Remakes, remakes, and more remakes! Dimension Films has hired a new writer for the remake they announced last April. The original screenwriters/creators S.S. Wilson and Brent Maddock had been hired to pen the remake, but apparently the Weinstein’s want to go in another direction with screenwriter Dan Milano. Before you write this one off completely, let me tell you a bit about the new screenwriter.
Milano is a writer on the Adult Swim television show Robot Chicken, and the creator of Greg the Bunny. Milano first watched the original film while he was in high school, and now wants to update the concept, “taking advantage of the improvements in robotics” of the last two decades. But the producers insist that Johnny 5’s signature look won’t change drastically from the original movie. So at least we don’t have to worry about stupid looking computer generated advance shape-shifting robot…
The popular 1986 John Badham sci-fi adventure comedy told the story of a military robot who runs away from the government after developing a conscience and a personality, the result of being hit by lightning.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Will Neil Patrick Put on a Show at the Tonys? Plus Dr. Horrible and Kumar Sequel Scoop
Neil Patrick Harris fans hoping to see their fave be a cut-up as host of Sunday's Tony Awards (airing at 8 pm/ET, on CBS) will probably get some satisfaction. But those wanting to see the How I Met Your Mother star cut a rug or break out into song might come up empty.
"They have an opening planned that is bigger than they have ever had in Tony history. But I don't think I'm going to be involved in it," Harris shared in a press conference call.
Instead, Harris says he will take a cue from Hugh Jackman's first turn as Tonys host, "where he wasn't on a ton and didn't do a lot of performing, but just tried to make the audience feel welcome and keep things running at a smooth clip."
Is NPH rooting for anyone at this year's salute to the stage? Although Billy Elliot is considered the juggernaut to beat, Harris is holding out hope that Next to Normal — which he just saw and says boasts a "small cast and an amazing score" that he can't stop humming — will collect kudos.
"It would be fun if there were a couple less predictable winners," says Harris.
Asked for updates on two possible sequels he could be involved in, Harris told TVGuide.com that while he's "hoping to get naughty" in A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas (now slated for a November 2010 release), circumstances aren't allowing for a trip back to the lab as viral-video villain Dr. Horrible. Yet.
"We're all gung-ho on a future for it, but [Joss Whedon's] Dollhouse just got picked up and Nathan [Fillion]'s Castle got picked up, and I'm still How I Met Your Mothering," says Harris. "But I think that once all of our other dust settles, we have something to fall back on."
"They have an opening planned that is bigger than they have ever had in Tony history. But I don't think I'm going to be involved in it," Harris shared in a press conference call.
Instead, Harris says he will take a cue from Hugh Jackman's first turn as Tonys host, "where he wasn't on a ton and didn't do a lot of performing, but just tried to make the audience feel welcome and keep things running at a smooth clip."
Is NPH rooting for anyone at this year's salute to the stage? Although Billy Elliot is considered the juggernaut to beat, Harris is holding out hope that Next to Normal — which he just saw and says boasts a "small cast and an amazing score" that he can't stop humming — will collect kudos.
"It would be fun if there were a couple less predictable winners," says Harris.
Asked for updates on two possible sequels he could be involved in, Harris told TVGuide.com that while he's "hoping to get naughty" in A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas (now slated for a November 2010 release), circumstances aren't allowing for a trip back to the lab as viral-video villain Dr. Horrible. Yet.
"We're all gung-ho on a future for it, but [Joss Whedon's] Dollhouse just got picked up and Nathan [Fillion]'s Castle got picked up, and I'm still How I Met Your Mothering," says Harris. "But I think that once all of our other dust settles, we have something to fall back on."
Arnold Schwarzenegger Offered Role in Predators?
As you know, Robert Rodriguez is producing a reboot of the Predator movie franchise titled Predators for 20th Century Fox. Moviehole has learned that Rodriguez has reached out to Arnold Schwarzenegger to be part of the movie, but the Governator has yet to respond.
But how could Arnold be involved if the film is a complete reboot? Well… apparently the movie might not be a complete reboot after all.
One of the sources claims that Rodriguez has written Schwarzenegger’s character Major Alan “Dutch” Schaefer into the story in a way that the movie would reboot the franchise, but still function as a quasi-sequel. Think Star Trek. He wouldn’t be the lead character, or even a huge role, but be part of the film’s main storyline.
But will Arnold come back, even if it was only for a few days on the set? Schwarzenegger turned down an offer to appear in Stephen Hopkins’ Predator 2, and the cameo was rewritten and given to Gary Busey. So why would he be interested in returning now? Apparently the Alex Litvak ’s script, which is loosely adapted from Rodriguez’s original Predators treatment, is “terrific” and every much as violent as the original, which should calm some fans.
I’m not sure I really like the age of the sequel/reboot. I feel like if you’re going to reboot an idea, why not completely reimagine it? Why be bound to prior canon?
And if you’re going to bring the main character back, why not have his role be something significant? Why not just make the film a full-on sequel? I understand people want to see Arnold again, but I don’t think he really needs to return. And if he does return, I’d rather it be something more than a rushed extended cameo.
I know people are going to bring up Star Trek as an example, but let me remind you that 20th Century Fox didn’t produce Star Trek.
But how could Arnold be involved if the film is a complete reboot? Well… apparently the movie might not be a complete reboot after all.
One of the sources claims that Rodriguez has written Schwarzenegger’s character Major Alan “Dutch” Schaefer into the story in a way that the movie would reboot the franchise, but still function as a quasi-sequel. Think Star Trek. He wouldn’t be the lead character, or even a huge role, but be part of the film’s main storyline.
But will Arnold come back, even if it was only for a few days on the set? Schwarzenegger turned down an offer to appear in Stephen Hopkins’ Predator 2, and the cameo was rewritten and given to Gary Busey. So why would he be interested in returning now? Apparently the Alex Litvak ’s script, which is loosely adapted from Rodriguez’s original Predators treatment, is “terrific” and every much as violent as the original, which should calm some fans.
I’m not sure I really like the age of the sequel/reboot. I feel like if you’re going to reboot an idea, why not completely reimagine it? Why be bound to prior canon?
And if you’re going to bring the main character back, why not have his role be something significant? Why not just make the film a full-on sequel? I understand people want to see Arnold again, but I don’t think he really needs to return. And if he does return, I’d rather it be something more than a rushed extended cameo.
I know people are going to bring up Star Trek as an example, but let me remind you that 20th Century Fox didn’t produce Star Trek.
Panic At The Disco On New Album: 'We've Always Been Fans Of Pop Music'
'We've always been fans of good catchy melodies and lighthearted music,' frontman Brendon Urie says.
The initial sessions for Panic at the Disco's Pretty. Odd. rather famously took place in a cabin deep in the mountains of Nevada. For their new album, they're trying something different: They're writing in a house deep in the canyons of California.
For roughly half a year now, Panic have been working on the follow-up to 2008's Odd, mostly at guitarist Ryan Ross' Topanga Canyon home. And when we caught up with frontman Brendon Urie and drummer Spencer Smith at Blink-182's pre-tour fiesta, we decided to get a status update on the project.
"We've been doing home demos for the past six months — just kind of writing — and we're pretty close," Urie explained. "Still some work to be done, though ... hoping to finish that up over the next couple months."
And though it's early, Urie gave us a hint about the new songs, which he said take Panic further down the sun-dappled, retro-pop path they began exploring on Pretty. Odd.
"Our last two records kind of sounded different. This one is ... I don't even know how to describe it," he said. "We've always been a pop band. We've always been fans of pop music, whether it's the Beatles — which is, like, the beginning of pop music — we've always been fans of good catchy melodies and lighthearted music."
"We moved to California since the last record, so that's inspiration," Smith added. "We started surfing, too, so maybe we'll get a little Beach Boys vibe on this one."
There's still no firm date for just when Panic will hit the studio to begin recording the new album — as Urie said, they're still two months away from wrapping the writing portion of things — but whenever they do, fans can expect a lot of songs about one fairly universal topic:
"The songs are about girls, man," Urie laughed. "My mom is just riding my ass every day."
The initial sessions for Panic at the Disco's Pretty. Odd. rather famously took place in a cabin deep in the mountains of Nevada. For their new album, they're trying something different: They're writing in a house deep in the canyons of California.
For roughly half a year now, Panic have been working on the follow-up to 2008's Odd, mostly at guitarist Ryan Ross' Topanga Canyon home. And when we caught up with frontman Brendon Urie and drummer Spencer Smith at Blink-182's pre-tour fiesta, we decided to get a status update on the project.
"We've been doing home demos for the past six months — just kind of writing — and we're pretty close," Urie explained. "Still some work to be done, though ... hoping to finish that up over the next couple months."
And though it's early, Urie gave us a hint about the new songs, which he said take Panic further down the sun-dappled, retro-pop path they began exploring on Pretty. Odd.
"Our last two records kind of sounded different. This one is ... I don't even know how to describe it," he said. "We've always been a pop band. We've always been fans of pop music, whether it's the Beatles — which is, like, the beginning of pop music — we've always been fans of good catchy melodies and lighthearted music."
"We moved to California since the last record, so that's inspiration," Smith added. "We started surfing, too, so maybe we'll get a little Beach Boys vibe on this one."
There's still no firm date for just when Panic will hit the studio to begin recording the new album — as Urie said, they're still two months away from wrapping the writing portion of things — but whenever they do, fans can expect a lot of songs about one fairly universal topic:
"The songs are about girls, man," Urie laughed. "My mom is just riding my ass every day."
Wimmer Penning Total Recall Remake
Columbia Pictures has set Kurt Wimmer to write Total Recall, the remake of the 1990 film that starred Arnold Schwarzenegger, reports Variety.
Wimmer has been working with the studio on Salt and co-wrote the upcoming Law Abiding Citizen. Wimmer's credits include The Thomas Crown Affair, Equilibrium and Ultraviolet.
Total Recall was resurrected for remake earlier this year by the studio and producer Neal Moritz and his Original Films. The film will be a contemporized adaptation of the sci-fi saga based on the Philip K. Dick story "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale."
Wimmer has been working with the studio on Salt and co-wrote the upcoming Law Abiding Citizen. Wimmer's credits include The Thomas Crown Affair, Equilibrium and Ultraviolet.
Total Recall was resurrected for remake earlier this year by the studio and producer Neal Moritz and his Original Films. The film will be a contemporized adaptation of the sci-fi saga based on the Philip K. Dick story "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale."
The Arquettes in Talks for New Scream Trilogy?
Entertainment Weekly has learned that Courteney Cox Arquette and David Arquette are in talks to star in a new "Scream" trilogy.
The magazine says that writer/director Kevin Williamson has been working on more films that will bring back many of the characters from the original movies. It is expected to start production this fall.
Williamson has approached Courteney Cox Arquette and David Arquette to return. No word on whether Neve Campbell's character, among others, will make the cut.
The magazine says that writer/director Kevin Williamson has been working on more films that will bring back many of the characters from the original movies. It is expected to start production this fall.
Williamson has approached Courteney Cox Arquette and David Arquette to return. No word on whether Neve Campbell's character, among others, will make the cut.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
E3 2009: Reggie Fils-Aime on the Record
Nintendo's president says Galaxy 2 is for the hardcore and teases Shigeru Miyamoto's roundtable.
Earlier today, we caught up with Nintendo of America's president, Reggie Fils-Aime, who chatted candidly about Metroid Other M, Galaxy 2, Pikmin 3 and Miyamoto's E3 roundtable. Below, we've provided the interview both in video and transcribed forms for your viewing pleasure.
IGN: We saw Metroid Other M and Galaxy 2 on video, but you guys aren't showing either in playable form. Why not?
Reggie: Those games are 2010 games. What we have in playable form is really what we're focusing on for this year. That's really the only difference.
IGN: The other question sort of related to that is, what happened to Retro Studios' next project? We know it's deep in development. We know it's going to be big. We thought it'd be here, but it's not.
Reggie: We have nothing to announce right now. The team at Retro is hard at work. They're doing great stuff. But it's not ready to show quite yet.
IGN: Is it going to blow us away? Can you give us a super hype filled comment? [No shame, we know]?
Reggie: Let me put it this way. Did Other M blow you away? Did Galaxy 2 blow you away? Did New Super Mario for Wii blow you away? Our goal is that everything we do blows people away.
IGN: You have a bit more insight on the development of Galaxy 2. What's the direction for the game? Do they really want to blow it out or will it be more of the same?
Reggie: What Mr. Miyamoto has shared is that if the first Galaxy was maybe more inviting in terms of all the audiences, what Galaxy 2 is going to be is maybe a little more Nintendo fan / harder gamer focused. A little tougher. The use of Yoshi makes it a little more challenging. We showed some of the snippets of some of the activities -- it's a bit more challenging. It's going to be, if you will, for more of that passionate Mario fan who grew up getting challenged with Super Mario World. It's going to be much more in that area.
IGN: What can you tell us about Metroid Other M other than what we saw in the trailer?
Reggie: What I can tell you is that it's going to be fabulous. I've seen it working. I personally didn't have a controller in my hands, but it looks great. And it really is going to do a fabulous job giving you more backstory on Samus, taking you more into the mythology of what Metroid is all about. It's going to be great.
IGN: So this is going all the way back to her teens?
Reggie: We're not going to tell you exactly where it fits in the Metroid mythology. We're going to share that a little bit later. But it definitely fills in some of the gaps.
IGN: You didn't show Pikmin 3, which is what we were expecting you to show. That kind of surprised us. Why not?
Reggie: Matt, we're all about surprises. We will show that game when it's ready. At the right time. Close to when it's going to be launched. It's not there yet. But Mr. Miyamoto still has his roundtable to do, so maybe you'll see. Maybe you might get that surprise after all.
IGN: Yeah, that's the next question. Mr. Miyamoto didn't have a stage presence here today. The first question is, why not because he usually does? And then, he is here. He has a roundtable. Can you give us a hint as to what it's about?
Reggie: Sure. Well, first off, if you look at how Mr. Miyamoto has interacted in our press conferences, it's been a wide range -- everything from making an appearance at the end in 2004 to being on hand to do a demo. This year, given all the content that we had, we thought it would be best for him to go in-depth with a handful of games during his developer's roundtable and that's what he's going to do later today.
IGN: So you think we might get a surprise or two out of the roundtable?
Reggie: Again, we're always trying to surprise you. So we'll see.
IGN: Are you going to be saving any announcements for Japan? We heard there was some sort of mystery conference.
Reggie: The meeting in Japan is much more retailer oriented so they'll be going through all the details specific to when products are launching in Japan. And within that, there really isn't anything new versus what we've announced today.
IGN: We saw a bunch of games on your show floor that you didn't really highlight at your event. Titles like Line Attack Heroes. We didn't, however, see games like Trace Memory or Cosmic Walker. What's going on there?
Reggie: The interesting thing is that even though E3 is back into a larger footprint, this footprint here is about two thirds the size of our footprint in 2006. So that always forces us to make tough decisions about what we show. And even here today, I'm hearing that we have a line around our booth for Spirit Tracks for Zelda. We have more content than we're able to show in this type of space, which means that fall conferences that we hold here in Americas -- those take on more meaning to highlight some of the games that you mention.
IGN: So if a game isn't here, does that necessarily mean that it won't release this holiday?
Reggie: There are maybe some games that will still make it this year. A lot of it is how the final tuning in development goes. And again, anything like that we'll talk about in the fall.
IGN: Your press event had a few games that were more hardcore, but you didn't show some of the titles that we think are of the highest caliber for the traditional gamer. Titles like Red Steel 2, Silent Hill and No More Heroes 2. Was that a calculate decision?
Reggie: You know, there's no master plan in terms of not showing those titles. It's really all about what we think is best ready to highlight and show and where's the best way to show it. Do we show it in the booth? Some of those games are here in the booth. Is it something that the licensee wants to highlight in their own booth. Really, all that comes into play.
IGN: What're your thoughts on Natal, Microsoft's controller-less video camera getup?
Reggie: It's interesting. You could make the argument that the health genre, like Wii Fit, is becoming red ocean -- there's a lot of different content coming out. You could say that in the future, that potentially active playing might be a red ocean in the future depending on what happens with our two competitors. For us, we're making precision control a reality today. What we're showing with Wii Sports Resort really takes the way you handle the controller to a whole new level. So for us, we're focused on the reality of today of how to drive that in an important way within gaming. We'll let our competitors talk about what might or might not be in the future.
IGN: Finally, what are you personally excited about at the show?
Reggie: In terms of what I'm excited about, in many ways I'm becoming the prototypical gamer that Nintendo is going after. I'm really enthused with Wii Fit Plus. I love New Super Mario Bros. for Wii. I love Spirit Tracks -- I'm a Zelda fan all my life. And I love Wii Sports Resort. So for me there's a little bit of core stuff. There's a little bit of more audience expansion stuff. Plus, I was thrilled that I got to make the announcement about more Golden Sun. That's one of my favorite franchises. For me, everything that we touched on really strikes a chord with the type of consumer we're going after.
Earlier today, we caught up with Nintendo of America's president, Reggie Fils-Aime, who chatted candidly about Metroid Other M, Galaxy 2, Pikmin 3 and Miyamoto's E3 roundtable. Below, we've provided the interview both in video and transcribed forms for your viewing pleasure.
IGN: We saw Metroid Other M and Galaxy 2 on video, but you guys aren't showing either in playable form. Why not?
Reggie: Those games are 2010 games. What we have in playable form is really what we're focusing on for this year. That's really the only difference.
IGN: The other question sort of related to that is, what happened to Retro Studios' next project? We know it's deep in development. We know it's going to be big. We thought it'd be here, but it's not.
Reggie: We have nothing to announce right now. The team at Retro is hard at work. They're doing great stuff. But it's not ready to show quite yet.
IGN: Is it going to blow us away? Can you give us a super hype filled comment? [No shame, we know]?
Reggie: Let me put it this way. Did Other M blow you away? Did Galaxy 2 blow you away? Did New Super Mario for Wii blow you away? Our goal is that everything we do blows people away.
IGN: You have a bit more insight on the development of Galaxy 2. What's the direction for the game? Do they really want to blow it out or will it be more of the same?
Reggie: What Mr. Miyamoto has shared is that if the first Galaxy was maybe more inviting in terms of all the audiences, what Galaxy 2 is going to be is maybe a little more Nintendo fan / harder gamer focused. A little tougher. The use of Yoshi makes it a little more challenging. We showed some of the snippets of some of the activities -- it's a bit more challenging. It's going to be, if you will, for more of that passionate Mario fan who grew up getting challenged with Super Mario World. It's going to be much more in that area.
IGN: What can you tell us about Metroid Other M other than what we saw in the trailer?
Reggie: What I can tell you is that it's going to be fabulous. I've seen it working. I personally didn't have a controller in my hands, but it looks great. And it really is going to do a fabulous job giving you more backstory on Samus, taking you more into the mythology of what Metroid is all about. It's going to be great.
IGN: So this is going all the way back to her teens?
Reggie: We're not going to tell you exactly where it fits in the Metroid mythology. We're going to share that a little bit later. But it definitely fills in some of the gaps.
IGN: You didn't show Pikmin 3, which is what we were expecting you to show. That kind of surprised us. Why not?
Reggie: Matt, we're all about surprises. We will show that game when it's ready. At the right time. Close to when it's going to be launched. It's not there yet. But Mr. Miyamoto still has his roundtable to do, so maybe you'll see. Maybe you might get that surprise after all.
IGN: Yeah, that's the next question. Mr. Miyamoto didn't have a stage presence here today. The first question is, why not because he usually does? And then, he is here. He has a roundtable. Can you give us a hint as to what it's about?
Reggie: Sure. Well, first off, if you look at how Mr. Miyamoto has interacted in our press conferences, it's been a wide range -- everything from making an appearance at the end in 2004 to being on hand to do a demo. This year, given all the content that we had, we thought it would be best for him to go in-depth with a handful of games during his developer's roundtable and that's what he's going to do later today.
IGN: So you think we might get a surprise or two out of the roundtable?
Reggie: Again, we're always trying to surprise you. So we'll see.
IGN: Are you going to be saving any announcements for Japan? We heard there was some sort of mystery conference.
Reggie: The meeting in Japan is much more retailer oriented so they'll be going through all the details specific to when products are launching in Japan. And within that, there really isn't anything new versus what we've announced today.
IGN: We saw a bunch of games on your show floor that you didn't really highlight at your event. Titles like Line Attack Heroes. We didn't, however, see games like Trace Memory or Cosmic Walker. What's going on there?
Reggie: The interesting thing is that even though E3 is back into a larger footprint, this footprint here is about two thirds the size of our footprint in 2006. So that always forces us to make tough decisions about what we show. And even here today, I'm hearing that we have a line around our booth for Spirit Tracks for Zelda. We have more content than we're able to show in this type of space, which means that fall conferences that we hold here in Americas -- those take on more meaning to highlight some of the games that you mention.
IGN: So if a game isn't here, does that necessarily mean that it won't release this holiday?
Reggie: There are maybe some games that will still make it this year. A lot of it is how the final tuning in development goes. And again, anything like that we'll talk about in the fall.
IGN: Your press event had a few games that were more hardcore, but you didn't show some of the titles that we think are of the highest caliber for the traditional gamer. Titles like Red Steel 2, Silent Hill and No More Heroes 2. Was that a calculate decision?
Reggie: You know, there's no master plan in terms of not showing those titles. It's really all about what we think is best ready to highlight and show and where's the best way to show it. Do we show it in the booth? Some of those games are here in the booth. Is it something that the licensee wants to highlight in their own booth. Really, all that comes into play.
IGN: What're your thoughts on Natal, Microsoft's controller-less video camera getup?
Reggie: It's interesting. You could make the argument that the health genre, like Wii Fit, is becoming red ocean -- there's a lot of different content coming out. You could say that in the future, that potentially active playing might be a red ocean in the future depending on what happens with our two competitors. For us, we're making precision control a reality today. What we're showing with Wii Sports Resort really takes the way you handle the controller to a whole new level. So for us, we're focused on the reality of today of how to drive that in an important way within gaming. We'll let our competitors talk about what might or might not be in the future.
IGN: Finally, what are you personally excited about at the show?
Reggie: In terms of what I'm excited about, in many ways I'm becoming the prototypical gamer that Nintendo is going after. I'm really enthused with Wii Fit Plus. I love New Super Mario Bros. for Wii. I love Spirit Tracks -- I'm a Zelda fan all my life. And I love Wii Sports Resort. So for me there's a little bit of core stuff. There's a little bit of more audience expansion stuff. Plus, I was thrilled that I got to make the announcement about more Golden Sun. That's one of my favorite franchises. For me, everything that we touched on really strikes a chord with the type of consumer we're going after.
E3 2009: Miyamoto Talks Next Zelda
Series creator drops the details during roundtable discussion.
If you were wondering why there was no new Zelda news at Nintendo's E3 press conference this morning, it's because Mr. Miyamoto wanted to save a little something for his own private roundtable. At the closed door, no-photographs-allowed discussion with a select group of journalists this afternoon, the man who created Link dropped details and showed off artwork of the Hero in Green's next iteration.
The next console Zelda adventure will feature a Link who is more mature than ever before, and a swordplay system that is far more advanced than any ever seen before in the series. The game may ship as a MotionPlus-only design, as well, which should give you an idea of the swordfighting scheme Shigeru has in the works.
"Think of Zelda while you're trying some of the archery and sword play in Wii Sports Resort," Miyamoto said.
If the next Zelda were to employ MotionPlus in that way (and it totally will), it would be a significant shift for the property -- and one that may well be the change the franchise needs.
"There are people who think of Zelda more as an RPG with simpler controls, so trying to figure out how to make everybody happy is something that's going to concern me," says Miyamoto.
Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available. And get hyped!
If you were wondering why there was no new Zelda news at Nintendo's E3 press conference this morning, it's because Mr. Miyamoto wanted to save a little something for his own private roundtable. At the closed door, no-photographs-allowed discussion with a select group of journalists this afternoon, the man who created Link dropped details and showed off artwork of the Hero in Green's next iteration.
The next console Zelda adventure will feature a Link who is more mature than ever before, and a swordplay system that is far more advanced than any ever seen before in the series. The game may ship as a MotionPlus-only design, as well, which should give you an idea of the swordfighting scheme Shigeru has in the works.
"Think of Zelda while you're trying some of the archery and sword play in Wii Sports Resort," Miyamoto said.
If the next Zelda were to employ MotionPlus in that way (and it totally will), it would be a significant shift for the property -- and one that may well be the change the franchise needs.
"There are people who think of Zelda more as an RPG with simpler controls, so trying to figure out how to make everybody happy is something that's going to concern me," says Miyamoto.
Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available. And get hyped!
E3 2009: Mario Galaxy 2 Announced
Yoshi's coming along this time.
During its E3 press conference today, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata announced the news every Nintendo fan wanted to hear: a sequel to Super Mario Galaxy is on the way. This time Yoshi will be playable and he can be inflated in order to reach new areas. Footage shown during the conference was very pretty. Huge boss battles were spotted, as well as shots of Mario swimming, flying in his bee suit, and rolling a giant snowball around a planet.
During its E3 press conference today, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata announced the news every Nintendo fan wanted to hear: a sequel to Super Mario Galaxy is on the way. This time Yoshi will be playable and he can be inflated in order to reach new areas. Footage shown during the conference was very pretty. Huge boss battles were spotted, as well as shots of Mario swimming, flying in his bee suit, and rolling a giant snowball around a planet.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii due this holiday
E3 2009: Nintendo uses press conference to reveal co-op heavy platformer featuring popular plumber will debut later this year.
Despite Nintendo's best efforts to keep the game under wrap, rumors of a new Mario game on the Wii have quickly spread across the internet.
At Nintendo's E3 press conference today, the company confirmed that New Super Mario Bros is indeed coming to Wii.
According to Nintendo, New Super Mario Wii offers a "new way to play Mario Bros that's never been done before."
The all new Super Mario Bros for Wii include four player multiplayer. It's a competitive multiplayer Mario game, where players run through the classic style levels, fighting each other for coins and powerups.
Nintendo demoed the four player mode, with Cammie Dunaway and three other Nintendo employees.
Players can jump on each other, shoot each other with fireballs and other attacks. Item boxes generally produce one item per character. Killed players reappear in bubbles and players can free them, or leave them stuck for a while. One of the new powerups is the Propeller Suit, a jump suit that has a helmet with a propeller. Shaking the Wii-remote will let players fly in the air.
When a player goes into a warp pipe the game forces the other players to follow in, where they fight over the coins in the secret room.
At the end of the level, as soon as one player grabs the flag pole, the other players have about three seconds to grab it for bonus points. The points are tallied up and the players are ranked.
New Super Mario Bros Wii is scheduled for a Holiday 2009 release. The game is on the show floor, so look for our hands-on later today.
Despite Nintendo's best efforts to keep the game under wrap, rumors of a new Mario game on the Wii have quickly spread across the internet.
At Nintendo's E3 press conference today, the company confirmed that New Super Mario Bros is indeed coming to Wii.
According to Nintendo, New Super Mario Wii offers a "new way to play Mario Bros that's never been done before."
The all new Super Mario Bros for Wii include four player multiplayer. It's a competitive multiplayer Mario game, where players run through the classic style levels, fighting each other for coins and powerups.
Nintendo demoed the four player mode, with Cammie Dunaway and three other Nintendo employees.
Players can jump on each other, shoot each other with fireballs and other attacks. Item boxes generally produce one item per character. Killed players reappear in bubbles and players can free them, or leave them stuck for a while. One of the new powerups is the Propeller Suit, a jump suit that has a helmet with a propeller. Shaking the Wii-remote will let players fly in the air.
When a player goes into a warp pipe the game forces the other players to follow in, where they fight over the coins in the secret room.
At the end of the level, as soon as one player grabs the flag pole, the other players have about three seconds to grab it for bonus points. The points are tallied up and the players are ranked.
New Super Mario Bros Wii is scheduled for a Holiday 2009 release. The game is on the show floor, so look for our hands-on later today.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Singer Interested in Returning to X-Men
Many X-Men fans were disappointed when director Bryan Singer decided to venture off to Superman Returns instead of directing X-Men: The Last Stand, the third movie in the trilogy he kicked off with X-Men and X2 in 2000 and 2003, respectively.
In a recent interview for the July issue of Total Film (reprinted in the Coventry Telegraph's The Geek Files), Singer mused about returning to the franchise:
"I'm eternally intertwined with X-Men now," he told them. "What takes an audience four hours to watch - the first two movies - took six years of my life. So, to not be part of it....It's a shame."
They also asked Singer whether he wished he had directed the third "X-Men" movie, to which he replied, "It's weird for me to watch it, because I'm so close to the universe. And also Brett is a good friend of mine. But, of course, I would love to return to that universe."
Lastly, they tried to get his thoughts on possibly directing the in-development X-Men Origins: Magneto that had been announced years ago with David (Blade: Trinity) Goyer attached to direct. Singer gave a tentative "possibly" response, because he expects it to cover some of the same WWII Nazi Germany territory he's covered before:
" The only thing that concerns me about Magneto is that if the prequel were to follow the track I used in X-Men, which is Magneto's history in the concentration camp, then I've lived in that world. Apt Pupil, X-Men and now Valkyrie...I've lived in that Nazi universe for quite a while. I just might need to take a little break before I do something like that."
He was even less committal about making another Superman movie:
"I don't know, I don't know. There are still issues...I just...I just don't know. I don't necessarily...I don't know. It's one of those things where...It's so weird talking about stuff unless I'm about to ramp up and shoot it."
In a recent interview for the July issue of Total Film (reprinted in the Coventry Telegraph's The Geek Files), Singer mused about returning to the franchise:
"I'm eternally intertwined with X-Men now," he told them. "What takes an audience four hours to watch - the first two movies - took six years of my life. So, to not be part of it....It's a shame."
They also asked Singer whether he wished he had directed the third "X-Men" movie, to which he replied, "It's weird for me to watch it, because I'm so close to the universe. And also Brett is a good friend of mine. But, of course, I would love to return to that universe."
Lastly, they tried to get his thoughts on possibly directing the in-development X-Men Origins: Magneto that had been announced years ago with David (Blade: Trinity) Goyer attached to direct. Singer gave a tentative "possibly" response, because he expects it to cover some of the same WWII Nazi Germany territory he's covered before:
" The only thing that concerns me about Magneto is that if the prequel were to follow the track I used in X-Men, which is Magneto's history in the concentration camp, then I've lived in that world. Apt Pupil, X-Men and now Valkyrie...I've lived in that Nazi universe for quite a while. I just might need to take a little break before I do something like that."
He was even less committal about making another Superman movie:
"I don't know, I don't know. There are still issues...I just...I just don't know. I don't necessarily...I don't know. It's one of those things where...It's so weird talking about stuff unless I'm about to ramp up and shoot it."
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Weekly Ratings: 5/26 – 5/27
Tuesday Ratings: Aw, Hell! Reaper Surges in Send-off
8 pm/ET
NBC's Funniest TV Phrases special (6.6 million total viewers) placed a distant second behind an NCIS rerun. Yada, yada, yada.... The penultimate batch of According to Jims came in fourth, averaging 3.7 mil. Reaper wrapped up its second and likely final season with a 430K gain, hitting 2.22 mil.
9 pm
Fox's Mental debuted in third place, with 5.8 mil. Because you were about to ask: Although Mental shares 58 percent of The Mentalist's title, it only managed 47 percent of the CBS drama's repeat audience. You were going to ask, right? ABC's Diamonds mini caught the eye of 3.1 mil, while the CW's Hitched or Ditched was largely the latter, premiering to a scant 1.46 mil.
10 pm
A repeat of the canceled Without a Trace easily topped a not-new SVU and Diamonds with 9.6 mil. Salt, wound!
Wednesday Ratings: ABC's Wipeout Dunks Fox's Dance
8 pm/ET
CBS' George Strait concert special was the night's most watched program, averaging 10.6 million total viewers over its two-hour run. The Season 2 premiere of ABC's Wipeout, however, topped the 8 o'clock demos — So You Think You Can Dance included. With an audience of 8.64 million, Wipeout bested its Season 1 average and gave ABC its best numbers in the Wednesdays-at-8 slot since November 2007. Fox's Dance tangoed with 8.58 mil in its two-hour Wednesday premiere.
9 pm
The premiere of ABC's The Goode Family wiped away 50 percent of Wipeout's audience, scoring just 3.93 mil. Lead-out Surviving Suburbia in turn hit a series-low 2.83 mil. Keep in mind, the fate of Bob Saget's new show will be decided by these "summer" numbers.
10 pm
ABC's soon-to-be unplugged The Unusuals hit an all-time low of 3.9 mil, lagging far behind Criminal Minds and Law & Order repeats.
8 pm/ET
NBC's Funniest TV Phrases special (6.6 million total viewers) placed a distant second behind an NCIS rerun. Yada, yada, yada.... The penultimate batch of According to Jims came in fourth, averaging 3.7 mil. Reaper wrapped up its second and likely final season with a 430K gain, hitting 2.22 mil.
9 pm
Fox's Mental debuted in third place, with 5.8 mil. Because you were about to ask: Although Mental shares 58 percent of The Mentalist's title, it only managed 47 percent of the CBS drama's repeat audience. You were going to ask, right? ABC's Diamonds mini caught the eye of 3.1 mil, while the CW's Hitched or Ditched was largely the latter, premiering to a scant 1.46 mil.
10 pm
A repeat of the canceled Without a Trace easily topped a not-new SVU and Diamonds with 9.6 mil. Salt, wound!
Wednesday Ratings: ABC's Wipeout Dunks Fox's Dance
8 pm/ET
CBS' George Strait concert special was the night's most watched program, averaging 10.6 million total viewers over its two-hour run. The Season 2 premiere of ABC's Wipeout, however, topped the 8 o'clock demos — So You Think You Can Dance included. With an audience of 8.64 million, Wipeout bested its Season 1 average and gave ABC its best numbers in the Wednesdays-at-8 slot since November 2007. Fox's Dance tangoed with 8.58 mil in its two-hour Wednesday premiere.
9 pm
The premiere of ABC's The Goode Family wiped away 50 percent of Wipeout's audience, scoring just 3.93 mil. Lead-out Surviving Suburbia in turn hit a series-low 2.83 mil. Keep in mind, the fate of Bob Saget's new show will be decided by these "summer" numbers.
10 pm
ABC's soon-to-be unplugged The Unusuals hit an all-time low of 3.9 mil, lagging far behind Criminal Minds and Law & Order repeats.
New Wii Mario, WiiFit This Year
Japanese newspaper confirms sequels.
Word of WiiFit Plus already leaked out a little while back. But a sequel to the multi-million-selling fitness software isn't all Nintendo has in the works.
The online version of Japan's Nihon Keizai Shimbun newspaper reports today that Nintendo will release both the new version of Wii Fit along with a new Wii Mario game to Japan later this year.
For Wii Fit, the article says to expect internet connectivity, allowing for users to compete with friends and families in weight loss races. The new version will be able to more accurately measure weight and center of gravity.
The story does not mention if a new version of the Balance Wii Board will be required for this greater accuracy or if Nintendo has managed to attain the greater precision strictly at a software level.
For Mario, the article says absolutely nothing -- just that it's a new entry in the popular series. It lists this as being one of Nintendo's tools for pushing domestic (Japanese) Wii sales, so this is definitely a Wii game.
Wii Fit Plus will hit Japan some time this Fall. The new Mario game is planned for the latter half of the year.
These time frames are just for Japan. While we imagine a new Mario game would be a simultaneous worldwide affair, it's possible we'd have to wait for a new Wii Fit. Japan got the original a few months before us.
Word of WiiFit Plus already leaked out a little while back. But a sequel to the multi-million-selling fitness software isn't all Nintendo has in the works.
The online version of Japan's Nihon Keizai Shimbun newspaper reports today that Nintendo will release both the new version of Wii Fit along with a new Wii Mario game to Japan later this year.
For Wii Fit, the article says to expect internet connectivity, allowing for users to compete with friends and families in weight loss races. The new version will be able to more accurately measure weight and center of gravity.
The story does not mention if a new version of the Balance Wii Board will be required for this greater accuracy or if Nintendo has managed to attain the greater precision strictly at a software level.
For Mario, the article says absolutely nothing -- just that it's a new entry in the popular series. It lists this as being one of Nintendo's tools for pushing domestic (Japanese) Wii sales, so this is definitely a Wii game.
Wii Fit Plus will hit Japan some time this Fall. The new Mario game is planned for the latter half of the year.
These time frames are just for Japan. While we imagine a new Mario game would be a simultaneous worldwide affair, it's possible we'd have to wait for a new Wii Fit. Japan got the original a few months before us.
Pixar's Up Soars Over the Box Office
The ComingSoon.net Box Office Report has been updated with studio estimates for the weekend.
It was a good weekend for Disney and Pixar Animation as their tenth CG animated movie Up opened with an estimated $68.2 million in 3,766 theaters, making it the third highest opening for the animation house after The Incredibles and Finding Nemo. It was also the first movie from Pixar screened in 3D in roughly 1,500 theaters, with 3D screens bringing in 2.2 times as much business as the 2D options, helping the critically-lauded movie average $18 thousand per venue.
The Ben Stiller comedy sequel Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (20th Century Fox) dropped 53% in its second weekend, adding $25.5 million to its cumulative take of $105 million. It became the tenth movie this year to cross the $100 million mark at the box office, along with Sony's Angels & Demons, while pulling ahead of the latter internationally with $37.2 million grossed overseas this weekend.
Sam Raimi's return to horror Drag Me to Hell (Universal) opened in third place with an estimated $16.7 million, averaging $6.6 thousand per site. Raimi's movie also made $4.4 million in the U.K., France and Israel.
McG's Terminator Salvation (Warner Bros.) took a dramatic plunge in its second weekend, taking a 62% hit to end up in fourth place with $16.1 million and a total of $90.6 million, less than half of its reported $200 million production budget.
Meanwhile, J.J. Abrams' Star Trek (Paramount) became the first movie of 2009 to cross the $200 million mark, as it added $12.8 million in fifth place. With $209 million, it is also currently the highest grossing movie of the year. As of this weekend, the movie has also grossed $101.5 million internationally.
In sixth place, the Ron Howard adaptation of Dan Brown's Angels & Demons (Sony), starring Tom Hanks, added another $11.2 million to its own box office gross of $105 million. It has grossed 2.5 times that amount overseas.
The Wayans' spoof comedy Dance Flick (Paramount) dropped to seventh place with $4.9 million and a total of $19.2 million.
20th Century Fox's superhero prequel X-Men Origins: Wolverine dropped 52% to eighth place with a weekend take of $3.9 million and $170.8 million total.
According to estimates, Rian Johnson's The Brothers Bloom (Summit), just missed breaking into the top 10 as it expanded into 148 theaters but ended up just $13 thousand shy of besting the Screen Gems thriller Obsessed.
The Top 10 grossed roughly $161.8 million, down slightly from last year when New Line's Sex and the City topped the weekend with $57 million and the Rogue Pictures thriller The Strangers opened in third place with $21 million.
It was a good weekend for Disney and Pixar Animation as their tenth CG animated movie Up opened with an estimated $68.2 million in 3,766 theaters, making it the third highest opening for the animation house after The Incredibles and Finding Nemo. It was also the first movie from Pixar screened in 3D in roughly 1,500 theaters, with 3D screens bringing in 2.2 times as much business as the 2D options, helping the critically-lauded movie average $18 thousand per venue.
The Ben Stiller comedy sequel Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (20th Century Fox) dropped 53% in its second weekend, adding $25.5 million to its cumulative take of $105 million. It became the tenth movie this year to cross the $100 million mark at the box office, along with Sony's Angels & Demons, while pulling ahead of the latter internationally with $37.2 million grossed overseas this weekend.
Sam Raimi's return to horror Drag Me to Hell (Universal) opened in third place with an estimated $16.7 million, averaging $6.6 thousand per site. Raimi's movie also made $4.4 million in the U.K., France and Israel.
McG's Terminator Salvation (Warner Bros.) took a dramatic plunge in its second weekend, taking a 62% hit to end up in fourth place with $16.1 million and a total of $90.6 million, less than half of its reported $200 million production budget.
Meanwhile, J.J. Abrams' Star Trek (Paramount) became the first movie of 2009 to cross the $200 million mark, as it added $12.8 million in fifth place. With $209 million, it is also currently the highest grossing movie of the year. As of this weekend, the movie has also grossed $101.5 million internationally.
In sixth place, the Ron Howard adaptation of Dan Brown's Angels & Demons (Sony), starring Tom Hanks, added another $11.2 million to its own box office gross of $105 million. It has grossed 2.5 times that amount overseas.
The Wayans' spoof comedy Dance Flick (Paramount) dropped to seventh place with $4.9 million and a total of $19.2 million.
20th Century Fox's superhero prequel X-Men Origins: Wolverine dropped 52% to eighth place with a weekend take of $3.9 million and $170.8 million total.
According to estimates, Rian Johnson's The Brothers Bloom (Summit), just missed breaking into the top 10 as it expanded into 148 theaters but ended up just $13 thousand shy of besting the Screen Gems thriller Obsessed.
The Top 10 grossed roughly $161.8 million, down slightly from last year when New Line's Sex and the City topped the weekend with $57 million and the Rogue Pictures thriller The Strangers opened in third place with $21 million.
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