Review: DreamWorks "ANTZ" Can Still Dance

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 11 of 2024 (No. 1955) by Leroy Douresseaux

Antz (1998)

Running time:  83 minutes (1 hour, 23 minutes)

MPAA – PG for mild language and menacing action

DIRECTORS:  Eric Darnell and Tim Johnson

WRITERS:  Todd Alcott and Chris Weitz & Paul Weitz

PRODUCERS:  Brad Lewis, Kenneth Nakada, Aron Warner, and Patty Wooton

EDITOR:  Stan Webb

COMPOSERS:  Harry Gregson-Williams and John Powell

ANIMATION/FANTASY/ADVENTURE/COMEDY

Starring:  (voices):  Woody Allen, Sharon Stone, Gene Hackman, Sylvester Stallone, Anne Bancroft, Danny Glover, Jennifer Lopez, Paul Mazursky, Grant Shaud, John Mahoney, Dan Aykroyd, Jane Curtain, and Christopher Walken

Antz is a 1998 computer-animated adventure comedy film from directors Eric Darnell and Tim Johnson.  It was produced by DreamWorks Pictures, DreamWorks Animation, and Pacific Data Images and released by DreamWorks Pictures.  Antz was also DreamWorks Animation's debut film.  The movie focuses on a neurotic ant who bucks the system of his ant colony in order to pursue an ant princess, which sends them both on a perilous journey.

Antz opens in an ant colony, the home of a race of anthropomorphic ants (walk and talk like humans).  The focus is on Z (Woody Allen), an anxious and neurotic worker ant who chafes at the state of conformity in the colony. While at the local bar one night, Z has a chance encounter with the Queen Ant's daughter, Princess Bala (Sharon Stone), and he falls in love with her.  Z doesn't know that Bala is struggling with her suffocating royal life, although her mother, the Queen Aunt (Anne Bancroft), is the ruler of the colony.  Bala also has misgivings about her planned marriage to General Mandible (Gene Hackman), the cunning and arrogant leader of the colony's ant military.

Z wants to see more of Bala, but as a worker ant, he can't get near her.  He convinces Corporal Weaver (Sylvester Stallone), a soldier ant, to switch places with him.  This causes a series of events that finds Z and Princess Bala on a perilous journey outside the colony.  Meanwhile, General Mandible uses this turn of events to serve his own plans.

I am about to watch DreamWorks Animation's most recent release, Orion and the Dark, which was animated by the French production company, Mikros Animation.  So I decided that it was time to finish my review of DreamWorks' first animated feature film, Antz.

Early in Antz, I was not impressed by the CGI-animation.  It looks stiff and not imaginative, but as the film progresses, especially once the story leaves the colony, Antz begins to show some visual inventiveness.  The film's technical prowess improves as the story demands more complicated and involved action set pieces.

I like the voice cast, which I would call stellar; nine members of Antz's voice cast have won or been nominated for an Oscar – some several times.  However, I'm not that crazy about Woody Allen as the lead character, Z.  It's not that he doesn't do a good job; he does, but Allen is playing a character type that is familiar from his own films, such Hollywood Ending (2002) and Scoop (2006).  At times, Woody doing Woody doesn't really serve this film well.  As much as I like Sharon Stone, I can think of other actresses who could have given a better performance as Princess Bala.  I can say, however, that Gene Hackman is convincingly menacing as General Mandible.

So I'm glad that I finally watched Antz.  2023 was the 25th anniversary of its initial wide theatrical release (specifically October 2, 1998).  It is not as good as even recent DreamWorks Animation productions like The Bad Guys and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.  Still, Antz is what kicked off a line of fine animated feature films.

6 of 10

B

★★★ out of 4 stars

Thursday, February 15, 2024

NOTES:

1999 BAFTA Awards:  1 nomination: “Best Special Effects” (Ken Bielenberg, Philippe Gluckman, John Bell, and Kendal Cronkhite

The text is copyright © 2024 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

---------------------------------

---------------------------------

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like this, MOVIES PAGE, and BUY something(s).

Review: First "CHICKEN RUN" Runs Wild at the End

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 54 of 2023 (No. 1943) by Leroy Douresseaux

Chicken Run (2000)

Running time:  84 minutes (1 hour, 24 minutes)

MPAA – G

DIRECTORS:  Peter Lord and Nick Park

WRITERS:  Karey Kirkpatrick; from a story by Peter Lord and Nick Park

PRODUCERS:  Peter Lord, Nick Park, and David Sproxton

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Dave Alex Riddett (D.o.P.)

EDITOR:  Mark Solomon

COMPOSERS:  Harry Gregson-Williams and John Powell

BAFTA nominee

ANIMATION/FANTASY/ADVENTURE/COMEDY

Starring:  (voices):  Julia Sawalha, Mel Gibson, Phil Daniels, Lynn Ferguson, Tony Haygarth, Jane Horrocks, Miranda Richardson, Timothy Spall, Imelda Staunton, and Benjamin Whitrow

Chicken Run is a 2000 stop-motion animated fantasy and comedy film directed by Peter Lord and Nick Park.  It is a British, French, and U.S. co-production produced by Pathe and Aardman Animations in partnership with DreamWorks Animation.  Chicken Run was Aardman's first feature-length animated film and, as of this writing, remains the highest-grossing stop-motion animated film in worldwide box office history.  Chicken Run is set at a British chicken farm where the chickens hope that an American chicken can help them escape the farm's vicious owners.

Chicken Run opens in post World War II England, specifically at an egg farm that is run like a prisoner-of-war camp.  The farm is owned and operated by the cruel Mrs. Malisha Tweedy (Miranda Richardson) and her submissive husband, Mr. Tweedy (Tony Haygarth), who eat and kill any chicken that is no longer able to lay eggs.  Inside the chicken yard, a rebellious chicken, Ginger (Julia Sawalha), is constantly engaged in escape attempts.  Her goal is to help all her fellow chickens escape the farm and find a new home in the land that lies behind a hill some distance from the Tweedy's farm. 

One night, Ginger witnesses a rooster glide over the coop's fences.  She learns that he is an American rooster, Rocky Rhodes (Mel Gibson), a.k.a. “Rocky the Flying Rooster” a.k.a. “Rocky the Rhode Island Red.”  Believing that Rocky can fly, Ginger begs him to help teach her and the other chickens how to fly so that they can escape the farm.  Rocky is not quite what he seems, however, and time is running out as Mrs. Tweedy has devised a new way to get more money out of the farm's large population of chickens.

I have been putting off seeing Chicken run for 23 years.  Then, I discovered that a sequel, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, was set to debut on Netflix December 15, 2023, so I decided to finally watch it.  I am a fan of the later feature-length animated films that Aardman Animations produced in partnership with DreamWorks Animation, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005) and Flushed Away (2006).  I have also enjoyed a few of Aardman's animated short films, including A Grand Day Out with Wallace & Gromit (1989) and Wallace & Gromit in the Wrong Trousers (1993).

In the end, I like Chicken Run, not as much as I like other Aardman works I've seen.  Chicken Run takes some inspiration from director John Sturges 1963 war and adventure film, The Great Escape.  Chicken Run is also described as an adventure film, but it is really a sedate comedy and drama that only occasionally plays with its edgier elements.  Honestly, I think the storytellers under-utilize the Tweedys who are delightfully menacing and are endlessly funny as a dysfunctional couple.  The film is filled with interesting characters, inventive production design, and a novel plot, but the filmmakers seem to keep holding back the narrative's energy for the big ending – more than they need to as far as I'm concerned.

Chicken Run does not really live up to its comic and adventure potential until the last 20 minutes of the story before the end credits start.  The film suddenly seems to wind up and then explode in a final act of flying contraptions, determined poultry, and maniacal farmers.  In fact, the finale is the first time in the film that Mel Gibson's Rocky does not seem like an extraneous character.  I will try to see the sequel on Netflix, but for the time being, finally seeing Chicken Run seems to be the only run I really need to make at the story.

7 of 10

B+

★★★½ out of 4 stars

Saturday, December 16, 2023

NOTES:

2001 BAFTA Awards:  2 nominations: “Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film” (Peter Lord, David Sproxton, and Nick Park) and “Best Achievement in Special Visual Effects” (Paddy Eason, Mark Nelmes, and Dave Alex Riddett)

2001 Golden Globes, USA:  1 nomination: “Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical”

The text is copyright © 2023 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

--------------------------------

Producer Jennifer Todd Signs First-Look Deal with Amblin Partners

Amblin Partners Announces First-Look Deal with Veteran Producer Jennifer Todd

The “Alice In Wonderland” Producer Will Have an Exclusive Production Deal with the Company

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Amblin Partners announced today that it has closed an exclusive first-look deal with acclaimed film and television producer Jennifer Todd and her company, Jennifer Todd Pictures. The two-year production deal will cover film projects under the company’s Amblin Entertainment and DreamWorks Pictures banners.

Todd has been a film and television producer for over 20 years with credits that include Alice In Wonderland, its sequel Alice Through the Looking Glass, Memento, and the Austin Powers franchise. She is also an Executive Producer on Showtime’s new series City on A Hill, starring Kevin Bacon. In 2017 and 2018, Todd produced the 89th and 90th Annual Academy Awards with Michael DeLuca for ABC starring Jimmy Kimmel, making her only the third female producer in the history of the Oscars to produce the show.

“We are delighted to welcome Jennifer to the Amblin family,” said Holly Bario, President of Production, and Jeb Brody, Co-President of Production. “She is a terrific producer whose creative instincts for compelling, crowd-pleasing stories perfectly complement the quality entertainment we’re making here.”

“I’m thrilled for the opportunity to make films at Amblin Partners and feel very fortunate to work with their extraordinary team,” said Todd.

Most recently, Todd served as the President of Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s production company, Pearl Street Films. While there, she produced Live by Night for Warner Bros., and executive produced Jason Bourne for Universal.

Todd has won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Picture (Memento), Women in Film’s Lucy Award (If These Walls Could Talk II), The GLAAD Media Award (If These Walls Could Talk II), and a People’s Choice Award (Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me). She has been nominated for two Emmys (89th Annual Academy Awards, If These Walls Could Talk II), two Golden Globes (Alice In Wonderland, Across the Universe), and the PGA David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Longform Television (If These Walls Could Talk II).

About Amblin Partners
Amblin Partners is a content creation company, led by Steven Spielberg, that develops and produces films using the Amblin, DreamWorks and Participant Media Banners and includes Amblin TV, a longtime leader in quality programming. The company’s investment partners include: Participant Media, Reliance Entertainment, Entertainment One (eOne), Alibaba Pictures and Universal Pictures.

-----------------------------

Review: "Ghost in the Shell" is a Miscast Misfire

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 17 (of 2017) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

Ghost in the Shell (2017)
Running time:  107 minutes (1 hour, 47 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence, suggestive content and some disturbing images
DIRECTOR:  Rupert Sanders
WRITERS:  Jamie Moss, William Wheeler, and Ehren Kruger (based on the comic, Ghost in the Shell, by Masamune Shirow)
PRODUCERS:  Avi Arad, Michael Costigan, and Steven Paul
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Jess Hall (D.o.P.)
EDITORS:  Billy Rich and Neil Smith
COMPOSERS:  Lorne Balfe and Clint Mansell

SCI-FI/ACTION

Starring:  Scarlett Johansson, Pilou Asbaek, Takeshi Kitano, Juliette Binoche, Michael Carmen Pitt, Chin Han, Danusia Samal, Kaori Momoi, and Peter Ferdinando

Ghost in the Shell is a 2017 science fiction and action film from director Rupert Sanders.  The film is based on the manga (Japanese comics) created by Masamune Shirow and published in 1989 and 1990.  Ghost in the Shell the movie focuses on a first-of-its-kind cyborg super-soldier that fights terrorists and dangerous criminals.

Ghost in the Shell is set in Tokyo, Japan, in the the near-future.  Most humans have augmented various traits like vision, strength, and intelligence with cybernetics, and the line between human and robotics has blurred.  Major Mira Killian (Scarlett Johansson) is a young woman who survived a terrorist attack that killed her parents.  Her body was destroyed, but she was saved by the world's leading developer of “augmentative technology,” Hanka Robotics, via the secret “Project 2571.”  Mira's brain (her “ghost”) was placed in a mechanical body or “shell.”  Now, she is cyborg counter-terrorism operative in a unit known as “Section 9.”

A year after her rebirth, Major is involved in an operation to discover the whereabouts of the mysterious hacker and cyber-terrorist known only as “Kuze” (Michael Carmen Pitt).  An electronic or digital encounter with Kuze causes the glitches that Major has been suffering to intensify.  Major has also discovered that this case is raising troubling questions about what really happened to her and that will bring her into direct conflict with Hanka's domineering CEO, Cutter (Peter Ferdinando).

I would call Ghost in the Shell mediocre or average, but those words don't quite describe the listless, empty nature of this film.  Ghost in the Shell has been praised for its special effects, soundtrack, and design, but little of that impresses me.  In fact, the visual effects look like leftovers from Steven Spielberg's 2002 film, Minority Report.

It looks to me as if Ghost in the Shell's director, Rupert Sanders, is desperately trying to make his film look and sound like Ridley Scott's beloved 1982 film, Blade Runner.  Ghost in the Shell, however, has neither Blade Runner's style nor its jazzy, Film-Noir vibe; actually Ghost in the Shell is simply a limp and lame attempt to copy Blade Runner.

Some have been critical of Ghost in the Shell's story and its lack of character development.  Yeah, I would describe it as “lack of character development,” and the screenplay is indeed hackneyed.  You can see it story points coming miles away; everything Major knows is a lie; she shares a past connection with the villain; being a human is the most important thing... yadda, yadda, yadda.

Because Ghost in the Shell is an original Japanese work of fiction, some people were upset that Scarlett Johansson, a white woman, plays the lead.  I have read the original manga, and Major is drawn to look like a white woman.  Even if she were not depicted as white, it still would not bother me all that much that a white actress plays the part of Major.

It is not Johansson's skin color that is the problem.  It is her wooden, monotone performance.  It is as if Scarlett is pretending to be a ghost with no personality that lives inside a mannequin.  It is obvious that I am disappointed in this movie.  As an adaptation of a visually striking manga/comic, Ghost in the Shell is simply a major misfire.

3.5 out of 10
C-

Wednesday, August 30, 2017


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

---------------------

DreamWorks Begins Principal Photography on "Office Christmas Party"

DreamWorks Pictures Announces Start of Principal Photography on “Office Christmas Party”

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--DreamWorks Pictures today announced that principal photography has commenced on the ensemble comedy “OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTY,” directed by Josh Gordon and Will Speck. The film is shooting in Atlanta, with additional filming having already taken place in Chicago.

The film stars Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman, Olivia Munn, T.J. Miller, Kate McKinnon, Jillian Bell, Courtney B. Vance, Vanessa Bayer, Rob Corddry, Randall Park, Abbey Lee, Sam Richardson, and Jamie Chung.

Laura Solon (“Hot in Cleveland”) wrote the most recent draft of the script. Bluegrass Films’ Scott Stuber, and Entertainment 360’s Guymon Casady, and Daniel Rappaport will produce, with Gordon, Speck, Richard Vane and Beau Bauman executive producing.

In “OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTY,” when the CEO tries to close her hard-partying brother’s branch, he and his Chief Technical Officer must rally their co-workers and host an epic office Christmas party in an effort to impress a potential client and close a sale that will save their jobs.

The DreamWorks Pictures production will open in U.S. theaters on December 9, 2016. Paramount Pictures is distributing the film in the U.S. and several international territories while Mister Smith Entertainment will oversee distribution in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Reliance Entertainment will distribute the film in India.


About DreamWorks Pictures
DreamWorks Pictures is a production label of Amblin Partners, a content creation company formed by the former DreamWorks Studios, Participant Media, Reliance Entertainment and Entertainment One (eOne). The company develops and produces films using the Amblin, DreamWorks Pictures and Participant banners and includes Amblin Television, a longtime leader in quality programming. The company’s first film, “Bridge of Spies,” was released to critical acclaim in October 2015. Other projects in various stages of production include: “The Light Between Oceans,” scheduled for release by Disney in 2016; “The Girl on the Train,” scheduled for release in October 2016; “A Dog’s Purpose,” scheduled for release in January 2017; “Ghost in the Shell,” scheduled for release in March 2017; “Thank You For Your Service,” scheduled for release in 2017; and “Ready Player One,” scheduled for release in March 2018. Upcoming shows from Amblin TV include “All the Way,” an HBO movie directed by Jay Roach and starring Bryan Cranston; and “American Gothic,” a summer series that will air on CBS.

DreamWorks Pictures can be found at:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/DreamWorksPictures
Twitter: DW_Pictures

About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. Paramount controls a collection of some of the most powerful brands in filmed entertainment, including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Television, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films, and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Home Media Distribution, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., and Paramount Studio Group.

-----------------------

"Ghost in the Shell" Live-Action Film Begins Production

PARAMOUNT PICTURES AND DREAMWORKS PICTURES’ “GHOST IN THE SHELL” IS IN PRODUCTION IN NEW ZEALAND

HOLLYWOOD, CA – Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Pictures have announced that production is underway on “GHOST IN THE SHELL,” starring Scarlett Johansson (“AVENGERS: Age of Ultron,” “Lucy”) and directed by Rupert Sanders (“Snow White and the Huntsman”). The film is shooting in Wellington, New Zealand.

Paramount Pictures will release the film in the U.S. on March 31, 2017.

The film, which is based on the famous Kodansha Comics manga series of the same name, written and illustrated by Masamune Shirow, is produced by Avi Arad (“The Amazing Spider-Man 1 & 2,” “Iron Man”), Ari Arad (“Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance”), and Steven Paul (“Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance”). Michael Costigan (“Prometheus”), Tetsu Fujimura (“Tekken”), Mitsuhisa Ishikawa, whose animation studio Production I.G produced the Japanese "GHOST IN THE SHELL” film and television series, and Jeffrey Silver (“Edge of Tomorrow,” “300”) will executive produce.

Based on the internationally-acclaimed sci-fi property, “GHOST IN THE SHELL” follows the Major, a special ops, one-of-a-kind human-cyborg hybrid, who leads the elite task force, Section 9. Devoted to stopping the most dangerous criminals and extremists, Section 9 is faced with an enemy whose singular goal is to wipe out Hanka Robotic’s advancements in cyber technology.

“We are so pleased to be in Wellington to shoot ‘GHOST IN THE SHELL,’” said producers Avi Arad, Ari Arad, Michael Costigan and Jeffrey Silver. “The city boasts state-of-the-art production facilities and a rich urban landscape that make it an ideal setting for a sci-fi action film. The crew-base in New Zealand working on the film is first class, and working with Sir Richard Taylor and the team at Weta Workshop is inspirational on every level. The people of New Zealand have been terrific partners in helping us bring this story and its beloved characters to audiences around the world and we are thankful for their continued hospitality.”

Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Pictures have entered into a marketing agreement with the New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC), Tourism New Zealand (TNZ), Callaghan Innovation and the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE) which recognizes the significant economic, cultural and industry development benefits the production will bring to New Zealand.  The collaboration will further promote New Zealand’s growing screen industry, develop local talent and showcase New Zealand to the rest of the world.

“The production will broaden the perceptions of the diversity of New Zealand’s locations by showcasing a science fiction urban setting in New Zealand,” says Dave Gibson NZFC Chief Executive.

Tourism New Zealand’s Chief Executive Kevin Bowler said: “Tourism New Zealand is thrilled to be working with Paramount Pictures for the first time on ‘GHOST IN THE SHELL.’ Film tourism is an important element in Tourism New Zealand’s work to inspire people to visit New Zealand and we look forward to this new opportunity to showcase New Zealand to the rest of the world.”

The cast of “GHOST IN THE SHELL” includes Beat Takeshi Kitano (“BATTLE ROYALE” series) as Daisuke Aramaki, Juliette Binoche (“The English Patient”) as Dr. Ouelet, Michael Pitt (“Hannibal,” “Boardwalk Empire”) as Kuze, Pilou Asbæk (“Lucy”) as Batou, and Kaori Momoi (“Memoirs of a Geisha”). The members of Section 9 are played by Chin Han (“INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE”), Danusia Samal (“Tyrant”), Lasarus Ratuere (“Terra Nova”), Yutaka Izumihara (“Unbroken”) and Tuwanda Manyimo (“The Rover”).

The film’s crew includes Cinematographer Jess Hall (“The Spectacular Now”), Editor Neil Smith (“Snow White and the Huntsman”), Production Designer Jan Roelfs (“FAST & FURIOUS 6”), and Costume Designers Kurt Swanson and Bart Mueller (“The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Parts 1& 2”).


About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. Paramount controls a collection of some of the most powerful brands in filmed entertainment, including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Television, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films, and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Home Media Distribution, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., and Paramount Studio Group.

About DreamWorks Pictures
DreamWorks Pictures is a production label of Amblin Partners, a content creation company formed by the former DreamWorks Studios, Participant Media, Reliance Entertainment and Entertainment One (eOne). The company develops and produces films using the Amblin, DreamWorks Pictures and Participant banners and includes Amblin Television, a longtime leader in quality programming. The company’s first film, “Bridge of Spies,” was released to critical acclaim in October 2015.  Other projects in various stages of production include: “The Light Between Oceans,” scheduled for release by Disney in 2016; “The Girl on the Train,” scheduled for release in October 2016; “A Dog’s Purpose,” scheduled for release in the first quarter of 2017; “Ready Player One,” scheduled for release in December of 2017; and “Ghost in the Shell,” starring Scarlett Johansson that is currently in production and scheduled for release in 2017.  Upcoming shows from Amblin TV include “All the Way,” an HBO movie directed by Jay Roach and starring Bryan Cranston; and “American Gothic,” a summer series that will air on CBS and begin production in February 2016.

DreamWorks Pictures can be found at:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/DreamWorksPictures

Twitter: DW_Pictures

About the New Zealand Film Commission
The New Zealand Film Commission invests in original and culturally significant films, encourages talented New Zealand filmmakers through developing career pathways and facilitating connections offshore, and works to increase the number of people seeing New Zealand films here and overseas. It is responsible for marketing New Zealand’s screen production industry overseas and attracting international screen productions to New Zealand. The NZFC supports the growth of economic activity and helps ensure New Zealand has sustainable screen sector businesses operating within an internationally competitive screen sector.  The NZFC also helps negotiate co-production treaties and is responsible for administering the New Zealand Screen Production Grant, the Post, Digital and Visual Effects Grant and the 5% Uplift, and for certifying official co-productions and New Zealand films for tax purposes.

About Tourism New Zealand
Tourism New Zealand markets New Zealand to the world as a visitor destination. In the year ending February 2016, 3.2 million international visitors came to New Zealand. International tourism is one of New Zealand’s largest earners of foreign exchange, adding around NZ$11.8 billion annually to the nation’s economy. www.tourismnewzealand.com

--------------------

DreamWorks Announces Start of "Thank You For Your Service"

Principal Photography Begins on ‘Thank You for Your Service’

Jason Hall Makes His Directorial Debut on the DreamWorks Pictures Production

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Principal photography has begun on the DreamWorks Pictures film adaptation of David Finkel’s book, “Thank You For Your Service,” it was announced today by the studio. The film stars Miles Teller (Whiplash), Haley Bennett (The Girl on the Train), Joe Cole (Peaky Blinders), Amy Schumer (Trainwreck), Beulah Koale (The Last Saint), Scott Haze (Child of God), Keisha Castle-Hughes (Whale Rider), Brad Beyer (42), Omar Dorsey (Selma) and Jayson Warner Smith (The Birth of a Nation).

    Miles Teller, Haley Bennett and Amy Schumer start production on "Thank You For Your Service" for @DW_Pictures

Oscar® nominated screenwriter Jason Hall (American Sniper) makes his directorial debut on “Thank You For Your Service.” Hall also wrote the screenplay for the story that follows a group of U.S. soldiers returning from Iraq who struggle to integrate back into family and civilian life, while living with the memory of a war that threatens to destroy them long after they’ve left the battlefield. Jon Kilik (Foxcatcher, Babel) is producing with Ann Ruark (Love & Mercy) serving as executive producer. Filming is taking place in Atlanta, Georgia.

“Thank You For Your Service” was published in 2013 by Sarah Crichton Books and was a follow-up to Finkel’s previous book, “The Good Soldiers,” where he embedded with the men of the 2-16 Infantry Battalion on the front lines of Baghdad. “Thank You For Your Service” was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and named as one of Ten Favorite Books of 2013 by Michiko Kakutani at The New York Times.

Universal Pictures is distributing the film in the U.S. and select international territories while Mister Smith Entertainment is overseeing distribution in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. DreamWorks’ partners, Reliance, will distribute the film in India and Entertainment One (eOne) in the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Australia and New Zealand.


About DreamWorks Pictures
DreamWorks Pictures is a production label of Amblin Partners, the content creation company formed in 2015 by DreamWorks Studios, Participant Media, Reliance Entertainment and Entertainment One (eOne). The company develops and produces films using the Amblin, DreamWorks Pictures and Participant banners and includes Amblin Television, a longtime leader in quality programming.

Film projects in various stages of production include: “The BFG” and “The Light Between Oceans,” scheduled for release by Disney/Touchstone in 2016; “The Girl on the Train,” scheduled for release in October 2016; “A Dog’s Purpose,” scheduled for release in January of 2017; “Ready Player One,” scheduled for release in December of 2017; and “Ghost in the Shell,” starring Scarlett Johansson, scheduled for release in 2017. Upcoming shows from Amblin TV include “All the Way,” an HBO movie directed by Jay Roach and starring Bryan Cranston; and “American Gothic,” a summer series that will air on CBS and begin production in February 2016.

----------------------------

DreamWorks Begins Shooting "The Girl on the Train"

Principal Photography Begins for New York Times Best Seller ‘The Girl on the Train’

DreamWorks Studios Production Scheduled for Release October 7, 2016

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Principal photography has begun on the DreamWorks Studios film adaptation of the New York Times Best Seller, “The Girl on the Train,” it was announced today by the studio. Based on Paula Hawkins’ debut novel, the film stars Emily Blunt (Sicario), Rebecca Ferguson (Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation), Haley Bennett (The Equalizer), Justin Theroux (The Leftovers), Luke Evans (Furious 7), Emmy® winner Allison Janney (Mom), Edgar Ramirez (Zero Dark Thirty), Lisa Kudrow (The Comeback) and Emmy® winner Merritt Wever (Nurse Jackie).

    Cameras are rolling on the @DW_Studios film adaptation of #TheGirlOnTheTrain starring Emily Blunt.

Since its publication in January, “The Girl on the Train” is the fastest selling adult novel in history with seven million copies sold around the world. It is an international best seller and landed in the top spot on the New York Times best sellers list its first week. It has remained on the New York Times list for 42 weeks straight, spending more than half of that time at #1.

DreamWorks acquired the rights to Paula Hawkins’ debut thriller in 2014, prior to the novel’s publication. Tate Taylor (The Help) is directing from a script adapted by Erin Cressida Wilson (Secretary) and himself. Marc Platt (Bridge of Spies) is producing the film, while Celia Costas will serve as executive producer along with Jared LeBoff of Marc Platt Productions. Filming is taking place in New York, NY and Westchester County, NY.

In “The Girl on the Train,” Rachel, who is devastated by her recent divorce, spends her daily commute fantasizing about the seemingly perfect couple who live in a house that her train passes every day, until one morning she sees something shocking happen there and becomes entangled in the mystery that unfolds.

The film is scheduled for release in U.S. theaters on October 7, 2016.


About DreamWorks Studios
DreamWorks Studios is a motion picture company formed in 2009 and led by Steven Spielberg in partnership with The Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group. The company’s recent releases include Spielberg’s last two films - Bridge of Spies, starring Tom Hanks and Mark Rylance, and Lincoln, starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones. Lincoln has grossed over $180 million at the U.S. box office and was nominated for twelve Academy Awards® with Daniel Day-Lewis winning for Best Actor. Other films produced by the studio include Spielberg’s War Horse, based on Michael Morpurgo’s award-winning book and nominated for six Academy Awards® including Best Picture, and The Help, which resonated with audiences around the country and earned over $200 million at the box office and received four Academy Award® nominations with Octavia Spencer winning for Best Supporting Actress. Upcoming films include The Light Between Oceans based on M.L. Stedman’s best-selling debut novel starring Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander and Rachel Weisz, Spielberg’s adaptation of Roald Dahl’s The BFG, and The Girl on the Train based on Paula Hawkins’ best-selling debut novel and starring Emily Blunt.

DreamWorks Studios can be found on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/DreamWorksStudios and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/dw_studios.

----------------------

DreamWorks and Walden Media Unite "A Dog's Purpose"

Walden Media Joins DreamWorks Studios’ “A Dog’s Purpose”

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Walden Media, producer of such hit films as “The Chronicles of Narnia” series, “Bridge to Terabithia,” “Charlotte’s Web,” and the “Journey to the Center of the Earth” series, will co-finance and co-produce DreamWorks Studios’ upcoming film “A Dog’s Purpose.” Based on the best-selling novel, “A Dog’s Purpose” is an inspirational story of one devoted dog finding his purpose in the lives of the humans he loves.

Dennis Quaid (“Far From Heaven,” “The Rookie”), Britt Robertson (“Tomorrowland,” “Delivery Man”), K.J. Apa (“Shortland Street”), Juliet Rylance (“The Knick,” “Frances Ha”) and Peggy Lipton (“Mod Squad,” “Twin Peaks”) join the film, which is being directed by Academy Award nominated director Lasse Hallstrom (“The Hundred-Foot Journey,” “Chocolat”). Based on the beloved book by W. Bruce Cameron, the screenplay was written by Cameron & Cathryn Michon and Audrey Wells. Gavin Polone is producing with Alan Blomquist and Mark Sourian serving as executive producers. Production on the canine tale begins this month in Winnipeg, Canada, where its variety of locations afford the filmmakers the opportunity to tell this multi-generational story.

“This heartwarming and humorous tale is a great addition to our quality storytelling brand,” said Michael Wright, CEO of DreamWorks Studios. “Together with our partners at Walden, we believe that with Lasse Hallstrom directing, ‘A Dog’s Purpose’ will find its way into the hearts of families everywhere.”

“We are proud to once again partner with the great team at DreamWorks on ‘A Dog’s Purpose,’ a heartfelt and uplifting story that is in great hands with Lasse Hallstrom directing,” said Frank Smith, President and CEO of Walden Media. “This film is a perfect addition as we continue to build and diversify our slate and bring audiences movies that inspire and entertain.”

“Walden Media is the perfect partner for this very special story, and we couldn’t be more pleased to have them on board,” said Jeff Small, President and COO of DreamWorks Studios.

Published by Forge Books, “A Dog’s Purpose” spent 52 weeks on the New York Times Best Sellers list. It has been translated into 20 languages and is published in 29 different countries worldwide.

“A Dog’s Purpose” joins Walden Media’s growing slate, which includes a diverse range of films that every member of a family can enjoy. Other upcoming projects include Universal Pictures’ dramatic adventure/thriller “Everest” starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Josh Brolin, Jason Clarke, Keira Knightley, John Hawkes, Sam Worthington, Emily Watson and Robin Wright (September 18, 2015) and “The BFG” directed by Steven Spielberg and based on Roald Dahl’s beloved novel (July 1, 2016).


About Walden Media
Walden Media specializes in entertainment for the whole family, creating movies, books and television series that spark the imagination and delight all generations. A subsidiary of the Anschutz Film Group, Walden Media movies include adaptations of notable books, compelling biographies and thrilling accounts of historical events. The company’s films are entertaining and commercial, while also telling stories that are inspirational, aspirational and explorational. Past award-winning films include: “The Chronicles of Narnia” series, the “Journey to the Center of the Earth” series, “Nim’s Island,” “Charlotte’s Web,” “Bridge to Terabithia,” “Holes,” “Amazing Grace,” and the Sundance Audience Prize Winning documentary “Waiting for ‘Superman.’”

For more information please visit www.Walden.com.

About DreamWorks Studios
DreamWorks Studios is a motion picture company formed in 2009 and led by Steven Spielberg in partnership with The Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group. The company’s recent releases include Spielberg’s “Lincoln,” starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones. The film has grossed over $180 million at the U.S. box office and was nominated for twelve Academy Awards® with Daniel Day-Lewis winning for Best Actor. Other releases include “The Hundred-Foot Journey,” starring Helen Mirren; Steven Spielberg’s “War Horse,” based on Michael Morpurgo’s award-winning book and was nominated for six Academy Awards® including Best Picture; and “The Help,” which resonated with audiences around the country and earned over $200 million at the box office and received four Academy Award® nominations with Octavia Spencer winning for Best Supporting Actress.

DreamWorks Studios can be found on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/DreamWorksStudios and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/dw_studios.

------------------------

DreamWorks Developing Michael Crichton's "Micro" for Film

DreamWorks Studios Acquires Michael Crichton Book “Micro”

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--DreamWorks Studios has acquired the film rights to the Michael Crichton novel, “Micro,” it was announced today by Michael Wright, CEO of DreamWorks Studios. Frank Marshall is on board to produce, with Sherri Crichton and Laurent Bouzereau set as executive producers for CrichtonSun LLC.

    “It was yet another opportunity for him to explore the clash between science and nature, as seen through the eyes of relatable characters. Michael also wrote in cinematic terms and would be so pleased to see ‘Micro’ come to life on the big screen at DreamWorks.”

The high-concept thriller follows a group of graduate students lured to Hawaii to work for a mysterious biotech company—only to find themselves miniaturized and cast out into the rain forest, with nothing but their scientific expertise and wits to protect them.

"Micro" was unfinished when Michael Crichton passed away in 2008, later completed by author Richard Preston and published by HarperCollins in 2011. It was a New York Times bestseller and spent over 20 weeks combined on the list in hardcover and paperback.

“We are so pleased to have this opportunity to develop ‘Micro,’” said Steven Spielberg. “For Michael, size did matter whether it was for ‘Jurassic’s’ huge dinosaurs or ‘Micro’s’ infinitely tiny humans.”

“Michael Crichton’s vast body of work has thrilled audiences around the world for decades, and it feels particularly poignant to be bringing his last published novel to DreamWorks,” said Michael Wright. “This is the perfect place to unite these two dynamic brands.”

“Michael was exhilarated, passionate and invested in ‘Micro,’ a story he spent years researching and developing,” said Sherri Crichton. “It was yet another opportunity for him to explore the clash between science and nature, as seen through the eyes of relatable characters. Michael also wrote in cinematic terms and would be so pleased to see ‘Micro’ come to life on the big screen at DreamWorks.”

In 2009, DreamWorks Studios acquired the rights to another posthumously published Crichton novel, “Pirate Latitudes.”


About Michael Crichton
The library of Michael Crichton is one of the most important sources of intellectual property in the world. One of the most popular writers of all time, Crichton’s books have sold more than 200 million copies worldwide. His works have been translated into 40 languages, and made into 15 feature films. Crichton’s novels include “Jurassic Park,” “The Andromeda Strain,” “The Great Train Robbery,” “Eaters of the Dead,” “Congo,” “Sphere,” “Rising Sun,” “Disclosure,” “The Lost World,” “Airframe,” “Timeline,” “Prey,” “Next,” “State of Fear,” and the posthumously published “Pirate Latitudes” and “Micro.”

Crichton was also prolific as a writer, director and producer of film and television. He was the creator and executive producer of the Emmy Award-winning television drama “ER,“ wrote and directed films including “Westworld,” “The Great Train Robbery,” and “Coma” and was the screenwriter of “Jurassic Park” and “Rising Sun,” among others.

The rich environment created by Crichton lives on in Universal’s blockbuster film, “Jurassic World,” starring Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard, the fourth installment in the “Jurassic Park” film series. Crichton’s 1973 sci-fi film, “Westworld,” also inspired the upcoming series of the same name starring Anthony Hopkins, Ed Harris, Evan Rachel Wood and Rodrigo Santoro, which is set to debut on HBO later this year.

Crichton is the only creative artist in history to have works simultaneously chart at No. 1 in U.S. television, film and books sales.

http://www.MichaelCrichton.com

https://www.facebook.com/officialcrichton

About DreamWorks Studios
DreamWorks Studios is a motion picture company formed in 2009 and led by Steven Spielberg in partnership with The Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group. The company’s recent releases include Spielberg's “Lincoln,” starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones. The film has grossed over $180 million at the U.S. box office and was nominated for twelve Academy Awards® with Daniel Day-Lewis winning for Best Actor. Other releases include “The Hundred-Foot Journey,” starring Helen Mirren, Steven Spielberg’s “War Horse,” based on Michael Morpurgo’s award-winning book and nominated for six Academy Awards® including Best Picture, and “The Help,” which resonated with audiences around the country and earned over $200 million at the box office and received four Academy Award® nominations with Octavia Spencer winning for Best Supporting Actress. Upcoming releases include the Spielberg directed projects “Bridge of Spies,” starring Tom Hanks, and “The BFG,” based on Roald Dahl’s classic children’s novel.

DreamWorks Studios can be found on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/DreamWorksStudios and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/dw_studios.

-----------------

Tate Taylor to Bring Bestseller, "The Girl on the Train," to the Big Screen

Tate Taylor Returns to DreamWorks to Direct “The Girl on the Train,” #1 New York Times Bestselling Novel

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Tate Taylor, who directed DreamWorks Studios’ Oscar®-winning film, “The Help,” returns to direct its adaptation of the New York Times bestselling novel, “The Girl on the Train.”

    “I'm honored to be a part of this.”

DreamWorks acquired the rights to Paula Hawkins’ debut thriller in 2014, prior to the novel’s publication, and set Erin Cressida Wilson to adapt for the screen. Marc Platt will produce the film, while Jared LeBoff of Marc Platt Productions will serve as executive producer. In “The Girl on the Train,” Rachel, who is devastated by her recent divorce, spends her daily commute fantasizing about the seemingly perfect couple who live in a house that her train passes every day, until one morning she sees something shocking happen there and becomes entangled in the mystery that unfolds.

“With ‘The Help,’ Tate deftly adapted a beloved novel into a compelling film that stayed true to its origin while pleasing fans and moviegoers alike,” said Holly Bario, President of Production at DreamWorks Studios. “We are excited to have Tate back at DreamWorks and thrilled that he’s joining us on this journey as we bring another bestseller to theaters.”

"Bringing rich material to the screen in the filmmaker friendly environment DreamWorks provides is a director's dream,” said Tate Taylor. “I'm honored to be a part of this."

“The Girl on the Train,” is the fastest selling adult novel in history with over two million copies sold in the United States alone since it was published in January by Riverhead Books. It landed in the top spot on the New York Times bestsellers list its first week and has remained on there for the past 17 weeks straight.

Tate Taylor wrote and directed “The Help,” which was nominated for four Academy Awards® including Best Picture with Octavia Spencer winning for Best Supporting Actress. His screenplay for the civil rights era film was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay by BAFTA and the WGA, which also recognized him with the Paul Selvin Honorary Award for his script. Most recently he directed the James Brown bio-pic, “Get on Up.”


About DreamWorks Studios
DreamWorks Studios is a motion picture company formed in 2009 and led by Steven Spielberg in partnership with The Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group. The company’s recent releases include Spielberg's "Lincoln," starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones. The film has grossed over $180 million at the U.S. box office and was nominated for twelve Academy Awards® with Daniel Day-Lewis winning for Best Actor. Other releases include “The Hundred-Foot Journey,” starring Helen Mirren, Steven Spielberg’s "War Horse," based on Michael Morpurgo’s award-winning book and nominated for six Academy Awards® including Best Picture, and "The Help," which resonated with audiences around the country and earned over $200 million at the box office and received four Academy Award® nominations with Octavia Spencer winning for Best Supporting Actress.

DreamWorks Studios can be found on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/DreamWorksStudios and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/dw_studios.

------------------

Negromancer News Bits and Bites for the Week of January 4th to 10th, 2015 - Updated #17

NEWS:

From YahooTV:  ESPN teams with Marvel Entertainment, Spike Lee, and Eva Longoria for new film series.

---------------------
From ShadowandAct:  Jordan Peele of the comedy team, "Key & Peele" is working on a horror movie with an interesting premise:  the "horror" of being a black man in today's America.

----------------------
From Variety:  For the third weekend in a row, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is the #1 film.  For the weekend of Jan. 2nd to 4th, 2015, the final film in The Hobbit trilogy won the weekend box office with an estimated take $21.9 million.


COMIC BOOKS:

From NerdReactor:  "Batman Vs. Superman" could be divided into 2 films, with the first debuting October 2015 and the second retaining the March 2016 release date.

-----------------
From NerdReactor:  DC Comics has a new Power Girl, and she is a young Black woman.

-----------------
From YahooTV:  Edward James Olmos joins "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

------------------
From IBTimes:  Crazy "Iron Man 4" rumors.

-------------------
From HitFix:  "Daredevil" will hit Netflix on Friday, April 10th, 2015.

--------------------
From HitFix:  "Ant-Man" trailer.

--------------------
From Newsarama:  Scarlett Johannsen signs to play the lead in the adaptation of the manga/anime, Ghost in the Shell.


STAR WARS:

From YahooMovies:  Liam Neeson wouldn't mind a return to Star Wars.  I wouldn't mind his return either.

-----------------------
From FlickeringMyth:  The latest news about the "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" toys suggest that Darth Vader will return in some form.


REVIEWS:

From Indiewire:  What Clint Eastwood's American Sniper says about America.

------------------------
From TheIntercept: Another penetrating gaze at American Sniper


OBIT:

From Variety:  Samuel Goldwyn Jr., the son of legendary Hollywood mogul, Samuel Goldwyn, died at the age of 88 on Friday, January 9, 2015.  He won a Primetime Emmy for producing the 1988 Oscar ceremony.  He was nominated for a best picture Oscar as one of the producers of Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World.

----------------------
From TheWrap:  The actor, Rod Taylor, died at the age of 84 on Wednesday, January 7, 2015.  He was best known for his roles in Alfred Hitchock's The Birds and in the 1960 film version of The Time Machine."

-----------------------
From YahooMovies:  Khan Bonfils, the actor who played Jedi master "Saesee Tiin" Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, died in London on Wednesday, January 7, 2015.

-----------------------
From YahooCelebrity:  I am a huge fan of the Los Angeles Lakers.  Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak is suffering a personal loss.  His 15-year-old daughter, Alina, died Monday, January 5, 2014.

------------------------
From People: ESPN personality and longtime SportsCenter anchor, Stuart Scott, died at the age of 49, today, Sunday, January 4th, 2015.  He had been battling cancer since 2007.  Negromancer sends condolences to Stuart's family and friends.  I am kind of at a loss for words right now.

Ruby Barnhill to Play "Sophie" in Spielberg's "The BFG"

Newcomer Ruby Barnhill Has Been Cast as “Sophie” in Spielberg’s Adaptation of Roald Dahl’s “The BFG”

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--DreamWorks Studios announced today that newcomer Ruby Barnhill has been cast as the young girl, Sophie, in Roald Dahl’s beloved classic story, “The BFG.” Steven Spielberg will direct the film adaptation of the children’s novel. Published in 1982, “The BFG” is the tale of a young London girl and the mysterious Giant who introduces her to the beauty and peril of Giant Country. Barnhill joins Mark Rylance who has been cast as the “Big Friendly Giant.”

    “We have discovered a wonderful Sophie in Ruby Barnhill.”

“The BFG” will be 10-year-old Ruby Barnhill’s first feature film role. She has been acting for two years and will appear in the upcoming BBC BAFTA award-winning children’s drama “Four O’Clock Club.” Ruby lives in Cheshire with her parents, younger sister and Tom the cat and is a member of her local youth theatre.

“I feel incredibly lucky and I’m so happy,” said Ruby Barnhill. “Sophie gets to go on this wonderful adventure and I’m so excited that I get to play her.”

“After a lengthy search, I feel Roald Dahl himself would have found Ruby every bit as marvelous as we do,” said Steven Spielberg. “We have discovered a wonderful Sophie in Ruby Barnhill.”

Luke Kelly, Managing Director of the Roald Dahl Literary Estate and Roald Dahl's grandson, said, “The character of Sophie is one of the most endearing young heroes in Roald Dahl’s stories. She is as brave as she is curious and has an innate sense of wonder. Many congratulations to Ruby on landing the role. We hope that making ‘The BFG’ proves an utterly magical adventure for her.”

DreamWorks acquired the rights to the book in 2010 after Kathleen Kennedy brought it to the company. Melissa Mathison, who last teamed with Spielberg and Kennedy on "E.T.," has written the screenplay. Spielberg, Frank Marshall and Sam Mercer will produce while Kennedy, John Madden and Michael Siegel are on board as Executive Producers. Kristie Macosko Krieger and Adam Somner are Co-Producers.

Spielberg will begin production on "The BFG" in early 2015 and it will open in U.S. theaters on July 1, 2016. The Walt Disney Company is distributing the film in the U.S. and select international territories while Mister Smith Entertainment is handling distribution in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. DreamWorks’ partner, Reliance, will distribute the film in India.

About DreamWorks Studios
DreamWorks Studios is a motion picture company formed in 2009 and led by Steven Spielberg in partnership with The Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group. The company’s recent releases include Spielberg's "Lincoln," starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones. The film has grossed over $180 million at the U.S. box office and was nominated for twelve Academy Awards® with Daniel Day-Lewis winning for Best Actor. Other releases include “The Hundred-Foot Journey,” starring Helen Mirren, Steven Spielberg’s "War Horse," based on Michael Morpurgo’s award-winning book and nominated for six Academy Awards® including Best Picture, and "The Help," which resonated with audiences around the country and earned over $200 million at the box office and received four Academy Award® nominations with Octavia Spencer winning for Best Supporting Actress.

DreamWorks Studios can be found on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/DreamWorksStudios and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/dw_studios.

About "The BFG"
First published in 1982, "The BFG" was Roald Dahl’s own favorite of his stories. Today, the book is published in 38 foreign languages, including Vietnamese, Korean, Ukrainian, Indonesian, Albanian, Estonian, Hebrew and Welsh.

“The BFG” will be the latest Roald Dahl title to be adapted for stage and screen, following major films including “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” (1971), “James and the Giant Peach” (1996), “Matilda” (1996), “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” (2005) and “Fantastic Mr Fox” (2009). The phenomenally successful award-winning “Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical” continues playing to packed audiences in the West End and on Broadway. In 2015, the show is set to open in Sydney and begin touring the USA. Additionally, over a million people have seen the West End musical production of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” since its opening in June 2013.

About Roald Dahl and his legacy
Roald Dahl (1916–1990) was one of the world’s most inventive, mischievous and successful storytellers. His stories are currently available in 58 languages, and, by conservative estimate, he has sold more than 200 million books. Ten percent of all the Roald Dahl royalties are donated to the two Roald Dahl charities - Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity and The Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre. Roald Dahl Day is marked annually all over the world on Roald Dahl’s birthday, September 13th, and in 2016 there will be global celebrations for the Centenary of his birth, which will coincide with the release of “The BFG” movie.

For further information on “The BFG” and the wonderful world of Roald Dahl please visit:

www.roalddahl.com
www.facebook.com/TheBFGByRoaldDahl
www.twitter.com/roald_dahl

----------------------------

Mark Rylance Cast as Title Character in Steven Spielberg's "The BFG"

“The BFG” Has Found Its Big Friendly Giant in Mark Rylance

Three-Time Tony Award Winner and Two-Time Olivier Award Winner Has Been Cast as Title Character in Spielberg Film

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--DreamWorks Studios announced today that three-time Tony Award winner and two-time Olivier Award winner Mark Rylance has been cast as the title character in “The BFG.” Steven Spielberg will direct the adaptation of Roald Dahl’s beloved classic children’s novel. Published in 1982, “The BFG” tells the tale of a young girl, the Queen of England and a benevolent giant known as the BFG, who set out on an adventure to capture the evil, man-eating giants who have been invading the human world.

    “As I witnessed on stage, Mark Rylance is a transformational actor”

“As I witnessed on stage, Mark Rylance is a transformational actor,” said Steven Spielberg. “I am excited and thrilled that Mark will be making this journey with us to Giant Country. Everything about his career so far is about making the courageous choice and I'm honored he has chosen ‘The BFG’ as his next big screen performance.”

Luke Kelly, Managing Director of the Roald Dahl Literary Estate and Roald Dahl's grandson, said, “We are ecstatic at this choice. Mark is incredibly talented, one of the great British actors working today. I've had the privilege of seeing Mark perform, and the thought of watching him transform into ‘the only nice and jumbly Giant in Giant Country' is, as The BFG himself might say, absolutely phizz-whizzing.”

Mark Rylance is currently working with Steven Spielberg on the Untitled Cold War Spy Thriller, which stars Tom Hanks. His other upcoming projects include “The Gunman,” “Days and Nights,” and the lead role in the much-anticipated BBC adaptation of “Wolf Hall.” Rylance’s three Tony Awards were for his roles in “Boeing Boeing,” “Jerusalem” and Twelfth Night.” He earned his two Olivier Awards for his roles in “Much Ado About Nothing” and “Jerusalem.” He has appeared in such films as “The Other Boleyn Girl” and “Angels and Insects.” Rylance is represented by Hamilton Hodell and Peikoff Mahan Law Office.

DreamWorks acquired the rights to the book in 2010 after Kathleen Kennedy brought it to the company. Melissa Mathison, who last teamed with Spielberg and Kennedy on "E.T.," has written the screenplay. Spielberg, Frank Marshall and Sam Mercer will produce while Kennedy, John Madden and Michael Siegel are on board as Executive Producers. Kristie Macosko Krieger and Adam Somner are Co-Producers.

Spielberg will begin production on "The BFG" in early 2015 and it will open in U.S. theaters on July 1, 2016. The Walt Disney Company is distributing the film in the U.S. and select international territories while Mister Smith Entertainment is handling distribution in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. DreamWorks’ partner, Reliance, will distribute the film in India.

About DreamWorks Studios
DreamWorks Studios is a motion picture company formed in 2009 and led by Steven Spielberg in partnership with The Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group. The company’s recent releases include Spielberg's "Lincoln," starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones. The film has grossed over $180 million at the U.S. box office and was nominated for twelve Academy Awards® with Daniel Day-Lewis winning for Best Actor. Other releases include “The Hundred-Foot Journey,” starring Helen Mirren, Steven Spielberg’s "War Horse," based on Michael Morpurgo’s award-winning book and was nominated for six Academy Awards® including Best Picture, and "The Help," which resonated with audiences around the country and earned over $200 million at the box office and received four Academy Award® nominations with Octavia Spencer winning for Best Supporting Actress.

DreamWorks Studios can be found on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/DreamWorksStudios and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/dw_studios.

About "The BFG"
First published in 1982, "The BFG" was Roald Dahl’s own favorite of his stories. Today, the book is published in 38 foreign languages, including Vietnamese, Korean, Ukrainian, Indonesian, Albanian, Estonian, Hebrew and Welsh.

“The BFG” will be the latest Roald Dahl title to be adapted for stage and screen, following major films including “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” (1971), “James and the Giant Peach” (1996), “Matilda” (1996), “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” (2005) and “Fantastic Mr Fox” (2009). The phenomenally successful award-winning “Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical” continues playing to packed audiences in the West End and on Broadway. In 2015, the show is set to open in Sydney and begin touring the USA. Additionally, over a million people have seen the West End musical production of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” since its opening in June 2013.

About Roald Dahl and his legacy
Roald Dahl (1916–1990) was one of the world’s most inventive, mischievous and successful storytellers. His stories are currently available in 58 languages, and, by conservative estimate, he has sold more than 200 million books. Ten percent of all the Roald Dahl royalties are donated to the two Roald Dahl charities - Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity and The Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre. Roald Dahl Day is marked annually all over the world on Roald Dahl’s birthday, September 13th, and in 2016 there will be global celebrations for the Centenary of his birth, which will coincide with the release of “The BFG” movie.

For further information on “The BFG” and the wonderful world of Roald Dahl please visit:

www.roalddahl.com
www.facebook.com/TheBFGByRoaldDahl
www.twitter.com/roald_dahl

----------------------------

Review: "The Curse of the Jade Scorpion" a Nice Ode to 1940s Era Films

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 255 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Curse of the Jade Scorpion (2001)
Running time:  103 minutes (1 hour, 43 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for some sexual content
WRITER/DIRECTOR:  Woody Allen
PRODUCER:  Letty Aronson
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Zhao Fei
EDITOR:  Alisa Lepselter

COMEDY/CRIME/MYSTERY/ROMANCE

Starring:  Woody Allen, Helen Hunt, Dan Aykroyd, Brian Markinson, Elizabeth Berkley, Wallace Shawn, Charlize Theron, David Ogden Stiers, and Carol Bayeux

The subject of this movie review is The Curse of the Jade Scorpion, a 2001 romance, crime-comedy and mystery film from writer-director Woody Allen.  The film follows an insurance investigator and an efficiency expert, both hypnotized into stealing jewels by a crooked hypnotist using a jade scorpion.

New York City – 1940:  C.W. Briggs (Woody Allen) is the top insurance investigator for North Coast Casualty and Fidelity of New York, and he is his boss, Chris Magruder’s (Dan Aykroyd) go-to-guy when it comes to solving the thefts of high value items that North Coast is insuring.  C.W. has also been sparring with the company’s latest hire, Betty Ann Fitzgerald (Helen Hunt), an efficiency expert with an eye on putting C.W. in his place.

At a dinner party, a crooked hypnotist named Voltan (David Ogden Stiers) uses a jeweled charm, the Jade Scorpion, to hypnotize C.W. and Betty Ann.  Soon, the combative co-workers are babbling like love struck kids.  Their colleagues think this is some kind of clever hypnosis gag, so no one realizes that Voltan has placed C.W. and Betty Ann under a post-hypnotic suggestion.  Voltan controls C.W. and makes the insurance investigator use his professional skills and inside information to steal a fortune in jewels from two prominent families that have insured their treasure with North Coast.  With the police after him for the robberies, will C.W. ever get a clue that he’s a hypnotized dupe?

The Curse of the Jade Scorpion is Woody Allen’s delightful ode to movies from the 1940’s, like his delightful 1987 movie, Radio Days, was.  Jade is a nod to the light mystery films of the 40’s, but here, this material isn’t particularly strong, although the acting is quite good and gives the movie a sense of earnest fun.  The entire cast seems up to recreating both the style and ambience of 40’s era movies and the characters in them, and that’s a credit to Allen’s direction.

Helen Hunt is spicy as Betty Ann Fitzgerald, and she makes an excellent foil for Allen’s C.W. Briggs, who is the typical wisecracking character Allen plays in his comedies.  Charlize Theron glams it up to create the sexy, bold, and randy Laura Kensington, a character with an unfortunately too small part because she gives this flick a much-needed kick in the rear every time she’s on screen.  Brian Markinson, Elizabeth Berkley, and Wallace Shawn also add the right touches to their parts and add flavor to this film.

The Curse of the Jade Scorpion isn’t great Allen, nor is it anywhere nearly as good as Radio Days.  It’s a minor, but good Allen flick that will entertain Allen fans to one extent or another.

6 of 10
B

Saturday, December 23, 2006

Updated:  Monday, May 19, 2014

The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

Review: Ken Watanabe Carries "Letters from Iwo Jima" (Happy B'day, Clint Eastwood)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 99 (of 2007) by Leroy Douresseaux

Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:  USA; Languages:  Japanese/English
Running time:  140 minutes (2 hours, 20 minutes)
MPAA – R for graphic war violence
DIRECTOR:  Clint Eastwood
WRITERS:  Iris Yamashita; story by Iris Yamashita and Paul Haggis (based upon the book Picture Letters from Commander in Chief by Tadamichi Kuribayashi and Tsuyoko Yoshido)
PRODUCERS:  Clint Eastwood, Steven Spielberg, and Robert Lorenz
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Tom Stern
EDITORS:  Joel Cox and Gary D. Roach
COMPOSERS: Kyle Eastwood and Michael Stevens
2007 Academy Award winner

WAR/DRAMA

Starring:  Ken Watanabe, Kazunari Ninomiya, Tsuyoshi Ihara, Ryo Kase, Shido Nakamura, Hiroshi Watanabe, Takumi Bando, Yuki Matsuzaki, and Luke Eberl

The subject of this movie review is Letters from Iwo Jima, a 2006 war film from director Clint Eastwood.  Set during World War II, the film is almost entirely in the Japanese language and tells the story of the Battle of Iwo Jima from the perspective of the Japanese soldiers.  Eastwood also makes contributions to the film’s score which was created by his son, Kyle Eastwood, and Michael Stevens.

Letters from Iwo Jima is director Clint Eastwood’s companion piece to his film, Flags of our Fathers.  The films form a two-part examination of the ordinary men who fought on both sides of World War II during the crucial battle for a small island.

As tens of thousands of Allied troops storm Iwo Jima, Japanese General Tadamichi Kuribayashi (Ken Watanabe) knows his men are outnumbered, running low on supplies, and have no hope of troop support or even rescue.  The Japanese troops prepare to meet their fate – to die in battle or to die by their own hands.  Gen. Kuribayashi and a soldier named Saigo (Kazunari Ninomiya) often pass the time writing letters to their wives, although they realize that the letters may never reach mainland Japan.

Eastwood directs Letters from Iwo Jima with stark simplicity that makes even its bloodiness seem eloquent and the drama never heavy-handed.  For a war picture, Letters from Iwo Jima is surprisingly both quiet and thoughtful.  Even the battle scenes come across as a time for reflection.  If there are still any doubts about Clint Eastwood as a talented director who has the ability to weave intimate character dramas, then, Letters from Iwo Jima should put that hogwash to rest.

Eastwood is also quite good at directing actors and getting strong dramatic turns from both his leads and his supporting cast.  Letters’ cast is strong, but Kazunari Ninomiya and Ken Watanabe stand out, in particularly the latter.  Watanabe has a regal air about him, but there is substance in all his performances.  He’s old Hollywood – a “face,” but he also has the dramatic chops to bury himself in characters and bring them to life.

7 of 10
A-

NOTES:
2007 Academy Awards:  1 win for “Best Achievement in Sound Editing” (Alan Robert Murray and Bub Asman); 3 nominations for “Best Picture of the Year” (Clint Eastwood, Steven Spielberg, and Robert Lorenz), “Best Achievement in Directing” (Clint Eastwood), and “Best Writing, Original Screenplay” (Iris Yamashita-screenplay/story and Paul Haggis-story)

2007 Golden Globes:  1 win for “Best Foreign Language Film” and 1 nomination: “Best Director-Motion Picture” (Clint Eastwood)

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Updated: Saturday, May 31, 2014


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

Review: Special Effects Keeps "Evolution" Going (Happy B'day, Orlando Jones)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 118 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux

Evolution (2001)
Running time:  101 minutes (1 hour, 41 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for crude and sexual humor, and for sci-fi action
DIRECTOR:  Ivan Reitman
WRITERS:  David Diamond and David Weissman, and Don Jakoby; story by Don Jakoby
PRODUCERS:  Daniel Goldberg, Joe Medjuck, and Ivan Reitman
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Michael Chapman (D.o.P.)
EDITORS:  Wendy Greene Bricmont and Sheldon Kahn
COMPOSER:  John Powell

SCI-FI/COMEDY

Starring:  David Duchovny, Julianne Moore, Orlando Jones, Seann William Scott, Ted Levine, Dan Aykroyd, Ethan Suplee, Ty Burrell, Sarah Silverman, and John Cho

The subject of this movie review is Evolution, a 2001 science fiction comedy from director Ivan Reitman.  The film follows four people who are fighting an alien organism that has been rapidly evolving into outlandish creatures ever since its arrival on Earth inside a meteor.

Evolution makes me think of Ghostbusters (the former was released 17 years to the date of the latter’s release).  Maybe, that’s because both films share the same director, Ivan Reitman, and maybe because both films seem to have the same ebb and flow.  While the latter pretty much realized its promise of being a very funny and popular film, the former pretty much failed on both counts.

Dr. Ira Kane (David Duchovny), a biology teacher (and disgraced government employee), and his colleague Harry Block (Orlando Jones) see fame and fortune when firefighter cadet Wayne Grey (Seann William Scott) alerts them to a meteorite that recently crashed into a local cave.  The meteorite emits a bluish fluid, and Dr Kane and Prof. Block are shocked to discover that the fluid contains many single-cell organisms that are evolving before their very eyes.  The alien life forms evolve and adapt at such an incredible rate (into countless wonderful animal-like forms) that they threaten to prove Charles Darwin right – the strongest will survive and they will take over the world.  When the military suddenly arrives, they only make matters worse.  Of course, it’s up to Kane, Block, Grey, and sexy government scientist Dr. Allison Reed (Julianne Moore) to save the world from the fate of this alien evolution.

This film has two things going for it, the comedic performances of the actors and the special effects.  Reitman, a veteran of many excellent funny movies, leans on the latter for his new film.  Whereas Ghostbusters used SFX in service of a great cast of funnymen, Evolution seems enthralled by the CGI technology that didn’t exist at the time of Ghostbusters.  Weird animal aliens fun amok in this film, some resembling dinosaurs and wild animals, others resembling slugs and worms.  I was impressed by the visual finesse of the special effects, but I’d hoped that the movie would be funnier, but it only managed to be lukewarm.

The cast only manages to be really on their game for about half of the film’s running time.  Seann William Scott and Orlando Jones are seemingly inspired, but Reitman doesn’t really let them reach the heights of which they are capable.  Duchovny plays it a bit too cool, but at times he is bursting at the seams to really let his funny side loose.  Ms. Moore is almost reduced to being the pretty female attachment, which is an utter waste when one considers are tremendous acting talent.  Maybe, she isn’t a comedic actress, but she can do more than just be the female costar.

Occasionally intriguing, sometimes pleasant, and infrequently exciting, Evolution is sadly another mediocre film that only lazily aimed at being special.  The filmmakers either didn’t put in the work required to make this film really good, or despite their best efforts, they assembled enough defective parts to ruin what could have been a good film.

5 of 10
B-

Updated:  Thursday, April 10, 2014

The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

Review: "Hollywood Ending" is Hollow (Happy B'day, Woody Allen)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 249 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux

Hollywood Ending (2002)
Running time:  112 minutes (1 hour, 52 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for some drug references and sexual material
WRITER/DIRECTOR:  Woody Allen
PRODUCER:  Letty Aronson
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Wedigo von Schultzendorff
EDITOR:  Alisa Lepselter

COMEDY

Starring:  Woody Allen, Téa Leoni, Treat Williams, George Hamilton, Debra Messing, Mark Rydell, Jodie Markell, Peter Gerety, Barney Cheng, Lu Yu, Isaac Mizrahi, Tiffani Thiessen, and Mark Webber

The subject of this movie review is Hollywood Ending, a 2002 comedy from writer/director Woody Allen.  The film follows a movie director who is forced to work with his ex-wife and is also suffering from a case of psychosomatic blindness.

Val Waxman (Woody Allen) is a once-famous movie director who is so down on his luck that he’s down to his last shot at getting his career back.  Luckily, his former wife, Ellie (Téa Leoni), is a development executive at Galaxie Pictures and is the fiancé of the company’s studio boss, Hal Yeager (Treat Williams), and Ellie talks Hal into letting Val direct their big budget remake of a 1940’s film, “The City that Never Sleeps.”  However, Val’s paranoia and neurotic fears cause him to go psychosomatically blind.  Val’s agent Al Hack (Mark Rydell) and a sympathetic Chinese translator conspire to cover Val’s temporary disability, but with Andrea Ford (Jodie Markell), a nosy Esquire magazine writer, around the set, it’ll be hard to keep Hal from discovering that Val is trying to direct a film when he can’t see.  Will Ellie pitch in to save Val?

Hollywood Ending is not quite the typical Woody Allen flick.  It is indeed a New York-based tale of dysfunctional lovers trying to get back together.  Half the plot, however, involves the politics and struggles of getting a big studio movie made, and pretty much everything in Hollywood Ending related to that is funny.  The romance is nice, but all too familiar for those who’ve seen lots of Woody, and it made me yearn for this movie to get back to the part about movie making.  There aren’t any great performances, although Treat Williams and Mark Rydell as a studio exec and Val’s agent respectively do generate a little heat.  Hollywood Ending is strictly for Woody Allen fans and people who like to watch insider films about movie making.  Even the Hollywood ending seems a bit hollow.

6 of 10
B

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Updated:  Wednesday, July 24, 2013

The text is copyright © 2013 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

DreamWorks Acquires Film Rights to Another Doris Kearns Goodwin Book

DreamWorks Studios Acquires the Film Rights to Pulitzer-Prize Winning Author Doris Kearns Goodwin’s Highly Anticipated Book, "The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism"

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--DreamWorks Studios has closed a preemptive deal to acquire the film rights to Pulitzer Prize-winning author Doris Kearns Goodwin’s soon-to-be-released book, The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism, it was announced today by Stacey Snider, Partner and Co-Chair at DreamWorks Studios. Goodwin previously collaborated with the studio on the critically acclaimed and award-winning Lincoln, based in part on Goodwin’s #1 New York Times bestselling Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln.

Goodwin’s The Bully Pulpit will be released November 5, 2013 by Simon & Schuster. The book, seven years in the making, tells the riveting story of two longtime friends who become bitter political opponents. Roosevelt’s fighting spirit and impulsive temperament stood in counterpoint to Taft’s deliberative, conciliatory disposition. Yet, their opposing qualities proved complementary, allowing them to create a rare camaraderie and productive collaboration until their brutal fight for the presidential nomination in 1912 divided them, their families, their colleagues, and their friends. It split the Republican Party in two, and altered the course of American history.

“Doris has once again given us the best seats in the house where we can watch two dynamic American personalities in a battle for power and friendship,” said Steven Spielberg.

Spielberg and Goodwin previously worked together on Lincoln, based in part on Goodwin’s Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, with a script by Academy Award®-nominated writer Tony Kushner. This new project expands upon that winning combination. Lincoln earned 12 Academy Award® nominations, including an Academy Award for actor Daniel Day-Lewis for his portrayal of President Abraham Lincoln, and box office grosses of over $270 million.

“Working with Steven Spielberg and DreamWorks on Lincoln seemed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Doris Kearns Goodwin. “I cannot imagine anything better than the prospect of working with them again, this time to bring Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft to life.”

Goodwin, who was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in history for No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II, is also the author of the bestsellers Wait Till Next Year, Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream and The Fitzgeralds and the Kennedys, which was adapted into an award-winning five-part TV miniseries.

Doris Kearns Goodwin was represented in the deal by ICM.

About DreamWorks Studios
DreamWorks Studios is a motion picture company formed in 2009 and led by Steven Spielberg and Stacey Snider in partnership with The Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group. The company’s recent releases include Spielberg's Lincoln, starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones. The film has grossed over $180 million at the U.S. box office and was nominated for twelve Academy Awards® with Daniel Day-Lewis winning for Best Actor. Other releases include Real Steel, starring Hugh Jackman and directed by Shawn Levy, Steven Spielberg’s War Horse, based on Michael Morpurgo’s award-winning book and nominated for six Academy Awards® including Best Picture, and The Help, which resonated with audiences around the country and earned over $200 million at the box office and received four Academy Award® nominations with Octavia Spencer winning for Best Supporting Actress. Upcoming films include the comedy Delivery Man, starring Vince Vaughn, car racing actioner Need for Speed, starring Aaron Paul, and the drama The Hundred-Foot Journey, starring Helen Mirren.

DreamWorks Studios can be found on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/DreamWorksStudios and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/dw_studios.