Nintendo opens up the Internet Channel on Wii for no cost, and gives back to those who paid.
Nintendo of America today announced that it will make the Internet Channel -- the Wii Opera Browser -- free to all Nintendo Wii owners. The Internet Channel makes it possible for Wii users to surf the web easily using the Wii remote to navigate pages.
The Wii Browser was once offered for free in early beta form, but in July of 2007 Nintendo made it a premium for 500 Nintendo Points (then called Wii Points).
Additionally, starting in October, Wii owners that paid for the Internet Channel will be able to download a Virtual Console NES game of their choice, valued at 500 points.
On top of this, the Internet Channel has just been updated to support upgraded features of the Adobe Flash standard.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Wii Fit Plus Priced, Dated for October
Stand-alone disc, bundles being offered.
Nintendo announced Wii Fit Plus, an enhanced version of the original, is set for release in North America on Oct 4. A stand-alone disc will retail for $19.99, while the Wii Fit Plus with Balance Board bundle is priced at $99.
Wii Fit Plus offers more exercises and yoga activities, customizable workouts, and new balance games. Nintendo will be phasing out the current Wii Fit game at retail for this upgrade.
Nintendo announced Wii Fit Plus, an enhanced version of the original, is set for release in North America on Oct 4. A stand-alone disc will retail for $19.99, while the Wii Fit Plus with Balance Board bundle is priced at $99.
Wii Fit Plus offers more exercises and yoga activities, customizable workouts, and new balance games. Nintendo will be phasing out the current Wii Fit game at retail for this upgrade.
Fox Will Reboot Fantastic Four
I find it funny that 20th Century Fox waited until the day when Disney revealed that they would be acquiring Marvel to announce the next step in the Fantastic Four film franchise. Or perhaps the information somehow leaked out when everyone was trying to gather all the details of what properties Disney would have and not have feature film rights to. Either way, tonight it was revealed that Akiva Goldsman has been hired to produce a new Fantastic Four film, a complete reboot.
Variety reports that a screenwriter has been hired to reboot the franchise: Michael Green, a producer/writer for Smallville, Everwood and Heroes (ugh…) who co-wrote the upcoming big screen adaptation of The Green Lantern. No other details are known at this time, as Fox has not commented about its plans. But one would assume that the creative talent (and I use that term loosely) from the original 2005 film and the 2007 sequel, will not be a part of this new attempt. And that includes director Tim Story and stars Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans and Michael Chiklis.
One can only hope that Fox takes a cue from the recent superhero films (The Dark Knight on one extreme, and Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk on the other) and allows a less corny take on the series. I’d likely be happier with a film even if they took a slightly more adult (yet still comic) tone of a film like Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2.
Goldsman got his start in Hollywood as a screenwriter, and at one point wrote the bad Batman movies (Forever and Batman & Robin). More recently he has made the transition into producer of such films as I Am Legend, Hancock, and the upcoming comic book films Jonah Hex and The Losers.
Variety reports that a screenwriter has been hired to reboot the franchise: Michael Green, a producer/writer for Smallville, Everwood and Heroes (ugh…) who co-wrote the upcoming big screen adaptation of The Green Lantern. No other details are known at this time, as Fox has not commented about its plans. But one would assume that the creative talent (and I use that term loosely) from the original 2005 film and the 2007 sequel, will not be a part of this new attempt. And that includes director Tim Story and stars Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans and Michael Chiklis.
One can only hope that Fox takes a cue from the recent superhero films (The Dark Knight on one extreme, and Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk on the other) and allows a less corny take on the series. I’d likely be happier with a film even if they took a slightly more adult (yet still comic) tone of a film like Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2.
Goldsman got his start in Hollywood as a screenwriter, and at one point wrote the bad Batman movies (Forever and Batman & Robin). More recently he has made the transition into producer of such films as I Am Legend, Hancock, and the upcoming comic book films Jonah Hex and The Losers.
'Teen Wolf' pilot moving ahead at MTV
Reinvention is 'very different from' 1985 film, network says
MTV's reinvention of the 1980s movie "Teen Wolf" is inching closer to reality with a pilot presentation order.
The cable network announced the project in January as part of its development slate. After seeing the script, MTV brass picked it up to presentation.
The 1985 film starred Michael J. Fox as a teenager who discovers he is a werewolf. The MTV version will be set in high school, draw from the horror genre to explore werewolf mythology and include a romantic plot line.
"It has a fresh take and is very different from the original," said Liz Gateley, senior vp MTV series development. "It has more of an 'American Werewolf in London' feel to it. It's a dramatic thriller with two best friends in the center who provide a great comedy element: They are two very relatable characters on the outer circles of popular cliques."
The new "Wolf" was written by "Criminal Minds" creator Jeff Davis, who executive produces the pilot with Marty Adelstein (Fox's "Prison Break") and Rene Echevarria (ABC's "Castle").
The '80s continue to be hot at the broadcast networks, with contemporary remakes of the feature "Parenthood" and miniseries "V" set to launch next season on NBC and ABC, respectively, and ABC and Fox developing series based on "St. Elmo's Fire" and "Heathers," respectively.
As part of its push in scripted TV, MTV recently ordered another high school project, the comedy "Hard Times," to series. It also is developing a U.S. version of the raunchy U.K. teen series "Skins."
MTV's reinvention of the 1980s movie "Teen Wolf" is inching closer to reality with a pilot presentation order.
The cable network announced the project in January as part of its development slate. After seeing the script, MTV brass picked it up to presentation.
The 1985 film starred Michael J. Fox as a teenager who discovers he is a werewolf. The MTV version will be set in high school, draw from the horror genre to explore werewolf mythology and include a romantic plot line.
"It has a fresh take and is very different from the original," said Liz Gateley, senior vp MTV series development. "It has more of an 'American Werewolf in London' feel to it. It's a dramatic thriller with two best friends in the center who provide a great comedy element: They are two very relatable characters on the outer circles of popular cliques."
The new "Wolf" was written by "Criminal Minds" creator Jeff Davis, who executive produces the pilot with Marty Adelstein (Fox's "Prison Break") and Rene Echevarria (ABC's "Castle").
The '80s continue to be hot at the broadcast networks, with contemporary remakes of the feature "Parenthood" and miniseries "V" set to launch next season on NBC and ABC, respectively, and ABC and Fox developing series based on "St. Elmo's Fire" and "Heathers," respectively.
As part of its push in scripted TV, MTV recently ordered another high school project, the comedy "Hard Times," to series. It also is developing a U.S. version of the raunchy U.K. teen series "Skins."
Monday, August 31, 2009
Noel Gallagher Quits Oasis
Lead guitarist and songwriter Noel Gallagher has quit Oasis, according to a statement he posted tonight (Aug. 28) to the band's website. The announcement came shortly after the last-minute cancellation of the group's scheduled performance today at the Rock En Seine festival in Paris.
"It's with some sadness and great relief to tell you that I quit Oasis tonight," Gallagher wrote. "People will write and say what they like, but I simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer."
Noel's brother and Oasis lead singer/guitarist Liam Gallagher founded the band in 1991 with Paul Arthurs, Paul McGuigan and Tony McCaroll. Noel joined shortly thereafter and took over as Oasis' lead songwriter. The Gallagher brothers are the longest-standing members of the band; the rest of the current lineup includes guitarist/keyboardist Colin Archer, bassist Andy Bell and drummer Chris Sharrock.
Oasis had performances scheduled at the Rock Am See Festival in Konstanz, Germany tomorrow, and the I-Day Festival in Milan, Italy on Sunday, both of which are canceled, according to Gallagher's statement. "Apologies to all the people who bought tickets for the shows in Paris, Konstanz and Milan," he wrote. No further news on the band's future have been announced.
Oasis' most recent album, "Dig Out Your Soul," peaked at 5 on the Billboard 200 last October.
"It's with some sadness and great relief to tell you that I quit Oasis tonight," Gallagher wrote. "People will write and say what they like, but I simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer."
Noel's brother and Oasis lead singer/guitarist Liam Gallagher founded the band in 1991 with Paul Arthurs, Paul McGuigan and Tony McCaroll. Noel joined shortly thereafter and took over as Oasis' lead songwriter. The Gallagher brothers are the longest-standing members of the band; the rest of the current lineup includes guitarist/keyboardist Colin Archer, bassist Andy Bell and drummer Chris Sharrock.
Oasis had performances scheduled at the Rock Am See Festival in Konstanz, Germany tomorrow, and the I-Day Festival in Milan, Italy on Sunday, both of which are canceled, according to Gallagher's statement. "Apologies to all the people who bought tickets for the shows in Paris, Konstanz and Milan," he wrote. No further news on the band's future have been announced.
Oasis' most recent album, "Dig Out Your Soul," peaked at 5 on the Billboard 200 last October.
Nicolas Cage To Star In 3D Action Revenge Movie Drive Angry
Nicolas Cage has caught the 3D fever and has signed on to star in a revenge action film titled Drive Angry , to be directed by the helmer of My Bloody Valentine 3D.
Patrick Lussier will direct based on a screenplay he co-wrote with his Bloody Valentine writing partner Todd Farmer for Nu Image/Millenium Films. The story is definitely R-Rated, an enraged man who is out for revenge, chasing the people who killed his daughter and kidnapped her baby. According to THR, “the vendetta/rescue spins out of control as the chase gets bloodier by the mile, leaving bodies strewn along the highway.” The film will go into production in April in Shreveport, Louisiana, where Nu Image has a brand new $10 million studio.
Lussier got his start in Hollywood as an editor on Wes Craven horror films like New Nightmare (Nightmare on Elm Street 7), the Scream trilogy, Mimic, and Halloween H20. He made his feature directorial debut with Dracula 2000, and followed up with the series’ two direct-to-video sequels. The interesting part is that he went on to direct My Bloody Valentine 3D, which made some big money for an R-Rated horror film (which some credited to the 3D), and was praised as a fun ride by horror fanatics. And of course, he’s also developing another 3D horror film, called Condition Dead 3D.
Lussier has become a 3D propagandist, once telling the LA Times that the 3-D format is “more than a fad,” and that “you could do My Dinner With Andre in 3-D and it would be incredibly compelling.” Agree with that statement or not (for the record, I do not), I have to admit that I love the fun gimmicky 3D movie every once in a while. Yes, hopefully Hollywood restrains from the practice, but the idea of a revenge action car film in 3D starring the incredibly over-the-top and cheesy Nicolas Cage sounds like it will be more than worth my $10.
Patrick Lussier will direct based on a screenplay he co-wrote with his Bloody Valentine writing partner Todd Farmer for Nu Image/Millenium Films. The story is definitely R-Rated, an enraged man who is out for revenge, chasing the people who killed his daughter and kidnapped her baby. According to THR, “the vendetta/rescue spins out of control as the chase gets bloodier by the mile, leaving bodies strewn along the highway.” The film will go into production in April in Shreveport, Louisiana, where Nu Image has a brand new $10 million studio.
Lussier got his start in Hollywood as an editor on Wes Craven horror films like New Nightmare (Nightmare on Elm Street 7), the Scream trilogy, Mimic, and Halloween H20. He made his feature directorial debut with Dracula 2000, and followed up with the series’ two direct-to-video sequels. The interesting part is that he went on to direct My Bloody Valentine 3D, which made some big money for an R-Rated horror film (which some credited to the 3D), and was praised as a fun ride by horror fanatics. And of course, he’s also developing another 3D horror film, called Condition Dead 3D.
Lussier has become a 3D propagandist, once telling the LA Times that the 3-D format is “more than a fad,” and that “you could do My Dinner With Andre in 3-D and it would be incredibly compelling.” Agree with that statement or not (for the record, I do not), I have to admit that I love the fun gimmicky 3D movie every once in a while. Yes, hopefully Hollywood restrains from the practice, but the idea of a revenge action car film in 3D starring the incredibly over-the-top and cheesy Nicolas Cage sounds like it will be more than worth my $10.
Bad Boys 3 In Development
Remember the scene in Michael Bay’s Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen where Sam is drawing symbols all over the walls of his dorm room? Yeah, we’ve tried to forget about it too. What you might not have noticed is that Sam writes the number 3 on a poster for the other Michael Bay sequel, Bad Boys II. Now we’ve learned that the studio is moving forward with development on a third film, but will the original crew return for one more adventure?
THR reports that Columbia Pictures has hired Peter Craig to write a screenplay for Bad Boys 3. But the project is only in the early stages and none of the participants have yet agreed to return.
The hope is to get both Martin Lawrence and Will Smith to return, alongside director Michael Bay and producer Jerry Bruckheimer. Bruckheimer said in an interview that “When we had about two weeks of shooting left to go on Bad Boys II, Will and Martin were having such a good time, they phoned (Columbia studio boss) Amy Pascal and said, ‘We want to sign up for another one.’ So hopefully we’ll get them all back together again.”
At the 2008 MTV Movie Awards, Will Smith told Hollyscoop that he had an idea for Bad Boys 3, but added that “Michael (Bay) is too expensive now. He’s way too expensive.” And that is the big hurdle — getting the cash to bring back Will Smith, who has since exploded into a megastar, Bruckheimer, who never comes cheap, and Bay, who is now use to collecting percentages of toy merchandise Lucas-style.
All of the usual suspects have expressed an interest in coming back for a third movie, but only if they can get the story right. That’s where Craig comes in. For those of you who don’t recognize his name, you probably shouldn’t, as he has no completed screenwriting credits on his Hollywood resume.
According to Wikipedia, he’s a published author known for his “darkly comic novels of imploding father-child relationships.” His novels include The Martini Shot, Hot Plastic, and Blood Father. As for Hollywood, he has been developing a few projects, mainly co-writing Ben Affleck’s The Town which begins shooting next month, and has been working on a live-action adaptation of the popular anime Cowboy Bebop for 20th Century Fox and Keanu Reeves. Oh, and he’s also the son of actress Sally Field.
Many of you know that I’m often a defender of Michael Bay. That said, I didn’t speak up after the release of Transformers:Revenge of the Fallen for obvious reasons. And before that, my least favorite films he’s made are the Bad Boys series. That’s not to say they’re bad, I just don’t like Martin Lawrence. The first Bad Boys film is interesting to watch just because you can tell Bay is on a leash, restrained by producers and budget, on his first feature film. His next two films, The Rock and Armageddon, are probably his most coherent, probably because it was a time when he still had structure.
Back to the Bad Boys films, I will say this — the car chase sequence in Bad Boys 2 is very under-appreciated, and is probably (wait for it.. hyperbolic statement coming up… in 3…2…1..) one of the best car chase action sequences of the last decade (seen below).
And hey, best case scenario, as GetStuck suggests, this and the Point Break sequel might lead to a Hot Fuzz 2… Just a thought.
THR reports that Columbia Pictures has hired Peter Craig to write a screenplay for Bad Boys 3. But the project is only in the early stages and none of the participants have yet agreed to return.
The hope is to get both Martin Lawrence and Will Smith to return, alongside director Michael Bay and producer Jerry Bruckheimer. Bruckheimer said in an interview that “When we had about two weeks of shooting left to go on Bad Boys II, Will and Martin were having such a good time, they phoned (Columbia studio boss) Amy Pascal and said, ‘We want to sign up for another one.’ So hopefully we’ll get them all back together again.”
At the 2008 MTV Movie Awards, Will Smith told Hollyscoop that he had an idea for Bad Boys 3, but added that “Michael (Bay) is too expensive now. He’s way too expensive.” And that is the big hurdle — getting the cash to bring back Will Smith, who has since exploded into a megastar, Bruckheimer, who never comes cheap, and Bay, who is now use to collecting percentages of toy merchandise Lucas-style.
All of the usual suspects have expressed an interest in coming back for a third movie, but only if they can get the story right. That’s where Craig comes in. For those of you who don’t recognize his name, you probably shouldn’t, as he has no completed screenwriting credits on his Hollywood resume.
According to Wikipedia, he’s a published author known for his “darkly comic novels of imploding father-child relationships.” His novels include The Martini Shot, Hot Plastic, and Blood Father. As for Hollywood, he has been developing a few projects, mainly co-writing Ben Affleck’s The Town which begins shooting next month, and has been working on a live-action adaptation of the popular anime Cowboy Bebop for 20th Century Fox and Keanu Reeves. Oh, and he’s also the son of actress Sally Field.
Many of you know that I’m often a defender of Michael Bay. That said, I didn’t speak up after the release of Transformers:Revenge of the Fallen for obvious reasons. And before that, my least favorite films he’s made are the Bad Boys series. That’s not to say they’re bad, I just don’t like Martin Lawrence. The first Bad Boys film is interesting to watch just because you can tell Bay is on a leash, restrained by producers and budget, on his first feature film. His next two films, The Rock and Armageddon, are probably his most coherent, probably because it was a time when he still had structure.
Back to the Bad Boys films, I will say this — the car chase sequence in Bad Boys 2 is very under-appreciated, and is probably (wait for it.. hyperbolic statement coming up… in 3…2…1..) one of the best car chase action sequences of the last decade (seen below).
And hey, best case scenario, as GetStuck suggests, this and the Point Break sequel might lead to a Hot Fuzz 2… Just a thought.
Rambo 5 Gets The Greenlight
After the successful release of Rambo 4 (which was released under the simple title Rambo), there has been a lot of talk about making a possible fifth film. Stallone had hinted that he hopes to take the character into a “slightly different genre,” leaving many fans to speculate sci-fi or a more comic bookish approach. He later was quoted as saying that “this is the last Rambo just as Rocky Balboa is the last Rocky.” Yeah right…
Nu Image/Millennium Films have officially announced a greenlight for Rambo’s fifth mission, with Sylvester Stallone signed on to return to star and also direct. No word on if Stallone will also write this latest adventure, but I would say it’s a strong possibility considering that he wrote the screenplays for the previous films.
So what is the new movie going to be about? According to Variety, Rambo will fight his way “through human traffickers and drug lords to rescue a young girl abducted near the U.S.-Mexico border.” Doesn’t sound like the big departure that Sly had previously promised (but then again, he also said that there would never be a fifth Rambo film).
Earlier this year, the not-so-reliable British tabloid paper The Sun reported that Mickey Rourke had agreed to play the villain in a fifth Rambo. There has also been rumors that Stallone was looking to film the sequel in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia, which would
actually serve as Rambo’s hometown “somewhere in Arizona.” I’m not sure if those were totally bunk, but it sounds like it.
Stallone is currently doing post production on The Expendables, but production on Rambo 5 will start in the spring.
Nu Image/Millennium Films have officially announced a greenlight for Rambo’s fifth mission, with Sylvester Stallone signed on to return to star and also direct. No word on if Stallone will also write this latest adventure, but I would say it’s a strong possibility considering that he wrote the screenplays for the previous films.
So what is the new movie going to be about? According to Variety, Rambo will fight his way “through human traffickers and drug lords to rescue a young girl abducted near the U.S.-Mexico border.” Doesn’t sound like the big departure that Sly had previously promised (but then again, he also said that there would never be a fifth Rambo film).
Earlier this year, the not-so-reliable British tabloid paper The Sun reported that Mickey Rourke had agreed to play the villain in a fifth Rambo. There has also been rumors that Stallone was looking to film the sequel in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia, which would
actually serve as Rambo’s hometown “somewhere in Arizona.” I’m not sure if those were totally bunk, but it sounds like it.
Stallone is currently doing post production on The Expendables, but production on Rambo 5 will start in the spring.
Halloween 3D Slated for Summer 2010 Without Rob Zombie
Over the weekend, the conclusion to Rob Zombie’s fresh take on the franchise, Halloween II, grossed $17 million. Budgeted at $15 million, the sequel would likely have grossed much more if not for direct competition with the weekend’s top movie and debut, The Final Destination 3D (a very healthy $28m). Today, the rebounding Weinstein Company announced a new, eleventh installment that is already in the planning stages. Entitled, not-so-curiously, Halloween 3D, it’s slated for release next summer.
According to the LA Times, Dimension’s Bob Weinstein offered that Zombie would not be back, as expected per his upcoming The Blob, and that a new director is in talks, one with experience in horror and a “different take” on Michael Myers. Note: /Film commenter, DrChicago, guesses that Alexandre Aja (High Tension) may be the director in line to take over the franchise. This is a great guess because Aja is currently finishing up Piranha 3D for Dimension and is not officially booked for another project; then again, Piranha is due April ‘10, so would Aja really have two 3D horror films from the same studio released so close together?
In a set visit report last Friday, I quoted franchise producer, Malek Akkad, as acknowledging a “third” film way back in April: “Well, the way it works is that, our deal with Dimension, is that hopefully they can opt to do another one. And that’s a legal technicality, and a whole other issue. …It feels like these two films are really Rob’s take. And, you know, we’ll address [a sequel] later. …Where we go from here is anyone’s guess. …There’s going to be the diehards that are never going to be happy unless it’s frame-for-frame like John Carpenter’s version.”
In lieu of generally poor reviews and unjustified vitriol from critics for Halloween II, this writer is predictably quite curious to see how these same critics react, both to the news of an unrelated follow-up and to the 2010 film itself. Similar to Frankenstein, Dracula, and hell, even the Blob, new films featuring Michael Myers, an iconic monster of modern horror, will always be on the way. As an enthusiast of horror, personally I’m fine with that. I also chalk this reality off to why I prefer watching new entries written and directed by a talented and cool genre auteur like Rob Zombie; a filmmaker who actually took the time to deconstruct and reconstruct the franchise’s mythos, characters, and ignore its reputation for C-list talent (by casting Brad Dourif, Malcolm McDowell, and Weird Al). For once, audiences were required to think about Michael Myers, about why—post Carpenter’s original—he remains scary, and the character’s murky line between spectre, zombie, and serial killer.
Whether one disliked or even detested Zombie’s vision(s), he forever contributed two films to a series that had come to possess all the definition of a dark, dead-end alley in the worst way. With nowhere else to go but retread that tired path, Zombie instead took a risk and placed the identity of Myers—a far more dubious horror icon compared to Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger—and his sister’s front-and-center. And, in retrospect, I think it will come to be seen as natural that, arguably, the only working American director whose face/image is synonymous with American horror got a shot; nay, wanted two shots at Myers.
Now that his versions have ridden the white horse into horror history, who would you like to see direct Halloween 3D? Moreover, what American horror director(s) do you find superior to Rob Zombie, with the exception of Sam Raimi, who tends to venture outside the genre? Producer Akkad previously expressed, “…obviously Halloween, and Michael Myers, is a very American horror icon. And Rob gets that.” This was in response to a question about the involvement of Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury, the French directors of Inside, who were originally slated for Halloween II. He added, “And these guys were French, so there was something lost in translation somehow,” half in jest. That said, is there a foreign director(s) you’d rather see take over in 3D?
According to the LA Times, Dimension’s Bob Weinstein offered that Zombie would not be back, as expected per his upcoming The Blob, and that a new director is in talks, one with experience in horror and a “different take” on Michael Myers. Note: /Film commenter, DrChicago, guesses that Alexandre Aja (High Tension) may be the director in line to take over the franchise. This is a great guess because Aja is currently finishing up Piranha 3D for Dimension and is not officially booked for another project; then again, Piranha is due April ‘10, so would Aja really have two 3D horror films from the same studio released so close together?
In a set visit report last Friday, I quoted franchise producer, Malek Akkad, as acknowledging a “third” film way back in April: “Well, the way it works is that, our deal with Dimension, is that hopefully they can opt to do another one. And that’s a legal technicality, and a whole other issue. …It feels like these two films are really Rob’s take. And, you know, we’ll address [a sequel] later. …Where we go from here is anyone’s guess. …There’s going to be the diehards that are never going to be happy unless it’s frame-for-frame like John Carpenter’s version.”
In lieu of generally poor reviews and unjustified vitriol from critics for Halloween II, this writer is predictably quite curious to see how these same critics react, both to the news of an unrelated follow-up and to the 2010 film itself. Similar to Frankenstein, Dracula, and hell, even the Blob, new films featuring Michael Myers, an iconic monster of modern horror, will always be on the way. As an enthusiast of horror, personally I’m fine with that. I also chalk this reality off to why I prefer watching new entries written and directed by a talented and cool genre auteur like Rob Zombie; a filmmaker who actually took the time to deconstruct and reconstruct the franchise’s mythos, characters, and ignore its reputation for C-list talent (by casting Brad Dourif, Malcolm McDowell, and Weird Al). For once, audiences were required to think about Michael Myers, about why—post Carpenter’s original—he remains scary, and the character’s murky line between spectre, zombie, and serial killer.
Whether one disliked or even detested Zombie’s vision(s), he forever contributed two films to a series that had come to possess all the definition of a dark, dead-end alley in the worst way. With nowhere else to go but retread that tired path, Zombie instead took a risk and placed the identity of Myers—a far more dubious horror icon compared to Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger—and his sister’s front-and-center. And, in retrospect, I think it will come to be seen as natural that, arguably, the only working American director whose face/image is synonymous with American horror got a shot; nay, wanted two shots at Myers.
Now that his versions have ridden the white horse into horror history, who would you like to see direct Halloween 3D? Moreover, what American horror director(s) do you find superior to Rob Zombie, with the exception of Sam Raimi, who tends to venture outside the genre? Producer Akkad previously expressed, “…obviously Halloween, and Michael Myers, is a very American horror icon. And Rob gets that.” This was in response to a question about the involvement of Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury, the French directors of Inside, who were originally slated for Halloween II. He added, “And these guys were French, so there was something lost in translation somehow,” half in jest. That said, is there a foreign director(s) you’d rather see take over in 3D?
Disney to Acquire Marvel for $4 Billion!
A huge announcement this morning - Disney is going to acquire Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion!
Building on its strategy of delivering quality branded content to people around the world, The Walt Disney Company has agreed to acquire Marvel Entertainment, Inc. in a stock and cash transaction, the companies announced today.
Under the terms of the agreement and based on the closing price of Disney on August 28, 2009, Marvel shareholders would receive a total of $30 per share in cash plus approximately 0.745 Disney shares for each Marvel share they own. At closing, the amount of cash and stock will be adjusted if necessary so that the total value of the Disney stock issued as merger consideration based on its trading value at that time is not less than 40% of the total merger consideration.
Based on the closing price of Disney stock on Friday, August 28, the transaction value is $50 per Marvel share or approximately $4 billion.
“This transaction combines Marvel’s strong global brand and world-renowned library of characters including Iron Man, Spider-Man, X-Men, Captain America, Fantastic Four and Thor with Disney’s creative skills, unparalleled global portfolio of entertainment properties, and a business structure that maximizes the value of creative properties across multiple platforms and territories,” said Robert A. Iger, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company. “Ike Perlmutter and his team have done an impressive job of nurturing these properties and have created significant value. We are pleased to bring this talent and these great assets to Disney.”
“We believe that adding Marvel to Disney’s unique portfolio of brands provides significant opportunities for long-term growth and value creation,” Iger said.
“Disney is the perfect home for Marvel’s fantastic library of characters given its proven ability to expand content creation and licensing businesses,” said Ike Perlmutter, Marvel’s Chief Executive Officer. “This is an unparalleled opportunity for Marvel to build upon its vibrant brand and character properties by accessing Disney’s tremendous global organization and infrastructure around the world.”
Under the deal, Disney will acquire ownership of Marvel including its more than 5,000 Marvel characters. Mr. Perlmutter will oversee the Marvel properties, and will work directly with Disney’s global lines of business to build and further integrate Marvel’s properties.
The Boards of Directors of Disney and Marvel have each approved the transaction, which is subject to clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act, certain non-United States merger control regulations, effectiveness of a registration statement with respect to Disney shares issued in the transaction and other customary closing conditions. The agreement will require the approval of Marvel shareholders. Marvel was advised on the transaction by BofA Merrill Lynch.
UPDATE #1: In a conference call, the companies said that the deals for movies for characters at other studios (Spider-Man, X-Men, etc.) will stay in place under the terms set by Marvel and the other studios.
UPDATE #2: John Lasseter met with Marvel last week about a possible team-up between Marvel and Pixar and got "pretty excited, pretty fast." They say there's definitely an opportunity there.
UPDATE #3: The deal with Paramount Pictures to distribute five films--"Iron Man 2," "Thor," "Captain America," "The Avengers" and "Iron Man 3"--stays in place as well, but Disney would like to self-distribute down the line. "When the time comes we'll take a closer look at it."
Building on its strategy of delivering quality branded content to people around the world, The Walt Disney Company has agreed to acquire Marvel Entertainment, Inc. in a stock and cash transaction, the companies announced today.
Under the terms of the agreement and based on the closing price of Disney on August 28, 2009, Marvel shareholders would receive a total of $30 per share in cash plus approximately 0.745 Disney shares for each Marvel share they own. At closing, the amount of cash and stock will be adjusted if necessary so that the total value of the Disney stock issued as merger consideration based on its trading value at that time is not less than 40% of the total merger consideration.
Based on the closing price of Disney stock on Friday, August 28, the transaction value is $50 per Marvel share or approximately $4 billion.
“This transaction combines Marvel’s strong global brand and world-renowned library of characters including Iron Man, Spider-Man, X-Men, Captain America, Fantastic Four and Thor with Disney’s creative skills, unparalleled global portfolio of entertainment properties, and a business structure that maximizes the value of creative properties across multiple platforms and territories,” said Robert A. Iger, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company. “Ike Perlmutter and his team have done an impressive job of nurturing these properties and have created significant value. We are pleased to bring this talent and these great assets to Disney.”
“We believe that adding Marvel to Disney’s unique portfolio of brands provides significant opportunities for long-term growth and value creation,” Iger said.
“Disney is the perfect home for Marvel’s fantastic library of characters given its proven ability to expand content creation and licensing businesses,” said Ike Perlmutter, Marvel’s Chief Executive Officer. “This is an unparalleled opportunity for Marvel to build upon its vibrant brand and character properties by accessing Disney’s tremendous global organization and infrastructure around the world.”
Under the deal, Disney will acquire ownership of Marvel including its more than 5,000 Marvel characters. Mr. Perlmutter will oversee the Marvel properties, and will work directly with Disney’s global lines of business to build and further integrate Marvel’s properties.
The Boards of Directors of Disney and Marvel have each approved the transaction, which is subject to clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act, certain non-United States merger control regulations, effectiveness of a registration statement with respect to Disney shares issued in the transaction and other customary closing conditions. The agreement will require the approval of Marvel shareholders. Marvel was advised on the transaction by BofA Merrill Lynch.
UPDATE #1: In a conference call, the companies said that the deals for movies for characters at other studios (Spider-Man, X-Men, etc.) will stay in place under the terms set by Marvel and the other studios.
UPDATE #2: John Lasseter met with Marvel last week about a possible team-up between Marvel and Pixar and got "pretty excited, pretty fast." They say there's definitely an opportunity there.
UPDATE #3: The deal with Paramount Pictures to distribute five films--"Iron Man 2," "Thor," "Captain America," "The Avengers" and "Iron Man 3"--stays in place as well, but Disney would like to self-distribute down the line. "When the time comes we'll take a closer look at it."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
