April showers bring May flowers, but Amazon Prime Video’s April slate of new movies contains some bright watches for any leftover rain. The “Judy Blume Forever” documentary arrives toward the end of the month, telling the author’s life story and highlighting the impact her writing made on literature and the world. The doc will precede “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” which releases in theaters at the end of the month.
George Clooney returns to a tropical setting alongside Julia Roberts in the 2022 romantic comedy “Ticket to Paradise,” and his earlier Hawaiian-set film “The Descendants” will be available too. “Bros” provides another rom-com option that landed on the streamer on April 4. And we’ve even got a pick for the whole family.
Here are our picks for seven of the best new movies to watch on Amazon Prime Video in April 2023:
“Judy Blume Forever” Prime Video...
George Clooney returns to a tropical setting alongside Julia Roberts in the 2022 romantic comedy “Ticket to Paradise,” and his earlier Hawaiian-set film “The Descendants” will be available too. “Bros” provides another rom-com option that landed on the streamer on April 4. And we’ve even got a pick for the whole family.
Here are our picks for seven of the best new movies to watch on Amazon Prime Video in April 2023:
“Judy Blume Forever” Prime Video...
- 4/16/2023
- by Dessi Gomez
- The Wrap
Members of the crafts community gave generally favorable marks to this year’s Oscars presentation, following the outrage surrounding the 2022 Academy Awards in which eight categories were sidelined.
“I’d call it a win for the Academy,” one Oscar recipient from a prior year tells The Hollywood Reporter.
A year ago, eight categories — editing, makeup and hairstyling, production design, score, sound, animated short, documentary short and live action short — were presented an hour before the live telecast, with clumsily-edited excerpts played during the broadcast, a move that was widely-criticized for disrespectful treatment of these branches of filmmaking.
“Last night I was proud to be an Academy member,” sats one of last season’s nominees, whose category was relegated to the non-live portion of that presentation. This year, all categories were presented live, with the telecast including a Qr code audience members at home could scan on their phones to learn more about the crafts categories.
“I’d call it a win for the Academy,” one Oscar recipient from a prior year tells The Hollywood Reporter.
A year ago, eight categories — editing, makeup and hairstyling, production design, score, sound, animated short, documentary short and live action short — were presented an hour before the live telecast, with clumsily-edited excerpts played during the broadcast, a move that was widely-criticized for disrespectful treatment of these branches of filmmaking.
“Last night I was proud to be an Academy member,” sats one of last season’s nominees, whose category was relegated to the non-live portion of that presentation. This year, all categories were presented live, with the telecast including a Qr code audience members at home could scan on their phones to learn more about the crafts categories.
- 3/13/2023
- by Carolyn Giardina
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A decade ago, the visual effects industry hit a creative high note when Ang Lee’s adaptation of Life of Pi — highlighted by an extraordinary photoreal CG Bengal tiger — won the VFX honor at the 2013 BAFTA awards. But the celebration quickly turned to devastation when, shortly after, in Los Angeles, the film’s lead VFX company, Rhythm & Hues (R&h), began calling artists to let them go. Recalls Academy member and former employee Gene Kozicki, “It didn’t matter if you were an Academy Award-winning VFX supervisor or a production manager with 13 years’ tenure — if you weren’t working on a show right then, you were laid off.” Weeks before its work collected the VFX honor at the Oscars, the 25-year-old studio filed for bankruptcy.
The shocking occurrence led to a reckoning in the VFX community, exposing to the world what looked like a broken business model, attributed to...
The shocking occurrence led to a reckoning in the VFX community, exposing to the world what looked like a broken business model, attributed to...
- 3/1/2023
- by Katie Kilkenny and Carolyn Giardina
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Click here to read the full article.
It’s getting close to the time of year when the executive committee of the Academy’s visual effects branch selects the 10 shortlisted films that will continue in the VFX category race, and among the anticipated contenders, the branch also has some unexpected choices to consider.
While the presumed frontrunner, James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water, won’t be released until Dec. 16, the sequel to the director’s 2009 fantasy film seems a fait accompli for the shortlist. The work was led by Weta FX and four-time Oscar-winning senior VFX supervisor Joe Letteri (who with Weta also led the work on the original Avatar, which won the VFX Oscar). The Way of Water involves new techniques, including those used in performance capture.
Also expected are multiple contenders from the long list of this year’s effects-laden Marvel and DC movies, which include...
It’s getting close to the time of year when the executive committee of the Academy’s visual effects branch selects the 10 shortlisted films that will continue in the VFX category race, and among the anticipated contenders, the branch also has some unexpected choices to consider.
While the presumed frontrunner, James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water, won’t be released until Dec. 16, the sequel to the director’s 2009 fantasy film seems a fait accompli for the shortlist. The work was led by Weta FX and four-time Oscar-winning senior VFX supervisor Joe Letteri (who with Weta also led the work on the original Avatar, which won the VFX Oscar). The Way of Water involves new techniques, including those used in performance capture.
Also expected are multiple contenders from the long list of this year’s effects-laden Marvel and DC movies, which include...
- 12/5/2022
- by Carolyn Giardina
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
WaterTower Music has released the first music to be heard from the upcoming New Line Cinema action adventure “Black Adam,” starring Dwayne Johnson. The first-ever feature film to explore the story of the uncompromising DC antihero comes to the big screen under the direction of Jaume Collet-Serra (“Jungle Cruise”). The Black Adam Theme (from “Black Adam”) by highly respected Grammy Award-winning and Emmy-nominated composer Lorne Balfe has just been released – in advance of the film and soundtrack release. “Black Adam” smashes into theaters and IMAX internationally beginning 19 October 2022, and in North America on October 21, 2022.
Balfe’s vision for the music of Black Adam encompasses an exploration into the back stories that define the characters. The composer commented on that approach. “It was exciting to get into the Black Adam theme, and I really wanted to capture his essence as the DC comic book world’s anti-hero. We had a large...
Balfe’s vision for the music of Black Adam encompasses an exploration into the back stories that define the characters. The composer commented on that approach. “It was exciting to get into the Black Adam theme, and I really wanted to capture his essence as the DC comic book world’s anti-hero. We had a large...
- 9/30/2022
- by Michelle Hannett
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
“We’re the Justice Society…” says Dr. Fate in this brand new and thrilling new trailer for Black Adam, smashing into theaters and IMAX October 21, 2022.
From New Line Cinema, Dwayne Johnson stars in the action adventure “Black Adam.” The first-ever feature film to explore the story of the DC Super Hero comes to the big screen under the direction of Jaume Collet-Serra (“Jungle Cruise”).
In ancient Kahndaq, Teth Adam was bestowed the almighty powers of the gods. After using these powers for vengeance, he was imprisoned, becoming Black Adam. Nearly 5,000 years have passed and Black Adam has gone from man, to myth, to legend. Now released, his unique form of justice, born out of rage, is challenged by modern day heroes who form the Justice Society: Hawkman, Dr. Fate, Atom Smasher and Cyclone.
Johnson stars alongside Aldis Hodge as Hawkman, Noah Centineo (“To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before”) as Atom Smasher,...
From New Line Cinema, Dwayne Johnson stars in the action adventure “Black Adam.” The first-ever feature film to explore the story of the DC Super Hero comes to the big screen under the direction of Jaume Collet-Serra (“Jungle Cruise”).
In ancient Kahndaq, Teth Adam was bestowed the almighty powers of the gods. After using these powers for vengeance, he was imprisoned, becoming Black Adam. Nearly 5,000 years have passed and Black Adam has gone from man, to myth, to legend. Now released, his unique form of justice, born out of rage, is challenged by modern day heroes who form the Justice Society: Hawkman, Dr. Fate, Atom Smasher and Cyclone.
Johnson stars alongside Aldis Hodge as Hawkman, Noah Centineo (“To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before”) as Atom Smasher,...
- 9/9/2022
- by Michelle Hannett
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Dwayne Johnson
Dwayne Johnson flew in as DC Super Hero Black Adam during Warner Bros. Pictures theatrical panel at Saturday’s Comic Con panel. This guy know how to make an entrance!
“Hall H, you have been warned. The DC universe will never be the same again,” boomed Johnson.
#BlackAdam Entrance! #Sdcc pic.twitter.com/wsdH7lgoQ1
— Deadline Hollywood (@Deadline) July 23, 2022
Check out the trailer that debuted in Hall H.
The Hollywood Reporter said during the panel discussion:
Johnson tackled an age-old question: who would win in a fight, Black Adam or Superman? Earlier in the week, rumors circulated that Man of Steel actor Henry Cavill might show up or send a video message for the panel, but that didn’t come to fruition.
Said the actor of a matchup between the DC characters: “Pound for pound, they are pretty close. I guess it probably all depends on who is playing Superman.
Dwayne Johnson flew in as DC Super Hero Black Adam during Warner Bros. Pictures theatrical panel at Saturday’s Comic Con panel. This guy know how to make an entrance!
“Hall H, you have been warned. The DC universe will never be the same again,” boomed Johnson.
#BlackAdam Entrance! #Sdcc pic.twitter.com/wsdH7lgoQ1
— Deadline Hollywood (@Deadline) July 23, 2022
Check out the trailer that debuted in Hall H.
The Hollywood Reporter said during the panel discussion:
Johnson tackled an age-old question: who would win in a fight, Black Adam or Superman? Earlier in the week, rumors circulated that Man of Steel actor Henry Cavill might show up or send a video message for the panel, but that didn’t come to fruition.
Said the actor of a matchup between the DC characters: “Pound for pound, they are pretty close. I guess it probably all depends on who is playing Superman.
- 7/24/2022
- by Michelle Hannett
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
De-aging has come a long way since “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” When visual-effects artists worked on that film more than 12 years ago, the processing power, camera techniques and software used for films such as “The Irishman” and “Gemini Man” were far, far off.
Today, VFX supervisors can create the de-aging setup that suits the film. Or they can even make a de-aged character based on digital capture. Each team works out the solutions that works best for the project, based on the helmer’s ideas and the budget they’re given.
“What you’re seeing with Will Smith in ‘Gemini Man’ isn’t de-aging,” says Bill Westenhofer, VFX supervisor on “Gemini Man.” “It’s a completely digital human whose performance is driven by Will Smith’s acting that’s been recorded with performance capture. In the future, actors may have to consider having themselves digitally scanned because we...
Today, VFX supervisors can create the de-aging setup that suits the film. Or they can even make a de-aged character based on digital capture. Each team works out the solutions that works best for the project, based on the helmer’s ideas and the budget they’re given.
“What you’re seeing with Will Smith in ‘Gemini Man’ isn’t de-aging,” says Bill Westenhofer, VFX supervisor on “Gemini Man.” “It’s a completely digital human whose performance is driven by Will Smith’s acting that’s been recorded with performance capture. In the future, actors may have to consider having themselves digitally scanned because we...
- 1/31/2020
- by Karen Idelson
- Variety Film + TV
“It is a great honor to be amongst a group of people, the five nominated movies, because my hope is that my peers that voted to put us in that list appreciated that we used visual effects slightly differently,” visual effect supervisor Guillaume Rocheron admits about his second career nomination for “1917.’ “[It is a] a cinematic experience that is very different from anything else that you’ve seen.” Watch our exclusive video interview with Rocheron above.
Rocheron is nominated alongside Greg Butler and Dominic Tuohy for their acclaimed visual effects work on the war epic. He is a previous winner for “Life of Pi” in 2012, which he shared with Bill Westenhofer, Erik De Boer and Donald Elliott.
“1917” is Sam Mendes‘ acclaimed war epic in which two soldiers (Dean-Charles Chapman and George MacKay) are sent on a mission to deliver a life-saving message across the trenches of World War I France to prevent...
Rocheron is nominated alongside Greg Butler and Dominic Tuohy for their acclaimed visual effects work on the war epic. He is a previous winner for “Life of Pi” in 2012, which he shared with Bill Westenhofer, Erik De Boer and Donald Elliott.
“1917” is Sam Mendes‘ acclaimed war epic in which two soldiers (Dean-Charles Chapman and George MacKay) are sent on a mission to deliver a life-saving message across the trenches of World War I France to prevent...
- 1/23/2020
- by Rob Licuria
- Gold Derby
Disney dominated the 18th annual Ves Awards with five nominations apiece for Jon Favreau’s frontrunner “The Lion King” and Robert Rodriguez’s surprising “Alita: Battle Angel” (acquired from Fox). Joining them for the top photo-real prize were the Disney-led “Avengers: Endgame” and “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” along with Ang Lee’s “Gemini Man”. The Ves Awards will be held January 29th at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
Competing for supporting VFX were Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman”, Sam Mendes’ “1917,” (which stitched together the World War I thriller as one continuous shot and offered various enhancements), James Mangold’s “Ford v Ferrari,” Todd Phillips’ “Joker,” and “The Aeronauts.”
In animation, Disney also fared well, with Pixar’s “Toy Story 4” (which grabbed five nominations) and “Frozen 2.” They were joined by Golden Globe nominee “Missing Link” from Laika, surprise nominee “Klaus” (the innovative 2D feature from Netflix and Spanish director Sergio Pablos), and,...
Competing for supporting VFX were Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman”, Sam Mendes’ “1917,” (which stitched together the World War I thriller as one continuous shot and offered various enhancements), James Mangold’s “Ford v Ferrari,” Todd Phillips’ “Joker,” and “The Aeronauts.”
In animation, Disney also fared well, with Pixar’s “Toy Story 4” (which grabbed five nominations) and “Frozen 2.” They were joined by Golden Globe nominee “Missing Link” from Laika, surprise nominee “Klaus” (the innovative 2D feature from Netflix and Spanish director Sergio Pablos), and,...
- 1/7/2020
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
The Visual Effects Society has unveiled nominations for its 18th annual Ves Awards, which honor VFX work in film, animation, TV, commercials and video games. Winners will be revealed at a ceremony January 29 at the Beverly Hilton.
Disney’s CG redo of the The Lion King and 20th Century Fox’s Alita: Battle Angel lead all film nominees with five apiece, joining the top animated nominee Toy Story 4. In TV, Disney+’s Star Wars spinoff The Mandalorian and the final season of HBO’s epic Game of Thrones lead the field with six nominations each.
Along with naming winners in 25 categories, the group’s ceremony later this month includes honoring Martin Scorsese with the Ves Lifetime Achievement Award. The Ves Visionary Award will be given to Roland Emmerich, and the Ves Award for Creative Excellence will be presented to VFX supervisor Sheena Duggal.
Here’s the list of noms:...
Disney’s CG redo of the The Lion King and 20th Century Fox’s Alita: Battle Angel lead all film nominees with five apiece, joining the top animated nominee Toy Story 4. In TV, Disney+’s Star Wars spinoff The Mandalorian and the final season of HBO’s epic Game of Thrones lead the field with six nominations each.
Along with naming winners in 25 categories, the group’s ceremony later this month includes honoring Martin Scorsese with the Ves Lifetime Achievement Award. The Ves Visionary Award will be given to Roland Emmerich, and the Ves Award for Creative Excellence will be presented to VFX supervisor Sheena Duggal.
Here’s the list of noms:...
- 1/7/2020
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
This season’s VFX Oscar race features bold, innovative animation, led by Jon Favreau’s “The Lion King,” the all-cg photoreal breakthrough by Mpc Film,; Ang Lee’s “Gemini Man,” which boasts Weta Digital’s most fully convincing digital human with Junior, the younger clone of Will Smith’s aging assassin, and Industrial Light & Magic’s innovative de-aging of Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci without markers or animation in Martin Scorsese’s Best Picture contender, “The Irishman.”
Additionally, Weta took facial capture to the next level with “Alita: Battle Angel,” the manga-inspired sci-fi adventure directed by Robert Rodriguez and produced by James Cameron and Jon Landau. The doll-like cyborg with big eyes (performance-captured by Rosa Salazar) looked very convincing and badass.
But “The Lion King” blockbuster’s tactile photo-realism will be the one to beat, crossing the line between live action and animation with its stunning illusion of reality.
Additionally, Weta took facial capture to the next level with “Alita: Battle Angel,” the manga-inspired sci-fi adventure directed by Robert Rodriguez and produced by James Cameron and Jon Landau. The doll-like cyborg with big eyes (performance-captured by Rosa Salazar) looked very convincing and badass.
But “The Lion King” blockbuster’s tactile photo-realism will be the one to beat, crossing the line between live action and animation with its stunning illusion of reality.
- 12/15/2019
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Filmmakers have chased eye-popping visuals since George Melies’ 1902 “A Trip to the Moon.” Of course, all the visual stylings that helped propel the first sci-fi film to worldwide success now look antique; without the film’s groundbreaking approaches to storytelling, it would be a minor footnote rather than the cultural touchstone that also served as a key plot point in Martin Scorsese’s 2011 “Hugo.”
Scorsese took Melies’ lesson to heart with “The Irishman,” but it’s one that still eluded Ang Lee with “Gemini Man.” The innovative filmmaker, like others before him, was so hellbent on dragging moviegoers into seeing cinema the way he does, that he forgot to give them a compelling story.
When Scorsese agreed to make “The Irishman,” he did so only after a 2015 VFX test comparing Robert De Niro in “Goodfellas” to the then-72-year-old actor’s recreation of some scenes, with Pablo Helman’s Ilm de-aging effects added.
Scorsese took Melies’ lesson to heart with “The Irishman,” but it’s one that still eluded Ang Lee with “Gemini Man.” The innovative filmmaker, like others before him, was so hellbent on dragging moviegoers into seeing cinema the way he does, that he forgot to give them a compelling story.
When Scorsese agreed to make “The Irishman,” he did so only after a 2015 VFX test comparing Robert De Niro in “Goodfellas” to the then-72-year-old actor’s recreation of some scenes, with Pablo Helman’s Ilm de-aging effects added.
- 11/3/2019
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Filmmakers have chased eye-popping visuals since George Melies’ 1902 “A Trip to the Moon.” Of course, all the visual stylings that helped propel the first sci-fi film to worldwide success now look antique; without the film’s groundbreaking approaches to storytelling, it would be a minor footnote rather than the cultural touchstone that also served as a key plot point in Martin Scorsese’s 2011 “Hugo.”
Scorsese took Melies’ lesson to heart with “The Irishman,” but it’s one that still eluded Ang Lee with “Gemini Man.” The innovative filmmaker, like others before him, was so hellbent on dragging moviegoers into seeing cinema the way he does, that he forgot to give them a compelling story.
When Scorsese agreed to make “The Irishman,” he did so only after a 2015 VFX test comparing Robert De Niro in “Goodfellas” to the then-72-year-old actor’s recreation of some scenes, with Pablo Helman’s Ilm de-aging effects added.
Scorsese took Melies’ lesson to heart with “The Irishman,” but it’s one that still eluded Ang Lee with “Gemini Man.” The innovative filmmaker, like others before him, was so hellbent on dragging moviegoers into seeing cinema the way he does, that he forgot to give them a compelling story.
When Scorsese agreed to make “The Irishman,” he did so only after a 2015 VFX test comparing Robert De Niro in “Goodfellas” to the then-72-year-old actor’s recreation of some scenes, with Pablo Helman’s Ilm de-aging effects added.
- 11/3/2019
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Ang Lee — who won Oscars for directing Life of Pi and Brokeback Mountain — is featured in a new episode of The Hollywood Reporter's Behind the Screen podcast series.
During the conversation, the filmmaker discusses his new movie, the Paramount/Skydance thriller Gemini Man starring Will Smith, along with innovation in visual effects and the future of cinema exhibition.
Gemini Man stars Smith as Henry, an elite assassin who is hunted by a clone of his younger self. To have Smith and his younger self appear as leads, including in the same shots, Lee reteamed with Life of Pi's VFX supervisor Bill Westenhofer ...
During the conversation, the filmmaker discusses his new movie, the Paramount/Skydance thriller Gemini Man starring Will Smith, along with innovation in visual effects and the future of cinema exhibition.
Gemini Man stars Smith as Henry, an elite assassin who is hunted by a clone of his younger self. To have Smith and his younger self appear as leads, including in the same shots, Lee reteamed with Life of Pi's VFX supervisor Bill Westenhofer ...
- 10/12/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Ang Lee — who won Oscars for directing Life of Pi and Brokeback Mountain — is featured in a new episode of The Hollywood Reporter's Behind the Screen podcast series.
During the conversation, the filmmaker discusses his new movie, the Paramount/Skydance thriller Gemini Man starring Will Smith, along with innovation in visual effects and the future of cinema exhibition.
Gemini Man stars Smith as Henry, an elite assassin who is hunted by a clone of his younger self. To have Smith and his younger self appear as leads, including in the same shots, Lee reteamed with Life of Pi's VFX supervisor Bill Westenhofer ...
During the conversation, the filmmaker discusses his new movie, the Paramount/Skydance thriller Gemini Man starring Will Smith, along with innovation in visual effects and the future of cinema exhibition.
Gemini Man stars Smith as Henry, an elite assassin who is hunted by a clone of his younger self. To have Smith and his younger self appear as leads, including in the same shots, Lee reteamed with Life of Pi's VFX supervisor Bill Westenhofer ...
- 10/12/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Rosie Fletcher Oct 12, 2019
We spoke to Ang Lee's collaborator Bill Westenhofer about the art of creating multiple Will Smiths for Gemini Man.
This article comes from Den of Geek UK.
Actors have been playing opposite themselves for decades – think Alec Guinness killing himself again and again in 1949's Kind Hearts and Coronets. But Ang Lee's new film Gemini Man takes things to a whole new level, pitting Will Smith against a wholly digital recreation of his younger self on the screen.
Oscar-winning visual effects supervisor Bill Westenhofer worked closely with Lee to bring the 23-year-old 'Junior' Smith to life. Den of Geek spoke to him about working on these challenging new effects, and what they might mean for the future of the industry.
First of all, can you take us back to the beginning – how long were you working on this project? Did you ever have any doubts when...
We spoke to Ang Lee's collaborator Bill Westenhofer about the art of creating multiple Will Smiths for Gemini Man.
This article comes from Den of Geek UK.
Actors have been playing opposite themselves for decades – think Alec Guinness killing himself again and again in 1949's Kind Hearts and Coronets. But Ang Lee's new film Gemini Man takes things to a whole new level, pitting Will Smith against a wholly digital recreation of his younger self on the screen.
Oscar-winning visual effects supervisor Bill Westenhofer worked closely with Lee to bring the 23-year-old 'Junior' Smith to life. Den of Geek spoke to him about working on these challenging new effects, and what they might mean for the future of the industry.
First of all, can you take us back to the beginning – how long were you working on this project? Did you ever have any doubts when...
- 10/11/2019
- Den of Geek
More human than human — yes, that’s a “Blade Runner” reference — yet it sounds like an unattainable standard when it comes to creating believable, photorealistic, digital human characters. But the visual effects team on Ang Lee’s “Gemini Man” set its sights on something even more difficult: creating a digital version of young Will Smith that was just as human as the actor, with all the quirks, visual idiosyncrasies and subtleties that make a thespian believable on the big screen.
Adding to the degree of difficulty: Lee decided to shoot the movie in a high-frame-rate format — as he did for “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk” — a conceit that’s less forgiving than other formats for VFX because there’s almost no motion blur, which can help hide some of the trickery.
Pulling off the task requires extreme attention to a wide range of variables. “It’s what I call...
Adding to the degree of difficulty: Lee decided to shoot the movie in a high-frame-rate format — as he did for “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk” — a conceit that’s less forgiving than other formats for VFX because there’s almost no motion blur, which can help hide some of the trickery.
Pulling off the task requires extreme attention to a wide range of variables. “It’s what I call...
- 10/11/2019
- by Karen Idelson
- Variety Film + TV
Paramount on Tuesday debuted 20 minutes of dazzling high frame rate/3D footage and a new trailer from director Ang Lee’s sci-fi/actioner, “Gemini Man.” It was Will Smith fighting Will Smith, and it was a meta experience. The director improved his jarring “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk,” Smith continued his comeback with the most demanding performance of his career, and Weta Digital delivered its most fully convincing digital human with Junior, the younger version of Smith.
For Smith, who plays an aging assassin hunted by a 23-year-old clone of himself, it was an eerie experience doing double duty and he put total faith in Lee’s vision and confidence. “Looking at youth versus experience, the 20s sucked ass,” he said. “Maybe my 30s were better. Now I’m more comfortable in my own skin.”
For Lee, “Gemini Man” is all about attaining salvation through a strange second chance.
For Smith, who plays an aging assassin hunted by a 23-year-old clone of himself, it was an eerie experience doing double duty and he put total faith in Lee’s vision and confidence. “Looking at youth versus experience, the 20s sucked ass,” he said. “Maybe my 30s were better. Now I’m more comfortable in my own skin.”
For Lee, “Gemini Man” is all about attaining salvation through a strange second chance.
- 7/24/2019
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
The first preview for the new Will Smith sci-fi flick Gemini Man has arrived. Two-time Academy Award-winner Ang Lee directed the film. The official trailer can be streamed below.
“I’m excited to present to you, right now, the world premiere of the trailer for Gemini Man,” Smith said in a self-shot video that precedes the actual preview of the movie. The video was made on the set of the film, with Smith declaring that the movie is “not even done yet” and “its [the trailer] so hot that we’re gonna, like, show it to you the trailer before the movies’ finished.”
The supporting cast includes Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Live Free or Die Hard, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter), Tony Award nominee Linda Marie Emond and Benedict Wong, who is coming off a role in the blockbuster superhero movie Avengers: Infinity War (2018). He will reprise his role in the highly-anticipated Avengers: Endgame which hit theaters this Thursday.
“I’m excited to present to you, right now, the world premiere of the trailer for Gemini Man,” Smith said in a self-shot video that precedes the actual preview of the movie. The video was made on the set of the film, with Smith declaring that the movie is “not even done yet” and “its [the trailer] so hot that we’re gonna, like, show it to you the trailer before the movies’ finished.”
The supporting cast includes Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Live Free or Die Hard, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter), Tony Award nominee Linda Marie Emond and Benedict Wong, who is coming off a role in the blockbuster superhero movie Avengers: Infinity War (2018). He will reprise his role in the highly-anticipated Avengers: Endgame which hit theaters this Thursday.
- 4/26/2019
- by Matt Bishop
- Age of the Nerd
It’s the year of digital de-aging, but with no fear of the Uncanny Valley in sight. In Marvel blockbuster “Captain Marvel,” Lola VFX took 25 years off 70-year-old Samuel L. Jackson as future S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury for the first time without the use of a digital double, and we can expect further strides in the technique with Ang Lee’s October release “Gemini Man” and Martin Scorsese’s Netflix mob drama “The Irishman.”
In Lee’s sci-fi thriller, Weta Digital tackles elite assassin Will Smith getting stalked by his younger clone, and, in Scorsese’s gangster epic, Industrial Light & Magic removes decades from Robert De Niro and Al Pacino in crucial flashbacks as real-life mob hitman Frank Sheeran and labor union boss Jimmy Hoffa.
Weta’s work on the mo-capped younger Smith clone, however, represents a major advancement in the de-aging technique (under the...
In Lee’s sci-fi thriller, Weta Digital tackles elite assassin Will Smith getting stalked by his younger clone, and, in Scorsese’s gangster epic, Industrial Light & Magic removes decades from Robert De Niro and Al Pacino in crucial flashbacks as real-life mob hitman Frank Sheeran and labor union boss Jimmy Hoffa.
Weta’s work on the mo-capped younger Smith clone, however, represents a major advancement in the de-aging technique (under the...
- 3/19/2019
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
“Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk” may have been a box office bomb and a noble failure in experimenting with shooting at 120 frames per second, but that isn’t stopping Paramount Pictures from giving director Ang Lee a second chance at using the risky format. As IndieWire reported back in April 2018, Lee’s upcoming science-fiction thriller “Gemini Man” will be shot in 3D at 120 frames per second and 4k resolution. “Billy Lynn” was the first film ever shot at 120fps, following Peter Jackson’s 40fps experiment on “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.” The filmmaking standard is 24fps.
As reported by The Playlist, Paramount has sent out a letter to theater chain exhibitors ahead of CinemaCon asking them to test their equipment to see if they will be able to screen “Gemini Man” in its intended 120fps/4k/3D format. The letter provides specific instructions on how to conduct a High...
As reported by The Playlist, Paramount has sent out a letter to theater chain exhibitors ahead of CinemaCon asking them to test their equipment to see if they will be able to screen “Gemini Man” in its intended 120fps/4k/3D format. The letter provides specific instructions on how to conduct a High...
- 3/12/2019
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Digital de-aging is Hollywood’s latest tech toy. However, the controversial CG process faces a major test next year with Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman” and Ang Lee’s “Gemini Man.”
Robert De Niro and Al Pacino face off as real life mob hitman Frank Sheeran and labor union boss Jimmy Hoffa in Scorsese’s gangster biopic, as Industrial Light & Magic digitally removes decades from their appearances for a series of flashbacks. And elite 50-year-old assassin Will Smith gets stalked by his 23-year-old clone (created by Weta Digital) in Lee’s cutting edge sci-fi thriller.
Obviously, there’s more at stake here than the successful de-aging of Sean Young and Kurt Russell, or Johnny Depp in “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales,” Robert Downey Jr. in “Captain America: Civil War,” and Michael Douglas in “Ant Man.” Any misstep into the Uncanny Valley could prove fatal. Then again,...
Robert De Niro and Al Pacino face off as real life mob hitman Frank Sheeran and labor union boss Jimmy Hoffa in Scorsese’s gangster biopic, as Industrial Light & Magic digitally removes decades from their appearances for a series of flashbacks. And elite 50-year-old assassin Will Smith gets stalked by his 23-year-old clone (created by Weta Digital) in Lee’s cutting edge sci-fi thriller.
Obviously, there’s more at stake here than the successful de-aging of Sean Young and Kurt Russell, or Johnny Depp in “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales,” Robert Downey Jr. in “Captain America: Civil War,” and Michael Douglas in “Ant Man.” Any misstep into the Uncanny Valley could prove fatal. Then again,...
- 4/13/2018
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
A bunch of sequels and a remake are vying for the Best Visual Effects Oscar this year, many of them from Disney, including Bill Condon’s live-action remake of Disney’s classic “Beauty and the Beast,” Marvel’s “Thor: Ragnarok” and Lucasfilm’s upcoming “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.”
Three Fox films offer stunning VFX: “War for the Planet of the Apes,” which advances its visual effects technology over the last Matt Reeves installment featuring Weta Digital’s astonishing array of digital apes led by performance capture master Andy Serkis as Caesar, could win Weta’s Joe Letteri (“Avatar,” “King Kong,” “The Lord of the Rings”) his fifth Oscar. Another visually sumptuous sequel is Denis Villeneuve’s “Blade Runner 2049.” And Guillermo del Toro’s “The Shape of Water” is also impressive.
Two Warner Bros. blockbusters, Christopher Nolan’s World War II epic “Dunkirk” and Patty Jenkins’ World War I superhero origin myth “Wonder Woman,...
Three Fox films offer stunning VFX: “War for the Planet of the Apes,” which advances its visual effects technology over the last Matt Reeves installment featuring Weta Digital’s astonishing array of digital apes led by performance capture master Andy Serkis as Caesar, could win Weta’s Joe Letteri (“Avatar,” “King Kong,” “The Lord of the Rings”) his fifth Oscar. Another visually sumptuous sequel is Denis Villeneuve’s “Blade Runner 2049.” And Guillermo del Toro’s “The Shape of Water” is also impressive.
Two Warner Bros. blockbusters, Christopher Nolan’s World War II epic “Dunkirk” and Patty Jenkins’ World War I superhero origin myth “Wonder Woman,...
- 11/18/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
It’s not often that VFX excels by plays a supporting role in superhero fights, but in “Wonder Woman” it was all about restraint during the praiseworthy “No Man’s Land” World War I trench battle. Director Patty Jenkins knew it was important to keep it simple and character-driven because this marked the big superpower reveal for Gal Godot’s Amazon princess, Diana.
“From a visual effects standpoint, this really wasn’t groundbreaking,” said VFX production supervisor Bill Westenhofer, who won the Oscar for “Life of Pi.” “It’s pretty straightforward and emotional.”
Supporting the Trench Warfare
Indeed, Diana’s taken to the front lines outside a Belgian village, where fighting has been at a standstill for more than a year. But her compassion and heroism come forth, and she emerges as Wonder Woman for the first time: climbing out of the trench, proudly revealing her costume, and charging 300 yards across a muddy field.
“From a visual effects standpoint, this really wasn’t groundbreaking,” said VFX production supervisor Bill Westenhofer, who won the Oscar for “Life of Pi.” “It’s pretty straightforward and emotional.”
Supporting the Trench Warfare
Indeed, Diana’s taken to the front lines outside a Belgian village, where fighting has been at a standstill for more than a year. But her compassion and heroism come forth, and she emerges as Wonder Woman for the first time: climbing out of the trench, proudly revealing her costume, and charging 300 yards across a muddy field.
- 6/8/2017
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Wonder Woman broke ground in more ways than audiences know.
While supervisor roles in the VFX industry are still dominated by men, Jessica Norman was tapped to serve as VFX supervisor for Mpc’s portion of the effects on Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment's Wonder Woman, which debuted to $103 million at the domestic box office over the weekend and was the first female-fronted superhero movie in more than a decade.
For the Patty Jenkins-directed tentpole, VFX houses included Mpc, Double Negative, Pixomondo and Upp, with the VFX led by overall VFX supervisor Bill Westenhofer.
Previously, Norman has worked as Mpc London’s VFX supervisor on titles including Exodus: Gods and Kings, World...
While supervisor roles in the VFX industry are still dominated by men, Jessica Norman was tapped to serve as VFX supervisor for Mpc’s portion of the effects on Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment's Wonder Woman, which debuted to $103 million at the domestic box office over the weekend and was the first female-fronted superhero movie in more than a decade.
For the Patty Jenkins-directed tentpole, VFX houses included Mpc, Double Negative, Pixomondo and Upp, with the VFX led by overall VFX supervisor Bill Westenhofer.
Previously, Norman has worked as Mpc London’s VFX supervisor on titles including Exodus: Gods and Kings, World...
- 6/5/2017
- by Carolyn Giardina
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Wonder Woman has proven her strength on the big screen as one of the world’s greatest superheroes, as well as the weekend’s greatest box office draw. Cutting through the competition, director Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman has taken in $223 million globally, and counting. The announcement was made today by Sue Kroll, President of Worldwide Marketing and Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.
The impressive worldwide total makes Wonder Woman the largest female-lead superhero movie opening of all time, the biggest opening in June for a superhero movie, and the biggest opening in June for a Warner Bros. film. With a Certified Fresh rating of 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, the film is also one of the best-reviewed superhero films ever, and its CinemaScore of A shows audiences agree.
Domestically, the film has grossed $100.5 million and has the highest opening weekend box office of all time for a female director. (Review)
Internationally, it opened day-and-date in 55 markets,...
The impressive worldwide total makes Wonder Woman the largest female-lead superhero movie opening of all time, the biggest opening in June for a superhero movie, and the biggest opening in June for a Warner Bros. film. With a Certified Fresh rating of 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, the film is also one of the best-reviewed superhero films ever, and its CinemaScore of A shows audiences agree.
Domestically, the film has grossed $100.5 million and has the highest opening weekend box office of all time for a female director. (Review)
Internationally, it opened day-and-date in 55 markets,...
- 6/5/2017
- by Michelle Hannett
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Emerging from a long and storied production, Legendary’s budding franchise-starter Warcraft: The Beginning is now starting to make its bow overseas, as fans prep for Duncan Jones’ live-action video game movie to touch down in the States on June 10.
After some confusion over the film’s embargo, early reviews for Jones’ lavish fantasy adventure have now surfaced online, and they range from moderately good, to average, to downright scathing.
Without further ado, here’s a collection of those reviews:
Variety: Imagine “Battlefield Earth” without the verve and you get this sludgy, tedious fantasy adventure, a fun-starved dud that’s not even unintentionally hilarious. The cast seems mostly adrift, with only Schnetzer giving what might be considered an actual performance. The usually reliable Foster is reduced to gadding about like a prog-rock Jesus in a series of robes that make him look like he’s posing for the side of someone’s van,...
After some confusion over the film’s embargo, early reviews for Jones’ lavish fantasy adventure have now surfaced online, and they range from moderately good, to average, to downright scathing.
Without further ado, here’s a collection of those reviews:
Variety: Imagine “Battlefield Earth” without the verve and you get this sludgy, tedious fantasy adventure, a fun-starved dud that’s not even unintentionally hilarious. The cast seems mostly adrift, with only Schnetzer giving what might be considered an actual performance. The usually reliable Foster is reduced to gadding about like a prog-rock Jesus in a series of robes that make him look like he’s posing for the side of someone’s van,...
- 5/25/2016
- by Michael Briers
- We Got This Covered
Jordan Adcock Oct 17, 2016
Star Wars, Lord Of The Rings, Andy Serkis and Apes: who should take the credit when it comes to a motion capture performance?
Who’s responsible for motion capture performances? Well. the answer’s Andy Serkis, right?
Seriously though, if anyone is synonymous with this relatively young effects method, it’s him. Gollum, Kong, Caesar, and most recently Snoke in Star Wars: The Force Awakens wouldn’t be the same without his input, on sets and in the suits.
But during press for Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes, Serkis made some comments about the progress made in creating Caesar: “[Weta Digital] have now schooled their animators to honor the performances that are given by the actors on set. And the teams of people who understand that way of working now are established. And that's something that has really changed. It's a given that they absolutely copy [the performance] to the letter,...
Star Wars, Lord Of The Rings, Andy Serkis and Apes: who should take the credit when it comes to a motion capture performance?
Who’s responsible for motion capture performances? Well. the answer’s Andy Serkis, right?
Seriously though, if anyone is synonymous with this relatively young effects method, it’s him. Gollum, Kong, Caesar, and most recently Snoke in Star Wars: The Force Awakens wouldn’t be the same without his input, on sets and in the suits.
But during press for Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes, Serkis made some comments about the progress made in creating Caesar: “[Weta Digital] have now schooled their animators to honor the performances that are given by the actors on set. And the teams of people who understand that way of working now are established. And that's something that has really changed. It's a given that they absolutely copy [the performance] to the letter,...
- 2/17/2016
- Den of Geek
On a cold day in early 2014, HitFix Harpy was among those invited to check out the set of “Warcraft.” Now I’m finally able to share (some) of that information with you! As a former World of Warcraft addict that occasionally lapses with each new expansion, I was skeptical. After all, video game movies don’t have the best track record. But after spending a day with the cast and crew of “Warcraft,” I think if anyone can break the video game movie curse, it’s these guys. The “Warcraft” universe is vast, with over a decade’s worth of lore spanning both games and novels. Trying to condense that into a single film would be a fool’s errand so Duncan Jones and his collaborator’s had to pick a story. They settled on one surrounding the King Llane Wrynn of Azeroth, Lothar, and Medivh on the human side...
- 11/6/2015
- by Donna Dickens
- Hitfix
As Warner Bros. and director Patty Jenkins prepare to shoot the solo Wonder Woman movie in London this Fall, some new details on the production have begun to emerge – including an interesting working title, a secondary shooting location, and the addition of an award winning director of photography.
First up, Meet The Movie Press would seem to have confirmed a rumor doing the rounds that Dutch-Swedish cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema (Let the Right One In, The Fighter, Her, Interstellar, Spectre) will be putting his Academy Award-winning skills to use as director of photography on the movie.
More News From The Web
With with two-time Academy Award winner Bill Westenhofer already on-board as visual effects supervisor, we can rest assured that Wonder Woman will, at the very least, look great.
Also, thanks to Production Weekly, we now know the movie’s shooting title will be “Nightingale”. This could be a reference...
First up, Meet The Movie Press would seem to have confirmed a rumor doing the rounds that Dutch-Swedish cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema (Let the Right One In, The Fighter, Her, Interstellar, Spectre) will be putting his Academy Award-winning skills to use as director of photography on the movie.
More News From The Web
With with two-time Academy Award winner Bill Westenhofer already on-board as visual effects supervisor, we can rest assured that Wonder Woman will, at the very least, look great.
Also, thanks to Production Weekly, we now know the movie’s shooting title will be “Nightingale”. This could be a reference...
- 9/1/2015
- by Mark Cassidy
- We Got This Covered
DC and Warner Bros are accumulating a diverse lineup of talent for Wonder Woman. In front of the camera, Gal Gadot is reprising her role as the Amazonian princess, while Chris Pine is reportedly playing love interest Steve Trevor. Behind the camera, Patty Jenkins succeeded Michelle MacLaren as director in April, and Jason Fuchs is writing the script. Now the 2017 film has found itself an award-winning filmmaker for the visual effects team as well. Buried deep within its report on cinematographers that have been hired for productions, Variety lists Bill Westenhofer as a VFX supervisor on Wonder Woman. Westenhofer kicked off his visual effects career as a digital artist on 1995.s Waterworld, and his notable films since then include Stuart Little, Men in Black II, and Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters. He is also the visual effects supervisor on next year.s Warcraft. Needless to say, this is a major...
- 8/10/2015
- cinemablend.com
Wonder Woman will apparently begin shooting as early as this Fall in London, and while Gal Gadot and Chris Pine are currently the only confirmed cast members, a very interesting behind the scenes addition has been made to the movie according to Variety. The trade reports that Bill Westenhofer is going to serve as the VFX Supervisor, and while this normally wouldn't be a major piece of news, his past credits make this worth getting excited over. Westenhofer won Oscars for his work on Life of Pi and The Golden Compass, and was also nominated for The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. He's currently hard at work on Duncan Jones' Warcraft too. Could the fact that each of the movies listed about have included photo-realistic animals or monsters be an indication about what we should expect to see in Wonder Woman? We'll have to wait and see.
- 8/9/2015
- ComicBookMovie.com
Actress Corina Calderon appears to have accidentally revealed on social media that "True Blood" actor Jim Parrack is playing The Joker's henchman Jonny Frost in David Ayer's upcoming "Suicide Squad" movie.
The character was created for Brian Azzarello's 2008 work "Joker" and can be glimpsed in the trailer helping the Joker storm an as yet unidentified building at gunpoint. The role was rumored to be that of Deathstroke at one point, a role Parrack's former co-star Joe Manganiello was also up for, but it looks like that's not the case.
In other news, Bill Westenhofer has come onboard as visual effects supervisor on the "Wonder Woman" movie which begins shooting as early as this Fall in London.
Westenhofer has won several Oscars for his work on "Life of Pi," "The Golden Compass," the first Narnia" film and is handling Duncan Jones' upcoming "Warcraft" film adaptation. Considering his expertise with photo-realistic creatures,...
The character was created for Brian Azzarello's 2008 work "Joker" and can be glimpsed in the trailer helping the Joker storm an as yet unidentified building at gunpoint. The role was rumored to be that of Deathstroke at one point, a role Parrack's former co-star Joe Manganiello was also up for, but it looks like that's not the case.
In other news, Bill Westenhofer has come onboard as visual effects supervisor on the "Wonder Woman" movie which begins shooting as early as this Fall in London.
Westenhofer has won several Oscars for his work on "Life of Pi," "The Golden Compass," the first Narnia" film and is handling Duncan Jones' upcoming "Warcraft" film adaptation. Considering his expertise with photo-realistic creatures,...
- 8/9/2015
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Robert Krazinsky announced he will star as Orgrim in the upcoming Warcraft movie at Blizzcon 2014 based on the popular World of Warcraft game.
Warcraft Movie Panel - Blizzcon 2014
Warcraft director Duncan Jones, Senior VP of Story and Franchise Development Chris Metzen and VFX Supervisor Bill Westenhofer participated in the Blizzcon panel over the weekend, moderated by Nerdist’s Chris Hardwick. The trio spoke about how they went adapting a huge gaming universe into a two-hour film, and revealed that the film would attempt to tell the story of World of Warcraft giving equal weight to the human Alliance and the Horde of Orcs. “I thought it was very important that the film allowed you to be on either side of the conflict,” Jones said at the panel.
Westenhofer did not create the orcs out of green screens – actors played the creatures in motion capture – but he did transform the performances from human to Orc,...
Warcraft Movie Panel - Blizzcon 2014
Warcraft director Duncan Jones, Senior VP of Story and Franchise Development Chris Metzen and VFX Supervisor Bill Westenhofer participated in the Blizzcon panel over the weekend, moderated by Nerdist’s Chris Hardwick. The trio spoke about how they went adapting a huge gaming universe into a two-hour film, and revealed that the film would attempt to tell the story of World of Warcraft giving equal weight to the human Alliance and the Horde of Orcs. “I thought it was very important that the film allowed you to be on either side of the conflict,” Jones said at the panel.
Westenhofer did not create the orcs out of green screens – actors played the creatures in motion capture – but he did transform the performances from human to Orc,...
- 11/10/2014
- Uinterview
Here's a rundown of what was shared at this year's BlizzCon regarding the Warcraft movie from director Duncan Jones (Moon, Source Code), Blizzard's Chris Metzen, Il & M's Bill Westenhofer and Orgrim Doomhammer actor Rob Kazinsky. The panel was hosted by Nerdist founder Chris Hardwick. Legendary Pictures recently purchased Nerdist and as they’re producing the Warcraft movie, this type of cross-brand synergy is a no-brainer. Duncan Jones is on stage with Metzen and begins the panel by touching on the Sam Raimi version of the Warcraft movie which focused solely on the Alliance. Jones says that a Warcraft movie needs to tell the story of both the Alliance and the Horde. “[Raimi's version] was, in my opinion, very human-centric, very Alliance-centric. There was I think an approach that in my opinion didn’t put the Orcs in the best light. As in the game where you could choose which side to be on,...
- 11/8/2014
- ComicBookMovie.com
Well, of Course they did the first big reveal for "Warcraft" details at BlizzCon. It's only fitting that they would speak directly to the most actively engaged fans of everything having to do with the universe that's been created and carefully tended by Blizzard Entertainment. They have been very careful about the way they've exploited that fanbase, the way they've spun things into other media. They've taken their time. They have not rushed to get to this moment, so this sort of reveal is designed to speak directly to people who love this and take it seriously. Duncan Jones, the director of 2016's big fantasy epic, was at the convention today along with Chris Metzen (Senior Vice President of Story and Franchise Development for Blizzard Entertainment), VFX legend Bill Westenhofer (VFX supervisor for the film), and Rob Kazinsky, one of the stars of the movie. The thing I find most...
- 11/8/2014
- by Drew McWeeny
- Hitfix
With thousands in attendance in Anaheim this weekend for BlizzCon, Legendary Pictures along with Atlas Entertainment, Blizzard Entertainment and Universal Pictures made a huge splash for its upcoming “Warcraft” movie to the gaming fans at the convention.
For the second year in a row, director Duncan Jones was present to tease audiences on what to be expected for this anticipated movie. And today, the director finally revealed on who the actors will be playing in the fantasy film.
Here are the cast of characters divided between both the Alliance and the Horde:
The Alliance
Anduin Lothar (Travis Fimmel): The lead protagonist for the Alliance, Lothar is a war hero who has sacrificed everything to keep the people of Azeroth safe.
King Llane Wrynn (Dominic Cooper): King Llane is the leader of the Alliance city of Stormwind and a beacon of hope to its people in a time of darkness.
For the second year in a row, director Duncan Jones was present to tease audiences on what to be expected for this anticipated movie. And today, the director finally revealed on who the actors will be playing in the fantasy film.
Here are the cast of characters divided between both the Alliance and the Horde:
The Alliance
Anduin Lothar (Travis Fimmel): The lead protagonist for the Alliance, Lothar is a war hero who has sacrificed everything to keep the people of Azeroth safe.
King Llane Wrynn (Dominic Cooper): King Llane is the leader of the Alliance city of Stormwind and a beacon of hope to its people in a time of darkness.
- 11/7/2014
- by Gig Patta
- LRMonline.com
The World of Warcraft movie has completed shooting.
Director Duncan Jones announced on Twitter that the four-month shoot had come to an end.
Final day on Warcraft now officially... wrapped!! Off to bed for 3 hours before a meeting in the Am. Goodnight/good morning twitter!
— Duncan Jones (@ManMadeMoon) May 23, 2014
The video game movie adaptation is due for release in March 2016 and has stars such as Paula Patton and Rob Kazinsky attached.
The film will use a mix of live-action and CGI, and the visual effects supervisor Bill Westenhofer has previously said that it will come across as "Avatar meets Game of Thrones".
Few details have been released about the film, other than the fact it will focus on the origins of the battle between Orcs and humans.
Blizzard CEO Paul Sams previously told Digital Spy that the World of Warcraft film will be more than a simple video game adaptation.
Director Duncan Jones announced on Twitter that the four-month shoot had come to an end.
Final day on Warcraft now officially... wrapped!! Off to bed for 3 hours before a meeting in the Am. Goodnight/good morning twitter!
— Duncan Jones (@ManMadeMoon) May 23, 2014
The video game movie adaptation is due for release in March 2016 and has stars such as Paula Patton and Rob Kazinsky attached.
The film will use a mix of live-action and CGI, and the visual effects supervisor Bill Westenhofer has previously said that it will come across as "Avatar meets Game of Thrones".
Few details have been released about the film, other than the fact it will focus on the origins of the battle between Orcs and humans.
Blizzard CEO Paul Sams previously told Digital Spy that the World of Warcraft film will be more than a simple video game adaptation.
- 5/25/2014
- Digital Spy
Filmmaker Duncan Jones appeared at BlizzCon 2013 over the weekend where he showcased concept art from "Warcraft," the upcoming film based on the popular and massive multi-player, online, role-playing game.
Kotaku has posted the art and, according to Jones, the story follows the characters of the human Anduin Lothar and Orc Durotan. Jones wants to show both sides of the human and Orc struggle.
The film's visual effects supervisor Bill Westenhofer says the Orcs are all to be make-up, not CG, with their swords being "the biggest swords a human being can wield". Filming begins in Vancouver early next year.
The art includes the Orc city of Draenor, the magic sky city of Dalaran, the dwarf city of Ironforge, and the Alliance seat of Stormwind.
Kotaku has posted the art and, according to Jones, the story follows the characters of the human Anduin Lothar and Orc Durotan. Jones wants to show both sides of the human and Orc struggle.
The film's visual effects supervisor Bill Westenhofer says the Orcs are all to be make-up, not CG, with their swords being "the biggest swords a human being can wield". Filming begins in Vancouver early next year.
The art includes the Orc city of Draenor, the magic sky city of Dalaran, the dwarf city of Ironforge, and the Alliance seat of Stormwind.
- 11/10/2013
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Director Duncan Jones appeared at BlizzCon 2013 over the weekend to present some stuff from his upcoming Warcraft movie. We've included some concept art that he revealed along with some additional information on the story.
The story of the film will center on Anduin Lothar versus Durotan, the Human and Orc heroes from the original real-time strategy games. The movie will also be focused largely in the Eastern Kingdoms of Azeroth. When talking about casting he said,
"It's been hard to find an actor who looks like Durotan. Every time I meet an actor I just try to squish his face."
According to Kotaku, when Jones first read the script, it was very human and Alliance centric, and that wasn't going to work. He went on to say, "It's about both sides. It's going to be red and blue." He then explains that he wants the movie's audience to "feel for...
The story of the film will center on Anduin Lothar versus Durotan, the Human and Orc heroes from the original real-time strategy games. The movie will also be focused largely in the Eastern Kingdoms of Azeroth. When talking about casting he said,
"It's been hard to find an actor who looks like Durotan. Every time I meet an actor I just try to squish his face."
According to Kotaku, when Jones first read the script, it was very human and Alliance centric, and that wasn't going to work. He went on to say, "It's about both sides. It's going to be red and blue." He then explains that he wants the movie's audience to "feel for...
- 11/10/2013
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
This weekend was the annual Blizzcon event, which lets fans of Warcraft, StarCraft and other Blizzard Entertainment titles come together to swap stories, ogle new product and be shown presentations of upcoming games and expansions. With the Warcraft movie now on track for 2015, director Duncan Jones took time out from pre-production to hit Los Angeles and introduce some new concept art for the movie version and discuss his ideas. Talking about the script to an audience that included reporters from gaming site Kotaku, Jones explained that he wanted to bring balance to a screenplay that was, at first, very human-centric. "It's about both sides. It's going to be red and blue."Jones had also brought along some of his crew, including special effects supervisor Bill Westenhofer (a confirmed fan of the game), who explained that the majority of the Orcs will be created using actors in makeup instead of CGI,...
- 11/10/2013
- EmpireOnline
Director Duncan Jones presented the Warcraft movie at BlizzCon 2013 on Saturday, and thanks to Kotaku we know a little more about the December 18, 2015 release. The story of the film will center on Anduin Lothar versus Durotan, Human and Orc heroes from the original real-time strategy games. The movie will also be focused largely in the Eastern Kingdoms of Azeroth. When Jones originally signed on, the script was more it was very human and Alliance centric. "It's about both sides. It's going to be red and blue." He wants the movie's audience to feel for the Orc heroes as much as they do the Human ones, said the site. Special effects supervisor Bill Westenhofer compared the tone of the film to Gladiator and said, "The swords that are being built are...
- 11/10/2013
- Comingsoon.net
Would you rather render 10,000 hours of footage on 100 machines, or one hour on 1,000,000 machines? The cost is the same. Welcome to the cloud. The cloud is one amongst many reasons the visual effects industry is in turmoil. We have recently seen protests at the Oscars: Bill Westenhofer’s Oscar speech was apparently cut short by “censors." There have been numerous layoffs and buyouts. Industry professionals are questioning the future. And for good reason. Read More: It Ain't Easy Being Green-Screened: One VFX Artist Speaks Out at Risk of Being Erased and Replaced What’s clear: the tides are turning because of two related factors, globalization and technology. Advantages remain to continuing traditional VFX work– big companies, expensive render farms, consistent feature film contracts, but long-term economics dictate otherwise. Like in any scenario involving technology-enabled globalization of work, a number of forces contribute to a changing...
- 5/30/2013
- by Max A. Cherney
- Indiewire
The creative team from the Oscar®-winning film Life Of Pi will reunite to examine the breakthrough 3D and visual effects work that went into crafting the film.
The evening will feature film sequences and “making-of” clips along with an onstage conversation with Academy Award®-winning visual effects artists Bill Westenhofer, Erik-Jan De Boer and Donald R. Elliott, Oscar-winning cinematographer Claudio Miranda, previsualization supervisor Brad Alexander, and Oscar-nominated film editor Tim Squyres.
This year’s Oscar winner for Cinematography, Directing, Music – Original Score and Visual Effects, Life Of Pi tells the story of a boy lost at sea and his struggle to survive inside a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker.
Hosted by Academy governor Bill Kroyer, “Deconstructing Pi” will take place on Monday, May 6, at 7:30 p.m. at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.
Follow The Academy
www.
The evening will feature film sequences and “making-of” clips along with an onstage conversation with Academy Award®-winning visual effects artists Bill Westenhofer, Erik-Jan De Boer and Donald R. Elliott, Oscar-winning cinematographer Claudio Miranda, previsualization supervisor Brad Alexander, and Oscar-nominated film editor Tim Squyres.
This year’s Oscar winner for Cinematography, Directing, Music – Original Score and Visual Effects, Life Of Pi tells the story of a boy lost at sea and his struggle to survive inside a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker.
Hosted by Academy governor Bill Kroyer, “Deconstructing Pi” will take place on Monday, May 6, at 7:30 p.m. at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.
Follow The Academy
www.
- 4/25/2013
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Life of Pi evening at the Academy: ‘Deconstructing Pi’ (photo: The Tiger Richard Parker in Life of Pi) The Life of Pi creative team will get together to discuss the 3D and visual-effects work employed on the Ang Lee-directed fantasy adventure on Monday, May 6, at 7:30 p.m. at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. “Deconstructing Pi” will be hosted by Academy governor Bill Kroyer (The Green Mile, The Monkey King), and will feature film sequences and “making-of” clips, in addition to an onstage chat with Academy Award-winning visual-effects artists Bill Westenhofer, Erik-Jan De Boer, and Donald R. Elliott; Oscar-winning cinematographer Claudio Miranda; previsualization supervisor Brad Alexander; and Oscar-nominated film editor Tim Squyres. “Thinking in 3D really helped me make this movie," Ang Lee is quoted as saying on the Academy’s website. "…I think that put me in a position to...
- 4/23/2013
- by Anna Robinson
- Alt Film Guide
Jim Carrey, Louis C.K., Conan O’Brien and Oscar-winning VFX supervisor Bill Westenhofer were among nine people honored last night by the Producers Guild of America for their contributions to the advancement of digital entertainment and storytelling in the past year. John Lasseter, Morgan Freeman, and PGA President Mark Gordon were among those who attended the inaugural Digital V.I.P. Awards (Visionaries, Innovators and Producers) at the Bel Air home of entrepreneur Elon Musk. Click over for a complete list: Innovators – those who have developed new methods or technology that enables the production of storytelling. Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, Co-Founders of Instagram Bill Westenhofer, Academy Award winning VFX supervisor for Rhythm & Hues Studios for “Life of Pi” Philip Atwell and Dylan Brown of Digital Domain for Virtual 2Pac Visionaries – those who have brought forth new ideas about the creative application of technology to advance storytelling across all media.
- 4/12/2013
- by THE DEADLINE TEAM
- Deadline TV
Academy Award®-winning visual effects and animation studio Rhythm & Hues was acquired out of bankruptcy today by a wholly-owned affiliate of Los Angeles-based Prana Studios, Inc. Rhythm & Hues is a global production powerhouse for the creation of visual effects and animation for Hollywood movies. Among its 145 screen credits are “Life of Pi,” “The Golden Compass” and “Babe,” Academy Award winners for Achievement in Visual Effects, (in 2012, 2008, and 1995 respectively).
“This is a positive outcome to a difficult situation,” said R&H executive Lee Berger, “and we are thrilled to be able to put this process behind us. We are grateful for Prana’s support as well as the support of their investor group, and are excited to begin the next chapter of R&H’s history.
In February at the 85th Academy Awards, Ang Lee’s Life of Pi won 4 Oscars for Cinematography, Directing, Music (Original Score) and Visual Effects. The...
“This is a positive outcome to a difficult situation,” said R&H executive Lee Berger, “and we are thrilled to be able to put this process behind us. We are grateful for Prana’s support as well as the support of their investor group, and are excited to begin the next chapter of R&H’s history.
In February at the 85th Academy Awards, Ang Lee’s Life of Pi won 4 Oscars for Cinematography, Directing, Music (Original Score) and Visual Effects. The...
- 3/30/2013
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Jp 3D preview in early April at the Academy's Goldwyn theater, Life of Pi screening, and panel discussions: AMPAS focuses on various 'breakthroughs in visual effects' in Hollywood movies The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present a special preview of Steven Spielberg's 1993 sci-fier / adventure Jurassic Park, recently converted to 3D, on April 2 at the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater located on Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. (Pictured above: A famished Tyrannosaurus Rex considers eating a cab, wheels and all.) The preview is part of a series of evenings that will tackle "breakthroughs in visual effects" in American cinema. The series ends on May 6, following a screening of Ang Lee's 3D drama / adventure / fantasy Life of Pi, also to be held at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater. According to AMPAS's press release, the JP3D preview will feature a discussion following the film. In attendance will be several of the movie's crew members,...
- 3/26/2013
- by Anna Robinson
- Alt Film Guide
The Oscars. Hollywood’s biggest night of the year took place Sunday and I was in the press room once again for all the winner’s speeches. From comic turned reporter David Arquette crashing the room (he reportedly was covering the event for Sirius Xm radio, which carries Howard Stern’s show) and asking a question of winner Christoph Waltz to the surprise tie between Skyfall and Zero Dark Thirty in the Sound Editing category to Jennifer Lawrence’s explanation of her trip up to the stage, here are some moments from backstage at the Dolby Theatre.
I for one cheered to see women in film bringing home the gold in the technical categories. Those with Academy Awards were Karen Baker Landers for achievement in sound editing for her work on Skyfall, a first win for Costume Designer Jacqueline Durran and her gorgeous work on Anna Karenina, Lisa Westcott’s...
I for one cheered to see women in film bringing home the gold in the technical categories. Those with Academy Awards were Karen Baker Landers for achievement in sound editing for her work on Skyfall, a first win for Costume Designer Jacqueline Durran and her gorgeous work on Anna Karenina, Lisa Westcott’s...
- 2/27/2013
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
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