Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios Find Their 'Spider-Man' Star and Director

Tom Holland Cast as the Web-Slinger, Jon Watts to Direct the Next Spider-Man Adventure,

From Marvel Comics

Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios are proud to announce that after a full worldwide casting search, Tom Holland will play Peter Parker/Spider-Man in the next Spider-Man film, in theaters in IMAX and 3D on July 28, 2017. The film will be directed by Jon Watts, director of "Cop Car," the upcoming thriller that made its debut earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival.

Marvel and Sony Pictures, and producers Kevin Feige and Amy Pascal conducted an extensive search for both the actor and the director. The studios and producers were impressed by Holland’s performances in "The Impossible," “Wolf Hall,” and the upcoming "In the Heart of the Sea," and by a series of complex screen tests. Following Marvel’s tradition of working with the brightest next wave of directors, Watts also went through multiple meetings with Feige, Pascal, and the studio, before winning the job.

Commenting on the announcement, Tom Rothman, Sony Pictures Motion Pictures Group Chairman, said, “It’s a big day here at Sony. Kevin, Amy and their teams have done an incredible job. The Marvel process is very thorough, and that’s why their results are so outstanding. I’m confident Spider-Man will be no exception. I’ve worked with a number of up-and-coming directors who have gone on to be superstars and believe that Jon is just such an outstanding talent. For Spidey himself, we saw many terrific young actors, but Tom’s screen tests were special. All in all, we are off to a roaring start.”

Feige commented, “As with James Gunn, Joss Whedon, and the Russo brothers, we love finding new and exciting voices to bring these characters to life. We spent a lot of time with Jon and find his take and work inspiring.”

Pascal added, “Sony, Marvel, Kevin and I all knew that for Peter Parker, we had to find a vibrant, talented young actor capable of embodying one of the most well-known characters in the world. With Tom, we’ve found the perfect actor to bring Spider-Man’s story into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.”

Sony Pictures will finance and release worldwide the next installment of the $4 billion Spider-Man franchise on July 28, 2017, in a film co-produced by Kevin Feige and his expert team at Marvel and Amy Pascal, who oversaw the franchise launch for the studio 13 years ago. Together, they will collaborate on a new creative direction for the Web-Slinger.

Spider-Man, embraced all over the world, is the most successful franchise in the history of Sony Pictures, with the five films having taken in more than $4 billion worldwide.

"Godzilla" and The Critics

by Armand Vaquer

Above, "the King's" statue in Hibiya. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Comic Book Movie.com has snips of the "first wave" of reviews of the Legendary Pictures/Warner Bros. Godzilla.

For the most part, the critic reviews are generally favorable to the movie with the biggest kudos going to the cinematography, the monsters and the movie's ending. Most are saying that Godzilla put back the "awe" in "awesome" and that the film will satisfy the monster fans.

In a nutshell: "It delivers!"

On the negative side, the consensus among critics are that the characters aren't "fleshed out" as well as they could be or that they are superficial. Well, who goes to monster movies for fully fleshed-out characters? The Godzilla movie with the best-developed characters of all has to be the 1954 original.

Still, this Godzilla is a "marked improvement" over the 1998 Sony/TriStar Godzilla.

What hurt some of Toho's "Millennium" series of movies was that the characters they came up with had "personal issues" that were more annoying than moving forward the plot. The two that stand out as suffering the most from this were the Mechagodzilla movies, Godzilla x Mechagodzilla (2002) and Godzilla x Mothra x Mechagodzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (2003) (the second one being the worst).

I will quote one critic whose comments are in the article (chosen at random):

DEN OF GEEK: "Most Creative & Striking Summer Blockbuster We’ve Seen In Years"

"This new Godzilla lacks the sense of despair present in Ishiro Honda’s 1954 original. But in its place is something relatively fresh in films such as this: an absence of cynicism. There’s an underlying theme in here about parents protecting children, and of people simply trying to do the right thing in the face of disaster. In Edwards’ reading of Godzilla, there isn’t necessarily any such thing as good or evil. There’s merely humanity and nature, with the former standing awe-struck in the destructive presence of the latter. Most importantly, Godzilla himself emerges just as he should: a bellowing, powerful force; a true king of the monsters." - Ryan Lambie

If you are interested in seeing what the other critics are saying, go to the link at the beginning of this blog post.

July 2000 "Godzilla Week" Photo Surfaces

by Armand Vaquer

Above, gathering in the Hall of Administration before the "Godzilla Week"
 ceremony are (left to right) Armand Vaquer, Masaharu Ina of 
Toho L.A., Andrew Wong and J. D. Lees.  Photo courtesy of Andrew Wong.

Back in July 2000, the second G-Fest in Southern California was about to be held at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.  A month later, Godzilla 2000, the first Japanese Godzilla movie to be released nationwide in theaters since Godzilla 1985.

To garner some publicity for both, the idea was to have the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors declare the week of G-Fest "Godzilla Week." Toho Co., Ltd. was enthusiastic over this idea and even shipped over (at their expense) a Godzilla 2000 event suit for the ceremony to be held at the Hall of Administration.

Unfortunately, Jaime Geller, a publicist at Sony Entertainment, horned in and thinking she knew better than anyone about what constitutes good publicity, nixed the appearance of the event suit saying it was too small and, "It detracts from the grandeur of Godzilla." (Sony had the U.S. theatrical rights to Godzilla 2000, which included publicity.) Once fans heard the news of the cancellation of the event suit, the "fit hit the shan." Geller received many angry messages from irate fans.

The ceremony went ahead anyway without the event suit and, as a result of Sony's dumb move, no publicity was generated. But, at least Toho got a nice scroll (below) out of it and it hangs somewhere at Toho in Japan.

What prompted this post was the above photograph that, until tonight, I didn't know existed. It was sent to me by Andrew Wong.  Thanks, Andrew!

Check out Andrew's GForever website!

James Bond Will Return...With Sam Mendes

by Armand Vaquer

Above, Daniel Craig as James Bond.

Good news!  Sam Mendes, director of Skyfall, will return to helm James Bond 24.

According to an article posted (of all places) in JapanToday:

LONDON —Sam Mendes will direct Daniel Craig as 007 in the 24th installment of the blockbuster James Bond film franchise about the fictional British spy. 

The film is set for release in the autumn of 2015 and follows on the success of Mendes-directed predecessor “Skyfall”, which earned $1.1 billion at the box office worldwide and was the highest-grossing film of all time in Britain, producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli said in a statement. 

The screenplay for the Sony Pictures Entertainment and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc film will be written by John Logan, who also worked on “Skyfall”. 

“Following the extraordinary success of ‘Skyfall’, we’re really excited to be working once again with Daniel Craig, Sam Mendes and John Logan,” Wilson and Broccoli said.

This definitely raises my hopes (and expectations) that the follow-up movie to Skyfall will be just as good, if not better. To read the full article, go here. 

RESIDENT EVIL: AFTERLIFE To Be Released In Selected Theaters With Motion Effects

Source: PR News Wire

D-BOX Technologies Inc. announced today that it has reached agreement with Sony Pictures Releasing Corporation, the U.S.-based motion picture distribution arm of Sony Pictures Entertainment ("Sony Pictures"), to feature D-BOX's immersive MFX with Resident Evil: Afterlife in selected theatres on September 10.

Based on the popular video game series, Sony's Resident Evil: Afterlife is the long-awaited fourth installment of the highly successful "Resident Evil" franchise and is the first to be shown in 3D at selected movie theatres.

"The consistent support of movie studio giants like Sony speaks volumes about industry and consumer confidence in our immersive motion technology," said President and Chief Executive Officer of D-BOX Technologies, Claude Mc Master. "This is our second collaboration and we are pleased to add an exciting, action-packed sci-fi thriller to our growing catalogue of D-BOX Motion Code(TM)supported films."

ABOUT RESIDENT EVIL: AFTERLIFE

In a world ravaged by a virus infection, turning its victims into the Undead, ALICE (Milla Jovovich), continues on her journey to find survivors and lead them to safety. Her deadly battle with the Umbrella Corporation reaches new heights, but Alice gets some unexpected help from an old friend. A new lead that promises a safe haven from the Undead takes them to Los Angeles, but when they arrive the city is overrun by thousands of Undead - and Alice and her comrades are about to step into a deadly trap. The film also stars Ali Larter, Kim Coates, Shawn Roberts, Sergio Peris-Mencheta, Spencer Locke and Wentworth Miller. Written and directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, the film is produced by Jeremy Bolt, Paul W.S. Anderson, Robert Kulzer, Don Carmody, Bernd Eichinger, and Samuel Hadida. Resident Evil: Afterlife is rated R for sequences of strong violence and language.

About D-BOX

D-BOX Technologies designs and manufactures leading edge high-technology motion systems. With its unique, patented technology, D-BOX Motion Code(TM), uses motion effects specifically programmed for each film, TV series or video game, which are sent to a motion generating system integrated within either a platform or a seat. The resulting motion is perfectly synchronized with all onscreen action, creating an unmatched realistic, immersive experience. To date, D-BOX Motion Code(TM) is available on more than 900 titles.

Accordingly, many prominent Hollywood studios have started embedding D-BOX Motion Code(TM) on selected high definition Blu-ray(TM) and theatrical releases. By reaching agreements with the leaders of both the motion picture and gaming industries, D-BOX's award-winning motion technology is gradually proving itself as a new global standard in the entertainment world. D-BOX is a publicly traded company listed on the TSX Venture exchange under the symbol DBO.A. For further information please see http://www.d-box.com/.

For more information about Resident Evil: Afterlife, visit http://www.residentevil-movie.com/ For a complete listing of theatres offering the D-BOX experience and a guide to new movies, visit www.d-box.com

See Also: Ready For Resident Evil Anime Style? / Coming Soon - The Fourth Kind - In Theaters November 6th /

What The Fans Want To See In An American Godzilla

What The Fans Want To See In An American Godzilla

Opinion by Armand Vaquer

The late George Putnam used to have his "one reporter's opinion" pieces on current events and politics. Well, here's mine on Legendary Pictures' Godzilla.

After settling down from taking care of some banking and buying a new microwave oven, I sat down and perused the news reports on Legendary Pictures' announcement of their planned Godzilla co-production (with Warner Bros.) that is slated for a 2012 release.

The wire service Reuters carried the story and this quote was included:

"Godzilla is one of the world's most powerful pop culture icons, and we at Legendary are thrilled to be able to create a modern epic based on this long-loved Toho franchise," said Thomas Tull, chairman and CEO of Legendary. "Our plans are to produce the Godzilla that we, as fans, would want to see. We intend to do justice to those essential elements that have allowed this character to remain as pop-culturally relevant for as long as it has."

This gives me hope that the new American version of Godzilla will stay true to the character. Obviously, the Sony/TriStar Godzilla from 1998 was not what the fans hoped to see. Fans are still smarting over that one.

If you were to ask fans on what they'd like to see, they'd say that, 1.) Godzilla has to be recognizable as Godzilla. They wouldn't quibble over some tweaking of the design here and there (as long as it looks "cool"), but the design has to look like a credible Godzilla to make it work for them. 2.) Godzilla has to be the nuclear terror that serves as a metaphor for The Bomb or war itself. 3.) No campiness! Camp humor and nuclear terror are not a good mix. Keep it serious. No Siskel and Ebert lookalikes or actresses who can't convincingly cry, thank-you! 4.) A good storyline. If Godzilla is to appear in America, there has to be a good reason (plot-wise) for him to do so. Make a scary giant monster movie. It can be done, Cloverfield proved that! 5.) The special effects have to be top-notch. TriStar's special effects in their 1998 film were good, but some were not so hot (like the CGI baby Godzillas in Madison Square Garden). The effects have to be realistic and dazzling to the eyes. 4.) More screen time for Godzilla. The TriStar misfire had Godzilla disappear for a long stretch. If a company is willing to pay for the rights to use the character, then USE the character! 5.) If Godzilla is to be killed off at the end, don't make it happen so easily as TriStar did (a few missiles from fighter jets, c'mon!). His demise has to be extraordinary. Better yet, don't kill him (think sequel). 5.) As a fan, I want to see an American Godzilla movie that I can point to with pride and be able to tell people, "Hollywood finally got Godzilla right this time!"

Some fans would like to see Godzilla fight another monster. I am against this for one reason: they need to concentrate on getting the Godzilla character right. If they succeed, then they can do a monster vs. monster story in a sequel.

To see the full Reuters story, go here.

"Spider-Man" To Go Through Puberty Again - Sony Plans Re-Boot

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Sources: i09 / Avery Guerra

Sam Raimi has officially pulled out of "Spider-Man" so Sony has pulled the plug on the project entirely.

Instead, the studio is now planning to re-boot the franchise, starting over from the beginning with a new director, a new cast, and a teenage Peter Parker....aka..Spider-Man.

Sony put out this press release this afternoon:

Peter Parker is going back to high school when the next Spider-Man hits theaters in the summer of 2012. Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios announced today they are moving forward with a film based on a script by James Vanderbilt that focuses on a teenager grappling with both contemporary human problems and amazing super-human crises...

"A decade ago we set out on this journey with Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire and together we made three Spider-Man films that set a new bar for the genre. When we began, no one ever imagined that we would make history at the box-office and now we have a rare opportunity to make history once again with this franchise. Peter Parker as an ordinary young adult grappling with extraordinary powers has always been the foundation that has made this character so timeless and compelling for generations of fans. We're very excited about the creative possibilities that come from returning to Peter's roots and we look forward to working once again with Marvel Studios, Avi Arad and Laura Ziskin on this new beginning," said Amy Pascal, co-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Sources close to Raimi report that he told the studio, "I can't make your date. I can't go forward creatively."

Once that happened, Sony decided that they didn't want to go forward without the director, so they pulled the plug and decided to start over.

Sources also reveal that Tobey Maguire got the news via a phone call this afternoon. Reportedly the actor was not upset about the news.

So it's back to High School for "Spider-Man", hopefully whoever takes charge of the franchise from this point on will remain true to the source material......or else we could have a mess on our hands true believers.

The new "Spider-Man" re-boot is still being slated for a summer 2012 release.

Geez, we are only a couple of weeks into 2010, and we have had two stories about 2012!

See Also: Star Trek 2 To Join An Already Busy 2012 Summer Of Sci Fi / Kirsten Dunst Finally Agrees To Spider-Man 4 / You Really Haven't Lived Until You Have Seen The Japanese Spider-Man TV Show /Stan Lee To Be Quest Of Honor At Wizard World Los Angeles / Pusan International Film Festival Focuses On Asian Super Heroes / Tobey Maguire Reportedly Signing On For Spider-Man 4 And 5 / Marvel Is Turning Japanese I Really Think So / Stan Lee Teams Up Hiroyuki Takei To Create Ultimo