Gorō Miyazaki’s foray into computer generation, a magical tale of a gleeful brat adopted by a witch, falls far short of Ghibli’s hand-drawn output
Eighty-year-old animation legend Hayao Miyazaki once described computer-generated imagery as “thin, shallow, fake”. Now Studio Ghibli has made its first ever fully CG feature, and it’s, well, erm … The politest thing to say about Earwig and the Witch is that it’s not a patch on Ghibli’s hand-drawn output, with plasticky-looking characters and an aimless plot. More painfully still, the film-maker responsible is Miyazaki’s son, Gorō Miyazaki (who previously directed the pretty decent Tales from Earthsea and From Up on Poppy Hill).
To be fair, Earwig was made for Japanese TV, but there are so many echoes here of Ghibli films past that it’s impossible not to compare and despair. Like Howl’s Moving Castle, the script is based on a...
Eighty-year-old animation legend Hayao Miyazaki once described computer-generated imagery as “thin, shallow, fake”. Now Studio Ghibli has made its first ever fully CG feature, and it’s, well, erm … The politest thing to say about Earwig and the Witch is that it’s not a patch on Ghibli’s hand-drawn output, with plasticky-looking characters and an aimless plot. More painfully still, the film-maker responsible is Miyazaki’s son, Gorō Miyazaki (who previously directed the pretty decent Tales from Earthsea and From Up on Poppy Hill).
To be fair, Earwig was made for Japanese TV, but there are so many echoes here of Ghibli films past that it’s impossible not to compare and despair. Like Howl’s Moving Castle, the script is based on a...
- 5/27/2021
- by Cath Clarke
- The Guardian - Film News
Exclusive: Signature Entertainment has picked up a raft of film and TV content for the UK market, including Drake Doremus drama Endings, Beginnings with Shailene Woodley, Jamie Dornan, Sebastian Stan and Matthew Gray Gubler, and Jake Gyllenhaal-produced Sundance horror Relic.
The company has also struck deals for classic library titles including Muriel’s Wedding, Luc Besson action pic Taxi and cult sci-fi series Children Of Dune via separate pacts with TF1 and Sonar Entertainment.
Toronto premiere Endings, Beginnings, from Parasite producer Cj, charts a turbulent and passionate love triangle. Acquired from UK sales outfit Protagonist, it will get a day and date theatrical release in August.
Well-received horror Relic sees Emily Mortimer (The Bookshop) star as a daughter haunted by a manifestation of her mother’s dementia. Acquired from Film Constellation, the film will be released in the UK later this year.
Meanwhile, Signature has struck a deal with TF...
The company has also struck deals for classic library titles including Muriel’s Wedding, Luc Besson action pic Taxi and cult sci-fi series Children Of Dune via separate pacts with TF1 and Sonar Entertainment.
Toronto premiere Endings, Beginnings, from Parasite producer Cj, charts a turbulent and passionate love triangle. Acquired from UK sales outfit Protagonist, it will get a day and date theatrical release in August.
Well-received horror Relic sees Emily Mortimer (The Bookshop) star as a daughter haunted by a manifestation of her mother’s dementia. Acquired from Film Constellation, the film will be released in the UK later this year.
Meanwhile, Signature has struck a deal with TF...
- 6/10/2020
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
On the September 5, 2019 episode of /Film Daily, /Film senior writer Ben Pearson is joined by /Film managing editor Jacob Hall and writer Hoai-Tran Bui to discuss the latest film and TV news, including Ben Wheatley’s Tomb Raider sequel, Crazy Rich Asians 2, The Handmaid’s Tale sequel, an Earthsea TV show, and Will Poulter […]
The post Daily Podcast: Tomb Raider 2, Crazy Rich Asians 2, Earthsea, Lord of the Rings, and More appeared first on /Film.
The post Daily Podcast: Tomb Raider 2, Crazy Rich Asians 2, Earthsea, Lord of the Rings, and More appeared first on /Film.
- 9/5/2019
- by Ben Pearson
- Slash Film
As more fantasy classics are finding their way to screens of various sizes, another iconic series just landed in solid hands.
A24 has lined up as a financier for the series, leading the effort to adapt Ursula K. Le Guin’s expansive “Earthsea” series into a TV show as the project looks to find a network home. Jennifer Fox, producer on “The Bourne Legacy” and all three of Dan Gilroy’s films to date, will also produce the new series. Deadline first reported the news.
The Earthsea Cycle, one of Le Guin’s most famous literary creations, spans a series of novels and stories, beginning with 1968’s “The Wizard of Earthsea.” Le Guin eventually wrote different five novels within that world, the last one published in 2001. Fox first acquired the rights to the series last spring.
This will be Fox’s first major TV producing effort after serving in the...
A24 has lined up as a financier for the series, leading the effort to adapt Ursula K. Le Guin’s expansive “Earthsea” series into a TV show as the project looks to find a network home. Jennifer Fox, producer on “The Bourne Legacy” and all three of Dan Gilroy’s films to date, will also produce the new series. Deadline first reported the news.
The Earthsea Cycle, one of Le Guin’s most famous literary creations, spans a series of novels and stories, beginning with 1968’s “The Wizard of Earthsea.” Le Guin eventually wrote different five novels within that world, the last one published in 2001. Fox first acquired the rights to the series last spring.
This will be Fox’s first major TV producing effort after serving in the...
- 9/4/2019
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
Standing alongside J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series as one of the fundamental pieces of high fantasy storytelling is Ursula K. Le Guin‘s Earthsea series, a collection of novels set in a fantasy archipelago of hundreds of islands where magic lays in a delicate balance. Or, at least it should be. Forgotten in classrooms and ignored […]
The post An ‘Earthsea’ TV Series Based on Ursula K. Le Guin’s Novels is Being Conjured by A24 appeared first on /Film.
The post An ‘Earthsea’ TV Series Based on Ursula K. Le Guin’s Novels is Being Conjured by A24 appeared first on /Film.
- 9/4/2019
- by Hoai-Tran Bui
- Slash Film
Kirsten Howard Sep 4, 2019
Ursula Le Guin’s Earthsea fantasy book series may be heading back to the small screen.
Michael Clayton and Nightcrawler producer Jennifer Fox has made a deal with Euphoria's production company, A24, to develop a new adaptation of Ursula Le Guin’s best-selling Earthsea books for TV (via Deadline).
Fox was originally looking at turning the Earthsea series into a string of films, but has changed direction to target the small screen. Syfy, then known as the Sci Fi Channel, previously had a rather underwhelming go at making an Earthsea miniseries back in 2004. Studio Ghibli's 2006 film, Tales From Earthsea, was loosely based on the mythology of the book series.
The Earthsea fantasy series is made up of five novels and eight short stories, and covers themes of magic and nature at work across hundreds of islands.
read more: 5 Lesser-Known Series From Popular Authors
"Ursula Le...
Ursula Le Guin’s Earthsea fantasy book series may be heading back to the small screen.
Michael Clayton and Nightcrawler producer Jennifer Fox has made a deal with Euphoria's production company, A24, to develop a new adaptation of Ursula Le Guin’s best-selling Earthsea books for TV (via Deadline).
Fox was originally looking at turning the Earthsea series into a string of films, but has changed direction to target the small screen. Syfy, then known as the Sci Fi Channel, previously had a rather underwhelming go at making an Earthsea miniseries back in 2004. Studio Ghibli's 2006 film, Tales From Earthsea, was loosely based on the mythology of the book series.
The Earthsea fantasy series is made up of five novels and eight short stories, and covers themes of magic and nature at work across hundreds of islands.
read more: 5 Lesser-Known Series From Popular Authors
"Ursula Le...
- 9/4/2019
- Den of Geek
Fans of Ursula K. Le Guin's "Earthsea" fantasy series will be pleased to know that A24, the distribution/production company behind Ex MacHina, Room, The Witch, Hereditary, Midsommar, and more, will be developing a TV series based on the novels along with Oscar-nominated producer Jennifer Fox (Nightcrawler). [Seemore] Per Deadline, Ursula K. Le Guin gave Jennifer Fox her blessing…...
- 9/3/2019
- by Kevin Fraser
- JoBlo.com
Exclusive: A24 and Oscar-nominated producer Jennifer Fox are teaming to develop Ursula Le Guin’s acclaimed Earthsea fantasy books for television. A24 is the studio and will finance the series project, which will be shopped to networks soon. Fox is producing.
Fox originally optioned the book series last year. Before she died in January 2018, Le Guin had given the producer her blessing to turn her work into a series of films. The adaptation since has been re-envisioned as a television series. An Earthsea miniseries based on the book series, with the teleplay co-written by Le Guin, aired on Sci Fi Channel in 2004.
The Earthsea books are an introspective fantasy series that Le Guin began in 1968 with the publication of Book 1, A Wizard of Earthsea, and finished in 2017, with the final short story “Firelight” published in 2018 in The Paris Review.
The book series, which has drawn comparisons to...
Fox originally optioned the book series last year. Before she died in January 2018, Le Guin had given the producer her blessing to turn her work into a series of films. The adaptation since has been re-envisioned as a television series. An Earthsea miniseries based on the book series, with the teleplay co-written by Le Guin, aired on Sci Fi Channel in 2004.
The Earthsea books are an introspective fantasy series that Le Guin began in 1968 with the publication of Book 1, A Wizard of Earthsea, and finished in 2017, with the final short story “Firelight” published in 2018 in The Paris Review.
The book series, which has drawn comparisons to...
- 9/3/2019
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Elementary and Trainspotting star Jonny Lee Miller and Oscar and Grammy-winner Common (The Hate U Give) have been set to star in Nine Lives, the movie adaptation of Ursula K. Le Guin’s sci-fi novelette of the same name.
Set on a moon-base for off-world drilling, the darkly comedic story follows two jaded workers whose excitement at the prospect of incoming human company is dashed when they are instead sent ten clones. Shoot is being lined up for next summer.
Screenplay comes from debut writer-director Siri Rodnes and Tom Basden, who was BAFTA nominated for Fresh Meat. Rodnes will also direct. Producers are Gavin Humphries of Quark Films, who was recently Bifa-nominated for Pin Cushion; and former Sony International producer Josephine Rose (Slaughterhouse Rulez) of Bandit Country, whose upcoming slate also includes fantasy-horror A Spriggan with John Boyega as executive producer. Nine Lives has been selected as part of...
Set on a moon-base for off-world drilling, the darkly comedic story follows two jaded workers whose excitement at the prospect of incoming human company is dashed when they are instead sent ten clones. Shoot is being lined up for next summer.
Screenplay comes from debut writer-director Siri Rodnes and Tom Basden, who was BAFTA nominated for Fresh Meat. Rodnes will also direct. Producers are Gavin Humphries of Quark Films, who was recently Bifa-nominated for Pin Cushion; and former Sony International producer Josephine Rose (Slaughterhouse Rulez) of Bandit Country, whose upcoming slate also includes fantasy-horror A Spriggan with John Boyega as executive producer. Nine Lives has been selected as part of...
- 11/14/2018
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Joseph Baxter Nov 14, 2018
Nine Lives, a novelette from the late sci-fi great, Ursula K. Le Guin, is being developed as a movie.
The legacy of the influential sci-fi author, Ursula K. Le Guin, appears to be highly coveted in the immediate aftermath of her death this past January, with live-action adaptation projects continuing to join the queue. While prospects are glistening for a movie adaptation of The Telling, as well as a properly-reverent movie adaptation of Le Guin’s sprawling magnum opus, the Earthsea novels, the latest project is a bit more of an esoteric choice from her works, a 1969 novelette, called Nine Lives.
Nine Lives is expected to commence production in the summer of 2019 with U.K. producers Gavin Humphries (Pin Cushion) of Quark Films and former Sony Pictures International producer Josephine Rose, reports Deadline. Tom Basden will co-write the script with Siri Rodnes, an actress and burgeoning filmmaker,...
Nine Lives, a novelette from the late sci-fi great, Ursula K. Le Guin, is being developed as a movie.
The legacy of the influential sci-fi author, Ursula K. Le Guin, appears to be highly coveted in the immediate aftermath of her death this past January, with live-action adaptation projects continuing to join the queue. While prospects are glistening for a movie adaptation of The Telling, as well as a properly-reverent movie adaptation of Le Guin’s sprawling magnum opus, the Earthsea novels, the latest project is a bit more of an esoteric choice from her works, a 1969 novelette, called Nine Lives.
Nine Lives is expected to commence production in the summer of 2019 with U.K. producers Gavin Humphries (Pin Cushion) of Quark Films and former Sony Pictures International producer Josephine Rose, reports Deadline. Tom Basden will co-write the script with Siri Rodnes, an actress and burgeoning filmmaker,...
- 8/15/2018
- Den of Geek
Exclusive: Sci-fi giant Ursula K. Le Guin’s acclaimed novelette Nine Lives is being reworked as a feature by UK producers Gavin Humphries (Pin Cushion) of Quark Films and former Sony Pictures International producer Josephine Rose.
Tom Basden, BAFTA-nominated for Netflix series Fresh Meat and a regular actor and writer on ITV2 comedy Plebs (recently picked up for remake by Seth Rogen), is co-scripting the adaptation with Nfts alum Siri Rodnes, who will also direct. The team is in discussions with cast.
Set on a moon-base for off-world drilling, the darkly comedic Nine Lives follows two jaded workers whose excitement at the prospect of incoming human company is dashed when they are instead sent ten clones. The story’s themes of cloning, individualism and the importance of social connection hit home when the story was published by Playboy in 1968 and still resonate today.
Rodnes, whose 2016 short Take Your Partner was BAFTA-nominated and played in Berlin,...
Tom Basden, BAFTA-nominated for Netflix series Fresh Meat and a regular actor and writer on ITV2 comedy Plebs (recently picked up for remake by Seth Rogen), is co-scripting the adaptation with Nfts alum Siri Rodnes, who will also direct. The team is in discussions with cast.
Set on a moon-base for off-world drilling, the darkly comedic Nine Lives follows two jaded workers whose excitement at the prospect of incoming human company is dashed when they are instead sent ten clones. The story’s themes of cloning, individualism and the importance of social connection hit home when the story was published by Playboy in 1968 and still resonate today.
Rodnes, whose 2016 short Take Your Partner was BAFTA-nominated and played in Berlin,...
- 8/15/2018
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Jennifer Fox, the producer behind the Oscar-nominated legal thriller, Michael Clayton, has optioned the film rights to fantasy book series, Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin, who agreed to allow Fox to translate her work into a series of films before she passed away in January.
The series, which was first introduced in the 1960s, is comprised of five novels and eight short stories set in a fantasy archipelago of hundreds of islands, imperiled by those who use magic to gain power and upset its delicate balance. Most of its characters are people of color and the emphasis is on understanding nature and human nature, not possessing power over them.
Le Guin has published twenty-one novels and received many honors including the Hugo, Nebula, National Book Award, The Library of Congress’s Living Legend Award and the National Book Foundation Medal.
Theo Downes-Le Guin, son of the author, will executive produce the project.
The series, which was first introduced in the 1960s, is comprised of five novels and eight short stories set in a fantasy archipelago of hundreds of islands, imperiled by those who use magic to gain power and upset its delicate balance. Most of its characters are people of color and the emphasis is on understanding nature and human nature, not possessing power over them.
Le Guin has published twenty-one novels and received many honors including the Hugo, Nebula, National Book Award, The Library of Congress’s Living Legend Award and the National Book Foundation Medal.
Theo Downes-Le Guin, son of the author, will executive produce the project.
- 5/24/2018
- by Amanda N'Duka
- Deadline Film + TV
Ursula Le Guin was a legend when it came to speculative fiction. For example, she was the one who wrote the Earthsea series, which is set on a collection of hundreds and hundreds of islands surrounded by uncharted waters. Furthermore, she was the one who wrote The Left Hand of Darkness, which won not just the Hugo for Best Novel but also the Nebula for Best Novel. Summed up, Le Guin was a much beloved novelist, which is why her recent passing at the age of 88 came as such unfortunate news to a lot of fans of speculative fiction
Ursula K. Le Guin Books that Should be Movies...
Ursula K. Le Guin Books that Should be Movies...
- 1/30/2018
- by Nat Berman
- TVovermind.com
In 2014, Studio Ghibli temporarily halted film production following co-founder Hayao Miyazaki’s retirement, but that hasn’t stopped the studio from staying active in other ways, such as earlier this year when they co-produced Michaël Dudok de Wit’s “The Red Turtle.” Now, Variety reports that Amazon Studios has just picked up the American rights for another Studio Ghibli production: “Ronia the Robber’s Daughter,” a kids TV series directed by Gorō Miyazaki. The American dub of the series will benarrated by actress Gillian Anderson, best known for her role as Agent Dana Scully on “The X-Files.”
Read More: Studio Ghibli: The Techniques & Unimaginable Work That Goes Into Each Animation Revealed
Based on Astrid Lindgren’s children’s fantasy book by the same name, the 26-episode series follows the adventures of a young girl who grows up in an enchanted woodland as the child of a band of thieves.
Read More: Studio Ghibli: The Techniques & Unimaginable Work That Goes Into Each Animation Revealed
Based on Astrid Lindgren’s children’s fantasy book by the same name, the 26-episode series follows the adventures of a young girl who grows up in an enchanted woodland as the child of a band of thieves.
- 10/14/2016
- by Vikram Murthi
- Indiewire
From the start of A Wizard of Earthsea, we know that Ged, also called Druny and Sparrowhawk, will become one of the greatest wizards of all time, dragonlord and Archmage, a figure of song and legend. So when he carelessly unleashes a shadow on the world and has to go on the run, we know that he is going to defeat it in the end. It is a testament to Ursula K. Le Guin’s writing ability that tension and anxiety still runs through Ged’s travels, scrapes, and near-misses.
Ged was born on Gont in the Earthsea Archipelago and learns some magic from his aunt, a witch, although female magic is held in low esteem on Gont. When he uses magic to save his village from Viking-like invaders, he attracts the attention of Ogion, a powerful wizard on the island. But Ged is ambitious and cocky and hungry for knowledge and power.
Ged was born on Gont in the Earthsea Archipelago and learns some magic from his aunt, a witch, although female magic is held in low esteem on Gont. When he uses magic to save his village from Viking-like invaders, he attracts the attention of Ogion, a powerful wizard on the island. But Ged is ambitious and cocky and hungry for knowledge and power.
- 6/2/2014
- by Mily Dunbar
- GeekTyrant
Marc Buxton May 24, 2019
Game of Thrones might be our favorite fantasy show ever, but here are the 10 best fantasy series that could possibly be even better...
Now that the Game of Thrones has come to an end on screen, it's time to start speculating on which fantasy book series might pick up the TV adaptation mantle once Game of Thrones is gone.
Game of Thrones is one of the greatest fantasy epics ever written and it makes for the perfect episodic television experience, but it's far from the only fantasy book series that deserves to be on TV. There are plenty of other epic fantasies that would make killer television shows, and they would grip fans just as much as Martin's tale of dragons, White Walkers, knights, magic, and betrayal has.
Hollywood is already taking notice, with everything from The Kingkiller Chronicle to The Dark Tower getting movie and TV adaptations.
Game of Thrones might be our favorite fantasy show ever, but here are the 10 best fantasy series that could possibly be even better...
Now that the Game of Thrones has come to an end on screen, it's time to start speculating on which fantasy book series might pick up the TV adaptation mantle once Game of Thrones is gone.
Game of Thrones is one of the greatest fantasy epics ever written and it makes for the perfect episodic television experience, but it's far from the only fantasy book series that deserves to be on TV. There are plenty of other epic fantasies that would make killer television shows, and they would grip fans just as much as Martin's tale of dragons, White Walkers, knights, magic, and betrayal has.
Hollywood is already taking notice, with everything from The Kingkiller Chronicle to The Dark Tower getting movie and TV adaptations.
- 4/10/2014
- Den of Geek
Welcome to the finals of EW.com’s Ya novel bracket game, a March Madness style tournament that will determine the best Young Adult novel of all time — as voted by you.
And then there were two — Harry Potter and The Fault in Our Stars. Will Potter take home the crown of best Ya novel of all time, or is John Green’s heartbreaking work the one that will win it all?
See the road to the finals in our full bracket here, and vote in the poll below. For more, check out staff picks of books that didn’t...
And then there were two — Harry Potter and The Fault in Our Stars. Will Potter take home the crown of best Ya novel of all time, or is John Green’s heartbreaking work the one that will win it all?
See the road to the finals in our full bracket here, and vote in the poll below. For more, check out staff picks of books that didn’t...
- 11/21/2013
- by Erin Strecker
- EW.com - PopWatch
Canadian actor Shawn Ashmore definitely knows about the universal struggle of good vs. evil.
As mutant Bobby Drake, a.k.a. Iceman, he's battled Stryker and Magneto in the "X-Men" films; Ashmore also opposed a tyrant king in the magical "Earthsea" miniseries. In the "Mother's Day" remake, he was terrorized by a sadistic family. Now, in his current role as FBI Special Agent Mike Weston, he's busy hunting down serial killer Joe Carroll in "The Following."
HuffPost TV spoke to Ashmore on the phone about the intense crime thriller, how it feels to finally throw some punches, and the return of Weston after his near-death experience.
HuffPost TV: During pilot season, what initially grabbed you about "The Following" premise and your character, Mike Weston?
Ashmore: Everything grabbed me about "The Following." I read the script and loved it. My jaw hit the floor several times. I couldn't believe some of the twists that were happening.
As mutant Bobby Drake, a.k.a. Iceman, he's battled Stryker and Magneto in the "X-Men" films; Ashmore also opposed a tyrant king in the magical "Earthsea" miniseries. In the "Mother's Day" remake, he was terrorized by a sadistic family. Now, in his current role as FBI Special Agent Mike Weston, he's busy hunting down serial killer Joe Carroll in "The Following."
HuffPost TV spoke to Ashmore on the phone about the intense crime thriller, how it feels to finally throw some punches, and the return of Weston after his near-death experience.
HuffPost TV: During pilot season, what initially grabbed you about "The Following" premise and your character, Mike Weston?
Ashmore: Everything grabbed me about "The Following." I read the script and loved it. My jaw hit the floor several times. I couldn't believe some of the twists that were happening.
- 4/3/2013
- by HuffPost TV Canada
- Huffington Post
"The Man From Nowhere" (2010)
Directed by Lee Jeong-beom
Released by Well Go USA
Matt Singer said there's a sequence in this Korean revenge thriller that has "already taken up permanent residence in the Movie Hall of Fame section of my brain," so what more do you need? "Mother" star Won Bin stars as the man who is framed by local gangsters and seeks to retrieve the young girl he lives next door to after she's been kidnapped.
"Abducted" (2011)
Directed by Jon Bonnell
Released by Brain Damage Films
Originally called "Match.Dead," this 2009 thriller details the perils of online dating when a teen girl (Kathleen Benner) arranges a date with a man she soon learns is a psychopath (James Ray). Alan Smithee is the credited screenwriter on IMDb, so one might not want to go in with high expectations.
"Babysitters Beware" (2011)
Directed by Douglas Horn
Released by Phase 4 Films
If you're the...
Directed by Lee Jeong-beom
Released by Well Go USA
Matt Singer said there's a sequence in this Korean revenge thriller that has "already taken up permanent residence in the Movie Hall of Fame section of my brain," so what more do you need? "Mother" star Won Bin stars as the man who is framed by local gangsters and seeks to retrieve the young girl he lives next door to after she's been kidnapped.
"Abducted" (2011)
Directed by Jon Bonnell
Released by Brain Damage Films
Originally called "Match.Dead," this 2009 thriller details the perils of online dating when a teen girl (Kathleen Benner) arranges a date with a man she soon learns is a psychopath (James Ray). Alan Smithee is the credited screenwriter on IMDb, so one might not want to go in with high expectations.
"Babysitters Beware" (2011)
Directed by Douglas Horn
Released by Phase 4 Films
If you're the...
- 3/5/2011
- by Stephen Saito
- ifc.com
By Bryan Buss
(March 2011)
March 1
“127 Hours” (Fox Searchlight, R) — This true story of a mountain climber who gets pinned in a crevasse by a boulder earned raves (and an Oscar nomination) for star James Franco’s tour de force performance (in addition to nabbing noms for Best Picture, adapted screenplay, original score, editing and original song). The realism and intensity — not to mention the gore — in one particularly brutal scene led to patrons fainting, which may have kept some viewers away, as the film grossed only $15 million.
“Burlesque” (Screen Gems, PG-13) — This pairing of songstresses Cher and Christina Aguilera could have been camp nirvana, but despite the story similarities (small-town girl goes to the big city to become a star and learns life lessons the hard way), this derided musical didn’t cross the line from bad to entertaining often enough the way “Showgirls” did. Critics found the story timeworn,...
(March 2011)
March 1
“127 Hours” (Fox Searchlight, R) — This true story of a mountain climber who gets pinned in a crevasse by a boulder earned raves (and an Oscar nomination) for star James Franco’s tour de force performance (in addition to nabbing noms for Best Picture, adapted screenplay, original score, editing and original song). The realism and intensity — not to mention the gore — in one particularly brutal scene led to patrons fainting, which may have kept some viewers away, as the film grossed only $15 million.
“Burlesque” (Screen Gems, PG-13) — This pairing of songstresses Cher and Christina Aguilera could have been camp nirvana, but despite the story similarities (small-town girl goes to the big city to become a star and learns life lessons the hard way), this derided musical didn’t cross the line from bad to entertaining often enough the way “Showgirls” did. Critics found the story timeworn,...
- 3/1/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Network
By Bryan Buss
(March 2011)
March 1
“127 Hours” (Fox Searchlight, R) — This true story of a mountain climber who gets pinned in a crevasse by a boulder earned raves (and an Oscar nomination) for star James Franco’s tour de force performance (in addition to nabbing noms for Best Picture, adapted screenplay, original score, editing and original song). The realism and intensity — not to mention the gore — in one particularly brutal scene led to patrons fainting, which may have kept some viewers away, as the film grossed only $15 million.
“Burlesque” (Screen Gems, PG-13) — This pairing of songstresses Cher and Christina Aguilera could have been camp nirvana, but despite the story similarities (small-town girl goes to the big city to become a star and learns life lessons the hard way), this derided musical didn’t cross the line from bad to entertaining often enough the way “Showgirls” did. Critics found the story timeworn,...
(March 2011)
March 1
“127 Hours” (Fox Searchlight, R) — This true story of a mountain climber who gets pinned in a crevasse by a boulder earned raves (and an Oscar nomination) for star James Franco’s tour de force performance (in addition to nabbing noms for Best Picture, adapted screenplay, original score, editing and original song). The realism and intensity — not to mention the gore — in one particularly brutal scene led to patrons fainting, which may have kept some viewers away, as the film grossed only $15 million.
“Burlesque” (Screen Gems, PG-13) — This pairing of songstresses Cher and Christina Aguilera could have been camp nirvana, but despite the story similarities (small-town girl goes to the big city to become a star and learns life lessons the hard way), this derided musical didn’t cross the line from bad to entertaining often enough the way “Showgirls” did. Critics found the story timeworn,...
- 3/1/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Magazine
It's interesting to discover that Tales From Earthsea, the latest Studio Ghibli title to be distributed by Disney, was originally released in 2006. Especially since it seems like in four years, someone could have found a way to make its story a little more interesting. (But then again, maybe that's why it took four years to get shown in the States.)
Operating enthusiastically on the liberal side of the divide between casual viewers of Japanese animation and diehard anime (and more specifically, Miyazaki) fans, Tales From Earthsea is every bit as beautiful and well-rendered as its predecessors. But its pastoral, unhurried approach to adapting Ursula K. Le Guin's final two novels in the Earthsea series feels about as exciting as if Peter Jackson had decided to shoot the Lord of the Rings trilogy from the point of view of the tree people, the Ents, only to smash cut to the...
Operating enthusiastically on the liberal side of the divide between casual viewers of Japanese animation and diehard anime (and more specifically, Miyazaki) fans, Tales From Earthsea is every bit as beautiful and well-rendered as its predecessors. But its pastoral, unhurried approach to adapting Ursula K. Le Guin's final two novels in the Earthsea series feels about as exciting as if Peter Jackson had decided to shoot the Lord of the Rings trilogy from the point of view of the tree people, the Ents, only to smash cut to the...
- 8/18/2010
- by Todd Gilchrist
- Cinematical
Two and a Half Torches (Out of Five) Back 2006, Japan's famous Studio Ghibli (Spirited Away, Ponyo) finished a movie called Tales From Earthsea, based on Ursula K. Le Guin's classic Earthsea series of books. But legal wrangling kept it from being released in the U.S. -- the U.S. film rights to the books were held by the SyFy Channel which had produced a truly horrible TV adaptation of le Guin's work back in 2004. Tales From Earthsea finally opens in the U.S. today, released by Disney with voice-overs by Timothy Dalton and Willem Defoe (the preview screening I attended was in Japanese with subtitles). We could've missed this one.
- 8/13/2010
- thetorchonline
Check out the trailer as well as new images from Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures' "Earthsea" animated adventure. The Goro Miyazaki-helmed film features the voice talents of Timothy Dalton, Willem Dafoe, Cheech Marin and Mariska Hargitay. Film opens on August 13th in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and Honolulu. The film is rated PG-13. “Tales from Earthsea” is based on a book series by Ursula K. Le Guin that is considered one of the greatest in fantasy literature. Goro Miyazaki’s father, Hayao Miyazaki, was inspired by the book series for much of his work, including his 1983 comic book “Shuna’s Journey,” as well as key films “Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind,” “Castle in the Sky” and “Princess Mononoke.”...
- 7/15/2010
- Upcoming-Movies.com
On August 13 Walt Disney Pictures will release Goro Miyazaki's Tales from Earthsea, an adaptation of Ursula K. Le Guin's novel "A Wizard of Earthsea" centering on Ged (voiced by Timothy Dalton), who was the greatest sorcerer in all Earthsea. He was once called Sparrowhawk, a reckless youth, hungry for power and knowledge, who tampered with long-held secrets and loosed a terrible shadow upon the world. The film follows him on his path as he masters the mighty words of power, tames an ancient dragon, and crosses death's threshold to restore the balance.
Along with Dalton, Mariska Hargitay, Willem Dafoe and Cheech Marin also provide voice work for the American version. The original Japanese release first hit theaters in Japan in July of 2006 and marks Goro Miyazaki's feature directorial debut. As the son of acclaimed director Hayao Miyazaki (Ponyo, Spirited Away) this is a film to certainly keep...
Along with Dalton, Mariska Hargitay, Willem Dafoe and Cheech Marin also provide voice work for the American version. The original Japanese release first hit theaters in Japan in July of 2006 and marks Goro Miyazaki's feature directorial debut. As the son of acclaimed director Hayao Miyazaki (Ponyo, Spirited Away) this is a film to certainly keep...
- 7/14/2010
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Studio Ghibli’s “Gedo Senki”, aka “Tales from Earthsea”, Goro Miyazaki’s adaptation of Ursula K. Le Guin’s “Earthsea” novels from 2006 is finally coming ashore to the good ol USA, with Disney set to unveil the film in (unfortunately) limited release on August 13, 2010. (You can thank the SyFy Channel for that little bit of delay.) Something bizarre has come over the land. The kingdom is deteriorating. People are beginning to act strange… What’s even more strange is that people are beginning to see dragons, which shouldn’t enter the world of humans. Due to all these bizarre events, Ged, a wandering wizard, is investigating the cause. During his journey, he meets Prince Arren, a young distraught teenage boy. While Arren may look like a shy young teen, he has a severe dark side, which grants him strength, hatred, ruthlessness and has no mercy, especially when it comes to protecting Teru.
- 7/13/2010
- by Nix
- SciFiCool.com
Walt Disney Pictures will release Goro Miyazaki's Tales from Earthsea on August 13 and we've got a list of the theaters you'll be able to see the animated adventure as well as a gallery of images from the film. Timothy Dalton, Mariska Hargitay, Willem Dafoe and Cheech Marin voice the English version of the film, which is an adaptation of Ursula K. Le Guin's novel "A Wizard of Earthsea." The book centers on Ged, who was the greatest sorcerer in all Earthsea. It's the tale of his testing, how he mastered the mighty words of power, tamed an ancient dragon, and crossed death's threshold to restore the balance. The movie will play at the following theaters: New York: Angelica/Manhattan 11:30am 2:00 4:30 7:00 9:30 12:00am (Fri / Sat) Los Angeles: The Landmark...
- 7/12/2010
- Comingsoon.net
The good news: Disney is finally giving a domestic release to Tales From Earthsea, the 2006 film directed by Hayao Miyazaki's son Goro Miyazaki that adapts stories by Ursula K. Le Guin. The bad news: it will still be Tales From Earthsea, which wasn't up to the high standards set for Ghibli films by the elder Miyazaki. Cartoon Brew (via AICN) notes that Disney will release Tales From Earthsea on August 13 as a Touchstone film. The film has been released elsewhere in the world following the 2006 Japanese premiere, but could not be distributed in the Us thanks to a SyFy Channel rights agreement for Ursula K. Le Guin's work. We'll be seeing the English dub, which features voice work from Willem Dafoe, Timothy Dalton, Mariska Hargitay, Cheech Marin and many more. English dubs from Ghibli are often quite good, as these things go, so that's something. But Earthsea isn't...
- 5/18/2010
- by Russ Fischer
- Slash Film
On Saturday, February 27, Syfy kicks off its run of original movies based on popular fairy tales with Beauty and the Beasts . Estella Warren and Rhett Gilles star in this retelling that features Belle and the titular beast taking on a witch and its murderous troll. The movie was written by Gavin Scott, who co-wrote Small Soldiers and The Borrowers in addition to penning Earthsea and The Mists of Avalon . Mr. Scott spoke with Shock Till You Drop about the project's origins, how he approached writing such a familiar story, the necessary elements of a successful genre piece and more. Shock Till You Drop: How did you initially come to be involved with this project? Gavin Scott: Partly it is because I have a strong New Zealand connection. I grew up there and the...
- 2/23/2010
- shocktillyoudrop.com
The Tortured, the upcoming horror film directed by Robert Lieberman (Fire in the Sky, All I Want for Christmas), gets an original score composed by Jeff Rona. The two previously collaborated on Lieberman's TV movies Earthsea and NetForce. The film is produced by Twisted Pictures, the company behind the Saw series. The Tortured stars Jesse Metcalfe, Erika Christensen and Bill Moseley and is a story about two parents gruesome revenge on a pedophile who killed their child. Jeff Rona is also doing the music for upcoming TV series Persons Unknown for Fox, and the computer game God of War III.
- 12/28/2008
- by noreply@blogger.com (Mikael Carlsson)
- MovieScore Magazine
Sci Fi Channel has pinned senior vp stripes on development executives Erik Storey and Tony Optican.
In addition, Christina Sanagustin has joined the network as vp development after having recently served as a current programming executive at WB Network.
Storey, Optican and Sanagustin are based in Los Angeles and will focus on expanding Sci Fi's slate of original series and longform projects.
Storey, who joined Sci Fi in 2001 as vp programming, oversees the original series Battlestar Galactica and has shepherded several of the channel's miniseries, including The Triangle, Legend of Earthsea and Children of Dune. He is working on the pilot Warehouse 13, which is in preproduction.
Since joining Sci Fi in 2003, Optican has overseen the development and production of such series as Eureka and Stargate: Atlantis as well as the recent hit miniseries Tin Man. His newest project is the pilot Revolution, also in preproduction.
"Tony and Erik have been incredibly valuable contributors to Sci Fi's success story over the past few years," executive vp original programming Mark Stern said.
In addition, Christina Sanagustin has joined the network as vp development after having recently served as a current programming executive at WB Network.
Storey, Optican and Sanagustin are based in Los Angeles and will focus on expanding Sci Fi's slate of original series and longform projects.
Storey, who joined Sci Fi in 2001 as vp programming, oversees the original series Battlestar Galactica and has shepherded several of the channel's miniseries, including The Triangle, Legend of Earthsea and Children of Dune. He is working on the pilot Warehouse 13, which is in preproduction.
Since joining Sci Fi in 2003, Optican has overseen the development and production of such series as Eureka and Stargate: Atlantis as well as the recent hit miniseries Tin Man. His newest project is the pilot Revolution, also in preproduction.
"Tony and Erik have been incredibly valuable contributors to Sci Fi's success story over the past few years," executive vp original programming Mark Stern said.
- 12/24/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Smallville alum Eric Johnson has landed the title role in Sci Fi Channel's upcoming series Flash Gordon.
The 22-hour series, a contemporary take on the popular comic strip franchise, is slated for an August premiere. It will feature Johnson as space traveler Flash Gordon embarking on all-new adventures.
Peter Hume penned the first two episodes, which will be directed by Rick Rosenthal (Smallville). Production is to begin May 1 in Vancouver.
Flash is being produced by Reunion Pictures under an agreement with property owner King Features Syndicate. RHI Entertainment is distributing the series internationally. RHI's Robert Halmi Sr. and Robert Halmi Jr., who recently worked with Sci Fi on the miniseries Legend of Earthsea, are executive producing, with Hume also expected to exec produce. Matthew O'Connor and Tom Rowe will serve as producers.
Casting is under way for the other roles, including Flash Gordon's fellow space travelers Dale Arden and Dr. Hans Zarkov.
The Flash Gordon comic strip was created in 1934 by Alex Raymond and is being distributed internationally by King Features.
The 22-hour series, a contemporary take on the popular comic strip franchise, is slated for an August premiere. It will feature Johnson as space traveler Flash Gordon embarking on all-new adventures.
Peter Hume penned the first two episodes, which will be directed by Rick Rosenthal (Smallville). Production is to begin May 1 in Vancouver.
Flash is being produced by Reunion Pictures under an agreement with property owner King Features Syndicate. RHI Entertainment is distributing the series internationally. RHI's Robert Halmi Sr. and Robert Halmi Jr., who recently worked with Sci Fi on the miniseries Legend of Earthsea, are executive producing, with Hume also expected to exec produce. Matthew O'Connor and Tom Rowe will serve as producers.
Casting is under way for the other roles, including Flash Gordon's fellow space travelers Dale Arden and Dr. Hans Zarkov.
The Flash Gordon comic strip was created in 1934 by Alex Raymond and is being distributed internationally by King Features.
- 4/11/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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