Sci-Fi Storm

The extended version of Avatar now has a Blu-ray/DVD release date of November 16th in the U.S. (Nov. 15th internationally), and not only will it include the original theatrical release and the special edition re-release (including a family-friendly alternate audio track), but also a THIRD version of the film with another 16 minutes added, including an alternate opening scene on Earth! Links for pre-order as soon as they are available, but see the press release below for all the juicy details including all the extra special features been loaded on to this release!

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Warner Bros. has been trying to breath new life into Superman, after 2006’s Superman Returns failed to draw the heat to relaunch the franchise. Now after interviewing director candidates, the lottery winner is Zack Snyder (director of 300 and Watchmen), with Christopher Nolan (who also revived the Batman franchise) directing. From what is described so far, this won’t be another reboot exactly, and may even have tie-ins to the Richard Donner films, including having General Zod as the primary villain. Also expect a darker take on the character – Supes’ comic goodness was cited as a reason that the 2006 version didn’t connect with current audiences.

So, the ruckus between an Australian actor’s union operating in New Zealand and Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit production, which resulted in “alerts” from other major acting unions to their membership to avoid the production, has drawn the attention of New Zealand’s prime minister, and is offering to have government officials mediate. Prime Minster John Key is concerned about the potential impact to the NZ film industry if the production moves elsewhere, likely to Eastern Europe. “If you can’t make ‘The Hobbit’ here, frankly, what movies are you going to make here?” he said.

The LA Times is reporting that Warner Bros./New Line and MGM are very close to giving the green light for production of The Hobbit, having resolved or nearly resolved remaining rights issues and finalized the necessary deals. If production starts by the 1st quarter of next year, then they could still hit their target of the first movie’s release for the 2012 holiday season, with the second a year later.

But now a fire apparently broke out at Portsmouth Miniatures Studio, one of the stage locations where The Hobbit was to be filmed. The cause of the fire is under investigation and the extent of damage is unknown.

Star Wars is getting the 3D treatment. George Lucas is going to oversee the process, with Lucasfilm using some higher-end conversion houses to accomplish the task. The movies will also be released in chronological order, starting with The Phantom Menace, in 2012 and then in roughly annual installments. After that, the install base for in-home 3D may be ripe for a 3D Blu-ray release, just to make us buy them all again…

Update 9/30: Fan response has been, well, less than stellar…

What should be a slam-dunk movie just can’t catch a break. With all of the MGM woes preventing a green light, now an Australian actor’s union with a unit in New Zealand is attempting to “do damage” according to producer/director Peter Jackson, saying the terms for the actors are below standard, and other large actor’s unions (including SAG and AFTRA) are supporting them by issuing alerts warning their memberships not to accept work on the film. What may be at issue is whether it is legal for the studio to actually negotiate with them, given the tangled web of labour laws in New Zealand.

Update 9/28: Studios are now chiming in with support for Jackson.

I should have posted this yesterday – here is a new trailer for that live-action Space Battleship Yamato movie we mentioned in January. Some of the scenes are direct live-action takes from the original anime – even how they zoom in. I feel like a kid again…

The sixth of the Blu-ray releases that comprised Warner Bros. Sept. 7th release date is [sfs=1061]THX 1138[/sfs], George Lucas’ original SF film based on his USC student short film.
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Here is a neat article from Moviefone that shows some screen tests for some famous roles – some of which got the part (Henry Thomas had the role of E.T. before it was over), a couple who didn’t (I’ve mentioned before that Han Solo could have been played by Kurt Russell instead of Harrison Ford).

Another movie released last Tuesday as part of Warner Bros. big Blu-ray release was [asin=B003M8NGQM]A Scanner Darkly[/asin], based on the semi-autobiographical novel by Philip K. Dick. A relatively low-budget film, it is animated in an unusual computerized rotoscope method done over live action filming, so the characters resemble their real-life actors.
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