Skydance Media Announces Tencent to Partner on Terminator Project
Tencent Will Co-Finance and Distribute the Film in China
SANTA MONICA, Calif. & BEIJING--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Skydance Media, LLC (“Skydance”), a diversified media company that creates event-level entertainment for global audiences across multiple platforms, and Tencent Pictures, the film and television arm of Chinese Internet giant Tencent Holdings Limited (“Tencent”), announced today that Tencent will co-finance as a global partner the upcoming Terminator film directed by Tim Miller and produced by James Cameron and David Ellison. Under the pact, Tencent will also handle the distribution, marketing and merchandising of the film in China. This is the first collaboration between the two companies since they entered into a partnership, with Tencent making a strategic investment in Skydance Media.
“This franchise is hugely popular with Chinese audiences and will greatly benefit from the massive reach and valuable know-how Tencent has in marketing, distribution, games, and more.”
“We are thrilled Terminator will be our first collaboration with Tencent, and we believe that partnering this early in the process, prior to production, will allow both companies to fully maximize the opportunity,” said Jesse Sisgold, Skydance Media President & COO. “This franchise is hugely popular with Chinese audiences and will greatly benefit from the massive reach and valuable know-how Tencent has in marketing, distribution, games, and more.”
"We are truly excited to be partnering with Skydance on the newest chapter of this iconic franchise. With Skydance's savvy production expertise and impeccable taste in talent, along with Tencent's tremendous marketing and distribution capabilities in China, we believe the success of Terminator will serve as a benchmark for future collaborations," said Edward Cheng, Vice President of Tencent and CEO of Tencent Pictures.
The upcoming Terminator movie will be a direct sequel to Cameron's Terminator 2: Judgment Day starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton, both reprising their iconic roles as “The Terminator” and “Sarah Connor” from the first two Terminator films. The new story will introduce the next generation of characters played by rising stars Mackenzie Davis (Blade Runner 2049, “Halt and Catch Fire”), Natalia Reyes ("Lady, La Vendedora de Rosas"), Diego Boneta (“Scream Queens,” Rock of Ages), and Gabriel Luna (“Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”) Specific details on the characters are being kept under wraps.
Paramount Pictures and 20th Century Fox are also co-financing the film, which is scheduled for U.S. release the Friday before Thanksgiving on November 22, 2019. The movie will be distributed domestically by Paramount Pictures and internationally (excluding China) by 20th Century Fox.
About Skydance Media, LLC
Skydance is a diversified media company founded by David Ellison in 2010 to create high quality, event-level entertainment for global audiences across platforms, including feature films, animation, television, gaming and digital. To date, Skydance has produced and financed 15 feature films, which have cumulatively grossed nearly $5 billion in worldwide box office. Skydance TV launched in 2013, creating 8 premium series to date, with current distribution partners that include Apple, Amazon, AMC, DirecTV, Hulu, Netflix, and The Paramount Network. Skydance Interactive is a multifaceted game studio with premier brand games, including Archangel VR. In the last four years, the Company has grown from 15 employees in Santa Monica to over 150, with facilities in Santa Monica, Marina Del Rey, Hollywood and Vancouver.
About Tencent Holdings Limited and Tencent Pictures
Tencent uses technology to enrich the lives of Internet users. Tencent’s social products WeChat and QQ link its users to a rich digital content catalogue including games, video, music and books. Its proprietary targeting technology helps advertisers reach out to hundreds of millions of consumers in China. Tencent’s infrastructure services including payment, security, cloud and artificial intelligence create differentiated offerings and support its partners’ business growth. Tencent invests heavily in people and innovation, enabling the company to evolve with the Internet.
Tencent Pictures, the film and television arm of Chinese Internet giant Tencent Holdings Limited (“Tencent”), has been a key strategic partner on a number of high profile global films such as Universal’s Warcraft, Warner Bros’ Kong: Skull Island, and most recently Warner Bros’ Wonder Woman.
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Showing posts with label 20th Century Fox. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 20th Century Fox. Show all posts
Friday, April 27, 2018
Saturday, December 16, 2017
"Storm Over Brooklyn" Documentary to Commemorate Yusuf Hawkins
The American Black Film Festival and Lightbox Announce Winner of the 2017 Documentary Film Initiative
Director Muta’Ali’s Documentary Storm Over Brooklyn to Commemorate the 30th Anniversary of the Racially Motivated Killing of 16-Year-Old Yusuf Hawkins
Inaugural Competition Sponsored by 21st Century Fox and National Geographic
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The American Black Film Festival and Lightbox, the award-winning U.S. and U.K. production company, today announced that director Muta’Ali is the recipient of their first annual documentary film development fund. Muta’Ali will work with Lightbox and ABFF to develop his feature documentary Storm Over Brooklyn.
“Nurturing up-and-coming talent is incredibly important to us at National Geographic, and working with Lightbox and ABFF on this initiative and discovering filmmakers like Muta’Ali is really exciting.”
The ABFF Lightbox Documentary Initiative was launched earlier this year to support and foster documentary filmmakers with diverse voices and perspectives and is sponsored by 21st Century Fox and National Geographic.
Muta’Ali’s Storm Over Brooklyn was selected from over 200 submissions for documentary films that covered a wide range of topics that reflect the experiences of people of color today. ABFF and Lightbox hope to get the film funded and finished in time to have its world premiere at the 23rd annual American Black Film Festival in Miami in June 2019.
Storm Over Brooklyn will revisit the story of Yusuf Hawkins, a black American teenager who was shot to death after being trapped by a group of white youths in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, on the evening of Aug. 23, 1989. Hawkins had come to Bensonhurst with three friends that day to look at a used car when they were attacked by the hostile mob, whose members mistakenly believed that Hawkins was dating a neighborhood girl who was white. The incident shocked New York and the nation, and unleashed a torrent of racial tension in an already divided city and led to nationally televised protests and marches led by the Rev. Al Sharpton. The growing unrest indubitably contributed to the ousting of New York City Mayor Ed Koch in favor of David Dinkins, who became the city’s first — and as of now, only — African-American mayor. Hawkins was just 16 years old at the time of his death.
“2019 will mark the 30th anniversary of Yusuf Hawkins’ death and all these years later, it is fair to say, we are still living in very precarious times,” said Jeff Friday, founder and CEO, ABFF. “We were incredibly moved by the relevance and power of this story and Muta’Ali’s vision for the film. The ABFF Lightbox Documentary Film Initiative is an extension of what I started with the American Black Film Festival, and I am delighted to be able to provide this new platform in partnership with Lightbox, and we are deeply grateful to National Geographic and 21st Century Fox for standing behind this meaningful initiative.”
Lightbox’s Jonathan Chinn added, “I was immediately impressed with Muta’Ali’s passion and creative ambition for the film. The fact that he has already secured Yusuf’s family’s blessing and their active participation in the film along with the participation of many of the key players in the story points to a film that cannot only enter the ongoing conversation we are still having about racial discrimination in America, but that can do justice to the memory and legacy of Yusuf Hawkins. Lightbox and ABFF are thrilled to be collaborating with Muta’Ali on this important and timely film.”
Lightbox and initiative sponsor National Geographic recently collaborated on the Emmy Award-winning feature documentary LA 92, which used only archival footage to tell the story of the lead-up and conflagration of the civil unrest in Los Angeles in 1992 that followed the acquittal of four white LAPD officers accused of beating Rodney King. LA 92 has recently been nominated for a Cinema Eye Award and two International Documentary Association Awards, including the award for Best Feature.
“National Geographic is thrilled to be part of this year’s inaugural competition, and the selection of Muta’Ali as this year’s winner is a perfect choice,” said Tim Pastore, president of original programming and production for National Geographic Channel. “Nurturing up-and-coming talent is incredibly important to us at National Geographic, and working with Lightbox and ABFF on this initiative and discovering filmmakers like Muta’Ali is really exciting.”
Muta’Ali hails from Westchester County, New York. His debut film, “Life’s Essentials With Ruby Dee,” a documentary about his late grandmother, featured notable subjects including Harry Belafonte, Alan Alda, Phylicia Rashad and Spike Lee. His goal is to have his artistic body of work be wholly focused on what he calls “Love, Art & Activism.” In response to winning the ABFF Lightbox Documentary Film Initiative, Muta’Ali stated, “I am thrilled to have been selected as the first beneficiary of this important initiative. Jeff and Jonathan are the ideal partners to help me take the complex story of Yusuf Hawkins and his killing out of my head and onto screens. I have the utmost respect and appreciation for this opportunity and I look forward to creating a film that is true to who Yusuf was and true to all the people who have fought for equality in his name.”
Join the conversation on social media by visiting ABFF’s multiple social media platforms:
Twitter @ABFF
Facebook American Black Film Festival
Instagram @AmericanBlackFilmFestival
YouTube American Black Film Festival
Hashtags #ABFF2018 #WeAreABFF
Website www.ABFF.com
About Lightbox
Headquartered in London and Los Angeles, Lightbox is a multinational media company focused on creating high-quality nonfiction programming for film, television and digital platforms. It was founded in 2014 by Academy Award- and Emmy-winning producers and cousins Simon Chinn and Jonathan Chinn. Simon and Jonathan’s partnership represents a seamless melding of two distinct but compatible backgrounds and a strongly shared creative sensibility. Since its founding in 2014, Lightbox has produced many notable projects, including documentary films “Atari: Game Over” and “The Thread” for Xbox Entertainment Studios; an ESPN 30 for 30 film about the 2006 Duke Lacrosse scandal titled “Fantastic Lies”; and several series for both the U.K. and U.S. markets, such as “The Traffickers” for Fusion, “Inside British Vogue” for BBC, “The Runner-Up” for Esquire, “War Child” for Channel 4 and the groundbreaking “Captive” for Netflix. Lightbox recently released its first theatrical feature documentary, LA 92, about the 1992 LA riots for National Geographic’s Documentary Films Division, and is currently in production on the first and only authorized documentary about legendary pop icon Whitney Houston, which is slated to hit theaters in 2018. Prior to co-founding Lightbox, Simon Chinn became one of the world’s most successful feature documentary producers with two Academy Award-winning documentaries, “Man on Wire” and “Searching for Sugar Man,” to his credit. His other prior producing credits include “Project Nim,” “The Imposter,” “The Green Prince” and “My Scientology Movie.” Jonathan Chinn co-founded Lightbox on the heels of a successful career as one of the most respected nonfiction television showrunners in the U.S., winning an Emmy for “American High” (Fox/PBS) as well as the Television Academy’s prestigious Honors Award for “30 Days” (FX), which went on to become FX’s highest-rated unscripted series. Other producing credits include “Kid Nation” (CBS), “Push Girls” (Sundance) and “Hotel Hell” (Fox).
About ABFF
The American Black Film Festival is an annual event dedicated to showcasing quality film and television content by and about people of African descent. It supports emerging artists to foster a wider range of images, stories and storytellers represented in the entertainment industry. The festival is committed to the belief that black artists and content creators deserve the same opportunities as their mainstream counterparts. ABFF founder Jeff Friday conceived the festival in 1997 as a vehicle to promote diversity in the motion picture industry and strengthen the black filmmaking community through resource sharing, education, artistic collaboration and career development. Today, ABFF is recognized as the preeminent pipeline to new black talent, both in front of and behind the camera, and is regarded as one of the leading film festivals in the world. ABFF is a property of ABFF Ventures, a multifaceted entertainment company specializing in the production of live events, film, television and digital content targeted to upscale African-American audiences.
About National Geographic Partners LLC
National Geographic Partners LLC (NGP), a joint venture between National Geographic and 21st Century Fox, is committed to bringing the world premium science, adventure and exploration content across an unrivaled portfolio of media assets. NGP combines the global National Geographic television channels (National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo MUNDO, Nat Geo PEOPLE) with National Geographic’s media and consumer-oriented assets, including National Geographic magazines; National Geographic studios; related digital and social media platforms; books; maps; children’s media; and ancillary activities that include travel, global experiences and events, archival sales, licensing and e-commerce businesses. Furthering knowledge and understanding of our world has been the core purpose of National Geographic for 129 years, and now we are committed to going deeper, pushing boundaries, going further for our consumers … and reaching over 760 million people around the world in 172 countries and 43 languages every month as we do it. NGP returns 27 percent of our proceeds to the nonprofit National Geographic Society to fund work in the areas of science, exploration, conservation and education. For more information visit natgeotv.com or nationalgeographic.com, or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, YouTube, LinkedIn and Pinterest.
About 21ST CENTURY FOX
21st Century Fox is the world's premier portfolio of cable, broadcast, film, pay TV and satellite assets spanning six continents across the globe. Reaching more than 1.8 billion subscribers in approximately 50 local languages every day, 21st Century Fox is home to a global portfolio of cable and broadcasting networks and properties, including FOX, FX, FXX, FXM, FS1, Fox News Channel, Fox Business Network, FOX Sports, Fox Sports Network, National Geographic, STAR India, 28 local television stations in the U.S. and more than 350 international channels; film studio Twentieth Century Fox Film; and television production studios Twentieth Century Fox Television and a 50% ownership interest in Endemol Shine Group. The Company also holds a 39.1% ownership interest in Sky, Europe’s leading entertainment company, which serves 22 million customers across five countries. For more information about 21st Century Fox, please visit www.21CF.com.
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Director Muta’Ali’s Documentary Storm Over Brooklyn to Commemorate the 30th Anniversary of the Racially Motivated Killing of 16-Year-Old Yusuf Hawkins
Inaugural Competition Sponsored by 21st Century Fox and National Geographic
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The American Black Film Festival and Lightbox, the award-winning U.S. and U.K. production company, today announced that director Muta’Ali is the recipient of their first annual documentary film development fund. Muta’Ali will work with Lightbox and ABFF to develop his feature documentary Storm Over Brooklyn.
“Nurturing up-and-coming talent is incredibly important to us at National Geographic, and working with Lightbox and ABFF on this initiative and discovering filmmakers like Muta’Ali is really exciting.”
The ABFF Lightbox Documentary Initiative was launched earlier this year to support and foster documentary filmmakers with diverse voices and perspectives and is sponsored by 21st Century Fox and National Geographic.
Muta’Ali’s Storm Over Brooklyn was selected from over 200 submissions for documentary films that covered a wide range of topics that reflect the experiences of people of color today. ABFF and Lightbox hope to get the film funded and finished in time to have its world premiere at the 23rd annual American Black Film Festival in Miami in June 2019.
Storm Over Brooklyn will revisit the story of Yusuf Hawkins, a black American teenager who was shot to death after being trapped by a group of white youths in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, on the evening of Aug. 23, 1989. Hawkins had come to Bensonhurst with three friends that day to look at a used car when they were attacked by the hostile mob, whose members mistakenly believed that Hawkins was dating a neighborhood girl who was white. The incident shocked New York and the nation, and unleashed a torrent of racial tension in an already divided city and led to nationally televised protests and marches led by the Rev. Al Sharpton. The growing unrest indubitably contributed to the ousting of New York City Mayor Ed Koch in favor of David Dinkins, who became the city’s first — and as of now, only — African-American mayor. Hawkins was just 16 years old at the time of his death.
“2019 will mark the 30th anniversary of Yusuf Hawkins’ death and all these years later, it is fair to say, we are still living in very precarious times,” said Jeff Friday, founder and CEO, ABFF. “We were incredibly moved by the relevance and power of this story and Muta’Ali’s vision for the film. The ABFF Lightbox Documentary Film Initiative is an extension of what I started with the American Black Film Festival, and I am delighted to be able to provide this new platform in partnership with Lightbox, and we are deeply grateful to National Geographic and 21st Century Fox for standing behind this meaningful initiative.”
Lightbox’s Jonathan Chinn added, “I was immediately impressed with Muta’Ali’s passion and creative ambition for the film. The fact that he has already secured Yusuf’s family’s blessing and their active participation in the film along with the participation of many of the key players in the story points to a film that cannot only enter the ongoing conversation we are still having about racial discrimination in America, but that can do justice to the memory and legacy of Yusuf Hawkins. Lightbox and ABFF are thrilled to be collaborating with Muta’Ali on this important and timely film.”
Lightbox and initiative sponsor National Geographic recently collaborated on the Emmy Award-winning feature documentary LA 92, which used only archival footage to tell the story of the lead-up and conflagration of the civil unrest in Los Angeles in 1992 that followed the acquittal of four white LAPD officers accused of beating Rodney King. LA 92 has recently been nominated for a Cinema Eye Award and two International Documentary Association Awards, including the award for Best Feature.
“National Geographic is thrilled to be part of this year’s inaugural competition, and the selection of Muta’Ali as this year’s winner is a perfect choice,” said Tim Pastore, president of original programming and production for National Geographic Channel. “Nurturing up-and-coming talent is incredibly important to us at National Geographic, and working with Lightbox and ABFF on this initiative and discovering filmmakers like Muta’Ali is really exciting.”
Muta’Ali hails from Westchester County, New York. His debut film, “Life’s Essentials With Ruby Dee,” a documentary about his late grandmother, featured notable subjects including Harry Belafonte, Alan Alda, Phylicia Rashad and Spike Lee. His goal is to have his artistic body of work be wholly focused on what he calls “Love, Art & Activism.” In response to winning the ABFF Lightbox Documentary Film Initiative, Muta’Ali stated, “I am thrilled to have been selected as the first beneficiary of this important initiative. Jeff and Jonathan are the ideal partners to help me take the complex story of Yusuf Hawkins and his killing out of my head and onto screens. I have the utmost respect and appreciation for this opportunity and I look forward to creating a film that is true to who Yusuf was and true to all the people who have fought for equality in his name.”
Join the conversation on social media by visiting ABFF’s multiple social media platforms:
Twitter @ABFF
Facebook American Black Film Festival
Instagram @AmericanBlackFilmFestival
YouTube American Black Film Festival
Hashtags #ABFF2018 #WeAreABFF
Website www.ABFF.com
About Lightbox
Headquartered in London and Los Angeles, Lightbox is a multinational media company focused on creating high-quality nonfiction programming for film, television and digital platforms. It was founded in 2014 by Academy Award- and Emmy-winning producers and cousins Simon Chinn and Jonathan Chinn. Simon and Jonathan’s partnership represents a seamless melding of two distinct but compatible backgrounds and a strongly shared creative sensibility. Since its founding in 2014, Lightbox has produced many notable projects, including documentary films “Atari: Game Over” and “The Thread” for Xbox Entertainment Studios; an ESPN 30 for 30 film about the 2006 Duke Lacrosse scandal titled “Fantastic Lies”; and several series for both the U.K. and U.S. markets, such as “The Traffickers” for Fusion, “Inside British Vogue” for BBC, “The Runner-Up” for Esquire, “War Child” for Channel 4 and the groundbreaking “Captive” for Netflix. Lightbox recently released its first theatrical feature documentary, LA 92, about the 1992 LA riots for National Geographic’s Documentary Films Division, and is currently in production on the first and only authorized documentary about legendary pop icon Whitney Houston, which is slated to hit theaters in 2018. Prior to co-founding Lightbox, Simon Chinn became one of the world’s most successful feature documentary producers with two Academy Award-winning documentaries, “Man on Wire” and “Searching for Sugar Man,” to his credit. His other prior producing credits include “Project Nim,” “The Imposter,” “The Green Prince” and “My Scientology Movie.” Jonathan Chinn co-founded Lightbox on the heels of a successful career as one of the most respected nonfiction television showrunners in the U.S., winning an Emmy for “American High” (Fox/PBS) as well as the Television Academy’s prestigious Honors Award for “30 Days” (FX), which went on to become FX’s highest-rated unscripted series. Other producing credits include “Kid Nation” (CBS), “Push Girls” (Sundance) and “Hotel Hell” (Fox).
About ABFF
The American Black Film Festival is an annual event dedicated to showcasing quality film and television content by and about people of African descent. It supports emerging artists to foster a wider range of images, stories and storytellers represented in the entertainment industry. The festival is committed to the belief that black artists and content creators deserve the same opportunities as their mainstream counterparts. ABFF founder Jeff Friday conceived the festival in 1997 as a vehicle to promote diversity in the motion picture industry and strengthen the black filmmaking community through resource sharing, education, artistic collaboration and career development. Today, ABFF is recognized as the preeminent pipeline to new black talent, both in front of and behind the camera, and is regarded as one of the leading film festivals in the world. ABFF is a property of ABFF Ventures, a multifaceted entertainment company specializing in the production of live events, film, television and digital content targeted to upscale African-American audiences.
About National Geographic Partners LLC
National Geographic Partners LLC (NGP), a joint venture between National Geographic and 21st Century Fox, is committed to bringing the world premium science, adventure and exploration content across an unrivaled portfolio of media assets. NGP combines the global National Geographic television channels (National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo MUNDO, Nat Geo PEOPLE) with National Geographic’s media and consumer-oriented assets, including National Geographic magazines; National Geographic studios; related digital and social media platforms; books; maps; children’s media; and ancillary activities that include travel, global experiences and events, archival sales, licensing and e-commerce businesses. Furthering knowledge and understanding of our world has been the core purpose of National Geographic for 129 years, and now we are committed to going deeper, pushing boundaries, going further for our consumers … and reaching over 760 million people around the world in 172 countries and 43 languages every month as we do it. NGP returns 27 percent of our proceeds to the nonprofit National Geographic Society to fund work in the areas of science, exploration, conservation and education. For more information visit natgeotv.com or nationalgeographic.com, or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, YouTube, LinkedIn and Pinterest.
About 21ST CENTURY FOX
21st Century Fox is the world's premier portfolio of cable, broadcast, film, pay TV and satellite assets spanning six continents across the globe. Reaching more than 1.8 billion subscribers in approximately 50 local languages every day, 21st Century Fox is home to a global portfolio of cable and broadcasting networks and properties, including FOX, FX, FXX, FXM, FS1, Fox News Channel, Fox Business Network, FOX Sports, Fox Sports Network, National Geographic, STAR India, 28 local television stations in the U.S. and more than 350 international channels; film studio Twentieth Century Fox Film; and television production studios Twentieth Century Fox Television and a 50% ownership interest in Endemol Shine Group. The Company also holds a 39.1% ownership interest in Sky, Europe’s leading entertainment company, which serves 22 million customers across five countries. For more information about 21st Century Fox, please visit www.21CF.com.
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Monday, October 9, 2017
"The Kid Who Would Be King" Has Begun Principal Photography
Production Starts on Joe Cornish’s Action-Adventure “The Kid Who Would Be King”
Find Excalibur. Skip School. Save The World.
LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Based on an original script by writer/director Joe Cornish (Attack the Block), THE KID WHO WOULD BE KING began principal photography in London on September 25, 2017.
THE KID WHO WOULD BE KING tells the story of Alex, a twelve-year-old British schoolboy whose everyday problems are dwarfed by his discovery of the mythical sword Excalibur.
Now, with the most powerful sword in history in the hands of the most powerless schoolboy in Britain, an epic adventure begins as Alex and his friends must thwart a medieval villain named Morgana, who is hell-bent on destroying the world.
Louis Serkis (Alice Through the Looking Glass) stars as Alex. Newcomer Dean Chaumoo plays his best friend Bedders and Tom Taylor (The Dark Tower) and Rhianna Doris (Secret Life of Boys) play Lance and Kaye, who complete Alex’s band of would-be warriors.
Angus Imrie (Kingdom) plays a young incarnation of the wizard Merlin, with Sir Patrick Stewart as the senior version. Rebecca Ferguson plays the evil Morgana.
Working Title’s Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner will produce the film alongside Nira Park of Big Talk Pictures. Twentieth Century Fox will distribute the picture and Michael Ireland will oversee the project for the studio.
About Twentieth Century Fox Film
One of the world’s largest producers and distributors of motion pictures, Twentieth Century Fox Film produces, acquires and distributes motion pictures throughout the world. These motion pictures are produced or acquired by the following units of the studio: Twentieth Century Fox, Fox 2000 Pictures, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Fox International Productions, and Twentieth Century Fox Animation/Blue Sky Studios.
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Find Excalibur. Skip School. Save The World.
LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Based on an original script by writer/director Joe Cornish (Attack the Block), THE KID WHO WOULD BE KING began principal photography in London on September 25, 2017.
THE KID WHO WOULD BE KING tells the story of Alex, a twelve-year-old British schoolboy whose everyday problems are dwarfed by his discovery of the mythical sword Excalibur.
Now, with the most powerful sword in history in the hands of the most powerless schoolboy in Britain, an epic adventure begins as Alex and his friends must thwart a medieval villain named Morgana, who is hell-bent on destroying the world.
Louis Serkis (Alice Through the Looking Glass) stars as Alex. Newcomer Dean Chaumoo plays his best friend Bedders and Tom Taylor (The Dark Tower) and Rhianna Doris (Secret Life of Boys) play Lance and Kaye, who complete Alex’s band of would-be warriors.
Angus Imrie (Kingdom) plays a young incarnation of the wizard Merlin, with Sir Patrick Stewart as the senior version. Rebecca Ferguson plays the evil Morgana.
Working Title’s Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner will produce the film alongside Nira Park of Big Talk Pictures. Twentieth Century Fox will distribute the picture and Michael Ireland will oversee the project for the studio.
About Twentieth Century Fox Film
One of the world’s largest producers and distributors of motion pictures, Twentieth Century Fox Film produces, acquires and distributes motion pictures throughout the world. These motion pictures are produced or acquired by the following units of the studio: Twentieth Century Fox, Fox 2000 Pictures, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Fox International Productions, and Twentieth Century Fox Animation/Blue Sky Studios.
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Monday, September 4, 2017
Oliver Stone's "Wall Street" Returns for Limited September2017 Engagement
Oliver Stone’s Prophetic, Era-Defining ‘Wall Street’ Returns to Big Screens Nationwide September 24 & 27 for 30th Anniversary Celebration
Fathom Events and Twentieth Century Fox Present The Film That Defined ‘80s Excess Accompanied by a Unique Look at ‘Greed Is Good,’ a Retrospective
DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oliver Stone’s Oscar®-winning “Wall Street,” which defined an era of excess and predicted an ongoing obsession with wealth and power, will return to movie theaters across the country for two days only this fall – almost 30 years from the “Black Monday” global stock market collapse.
.@FathomEvents News: "Wall Street" returns to cinemas for 30th anniversary Sept 24 & 27 only. #WallStreet30
This special cinema event will be accompanied by a newly created featurette titled, “Greed is Good,” about the making and continued influence of “Wall Street,” which earned Michael Douglas the Oscar as Best Actor for his indelible portrayal of Wall Street corporate raider Gordon Gekko.
Fathom Events and Twentieth Century Fox will present “Wall Street” in nearly 650 movie theaters across the U.S. on Sunday, September 24, 2017 and Wednesday, September 27, 2017 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. (local time) each day.
Tickets for “Wall Street 30th Anniversary” can be purchased online by visiting www.FathomEvents.com or at participating movie theater box offices. For a complete list of theater locations visit the Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change).
Gekko’s infamous pronouncement that “Greed, for lack of a better term, is good” became one of the most quoted moments in movie history, crystallizing much of the cultural sentiment of the 1980s, and turned Gekko into a fascinating and unique movie character – both villain and hero.
“Wall Street” originally debuted in cinemas on December 11, 1987, less than two months after “Black Monday,” when global markets plunged and the U.S. stock market lost more than 22 percent of its value on a single day. Director Oliver Stone had shot “Wall Street” earlier that spring and summer, and the timing of the film’s original release gripped the public’s interest.
Also starring Charlie Sheen as young stockbroker Bud Fox, Martin Sheen as his blue-collar father Carl, Darryl Hannah as Bud’s girlfriend Darien, and Hal Holbrook as ethical Lou Mannheim, “Wall Street” has continued to simultaneously inspire newcomers to the financial industry and serve as a cautionary tale of unchecked greed.
“Viewed 30 years later, Wall Street is both nostalgic and as remarkably relevant and compelling as the day it was released,” said Tom Lucas, Fathom Events VP of Studio Relations. “It’s a gripping experience on the big screen, and one we are excited to share with audiences.”
About Fathom Events
Fathom Events is recognized as the leading domestic distributor of event cinema with participating affiliate theaters in all 100 of the top Designated Market Areas®, and ranks as one of the largest overall distributors of content to movie theaters. Owned by AMC Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: AMC), Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK) and Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC) (known collectively as AC JV, LLC), Fathom Events offers a variety of one-of-a-kind entertainment events such as live, high-definition performances of the Metropolitan Opera, dance and theatre productions like the Bolshoi Ballet and National Theatre Live, sporting events like “Canelo Álvarez vs. Julio César Chávez, Jr.,” concerts with artists like Michael Bublé, Rush and Mötley Crüe, the yearlong TCM Big Screen Classics film series, inspirational events such as To Joey With Love and Facing Darkness, and anime titles such as Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away. Fathom Events takes audiences behind the scenes and offers unique extras including audience Q&As, backstage footage and interviews with cast and crew, creating the ultimate VIP experience. Fathom Events’ live digital broadcast network (“DBN”) is the largest cinema broadcast network in North America, bringing live and pre-recorded events to 897 locations and 1,387 screens in 181 DMAs. For more information, visit www.fathomevents.com.
About Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, LLC (TCFHE) is a recognized global industry leader and a subsidiary of Twentieth Century Fox Film. TCFHE is the worldwide marketing, sales and distribution company for all Fox film and television programming, acquisitions and original productions as well as all third party distribution partners on DVD, Blu-ray™, 4K Ultra HD, Digital HD, and VOD (video-on-demand). Each year TCFHE introduces hundreds of new and newly enhanced products, which it services to retail outlets and digital stores throughout the world.
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Fathom Events and Twentieth Century Fox Present The Film That Defined ‘80s Excess Accompanied by a Unique Look at ‘Greed Is Good,’ a Retrospective
DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oliver Stone’s Oscar®-winning “Wall Street,” which defined an era of excess and predicted an ongoing obsession with wealth and power, will return to movie theaters across the country for two days only this fall – almost 30 years from the “Black Monday” global stock market collapse.
.@FathomEvents News: "Wall Street" returns to cinemas for 30th anniversary Sept 24 & 27 only. #WallStreet30
This special cinema event will be accompanied by a newly created featurette titled, “Greed is Good,” about the making and continued influence of “Wall Street,” which earned Michael Douglas the Oscar as Best Actor for his indelible portrayal of Wall Street corporate raider Gordon Gekko.
Fathom Events and Twentieth Century Fox will present “Wall Street” in nearly 650 movie theaters across the U.S. on Sunday, September 24, 2017 and Wednesday, September 27, 2017 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. (local time) each day.
Tickets for “Wall Street 30th Anniversary” can be purchased online by visiting www.FathomEvents.com or at participating movie theater box offices. For a complete list of theater locations visit the Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change).
Gekko’s infamous pronouncement that “Greed, for lack of a better term, is good” became one of the most quoted moments in movie history, crystallizing much of the cultural sentiment of the 1980s, and turned Gekko into a fascinating and unique movie character – both villain and hero.
“Wall Street” originally debuted in cinemas on December 11, 1987, less than two months after “Black Monday,” when global markets plunged and the U.S. stock market lost more than 22 percent of its value on a single day. Director Oliver Stone had shot “Wall Street” earlier that spring and summer, and the timing of the film’s original release gripped the public’s interest.
Also starring Charlie Sheen as young stockbroker Bud Fox, Martin Sheen as his blue-collar father Carl, Darryl Hannah as Bud’s girlfriend Darien, and Hal Holbrook as ethical Lou Mannheim, “Wall Street” has continued to simultaneously inspire newcomers to the financial industry and serve as a cautionary tale of unchecked greed.
“Viewed 30 years later, Wall Street is both nostalgic and as remarkably relevant and compelling as the day it was released,” said Tom Lucas, Fathom Events VP of Studio Relations. “It’s a gripping experience on the big screen, and one we are excited to share with audiences.”
About Fathom Events
Fathom Events is recognized as the leading domestic distributor of event cinema with participating affiliate theaters in all 100 of the top Designated Market Areas®, and ranks as one of the largest overall distributors of content to movie theaters. Owned by AMC Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: AMC), Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK) and Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC) (known collectively as AC JV, LLC), Fathom Events offers a variety of one-of-a-kind entertainment events such as live, high-definition performances of the Metropolitan Opera, dance and theatre productions like the Bolshoi Ballet and National Theatre Live, sporting events like “Canelo Álvarez vs. Julio César Chávez, Jr.,” concerts with artists like Michael Bublé, Rush and Mötley Crüe, the yearlong TCM Big Screen Classics film series, inspirational events such as To Joey With Love and Facing Darkness, and anime titles such as Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away. Fathom Events takes audiences behind the scenes and offers unique extras including audience Q&As, backstage footage and interviews with cast and crew, creating the ultimate VIP experience. Fathom Events’ live digital broadcast network (“DBN”) is the largest cinema broadcast network in North America, bringing live and pre-recorded events to 897 locations and 1,387 screens in 181 DMAs. For more information, visit www.fathomevents.com.
About Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, LLC (TCFHE) is a recognized global industry leader and a subsidiary of Twentieth Century Fox Film. TCFHE is the worldwide marketing, sales and distribution company for all Fox film and television programming, acquisitions and original productions as well as all third party distribution partners on DVD, Blu-ray™, 4K Ultra HD, Digital HD, and VOD (video-on-demand). Each year TCFHE introduces hundreds of new and newly enhanced products, which it services to retail outlets and digital stores throughout the world.
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Friday, August 11, 2017
FX Launches New Network "FX+" for Comcast's "Xfinity TV" Customers
FX Networks Partners with Comcast to Launch a New Television Service on September 5th
FX+ Will Feature Ad-Free, Uninterrupted Viewing -- On Demand -- 17 Original Series in their Current Season as well as Every Season of 16 Current or Legacy Library FX Originals – more than 1000 episodes – to Xfinity TV Customers Who Upgrade Their FX Subscription for $5.99 Per Month
PHILADELPHIA & LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Comcast and FX Networks will launch FX+, a new service that will allow Xfinity TV subscribers to upgrade to a platform featuring commercial-free current seasons of every FX and FXX original series and every season of many current and legacy library titles of FX originals, it was announced today by John Landgraf, CEO, FX Networks and FX Productions and Matt Strauss, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Video and Entertainment Services, Comcast Cable.
“This is an exciting day for FX Networks, because it represents the next step in building a consumer experience as good as our original programming brand”
FX+ will launch on September 5th and Xfinity TV customers can add the new service to their video package for $5.99 per month. In addition to offering complete in-season stacking rights to all of its current original series commercial free, FX Networks is now the first ad-supported cable portfolio to offer all seasons of the majority of its original series library, including award-winning and acclaimed hits such as American Horror Story, Damages, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The League, Legion, Louie, Nip/Tuck, Rescue Me, The Shield, Sons of Anarchy and Terriers. FX+ will feature more than 1100 episodes of award-winning and acclaimed original programs spanning the past 15 years. Due to the number of episodes in the FX Networks library, the shows will be rolled out over a period of time and it is expected that the complete FX+ roster will be available in 2018. FX+ subscribers will be able to access the FX+ content via Xfinity On Demand, the Xfinity Stream app and website, and FXNOW. In the future, FX+ will also offer select series in 4K as well as temporary downloads of current season episodes.
“This is an exciting day for FX Networks, because it represents the next step in building a consumer experience as good as our original programming brand,” said Landgraf. “We have been diligent about recapturing the in-season stacking rights for all current original programming and recapturing the rights to all seasons of a large portion of our legacy of great original series. Since changing the course of basic cable TV with The Shield, over the past 15 years FX amassed a roster of dramas, comedies and limited series that is unequalled in ad-supported television – and in quality and breadth has few rivals anywhere. This initiative represents the first of its kind for an ad-supported cable network, and begins to put us on equal footing with premium networks and streaming services. We appreciate our partnership with Matt Strauss and everyone at Comcast who had the vision to support the creation and launch of FX+, which adds significant value for Comcast and its subscribers.”
Over the past three years, FX Networks has won more Emmy® Awards than Netflix and Amazon combined. In 2016, FX set a basic cable record with 56 Emmy nominations and it won 18 Emmy Awards, which was second only to HBO (22) and double the total of Netflix. This year FX won more Golden Globe® Awards than any network including HBO. Since 2014, FX has earned 196 Emmy nominations and won 34 Emmys.
“FX has built a brand known for high-quality, award-winning original content and we are pleased to partner with John Landgraf and the team at FX to offer premium experiences like FX+ to Xfinity TV customers, and explore what it means to be a network in the future,” said Strauss. “Our innovative platforms and technology enable us to collaborate with our partners to experiment with new ways to super-serve our customers, provide them with more choice and access to new content and experiences, and continue to add value to the Xfinity TV subscription.”
FX+ is an upgrade option for Xfinity TV customers to add to their existing FX subscriptions. Xfinity TV customers can upgrade to FX+ via their Xfinity set-top boxes, xfinitytv.com or by calling 1-800-Xfinity.
Listed below are the series that will be available to FX+ subscribers on demand and commercial-free (*denotes continuing series, and the number of seasons and episodes are included in parenthesis):
ALL SEASONS
American Horror Story* (6/73)
Damages (5/59)
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (12/133)*
The League (7/84)
Legit (2/26)
Lights Out (1/13)
Louie (5/61)
Nip/Tuck (7/100)
Over There (1/13)
Rescue Me (7/93)
The Riches (2/20)
The Shield (7/88)
Sons of Anarchy (7/92)
Terriers (1/13)
Thief (1/6)
Wilfred (4/49)
CURRENT SEASON
The Americans*
American Crime Story*
American Horror Story*
Archer*
Atlanta*
Baskets*
Better Things*
Fargo*
Feud*
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia*
Legion*
Snowfall*
The Strain
Taboo*
Trust (2018)
Untitled Marvel’s Deadpool Animated Series (2018)
You’re the Worst*
About FX Networks
FX Networks is comprised of the networks FX, FXX and FXM and the video on-demand app FXNOW. FX, the flagship general entertainment basic cable channel of the Fox Networks Group (FNG), was launched in June of 1994 and is carried in 90 million homes. The diverse schedule features critically-acclaimed and award-winning hit dramas series including The Americans, The Strain, Taboo, Legion and Snowfall; critically-acclaimed and award-winning hit limited series including American Horror Story, Fargo, American Crime Story, FEUD and the upcoming Trust; acclaimed hit comedy series including the award-winning Louie, Baskets, Better Things and Atlanta. In 2016, FX received a basic cable record 56 Emmy® Award nominations and a basic cable record 18 wins, including 9 for The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story. FXX, the newest network, launched in September 2013 and is carried in 85 million homes. Geared towards a young adult audience, the schedule features original series, movies, and acquired series. The channel is anchored by the acclaimed hit comedies It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, the Emmy® Award winning comedy series Archer, You’re the Worst and the upcoming untitled Marvel’s Deadpool animated comedy series. FXX is also the exclusive cable home to The Simpsons, the longest-running comedy in TV history. FXM was launched in October of 1994 and is now carried in 56 million homes. Its schedule features classic films during the day (FXM Retro), and contemporary box office hits and acclaimed, award-winning films in the evening, as well as short-form award-winning original programming.
About Comcast
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global media and technology company with two primary businesses, Comcast Cable and NBCUniversal. Comcast Cable is one of the nation’s largest video, high-speed internet, and phone providers to residential customers under the XFINITY brand, and also provides these services to businesses. It also provides wireless and security and automation services to residential customers under the XFINITY brand. NBCUniversal operates news, entertainment and sports cable networks, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, television production operations, television station groups, Universal Pictures and Universal Parks and Resorts. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information.
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FX+ Will Feature Ad-Free, Uninterrupted Viewing -- On Demand -- 17 Original Series in their Current Season as well as Every Season of 16 Current or Legacy Library FX Originals – more than 1000 episodes – to Xfinity TV Customers Who Upgrade Their FX Subscription for $5.99 Per Month
PHILADELPHIA & LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Comcast and FX Networks will launch FX+, a new service that will allow Xfinity TV subscribers to upgrade to a platform featuring commercial-free current seasons of every FX and FXX original series and every season of many current and legacy library titles of FX originals, it was announced today by John Landgraf, CEO, FX Networks and FX Productions and Matt Strauss, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Video and Entertainment Services, Comcast Cable.
“This is an exciting day for FX Networks, because it represents the next step in building a consumer experience as good as our original programming brand”
FX+ will launch on September 5th and Xfinity TV customers can add the new service to their video package for $5.99 per month. In addition to offering complete in-season stacking rights to all of its current original series commercial free, FX Networks is now the first ad-supported cable portfolio to offer all seasons of the majority of its original series library, including award-winning and acclaimed hits such as American Horror Story, Damages, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The League, Legion, Louie, Nip/Tuck, Rescue Me, The Shield, Sons of Anarchy and Terriers. FX+ will feature more than 1100 episodes of award-winning and acclaimed original programs spanning the past 15 years. Due to the number of episodes in the FX Networks library, the shows will be rolled out over a period of time and it is expected that the complete FX+ roster will be available in 2018. FX+ subscribers will be able to access the FX+ content via Xfinity On Demand, the Xfinity Stream app and website, and FXNOW. In the future, FX+ will also offer select series in 4K as well as temporary downloads of current season episodes.
“This is an exciting day for FX Networks, because it represents the next step in building a consumer experience as good as our original programming brand,” said Landgraf. “We have been diligent about recapturing the in-season stacking rights for all current original programming and recapturing the rights to all seasons of a large portion of our legacy of great original series. Since changing the course of basic cable TV with The Shield, over the past 15 years FX amassed a roster of dramas, comedies and limited series that is unequalled in ad-supported television – and in quality and breadth has few rivals anywhere. This initiative represents the first of its kind for an ad-supported cable network, and begins to put us on equal footing with premium networks and streaming services. We appreciate our partnership with Matt Strauss and everyone at Comcast who had the vision to support the creation and launch of FX+, which adds significant value for Comcast and its subscribers.”
Over the past three years, FX Networks has won more Emmy® Awards than Netflix and Amazon combined. In 2016, FX set a basic cable record with 56 Emmy nominations and it won 18 Emmy Awards, which was second only to HBO (22) and double the total of Netflix. This year FX won more Golden Globe® Awards than any network including HBO. Since 2014, FX has earned 196 Emmy nominations and won 34 Emmys.
“FX has built a brand known for high-quality, award-winning original content and we are pleased to partner with John Landgraf and the team at FX to offer premium experiences like FX+ to Xfinity TV customers, and explore what it means to be a network in the future,” said Strauss. “Our innovative platforms and technology enable us to collaborate with our partners to experiment with new ways to super-serve our customers, provide them with more choice and access to new content and experiences, and continue to add value to the Xfinity TV subscription.”
FX+ is an upgrade option for Xfinity TV customers to add to their existing FX subscriptions. Xfinity TV customers can upgrade to FX+ via their Xfinity set-top boxes, xfinitytv.com or by calling 1-800-Xfinity.
Listed below are the series that will be available to FX+ subscribers on demand and commercial-free (*denotes continuing series, and the number of seasons and episodes are included in parenthesis):
ALL SEASONS
American Horror Story* (6/73)
Damages (5/59)
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (12/133)*
The League (7/84)
Legit (2/26)
Lights Out (1/13)
Louie (5/61)
Nip/Tuck (7/100)
Over There (1/13)
Rescue Me (7/93)
The Riches (2/20)
The Shield (7/88)
Sons of Anarchy (7/92)
Terriers (1/13)
Thief (1/6)
Wilfred (4/49)
CURRENT SEASON
The Americans*
American Crime Story*
American Horror Story*
Archer*
Atlanta*
Baskets*
Better Things*
Fargo*
Feud*
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia*
Legion*
Snowfall*
The Strain
Taboo*
Trust (2018)
Untitled Marvel’s Deadpool Animated Series (2018)
You’re the Worst*
About FX Networks
FX Networks is comprised of the networks FX, FXX and FXM and the video on-demand app FXNOW. FX, the flagship general entertainment basic cable channel of the Fox Networks Group (FNG), was launched in June of 1994 and is carried in 90 million homes. The diverse schedule features critically-acclaimed and award-winning hit dramas series including The Americans, The Strain, Taboo, Legion and Snowfall; critically-acclaimed and award-winning hit limited series including American Horror Story, Fargo, American Crime Story, FEUD and the upcoming Trust; acclaimed hit comedy series including the award-winning Louie, Baskets, Better Things and Atlanta. In 2016, FX received a basic cable record 56 Emmy® Award nominations and a basic cable record 18 wins, including 9 for The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story. FXX, the newest network, launched in September 2013 and is carried in 85 million homes. Geared towards a young adult audience, the schedule features original series, movies, and acquired series. The channel is anchored by the acclaimed hit comedies It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, the Emmy® Award winning comedy series Archer, You’re the Worst and the upcoming untitled Marvel’s Deadpool animated comedy series. FXX is also the exclusive cable home to The Simpsons, the longest-running comedy in TV history. FXM was launched in October of 1994 and is now carried in 56 million homes. Its schedule features classic films during the day (FXM Retro), and contemporary box office hits and acclaimed, award-winning films in the evening, as well as short-form award-winning original programming.
About Comcast
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global media and technology company with two primary businesses, Comcast Cable and NBCUniversal. Comcast Cable is one of the nation’s largest video, high-speed internet, and phone providers to residential customers under the XFINITY brand, and also provides these services to businesses. It also provides wireless and security and automation services to residential customers under the XFINITY brand. NBCUniversal operates news, entertainment and sports cable networks, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, television production operations, television station groups, Universal Pictures and Universal Parks and Resorts. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information.
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Wednesday, June 21, 2017
BOOM Studios! Gets Major Investment from 20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Announces Strategic Investment in Comic Book and Graphic Novel Publisher BOOM! Studios
Deal Also Extends Film and Television First Looks with BOOM!
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Twentieth Century Fox Film (TCFF) today announced a strategic investment in award-winning comic book and graphic novel publisher BOOM! Studios.
“We look forward to the projects we have with them ahead, and are proud to have an opportunity to further energize their storytelling through this partnership.”
The investment gives TCFF a significant minority stake in the largest independently-controlled comic book and graphic novel library. Differing from other major publishers in the space, BOOM! partners with creators to share ownership of original series.
“We’re committed to fostering an environment that welcomes and supports artists and storytellers, and this investment in BOOM! allows us to work even more closely with their incredible stable of writers and artists,” said TCFF CEO and Chairman Stacey Snider. “We look forward to the projects we have with them ahead, and are proud to have an opportunity to further energize their storytelling through this partnership.”
“Fox’s investment will fuel BOOM!’s generation of more original content like Lumberjanes, Mouse Guard, and Grass Kings. Fox has been an incredibly supportive partner and our creative alliance has been tremendously successful — high level directors, big screenwriters, and marquee talent have found BOOM! an attractive platform. Now BOOM! can greenlight more new series from comic book creators, deepen its distribution relationships, and widen its marketing reach. Great news for our creators, retail partners, and fans. Fox is committed to BOOM!’s creators through this deal and it means BOOM! will have better support and resources to publish world class content,” says Ross Richie, CEO and Founder of BOOM! Studios.
Over the past four years, BOOM! has been the fastest growing company in the comic book Direct Market, winning the industry’s “Best Publisher” Gem Award seven of the past eight years; an array of Eisner and Harvey Awards; the 2016 and 2017 GLAAD Media Awards; and along the way publishing a string of New York Times best-selling graphic novels.
The publisher entered a first-look film deal with TCFF in the Fall of 2013 and currently has in development with the studio Irredeemable, the James Wan-created comic book Malignant Man, Imagine Agents, Mouse Guard, and Lumberjanes, among many others. TCFF is currently in post-production on a feature film based on BOOM!’s The Empty Man, from the graphic novel by Cullen Bunn and Vanesa R. Del Rey.
BOOM! has also had a first-look deal for television rights with 20th Century Fox Television since 2014.
Both deals will be extended as part of TCFF’s investment in the Company.
ABOUT BOOM! STUDIOS
BOOM! Studios was founded by Ross Richie in 2005 with the singular focus of creating world-class comic book and graphic novel storytelling for all audiences. Through the development of four distinct imprints — BOOM! Studios, BOOM! Box, KaBOOM!, and Archaia — BOOM! has produced award-winning original work, including Lumberjanes, The Woods, Giant Days, Klaus, and Mouse Guard, while also breaking new ground with established licenses such as WWE, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Cartoon Network, and Jim Henson Company properties. BOOM! will also bring their original series to life through unique first-look relationships with 20th Century Fox for film and with Fox Television for the small screen. Please visit www.boom-studios.com for more information. For news and more from BOOM! Studios, stay tuned to www.boom-studios.com and follow @boomstudios on Twitter.
ABOUT 20th CENTURY FOX FILM
One of the world’s largest producers and distributors of motion pictures, 20th Century Fox Film produces, acquires and distributes motion pictures throughout the world. These motion pictures are produced or acquired by the following units of 20th Century Fox Film: Twentieth Century Fox, Fox 2000 Pictures, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Fox International Productions and Twentieth Century Fox Animation.
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Deal Also Extends Film and Television First Looks with BOOM!
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Twentieth Century Fox Film (TCFF) today announced a strategic investment in award-winning comic book and graphic novel publisher BOOM! Studios.
“We look forward to the projects we have with them ahead, and are proud to have an opportunity to further energize their storytelling through this partnership.”
The investment gives TCFF a significant minority stake in the largest independently-controlled comic book and graphic novel library. Differing from other major publishers in the space, BOOM! partners with creators to share ownership of original series.
“We’re committed to fostering an environment that welcomes and supports artists and storytellers, and this investment in BOOM! allows us to work even more closely with their incredible stable of writers and artists,” said TCFF CEO and Chairman Stacey Snider. “We look forward to the projects we have with them ahead, and are proud to have an opportunity to further energize their storytelling through this partnership.”
“Fox’s investment will fuel BOOM!’s generation of more original content like Lumberjanes, Mouse Guard, and Grass Kings. Fox has been an incredibly supportive partner and our creative alliance has been tremendously successful — high level directors, big screenwriters, and marquee talent have found BOOM! an attractive platform. Now BOOM! can greenlight more new series from comic book creators, deepen its distribution relationships, and widen its marketing reach. Great news for our creators, retail partners, and fans. Fox is committed to BOOM!’s creators through this deal and it means BOOM! will have better support and resources to publish world class content,” says Ross Richie, CEO and Founder of BOOM! Studios.
Over the past four years, BOOM! has been the fastest growing company in the comic book Direct Market, winning the industry’s “Best Publisher” Gem Award seven of the past eight years; an array of Eisner and Harvey Awards; the 2016 and 2017 GLAAD Media Awards; and along the way publishing a string of New York Times best-selling graphic novels.
The publisher entered a first-look film deal with TCFF in the Fall of 2013 and currently has in development with the studio Irredeemable, the James Wan-created comic book Malignant Man, Imagine Agents, Mouse Guard, and Lumberjanes, among many others. TCFF is currently in post-production on a feature film based on BOOM!’s The Empty Man, from the graphic novel by Cullen Bunn and Vanesa R. Del Rey.
BOOM! has also had a first-look deal for television rights with 20th Century Fox Television since 2014.
Both deals will be extended as part of TCFF’s investment in the Company.
ABOUT BOOM! STUDIOS
BOOM! Studios was founded by Ross Richie in 2005 with the singular focus of creating world-class comic book and graphic novel storytelling for all audiences. Through the development of four distinct imprints — BOOM! Studios, BOOM! Box, KaBOOM!, and Archaia — BOOM! has produced award-winning original work, including Lumberjanes, The Woods, Giant Days, Klaus, and Mouse Guard, while also breaking new ground with established licenses such as WWE, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Cartoon Network, and Jim Henson Company properties. BOOM! will also bring their original series to life through unique first-look relationships with 20th Century Fox for film and with Fox Television for the small screen. Please visit www.boom-studios.com for more information. For news and more from BOOM! Studios, stay tuned to www.boom-studios.com and follow @boomstudios on Twitter.
ABOUT 20th CENTURY FOX FILM
One of the world’s largest producers and distributors of motion pictures, 20th Century Fox Film produces, acquires and distributes motion pictures throughout the world. These motion pictures are produced or acquired by the following units of 20th Century Fox Film: Twentieth Century Fox, Fox 2000 Pictures, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Fox International Productions and Twentieth Century Fox Animation.
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Wednesday, June 7, 2017
Production Begins on Steven Spielberg's "The Papers"
Twentieth Century Fox & Amblin Entertainment Start Production on Steven Spielberg’s “THE PAPERS” Starring Meryl Streep & Tom Hanks
Ensemble cast also includes Alison Brie, Carrie Coon, David Cross, Bruce Greenwood, Tracy Letts, Bob Odenkirk, Sarah Paulson, Jesse Plemons, Matthew Rhys, Michael Stuhlbarg, Bradley Whitford and Zach Woods
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Twentieth Century Fox and Amblin Entertainment’s riveting drama inspired by actual events, THE PAPERS, began principal photography in New York on Tuesday, May 30th, 2017. Academy Award winning director Steven Spielberg helms a powerhouse cast including Oscar winners Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks in THE PAPERS.
In June 1971, The New York Times, the Washington Post and the nation’s major newspapers took a brave stand for freedom of speech and reported on the Pentagon Papers, the massive cover-up of government secrets that spanned four decades and four US Presidents. At the time, the Post’s Katherine Graham (Streep) was still finding her footing as the country’s first female newspaper publisher, and Ben Bradlee (Hanks), the paper’s volatile, driven editor, was trying to enhance the stature of the struggling, local paper. Together, the two formed an unlikely team, as they were forced to come together and make the bold decision to support The New York Times and fight the Nixon Administration’s unprecedented attempt to restrict the first amendment.
THE PAPERS marks the first time Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg have collaborated on a project. In addition to directing, Spielberg will also produce along with Amy Pascal and Kristie Macosko Krieger. The script was written by Liz Hannah and Josh Singer and features an acclaimed ensemble cast including Alison Brie, Carrie Coon, David Cross, Bruce Greenwood, Tracy Letts, Bob Odenkirk, Sarah Paulson, Jesse Plemons, Matthew Rhys, Michael Stuhlbarg, Bradley Whitford and Zach Woods.
An Amblin Entertainment production, THE PAPERS will be distributed domestically by Twentieth Century Fox and will be in select theaters December 22nd, 2017 going wide January 12th, 2018. Internationally, the film will be distributed through Amblin’s deals with Universal Studios, Reliance Entertainment, eOne and other international distribution partnerships.
About Twentieth Century Fox Film
One of the world’s largest producers and distributors of motion pictures, Twentieth Century Fox Film produces, acquires and distributes motion pictures throughout the world. These motion pictures are produced or acquired by the following units of the studio: Twentieth Century Fox, Fox 2000 Pictures, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Fox International Productions, and Twentieth Century Fox Animation/Blue Sky Studios.
About Amblin Entertainment
Amblin Entertainment is a production label of Amblin Partners, a content creation company formed by DreamWorks Studios, Participant Media, Reliance Entertainment, and Entertainment One (eOne). With additional investors including Alibaba Pictures and Universal Pictures, the company develops and produces films using the Amblin, DreamWorks Pictures and Participant banners and includes Amblin Television, a longtime leader in quality programming.
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Ensemble cast also includes Alison Brie, Carrie Coon, David Cross, Bruce Greenwood, Tracy Letts, Bob Odenkirk, Sarah Paulson, Jesse Plemons, Matthew Rhys, Michael Stuhlbarg, Bradley Whitford and Zach Woods
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Twentieth Century Fox and Amblin Entertainment’s riveting drama inspired by actual events, THE PAPERS, began principal photography in New York on Tuesday, May 30th, 2017. Academy Award winning director Steven Spielberg helms a powerhouse cast including Oscar winners Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks in THE PAPERS.
In June 1971, The New York Times, the Washington Post and the nation’s major newspapers took a brave stand for freedom of speech and reported on the Pentagon Papers, the massive cover-up of government secrets that spanned four decades and four US Presidents. At the time, the Post’s Katherine Graham (Streep) was still finding her footing as the country’s first female newspaper publisher, and Ben Bradlee (Hanks), the paper’s volatile, driven editor, was trying to enhance the stature of the struggling, local paper. Together, the two formed an unlikely team, as they were forced to come together and make the bold decision to support The New York Times and fight the Nixon Administration’s unprecedented attempt to restrict the first amendment.
THE PAPERS marks the first time Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg have collaborated on a project. In addition to directing, Spielberg will also produce along with Amy Pascal and Kristie Macosko Krieger. The script was written by Liz Hannah and Josh Singer and features an acclaimed ensemble cast including Alison Brie, Carrie Coon, David Cross, Bruce Greenwood, Tracy Letts, Bob Odenkirk, Sarah Paulson, Jesse Plemons, Matthew Rhys, Michael Stuhlbarg, Bradley Whitford and Zach Woods.
An Amblin Entertainment production, THE PAPERS will be distributed domestically by Twentieth Century Fox and will be in select theaters December 22nd, 2017 going wide January 12th, 2018. Internationally, the film will be distributed through Amblin’s deals with Universal Studios, Reliance Entertainment, eOne and other international distribution partnerships.
About Twentieth Century Fox Film
One of the world’s largest producers and distributors of motion pictures, Twentieth Century Fox Film produces, acquires and distributes motion pictures throughout the world. These motion pictures are produced or acquired by the following units of the studio: Twentieth Century Fox, Fox 2000 Pictures, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Fox International Productions, and Twentieth Century Fox Animation/Blue Sky Studios.
About Amblin Entertainment
Amblin Entertainment is a production label of Amblin Partners, a content creation company formed by DreamWorks Studios, Participant Media, Reliance Entertainment, and Entertainment One (eOne). With additional investors including Alibaba Pictures and Universal Pictures, the company develops and produces films using the Amblin, DreamWorks Pictures and Participant banners and includes Amblin Television, a longtime leader in quality programming.
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Friday, May 26, 2017
Steve McQueen's "Widows" Begins Principal Photography
Twentieth Century Fox and New Regency Begin Principal Photography on Steve McQueen Thriller Starring Viola Davis
Film Was Written by McQueen and Best Selling Author Gillian Flynn
CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--From Academy Award®-winning director Steve McQueen (“12 Years a Slave”) and co-writer and bestselling author Gillian Flynn (“Gone Girl”) comes a blistering, modern-day thriller set against the backdrop of crime, passion and corruption: “Widows” is the story of four women with nothing in common except a debt left behind by their dead husbands’ criminal activities. Set in contemporary Chicago, amid a time of turmoil, tensions build when Veronica (Oscar® winner Viola Davis), Alice (Elizabeth Debicki), Linda (Michelle Rodriguez) and Belle (Cynthia Erivo) take their fate into their own hands and conspire to forge a future on their own terms. “Widows” also stars Liam Neeson, Colin Farrell, Robert Duvall, Daniel Kaluuya, Lukas Haas and Brian Tyree Henry. See-Saw Films’ Oscar®-winning team of Iain Canning (“The King’s Speech”) and Emile Sherman (“The King’s Speech”) are set to produce with Bergen Swanson (“Shame”) serving as executive producer.
“Steve McQueen is a groundbreaking filmmaker and we’re proud to support his vision for this film, and so delighted to be working with him again following our successful partnership on ‘12 Years a Slave.’”
“Emile and I couldn’t be more excited about ‘Widows,’” says producer Iain Canning. “It is a film that continues See-Saw Films’ relationship with Steve McQueen who has brought together a dream cast to tell a compelling story about what lengths people will go to in order to change the circumstances of their lives.” Producer Emile Sherman adds: “New Regency has been such a supportive and committed home for the project and we are excited to be working with Fox on this timely production.”
“Combining visionary directing, writing, an extraordinary cast, and a riveting story that unites thrilling action with nuanced character studies, ‘Widows’ is a project that truly speaks for itself,” said Yariv Milchan, Chairman of New Regency. “Steve McQueen is a groundbreaking filmmaker and we’re proud to support his vision for this film, and so delighted to be working with him again following our successful partnership on ‘12 Years a Slave.’”
“Widows” creative production team includes director of photography Sean Bobbit (“12 Years a Slave”), Academy Award®-winning production designer Adam Stockhausen (“The Grand Budapest Hotel”), costume designer Jenny Eagan (“Beasts of No Nation”) and Oscar®-nominated editor Christopher Tellefsen (“Moneyball”).
“Widows” is a See-Saw Films production in association with New Regency presentation of A Steve McQueen Film and will be distributed worldwide by Twentieth Century Fox. The movie will be released on November 16, 2018.
About Twentieth Century Fox Film
One of the world’s largest producers and distributors of motion pictures, Twentieth Century Fox Film produces, acquires and distributes motion pictures throughout the world. These motion pictures are produced or acquired by the following units of the studio: Twentieth Century Fox, Fox 2000 Pictures, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Fox International Productions, and Twentieth Century Fox Animation/Blue Sky Studios.
About New Regency:
Founded in 1991 by renowned producer Arnon Milchan, New Regency is actively engaged in entertaining the world. The company has produced some of the most successful and critically-acclaimed films of all time with over 130 films and more than 50 television series in the company’s vast library, including Academy Award®-winner “The Revenant” (2016) and the back-to-back Academy Award®-winning Best Pictures, “12 Years A Slave” (2014) and “Birdman” (2015). New Regency is also dedicated to continuing to foster its unparalleled filmmaker relationships and today boasts partnerships with the most acclaimed and sought-after creative forces in the industry.
------------------------
Film Was Written by McQueen and Best Selling Author Gillian Flynn
CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--From Academy Award®-winning director Steve McQueen (“12 Years a Slave”) and co-writer and bestselling author Gillian Flynn (“Gone Girl”) comes a blistering, modern-day thriller set against the backdrop of crime, passion and corruption: “Widows” is the story of four women with nothing in common except a debt left behind by their dead husbands’ criminal activities. Set in contemporary Chicago, amid a time of turmoil, tensions build when Veronica (Oscar® winner Viola Davis), Alice (Elizabeth Debicki), Linda (Michelle Rodriguez) and Belle (Cynthia Erivo) take their fate into their own hands and conspire to forge a future on their own terms. “Widows” also stars Liam Neeson, Colin Farrell, Robert Duvall, Daniel Kaluuya, Lukas Haas and Brian Tyree Henry. See-Saw Films’ Oscar®-winning team of Iain Canning (“The King’s Speech”) and Emile Sherman (“The King’s Speech”) are set to produce with Bergen Swanson (“Shame”) serving as executive producer.
“Steve McQueen is a groundbreaking filmmaker and we’re proud to support his vision for this film, and so delighted to be working with him again following our successful partnership on ‘12 Years a Slave.’”
“Emile and I couldn’t be more excited about ‘Widows,’” says producer Iain Canning. “It is a film that continues See-Saw Films’ relationship with Steve McQueen who has brought together a dream cast to tell a compelling story about what lengths people will go to in order to change the circumstances of their lives.” Producer Emile Sherman adds: “New Regency has been such a supportive and committed home for the project and we are excited to be working with Fox on this timely production.”
“Combining visionary directing, writing, an extraordinary cast, and a riveting story that unites thrilling action with nuanced character studies, ‘Widows’ is a project that truly speaks for itself,” said Yariv Milchan, Chairman of New Regency. “Steve McQueen is a groundbreaking filmmaker and we’re proud to support his vision for this film, and so delighted to be working with him again following our successful partnership on ‘12 Years a Slave.’”
“Widows” creative production team includes director of photography Sean Bobbit (“12 Years a Slave”), Academy Award®-winning production designer Adam Stockhausen (“The Grand Budapest Hotel”), costume designer Jenny Eagan (“Beasts of No Nation”) and Oscar®-nominated editor Christopher Tellefsen (“Moneyball”).
“Widows” is a See-Saw Films production in association with New Regency presentation of A Steve McQueen Film and will be distributed worldwide by Twentieth Century Fox. The movie will be released on November 16, 2018.
About Twentieth Century Fox Film
One of the world’s largest producers and distributors of motion pictures, Twentieth Century Fox Film produces, acquires and distributes motion pictures throughout the world. These motion pictures are produced or acquired by the following units of the studio: Twentieth Century Fox, Fox 2000 Pictures, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Fox International Productions, and Twentieth Century Fox Animation/Blue Sky Studios.
About New Regency:
Founded in 1991 by renowned producer Arnon Milchan, New Regency is actively engaged in entertaining the world. The company has produced some of the most successful and critically-acclaimed films of all time with over 130 films and more than 50 television series in the company’s vast library, including Academy Award®-winner “The Revenant” (2016) and the back-to-back Academy Award®-winning Best Pictures, “12 Years A Slave” (2014) and “Birdman” (2015). New Regency is also dedicated to continuing to foster its unparalleled filmmaker relationships and today boasts partnerships with the most acclaimed and sought-after creative forces in the industry.
------------------------
Friday, September 9, 2016
"Young Frankenstein" Returns to Theaters for One Night Only - October 5th, 2016
‘Fronkensteen’ or ‘Frankenstein’? Audiences Decide When ‘Young Frankenstein’ Jolts Back Into U.S. Cinemas for One Special Night With a Live Introduction by Legendary Mel Brooks
Presented by Fathom Events and Twentieth Century Fox, This 1974 Classic Spoof on Horror Films Hits the Big Screen October 5, 2016 Only
DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--It’s alive! It’s alive! up on the big screen for one special night when 20th Century Fox and Fathom Events present the electrifying comedy classic “Young Frankenstein” in cinemas nationwide. Seeing this black-and-white masterpiece on the big screen with fellow audience members is a rarity in itself, but to make this screening a truly one-of-a-kind experience, writer and director Mel Brooks will introduce the classic live from the 20th Century Fox Lot—near the “Young Frankenstein” Mural on Stage 5, which was unveiled on the film’s 40th anniversary.
.@FathomEvents News: It's alive! It's alive! #YoungFrankenstein is up on the big screen for one special night 10/5
Brooks will also pay tribute to his friend and the film’s star and co-writer, Gene Wilder, who passed away recently.
“Young Frankenstein” comes to movie theaters nationwide on Wednesday, October 5, 2016, at 8:00 p.m. ET / 7:00 p.m. CT / 6:00 p.m. MT / 5:00 p.m. PT. During the introduction, Brooks will give moviegoers a tour of the Fox studio lot, including Mel Brooks Blvd., the Young Frankenstein mural, and the location of the film’s original shoot.
Tickets for “Young Frankenstein” can be purchased online by visiting www.FathomEvents.com or at participating theater box offices. Fans throughout the U.S. will be able to enjoy the event in more than 400 select movie theaters through Fathom’s Digital Broadcast Network. For a complete list of theater locations visit the Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change).
Young Frankenstein brings together Brooks’ inimitable style with a loaded cast of comedy legends, including Gene Wilder as Frederick Fronkensteen, Marty Feldman as shifty humpback Igor, Teri Garr as the hay-rolling lab assistant Inga, Madeleine Kahn as Dr. Frankenstein’s high-strung fiancée Elizabeth, Peter Boyle as the kind-hearted monster, an uncredited Gene Hackman as the blind man who befriends him, and Cloris Leachman as Frau Blücher.
Join the young neurosurgeon (Wilder), as he inherits the castle of his grandfather, the famous Dr. Victor von Frankenstein. Young Frankenstein believes that the work of his grandfather is useless, but when he discovers the book where the mad doctor described his reanimation experiment, he suddenly changes his mind.
“Mel Brooks has sold out venues nationwide, including Radio City Music Hall, when he has introduced his movie classics. It is an incredible honor to be able to bring fans all over the country a live, personal introduction by Mel to one of his most famous and unforgettable films,” Fathom Events Vice President of Studio Relations Tom Lucas said. “It will be a night to remember.”
Following the massive success of Brooks’ Blazing Saddles, Twentieth Century Fox unleashed Young Frankenstein on audiences on December 15, 1974, and it went on to play for months, grossing more than $86 million – equivalent to nearly $400 million in today’s dollars. Nominated for two Academy Awards®, including its screenplay by Wilder and Brooks, Young Frankenstein has become one of the best-known – and most quoted – comedies of all time, ranking No. 13 on the American Film Institute’s list of 100 funniest films.
Continuing the celebration of this comedy classic, Black Dog & Leventhal, an imprint of Hachette Books, will be publishing Young Frankenstein: A Mel Brooks Book: The Making of the Film, an oversized, illustrated book featuring a complete, behind-the-scenes look at the making of Young Frankenstein, with a foreword by Judd Apatow. This new hardcover will be available wherever books are sold on October 18, 2016.
About Fathom Events
Fathom Events is recognized as the leading domestic distributor of event cinema, and ranks as one of the largest overall distributors of content to movie theaters. Owned by AMC Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: AMC), Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK) and Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC) (known collectively as AC JV, LLC), Fathom Events offers a variety of one-of-a-kind entertainment events that include live, high-definition performances of the Metropolitan Opera, dance and theatre productions such as the Bolshoi Ballet and National Theatre Live’s Hamlet, sporting events like FS1 Presents USA v Mexico, concerts with Roger Waters and One Direction, the TCM Presents classic film series and faith-based events such as The Drop Box and Four Blood Moons. Fathom Events takes audiences behind the scenes and offers unique extras including audience Q&As, backstage footage and interviews with cast and crew, creating the ultimate VIP experience. Fathom Events’ live digital broadcast network (“DBN”) is the largest cinema broadcast network in North America, bringing live and pre-recorded events to 887 locations and 1,354 screens in 181 Designated Market Areas® (including all of the top 50). For more information, visit www.fathomevents.com.
About 20th Century Fox
One of the world’s largest producers and distributors of motion pictures, 20th Century Fox produces, acquires and distributes motion pictures throughout the world. These motion pictures are produced or acquired by the following units of 20th Century Fox Film: Twentieth Century Fox, Fox 2000 Pictures, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Fox International Productions, and Twentieth Century Fox Animation.
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Presented by Fathom Events and Twentieth Century Fox, This 1974 Classic Spoof on Horror Films Hits the Big Screen October 5, 2016 Only
DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--It’s alive! It’s alive! up on the big screen for one special night when 20th Century Fox and Fathom Events present the electrifying comedy classic “Young Frankenstein” in cinemas nationwide. Seeing this black-and-white masterpiece on the big screen with fellow audience members is a rarity in itself, but to make this screening a truly one-of-a-kind experience, writer and director Mel Brooks will introduce the classic live from the 20th Century Fox Lot—near the “Young Frankenstein” Mural on Stage 5, which was unveiled on the film’s 40th anniversary.
.@FathomEvents News: It's alive! It's alive! #YoungFrankenstein is up on the big screen for one special night 10/5
Brooks will also pay tribute to his friend and the film’s star and co-writer, Gene Wilder, who passed away recently.
“Young Frankenstein” comes to movie theaters nationwide on Wednesday, October 5, 2016, at 8:00 p.m. ET / 7:00 p.m. CT / 6:00 p.m. MT / 5:00 p.m. PT. During the introduction, Brooks will give moviegoers a tour of the Fox studio lot, including Mel Brooks Blvd., the Young Frankenstein mural, and the location of the film’s original shoot.
Tickets for “Young Frankenstein” can be purchased online by visiting www.FathomEvents.com or at participating theater box offices. Fans throughout the U.S. will be able to enjoy the event in more than 400 select movie theaters through Fathom’s Digital Broadcast Network. For a complete list of theater locations visit the Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change).
Young Frankenstein brings together Brooks’ inimitable style with a loaded cast of comedy legends, including Gene Wilder as Frederick Fronkensteen, Marty Feldman as shifty humpback Igor, Teri Garr as the hay-rolling lab assistant Inga, Madeleine Kahn as Dr. Frankenstein’s high-strung fiancée Elizabeth, Peter Boyle as the kind-hearted monster, an uncredited Gene Hackman as the blind man who befriends him, and Cloris Leachman as Frau Blücher.
Join the young neurosurgeon (Wilder), as he inherits the castle of his grandfather, the famous Dr. Victor von Frankenstein. Young Frankenstein believes that the work of his grandfather is useless, but when he discovers the book where the mad doctor described his reanimation experiment, he suddenly changes his mind.
“Mel Brooks has sold out venues nationwide, including Radio City Music Hall, when he has introduced his movie classics. It is an incredible honor to be able to bring fans all over the country a live, personal introduction by Mel to one of his most famous and unforgettable films,” Fathom Events Vice President of Studio Relations Tom Lucas said. “It will be a night to remember.”
Following the massive success of Brooks’ Blazing Saddles, Twentieth Century Fox unleashed Young Frankenstein on audiences on December 15, 1974, and it went on to play for months, grossing more than $86 million – equivalent to nearly $400 million in today’s dollars. Nominated for two Academy Awards®, including its screenplay by Wilder and Brooks, Young Frankenstein has become one of the best-known – and most quoted – comedies of all time, ranking No. 13 on the American Film Institute’s list of 100 funniest films.
Continuing the celebration of this comedy classic, Black Dog & Leventhal, an imprint of Hachette Books, will be publishing Young Frankenstein: A Mel Brooks Book: The Making of the Film, an oversized, illustrated book featuring a complete, behind-the-scenes look at the making of Young Frankenstein, with a foreword by Judd Apatow. This new hardcover will be available wherever books are sold on October 18, 2016.
About Fathom Events
Fathom Events is recognized as the leading domestic distributor of event cinema, and ranks as one of the largest overall distributors of content to movie theaters. Owned by AMC Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: AMC), Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK) and Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC) (known collectively as AC JV, LLC), Fathom Events offers a variety of one-of-a-kind entertainment events that include live, high-definition performances of the Metropolitan Opera, dance and theatre productions such as the Bolshoi Ballet and National Theatre Live’s Hamlet, sporting events like FS1 Presents USA v Mexico, concerts with Roger Waters and One Direction, the TCM Presents classic film series and faith-based events such as The Drop Box and Four Blood Moons. Fathom Events takes audiences behind the scenes and offers unique extras including audience Q&As, backstage footage and interviews with cast and crew, creating the ultimate VIP experience. Fathom Events’ live digital broadcast network (“DBN”) is the largest cinema broadcast network in North America, bringing live and pre-recorded events to 887 locations and 1,354 screens in 181 Designated Market Areas® (including all of the top 50). For more information, visit www.fathomevents.com.
About 20th Century Fox
One of the world’s largest producers and distributors of motion pictures, 20th Century Fox produces, acquires and distributes motion pictures throughout the world. These motion pictures are produced or acquired by the following units of 20th Century Fox Film: Twentieth Century Fox, Fox 2000 Pictures, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Fox International Productions, and Twentieth Century Fox Animation.
----------------
Friday, August 26, 2016
Second Fox Global Directors Initiative Begins
Fox Global Directors Initiative Launches Second Edition
Fox Director Fellows Selected for New Comedy and Drama Apprenticeship Programs
NEW YORK & LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Fox Audience Strategy has begun its second annual Fox Global Directors Initiative (“FDI”). FDI is dedicated to cultivating emerging and established directors with diverse voices, backgrounds, life experiences and perspectives spanning episodic broadcast and cable television, filmed entertainment, sports and digital media.
“Empire, Pitch and Rosewood are all known for their diverse talent in front of and behind the camera so it was a natural fit for these shows to host Fox Director Fellows.”
The submission process for FDI began in the spring and the first phase of the program started in July with the Fox Directors Lab, an intensive three-week platform led by rotating Fox programming mentors from the Company’s entertainment businesses as well as affiliated directors and showrunners. Sixteen of the Lab’s 20 participants have since been selected to advance through the remainder of FDI as Fox Director Fellows.
The Fox Director Fellows will have the opportunity to participate in the Comedy or Drama Apprenticeship Program. These new elements of the initiative are designed to provide tailored shadowing and training as well as opportunities to direct show materials and, ultimately, an episode of one of the participating FOX, FX or Fox 21 shows.
The Comedy Apprenticeship Program (“Director’s CAP”), a concept created by Jason Winer, Producing Director of Twentieth Century Fox Television’s show Life in Pieces, will allow the nine participating Director Fellows to rotate through shadowing opportunities with Modern Family and Life in Pieces.
The seven fellows already chosen to participate in the Drama Apprenticeship Program will shadow directors from one of the Company’s broadcast or cable television programs, including: FOX’s #1 hit Empire; returning FOX series Rosewood; one of FOX’s most anticipated new series, Pitch; Fox 21’s Homeland; and several FX shows. Additional fellows will be selected to participate in the Drama Apprenticeship Program later this season.
“I set out to start a program like CAP, not just to form new relationships with a diverse group of directors, but also to immerse them specifically in the shooting style and creative culture of two well-run shows,” said Winer. “What I discovered in the process was that Fox had, through FDI, assembled a group that was not only wildly talented, but truly ready to take the next step.”
Terence Carter, Executive Vice President, Drama Programming & Development, Fox Broadcasting Company, added: “Empire, Pitch and Rosewood are all known for their diverse talent in front of and behind the camera so it was a natural fit for these shows to host Fox Director Fellows.”
“In order to tell great stories that resonate with our audiences around the world, we need directors with unique and varied experiences,” said Jonathan Frank, Executive Vice President, Current Series, FX. “We are pleased to be participating in FDI and look forward to welcoming talented new directors to our shows.”
All FDI participants will be pitched for directorial opportunities across Fox entertainment programs. Already, 18 of the 20 FDI participants have been selected for shadowing opportunities across Fox’s broadcast and cable entities.
The 2016 CAP participants are:
Angela Gomes
Anna Kerrigan
Daniel Hsia
Marcus Stokes
Roja Gashtili & Julia Lerman
Ryan Velasquez
Tanuj Chopra
Yoko Okumura
The 2016 DAP participants are:
Alexis Korycinski
Aundre Johnson
David Martin-Porras
Eric Haywood
Jennifer Phang
Moon Molson
Rachel Goldberg
For more information about the Fox Global Directors Initiative, including a list of the 20 participants, click here.
About Fox Audience Strategy
Fox Audience Strategy is a department within 21st Century Fox designed to identify programming and operational opportunities that reflect diverse perspectives across all of its entertainment platforms. For more information about the Fox Global Directors Initiative and a full list of referring organizations, please visit: http://www.foxaudiencestrategy.com.
-------------------
Fox Director Fellows Selected for New Comedy and Drama Apprenticeship Programs
NEW YORK & LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Fox Audience Strategy has begun its second annual Fox Global Directors Initiative (“FDI”). FDI is dedicated to cultivating emerging and established directors with diverse voices, backgrounds, life experiences and perspectives spanning episodic broadcast and cable television, filmed entertainment, sports and digital media.
“Empire, Pitch and Rosewood are all known for their diverse talent in front of and behind the camera so it was a natural fit for these shows to host Fox Director Fellows.”
The submission process for FDI began in the spring and the first phase of the program started in July with the Fox Directors Lab, an intensive three-week platform led by rotating Fox programming mentors from the Company’s entertainment businesses as well as affiliated directors and showrunners. Sixteen of the Lab’s 20 participants have since been selected to advance through the remainder of FDI as Fox Director Fellows.
The Fox Director Fellows will have the opportunity to participate in the Comedy or Drama Apprenticeship Program. These new elements of the initiative are designed to provide tailored shadowing and training as well as opportunities to direct show materials and, ultimately, an episode of one of the participating FOX, FX or Fox 21 shows.
The Comedy Apprenticeship Program (“Director’s CAP”), a concept created by Jason Winer, Producing Director of Twentieth Century Fox Television’s show Life in Pieces, will allow the nine participating Director Fellows to rotate through shadowing opportunities with Modern Family and Life in Pieces.
The seven fellows already chosen to participate in the Drama Apprenticeship Program will shadow directors from one of the Company’s broadcast or cable television programs, including: FOX’s #1 hit Empire; returning FOX series Rosewood; one of FOX’s most anticipated new series, Pitch; Fox 21’s Homeland; and several FX shows. Additional fellows will be selected to participate in the Drama Apprenticeship Program later this season.
“I set out to start a program like CAP, not just to form new relationships with a diverse group of directors, but also to immerse them specifically in the shooting style and creative culture of two well-run shows,” said Winer. “What I discovered in the process was that Fox had, through FDI, assembled a group that was not only wildly talented, but truly ready to take the next step.”
Terence Carter, Executive Vice President, Drama Programming & Development, Fox Broadcasting Company, added: “Empire, Pitch and Rosewood are all known for their diverse talent in front of and behind the camera so it was a natural fit for these shows to host Fox Director Fellows.”
“In order to tell great stories that resonate with our audiences around the world, we need directors with unique and varied experiences,” said Jonathan Frank, Executive Vice President, Current Series, FX. “We are pleased to be participating in FDI and look forward to welcoming talented new directors to our shows.”
All FDI participants will be pitched for directorial opportunities across Fox entertainment programs. Already, 18 of the 20 FDI participants have been selected for shadowing opportunities across Fox’s broadcast and cable entities.
The 2016 CAP participants are:
Angela Gomes
Anna Kerrigan
Daniel Hsia
Marcus Stokes
Roja Gashtili & Julia Lerman
Ryan Velasquez
Tanuj Chopra
Yoko Okumura
The 2016 DAP participants are:
Alexis Korycinski
Aundre Johnson
David Martin-Porras
Eric Haywood
Jennifer Phang
Moon Molson
Rachel Goldberg
For more information about the Fox Global Directors Initiative, including a list of the 20 participants, click here.
About Fox Audience Strategy
Fox Audience Strategy is a department within 21st Century Fox designed to identify programming and operational opportunities that reflect diverse perspectives across all of its entertainment platforms. For more information about the Fox Global Directors Initiative and a full list of referring organizations, please visit: http://www.foxaudiencestrategy.com.
-------------------
Wednesday, August 24, 2016
Stacey Snider is New Chairman and CEO of 20th Century Fox Film
Stacey Snider to Assume Leadership of Twentieth Century Fox Film on September 1, 2016
Longtime Chairman and CEO Jim Gianopulos Departs Following Storied Career at the Studio
NEW YORK & LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--21st Century Fox (NASDAQ:FOXA, FOX) announced today that it will complete its previously announced leadership succession at Twentieth Century Fox Film on September 1, 2016 when Stacey Snider assumes the role of Chairman and CEO.
“We are incredibly grateful to Jim for his many contributions to our film business over his storied career at the studio and wish him much success on his next endeavors”
Longtime executive Jim Gianopulos, the Chairman and CEO of 20th Century Fox Film, has chosen to step down from his current post earlier than planned, allowing for a more immediate transition of leadership for the film studio.
Snider, who has served as the film studio’s Co-Chairman since November 2014, will oversee all areas of the film studio, including the studio’s five production divisions, global marketing and distribution and home entertainment.
“We are incredibly grateful to Jim for his many contributions to our film business over his storied career at the studio and wish him much success on his next endeavors,” said Lachlan Murdoch and James Murdoch. “We are fortunate to have Stacey with us to lead the studio into its next chapter and are confident we will see great success under her headship.”
“I am so grateful to Jim for his guidance and friendship since I joined Fox,” said Stacey Snider. “We will all miss his wisdom and business instincts and wish him the best in whatever endeavors he takes on next. I am truly excited to embark upon this new challenge and look forward to building upon, with all my colleagues, the awesome legacy 20th Century Fox has carved into the foundation of this industry.”
“After 25 years at the studio, and 16 years as Chairman/CEO, I have experienced the greatest joys, successes and thrills that this business can offer. I am grateful for the opportunities the Murdochs have afforded me, and to all of my friends and colleagues at Fox, past and present. I am confident that the studio will flourish with the films Stacey and I have put in production and development, together and the films she and Fox’s great executives and filmmakers will produce in the future. I will miss the place where I have spent the majority of my career, and I wish everyone at Fox the best of success, health and happiness going forward,” said Jim Gianopulos.
About Jim Gianopolus
Gianopulos served as Chairman and CEO of 20th Century Fox Film since 2000, overseeing all feature film production, marketing, and global distribution of film and television content in all media. During his time as Chairman and CEO of Fox the studio had its most profitable years ever, and in 2014, Fox broke the all-time industry global box-office record, earning more than $5.5 billion. In 2015, the studio had the distinction of earning an industry leading 30 Academy Award nominations for such films as The Martian, The Revenant and Brooklyn.
During his tenure at the studio, Mr. Gianopulos oversaw a broad range of successful films, including most recently Deadpool, The Martian, Kingsman: The Secret Service, as well as SPY, Birdman, X-Men: Days of Future Past, Life of Pi, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, The Fault in Our Stars, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Gone Girl, the Night at the Museum series, the Ice Age animated franchise, The Simpsons Movie, Borat, The Day After Tomorrow, Walk the Line, the Star Wars Trilogy: Special Edition, The Descendants, and Moulin Rouge, among many others. He also championed two of the biggest gambles, and the two highest grossing films of all time: Avatar and Titanic.
Prior to his current post, Mr. Gianopulos served as President of Twentieth Century Fox International, a position he held from 1994-2000. Among the many notable achievements during Mr. Gianopulos’ tenure at Fox International was leading the studio’s global expansion and the release of the Oscar winners Titanic and Braveheart, and at one time having four of the five biggest box office films internationally.
About Stacey Snider
Snider joined Fox after eight years as CEO and co-chairman of DreamWorks Studios, where she was a partner with Steven Spielberg. At DreamWorks, Snider oversaw creative and financial aspects of all film development and production for the studio including a wide range of commercially successful and critically acclaimed films. Among the many highlights of her tenure there are Lincoln, co-produced with 20th Century Fox, directed by Spielberg, and starring Daniel Day-Lewis, who won an Oscar for his portrayal of the 16th President of the United States; The Help, Clint Eastwood’s Flags of Our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima; Dreamgirls, War Horse; The Hundred-Foot Journey; and the musical Sweeney Todd. Snider also oversaw the box-office hits Tropic Thunder, Transformers and Eagle Eye.
Prior to joining DreamWorks in 2006, Snider served as chairman of Universal Pictures, where, during her tenure running the studio she experienced notable success with a consistent output of films that were global box-office hits, while garnering wide critical praise. Erin Brockovich, A Beautiful Mind, Seabiscuit, Ray, Lost in Translation, and Brokeback Mountain were among the films that won critical and Academy Award recognition. Some of the franchises she originated and oversaw include The Bourne series, The Mummy series, the American Pie series, The Fast and the Furious series, and the Meet the Parents series.
Before she came to Universal, Snider was president of TriStar Pictures, where she worked on such films as Jerry Maguire, Sleepless in Seattle, As Good As It Gets and Philadelphia. She came to Tri-Star following her position as executive vice president of Guber Peters Entertainment.
About 21st Century Fox
21st Century Fox is the world's premier portfolio of cable, broadcast, film, pay TV and satellite assets spanning six continents across the globe. Reaching more than 1.8 billion subscribers in approximately 50 local languages every day, 21st Century Fox is home to a global portfolio of cable and broadcasting networks and properties, including FOX, FX, FXX, FXM, FS1, Fox News Channel, Fox Business Network, FOX Sports, Fox Sports Network, National Geographic Channels, STAR India, 28 local television stations in the U.S. and more than 300 international channels; film studio Twentieth Century Fox Film; and television production studios Twentieth Century Fox Television and a 50% ownership interest in Endemol Shine Group. The Company also holds a 39.1% ownership interest in Sky, Europe’s leading entertainment company, which serves 21 million customers across five countries. For more information about 21st Century Fox, please visit www.21CF.com.
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Longtime Chairman and CEO Jim Gianopulos Departs Following Storied Career at the Studio
NEW YORK & LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--21st Century Fox (NASDAQ:FOXA, FOX) announced today that it will complete its previously announced leadership succession at Twentieth Century Fox Film on September 1, 2016 when Stacey Snider assumes the role of Chairman and CEO.
“We are incredibly grateful to Jim for his many contributions to our film business over his storied career at the studio and wish him much success on his next endeavors”
Longtime executive Jim Gianopulos, the Chairman and CEO of 20th Century Fox Film, has chosen to step down from his current post earlier than planned, allowing for a more immediate transition of leadership for the film studio.
Snider, who has served as the film studio’s Co-Chairman since November 2014, will oversee all areas of the film studio, including the studio’s five production divisions, global marketing and distribution and home entertainment.
“We are incredibly grateful to Jim for his many contributions to our film business over his storied career at the studio and wish him much success on his next endeavors,” said Lachlan Murdoch and James Murdoch. “We are fortunate to have Stacey with us to lead the studio into its next chapter and are confident we will see great success under her headship.”
“I am so grateful to Jim for his guidance and friendship since I joined Fox,” said Stacey Snider. “We will all miss his wisdom and business instincts and wish him the best in whatever endeavors he takes on next. I am truly excited to embark upon this new challenge and look forward to building upon, with all my colleagues, the awesome legacy 20th Century Fox has carved into the foundation of this industry.”
“After 25 years at the studio, and 16 years as Chairman/CEO, I have experienced the greatest joys, successes and thrills that this business can offer. I am grateful for the opportunities the Murdochs have afforded me, and to all of my friends and colleagues at Fox, past and present. I am confident that the studio will flourish with the films Stacey and I have put in production and development, together and the films she and Fox’s great executives and filmmakers will produce in the future. I will miss the place where I have spent the majority of my career, and I wish everyone at Fox the best of success, health and happiness going forward,” said Jim Gianopulos.
About Jim Gianopolus
Gianopulos served as Chairman and CEO of 20th Century Fox Film since 2000, overseeing all feature film production, marketing, and global distribution of film and television content in all media. During his time as Chairman and CEO of Fox the studio had its most profitable years ever, and in 2014, Fox broke the all-time industry global box-office record, earning more than $5.5 billion. In 2015, the studio had the distinction of earning an industry leading 30 Academy Award nominations for such films as The Martian, The Revenant and Brooklyn.
During his tenure at the studio, Mr. Gianopulos oversaw a broad range of successful films, including most recently Deadpool, The Martian, Kingsman: The Secret Service, as well as SPY, Birdman, X-Men: Days of Future Past, Life of Pi, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, The Fault in Our Stars, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Gone Girl, the Night at the Museum series, the Ice Age animated franchise, The Simpsons Movie, Borat, The Day After Tomorrow, Walk the Line, the Star Wars Trilogy: Special Edition, The Descendants, and Moulin Rouge, among many others. He also championed two of the biggest gambles, and the two highest grossing films of all time: Avatar and Titanic.
Prior to his current post, Mr. Gianopulos served as President of Twentieth Century Fox International, a position he held from 1994-2000. Among the many notable achievements during Mr. Gianopulos’ tenure at Fox International was leading the studio’s global expansion and the release of the Oscar winners Titanic and Braveheart, and at one time having four of the five biggest box office films internationally.
About Stacey Snider
Snider joined Fox after eight years as CEO and co-chairman of DreamWorks Studios, where she was a partner with Steven Spielberg. At DreamWorks, Snider oversaw creative and financial aspects of all film development and production for the studio including a wide range of commercially successful and critically acclaimed films. Among the many highlights of her tenure there are Lincoln, co-produced with 20th Century Fox, directed by Spielberg, and starring Daniel Day-Lewis, who won an Oscar for his portrayal of the 16th President of the United States; The Help, Clint Eastwood’s Flags of Our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima; Dreamgirls, War Horse; The Hundred-Foot Journey; and the musical Sweeney Todd. Snider also oversaw the box-office hits Tropic Thunder, Transformers and Eagle Eye.
Prior to joining DreamWorks in 2006, Snider served as chairman of Universal Pictures, where, during her tenure running the studio she experienced notable success with a consistent output of films that were global box-office hits, while garnering wide critical praise. Erin Brockovich, A Beautiful Mind, Seabiscuit, Ray, Lost in Translation, and Brokeback Mountain were among the films that won critical and Academy Award recognition. Some of the franchises she originated and oversaw include The Bourne series, The Mummy series, the American Pie series, The Fast and the Furious series, and the Meet the Parents series.
Before she came to Universal, Snider was president of TriStar Pictures, where she worked on such films as Jerry Maguire, Sleepless in Seattle, As Good As It Gets and Philadelphia. She came to Tri-Star following her position as executive vice president of Guber Peters Entertainment.
About 21st Century Fox
21st Century Fox is the world's premier portfolio of cable, broadcast, film, pay TV and satellite assets spanning six continents across the globe. Reaching more than 1.8 billion subscribers in approximately 50 local languages every day, 21st Century Fox is home to a global portfolio of cable and broadcasting networks and properties, including FOX, FX, FXX, FXM, FS1, Fox News Channel, Fox Business Network, FOX Sports, Fox Sports Network, National Geographic Channels, STAR India, 28 local television stations in the U.S. and more than 300 international channels; film studio Twentieth Century Fox Film; and television production studios Twentieth Century Fox Television and a 50% ownership interest in Endemol Shine Group. The Company also holds a 39.1% ownership interest in Sky, Europe’s leading entertainment company, which serves 21 million customers across five countries. For more information about 21st Century Fox, please visit www.21CF.com.
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Saturday, April 2, 2016
Dark Horse Announces Its Plans for Emerald City Comicon
Dark Horse Comics Emerald City Comicon 2016 Schedule
MILWAUKIE, OR— Dark Horse Comics is headed to the Pacific Northwest’s foremost and near sold out pop culture convention – Emerald City Comicon.
Visit Dark Horse Comics at ECCC booth #802 for free swag such as comics, buttons, posters, and more. Check out our signings and panels, too.
All attendees are invited to stop by for a free picture in the HappyMatic Photo Booth. We’ll also have a variety of Dark Horse comics, graphic novels, art books, and collectibles for sale in our booth.
SIGNING SCHEDULE
All creators signing in our booth offer their autographs for FREE. FREE prints, comics, or posters are provided for signings (while supplies last). You may purchase or bring items to be signed; however, we may restrict the type or number of items to be signed as necessary. Please note that some of the titles listed below have not been released for sale yet—in those cases, special prints will be available.
Lines may also be closed for some signings due to crowding or time restrictions.
All events are subject to change. Some restrictions apply. Please ask the Dark Horse Comics staff if you have questions.
THURSDAY, APRIL 7
3:00 p.m.–3:45 p.m. SEMIAUTOMAGIC, ARCHIE VS. PREDATOR, GRINDHOUSE, SMOKE/ASHES: Alex de Campi
4:00 p.m.–4:45 p.m. POWER CUBED: Aaron Lopresti
6:00 p.m.–6:45 p.m. DEAR CREATURE, THE NEW DEAL, GREEN RIVER KILLER: Jonathan Case
FRIDAY, APRIL 8
10:00 a.m.–10:45 a.m. THIS DAMNED BAND: Tony Parker
11:00 a.m.–11:45 a.m. THE ROOK: Steven Grant
12:00 p.m.–12:45 p.m. EMPOWERED: Adam Warren
1:00 p.m.–1:45 p.m. SPACE-MULLET!, ALABASTER, THE GHOST FLEET: Daniel Warren Johnson
2:00 p.m.–2:45 p.m.
NEW SERIES TO BE ANNOUNCED: Chris Mooneyham
PREDATOR: LIFE AND DEATH: Brian Thies
3:00 p.m.–3:45 p.m. JOE GOLEM, ALIENS: FIRE AND STONE: Patric Reynolds
4:00 p.m.–4:45 p.m.
BUFFY: THE HIGH SCHOOL YEARS, MISFITS OF AVALON: Kel McDonald
BUFFY: THE HIGH SCHOOL YEARS, THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERHERO GIRL, THE LAST OF US: Faith Erin Hicks
5:00 p.m.–5:45 p.m. HELLBOY AND THE B.P.R.D., ALIENS: FIRE AND STONE: Chris Roberson
6:00 p.m. – 6:45 p.m. TOMB RAIDER: Phillip Sevy
SATURDAY, APRIL 9
11:00 a.m.–11:45 a.m. LARA CROFT AND THE FROZEN OMEN, DEEP GRAVITY: Corinna Bechko
12:00 p.m.–12:45 p.m. FIGHT CLUB 2, B.P.R.D. HELL ON EARTH, SIN TITULO: Cameron Stewart
1:00 p.m.–1:45 p.m. WONDERFALL, LEAVING MEGALOPOLIS, TOMB RAIDER, CONAN RED SONJA: Gail Simone
3:00 p.m.–3:45 p.m. PLANTS VS. ZOMBIES: Jeremy Vanhoozer
4:00 p.m.–4:45 p.m. NEW SERIES TO BE ANNOUNCED: Kurtis Wiebe
5:00 p.m.–5:45 p.m. NEW SERIES TO BE ANNOUNCED: David Walker
6:00 p.m.–6:45 p.m. HALO: THE FALL OF REACH: Isaac Hannaford
SUNDAY, APRIL 10
10:00 a.m.–10:45 a.m. THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERHERO GIRL, BUFFY: THE HIGH SCHOOL YEARS: Faith Erin Hicks
11:00 a.m.–11:45 a.m.
EMILY AND THE STRANGERS: Cat Farris
PLANTS VS. ZOMBIES: Ron Chan
12:00 p.m.–12:45 p.m. APOCALYPTIGIRL: Andrew MacLean
1:00 p.m.–1:45 p.m. RAINBOW CHILDREN: THE ART OF CAMILLA D’ERRICO: Camilla d’Errico
2:00 p.m.–2:45 p.m. THE MASSIVE: Garry Brown
Panel Schedule
Please join us at the panels below, brought to you by Dark Horse Comics and friends! Please visit http://emeraldcitycomicon.com/ for more panels featuring Dark Horse creators, as well as guidelines for attending panels.
THURSDAY, APRIL 7
Artists Who Write: On the Craft and Creation of Comics
5:30 p.m.–6:30 p.m. T305
Whether it’s a crime-fighting costumed heroine or a space adventure, there’s a lot of thought put into the sequential art that drives stories told in comics. Join some of the industry’s best artists—Adam Warren (Empowered), Patric Reynolds (Joe Golem), Daniel Warren Johnson (Alabaster, Space-Mullet!), Faith Erin Hicks (Buffy: The High School Years), and Kel McDonald (Misfits of Avalon)—as they discuss turning an idea into a full-fledged story and how they continue to keep their writing fresh.
FRIDAY, APRIL 8
Dark Horse Comics and Twentieth Century Fox: A Relationship Spanning Universes
12:15 p.m.–1:15 p.m. T305
Dark Horse achieved one of its earliest successes with the 1988 publication of Aliens, followed that with Predator (1989) and Aliens vs. Predator (1990), won over fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer with comics starting in 1998, and is now developing comics for the beautiful blue world of James Cameron’s Avatar. Join Joshua Izzo (Director of Licensing, Twentieth Century Fox), Randy Stradley (Vice President of Publishing, Dark Horse Comics), Brian Thies (Predator: Life and Death), Faith Erin Hicks (Buffy: The High School Years), and others involved in creating the worlds of the Xenoverse, the Whedonverse, and the Pandoran biosphere.
Painting in Comics: Behind the Scenes with Top Artists
4:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m. T305
Learn how four artists who have created and contributed to some of the most original artwork in the comics industry create their works of art. Camilla d’Errico (Tanpopo, Pop Manga, Helmetgirls), Jim Mahfood, a.k.a. Food One (Grrl Scouts, Stupid Comics, Clerks), Ben Templesmith (Gotham by Midnight, Fell, 30 Days of Night), and Bobby Chiu (Imaginism Studios) have broken new ground by using painting to create original artwork for Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, Image, and creator-owned comics.
SATURDAY, APRIL 9
Dark Horse Manga
1:30 p.m.–2:30 p.m. T305
Dark Horse’s history with Japanese creators can be traced back to the company’s earliest years, with a publishing line that includes classics and contemporary titles alike, such as Lone Wolf & Cub, Unofficial Hatsune Mix, Blood Blockade Battlefront, Fire Emblem, Astro Boy, Oreimo: Kuroneko, Vampire Hunter D, The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Danganronpa, Appleseed, Berserk, I Am a Hero, Cardcaptor Sakura, Fate/Zero, Satoshi Kon’s OPUS, and Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt. Join Carl Horn and Zack Davisson for a look at the past, present, and future of Dark Horse Manga!
CAMILLA D’ERRICO LIVE PAINTING
4:15 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. LIVE Stage, Level 4/Skybridge Lobby
Watch at ECCC on the LIVE Stage, Level 4/Skybridge Lobby
Watch from home at http://www.emeraldcitycomicon.com/livestream.
Video Game Comics Level Up!
5:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m. Sheraton Metropolitan Ballroom A, Level 3
Dark Horse established itself in its early years as the premier publisher of licensed comics by continuing story lines from the big screen to the page. Now, this tradition is carried on through the most exciting video game tie-ins in the comics medium. Join Dark Horse publicist Aub Driver for a discussion with editor Ian Tucker on what it takes to bringing these titles from console to printed page.
--------------------
MILWAUKIE, OR— Dark Horse Comics is headed to the Pacific Northwest’s foremost and near sold out pop culture convention – Emerald City Comicon.
Visit Dark Horse Comics at ECCC booth #802 for free swag such as comics, buttons, posters, and more. Check out our signings and panels, too.
All attendees are invited to stop by for a free picture in the HappyMatic Photo Booth. We’ll also have a variety of Dark Horse comics, graphic novels, art books, and collectibles for sale in our booth.
SIGNING SCHEDULE
All creators signing in our booth offer their autographs for FREE. FREE prints, comics, or posters are provided for signings (while supplies last). You may purchase or bring items to be signed; however, we may restrict the type or number of items to be signed as necessary. Please note that some of the titles listed below have not been released for sale yet—in those cases, special prints will be available.
Lines may also be closed for some signings due to crowding or time restrictions.
All events are subject to change. Some restrictions apply. Please ask the Dark Horse Comics staff if you have questions.
THURSDAY, APRIL 7
3:00 p.m.–3:45 p.m. SEMIAUTOMAGIC, ARCHIE VS. PREDATOR, GRINDHOUSE, SMOKE/ASHES: Alex de Campi
4:00 p.m.–4:45 p.m. POWER CUBED: Aaron Lopresti
6:00 p.m.–6:45 p.m. DEAR CREATURE, THE NEW DEAL, GREEN RIVER KILLER: Jonathan Case
FRIDAY, APRIL 8
10:00 a.m.–10:45 a.m. THIS DAMNED BAND: Tony Parker
11:00 a.m.–11:45 a.m. THE ROOK: Steven Grant
12:00 p.m.–12:45 p.m. EMPOWERED: Adam Warren
1:00 p.m.–1:45 p.m. SPACE-MULLET!, ALABASTER, THE GHOST FLEET: Daniel Warren Johnson
2:00 p.m.–2:45 p.m.
NEW SERIES TO BE ANNOUNCED: Chris Mooneyham
PREDATOR: LIFE AND DEATH: Brian Thies
3:00 p.m.–3:45 p.m. JOE GOLEM, ALIENS: FIRE AND STONE: Patric Reynolds
4:00 p.m.–4:45 p.m.
BUFFY: THE HIGH SCHOOL YEARS, MISFITS OF AVALON: Kel McDonald
BUFFY: THE HIGH SCHOOL YEARS, THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERHERO GIRL, THE LAST OF US: Faith Erin Hicks
5:00 p.m.–5:45 p.m. HELLBOY AND THE B.P.R.D., ALIENS: FIRE AND STONE: Chris Roberson
6:00 p.m. – 6:45 p.m. TOMB RAIDER: Phillip Sevy
SATURDAY, APRIL 9
11:00 a.m.–11:45 a.m. LARA CROFT AND THE FROZEN OMEN, DEEP GRAVITY: Corinna Bechko
12:00 p.m.–12:45 p.m. FIGHT CLUB 2, B.P.R.D. HELL ON EARTH, SIN TITULO: Cameron Stewart
1:00 p.m.–1:45 p.m. WONDERFALL, LEAVING MEGALOPOLIS, TOMB RAIDER, CONAN RED SONJA: Gail Simone
3:00 p.m.–3:45 p.m. PLANTS VS. ZOMBIES: Jeremy Vanhoozer
4:00 p.m.–4:45 p.m. NEW SERIES TO BE ANNOUNCED: Kurtis Wiebe
5:00 p.m.–5:45 p.m. NEW SERIES TO BE ANNOUNCED: David Walker
6:00 p.m.–6:45 p.m. HALO: THE FALL OF REACH: Isaac Hannaford
SUNDAY, APRIL 10
10:00 a.m.–10:45 a.m. THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERHERO GIRL, BUFFY: THE HIGH SCHOOL YEARS: Faith Erin Hicks
11:00 a.m.–11:45 a.m.
EMILY AND THE STRANGERS: Cat Farris
PLANTS VS. ZOMBIES: Ron Chan
12:00 p.m.–12:45 p.m. APOCALYPTIGIRL: Andrew MacLean
1:00 p.m.–1:45 p.m. RAINBOW CHILDREN: THE ART OF CAMILLA D’ERRICO: Camilla d’Errico
2:00 p.m.–2:45 p.m. THE MASSIVE: Garry Brown
Panel Schedule
Please join us at the panels below, brought to you by Dark Horse Comics and friends! Please visit http://emeraldcitycomicon.com/ for more panels featuring Dark Horse creators, as well as guidelines for attending panels.
THURSDAY, APRIL 7
Artists Who Write: On the Craft and Creation of Comics
5:30 p.m.–6:30 p.m. T305
Whether it’s a crime-fighting costumed heroine or a space adventure, there’s a lot of thought put into the sequential art that drives stories told in comics. Join some of the industry’s best artists—Adam Warren (Empowered), Patric Reynolds (Joe Golem), Daniel Warren Johnson (Alabaster, Space-Mullet!), Faith Erin Hicks (Buffy: The High School Years), and Kel McDonald (Misfits of Avalon)—as they discuss turning an idea into a full-fledged story and how they continue to keep their writing fresh.
FRIDAY, APRIL 8
Dark Horse Comics and Twentieth Century Fox: A Relationship Spanning Universes
12:15 p.m.–1:15 p.m. T305
Dark Horse achieved one of its earliest successes with the 1988 publication of Aliens, followed that with Predator (1989) and Aliens vs. Predator (1990), won over fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer with comics starting in 1998, and is now developing comics for the beautiful blue world of James Cameron’s Avatar. Join Joshua Izzo (Director of Licensing, Twentieth Century Fox), Randy Stradley (Vice President of Publishing, Dark Horse Comics), Brian Thies (Predator: Life and Death), Faith Erin Hicks (Buffy: The High School Years), and others involved in creating the worlds of the Xenoverse, the Whedonverse, and the Pandoran biosphere.
Painting in Comics: Behind the Scenes with Top Artists
4:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m. T305
Learn how four artists who have created and contributed to some of the most original artwork in the comics industry create their works of art. Camilla d’Errico (Tanpopo, Pop Manga, Helmetgirls), Jim Mahfood, a.k.a. Food One (Grrl Scouts, Stupid Comics, Clerks), Ben Templesmith (Gotham by Midnight, Fell, 30 Days of Night), and Bobby Chiu (Imaginism Studios) have broken new ground by using painting to create original artwork for Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, Image, and creator-owned comics.
SATURDAY, APRIL 9
Dark Horse Manga
1:30 p.m.–2:30 p.m. T305
Dark Horse’s history with Japanese creators can be traced back to the company’s earliest years, with a publishing line that includes classics and contemporary titles alike, such as Lone Wolf & Cub, Unofficial Hatsune Mix, Blood Blockade Battlefront, Fire Emblem, Astro Boy, Oreimo: Kuroneko, Vampire Hunter D, The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Danganronpa, Appleseed, Berserk, I Am a Hero, Cardcaptor Sakura, Fate/Zero, Satoshi Kon’s OPUS, and Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt. Join Carl Horn and Zack Davisson for a look at the past, present, and future of Dark Horse Manga!
CAMILLA D’ERRICO LIVE PAINTING
4:15 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. LIVE Stage, Level 4/Skybridge Lobby
Watch at ECCC on the LIVE Stage, Level 4/Skybridge Lobby
Watch from home at http://www.emeraldcitycomicon.com/livestream.
Video Game Comics Level Up!
5:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m. Sheraton Metropolitan Ballroom A, Level 3
Dark Horse established itself in its early years as the premier publisher of licensed comics by continuing story lines from the big screen to the page. Now, this tradition is carried on through the most exciting video game tie-ins in the comics medium. Join Dark Horse publicist Aub Driver for a discussion with editor Ian Tucker on what it takes to bringing these titles from console to printed page.
--------------------
Thursday, December 24, 2015
Review: New "Fantastic Four" is Fantastically Problematic
[A version of this review originally appeared on Patreon.]
Fantastic Four (2015)
Running time: 100 minutes (1 hour, 40 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sci-fi action violence, and language
DIRECTOR: Josh Trank
WRITERS: Simon Kinberg, Jeremy Slater, and Josh Trank (based on characters created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby)
PRODUCERS: Gregory Goodman, Simon Kinberg, Robert Kulzer, Hutch Parker, and Matthew Vaughn
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Matthew Jensen
EDITORS: Elliot Greenberg and Stephen E. Rivkin
COMPOSER: Marco Beltrami and Philip Glass
SUPERHERO/SCI-FI/ACTION
Starring: Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Kata Mara, Jamie Bell, Toby Kebbell, Reg E. Cathey, Tim Blake Nelson, Owen Judge, Evan Hannemann, Don Yesso, and Dan Castellaneta
Fantastic Four is a 2015 superhero movie and science fiction film from director Josh Trank. It is the third film in 20th Century Fox's Fantastic Four film franchise, and it is also a reboot of that franchise. Fantastic Four 2015 follows four young people whose physical forms are changed in shocking ways after being exposed to energy from an alternate and dangerous universe.
Reed Richards (Miles Teller) and Ben Grimm (Jamie Bell) have been friends since childhood, when Ben started helping Reed build his prototype teleportation device. It is in high school when they attract the attention of Professor Franklin Storm (Reg E. Cathey), who is the director of the Baxter Foundation, a government-sponsored research institute for young prodigies.
Reed joins the foundation and begins working with Storm's adopted daughter, Susan “Sue” Storm (Kate Mara), and eventually his son, Johnny Storm (Michael B. Jordan). Reed also gets to work with Professor Storm's wayward protege, Victor Von Doom (Toby Kebbell). Together, this quartet builds a device called the “Quantum Gate,” which opens a way to “Zero,” a planet in an parallel dimension. Awaiting those who travel to “Zero,” however, is energy that will change them in unimaginable and fantastic ways.
Fantastic Four isn't a good movie, but it isn't a terrible movie. It is like flavorless chewing gum. The gum might start with a lot of promise, but pretty soon you're just chewing for the sake of chewing and the flavor is gone. That is this Fantastic Four reboot. It starts off with promise, but pretty soon, the story seems to be just going through the motions, and I was simply watching it out of habit, waiting for the end credits to roll.
Fantastic Four 2015 is mostly build-up. In some ways, it is like a long teaser for another movie, the real Fantastic Four (or “FF”) movie that is “coming soon.” What we get with this new movie is something akin to a prologue or an overly long introductory act. In fact, this film's big villain, called “Doom,” rather than Doctor Doom, does not show up until the last 10 or 15 minutes of the movie.
I think that there are a kernel or two of good ideas in this new Fantastic Four that could become something good... in a second movie... produced by an entirely different group of people. I think that the special effects for Reed Richards' (Mr. Fantastic) stretching powers is much better than it was in the 2005 and 2007 Fantastic Four films. Ben Grimm (The Thing) looks better in this reboot than in the earlier films. Hard as it is to believe, Kate Mara as Sue Storm is worse than Jessica Alba as Sue in the first two films. I like Michael B. Jordan, but his Johnny Storm (Human Torch) is stiff compared to Chris Evans' rascally Human Torch from the earlier films.
Overall, director Josh Trank has made a Fantastic Four film that is actually less entertaining than Tim Story's uneven 2005 and 2007 FF films. I wouldn't recommend this even to comic book fans. It is so mediocre and uninspiring that it isn't even awful enough to be an enjoyable “bad movie.” It is like the ultimate average and bland film. This Fantastic Four makes it clear that 20th Century Fox should just stop making Fantastic Four movies.
4 of 10
C
Saturday, August 8, 2015
The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Titan Comics Announces "Independence Day" Comic Books
ALL-NEW INDEPENDENCE DAY COMIC BOOK ADVENTURES FROM TITAN AND TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX CONSUMER PRODUCTS
London, UK - Titan Comics is thrilled to announce it has secured the license to publish all-new Independence Day comics from Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products.
In 1996, Independence Day wowed audiences across the world, winning numerous awards, including an Academy Award® for Best Visual Effects and Grammy AwardT® for Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or for Television.
Directed by Roland Emmerich, Independence Day Resurgence takes place 20 years after the events of the original film and stars Liam Hemsworth (The Hunger Games) and Jessie Usher (When the Game Stands Tall), along with Independence Day returnees Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Judd Hirsch, and Vivica A. Fox.
Independence Day Resurgence is set to launch in theatres everywhere June 24, 2016.
Titan Comics Independence Day comic series will be a rich psychological prison drama set after the events of the first film.
Steve White, the Titan Comics editor of the forthcoming series described it as "a golden opportunity to segue nicely into next year's blockbuster sequel by taking the mythos of the original and maybe adding a little darkness to it."
To keep up-to-date with news on the Independence Day comics, join Titan Comics on Facebook or follow @ComicsTitan on Twitter. For more information about Titan Comics, visit Titan-Comics.com
About Titan Comics:
Titan Comics offers astounding creator-owned comics and graphic novels from new and world-renowned talent, alongside the world's greatest licensed properties and classic graphic novels remastered from brand-new audiences.
Titan is one of the most successful independent publishing operations in the US, with a recent six-week run at #1 in the New York Times bestseller list.
For more information, visit: www.titan-comics.com
About Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products:
A division of 21st Century Fox and recognized industry leader, Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products licenses and markets properties worldwide on behalf of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Twentieth Century Fox Television and Fox Broadcasting Company, as well as third party lines. The division is aligned with Twentieth Century Fox Television, the flagship studio leading the industry in supplying award-winning and blockbuster primetime television programming and entertainment content.
Connect with Titan Comics:
https://twitter.com/ComicsTitan
https://facebook.com/ComicsTitan
http://titancomics.tumblr.com/
https://www.youtube.com/user/ComicsTitan
---------------------
London, UK - Titan Comics is thrilled to announce it has secured the license to publish all-new Independence Day comics from Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products.
In 1996, Independence Day wowed audiences across the world, winning numerous awards, including an Academy Award® for Best Visual Effects and Grammy AwardT® for Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or for Television.
Directed by Roland Emmerich, Independence Day Resurgence takes place 20 years after the events of the original film and stars Liam Hemsworth (The Hunger Games) and Jessie Usher (When the Game Stands Tall), along with Independence Day returnees Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Judd Hirsch, and Vivica A. Fox.
Independence Day Resurgence is set to launch in theatres everywhere June 24, 2016.
Titan Comics Independence Day comic series will be a rich psychological prison drama set after the events of the first film.
Steve White, the Titan Comics editor of the forthcoming series described it as "a golden opportunity to segue nicely into next year's blockbuster sequel by taking the mythos of the original and maybe adding a little darkness to it."
To keep up-to-date with news on the Independence Day comics, join Titan Comics on Facebook or follow @ComicsTitan on Twitter. For more information about Titan Comics, visit Titan-Comics.com
About Titan Comics:
Titan Comics offers astounding creator-owned comics and graphic novels from new and world-renowned talent, alongside the world's greatest licensed properties and classic graphic novels remastered from brand-new audiences.
Titan is one of the most successful independent publishing operations in the US, with a recent six-week run at #1 in the New York Times bestseller list.
For more information, visit: www.titan-comics.com
About Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products:
A division of 21st Century Fox and recognized industry leader, Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products licenses and markets properties worldwide on behalf of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Twentieth Century Fox Television and Fox Broadcasting Company, as well as third party lines. The division is aligned with Twentieth Century Fox Television, the flagship studio leading the industry in supplying award-winning and blockbuster primetime television programming and entertainment content.
Connect with Titan Comics:
https://twitter.com/ComicsTitan
https://facebook.com/ComicsTitan
http://titancomics.tumblr.com/
https://www.youtube.com/user/ComicsTitan
---------------------
Friday, September 4, 2015
Review: "Transporter 2" Offers Good Fight Scenes, Little Else
TRASH IN MY EYE No. 141 (of 2005) by Leroy Douresseaux
Transporter 2 (2005)
Running time: 88 minutes (1 hour, 28 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for intense sequences of violent action, sexual content, partial nudity, and brief language
DIRECTOR: Louis Leterrier
WRITERS: Luc Besson & Robert Mark Kamen (based upon characters created by Luc Besson & Robert Mark Kamen )
PRODUCERS: Steve Chasman and Luc Besson
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Mitchell Amundsen
EDITOR: Walter Mauriot, Christine Lucas Navarro, and Vincent Tabaillon
COMPOSER: Alexandre Azaria
ACTION/MARTIAL ARTS/THRILLER
Starring: Jason Statham, Alessandro Gassman, Amber Valletta, Katie Nauta, Matthew Modine, Jason Flemyng, Keith David, Hunter Clary, Shannon Briggs, François Berléand, and Raymond Tong
Transporter 2 is a 2005 French action thriller from director Louis Leterrier and maestro Luc Besson and stars Jason Statham in the title role. It is a sequel to the 2002 film, The Transporter. In Transporter 2, mercenary Frank Martin is in Miami, Florida where he is implicated in the kidnapping of the young son of a powerful U.S. government official
Transporter 2 is set in Miami, Florida. There, ex-Special Forces operative, Frank Martin (Jason Statham), lives in retirement, but is still providing services as a transporter. Martin is a professional driver with almost-supernatural driving skills in a supa dupa car who can transport anyone or anything – no questions asked. For the past month, Frank has been the driver for the wealthy Billings family, driving young Jack Billings (Hunter Clary) back and forth to school.
When Gianni (Alessandro Gassman), a powerful gun-for-hire and criminal operative, has Jack kidnapped, Frank rushes to the rescue. However, Jack has been injected with a deadly virus as a ploy to poison his father, Jefferson Billings (Matthew Modine), and in turn spread the deadly virus, killing Mr. Billings’ government and business associates. Frank defies and eludes the FBI, who believes that he is behind the plot, while he tries to uncover Gianni’s master plan and stop a disastrous epidemic.
There was no reason for a sequel to 2002’s The Transporter, other than that it was an international box office hit. Transporter 2 is not as good as the first, mainly because the original had Frank Martin in a romantic entanglement that was the humanizing element of the film against its manic martial arts-inspired fight sequences and unrelenting gun violence. Corey Yuen, the director of the first film, is back for Transporter 2 only as the fight choreographer, and while his successor, Louis Leterrier, benefits from Yuen’s work on the fight scenes, Leterrier didn’t inherit anything else from the original. Thus, Transporter 2’s fight sequences are excellent in keeping with the spirit of The Transporter, but there just ain’t no soul. I was only mildly entertained with this as a movie, but I bet electronic games fans would get a kick out of this as a video game. We shouldn’t buy tickets to the cinema to see a flick and get instead a video game. The child character, Jack Billings, could have been the soul of this film, they way the love interest was in the original, but Jack is just the object that starts the ball rolling towards a series of violent, supernatural, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon/Hero martial arts fight scenes.
Jason Statham has a nice film personality, but this time he wears Frank Martin as if he’s just a video game character and Transporter 2 is just the latest installment in a video game franchise. If you waited to see the first film on home video, it would only be right to wait for Transporter 2 on DVD and home video, as it is inferior and should not be honored with the movie ticket purchase you didn’t give the first film. This might sound nerdy and pretentious, but Transporter 2 is a pedestrian fight movie with great fights, but the kind of story that shows up in made-for-cable action movies.
5 of 10
C+
Revised: Thursday, September 3, 2015
The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for reprint syndication rights and fees.
Friday, August 28, 2015
Review: Villains Rule "Kingsman"
[This review first appeared on Patreon.]
Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: U.K.
Running time: 129 minutes (2 hours, 9 minutes)
MPAA – R for sequences of strong violence, language and some sexual content
DIRECTOR: Matthew Vaughn
WRITERS: Jane Goldman and Matthew Vaughn (based on on the comic book, The Secret Service, by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons)
PRODUCERS: Adam Bohling, David Reid, and Matthew Vaughn
CINEMATOGRAPHER: George Richmond
EDITORS: Eddie Hamilton and Jon Harris
COMPOSERS: Henry Jackman and Matthew Margeson
COMEDY/ACTION/SPY/SCI-FI
Starring: Taron Egerton, Colin Firth, Mark Strong, Samuel L. Jackson, and Michael Caine, Sofia Boutella, Sophie Cookson, Hanna Alstrom, Samantha Womack, Geoff Bell, and Mark Hamill
Kingsman: The Secret Service is a 2015 British spy movie and action-comedy from director Matthew Vaughn. It is based on the 2012 comic book, The Secret Service, by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons, who are also both executive producers on the film. Millar co-created the comic book, Kick-Ass, and Gibbons co-created the Watchmen comic book. Kingsman: The Secret Service follows a street kid who is recruited into a secret spy organization.
Kingsman: The Secret Service opens in 1997 during a raid in the Middle East, in which an agent sacrifices himself to save his team. Feeling guilt, agent Harry Hart (Colin Firth), code-named “Galahad,” visits the agent's wife and young son. Seventeen years later, Galahad comes to the rescue of the son, Gary “Eggsy” Unwin (Taron Egerton), who is now an unemployed adult.
Galahad introduces Eggsy to the “Kingsman,” a secret intelligence agency comprised of the members of the British upper crust. Galahad convinces Eggsy to join the Kingsman's ultra-competitive training program, but only one member of a recruiting class will become a member of the Kingsman.
Meanwhile, billionaire tech genius, Richmond Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson), has hatched a plan to save the world from environmental catastrophe. His activities draw the attention of the Kingsman, especially Galahad. Because Galahad is his benefactor, Eggsy gets a close-up look of the Kingsman in action, but does this unrefined “street kid” have what it takes to be in this “secret service?”
As a spy movie, Kingsman: The Secret Service is more like some of the early James Bond movies, especially the ones that featured weird sci-fi gadgets. Or maybe Kingsman: The Secret Service is what would happen if Roger Moore's James Bond became the leader of the Impossible Missions Force (IMF) of the old television series, “Mission: Impossible.”
I must admit to enjoying Kingsman: The Secret Service quite a bit, but it is mostly a substance-free past-time. As much as I enjoyed the film, I had mostly forgotten about it a few hours after seeing it. If I watched it again, I would only watch certain scenes – mostly the fight scenes, especially the ones featuring the blade-legged Gazelle (Sofia Boutella). There is not enough of her in this movie.
There are moments in Kingsman when it seems obvious to me that Colin Firth would make a good movie secret agent, not James Bond, but someone like Galahad. [Or maybe that can be said about most quality British male actors.] However, Samuel L. Jackson, as Valentine, seems to be the actor who most bought into the scenario. He and Boutella make a great team and do a lot to make Kingsman a good movie; I wish their characters could return.
On the other hand, Taron Egerton may be an up-and-coming, young British actor, but as Eggsy, he lacks spark and charisma. He is as flat as Sam Jackson is charismatic. Kingsman's concept and story is ridiculous and contrived, but fun. As the villain, Jackson is the one who most sells the movie, even more so than the actors playing the good guys.
A sequel to Kingsman: The Secret Service has already been announced. As much as I enjoyed this movie, I can't imagine the sequel working without another great villainous pair like Jackson and Boutella. I hope they find one.
6 of 10
B
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.
Sunday, June 7, 2015
Review: "Son of God" Has Power
Son of God (2014)
Running time: 138 minutes (2 hours, 18 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for intense and bloody depiction of The Crucifixion, and for some sequences of violence
DIRECTOR: Christopher Spencer
WRITERS: Richard Bedser, Christopher Spencer, Colin Swash, and Nic Young
PRODUCERS: Richard Bedser, Mark Burnett, and Roma Downey
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Rob Goldie
EDITOR: Robert Hall
COMPOSERS: Lorne Balfe and Hans Zimmer
RELIGIOUS/DRAMA
Starring: Diogo Morgado, Darwin Shaw, Amber Rose Revah, Mathew Gravelle, Sebastian Knapp, Joe Wredden, Greg Hicks, Adrian Schiller, Paul Brightwell, Simon Kunz, Fraser Ayres, Joe Coen, Leila Mimmack, Idrissa Sisco, and Roma Downey
Son of God is a 2014 religious film and Biblical drama from director Christopher Spencer. The film is a follow-up to the hit 2013 cable television miniseries, “The Bible” (History Channel), from husband and wife producing team, Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, who also produced this movie. Son of God follows the life of Jesus Christ, from His birth to His resurrection, especially focusing on the time from when Jesus began his public ministry to his Crucifixion.
Son of God opens with John (Sebastian Knapp), the last surviving disciple of Christ, as an old man living in exile as he tells his story. John narrates the story of Jesus' birth, before moving 30 years forward in the story. The adult Jesus (Diogo Morgado) begins gathering followers, including Peter (Darwin Shaw), John, and Judas (Joe Wredden), who would eventually betray him.
Jesus' popular ministry upsets the status quo in Judea, earning him the ire of the Pharisees, the Jewish religious leaders. Caiaphas (Adrian Schiller), head of the Pharisees, believes that Jesus is a grave threat, so he begins to plot against him. When Jesus and his disciples enter Jerusalem for the upcoming Passover holiday, Caiaphas seeks the help of Pontius Pilate (Greg Hicks), the prelate who has command over Judea for the Roman Empire. But are the Pharisee and the Roman part of a plot or are they part of a larger plan that that neither they nor Jesus's disciples can truly understand?
I found Son of God to be both an uplifting and a truly entertaining film. That surprised me because I found much of the film's first hour to be awkward and overly mannered. The film initially seems like a stiff and clunky stage production mounted by sincere and well-meaning Christians who have little or no idea about how powerful the cinematic narrative can be.
However, after the halfway point, the film rapidly grows more powerful and the narrative more insistent. It become emotional and heartrending, but also invigorating and celebratory. I felt the Holy Spirit move me as Jesus suffered the Passion and the Crucifixion. [I was once Roman Catholic.]
Son of God features some scenes that were part of “The Bible” miniseries. I only recognized a few scenes, as I did not watch much of the TV miniseries. The acting in Son of God is a little better than the acting featured in movies shown on religious cable networks like TBN. However, this film is not about the acting; it is about the story.
Yes, this film did receive many bad reviews from movie reviewers and film critics, but the film isn't as dull, as heavy-handed, or as preachy as some said. Also, Son of God isn't quite a “Sunday School lesson,” as some would have you believe. When Son of God hits its narrative stride, it is powerful and moving, and even inspiring. Hey, the best part of this movie moved me into giving it a high rating. This film does quite well by the story and message of the Son of God.
8 of 10
A
Saturday, May 30, 2015
The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
"Star Wars" Films on Digital HD Friday, April 10, 2015
Disney, Lucasfilm and 20th Century Fox Announce "The Star Wars Digital Movie Collection"
The most iconic movie collection of all time Becomes available for the first time
On Digital HD on April 10, 2015
Now the Force will be with you – everywhere!
YouTube trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jdt0lJj3xtE
BURBANK, Calif. As anticipation builds for the December release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the first new film in the Star Wars Saga in a decade, The Walt Disney Studios, Lucasfilm Ltd., and 20th Century Fox today announced the upcoming release of The Star Wars Digital Movie Collection. For the first time ever, all six epic films in the Saga, from The Phantom Menace to Return of the Jedi, will be available on Digital HD throughout the galaxy – or at least here on Earth – globally beginning Friday, April 10, 2015.
“Since the debut of the first film nearly 40 years ago, Star Wars has become a worldwide phenomenon with legions of fans from every generation,” said Alan Bergman, President, The Walt Disney Studios. “It’s only fitting that audiences enjoy this legendary Saga and its many fascinating behind-the-scenes stories on a wide variety of platforms, and we’re very excited to finally bring all six films to Digital HD for the first time.”
“We’re thrilled that fans will be able to enjoy the Star Wars Saga on their digital devices wherever they go,” commented Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy. “These films broke new ground in technology, design, sound, and visual effects, and we’ve created some very special bonus material which delves into the Saga’s rich history, including new and never-before-released conversations between legendary Star Wars artists – the masters who helped George bring his iconic universe to life.”
With Star Wars: Episodes I-VI available for purchase as a complete digital movie collection and individually, viewers will have the Rebel forces at their beck and call across their favorite devices anywhere – sunbathing at the beach, relaxing in their living room with friends, or waiting to board a flight to Endor (or elsewhere).
Enhancing the movie collection are a host of never-before-seen special features including Star Wars: Discoveries from Inside and insightful Conversations between key contributors from across this celebrated film franchise, plus a curated collection of classic Star Wars extras from each film. These are the droids you’re looking for:
BONUS
*Digital bonus offerings may vary by retailer
STAR WARS EPISODE I: The Phantom Menace
· Conversations: Doug Chiang Looks Back
· Discoveries From Inside: Models & Miniatures
· Legacy content includes “The Beginning”; The Podrace: Theatrical Edit; plus eight deleted scenes.
STAR WARS EPISODE II: Attack of the Clones
· Conversations: Sounds In Space
· Discoveries From Inside: Costumes Revealed
· Legacy content includes “From Puppets To Pixels: Digital Characters In Episode II”; State Of The Art: The Previsualization Of Episode II; and “Films Are Not Released, They Escape”; plus Episode II Visual Effects Breakdown Montage and six deleted scenes.
STAR WARS EPISODE III: Revenge of the Sith
· Conversations: The Star Wars That Almost Was
· Discoveries From Inside: Hologram & Bloopers
· Legacy content includes documentaries “Within A Minute: The Making Of Episode III”; The Journey Part 1; and The Journey Part 2; plus six deleted scenes.
STAR WARS EPISODE IV: A New Hope (20th Century Fox)
· Conversations: Creating A Universe
· Discoveries From Inside: Weapons & The First Lightsaber
· Legacy content includes “Anatomy Of A Dewback”; Star Wars Launch Trailer; plus eight deleted scenes.
STAR WARS EPISODE V: The Empire Strikes Back
· Conversations: The Lost Interviews
· Discoveries From Inside: Matte Paintings Unveiled
· Legacy content includes “A Conversation With The Masters” (2010); “Dennis Muren: How Walkers Walk”; “George Lucas On Editing The Empire Strikes Back 1979”; and “George Lucas On The Force: 2010”; plus six deleted scenes.
STAR WARS EPISODE VI: Return of the Jedi
· Conversations: The Effects
· Discoveries From Inside: The Sounds Of Ben Burtt
· Legacy content includes “Classic Creatures: Return Of The Jedi”; “Revenge Of The Jedi Teaser Trailer”; Return Of The Jedi Launch Trailer; “It Began TV Spot”; “Climactic Chapter TV Spot”; plus five deleted scenes.
About The Walt Disney Studios
For over 90 years, The Walt Disney Studios has been the foundation on which The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) was built. Today, the Studio brings quality movies, music and stage plays to consumers throughout the world.
Feature films are released under the following banners: Disney, including Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios; Disneynature; Marvel Studios; Disney|Lucasfilm; and Touchstone Pictures, the banner under which live-action films from DreamWorks Studios are distributed. The Disney Music Group encompasses the Walt Disney Records and Hollywood Records labels, as well as Disney Music Publishing. The Disney Theatrical Group produces and licenses live events, including Disney on Broadway, Disney On Ice and Disney Live!.
About Lucasfilm Ltd.
Lucasfilm Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is a global leader in film, television and digital entertainment production. In addition to its motion-picture and television production, the company's activities include visual effects and audio post-production, cutting-edge digital animation, interactive entertainment software, and the management of the global merchandising activities for its entertainment properties including the legendary STAR WARS and INDIANA JONES franchises. Lucasfilm Ltd. is headquartered in northern California.
Lucasfilm, the Lucasfilm logo, STAR WARS and related properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. STAR WARS © & TM 2015 Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights Reserved. All other trademarks and trade names are properties of their respective owners.
About 20th Century Fox
One of the world’s largest producers and distributors of motion pictures, 20th Century Fox Film produces, acquires and distributes motion pictures throughout the world. These motion pictures are produced or acquired by the following units of 20th Century Fox Film: Twentieth Century Fox, Fox 2000 Pictures, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Fox International Productions, and Twentieth Century Fox Animation.
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