The Lion King Hits 3D Theaters on September 16

Walt Disney Pictures announced today that The Lion King will return to theaters in 3D on September 16 before hitting Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D on October 4.

Simba, Mufasa, Nala, Timon and Pumbaa are back and better than ever this fall when Disney’s “The Lion King” roars into theaters and homes in breathtaking 3D. A special two-week theatrical extravaganza kicks off Sept. 16, 2011, showcasing the Oscar- and Golden Globe-winning film on the big screen in Disney Digital 3D for the first time ever, and its highly anticipated home entertainment debut kicks off October 4, celebrating the Diamond Edition release of the epic movie “The Lion King” in high-definition Blu-ray™ and Blu-ray 3D.

“‘The Lion King’ is the best-selling home entertainment release of all time—and this is ‘The Lion King’ like never before,” said Bob Chapek, president of distribution, The Walt Disney Studios. “The all-new 3D format immerses viewers in the epic settings and puts them face-to-face with these beloved characters. We’re showcasing one of the all-time favorite Disney movies in theaters and making it available in Blu-ray hi-def and in Blu-ray 3D—it’s the must-see, must-own title for everyone.”

Nearly a decade since “The Lion King” last appeared on the big screen, the upcoming theatrical release invites new generations into the “Circle of Life.” The two-week, 3D-only presentation is a planned wide domestic release—the biggest since the film’s 1994 debut—and the film’s first-ever 3D release.

The Blu-ray debut marks the first time “The Lion King” has been available in any form since 2004. Featuring pristine high definition picture and sound, the Blu-ray creates an incredible at-home experience with a host of picture and sound enhancements, interactive features and bonus content, including a new set of hilarious animated bloopers.

“The Lion King,” first released in 1994, won the Oscar for Best Original Score (Hans Zimmer) and Best Original Song (Elton John/Tim Rice “Can You Feel the Love Tonight”), earning Golden Globes in both categories, as well as for Best Motion Picture—Comedy or Musical.

The film inspired an immensely popular, Tony Award®-winning Broadway musical, which is currently featured on stages worldwide. It became the seventh longest-running musical in Broadway history in January 2011.

Al Pacino receives Strasberg acting prize

Al Pacino received the prestigious 'Lee Strasberg Artistic Achievement Award' in New York City this week.

The Godfather star was on hand at Manhattan's Marriott Marquis hotel to personally accept the honour from the Actors Fund of America, a charitable group which aims to assist struggling entertainment professionals.

Pacino stressed how important the Actors Fund has been to his own life in his remarks to the gathered audience.

"From my decades of work in theater and film, I know firsthand the importance of our community giving back to support those in need," he said. "Actors, musicians, directors, crew members and so many others - they are all a part of our community. And when they need a helping hand, we know The Actors Fund will be there."

The prize is named after the legendary acting teacher Lee Strasberg, who was a mentor to the young Pacino. The pair would go on to star together in two feature films, 1974's The Godfather, Part II and 1979's courtroom drama …And Justice For All.

Former Cheers actress Bebe Neuwirth also received a special tribute at the ceremony.

Alec Baldwin and Annette Bening hosted the event.

First image from Pixar’s Brave

This year may be all about Cars 2 over at Pixar, but John Lasseter and co clearly haven’t forgotten that next year will belong to a flame-haired, arrow-wielding heroine.

The animation studio has just released the first action pose-y shot from Brave, which is due to open June 2012.

It shows off Princess Merida, a skilled archer who accidentally sets evil upon the Scottish highlands when she is granted a wish.

Proving why it is celebrated as a market leader in CG animation, this first shot from Brave is as luscious and gorgeous to look at as anything Pixar has ever created.

That mane of hair is particularly impressive, as Pixar edges ever closer to gob-smacking realism.
Kelly Macdonald, of Trainspotting, No Country For Old Men and Boardwalk Empire, is on voice duties for the character.

Brave opens  22 June 2012.

Source: Bleeding Cool

Harry Potter Deathly Hallows 2 is meant for 3D

Harry Potter producer David Heyman has reassured fans that the 3D conversion of the final film will only be used to enhance the story.

Heyman previously confirmed that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two would be released in 3D, despite the cancelled conversion of Part One last year. Speaking at the time, he insisted that it was not being used as a "special effect gimmick".

"The way [director] David Yates is approaching 3D is he's trying to approach it from a character and story point of view," he told SFX. "Trying to use the sense of isolation, of separation that sometimes 3D gives you, to heighten that at appropriate moments. So we're approaching it in a storytelling way.

"In terms of Deathly Hallows: Part One, we just ran out of time and in discussion with the studio, we told them we couldn't preserve the quality and make the movie the way we wanted to deliver it if we made it in 3D. And they understood, and they were supportive."

He continued: "Funnily enough I think this last film will benefit more from the 3D than the first one would have. It's more epic and operatic."

However, Heyman went on to confirm that fans will be able to own the first half of the finale in 3D at some point in the future.

"The first one was a more intimate film so 3D didn't feel as germane," he said. "But ultimately, we've done 3D for the Blu-ray so Part One will be available in 3D in your home at some point."

Check out the recently revealed banners featuring Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley.

Alan Rickman praises "great" J.K. Rowling

Alan Rickman has shared a letter he wrote after filming his final Harry Potter scenes as Severus Snape.

Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint were highly spoken of in the document, published in Empire magazine.

"I have just returned from the dubbing studio where I spoke into a microphone as Severus Snape for absolutely the last time," he remarked. "On the screen were some flashback shots of Daniel, Emma, and Rupert from ten years ago. They were 12.

"I have also recently returned from New York, and while I was there, I saw Daniel singing and dancing (brilliantly) on Broadway. A lifetime seems to have passed in minutes."

Rickman also recalled how author J.K. Rowling had shared information about the character of Snape with him.

"Three children have become adults since a phone call with Jo Rowling, containing one small clue, persuaded me that there was more to Snape than an unchanging costume, and that even though only three of the books were out at that time, she held the entire massive but delicate narrative in the surest of hands," he said.

"It is an ancient need to be told in stories. But the story needs a great storyteller. Thanks for all of it, Jo."

Rickman will return as Snape when the final film, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two, opens in cinemas in the UK and US on July 15.

Super 8 Teaser Trailer

In the summer of 1979, a group of friends in a small Ohio town witness a catastrophic train crash while making a super 8 movie and soon suspect that it was not an accident. Shortly after, unusual disappearances and inexplicable events begin to take place in town, and the local Deputy tries to uncover the truth - something more terrifying than any of them could have imagined.

James McAvoy: 'We dumb down films for US'

James McAvoy has slammed the British film industry, saying that its future is rocky if it continues to "dumb down" its productions.

The X-Men: First Class actor told Sky News that UK producers are too preoccupied with pitching projects towards an American market, but ultimately result in "patronising" the audience.

He explained: "We dumb our movies down because we want Americans to understand them.

"The Americans watch it and go, 'this is a really unsophisticated dumbed down movie. Why would we want this? Why do we like this? We don't'."

McAvoy added: "It's like we're patronising them and short changing ourselves."

However, the star said that Tom Hooper's success with The King's Speech is proof that intelligent, spirited British films can be embraced by the US market.

"I think the whole thing is to keep trying to make the best possible movie that you can and hopefully the cream rises to the top," McAvoy stated.

The 32-year-old, who is expected to sign up for thriller Welcome to the Punch, recently revealed that he is rarely spotted when walking in the street.

Geoffrey Rush: 'There's bucketloads more Pirates'

Geoffrey Rush has said that he feels the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise has the potential for several more films.

The Australian actor, who has starred as Captain Barbossa in all four films so far, declared that although a fifth film has yet to be officially announced, he sees no reason why the franchise wouldn't continue to grow.

"Well nothing's official, but there is a fifth chapter being developed - as the hardcore fans will know if they hang around till after the credits roll," Rush told PopEater. "There's a little teaser, cliffhanger, which I think opens up the potential for a pretty damn fine movie."

Rush insisted that the time period in which the films are set gives the writers plenty of source material to use for future entries.

"Between the mythology and the legends and the history and geographical places in the world, there's still a bucketload of stories to tell," Rush continued.

The actor added that although he hopes for several more entries in the franchise, he doesn't think they can sustain the series forever.

"I don't think we're going to outrun Bond," Rush laughed, when asked how long the franchise could continue. "They're up to 23 so they've really set the bar. Relatively we're young kids on the block."

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides was released in cinemas recently to mixed reviews

Watch Geoffrey Rush's recent interview with Digital Spy below

Tom Felton: 'Bonham Carter is Jekyll and Hyde'

Tom Felton has admitted that he is always "really taken aback" when working with Helena Bonham Carter.

The actor, Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter series, described his co-star as "the complete Jekyll and Hyde".

"It's all very different when you're working together, but when you're outside work you always think, 'I wonder if they still have a clue who I am'," he told Empire. "I've learnt a lot from her. She's the complete Jekyll and Hyde, if you will: she's the sweetest British lady and slightly in her own world and then when the cameras roll she goes berserk, which is amazing.

"It's brilliant to watch. I could name more: every single one of those actors has been incredibly nice to me, which makes a big difference."

Discussing Draco's journey through the series to the upcoming Deathly Hallows: Part Two, Felton remarked that he hopes the audience will have some sympathy for the young Death Eater.

"It's a really hard writing task: the idea is to spend six years getting the audience to dislike this character, to certainly have no empathy for him whatsoever, and then within two years to show how the bully is treated at home and why he is like that," he said. "You see him get put in a few unfortunate circumstances so I'm hoping by the end of it you really feel quite bad for the kid.

"Daniel and I have often talked about it as being two sides of a coin: Harry with all the great influences, look what he can achieve, and Draco with the exact opposite and trying to fight the fact that his parents couldn't be a worse influence. Let alone Auntie Bella and everyone else around the table!"

Deathly Hallows Hermione Granger poster arrives

Hermione Granger takes centre stage on the latest Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 poster.

An 'It All Ends'-tagged one-sheet poster focusing on Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) was released yesterday, but Warner Bros has not kept eager fans waiting too long by unveiling the second featuring Emma Watson.

An emotional Hermione appears in front of the war-torn remains of Hogwarts, while some of her fellow students-turned-warriors including Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas stand in the background.

Cowboys & Aliens Theatrical Trailer

 

Storyline

The Old West.. where a lone cowboy leads an uprising against a terror from beyond our world. 1873. Arizona Territory. A stranger with no memory of his past stumbles into the hard desert town of Absolution. The only hint to his history is a mysterious shackle that encircles one wrist. What he discovers is that the people of Absolution don't welcome strangers, and nobody makes a move on its streets unless ordered to do so by the iron-fisted Colonel Dolarhyde (Ford). It's a town that lives in fear. But Absolution is about to experience fear it can scarcely comprehend as the desolate city is attacked by marauders from the sky. Screaming down with breathtaking velocity and blinding lights to abduct the helpless one by one, these monsters challenge everything the residents have ever known. Now, the stranger they rejected is their only hope for salvation. As this gunslinger slowly starts to remember who he is and where he's been...

Vin Diesel taking pay cut to star in Riddick 3

Vin Diesel has chimed in with an update on the production of the third Riddick movie, revealing that he may have to take a pay cut in order for the film to shoot.

Talking on Facebook, the actor revealed that he’s just met with director David Twohy, who’s confident that the Riddick sequel can shoot this summer.

Not only that, but they’re definitely aiming to make it R-rated – no doubt after the backlash reaction to first sequel Chronicles being watered down for a more mainstream appeal.

“[Twohy] the writer/director just landed in New York with the good news,” Diesel writes. “We can start filming this summer. However, there is a catch… in order for us to make a true R rated film, I must work for scale upfront.

“Money is always second to art… integrity and spirit… but the real issue is deeper. Can I suspend my life, to momentarily venture to that dark place… called Riddick.”

From what we’ve learnt so far about Riddick 3 – namely that it’ll be a back-to-basics horror in the vein of the awesome Pitch Black – Diesel would be daft not to do this.

Source: Facebook

Liam Gallagher wants Depp for Beatles biopic

Liam Gallagher is reportedly hoping to convince Johnny Depp to star in his production company's biopic about the Beatles.

Last year, it was confirmed that Gallagher's company 1 Productions are working on an adaptation of Richard DiLello's 1973 memoir The Longest Cocktail Party, which follows the band's infamous break-up as well as the history of their label Apple Corps.

The former Oasis frontman became friends with Depp during the 90s and is keen to convince the Pirates of the Caribbean star to take on the role of the Beatles' publicist Derek Taylor.

"Derek Taylor was a dude. He's up there with Lennon," Gallagher explained to Q magazine recently. "The film script is done, it's gonna blow people's minds."

He added: "I want Johnny Depp to play Derek Taylor. It's got Johnny Depp written all over it man."

During his romance with British model Kate Moss, Depp became close to the Gallagher brothers and even contributed a guitar solo to the track 'Fade In-Out' on the 1997 Oasis album Be Here Now.

Earlier this year, Gallagher's current band Beady Eye paid tribute to the Beatles by covering their popular track 'Across the Universe'.

No official casting details for the currently untitled Beatles biopic have been announced.

Lars von Trier: 'I was unintelligent and hurtful'

Lars von Trier has expanded his apology for the statements he made in the Cannes press conference for Melancholia.

The director was banned from the festival after joking that he was a Nazi and claiming to have sympathy for Hitler. By that point, von Trier had already apologised for the remarks.

Von Trier seemingly made his new apology in a response to a letter of support from Iranian culture minister Javad Shamaqdari to festival president Gilles Jacob. Shamaqdari accused the Cannes directors of "fascist behaviour" and limiting freedom of speech, The Guardian reports.

"In my opinion, freedom of speech, in all its shapes, is part of basic human rights," von Trier said. "However, my comments during the festival's press conference were unintelligent, ambiguous and needlessly hurtful.

"My intended point was that the potential for extreme cruelty, or the opposite, lies within every human being, whatever nationality, ethnicity, rank or religion.

"If we only explain historical disasters with the cruelty of individuals we destroy the possibility of understanding the human mechanisms, which in turn are necessary in order to avoid any future crimes against humanity."

In an interview with Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz last week, von Trier revealed that he "lived most of [his] life as a Jew" and "wore a skullcap" before he discovered that his biological father - who he "couldn't stand" - was German.

"I said with a kind of typical Danish humour that most people don't understand that I was a Nazi. But I'm not," he explained. "It was a stupid joke. But that's the kind of humour I use when I talk to my friends, who know me and know I'm not a Nazi.

"I apologise profoundly for offending people. It was not my intention. I've also offended Germans, when instead of saying 'German' I used the word 'Nazi,' as though every German is a Nazi."

Pirates 4 breaks UK box office record

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides has topped the UK box office on its first weekend on release.

The 3D adventure sequel, starring Johnny Depp and Penélope Cruz, debuts with an impressive £11.6 million to end Thor and Fast & Furious 5's recent domination of the top ten.

Boosted by a Wednesday release, On Stranger Tides posted the biggest box office opening of 2011 and is Disney's fourth-largest opening ever in the UK. Its £11 million gross is also more than the rest of the top ten combined.

Worldwide, the Pirates sequel has pulled in $256 million (£159 million), passing the record set by Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince in 2009.

Elsewhere, the chart sees new releases Blitz and Win Win enter at numbers nine and ten respectively.

The UK box office top ten in full:

1. (-) Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides - £11,634,860
2. (2) Fast & Furious - £587,617
3. (1) Thor - £528,701
4. (4) Insidious - £451,139
5. (3) Attack the Block - £355,232
6. (5) Hanna - £286,997
7. (7) Rio - £284,085
8. (6) Water for Elephants - £266,345
9. (-) Blitz - £266,148
10. (-) Win Win - £155,463

The Little Mermaid to be reimagined

In the wake of Tim Burton’s mega-successful Alice In Wonderland redo, Sony have picked up a movie treatment that puts a new spin on the Little Mermaid fairytale.

The studio have bought the rights to Carolyn Turgeon’s novel Mermaid: A Twist On The Classic Tale, while Country Strong director Shana Feste (above) has been tapped to adapt it for the screen.

This new version of the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale follows a mermaid who goes on a perilous journey to marry a prince from a rival kingdom in order to save her own ravaged home.

But when she gets there, she discovers that another beautiful maiden has already fallen for the prince’s charms and has sacrificed everything to be with him.

Turgeon’s novel is said to have been more tonally faithful to Andersen’s dark fairytale, which ended in a depressing and haunting way that Disney cleaned up for their ’89 animated version.

It’ll be interesting to see if Sony and Feste decide to give their reimagining a sting in its tail as well, or if they’ll feel pressured to deliver a more upbeat ending.

Source: THR

Garrett Hedlund: 'Kristen Stewart is phenomenal'

Garrett Hedlund has praised On The Road co-star Kristen Stewart's performance in the film.

Talking to Access Hollywood, the Tron: Legacy actor applauded Stewart's high level of focus when approaching the project and promised that fans would not be disappointed by the final product.

"Kristen's phenomenal," he said. "She's so focused, especially on this role... she's so amazing and the world is going to get to really see that in this one."

He went on to confess that he feels privileged to have taken part in such a "rare" opportunity to bring the film - based on Jack Kerouac's book of the same name - to life.

"It was wonderful. It was such an incredible rare journey that we all got to take, so I'm very proud of it. My anticipation is just as high as everybody else's about it," he explained.

On The Road also stars Kirsten Dunst, Sam Riley, Amy Adams, Viggo Mortensen and Tom Sturridge. It will hit US cinemas later this year.

Kirsten Dunst thanks Cannes for not banning film

Kirsten Dunst has thanked the Cannes Film Festival for permitting her new film Melancholia to remain in the competition in spite of director Lars von Trier's recent comments.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Dunst, who took home the 'Best Actress' prize for the film, expressed her gratitude to the festival for not banning the movie following von Trier's remarks about sympathising with Hitler.

"This is an honour that's once in a lifetime. Thank you to the Cannes Film Festival for allowing the film to still be in competition," Dunst said.

The actress went on to thank her director as well: "I want to thank Lars for giving me the opportunity to be so brave in this film. It's such a special night for me."

Von Trier was banned from Cannes after making the controversial comments. The director claimed that he was proud of the ban, but later apologised.

Cannes 'Un Certain Regard' winners unveiled

The Cannes Film Festival has announced the winners of this year's 'Un Certain Regard' category.

Sharing the top prize is South Korean director Kim Ki Duk for his documentary Arirang, and German director Andreas Dresen for Halt Auf Freier Strecke.


Awarded the Special Jury Prize was Andrew Zvyagintstev's Russian drama Elena, while the Directing Prize was awarded to Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof for Be Omid E Didar (Au Revoir).


Rasoulof and fellow filmmaker Jafar Panahi are currently serving a six-year prison sentence in Iran for "propaganda against the regime", a decision which has led Amnesty International to begin mobilising a petition to protest against their imprisonment.


The 'Un Certain Regard' jury for this year was comprised of actress Elodie Bouchez, British journalist Peter Bradshaw, director Emir Kusturica, Morelia Festival director Daniela Michel and Tribeca Festival's Geoffrey Gilmore.