photo of the first official banner for the film.  Hopefully we will soon get to see some of the concept art, paintings, props and models that were on display!

"A Christmas Carol" 3D Update

Crachit's MOTHER is in "A Christmas Carol". My source has recanted that the Crachits are not in the 3D movie as he simply did not see any lines for them back when the original spoiler post was made on March 5th. For all the spoilers check out that original post for details.

Who the heck is playing the mother? That role is not listed on IMDB at all. The casting with this movie is swirling with rumors more so than any other movie in recent years. Why? One reason could be that because this movie is performance capture based that many roles may be shared, the body of one and the voice of another. Doesn't explain why there are more confirmed roles though - especially because this movie had been in production for over a month now!

Who knows the casting? Contact me will ya? Sheesh. :-)