If anyone is wondering about the lack of updates, please don't think I'm being lazy. It's just that one thing that annoys me about certain websites is that they seem to publish every cough and fart, regardless of a) how true it is; or b) how interesting it is.
I always took the view that I would only report on concrete things happening in Steven Spielberg's life, not the frivolous. So that means more stories like the ones about set pictures from War Horse* and less about the day Steven Spielberg went to see some piglets.
I'm sorry if the lack of updates is frustrating for some, I can only say that it's frustrating for me too because I want to read Spielberg developments every day but sometimes the news just ain't there.
What I can say is that I'm in the process of generating my own content for the site in the form of interviews with people connected with Steven Spielberg. I can't say too much at present, but of the two people I've asked for interviews, both have agreed. It's now just a case of working the chats into their very busy schedules.
So please keep checking back to the site because I'm not ignoring it. Believe me, when War Horse and Tintin start kicking into high gear, there will be PLENTY to talk about so expect daily updates.
* Incidentally, a barrage of film websites like Collider only just picked up on the War Horse set photos this week - almost a month after we had them. So on the one hand I'm happy we scooped the big boys, but sad on the other because I guess that means no one reads my site ... sniff.
Tuesday, 31 August 2010
Tuesday, 24 August 2010
Spielberg picks up Locke and Key
Steven Spielberg is re-teaming with his War of the Worlds screenwriter Josh Friedman to turn Joe Hill's comic book series Locke and Key into a TV series, according to a report on New York Magazine's website.
Hill's books "revolve around three kids who end up watching over a secret, spooky New England mansion filled with mystical doors that transport them to different worlds and give them special powers (like turning into a ghost)", according to the report.
Super-scribes Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci - who have spoken in the past about how Spielberg's Amblin heyday has influenced the choice of projects they're developing - are also onboard.
Dimension had purchased the TV and film rights to the IDW Publishing series back in 2008, not long after the first installment came out (several installments have followed, including one released earlier this month). While there had been talk in the blogosphere of Kurtzman and Orci turning Locke and Key into a feature, the project is now moving ahead as a TV series, with Friedman on board to write and produce. Kurtzman and Orci recently signed a big overall deal with 20th Century Fox TV, so the studio will end up producing with Spielberg's DreamWorks TV (mirroring their current collaboration on Spielberg's fall 2011 Fox dinosaur drama Terra Nova). There's no broadcast or cable outlet attached yet, but based on the idea for the show and the fact that 20th is involved, the Fox network certainly seems like a logical home.
Friday, 20 August 2010
Jaws resurfaces on iPhone
It's only taken 35 years, but Steven Spielberg's Jaws has finally got an official game tie-in.
Games designer Bytemark have just released the official Jaws game for iPhone and you can purchase it now from the Apple App Store for £1.79 in the UK or $2.99 in the US.
Sadly it's not the type of game where you play the shark and get points for munching through as many swimmers as possible. You play Brody and it's your job to move the swimmers out of the path of the Great White. You do this by "flicking" the swimmers out the way.
Although not as much fun as I'd hoped, the swimmers do disappear under the surf in a satisfying spray of blood and, best of all, the 10 levels are set to John Williams' iconic score.
Here's the full press release announcing the game:
TORONTO - In 1975, just beyond the serene beaches of the summer resort town Amity Island lurked a terrifying menace: Jaws. Thirty-five years later, the timeless classic thriller is making its debut for the iPhone? and iPod touch? through a development partnership with Bytemark Games and Universal Partnerships & Licensing.
Chomping its way into the iTunes? App Store in August 2010, Jaws for the iPhone? and iPod touch? is a fun and challenging casual game. With familiar line-drawing mechanics paired with a few new tricks, Jaws challenges players with the task of saving stranded swimmers from the namesake Great White.
The game features:
Casual and intuitive touch-based gameplay provides an addictive experience for any level of gamer
Touch, drag and flick swimmers to beaches and boats out of the way of Jaws
Play through 10 increasingly challenging levels to make your way to the climactic final battle between man and shark
The Academy Award? winning theme from John Williams brings the intensity of Jaws to life
A terrifying 25-foot long 3-ton virtual shark"Jaws is one of the most recognizable and beloved movie franchises of all time, and it's been an amazing opportunity to interpret the thrilling film as a game," said Jon Walsh, CEO of Bytemark Games.
"We think it has everything that makes a great casual game – fun, easy-to-learn touch controls, along with exciting gameplay that ramps up quickly and keeps players challenged from beginning to end."
"It has been 35 years since Jaws terrorized the shores of Amity Island and now he has resurfaced in the realm of apps, ready to prey once again," said Calvin Lim, Director of Mobile Sales, Universal Partnerships & Licensing. "The combination of simple touchscreen mechanics, visually stunning graphics and the original theme score make for a complete game that will keep you playing over and over again."
Games designer Bytemark have just released the official Jaws game for iPhone and you can purchase it now from the Apple App Store for £1.79 in the UK or $2.99 in the US.
Sadly it's not the type of game where you play the shark and get points for munching through as many swimmers as possible. You play Brody and it's your job to move the swimmers out of the path of the Great White. You do this by "flicking" the swimmers out the way.
Although not as much fun as I'd hoped, the swimmers do disappear under the surf in a satisfying spray of blood and, best of all, the 10 levels are set to John Williams' iconic score.
Here's the full press release announcing the game:
TORONTO - In 1975, just beyond the serene beaches of the summer resort town Amity Island lurked a terrifying menace: Jaws. Thirty-five years later, the timeless classic thriller is making its debut for the iPhone? and iPod touch? through a development partnership with Bytemark Games and Universal Partnerships & Licensing.
Chomping its way into the iTunes? App Store in August 2010, Jaws for the iPhone? and iPod touch? is a fun and challenging casual game. With familiar line-drawing mechanics paired with a few new tricks, Jaws challenges players with the task of saving stranded swimmers from the namesake Great White.
The game features:
Casual and intuitive touch-based gameplay provides an addictive experience for any level of gamer
Touch, drag and flick swimmers to beaches and boats out of the way of Jaws
Play through 10 increasingly challenging levels to make your way to the climactic final battle between man and shark
The Academy Award? winning theme from John Williams brings the intensity of Jaws to life
A terrifying 25-foot long 3-ton virtual shark"Jaws is one of the most recognizable and beloved movie franchises of all time, and it's been an amazing opportunity to interpret the thrilling film as a game," said Jon Walsh, CEO of Bytemark Games.
"We think it has everything that makes a great casual game – fun, easy-to-learn touch controls, along with exciting gameplay that ramps up quickly and keeps players challenged from beginning to end."
"It has been 35 years since Jaws terrorized the shores of Amity Island and now he has resurfaced in the realm of apps, ready to prey once again," said Calvin Lim, Director of Mobile Sales, Universal Partnerships & Licensing. "The combination of simple touchscreen mechanics, visually stunning graphics and the original theme score make for a complete game that will keep you playing over and over again."
Monday, 16 August 2010
Cary Elwes talks Tintin
A second bit of Tintin news emerged from this weekend's Movie-Con in London.
Talking to Empire, Cary Elwes revealed how he managed to nab a part in Steven Spielberg's upcoming Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn.
“It’s a funny story if you’ve got a second. Steven Spielberg came down to the set of A Christmas Carol because he’s friends with Robert Zemeckis and was there while I was filming a scene - no pressure! He came over afterwards and said, 'I’m shooting Tintin. It’s got Jamie Bell and Andy Serkis and it’s going to be a lot of fun.' And I said, '[Stutters] Mr... Mr... Spielberg, I’m a really big fan of Tintin. I have to be in it.' He did that Hollywood thing: 'Yeah, yeah, we’ll see.'"
"Then two weeks later my wife and I are in a grocery store, and my wife says, 'Honey, that’s Steven Spielberg.' I say there’s no way Spielberg is grocery shopping on his own; he has people to do that for him. But there he was, shopping for cereal by himself. So I went up to him and said, 'Steven... er, Tintin?' [Laughs] He said, 'You know what, I think I have one part left. Do you speak French?' and I said [adopts best Clouseau impression] 'But of course!'”
Read the article here
Talking to Empire, Cary Elwes revealed how he managed to nab a part in Steven Spielberg's upcoming Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn.
“It’s a funny story if you’ve got a second. Steven Spielberg came down to the set of A Christmas Carol because he’s friends with Robert Zemeckis and was there while I was filming a scene - no pressure! He came over afterwards and said, 'I’m shooting Tintin. It’s got Jamie Bell and Andy Serkis and it’s going to be a lot of fun.' And I said, '[Stutters] Mr... Mr... Spielberg, I’m a really big fan of Tintin. I have to be in it.' He did that Hollywood thing: 'Yeah, yeah, we’ll see.'"
"Then two weeks later my wife and I are in a grocery store, and my wife says, 'Honey, that’s Steven Spielberg.' I say there’s no way Spielberg is grocery shopping on his own; he has people to do that for him. But there he was, shopping for cereal by himself. So I went up to him and said, 'Steven... er, Tintin?' [Laughs] He said, 'You know what, I think I have one part left. Do you speak French?' and I said [adopts best Clouseau impression] 'But of course!'”
Read the article here
Spielberg's Tintin teaser poster revealed
The first teaser poster for Steven Spielberg's The Adventures Of Tintin: The Secret Of The Unicorn has been uncovered by the folks over at Collider.
The poster uses a piece of artwork from Herge's original so, frustratingly, we still have no clue as to the look of the motion-captured film. It was always doubtful that the character designs would be unveiled in a poster before the teaser trailer, but at least this shows that the promotional campaign is beginning to kick off.
So far the only images that we've seen from the movie (due out in late 2011) have been stills of stars Jamie Bell and Andy Serkis is their mo-cap suits on the set. Producer Peter Jackson once said that the film would look "film noirish and very atmospheric".
Written by Steven Moffat, Joe Cornish and Edgar Wright, The Secret of the Unicorn also stars Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and Daniel Craig. It will be released during late October and early November 2011 in Europe, Latin America and India. Fans in the United States will have to wait until December 23, 2011.
Friday, 13 August 2010
Spielberg protests axing of UK Film Council
Steven Spielberg has become the latest movie industry figure to back a campaign protesting the abolition of the United Kingdom Film Council.
A senior executive at Dreamworks has written to Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, and described the move as "confusing". The exec, Steven Molen, also praised the UKFC for the help it received with Steven Spielberg's new film War Horse, which is shooting in England as we speak.
Spielberg, of course, has a long association with the UK film industry, having shot parts of Raiders of the Lost Ark, Temple of Doom, Last Crusade, Empire of the Sun and Saving Private Ryan there.
A Treasury spokeswoman told The Guardian the chancellor had received the DreamWorks letter, but declined to discuss its contents. However, Ed Vaizey, the minister for communication, culture and the creative industries, defended the decision to scrap the council as part of a raft of cost-cutting measures.
"We've got a plethora of quangos, and I would question whether the Film Council is solely behind the success of film in this country," he told Sky News.
Criticising what he called "hysteria" surrounding the decision, Vaizey said film tax credits, lottery funding and a infrastructure for film production would continue to entice big film studios to the UK. He invited Hollywood figures to call him personally with their concerns rather than speaking through the media.
Steven Spielberg is not the first Hollywood figure to step into the UKFC controversy. Clint Eastwood, who just finished shooting his next film, The Hereafter, in London, wrote a letter to Osborne and spoke of his "great concern" that the UKFC was biting the dust. He also said that he would be less likely to choose the UK for a location now that the UKFC has been abolished.
A senior executive at Dreamworks has written to Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, and described the move as "confusing". The exec, Steven Molen, also praised the UKFC for the help it received with Steven Spielberg's new film War Horse, which is shooting in England as we speak.
Spielberg, of course, has a long association with the UK film industry, having shot parts of Raiders of the Lost Ark, Temple of Doom, Last Crusade, Empire of the Sun and Saving Private Ryan there.
A Treasury spokeswoman told The Guardian the chancellor had received the DreamWorks letter, but declined to discuss its contents. However, Ed Vaizey, the minister for communication, culture and the creative industries, defended the decision to scrap the council as part of a raft of cost-cutting measures.
"We've got a plethora of quangos, and I would question whether the Film Council is solely behind the success of film in this country," he told Sky News.
Criticising what he called "hysteria" surrounding the decision, Vaizey said film tax credits, lottery funding and a infrastructure for film production would continue to entice big film studios to the UK. He invited Hollywood figures to call him personally with their concerns rather than speaking through the media.
Steven Spielberg is not the first Hollywood figure to step into the UKFC controversy. Clint Eastwood, who just finished shooting his next film, The Hereafter, in London, wrote a letter to Osborne and spoke of his "great concern" that the UKFC was biting the dust. He also said that he would be less likely to choose the UK for a location now that the UKFC has been abolished.
Tuesday, 10 August 2010
Spielberg news round-up
After the excitement of last week when filming got underway on War Horse, it's been a quiet few days in the world of Spielberg.
The biggest development of the week is that Terra Nova is going Down Under to shoot. According to Queensland premier Anna Bligh, production on the 13-part time travel dinosaur series will begin in Australia in October.
The Hollywood Reporter has the quotes.
"Fox Broadcasting has today confirmed Queensland as the location of choice for 'Terra Nova' … and once again shows Queensland's ability to attract first rate productions to the state," Bligh said.
"My government provided considerable incentives through Screen Queensland to secure this production which, in turn, will generate in excess of AUS$54 million ($50 million) in economic activity and create thousands of jobs," she added.
Bligh said that around 80% of the cast and crew will be Queenslanders.
Production will be centered on locations around southeastern Queensland and at the Warner Roadshow Studios on the Gold Coast.
“We wanted this ambitious series to look like no other on television and Queensland provided the best of all possible worlds," executive vice president of production, Jim Sharp added.
"Queensland had the right look, climate and terrain, a vibrant production community and attractive economic incentives. We are very excited to be shooting our first production there."
The only War Horse-related news of this week is of the type I don't even class as news. But, if you're interested in historic English villages or even pig farms, feel free to click the links.
I'll finish this update by directing you to a very entertaining interview with long-time Spielberg producer Frank Marshall.
Although the one-to-one with Scotland's Herald newspaper is to promote The Last Airbender, he does reminisce about his career, including the first time he met Steven Spielberg.
It was Rome, 1972. Marshall was there making Daisy Miller with Bogdanovich. A young Spielberg was on a publicity tour with Duel, and called in at the set.
“I had a plate of spaghetti,” says Marshall, “took two bites of it, said nice to meet you, asked Peter a question about the next shot and left.” Spielberg turned to the film’s editor, Verna Fields. “That’s the kind of guy I need, a guy that’s more interested in the next shot than lunch.”
Read the full interview with Marshall here
The biggest development of the week is that Terra Nova is going Down Under to shoot. According to Queensland premier Anna Bligh, production on the 13-part time travel dinosaur series will begin in Australia in October.
The Hollywood Reporter has the quotes.
"Fox Broadcasting has today confirmed Queensland as the location of choice for 'Terra Nova' … and once again shows Queensland's ability to attract first rate productions to the state," Bligh said.
"My government provided considerable incentives through Screen Queensland to secure this production which, in turn, will generate in excess of AUS$54 million ($50 million) in economic activity and create thousands of jobs," she added.
Bligh said that around 80% of the cast and crew will be Queenslanders.
Production will be centered on locations around southeastern Queensland and at the Warner Roadshow Studios on the Gold Coast.
“We wanted this ambitious series to look like no other on television and Queensland provided the best of all possible worlds," executive vice president of production, Jim Sharp added.
"Queensland had the right look, climate and terrain, a vibrant production community and attractive economic incentives. We are very excited to be shooting our first production there."
The only War Horse-related news of this week is of the type I don't even class as news. But, if you're interested in historic English villages or even pig farms, feel free to click the links.
I'll finish this update by directing you to a very entertaining interview with long-time Spielberg producer Frank Marshall.
Although the one-to-one with Scotland's Herald newspaper is to promote The Last Airbender, he does reminisce about his career, including the first time he met Steven Spielberg.
It was Rome, 1972. Marshall was there making Daisy Miller with Bogdanovich. A young Spielberg was on a publicity tour with Duel, and called in at the set.
“I had a plate of spaghetti,” says Marshall, “took two bites of it, said nice to meet you, asked Peter a question about the next shot and left.” Spielberg turned to the film’s editor, Verna Fields. “That’s the kind of guy I need, a guy that’s more interested in the next shot than lunch.”
Read the full interview with Marshall here
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