The Mix : What are people talking about today?

Disney Consumer Products Projects Profitble Future

At an online press conference preceding this month’s Licensing Show, Walt Disney outlined their plans for 2011 and the future. Andy Mooney, president of Disney Consumer Products, hosted the event and emphasized that the company’s properties were all being evaluated for exploitation in all forms, using the phrase “newness” to cover technology and “value” to explain multi-figure packaging.

Obviously, the company expects to reap huge profits from this month’s 3-D release of Toy Story 3. Mooney anticipates $2.4 billion of global sales of merchandise for this franchise alone.

After that, Mooney felt Tron: Legacy, coming in December, will appeal to boys and has partnered with Mattel for toys based on the movie starring Jeff Bridges and Olivia Wilde.

For 2011, the company will be flogging Pixar’s next sequel, Cars 2, due in June, following a month later with the next animated Winnie the Pooh movie. For the younger set, there will also be the first new Muppets feature film in nearly a decade. The Disney Princess brand will continue to be pushed, accompanied by the recently launched Fairies line of product which already has grown into a $1.3 billion business.

Little was said about the fourth Pirates of the Caribbean film, On Stranger Tides, which takes the action to America. Similarly, nothing was mentioned about the next big action film, 2012’s live-action John Carter of Mars.

Disney is also exploring a sequel to 3 Men and a Baby, the 1987 film, directed by Leonard Nimoy and starting Tom Selleck, Steve Guttenberg, and Ted Danson. The charming comedy led to a less charming sequel 3 Men and a Little Lady in 1990 and now the studio appears interested in seeing a later chapter in their lives. Selleck confirmed for MTV that  “It is true that Disney checked my availability,” he said. 3 Men and a Bride is the likely title and plotline, with Selleck adding, “I hope it’s a good script, and if it is a good script I hope they do it, because it would be really fun to get back with Ted and Steve. The strongest of the two movies I think is the first one. It had more heart, and that’s what I hope this third one would have if we do it.”

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Spider-Man Webs Up A Gallery

Tip of the hat to friend of ComicMix, Missy Andersen, for linking us up to this lil’ piece of joy. Seems the hard working Viennese/Croatian design collective For Use/Numen created an astounding installation perhaps inspired by the famous wall crawler. Or it has something to do dancing, and choreography, and packing tape. Either way, visit the Fast Company blog and checkout the awesomeness up close(r).

Thwip!

The Point Radio: From Earl To Elvis

  • Uncategorized
  • June 4, 2010

JASON LEE talks about his new series, MEMPHIS BEAT and how his character goes through the day as an Elvis clone – plus KICK ASS in X-MEN FIRST CLASS? TOTAL RECALL and TORCHWOOD in comics? Yep, that’s the truth!

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Casting Notes

jeremy-renner-1916244Over the last few days there’s been a lot of interesting film casting going on so let’s review:

Captain America gains Neal McDonough who will take on the part of Timothy Aloysius Cadwallader “Dum Dum” Dugan. Nah, he’s not an overweight, rowdy red-head with a bushy mustache but he will be one of the Howling Commandos. McDonough is familiar to fans from SyFy’s Tin Man miniseries and Desperate Housewives.

The Avengers appears ready to add Jeremy Renner in the role of Clint Barton, Hawkeye. The actor/musician was nominated for Best Actor for his work in 2009’s The Hurt Locker.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is ready to welcome aboard Stephen Graham (Snatch) as Scram, described by Variety as “a Machiavellian pirate”. He and Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) go in search of the fountain of youth, bringing them to America for the first time, in the fourth installment of the film series, due out next May.

Our love for Kick-Ass’ Chloe Moretz is unrivaled and while we await her turn, later this year, as the vampire in the American remake of Let the Right One In, she has just signed on to star in Hick, described by Variety as a “coming-of-age indie drama”. The movie will adapt Andrea Portes’ novel with Portes handling the screenplay. Set in Nebraska, Moretz runs away from her alcoholic and abusive parents only to discover life on the road is no better. Directed by Derick Martini, shooting in New Mexico will begin later this year

We talked recently of how Daniel Craig has time on his hands now that MGM’s pending future has stalled work on the 23rd James Bond film. He’s now in talks with Sony to take on the role of Michael Blomkvist in the American adaptation of Steig Larsson’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. With David Fincher on board to direct, A-list actresses are all clamoring for the tasty role of Lisbeth Salander. Shooting is expected to begin later this year for a 2011 release.

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Superheroes Banned from Los Angeles?

Superheroes have been banned from Los Angeles’ streets after
numerous complaints were filed against them.

According to the LAPD, costumed street performers harassed visitors
for tips in exchange for their services. Several actors were accused of aggressive
panhandling and loitering. Approximately a dozen characters were arrested while others were cited and asked to leave Hollywood Boulevard.

For years the Walk of Fame was where everyone could see their favorite movie
and comic book characters. Many actors donned costumes not only to entertain tourists but to make a living, as
seen in the acclaimed 2007 documentary Confessions of a Superhero. Christopher Dennis, who has portrayed Superman for 19 years, and Joe McQueen, who has been the Incredible Hulk for 10
years, are angered and confused by the actions taken against the costumed characters.
Both actors starred in the “Confessions” film, but despite their fame and
experience they too will be arrested if caught wearing costumes on the streets.

McQueen claims that the situation is un-American. Most of
the actors had stayed on public property (disputing the loitering charges) and
had not been aggressive with tourists. Dennis and others believe that a
few bad apples have spoiled it for all costumed street performers.

There has been talk of organizing a protest against the L.A. City Council’s decision to ban costumed crusaders, but no one knows what the future
holds for the actors. One thing is certain– Hollywood Boulevard
will be less lively without the beloved characters patrolling the streets.

Thor and Captain America Costumes Revealed

Marvel Studios has essentially confirmed that the production drawings for the costumes circulating online this week are accurate. So, we present a look at how Chris Hemsworth will appear as the God of Thunder, Thor, and Chris Evans will be seen as the Star-Spangled Avenger.

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Andrea Romano Talks Voice Casting ‘Batman: Under the Red Hood’

bat-09-1538785Few individuals understand the intricacies of the voice of Batman better than Andrea Romano.

Arguably the top animation voiceover director in the business today, Romano has been instrumental in orchestrating the vocal tones behind the character’s non-live appearances for more than two decades. From Kevin Conroy and Rino Romano to Jeremy Sisto and William Baldwin, Romano knows precisely what voice will best fit the tones of a particular story or series.

Enter Batman: Under the Red Hood and all of its deep, emotional undertones. Romano has outdone herself once again, balancing the veteran acting chops of Bruce Greenwood as Batman with the youthful, pained intonations of Jensen Ackles as Red Hood, and tossing in Neil Patrick Harris as Nightwing for humorous resonance.

All in a days work for Romano, who recruits the best in the business – winners of Oscars, Emmys and Tonys alike – to provide the voices behind some of the world’s best known super heroes for the DC Universe Animated Original Movies.

Romano’s voiceover casting/direction resume spans more than a quarter century, covering the genre gamut from action (Batman: The Animated Series) to humor (Animaniacs) and contemporary (The Boondocks) to timeless (Smurfs). The eight-time Emmy Award winner (along with more than 30 nominations) is a star in her own right, earning the respect of her peers and the adoration of legions of animation fans. One need only witness the reaction to her introduction at a Con to understand that voiceover work is no longer an anonymous profession.

Batman: Under the Red Hood will be distributed by Warner Home Video on July 27, 2010 as a Special Edition version on Blu-Ray™ and 2-disc DVD, as well as being available on single disc DVD, On Demand and for Download.

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Win a contest by explaining this picture of Wil Wheaton and John Scalzi

  • Uncategorized
  • June 3, 2010

wil-wheaton-and-john-scalzi-9680348John Scalzi, President-elect of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, has announced that he and
writer/actor Wil Wheaton are hosting a fan fiction contest.

The rules are simple– just write a story
explaining this painting by Jeff Zugale, which may be one of the most epic works ever posted on the internet. Yes, that’s Scalzi as an armor-clad orc, facing off with Wheaton, who is wielding a spear, riding a unicorn-pegasus-kitten,
and sporting a clown sweater, while surrounded by lava-oozing volcanoes.

The person who submits the best story will be paid ten cents for every written word, a special pack of books from Subterranean Press, and the story will appear in an electronic chapbook about the picture. The chapbook will include stories written by Scalzi, Wheaton, Norton Award winner Catherynne Valente, and author Patrick Rothfuss. The chapbook will be sold online, and will donate proceeds to the Lupus Alliance of America.

If you think you’ve got what it takes to create a fantastic story to go along with Zugale’s picture, then give the contest a go. Check out Scalzi’s blog here for more details and guidelines. 

Review: ‘Alice in Wonderland’

  • Uncategorized
  • June 2, 2010

On the face of it, Tim Burton and Johnny Depp teaming up to interpret Alice in Wonderland sounded ideal. Too perfect and maybe that was the problem. Burton is no stranger to flights of fancy and provided us with a modern day fairy tale in [[[Edward Scissorhands]]] (just named by Entertainment Weekly as one of the top 10 characters of the last 20 years). His visual imagination is apparently limitless as he provides a fresh eye to each film he makes. His collaborations with Depp lead to engaging performances as the actor vanishes into each role.

And yet…

And yet, the spring film did not excite me. Not an adaptation of the Lewis Carroll books, but instead a sequel of sorts, as Alice returns to Wonderland. We open with a nearly 15 minute set-up as we learn that young Alice, just back from her first journey, has lost her father and the she and her mother must shoulder on. We then cut to thirteen years later and now Alice, 22, is being pressured by society to marry a bore of a Lord. Just as he prepares to publically pop the question, a rabbit catches Alice’s eye and back to Wonderland she goes.

Things are much bleaker since she last visited now that the wicked Red Queen has used a Jabberwocky (depicted as a dragon-like beast) to terrorize Underland.  Few believe she is the same Alice but must be since there is a recent legend saying that only Alice, on Frabjous Day, will free the people by slaying the creature.

To reach this inevitable point, Alice is shuttled between the Red Queen and the White Queen with all the Carroll characters showing up for a cameo or to advance the plot.

While Burton said he didn’t adapt the [[[Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland]]] and [[[Through the Looking-Glass]]] because he didn’t feel an emotional connection to the stories, he fails to make audiences feel any connection to Alice and her cronies. We’ve seen them in endless interpretations and our expectations were that Burton would show us something new, make us drop our jaws and whisper, “Wow”.

Didn’t happen. At least now while I watched it at home on the crisp Blu-ray disc, released as part of Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment’s combo pack released this week. Maybe something magical happened on the big screen and in 3-D. But I felt like we were being put through the paces, setting up a way we’ve seen a million times before, and certainly not helped when Alice arrived in armor borrowed from the [[[Narnia]]] films. It’s fitting that the final battle takes place on a chessboard field.

The performances – from Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway, Crispin Glover — are larger than life as befits the source material. But everything is too on the nose, from the uptight British high society to the Mad Hatter. We’re not surprised or enchanted and are ultimately left feeling disappointed. It could be that Burton could never live up to the expectations, the price one pays for having a reputation for being a visionary.

The movie looks and sounds great on the Blu-ray disc. While those watching just the DVD get three bonus features, there are  plenty of goodies packed on the other disc. You can watch the cast and crew pontificate on six of the characters in the shorts labeled Wonderland Characters. There are six other shorts found under the Making Wonderland umbrella. You get a sense of how much was shot live and just how much was shot using green screen and digitally added (allowing Burton’s visuals to be faithfully reproduced).

For a film that quickly took in over a billion dollars since its release I came to this expecting far better but sometimes, peering through the looking glass, all you see is a pale reflection or something all too familiar.

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Marvel Ups Joe Quesada to Chief Creative Officer

ComicMix congratulates Joe Quesada on his justly deserved promotion, recognizing the strides he has made in salvaging Marvel as a creative entity in the years since the company emerged from bankruptcy.

Here’s the official release:

New York, NY – June 2, 2010 – Marvel Entertainment, LLC announced today that it has promoted Joe Quesada to Chief Creative Officer of Marvel Entertainment.  In this new role, Mr. Quesada will work alongside Alan Fine, Executive Vice President, Office of the President and Chairman of Marvel Studios’ Creative Committee, to ensure that all portrayals of Marvel’s characters and storytelling remain true to the essence of Marvel’s rich history. Additionally, Mr. Quesada will provide creative oversight of all areas of Marvel’s business including theatrical, television, publishing, animation and games, while also actively participating in all story and script development for Marvel’s films and animation. Prior to this promotion, Mr. Quesada held the role of Chief Creative Officer & Editor-In-Chief, Marvel Animation & Publishing and oversaw the creative aspects of Marvel Comics and Marvel Animation. The announcement was made today by Mr. Fine, to whom Mr. Quesada will report.

Mr. Fine stated, “I am excited to have Joe join me as Marvel Entertainment enters the next chapter in our history. Joe has already played an instrumental role as Editor-in-Chief in changing the face of the comic book industry with bold new ventures and an unprecedented penetration of the mainstream consciousness. His love and passion for Marvel, along with his experience guiding publishing for the last decade, will be invaluable as we bring our characters to life in new media.”

“I am honored to take this new position at Marvel Entertainment and work with Alan to bring the rich history of Marvel to a brand new audience” said Mr. Quesada.  “Together with the incredible talent here at Marvel, in all our divisions, I look forward to making Marvel an even bigger part of the entertainment industry and showing why we’ve been an industry leader for over 70 years.”

Mr. Quesada will also continue to serve as Editor-In-Chief, Marvel Publishing, where over the past decade he has helped usher in bold new imprints such as Marvel Knights, the Ultimate Universe and Marvel MAX. During his tenure, Marvel received acclaim for its Heroes special to commemorate the events of September 11, 2001; the groundbreaking Death of Captain America storyline; and President Obama’s historic team up with Spider-Man. Mr. Quesada is also one of the industry’s most popular artists, providing cover and interior art to blockbusters such as Amazing Spider-Man, Daredevil, Invincible Iron Man and more.

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