Well the rumours are without a doubt true. Both of the Hobbit films will be filmed in 3D. Ian McKellen confirmed that Director of Photography Andrew Lesnie (long term collaborator of Peter Jackson and DOP for all three LOTR films) has been doing some lens tests during costume fittings with Martin Freeman.
I have to say this is exciting news. To see the wonders of Middle Earth in 3D will be something to behold and I am really glad it's being shot in 3D rather than a conversion. Andrew Lesnie is one of the best in the business and I am confident he will do a wonderful job in creating Hobbiton and all the other Hobbit locations in 3D. Just a note though Andrew.........in the dark scenes can you brighten it up just a little bit??? - Those glasses don't help much in the dark scenes.....something I am sure The Hobbit will have a lot of !
Bofur and Gandalf (James Nesbitt and Ian McKellen)
Walt Disney Animation studios have recently posted a clip from the forthcoming Winnie The Pooh feature which opens April 15th 2011 in the UK whilst the US will have to wait until July (unusual for the UK to get a WD film first ??)
I think this is a brave move for Disney and I really hope it pays off. In a world of 3D CGI animation, going back to hand drawn for a second time after The Princess and the Frog is a gamble because although 'Princess' was a great film it suffered from being released at the same time as Avatar and we all know how well that did. Also Winnie the Pooh is nothing new and the techniques used are the same as the ones used on other Winnie the Pooh shorts but is this a bad thing ? Answer....No !
If is isn't broken, don't fix it. This promises to be classic Disney and I can't wait for it. I am most excited though about Bud Luckey voicing Eeyore. Bud Luckey is a legend in the world of animation. Working for Pixar for many years he was one of the main artists behind the creation of Toy Story's Woody and he also created and directed one of Pixar's best short films ever in the form of Boundin'.
Take a look at both the clip and the trailer (which features music from Keane to great effect) and I don't mind telling you I had a small tear forming in my eye at the end of it. Quite beautiful !
Some good news this week that Brit Musician Plan B (Ben Drew) has been cast alongside Ray Winstone in the Vertigo films remake of The Sweeney based on the classic 70's series of the same name. Even further good news is the fact that the film will be set in the present day. I was worried that the film might turn into a missed opportunity due to the fantastic 'Life On Mars' a few years ago and, although I am a huge fan of Ray Winstone, I feared no matter how good his Jack Reagan turn was, people would just compare it to Philip Glenister's excellent portrayal of Gene Hunt. With a screenplay from John Hodge (Trainspotting, Shallow Grave, The Beach and unfortunately 'Seeker: The Dark is Rising', but we can forget about that one can't we?) this will hopefully prove to be a great re-visit to London's Flying Squad. I hope this time it does happen though as a previous attempt by director Nick Love (The Firm) ran into financial difficulties last year.
I think Ben Drew is an excellent choice for the role of George Carter. Aside from his obvious talent in the music world, he has also proved his acting chops with roles in Adulthood, 4.3.2.1, and my personal favourite Harry Brown.
We will keep you updated with all the news from The Sweeney as we hear it at The Production Diaries.
