Film Junk » Animation

Zack Snyder’s Guardians of Ga’hoole Lands Voice Cast

Sean — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:58:13 +0000

Snyder's first fully animated 3-D feature will star Sam Neill, Geoffrey Rush, Hugo Weaving, Helen Mirren, Jim Sturgess, David Wenham, and Emilie de Ravin among others.

FOR MORE DAILY MOVIE GOODNESS, VISIT FILMJUNK.COM!

J.J. Abrams Producing Samurai Jack: The Movie

Sean — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:28:56 +0000

We've got a little bit of an update this week on the Samurai Jack feature film that was first announced back in 2007. As you may know, Genndy Tartakovsky is on board to write and direct a big screen continuation of his popular animated series for Frederator Films. As far as we know it's the only project on his plate at the moment since The Power of the Dark Crystal was postponed indefinitely, but apparently the deal for Samurai Jack took quite a while to close. Here's the good news: things are now moving ahead, and they've even got a pretty big name helping them out as a co-producer. According to a post on the Frederator Films blog from back in September, J.J. Abrams revealed himself to be a huge fan of Samurai Jack and is now co-producing the movie through his company, Bad Robot Productions. Samurai Jack is also being distributed through Paramount Pictures, which helps guarantee that it will actually end up in theatres rather than getting dumped direct to DVD. Just to be clear, the movie is a "2D/stereoscopic 3D production", which should maintain the look and feel of the original show. The modest budget will be somewhere in the $20 million range. Frederator also now has a deal in place with Sony, so they've potentially got a lot of other stuff on the horizon as well. Pretty exciting, right? Sound off in the comments below.

FOR MORE DAILY MOVIE GOODNESS, VISIT FILMJUNK.COM!

Joss Whedon to Animate Buffy Season 8

Sean — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:10:02 +0000

Don't get too excited though... it's just "motion comics" as opposed to a full on animated series.

FOR MORE DAILY MOVIE GOODNESS, VISIT FILMJUNK.COM!

Robert Zemeckis Eyeing The Nutcracker 3-D?

Sean — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:30:40 +0000

Robert Zemeckis is a director who was once mentioned alongside visionaries like Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, having directed such blockbusters as Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Forrest Gump and the Back To The Future trilogy. He certainly earned that reputation, but lately his career has taken a strange detour into the realm of motion capture technology, where his focus seems to be exclusively on taking existing stories and putting them on the big screen in a new way. Certainly Spielberg and Lucas have been big on pushing technology forward as well, but is Zemeckis letting his desire to pioneer get in the way of making good movies? His latest film A Christmas Carol hit theatres just last weekend and the reviews haven't been so hot, but that hasn't stopped him from lining up another Christmas movie to immediately follow it. According to Pajiba, Zemeckis wants to use motion capture to retell the Christmas classic The Nutcracker. The movie would be based on the E.T.A. Hoffmann novel, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, and set in 19th century Russia. And yes, of course it will use his patented performance capture technology, and will likely be released in 3-D. Zemeckis is also developing a 3-D remake of The Beatles' Yellow Submarine, and is producing a motion capture fantasy adventure called Airman, so apparently he won't be giving up this new format anytime soon. What do you think, is it a good thing that he is using these projects to perfect this new technology? Or is Zemeckis wasting his talent by choosing to direct uninteresting films?

FOR MORE DAILY MOVIE GOODNESS, VISIT FILMJUNK.COM!

Dan Aykroyd, Anna Faris and Justin Timberlake Join Yogi Bear

Sean — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:45:02 +0000

Live action/CG family comedies for everyone! That's right, yet another hybrid animated film is moving forward this week, with the announcement of some pretty big names entering discussions for the Warner Brothers adaptation of the classic Hanna-Barbera cartoon Yogi Bear. It looks like the studio has found voices for both Yogi and Boo-Boo, plus an actress for their first live action role. According to Variety, Dan Aykroyd is currently in talks to headline the film as the mischievous bear Yogi, while musician turned actor Justin Timberlake will play his faithful sidekick Boo-Boo. Anna Faris will play a documentary filmmaker who comes to Jellystone Park. Aykroyd in particular seems like a solid choice, although I'm wondering whether or not Timberlake will try to put on a cartoony voice or just be himself (he previously voiced a character in Shrek the Third). The Yogi Bear script was written by the same guys who did Tooth Fairy starring Dwayne Johnson, and will be directed by former visual effects supervisor Eric Brevig (Journey to the Center of the Earth). Yes, it's going to be shot in 3-D. I can't say I'm looking forward to it, but I suppose there's at least a chance it will be better than The Flintstones and Scooby-Doo movies. Only one question remains: who should play Ranger Smith? Shooting starts next month in New Zealand.

FOR MORE DAILY MOVIE GOODNESS, VISIT FILMJUNK.COM!

Zach Galifianakis in Talks to Play Humpty Dumpty in Shrek Spin-Off

Sean — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:21:00 +0000

It can be a painful thing to watch an edgy and fresh comedic talent get sucked into the black hole of Hollywood, but I can't be truly disappointed with any choices that Zach Galifianakis makes. I'm still just overjoyed to see the guy's career take off, and it's kind of fun to see him in some of these big family blockbusters like G-Force. I just hope he never stops taking risks and making the quirky little films on the side. That being said, you can't help but wince when you hear that he is currently in talks to voice the character Humpty Dumpty in the upcoming Shrek spin-off, Puss in Boots. The Shrek franchise has turned into a behemoth over the years, and Puss in Boots would actually be the fifth major film in the series. There is also a Shrek 4 on the way (now titled Shrek Forever After) that will hit theatres next summer; Puss in Boots isn't scheduled for release until November 4th, 2011. The movie is a prequel that leads up to the events in Shrek 2. Antonio Banderas will voice the main character, while Salma Hayek will play his love interest Kitty. It will be directed by Chris Miller (Shrek the Third, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs). What do you think, is this a good career move for Galifianakis? And are you sick of Shrek yet?

FOR MORE DAILY MOVIE GOODNESS, VISIT FILMJUNK.COM!

Berenstain Bears Movie in Development

Sean — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:29:35 +0000

When I was a kid, I owned a few of the Berenstain Bears books, and I seem to recall watching a couple of animated holiday specials as well. I guess it's not surprising that the Bears are still a fixture of children's literature today, although they've added some pretty strange titles in the years since I read them (The Berenstain Bears And the Drug Free Zone, The Berenstain Bears No Guns Allowed... WTF?). Anyway, the point is, they've been around for almost 50 years and they're a pretty well-recognized brand at this point, so it's about time they made a movie... right? This week USA Today revealed that Shawn Levy (Night at the Museum) will produce a hybrid live action/CG feature film based on The Berenstain Bears for Walden Media. He describes it as a family comedy with the same tone as Will Ferrell's Elf: "witty but never sarcastic". Most of the laughs will come from the idea of an oddball family of bears living among humans, which is different from the books where everyone was a bear. I guess this means the bears will be the CG element of the film... too bad, I was hoping for man-in-suit a la Where The Wild Things Are. No writer or director has been set, but they are aiming for a 2011 release. I'm sure we'll all be counting down the days!

FOR MORE DAILY MOVIE GOODNESS, VISIT FILMJUNK.COM!

Owen Wilson Signs on for Marmaduke

Sean — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:10:26 +0000

When a live action Marmaduke movie was first announced back in March, Fox still hadn't quite decided if they wanted the comic strip-based Great Dane to be a CG mutt or the real thing. Ironically, it was the success of the Owen Wilson/Jennifer Aniston rom-com Marley and Me that made them think that a live action dog might be the way to go. I say it's ironic because this week Owen Wilson has apparently signed on to star in this film as well... as the voice of the computer animated version of Marmaduke! The Hollywood Reporter says that Wilson will headline a voice cast that also includes Damon and Marlon Wayans, Emma Stone, George Lopez, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Steve Coogan and Fergie. The human family in the film will be played by Judy Greer, Lee Pace and William H. Macy. There's no question that this is a gig that probably should be below Wilson, and might seem to indicate that he's heading toward the same direct-to-video doldrums that his brother Luke is now in. But hey, maybe they offered him a ton of money because they wanted to reinforce a strong connection with Marley and Me. Still, did he learn nothing from Bill Murray's deathbed confession in Zombieland? Anyway, here's the other thing I don't get: since when does Marmaduke talk? The movie is currently scheduled for a June 2010 release.

FOR MORE DAILY MOVIE GOODNESS, VISIT FILMJUNK.COM!

How To Train Your Dragon Trailer

Sean — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:54:14 +0000

I've been seeing posters around for the upcoming Dreamworks animated 3-D film How to Train Your Dragon for a couple of months now, and I haven't once been inspired to seek out any additional information about it. I hadn't even watched the first teaser trailer that surfaced online back in September, but now that a longer trailer has arrived over at Yahoo!, I figured I might as well give it a shot. Directed by Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders (Lilo & Stitch), the movie is about a young Viking named Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, who sets off to slay a dragon, and ends up befriending one instead. One thing that is kind of interesting is the fact that Jay Baruchel is voicing the main character and his dry, non-typical delivery seems to hold some promise. Other voices include Gerard Butler, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Craig Ferguson, Kristen Wiig, and America Ferrera. Aside from that though, I think I'd much rather see a live action movie like Dragonheart or even Eragon over this. Baby dragons are lame. I want old and grumpy ones that sound like Sean Connery. How to Train Your Dragon hits theatres on March 26th; check out the trailer after the jump and see what you think.

FOR MORE DAILY MOVIE GOODNESS, VISIT FILMJUNK.COM!

Film Junk Poll: What is the Best Anime Film?

Sean — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:39:37 +0000

Over the years I've tried to get into anime but I've never really managed to get beyond a few of the so-called classics. However, in light of my recent trip to Japan and all of the upcoming Hollywood live action remakes, I thought this might be an interesting topic for this week's poll. I've selected a handful of the movies that seem to be the most well-regarded among fans, but I'm hoping to see suggestions for some lesser known picks from all of you as well. Keep in mind, we're talking about feature films here as opposed to anime series. And yes, I know there are a lot of Miyazaki films missing from the list, but I opted for variety! Go ahead and cast your vote in this week's poll, then discuss your favourites in the comments below.

Online Surveys & Market Research

FOR MORE DAILY MOVIE GOODNESS, VISIT FILMJUNK.COM!

Toy Story Double Feature Extends Cinematic Run + Casting Tidbits

Kasper — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:23:36 +0000

Oh them kids and their Twittering and what not. All these fads, I just can't keep up! One day we're reading the trades, the next it's the blogs and now all the news is coming from Twitter! Lee Unkrich, director of the forthcoming Toy Story 3, has Tweeted that due to the overwhelming success of the Toy Story Double Feature, the two movies are getting their cinematic run extended from the original two weeks. The films are now set to run throughout October. Nothing unexpected about that. I guess 3D actually is a big seller, or people will just pay to see Pixar movies no matter if they're new or old. In other news, Unkrich also revealed some casting news for the third flick about the lively little toys. Comedians Kristen Schaal (of HBO's Flight of the Conchords) and Blake Clark (Bedtime Stories, 50 First Dates) are joining the voice cast. Unkrich hasn't revealed who Schaal will be voicing, but does bring up Clark's role. Clark will be taking over for the late Jim Varney, who voiced the toy dog Slinky, one of Woodys dear friends. The cast, trailer and everything else for Toy Story 3 just keeps looking better and better in my opinion. What do you think? Should there even be made a third, or was 2 enough? Sound off in the comments.

FOR MORE DAILY MOVIE GOODNESS, VISIT FILMJUNK.COM!

Toy Story 3 Trailer Online

Jay C. — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:34:50 +0000

Guess what. The trailer for Toy Story 3 is online. I looked at it with my eyes and have come to the conclusion that there is absolutely nothing to say about it. I enjoyed Toy Story 1 and 2 (2 was better) and I imagine I will see part 3, but I find it funny that Pixar seems to be immune to all of the usual hostility thrown at frivolous sequels. I mean, really? We need a Toy Story 3? When talk of a District 9 follow up started floating around the blogo-gine, people stomped their feet in protest, deeming such an act as an unnecessary cash grab that would ultimately detract from the original. Maybe it's just me, but I'd rather spend more time exploring Blomkamp's futuristic Johannesburg then Andy's college dorm room. That aside, the colours are bright as usual and Randy Newman's voice is a tender reminder that I Love LA. Is this shit in 3D? I bet it is. Kiss all of those beautiful colours goodbye my friends. Hopefully our local theatres offer a 2D option on this one. I still think the human characters look like real dolls, even if they might contain more polygons in their eyebrow hairs this time around. On the plus side, I think the original characters might retain enough charm to bring something worthwhile to the screen, as long as Joan Cusack doesn't shit the bed with another buzzkill song about her debilitating case of separation anxiety. Pixar, I don't even have to see the film to say 'you've done it again'! Check out the trailer below:

FOR MORE DAILY MOVIE GOODNESS, VISIT FILMJUNK.COM!