As if Comic-Con wasn’t exciting enough, Microsoft and 343 Industries released the official trailer yesterday for their upcoming digital web series, Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn. It. Is. Epic.
Based on the beloved Halo universe, the series will premiere on October 5, 2012, on machinima.com’s new premiere channel, Machinima Prime, and on Halo Waypoint on Xbox Live. Five episodes are planned for promotional purposes leading up to the release of Halo 4 on November 6. The official Xbox Halo Waypoint site says, “Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn brings a brand new Halo story to life on a scale never before seen in the Halo Universe.” (Xbox.com: Halo Waypoint)
The story goes something like this:
Set against the backdrop of a United Nations Space Command (UNSC) military academy, a group of highborn cadets are training to be the next generation of soldiers in the UNSC’s ongoing war with insurrectionists in the outer colonial planets. Among these cadets, Thomas Lasky struggles with his doubts about this war, and with the burden of expectations he may not be able to carry. As Lasky comes to terms with his potential as a military leader, the terrifying alien alliance known as the Covenant arrives and turns his world upside down. Inspired by the Master Chief, he must decide what it means to be a hero. Halo fans who experience Lasky’s thrilling origin story in Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn will be rewarded with special insights into the story of Halo 4 and the “Halo Infinity Multiplayer” experience. (finance.yahoo.com)
Written by Todd and Aaron Helbing of Smallville and Spartacus, Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn also boasts director Stewart Hendler of Sorority Row. The up-and-coming cast is riddled with smaller names that have made appearances in big-title films. For example, Master Chief will be played by Daniel Cudmore, who has been in X2, X-Men: The Last Stand, and The Twilight Saga. Tom Green (Dance Academy) will play Thomas Lasky, the character whose story drives the web series. More stars and their respective characters include Anna Popplewell (The Chronicles of Narnia) as Chyler Silva, Ayelet Zurer (Angels & Demons, Munich) as Mehaffey, Mike Dopud (Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol) as General Black, Enisha Brewster (Footloose) as April Orenski, Masam Holden (Grey’s Anatomy, Elizabethtown) as Michael “Sully” Sullivan, Osric Chau (2012) as JJ Chen, Iain Belcher (Supernatural) as Vickers, and Kat De Lieva as Dimah. (finance.yahoo.com)
Do I think this web series will be incredible? I think that was just a rhetorical question. Of course it will be. When video games started coming out with live-action trailers before the official release dates, all I could think of was, “That’s genius! What a way to get people more interested in the story than the gameplay. Video games are becoming real and relatable now.” Then when I saw the “Remember Reach” trailer which came out for Halo: Reach‘s promotion, I thought, “HO-LY SHIT. What did I just see?! My mind cannot contain or comprehend the glories that just scrolled in front of my eyes.”
If I was that stoked about the Reach trailer, you can very well expect this Halo fan of over 10 years to be more than ecstatic for another live-action viewing opportunity. For those of you wondering about the actual Halo 4 gameplay that is currently available at Comic-Con, all I can report is that our very own C Tan claims that the “multiplayer is awesome.” Take our word for it. (EDITOR’S NOTE: It was pretty sweet. Reminds me more of Halo 2 multi versus Halo 3, which is good. What was bad was I sucked at playing Halo so I got my ass kicked. Regardless, enjoyable and just feels a bit more balanced but that might have to deal with the fact no one else played it and didn’t have a great feel off the bat.)
For some additional eye candy on this series, you should check out this video by IGN: IGN First Look: Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn Behind-the-Scenes. They were able to attend the set in Vancouver, B.C., and get some incredible behind-the-scenes footage. You can then add this to your list of total Halo achievements completed.
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If you are anything like me, you are probably losing what’s left of your sanity awaiting the return of Dexter on Showtime. September 30th is taking forever to arrive! Well, my fellow serial-killer lovers, this should help you survive:
I have speculated many times what Deb’s reaction would be to finding Dexter, however, in none of my speculations did I ever consider the way Travis was strapped down in saran wrap might trigger a very negative reaction from Deb, who was strapped down the same way by her former fiance’/Dexter’s brother Brian. I have so many questions… and yet I feel somewhat more content after seeing this. At least I know for sure that they aren’t going to blow it off, and she does officially know he has killed…well… at least once.
Dexter season 7 premieres, of course, September 30th on Showtime.
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Lots of movie news and trailers coming out of Comic-Con International, so let’s get started!
Oz: The Great and Powerful
It seems like the pairing of Sam Raimi and a Disney prequel to The Wizard of Oz starring James Franco wouldn’t exactly be on the top of “Things to be Expected at Comic-Con 2012”. But alas, Oz: The Great and Powerful is very much real. A Comic-Con panel revealed that the story would follow The Wizard before he became The Wizard of Oz, starring James Franco as the title character. Raimi also revealed that longtime friend and fan favorite Bruce Campbell will have a role in the film. I don’t think I’m alone when I say he’d be awesome as the leader of the munchkins.
The trailer, which was released soon after the panel finished up, reveals a similar style to the original film in that it begins in black and white and turns to color once our hero reaches The Land of Oz. I’ll admit, once Franco reaches The Land, the whole thing becomes Tim Burton-y in the Alice in Wonderland variation, a film that I despise with every fiber of my being. Joe Roth, one of the producers of Alice in Wonderland, serves as a producer on this film which may explain the similar style.
But here’s the thing, Raimi is better than 95% of most mainstream action/adventure directors working today. His projects always have an immense amount of passion regardless of the budget, and he has the decency to give the audience a self-aware wink, but not to the point of pretentious overload. I’ve yet to encounter a Raimi film that I didn’t like, and hopefully Oz: The Great and Powerful won’t be an exception. Here’s the trailer:
After what seemed to be a falling out on production of The Lone Ranger due to an inability to find a suitable actor for the title character, a surprise visit from Trailerland has made its way to Comic-Con. A thus far unreleased preview for The Lone Ranger has been screened at the Con, and this is what Collider had to say about the goings-on of this important preview.
Most of the trailer has Tom Wilkinson (who plays the film’s villain) providing narration about the importance of trains. He explains that because trains will be the fastest mode of transportation in the old west, and whoever controls them “controls space and time.” It’s unintentionally funny because, it’s, you know, trains. But the visual style is full of Verbinski’s indulgences, like a brief shot that goes into a saloon and there’s a prostitute swinging from a wooden crescent moon that’s suspended from the ceiling. There’s also a slo-mo shot of a bunch of white guys in around a table getting shot at.
Then there’s the big reveal of Tonto (Johnny Depp) and The Lone Ranger (Armie Hammer), and the shot is the first official image from the film. Then there’s a bunch of quick action shots including the Ranger drawing down on an unseen enemy, and Tonto clinging on to the bottom of a speeding train. But if there’s one big take-away from this trailer, it’s trains. Trains are really, really important. The film also stars Helena Bonham Carter, William Fichtner, Barry Pepper, James Frain, Ruth Wilson, and James Badge Dale.”
Personally, I think Armie Hammer is an awesome choice for any movie, especially one as epic as The Lone Ranger. He has a certain screen presence about him that led to very powerful performances in The Social Network and even J. Edgar. Put Johnny Depp in just about anything and I’ll watch. I’m not too worried about his performance here. The Lone Ranger is set to release July 3rd, 2013.
A new trailer for the upcoming Tim Burton film, Frankenweenie, was released at the Con today. It’s an extended version of the trailer that’s been running in theaters for the past couple months, and it furthers the tone set by the partially creepy and partially cute trailer we’ve already seen. This is definitely a passion project for Burton because it’s based off a short he made at the beginning of his career. I’m actually very excited to see how he extends the idea to feature length, and the way the premise seems to be played out is reminiscent of Edward Scissorhands. Will this be Burton’s first good film since Big Fish? I hope so.
You can read Collider’s summary of the Con Panel with Burton right here and you can watch the extended trailer for the film below:
The Expendables 2
One of the most anticipated panels of the year was The Expendables 2 which brought together literally every major action star of the past forty years. From Stallone to Schwarzenegger to JCVD to Liam Hemsworth, The Expendables 2 has something for everyone and this panel only proved that. One of the high points of the evening was seeing Schwarzenegger awarded IGN’s Action Hero Hall of Fame Award by last year’s recipient, co-star and friend Sylvester Stallone. A collection of Arnold’s best scenes and kills was shown to the audience and met with uproarious applause.
The bromantic panel that followed allowed for the actors to brag about how great everyone in the movie is. Stallone went as far as saying that audiences will be surprised by JCVD’s performance. The stars also got to talk about how much fun it was to interact with other legends in their genre. Some new clips were shown including “a truly kick-ass gunfight scene set at an airport between JCVD’s bad guys and the Expendables.” Despite Chuck Norris’ involvement (sorry, Kronner) and the film’s PG-13 rating (which is because of Chuck Norris [sorry again, Kronner), I’m pretty excited for this movie, especially because the first one was so truly bad-ass and will go down as one of the most popular cult hits of all time.
Here’s the panel for your enjoyment:
Wreck-it-Ralph
Disney’s newest film, Wreck-it-Ralph, looks to be something like The Avengers (Ed. Note: Nothing is like the Avengers.) meets Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World with animation similar to Tangled. What comic books were to The Avengers, video games will be to Wreck-it-Ralph. A valentine to gamers everywhere, this is one of my top ten most anticipated films for the rest of the year, and one that I’m getting more and more excited for as the release date approaches.
A new, ten minute clip was premiered at the Con today. A detailed description of the clip can be found here. According to IGN, the plot goes something like this:
Ralph is the antagonist of an old school arcade game called Fix-It Felix, Jr., where he destroys builds as Felix (30 Rock’s Jack McBrayer) makes repairs with his magic hammer. This is Ralph’s job, where he’s seemingly stuck forever as a destructive, brutish villain. The only time he can truly be his good self is after the arcade closes or during his Bad-Anon support group meetings with other video game heavies.
The lonesome Ralph is determined to find himself a new video game home, one where he can finally be the hero. What appears to be a simple power strip on the floor of the arcade is, in fact, Game Central Station, which allows characters to venture to the different game worlds of the arcade. Some of the other game worlds Ralph journeys to include the sci-fi combat shooter game Hero’s Duty and the cart-racer Sugar Rush, encountering no-nonsense Sgt. Calhoun (Jane Lynch) and Vanellope Von Schweetz (Silverman) along the way.
Sugar Rush offers Ralph his best chance yet at heroism (and love via his burgeoning relationship with Vanellope), but all is threatened when it’s discovered that the seemingly safe and saccharine realm of Sugar Rush holds a deadly secret that threatens to destroy all the game life in the arcade itself.
I think this is a fantastic premise for a film and I’ve been waiting for something that incorporates a bunch of different video game characters in a movie setting. While I’m not the avid player I once was, I know I’ll be able to understand most of the retro references that come up even in the film’s trailer. Something that disappointed me, though, was the reported absence of Mario and Luigi. According to the panel (which you can watch part of below) at the Con, Super Mario Bros. asked too much for an appearance in the film so Disney scrapped the idea.
A bit of news that redeemed this bad news; Skrillex will be providing music for the “Hero’s Duty” portion of the film. Guess where you can read more about Wreck-it-Ralph? Yep. Bosco’s Grindhouse.
And that’s the beginning of the news. Seriously. We’ll talk again, real soon.
For more CCI coverage click here. For pics from the con check out our Tumblr!
Warner Bros. Pictures has announced its full line-up at Comic-Con International which includes The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Man of Steel and Pacific Rim. If you would like to know more about back stories or previous news and information please check out our previous articles below:
A full description of the WB Comic-Con Showcase below courtesy of SuperHeroHype, with pictures provided by C Tan at the Con (unless otherwise noted):
Warner Bros. Pictures will once again have a major presence at this year’s Comic-Con International in San Diego, including appearances by fan-favorite stars and filmmakers from some of the Studio’s most anticipated films. Comic-Con attendees will also be treated to never-before-seen footage, including some that will be shown nowhere else. Talent from the films will also be on hand to answer questions, sign autographs, and more.
On Saturday, July 14th, in Hall H, beginning at 2:30 p.m., Warner Bros. Pictures will showcase a number of the releases upcoming from the Studio and its partners at Legendary Pictures, New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The special star-studded presentation also holds some surprises for the 6,500-plus fans in the convention’s largest presentation space.
The program highlights include a film that has already generated huge buzz: “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” directed by Peter Jackson, the Oscar®-winning filmmaker of the blockbuster “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. Jackson, who just wrapped production in New Zealand, is embarking on his own journey halfway around the world to greet fans, who are already counting down to the December 14th opening of “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.”
Joining Jackson on the stage will be Oscar®-winning screenwriter Philippa Boyens, along with several of the film’s stars, including Martin Freeman, who portrays the title character, Bilbo Baggins; Richard Armitage, who plays the fierce leader of the Dwarves, Thorin Oakenshield; the legendary Sir Ian McKellen, who returns as Gandalf; and fan favorite Andy Serkis, the extraordinary talent who is truly behind the character of Gollum. Attendees will also be invited to ask questions about the making of this epic adventure.
The presentation also includes the DC Comics superhero who, inarguably, started it all. Superman will be back on the big screen next Summer in the much-anticipated action adventure “Man of Steel.” Filmmaker Zack Snyder, the director behind “300” and “Watchmen,” will be at Comic-Con and will take questions from the audience about the making of “Man of Steel,” which opens on June 14, 2013.
Guillermo del Toro, the acclaimed writer/director of such films as “Pan’s Labyrinth” and the “Hellboy” films, will also be on hand with a preview of his science fiction action adventure, “Pacific Rim,” opening on July 12, 2013. The film’s stars Charlie Hunnam, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day and Ron Perlman will join the director on stage for the presentation, which includes never-before-seen footage cut together exclusively for Comic-Con. Fans will also have an opportunity to engage in a Q & A with del Toro and his cast.
The WB booth will showcase static displays of the “Man of Steel” Superman costume, and Batman’s amazing two-wheeled Bat-Pod, which was introduced in the 2008 record-breaking blockbuster “The Dark Knight” and is featured again in this Summer’s most anticipated film, “The Dark Knight Rises.”
While the Warner Bros. booth will have something to see at every minute of every day of the convention, on Saturday, July 14th, it will be the place to be to meet and greet some of the stars and filmmakers from several of the Studio’s upcoming features. Some of the autograph signing opportunities include “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” stars Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage and Andy Serkis, from 11:15 a.m. to 12 noon; from “Pacific Rim,” stars Charlie Hunnam, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day and Ron Perlman, and director Guillermo del Toro, from 3:55 to 4:55 p.m.; and “Man of Steel” director Zack Snyder from 5:00 to 5:30 p.m. (Please note that times are approximate. Check your schedule and other announcements for updates.)
This pretty much sums it all up so make sure you don’t miss any of the presentations!
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Comic Con is always an awesome time for us fan boys and girls. The smell of new comics on a mornings day, the greasepaint on some guy’s face who’s dressed as the Joker, and exclusive action figures.
It’s nerd Mecca time, and this year the bevy of posters, trailers, previews, easter eggs and all the other little tidbits in between are being analyzed by every single person who isn’t at CCI, while everyone who is there ignores them while waiting in line for their Hall H panel. Having been to SDCC twice before, I can attest that it truly is the spectacle people make it out to be, and is one of the most exhilarating experiences you can have, that is also extremely horrible at the same time. But I digress, because you’re not here to read what I think about the Con itself, you’re here to look at the juicy, juicy posters and coverage of the event! So let me transport you there for a moment with a collection of the posters themselves, which I believe are mostly self evident of their awesomeness, but I’ll talk about them anyway.
I’m totally stoked to see how The Evil Dead remake is gonna be. I like the use of the original font, and the inclusion of the #Necronomicon is a nice touch that echoes the poor idea of reading the books pages aloud, only now it’s on social media. I’d like to think that was a clever marketing decision on purpose, but even if it isn’t, I’m digging it. Check out our previous coverage of the movie here.
Here’s the complete banner. Spring 2013! Awesome.
Of course GoT is there reppin’ themselves rightly. Season 3 is gonna make everyone shit bricks. Can’t wait.
I was a huge fan of District 9, and remember being intrigued by the viral marketing for the movie they had at the 2008 SDCC, and after seeing it in theaters, Neill Blomkamp cemented himself as a visionary director to keep your eye on. His new project here, looks fascinating. Read our previous coverage here.
I didn’t even know they were remaking this. Reading about it though, seems it’ll be an interesting remake, as Kimberly Peirce is directing. She’s best known for Boys Don’t Cry, and her work on The L Word, which means she knows how to direct stories about women, and messed up relationships.
What can I say about this movie it’s awesome trailer already doesn’t? Joseph Gordon-Levitt has yet to be in a bad film, and Bruce Willis is Bruce Willis. Plus it’s directed by the guy who did Brick, which also starred JGL. Seriously, go see Brick if you haven’t already. Time travel, guns, JGL, Bruce Willis, what more could you want?
I am not familiar with this show, but the banner makes me laugh. The use of internet memes becoming legitimate marketing ploys is so strangely recursive it almost works.
Seeing these banners makes me wish I was there at Comic-Con International, but then I remind myself a bottle of water there is 6 goddamned dollars and am glad I’m not there. BUT if you wish you were, you can find more CCI related coverage right here! On Grizzly Bomb! The site you’re reading right now! YAY!
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