Exclusive: production designer Nathan Crowley explains how his early work on Steven Spielberg’s Hook and Francis Ford Coppola’s Dracula led to the practical sets of Wonka.
About the younger years of the magical confectioner Willy Wonka, director Paul King’s musical prequel Wonka is an ingenious fusion of cutting-edge CGI and traditional effects and props. A performance-captured Hugh Grant may play a particularly grumpy Oompa Loompa, but the film also takes in practical sets, location filming, and real props.
The town square that hosts at least one song-and-dance sequence is a huge, lavish set built at Warner Bros Studios in Leavesden; its nearby port was filmed on location in the UK’s picturesque Lyme Regis. The portable chocolate factory owned by Wonka himself (played by a fresh-faced Timothee Chalamet) was a real, mechanical prop, gently overlaid with a bit of VFX here and there. Even the chocolates were often edible,...
About the younger years of the magical confectioner Willy Wonka, director Paul King’s musical prequel Wonka is an ingenious fusion of cutting-edge CGI and traditional effects and props. A performance-captured Hugh Grant may play a particularly grumpy Oompa Loompa, but the film also takes in practical sets, location filming, and real props.
The town square that hosts at least one song-and-dance sequence is a huge, lavish set built at Warner Bros Studios in Leavesden; its nearby port was filmed on location in the UK’s picturesque Lyme Regis. The portable chocolate factory owned by Wonka himself (played by a fresh-faced Timothee Chalamet) was a real, mechanical prop, gently overlaid with a bit of VFX here and there. Even the chocolates were often edible,...
- 12/6/2023
- by Ryan Lambie
- Film Stories
The films competing for the 2021 Best Production Design Oscar are “The Father,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” “Mank,” “News of the World,” and “Tenet.” Our odds currently indicate that “Mank” (31/10) will be the winner, followed in order by “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” (4/1), “News of the World” (9/2), “The Father” (9/2), and “Tenet” (9/2).
Set decorator Karen O’Hara (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”) previously prevailed for “Alice in Wonderland” (2011) after first receiving a bid for “The Color of Money” (1987). She has now earned a spot on the list of 12 most-nominated female set decorators, which includes last year’s champion, eight-time nominee Nancy Haigh. O’Hara could become the third of the dozen to win more than once, after Francesca Lo Schiavo and Haigh.
“Mank” production designer Donald Graham Burt is also a previous champ for his work in another David Fincher film, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (2009). This is also the second bid for Burt’s set-decorating partner,...
Set decorator Karen O’Hara (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”) previously prevailed for “Alice in Wonderland” (2011) after first receiving a bid for “The Color of Money” (1987). She has now earned a spot on the list of 12 most-nominated female set decorators, which includes last year’s champion, eight-time nominee Nancy Haigh. O’Hara could become the third of the dozen to win more than once, after Francesca Lo Schiavo and Haigh.
“Mank” production designer Donald Graham Burt is also a previous champ for his work in another David Fincher film, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (2009). This is also the second bid for Burt’s set-decorating partner,...
- 4/21/2021
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Author’s Note: Some spoilers populate this review, because it’s impossible to thoroughly appraise Misery without unpacking some of the film’s more macabre elements. The uninitiated are advised to watch the film Asap, then return to this space.
The most famous non-fiction line coined by the recently departed screenwriting genius William Goldman is undoubtedly “Nobody knows anything,” a great dig at the expense of Hollywood tastemakers. That statement, coined in one of Goldman’s terrific behind-the-scenes screenwriting memoirs, Adventures In The Screen Trade (1983), was designed to reflect the fact that, essentially, churning out cinematic hits amounted to educated guesswork from everyone involved. When applied to William Goldman’s expert writing — captured across 24 produced screenplays (along with several official consultant jobs and probably dozens of unofficial script doctoring gigs), 16 novels, seven memoirs, an abundance of non-fiction magazine articles, a handful of theatrical plays and teleplays, and a children’s...
The most famous non-fiction line coined by the recently departed screenwriting genius William Goldman is undoubtedly “Nobody knows anything,” a great dig at the expense of Hollywood tastemakers. That statement, coined in one of Goldman’s terrific behind-the-scenes screenwriting memoirs, Adventures In The Screen Trade (1983), was designed to reflect the fact that, essentially, churning out cinematic hits amounted to educated guesswork from everyone involved. When applied to William Goldman’s expert writing — captured across 24 produced screenplays (along with several official consultant jobs and probably dozens of unofficial script doctoring gigs), 16 novels, seven memoirs, an abundance of non-fiction magazine articles, a handful of theatrical plays and teleplays, and a children’s...
- 12/14/2018
- by Alex Kirschenbaum
- Trailers from Hell
"The Furniture," by Daniel Walber, is our weekly series on Production Design. You can click on the images to see them in magnified detail.
Hi there! I want to talk to you about ducts.
I mean that quite seriously, though I’m also quoting the opening lines of Terry Gilliam’s wacky and wonderful Brazil. It’s a film with a lot of unique production design, for which art director Norman Garwood and set decorator Maggie Gray received an Oscar nomination. They lost to Out of Africa, but I find it helpful to pretend that didn’t happen.
It’s nearly impossible to choose a single element to feature. I’ve half a mind to simply post all of the bleakly hilarious propaganda posters that clutter the walls of the film’s dystopian metropolis. Another option would be the design of the dream sequences, which become increasingly majestic as Sam Lowry...
Hi there! I want to talk to you about ducts.
I mean that quite seriously, though I’m also quoting the opening lines of Terry Gilliam’s wacky and wonderful Brazil. It’s a film with a lot of unique production design, for which art director Norman Garwood and set decorator Maggie Gray received an Oscar nomination. They lost to Out of Africa, but I find it helpful to pretend that didn’t happen.
It’s nearly impossible to choose a single element to feature. I’ve half a mind to simply post all of the bleakly hilarious propaganda posters that clutter the walls of the film’s dystopian metropolis. Another option would be the design of the dream sequences, which become increasingly majestic as Sam Lowry...
- 9/4/2017
- by Daniel Walber
- FilmExperience
Hook
Written by James V. Hart, Nick Castle, Malia Scotch Marmo, and J. M. Barrie
Directed by Steven Spielberg
USA, 1991
Steven Spielberg is known the world over for creating genuine movie magic. From his blockbuster splash Jaws in 1975 up until his 2012 biopic Lincoln, Spielberg is certainly a gifted filmmaker. Very few auteurs are still work today but Spielberg keeps banging out films that dazzle the senses and leave an everlasting impression on the viewer. However, some of Spielberg’s films haven’t achieved the recognition and respect they deserve. There are certain films that this movie master made that didn’t quite achieve a high status. One such film is 1991’s Hook, a fantasy adventure which didn’t really score well with critics but filled children of the 90s with joy, innocence, and wonder.
The film follows middle-aged lawyer Peter Banning (Robin Williams), a bitter individual who has forgotten who he is.
Written by James V. Hart, Nick Castle, Malia Scotch Marmo, and J. M. Barrie
Directed by Steven Spielberg
USA, 1991
Steven Spielberg is known the world over for creating genuine movie magic. From his blockbuster splash Jaws in 1975 up until his 2012 biopic Lincoln, Spielberg is certainly a gifted filmmaker. Very few auteurs are still work today but Spielberg keeps banging out films that dazzle the senses and leave an everlasting impression on the viewer. However, some of Spielberg’s films haven’t achieved the recognition and respect they deserve. There are certain films that this movie master made that didn’t quite achieve a high status. One such film is 1991’s Hook, a fantasy adventure which didn’t really score well with critics but filled children of the 90s with joy, innocence, and wonder.
The film follows middle-aged lawyer Peter Banning (Robin Williams), a bitter individual who has forgotten who he is.
- 6/23/2014
- by Randall Unger
- SoundOnSight
I really don't put much stock in the International Animated Film Society's 2013 Annie Awards, which is why I didn't rush to report on their results on Saturday. One year Disney and Pixar boycott the event, feeling there was an unfair advantage paid to larger contributing sponsors, DreamWorks being the primary example. So with such a nasty stench over the event what good does it do to pay it much mind? That said, I'll be brief in mentioning Wreck-It Ralph topped Saturday night's winners with five awards, including Best Animated Picture. The awards have something like a 75% streak when it comes to helping predict the eventual Oscar winner for Best Animated Feature and as the days have gone on, it's looking more and more like Ralph will be this year's winner (see my predictions here). Pixar's Brave, Laika's ParaNorman and DreamWorks' Rise of the Guardians each took home two awards in lesser,...
- 2/4/2013
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Disney's "Wreck-It-Ralph" was the big winner at the 40th Annie Awards held Saturday taking home the Best Animated Feature award. It is now officially the Oscar frontrunner in the Best Animated Film category.
Here's the complete list of winners/nominees; for winners/nominees of other award-giving bodies this season, click here:
Animated Feature
"Brave" . Pixar Animation Studios
"Frankenweenie" . Walt Disney Studios
"Hotel Transylvania" . Sony Pictures Animation
"ParaNorman" . Focus Features
"Rise of the Guardians" . DreamWorks Animation
"The Pirates! Band of Misfits" . Aardman Animations
"The Rabbi.s Cat ". Gkids
Winner "Wreck-It Ralph" . Walt Disney Animation Studios
Animated Special Production
"Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1" . Warner Bros. Animation
"Before Orel" . Trust . Starburns Industries, Inc.
Winner "Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem" . Illumination Entertainment
"Disney Tron: Uprising . Beck.s Beginning" . Disney TV Animation
"Dragons: Gift of the Night Fury" . DreamWorks Animation
"Justice League: Doom" . Warner Bros. Animation
Animated Short Subject
"Brad and Gary" . Illumination...
Here's the complete list of winners/nominees; for winners/nominees of other award-giving bodies this season, click here:
Animated Feature
"Brave" . Pixar Animation Studios
"Frankenweenie" . Walt Disney Studios
"Hotel Transylvania" . Sony Pictures Animation
"ParaNorman" . Focus Features
"Rise of the Guardians" . DreamWorks Animation
"The Pirates! Band of Misfits" . Aardman Animations
"The Rabbi.s Cat ". Gkids
Winner "Wreck-It Ralph" . Walt Disney Animation Studios
Animated Special Production
"Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1" . Warner Bros. Animation
"Before Orel" . Trust . Starburns Industries, Inc.
Winner "Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem" . Illumination Entertainment
"Disney Tron: Uprising . Beck.s Beginning" . Disney TV Animation
"Dragons: Gift of the Night Fury" . DreamWorks Animation
"Justice League: Doom" . Warner Bros. Animation
Animated Short Subject
"Brad and Gary" . Illumination...
- 2/3/2013
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
I love the art of animation, and it's amazing to see how far things have come and advanced over the years. The industry is changing in terms of technology, but what it all really comes down to is telling good stories. There's been a lot of great animated movies this year, and many of them are up for several awards at the 40th Annual Annie Awards.
Some of the movies nomainated include Brave, Frankenweenie, Hotel Transylvania, ParaNorman, Rise of the Guardians, The Pirates! Band of Misfits, and Wreck-It Ralph. Out of those films my favorite is a toss up between Wreck-It Ralph and ParaNorman, those were two pretty incredible films. I think ParaNorman has the edge though.
Some of the other animated properties nominated are Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1, Disney Tron: Uprising, Justice League: Doom, Robot Chicken ‘DC Comics Special', South Park ‘Raising the Bar’, and several others.
Some of the movies nomainated include Brave, Frankenweenie, Hotel Transylvania, ParaNorman, Rise of the Guardians, The Pirates! Band of Misfits, and Wreck-It Ralph. Out of those films my favorite is a toss up between Wreck-It Ralph and ParaNorman, those were two pretty incredible films. I think ParaNorman has the edge though.
Some of the other animated properties nominated are Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1, Disney Tron: Uprising, Justice League: Doom, Robot Chicken ‘DC Comics Special', South Park ‘Raising the Bar’, and several others.
- 12/4/2012
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
The International Animated Film Society (Asifa-Hollywood) has announced the nominees for the 40th Annie Awards also known as Animation's Highest Honor. Disney/Pixar led the nominees with "Brave," "Frankenweenie," and "Wreck-It-Ralph" getting Best Picture nods. The 40th Annual Annie Awards will take place on February 2, 2013 at UCLA.s Royce Hall, in Los Angeles, California.
And the nominees for the 40th Annual Annie Awards are:
Best Picture nominees:
Brave - Disney/Pixar)
Frankenweenie -The Walt Disney Studios
Hotel Transylvania - Sony Pictures Animation
ParaNorman - Focus Features
Rise of the Guardians - DreamWorks Animation
The Pirates! Band of Misfits - Aardman Animations
The Rabbi.s Cat - Gkids
Wreck-It Ralph - Walt Disney Animation Studios
Annie Award for Best Animated Special Production
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 . Warner Bros. Animation
Best General Audience Animated Television Production
Archer .Space Race, Part 1. . Weissman Markovitz Communications for FX
Bob.S Burgers .Earsy Rider...
And the nominees for the 40th Annual Annie Awards are:
Best Picture nominees:
Brave - Disney/Pixar)
Frankenweenie -The Walt Disney Studios
Hotel Transylvania - Sony Pictures Animation
ParaNorman - Focus Features
Rise of the Guardians - DreamWorks Animation
The Pirates! Band of Misfits - Aardman Animations
The Rabbi.s Cat - Gkids
Wreck-It Ralph - Walt Disney Animation Studios
Annie Award for Best Animated Special Production
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 . Warner Bros. Animation
Best General Audience Animated Television Production
Archer .Space Race, Part 1. . Weissman Markovitz Communications for FX
Bob.S Burgers .Earsy Rider...
- 12/3/2012
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
Disney withdrew from the International Animated Film Society, Asifa-Hollywood back in 2010 and even before then it was hard to put much stock in the Annie Awards. Now it's just sort of a blip on the overall award season radar that manages headlines twice a year, once for their nominees and again for their winners, which this year will be announced on Saturday, February 2, 2013. That said, the org announced their 2013 nominees this morning and their Best Feature Film list was made up of eight nominees (a large list considering the lack of quality animated films I've seen this year) including Brave, Frankenweenie, Hotel Transylvania, ParaNorman, Rise of the Guardians, The Pirates! Band of Misfits, The Rabbi's Cat and Wreck-It Ralph. It is nice not to see something like The Lorax among that list, but I still think this was a year in which the field could have easily been limited to five nominees.
- 12/3/2012
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
In celebration of its recent film preservation efforts, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will launch the first-ever .Film-to-Film. Festival, which will run September 27 through September 29, in the Academy.s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills and the Linwood Dunn Theater in Hollywood. A year ago the Academy Film Archive launched an ambitious effort called .Project Film-to-Film,. aimed at preserving as many films on film as possible over a two-year period. The initiative.s main goal is to take advantage of the current, but threatened, availability of film stock to create new prints of a diverse range of motion pictures, encompassing the whole history of the art form.
More than 390 new prints have already been created from the best available film elements, covering significant narrative features and documentaries, as well as experimental, animated and short film titles. The wide variety of titles range from .Navajo,. the only film...
More than 390 new prints have already been created from the best available film elements, covering significant narrative features and documentaries, as well as experimental, animated and short film titles. The wide variety of titles range from .Navajo,. the only film...
- 9/19/2012
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Chicago – Sci-fi film buffs in the Windy City are invited to attend an April marathon bursting with cinematic gems. “Sci-Fi Spectacular 6” kicks off at noon Saturday, April 28, at the Portage Theater, 4050 N. Milwaukee Ave. It showcases over 14 hours of beloved features, shorts and rare trailers as they were originally intended to be experienced—on the big screen.
Two major highlights at this year’s event are key masterpieces in the career of Terry Gilliam. 1985’s “Brazil” creates an unforgettable portrait of a dystopian future both amusingly absurdist and unsettlingly provocative. Jonathan Pryce stars alongside Kim Greist, Ian Holm and Robert De Niro, while cinematographer Roger Pratt and production designer Norman Garwood provide unforgettable imagery. Equally mesmerizing is Gilliam’s 1995 thriller “12 Monkeys,” in which a grizzled convict (Bruce Willis) travels back in time to prevent a man-made virus from destroying the future. Brad Pitt’s Oscar-nominated turn as a crazed virus...
Two major highlights at this year’s event are key masterpieces in the career of Terry Gilliam. 1985’s “Brazil” creates an unforgettable portrait of a dystopian future both amusingly absurdist and unsettlingly provocative. Jonathan Pryce stars alongside Kim Greist, Ian Holm and Robert De Niro, while cinematographer Roger Pratt and production designer Norman Garwood provide unforgettable imagery. Equally mesmerizing is Gilliam’s 1995 thriller “12 Monkeys,” in which a grizzled convict (Bruce Willis) travels back in time to prevent a man-made virus from destroying the future. Brad Pitt’s Oscar-nominated turn as a crazed virus...
- 4/24/2012
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
“Sweet Neptune’s Briny Pants” Hugh Grant is the Pirate Captain! © Aardman Animations/Sony Pictures Animation ©2011 Ctmg, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Put down your lunch mateys for its a “plunderful life” in these Two new The Pirates! In An Adventure With Scientists trailers.
(Courtesy The Guardian)
Synopsis:
Hugh Grant, starring in his first animated role, is the luxuriantly bearded Pirate Captain . a boundlessly enthusiastic, if somewhat less-than-successful, terror of the High Seas. With a rag-tag crew at his side (Martin Freeman, Brendan Gleeson, Russell Tovey, and Ashley Jensen), and seemingly blind to the impossible odds stacked against him, the Captain has one dream: to beat his bitter rivals B…lack Bellamy (Jeremy Piven) and Cutlass Liz (Salma Hayek) to the much coveted Pirate Of The Year Award. It’s a quest that takes our heroes from the shores of exotic Blood Island to the foggy streets of Victorian London. Along...
Put down your lunch mateys for its a “plunderful life” in these Two new The Pirates! In An Adventure With Scientists trailers.
(Courtesy The Guardian)
Synopsis:
Hugh Grant, starring in his first animated role, is the luxuriantly bearded Pirate Captain . a boundlessly enthusiastic, if somewhat less-than-successful, terror of the High Seas. With a rag-tag crew at his side (Martin Freeman, Brendan Gleeson, Russell Tovey, and Ashley Jensen), and seemingly blind to the impossible odds stacked against him, the Captain has one dream: to beat his bitter rivals B…lack Bellamy (Jeremy Piven) and Cutlass Liz (Salma Hayek) to the much coveted Pirate Of The Year Award. It’s a quest that takes our heroes from the shores of exotic Blood Island to the foggy streets of Victorian London. Along...
- 7/14/2011
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Today we have the first trailer and poster for the upcoming British/American 3-D stop-motion animated film The Pirates! Band of Misfits (aka “The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists”), featuring an all-star voice cast that includes Hugh Grant, David Tennan, Imelda Staunton, Martin Freeman, Salma Hayek, Brendan Gleeson and Jeremy Piven. The film is directed by Peter Lord, and Jeff Newitt and produced by Aardman Animations and Pathé for Sony Pictures Animation.
Here’s the official synopsis for The Pirates! Band of Misfits:
In The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists, Hugh Grant stars in his first animated role as the luxuriantly bearded Pirate Captain – a boundlessly enthusiastic, if somewhat less-than-successful, terror of the High Seas. With a rag-tag crew at his side (Martin Freeman, Brendan Gleeson , Russell Tovey , and Ashley Jensen), and seemingly blind to the impossible odds stacked against him, the Captain has one dream: to beat...
Here’s the official synopsis for The Pirates! Band of Misfits:
In The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists, Hugh Grant stars in his first animated role as the luxuriantly bearded Pirate Captain – a boundlessly enthusiastic, if somewhat less-than-successful, terror of the High Seas. With a rag-tag crew at his side (Martin Freeman, Brendan Gleeson , Russell Tovey , and Ashley Jensen), and seemingly blind to the impossible odds stacked against him, the Captain has one dream: to beat...
- 7/14/2011
- by Allan Ford
- Filmofilia
An Aardman Production For Sony Pictures Animation Martin Freeman, David Tennant, Imelda Staunton, Jeremy Piven, Salma Hayek, Brian Blessed, Brendan Gleeson, Russell Tovey, and Ashley Jensen Also On Board
Culver City, Calif. – Hugh Grant will voice the lead role alongside an all-star cast in The Pirates! Band Of Misfits, the new stop-motion, 3D, animated film produced by Aardman Animations for Sony Pictures Animation. The film, which will be distributed by Columbia Pictures, will be released March 30, 2012 in North America.
Hugh Grant, starring in his first animated role, is the luxuriantly bearded Pirate Captain – a boundlessly enthusiastic, if somewhat less-than-successful, terror of the High Seas. With a rag-tag crew at his side (Martin Freeman, Brendan Gleeson, Russell Tovey, and Ashley Jensen), and seemingly blind to the impossible odds stacked against him, the Captain has one dream: to beat his bitter rivals Black Bellamy (Jeremy Piven) and Cutlass Liz (Salma Hayek) to...
Culver City, Calif. – Hugh Grant will voice the lead role alongside an all-star cast in The Pirates! Band Of Misfits, the new stop-motion, 3D, animated film produced by Aardman Animations for Sony Pictures Animation. The film, which will be distributed by Columbia Pictures, will be released March 30, 2012 in North America.
Hugh Grant, starring in his first animated role, is the luxuriantly bearded Pirate Captain – a boundlessly enthusiastic, if somewhat less-than-successful, terror of the High Seas. With a rag-tag crew at his side (Martin Freeman, Brendan Gleeson, Russell Tovey, and Ashley Jensen), and seemingly blind to the impossible odds stacked against him, the Captain has one dream: to beat his bitter rivals Black Bellamy (Jeremy Piven) and Cutlass Liz (Salma Hayek) to...
- 5/17/2011
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Hugh Grant is to voice the lead role alongside an all-star cast in The Pirates! In An Adventure With Scientists, the new stop-motion, 3D animated film produced by Aardman Animations for Sony Pictures Animation.
The film, which will be distributed by Columbia Pictures, will be released on March 30, 2012 in the UK. Also on board are Martin Freeman, David Tennant, Imelda Staunton, Jeremy Piven, Salma Hayek, Brian Blessed, Brendan Gleeson and Ashley Jensen.
Hugh Grant, in his first animated role, stars as the bearded Pirate Captain - a boundlessly enthusiastic, if somewhat less-than-successful, terror of the high seas.
With a rag-tag crew at his side (Martin Freeman, Brendan Gleeson, Russell Tovey, and Ashley Jensen), and seemingly blind to the impossible odds stacked against him, the Captain has one dream: to beat his bitter rivals Black Bellamy (Jeremy Piven) and Cutlass Liz (Salma Hayek) to the much coveted Pirate Of The Year Award.
The film, which will be distributed by Columbia Pictures, will be released on March 30, 2012 in the UK. Also on board are Martin Freeman, David Tennant, Imelda Staunton, Jeremy Piven, Salma Hayek, Brian Blessed, Brendan Gleeson and Ashley Jensen.
Hugh Grant, in his first animated role, stars as the bearded Pirate Captain - a boundlessly enthusiastic, if somewhat less-than-successful, terror of the high seas.
With a rag-tag crew at his side (Martin Freeman, Brendan Gleeson, Russell Tovey, and Ashley Jensen), and seemingly blind to the impossible odds stacked against him, the Captain has one dream: to beat his bitter rivals Black Bellamy (Jeremy Piven) and Cutlass Liz (Salma Hayek) to the much coveted Pirate Of The Year Award.
- 5/16/2011
- by David Bentley
- The Geek Files
Hugh Grant joins the animation voice actor set with the announcement of his casting as a Pirate Captain in Aardman Animation’s next big screen adventure entitled The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists.
Grant joins an impressive cast which has Martin Freeman, Jeremy Piven, Salma Hayek, Imelda Staunton and David Tennant amongst its merry band. There’s no doubt that a new animation from Aardman is always an intriguing prospect and this project joins the forthcoming Arthur Christmas on the animation studio’s slate.
Its been a couple of years since Did You Hear About the Morgans? (which very few people did) and arguably it’s been a far longer while since Grant had a decent script to work with. Here’s hoping…
The release date is the 30th of March 2012 and there’s a first look image below,
Here’s the full press release,
London, UK, May 5, 2011 – Hugh Grant...
Grant joins an impressive cast which has Martin Freeman, Jeremy Piven, Salma Hayek, Imelda Staunton and David Tennant amongst its merry band. There’s no doubt that a new animation from Aardman is always an intriguing prospect and this project joins the forthcoming Arthur Christmas on the animation studio’s slate.
Its been a couple of years since Did You Hear About the Morgans? (which very few people did) and arguably it’s been a far longer while since Grant had a decent script to work with. Here’s hoping…
The release date is the 30th of March 2012 and there’s a first look image below,
Here’s the full press release,
London, UK, May 5, 2011 – Hugh Grant...
- 5/5/2011
- by Jon Lyus
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Back in the mid-'60s, when "Star Trek" was begetting its very first generation of Trekkies, producer Irwin Allen launched his own brand of interplanetary adventure that gave new meaning to the phrase "space camp."
Hoping to cash in on those fond nostalgic feelings for the space family Robinson and even that nervous Nellie, Dr. Zachary Smith, New Line's souped-up, big-screen take on "Lost in Space" gets somewhat lost in the translation.
Attempting to be all things to all people, the picture supplements the irresistibly cheesy elements of the original with more purposeful stuff, such as an annoyingly cloying father-son relationship subplot and even a little Spielberg ("Gremlins" period) thrown into the mix to grab the kiddies.
While the resulting tone is all over the place, "Lost in Space" is not without its pure popcorn moments of guilty pleasure with enough visual blast to at least partially placate sci-fi buffs.
Expect this Jupiter II mission to stir up solid -- but short of astronomical -- business.
Taking a cue from Tommy Lee Jones in "Men in Black", William Hurt and Mimi Rogers play it straight as parental units John and Maureen Robinson. It's a gambit that works effectively. They're rooted in a reality that remains constant even when Akiva Goldsman's clunky, dunderheaded dialogue goes off in other directions.
As in the original series, Mom and Dad take the family -- Judy (Heather Graham), Penny (Lacey Chabert) and Will (Jack Johnson) -- on a space-colonizing expedition to Alpha Prime, the galaxy's other inhabitable planet.
While they hire testosterone-fueled Major Don West (Matt LeBlanc) to do the driving, trust diabolical Dr. Smith (Gary Oldman) to sabotage the mission, sending the Jupiter II hurtling through unknown galaxies.
They battle millions of space alien spiders, time-traveling constrictions and each other. Since this is a revisionist '90s take on a '60s view of family, the Robinson family is introduced to the word "dysfunctional" and must work out all their unresolved interpersonal conflicts when not blasting into hyperdrive. All the heavy-handed, father-son/father-daughter claptrap gets in the way of the potential fun.
Director Stephen Hopkins ("The Ghost and the Darkness") has an impressive knack for choreographing elements of suspense, and those quieter sequences are among the most effective in the film. Adhering to a cohesive tone is another problem, and it's one that also hampers some of the performances.
While Hurt, Rogers, Graham, Chabert and young Johnson (who nicely fits Billy Mumy's old space shoes) eschew the scenery-chewing for earnestness, the usually effective Oldman is stuck between a rock and a hard place. Rather than staying with the sniveling, cowardly Dr. Smith of old, the filmmakers have sought to make him more of an irredeemably evil villain, forcing Oldman to play the part like a satanic theater teacher. Smith's character could have used a little more motivation for his actions rather than simply admitting he's rotten to the core.
As the strutting Major West, meanwhile, LeBlanc also seems to have tone trouble, stiffly torn between playing him as a comic book character and a true hero. It's nice to hear Dick Tufeld's deeply mellifluous tones again as the voice of the Robot, while series cast members June Lockhart (Maureen), Mark Goddard (West), Marta Kristen (Judy) and Angela Cartwright (Penny) pop up in cameos.
Visually, "Lost in Space" achieves the requisite balance with effects that neatly fall somewhere between state-of-the-art and cheese. Peter Levy's cinematography, Norman Garwood's production design and visual effects supervisor Angus Bickerton's work remain faithful to the original while effectively expanding the scope for theatrical consumption. Bruce Broughton nimbly recaptures the series' noisy, brass-blasting score, and the original John Williams-penned theme has been treated to a kicking end-title electronic remix performed by Apollo Four Forty.
LOST IN SPACE
New Line Cinema
A Prelude Pictures production
in association with Irwin Allen Prods.
A Stephen Hopkins film
Director: Stephen Hopkins
Screenwriter: Akiva Goldsman
Producers: Mark W. Koch, Stephen Hopkins,
Akiva Goldsman, Carla Fry
Executive producers: Mace Neufeld,
Bob Rehme, Richard Saperstein,
Michael De Luca
Director of photography: Peter Levy
Production designer: Norman Garwood
Editor: Ray Lovejoy
Music: Bruce Broughton
Visual effects supervisor: Angus Bickerton
Color/stereo
Cast:
Dr. Zachary Smith: Gary Oldman
John Robinson: William Hurt
Major Don West: Matt LeBlanc
Maureen Robinson: Mimi Rogers
Judy Robinson: Heather Graham
Penny Robinson: Lacey Chabert
Will Robinson: Jack Johnson
Older Will Robinson: Jared Harris
Running time - 130 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
Hoping to cash in on those fond nostalgic feelings for the space family Robinson and even that nervous Nellie, Dr. Zachary Smith, New Line's souped-up, big-screen take on "Lost in Space" gets somewhat lost in the translation.
Attempting to be all things to all people, the picture supplements the irresistibly cheesy elements of the original with more purposeful stuff, such as an annoyingly cloying father-son relationship subplot and even a little Spielberg ("Gremlins" period) thrown into the mix to grab the kiddies.
While the resulting tone is all over the place, "Lost in Space" is not without its pure popcorn moments of guilty pleasure with enough visual blast to at least partially placate sci-fi buffs.
Expect this Jupiter II mission to stir up solid -- but short of astronomical -- business.
Taking a cue from Tommy Lee Jones in "Men in Black", William Hurt and Mimi Rogers play it straight as parental units John and Maureen Robinson. It's a gambit that works effectively. They're rooted in a reality that remains constant even when Akiva Goldsman's clunky, dunderheaded dialogue goes off in other directions.
As in the original series, Mom and Dad take the family -- Judy (Heather Graham), Penny (Lacey Chabert) and Will (Jack Johnson) -- on a space-colonizing expedition to Alpha Prime, the galaxy's other inhabitable planet.
While they hire testosterone-fueled Major Don West (Matt LeBlanc) to do the driving, trust diabolical Dr. Smith (Gary Oldman) to sabotage the mission, sending the Jupiter II hurtling through unknown galaxies.
They battle millions of space alien spiders, time-traveling constrictions and each other. Since this is a revisionist '90s take on a '60s view of family, the Robinson family is introduced to the word "dysfunctional" and must work out all their unresolved interpersonal conflicts when not blasting into hyperdrive. All the heavy-handed, father-son/father-daughter claptrap gets in the way of the potential fun.
Director Stephen Hopkins ("The Ghost and the Darkness") has an impressive knack for choreographing elements of suspense, and those quieter sequences are among the most effective in the film. Adhering to a cohesive tone is another problem, and it's one that also hampers some of the performances.
While Hurt, Rogers, Graham, Chabert and young Johnson (who nicely fits Billy Mumy's old space shoes) eschew the scenery-chewing for earnestness, the usually effective Oldman is stuck between a rock and a hard place. Rather than staying with the sniveling, cowardly Dr. Smith of old, the filmmakers have sought to make him more of an irredeemably evil villain, forcing Oldman to play the part like a satanic theater teacher. Smith's character could have used a little more motivation for his actions rather than simply admitting he's rotten to the core.
As the strutting Major West, meanwhile, LeBlanc also seems to have tone trouble, stiffly torn between playing him as a comic book character and a true hero. It's nice to hear Dick Tufeld's deeply mellifluous tones again as the voice of the Robot, while series cast members June Lockhart (Maureen), Mark Goddard (West), Marta Kristen (Judy) and Angela Cartwright (Penny) pop up in cameos.
Visually, "Lost in Space" achieves the requisite balance with effects that neatly fall somewhere between state-of-the-art and cheese. Peter Levy's cinematography, Norman Garwood's production design and visual effects supervisor Angus Bickerton's work remain faithful to the original while effectively expanding the scope for theatrical consumption. Bruce Broughton nimbly recaptures the series' noisy, brass-blasting score, and the original John Williams-penned theme has been treated to a kicking end-title electronic remix performed by Apollo Four Forty.
LOST IN SPACE
New Line Cinema
A Prelude Pictures production
in association with Irwin Allen Prods.
A Stephen Hopkins film
Director: Stephen Hopkins
Screenwriter: Akiva Goldsman
Producers: Mark W. Koch, Stephen Hopkins,
Akiva Goldsman, Carla Fry
Executive producers: Mace Neufeld,
Bob Rehme, Richard Saperstein,
Michael De Luca
Director of photography: Peter Levy
Production designer: Norman Garwood
Editor: Ray Lovejoy
Music: Bruce Broughton
Visual effects supervisor: Angus Bickerton
Color/stereo
Cast:
Dr. Zachary Smith: Gary Oldman
John Robinson: William Hurt
Major Don West: Matt LeBlanc
Maureen Robinson: Mimi Rogers
Judy Robinson: Heather Graham
Penny Robinson: Lacey Chabert
Will Robinson: Jack Johnson
Older Will Robinson: Jared Harris
Running time - 130 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
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