Tag: Andy Serkis

The Geekscape ‘Black Panther’ Special With Ian Kerner!

by Jonathan

After this past weekend, ‘Black Panther’ isn’t just a movie! It’s a full blown movement! Seriously, it seems like we’ve been waiting for this character to get his own film for a long time and now that it’s here there’s a lot to talk about! You know how we do these Geekscape Specials so SPOILER WARNING as Ian Kerner and I sit down to talk about Marvel’s latest. What worked (and didn’t work) in bringing these characters to the screen? Is Killmonger the greatest villain in the MCU? What does this movie mean for the upcoming Avengers: Infinity War? What Black Panther comic book runs set the stage for the film or are great jumping on points for new readers? And we also answer YOUR questions! Enjoy!

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Geekscape Review: ‘War for the Planet of the Apes’

by AllieHanley
Assuming that you’ve seen the first two ‘Apes’ films, this review is SPOILER FREE for the third installment.
In a film landscape filled with remakes and sequels it’s interesting that a trilogy of films about apes somehow supersedes all of the super heroes, robot-machines and furious car films not only in special effects, but in sheer story-telling ability. This third film in the franchise from  writer director Matt Reeves (his second in the series) cements itself as easily the best of the three.

In this outing Caesar and his growing family have made lives for themselves in the forest. The renegade gorilla Kubo, from the second film who wanted to destroy humanity, is long gone. All is well until humans bring war to the group of apes who just want to survive and prosper in peace. Caesar walks a deadly line where he will either become like Kubo to save his family or face extinction. That moral dilemma of either becoming like your enemy or transcending to a higher place is part of what makes “Apes” tick.

“War for the Planet of the Apes” isn’t a perfect film but the flaws are few and in between. “Apes” once again stars the very impressive Andy Serkis as Caesar and a bunch of green dots that enable him to appear as an erect walking and talking chimpanzee. Weta Digital who helped develop the special effects has truly outdone themselves. Of course people generally don’t go to a film just to see the special effects but this film could make a case for exactly that. Skillfully, it doesn’t have too because the film delivers on much more than just how realistic the actors look as apes.

 The story takes place fifteen years after the second, and while apes can communicate using sign language, only a few have the ability to vocalize due to the mutation that took place in the first film. Because of this plot point, an actor’s ability to be able to emote through layers of prosthetics in previous films was challenging; And while the green screen and CGI motion capture was really good, it was still obvious. The textures just weren’t there and the characters sometimes looked like animation. With the advent of even better technology though, this barrier that prevents actors coming across as real and genuine has been broken. The blur between an actor playing an ape has transcended to one that looks totally believable. While this is not the end all, be all why this film succeeds it does add a lot to the over all experience and quality of the story and film.

Adding to the film’s positive landscape is another bold and dynamic soundtrack from Michael Giachina (Rogue One, Doctor Strange) who is innately aware that a large portion of the actors are using sign language to communicate. His music takes great care to evoke emotions alongside actors who don’t get to vocalize a lot of audible language. Giachina even includes a few riffs of the original “Planet of the Apes” theme if you listen for it.

Reeves and his crew do an excellent job of creating an atmosphere of oppressiveness where the apes live in a world of rainy, cloudy environments. The color palettes are dreary and are expertly designed around characters who won’t be vocalizing. The environment and staging of the scenes go a long ways in helping to tell this story and it’s an easy bet that some nominations will be coming down later this year for the design work done on this film (besides the technical aspects which will be easily nominated as well).

There’s always going to be praise for Andy Serkis because he’s just so damn good. I almost don’t want to write about it because everyone will report on just how great he is when it comes to these kinds of roles but honestly its all true and deservedly so. It’d be nice if the Academy Awards recognized his work this year outside of something technical, and just gave him a Best Actor Nomination already, and not one he has to share with the entire cast. Outside of the challenges of performing with all the head gear and green dots, etc required by the role, Serkis has this physical ability to evoke so much with just a look in his eyes. Without Serkis, “Apes” wouldn’t be where it is today, hands down. There are plenty of big films out there with humongous stars leading the way with bigger than life talent, but many of them are interchangeable. This is so not the case when it comes to the esthetic that Serkis brings to Caesar.

 

The film is not perfect. Colonel, played by Woody Harrelson, is given the task of militarily leading a group of humans against Apes. It’s not Harrelson giving a lousy performance, he’s great, it’s just that the character is too overtly contrived. Yes, you need motivation for why a character will do what they do (vague to maintain spoiler free), however his underlying need for revenge is just the same old expectation you see in every film the revolves around revenge. Since Caesar is also walking that line it would have been nice to have just a bit less of you killed so and so, so now I must kill you. With that said, the plot twist near the end made up for it, and I absolutely loved the way the story ended up fitting into the original 1968 “Planet of the Apes” narrative from writers including Mark Bomback.

“War for the Planet of the Apes” stands on it’s own, stands as part of a worthy trilogy, and stands inside of the Apes mythos while never feeling like it’s stretching to do that.

All three films combined can go up against any re-imagined and or rebooted franchise films in the past twenty years and be cited as the best. That’s something to be said but when you really get down to comparing it to franchise films that rely heavily on action and go weak on character development and or story, “Apes” never forgets character development. Explosions, dramatic deaths, visceral fight scenes mean nothing if you don’t care about the characters. Reeves keeps that tightly in focus as he weaves a tale about survival of the fittest. As spectacular as the special effects are in this film, they wouldn’t mean anything if the actors didn’t have a meaningful story to perform. “War for the Planet of the Apes” is easily the best of the three in an already stellar franchise.

Final Verdict: 4 out of 5

Rating:
PG-13 (for sequences of sci-fi violence and action, thematic elements, and some disturbing images)

 

  • Genre: Action & Adventure, Drama
  • Directed By: Matt Reeves
  • Written By: Mark Bomback, Matt Reeves
  • In Theaters: Jul 14, 2017 wide
  • Studio: 20th Century Fox

 

The War Has Begun! Check Out The ‘War For The Planet Of The Apes’ Trailer!

by The_acz

Not to be outdone by last weeks trailer for Spider-Man Homecoming, Fox has decided to release the trailer for the latest Planet of the Apes films, War for the Planet of the Apes, and yes, these series titles are still a mouthful to write and say.

You can find the trailer below, but this trailer definitely has me wondering if this new apes series has lost a bit of steam similar to how The Hunger Games lost its momentum. The movie looks nice, but 2017 is a very crowded year for movies. Do you think this new film can survive the 2017 summer movie massacre? Are you going to see the movie? Tell us in the comments below!

 

The Next ‘Planet Of The Apes’ Film Has Been Pushed To 2017

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: So we still don’t know anything about Matt Reeves’ follow-up to last year’s fantastic Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (including its title), but we now know that we really won’t be seeing it any time soon.

The sequel was original slated for Summer of 2016, but FOX today pushed the title an entire year, to July 17th, 2014.

Dang.

Are you looking forward to the sequel? What did you think of Dawn? Sound out below!

‘Star Wars: Episode VII’ Sees Possible Villain, Plus Han Solo and Stormtrooper Costumes

by Eric Francisco

There is an influx of new Star Wars VII information today! J.J. Abrams loves playing his usual mystery box secrets and giggling like a school girl while we itch to know more. We can wildly speculate every little inch of this film, but when we get something it feels like we can take off for the rest of the day. First, some new costumes.

While for legal reasons we cannot reproduce the images below, you can click on over to UPROXX to see them yourself. There’s also a few leaked images of what the new Stormtroopers look like, and they look kinda Kubrick. Han is dressed like an older, grizzled Malcolm Reynolds of sorts, which just that space cowboy trope full circle, don’t it? His other costume, made for colder temperatures, is a throwback to his duds from Empire Strikes Back. The Stormtroopers, meanwhile, evoke a sort of 2001: A Space Odyssey vibe. Their helmets remind me of the hotel ship from the film after the gigantic time jump. Interesting that one of the most influential pieces of sci-fi and pop culture is evoking the other most influential piece of sci-fi and pop culture ever. A lot of these visual references could just be total coincidence, after all how much can you really invent “space soldier” and “space cowboy”?

Now, the bad guys. Abrams posted the note below, thanking everyone for the cool $5 million donated for A Force For Change. Way to go, good people! Thing is, check out that hand holding the note. The cyborg one. Who the hell is that? Did they give a gritty edge to C-3PO?

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According to Latino Review, the hand may belong to the Inquisitors, villains previously of the extended universe. This might hurt for you to hear, but anything relating to the extended universe and I start getting bored, so I’ll let the good source explain to you the Inquisitors.

The Inquisitors are the villains of Star Wars: Episode VII and the name of the main villain in Star Wars: Rebels. They seem to be loosly based on the now-deleted Expanded Universe Inquistors (Click here for that background) mixed with the hardended Sith look of Rebels’ villain. The Inquisitors are defenders of the Sith Order and they’ve been around for a long time. Just how long is what turns Episode VII’s story on it’s head.

Cool, I guess.

Hey. What’s this?

GET OUT NOW IF YOU DON’T WANT THE BIG SPOILER.

Ok?

Onward.

When our hero(es) find Luke and the Inquisitors are revealed, Luke’s explanation on the history of this order is going to trigger a flashback to explain that the Inquisitors have been tied into the Sith all along.

Remember when we broke Billie Lourd’s casting (Lourd is the biological daughter of Carrie Fisher)? That’s not so she can play a Solo kid, it’s so she can play a much younger Princess Leia than we’ve ever seen before in this flashback…

But, a young Princess Leia is not all this flashback reveals…

The Inquisitors will be seen serving Darth Vader in flashback.

Yes, Darth Vader will be on screen, briefly, in Star Wars: Episode VII. We’re not done with the dark prince of the Sith quite yet.

UH. COOL.

Star Wars: Episode VII will be released December 18, 2015.

Geekscape Movie Reviews: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

by MCDave

Following a well-received origin story that turned into a worldwide box office smash grossing just shy of $500 million, it was a no-brainer to expect a sequel to 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Yet, rather than immediately churning out a rushed and thoughtless continuation, the studio handled things perfectly by assembling a whole new team and taking the necessary time to get the project done right. Consequently, director Matt Reeves’ Dawn of the Planet of the Apes stands tall as one of the summer blockbuster season’s finest films.

A decade after a deadly virus first spread and super intelligent apes escaped into the forest, the human population has become scarce and their ability to survive hinges on a broken down dam miles from civilization. A team of explorers venture deep into the barren wilderness and stumble upon hordes of advanced chimps lead by Casear. Malcolm (Jason Clarke) explains their desperation and Caesar gives the humans permission to occupy the land and fix up the dam. However, co-existence between apes and humans becomes more difficult than either species could have ever imagined.

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Similar to its predecessor, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes decides to hook its viewers by establishing an instant connection with Caesar and the rest of the primate colony. Yet, director Matt Reeves and his team of writers deserve an abundance of credit for their exemplary job at building a bond from the film’s opening sequence. From there a cleverly constructed story combining subplots of greed, jealousy and revenge take the wheel and steer the film to an action-packed and equally dramatic finale. Supported by sound performances from rising star Jason Clarke and amazing CGI work based on the movements and expressions of the under-appreciated artist Andy Serkis, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes swings past the first film and represents a class of its own.

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Despite my affection for the latest installment to the storied franchise of films, there were a few concerning aspects. One such area is the long-winded and action obsessed third act that I usually find troubling during the blockbuster season. However, a brilliant foundation and captivating story helps to soften the blows. Furthermore, images of apes wielding machine guns and riding on horseback to a brutal ambush seemed a little overboard to me. But once again, I felt compelled to overlook these minor annoyances thanks to a fundamentally strong creation from Matt Reeves and his team.

Although I felt as though Dawn of the Planet of the Apes begins wonderfully and slowly weakens throughout, the end result was still a fine piece of work that transcends the prototypical summer blockbuster. Don’t be fooled into believing that the feature is a revolutionary masterpiece, but find solace in accepting the film for what it is … an entertaining and well-executed final product. I enjoyed the story, found the acting to be believable and embraced the ride. Thankfully, I wasn’t disappointed.

GRADE: 4/5

You can catch other work from MCDAVE at his host site

Pip Andersen, Crystal Clarke Join ‘Star Wars: Episode VII’!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: The already expansive cast of J.J. Abrams Star Wars: Episode VII has just added two more.

Following the addition of 12 Years A Slave star Lupita Nyong’o and Game of Thrones star Gwendoline Christie a few weeks back, Disney has announced that newcomers Crystal Clarke and Pip Andersen have joined the project in unspecified roles.

Here’s the announcement:

At the end of last year Lucasfilm and Disney invited all young aspiring actors to attend an open casting call for roles in J.J Abrams’ Star Wars: Episode VII. The casting calls spanned 11 cities across the US and UK and over 37,000 hopefuls attended, with a further 30,000 submitting applications online.

 

Having hunted high and low for young and undiscovered talent, the filmmakers are delighted to announce that two actors from the open call call have been cast.

 

Crystal Clarke is an American actress studying in Glasgow, UK, who has both stage and screen acting experience and is soon to be seen in her first feature,The Moon and the Sun (to be released in 2015). British actor Pip Andersen is a skilled practitioner of parkour, a discipline that involves propelling oneself through any given environment with incredible grace and agility. Pip recently demonstrated this remarkable skill in a Spider-Man ad for Sony.

 

“The Star Wars universe has always been about discovering and nurturing young talent and in casting Episode VII we wanted to remain absolutely faithful to this tradition. We are delighted that so many travelled to see us at the open casting calls and that we have been able to make Crystal and Pip a part of the film,” said producer and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy.

 

Meanwhile, principal photography continues at Pinewood Studios in London after wrapping on location in Abu Dhabi in May.

 

In August, the team will take a brief two-week hiatus while adjustments to the current production schedule are made as actor Harrison Ford recovers from a leg injury. Harrison is doing well and is looking forward to returning to the set soon. Shooting remains on track to wrap in the fall with the film scheduled for release on December 18, 2015.

Are you looking forward to the film? What do you think of the new additions? Sound out below!

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Photo via StarWars.com

‘Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes’ Gets Three Fantastic Prequel Shorts

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: We’re just ten days away from the highly-anticipated release of Fox’s Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and Fox and Motherboard have teamed up to release a fantastic series of tie-in prequels for the film.

There’s a ten year gap between Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and each of the three short films depicts what the world is going through at a particular time. It’s really a great way to bridge the gap between the two films, and they certainly help to get me even more excited for Dawn.

Take a look at the shorts below, and let us know what you think.

Amidst a widespread viral outbreak known as the ‘Simian Flu,’ a mother is quarantined after testing positive for the virus, leaving her husband and daughter to fend for themselves.

Five years after the Simian Flu all but wiped out humanity, an orphaned teenage girl survives by bartering things she has stolen from dead people’s homes.

The journey of a shotgun through the hands of several ill-fated owners as the ‘Simian Flu’ ravages the world around them.

Motherboard will also debut a documentary tomorrow, in which the crew goes to Liberia to discover ‘Monkey Island,’ a place solely inhabited by former lab tested chimpanzees. They talk to the fearful locals and meet the scientists involved in the testing facility 25 years ago. Take a look at the trailer below.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes hits theatres on July 11th.

New ‘Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes’ Featurette Shows Off More Insane Motion Capture!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: We saw the haunting final trailer for the film just a few days back, and now Fox has debuted an amazing look into the film’s groundbreaking special effects.

In ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’, a growing nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar is threatened by a band of human survivors of the devastating virus unleashed a decade earlier. They reach a fragile peace, but it proves short-lived, as both sides are brought to the brink of a war that will determine who will emerge as Earth’s dominant species.

We can’t wait for this one. How about you? Check out the insane video below, and let us know what you think! Dawn of the Planet of the Apes hits theatres on July 11th!

‘Looper’s Rian Johnson To Direct ‘Star Wars’ Episodes VIII And IX!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: This is some very cool news.

Deadline has learned that Looper, Brick (if you haven’t seen this, definitely, definitely look into it), and Breaking Bad‘s Ozymandias director Rian Johnson has been tapped to write and direct both Star Wars: Episode VIII and Star Wars: Episode IX.

So now we have Abrams on Episode VII, Godzilla director Gareth Edwards on one of the standalone films, Chronicle‘s Josh Trank on another, and Johnson on Episode VIII and IX. That’s some pretty stellar talent. Are you excited yet?

Johnson hasn’t officially commented on the news, but did tweet out the following hilarious and fitting video:

http://youtu.be/o9iP2WEvq2s

Were you a Looper fan? Are you looking forward to the new trilogy? Sound out below!

Watch The Haunting Final Trailer For ‘Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes’

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: The final trailer for next month’s Dawn of the Planet of the Apes has just hit the web, and it’s definitely a haunting one.

The video digs far deeper into the Caesar / Malcolm relationship than we’ve seen thus far, and shows us more footage of the apes just wanting to be peaceful (and the humans expectedly messing it up). The trailer is mostly new footage, and there are some spoiler-y moments here, so if you’re trying to keep things a surprise, I’d avoid this one. Otherwise, it’s awesome.

In ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’, a growing nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar is threatened by a band of human survivors of the devastating virus unleashed a decade earlier. They reach a fragile peace, but it proves short-lived, as both sides are brought to the brink of a war that will determine who will emerge as Earth’s dominant species.

I can’t wait for this one. How about you? Check out the trailer below, and let us know what you think! Dawn of the Planet of the Apes hits theatres on July 11th!

‘Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes’ Gets A Fantastic New Poster!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: We’re beyond excited for Matt Reeve’s Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and today (via IGN) Fox debuted the film’s best poster yet.

In ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’, a growing nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar is threatened by a band of human survivors of the devastating virus unleashed a decade earlier. They reach a fragile peace, but it proves short-lived, as both sides are brought to the brink of a war that will determine who will emerge as Earth’s dominant species.

You can take a look at the new poster below, and let us know if you’re excited! Dawn of the Planet of the Apes hits theatres on July 11th. Need to see that awesome trailer again? Take a look here.

DawnPosterNew

J.J. Abrams Responds To Leaked ‘Star Wars: Episode VII’ Photos!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: Star Wars: Episode VII set photos have been leaking all over the place (we haven’t been posting them out of respect to the production). Disney and most everyone involved in the production are likely irate at this fact, and today director J.J. Abrams tweeted out a fantastic, tongue-in-cheek response to the culprit(s):

AbramsStarWars

Fans will notice that the note is sitting on top of the Holochess board from the Millennium Falcon, which we saw being built in those photos a couple days back.

Star Wars: Episode VII stars John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Max von Sydow, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Kenny Baker, Lupita Nyong’o, and Gwendoline Christie, and will hit theatres on December 18th, 2015.

’12 Years A Slave’s Lupita Nyong’o, ‘Game Of Thrones’ Gwendoline Christie Join ‘Star Wars: Episode VII’

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: The already expansive cast of J.J. Abrams Star Wars: Episode VII has just added two more.

The cast was lacking in female stars, but Disney has announced that Academy Award winner and 12 Years A Slave star Lupita Nyong’o and Game of Thrones star Gwendoline Christie have joined the project in unspecified roles.

“I could not be more excited about Lupita and Gwendoline joining the cast of Episode VII,” says Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy. “It’s thrilling to see this extraordinarily talented ensemble taking shape.”

Star Wars: Episode VII will hit theatres on December 18th, 2015. What do you think of the latest additions?

Photo via StarWars.com
Photo via StarWars.com

J.J. Abrams Offers Message From The Set Of ‘Star Wars: Episode VII’

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: Ah, it’s great to see some practical effects here.

The official Star Wars YouTube channel has just debuted the first video from the set of Episode VII, and it features something very cool in the background.

The video announces a contest that will give a fan a spot in the film, and also to promote awareness for the Star Wars UNICEF campaign. During the video, a cute looking alien walks through the background, and it’s a great first look at what Abrams and crew are up to right now in Abu Dhabi.

Take a look at the video below, and be sure to let us know what you think!

Watch Some Amazing Performance Capture Footage From ‘Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes’

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: This is just too cool.

TotalFilm has debuted some amazing performance capture footage for Matt Reeves’ Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. The clip features most of the film’s most prominent apes, as well as the performances of the actual actors involved. It’s absolutely mind-blowing footage, and I really, really can’t wait to see more.

Take a look at the clip below, and let us know what you think! Are you excited for the sequel? Sound out below!

A growing nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar is threatened by a band of human survivors of the devastating virus unleashed a decade earlier. They reach a fragile peace, but it proves short-lived, as both sides are brought to the brink of a war that will determine who will emerge as Earth’s dominant species. Andy Serkis, celebrated for his performance in the last film, reprises his role as Caesar. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes also stars Jason Clarke (Zero Dark Thirty, Public Enemies, The Great Gatsby), Gary Oldman (The Dark Knight Rises, The Harry Potter film series), Keri Russell (The Americans, Mission Impossible III), Toby Kebbell (The Prince of Persia, Wrath of the Titans, Rock N Rolla), Kodi Smit-McPhee (Let Me In, ParaNorman), Enrique Murciano (Traffic, Black Hawk Down), Kirk Acevedo (The Thin Red Line) and Judy Greer (The Descendants, Three Kings, 13 Going on 30).

Here’s The ‘Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes’ Theatrical Trailer!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: Following the new stills from a few weeks back, Fox has just debuted the theatrical trailer for Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.

The new preview digs deep into the film’s plot, outlining the touching relationship between Caesar and Jason Clarke’s Malcolm. It also outlines how that relationship is doomed to fail… because we’re humans, mostly.

As a huge fan of 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes, I’m immensely looking forward to this one. Take a look at the trailer below, and let us know what you think. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes hits theatres on July 11th.

In ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’, a growing nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar is threatened by a band of human survivors of the devastating virus unleashed a decade earlier. They reach a fragile peace, but it proves short-lived, as both sides are brought to the brink of a war that will determine who will emerge as Earth’s dominant species.

The ‘Star Wars: Episode VII’ Cast Has Been Revealed!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: I wasn’t expecting to hear any casting news until May 4th (I wonder what’s in store for us that day), but Disney has just revealed the cast of J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars: Episode VII!

Here’s the announcement, straight from StarWars.com:

The Star Wars team is thrilled to announce the cast of Star Wars: Episode VII.

 

Actors John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, and Max von Sydow will join the original stars of the saga, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Kenny Baker in the new film.

 

Director J.J. Abrams says, “We are so excited to finally share the cast of Star Wars: Episode VII. It is both thrilling and surreal to watch the beloved original cast and these brilliant new performers come together to bring this world to life, once again. We start shooting in a couple of weeks, and everyone is doing their best to make the fans proud.”

 

Star Wars: Episode VII is being directed by J.J. Abrams from a screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan and Abrams. Kathleen Kennedy, J.J. Abrams, and Bryan Burk are producing, and John Williams returns as the composer. The movie opens worldwide on December 18, 2015.

Of course, we don’t know who’s playing who (aside from the original cast, of course), or even what characters we’ll see in the film, but in any case, it’s hard not to get excited.

Take a look at the first photo of the cast below, and let us know what you think of the news!

star-wars-episode-7-cast-announce

Check Out Seven New Images From ‘Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes’

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: Following the film’s first TV spot from just over a week ago, Fox has debuted seven new stills from this Summer’s Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.

The stills take us to both sides of the conflict, and we get a good look at many of our human actors, as well as some photorealistic apes holding shotguns (ouch).

Take a look at the stills below, and let us know if you’re looking forward to the film. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes hits theatres on July 11th!

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In ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’, a growing nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar is threatened by a band of human survivors of the devastating virus unleashed a decade earlier. They reach a fragile peace, but it proves short-lived, as both sides are brought to the brink of a war that will determine who will emerge as Earth’s dominant species.

Source: USA Today

The First ‘Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes’ TV Spot Is Damned Epic!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: This is one sequel that we can’t freaking wait for.

20th Century Fox today debuted the first TV spot for this Summer’s highly anticipated Rise of the Planet of the Apes sequel, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (if you missed it, you can check out the first trailer here).

The spot is an epic, thought provoking look at the advantages that an army of apes would have over us humans, and it certainly leaves us wanting more footage (which we’ll hopefully see very soon).

Take a look at the spot below, and let us know if you’re excited. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes hits theatres on July 11th!

In ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’, a growing nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar is threatened by a band of human survivors of the devastating virus unleashed a decade earlier. They reach a fragile peace, but it proves short-lived, as both sides are brought to the brink of a war that will determine who will emerge as Earth’s dominant species.

The New ‘Jungle Book’ Adaptation Promises To Show Us The Darker Side Of The Story

by Shane O'Hare

When you hear the name Andy Serkis what do you picture in your head? A little goblin running around in the search for his “precious” ring. Well now you can add Director to that list. That’s right the actor who portrayed Gollum in the Lord of The Rings movies is getting his directorial debut, and he is adapting…the Jungle Book?

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Serkis told a tale of reading the original Jungle Book story as a child living in Baghdad.

I found it mesmerizing, and it transported me into this incredible world. It’s extraordinary that I’m getting a chance to bring it to the screen … The jungle is a Garden of Eden and a wonderful place for Mowgli to grow up in, but also is a place of fear and a place of threat.

Not much has been revealed, but Serkis promises that this version will be faithful to the source material. It most likely won’t have singing bears.

This also marks his directorial debut, though it is important to note he is Peter Jackson’s Second Unit Director on The Hobbit Trilogy.

This news comes months after the announcement that John Favreu was brought on board to direct the new Disney adaptation. You can expect to see singing bears in that one.

Take A Look Behind-The-Scenes Of ‘X-Men: Days Of Future Past’ And ‘Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes’!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: This month’s Empire magazine is chock-full of great stuff for geeks. First up, that The Winter Soldier cover is pretty damned cool. The issue also featured some great shots from The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and the Captain America sequel.

Now, they’ve launched a cool behind-the-scenes still from both X-Men: Days of Future Past and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. Take a look at everything below, and let us know what you think! Dawn of the Planet of the Apes hits theatres on July 11, and X-Men: Days of Future Past releases May 23rd!

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Source: Empire

‘Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes’ Gets Four New Posters

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: 20th Century Fox today debuted four new character posters for next year’s Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.

The posters feature some of the film’s more prominent apes (I’m guessing), who all look like they’re beyond pissed-off at something (probably humans… we’re kind of dicks).

Fox has also announced that the first trailer for the film will hit the web next Wednesday, December 16th at 6:00am.

Take a look at the new posters below, and let us know what you think! Be sure to check back next Wednesday for the film’s first trailer!

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In ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’, a growing nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar is threatened by a band of human survivors of the devastating virus unleashed a decade earlier. They reach a fragile peace, but it proves short-lived, as both sides are brought to the brink of a war that will determine who will emerge as Earth’s dominant species.

First Still Released From ‘Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes’

by Derek Kraneveldt

We’ve already seen set photos, but Dawn of the Planet of the Apes director Matt Reeves has just given us our first official look at the film.

The image is fairly revealing, showing us just how far along the apes have come since we last saw them. A pre-CGI Caesar (and another ape in the background) are seen on horseback, towering far above Jason Clarke and the other humans.

Take a look at the image below, and let us know if you’re looking forward to the film! Dawn of the Planet of the Apes hits theatres on May 23rd, 2014!

In ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’, a growing nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar is threatened by a band of human survivors of the devastating virus unleashed a decade earlier. They reach a fragile peace, but it proves short-lived, as both sides are brought to the brink of a war that will determine who will emerge as Earth’s dominant species.

First ‘Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes’ Set Photos Released!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Is anyone else unbelievably excited for this?

For me, Rise of the Planet of the Apes was one of the biggest surprises of 2011. The movie was awesome, and far surpassed my (high) expectations for it.

Its sequel, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, is now in production in the forested land of Vancouver. Dawn is set 15 years after the events of Rise, so it’ll be very interesting to see just what this world has turned into. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes stars Keri Russell, Gary Oldman, Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Judy Greer, and more.

Check out the photos below, and let us know what you think!

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Source: TheDailyMail

‘Heavenly Sword 2’ Concept Art Surfaces… Is It Too Late For A Sequel?

by Josh Jackson

During the early, dark days of being a PS3 owner, Heavenly Sword was a beacon of light. Being the first game, (and sadly, one of the last,) to make the most out of the graphics technology of the current generation to enhance rather than distract from the experience, the story of Nariko and her war against an evil conqueror and his army is still one of my favorites in the last decade. Sadly, whether it was because of poor sales, developer Ninja Theory’s decision to venture off into 3rd party development or unfair comparisons to God of War, (because you know, any action game with swords in the last five years just HAS to be a rip off…), the game became a cult hit, but it wasn’t enough for either the developer or publisher to support a sequel.

But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t in the works. IGN recently released some previously unpublished concept art pieces from the second of the planned trilogy. Seemingly taking place in a completely different setting, Nariko is apparently back to continue her fight against the Raven King. Which makes me so sad that this vision will likely never materialize.

 

 

But is there still hope? Does the release of these screenshots mean Heavenly Sword 2 might surface one day? While Ninja Theory is currently working on the DmC reboot, can Sony decide to give the title to another up and coming developer? Considering Nariko and her sidekick, Kai, are appearing in Playstation All Stars, it’s not too outside of the realm of possibility, right?

If you missed out on the first game, check out the video below. That acting, those facial expressions, that ANDY F’N SERKIS! It’s just so perfect. Here’s to hoping Nariko’s first adventure wasn’t her last.