IESB has shared a new clip called “Pursuit” from Disney/Pixar’s feature Up. The site has also posted a production featurette and also an interview with the director Pete Docter. Beware of the possible spoilers. Up opens in theatres on May 29.
MySpace Animates Eminem for Family Guy Promos
MySpace Music has made its biggest push for a single artist to date, taking its efforts to hype the new album from Eminem online, with live events and an animated appearance on TV.The animated push involved sequences in which Eminem interacted with Fox series Family Guy characters during last night’s season finale episodes, according to Variety.
The segments advertised an opportunity on the MySpace Music site for fans to win tickets to an Eminem concert set for Tuesday in Detroit.
Family Guy was chosen for the TV promos because the animated series’ broadcast demo fits the target for Eminem. It’s also one of the more popular series on MySpace, which also is a Fox property.
(Thanks Animation Magazine)
Autodesk Solicits Entries for SIGGRAPH Showcase
Software company Autodesk has put a call for entries for the Best of the Best Animation Show Reel it will showcase at this year’s SIGGRAPH.The reel will be shown at Autodesk’s booth, on the exhibition floor and streamed live from the AREA.
Any type of animation is welcome, including video game cinematics, short films, feature films, commercials, broadcast design, music videos or episodic projects created with 3ds Max, Maya, Softimage, MotionBuilder, Toxik or Mudbox.
Deadline for submission is June 12. For more details about the submission process, please visit: http://www.autodesk.com//siggraph09reel_submissions
(Thanks Animation Magazine)
The Missing Lynx
Former Disney animator Raul Garcia teamed up with actor Antonio Banderas several years ago to create an animation studio, Kandor Moon, in Spain. Their first feature film, The Missing Lynx, was released last year in Europe and gets its first commercial U.S. screening next month. It’s playing one time only, as part of a Recent Spanish Cinema series, at the AERO theatre in Santa Monica, California, June 6th at 4 PM. It’ll be in glorious 35mm and in its original Spanish language with English subtitles.
Here’s an interview with Garcia discussing the film and the origin of his studio.
(Thanks cartoonbrew)
New York Comic Con Announces Happy Hour on May 20, 2009
Reed Exhibitions has announced a happy hour for New York City comic fans, creators, and professionals on May 20, 2009, from 5:30 - 9:30 PM at Dave & Buster's in Times Square, where attendees can mingle, network, and interact with the New York Comic Con team. The event is free and open to the public, and raffle prizes will be given away.
The full press release follows:
NEW YORK COMIC CON ANNOUNCES HAPPY HOUR
Kick Off Summer With NYCC And Dave And Busters
Norwalk, CT, May 14, 2009: New York Comic Con (NYCC) today announced it will host a special gathering for NYC-area comic fans, creators, and professionals on Wednesday, May 20th from 5:30 PM to 9:30 PM at Dave and Busters in Times Square (234 West 42nd Street). This inaugural New York Comic Con Happy Hour will serve as a space for the NYC comic community to chat, network, and interact with the New York Comic Con team. The NYCC Happy Hour is free and open to the public.
"We're very excited to launch our first New York Comic Con Happy Hour," NYCC Show Manager Lance Fensterman said. "The last NYCC was this past February, the next isn't until October 2010, and there's a long time in-between. We don't want to disappear, though, and are planning a series of parties and similar events throughout this year and next to keep New York's comic community engaged."
Dave and Busters will be offering all attendees half-priced drinks until 7:30 PM and half-priced games all night long. Further, attendees will want to be at the party at 8 PM when NYCC hosts its summer kickoff raffle -- with prizes generously donated by partners including Dave and Busters, DC Comics, Marvel Comics, and Midtown Comics. Raffle prizes include…
$50 Midtown Comics Gift Card
Marvel Variant Comics Signed by Editor-In-Chief Joe Quesada
DC Comics Variant Comics
Dave and Busters Power Card
New York Comic Con Beach Pack
The New York Comic Con will be holding happy hours at Dave and Busters and all summer long, with upcoming events June 10th, July 15th, and August 19th. For more information, visit NYCC's official website (www.newyorkcomiccon.com) and official blog (www.mediumatlarge.net).
Why Ed Asner saw himself in the hero of Disney/Pixar's Up
Edward Asner, who provides the voice of a grumpy old man in Disney/Pixar's upcoming 3-D animated Up, told SCI FI Wire that the character wasn't all that much of a stretch.
In the film, Carl Fredricksen (Asner) has spent years mourning his late wife, growing older, angrier and lonelier with each passing day he spends in the house in which they lived together. When he's threatened by developers, the 78-year-old former balloon salesman uses thousands of balloons to lift his house into the air... and all the way to wilds of South America. Along for the ride—accidentally—is Russell (Jordan Nagai), an eager-beaver scout who's 70 years Carl's junior. And together they embark on the kind of adventure Carl and his wife long dreamed of experiencing.
SCI FI Wire spoke to Asner by telephone last week. Following are edited excerpts for our exclusive interview. Up opens nationwide on May 29. (Possible spoilers ahead!)
Pixar calls and says, "We want to make an animated feature not about a toy, not about a car, not about a bug or a rat, but about a cranky 78-year-old man with a dream." What was your reaction?
Asner: I said, "Sounds like me."
You've done a lot of animated films and shows [The Amazing Spider-Man, Justice League, Freakazoid!]. Did you think it was a risky idea, a risky production for Pixar?
Asner: I really knew very little about the history of Pixar, but it didn't matter. I'm willing to follow anybody's dream as long as I can have a crack at working on it.
How much of the character, how much of the dialogue, was written in stone, and how much did you get to contribute to the process?
Asner: Every scene was playing with it. I mean, it may have been written in stone, but we were certainly capable of exhausting it when an idea reared its ugly head.
The opening sequence really gives you a sense of Carl's grief, of just how much he misses his wife ...
Asner: He's torched quite a bit [for her] and would torch until the end. But circumstances force him to reconsider.
In the recording sessions, did they have you try varying levels of curmudgeonry and then just pick the ones that worked?
Asner: I would choose the level first. It would either be seconded or denied. And it would vary with each line, each instance, with the particular day of work. I would do it, they would call for this change, that change, this change, that change. I would oblige them always.
The Little Girl Marches On
We get so focused on Up and MvA, we forget there's other players out there.
Universal's "Coraline" took in $2.7 million at 1,423 in 21 markets, mostly with $2 million in its Brit soph sesh, for an $18.5 million foreign cume ...
...Which makes a worldwide total of $94 million ... or thereabouts.
The little girl, by the time she rakes in all her chips (theatrical, DVDs, merchandise, licensing, broadcast and cable, etc.) should be a nice, tidy money maker, should she not?
(Thanks Animation Guild Blog)
Funny Little Bugs Coming in 3-D
MK2 game studio head Nathanael Karmitz and Onyx Films' president Aton Soumache will produce a 3-D animated film and videogame called Funny Little Bugs, reports Variety. Adapted from Antoon Krings' bestselling kids series, the film will carry a budget of $33 million. Krings will co-direct the film, which will start production in January 2010.
In addition, Karmitz and Soumache are in talks with the Charlie Chaplin estate to create a videogame following the comedian's Charlot character. Moreover, they are working on transforming Antoine de Saint Exupery's Le Petit Prince into a game.
Ponyo to Close L.A. Film Fest
Disney's Hayao Miyazaki-made animated feature Ponyo will be the final film of the Los Angeles Film Festival on June 28, per Variety.
Before you get too excited, the tickets are $100.
The film opens in the U.S. on August 14. Featuring 70 features, 70 shorts and 50 music videos, the L.A. festival opens June 18.
Season 1 of "The Spectacular Spider-Man" Coming to DVD
Tvshowsondvd.com reports that Sony is releasing the entire first season of The Spectacular Spider-Man on DVD.
The two disc set will contain all 13 episodes from the first season as well as 2 brand new behind-the-scenes features, and a "Play All" function for uninterrupted action.
The Spectacular Spider-Man: The Complete First Season will hit stores on July 28th.
Disney Releases Tech Details for "Snow White" Blu-ray Coming Oct 6, 2009
Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment has released details of the upcoming Blu-ray release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, which will inaugurate what they are calling the "Diamond Collection" line of home video releases. The "combo pack" containing the standard-definition DVD and high-definition Blu-ray will be released on October 6, 2009, with the standard-definition version following seven weeks later on November 24, 2009 (announced at the beginning of April). Included in the special features are a virtual walkthrough of the Hyperion Studios where Snow White was animated in 1937, an artificially intelligent guide to the Blu-ray, the "Disney View" feature which debuted with Pinocchio that fills blank areas on widescreen TVs with watercolors by artist Toby Bluth, and more. Suggested retail price for the new release is $39.99. Currently available disc artwork from WDSHE indicates that the Diamond Collection may be released in both Blu-ray packaging and DVD Amaray case packaging.
The full press release follows:
The one that started it all…
Walt Disney’s
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Historic Blu-ray™ Debut Launches Spectacular
All-New ‘Diamond Collection’
Cutting-Edge New Collection - Premieres October 6, 2009!
(click to enlarge box art)
Burbank, Calif., May 18, 2009 – Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment (WDSHE) proudly opens the vault, releasing ‘The One That Started It All,’ Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, in high-definition Blu-ray for the first time ever, on October 6, 2009. The historic and highly-anticipated release fittingly launches a spectacular all-new product line – Disney’s Diamond Collection. Poised to transform home entertainment, just as the movie itself transformed the entire motion-picture industry upon its debut in 1937, the revolutionary new Diamond Collection brings audiences the most immersive and highest-level viewing experience, that includes unparalleled features, exclusive high definition content and updatable experiences, superior picture and sound, and much, much more. Taking home entertainment to fantastic new heights unlike anything before, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: Diamond Edition marks the film’s first-ever high-definition Blu-ray bow, on October 6, while the standard definition will be released seven weeks later, on November 24.
The Diamond Collection debut of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs will keep audiences spellbound for hours with exciting content exclusive to this historic release, presented with spectacular newly restored picture and 7.1 Digital Theater System Hi-Def Surround Sound. Utilizing the latest in technology, possible only by the power of Blu-ray, the release includes “Disney Smart Navigation,” allowing the magic and personality of Disney Characters to come to life as never before. “Disney Family Play”, the ultimate interactive Hi-Def experience, offers a variety of immersive games, activities and unprecedented levels of personalization and customization features, to transform how families experience home entertainment together. The Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: Diamond Edition is a Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack (2 Blu-ray discs + DVD).
Exclusive Snow White Diamond Edition Bonus Features
· Hyperion Studios – Audiences are digitally transported to 1937 to discover first-hand the Hyperion Studios, the original studio Walt Disney himself built and where Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was conceived and developed. Viewers will virtually walk the halls of this historic landmark experiencing life at Hyperion Studios back in the 1930’s. This amazing “Backstage Disney” feature contains newly dimensionalized archival photos, animator recordings, archival transcripts and rare footage of Walt himself revealing how Disney’s gifted filmmakers crafted the very first animated feature.
· Magic Mirror – Using the latest in Blu-ray technology, the iconic Magic Mirror guides the audience through the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Diamond Edition features with ease serving as the “host” for an incredibly immersive experience. The Mirror will recognize viewing patterns, knows where the audience has left off and will even suggest where to navigate next. This marks the first use of artificial intelligence in a Disney Blu-ray release and provides viewers the control to personally create a customized Snow White experience.
· DisneyView – Disney’s pioneering animated feature is brought to the modern era of widescreen high definition viewing by allowing the user to expand their viewing experience beyond the original aspect ratio of the film. Utilizing Disney Blu-ray™ technology, acclaimed Disney artist Toby Bluth was able to ‘draw’ beyond the borders of classic full frame cinema and fill the otherwise dark edges of the screen with beautiful custom imagery, giving audiences a new view of their animated classic favorite.
· About Toby Bluth – Disney artist Toby Bluth tells how the movie inspired him to create the superb DisneyView art.
· Mirror, Mirror On The Wall – Through BD-Live, this mirror can find the secret princess inside each viewer with a series of questions, then create for them a personal message from their favorite princess who will call them on the telephone.
· What Do You See? – To win this exciting interactive game, players must untangle scrambled images.
· Jewel Jumble – Players put jewels from the Dwarfs’ mine in the proper order to win this game.
· Scene Stealer – Allows viewers to upload a personal photo and experience life as one of the Seven Dwarfs—on-screen in the actual film.
About Disney ‘COMBO PACKS’ (Blu-ray + DVD in a single package):
To provide consumers with unprecedented quality, value and portability of their favorite Disney classics, in 2008 WDSHE pioneered the Combo Pack – Blu-ray Disc(s) plus a DVD in a single package. Current Disney Platinum Edition titles available as Combo Packs include Sleeping Beauty and Pinocchio.
About Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs:
Celebrated as an entertainment landmark for over 70 years, the first full-length animated film ever made, and still the ‘fairest of them all,” Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ world premiere represented a major milestone for the world of animation and a giant leap forward for The Walt Disney Company. Presented with a 1939 honorary Academy Award® for “significant screen innovation which has charmed millions, and pioneered a great new entertainment field," Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is one of the most beloved and most watched films in history. As one of the first films ever to be designated for preservation by the Library of Congress, it has been entertaining moviegoers and critics alike for decades. It is also the first film ever to have a motion picture soundtrack, as well as the first film to use music to advance the story. To date, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs has been released theatrically a total of nine times.
Synopsis:
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is the time-honored story of a beautiful princess whose blossoming beauty disturbs her stepmother the Queen. Each day the Queen asks a mysterious magic mirror the quintessential question: "Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?" As long as the mirror answers the Queen's name, all is well. However, when one day the mirror replies with Snow White’s name, the evil Queen begins her quest to kill the young girl, so she may once again be "the fairest of them all."
Snow White’s escape from the evil Queen's plan leads her deep into the forest and to a small cottage where she meets, in one of the most famous scenes in motion picture history, the Seven Dwarfs. One day—when "off to work" they go—the wicked Queen persuades Snow White to take a bite of a poisonous apple that places a powerful sleeping curse on the young beauty. Heartbroken, the dwarfs make a glass coffin for their friend, because she is too beautiful to bury. Only when a handsome Prince—who had previously fallen in love with Snow White—finds her and kisses her, does she awaken, to “live happily ever after."
The Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: Diamond Edition is priced at $39.99 SRP.
STREET DATE: October 6, 2009
Direct prebook: August 11, 2009
Distributor prebook: August 25, 2009
Pricing: Diamond Edition Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack: $39.99 SRP
Feature run time: 84 minutes
Rated: “G”
FastPlay™: FastPlay enabled on DVD
Aspect ratio: Widescreen (1.33:1)
Sound: 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
French and Spanish Language Tracks
Languages: English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.
Technical specifications may only apply to feature.
Log Jam Gets Aardman as Sales Partner
Aardman Rights has signed on to distribute Log Jam, a series of short films from Studio Baestarts.Beastarts has set up deals for Log Jam with Nick for multiple territories and with Canal Plus in France, so Aardman will handle the rest of the world for TV, home entertainment, online, digital, mobile, in-flight and licensing deals.
The Log Jam series was created by animator Alexei Alexeev as a sequel to a short called KJFG No. 5. Alexeev’s animation credits include Mr. Bean and Baby Blues.
“As Aardman Rights continues to expand its portfolio, we are delighted to add these new films to our own growing slate of in-house productions and hope to support Studio Baestarts in producing a lot more episodes of Log Jam,” says Sean Clarke, head of Aardman Rights.
(Thanks Animation Magazine)
A Bug’s Life Crawls onto Blu-ray
A Bug’s Life, the second CG-animated feature from Pixar after the 1995 debut of Toy Story, arrives in high-def Blu-ray this week.The Blu-ray edition of the film includes several new bonus features, a digital copy of the film and online access to avatars and a trivia game on Disney’s BD-Live Network. The new features include a special introduction from John Lasseter; a filmmakers’ roundtable discussion featuring Lasseter, Kevin Reher, Darla Anderson and Andrew Stanton; and animated storyboards from the original story treatment. The original DVD bonus features also are included in this two-disc set retailing for $39.99.
Other animated releases include Barney: Family Fun (HIT Entertainment, $19.98), Barney: Let's Go On Vacation (HIT Entertainment, $14.98), Care Bears: Fun Pack (Lionsgate, $19.98), Clifford The Big Red Dog: Fun Pack (Lionsgate, $19.98), DBZ: Fusion Reborn / Wrath of the Dragon (FUNimation, $24.98 DVD, $34.98 Blu-ray), Dragon Ball Z: Season 9 (FUNimation, $49.98), Gundam Seed Destiny Anime Legends Part 2 (Bandai Entertainment, $49.98), Thomas & Friends: Fun Pack (HIT Entertainment, $19.98) and Thomas & Friends: Team Up with Thomas (HIT Entertainment, $14.98, $16.98 with toy).
Live-action releases of note include Paul Blart: Mall Cop (Sony, $24.98 UMD, $28.96 DVD, $39.95 Blu-ray), Valkyrie (United Artists, $29.98 DVD, $34.98 special edition DVD, $39.99 Blu-ray), My Bloody Valentine 3-D (Lionsgate, $29.98 2-D only DVD, $29.95 DVD, $34.98 special edition DVD, $39.99 Blu-ray), and Fanboys (The Weinstein Co., $19.97).
(Thanks Animation Magazine)
Fox, Aniboom Seek Holiday Special Ideas
The Fox TV network and virtual animation studio Aniboom are looking for some holiday cheer as they announce a contest seeking the next classic animated holiday special.The contest begins May 27 and invites submissions of holiday-inspired short films featuring the same kind of humor as the network’s current series, The Simpsons, Family Guy and American Dad!
Submissions should be between two and four minutes long and shorts feature a holiday theme related to any holiday celebrated in the United States. The contest is open to animators who have reached the age of majority in the state or country they live in.
The deadline for submissions is 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on Aug. 31. All videos are visible to the public as soon as they are uploaded and viewers will have the chance to vote on their favorites during the month of September.
Fox and Aniboom will announce five finalists on Nov. 3, with each receiving a prize of $5,000. Four of those finalists will be decided by Fox executives, with the fifth determined by popular vote. The grand prize winner will be announced in mid-November and will receive an additional prize of $10,000 and a Fox development deal.
“FOX has long been the sole primetime animation powerhouse, and we’re searching for a fresh new animated holiday special that could potentially become an instant classic and maybe even a weekly series,” said president of Fox Broadcasting Company, Kevin Reilly. “By tapping into Aniboom’s community of undiscovered talent, we hope to find the next original hit holiday concept like The Simpsons’ ‘Treehouse of Horror’ or ‘A Very Special Family Guy Freakin’ Christmas.’”
For complete official rules, eligibility restrictions and other information, please visit www.aniboom.com/fox.
(Thanks Animation Magazine)
WEDNESDAY: June Foray and Keith Scott on Stu’s Show
Cartoon historian Jerry Beck will be joining Stuart Shostak as co-host this Wednesday (5/20) on his live internet-radio broadcast of Stu’s Show. Their guests will be cartoon voice actor (Bullwinkle) and animation historian (The Moose That Roared) Keith Scott and the first lady of animation, June Foray. They will be asking June about her extrodinary career, and asking both about working for Jay Ward. Keith is also an expert on voice actors in classic animation - the subject of his next book - and Jerry hopes to squeeze in a question about his ongoing research. The two-hour show will be live on Wednesday and they intend to take phone calls from listeners. It’s broadcast from 7pm to 9pm East Coast Time and 4pm to 6pm on the West Coast. The show is not archived - you cannot download it later - but you can listen to a rebroadcast everyday the following week (Thursday through next Tuesday) at the same times.
Jerry expects to barely get a word in edgewise - but he's not too worried. He will be back as a solo guest on Stu’s Show in three weeks (June 10th), when he will discuss classic cartoons and forthcoming DVDs. For now, Click Here to listen!
(Thanks cartoonbrew)
...and Hiddleston to play LOKI?
Sorry Josh, role goes to WALLANDER lead
Over at Nikki Finke's Deadline Hollywood Daily blog, the gossip maven continues to crack 'Thor' casting decisions.
Today she reports that Tom Hiddleston has been cast to play the villainous Loki in the movie.
Mostly unknown to moviegoers in the U.S., Hiddleston has been seen in HBO 's 'The Gathering Storm'. He's also top-lining a Mysterpiece Mystery called 'Wallander' on the BBC for Kenneth Branagh who is, of course, the director of 'Thor'.
His name was first raised in the casting speculation sweepstakes by Finke herself, back in March. At that time she said he was a contender for the lead role.
While doing press for 'Wallander', Branagh commented on the rumor saying, "Tom Hiddleston is a great actor and he, amongst a number of others, has been part of the group we've spoken to and all that's still a work in progress."
As most of you know, Finke broke the news on Saturday that Chris Hemsworth has been cast in the lead role.
Interview: Christian Bale Talks Terminator Salvation
Christian Bale is arguably one of the hottest movie stars in Hollywood, if not the hottest. He's done everything from the small independent movie to the enormous blockbuster like The Dark Knight. And if Terminator Salvation becomes a huge hit, then it's possible he'll have two enormous franchises on his resume.
At the press junket for Terminator Salvation, Christian talked to myself and other journos about Terminators, his future projects like Public Enemies and The Fighter, and what he thinks about special features on DVD.
We just talked to Sam Worthington. We were talking about the word intense and he said, 'I hate that f***ing word.' How do you feel about that word?
Bale: I hate that f**ing word. I hate that f***ing word. I said it first, alright?
Would you say that you're more passionate than intense?
Bale: I don't really analyze each word. Whatever. Listen, people label me whatever they want to label me. That's their prerogative. I don't actually have the same passionate feelings as Sam does about the word or whatever. I don't care. Call me an a-hole. I'm alright. Fine. If that's what you think of me that's your right.
Can you talk about the choice of getting involved with another huge franchise property? What made you want to be a part of it?
Bale: I didn't go straight into it. I did 'Public Enemies' in between. I felt like the franchise was done. So when I first got sent it I didn't have any interest in it. Then I sort of got a creeping idea that there really was something good that could be told here and if that was going to happen then absolutely I wanted to be on for it. I like mixing it up, doing 'Dark Knight' and 'Batman Begins' and doing 'The Machinist' and 'Public Enemies' and then doing 'Terminator'. I enjoy that mix.
Can you talk about the physicality in this role and in 'Batman'? How does it affect your life when you're doing roles that are so physically intensive?
Bale: It wasn't so intense on this one. Not nearly as intense as it was on 'Batman', but probably more intense for Sam because he's someone who actually could have a fist fight with a Terminator. As a human being you're not having any fisticuff sessions with a Terminator. You get to that point and you're probably just dead. So for me it was mainly just weapons handling and the preparation for that. We had a great advisor who I spent a lot of time with, but the physical challenge wasn't nearly as tough as I thought it was going to be.
How did you collaborate with McG for this role on the set?
Bale: Well, initially, collaboration was just me saying no, that I didn't want to do the movie. Then it was, 'Why?' Then it was, 'Well, I don't see it.' You've really got to come back. When people look at the franchise mythology and think that it's over you have to come back with something that really knocks people out and I just didn’t feel like it was there. But that was not just me. It was everybody that felt that. I really couldn't see that it wouldn't be able to get there. It just seemed crazy to me that that wouldn't be possible. So I took a leap of faith because it was the writer's strike and everything. I said, 'Lets just have a few points that we want to get across in another script and have that written and then fine. Lets go after that.' The word collaboration, of course a movie is a collaboration but a director has to have their own point of view. That is a director's job. He creates the point of view and he must have a strong point of view. He has to. He can't wishy-washy in any way. He creates the rhythm of the piece. So you can't have too many chiefs otherwise the whole thing is going to be a... Obviously, he's very open to ideas, but I like it when I'm hearing great ideas and I'm just adding onto that and making something extra.
What was your reaction when you saw it all come together at the end?
Bale: I saw a few different variations like on any movie. It goes through a lot of different shapes. But ultimately the last one I saw I really felt satisfied. I thought, 'Okay.' I think the public will decide. This isn't a movie that you want to sit down and watch in a personal two o'clock in the morning viewing. It's not something that's sort of gazing into the human soul and speaking to you in that way. It's a movie that's meant to be watched with a lot of different people to get that common energy. I think with movies like this it's much like sports. It's that feeling of a common excitement throughout the theater. That's what I loved about seeing 'T2' and I thought, 'I think we might have a chance here.' The people will decide, but I think this movie might have a chance of maybe having revived this and being able to move on. We'll see what happens about any future movies if this one does work out.
If you did another 'Terminator' film can you talk about where you'd like to see your character go emotionally?
Bale: No.
Any chance we might see you in a third 'Batman' film?
Bale: After making a number of blunders I've learned that I do not answer that question until Chris Nolan has answered that question.
Was the 'I'll be back' scene in the script and was that fun to do?
Bale: That was actually something which a friend of mine who came on as a writer for a while [did]. I would've liked him to have been around longer throughout the movie. That was actually while Jonah Nolan was on it briefly, doing work. He called me up and said, 'Christian, I've got an idea. I just want to run it by you. You might just say no way. But just hear it.' I thought, 'You know what, lets try it. We can always cut it out.' But my aim was to attempt it, and you can tell me whether it was successful or not. My aim was to kind of have it be just kind of a logical answer to what I'm being asked that hopefully people in that second go, 'What's he doing an Arny impression for?' I didn't ever want it to come across as an impression, but just something that, ideally would be, a few seconds later that people who know the other movies go, 'Hey, wait a second. He just said the same line.' I felt comfortable with that.
There were a number of reports of you being in Barnesville, Oklahoma. I'm just wondering what you might've been doing there?
Bale: What do you mean? That's offensive to Barnesville. Who doesn't want to go there? Are you from there?
I'm from Tulsa actually.
Bale: Oh, yeah? I was there doing a little bit of, well, sort of location scouting and get ideas for something that might happen.
You and Anton [Yelchin] have this weird time travel thing that you have to wrap your head around. How did that work out for both of you?
Bale: I solved by just not thinking about it too much. As soon as you start getting into any kind of time travel, which we don't have in this movie, in this one since this was before the days that's been discovered, and so yeah, you can get into a complete mess. I mean, it just becomes limitless and completely confusing, but that one was fairly straightforward. I just didn't think about it that much.
The scene where the helicopter crashes looks like it was done in one take. Incredible looking. Was it?
Bale: That would be great, wouldn't it? Imagine that, one take. The camera didn't ever pan off. I'm really having a tricky time remembering that day so it must've been one take.
What's the most dangerous stunt that you did in this because that looked really horrifying?
Bale: If it had been done in one take it would've been [laughs]. The biggest adrenaline rush was actually a dive I had to make down into a cavernous space. I had to drop a fair distance for that, but I had worked with all those stunt guys, the rigger, the stunt coordinator before on a number of movies. I know how good they are. So it became just a heart pounding rush for me. I have to say that the stunts in this one I didn't find real tricky.
Do you think you're fearless? I asked you about being on the ledge of that building for 'Dark Knight' and you said, 'What's scary about that?'
Bale: Listen, I'm sure there are things that I have a fear of, but just not standing on the ledge of a building.
How are things going with 'The Fighter'?
Bale: I hope that we'll be making it.
You've been an actor longer than you've been a star. Do you worry that the current TMZ culture will distract people from the performance that you give in a film, pointing more towards the personal life?
Bale: Well, look, not for me it doesn't because I don't know what things are being said or the gossip stuff that's going on. My life is much happier when I ignore that. As for other people it's their choice. If they want to embrace that then they're going to sacrifice enjoyment of the movies, I really believe. But that's their choice. If that's what they love looking at, I don't get it, but it is what it is.
Can you talk about any scenes shot on the film that aren't in the theatrical release, but that you hope make the DVD?
Bale: I hate all the extras that you get on the DVD's. I don't like that, the deleted scenes and stuff. They're deleted for a reason. Why show it? So, no. Listen, there are always pieces. There's that expression that you have to kill your babies sometimes and that happens. You do sometimes get some very good scenes but they just don't work in the rhythm of the movie. But I'm pretty satisfied with the movie.
Were there anymore scenes with Bryce Dallas Howard that we didn't see?
Bale: Yeah, there were a few, a few. But you'd have to speak with McG about that because he's the one who made the call.
Terminator Salvation opens this Friday.
(Thanks Latino Review)
WOLVERINE Box Office Report
'X-Men Origins: Wolverine' is still strong in its third week of release, hanging in at #3 against blockbusters 'Angels and Demons' and 'Star Trek'. The film took in almost $15 million this week, bringing up the domestic total to $151 million. Worldwide the pic has scratched out about $274 million.
Some milestones reached:
It's now the #12 movie of the past 365 days (domestically), up 10 spots from last week
It's the #3 movie of 2009 so far (up 2 positions - closing fast on the #2 'Fast and Furious', but losing ground to current #4 'Star Trek').
It's now the #2 PG-13 movie of 2009, in the same contention as the previous chart.
It broke the top 100 all-time PG-13 movies, landing at #87
It's now in the top 20 all-time comic book adaptations, standing at #18, just above 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' and 'The Incredible Hulk' and pushing 'Wanted' out of the top 20.
It's the #9 Marvel movie of all time.
Interestingly, it's still the #4 X-Men movie, domestically, although it will likely surpass the original film, which enjoys a total domestic gross of $157 million.
And if you're wondering what the top 20 highest grossing comic-book adaptations are, here they are, in reverse order, with their gross:
20 The Incredible Hulk - $134,806,913
19 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - $135,265,915
18 X-Men Origins: Wolverine - $150,993,169
17 Fantastic Four - $154,696,080
16 X-Men - $157,299,717
15 Batman Returns - $162,831,698
14 Batman Forever - $184,031,112
13 Men in Black II - $190,418,803
12 Superman Returns - $200,081,192
11 Batman Begins - $205,343,774
10 300 - $210,614,939
9 X2: X-Men United - $214,949,694
8 X-Men: The Last Stand - $234,362,462
7 Men in Black - $250,690,539
6 Batman - $251,188,924
5 Iron Man - $318,412,101
4 Spider-Man 3 - $336,530,303
3 Spider-Man 2 - $373,585,825
2 Spider-Man - $403,706,375
And number one... no surprise here...
1 The Dark Knight - $533,345,358
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