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Last Updated: 11/22/2009

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Age: 20
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Sunday, December 13, 2009 

Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities
Carl Ellsworth, screenwriter of the film adaptation of Brian K. Vaughn's 'Y: The Last Man' sat down to talk with Wizard Universe about the movie.
Ellsworth he admits he wasn't a fan of the comic, or comics in general, before taking on the project. "I grew up on 'Star Wars' and watching movies, but the comic book thing kind of passed me by. That being said, I was pitched the premise and it sounded great. Once I started reading the comic books I couldn’t put them down."
Now that he's been introduced to the world of comics, the level of fervor among fans has him a bit nervous.
"This is a comic book that people care about. So [director D.J. Caruso] and I had some nervous laughter over it where it’s like, 'Oh, man, what have we gotten ourselves into?' It has been a challenge trying not to be too intimidated," Ellsworth told Wizard. "That just gets me all in an uproar and I don’t end up writing anything. I had read stories about when David Goyer, one of the producers on 'Y: The Last Man,' started writing 'Batman Begins' and the reaction that it got. So, it’s like, 'What have we done here?'”
As is often the case, the movie is likely to deviate from the comics.
"We haven’t gone out of the way to reinvent a lot of the comic because it works so well. What we’re actually trying to do is give more of a foundation to the characters and what makes them tick. For example, the Daughters of the Amazon—we’re interested in exploring how that group doesn’t just spring up overnight," Ellsworth said.
"In the comic book, we’re presented with an end-of-the-world scenario pretty darn quickly. It then becomes the adventures of Yorick and 355, but I would say that a movie version must have more of a sense of urgency and jeopardy. It’s not going to be a 'Mad Max' film. Where we want to start is what simply would the world be like if this “absurd” thing were to happen," Ellsworth continued. "It’s actually going to have more of a haunting feel to it as Yorick our main character is attempting to get his bearings and what the immediate aftermath of the plague means."
For more from Ellsworth about 'Y: The Last Man' click through to the complete interview.
 
Sunday, December 13, 2009 

Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities
Aside from the occasional rumor (Megan Fox as Catwoman?!), updates on the "Batman 3" front have been quiet as of late. That makes sense, as writer/director Christopher Nolan is still shooting his post-"Dark Knight" thriller "Inception," which isn't due in theaters until summer 2010.
Yet, as Nolan keeps himself more than a bit busy on that mammoth production, one of his "Dark Knight" stars is certain the "Batman" series is not far from his creative thoughts.
"I know—I just know—that Chris is working on number three," Morgan Freeman told MTV News. "He couldn't possibly not be."
Freeman's spent two films working alongside Nolan in the role of Bruce Wayne's confidante, Lucius Fox, so clearly the Oscar-winning actor knows a thing or two about the filmmaker's creative process. But Freeman made clear that's he not operating with any sort of inside knowledge—just a gut feeling from one artist to another.
"I'm not waiting by the phone," he said. "I don't know anything at all about it. 'Batman' is completely out of my mind."
Not completely, so it seems. In addition to his certainty that Nolan is "working" on 'Batman 3,' Freeman spoke confidently that both his character and Alfred, played by Michael Caine, would return for the film—even if he didn't know any specific plot details.
"What I don't know is how that story is going to play out—where it's going to be and who's going to be in it," he said. "There's a good chance he would incorporate Lucius Fox and Alfred."
And who might Nolan and his team choose as the villain? Freeman put in a vote for a certain feline-fixated baddie.
"I want to see Catwoman," he said. "I have [a casting] idea, but it's just an idea and I'm going to keep it to myself."
Sunday, December 13, 2009 

Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities


Jonah Hex"Jonah Hex" star Josh Brolin dropped by "The Tonight Show" yesterday, and spilled some details about the upcoming big-screen debut of DC's ex-confederate bounty hunter — including some thoughts on what John Malkovich brings to the lead villain role, and (we're not making this up) what it's like to make out with Megan Fox.
According to Brolin, Malkovich wasn't the studio's first choice to play Quentin Turnbull, the vicious plantation owner who faces off against Jonah Hex in the film. In fact, Brolin said he was the one who convinced the studio to bring in the "Burn After Reading" actor.
"This was another angry role that I thought John [Malkovich] could pull off," said Brolin. "The studio had brought up a Gary Oldman or somebody else."
"I said the thing about Gary Oldman or other actors like that is when they get angry ... they're usually pretty straightforward with their anger, you can feel the rage coming and then they finally look at you — and when it's time to do it they just look at you and just let the spit fly," explained Brolin. "With John, you can feel the anger start to surface and then John may look for something, like maybe there's a poodle there. And John will pick up a poodle and start to pet the poodle. He won't be looking at you and he may start to recite a poem by [W.H.] Auden or something."
"And to me that's far scarier than somebody actually screaming in your face," he said.
Brolin also described a fight scene in which he ended up breaking Malkovich's thumb. According to the "No Country For Old Men" star, he learned of the injury when Malkovich quietly asked him to pull his thumb back into place after the scene was finished.
Show host Conan O'Brien also got Brolin to open up about another important element of the film: his chemistry with "Jennifer's Body" actress Megan Fox.
"Yes, I made out with Megan Fox, which was nice," laughed Brolin. "The thing is, I had a prosthetic on my face and it was very tough for me because of the way Jonah Hex is and the way the character is, there's kind of a rope-idermis halfway through my mouth and half of my face is burned, so it's very tough to figure out and find a way to get your tongue through."
Well, there you have it, folks: the important "Jonah Hex" questions, answered.

An insider is telling Bloody Disgusting that Warner Bros. Pictures is prepping a few new weeks of shooting for their comic book adaptation of Jonah Hex, which is slated for release on June 18, 2010. Jimmy Hayward , who directed the DC comics adaptation, is getting back behind the camera with Francis Lawrence - the man behind I Am Legend and Constantine - consulting. This has been CONFIRMED. Josh Brolin, John Malkovich, Megan Fox, Will Arnett and Michael Shannon all star. Hex (played by Brolin), known for having the right side of his face disfigured and wearing a Confederate army uniform, was a rough-and-tumble gunslinger and part-time bounty hunter whose adventures always ended in blood.
Sunday, December 13, 2009 

Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities
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Sunday, December 13, 2009 

Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities

   


   


Phil-Morris_lSmallville’s upcoming Justice Society-themed two-parter has added another headliner. Exec producer Kelly Souders confirms that the highly anticipated eppys (titled “Society” and slated to air in early 2010) will mark the return of Phil Morris as Martian Manhunter.
Penned by comic book hero Geoff Johns, “Society” marks the arrival of Justice Society members Hawkman, Doctor Fate, and Stargirl. The abundance of special guest stars is what prompted Souders and fellow showrunner Brian Peterson to expand the episode into two parts.
“To be honest, there were so many characters and so much great story that people would’ve been robbed of some great moments if we kept it to just one hour,” says Sounders. “So now that it’s a two-parter, you won’t miss anything.”
Check out this week’s Ask Ausiello for more details on “Society.” In the meantime, riddle me this: Are you more pumped for “Society” now that MM is on board? Sound off below!


Sunday, December 13, 2009 

Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities

Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino recently revealed to MTV News that in creating his band of scalp-collecting Jewish-American soldiers in "Inglourious Basterds," the writer/director relied heavily on Marvel Comics' World War II-focused series, "Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos."
But Tarantino's presence at the intersection of comics and movies extends beyond his latest epic. During our interview, the filmmaker also divulged that he was once offered the chance to direct a big screen adaptation of an iconic DC Comics superhero.
"I was offered the 'Green Lantern,' " Tarantino told MTV News. "Not since it's been a script, but just like, 'Hey we own the 'Green Lantern.' Would you like it?'"
Tarantino declined the opportunity and "Lantern" joined the list of other franchises, like "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.," that he was offered but never ended up taking on. "Green Lantern," of course, is now being helmed by Martin Campbell ("Casino Royale") and will star Ryan Reynolds.
Calling himself "a big comic book fan," Tarantino said there was a time in his 20s, while working at a video store, when all he wanted to see were comic book movies.
"So there's a little part of me that's like, 'Wow, if I was in my 20s, this would be the genre I'd want to specialize in," he said. "But they weren't making them then, or at least not the right ones. But there also is an aspect where I've kind of outgrown that a little bit."
Now that he's in his 40s and has been making features since 1992's "Reservoir Dogs," the director says he's no longer open to adapting any previously established franchise. What does get his creative juices flowing is the idea of exploring completely new superheroes and storylines.
"It wouldn't be an existing comic book character," he said. "I'm a writer. I'd want to use my imagination and not have to fight with geeks' memories of how this character should be and, 'Oh, I cast an actor as opposed to a bodybuilder' or it's not as good as the way [DC Comics artist] Neal Adams drew him.' If I were to do something like that, I would want the fun of coming up with the superhero myself."


Lobo
Fans at next year’s San Diego Comic-Con International may get the first opportunity to see what Guy Ritchie’s big screen adaptation of “Lobo” will look like. Producer Joel Silver has revealed that a “Lobo” test was recently filmed with the annual pop culture event in mind.
“We’re working on ‘Lobo’ now,” said Silver during an interview with Collider. “I was looking at a test we made and I was seeing it through the eyes of [the San Diego] Comic-Con — through the eyes of that audience. It’s important to know that that audience is the biggest in the world. That’s the audience that you want to get.”
Back in September, Jeffery Dean Morgan — perhaps best known to comic fans as The Comedian in Zack Snyder’s adaptation of “Watchmen” — stated that he wants to portray Lobo while on the set of his most recent film, “The Losers.” However, Morgan later told MTV News “I don't know if I'm the guy or not, but I think it's going to be one hell of a movie. I'll certainly be going to see it."
When asked about Morgan’s comments, Silver replied “I like Jeffery Dean, but you know we’re working our way through it. We’ll see what happens.”
Last month, actor James Preston Rogers (“Outlander”) was named by Splash Page readers as their preferred choice for Lobo while current “Lobo” scribe — and Anthrax guitarist — Scott Ian suggested Matt Willig (“Dexter”).

Sources



Sunday, December 13, 2009 

Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities
I’ve had a bunch of questions on the forthcoming movie version of mine and Cully Hamner’s graphic novel RED, which starts shooting next month (I think). Let me try to field a couple of them.
First off: RED, the book, is 66 pages long. If you were to film 66 pages of comics, you might, might just about get 40 minutes of film out of it. If you added a musical number. The comics-page to film-minute ratio is pretty bad. A straight adaptation of a 150-page graphic novel might, if you squint at it, get you a 100-minute film. But it’s unlikely, because comics and films use time so differently. One page with four lines of dialogue on it can be slowed to a crawl to the point where you have to spend several minutes digesting the information on it. In film, however, four lines of dialogue is four lines of dialogue, and you can’t just pronounce it very slowly for the same time consumption. Beyond filmic/dramatic effects like the pause or montage or whatever, film is timelocked.
So, yes, RED the film is very different. Not least because it needed to generate more material than the book itself actually constituted.
It is in fact best to consider RED as a short story being adapted into film.
Next, and related: RED-the-book is also something of a chamber piece. There are essentially only four characters. (And a lot of people who get killed.) Now, while you can perfectly well make a film with only four characters in — or even just one character — those films tend not to be massive commercial propositions. And Summit is in the business of making commercial films. Also, they needed to expand RED from a half-hour to an hour-and-a-half. So, yes, there are a lot of new characters.
The new characters are all in theme, all in the same line of work as (Paul in the book, Frank in the film) Moses. The theme being, in part (and also poked at in my other books GLOBAL FREQUENCY and RELOAD) the unexploded bombs of the 20th Century.
(This actually gave the Hoebers the excuse to have fun with old spy tropes like CIA Nutter Guy — there’s a lovely piece of business with him in the first half-hour that amused me no end.)
I don’t think any of them are bad. Also, did you see the goddamn cast list that’s signed on for those characters? Bruce Willis as Moses, yes. But also: Morgan Freeman, Mary-Louise Parker, John C Reilly, Helen Mirren, Julian McMahon, Brian Cox, Ernest Borgnine and Richard Dreyfus. It reminds me a bit of those 70s films like THE TOWERING INFERNO, that had in them everyone you wanted to see in a film, all at once. RED is a bit like that, only with more automatic weapons.
Bruce Willis: when you look back over his filmography, that man’s actually had an incredibly weird career. DIE HARD and all that, sure… but also FIFTH ELEMENT, TWELVE MONKEYS, PULP FICTION, an adaptation of a Harlan Ellison short story for TV and getting a film adaptation of a Kurt Vonnegut book made by sheer force of will. Not bad.
The tone: no, the film isn’t as grim as the book. The book is pretty grim. But it’s also pretty small. When I sell the rights to a book, they buy the right to adapt it in whatever way they see fit. I can accept that they wanted a lighter film, and, as I’ve said before, the script is very enjoyable and tight as a drum. They haven’t adapted it badly, by any means. People who’ve enjoyed the graphic novel will have to accept that it’s an adaptation and that by definition means that it’s going to be a different beast from the book. The film has the same DNA. It retains bits that are very clearly from the book, as well as, of course, the overall plotline. But it is, yes, lighter, and funnier. And if anyone has a real problem with that, I say to you once again:
Helen Mirren with a sniper rifle.
I mean, if you don’t want to see a film with Helen Mirren with a sniper rifle, I’m not sure I want to know you.
http://i.livescience.com/images/red-hamner-02.jpg
Sometimes, the planets align and things just go right.

For Cully Hamner, not only does he have a steady comic gig that he enjoys and deadlines with which he's comfortable, but one of his completed comic book series, Red, is on the fast track to becoming a film with an impressive slate of actors.

The lineup for Red, Robert Schwentke's adaptation of the comic by Hamner and Warren Ellis, already featured Bruce Willis as the lead character, Paul Moses, and Julian McMahon as the vice president. Rounding out the cast are such stars as Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren, John C. Reilly and Mary Louise Parker.

Earlier this month, Summit Entertainment, which scooped up the rights to Red last year, announced that McMahon, Ernest Borgnine, Richard Dreyfuss and Brian Cox would join the cast.

The story focuses on Moses, a retired CIA operative who spent his career carrying out deadly orders for his superiors in the hotspots of the world. When a new administration takes over the government, they decide Moses knows too much, forcing him to fight against the agency that trained him.

While the movie starts filming in January, Hamner is busy with his latest project with writer Greg Rucka -- The Question co-features in the back of Detective Comics. Since the new creative team took over the book this summer, Hamner and Rucka have been exploring world of Renee Montoya and her supporting cast while the main title has been focusing on her former flame, Batwoman.

Newsarama talked to Hamner about how it feels to have Red moving toward production and how he approached Renee Montoya in his Question co-features.

Newsarama: Cully, how did Red get all these top name stars? My gosh!

Hamner: You know? It's news to me! I find out about these things probably about the same time everybody else does. Someone will send me an article, or I'll see something on the 'net. Very seldom do I find something out before anyone else does.

What do we have so far? Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren, Mary Louise Parker, John C. Reilly, Julian McMahon, Richard Dreyfuss, Bryan Cox and Ernest Borgnine.

Is there anybody in this entire cast that's not a major award winner? I think all of them have either won or been nominated for an Oscar or a Golden Globe, if I'm not mistaken.

Nrama: Do these actors line up with what you were thinking for the story? I mean, I know some of these characters are unique to the movie.

Hamner: Well, Bruce Willis is a good choice to play, well, the character in our book is Paul Moses. I'm not sure he'll have exactly the same name in the movie, but I could be wrong about that. But he's a good choice.

But yeah, the book that we did has really only got four major characters in it. It's a tight little book. Paul Moses, in the book, is a pretty lonely guy. But this has a bigger cast than the book ever did.

Nrama: Is that OK with you?

Hamner: I am totally cool with it. I understand the fact that, when you translate a comic to a movie, there are going to be some things that are either not going to make the translation or are going to add to it and become more than what you did. And with a comic like this that was three issues long -- I mean, we're talking 66 pages -- it has to be fleshed out a little bit. So I'm totally cool with that. I am looking forward to seeing it.

To get this caliber of actor on board, I imagine the script is pretty good. So it's going to be real interesting to see. I'm pretty excited about it. It's going to be cool.

Nrama: This has been a pretty quick moving project for Hollywood, hasn't it?

Hamner: Oh, it's gone so fast. It's been the exact opposite of everything I've ever heard about selling a movie option. You hear about selling a movie option and it never gets made. You make a little bit of money; it's nothing crazy. And then you wait until the option expires, and they either renew or you sell it to somebody else. But this was a situation where we finalized it only last year. And boom! They're going to start shooting pretty soon. It's really crazy.

Nrama: Once you guys hand over the film option, are artists usually involved in the filmmaking process at all?

Hamner: You know, I think that's a case-by-case basis. And in this case, I'm not. I think they've got a particular take on this thing. I haven't been asked to be involved. Even if I were, I'm not sure I would have time to. That sounds pretty blase' I know, but I've got a monthly gig that I'm trying to stay on top of. It sounds to me like they're going to make this thing pretty fast. They start filming in January, and it comes out in November. They haven't asked me to do anything. I don't think Warren really is involved much either. But I'm going to be there in the audience, probably at the premier, when everyone else sees it. And I'll just enjoy it.

Soucers:

Sunday, December 13, 2009 

Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities
Thanks to Warner Bros. Home Video, here's a couple of pics of Batman (with The Flash) and Owlman (with Superwoman) from the upcoming JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRISIS ON TWO EARTHS...

JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRISIS ON TWO EARTHS premieres on February 23, 2010 -- CLICK HERE TO ORDER! Visit the official website at JUSTICELEAGUECRISIS.COM.


When you're dealing with a story so huge that it spans multiple Earths, it's sometimes a good idea to arm yourself with multiple directors - as did the production team behind Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, an all-new DC Universe Animated Original PG-13 Movie from Warner Premiere, DC Comics and Warner Bros. Animation.
Lauren Montgomery and Sam Liu, the animation directors of the past three DC Universe films, have combined their talents to bring Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths to the screen as a blockbuster tale of super heroes and super villains engaged in the ultimate battle of parallel worlds and, through a diabolical plan launched by Owlman, puts the balance of all existence in peril.
Montgomery has been an active member of the directing team behind several of the DCU films, initially guiding the middle section of Superman Doomsday before accepting the sole directorial role for both Wonder Woman and Green Lantern: First Flight. After directing several Hulk and Thor ventures for rival Marvel, Liu made his long-form directorial debut for the DCU series on Superman/Batman: Public Enemies.
As the film's lead characters are armed with similar talents while coming from distinctly different perspectives, the same can be said of the two directors of Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths. Both Montgomery and Liu are relatively soft-spoken individuals, yet both are opinionated in their approach to animation, diligent in their work ethic, and dedicated to achieving the best possible outcome. Over the course of making the film, they came to learn a great deal about the other's vision, and the result is even greater than the sum of their talents.
Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths is an original story from award-winning animation/comics writer Dwayne McDuffie (Justice League). Bruce Timm (Superman Doomsday) is executive producer. The full-length animated film will be distributed by Warner Home Video on February 23, 2010 as a Special Edition 2-disc version on DVD and Blu-RayTM Hi-Def, as well as single disc DVD, and On Demand and Download.
Montgomery and Liu paused from their current DCU projects (shhh ... it's a secret) to discuss their thoughts on the creation of Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths. FYI: The interviews were conducted separately. Montgomery's answers are listed first because, well, decorum dictates that ladies go first ...

QUESTION:
How did you two go about co-directing Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths?
LAUREN MONTGOMERY:
We kind of just went over the whole film together and it was really good to get two different points of view as a check and balance for each other. If we disagreed, we found compromises that would work. If one of us felt strongly about something, we just traded off - Sam would take a sequence he felt strongly about, then I'd take one I wanted. But for the most part, we agreed. We both work in such different ways, it was interesting to see how someone else works and learn from it.
SAM LIU:
We went through the film front to back, and if we ran into a problem or an area where either of us had an issue, usually where we thought it could be stronger or could be playing better, we usually solved it right on the spot. If we got to a section that was requiring a lot more revisions, one of us would jump on it and the other would move the rest of the film forward until we hit another rough spot. So that was our process.

QUESTION:
What have you learned from each other?
LAUREN MONTGOMERY:
Sam breaks things down a lot, he's very analytical. I tend not to. He spends a lot of time thinking about the story and getting into all the nooks and crannies of it, and I like to work with the general story. He'll read the whole book, I'll read the back of the book. I try to get the emotional points down so people can understand them, but Sam will go even deeper to use shots and set-ups to drive the point home, sometimes metaphorically. He thinks harder than I do.
SAM LIU:
Our processes are very different. I like getting into a script and breaking things down. Maybe I don't have the best ideas, but I'm pretty good at recognizing where things are needed. I really liked the back and forth process (with Lauren), talking about ideas and batting it back and forth to find a good solution. Lauren is more instinctual, she works more from the gut. And I think she works off reaction rather than an intellectual breakdown. I'm the other way by process. But I do feel like sometimes I over-analyze things, when sometimes it's almost like the emotional flow of the movie is good enough. Lauren gets that. Sometimes logic can be bypassed if the scene is engaging enough, or interesting enough. It'll bridge gaps and you don't need to analytically fix all those gaps.

QUESTION:
What do you think you might have taught each other?
LAUREN MONTGOMERY:
I think Sam stresses out slightly less when I'm around. He stresses and I don't. I think I calm him down a little bit. But when he's alone, he stresses out just as much. Hopefully I helped with that.
SAM LIU:
I don't think I taught her anything (he laughs). She's a free-flowing, shoot-from-the-hip kind of person, and I'm kind of an angster - I nitpick things. I like getting into the story, and from there some things do need working out - things related to the emotional journey of a character that need to be highlighted or punctuated to set something up for later. I'm a stickler for things like that. And I think she saw those things.
I do stress, though - and there are times when I'm freaking out about something and she puts me at total ease. And then there's times when I'm freaking out and she's fighting me on it, and it makes it worse. I think we're both control freaks in our own way, it's just a difference in approach. I fixate on a lot of things, and she thinks things are just good enough, so let's move on. We have an innate concept about the overall picture, but she focuses more on the acting and poses and timing and movement, and I think more on structure. I guess there's a good balance.

QUESTION:
Do you have a favorite scene in Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths?
LAUREN MONTGOMERY:
There's a fight between Wonder Woman and Olympia that I thought was really beautifully animated. That's always fun to watch. It was boarded well, but the overseas animators took the drawings from the boards and really plussed it out. I think they just enjoy animating girl fights overseas because those scenes always come back looking good.
SAM LIU:
More than one scene, I like the overall relatability of the Justice League characters. There was great character interaction. When I watch movies, I like something that has an emotional connection, and this film definitely does.
Specifically, I think the spectacle of these evenly matched supers fighting was really cool. Superman versus Ultraman. Flash fighting someone equally as fast. Strengths against strengths. Jay Oliva boarded the last fight sequence and the Superwoman-Wonder Woman fight is great. They're both strong, super powerful women and I think it was brutal enough as is, but the way Jay made Wonder Woman use the lasso to slam Superwoman to the ground is pretty amazing.
The battle between Owlman and Batman is awesome, too, because it's sort of this weird intellectual standoff. Owlman is so far into his psychosis as to how the universe operates, it's very existential. His concept is crazy, but the way he reasons out the technology of how things work and the way he thinks, it gave us great room to improvise Batman's reaction. And then when they actually fight, it's brutal. They do these gadget fights, sort of a modern ninja battle. The sound effects on the planet, the colors, the way it's animated, it all works really well. And James Woods' voice is perfect - most of the Crime Syndicate is very thuggish, they're all about stealing money. But Owlman has created the ultimate plan to annihilate everybody, and James Woods does this great build-up. It's great acting. He plays Owlman as a little bit off and kind of creepy, but not sinister creepy. His cadence is great, and his voice is almost charming in a way. It was a good mix of all the things I thought we'd have a problem with if we went too far one way or the other. It's a great, tight sequence and I'm very happy the way it all came together.

QUESTION:
What were the challenges of directing this film?
LAUREN MONTGOMERY:
It was a challenge because we had a really large cast of characters - lots of main characters - and they all needed a decent amount of screen time. Both the good guys and the bad. We had to make sure the audience got to know each of those characters and make sure they had a presence in the film that was important, and that was a challenge.
SAM LIU:
Definitely the size of the cast and how to give enough screen time to everyone. At one point, Green Lantern was a little light on having enough important things to do. We needed to add a bit for Lex Luthor, too, and I still don't think we did enough. We added a fight to show that Lex can fight, too, and tried to beef him up a bit. But there just wasn't enough screen time to accommodate everyone.

QUESTION:
Do you have a favorite character?
LAUREN MONTGOMERY:
Superwoman ... just because she's so wrong. She's a bully, but she's got the muscle to back it up. She's everything you shouldn't be, but is fun to work with.

QUESTION:
What skills you learned or developed on past projects were you able to apply to this film?
LAUREN MONTGOMERY:
We had the same animation studio that did Wonder Woman, so we were able to draw from the work done on Wonder Woman and improve on that. Overall, the animation was good in Wonder Woman, but there was some poor stuff, too. I think they really improved - they saw what we responded to in Wonder Woman and they tried to do what they knew we liked, and it was good.
SAM LIU:
I think, this whole process was better for me this time, especially working with Bruce (Timm) and Lauren. I was able to let go a little bit and not have to over-think things, and still know that things would work out. I generally stress over everything until the very last minute. With Lauren, I sort of learned that you can say "that's enough" and move on to the next thing. I appreciate Lauren and her patience, and that we're still friends. In the end, you take care of the important things and everything will work out.

QUESTION:
So, are you happy being an animation director?
LAUREN MONTGOMERY:
It's never been an easy job. It can be draining. But it's still a really fun job. I mean, we get to work on great stories with iconic characters. I know people who would kill to work on Batman and Superman. When you think of it that way - well, if I weren't working in this job, I'd definitely want to. A little bit of the excitement is taken off because I've done it so many times, but it's still a really cool thing to do.
SAM LIU:
I love doing long-form animation. I've been offered to go back to TV series, but I like this better. Direct-to-videos are hard - you have a short amount of time to create a world from the ground up every time and, once it's done, it goes on the shelf and you move on - but I'm so glad I don't have to deal with BSP (Broadcast, Standards & Practices - the network's content watchdogs). What I love most is that you get to tell stories people can love, you can have emotional pain and great action, and you get to work with things that are too adult for children's broadcasting. That's the stuff that I like - telling full stories. So I'm very happy.

QUESTION:
What's your favorite part of the job?
LAUREN MONTGOMERY:
The best part is when you see the film start to come back (from overseas animation studios) and it's looking good. That's a really nice part. When you see it coming together to be something good, that's very satisfying. You know all your hard work has paid off.
SAM LIU:
I think it has to be working with the story and the characters. I love the development of the characters and how they fit into the story, helping their growth, even if it's subtle or small. I like finding the core of what our story is about and trying to push that story. I think most of the time it's about the characters and their conflicts in the beginning, and how they resolve those conflicts. On this film, we were able to do that a lot even after production had been underway - particularly with Batman's motivation, and showing why it was important for him to stay behind and get Watchtower online. Superman believes one thing; Batman has a different opinion. It's a conflict, and it pays off later.

QUESTION:
You've been living with this film for well over a year. Can you still watch and enjoy it?
LAUREN MONTGOMERY:
I enjoy it most with a new audience. You get to see their reactions, and it makes me look at it in a new light. I enjoy watching all of our movies, which is a good thing - it's nice to be able to watch what you've done and feel good about it.
SAM LIU:
It's hard sometimes, because when you're making a movie, there's so many things you want and wish for, and you still tend to see the things that are missing. In this case, I'm comfortable watching because there are so many things that were done right. I'm not comfortable watching some of my older stuff. But this is one of the best movies I've ever worked on, and it's very satisfying. I think there's the right amount of action, good conflict, good closure, and intelligent characters. They're not just one-dimensional characters. So it's satisfying to watch.

QUESTION:
What's the DC Universe film you hope to direct some day?
LAUREN MONTGOMERY:
I want that Aquaman project, but I doubt we'll every make it.
SAM LIU:
I'd love to do Sandman from the Vertigo line. I don't know what kind of story that would be, but I'd love to work with Neil Gaiman because I really loved those comics.

QUESTION:
Now that you can see the final product, how do the voices match their animated characters?
LAUREN MONTGOMERY:
Gina Torres and James Woods are probably my favorites. Everybody loves Owlman. He's such a unique character. Gina is really good as Superwoman - she has this strong, seductive, confident voice, and it makes you fear and respect her. Mark Harmon is really good as Superman. At first I was worried because I thought his age might come through, but his voice really works well. It's funny because when we started watching the voice with the animation, it struck us how you could hear little tones of George Newbern and Tim Daly - two of our regular Supermans - in his voice, which is pretty cool.
SAM LIU:
I really liked Mark Harmon - he's got a gentle streak and it goes really well with the strength of his voice. When he was in the recording booth, I thought he might be too gentle, but it works even in the scenes where he has to be more assertive or powerful. I think it works really well because it never crosses that line of him being mean or not genuine or sneaky. It's very pure, just as Superman should be.
I also thought Josh Keaton did a great job as Flash. He's hilarious. So much of these movies are based on the acting, and Josh really sold it. The chemistry between characters was good, too. James Woods and Gina Torres have this strange relationship, and their acting makes them real characters. They really engaged their personalities. That's what good actors do. The voices in this cast really flesh out the characters and give them texture.
For more information, images and updates, please visit the film's official website at www.JUSTICELEAGUECRISIS.com.
Sunday, November 22, 2009 

Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities

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Hey my fellow movie lovers. We were lucky enough to shoot some questions to Shazam writer Bill Birch. Even though the man is knee deep in Shazam he gave us some time and answered the below. So get a beer,cocktail or orange juice, chill out enjoy the interview.
Firstly, you started your career with Crew work and acting but with your recent success with writing are you looking at focusing on writing?
I came to L.A. years ago as an actor and had success in mostly television and commercials but found that while the occasional work paid the bills it wasn't enough to completely satisfy my creative side. After spending a few years performing with the Groundlings Comedy Troupe, where you had to write your own material, I found myself gravitating more towards the writing side. Even though I occasionally still do commercials I consider myself a full-time writer now.
You’re currently listed as directing/writing the Weekend Warrior. Can you tell us more about the project? Also is directing another area you want to go into?
Weekend Warrior is a comedy that I sold to Warner Brothers as a pitch about an inept home repair do-it-yourselfer who accidentally opens a portal to Hell in his basement and then has to stop the impending apocalypse. It's an action comedy in the same vein as Men in Black or Ghostbusters. Those are both films I love and the types of movies that I think need to be made more often. Dean Parisot, who directed Galaxy Quest, is actually attached as the director to that and he’s going to knock the hell out of it.
You have also written One Finger Salute. The story sounds brilliant. Can you tell us more about the project?
One Finger Salute was my first writing assignment. It's based on a real group of guys in the Air Force in the 1950's who were researching outer space and the possibility of putting a man up there way before Sputnik, NASA and the term "Space Race" even existed. These guys were freakin' studs. One of them strapped himself in a rocket sled and blasted down a track going 630 miles per hour then came to a compete stop in 1.5 seconds and lived to tell about it. Another guy jumped out of a balloon 20 miles above the earth to test a parachute. He free fell for 4.5 minutes coming close to breaking the speed of sound on the way down. The project was wallowing in "development hell" at Warner Brothers for over ten years until my version brought some life back to it. Interestingly, Pete Segal became attached to that project after reading one of my drafts. We developed another draft together and during that time a great collaborative relationship was born. He asked me to give him and his producing partner, Michael Ewing, a take on Captain Marvel and that eventually led to me getting Shazam. FYI, Pete's a freakin' stud too.
How did Peter Segal come onboard ? Also with him being a long time Sandler collaborator ,could we see Sandler involved?
Pete's been involved with Shazam since 2006 so it's been a long and winding road for him. I don't know the details of how he originally got involved but I can say he's very excited with the way this new version is shaping up. And Sandler as Marvel? It would definitely be a bold casting choice. Maybe Rob Schneider as Black Adam? I can see the poster now! Ok, that was a bad joke. Pete's never mentioned Sandler.
Obviously the one fans are going crazy over is that you are now writing Shazam with Geoff John? How did this come about?
Okay, first of all let me say that Geoff Johns is also a freakin' stud. He's young, smart, creative and has this crazy encyclopedic knowledge of everything DC. He's so cool I almost hate him a little bit. Thankfully I've been able to put that hate aside and I've enjoyed every minute we've spent working together while breaking the new Marvel/Shazam story. Geoff and I are in the thick of it, creating a kickass update that still honors the lore that's been created in over 50 years of Marvel storylines.
Shazam has been in development hell for so long, have you had to look through previous scripts or starting fresh?
I've read some of the previous versions and we're starting fresh.
Are you a fan of the comic book and if so what storylines inspired you?
I have four older brothers so growing up and we always had comics around the house. While Superman was probably the one we read most we did having a few Shazams around. I remember being fascinated with the idea that a kid could just say "Shazam!" and become a superhero. It's the ultimate in wish fulfillment and obviously that will be a theme in the script. I was also a religious watcher of the 70's TV show. You couldn't beat Shazam! followed by Isis could you? They just don't make TV like that anymore. (Actually after watching some Shazam! clips on You Tube I'm glad they don't. It's pretty bad but as a kid I remember it being awesome.)
In a time when comic adaptations are expected to be gritty and dark is Shazam the project that can be made for families or is dark and gritty the expected road for Capt. Marvel?
The way the story is shaking out, Geoff and I see this not as "dark" as Dark Knight but definitely as cool. It'll probably end up with a PG-13 rating.
What is the most important aspect you want to bring to Shazam?
Tonally I think it's important to successfully find the balance of comedy and danger in the story. That’s a major aspect I’m focusing on. Frankly hitting the right tone is what’s going to either get this made or keep it in development hell.
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was at one point attached to play either Capt. Marvel or Black Adam (I think he decided he’d rather Black Adam) is this still the case? If so does it make it easier to write with him in mind or does it inhibit the writing process knowing who you’re writing for? Who, personally, would you love to see in the Billy Batson role?
My rule of thumb is that no actor is committed to do a movie until the first day of shooting is over with. (And sometimes even then the cast can still change) I know that Pete Segal and Dwayne have a relationship that was solidified when Pete directed Get Smart. As far as him being committed? I'm sure it'll all depend on the script. That being the case I don't write with anyone in mind. If the characters are solid it will attract good talent and then there will always be a rewrite to address the talent's concerns. Usually at that point in the process is when you start writing for that specific actor. More than likely the role of Billy Batson will be an unknown but the role of Cpt Marvel? I always thought Ryan Reynolds would have been interesting but now that he’s Green Lantern that’s not an option. Honestly I don’t think too much about it since I have very little say in the casting decisions.
What other projects are you currently working on?
Right now I'm working on a straight comedy in the vein of 40-Year-Old Virgin along with Shazam. Since Shazam has lots of magic and action and it's nice to balance it out with a story about a character that's just a regular guy.
What do you want to achieve in Hollywood?
I want to continually write and find projects that are interesting, challenging and fun. I also want to continue to mine relationships with good directors and producers that make the collaborative process enjoyable. So far so good.
So thanks to Bill for his time and I am dying to see Shazam . Boo Yeah
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Sunday, November 22, 2009 

Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities
After Avatar, Saldana will be seen is The Losers playing Aisha.

"She's a blend of Uhura and Neytiri," Saldana said. "Toss in a couple of guns and some tattoos - she's really badass. At times I was kind of afraid of her. I don't know why it's a PG-13 movie to be honest."

Although she kills a lot of people in The Losers, the young actress said playing Neytiri in Avatar was the more difficult role.

Idris Elba on The Losers

Michael Leader


The Wire star Idris Elba talks about his upcoming movie, The Losers, at MCM Expo...

Published on Nov 1, 2009

Idris Elba is the inspiration of many a mancrush. I blame The Wire, the HBO crime drama series that has developed a huge cult following over the last couple of years, fuelled by boxsets and breathless sharing of plaudits and praise. It is truly one of the most popular of the current crop of DVD-based 'water-cooler' series. In fact, it seemed a little anachronistic when BBC picked up the UK licence and started broadcasting the show earlier this year.

Even though Elba has enjoyed a long and varied career, it was his appearance as Stringer Bell, the suave, business-minded head of a drug gang, that brought him to greater prominence. He was attending the MCM Expo in order to promote The Losers, an upcoming film adaptation of the Vertigo graphic novel, by Andy Diggle and Jock, about a crack Special Forces team getting revenge on their previous CIA employers. He spoke about his involvement with The Losers, his dealings with Diggle, Jock, producer Joel Silver and director Sylvain White, as well as the beauty of Twitter, and how the film is going to feel "like Call of Duty 4".

How did you get involved in The Losers?

I've worked with Joel Silver before, on two films, and it was just a matter of connecting the dots. Sylvain White, the director, is someone I've known in the industry, and he said to me 'I've got this thing I'm working on'. And a few directors had looked at the script, and were going to make it, but Sylvain landed it. And he's younger, and has got a gamer's mentality. So, he and I connected immediately, and that was it. I read it, I liked it.

Are you in any way prepared for what might come your way now that you're doing a comic book movie, in terms of attention from fans? Of course, The Wire was very popular, but when it comes to comic book movies, there's a certain level of fan. Have you any experience with this kind of thing?


I have, yeah. A long time ago, I was in a TV show called Ultraviolet, on Channel 4, with Joe Ahearne, fantastic writer. That was weird, I remember showing up to some smaller conventions, and people showing up looking like me. It would be a white fellow, with an afro, saying 'I'm Vaughan!'. Fantastic, just real commitment to the show.
I'm not prepared for what The Losers might be. When I did my research, I realised that The Losers is quite an old comic, it's been around for a while, so I think that it's going to be exciting for the fans to see it come to life.

Did you read any of the older Losers stuff, the WW2 stuff?

Just a little bit. Just out of interest, and to see the artwork and the direction. Just to see what the characters were like. But it's taken quite a transformation into what it is now.

It's interesting that you say it's taken a transformation, because doing a film related to the military, at the moment, would turn out very differently than it would have a few years ago, as people's attitudes are different. How is that reflected in the film?

The onus isn't really on the military, it's more of a character-led thing. Obviously, we are in the military, and there's that whole skeleton to the story, but it doesn't focus on the workings of the military.

Would you say it takes any sort of ideological stance on the military at all?

No. I mean, it could, considering the story is about five soldiers that get picked on and blamed for something that they didn't do, but it definitely veers away from that, and you end up watching five characters who happen to be soldiers, and happen to have that bond of the Army. But it isn't about the Army. And that's definitely refreshing. I think that we've seen, as an audience, way too much stuff on the Army. I think we've got Army fatigue, no pun intended!

What's the film about, then?
It's about these characters, this team that is a mix of Clay and Roque, who are the older special forces guys, and then they have these three other guys that put together the Losers team. And they go on this one detail, and when they get there, it goes terribly wrong, and they end up looking like they caused this huge fiasco in the middle of Bolivia, where people died... when, in fact, it was a cover up to smuggle some other stuff out of the way.
But then, with our tags ripped off our necks, we no longer have identities, it's about going back and finding out what happened and claiming our identities back. We're losers, we've lost everything, we're practically dead. And, of course, we have incredible skills and resilience.


How close is the film to Andy Diggle and Jock's version of the comic series?


It's tough to put a legacy of comic books into one script. The idea as a writer, I guess, is to take the core points, take our characters, take the best parts of some of the comics, and transfer that into a story, and try to maintain the integrity of the original. It definitely maintains the integrity, but it doesn't follow Andy and Jock's storylines, per se. There's a little bit of artistic licence. But you do get the feel that you're watching The Losers.
That said, did you have much contact or camaraderie with Andy or Jock?

Actually, towards the end. I twit a lot, and Andy, he hit me up on Twitter. You know, I was sending pictures... I got in trouble for that, actually. I got a phonecall from Joel Silver, and you know Joel Silver is pissed at you when he doesn't even say hello, he starts mid-sentence. So it's like 'Hello?', 'See, the thing is, Idris..!', so that's how that went down. But Andy, we hit each other back and forth on the Twitter.
Towards the end of the show, he came down, they both came down, to Puerto Rico, and it was quite interesting to watch them watch us. These two dudes that literally made this up in their basement - or in a pub, they said. And I'd taken this picture, when we were doing the poster, the photographer lay down and took this picture of us as if we were pointing down at him, and I took a picture on my iPhone of the photographer. And Jock freaked out, saying 'Look at this picture!', which is a classic of him, years ago, laying down on his back with, like, twelve guns pointing at him. And he was like 'That's me!'. That was a really interesting moment, it had come full circle.

It seems you're quite happy to share and spread stuff about the film, before Joel told you not to. How do you feel about that?

I'm from a newer school of film, and he's from an older school, where they have exclusives with magazines. I can't remember the last time I bought a magazine, I get all my stuff from the internet. So, I understand where he's coming from, but I think, for me, it's a new world. I wouldn't twit stuff that was detrimental to the story, or any key points. They're just interesting things that only I could tell you. I don't feel bad about it, and I don't think he was serious. And, ultimately, I don't know how many people follow me, maybe eleven or twelve thousand, but I said to Joel 'That's twelve thousand people who might not have known about the movie, who now know about it!'.

Do you think there's a balance between being transparent and keeping things under wraps, with Twitter and other Internet outlets?

Yeah, I definitely feel it should be supervised. If I was a writer or a director, and spent all my life doing something that I really wanted to reveal to the world, then I'd hate it for somebody to undermine that, of course. But again, I think it should be embraced, as well. There are ways you can do it in order to get people interested in your project. You have to be a little bit more transparent now, I think, because people are smarter, the audiences are smarter. The whole big [evil 'muahaha' laugh] reveal is not as good any more.
Who are your favourite people to follow on Twitter?

Aw, dude, I've got a bunch of DJs and producers, and girls...!

There's the old truism about the difference between stage and film acting styles. Is there a similar thing with The Losers? Is it different from the more grounded acting that you've done before? Is it more stylised?
It depends on what the director wants. And my director, Sylvain White, his whole thing is 'I want to make this look like Call of Duty 4... I want to bring people into the action'. Now what does that do to us as actors? It means that you're in the moment, a little bit more engaged.I guess, for me, my reactions wouldn't be any bigger, but they would just be fuller.
There's a scene that I had to do, and I had to dive from one place to another, and it wasn't just about me looking good diving, it was the whole... [cries out]... vividness of it, to paint the picture. So, slightly more exaggerated, but at the same time real.
When you read the comic books, these characters, they say two or three words, but you really feel the intensity. And the artist would draw a facial expression that makes you think he's speaking right now, and I'm listening! There's something about that, that I would bring out in the performance, and we all did, I think. If you get cool lines to say, say 'em... cool! [laughs]
Thanks for your time, Idris!
The Losers is due on 9th April.
Idris Elba Twits here.