Cameron and Zombie join Heavy Metal

Film School Rejects recently caught up with TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman and asked him if he had any updates on the new Heavy Metal film. "I've got breaking news that Fincher and James Cameron are going to be co-executive producers on the film. Fincher will direct one. Cameron will direct one. Zack Snyder is going to direct one and Gore Verbinski is going to. Mark Osborne and Jack Black from Tenacious D are going to do a comedy segment for the film."

/Film have since found out that Rob Zombie (Halloween) is also going to direct a segment.

All in all this sci-fi animated anthology is shaping up to having some major names involved.

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Heavy Metal - Kevin Eastman talks about it's progress

Heavy Metal is a new version of the old animated sci-fi anthology based around the cool comic book anthology. Anthology used twice in one sentence. That could be a record.

Movieweb caught up with Kevin Eastman (he of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) who is producing the film with David Fincher and Tim Miller.

Here is what he had to say about it's progress:

Right now, David has a grand plan and he's asked us to sort of keep those cards close to our chest until the right announcement comes out, but what I can tell you is that part of the frustrating part of going through the studio system, which David knows more than Tim (Miller) and I. Guys like Zack Snyder and Gore Verbinski and Mark Osborne have committed to come on board and direct sequences in this. There are three other directors, that I can't tell you yet, but will be jaw-dropping when we can tell you. David has put together a program that is pretty outstanding and it's sort of fascinating for guys like Tim and I, who have worked at the studio level, at a number of levels, but never at a David Fincher level. Whereas we would've probably agreed to the deal seven versions ago, David is still negotiating and it's like, 'Oh my God, we just want to do this movie,' but, all kidding aside, that's why we're working with David. Not only does he have just a brilliant vision, and a great sense of storytelling but he's very committed to doing this right. We don't want to spend $50 million and not blow everybody out of the water with this project. I'd guess within the next 30 days would be the official announcement of what's going on and where it's going, and then we can talk again.

I am itching to hear more about the directors and animators involved in this film.

Neal Asher is one of the writers and you can read more about his involvement in my interview with him.

Are you looking forward to the Heavy Metal film? What do you want to see in it?

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Krang

A great sketch by Bob Byrne of Krang from the animated Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles.

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The Random - Inception, TMNT, Unstoppable, Toy Story 3, Pacemaker, Terminator Salvation, Fallout 3, Nightmare on Elm Street, Stone

The cast of Christopher Nolan's Inception continues to grow. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is the latest to join the cast and is taking on the role that would've been played by James Franco before he left due to a scheduling conflict. Gordon-Levitt will reportedly play an associate of Leonardo DiCaprio's character, who is a "CEO-type." We still don't know anything about the story, besides that it's a contemporary sci-fi action film set within "the architecture of the mind." - Read More

Last night it was officially announced by The Mirage Group that another new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles live-action movie was in development for 2011. The details they revealed at time were that it would be a reboot focusing on their origins and that it might use some "face replacement technology." - Read More

In a story from Variety, Denzel Washington is in talks to star in the thriller Unstoppable. The film is about a runaway train carrying a cargo of toxic chemicals. It pits an engineer (Washington) and his conductor in a race against time. They're chasing the runaway train in a separate locomotive and need to bring it under control before it derails on a curve and causes a toxic spill that will decimate a town.

Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and John Ratzenberger recently watched a "complete story reel" with animatics, temp voices and music of the entire third "Toy Story" film. Hanks has already had three complete recording sessions for the film, and will probably have one more... full details

Marcus Nispel ("Friday the 13th," "Pathfinder") is attached to direct Lars Jacobson's thriller spec script "Pacemaker". No plot details, though the story is described as "Crank" meets "Taken"... full details

Arnold Schwarzenegger has given the go-ahead to include his likeness in the upcoming Terminator Salvation. A body-cast mold of Schwarzenegger made during the filming of the first film provided the basis for a digital-effects version of his famous character... full details

Fallout 3 video game developer Bethesda has filed for film and television trademarks for the game meaning a film/TV adaptation could be potentially in the works..." full details

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Kellan Lutz (Twilight) is joining the cast of the new A Nightmare on Elm Street movie. The film is being directed by Samuel Bayer, produced by Platinum Dunes and it will be released through Warner Bros. Lutz is slated to play a popular school jock in this horror film reboot that features kids being tormented by dream stalker Freddy Krueger (Jackie Early Haley).

Director John Curran's new film just got two very big additions to the cast. According to Production Weekly, Robert De Niro and Edward Norton have joined the cast of Stone. The film is based of Angus McLachlan's play and De Niro will play a parole officer who befriends a teaching assistant. The film is scheduled to start filming next month in Detroit.

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The Goon - Eric Powell talks about why it had to be animated

“I always felt that the material would work better animated, just because of the bizarre nature of the characters and the atmosphere of the stories,” Powell told MTV News. “But American audiences don’t always embrace animation when it’s not a bunch of cute animals singing and dancing — so I was a little hesitant about it.”

“I thought maybe we should pursue a live action film,” continued Powell. “But then I saw the work of ‘Blur’ and spoke with [producer David] Fincher and learned about the way they want to do it the way they want to treat it, and I was sold.”

Still, when you look at the overall numbers for top-grossing comic book adaptations, see 2007’s “TMNT” standing as the top dog among CGI films, and note that its $54.1M just barely cracked the Top 50 superhero flicks, it’s hard to justify animation. Heck, all you’d have to do for “The Goon” is put Mickey Rourke back in his Marv makeup from “Sin City,” add some depression-era clothes and — voila — you’ve got your Goon.

However, Powell believes that moviegoers are ready for a film like this for a few reasons.

“I have the feeling the Adult Swim crowd is there, and that wasn’t there before,” said Powell. “And films like ‘Beowulf’ have come out that aren’t family-style animated films. I think the doors are opening. American audiences are starting to embrace different types of material animated.”

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Springfield Simpson Poster of Marvel, DC, He-Man, Watchmen and many more

Great poster by Dean over on Springfield Punx. Loads of comic book and movie characters have been Simpsonised by him. Just having a quick look at it I can see The Watchmen, Fantastic Four, X-Men, Lex Luthor, Spider-Man, Green Goblin, Captain America, He Man, Skeletor, Superman, The Joker, Venom, Marty McFly, The Silver Surfer, Napolean Dynamite, Thor, Lion-O, Namor, Stephen Colbert, Hulk, the Turtles, and many many more. Who have I missed out?

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to be hybrid of CGI and Live Action

MTV have the news on this in their interview with Peter Laird.

MTV: Why another live-action TMNT film, and why now?

PL: As it stands now, there is no intention of doing another live-action film like the first three, with actors and stuntmen in actual Turtle suits, contrary to what was said by Kevin. We have pretty much decided that the next “TMNT” movie should be what we’ve been calling a “hybrid” — that is to say, live-action humans and sets combined with very realistic CGI Turtles (and possibly some other CGI characters).

MTV: If the hybrid “TMNT” film moves forward, what type of story is it going to tell? Will it be an origin story or something in continuity with one of the other TMNT properties?

PL: The storyline for this new “hybrid” movie has not been settled on yet. We’re still batting some different ideas around. The sky’s the limit. My preference would be a story which fits into TMNT movie continuity in some way. But nothing has been decided.

More on the interview here.

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The Random

Kevin Eastman talks live action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot.

Paramount and Fincher are against each other over The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Stephen Sommers replaces Guillermo del Toro on Tarzan movie.

Jerry Bruckheimer adapting WWII novel Killing Rommel.

Damon Lindelof talks about Stephen King's Dark Tower movie adaption possibly being seven movies!

Los Angeles federal judge Gary Allen Feess has set a January 6th 2009 trial date for 20th Century Fox’s Watchmen lawsuit against Warner Bros.

Concept art for the Halo: Fall of Reach movie can be seen here.

Guy Pearce would like to be in the next Christopher Nolan Batman movie.

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G-Force! Gatchaman Concept Art

Gatchaman is coming and some of the concept art for the CGI movie can be found here and it looks fantastic. If the little figure looks in the bottom left of the picture above looks familiar well that is because it is based on the old 1972 anime, Gatchaman, which was taken by the west and transformed into Battle of the Planets (complete with irritating Seven-Zark-Seven). This updated version is being brought to the screen by the people who did the recent TMNT movie (which looked nice but was a bit naff - the fight scene in the rain was great though) and follows the battle of the five teenage ninjas against the evil organisation known as Galactor.

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