Finally! James Cameron's DEEPSEA CHALLENGE 3D Release Details!!

We're finally getting details on James Cameron's Deepsea Challenge 3D feature documentary. It's been awhile coming too, but so glad the time is almost here. I'm very interested in seeing what personal money can buy when it comes to science. I know it's not all Cameron's money as he is sponsored somewhat, but still - I wish more well off individuals would consider science as a philanthropic or personal journey. The Mariana Trench dive project will be released on August 8.

Here's the press release:

DisruptiveLA, a cutting-edge marketing and distribution company for filmed entertainment, has acquired the US Distribution Rights to the feature documentary “JAMES CAMERON’S DEEPSEA CHALLENGE 3D,” directed by John Bruno, Andrew Wight and Ray Quint. A film about determination, danger and the ocean’s greatest depths, “JAMES CAMERON’S DEEPSEA CHALLENGE 3D” tells the story of Cameron’s journey to fulfill his boyhood dream of becoming an explorer. The movie offers a unique insight into Cameron’s world as he makes that dream reality – and makes history – by becoming the first person to travel solo to the deepest point on the planet.

Opening August 8 in theaters across the US, “JAMES CAMERON’S DEEPSEA CHALLENGE 3D” chronicles the highs, and literal lows, of DEEPSEA CHALLENGE, the first extensive scientific expedition in a manned submersible to the Challenger Deep, Earth’s deepest place. It was inspired, in part, by the fact that we know less about the deep oceans than we do about the surface of Mars. DEEPSEA CHALLENGE was led by Cameron, the Academy Award-winning filmmaker known for blockbusters such as Avatar and Titanic and a veteran of eight deep ocean expeditions. It was executed in partnership with National Geographic and Rolex and with support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. During it, Cameron deployed his unconventional DEEPSEA CHALLENGER submersible on 13 dives, collecting numerous samples and identifying 68 new species. On March 26, 2012, the Expedition culminated in Cameron’s historic, solo dive to the Challenger Deep, a staggering 35,787 feet (almost seven miles) beneath the ocean’s surface.

Risk and danger are ever-present in the film as Cameron dives progressively deeper in the New Britain Trench off Papua New Guinea and in the Mariana Trench, 200 miles southwest of Guam. Confronting the enormity of the dive to the Challenger Deep, the deepest part of the Mariana Trench, Cameron recalled thinking, “I’ve had years to contemplate this moment, and I won’t say there hasn’t been dread.”

Among his concerns was the risk the sub would implode under the crushing pressure (1,000 times that at sea level) at the ocean’s deepest points. In the movie, Cameron describes an ominous scenario: “As you approach the bottom, with barely a warning sign, the sphere buckles suddenly. Faster than you can scream, you’re smashed into jam.”

Cameron survived to capture the haunting, lunar-like landscape of the Mariana Trench in stunning 3D, and to document the sea creatures he observed in the depths. In a tense 90 minutes, “JAMES CAMERON’S DEEPSEA CHALLENGE 3D” builds on these images to create a visual sensation that evokes a spirit of extraordinary human aspiration.

Industry veterans Chris Miller and James Burke are DisruptiveLA’s co-founders. Says Burke: “James Cameron and his team’s courage and tenacity in seeing this project through, with findings that scientists are still poring over, is an inspiration to everyone.”

“JAMES CAMERON’S DEEPSEA CHALLENGE 3D is everything we’d dreamed it could be and more,” says Lisa Truitt, president of National Geographic Cinema Ventures and an executive producer of the film. “It’s a heart-racing film experience and an inspiring reminder that our beautiful planet still has much to explore.”

“We are proud to have accompanied James Cameron, a Rolex Testimonee, on this inspirational journey to the deepest reaches of the world’s oceans, encouraging further exploration of the planet’s last unknown frontiers and sparking the interest of new generations in scientific research,” says Rolex Director of Communication and Image, Arnaud Boetsch.

This should be a sight to see! Can't wait.

MUST WATCH: Cameron, Fincher, Scorsese, Lynch, Soderbergh And More - Talk Filmmaking In Keanu Reeves' SIDE BY SIDE Outtakes!

This documentary is a must see in my books. Keanu Reeves is going directly to the source with this no holds barred approach to understand what is happening in today's filmmaking community. 

Of course 3D, high frame rates, digital vs. film are all going to be huge topics - but to see these titans discuss their bread and butter makes for extremely interesting viewing.

Keanu Reeves of course has his 3D samurai epic 47 RONIN opening in February, 2013.

The videos I have below include outtakes from Reeves' discussions with James Cameron, David Fincher, Martin Scorsese, David Lynch, Steven Soderbergh, Wally Pfister, Robert Rodriguez, The Wachowskis and John Malkovich.

And these are just the outtakes! The content in the edited documentary must be totally enthralling.

Oh and I have Soderbergh leading into Wally Pfister's clip by design. I think you will see why.

If you have managed to see it, let me know your thoughts! You can view now on iTunes.

Two AWESOME New Clips Of James Cameron: "TITANIC Was Split In Two Like A Banana!"

Guys - check these clips out! Apparently these clips are part of a documentary that National Geographic will be airing soon. I don't want to spoil it for you guys - so have a watch!! :-) They're from a Norwegian site.

Here's the movie's synopsis:
Brock Lovett is a treasure hunter looking for a famous diamond among the debris of the Titanic. He finds a sketch in a safebox in which a young woman is wearing the diamond on a necklace. After showing the drawing on a TV program, Rose Dawson, an old lady comes forward claiming to be the woman in the drawing. She is brought to the explorer's vessel to help them determine the location of the diamond, but instead she tells everyone the "real" story of Titanic's sinking. She was a 17 year-old rich girl sailing to the USA to get married with Cal Hockley. Her mother was forcing her to get married so she felt trapped inside her own world. During the trip she tries to commit suicide and she is saved by Jack Dawson, a third-class passenger who travels around making pencil drawings. They get to know each other better until they fall in love. Hockley and Rose's mother try to separate them several times. Amidst all this confusion the Titanic hits an iceberg and starts to sink.

Here are the clips!





Gotta love it! Thanks for the anonymous tip whoever you were! If you haven't seen TITANIC 3D yet - get out and relive it. I was amazed at the new things I saw for what must be my 50th time watching it. The 3D conversion was amazing and the story? Well count all those Oscars... :-)

Source: Dagbladet.no

Must Read: MORE Details About James Cameron Upcoming Descent To The Bottom Of The Earth!

Finally much more details on James Cameron's upcoming mega-dive of the Mariana Trench! You can catch up on everything to do with the dive right here, then read the release below!

Here's the official PR:

Filmmaker and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence James Cameron announced today that he will attempt to reach the world’s deepest point, the Mariana Trench, nearly 
7 miles (11.2 km) beneath the ocean’s surface, in the coming weeks. Cameron’s dive in his specially designed submersible marks the launch of DEEPSEA CHALLENGE, a joint scientific project by Cameron, the National Geographic Society and Rolex to conduct deep-ocean research and exploration to expand our knowledge and understanding of these largely unknown parts of the planet.

Cameron’s historic DEEPSEA CHALLENGE expedition will be the first extensive scientific exploration by a manned vehicle to the Mariana Trench’s lowest point, the “Challenger Deep.” Cameron plans to spend six hours at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean trench, some 200 miles (322 km) southwest of Guam, to collect samples for research in marine biology, microbiology, astrobiology, marine geology and geophysics.

Relying on advanced engineering and technologies created by Cameron and his team, successful field tests were completed this week off the coast of Papua New Guinea. They included untethered deep-water dives — including one to a depth of more than 5 miles (more than 8 km) — in the revolutionary, single-pilot DEEPSEA CHALLENGER submersible, the result of an eight-year engineering effort and the deepest-diving manned marine vehicle in existence. The public will be able to follow Cameron’s progress on the expedition at www.DEEPSEACHALLENGE.com; on Twitter by following @DeepChallenge or using #deepseachallenge; or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/deepseachallenge.

“The deep trenches are the last unexplored frontier on our planet, with scientific riches enough to fill a hundred years of exploration,” Cameron said. “National Geographic, which has been exploring the world for nearly 125 years, is the ideal partner to help usher in a new era of deep-ocean research and exploration that supports leading scientific institutions in answering questions about the deepest, unexplored parts of the Earth. Our goal is to build a scientific legacy for generations to come. It’s also to inspire people across the globe to celebrate exploration and to explore with us online and through the media we produce.”

Cameron added, “Rolex is also a natural partner in this venture — unique in having reached the Challenger Deep 52 years ago and in its celebrated, century-long history of supporting exploration and helping push the boundaries of human and scientific endeavor.”

The Challenger Deep has only been reached once in a manned descent, on Jan. 23, 1960, by U.S. Navy Lt. Don Walsh and Swiss oceanographer Jacques Piccard in the bathyscaphe Trieste. They spent approximately 20 minutes on the ocean floor before returning to the surface. Now, 52 years later, Cameron’s DEEPSEA CHALLENGER represents breakthroughs in materials science, unique approaches to structural engineering and new ways of imaging through an ultra-small, full ocean depth-rated stereoscopic camera. Cameron’s CAMERON | PACE Group, which supplies 3-D technologies and production support services, has provided the capability to document the historic expedition in high-resolution 3-D.

“Some believe the golden age of exploration is behind us. On the contrary, I believe we are at the beginning of our greatest age of exploration,” said Terry Garcia, National Geographic’s executive vice president for Mission Programs. “We salute James Cameron for his commitment to science and exploration, and we are delighted to be part of this groundbreaking adventure to the deepest and least explored point on Earth.”

In 1960, an experimental Rolex Deepsea Special watch was attached to the hull of the Trieste and emerged in perfect working order after withstanding the huge pressure exerted at 6.78 miles (nearly 11 km) below the surface. The DEEPSEA CHALLENGER submersible will carry a new experimental wristwatch, the Rolex Deepsea Challenge, strapped to its manipulator arm, renewing the pioneering engineering challenge the Swiss watchmaker took up 52 years ago with the Trieste.

“Our affinity with the deep also extends to active and sustained support of renowned marine researchers, supporting excellence and innovation in the advancement of human knowledge,” said Gian Riccardo Marini, Chief Executive Officer of Rolex SA. “I am convinced that James Cameron is bringing us to the threshold of a long-delayed revival in marine exploration. We are proud to have such a passionate and longstanding admirer of Rolex, and to return to the Challenger Deep on this historic venture to help unravel the secrets of the ocean’s deepest places.”

Cameron was named a National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence in 2011. While working on his film “Titanic,” he took 12 submersible dives to the famed shipwreck two and a half miles down in the North Atlantic. The technical success of that expedition led Cameron to form Earthship Productions, which develops films about ocean exploration and conservation. Since then he has led six expeditions, authored a forensic study of the Bismarck wreck site and done extensive 3-D imaging of deep hydrothermal vent sites along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the East Pacific Rise and the Sea of Cortez. Cameron has made 72 deep submersible dives, including 33 to Titanic. Fifty-one of these dives were in Russian Mir submersibles to depths of up to 3.03 miles (4.87 km).

Cameron has written and directed numerous films, among them “Avatar,” “Titanic,” “True Lies,” “Terminator 1 and 2,” “The Abyss” and “Aliens.” His films have blazed new trails in visual effects and have set numerous performance records, both domestically and abroad, including 11 Oscars for “Titanic.” “Avatar,” a 3-D science fiction epic reflecting five years of development of new production technologies, was nominated for nine Oscars and won three. “Avatar” is the highest-grossing film in history, surpassing the previous record holder, “Titanic.”

The DEEPSEA CHALLENGE expedition will be chronicled for a 3-D feature film on the intensive technological and scientific efforts behind this historic dive. The event will be documented for the National Geographic Channel and National Geographic magazine. Cameron also will collaborate with National Geographic to create broad-based educational outreach materials.

Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, is the DEEPSEA CHALLENGE Project’s primary science collaborator. For nearly a decade, Scripps has been involved with James Cameron in developing new ways to explore and study the deepest parts of the oceans. With its decades-long history of deep-sea exploration, Scripps is recognized as a world leader in investigating the science of the deep ocean, from exploring the deep’s geological features to researching its exotic marine life inhabitants.

The expedition also is collaborating with the University of Hawaii, Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the University of Guam. Additional funding for education and digital outreach has been provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, which supports original research and public understanding of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Scientific research permits for the dive have been secured from authorities in the Federated States of Micronesia.

This is so cool. If Cameron's life wasn't in mortal danger I think we would all be a bit more excited, but heck - you only live life once and he certainly is living his. Bring us back 3D video of new life forms Mr. Cameron!

**UPDATED: James Cameron Completes 8 KM Test Dive! Mariana Trench Is Next!!

**SAMEDAY UPDATE: Added video clip from CNN!

Director James Cameron has completed his first major test dive off the coast of Papua, New Guinea to the depth of 8 kilometers (5 miles). The countdown to the Mariana Trench is now on, a mere matter of weeks and a stunning dive of 11 kms (7 miles).

We are finally getting great glimpses of his solo seated submersible named DEEPSEA CHALLENGER. There are others in this so called race to the bottom of the Earth too, but I am loving the Captain Nemo vibe this obviously well designed craft is giving us.

If you think this voyage is a walk in the park, read what we already reported is going on right here. Definitely death defying.

Cameron has confirmed that he will be shooting footage with special 3D cameras designed for the 1000 atmosphere depth for a 3D documentary being sponsored by National Geographic and Rolex. If there's one guy who deserves a solid gold Rolex Submariner, it's James Cameron.

Says Cameron: "The deep trenches are the last unexplored frontier on our planet, with scientific riches enough to fill 100 years of exploration."

Furthermore - and typical James Cameron - he is conducting real science while down there by way of collecting samples.

Cameron: "Our goal is to build a scientific legacy for generations to come. It's also to inspire people across the globe to celebrate exploration and to explore with us online and through the media we produce."

So looking forward to his results and safe return to the surface of the Pacific ocean! Godspeed Mr. Cameron.

Thanks for the heads up Peter!



Sources: BBC | CNN

James Cameron Will Dive The Mariana Trench ALONE, Bolted Inside! Photo!

**Apparently the earlier sub photo was not accurate. The one pictured below is believed to be the DEEPSEA CHALLENGER.

We knew it was coming and now it's getting close. While I was at the movies last night (saw THE LORAX - great movie!) one of our great readers sent me in a link to National Geographic (NG) of a video showing James Cameron's new submarine and the fact that NG will air the dive too!

I can't believe I missed seeing this video! It's been removed. Oh well, my reader (thanks Joanna!!) insists that it is the same pea-green craft as posted in this piece.

At this point we are not sure if the dive will be live or taped, but details to follow. What we DO know is not only this video was taken down, but so was a story posted by CNN - we have the cached link however!

Here's what we know so far:
- 3D cameras on board will record everything that goes on down there. And by down there, I mean the Mariana Trench - Challenger Deep at 35,800 feet (almost seven miles). The deepest and most remote place on Earth.
- Cameron has spent the last seven years building a unique manned submersible called the DEEPSEA CHALLENGER capable of diving to the ocean's greatest depths.
- Only one other team has made it to this depth before, in 1960 the navy sent the TRIESTE to 35,797 where they spent 20 harrowing minutes before leaving.
- He plans to spend six hours in the pitch-black waters on the ocean floor using remote arms to collect samples for research in marine biology, microbiology, astrobiology, marine geology and geophysics.
- A documentary will likely ensue the dive with the fresh 3D footage caught for the world to see.
- The first person to reach Challenger Deep will be awarded $10 million by the X-Prize Foundation. However clearly the money is not why Cameron is into this - it's his personal passion.

From CNN: "At 35,800 feet there is over 1085 atmospheres of pressure, translating to 16,000 lbs\sq in, or 2.3 million pounds of pressure per square foot. Hard to believe any man-made submarine could withstand that kind of pressure. Pretty amazing. And I’d say it takes guts to put yourself in that kind of situation. The GOOD news is that, if something DID give at that depth, the implosion would be so fast and total you’d never feel it."

...or as the Telegraph puts it: "...equivalent to 8,000 elephants standing on a Mini Cooper."

"Jim is a remarkable guy who's never trained as an engineer but has an intuitive grasp of engineering details that far surpass a lot of the professionals I've known," US Navy Captain Don Walsh, 80, told The Sunday Telegraph. "He hasn't wasted a lot of time trumpeting to the world, 'We're going to do this.' He wants to make sure he's got it right and then he'll tell the world. He's a pretty high profile person and he doesn't want to screw up royally."

Further: Losing pressure in the passenger compartment would cause his battery-powered vessel to implode. Even the tiniest leak would send a jet of water rushing in at such high-pressure that it would slice the craft in half. "There have been white-knuckle moments, complete power failures where we've had to use emergency ballast systems to get back," he admitted in an interview with Popular Mechanics magazine last year, adding: "Yeah, your life is at risk any time you go into a hostile environment like that - but you trust the engineering."

Trust me. We're on this. Stay tuned for more!! It's going to get white knuckled around here...

Sources: National Geographic | CNN | NeoGAF | Telegraph | Ecorazzi

Horrible Helicopter Crash In Australia Claims Lives Of Andrew Wight And Mike deGruy

I received an email 6 hours ago from one of our awesome readers in Australia (thanks Shaun) that pointed me to a tragic story on News.com.au. Andrew Wight (51, writer / producer, SANCTUM, pictured with Cameron) and Mike deGruy (60, award winning cinematographer, pictured below) both died at the scene of a terrible helicopter crash shortly after taking off from an airport near Berry Saturday afternoon. They were off to scout locations at Jervis Bay for an upcoming documentary. Wight was piloting the flight.

If Wight's name sounds familiar maybe it's because of his $100m movie SANCTUM or because I just posted about him becoming the head of the Cameron | Pace Group's Australian office. He helped develop the 3D technology behind AVATAR. James Cameron has worked with Wight since their documentary on the Titanic in 2000.

Underwater cimenatography specialist deGruy recently tweeted: "Been in Australia 2 weeks, one to go then off to PNG. Love this place - especially Sydney on Australia Day."

PNG = Papua, New Guinea (?) which potentially means James Cameron's documentary which he plans to shoot at the bottom of the pacific, a belief echoed by the Daily Telegraph.

deGruy's website reads: "Mike has dived under the ice at both poles, been to all continents, become a submersible pilot, dived hundreds of times in many types of submersibles, filmed the hydrothermal vents in both the Atlantic and the Pacific and had more meals on the Titanic, now resting at 12,500 feet deep, than did the doomed passengers."

James Cameron has spoken out about the horrible loss: "Mike and Andrew were like family to me. They were my deep-sea brothers and both were true explorers who did extraordinary things and went places no human being had been."

Andrew Grierson (Director of SANCTUM) said the Australian film industry has lost of its most dynamic filmmakers: "He was coming at film-making from a different angle. He was the most entrepreneurial film maker in the country, he's a great loss. In a lot of ways he was more than a producer; he was an expedition leader."

Wight was from Victoria, Australia and deGruy was from Santa Barbara, CA. Andrew Wight is survived by his wife Monica and his one-year-old son Ted. Mike deGruy is survived by his wife Mimi, his son Max and his daughter Frances. An investigation is underway as to the cause of the accident. There are images of the crash scene, but I feel it is out of place to post them.

Our deepest condolences to the families of these two fine filmmakers.

Sources: news.com.au | dailytelegraph.com.au

Must Watch: Trailer For Werner Herzog's CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS

Finally the trailer emerges for Werner Herzog's CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS stereoscopic 3D documentary! Herzog is a world renowned filmmaker who is a favorite of many critics including Roger Ebert.

The titular cave is none other than France's Chauvet-Pont-d'Arc. Here is what the Toronto International Film Festival had to say about documentary (via /Film):

Werner Herzog is a wizard at conjuring unforgettable visions. Now he brings us the earliest known visions of mankind: the Chauvet-Pont-d’Arc cave art of southern France, created more than thirty thousand years ago. By comparison, the famous cave art of Lascaux is roughly half as old. Since Chauvet’s discovery in 1994, access has been extremely restricted due to concerns that overexposure, even to human breath, could damage the priceless drawings. Only a small number of researchers have ever seen the art in person.

Herzog gained extraordinary permission to film the caves using lights that emit no heat. But Herzog being Herzog, this is no simple act of documentation. He initially resisted shooting in 3D, then embraced the process, and now it’s hard to imagine the film any other way. The 3D format proves essential in communicating the contoured surfaces on which the charcoal figures are drawn. Beyond the walls, Herzog uses 3D to render the cave’s stalagmites like a crystal cathedral and to capture stunning aerial shots of the nearby Pont-d’Arc natural bridge. His probing questions for the cave specialists also plunge deep; for instance: “What constitutes humanness?”

Enjoy!!



SO looking forward to this one!!

A Story Of An Independent 3D Filmmaker: Vic Love

Jim here. We have heard plenty of stories on the well funded and equipped 3D directors and producers out there - how about something on a small independent filmmaker making a go of it?

Vic Love is pioneering live-action documentary 3D filmmaker in places like Hawaii and Jamaica on a non-budget. I spoke with Vic on many occasions and recently he opened up about his passion; 3D.

Says Love: "There are stories out there that need to be told, stories that are going away, there are living histories that need to be recorded, and I will do them in 3-D, as this is something that I can do, and we will only get better by doing. In the field this type of film-making is an order of magnitude harder than conventional run and gun, but technology will improve. I now have an incredible gratitude to our brain being able to sync the color, focus, and iris in two eyes perfectly, but then again we've had a million years of evolution, digital 3-D has only been around for a couple of years."

He was one of the first stereographers in the world to shoot 3D footage from an ultralite. Looks like fun to me!

I love the photo of Vic overlooking a village in Jamaica (bottom - Vic is on right) with an SRW-1, 2 CCU's, a switcher, 4 Hytron 140's, and a scope strapped on his back at dawn in the rain. He had climbed up this steep mountain that their camera van could not get up to get a sunrise shot of the Bob Marley estate overlooking 9 Mile.

Vic was in Jamaica filming a documentary on the history of reggae music (which I love). He is based out of Los Angeles but obviously travel is not an issue with him.

Digital Content Producer has done a great interview with him found here back in February. He also runs a cross-eyed view 3-D stills website of his work at MY3DCAM.com.

From the DCP article: "In Jamaica, he'd (Vic) be composing shots, maneuvering the two-camera rig, and manipulating the interocular distance between the two cameras — all more or less on the fly. The latter task requires the stereographer to adjust the distance between the two cameras using the electronics of the rig, thereby emulating the separation of our eyes. Typically about 2.5in., that space between our eyes is what gives depth to our visual perception; a similar distance between stereo cameras creates the illusion of depth when we don 3D glasses.

According to Love, manipulating interocular distance is akin to pulling focus — instead, you're pulling stereo. “You know how to ride it,” he says. Even most smaller HD cameras — the Sony PMW-EX3, for instance — are too bulky to achieve that 2.5in. interocular distance between the centers of the lenses."

Sounds like Vic is having the time of his life! If you are or know someone who is involved with independent 3D filmmaking let me know. It would be my pleasure to introduce you to all MarketSaw readers! We all share the same passion after all...

"Cane Toads 2" Invading In 3D

Jim here. I had an exclusive talk with Director Mark Lewis and he said that he has a new 3D project coming out soon that is close to his heart...

CANE TOADS 2 is a live action 3D film that is a follow up to the successful film CANE TOADS: AN UNNATURAL HISTORY. Mark is directing as he did the original, released in 1988.

The original was a 47 minute documentary (at times humorous) reviewing the introduction of Cane Toads in Australia to help control a sugar cane pest. Seems after being brought to down under, they refused to eat the sugar cane grubs and instead multiplied like rabbits. To make things worse, they have no natural enemies in Australia, partly because of their poisonous skin. CANE TOADS is used in schools and colleges to assist with biology and environmental science classes. It was also nominated for a BAFTA as Best Short Film and Roger Ebert calls the original "One of my favorite films".

Says Mark: "The film follows the journey of the cane toad in Australia and features a disparate cast of characters commenting on the impact of the toad since their introduction. From the lush rain forests of Puerto Rico, to the vibrant cane farms of far North Queensland then traveling through the mangroves of the Gulf Country into the harsh and arid landscape of the Northern Territory. The journey ends in Western Australia as thousands of toads are now poised only a few miles from the border and with the coming wet season the flood waters will spread them further West into thousands of square miles of the Kimberly region."

Mark adds, "Whether the story is a tragedy, a comedy of error or a tale of success - depends on your perspective."

The anticipated delivery is in December of this year. It is being distributed in Australia by Madman Entertainment and the US through Participant Media. The film is a co-production with Participant Media, Discovery Studios, Screen Australia and Radio Pictures.

I have not seen the original, but I suspect that the sequel will echo the outstanding research (that obviously WASN'T done when the toad was introduced!) and interject humor to bring out the best again of what seems to be a very entertaining news story. 544 votes on IMDb have the original pegged at 8 stars out of 10. Not bad!

I will give fair warning though: a little flick by the name of AVATAR will be clearing a fairly large swath of 3D screens in December of this year, including IMAX. I do hope their release goes well - just make it early December!

UPDATE March 17: Just heard again from Mark - they will be delivering the project in December but distribution will occur later! :-)