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Tag: Warner Bros.

  • Scott Cooper replacing Ben Affleck as director of Stephen King’s ‘The Stand’

    Scott Cooper replacing Ben Affleck as director of Stephen King’s ‘The Stand’

    MUMBAI: Warner Bros has set Scott Cooper to re-write and direct The Stand, the seminal post-apocalyptic Stephen King novel. That means that while the studio has roped in Ben Affleck as its new Caped Crusader for Batman vs Superman, Affleck has withdrawn from The Stand. He had been set in late 2011 to write the script and helm the project. Affleck is busy directing and starring in his scripted adaptation of Dennis Lehane’s Live By Night for Warner Bros.

    Warner Bros is teamed on the project with CBS Films, which is co-producing and co-presenting and possibly financing the project together. Dave Kajganich scribed the first draft. Published in 1978, the mammoth novel covered a biological apocalyptic disaster that decimated the population. The survivors then had to try and piece together a new form of humanity and it became a good vs evil struggle, with elements of the supernatural thrown in for good measure. King was at his best, both in creating depictions of the demise of civilization and in the arcs of characters good and bad who became important in a new order.

    Roy Lee and Mosaic are producing for Warners and Jon Berg is the studio exec. Cooper is currently developing Creek with Leonardo DiCaprio, and his next film, Out Of The Furnace, is set to release 6 December. That one was produced by Appian Way and Scott Free. Cooper, the actor-turned-filmmaker who made his breakthrough with the Jeff Bridges-starrer Crazy Heart, is represented by CAA and attorney Darren Trattner.

  • Ben Affleck to don Batman’s mask

    Ben Affleck to don Batman’s mask

    MUMBAI: The untitled movie by the Warner Bros’ is set to release on 17 July 2015. The sequel to Man of Steel has roped in Argo award winning star Ben Affleck.

    Warner Bros’ had previously released Argo and is also behind his next directorial movie Live by Night.

    Man of Steel director Zack Snyder has been asked to rework on Batman and not base it on theDark Knight series. Affleck will be seen with Henry Cavill who will play the role of Superman.  David Goyer will be scripting the movie.

    Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne and Diane Lane who were a part of the first movie will also be seen in this. “We knew we needed an extraordinary actor to take on one of DC Comics’ most enduringly popular Super Heroes, and Ben Affleck certainly fits that bill,” said Warner Bros’ president of creative development and Worldwide Production Greg Silverman on the project.

  • Steven Spielberg opts out of directing ‘American Sniper’

    Steven Spielberg opts out of directing ‘American Sniper’

    MUMBAI: After having declared that he would be directing the movie about celebrated Navy Seal Chris Kyle, the Jurassic Park director has decided to not be a part of the project. DreamWorks, that joined Warner Bros in a co-production after Spielberg announced his association, has also decided to pull out of the film.

     

    The movie scripted by Jason Hall, has Bradley Cooper in the lead role. Cooper is also producing along with Andrew Lazar and Peter Morgan.

     

    This is the second time the acclaimed director has changed his priorities. He had previously pushed the filming of Robocalypse to a further date as he says he wants to redevelop it. The sudden change in plans is pointed to his keenness to follow up on Lincoln.

     

    Warner Bros will now have to look for another filmmaker to keep the movie on board. Spielberg is known to have his projects perfected to the T before he commits to them.

  • Hobbit trilogy price tag over $500 bn so far

    Hobbit trilogy price tag over $500 bn so far

    MUMBAI: Warner Bros’ three Hobbit films have racked up over half a billion dollars in production costs, reports the AP, citing Kiwi financial filings that say Peter Jackson has spent $676 million New Zealand dollars ($561 million) so far on his LOTR follow-ups.

     

    But this is just the total so far as of 31 March and doesn’t include post-March spending, post-production expenses, and marketing costs. WB has additionally enjoyed $98 million worth of New Zealand tax incentives for shooting in the area. The first of the Hobbit pics, An Unexpected Journey, grossed over $1 billion worldwide after debuting last December.

     

    Sequel The Desolation Of Smaug is set to follow with a 14 December, 2013 release followed by There And Back Again on 17 December, 2014.

  • Vin Diesel to be seen in ‘World’s Most Wanted’

    Vin Diesel to be seen in ‘World’s Most Wanted’

    MUMBAI: Universal Pictures has roped in the famed The Fast and the Furious actor to be the lead of the movie. Dan Mazeau is the script writer who had previously co-written the script for Warner Bros‘ Wrath of the titans. The action adventure movie is being rewritten by him. The original was written by Will Staples and Sean O‘Keefe.

    Neal Moritz will be producing the movie. Moritz and Diesel have worked together on The Fast and the Furious series. Mazeau is represented by CAA, Circle of Confusion and Katz Golden while Diesel is repped by CAA and Brillstein Entertainment Partners.

  • Ben Foster to portray cyclist Lance Armstrong in biopic

    Ben Foster to portray cyclist Lance Armstrong in biopic

    MUMBAI: The untitled movie directed by Stephen Frears, is in final negotiations with Ben Foster. The movie will talk about the renowned cyclist’s rise to fame while battling testicular cancer in the nineties and his recent tryst with performance enhancement drugs and subsequent disgrace.

     

    John Hodged has penned the script for the movie while Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner will be producing it. The movie by Working Title’s movie is one of three movies that are being made on the world number one cyclist. The other two are being created by Warner Bros and Paramount but this seems to be lagging behind the other two.

     

    Foster was previously seen in movies like Ain’t them bodies saint and will soon be seen in Lone Survivor.

  • Blinkbox offering free preview of US pilots

    Blinkbox offering free preview of US pilots

    MUMBAI: Blinkbox has reached agreements with Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, Warner Bros, HBO and BBC Worldwide to offer customers a free preview of pilot episodes of series before purchasing.

     

    From 24 July to 19 August, customers can preview such series as True Blood, Supernatural, The Americans, The Following and The Wire. Also included are The Big Bang Theory, The Newsroom, Entourage, American Horror Story, Arrow, Veep and The Vampire Diaries, among others. Customers can try as many shows as they’d like during the period.

     

    Blinkbox’s CEO Michael Comish commented: “Great TV continues to be one of our biggest obsessions and the fuel for many conversations. There’s more choice than ever before thanks to services like ours and our insights told us that customers relished the opportunity to try TV before committing to purchase. After all, life’s too short to watch something that you’re just not into.”

     

    “We think you should be able to enjoy great TV all year round, anytime and anywhere, not just when programs are scheduled. We’re confident that we have the best selection of great TV, so offering a teaser for free seems like a good way to introduce people to our service. We’re delighted to be able to say ‘try TV on us”, he adds.

  • Warner Bros Consumer Products launches global licensing programme for ‘Man of Steel’

    Warner Bros Consumer Products launches global licensing programme for ‘Man of Steel’

    MUMBAI: As the legendary DC Comics superhero Superman returns to the big screen, Warner Bros Consumer Products has teamed up with a slate of global licensees for a broad, multi-category licensing program to support ‘Man of Steel‘.
     
    In anticipation of ‘Man of Steel‘, global master toy licensee Mattel unveiled its toy line, including action figures, vehicles, playsets and collectible figures, highlighted by the Movie Masters line, which aims to capture the superior accuracy and details of the film‘s characters. Mattel will also introduce ‘Man of Steel‘ QuickShots, a new way to play with Superman, incorporating elements of flight and strength into the toy.
     
    Also supporting ‘Man of Steel‘ are global licensees such as Lego, with construction sets inspired by memorable scenes from the film; and Rubie‘s Costume with a new line of ‘Man of Steel‘-inspired costumes and accessories for both kid and adult fans.
     
    Warner Bros Consumer Products president Brad Globe said, "With a Super Hero as iconic and beloved as Superman, it is no surprise that fans worldwide are excited for Zack Snyder‘s new vision of this classic story. We are thrilled to be a part of the phenomenon as we work closely with our licensees to offer fans a variety of products that bring ‘Man of Steel‘ to the world beyond the big screen."
     
    Additional toys, games, and collectibles partners bringing the ‘Man of Steel‘ products to life include Thinkway Toys, with a full role-play line, interactive figure and other toys; Jakks Pacific, with a 31-inch collectible Superman figure; and Cardinal Industries, with games and puzzles; among many other licensees.
     
    There will also be statues from sideshow collectibles; authentic prop replicas from The Noble Collection; an 18-inch articulated figure from NECA; fun, stylised plush and vinyl figures from Funko; and high-end creations from Kotobukiya and SquareEnix.
     
    The roster of licensees includes categories like apparel, accessories, stationery and publishing. Perennial partner Bioworld brings a line of ‘Man of Steel‘- inspired apparel and accessories, utilising a number of graphics and icons; high-end t-shirt label Kinetix offers statement S-Shield t-shirts; New Era Cap Company with a range of hats; and Under Armour with high-end sportswear. Publishers include Insight Editions, with an official ‘Man of Steel‘ guide and a behind-the-scenes look at the film; Titan Books, with the film‘s official novelisation; and HarperCollins, with a range of children‘s books based on ‘Man of Steel‘. Additional licensees include Mead Westvaco, Hallmark, Bakery Crafts, and many more.
     
    Around the world licensees have started to celebrate the debut of ‘Man of Steel‘ with offerings in their local markets. Throughout the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region, partners supporting ‘Man of Steel‘ include TV Mania, FCUK, Prenatal, Aquarapid, Leomil and others, with fun designs in apparel and accessories. D‘Arp?je and Maverix offer outdoor fun with ‘Man of Steel‘ outdoor products; while Pyramid, Proburo, and Cartorama bring the fun indoors, with themed back-to-school and paper products.
     
    In Asia and Australia, fans can listen in style with Gavio‘s ‘Man of Steel‘ digital lifestyle collection, or collect their favorite scent with the Heat Group‘s ‘Man of Steel‘ eau du toilette, among other fun products. In Latin America, apparel from Aurimoda and Distribuidora de Textiles Avante is sure to delight, and kids can‘t wait to get back-to-school with fun items from Targmex.

  • Tom Hardy on board of a Yakuza Drama, ‘The Outsider’

    Tom Hardy on board of a Yakuza Drama, ‘The Outsider’

    MUMBAI: The Dark Knight Rises star Tom Hardy has been roped on board to star in the Yakuza drama The Outsider which would be directed by Takashi Miike as reported by Deadline, a Hollywood website.

    The Outsider would be Miike‘s first directorial English film venture. Miike has more than 60 Japanese-language films to his credit including Ichi the Killer, 13 Assassins and Audition. The film would be independently financed by Linson Entertainment and Silver Pictures.

    The project is based on an original idea by John Linson, who will also produce it along with Art Linson through their Linson Entertainment banner. Joel Silver, Andrew Rona and Steve Richards will produce through Silver Pictures.

    With Hardy‘s credits including The Dark Knight Rises, Inception and the upcoming Mad Max: Fury Road he had been chosen for the lead when initially the project was being developed at Warner Bros but Silver acquired the Andrew Baldwin script last November.

    The story would be set in the post-WWII Japan which follows an American expatriate who becomes a Yakuza (Japan Mafia) enforcer. Plans are to commence the shooting in Japan early next year.

    Silver Pictures‘ long standing deal with Warner Bros deal ended last year, following which it is working on the pre-production of The Gunman, starring Sean Penn and Javier Bardem. Silver‘s thriller Non-Stop, starring Liam Neeson and Julianne Moore, is also slated to release through Universal Studio‘s on 28 February 2014.

  • Tom Cruise signs for yet another sci-fi project

    Tom Cruise signs for yet another sci-fi project

    MUMBAI: Warner Bros has signed Tom Cruise to feature in an yet untitled sci-fi project inspired from a series of Japanese novels written by Chohel Kamayashi. The move continues Cruise‘s sci-fi streak.

    The popular novels were earlier adapted into five direct-to-video anime movies, two of which won animation awards.
     
    The premise sees a planetary defense force beat back an invasion of aliens using a wormhole over Antarctica, setting up bases on the aliens‘ planet. Yukikaze is the name of the advanced reconnaissance fighter plane the hero uses on his missions.

    The actor‘s latest film Oblivion released only last week. The sleek post-apocalyptic film was released by Universal Studios. Cruise also has All You Need Is Kill, an alien war movie that is set for a 4 March release, next year.