New TV Spots and Images for ‘The Eagle’

Hollywood is not exactly averse to trying its hand at historical epics -- with films like Gladiator, Robin Hood (both by director Ridley Scott), 300, Pathfinder, The Last Samurai, and the motion-capture visual feast that was Beowulf all being released in the 21st century alone.

Next month we’re going to have another one of those historical action films on our hands in the form of the Roman epic The Eagle. Last month we got a look at the trailer for the movie and it looked to be the PG-13, some would say safer, version of Brit director Neil Marshall’s Centurion. Following the surprisingly decent-looking trailer for The Eagle, Focus Features has released some new TV spots and images for the film.

Before we get to the new promo stuff, take a look at the official synopsis for The Eagle:

In 140 A.D., two men – master and a slave – venture beyond the edge of the known world on a dangerous and obsessive quest that will push them beyond the boundaries of loyalty and betrayal, friendship and hatred, deceit and heroism. Twenty years earlier, Rome’s 5,000-strong Ninth Legion, under the command of Flavius Aquila, marched north carrying their treasured golden Eagle emblem. They never returned; Legion and Eagle simply vanished into the mists.

Hearing a rumor that the Eagle has been seen in a tribal temple in the far north, Flavius’ son Marcus (Tatum), determined to restore the tarnished reputation of his father, is galvanized into action. Accompanied only by his slave Esca (Bell), Marcus sets out into the vast and dangerous highlands of Scotland – to confront its savage tribes, make peace with his father’s memory, and retrieve the hallowed Eagle.

Now that you’re clued in as to what the movie is about, check out the new TV spots and images, courtesy of Focus Features.

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For the rest of the image gallery head over to the official Focus Features website.

The obvious comparison -- which fellow Screen Rant writer Sandy Schaefer noted when the trailer was released last November -- is to Neil Marshall’s underrated Centurion but The Eagle also reminds me of last year’s Robin Hood. Even though the two are set in widely different time periods and are not connected story-wise, the aesthetic of both films is similar. And something tells me The Eagle will follow in Robin Hood‘s footsteps by having lots of violence but none as overly graphic as the violence found in the aforementioned Centurion.

One of the main reasons I am looking forward to The Eagle is the fact that it’s directed by Kevin MacDonald. No, it’s not just because he’s also from Scotland ( ) but rather I am a big fan of his two previous (fiction) features, The Last King of Scotland and State of Play. Although MacDonald is treading new ground with this historical action movie, from what we’ve seen from the the movie so far, I have faith that he will deliver the goods.

The Eagle stars Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell, Mark Strong, Donald Sutherland and Dennis O’Hare. The film, as stated, is directed by MacDonald and the script was penned by Jeremy Brock (The Last King of Scotland) from the book The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff.

The Eagle lands in U.S. theaters on February 11th, 2011.

Source: Focus Features

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Posters and Images from Director Juan Solanas’ Sci-Fi Romance ‘Upside Down’

Some people like to think that their one true love is waiting for them somewhere on the other side of the world. In his upcoming film, Upside Down, Argentine director Juan Solanas is taking that idea to an interesting extreme.

The movie, which merges science-fiction with romance, tells the story of a man, Adam (Jim Sturgess), who pines for the love of Eve (Kirsten Dunst), a women he once met long ago in another world. The twist is that the other world isn’t some unknown planet, but rather an inverted world in the sky that has its own gravity. (In essence an Upside Down world, as the title implies).

The core conflict of the movie is as old as time: star-crossed lovers fight to be together, despite overwhelming odds. However, Solanas’ interesting premise (the lovers are not just separated by class, but quite literally by the laws of physics) makes this film much more intriguing. Setting aside the plot, just consider how interesting the film might look.

In addition to its award-winning director (Solanas directed the  innovative short film The Man Without A Head), Upside Down boasts a talented production crew that includes Production Designer Alex McDowell (Watchmen) and Supervising Art Director, Michelle McGahey (Dark City, The Matrix). If these early images are any indication, the team has gotten off to a fine start in bringing this upside down world to life.

Check out the first images of the film, which come our way thanks to the French blog Into the Screen (via io9), as well as two posters for the movie. You can click the top two images for higher resolution versions. Check out the official synopsis for the film after the images.

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Look up towards the sky and rub your eyes because you won’t believe what you see: cities, forests, and oceans with their own inverted gravity, only an arm’s length away, yet completely unreachable. Take a leap over to this alternate reality, two worlds – one above, one below- facing each other, and you’ll land in the extraordinary world of Upside Down, the new ground-breaking film of Juan Solanas, the director of the innovative Cannes and César-prized short film The Man Without A Head and heartbreaking 2005 Cannes film Nordeste.

Adam is a seemingly ordinary guy in a very extraordinary universe. He lives humbly trying to make ends meet, but his romantic spirit holds on to the memory of a girl he met once upon a time from another world, an inverted affluent world with its own gravity, directly above but beyond reach… a girl named Eve. Their childhood flirtation becomes an impossible love. But when he catches a glimpse of grown-up Eve on television, nothing will get in the way of getting her back… Not even the law or science!

Upside Down will likely hit theaters sometime in 2012. We’ll keep our eyes out for any additional images from this interesting-sounding film until then.

Source: Into the Screen via io9

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Three New Images from ‘Sucker Punch’

Zack Snyder is one of those directors that you either love or hate. If you don’t think that’s true, just listen to someone who liked The Watchmen talk to someone who didn’t like it. The conversation can get pretty heated.

I happen to fall into the “love him” camp. In my opinion, Snyder’s hyper-stylized camera work and meticulous attention to set design really add a new dimension to his movies, even when the story-telling is somewhat lacking. That’s one of the reasons why I’m excited to see Snyder’s new action/fantasy film Sucker Punch.

Everything we’ve seen from Sucker Punch so far – from our first look at Comic-Con to the most recent Sucker Punch trailer – has cemented the film as one of our most anticipated movies of 2011. Recently, MovieWeb got a hold of three new images from the film. While not as explosive as some previous material (in the literal sense that they don’t show any explosions), these new images are still quite interesting.

Check out the three new images below. Unfortunately, we don’t have higher resolution versions, but if you’re feeling really desperate for eye-popping action, check out this recent batch of clips from the movie.

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As I mentioned before, there’s nothing explosive about these images, but there’s still plenty to admire. One thing that strikes me about the second image is just how much Scott Glenn looks like David Carradine. It’s almost eerie, as if Carradine came from beyond the grave to turn in one last performance as a martial arts master.

As for the first and last images, look at the level of care and detail put into the set design. The calendar/time sheet board behind the girls in the last image is a good example. From the yellowed paper to the different handwriting on each piece of paper, the prop is entirely unique and adds to the look of the scene. It may not seem like much, but small details like that help movies make stronger connections with audiences. For more details on the making of Sucker Punch, check out this recent featurette from the movie.

Sucker Punch hits theaters on March 25th, 2011.

Source: MovieWeb

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Official ‘Pirates of the Caribbean 4′ Images, More Plot Details [Updated]

[UPDATE: We've added additional official images released from the film]

Decked out in eyeliner and tangled dreadlocks, with a swagger that indicates he’s permanently intoxicated, it’s little wonder Disney officials were at first taken aback by Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow persona. Thankfully, the studio heads did not fire the actor for his radical interpretation of the character and will soon release Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, the fourth film to feature the quick-witted pirate.

The first official images have been released for Disney’s fourth Pirates of the Caribbean, along with some additional plot details that explain how the peculiar characters in the flick all end up getting involved in one another’s business.

Those that dared to sit through all 169 minutes of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (and considering the film’s box office gross , a lot of people did) will recall that the pic concluded with a shot of Sparrow setting out to sea in a dinghy, armed with nothing but his trusty compass, a bottle of rum, and a stolen fragment of a map that would lead him to the Fountain of Youth. When the official POTC 4 synopsis was released, few were shocked to learn that Sparrow’s quest to find the mythical fountain was the basis for the fourth film’s plot.

Depp’s Sparrow finds his quest for immortality in On Stranger Tides obstructed by corporate interests (insert Disney joke here) when he is captured by the guards of King George II (Richard Griffiths), who wants to recruit Sparrow to find the Fountain of Youth for himself – with the assistance of Jack’s old pal/mutinous first mate, Hector Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush).

Check out an image from that scene below:

Sparrow, captured and brought to St. James Palace in London.

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[MILD SPOILER]

Sparrow declines to acquiesce the king’s request (he says no ) and quickly escapes via a comical chase sequence involving carriages and a noblewoman (Dame Judi Dench) that the seafarer woos before splitting, her jewels and expensive trinkets in hand.

Here’s a pic from Sparrow’s Charlie Chaplin-inspired escape in the film:

[END SPOILER]

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The journey to the Foutain of Youth becomes all the more tricky for Sparrow when he later gets involved with an old flame, Angelica (Penelope Cruz), and her father, the merciless Blackbeard (Ian McShane) – though Captain Jack is not sure which of these two he should be more scared of.

Get an early look at Sparrow opposite the father-daughter duo in the pic below:

Expect the Jack-Angelica dynamic to be quite similar to the captain’s previous encounters with former flings (Sparrow will undoubtedly have to endure more than a few harsh slaps this time). As Depp told USA Today, concerning his and Cruz’s onscreen relationship, “We have our bouts in the film, but there’s also this residue of what might have been. It’s a kind of love-hate thing.”

Check out the couple as they wade through waist-deep swamps on their way to the Fountain of Youth in the image below:

Depp professed that he likes the standalone storyline of On Stranger Tides since “you don’t have to connect the dots for these subplots and sub-characters [like in the last two movies]. It felt like a a fresh, clean slate.” After the convoluted mess that was At World’s End (which even the screenwriters seemingly don’t fully understand), that’s a relief.

The POTC 4 trailer will arrive next Monday, December 13th, so we’ll have a better idea of how director Rob Marshall’s take on the swashbuckling blockbuster series differs from Gore Verbinski’s POTC trilogy.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides arrives in 2D, 3D, and IMAX 3D theaters on May 20th, 2011.

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‘Spider-Man’ Reboot Set Images: Gwen Stacy at a Funeral

Filming for Marc Webb’s Spider-Man reboot – starring Andrew Garfield as the titular superhero and Emma Stone as the blonde-haired, blue-eyed Gwen Stacy – is officially underway. Somewhere, Sam Raimi is wringing his fists toward the heavens and screaming, “Damn you, Sony, and your rebooting ways!”

Earlier this week, we brought you pictures from the red carpet displaying Emma Stone in her beautiful, natural blonde glory (as opposed to, say, the synthetic red hair we’re used to). And today, JustJared has pictures straight from the set of the Spider-Man reboot – depicting what appears to be a funeral.

Gloomy cathedral? Check. Relentless rain? Check. Black umbrellas? Check. Black Cars? Check. Dark clothing? Double check. Yeah, it’s a typical movie funeral, all right.

There’s no telling whose funeral it could possibly be – after all, nearly 200 people die in New York City every day – but using context clues and the visual absence of Captain George Stacy (played by funnyman and star of FX’s Rescue Me, Dennis Leary), we can assume that it’s probably Gwen’s father in the casket.

Check out the photos of Gwen at the (funeral?) below:

Gwen Stacy’s father – named George in the main 616 Marvel Universe and John in the Ultimate Universe – was a New York police captain. In the 616 Universe he appreciated Spider-Man’s work and tried to prove to the public that the red and blue wallcrawler wasn’t a menace. In the Ultimate universe, John admired Spider-Man’s vigilante justice, sort of, but was no fan of the hero nonetheless. In 616, he was old (ish) and had the white hair to prove it. In Ultimate, he was fairly young and tough, much like Dennis Leary. In both universes, he died sacrificing his life to save someone else’s.

Therefore, you can pretty much guarantee that the funeral is his.

Meanwhile, The New York Times recently talked to Irrfan Khan (Slumdog Millionaire) about his role as the villain Van Adder. His response was certainly…telling:

“Is that his name? These science-fiction names don’t mean a lot to me. He’s a character who, I think, was not in the comics or perhaps a minor character. I’ve read some pages, but the whole script hasn’t been made available to me.”

Well, it’s good to know that we’re not the only ones in the dark. I guess.

The Spider-Man reboot hits theaters July 3, 2012.

Sources: JustJared & The New York Times

Header image: John Romita Jr., Amazing Spider-Man #600

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Images From ‘Sherlock Holmes 2′, ‘Hangover 2′, ‘Sucker Punch’ & More!

Warner Bros. has released a preview kit for its slate of movies being released between January 2011 and December 2011. Included are some of the first images for some highly anticipated movies – as well as their synopses to clue you in.

Included in the preview are such as movies as Sherlock Holmes 2, The Hangover 2, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, Sucker Punch, The Rite, Final Destination 5, Red Riding Hood, Hall Pass, Unknown, Born To Be Wild, Something Borrowed, Horrible Bosses, and The Apparition.

That’s a lot of movies to preview so let’s get started, shall we?

We have the first official image from Sherlock Holmes 2, the highly-anticipated sequel to the hit re-imagining of the classic detective character. Guy Ritchie returns to direct (a job he took on instead of directing Lobo) Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law return to star. This time the duo is joined by the original Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Noomi Rapace.

Check out the first image from Sherlock Holmes 2 featuring Downey, Law and Rapace together:

Guy Ritchie helms a new action-packed adventure, following the world’s most famous detective, Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.), and his longtime trusted associate, Dr. Watson (Jude Law), as they match wits with their arch-nemesis, the criminal genius Moriarty (Jared Harris).

I’m so glad to see Rapace has hit the big time after her brilliant turn as Lisbeth Salander in “The Millenium Trilogy” – she’s rumored for many other big roles, including Ridley Scott’s Alien prequels. But as great as it is to see her doing well in Hollywood, I really don’t want to see her settle for starring roles in a string of sequels.

Sherlock Holmes 2 hits theaters on December 16th, 2011.

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Next up we have the first official image and the synopsis from another highly-anticipated movie – The Hangover 2. The first film was such a (surprise) monster hit, so I don’t think anyone will be shocked to hear the filmmakers are churning out another one.

One of the absolute key things that made the first film work was the chemistry between the four main characters – and it’s good to see the whole gang is back for more crude shenanigans.

Take a look at the first image from The Hangover 2 featuring Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms), Alan (Zack Galifianakis), and Doug (Justin Bartha), followed by the official synopsis which finally reveals why the gang are going to Thailand:

In the follow-up to the record-breaking hit comedy “The Hangover,” Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms), Alan (Zach Galifianakis) and Doug (Justin Bartha) travel to exotic Thailand for Stu’s wedding. After the unforgettable bachelor party in Las Vegas, Stu is taking no chances and has opted for a safe, subdued pre-wedding brunch. However, things don’t always go as planned. What happens in Vegas may stay in Vegas, but what happens in Bangkok can’t even be imagined.

The Hangover 2 opens in theaters on May 26th, 2011.

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Moving on we have an image from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, the much anticipated second part to the final Harry Potter film. If you’ve been following the promo materials for Deathly Hallows (how could you possibly not be?) then you’ll recognize this image which features Lord Voldemort grabbing Harry by the throat.

Take a look at the image below (we’ve seen the image on its own before but this is the proper version courtesy of WB):

In Part 2 of the epic finale, the battle between the good and evil forces of the Wizarding world escalates into an all-out war. The stakes have never been higher and no one is safe. But it is Harry Potter who may be called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice as he draws closer to the climactic showdown with Lord Voldemort. It all ends here.

I have to admit I was a bit disappointed with Deathly Hallows: Part 1. Nevertheless, the film definitely had a lot of great moments (not to mention the best acting we’ve seen from the lead trio thus far) and I’m sure Part 2 will deliver the spectacular showdown the franchise has been building to for almost a decade.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 hits 3D, IMAX, and regular theaters on July 15th, 2011.

Continue to Sucker Punch, Red Riding Hood, and more…

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Full ‘Green Lantern’ Trailer (Plus 40 New Images)

A few days ago Entertainment Tonight released a brief preview for the long-awaited Green Lantern trailer and now the full version is finally available.

The Spanish MSN website posted the Green Lantern trailer seemingly early and while it features Spanish subtitles, the video itself is in complete English. In it we get to see Abin Sur’s crashed ship, him passing the ring and responsibility to Hal Jordan, several cool shots of space, the planet Oa and the many other intergalactic members of the Green Lantern Corps.

Watch and see what you’ve been waiting for:

Head to Apple for the HD Green Lantern trailer [Updated with YouTube version for now].

The production value and most certainly the score of the trailer help bring that feeling of epicness and should put behind most negative feelings some may have towards the preview footage. Warner Bros. is not holding anything back in terms of character reveals and the extremely heavy sci-fi feel of the books.

Fans of the Green Lantern comics should feel very happy that they are keeping very true to the comics and world set up in the books. And while Ryan Reynolds’ CGI costume is often a topic of debate, within the context of the trailer it doesn’t look so out of place even though I still think it looks a tad too fake from the final scene of the trailer, notably in the mask. I hope it improves in the many months left before the summer 2011 season kicks off as the Reynolds’ costume looks a lot better in this Green Lantern poster art that showed up on the Apple site as well:

And here are over 40 screen grabs from the trailer for your viewing pleasure:

Along with Strong as Sinestro and Peter Saarsgard’s Hector Hammond (pre and post-giant head), the most rewarding part of the trailer is getting a better sense of the acting range that audiences have to expect from Reynolds and that fans want from Hal Jordan.

Green Lantern is is directed by Martin Campbell and stars Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong, Tim Robbins and Angela Bassett. It is based off a screenplay written by Greg Berlanti, Michael Goldenberg, Michael Green and Marc Guggenheim.

How do you feel about the Green Lantern movie now?

Green Lantern arrives in 2D and 3D theaters on June 17, 2011.

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Source: MSN, Apple

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Just an illusion: still images that move

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Just an illusion: still images that move

Earlier this week I found myself on a long-haul flight to the SIGGRAPH computer graphics conference in Los Angeles. To pass the time I decided to catch up on some of the papers that are being presented here. But I had to stop when it came to the mind-warping, travel-sickness-inducing images that littered a paper by researchers from National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan and the Chinese University of Hong Kong.


For the full effect click the image above to enlarge or here.

Ming-Te Chi and colleagues have analysed a number of hand drawn examples of these 'self-animating images', such as the image above - "Rotating Snake" by Akiyoshi Kitaoka. Even though the viewer knows they are static the images unnervingly seem to move anyway. Chi's team is trying to find out why.

They've identified a number of important factors. The pictures appear to creep because of the arrangement of colour bands in the small repeated asymmetric patterns (dubbed RAPs). Certain combinations seem to give the impression of it creeping in a particular direction, although that effect is relatively weak. The illusion is strengthened if a ribbon of RAPs that appears to flow to the right is placed next to one that appears to flow to the left.