Screen Junkies » CGI

Heathcliff Is Getting A CGI Film. No, Not Garfield. Heathcliff.

Penn Collins — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 23:35:34 +0000

While we’re all pretty comfortable declaring Heathcliff a fairly shameless Garfield knock-off, it’s just not true. Heathcliff came first. Garfield first appeared in 1978, while Heathcliff first appeared in 1973. So despite the fact that Heathcliff had first-mover advantage, we don’t know whether Heathcliff: hates Mondays, enjoys Italian pasta casseroles, is lazy, is kind of a dick, mumbles, and just generally makes everyone around him feel like shit.

After typing that, I seriously have no idea why anyone likes Garfield.

After people realize how miserable a creation Garfield is, there will open up a gap in the marketplace, and Heathcliff will casually slide in and give us our fill of corpulent orange cats. Ensuring this will happen is news that a Heathlcliff movie is on the horizon from the same people who brought us Alvin and the Chipmunks, so you know it’ll be good.

#heathcliff4life

Downey Jr. To Voice Cartoon Dog, Be Charming

Dave Horwitz — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 17:51:12 +0000

Robert Downey Jr. may have been the butt of some rather cruel jokes at the Golden Globes last night, but that’s not stopping him from piling on projects left and right. The actor has signed on to lend his voice to the bespectacled genius dog Mr. Peabody in Peabody and Sherman, the CGI big screen adaptation of the beloved animated shorts from “The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle.” In the shorts, and presumably the movie, Peabody and his ‘pet boy’ Sherman travel through time using the WABAC machine, learning various historical lessons along the way. With such classic source material and A-list voice talent, the project should be a slam dunk, right?

Well, if Yogi Bear was your idea of a slam dunk, and you can’t wait for the special edition Blu-Ray, you’re in luck: Jeffrey Ventimilia and Joshua Sternin, who wrote Yogi, are in charge of putting words in Downey’s CGI dog mouth. Rob Minkoff, who helmed The Lion King (yes!), Stuart Little (okay!), and The Haunted Mansion (oh god make it stop!) is directing. The film is slated to come out in 3D sometime in 2014, because that’s how long it takes to build a WABAC machine. (The Playlist)

George Lucas Is NOT Buying Dead Celebrities (That We Know Of)

Wookie Johnson — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 13:07:19 +0000

Spielberg preps Lucas for his wedding night.

Yesterday I posited a theory that George Lucas may be the shadowy puppet-master pulling the strings of the mysterious Hollywood Star Whackers due to a report that the special effects maestro is buying the film rights to dead celebrities. Correction: he is not. Lucasfilm spokesman Josh Kushins told Wired.com, “The rumor is completely false.”

What do you think? Do you believe the statement, or does this thing go deeper than we imagined? As of right now, we’ll have to believe that Lucas is not reviving the stars of yesteryear on film (though it seems like something he’d do). Apologies for any implied wrongdoings and steaklust.

George Lucas Buying Dead Celebrities

Wookie Johnson — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 19:39:51 +0000

Watch your back, Leslie Nielsen! It’s being reported that George Lucas is quietly and secretly buying the film rights to dead Hollywood stars. His goal? Awesome pornos. Something undoubtedly terrible. Actor/director Mel Smith has revealed Lucas’s nefarious plot:

“He’s been buying up the film rights to dead movie stars in the hope of using computer trickery to put them all together in a movie, so you’d have Orson Welles and Barbara Stanwyck appear alongside today’s stars.’ Whether Lucas’ attempt to superimpose the golden-era stars on to today’s screens is doomed to failure or not, Smith will be too busy to be part of it.”

This actually explains a lot. Much like when Senator Palpatine revealed himself to be the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, the shadowy mastermind behind the Hollywood Star Whackers is none other than George Lucas. Think about it. A star dies. Lucas buys their rights. Recreates them via CG for some shitty movie. Zemeckis then has to buy him a steak. He’s gone mad with power, and wants to make the absolute worst, unnecessary film of all time. Question is, why would he want to break his own record? (Daily Mail)

Green Lantern’s Suit Will Be Computer Generated

Reza F. — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:18:56 +0000

Fans of Green Lantern have been eager to see Ryan Reynolds in the hero’s spandex since news of casting broke. However, their waiting has been in vain because /Film has announced that there is no suit. Not a physical suit anyway.

Costume designer Ngila Dickson (LOTR, The Last Samurai) has devised a way to make the suit stand out from all the other superhero films — it will be computer generated. That news may worry purists, and understandably so. A CG suit in a 3D film is cause for major concern. Hopefully Warner Bros won’t repeat their "bat-nipples" mistakes of yesteryear.

The worry may be premature though. Both DC and Warner Bros. insiders are reportedly very happy with the results, and word is that "the suit will look like a manifestation of [the ring's] power." Much like my teal Crocs are a manifestation of me looking good and knowing it.

Neil Patrick Harris Wins Highly-Coveted Role in ‘Smurfs’

Reza F. — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 13:21:42 +0000

The long-gestating Smurfs film project is gaining traction now that the animation tests are finished. Popular song and dance man, Neil Patrick Harris has been cast in an unspecified live-action role in the upcoming film. Thus he joins the illustrious ranks of Jason Lee, Breckin Meyer, Matthew Lillard, and Jerry O’Connell before him.

The openly gay star is beloved for his talented turns in How I Met Your Mother, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, Doogie Howser M.D., the Harold and Kumar films and as host of the Emmys. Though it is unclear whether he will play a human who encounters the Smurfs or the fugly wizard Gargamel, I’m sure he will ably class up this project.

Going forward all Richard Gere/Gerbil jokes should be replaced with NPH/Smurf jokes. Homophobes everywhere, please update your dogmatic joke books accordingly. (Deadline Hollywood)