Tuesday, February 9, 2010

News - 02/09/10...

How Dumbo rolled into Disney

Michael Barrier has a fascinating essay on the story behind the story of Dumbo. The first version of Dumbo was copyrighted in 1939, but not in normal book form. Instead the thing stated life on an odd and interesting device from the late 1930’s called a “Roll-A-Book”. Barrier’s piece goes in depth with lots of quotes from the people involved, research in the Disney vaults, and even a look from the patent office on what the Roll-A-Book may have looked like.





First Look at Studio Ghibli’s New Film

Collider shares the first teaser from Studio Ghibli's upcoming feature Karigurashi no Arrietty (The Borrower Arrietty). Based on Mary Norton’s popular The Borrowers series of children’s books, and directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi, Karigurashi no Arrietty will premiere in Japan on July 17, 2010. A North American release is likely to follow in time for the 2010 holiday season.







Hand Me Down by Otis Brayboy

My good friend, storyboard artist extraordinaire Otis Brayboy wrote and illustrated his first children's book, 'Hand Me Down,' exploring the relationship between siblings.

'Hand Me Down,' is now available here on lulu.com! Check it out!







It's Official: "Daria" is Coming to DVD

Tvshowsondvd.com reports that Daria is coming to DVD on May 11th, 2010. All five seasons from the Beavis & Butt-Head spin-off series will contain every episode and movie as well as these special features:

Pilot - Sealed With a Kick
Mystik Spiral Music Video "Freakin' Friends"
Daria Day Intros
Top Ten Video Countdown Hosted by Daria & Jane
Cast & Crew interviews
Never Before Seen Mystik Spiral spin-off script

Daria: The Complete Series will hit stores on May 11, 2010.







Passion and Ian Jones-Quartey














Post-it sketch and warm up doodles by animation director Ian Jones-Quartey (pictured above).

"Don't focus on getting a job. Focus on your passion for animation." These words of advice were spoken by Venture Bros. animation director and SVA alum, Ian Jones-Quartey, to the students in my career class at SVA this past Monday night.

Ian is an impressive character, and not only because his first industry job was as an animation director. He interned at World Leaders during his junior year and it was then that his inking talents were noticed, leading to the studio offering him freelance work into his senior year. But, once it became clear how much of a commitment his thesis film would require, he had to decide which was more important, finishing school or dropping out to work. Wanting to finish what he started, he informed World Leaders that he'd have to stop working for them to focus on his thesis.

Once he finished his thesis he returned to World Leaders to screen the film for his former employers, also handing out promotional postcards. A few days later, they called him with a job offer to direct a flash animated series. Yes, Ian had made a terrific film, which certainly helped World Leaders decide to offer him a job...but, another key element to his opportunity was the fact that he visited the studio, wanting to show them his film. It showed that he valued their opinions and the relationships he'd made during his time interning and working there.

But, the most impressive part of the story happened a year later. Ian was still working at the studio when he happened by a desk that belonged to a supervisor on The Venture Bros. Ian hadn't worked on that project, but he noticed a stack of envelope packs on the supervisors desk. He asked what they were and the supervisor answered that they were Venture Bros. sheet directing tests about to be mailed out. Ian asked if he could see one and the supervisor had one xeroxed up.

"I had no plans to do the test," Ian recalls, saying, "I just thought it might be cool to check out and be a fun thing to have." But, Ian did more than check it out. He tried to time out the first scene that night. The next day he showed it to the supervisor who helped him correct the work and gave him other pointers. Ian repeated this process each day for the next week and a half until he had the test finished. But, he still had no expectations that he would get the job. He was just curious and wanted to learn. And, this passion was not lost on the production, which wisely offered him the sheet directing job on the series.

In contrast, Ian told our class about a former intern he knew that was very bitter after not being offered a job at the studio following the internship. In that intern's eyes, he was owed a job and fully expected to be offered one at a moment of his choosing. For Ian, this was an affirmation of his approach to not focus on any single job opportunity, but on his passion for animation instead. And, passion mixed with talent and good people skills has way of landing job opportunities. Ian Jones-Quartey is one of those people that seemed to instinctually know this from the start. I'm very grateful he returned to my class to impart a bit of that wisdom and experience to the students.

And, if the above is not impressive enough, for much of the last three years, in his spare time, Ian has been producing his own animated Web series, with co-creator Jim Gisriel, called knockFORCE. As they say, If you want something done, ask a busy person.

(Thanks David B. Levy)





Mike Nguyen's Animation Blog - RAINPLACE

Animation Students:

If you don't know about Mike Nguyen's animation blog RAINPLACE , then get it on your bookmarks list and visit regularly. Mike has some of the most detailed and thoughtful pieces on the nuts & bolts of animating that you will find on the internet ---

RAINPLACE - Mike Nguyen's Animation Blog

Recent topics included : Fielding a Scene (the effect of field size on the perception of an action) , Amount of Extremes to use when animating a scene, Phrasing , Squash & Stretch Applications.




















[Copyright © 2010 by Mike Nguyen, July Films]

Great stuff ! This is one of a handful of blogs that I would gladly pay a monthly subscription fee to view. However, Mike is such a generous , giving spirit that he is giving it away for free. (seriously, Mike you should at least put up a PayPal "tip jar" for those who would like to contribute to support your efforts)
















In case you don't know , Mike is directing and animating an independent , self-funded feature length animated movie "My Little World".

(Thanks David Nethery)





How To Train Your Dragon Interview: Kathy Altieri

In the run-up to the March 26th release of How to Train Your Dragon, DreamWorks Animation has released a number of behind-the-scenes interviews. Here’s an interesting one with Production Designer Kathy Altieri, who has worked on The Lion King, Aladdin and The Little Mermaid.







Animated Short Escale Docks Online

Éléa Gobbé-Mévellec’s 2008 film Escale is finally available online, after being selected in 2009 for the Annecy International Animation Film Festival. The painterly 2D animated short follows a lovelorn sailor and his passion for a port-of-call prostitute. The film was produced by Nostromo.







Stilton Sold in Six New Territories

The broadcast rights to animated series Geronimo Stilton have been sold to TV outlets in Europe, Canada, the Middle East and Asia.

The series, a co-production of Atlantyca Entertainment and Moonscoop with 26 22-minutes episodes, will appear on TVN Style in Poland, LTV in Latvia, Imavision in French Canada, Al Jazeera Children Channel in the Pan Arab market, Media Corp in Singapore and True Vision in Thailand.

The sales bring the number of territories in which the show is set to air to 50.

The series is based on the children’s book series and premiered to top ratings in September on RAI 2 in Italy. The series centers on the life and adventures of the famous Geronimo Stilton: head of a veritable media empire, erudite mouse, and klutz extraordinaire.

(Thanks Animation Magazine)





Portfolio Opens ‘In Toon With Tweens’ Contest

Portfolio Entertainment has launched a new animation contest called “In Toon With Tweens,” offering top prizes totaling $10,000 in Canadian currency as part of an option and development deal.

The contest is open to anyone in the global animation community and is intended to seek original comedy concepts for television or multiplatform.

The call for submissions is open as of Feb. 8 and continues through June 15. Winners will be announced on Sept. 15.

The challenge is to find original comedy submissions that are fresh, surprising and utterly new for kids 8 to 12 years old. A first prize of $7,500 CDN will be awarded as part of a two-year Option and Development Agreement and a second prize of $2,500 CDN as part of a one-year Option and Development Agreement will go to the runner up.

“Our approach at Portfolio is to break the mold with each new project we develop,” said Lisa Olfman, co-founder and president of the company. “What better way to nurture emerging talent and encourage established talent to be fearless, than by throwing open our doors with this animation initiative.”

Through “In Toon With Tweens,” the top 15 finalists, as selected by Portfolio Entertainment, will also gain unprecedented exposure to industry decision-makers in kids’ television and new media. The distinguished panel of judges will be comprised of Portfolio Entertainment executives, broadcasters and prominent industry veterans who will be announced in the coming weeks.

Eligibility requirements include some professional industry experience. Complete guidelines and instructions for submission can be found online at www.portfolioentertainment.com/contest.

(Thanks Animation Magazine)





Tim Burton’s Annie Award acceptance speech



(Thanks cartoon brew)





Vanity Fair on Disney’s Ink-and-Paint Girls















Patricia Zohn writes about Disney’s ink-and-paint girls in this month’s Vanity Fair. She started researching the topic after speaking to her aunt, Rae Medby McSpadden, a former ink-and-paint artist. Most of the facts will be familiar to animation history buffs, but it’s a well-written slice-of-life piece that adds color to the bygone days:

During Snow White, it was not at all unusual to see the “girls”—as Walt paternalistically referred to them—thin and exhausted, collapsed on the lawn, in the ladies’ lounge, or even under their desks. “I’ll be so thankful when Snow White is finished and I can live like a human once again,” Rae wrote after she recorded 85 hours in a week. “We would work like little slaves and everybody would go to sleep wherever they were,” said inker Jeanne Lee Keil, one of two left-handers in the department who had to learn everything backward. “I saw the moon rise, sun rise, moon rise, sun rise.” Painter Grace Godino, who would go on to become Rita Hayworth’s studio double, also remembered the long days merging into nights: “When I’d take my clothes off, I’d be in the closet, and I couldn’t figure it out: am I going to sleep or am I getting up?”

(Thanks cartoon brew)





Dante, Penguins Originals Get Disc Release

Whether you prefer fire or ice, this week’s new original animated DVD releases deliver it all.

On the hot side is Dante's Inferno: An Animated Epic (Anchor Bay Entertainment, $26.97 DVD, $34.98 Blu-ray), featuring six visions of hell from six different directors — all based on the smash hit video game.

If you’re more of a cool cat, then there’s Penguins of Madagascar — Operation: DVD Premiere (DreamWorks/Paramount, $22.99), an all-new feature pitting the penguins against King Julien to maintain control of the zoo.

Also coming to DVD is the HBO series The Life & Times of Tim: The Complete First Season (HBO, $29.98), as well as the most-recent release in the anime series Naruto Shippuden, Vol. 6 (VIZ, $24.92) and Dork Hunters From Outer Space: The Animated Series (Image, $19.98).

Kids have plenty of new fare this week, with the releases of Curious George Makes New Friends (Universal $16.98), Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Minnie's Bow-Tique (Disney, $19.99), Fraggle Rock: Wembley's Egg Surprise (Lionsgate, $14.98) and The Hoobs: Hoobloads of Learning & Fun (Lionsgate, $14.98).

(Thanks Animation Magazine)





Nick Promotes Poindexter, Magallanes

Nickelodeon Animation has promoted executives Roland Poindexter and Rich Magallanes.

Poindexter will rise to the title of senior VP current series and will supervise production on all Nick’s current animated series and manage its executives in charge in the new role, which was as announced by Nickelodeon president of animation Brown Johnson.

Magallanes will become the new VP of current series, Poindexter’s previous title, and will oversee daily management of the current series staff, serve as executive in charge on core franchises and manage Nickelodeon’s Fellowship Program for Diversity.

Magallanes will report to Poindexter, who will report to Brown Johnson, President, Nickelodeon Animation.

Poindexter previously was VP current series animation for Nick. He came to the network from Warner Bros. Animation, where he was senior VP of action-adventure properties. Prior to that, he was VP of programming and entertainment for Black Entertainment Television and VP of development at Eruptor.com.

Magallanes previously was executive director of animated and live-action series at Nick. He began his career at Nickelodeon more than 13 years ago, working on shows such as Rugrats, Wild Thornberrys and Angry Beavers. He has helped launch some of Nickelodeon’s biggest animated hits, including: SpongeBob SquarePants; The Fairly OddParents; and The Penguins of Madagascar.

Prior to Nickelodeon, Magallanes worked in production on several motion picture and independent films, and as a staff news writer for KSDO-AM in San Diego. He is a graduate of San Diego State University with a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Journalism.

(Thanks Animation Magazine)





Ka-chew! Signs Quakenbush and Trussell

Commercial production company ka-chew! has added to its staff animation directors Corky Quakenbush and Joel Trussell.

Quakenbush has directed, produced and developed programs for just about every major television network. He also has had nine films screened at the Sundance Film Festival — a record for a single director. Recent credits include a dozen shorts made for MADtv’s 12th season in 2008 and 12 short films for SuperDeluxe.com






Corky Quakenbush (left) and Joel Trussell

Trussell comes to ka-chew! from the independent animation studio 6PH (Six Point Harness). He has workedon multiple ad campaigns and directed music videos for such artists as the Gossip, Jakob Dylan, Morcheeba, and Jason Forrest’s War Photographer, for which he won numerous awards, including the Ottawa International Film Festival's Best Music Video honor. He has also directed several segments for Nick Jr's “Yo Gabba Gabba,” and commercials for clients such as Nicorette and Esurance.

The company, owned by Gabor Csupo and Arlene Klasky of Klasky Csupo fame, specializes in projects with live action, design, 2D animation and CGI. The pair will report to John Andrews, head of production at at Klasky Csupo and executive producer and creative director of ka-chew!

(Thanks Animation Magazine)





China OKs Nick-branded Web Site

MTV Networks China and CCTV.com have teamed up to launch an online destination in China featuring Nickelodeon-branded streaming video at Nick.CCTV.com.

According to Cynopsis Kids, the site will be supported by advertising and include at launch episodes of SpongeBob SquarePants, online games and wallpapers, with additional series such as Dora the Explorer and CatDog to be added later this year.

The site will be promoted on CCTV, which reach an audience of more than 300 million households through the main CCTV1 channel and 250 million households on its children’s channel, CCTV14

The deal is the first in which an international broadcaster has been given an official sanction to provide online content in China.

(Thanks Animation Magazine)





Super Bowl Commercials: The Five Greatest Comic Book Cameos

Paramount's reported decision to buy ad spots during Super Bowl XLIV for "The Last Airbender" and "Shutter Island" instead of reserving a slot for a new "Iron Man 2" trailer might go down as the biggest Big Game disappointment for comic book fans since "Blade II" got a better trailer than "Spider-Man" during Super Bowl XXXVI in 2002. However, such letdowns shouldn't detract from the growing legacy of comic book-related ads that have enriched the proud history of Super Bowl commercials.

Here are five of the most memorable Super Bowl commercials starring comics-born characters, presented with the hope that they'll set the bar for either a killer "Thor" trailer in 2011 — or at the very least, a Deadpool ad for Visa.

"V FOR VENDETTA" TRAILER
Super Bowl XL (2006)

For anyone who watched the Steelers and the Seahawks go at it with sports-loving friends who weren't necessarily comic book readers, this was sort of a breakthrough year for comics exposure. Of all the movie trailers that had aired during the NFL's championship, this one had to have elicited the most conversations beginning with "So you know that was a comic book" immediately after it ended.




"IRON MAN" TRAILER
Super Bowl XLII (2008)

The only hero who came close to matching the impression left by Eli Manning at the end of Super Bowl XLII was Tony Stark. Sporting the iconic scene of Iron Man firing a rocket into a pesky tank and then walking away as it burns in the background, this trailer appearance may be the single greatest case for dismay over the "Iron Man 2" no-show this year.

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VISA's MARVEL SUPERHEROES COMMERCIAL
Super Bowl XXXIX (2005)

Thor's first Super Bowl commercial appearance that I'm aware of happened during this Visa spot in 2005. Spider-Man spoke for Captain America, Thor, Storm and Wolverine when a woman in distress shrieked into the night about losing her check card. Unfortunately, the card came with security features that rendered their services useless, so they left to stand in the middle of the street and hang out with Underdog.




"WANTED" TRAILER
Super Bowl XLII (2008)

This was another big moment for comics-based Super Bowl movie trailers because it came from a non-Marvel/DC property. Though I'll be the first to admit that the first time I saw a "Wanted" trailer, I sat through thinking how cool this new action film looked before realizing upon seeing the title at the end that "OOOOoohh! This is the movie based on that Mark Millar comic book about super villains that I loved." The movie left out the supervillain syndicate, but became its own success story anyway.




AMERICAN EXPRESS'S JERRY SEINFELD & SUPERMAN COMMERCIAL
Super Bowl XXXII (1998)

Jerry Seinfeld already had a long run of American Express Super Bowl ads behind him in 1998, but he also had a public affinity for Superman. Visa's competitor leveraged that into a "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?"-style melding of animation and live action for first commercial that comes to mind when talking about comic books and the Super Bowl.







New 'Thor: Tales Of Asgard' Trailer

Marvel Studios and Lionsgate Home Entertainment have provided Splash Page readers with a new trailer for "Thor: Tales Of Asgard," their upcoming animated feature scheduled for release in 2011. Of course, if you want to check out more footage from "Tales of Asgard," be sure to pick up "Planet Hulk" on DVD or Blu-Ray (available now)!



"Thor: Tales of Asgard" is expected to hit shelves around the time Kenneth Branagh's live-action "Thor" hits theaters.





David Goyer Writing 'Batman 3' With Jonah Nolan, But What About 'Ghost Rider' And 'Super Max'?

David Goyer, one of the masterminds behind the live-action "Batman" revival, is no longer acting as the showrunner on "FlashForward," ABC's latest science fiction television series.

"As my feature projects have started ramping up again, I felt I was being pulled in too many directions," Goyer said in a statement. "I'm proud of the show and excited about the relaunch. It's in great hands."

Goyer's feature film work has deep ties to the comic book world, so it's hard to determine exactly which project is getting the majority of his attention. According to a quick note on Deadline Hollywood, however, he might have his sights set on the third "Batman" movie.

"Goyer's feature career is really heating up, since he co-wrote Batman Begins, and penned the story for The Dark Knight, and is now writing the third Batman installment with Chris Nolan's brother Jonah," reports Deadline Hollywood.

Last summer, we asked Goyer for a status update on a hopeful sequel to "The Dark Knight." At the time, he said that the sequel wouldn't move forward until Nolan finished his work on "Inception." But as that movie is only months away from release, perhaps Goyer is now starting to work on the highly anticipated project.

But there's another comic book possibility to consider — now that Goyer has left the showrunner position on "FlashForward," his schedule could be free enough to direct the next "Ghost Rider" film.

"I've talked about it with him just because I'm a fan of David's," producer Mike De Luca said just last month. "A lot depends on his schedule and a lot depends on where we are when the script comes in, but I think just for me personally, this is just me speaking not Avi Arad or the studios, I have tremendous respect for David, I always have."

Beyond "Batman" and "Ghost Rider," Goyer's comic book projects include the Green Arrow-starring "Super Max" and a long-gestating script for "X-Men Origins: Magneto." While the possibilities for Goyer's future film work are wide open, chances are good that he'll find his way back to the paneled page before too long.





See M. Night Shyamalan's 'The Last Airbender' Super Bowl Trailer In High-Def... With Appa The Sky Bison!

The latest trailer for M. Night Shyamalan's "The Last Airbender," based on the hit Nickelodeon anime/manga series, arrived online last week ahead of its Super Bowl premiere. Now that it's aired during the big game, everyone's seen it — but have you seen it in high-definition? And what about Appa the Sky Bison?



Click here to see the trailer in high-def, but if you're just looking to do some bison-spotting, read on for how to find the elusive Appa.

Okay, so you want to see the sky bison, eh? Here's what you need to do: Keep an eye on the upper-left portion of the screen right around the :08 mark. Even though your eyes are drawn to all the fighting in the courtyard, you'll notice Appa turn his head and swing his tail on a ledge in the corner of the shot.

The scene only lasts for a few seconds, so keep your eyes peeled! (And a tip o' the hat to UGO.com, who debuted the trailer and first spotted Appa.)

"The Last Airbender" hits theaters in July.





Ben Affleck Says 'We Missed A Lot' With 'Daredevil,' Reflects On New Era Of Superhero Movies

Seven years after Ben Affleck donned red leather as the blind guardian angel Daredevil, the actor admits the character’s first theatrical adventure might not have hit the bullseye when compared to today's golden age of superhero films. Given Friday's announcement of a new "Daredevil" movie in the works, it seems like the perfect time to bring you Affleck's thoughts on how far superhero movies have come since his turn as the Marvel Comics character.



"Well, I think we missed a lot in that movie,” Affleck told MTV News during the recent Sundance Film Festival, “before they really kind of figured out how to do [superhero movies] right.”

Aside from an “Elektra” spin-off with Jennifer Garner, “Daredevil” failed to become a franchise. However, with a rich history in comic books and many story arcs to draw from, it's no surprise that blind lawyer Matt Murdock is sneaking back into theaters at some point in the future.

Back in March 2009, talk of a "Daredevil" reboot created some online buzz, with many speculating on the possibility of the rights moving from 20th Century Fox to Marvel Studios if Fox doesn't move forward with the property.

“Now they’ve become ‘A’ movies,” said Affleck, “And they’ve been embraced in a way that they weren’t totally. Audiences have really have come out. And they demand a level of quality from them, as well they should, that is no less than the very best.”





6 reasons The Wolfman may be the best monster remake ever










If you are a fan of the original 1941 werewolf movie The Wolf Man, then you should be very pleased with the upcoming remake from Universal Pictures, slightly renamed The Wolfman.

That's because star/producer Benicio Del Toro, a longtime Universal monster fan who helped develop the remake, wanted to honor the original in a way that appealed to modern audiences. (Spoilers ahead!)

After a series of mishandled remakes of classic Universal monster movies—Van Helsing anyone?—we think the studio may have finally got it right with this one. Here's six reasons why. (Click on the images for larger versions.)


The wolfman





























The choice was made early on to keep the form of the werewolf close to Lon Chaney Jr.'s original: A bipedal wolfed-out guy, played by Del Toro in makeup (although he appears as a CG character in certain sequences). "We went up to the studio and proposed the idea of doing a remake of the original Wolf Man movie with the intention of really paying homage to those Universal classic horror movies like Frankenstein," Del Toro told a news conference in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Saturday. "By that, I mean by paying homage is to stay close to the story, to also have the makeup be a big component, have the actor in the makeup being a big part of the movie, and they liked the idea."

The makeup





























Makeup artist Rick Baker, who famously created the wolf in An American Werewolf in London, was faithful to the original makeup by Jack P. Pierce, amped up for a modern audience. "I think you really get benefit from an actor with some hair glued on his face," Baker told a news conference.

The characters














The film keeps the original character names: Lawrence Talbot (Del Toro), Sir John Talbot (Anthony Hopkins) and Gwen Conliffe (Emily Blunt), as well as the gypsy woman Maleva (Geraldine Chaplin), and the English setting, though it changes some of the particulars and especially alters the time period: From 1941 to the 1890s.

It's gothic









The film is designed not as a modern superhero film/monster mash/creature feature but as a classic gothic horror movie, complete with fog-shrouded forests, a creepy old house, villagers with torches, the works. "I said, 'I want you to create something that we haven't seen in a long time. I really want it to look like a classic gothic horror film. Not necessarily old-fashioned, but I want it to reference what movies like this used to look like,'" director Joe Johnston said.

The story









The movie's story closely echoes that of the original, with some alterations: Lawrence Talbot—the estranged American-raised son of an English nobleman—returns to his family's country estate after the death of his brother. He meets a woman, Gwen Conliffe (the brother's fiancee in this version of the story), and finds himself caught up in violent events involving the curse of the werewolf.

The details








The classic elements are there. There's the opening poem (and not the altered version from the sequels)—"Even a man who is pure of heart and says his prayers by night/May become a wolf when the wolfsbane blooms and the autumn moon is bright"—as created by original screenwriter Curt Siodmak. (Andrew Kevin Walker and David Self wrote the remake's screenplay.) There's the full moon, the silver bullets, the silver-headed wolf cane, the gypsy camp, the transformation. There's even a scene between Lawrence and Sir John at a telescope and between Lawrence and Gwen in an antique shop. The only things missing are the pentagrams.

Of course, this being a modern movie, there's a lot more action, much more graphic violence and a more complicated and involved love story.

As for the change in the name, from Wolf Man to Wolfman?

"We wanted it to be a word, exist as a word, and we also wanted to set it off from the original, The Wolf Man," Johnston said. "Now it's a thing unto itself."





Star Wars' Owen, Grindhouse girl in The Thing










Mary Elizabeth Winstead in Grindhouse

We've got great casting news for that upcoming prequel to John Carpenter's The Thing: Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Grindhouse, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World) and Joel Edgerton (Uncle Owen in Star Wars: Episode III—Revenge of the Sith) will star.

That's the news from The Hollywood Reporter's Heat Vision blog:

Winstead will play a Ph.D. candidate who joins a Norwegian research team in Antarctica after it discovers an alien ship in the ice. When a trapped organism is freed and begins a series of attacks, she is forced to team with a blue-collar mercenary helicopter pilot (Edgerton) to stop the rampage.

A March 15 start date in Toronto is planned.

























Joel Edgerton in Episode III

The movie is a prequel to Carpenter's beloved 1982 sci-fi horror movie, which was based on 1951's The Thing From Another World, which in turn was based on John W. Campbell Jr.'s 1938 short story "Who Goes There?"

Matthijs Van Heijningen will direct the new movie, which was written by Battlestar Galactica's Ronald D. Moore and Eric Heisserer, who wrote the upcoming remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street.

What do you think of this pair of good-looking actors? And how about adding a woman to the story, which has always revolved around a group of men (especially one that looks like Winstead, below)?

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