Update from Sarah Michelle Gellar on Alice
January 17, 2008
Source: RadioFree.com
by Alex Billington
Ex-Buffy the Vampire Slayer Sarah Michelle Gellar has been previously rumored to be cast as Alice in the film adaptation of the video game Alice. The game is a dark and sinister re-invention of the Lewis Carroll classic that takes place in the Alice's Adventures in Wonderland universe. Ever since it came out in 2000 the game has been talked about as great inspiration for a feature film, but it's taken quite some years to get off the ground. Unfortunately now even eight years later, it's still stuck, especially with the writers strike, but Gellar chimes in with an update and promises she is still cast as Alice.
RadioFree.com recently caught up with Sarah Michelle Gellar and got a bit of a bland on Alice.
I mean, it's a passion project of mine. It's a story that I'd love to see. I'm fearful at this rate that I'm going to be the Queen of Hearts because I'm going to be too old to be Alice. [laughs] It's something I'd really like to see done. And unfortunately, it was the victim of regime change in the studio. And I'm not getting out. And contrary to what you may have read, it's still my project. [laughs] And I'm still working diligently. So to all those Alice fans, I'm not giving up. Because I believe there is such a beautiful, crazy, cool, twisted story to be told there. And if I have to get down and write it myself one of these days, I may have to…
2003's Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Pathfinder director Marcus Nispel has also been long attached to the film, but ever since it was mentioned as even in development, it's never gone further than that. And from the sounds of it, there still isn't a completed script ready to go. As much as I want this to happen and as much as I want the always attractive Sarah Michelle Gellar to finally take on the role of Alice, it just doesn't sound like it will get too far anytime soon. Why can't Alice be greenlit while Justice League dies?
The video game, released by Electronic Arts on PC and Mac in 2000, has received fairly positive critical appraise, with an 85 on Metacritic. The story is focus on Alice, who returns to a dark and sinister version of Wonderland as a young adult after her family is killed in a fire. Affected and changed by both the events in the real world and her surreal adventures "down the rabbit hole", Alice is now a disturbed little girl.
Mia Wasikowska Cast as Alice in Tim Burton's Wonderland
July 23, 2008
by Alex Billington
Back in November last year we announced that filmmaker Tim Burton would be working on two highly anticipated feature films: a full-length adaptation of Frankenweenie and Alice in Wonderland in 3D. Frankenweenie is nothing more than a stop-animation feature film, but Alice in Wonderland is some sort of combination of live-action and performance-capture CGI that will be presented fully in 3D. Burton and crew announced tonight that Australian actress Mia Wasikowska has been cast in the film as Alice. The script, obviously based on Lewis Carroll's classic novel, was penned by Disney writer Linda Woolverton (of Beauty and the Beast, Homeward Bound, and Lion King) and is being directed by Tim Burton himself.
I was recently convinced that 3D, when implemented from the ground up, can be used in great ways. So taking Tim Burton's imaginative Wonderland and adding 3D filmmaking to it could only mean great things, right? Well don't forget that Burton made Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, a movie that I have quickly forgotten. Unfortunately Alice in Wonderland sounds like it'll be subject to the same Burton butchering; he's only a great filmmaker when he's not limited by the MPAA (at least I think). As for the choice of Woolverton for the lead - why not? I haven't seen her in anything really, but she's definitely cute enough to take on the role. When this was first announced, it was supposed to have finished shooting by now and be out by the end of the year. But it sounds like Alice in Wonderland is now on track for 2010.
Johnny Depp in Alice in Wonderland, Lone Ranger, and Pirates 4! Updated!
September 24, 2008
by Alex Billington
I just walked out of the incredibly lavish Walt Disney Studios Showcase that previewed all of Disney's upcoming films for the next few years. The finale featured a trifecta of announcements regarding the one-and-only Johnny Depp. First, it was announced that he would be playing the Mad Hatter in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. Second, the USC Marching Band paraded into the theater triumphantly playing The Lone Ranger theme song, before Johnny Depp dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow appeared on stage, confirming his casting in that film. And last but not least, host Dick Cook mentioned that this might mean we'll see another Pirates of the Caribbean movie, confirming that a fourth film from that franchise is also in the works. Johnny Depp has definitely become Disney's biggest star!
My head is swirling right now with such a rush of news all coming from one sitting, but that's the latest straight from Hollywood. We saw some funky early concept art from Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, which will feature a combination of CGI and live-action visuals. Johnny Depp's involvement has been rumored for quite some time, considering he has starred in almost all of Burton's recent films. As for the Lone Ranger announcement, that definitely came out of nowhere. We knew the film was in development, but that's it. And last but not least, early discussion about a fourth Pirates of the Caribbean movie is also news that has been rumored for a while, considering the third film made over $300 million last summer. This is definitely an exciting day today from one of the biggest and best studios in Hollywood!
Update! We've received word from Disney that Johnny Depp has been cast in The Lone Ranger as Tonto and not the Lone Ranger himself. Tonto was the Lone Ranger's Native American sidekick who helped out greatly in nearly every episode of the original radio show. As for the film itself, we confirmed back in March that writers Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, the duo who wrote the Pirates of the Caribbean films, were writing the big screen version of this. It's a Jerry Bruckheimer production meaning that it's going to be one hell of a big adaptation, considering all of Bruckheimer's features have big budgets. As for a director, we don't yet know who that'll be, nor did they announce who will actually plane the Lone Ranger.
First Look: Mia Wasikowska in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland
September 26, 2008
Source: INF Daily
by Alex Billington
For those who didn't know, Tim Burton is directing a twisted remake of Disney's Alice in Wonderland, as we first announced in November last year. In addition to the news earlier this week that Johnny Depp would be playing the Mad Hatter in the film, INF Daily (via SlashFilm) has snapped the first few photos of young actress Mia Wasikowska on set in England. She is playing Burton's version of Alice and definitely looks like she fits the role. This film isn't set to hit theaters until sometime in 2010, but it's off to a strong start with a great cast and exciting first look photos like this. These may not be much to go off of, but I've got a good feeling these (and the Depp news) will jump start the early buzz on this movie.
Thanks again to INF Daily for posting these. The photos come from a set in Cornwall, England, where the film was shooting on a massive ship. You can see a lot more photos over on their site.
The script for Alice in Wonderland (which will be presented in 3D), obviously based on Lewis Carroll's classic novel, was penned by Disney writer Linda Woolverton (of Beauty and the Beast, Homeward Bound, and Lion King) and is being directed by Tim Burton himself. It's expected to be a visually stunning film that will combine performance-capture imagery, the kind you see in Beowulf, with live-action footage. My guess is that the oddball characters from the fairy tale, like the caterpillar and the rabbit and the Queen of Hearts, will be done in CG, while (obviously) Alice and the Mad Hatter will all be real actors. Even though I'm not a big fan of the story, this definitely looks good so far! Will this new Alice in Wonderland be the next Disney classic?
Anne Hathaway Stumbles into Burton's Alice in Wonderland
October 7, 2008
by Alex Billington
In a rather surprising casting announcment, Anne Hathaway has joined Tim Burton's currently in-production hybrid reboot of Disney's classic tale Alice in Wonderland. Wait, what?! Additionally, in a rather unsurprising casting announcement, Burton's wife Helena Bonham Carter will also star in the film alongside of Hathaway. We know that beautiful young actress Mia Wasikowska is playing Alice, Johnny Depp is playing the Mad Hatter, and now Hathaway will play the White Queen while Bonham Carter will play the Red Queen. This pretty much rounds out the cast for the film, which will also feature appearances by Matt Lucas, Michael Sheen, and Christopher Lee in currently unnamed roles.
For those who may be unfamiliar with the project, Tim Burton's take on the classic Disney tale will be a hybrid film featuring both live-action and CGI characters, much like a twisted combination of Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Alvin and the Chipmunks. The White Queen (Hathaway) is the sister to the evil Red Queen (Carter), who is known for saying "off with their heads!" The White Queen needs Alice to find and kill a creature known as the Bandersnatch. I've seen some early concept art of the two queens and let's just say - you definitely won't have been able to imagine anything like them.
Tim Burton Speaks About His Goals for Alice in Wonderland
October 15, 2008
Source: Hero Complex
by Alex Billington
Ever since it was announced last November that Tim Burton was directing Alice in Wonderland, the filmmaker has never actually spoken publicly about his work on the film. Now that he's already officially in production on it, Burton has finally started talking about it, and Geoff Boucher of the Hero Complex was one of the first to speak with him. The lengthy in-depth interview, that I thoroughly enjoyed reading, eventually hones in on Alice in Wonderland after covering a wide range of topics, from Beetlejuice to Johnny Depp to Dark Shadows. And to jump right into it, let's kick this update off with Burton's goal for re-envisioning Alice in Wonderland: "just to try to give it a gravity that most film versions haven't had."
Burton's discussion on the story, as seen below, actually makes a lot of sense. My own reference for Alice in Wonderland comes only from Disney's 1951 film. While Burton is going all the way back to Lewis Carroll's 1865 classic story, my knowledge is only limited to the cheerful, and still twisted, version that Disney told. However, hearing Burton's explanation actually really puts it all into perspective.
"It's a funny project. The story is obviously a classic with iconic images and ideas and thoughts. But with all the movie versions, well, I've just never seen one that really had any impact to me. It's always just a series of weird events. Every character is strange and she's just kind of wandering through all of the encounters as just a sort of observer. The goal is to try to make it an engaging movie where you get some of the psychology and kind of bring a freshness but also keep the classic nature of 'Alice.' And, you know, getting to do it in 3-D fits the material quite well. So I'm excited about making it a new version - but also have the elements that people expect when they think of the material."
Knowing Burton's past work, this means we're going to get a darker, deeper, and much more twisted movie than we've ever seen before. I really didn't like Burton's re-imagining of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and I'm a bit worried that Alice in Wonderland might head in that direction as well. But for now, I think this explanation makes me feel a bit more confident in him and I enjoyed the first few set photos with lead actress Mia Wasikowska. For some odd reason I'm strangely excited for this movie, only because I feel like Burton is the perfect guy to do it. Obviously this is the very first of many talks with him that we'll see over the next few years until Alice in Wonderland hits theaters sometime in 2010.
3D Updates: Alice in Wonderland, Beauty and the Beast and Pirates of the Caribbean
November 19, 2008
Source: MarketSaw, Variety
by Alex Billington
It's no coincidence that the three films mentioned in the title are all Disney films. It seems Disney, who is very well versed in the world of theme parks, believes 3D really is the future and is pushing very hard to put out nearly every film they're releasing from now on in 3D. This even includes such timeless classics as Beauty and the Beast and Tim Burton's upcoming Alice in Wonderland. We've got three updates today in regards to 3D, two of which pertain to Beauty and Wonderland, the third of which pertains to Pirates of the Caribbean. As always, I jump at any opportunity to talk about 3D and how bad it might be because this time not all this news is necessarily good news! Care to find out more?
First up, Disney is re-rendering their 1991 classic Beauty and the Beast in Digital 3D and will be re-releasing the new version in theaters sometime in 2010. The process is expected to take 9 months to complete. The original team of filmmakers, including producer Don Hahn and co-directors Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale, will be back to oversee the process. "By going back to the original animation files, which have been carefully archived for 17 years, and using the separate background, effects and character animation elements, we're able to come up with a fun and unique 3D experience for existing and new fans of the film," Hahn said. This actually doesn't seem that bad of an idea. I'll be curious to check it out.
Second, our friends at MarketSaw have uncovered some interesting news regarding Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. While the film has always been touted as a 3D feature, blending a mix of CGI and live-action photography, apparently it's not actually being shot in 3D. "Tim Burton is NOT shooting AIW in 3D at all. Period. They intend on converting to 2D movie to 3D after the fact in post production!" It'll still be 3D in the end, it just won't look as good as if it were entirely shot in 3D (like say, James Cameron's Avatar). To me this just means that it's going to turn out a lot worse in 3D, because anything not built (or shot) from the ground up in 3D usually ends up terrible. I'll just stick with the 2D version, thank you!
Lastly, David Cohen at Variety speculates that we could end up seeing Pirates of the Caribbean 4 in 3D by the time it hits theaters in 2012. "We can't help but notice that 1) Disney is heavily invested in 3D, including live-action. 2) Gore Verbinski and Johnny Depp are making an animated 3D movie together, Rango. and 3) Jerry Bruckheimer is making G-Force in 3D." He actually makes a very good point. Considering Pirates of the Caribbean is their money-making gem, I wouldn't be surprised if Disney is trying to find out ways to make even more money from the franchise, including putting the entire film out in 3D. Swashbuckling pirates in full 3D? Sounds like a theme park ride more than a movie to me.
It looks like Disney is really trying to make sure 3D is the future. Any of these announcements excite you?
Three Different Visual Styles in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland
December 19, 2008
Source: MoviesOnline
by Alex Billington
When we first announced that Tim Burton was directing Alice in Wonderland, we wrote that the film would feature a combination of live-action footage and performance-capture imagery all in 3D. At the time I didn't know what all that would mean, but took it as a sign we might see something visually astounding. It wasn't until I read this interview with Alan Rickman at MoviesOnline (via SlashFilm) that I realized this certainly would be an astounding combination of a total of three visual styles. Rickman explains that, "the movie is a mixture of live action, animation, and stop motion, so it's very complicated." As far as I know, and even as Rickman noted, "I don't think all three have been put together ever before."
There have been mixes of CGI and live-action before and even some stop motion and live-action mixes, but I can't think of a film that features all three. That is, unless you want to count something like Hellboy II: The Golden Army, which had a stop motion puppet scene in the beginning and featured plenty of CGI characters. Even that isn't a good reference because I'm expecting Alice in Wonderland to look like nothing we've ever seen before, a lot like the Wachowski's Speed Racer. That's good news to me, because I loved Speed Racer and I'm already very excited to see what Burton's twisted mind has come up with.
For those who are wondering why the heck Alan Rickman is talking about Alice in Wonderland, he is starring in the film as the caterpillar. And yes, he will certainly be a CGI character, not unlike what Robert Zemeckis does in his films. And to give everyone an idea of the crazy visuals we'll be seeing, Rickman explained that Helena Bonham Carter, who plays The Red Queen, is "in a costume and in makeup but her head is going to be made three times bigger than it actually is on top of the costume." If you thought Disney's Alice in Wonderland from 1951 was already visually very trippy, just wait until Burton's version. If the classic can be described as a mind trip, then this will probably be described as a full on acid trip.
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