A few weeks ago toy maker and mega company, Mattel announced they were turning The Hunger Games into Barbies. Specifically, the heroine of the tale, Katniss Everdeen. And now we have a first look of what they Barbie doll looks like. The doll does not show Katniss wearing her reaping dress, or the dress that is on fire, but a more natural look for the character: her arena wear complete with a miniature mockingjay pin, bow and arrow, forest-tromping boots, and that one, plump braid.
The doll’s designer, Bill Greening said,
I chose to dress her in the outfit she wears during the games, since this is where all the non-stop action takes place and is instantly recognizable by fans. Of course, she wears her mockingjay pin proudly on her lapel.”
Designers made sure to get the look correct by examining the actual outfit worn by Jennifer Lawrence, who played Katniss in the film adaptation. Greening added,
“Hopefully Hunger Games fans can appreciate the attention to detail. The doll’s minimalistic style and details — such as her loosely braided hair and makeup-free look — also really embody the heroic character Katniss.”
He claims it is a make-up free look, but she sure does look polished to me. Aside from that, I do agree that they did a good job bringing the look from the movie to the doll.
Greening also mentioned that he was a huge fan of the book and the film allowing him to pay tribute to Katniss and the novels.
“I am a huge Hunger Games fan and loved all three books, so it was truly an amazing experience for me to be able to design the Katniss Barbie doll,” Greening says. “I think it really pays tribute to Katniss and The Hunger Games.”
The Hunger Games Katniss Barbie will be available everywhere in August and for pre-order starting today at 12 p.m. ET at BarbieCollector.com and various other online retail outlets.
Marvel Studios has released another “new” TV spot for the highly-anticipated movie, Marvel’s The Avengers. I really like how they’re really stressing the “Marvel” portion. It really gets away from the trademark issues that were happening in the UK over the use of the name, “The Avengers.”
As this is the 6th television spot that has been recently released, it too has its own focus, this time being Captain America, titled “Back in Action”. Yes, some of the footage has already been seen, but there are a few snippets and text that make this spot original.
The film will hit screens in 3D, 2D and IMAX 3D on May 4. Directed by Joss Whedon, the film stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgård and Samuel L. Jackson.
Continuing the epic big-screen adventures started in Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger, Marvel’s The Avengers is the superhero team up of a lifetime. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as SHIELD, finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins.”
The new film sports an all star cast. It includes:
Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark / Iron Man:
A self-described genius, billionaire, playboy and philanthropist with a mechanical suit of armor of his own invention. Becoming a superhero is obviously the best way to make people forget one’s a drunk and a reformed arms dealer. Honestly, Stark needs to run for President now.
Chris Evans as Steve Rogers / Captain America:
A World War II veteran who’s convinced his only way to help in the war effort is to do drugs. As the poster boy for steroid use, Steve Rogers is enhanced to the peak of human physicality by an experimental serum. While the spot focuses on the Captain as the team leader, maybe they should have gone with someone more… PC. In the Ultimate series, the Captain doesn’t buy that he’s in the future. How does he arrive to this conclusion? He bases it on the premise that there aren’t any African-American soldiers who’ve made the rank of Colonel. “Must be a Nazi trick!” Next thing you know, women will be able to vote.
Mark Ruffalo as Dr. Bruce Banner / Hulk:
A genius scientist who somehow gets caught in the blast of his own science experiment. Forget fail safes and controlled environments. Due to the exposure to gamma radiation, Banner is transformed into a monster when enraged or excited. Ruffalo was cast after negotiations between Marvel and Edward Norton broke down.
Lou Ferrigno; the man behind the monster in the 1977 television series of the Hulk, will voice “The Hulk.” Lots of screaming and maybe some monosyllabic words. “Hulk… Smash!”
Chris Hemsworth as Thor:
The god of thunder and disco era armor. Thor which is based on the Norse deity of the same name is more a space alien than; thus saving religious issues being brought up in the movie. Hemsworth stated that he was able to maintain the strength he built up for Thor by increasing his food intake, consisting of a number of chicken breasts, fish, steak and eggs a day. Fine and dandy really, but does an actor ever have to pig out and get obese for their role? Probably, but not to be made of eye candy for those that like their men made of abs. Now excuse me while I go back to eating this tub of ice cream.
Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow:
A highly trained spy working for the international peacekeeping organization, S.H.I.E.L.D. “Her superpower set is using a gun and launching a luchador wrestling technique that disables men with her swinging crotch.”
Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton / Hawkeye:
A S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and master archer known in the comics as the “World’s Greatest Marksman”. While originally a superhero with a crippling obsession with bows and arrows, Hawkeye has had some proper reconstruction of his superhero background. Now his abilities are due to his specials eyes. Better than lasik, operations have allowed Hawkeye to squint his way into seeing his targets; his eyes utilize more muscles to constantly change the way he sees over long distance.
Tom Hiddleston as Loki:
Thor’s adoptive brother and nemesis based on the deity of the same name. Man, how did Odin the All Father not see any of this coming? I thought he had a plan for everything.
Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury:
The baddest director to ever walk the street for S.H.I.E.L.D. The Colonel was revealed in previous films to be coordinating the “Avenger Initiative” which I thought was the training program for potential Avengers. While he forgot to recruit Spider-Man and the Wolverine, Jackson was brought to the project with a deal containing an option to play the character in up to nine Marvel films.
Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill:
A S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who works closely with Jackson’s Nick Fury. While in the comic she is pretty much a control freak and a raging bitch, I just don’t buy Smulders in the role. This is not “How I Met Your Mother”.
Preparations for The Hunger Games sequel Catching Fire has begun, and lead star Jennifer Lawrence is still trying to cope with her new amount of fame.
The Hunger Games is the big screen adaptation of the first novel from the Suzanne Collins trilogy.
She told MTV News,
It’s kind of like when we’re there, let’s talk about it. But until then I’m sick of hearing about myself as Katniss. And also we’ve been focusing on getting this one out so much that we haven’t really had time to talk about the second one. I’m sure they’ve had time.”
The sequel picks up where the first novel/movie leaves off. Katniss and Peeta return from the Games as victors and begin their victory tour across Panem. But there is a rebellion underway and Katniss is in the center of it. Then she has to cope with the new ruling put in place for the 75th Hunger Games Quarter Quell.
I think one and three are my favorites [in the franchise]. But ‘Catching Fire,’ I’m looking forward to shooting ’cause it kind of becomes more of a war movie.”
Playing Katniss might seem tough for other actors to pull off, but Lawrence, who is already an acclaimed actress felt a connection with the heroine.
I knew I could read the lines and say them without forcing anything. I could speak as this character. There are a lot of scripts where I simply can’t find those words. There are no way those words can come out of my mouth and feel natural. Katniss is a girl I can understand.”
Lawrence, along with her co-stars Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth have already signed on to do the entire franchise. While some actors might be worried about committing to such a long, multi-year project, Lawrence saw it as a positive.
That was definitely something to take into consideration. But then I was like, I’m an actor so I would be doing a film, at least a movie a year anyway,” she explained. “And then the opportunity to play a character that you love and something you’re really passionate about, that happens rarely, if at all, in somebody’s life. So now it’s a blessing ’cause I got to play this character that I love this year and then whatever I didn’t like, I can fix next year.”
The Hunger Games hit theaters on March 23rd, and it’s sequel, Catching Fire has a release date of November 22, 2013.
New TV spots for the upcoming film, Marvel’s The Avengers are coming out almost everyday now. A new one called “Roll Call” has hit the internet and televisions everywhere.
Marvel’s The Avengers is set to hit 3D, 2D and IMAX 3D theaters on May 4. It is the highly anticipated film from Joss Whedon that continues the big screen events in Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk,Iron Man 2, Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger.
Marvel’s The Avengers is the superhero team up of a lifetime. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as SHIELD, finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins.
The new film sports an all star cast. It includes:
Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark / Iron Man:
A self-described genius, billionaire, playboy and philanthropist with a mechanical suit of armor of his own invention.
Chris Evans as Steve Rogers / Captain America:
A World War II veteran who was enhanced to the peak of human physicality by an experimental serum.
Mark Ruffalo as Dr. Bruce Banner / Hulk:
A genius scientist who, because of exposure to gamma radiation, transforms into a monster when enraged or excited. Ruffalo was cast after negotiations between Marvel and Edward Norton broke down.
Lou Ferrigno will voice the Hulk.
Chris Hemsworth as Thor:
The god of thunder based on the Norse deity of the same name. Hemsworth was cast as part of a multiple movie deal. Hemsworth stated that he was able to maintain the strength he built up for Thor by increasing his food intake, consisting of a number of chicken breasts, fish, steak and eggs a day.
Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow:
A highly trained spy working for the international peacekeeping organization, S.H.I.E.L.D.
Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton / Hawkeye:
A S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and master archer known in the comics as the “World’s Greatest Marksman”. Renner said it was a very physical role and that he trained physically and practiced archery as much as possible in preparation.
Tom Hiddleston as Loki:
Thor’s adoptive brother and nemesis based on the deity of the same name.
Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury:
The director of S.H.I.E.L.D., who was revealed in previous films to be coordinating the “Avenger Initiative”. Jackson was brought to the project with a deal containing an option to play the character in up to nine Marvel films.
Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill:
A S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who works closely with Jackson’s Nick Fury.
It was reported earlier this week that director Gary Ross hadn’t signed on to direct the continuation of Hunger Games franchise, but that negotiations were still ongoing. However, it has now been reported that he will not be returning to direct the sequels.
Ross seemed committed to the film over the last few weeks saying,
I’m looking forward to it. Simon Beaufoy [‘Slumdog Millionaire’], who’s a writer I’ve been a fan of for a long, long time, is doing the script. I can’t write the ‘Catching Fire’ script right now because I’m finishing [‘Hunger Games’], and we’re on a schedule where the script has to get written right now. So I’m unbelievably fortunate that someone like Simon is going to be writing the script. […] That’s a thrill. He’s somebody that I respect and I just love his work.”
But apparently, it wasn’t enough as he has decided against it.
Playlist has claimed that the exiting of Ross isn’t as much of a monetary problem as previously reported. While he has decided he would rather not spend so much time in the same story, the low salary offer probably did not help convince him to stay on. Ross was paid $3 million to direct the first film, The Hunger Games and will also reportedly receive a five-percent cut of the backend. But he had asked for a pretty significant raise to do the second film. However, reports have been flying all week that Lionsgate negotiations had gone south and neither party would budge.
Lionsgate will now have to hire someone pretty quickly if they wish to stay on track for their November 22, 2013 release date.
At least one good piece of news for today is that Jennifer Lawrence, who plays main character Katniss, is open to shoot the film on schedule since the production of the new X-Men film has been pushed back to accommodate.
After years of development, now that the film adaptation of Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game is underway, it seems we are getting new photos everyday. Thanks to the new official production blog, we are getting new looks at the film everyday.
While the photo released today is just of the actors training for their roles, it is nice to see that things are moving forward and they are taking the production seriously.
The photo was posted on the blog with the explanation below:
Houston, we have a problem. We don’t know how to land the Shuttle. Good thing it’s just a simulator safely on the ground at SPACE CAMP in Huntsville, Alabama. Aramis, Moises, Asa & Suraj (pictured above from a monitor in the MISSION CONTROL ROOM ) and the rest of our cast agreed that to do Ender’s Game right, they had to train as though they were really headed into ZERO G. And this wasn’t just an afternoon spent taking a vanity tour. From the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU), which simulates extra-vehicular shuttle missions in Earth’s orbit, to the microgravity training chair that prepared astronauts for moonwalks during the Apollo program, the week at Space Camp was genuine prep for the feeling of reality that this movie deserves. And after all, the army that trains together stays together.”
The kids named in the commentary are Aramis Knight, who plays Bean; Moises Arias, who plays Bonzo; Butterfield, who of course plays Ender; and Suraj Partha, who plays Alai.
Ender’s Game is set hit theaters on March 15th, 2013.
The cast, which includes several award winners, is as follows:
Sony has officially committed to the adaptation of City of Bones from “The Mortal Instruments” series written by Cassandra Clare. After months of negotiations and back and froths between studios, Sony is ready to work on the HUGE series that not only has several more novels than previous franchises but also two novels in a prequel series.
With the film financed, the studio has already scheduled a release date of August 23, 2013. As of right now that is a weekend which currently has no other releases scheduled. That gives new director Harald Zwart a little over a year and four months to cast, prep, shoot and edit City of Bones.
Zwart was actually hired to replace Scott Stewart who had left the project when it was dropped by Screen Gems. Zwart is most known as the director behind the 2010, Karate Kid remake.
Cast to play the lead character, Clary Fray, is actress Lily Collins. Opposite of her was originally Jamie Campbell Bower, but it is reported he has sense dropped out. Other than Collins there is no other word on who is cast in the film adaptation.
Despite the fact that The Hunger Games is a mega-hit with more than $363 million earned so far, the director, Gary Ross, still hasn’t signed on to direct the sequel, Catching Fire. The stars of the film, Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Liam Hemsworth had all signed on for the entire franchise, yet Ross hasn’t.
Even though he is a seasoned filmmaker with several high grossing film under his belt, such as Pleasantville and Seabiscuit, he ended up taking a relatively low payment to write and direct the film along side Billy Ray and author Suzanne Collins. (hey I wish I got paid 3 million to do anything these days)
Rumors are swirling that Ross wants a sizable raise to do the second film, and negotiations have been going on since three weeks before the film’s March 23 opening. Yet, there is still no confirmation that he will sign on to continue the franchise.
Lionsgate has already received the script from Simon Beaufoy, but Ross hasn’t revised it. And the studio is definitely in a rush to get the film movie considering they already booked a release date for November 2013.
It is not odd for the studio to not invite a director back though. The massively popular Harry Potter film changed directors after the first two films. This also happened with the world-wide phenomenon of The Twilight Saga when they did not hire the same director after the first film was released even though it was very successful.
People can argue that The Hunger Games is better received than its predecessor, The Twilight Saga, with an A CinemaScore and an 85 percent “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes in addition to huge worldwide box office. The film also appeals to wide audience than Twilight. Ross could bet that the movie will play better and stronger in theaters and that he is a director that many studios would love to have.
Ross has said in the past that he does wish to work on the rest of the franchise because he loves the story and the actors involved. Whether it is greed on his part or the studio’s, we won’t know the fate until someone is officially signed on to direct.
For everyone who loved the Hunger Games (whether it was the book, the movie, or both) who can now spend your next vacation visiting the adventurous spots where the movie adaptation was filmed. CheapOair is offering new vacation deals to North Carolina where visitors can see top hot spots featured in the film.
Fan can visit the DuPont State Recreational Forest (also known as the arena in the movie) where you can find a dramatic landscape of waterfalls, hideaway lakes, streams and pines, as well as the spot where Peeta camouflaged himself in the movie, and traces of the pyrotechnics from the fireball sequence.
Next on your itinerary you can make a night out of Charlotte’s NoDa neighborhood which is home to artsy galleries, bars and restaurants, as well as the spots where the cast of the film spent their nights out. Barnardsville also hosts a Navitat Canopy Tour, which is home to one of the many ziplines in Western North Carolina.
You can even see the pre-game scenes that take place between Katniss and Gale which were filmed close by in Pisgah National Forest.
CheapOair is offering the following deals:
New York to Charlotte, North Carolina for a 4 night/5 day stay at the Marriott Charlotte Southpark for $717 per person.
*Sample hotel rate listed for travel from April 20, 2012 through April 24, 2012 and is based on availability; additional dates and locations available. Taxes and service fees included. Sample airfare is listed for New York to Charlotte.
Boston to Charlotte, North Carolina for a 3 night/4 day stay at the Doubletree by Hilton Charlotte Airport for $553 per person.
*Sample hotel rate listed for travel from April 12, 2012 through April 15, 2012 and is based on availability; additional dates and locations available. Taxes and service fees included. Sample airfare is listed from Boston to Charlotte.
Los Angeles to Charlotte, North Carolina for a 3 night/4 day stay at the Renaissance Charlotte Southpark for $561 per person.
*Sample hotel rate listed for travel from April 13, 2012 through April 16, 2012 and is based on availability; additional dates and locations available. Taxes and service fees included. Sample airfare is listed from Los Angeles to Charlotte.
A brand new set photo has been released courtesy of the new Ender’s Game Production Blog. While they haven’t yet released any photos of the cast, it seems they are going to build up to it.
Ender’s Game producer Roberto Orci has posted a second production blog entry and says:
If you think regular school is tough, try it in a rotating space station. And by the way, do you have a hall pass for hall number 0058? Because if you don’t, you could end up scrubbing the showers. When you first arrive at Battle School, all you perceive is its utility, its functionality… that is until you enter the BATTLE ROOM, where there is no up, no down, and ZERO G’s. Movie making can become overly reliant on digital worlds, and nothing can replace a well-built set that you can see and touch and stand in the middle of, fooling you into thinking you are really there. Enjoy this small taste of Ender’s big world. We’ll see a lot more in the weeks to come.
Directed by Gavin Hood, the March 15, 2013 release stars Asa Butterfield, Harrison Ford, Ben Kingsley, Viola Davis, Abigail Breslin and Hailee Steinfeld.
Designers made sure to get the look correct by examining the actual outfit worn by Jennifer Lawrence, who played Katniss in the film adaptation. Greening added,
