Category Archives: Movie Adaptations

Dark Knight Rises

‘The Dark Knight Rises’ on Blu-ray Dec. 4

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Dark Knight Rises

I know its barely even Halloween season yet, but if you’re making your Christmas list for that special someone, remember that The Dark Knight Rises will be released to Blu-ray and DVD on December 4th. That’s plenty of time to get it wrapped up nicely and stuck under the tree.

You especially need to get your copy if you missed the epic comic book movie in theaters. Bane is the villain in the third and final team up of director, Christopher Nolan and Bat-actor, Christian Bale. They don’t call him the man who broke the bat without just cause.

Some details regarding the hot, December release have risen to the surface by way of a new press release. Let’s comb through some of the facts, shall we? Oh, and yes, that’s the official Blu-ray packaging artwork you see up above.

In addition to your typical single film DVDs, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group also plans to release the “Dark Knight Trilogy Limited Edition Giftset” this coming December. Now that sounds like a really great gift, provided the giftee isn’t a Bat-nut like myself, who already has copies of the previous two films. Also, keep in mind that in 2013 another gift set will be released called the “Dark Knight Trilogy Ultimate Collector’s Edition”. Hmm. That one sounds even better. Warner Bros. is also developing an app for mobile devices. So, be on the look out.

When it comes to the stand-alone film, The Dark Knight Rises will be avialable in Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and Digital Download.

One Bat-flavored perk will be available free of charge. There’s The Dark Knight Rises app for IOS 5.0 or higher compatible devices such as iPhone and iPad, and Samsung Galaxy devices including S2, S3, Note, Nexus and Tab (operating system requirements vary by device). This free app builds on what’s already out there. So if you already have the “TDKR: Gotham City’s Most Wanted” app, The Dark Knight Rises app will serve as an update to that one in two phases.

The first update is coming late in October and will include several interactive activities. One item is a photo application that lets users pop a photo of themselves into a Tumbler, a.k.a. Nolan’s version of the Batmobile. In fact, if you are really serious about giving other the impression you can wield one of those military beasts, there will also be a video application that will allow users to insert a Tumbler into their personal videos. Because no day at the beach is complete without a Tumbler.

The second update will hit the same day as the Blu-Ray, which is December 4. It’s supposed to add a second screen functionality to the existing app. This way, you can sync compatible mobile devices with the Blu-ray disc via BD-Live enabled Blu-ray players. They must be connected to the same Local Area Network; however, but if they are, there’s more exclusive bonus content to drool over. You’ll get things like film location information, Gotham City maps, trivia, photo galleries and making-of featurettes. The second screen app is especially inventive. It gives you the freedom to control playback of the film on your TV via the Blu-ray player. You can get The Dark Knight Rises app from iTunes and Google Play.

As for the film itself, the Blu-ray Combo Pack will retail for $35.99, but the single disc DVD will sell for $28.98. You aren’t paying much more for that combo. Consider, too, what you are getting for the price. The Blu-ray Combo Pack has got the film in hi-definition on Blu-ray and in standard definition on DVD. This Blu-ray disc in particular should be stellar thanks to the IMAX technology utilized here. Filmmakers actually mixed it with the 35mm format. They call it a hybrid and it should provide for stunning clarity. Both the Blu-ray Combo Pack and the single disc DVD will also include UltraViolet, which allows the end user to download and instantly stream the film to just about any device, including compatible tablets and smartphones.

Keep an eye out for the “The Dark Knight Trilogy Limited Edition Giftset,” as I mentioned earlier. It comes with a nifty book that will be exclusive to the collection.

Once again, The Dark Knight Rises features a screenplay written by Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan, with a story by Christopher Nolan and wonder kid David S. Goyer. The all-star cast includes Oscar winner Christian Bale; Anne Hathaway as Catwoman; Tom Hardy as Bane; Oscar winner Marion Cotillard as Miranda Tate; and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as beat cop John Blake.

Dark Knight Rises

BLU-RAY AND DVD ELEMENTS

BLU-RAY COMBO PACK:

– “THE BATMOBILE” DOCUMENTARY: Witness all five Batmobiles together for the first time in history. Dive deep into every aspect of the most awe-inspiring weapon in Batman’s arsenal as you journey through the birth and evolution of this technological marvel and cultural icon. (01:00)

– ENDING THE KNIGHT: A comprehensive look into how Director Christopher Nolan and his production team made The Dark Knight Rises the epic conclusion to the Dark Knight legend.

– Production
The Prologue: High-Altitude Hijacking
Return to the Batcave
Beneath Gotham
The Bat
Batman vs Bane
Armory Accepted
Gameday Destruction
Demolishing a City Street
The Pit
The Chant
The War on Wall Street
Race to the Reactor

– Characters
The Journey of Bruce Wayne
Gotham’s Reckoning
A Girls Gotta Eat

– Reflections
Shadows & Light in Large Format
The End of A Legend

– Trailers

– Art Galleries

– UltraViolet: Instantly stream and download films to compatible devices

DVD:

– The Journey of Bruce Wayne

– UltraViolet: Instantly stream and download films to compatible devices

DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION ELEMENTS

On December 4, The Dark Knight Rises will be available for download from online digital retailers including iTunes, Xbox, PlayStation, Amazon, Vudu and CinemaNow.

The film is also available digitally starting December 4 in High Definition (HD) VOD and Standard Definition (SD) VOD from cable and satellite providers, and on select gaming consoles.

ULTRAVIOLET

*UltraViolet allows you to collect, watch and share movies and TV shows in a whole new way. Available with the purchase of specially marked Blu-ray discs, DVDs and Digital Downloads, UltraViolet lets you create a digital collection of movies and TV shows. Services such as Flixster and VUDU allow you to instantly stream and download UltraViolet content across a wide range of devices including computers and compatible tablets, smartphones, game consoles, Internet-connected TVs and Blu-ray players. Restrictions and limitations apply. Go to ultraviolet.flixster.com/info for details. For more information on compatible devices go to wb.com/ultravioletdevices.

BASICS

PRODUCT SRP

Blu-ray Combo Pack $35.99

Single disc Amaray $28.98

Bat Cowl package Blu-ray Combo Pack $39.99

The Dark Knight Trilogy Blu-ray $52.99

The Dark Knight Trilogy DVD $38.99

Street Date: December 4, 2012

DVD Languages: English, Latin Spanish, Canadian French

BD Languages: English, Latin Spanish, Canadian French, Brazilian Portuguese

DVD Subtitles: ESDH, Latin Spanish, Parisian French

BD Subtitles: ESDH, Latin Spanish, Parisian French, Brazilian Portuguese

Running Time: 165 minutes

Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some sensuality and language

Blu-ray 5.1 DLBY/SURR DTS-HDMA 2.0 DLBY/DGTL

DVD 5.1 DLBY/SURR 2.0 DLBY/ DGTL

Dark Knight Rises

Mark Millar

Fox Hires Creative Consultant Mark Millar for Marvel Films

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Mark Millar

When you are Mark Millar, a down economy and general lack of jobs isn’t really a problem. 20th Century Fox has just officially hired the comic book writer behind such books as The Authority, Ultimate Fantastic Four, Civil War, Wanted, and Kick-Ass, as their new creative consultant for upcoming Marvel projects. That’s good news for comic book movie fans.

Millar’s first assignments will be to work with Fox on developing “new avenues” for The X-Men and The Fantastic Four.

Production President Emma Watts reported, “We are excited to be working with Mark. In addition to his groundbreaking Marvel work, he is simply one of the most original voices in comics today and will be an invaluable resource to us and to our filmmakers as we look for fresh opportunities to innovate within our shared Marvel universe.”

Current upcoming films for the studio are The Wolverine, X-Men: Days of the Future Past, and a new Fantastic Four reboot. If you thought comic book movies were losing steam, you may want to reconsider.

The Wolverine stalled for a while with bad weather in Japan, but it seems like things are now full steam ahead for the Hugh Jackman starrer, being directed by James Mangold.

As for X-Men: Days of the Future Past, this is the title of the uber exciting new sequel to X-Men: First Class. i can’t tell you how ground breaking this film may be, as the young Xavier and his team see what their dark futures may hold. Matthew Vaughn is still at the helm on that project.

Now, it has been some time since Fantastic Four made a cinematic peep, but when newcomer Josh Trank made waves with his film, Chronicle, Fox promised him a shot at a reboot and they are making good on that promise.

The following statement was a part of Millar’s response to his new post.

As someone who has spent his entire life obsessed with both comic-books and movies, this is essentially my dream gig as it’s a unique combination of both,” stated Millar. “I spent ten years working at Marvel and am really happy with the work I did on the comic side of things so the idea of working with these characters now in a brand new medium is enormously exciting for me. I really like the Fox team, love this bold new direction they have for their franchises and am proud to be working alongside some of modern cinema’s biggest talents. James Mangold is incredible, Matthew Vaughn’s one of my closest pals and Josh Trank gave us, in my opinion, one of the greatest superhero movies of the last decade with Chronicle. The invitation to join this crew was maybe the coolest phone-call I’ve ever had.”

Millar’s newest titles are The Secret Service, Superior, and Nemesis. Nemesis is already being looked at as a new adaptation for Fox. Kick-Ass 2 is currently shooting in London and Toronto, starring Jim Carrey and Chris Mintz-Plasse. Yes, you read that right. Jim Carrey is involved. Universal wants to develop the War Heroes series with Mike DeLuca as a producer. The Secret Service, which was co-created with Watchmen genius Dave Gibbons, and X-Men: First Class director Matthew Vaughn, is also in development. See, it is very good to be Mark Millar. 20th Century Fox Film is of course one of the world’s largest producers and distributors of motion pictures. They’ll make a fine pair.

City of Bones

‘The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones’ Graphic Novel Adaptation Available Now

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City of Bones

We did Twilight. We have all the DVDs (Well, except for Breaking Dawn, part two, coming to theaters later this year). We’ve done The Hunger Games, film one. We even have the T-shirt. One of the next young adult paranormal book series to get it’s big screen adaptation will be City of Bones, which is Cassandra Clare’s book one in her The Mortal Instruments series. Will it be just as hot? That remains to be seen. The film won’t hit until the summer of 2013. That isn’t too far off now, but there’s something even closer.

A Graphic Novel adaptation of the popular series is available now.

According to the official press release, as we speak, digital booksellers are stocking their cyber shelves with paranormal graphic novel goodness. Cassandra Clare is a New York Times bestselling author. Her other series includes The Infernal Devices Trilogy and The Dark Artifices Trilogy. Clare, along with the publisher Th3rd World Studios, has envisioned a series of graphic novels that re-deliver the well-loved urban fantasy trilogy known as The Mortal Instruments. Today marks an exclusive digital release ofor Issue #1 of The City of Bones, available on comiXology, in iPhone, iPad, Android, Kindle Fire, Windows 8, and Web formats. There will be nine issues also to be released digitally later on.

The Mortal Instruments is an incredibly successful and engaging series of books; we are very excited to bring this series to a new audience through this collaboration with Cassie and comiXology,” said Th3rd World Co-Publisher Michael DeVito.

Th3rd World Co-Publisher Jon Conkling added, “The Mortal Instruments series has a passionate fan base who care greatly about this wonderful series so we have been working hard to remain as faithful to the source material as possible.”

The writer doing the adapting of Clare’s material is veteran comics author Mike Raicht. His published works include Dark Shadows, GI Joe, and The Stuff of Legend series. The art for the series is coming from newcomer Nicole Virella. Her style is a little unique, I think you’ll find. Colors are handled by Jeremy Mohler and lettering by Steve Wands.

If you haven’t yet read the books, then you don’t know that City of Bones features the first meeting of Jace and Clary. Clary is a fifteen-year-old who has just become aware of the existence of Shadowhunters, a secret warriors keeping our world safe from demons out of our world. Valentine, one such the evil Shadowhunter, Clary is pretty sure may have killed her mother. Jace is an attractive Shadowhunter imbued with the blood of an angel.

Readers can instantly download the digital version of the City of Bones graphic novel starting on September 26th through comiXology. The rest of the series will continue digital releases every month.

The original Mortal Instruments series has already won numerous awards. It has sold millions worldwide in multiple languages and has inspired sequels and prequels. Screen Gems is in production for the film adaptation of City of Bones with a screenplay penned by Jessica Postigo.

Lily Collins will star as Clary Fray and Jamie Campbell Bower is Jace Wayland, with hottie Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Valentine.

Hilary Swank to Star in ‘You’re not You’

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Director George C. Wolfe just landed actress Hilary Swank to star his adaptation of the novel You’re Not You. The book was the very first novel by Michelle Wildgen. Wolfe also directed The Devil Wears Prada and Nights in Rodanthe.

Wildgen’s book follows her main character, “Bec”, who will be acted by Swank. Bec sleeping with her married professor during the summer of her junior year at college. She has lost focus, interest, and direction. Soon, Bec finds herself in a job as caretaker for Kate, a thirty-six-year-old woman with ALS.

In a way, the flavor of Devil Wears Prada is evident. You see, before Kate was assaulted by her disease, she was quite the high powered gal. She was an advertising executive and a world class chef. Kate begins to give some of her sass to the younger Bec.

This would sound wonderful, except Bec’s dedication and attention to Kate still has got her college classes suffering and has a domino effect upon Kate’s marriage. Bec will soon have to decide between her two lifestyles.

On of the difficulties for Bec is the way she seems to be taking on Kate’s husband’s usual roles in Kate’s life.

Swank is planning to add producing to her role as star for You’re not You, via her company, 2S Banner, along with partners Molly Smith, Denise Di Novi and Alison Greenspan. Filming begins in Los Angeles this November.

Swank films have dwindled to about one a year lately. she starred as Amelia in 2009 and was nominated for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role for Conviction, which was a great crime thriller drama pairing her with Sam Rockwell. The Resident was a creepy thriller from 2011, where her co-star Jeffrey Dean Morgan is both sexy and terrifying. Her last film was New Year’s Eve.

Noah's Ark

See the Inside of ‘Noah’s Ark’

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Noah's Ark

We’ve been hearing the buzz surrounding Noah’s Ark, the movie, for months now. If you were starting to believe the Bible-based motion picture was a myth, we have a little something to return your faith. Will a photo from the set do the trick?

I can’t blame a single soul for being skeptical. It wasn’t so long ago that Black Swan director Darren Aronofsky was playing a game of red light, green light with The Wolverine property. That game ended without Aronofsky’s attachment sticking with The Wolverine. In fact, directing duties have transferred over to James Mangold. I don’t mind the change either. Mangold is behind Cop Land, a great crime drama with a great script, cool characters, and plenty of action. He also worked with Jackman before on his most romantic film, Kate & Leopold. Mangold also directed Walk the Line and 3:10 to Yuma. Color me excited. There’s even a photo of The Wolverine already floating around. The movie lives! Just like Noah’s Ark.

Noah’s Ark will star Russell Crowe and Jennifer Connelly, who are being reunited from their co-starring roles on A Beautiful Mind. That ought to be fun. Saoirse Ronan of The Lovely Bones and The Host joins Douglas Booth, Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, Kevin Durand and Mark Margolis. Did I read that right? Emma Watson! Woo!

When Aronofsky first won Crowe as his lead, he said, “I’d like to thank Paramount and Regency for backing my team’s work to breathe new life into the biblical epic. I rejoice that Russell Crowe will be by my side on this adventure. It’s his immense talent that helps me to sleep at night. I look forward to being wowed by him every day.”

Filming for this Biblical epic has been going on in Iceland and in New York and the picture has a release date of March 28, 2014. Can you say “Snakes on a Ship?” The photo from the set looks a little spooky. It also looks like something from an Indiana Jones film. That’s because it’s an interior shot from within the Ark, where piles of snakes reside, hoping to avoid the world-changing flood about to assault the planet. There’s also a giant crocodile down there, chilling with the snakes. (Well, he looks to big to be an alligator to me.) Can you imagine having to live peacefully with all those creatures trapped inside a floating vessel?

The photo came from Darren Aronofsky’s cinematographer, Matthew Libatique, who wrote,

Pre lighting on the holiest day of the year.”

I believe Libatique is referring to Yom Kippur, which began in the evening of Tuesday, September 25, and ended in the evening of Wednesday, September 26.

I hear Ray Winstone is being billed as the story’s villain. That should be interesting. He’s a good choice to be facing off against Crowe. If you’re a fan of Crowe, then you may have caught his Tweets about the terrible weather and dangerous conditions in Iceland. Better he than me! He has even joked about singing a lullaby to his Bible-based brood, Tweeting, “Night Shem, night Ham, night Japheth.”

This December Crowe will have the chance to wow Les Mis fans in his role as Inspector Javert. Thank you, director Tom Hooper, for figuring out that the big guy could sing. Speaking again of The Wolverine, Jean Valjean is brought to life by Hugh Jackman. Now that’s an awesome hero/ villain pairing!

Crowe is also getting in on some comic book movie action by becoming Jor-El for the new Man of Steel.

Anne Hathaway in Talks for Spielberg’s ‘Robopocalypse’

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As if the novel, Robopocalypse, weren’t already fascinating enough on its own, things just got a little more interesting. That tends to happen when Anne Hathaway’s name gets dropped!

Robopocalypse is that novel with the stunning cover, the one depicting a close-up of shiny, white, feminine robot’s face with black eyelashes and devil red eyes. From author Daniel H. Wilson, it reveals a future for humanity under the reign of a childlike, yet extremely powerful A.I. called Archos. Think Skynet from the Terminator series. Archos is a the global network of machines that has turned against mankind. At the very brink of extinction, a few scattered survivors manage to team up and develop a strategy for taking back their world.

The book has plenty of acclaim. It has been likened to The Andromeda Strain and to works by sci-fi giant, Robert Heinlein. Stephen King sang it’s praises, too. It’s noteworthy that the author has a PhD in robotics.

None other than Steven Spielberg himself is adapting the action-packed book into film. Tom Rothman has signed on as producer and Dark Knight Rises actress, Anne Hathaway is in negotiations to act in Robopocalypse.

The picture will be co-produced between DreamWorks and Fox, with Disney in charge of domestic distribution. A release date of April 25, 2014 has already been chosen.

Fox and Spielberg also worked together on the futuristic film, Minority Report. DreamWorks scooped up the property way back in 2009, purchasing the rights before Wilson’s manuscript was ever published!

Steven Spielberg said in a statement, “When someone like Tom is a free agent, you snatch him up fast. He has proven himself to be a necessity of this industry. At Fox he had already been an enthusiastic partner on Robopocalypse, and it is to our advantage that he would come produce this film with me. Tom has been a wonderful friend and colleague over the years and DreamWorks is incredibly lucky to have him on board.”

Tom Rothman said, “If you are in politics, you dream of a call from the White House, in baseball, from the Yankees, in movies, fromSteven Spielberg. Robopocalypse is the kind of important epic entertainment, a big movie with big ideas, that Steven does better than any filmmaker on earth. I am honored beyond measure that he asked for my help on it and fired up to do whatever I can for him, Stacey, the outstanding DreamWorks team, and all of my friends at Fox. I enjoyed the idea of being unemployed for a week, but this will be way more fun.”

I think Anne Hathaway is an excellent choice for this property. She has more than proven she can hold her own as an action star thanks to her turn as Catwoman, a role I was surprised she pulled off so amazingly well. The adaptation of Les Mis is only going to further catapult the young actress into the public eye. We are already hearing reports that hunk Chris Hemsworth may also try for a role in Robopocalypse. Do you think those two would have adequate chemistry? I hear Ben Whishaw, who will be appearing in another sci-fi film, The Cloud Atlas, is also looking at a part.

Jena Malone

Jena Malone ‘Catching Fire’ Talks Intense Training

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Jena Malone

Last March The Hunger Games took cinemas by storm. The hot, action sequel, Catching Fire makes its debut November 22, 2013. Although the stars who survived The Hunger Games and live on to tell their tales will be returning, Catching Fire also brings with it some new faces. One of those fresh faces belongs to 27-year-old Jena Malone. She’s on fire in more ways than one.

The Hunger Games trilogy is bloody popular. I know several men who have read the popular young adult dystopian series penned by Suzanne Collins, and I just can’t say that about Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight, nor her stand alone work, The Host. The material is action-packed, easy to relate to, at times harrowing, and delivered via the perspective of Katniss Everdeen, a strong, capable, flawed character men and women both seem to love. I say all that to say this: Who doesn’t want to be a member of the cast for the film adaptations? That makes the actors actually chosen for films feel pretty lucky. Jena Malone is no exception.

I’m very excited as well, it’s going to be great,” Malone said. “I just love the books so much. I literally read all three in four days and just was crying at the end. I’m really, really excited to be a part of it.”

Many of us have similar stories about the way we first read The Hunger Games. There’s something shared, something universal about these books.

Malone gets the chance to bring to life District 7’s Johanna Mason. Most of Suzanne Collins’ characters are multi-layered and complex, but Johanna is also fearless, raucous and sexy. For that reason, Malone was an excellent choice to play her. She not only has a feisty side, but she has the acting chops to play real depth. If any actress is going to fit into the shoes of a lady who intimidates Katniss, it’s Malone. Malone also has some experience with physical work and that’s coming in handy right about now.

Oh yeah, I’m in the thick of [training] but excited,” she said. “I love that kind of stuff. Sucker Punch kind of got me into a regimen and now I kind of crave it.”

Johanna Mason is a former Hunger Games tribute and champion of the Games. This means she’s a bit older than Katniss and has become a mentor to new tributes. That mentor role, the role Haymich played for Katniss and Peeta, is also a role the District 12 sweethearts, the archer and the baker, get to play moving forward. Mind you, Johanna may have an axe to grind. Follow my logic. If she’s a mentor, and Katniss and Peeta won the last Games, they likely killed the Tributes Mason was mentoring. Oops.

Johanna also gets more and more involved as we go deeper into the story.

In Catching Fire audiences will become familiar with the Quarter Quell, a set of Games with especially treacherous circumstances. As if they weren’t terrible enough already? This year President Snow will decree that former winners get put back in the lottery to compete in the horror yet again. That means Haymitch’s name could be drawn…or Katniss or Peeta’s! And yes, Johanna will be back in contention to be drawn within her district, too.

The only sad bit of news is that Kristen Bell, who is obsessed with The Hunger Games, won’t be playing Johanna Mason. I think she also could have done a good job with the role.

Catching Fire will be directed by Francis Lawrence. Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth reprise their roles. Phillip Seymour Hoffman has been cast as new Gamemaker Plutarch Heavensbee. Sam Claflin won the much coveted role of Finnick Odair.

The Barbarian Nurseries

Daniel Barnz to Adapt ‘The Barbarian Nurseries’

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The Barbarian Nurseries

Daniel Barnz is having a good career. This week’s headline reveals the director’s involvement in adapting the Héctor Tobar novel called The Barbarian Nurseries. The film project should be kind to the director because adaptations are fast becoming the gentleman’s forte.

Barnz recently made Variety’s list of the top ten up and coming directors to watch. He wowed Sundance Film Festival audiences in 2008 with the release of Phoebe in Wonderland. Starring Elle Fanning, Felicity Huffman, Patricia Clarkson and Bill Pullman, the picture is about a child diagnosed with Tourette syndrome.

But it was adapting the young adult novel, Beastly, which may have given the director a taste for adaptations. That one wasn’t brilliant, but it had its moments. It starred Alex Pettyfer, Vanessa Hudgens and Neil Patrick Harris. The coolest casting in that one was definitely giving Mary-Kate Olsen the role of a modern-day witch.

This weekend Barnz will debut Won’t Back Down, based on the events of 2010, when the parent trigger law was used in Sunland-Tujunga, Los Angeles. It stars Maggie Gyllenhaal and Viola Davis. Barnz is a Yale graduate and also attended the University of Southern California Film School. The Barbarian Nurseries‘ story is also set in Southern California.

When Barnz revealed his attachment to The Barbarian Nurseries, he said,

It’s a great natural step from this one because like Won’t Back Down, it’s also essentially a human drama that has some political overtones and so I’m very drawn to those kinds of films.

The tale examines the life of a modern-day, California-based, mixed-race couple. Some have called the novel a West Coast update on Tom Wolfe’s Bonfire of the Vanities. The Barbarian Nurseries is a story about the intricacies of family and a major character is the Mexican maid. It has made a few best read of the year lists and one reviewer called it “a masterful tale of contemporary Los Angeles, a novel as alive as the city itself.” There’s also a search for a long-lost father, which I wager many will be able to relate to.

If you liked Spanglish, starring Adam Sandler, Paz Vega, and Téa Leoni, then keep your eye on The Barbarian Nurseries. It should be even better and a little more realistic, but just as funny.

Author Héctor Tobar also wrote The Tattooed Soldier. He’s a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist as well.

Cloud Atlas Opens in IMAX on October 26

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Everyone is talking about Cloud Atlas. Will the book translate effectively into film? Will the movie be the next Matrix? I can answer one question for you. When will it open in IMAX? That golden day is October 26th.

There is a fresh new trailer for Cloud Atlas and here’s to hoping it clears up some of the questions people have about the upcoming film.

The book was written by British author David Mitchell. It’s broken up into several sections, each set in a different time and place, to include an imaginative, post-apocalyptic future. But all these vignettes mesh to tell an over arching story. Reincarnation is one theme. Sound complex? You bet. That’s okay, because The Wachowski brothers have been known for being pretty fearless. Say; here’s another question. Do we still call them brothers now that Larry Wachowski has become Lana Wachowski? I don’t have the answer to that one.

What’s important is that Cloud Atlas is written and directed by a team made up of Lana Wachowski, Tom Tykwer and Andy Wachowski. The acting talent includes Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving, Jim Sturgess, Ben Whishaw, James D’Arcy, Keith David, Susan Sarandon, Hugh Grant and Xun Zhou.

Warner Brothers released the film September 8th at the Toronto International Film Festival and rumor has it Cloud Atlas is being called the most expensive independent film in history. The picture will be digitally re-mastered for the immersive IMAX format and featured in select North American IMAX theaters on Oct. 26, 2012.

Greg Foster, Chairman and President of IMAX Filmed Entertainment released the following statement.

Trailblazing filmmakers Tom Tykwer and the Wachowskis understand how to transport moviegoers through ground-breaking imagery and scale. We’re excited to build on our partnerships with Warner Bros. and the filmmakers and present this epic tale in IMAX.

The central premise to the story revolves around a sort of butterfly effect, or how actions and choices in one life echo through time. You’ll see how lives can be changed. Beware the ripples!

My worry for the film is that the idea is too grand to be executed, but these fears may be unfounded given that the novel has already paved the way and should serve as a road map for the movie. Some audiences may also feel alienated by such abstract themes. The Fountain, for instance, won much critical acclaim, but I, personally, didn’t dig it. It was too otherworldly and I couldn’t relate.

I am excited about the key love story in the film, however. That being said, the epic drama will have it all, including mystery and action. It goes without saying that Cloud Atlas is also going to look really cool, you know, visually, like Tron or The Fifth Element. It’s about time we got some science fiction style on our plates, don’t you agree? Not that we didn’t get a nice taste in The Hunger Games.

The new trailer is extra exciting folks, and I hope it draws the crowds. I’ll be there! I especially like Susan Sarandon’s beautiful quote. I think it brings home what Cloud Atlas is all about.

Our lives are not our own. We are bound to others; past and present. And by each crime, and every kindness, we birth our future.

You can watch the new trailer for Cloud Atlas below:

Carrie Brings Horror to Facebook

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If you believe there’s no horror quite like the classics, then buckle your seat belts, because the King of scary is returning you to the world of Carrie. I’m sure you have heard by now that the iconic supernatural thriller is getting a reboot. The new Carrie is joining the internet age. Filmmakers have launched an official Facebook page.

Author Stephen King had cause to celebrate on Friday, September 21st. That date marked his 65th birthday! A little known factoid has been released in lieu of all the horror-themed goodness. King’s fictional character, Carrie, shares the same birthday. The Facebook page, in fact, featured a lovely little boon for fans. It’s a copy of Carrie’s birth certificate! How cool is that? Of course the document comes out of the state of Maine, where a majority of King’s stories take place. Also, it seems Carrie was born one Carrietta White, no middle name listed. The bundle of joy entered the world at seven pounds, one ounce.

The new film will scare audiences beginning in Spring of next year. This time around Chloe Moretz is acting the title role and Julianne Moore is her mother. In the story, Carrie is a pretty shy, solitary high-school girl, being raised by very religious mother. When Carrie’s peers play a traumatic practical joke on her senior prom, she unleashes some wicked retribution thanks to secret telekinetic abilities.

Carrie was King’s first novel and was first published in 1974. The first film adaptation followed in 1976. There was even a wild sequel in 1999 called The Rage: Carrie 2.

The new adaptation directed by Kimberly Peirce. The screenplay came from Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa.

Chloe Moretz is a natural choice for this role. I don’t imagine it was difficult to choose her. Horror seems to be imbued in her DNA. The young actress has already appeared in The Amityville Horror, Wicked Little Things, Hallowed Ground, and Let Me In, the American version of Let the Right One In. She was pretty creepy in 2009’s Not Forgotten. You probably didn’t hear about that one. It starred Simon Baker, TV’s Mentalist, and Paz Vega. Moretz is their daughter. The film depicts Santa Muerta. Yikes!

So, apart from checking out the new Carrie‘s Facebook page, how did Stephen King pass his 65th birthday? He released a sequel to another of his classics! No joke. The Shining, part two, is titled Doctor Sleep, and you can buy the new book starting today, September 24th.

The new book picks up with the life of survivor Danny Torrance, some thirty years after the events which took place at the Overlook Hotel. You can bet he’s still haunted. If we’re lucky, this book will get a book adaptation of its own.

I’d say King has quite a bit for which to be proud. He has published at least fifty novels, including seven under the pen-name of Richard Bachman, and five non-fiction books, my favorite of which is On Writing, one of the best books on the craft available to date. He is still married to his wife, Tabitha King, to whom he first dedicated Carrie, and has three children, Naomi, Joe, and Owen.