The Great Geek Manual News

At the request of theatrical film makers, the Federal Communications Commission on Friday quietly launched a proceeding on whether to let video program distributors remotely block consumers from recording recently released movies on their DVRs. The technology that does this is called Selectable Output Control (SOC), but the FCC restricts its use. The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) wants a waiver on that restriction in the case of high-definition movies broadcast prior to their release as DVDs.

“The Petitioners’ theatrical movies are too valuable in this early distribution window to risk their exposure to unauthorized copying,” MPAA wrote to the FCC last month. “Distribution over insecure outputs would facilitate the illegal copying and redistribution of this high value content, causing untold damage to the DVD and other ‘downstream’ markets.” Less than a month after the request, the FCC has given MPAA a public comment period on the question that will last through July 7.

MPAA has pressed its Petition for Expedited Special Relief on behalf of Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox, Universal City Studios Walt Disney Studios, and Warner Brothers. How did these media companies get an FCC proceeding so fast? Ars bets that hiring former FCC Commissioner Kathleen Q. Abernathy as their attorney helped. Abernathy supported former FCC Chair Michael Powell’s drastic relaxation of the agency’s media ownership rules in 2003, along with Kevin Martin, now head of the agency.

Read the Entire Story…
Source: Ars Technica

Jake Gyllenhaal has been cast as the lead in Disney’s Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.

Confirming rumours from last month, Variety reports that Gyllenhaal will play Dastan in the video game adaptation.

The story revolves around a prince who tries to prevent the Sands of Time, a gift from the gods that can reverse time, from falling into the hands of an evil nobleman.

Quantum of Solace Bond girl Gemma Arterton has been cast as Tamina, an exotic princess who helps Dastan.

Mike Newell will direct the film from a script by Doug Miro, Carlo Bernard, Boaz Yakin and the game’s creator Jordan Mechner. Jerry Bruckheimer is on board to produce.

Speaking about the casting of Gyllenhaal, Bruckheimer said: “He’s a wonderful actor. He’s someone I’ve been watching for a long time and somebody I’ve always wanted to work with.”

Source: Digital Spy

The estate of “Lord of the Rings” creator J.R.R. Tolkien is suing the film studio that released the trilogy based on his books, claiming the company hasn’t paid it a penny from the estimated $6 billion the films have grossed worldwide.

The suit, filed Monday, claims New Line was required to pay 7.5 percent of gross receipts to Tolkien’s estate and other plaintiffs, who contend they only received an upfront payment of $62,500 for the three movies before production began.

The writer’s estate, a British charity dubbed The Tolkien Trust, and original “Lord of the Rings” publisher HarperCollins filed the lawsuit against New Line Cinema in Los Angeles Superior Court. If successful, it could block the long-awaited prequel to the films.

Robert Pini, a spokesman for Time Warner Inc.’s New Line, declined to comment.

The films — 2001’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring,” 2002’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers,” and 2003’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” — have reaped nearly $6 billion combined worldwide, according to the complaint.

The estimate includes everything from box office receipts to revenue from sales of DVDs and other products.
Read the rest of this entry » » »

Transformers director Michael Bay and his partners at the Platinum Dunes production company have been tasked by New Line Cinema to “relaunch” the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise.

Wes Craven’s 1984 slasher classic gave the world the iconic Freddy Krueger, who haunted a total of nine films and two TV series. According to Variety, the new outing will represent a “complete overhaul” of the Nightmare concept.

Bay and chums are also gearing up for a May start on resurrecting Jason Voorhees of Friday the 13th in a new film to be helmed by Marcus Nispel. This is apparently up for a “complete overhaul” as well, and movie buffs will remember just what a complete overhaul did for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre - remade in 2003 by New Line with Nispel calling the shots and Platinum Dunes lurking in the shadows.

And just to reinforce the feeling that Hollywood has completely lost the ability to come up with an original concept, Variety adds that Platinum Dunes is “prepping an exorcism thriller” for Rogue Pictures, plus a remake of Near Dark to be directed by music vid vet Samuel Bayer.

Oh yes, and the company’s filling its spare time “developing a Universal remake of Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds”, in which Casino Royale director Martin Campbell will presumably ensure that slated star Naomi Watts will get plenty of unwanted avian attention.

Read the Entire Story…
Source: The Register

Apple CEO Steve Jobs Tuesday unveiled iTunes Movie Rentals during his keynote address at Macworld 2008. The service lets users watch more than 1,000 movies starting at $2.99 each.

Pricing for the service, which begins with 100 movies, includes $2.99 for library titles or $3.99 for new videos. High-definition versions are available for $1 more.

After downloading the movies, people have up to 30 days to start watching, but have hours to complete viewing the movie, Apple said in a statement. The Cupertino, Calif.-Apple also said the movies can be viewed “multiple” times.

In a jab at video rental service Blockbuster and DVD-by-mail operation Netflix, Jobs said Apple’s new service brings major movies to your PC, iPod and iPhone “without having to drive to the video store or wait for DVDs to arrive in the mail.”

The announcement included word that all major Hollywood studies have joined Apple, including Fox, Walt Disney, Warner Bros., Paramount, Universal, Sony, MGM, Lionsgate and New Line Cinema.

Jobs also said new Apple TV software will let iTunes TV users watch movies directly on their television.

Source: All Headline News

Edward Burns’ latest film, Purple Violets, won’t be coming to a theater near you, but you won’t have to go far to see it. The movie is available to anyone with $13 and an account at iTunes. It is the first time a feature film has premiered at the Apple media store.

Burns first landed on the scene in Hollywood with his highly successful 1995 film The Brothers McMullen. He wrote, directed, produced and starred while managing to spend less than $30,000 putting together the vehicle that would pave the way for his role acting in Saving Private Ryan.

While his resume as both a filmmaker and an actor are impressive, the LA Times points out that, “All nine of Burns’ films, going back to his breakout 1995 success ‘The Brothers McMullen,’ have seen a limited initial release in New York and Los Angeles. The last time moviegoers in St. Louis got to see a film of his premier there, said Burns, was 1998.” This way everyone can watch it right now, but it remains unclear how this approach to distribution will pan out.

Sure, I can watch Purple Violets on my iPhone or at home on my monitor, but at $12.99 I’m paying a premium over seeing it in the theater (it is cheaper than tickets for two though). I also “own” the movie and can watch it again and again, but this is only a bonus for those people who like to watch films more than once.

Read the Entire Story…
Source: CNet

British comedian Simon Pegg has been chosen to play “Montgomery Scott” in the upcoming Star Trek film. In Star Trek: The Original Series, Scotty was played by Canadian engineer James Doohan.

The 37-year-old actor joins Eric Bana, Anton Yelchin, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana and Leonard Nimoy in the 11th film in the sci-fi series.

The new film will focus on the earliest adventures of Captain James T. Kirk and his First Officer Mr. Spock during their days at Starfleet Academy. Written by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, and directed by “Lost” creator J. J. Abrams, it is expected to be released on Dec 25, 2008. Shooting will star next month.

Pegg is best known for playing title roles in “Shaun of the Dead” and “Hot Fuzz.”

Source: All Headline News

Commercial director Joseph Kosinski is in final negotiations to develop and direct “Tron,” described as “the next chapter” of Disney’s 1982 cult classic. Sean Bailey is producing via the Live Planet banner, as is Steven Lisberger, who co-wrote and directed the original film.

Kosinski, who last month signed on to helm the remake of “Logan’s Run” for Warner Bros. Pictures, will oversee the visual development of the project and have input on the script, which is being written by “Lost” scribes Eddie Kitsis and Adam Horowitz. Story details are being kept secret.

The original, about a computer programmer thrust into a computer and forced to fight in games he helped create, is remembered for its sci-fi gladiator-style battles and groundbreaking special effects. It was the first movie to use computer-generated images instead of models and other optical effects in conjunction with live action. The arcade game based on the movie was so popular that it earned more than the movie.

When making the original, in order to convince the studio to take a chance on a first-time director, Lisberger shot a test reel, financed by the studio, involving the deadly Frisbee battle. In a case of historical synchronicity, sources said one of the things Kosinski will be doing is working on a sequence involving the movie’s Light Cycles to work out his vision for the movie. Sources also said visual effects personnel, for many of whom “Tron” was an inspiration to enter the business, already are jockeying for pole position to work on the sequence.

Read the Entire Story…
Source: The HollyWood Reporter

HBO said on Tuesday it has acquired the rights to a short-form documentary shot entirely within Second Life, as entertainment companies increasingly turn to virtual worlds as a source for new content.

“My Second Life: The video diaries of Molotov Alta” purports to tell the story of a man who “disappeared from his California home” and began issuing video dispatches from Second Life. The popular virtual world, which has its own currency and a growing economy, has drawn millions of users who create alter egos called avatars and interact with people from around the world.

HBO, the premium channel owned by Time Warner, paid a six-figure sum for the rights, Douglas Gayeton, who made the film, said in an interview. Gayeton, who uses the avatar Molotov Alta in Second Life, said the documentary is scheduled for release in 2008.

Second Life has hosted dozens of real world companies in the past year, usually as a means of promoting products like cars or movies. However, Hollywood has been increasingly interested in using worlds like Second Life as virtual movie sets, a process known as machinima.

For example, CBS created a machinima Super Bowl ad for its TV show “Two and a Half Men,” and will feature footage shot within Second Life in an upcoming episode of its popular show CSI.

Read the Entire Story…
Source: Soft32

The virtual world Second Life has announced it will implement a “voluntary” identity verification system, lifting the often-thin veil of anonymity in its online environment. Although many users of virtual worlds make no secret of their real life age and identity, many virtual world users rely on online anonymity. Second Life creator Linden Labs is implementing an identity verification system not only as a way of letting users offer their real world bona fides for in-world activities, but no doubt also as a way to protect itself and participants in its in-world economy. Not the least of which would be keeping minors out of “restricted” areas of Second Life with sexual or violent content.

Second Life has contracted with Washington D.C.-based Aristotle, which operates an identity verification service called Integrity. The idea is that Second Life residents can voluntarily offer information (such as name, date of birth, address, driver’s license number, portion of a social security number, or other identifiers), and Integrity will return a match code to Linden Labs indicating whether the user’s information “checked out.” Specific information required of residents will depend on their real-world location. According to Linden Labs, neither Aristotle nor Linden Labs will retain any personally identifying information; in-world avatars will merely indicate whether specific traits—such as age, gender, and name—have been independently verified.

In theory, users under 18 years of age are not allowed on the main Second Life grid; instead, Linden Labs operates a separate Teen Second Life for users aged 13 to 17. However, underage users apparently wander the main Second Life grid with relative impunity, since no age verification system is currently in place.

Read the Entire Story…
Source: Digital Trends

The Los Angeles Times reports that New Line’s Bob Shaye is in talks with filmmaker Peter Jackson’s representatives to potentially work something out in regards to his involvement in the “Lord of the Rings” prequel adaptation of “The Hobbit”.

Shaye says “Yes, that’s a fair statement. Notwithstanding our personal quarrels, I really respect and admire Peter and would love for him to be creatively involved in some way with THE HOBBIT.”

The result is one of the juiciest rumours in a while. IESB reports that although Jackson won’t be back to direct, a source of theirs is telling them that Sam Raimi is looking to direct with Peter Jackson attached to produce.

Raimi has previously said he would not take on the project without Jackson’s blessing and is apparently leaning towards it as his next project rather than the “Clash of the Titans” remake.

Source: Dark Horizons

New Regency is looking to assemble its own giant robot movie.

The 20th Century Fox-based production entity is close to a deal with the Mark Gordon Co. to adapt “Voltron: Defender of the Universe” into a live-action film.

Gordon has been developing the pic, based on the popular 1980s Japanese animated TV series, comicbooks and toy line, with Justin Marks penning the script.

Should the deal close, project would be one of the company’s more high-profile efforts since Robert Harper took over as chairman-CEO of Regency Filmed Entertainment earlier this year.

Interest in the property hit a high after “Transformers” turned into a box office juggernaut, raking in nearly $300 million to date.

Read the Entire Story…
Source: Variety

Walt Disney Studios has decided to stop producing direct-to-DVD sequels of its animated features, according to the website JimHillMedia.com. Although the direct-to-DVD sequels - such as “Meet the Robinsons 2,” “Chicken Little 2″ and “The Aristocats 2″ - have generally been very profitable, the new Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney, John Lasseter, has publicly said the sequels are inferior to the originals and erode the Disney brand.

JillHillMedia.com also reported that the president of DisneyToon Studios, Sharon Morrill, has been forced to step down as part of the decision.

Lasseter recommended that Disney drop a sequel to 1953’s “Peter Pan” called “The Tinkerbell Movie,” and Disney CEO Bob Iger decided to follow the recommendation, even though the project had already accrued $30 million in development costs.

Also scrapped was a series called “Disney Princess Enchanted Tales,” which would have featured characters like Jasmine from “Aladdin” and Aurora from “Sleeping Beauty.”

Two more DVDs will be released this fall - one “Enchanted Tales” installment and “Little Mermaid 3″ - and that will be the end of Disney’s direct-to-DVD sequels.

Source: All Headline News

Blu-ray is extending its early lead in the high-def video wars.

Blockbuster Inc. announced on Monday that it would rent only Blu-ray discs, and not HD DVDs, in its 1,700 company-owned stores. That’s supposed to take effect by mid-July.

The company said the decision was based on Blu-ray rentals “significantly outpacing” HD DVD rentals, and added that both formats will be available through its Web site.

While the dueling formats are technically somewhat similar, Blu-ray enjoys the advantage of being backed by more film studios (Sony, 20th Century Fox, Buena Vista, and Lionsgate) vs. HD DVD, which counts NBC Universal as its strongest supporter. Warner Home Video and Paramount have said they’ll release movies in both formats. In addition, Blu-ray discs can store more data.

Blu-ray discs also enjoys the advantage of being playable in every Sony Playstation 3 game console, though of course not everyone with one actually watches movies on it. Recent estimates by the HD DVD Promotion Group put Blu-ray titles at 1.5 million sold so far and HD DVD at 1.2 million. It estimates that there are 1.3 million Blu-ray players (1.2 million of which are PS3s) and 150,000 stand-alone HD DVD players.

Earlier this month, Sony lowered the price of its standalone Blu-ray player to $499, still a few hundred dollars more than Toshiba’s rival HD DVD player.

Source: CNet