From Priesthood to Hollywood

In early May Ubisoft games announced they were creating their own film studio: Ubisoft Motion Pictures. To be totally correct it won't be a fully fledged movie studio but more of a production company but there will be an awful lot of potential in this new kid on the block.

Ubisoft are responsible for games such as Assasins Creed, Prince of Persia (already a motion picture released by Disney), Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell and those wonderful but annoying Raving Rabbids. Although the movie version of Prince of Persia was classed as a flop, it did bring in over £350 million for Disney but that wasn't enough profit for them from a £200 million budget, and to date they have no plans for a sequel, which is a shame because I actually really enjoyed the film and thought it was a great Arabian romp in the same vein as the Pirates trilogy. So will Ubisoft release a sequel through another studio? Who knows, but I hope so. There is a lot of life in the characters and a lot more story to tell.

More importantly though is whether Ubisoft will be able to make any successful films based on video games at all. In the last decade there have some reasonable adaptations such as Tomb Raider and Resident Evil, but along the way there have been some stinkers such as Hitman, Tekken and Dead or Alive (DOA), so Ubisoft have their work cut out if they want to be taken seriously.

So what should they attempt first? Well, the most obvious title in my view would be a movie adaptation of one of the stand out PS3 release titles, Assassins Creed.  The series spawned multiple sequels for various consoles and has sold millions worldwide. There was also a mini movie/series that only had an official release in France and Canada. Called Assassins Creed: Lineage the film is a prequel to the second game and can be viewed on YouTube.

The film actually has a very polished and professional look as you will see from the video so if Ubisoft can create this from a very modest budget I look forward to seeing what they can do with a few dollars more !

Pixar Gets Motoring Again

When it comes to Pixar releases most people agree they are head and shoulders above the rest. Not one of their films has ever bombed but it would be fair to say that the weakest film from them was Cars...and even that was better than most of Dreamworks efforts.

Despite this Pixar have decided to visit the motoring world again with Cars 2. This time the action takes place away from Radiator Springs and heads overseas where Lightning McQueen and Mater compete in the first World Grand Prix. Add in some spying and espionage and I think this could be a lot better and funnier than the original.

With a cast that includes Owen Wilson, Michael Caine and Emily Mortimer and a release date of 24th June for the US and 22nd July for the UK, get a taste of what's in store with these two trailers. The first is the second trailer released by Pixar and the second is the same trailer, scene by scene...but animated in Lego......and why not ?

Stephen Fry joins cast of The Hobbit

Peter Jackson has just released some exciting news regarding casting for The Hobbit on his Facebook page. Stephen Fry will be joining the cast as The Master of Laketown. 

Apparently Peter has known Stephen for several years and are currently developing a remake of The Dambusters.

I'm very pleased to hear this news as I am a huge fan of Mr Fry's work. He is a true English icon and I am sure he will fit the role very nicely.

Also mentioned in Peter's post is the casting of Conan Stevens, and yes that is his name. Australian born Conan is a professional stuntman and former Pro Wrestler. Soon to be featured in the HBO series Game of Thrones as Ser Gregor Clegane, in The Hobbit he will be playing an Orc named Azog and, at 7 foot tall, should fit the bill extremely well.

From Game-play to Screenplay....

I was pleased to hear recently that a re-boot of the Tomb Raider franchise is under way. GK Films now own the rights, previously owned by Mutual Film company, to the adventures of Lara Croft and have hired Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby to pen the screenplay. Their previous credits include Iron Man, Children of Men and the forthcoming Cowboys & Aliens so I am hoping for a better script that the previous Tomb Raider outings. A change of production company also means a change of producer so Graham King (The Departed, Rango, The Aviator, Blood Diamond and The Tourist) and Tim Headington (Edge of Darkness, The Young Victoria, The Tourist) are in charge of getting this next instalment off the ground, which will be a prequel and will go back to the origins of Lara.

The original Tomb Raider (2001) featured Angelina Jolie in a very pivotal role for her both career wise and personal life. Whilst the film itself may have had its flaws, it remains one of my personal faves of all time for many reasons.....it starred Angelina (enough said)....it was directed by Simon West (director of Con-Air, one of the best action films of all time) and was based on one of my favourite games of all time. It was the first motion picture in 35 years to be allowed access for filming in Cambodia, primarily in Angkor Wat and that stay in Cambodia was to change Ms Jolie's life forever and started her journey into adoption.

Angelina definitely captured the essence of Lara Croft in both Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and the sequel The Cradle of Life but both films suffered from a weak script so this recent news gives the re-boot some hope. According to reports the film is scheduled for release in 2013 but no confirmation on casting has been given. Lets just hope that rumours in recent months suggesting Megan Fox and Kim Kardashian are completely false because I believe that this would kill the franchise stone dead.

If the producers are reading this (unlikely but you never know) then can I make a few suggestions of who I think would make a very good leading lady....

Missy Peregrym - The Canadian born actress is more known for her TV work than film roles but has more than proved her acting chops and also has the athleticism needed for the role.

Mila Kunis - Probably more recently known for her supporting roles in Black Swan and Book of Eli, not a lot of people know she played the part of a young Angelina in Gia. Not only does she look like a young Angelina (great for continuity) but she is a an excellent actress and could more than portray the role of a young Lara Croft.

Katie McGrath - Best known for her role in BBC's Merlin, Kate is a Dublin born actress who hasn't done a great deal of film or TV work but can do a great English accent - essential for the role of Lara.

Romola Garai - A classic English rose whose credits include Vanity Fair, Atonement, TV Mini Series Emma, and more recently The Crimson Petal and the White. She's not exactly a household name but I think that is what is needed for the Tomb Raider franchise to be re-born. It's no good just getting an actress just because she is well known. To portray Lara properly the actress needs to be strong, have a level of vulnerability, be intelligent and most of all......be able to kick ass......which brings me to my last suggestion...

Emily Browning - If anyone can kick ass its Emily Browning. Most recently seen as Baby Doll in Sucker Punch (I actually loved this film and will actually say it out loud with friends....I have no shame). She proved herself in Lemony Snickets and then seemed to disappear from the screens until 2009's The Uninvited. This Australian actress is slowly making quite a name for herself in the film world and I reckon could bring a lot to Tomb Raider table.

For more information on Lara and anything else Tomb Raider related you could do a lot worse than head over to Codename-Croft. This site has everything you need to know regarding Ms Croft and is the most authoritative Tomb Raider site on the net.  

A Hobbit Round-up

It seems as if there is some new Hobbit news as each day passes so here is a quick round-up in case you didn't already know

 Saoirse Ronan

First...the rumour(s)....Saoirse Ronan (Lovely Bones, Hana) is rumoured to be playing Itaril. I reckon there is some weight to this rumour. Saoirse has already proved to be a fine young actress with a brilliant performance in the Lovely Bones and you could tell from the making of diaries on the LB Blu Ray bonus disc that she has a good relationship with Peter Jackson.

Lee Pace (Pushing Daisies, The Fall has been cast as Thranduil. I love Lee Pace's work. Pushing Daisies was cancelled well before it's time and I don't think I have seen Lee in anything of any worth, since so this is good news.

Lee Pace

Rob Kazinsky was cast as Fili in the Hobbit but has been forced to leave due to health reasons. Rob is best known in the UK for his role as Sean in the soap EastEnders. The role of Fili has now been given to Kiwi actor  Dean O'Gorman.

Dean O'Gorman

Andy Serkis has been named as Second Unit Director alongside his role as Gollum. This is no surprise as Andy has been a long term collaborator with Peter Jackson since The Fellowship of the Ring and he was also Dramatic Director for the Video Game 'Heavenly Sword'. You only have to look at the behind the scenes extras on the LOTR extended edition DVD's and witness the amount of input Andy had for the character of Gollum to see why Peter Jackson has given Andy this role.

Andy Serkis

Peter Jackson has revealed that The Hobbit will be filmed @ 48 frames per second which is double that of normal productions. This basically means a much, much sharper image. Plus the movie is being shot in 3D so it should be one of the best looking movies ever released.

Lastly.....another rumour doing the rounds is that Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Paul) might make a cameo in The Hobbit. There were on the Hobbiton set whilst film filming TinTin (another Peter Jackson project) so I think it's unlikely you will see them on screen but you never know........

It's all MARVEL-lous

As anyone reading this site may already know, Marvel (now owned by Disney) are planning something bigger that any other production company has ever planned before. Many characters from the Marvel Universe are coming together from previous films to unite in 'The Avengers', written and directed by Joss Whedon (Buffy). This is known as the Marvel Cinematic Universe and will resemble a lot from the comics but with some notable omissions.

So lets take it one step at a time, break it down, take a look at some the links and see where we are, shall we ?

WARNING - MAY INCLUDE SPOILERS

The film will feature the following in pivotal roles:

Iron Man - Robert Downney Jnr. plays Tony Stark/Iron Man. Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson) makes an appearance after the end credits and lays down the foundations of what's to come.

The Incredible Hulk - the second Hulk film sees Ed Norton playing Bruce Banner/The Hulk. At the end of the film Tony Stark (Robert Downney Jnr.) approaches General Ross in a bar regarding S.H.I.E.L.D / Avengers initiative and a possible partnership together. Also worth pointing out that in an alternate opening found on the DVD/Blu Ray Captain America can be seen frozen in ice.

Iron Man 2 - Captain America's prototype shield makes a prominent appearance and is crucial in helping Tony Stark. Nick Fury is featured heavily discussing S.H.I.E.L.D with Tony Stark and Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow) ends up working for Stark Industries so her character is flawlessly introduced. At the end of the film Nick Fury is seen with Tony Stark in a safe-house. There are multiple monitors featuring, amongst other things, a news report from the college campus featured in the Incredible Hulk (which suggests Iron Man 2 takes place slightly before The Incredible Hulk) and another monitor shows a crater which links very nicely into Thor.

After the credits there is a great scene in which Agent Coulson find's Thor's hammer in a huge crater.

Thor - Chris Hemsworth plays Thor and the basic premise is that Thor is banished to earth with his mighty Hammer. This is found by SHIELD (agent Coulson) and Thor tries to retrieve it. At the time of writing this Thor has yet to be released in the UK but as soon as I have the pleasure of seeing it I will post a full review including easter eggs and clues.

Captain America - Still yet to be released, this is set n 1942 during the second world war Steve Rogers(Chris Evans) is classed as physically unfit to enlist so volunteers for a secret military operation called Project Rebirth. He is transformed into Super Hero Captain America and takes on Hitler's head of advanced weaponry Red Skull (Hugo Weaving). Tony Stark's father Howard is a major character in this film. Joss Whedon has also confirmed that Captain America will arrive in the 21st Century in this episode and not in the Avengers.

So thats what we have so far and it's all looking great isn't it ? All of the actors from the previous films will be getting repeat fees (Samuel L Jackson has signed a 9 picture deal to play Nick Fury) with the exception of Ed Norton playing the Hulk. Rumour has it that Marvel didn't feel he was a team player (which is just a polite way of saying he's a nightmare to work with I suppose) so his role will now be played by Mark Ruffalo. A great choice I think. Mark is a very natural performer in my opinion and will add a lot to the role.I also understand that he will be doing his own motion capture and facial capture so this could be the best looking Hulk yet. The Avengers is set for release in 2012 and I cannot wait !

Hobbit Video Diary

Peter Jackson has recently posted a video diary from the production of The Hobbit on his facebook page. I have to say this is very exciting indeed because we get to see a real glimpse of whats to come. With some really great HD views of Bag End and Rivendell and a traditional Maori Welcoming ceremony this 10 min vid has it all. I just hope Mr Jackson makes this a regular thing but I suspect most of the good stuff with be kept for the Blu Ray releases !

Click HERE for the direct link to Peter Jackson's facebook page or have a view of the video on youtube below