Screen Rant » district 9

Neill Blomkamp’s Next Sci-Fi Film Officially On The Way

Ross Miller — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:59:14 +0000

One of the better films of the 2009 summer season was District 9, the directorial debut of commercial/short-film director, Neill Blomkamp. Boasting an impressive set of special effects for a film with such a low budget (around $30 million), it proved all those nay-sayers wrong who thought giving Blomkamp the chance to direct such an ambitious film was a bad idea considering he’d never done a feature film before.

Those of you who saw District 9 might remember that a sequel is a possibility (although IMO not essential), and some people actually thought that might be his next project. But today we learn that isn’t the case as BFDealMemo is reporting (thanks to /Film for picking up on it) that Media Rights Capital has committed financially to Blomkamp’s next film.

MRC committed to Blomkamp’s next film (another sci-fi outing) based on a pitch by the South African-born filmmaker. Bill Block, who was the first to jump on-board District 9, will produce the untitled sci-fi project. MRC is giving creative freedom to Blomkamp, as well as a production that isn’t contingent on domestic distribution. Blomkamp will start writing the film immediately, as well as preparing the special effects for it. Although the budget isn’t expected to be at the level of some other sci-fi blockbusters (read: the $200 million of Transformers 2), but is said to be very likely bigger than the $30 million budget of District 9.

Here’s some of what Blomkamp had to say about his next film, and working with MRC:

“MRC is letting me make the film I want to make and that is by far the most important thing here… The film will hopefully be commercial, but it is very much a singular film, that comes directly from me. `District 9′ was a bit different. I was learning the process then, under Peter Jackson’s wing.”

“I’m not particularly interested in massive budget films, or creating huge spectacles that some young directors might be attracted to… Hopefully, this will be a bit unique, very much a reflection of me. It is absolutely another science fiction film, quite different from `District 9,’ but some of the blending of genres and the tone might be within the same realm.”

MRC’s CEO, Modi Wiczyk, chimed in with some thoughts on his admiration for Blomkamp:

“Neill is ferociously independent, an auteur, and a self-generator, all qualities that make him right for MRC… He set a high bar, with a film so fresh and original, with political, philosophical and allegorical themes that define the best of the science fiction genre. Some of the most brilliant filmmakers have worked in sci-fi, and Neill made his film with less money than most of them.”

You said it! Blomkamp proved you don’t need hundreds of millions of dollars to make an impressive looking sci-fi film, particularly on the special effects side of things. As I said, I don’t think a District 9 sequel is really necessary, but at the same time I wouldn’t be mad if they decided to make another one (it’s definitely in the cards, FYI). I’m glad Blomkamp is turning his sights away from that world, however, with this yet-to-be-titled sci-fi film. Details are thin on what it’ll be about, but /Film has a quote from Blomkamp himself that says the film is set on another planet, and is, “violent, very violent, and very unique hopefully.”

Sounds intriguing to me. I can’t wait to find out more about it, and eventually see the final product to see if District 9 wasn’t a fluke. I personally highly doubt that, with the amount of skill he showed in directing the film.

What do you think of Blomkamp’s first film post-District 9? Going from the info we have at the moment, do you have any idea what the film will end up being? And do you think there should be a sequel to District 9 (District 10)?

Sources: BFDealMemo and /Film

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Gavin Hood Talks Wolverine 2 & District 9

Rob Keyes — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:30:14 +0000

Last week we reported on an interview with Hugh Jackman where he joked about how he always says he’s not doing another X-Men film until he reads the script. He continued to jokingly say that he’d do eleven more movies as Wolverine and that was it.

The next appearance of Hugh’s buffed up mutant will likely come with a sequel to X-Men Origins: Wolverine which will see the Marvel poster boy head to Japan to explore the stories of one of the most classic Wolverine tales from the comics. One question surrounding this movie is whether or not director Gavin Hood would be asked to return by Fox Studios to helm the follow-up.

In an interview with Rotten Tomatoes, Hood touches on this subject and that of District 9, the sleeper hit of the year directed by a fellow South Africa, Neill Blomkamp.

Jokes aside, Jackman’s done 4 already and there’s at least six X-Men franchise films in early development with hints of plenty more. If X-Men 4 comes to life and he does some Wolverine sequels… throw in some cameos in other X-Men spinoffs and he could actually get pretty close to that number, believe it or not.

As for Gavin Hood, we know that Wolverine 2 will happen no matter what. Moviegoers love Hugh as Wolverine and despite his horrendous CGI claws in his last outing, the sequel will again be easy money in the bank. Hood’s return isn’t so clear-cut. At many of the press events for the X-Men Origins: Wolverine Blu-ray release, questions were thrown at him and producer Lauren Shuler Donner about his return and every time they dodged it by saying they’re just focusing on the script at this point.

Rotten Tomatoes had a chance to interview Hood and asked him about his involvement with the Wolverine sequel.

“I have no idea. All that’s happened at the moment is that the studio has just commissioned the script for Wolverine 2 to be written. Whether that film will ever get made will depend on so many factors — whether the studio likes the script, whether they find a director who responds to the script. Might that be me? Sure, I’d be extremely interested and thrilled if they were to send it to me.”

They also discussed one of the big decisions Hood had to make within the story of the film, altering Sabretooth’s history for dramatic hollywood effect.

“In the original script they were not half brothers. There was some resistance to that, because in the world of the comics there’s only a small suggestion in one particular comic that Victor Creed and Wolverine may well be half brothers. I just gravitated to that. Just having one good guy versus bad guy, with no emotional connection just felt like “Whoa — you’ll have nothing but punching and kicking”. That was a way to build up the emotional power of the film. I thought Liev Schreiber did a phenomenal job. I’m very pleased that on the Blu-ray disc there’s a particular scene that I was attached to that didn’t make it into the movie. I say that without saying “It should have!” I think it probably should have been in the movie, but I understood the argument against it, and at the time there was much to-ing and fro-ing about it. It’s a great thing to be able to put that sort of scene on the Blu-ray and let people think of other themes and idea that were in my mind when we made that scene.”

I have no issues with that in the movie, Liev Schreiber’s Sabretooth was one of the best parts of Wolverine’s live-screen origin story, that I felt had so many issues.

Click to continue reading about Wolverine 2 and Hood’s thoughts on District 9…

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Confirmed: Copley & Biel In Final Talks For The A-Team

Rob Keyes — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 23:41:45 +0000

The A-Team has come together!

Well, almost. Last week, BlackFilm.com broke the news that District 9 star, Sharlto Copley, had been offered the role of the fourth and final character yet to be cast in The A-Team movie.

If true, that could mean Copley would play H.M “Howling Mad” Murdock alongside MMA fighter Quinton “Rampage” Jackson as B.A. Baracus, Liam Neeson as Col. John “Hannibal” Smith and Bradley Cooper as Lt. Templeton “Faceman” Peck.

Now comes confirmation that Copley is in fact close to acquiring his second major film acting gig, and also joining the cast could be the beautiful Jessica Biel!

According to THR, Sharlto Copley is in final negotiations to bring Murdock to the silver screen and joining him could be Jessica Biel who’s also reportedly in final negotiations.

The character of “Howling Mad” Murdock was The A-Team’s craziest member and an ace chopper pilot. He’s officially mentally unstable and suffers from delusions and other mental ailments, but unofficially he’s the funniest and most over-the-top character of the show – so much so, that originally the producers behind the show wanted to get rid of him but his popularity solidified his position on the team.

In the show, he stayed a psychiatric hospital but escaped regularly to join the team on their adventures where he got to showcase all the facets of his mental issues. Those of course included his love of cartoon characters, hallucinations, his caring for his invisible dog, a little memory loss and many more we’ll probably see on screen in the adaptation.

With that said, Copley is perfect for the role as a master of improv – something that helped him a ton while filming District 9 and what helped director Neill Blomkamp pick him.

Moving on to the next possible addition to the cast – we have Jessica Biel. She’s in negotiations for the role of an army general and ex-lover of Bradley Cooper’s character, Faceman. Yeap, an army general – don’t expect realism from the movie, it’s more of a fun thing, I’m sure you understand… you “crazy fool!”

So, it looks like we’re very close to finalizing the The A-Team which is set to start principal photography this fall in Vancouver.

What do you think of the casting decisions?

The A-Team is to be directed by Joe Carnahan and hits theaters June 11, 2010.

Sources: THR, BlackFilm

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New Posters: Where The Wild Things Are, Michael Jackson & More!

Rob Keyes — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 22:26:24 +0000

Happy Friday everyone! Today we have gathered the latest posters to come out for this week’s poster round-up.

Screen Rant’s wall this week now includes one-sheets for The Box, Pandorum, Growl, Takers, Red Cliff, The Shrine, District 9 and Michael Jackson’s This is It.

In addition to those, we also have four great character banners for Where the Wild Things Are and and as a bonus, a photo for The Twilight Saga’s New Moon.

Let’s get to it…

To start this week’s set, here’s the brand new French poster for the Cameron Diaz-starrer, The Box. The film is a horror-thriller which also stars the strong talents of James Marsden (X-Men trilogy) and Frank Langella (Frost/Nixon).

Here’s the official synopsis:

Norma and Arthur Lewis, a suburban couple with a young child, receive a simple wooden box as a gift, which bears fatal and irrevocable consequences. A mysterious stranger, delivers the message that the box promises to bestow upon its owner $1 million with the press of a button. But, pressing this button will simultaneously cause the death of another human being somewhere in the world; someone they don’t know. With just 24 hours to have the box in their possession, Norma and Arthur find themselves in the cross-hairs of a startling moral dilemma and must face the true nature of their humanity.

The Box hits theaters November 6, 2009.

Source: ShockTillYouDrop

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District 9’s Sharlto Copley as The A-Team’s Murdock?

Rob Keyes — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 11:01:44 +0000

On Monday Screen Rant reported that the film adaptation of The A-Team had finally decided on who was to play the infamous role of B.A. Baracus, a character made famous by everyone’s favorite Mr. T.

The character was confirmed to be played by MMA fighter Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, becoming the third member of the team officially cast out of four. The other two of course being Liam Neeson as Col. John “Hannibal” Smith and Bradley Cooper as Lt. Templeton “Faceman” Peck.

Now it seems, they might have finally chosen the man who play H.M “Howling Mad” Murdock… District 9’s Sharlto Copley?

According to an inside source of our friend Wilson Morales of BlackFilm.com, he’s exclusively discovered who may be playing Murdock in The A-Team, rounding out the cast of the titular team of soldiers of fortune.

According to the source, Copley has been offered the role but there’s no confirmation yet as to whether or not he’s accepted. How can he not though – this is chance to go forward as a star actor after just one performance. I thought he did great in District 9 and I’m all for him playing this role as well.

Too bad he can’t take that Prawn body-exploding weapon (pictured above) from D-9 with him into The A-Team…

Whosoever in charge of casting is sure paying attention to this year’s popular summer films and upcoming actors. Cooper finally hit it mainstream with his lead role in one of the year’s best comedies, The Hangover, and the first-time-actor Sharlto Copley was of course the star of the very cool District 9.

What do you think of Copley playing Murdock, and the team so far?

The A-Team is scheduled to hit theaters next summer, June 11, 2010 with its 6-week shoot beginning soon.

Source: BlackFilm

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District 9 (Apparently) More Action-Packed Than We Thought

Ross Miller — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 15:16:24 +0000

Those of us who checked out District 9 this summer, after a long, hot string of disappointing blockbusters, nabbed themselves one of the summer’s most rewarding, worthwhile and technically impressive films. One thing that stood out about the film (as a blockbuster) was that it wasn’t just about the action, but rather had a whole lot more food for thought, along with the explosions, chases and gunfire.

Well, Thai audiences MIGHT walk away sorely disappointed after looking at these District 9 posters, purchasing their tickets and settling into their seats to watch (what they think is) an action-packed movie, only to find out that it’s not as full-on as the posters suggested. Before I say anymore, take a look at the two tragically misleading posters below (click for larger size):

[Warning: Moderate SPOILERS ahead]

If Thai audiences are to go by that first poster, then the movie features an army of robot suits that are on the attack. As those who have seen District 9 know, there’s only one of those suits to be found in the movie – granted, it provides much of the action towards the end, but that first poster makes it seem like that’s what the whole movie is about. And if they’re to go by that second poster, then there is multiple giant alien spacecrafts hovering above the city of Johannesburg, South Africa, as opposed to the one that features in the actual movie itself.

[End of SPOILERS]

It’s understandable in the world of movie marketing to play up of certain aspects of a film (in this case, the action), but to flat-out mislead people with promo posters that simply aren’t accurate is another thing altogether. I haven’t seen any of the other Thai advertisements for the movie, but if these posters are anything to go by, Thailand is in for a big surprise when District 9 opens.

What do YOU think about these two misleading posters?

District 9 opens on September 17th in Thailand, and is already on release in the U.S. and UK. If you haven’t checked it out, I highly recommend you do so ASAP.

Source: IMPAwards (thanks to FirstShowing)

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Awesome New Halo Video Brings Excitement For Movie

Rob Keyes — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 05:29:46 +0000

The last we heard on the Halo feature film project was from a few weeks back when rumors popped up online that Steven Spielberg would be involved with the adaptation of the record-breaking successful Microsoft/Bungee video game franchise, Halo.

At the time, it was reported that Spielberg may produce the film but Microsoft came out and clarified that the film was still on hold in order for them to focus on their upcoming installments for the Halo video game franchise: Halo 3: ODST and Halo: Reach.

With ODST coming out in the coming weeks, that means more marketing and more awesome videos for the franchise. On that note, we have an awesome new one to show you as well a look-back on the 7-minute short made by District 9 director, Neill Blomkamp, for Halo 3.

For those not familiar with the next installment into the Halo franchise, Halo 3: ODST is a standalone expansion to 2007’s Halo 3. This time around though, instead of playing Master Chief or his Elite friend, the Arbiter, you are merely one of the human UNSC soldiers known as Orbital Drop Shock Troopers (ODSTs) during the events prior to Halo 3.

Here is the awesome live-action trailer for Halo 3: ODST which again, reminds us of what we could have seen or still will see with a film adaptation:

Halo 3: ODST

Awesome, right? It’s powerful and it definitely works as a great recruitment video.

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Summer 2009: The Season Of Bad Movies [Updated]

Heath McKnight — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:38:14 +0000

Well, the summer movie season is officially over, and while box office earnings are way up, it seems like the quality of the films have actually gone way down. But for every few badly-written movies (like X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Transformers 2, and G.I. Joe–though some will say it’s not that bad), there was a diamond in the rough like District 9. So why were so many movies so bad in the summer of ‘09, even if they did make a lot of money? Hint: The Writers Strike!

Before the summer began, I wrote an article about how the 2007 Writers Strike might affect the summer 2009 movies. I speculated that back in 2007, studios were nervous about how long the writers strike could last, leaving them with a possible lack of films for the fall/winter 2008 and all-important summer 2009 season (early May to late August 2009). To make sure they had big films lined up for Summer ‘09, the studios pushed to have their big-budget scripts quick-finished before the Writers Guild of America’s (WGA) contracts were up in November 2007 and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) in summer of 2008.

So what happened? Movies like Wolverine, Transformers 2, GI Joe, Angels and Demons, Terminator Salvation, and others got thrashed by critics (and our own, brave reviewers here at Screen Rant), for their lackluster scripts that showed every sign of being half-cooked. Now, some of you might thing bad scripts and summer blockbusters go hand-in-hand – but let’s be honest, when was the last time there were so many stinkers that came out in one summer? Sure, many of these films made a lot of money, but how much of that profit hinges on moviegoers looking for affordable entertainment and “stay-cations” in this bad economy?

It’s very well known that most of the summer ‘09 films were rushed into production. Angels and Demons was delayed a year due to the Strike, but that didn’t seem to help make the final product that much better; Michael Bay has said in interviews that he worked out the overall story of Transformers 2, all the way down to the action AND comedic bits. However, when the WGA strike ended, writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman were joined by fellow writer Ehren Krueger to try and get the script for TF2 hammered out in a matter of three or four months to meet the production start deadline. At that rushed pace, the script was bound to suffer.

Several Big-budget franchise installments failed to live up to the hype.

Here’s a quick recap of some of the more disappointing movies this summer:

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Terminator: Salvation
Angels and Demons
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Year One
Public Enemies (this one is open to debate–it seems kind of split on how people and critics liked it–Vic liked it)

(Continue to pg. 2 to see which movies of Summer ‘09 were actually good!)

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The District 9 Debate: Excellent Film… Or Overrated?

Kofi Outlaw — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 03:06:43 +0000

We here at Screen Rant make it a point to stay engaged with our readers (if you haven’t seen our epic comment sections) and usually – albeit after much debate – our forums reach some kind of equilibrium of opinion – if only settling into the usual left, right, middle ground spectrum.

The reaction to District 9, Neil Blomkamp’s feature-film debut about refugee aliens living in Johannesburg, South Africa, has been surprising. While the movie is earning high praise from critics (including us) and enjoyed a strong opening weekend at the box office, there is still a minority opinion floating around that this film isn’t as great as people are saying it is. And, despite high praise from just about all of us on the Screen Rant staff, there have been some strongly expressed criticism from a considerable pool of our readership.

So let’s talk about it! What is so right (or so wrong) about District 9?

[WARNING: This Article Contains Heavy Spoilers about District 9]

THE ANALOGY APPROACH

Ok, so the elephant in the room to address first is the whole Alien/Refugee analogy that District 9 (purposely or incidentally – I’m sure it’ll be said to be both) inspires. This issue alone has sparked some strong differences in opinion about whether the film should have taken this particular narrative approach and/or whether it succeeds in it.

As to the question of whether or not the film SHOULD HAVE taken the analogous approach: not really anybody’s (but the filmmakers) place to say. However, I will say that sci-fi at its BEST has always been about analogous storytelling – something fantastic as hyperbole for something real and relevant – an whenever the genre leans too far toward the “something fantastic” end of things without accommodating the “something real and relevant” part, sci-fi becomes little more than a playground for geeks.

District 9 took a bold (risky?) step with its narrative angle. But after two viewings of the film I maintain that it succeeds – not only because it gets my mind thinking beyond the fantastic elements of sci-fi and about the world around me – but because it does so while never failing to provide plenty of nourishment for the imagination. District 9 also forced me to (for the first time) be critical of certain conventions of the sci-fi genre that (IMHO) have long gone unquestioned:

Why do we always assume that aliens who have advanced technology are automatically “better” than us?

What if alien society was as flawed and often dysfunctional as human society?

Blomkamp himself made it clear during the District 9 panel at Comic-Con this year that the “Prawns” were inspired by the concept of insects who have been separated from their leadership (forcibly emancipated in a sense) and are facing the challenges of thinking and fending for themselves.

So what if Aliens had to face the same individualistic choices and challenges we humans face? Some would kill, some wouldn’t; some would excel physically or mentally, some wouldn’t; some would be compassionate, some wouldn’t; they’d each make their own choices, have their own emotions, politics, etc…

ALIENS FOR THE 21st CENTURY

…I never realized until District 9 how easily (or for how long) sci-fi has been spoon-feeding us the notion of monotonous alien races. It’s mostly, “Hey we’re Klingons and we’re like this!” or “We’re Predators and we do this!” Then we eventually get that one autonomous alien who is the conflicted exception to the stereotype rule – or, at best, an alien culture split into fractions by some kind of superficial/ideological difference. What District 9 presented was a much fresher and challenging concept to deal with: an alien race that doesn’t have its s@#$ together.

Now, I’m not fighting some crusade for diversity rights for “alien actors” – don’t get me wrong. What I’m saying is that District 9 managed to present an interesting and (here is the important part) thought-provoking concept of individuals and society (alien or human) by holding it up against a worldly situation we can understand. That’s good sci-fi, and to write it off or not acknowledge it as such I believe is unfair.

But of course, some people have argued (you can check our comment thread) that (to paraphrase) ‘using aliens as a sort of bait-and-switch for a “Woe is Africa” message’ is the FARTHEST thing from originality.

I don’t think it needs to be debated that District 9 does in fact try to say something about South Africa (or maybe Africa as a whole?) and the experiences of its peoples. But hey, naysayers, all that stuff about a fresh look at aliens and new conventions introduced into the sci-fi genre, is also taking place in this film. The movie is always working on (at least) two levels; I know that a lot of people these days don’t bother to read great literature, but historically speaking, the greatest stories told are usually the ones that work on multiple levels while effectively relating a central tale.

District 9 – for better or worse – inspires new considerations about a fantastic concept (aliens) while simultaneously giving us new reason to consider the realities of our own world. Sounds like an accomplishment to me.

Continue reading The District 9 Debate

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Neill Blomkamp Talks District 9 Sequel

Rob Keyes — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 11:10:33 +0000

District 9 opened over the weekend to bank approximately $37 million. It marked the first full-length feature directorial debut for Neill Blomkamp and the first real acting gig for its star, Sharlto Copley. The pair made executive producer, Peter Jackson, look good for putting his faith in them.

Blomkamp and Copley spoke on Fangoria Radio to promote the film and briefly discussed the potential of a sequel. They both are interested and with the money this will earn at the box office and on home video, it’s very likely.

Blomkamp revealed the importance of him and Copley re-uniting for a future installment:

“It’s my background mixed with the science fiction that I loved. I’d really like to go back to the world of DISTRICT 9—which, without Sharlto’s character, would be a very different kind of movie. So I think automatically the two of us will be reunited again, should the public decide that this film is something they want to see and it’s successful.”

To make a proper sequel, we’d need to see Copley return. [Spoiler] The story really was about his transformation (not just physically) which led to his role in helping his alien pal, Christopher get to the ship above.

I think fans need to know what happens when Christopher returns to Earth with help from his homeworld to save the Prawns stuck in the slums, and we need to see him keep his promise to Copley’s character, Wikus, to help him become human again.

Of course, it won’t be as easy as the Prawns coming back to pick up their friends and leave. Would there be war? Would the Prawns want our planet? Would they want revenge?

I’d like to see more on their homeworld, their technology and their history. The sequel has many interesting directions to go in with limitless potential. I smell a franchise in the making…

If you’ve seen the flick and would love to share your opinion on it, join our District 9 spoilers discussion.

Are you up for a District 9 follow-up and what would you like to see happen in that story? Share your sequel ideas below.

Source: Fangoria

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Weekend Movie News Wrap Up: August 6, 2009

Niall Browne — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 17:17:27 +0000

This week:

Aliens invade the box office with District 9; get ready to see more Saw; Elvis talks Bubba Nosferatu; St Elmo’s Fire gets remade; Dennis Quaid and Tim Allen join Ron Shelton in Q School, while Maggie Q looks for a Priest; Godzilla may be going on the warpath again; Sony takes a dose of Doctor Parnassus and Wall Street 2 adds another cast member.

Box Office

It looks like originality won out at the box office for a change. Neill Blomkamp’s District 9 banked a cool $37 million over the weekend. The Peter Jackson produced Sci-Fi film had a negative cost of just $30 million and with great reviews it looks like this could do well in the long run too.

GI Joe: The Rise Of Cobra had an average drop from last weekend’s surprisingly high take. Down just around 60% (which is pretty middle of the road for a second weekend), the Stephen Sommer’s summer film took just shy of $23 million. It’s knocking at the door of $100 million already and with decent international grosses it looks like ‘franchise’ is the word.

The Time Traveler’s Wife had a softer opening than expected making away with just $18 million. The Eric Bana/ Rachel McAdams romantic science fiction drama just looks terrible!

Meryl Streep’s Julie & Julia was in fourth place after cooking up $12.5 million. With almost $45 million in the pot so far this kitchen comedy should do well in weekday plays.

Jerry Bruckheimer’s G-Force finally hit $100 million and The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard should take home about $6 million despite Jeremy Piven selling it like a work horse.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince should take in another $5 million giving the film a total of just under $284 million.

The Ugly Truth should laugh up another $4.5 million while Band Slam made just $3 million despite the new Twilight’s New Moon trailer being attached to prints (ouch!).

Movie News

1. For the past few years Autumn arrives and brings with it a new Saw film. The sixth film in the horror franchise opens in October but The Hollywood Reporter is …er… reporting that the writers for that film and next years Saw VII, Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton have signed on for two(!) more films in the series.

I gave up after the first film, so I can’t imagine I’ll be catching any of these. I wonder when they’ll make the remake?

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

2. Ron Perlman spoke to Fangoria Radio and gave some details about when he should be shooting Bubba Nosferatu – the sequel to Bubba Ho-Tep.

The Hellboy star said:

“Well, I have this window that’s about to open. I’ll be done shooting Sons of Anarchy in September, and we’re hoping to get into production on Bubba in my hiatus between seasons two and three. I just spoke to Paul Giamatti and Don Coscarelli this morning, and we’re just moving the ball down the field, trying to get her done.”

Perlman will portray Elvis in the comedy-horror sequel – he replaces Bruce Campbell. Paul Giamatti will star as Elvis’ manager Tom Parker.

Source: Fangoria

3. Sick of remakes? Tough.

Joel Schumacher’s 80’s classic St Elmo’s Fire is getting the remake treatment. However this version will be beamed right into your living room as it’s being positioned as a television show. The show will be produced by Schumacher, Topher Grace, Dan Bucatinsky and Jamie Tarses. Bucatinsky has written the show which will air on ABC.

The writer/producer said:

“I feel it is time to re-create ‘Friends’ in the hour long genre and feel like this is the perfect opportunity.”

That quote says it all really.

St Elmo’s Fire is one of Schumacher’s best films (he also wrote it) and this can only sully the films good name. I can only assume that Schumacher is getting a huge wad of cash for putting his name on this.

No word on whether Grace will star – but I can imagine that he will.

Source: Variety

4. Cinematic sporting go-to guy Ron Shelton has signed on to direct Q School. The Tin Cup director will helm Dennis Quaid and Tim Allen in the golfing comedy.

According to The Hollywood Reporter:

“School is described as a comedy in which a group of hopefuls battle it out in a competition to make the PGA Tour, with both their game and their personal lives sometimes ending up in the drink along the way. The title is a reference to qualifying school, an annual tournament in which several hundred aspiring pros compete for a limited number of spots on the following year’s tour.”

Shelton knows sport, following the likes of Bull Durham and White Men Can’t Jump so Quaid and Allen should be in safe hands.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

5. Actress Maggie Q (Live Free or Die Hard) will be starring in Priest alongside Paul Bettany (Legion) and Cam Gigandet (Pandorum). The film takes place on a world torn by a vampire/human war in which a lone warrior priest (Bettany) and a sheriff (Gigandet) team up to save a young girl from the bloodsucker horde.

Maggi Q will reportedly play a warrior priestess who joins in the quest.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

6. Bloody-Disgusting is exclusively reporting that Legendary Pictures is in early discussions to bring back everybody’s favorite metropolis mayhem monster Godzilla for another big-screen go-round. So far the talks are allegedly just a free exchange of could-be possibilities, so Godzilla fans don’t go nuts just yet.

Whatever is decided, let’s just hope they do what’s necessary to wipe 1998s version of Godzilla from our collective memories [Shudder].

Source: Bloody-Disgusting

7. Variety is reporting that the Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group is about to sign on the dotted line to acquire Terry Gilliam’s The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, which the studio will likely distribute in theaters through its Sony Pictures Classics branch, maybe as early as this year.

That’s good news for Gilliam and Co., as the fate of Doctor Parnassus has been uncertain since its star Heath Ledger passed away while the film was still in its principal shoot. Actors Colin Farrell, Johnny Depp and Jude Law all stepped up to fill in for Ledger at various points in the film – if you’d like to see the finished result, check out the full trailer.

Source: Variety

8. Carey Mulligan will play Gordon Gekko’s daughter in Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps. The British actress joins Michael Douglas, Shia LaBeouf, Josh Brolin and Frank Langella in the Oliver Stone directed sequel.

Mulligan was previously seen in Public Enemies and will be next appear in Brothers alongside Jake Gyllenhaal, Natalie Portman and Tobey Maguire.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

That’s it for now. See you at the movies.

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SR Pick [Video]: The Shorts Of Neill Blomkamp

Ross Miller — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 19:22:39 +0000

Neill Blomkamp makes his full-length feature-film debut with District 9 today (unfortunately for us Brits, it doesn’t open until September 4th). Blomkamp was once attached to direct the on-off-on-again Halo movie, and a lot of people had their doubts about him directing District 9 (under the eye of producer Peter Jackson) simply because he was a “newbie.”

You may not know that before he set his sights on feature films, Blomkamp was a short film and commercials director. District 9 is actually based on his short film called Alive in Joburg from a few years ago – the short is incredibly ambitious and it was almost inevitable someone would try to extend it into a full-length version – Why not the guy who did the short film?

However, as evident from the rave reviews of District 9 (including from our own Vic Holtreman), Blomkamp has done a fine job with his first full-length movie. The naysayers are probably sorry (if they’re not, they should be) for discounting him so early.

Today’s Screen Rant pick is a neat playlist showcasing Blomkamp’s short films, including Alive in Joburg and one he did for Halo. Check two of the video(s) out below:

ALIVE IN JOBERG

HALO 3 SHORT

For more short films by Neill Blomkamp, check head over to the YouTube Playlist.

I was quite surprised to find out Blomkamp did the very cool dancing robot car ad – just shows you how unrecognized a lot of these commercial directors go sometimes. I’m glad to see someone like Blomkamp going from short work to feature films. If District 9 is anything to go by, it certainly won’t be the director’s last.

What do you think of Blomkamp’s short work? Which is your favorite?

As stated, District 9 opened today in the US, and opens in the UK on September 4th.

Source: YouTube (thanks to InContention)

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District 9 Spoilers Discussion

Vic Holtreman — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 06:39:38 +0000

Thanks (again) to regular Screen Rant reader “790″ for reminding me to set up a spoiler discussion post. While we do have a District 9 review where you can leave comments, we’ve set up this as a place where you can discuss District 9 spoilers without concerns about ruining the movie for folks who haven’t seen it yet.

If you’re posting comments here, assume that anyone in the conversation has seen the movie – if you haven’t seen the movie, I would recommend you don’t read the comments here until you have.

And while you’re at it, you can give District 9 your own rating right here:

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Discuss away!

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District 9 Review

Vic Holtreman — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 05:39:58 +0000

Short Version: With its unique story, fantastic visual effects and real-world look, District 9 is sure to be a future Sci-Fi classic.

Screen Rant reviews District 9

District 9 is probably not what you’re expecting.

The trailers and clips that you may have seen so far don’t really tell you what the movie is about – and that’s a good thing.

20 years ago, an alien ship appeared over (of all places) the city of Johannesburg, South Africa. That’s a pretty matter of fact statement made within a couple of minutes of the start of District 9, which starts off in documentary fashion, complete with behind the scenes types of shots that wouldn’t appear in the final cut of a documentary film.

District 9 (and the documentary) revolves around the story of Wikus Van De Merwe (played extremely well by Sharlto Copley), a supervisor for mega-corporation MNU (Mutli-National United). When the aliens first arrived, an attempt was made to integrate them into the civilian population despite their radically alien, insect-like appearance. However there were issues between them and the humans including theft, murder and mayhem on a sometimes massive scale. Eventually things came to a head (evident by the numerous “no aliens” signs), segregation was imposed and they were moved into a huge refugee-type camp called – District 9.

While the film was produced by none other than Peter Jackson, director Neill Blomkamp was raised in South Africa until he was 18, and this film is a direct reflection of a similar camp/shantytown called “District 6″ which was used to segregate blacks until apartheid was finally lifted.

At the start of the film the discovery of the aliens is described along with the fact that over their 20 year stay (there was something wrong with their ship and they’ve been unable to leave) their number has grown from one million to 1.8 million. With the clashes with the local population the decision was made to move them all to a new camp over 100 miles away from Johannesburg, and this is one of the focal points of the film. Van De Merwe is put in charge of coordinating the giant migration (which must began with a legal eviction of the “prawns” as they’re derisively called) from their current homes.

MNU is tasked with this project – but another very significant part of the company is weapons manufacture. They want to figure out how to make the alien weapons work, but they are designed to be triggered only by alien DNA. Solving this problem would mean billions of dollars in profit for the company.

The story revolves almost exclusively around Van De Merwe, and it is hinted at very early on in the film that something happens which causes him to be eventually branded a traitor. We’re with him through the entire film and to say he goes through some tribulations and changes is putting it mildly. Watching him evolve as a character as the movie progresses is one of the best things about the film.

This film is a fitting movie for winding down the summer movie season – while it has its share of action and explosions, it also tells a compelling story and wraps it in social commentary (and don’t worry, it’s not remotely “preachy”). It has drama, action, violence, touching moments and even some comedy – but all these aspects seam together smoothly for the most part. Towards the end of the film there is something that will immediately call to mind the robots from Transformers, and considering what’s come before that does seem a little out of place and inserted just for the sake of a big action set-piece.

The documentary approach that opens the film starts out light and a bit funny, and it may throw you off a bit. As the film goes on eventually the obvious documentary approach falls by the wayside and we’re back in standard observer of what’s happening mode, with the sporadic news clip and interview inserted as a kind of narrative.

This movie is rife with tons of little details that all combine to add to the tapestry of the film – Van De Merwe’s clumsy geekyness at the start of the film, his wife reminiscing about him, the misinformation in news reports (that may take you back to Robocop just a little bit), the aliens’ obsession with cat food (of all things!), and it goes on and on.

District 9 is rated R and for good reason: There is a ton of gore and violence, and enough F-bombs that even if you tried you’d lose count. Now neither of those are a bad thing in the film – they both fit into the context perfectly (there’s almost a certain glee that comes with the amount and level of blood spatters that hit the camera lense throughout the film). I’m just letting you know that this is one where you might want to fork out the bucks for a babysitter.

I would dare say that the movie will take you in a direction you didn’t expect and that after you watch it, it may take a while for what you just saw to sink in. Is it perfect? No – there are a few things that I thought were a bit of a plot hole or stretched out time-wise that didn’t make perfect sense, and in the third act it seems to get a bit over-”actiony” just for the sake of it. But if you’re looking for a smart Sci-Fi movie to cleanse your palate of the fluffy Sci-Fi films that have been the hallmark of 2009, District 9 may be just the ticket.

Discuss your non-spoiler thoughts on the film below, or head to our District 9 spoilers page to talk about the film without worrying about ruining for people who haven’t seen it yet.

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New Clips: District 9 And Inglourious Basterds

Ross Miller — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 16:15:16 +0000

A bunch of new clips have recently appeared online for the two movies that will effectively cap off the summer of 2009: District 9 and Inglourious Basterds. Both are highly-anticipated movies around these parts, and thankfully we won’t have to wait much longer before they get released in theaters.

District 9

This was one of the hottest films at Comic-Con this year, with just about everybody who managed to see the super-secret screening of the movie saying nothing but positive things about it. These new clips basically show off the news footage angle of the movie, which is said to be mixed with the sci-fi/action alien stuff. First time director Neil Blomkamp recently described the movie as a mix of traditional cinematic storytelling and documentary and news footage. A unique and interesting way to tell an alien story, I think you’ll agree.

The first clip is basically an extension of a part of the trailer we saw where a main character gets infected with an alien substance. The other two clips are the aforementioned news footage, as well as “talking heads” style documentary footage, explaining the aliens’ arrival and the like as if it were actually real life. Check out the three clips below, courtesy of EW, Yahoo and Sony Pictures (via YouTube):

For the Final “First Contact” clip you can head over to Yahoo.

I really dig the mix of documentary/news footage and regular storytelling they’re employing within District 9. I don’t know if it’s just me but I get a strong Cloverfield vibe from this movie (but in a good way). Not just because of the “real life” feeling it gives off, but also because of the whole viral marketing thing that’s been going on.

Inglourious Basterds

This is another one of those movies we’ve not only covered quite extensively here at Screen Rant, but also are highly anticipating. This is for a number of reasons: the movie looks awesome (we have it from a VERY close source that it’s pretty damn good); it’s the latest film from Quentin Tarantino; and above all it’s about soldiers kicking Nazi ass. What more do you want from a movie?!

There’s a whopping nine new clips that have recently made their way online over at IESB.net. I’ve included the clips which show off the new stuff. A bit of variation never hurts. Check the clips out below:

For the rest of the clips head over to IESB.net.

I’m sure there can’t be too much more stuff (posters, trailers, clips…) released for Inglourious Basterds, as it’s just about to hit theaters. I’m not surprised the Weinsteins have been pushing this one so hard -- with the financial bomb of Grindhouse (their previous venture with Tarantino) they really do need as many people in the seats as possible.

What do you think of these latest clips for these highly anticipated movies?

District 9 hits US theaters this Friday, August 14th, with a UK release of September 4th following that.

Inglourious Basterds is released everywhere on August 21st, 2009.

Sources: EW, IESB, Yahoo and SonyPictures (YouTube)

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Neill Blomkamp Talks District 9

Ross Miller — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 18:23:39 +0000

Coming Soon got a chance to sit down twice with District 9 director, Neill Blomkamp, both before (at Comic-Con) and after they had a chance to see the movie. We have some of the pre-interview for you here which therefore doesn’t contain anything we haven’t seen in the trailers, posters or images (i.e. there’s no real spoilers).

District 9 represents Blomkamp’s first ever full-length feature film directing gig (and the first he’s ever written). It is based on his first short film from 2005 called Alive in Joburg. Set in South Africa, the film is about a race of alien creatures who are forced by humans to live in slum-like conditions on Earth, but help in a “sympathetic government agent.”

In his interview with Coming Soon, Blomkamp talked about various aspects of District 9, from how it got started, what the film is like, to what he wants people to get out of it. First up, here’s what he had to say about how long it’s been in the works:

“We spent 2007 just writing it and developing all the artwork and the design and everything, so I guess that was very quiet, and it was financed… a little bit outside the studio system, but then Sony picked it up really quickly. I guess we were just laying low by the nature of how the film was structured. Just being left alone to make it. Most of 2008 was really shooting and then the later part of 2008 was editing. We only started ramping up all of the press stuff or the media stuff probably eight months ago.”

The film is done in a sci-fi documentary style, but Blomkamp explains that it’s also like a normal, narrative movie, too:

“It’s kind of docu real life footage of all means–news, documentary, security cameras–but then a whole bunch of it is just cinematic, so you kind of bounce between traditional cinematic storytelling and then real found footage and back again.”

Since Blomkamp comes from a visual effects background (he’s worked on Stargate SG-1, Smallville and 3000 Miles To Graceland), it’s no surprise to find that there’s a fair amount of that kind of thing in District 9. Here’s some of what Blomkamp had to say about the effects within the movie:

“The practical stuff is a lot of the inanimate stuff that’s lying around like alien weapons or vehicles are practical but for the most part, anything truly alien, like a ship or the creatures, they’re all visual FX, they’re all digital. I love in-camera stuff. I love that kind of 1980’s sci-fi edge to things where it feels like it was captured in the camera, but unfortunately with how well-versed audiences are now on movies. If you give them some sort of animatronic creature that doesn’t move as well as a CG creature, they’re going to be pissed. The key now is to try to make the CG feel like it’s in-camera as much as possible.”

One of the aliens from 'District 9'

Finally, Blomkamp talked about what his hopes are for audience reaction:

“I hope it finds an audience, Jesus… yeah, I really hope it does. I mean I honestly have no idea how people are going to receive it, but one thing I was hyper-aware of was the fact that if I come out of the gates with a first film that just tanks, it’s not going to be good for me, so that in one side of my mind and then on the other side of my mind, I had a whole bunch of science fiction ideas and concepts and just themes and imagery that I wanted to have realized. I think this film is a pretty good merge between the two. It still is a ride and it’s still something audiences hopefully will be engaged with, but it’s not totally conventional.”

For the rest of the District 9 interview, where Blomkamp talks about other such things as the designs of the movie’s aliens and his thoughts on working with producer Peter Jackson, head over to Coming Soon.

Some movie fans were a little apprehensive about Blomkamp (being a first-timer, and all) when his first film popped on the radar, but as more and more great stuff gets released, those doubts have been diminishing substantially. The lucky few folks who saw the film at Comic-Con last month have all raved about the film and I trust that we’re in for something awesome.

As a little bonus, he’s a brand new video of District 9. Enjoy!

District 9 is certainly one of the more intriguing and interesting sci-fi films to come along in a while (it came third in Screen Rant’s “Hottest Things To Come Out of Comic-Con” poll). Don’t worry – It won’t be long before we’ll all get to find out if it’s as good as it looks.

For more about the film visit the District 9 Official Site.

What do you think of what Neill Blomkamp has said in the above interview?

District 9 opens next Friday in the US, and on September 4th in the UK.

Source: ComingSoon, Sci-Fi Scoop, EW

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The Hottest Things To Come Out Of Comic-Con

Vic Holtreman — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 22:46:07 +0000

Comic-Con seems like old news (even though it only ended a week ago), but as a final note we thought we’d show you what you guys ended up picking as the hottest things to come out of the 4 day event. There was certainly a lot of competition for fan attention, but as usual there are always a few things that end up grabbing the limelight.

We ran a poll asking you to pick what you thought were the three hottest things to come out of this year’s San Diego Comic-Con. Now the total numbers add up to more than 100% because with so much to choose from we allowed people to pick their top 3 items.

Results after the jump.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Once again (as happened two years ago) the winner by far is Iron Man, with 60% of voters selecting that as one of their top 3 events at the Con. Avatar came in second with a very respectable 38%, especially considering how little info there has been about the film up until footage was shown in San Diego.

From there we have the upcoming Sci-Fi film District 9 and the Johnny Depp-starring Tim Burton version of Alice in Wonderland pretty much tied for 3rd. Tron 2 (now known as Tron Legacy) was very close to those films with 18%.

I guess we don’t have as many Twilight fans here on the site as I thought, since New Moon only garnered a 15% rating.

One thing that caught me off guard at first, but in hindsight makes sense, is the fact that Kick-Ass scored near the bottom of the pack. Based on the reaction to the footage from those present, I would put that in the top 3 for sure, perhaps even above Avatar. As of Comic-Con Kick-Ass did not yet have a distribution deal, but based on the reaction there I would think this should not remain the case for long. I think if they really wanted to get the word out on the film they should release at least some of the footage online. Of course it would have to be age-restricted as it was definitely R-rated footage, but I think people would eat it up big time.

I’d have to say the same about Where the Wild Things Are: The audience was wildly enthusiastic about what they saw, but at least here on Screen Rant, that hasn’t translated to much excitement. Then again our readers do skew more towards the superhero/sci-fi side of things – however that doesn’t explain why the Tim Burton-produced 9 came out at the bottom of our pile… Other than there just so many heavy hitters it was up against in the voting.

Anyway, there you have it – as a group, that’s what you folks are most interested in seeing in the upcoming months!

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District 9 Has Big Presence At Comic-Con

Rob Keyes — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 17:17:52 +0000

A select few people and some who were lucky enough to win tickets had a chance to screen the film, District 9 on Thursday night. I was not one of them.

District 9 has been something I’ve been following closely for a while now, since tidbits of information about it started appearing online about the movie whose creative team was originally supposed to bring us the Halo film adaptation of the super-successful video game franchise.

As the second segment of Sony Pictures Entertainment’s panel (the first segment being a panel on Legion), we were introduced to the amazing Peter Jackson who is making his first ever appearance at Comic-Con.

The first thing he did when coming out on stage was start a lengthy discussion to update us on the status on The Hobbit and to explain in detail where they are in the process, that they have no announcements and why, and to end the rampant rumors and speculation online. He said in about two months once the script and budget have been sorted out, they will be able to start making offers to actors.

Joining Peter Jackson on stage were writer/director Neill Blomkamp and lead actor Sharlto Copley. It’s important to note that this is Sharlto’s first time in a feature film lead actor role. From everything we’ve seen, he’s done an incredible job. Expect a bright future for this actor.

Without wasting any time, once the panel members were introduced, they went moved straight into showing the crowd seven minutes of never-before-seen footage (to those who hadn’t seen the special screening the night before, that is…).

It started, but the trailer for Legion from the first half of the Sony presentation came up instead, and they quickly stopped it. The crowd laughed and cheered and the director played it off saying that’s all the footage they had. As they queued up the correct reel to show us, they took the time to talk to Jackson about the canceled Halo project.

Panel Members: Peter Jackson, Sharlto Copley, Niell Blomkamp [Click to Enlarge]

After a few minutes, we were ready for another try and we watched the seven minutes of footage. In short, it was incredible. It included many scenes we didn’t expect and knew nothing about and it looked beautiful. It makes absolutely no sense that this movie was made on a $30 million budget because it is loaded with insanely realistic and awesome special effects.

After the footage played, the host began the discussion by asking director Blomkamp what made him decide to do this film in the pseudo-doc style that he did. He responded:

“I think the main reason for wanting to do that is because I really like the idea of science fiction that feels real and because I like sci-fi so much and I knew I wanted to make a science fiction film.

I wanted to see it in a way that felt as realistic and grounded as possible. So, in order to do that I thought using some sort of real life footage, whether it’s news footage or handheld documentary filmmaking or security cameras – as much real stuff that we associate as the real real media world and not film-making would help ground it and make it feel real.”

Other questions involved the insect design of the aliens which was inspired by the idea that these aliens are drones who are lost, as they have lost their queen of sorts. Because of the nature of that, they ended up with the insect design which I think works perfectly as something nontraditional, realistic and more believable.

As for the budget, Peter Jackson explains that with a large studio budget you lose your freedom of creativity. With an inflated budget, you are restricted and forced to play it safe for a specific demographic. But with a low budget, you’re gearing it to those who truly care and others who join in the fun are a bonus and we get somethign unique.

The panel was great and Jackson, Copley and Blomkamp all spoke incredibly well. From what I’ve seen myself and from the unbelievably amazing reviews coming from the special screening Thursday night, this film is an must-see!

District 9 opens August 14, 2009 and you all need to see it.

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Looking Better & Better: New District 9 Trailer & Poster

Rob Keyes — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 23:04:07 +0000

The marketing machine is now running on full steam for the upcoming Peter Jackson-Neill Blomkamp sci-fi film, District 9, as we near the release of the sci-fi doc-style film. The first full length (original and uncensored) trailers debuted back in May alongside X-Men Origins: Wolverine and since then we’ve been subject to a multitude of viral marketing for the movie.

Today, the brand new trailer for District 9 that will be in theaters this weekend attached to Sacha Baren Cohen’s Bruno has come online as well as the newest poster that was made available earlier this week.

About the marketing, some of the virals for the project that we’ve come across so far include viral posters and banners, a short film, public park benches covered in viral ads as if the events in the film were real and even audio reports on popular radio stations. There was also an awesome emergency video news report. Yesterday and today, I heard a viral on the radio warning us citizens of those who’ve escaped District 9 and of how dangerous they are.

I love this sort of viral stuff, especially when it’s for something new and original such as this. It all works well with the original trailer which I also thought was very cool.

Getting to the fun stuff, here is the new poster:

[Click to enlarge]

Although, I’ve dug all the marketing materials for this movie, I think this poster is the best one yet. I love how it combines elements of the previous poster and maintains the style which has been presenting throughout the early promotion of the film while including a nice wide shot of the space ship hovering over Johannesburg, South Africa.

[See post to watch Flash video]

Head over to Yahoo Movies, for the HD versions.

If you’ve watched it, then you know what I mean when I say “wow”. I am madly impressed and this trailer took the intriguing mystery elements of the first and extremely upped the ante. We not only get to see tons of action, the style the film actually employs, the main character, crazy new weapons and alien technology, but even some good ol’ alien vs. human combat.

We even finally get to see what all those viral ads look like in the actual movie. I love this trailer and to me, it feels like a hyper-real documentary of what Independence Day would of looked like in a more realistic situation (minus the whole global destruction upon first contact thing).

I’ve been looking forward to seeing this ever since the project began and now my excitement seems more justified than ever. I’ll be there opening day for sure.

Check out the previous poster and some examples of the viral marketing for the flick if you haven’t already – it’s neat stuff.

What do you think of the latest trailer and one-sheet?

District 9 is opens for humans only August 14, 2009 in the US, and on September 4, 2009 in the UK.

Source: Yahoo!

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Countdown To San Diego’s 2009 Comic-Con!

Vic Holtreman — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 02:51:53 +0000

Wow, Comic-Con 2009 is already less than three weeks away. Seems like only a couple of months ago since we were there. Last year was a ton of work but also a blast (click here for our wrap up of the 2008 San Diego Comic-Con), and this year we’ll be providing even more extensive coverage for you with additional staff to cover the event.

Unfortunately if you want to attend this year and don’t already have tickets you’re probably out of luck as it’s been sold out for a while. But fear not, we’ll try to give you all the goods here on the site over the course of the event. It starts with preview night on Wednesday, July 22nd and runs through Sunday July 26th.

Included among the movies and TV shows that will be covered this year are:

James Cameron’s Avatar (with 3D (rumored) footage from the film)
The upcoming Sci-Fi alien invasion flick with a twist: District 9 (including an appearance by Peter Jackson).
Mike Judge will be on hand to promote his new comedy Extract.
The premiere of Mystery Team.
Where the Wild Things Are.
Tron
Sherlock Holmes
Jonah Hex
2012
Thirst
Ninja Assassin
Lost
The pilot for the TV series remake V.
Doctor Who (with an appearance by David Tennant)
FlashForward
Caprica & Battlestar Galactica: The Plan

Oh, and of course Iron Man 2, for which I’m sure director Jon Favreau has something very special planned.

Also, this year Screen Rant has been invited to participate in the “Masters of the Web” panel (shocking, I know – I certainly didn’t expect it!). The panel will be moderated by director Kevin Munroe and will include an appearance by Brandon Routh and Sam Huntington, along with a preview of their upcoming film Dead of Night.

Here is the list of panelists:

Robert Sanchez (IESB.net)
Ryan Rotten (ShockTilYouDrop.com)
Mike Sampson (JoBlo.com)
Jeremy Smith (AintItCool.com)
Brad Miska (Bloody-Disgusting.com)
Drew McWeeny (HitFix.com)
Devin Faraci (CHUD.com)
Paul Christensen (MovieWeb.com)
Wilson Morales (BlackFilm.com/AOL Black Voices)
George Roush (LatinoReview.com)
and me, Vic Holtreman (ScreenRant.com)

It will be held Thursday, July 23rd at 3pm – 4pm in Room 32AB.

Robert Sanchez of IESB.net organizes the panel and puts together what is arguably the most awesome party every year at Comic-Con: The Wrath of Con party (one of my highlights of Comic-Con).

Last year at the Masters of the Web panel tickets to the party were given away to some lucky winners. Here’s my favorite pic from last year’s party.

Doug Nagy, Alex Billington and me with the beauties from the movie 'Bitch Slap': Erin Cummings, America Olivo and Julia Voth.

As Comic-Con approaches, keep up to date with our San Diego Comic-Con updates (check the logo on the right) here on Screen Rant and on Twitter.com by searching for #sdcc or #cc09. I’ll be there along with SR writers Kofi Outlaw, Bruce Simmons, Rob Keyes (and maybe) Paul Young. We’ll be doing live-blogging, panel summaries and hopefully we’ll get you an exclusive or two.

We may try to schedule an impromptu dinner, probably on Sunday night, where we’ll get together to decompress after the whole thing. If you’re around downtown San Diego maybe you can join us. We’ll firm this up as we get closer to the actual date.

Anyway, we’re all looking forward to it and we hope you are, too.

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