All Articles by Steve Weintraub

Toby Kebbell Talks WRATH OF THE TITANS, AKIRA and THE EAST

Posted: March 30th, 2012 at 10:43 am

Opening today is director Jonathan Liebesman’s (Battle: Los Angeles) Wrath of the Titans.  In the sequel to Clash of the Titans, Perseus (Sam Worthington) is tasked with stopping the titans and saving Zeus (Liam Neeson) from Hades’ stranglehold (Ralph Fiennes). The film also stars Rosamund Pike, Bill Nighy, Edgar Ramirez, Toby Kebbell and Danny Huston.  And for those wondering how the sequel turned out, Wrath of the Titans is what I hoped Clash of the Titans would be.  It’s got a solid story, incredible effects, and the 3D is really well done.  I’ve seen it twice (including IMAX 3D) and it’s definitely recommended.  For more on the film, here’s five clips.

During my interview with Kebbell, we talked about how he got involved in the project, what did he want to bring to his character, what surprised him about making the movie, and what’s his favorite director, actor and movie.  In addition, we talked about director Zal Batmanglij‘s (Sound of My Voice) The East and his thoughts on the live-action Akira.  Hit the jump to watch.

Director Jonathan Liebesman Talks WRATH OF THE TITANS, TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES, His Julius Caesar Movie, ODYSSEUS, and More

Posted: March 29th, 2012 at 1:34 pm

Opening tomorrow is director Jonathan Liebesman’s (Battle: Los Angeles) Wrath of the Titans.  In the sequel to Clash of the Titans, Perseus (Sam Worthington) is tasked with stopping the titans and saving Zeus (Liam Neeson) from Hades’ stranglehold (Ralph Fiennes). The film also stars Rosamund Pike, Bill Nighy, Edgar Ramirez, Toby Kebbell and Danny Huston.  And for those wondering how the sequel turned out, Wrath of the Titans is what I hoped Clash of the Titans would be.  It’s got a solid story, incredible effects, and the 3D is really well done.  I’ve seen it twice (including IMAX 3D) and it’s definitely recommended.  For more on the film, here’s five clips.

At last week’s press junket in New York City, I got to sit down with Liebesman for an extended interview.  During our wide-ranging conversation we talked about how he got involved in Wrath of the Titans, his process for addressing the things that didn’t work in the first film, the visual effects, editing, the monsters, how important was it to be accurate with the mythology while still being able to take dramatic license to make the story work, and more.  In addition, Liebesman talked about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (officially titled “Ninja Turtles”), Odysseus, his untitled Julius Caesar movie with producer Basil Iwanyk, the Battle Los Angeles sequel, and a lot more.  Hit the jump to watch.

Sam Worthington and Liam Neeson Talk WRATH OF THE TITANS, Character Changes, Action Scenes, and More

Posted: March 28th, 2012 at 4:57 am

Opening this weekend is director Jonathan Liebesman’s (Battle: Los Angeles) Wrath of the Titans.  In the sequel to Clash of the Titans, Perseus (Sam Worthington) is tasked with stopping the titans and saving Zeus (Liam Neeson) from Hades’ stranglehold (Ralph Fiennes).  The film also stars Rosamund Pike, Bill Nighy, Edgar Ramirez, Toby Kebbell and Danny Huston.  And for those wondering how the sequel turned out, Wrath of the Titans is what I hoped Clash of the Titans would be.  It’s got a solid story, incredible effects, and the 3D is really well done.  I’ve seen it twice (including IMAX 3D) and it’s definitely recommended.  For more on the film, here’s five clips.

During my interview with Worthington and Neeson, we talked about how their characters have changed, what shortcomings of the first film did they want to correct, how they prepared for the sequel, what their most challenging action scenes were, Taken 2, and more.  Hit the jump to watch.

Director Peter Lord Talks Aardman’s THE PIRATES! BAND OF MISFITS; Plus 10 Things to Know About the Film

Posted: March 27th, 2012 at 3:04 pm

If you’re a fan of Aardman Animation (Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, Chicken Run, and Flushed Away), I’m pretty sure you have April 27th circled on your calender.  That’s because on that date, we finally get a new movie from one of the best animation companies in the world.  In their latest film directed by Peter Lord, The Pirates! Band of Misfits, Hugh Grant stars in his first animated role as the luxuriantly bearded Pirate Captain who is trying to win the much coveted Pirate Of The Year Award with his rag-tag crew (Martin Freeman, Brendan Gleeson, Russell Tovey, and Ashley Jensen).  However, with a diabolical queen (Imelda Staunton) and bitter rivals like Black Bellamy (Jeremy Piven) and Cutlass Liz (Salma Hayek) trying to stop him, it’s not going to be an easy task.  David Tennant is also along for the ride as the voice of Charles Darwin.  For more on the film, here’s a featurette, behind-the-scenes images, and my set visit.

I recently got to speak with Peter Lord in both a group setting and on my own.  During the interviews Lord talked about how the project came to him, the challenges of making the film, how Aardman’s relationship with Sony actually works, why the UK and the US have different titles, Easter eggs, the music, voice casting, and a lot more.  In addition, I’ve picked out a few of the highlights of the interviews and created a ten things to know about the film.  It’s all after the jump.

WRATH OF THE TITANS Giveaway

Posted: March 26th, 2012 at 2:12 pm

Opening this weekend is director Jonathan Liebesman’s (Battle: Los Angeles) Wrath of the Titans.  In the sequel to Clash of the Titans, Perseus (Sam Worthington) is tasked with stopping the titans and saving Zeus (Liam Neeson) from Hades’ stranglehold (Ralph Fiennes). The film also stars Rosamund Pike, Bill Nighy, Edgar Ramirez, Toby Kebbell and Danny Huston.  And for those wondering how the sequel turned out, Wrath of the Titans is what I hoped Clash of the Titans would be.  It’s got a solid story, incredible effects, and the 3D is really well done.  I’ve seen it twice (including IMAX 3D) and it’s definitely recommended.

To help promote it’s release, we’ve been given a lot of Wrath of the Titans movie swag to giveaway to our readers.  If you’d like to win some of it, hit the jump for details and for more on the film, here’s five clips.

Director Jonathan Liebesman Talks WRATH OF THE TITANS and the BATTLE LOS ANGELES Sequel

Posted: March 25th, 2012 at 7:43 pm

Opening next weekend is director Jonathan Liebesman’s (Battle: Los Angeles) Wrath of the Titans.  In the sequel to Clash of the Titans, Perseus (Sam Worthington) is tasked with stopping the titans and saving Zeus (Liam Neeson) from Hades’ stranglehold (Ralph Fiennes). The film also stars Rosamund Pike, Bill Nighy, Edgar Ramirez, Toby Kebbell and Danny Huston.  And for those wondering how the sequel turned out, Wrath of the Titans is what I hoped Clash of the Titans would be.  It’s got a solid story, incredible effects, and the 3D is really well done.  I’ve seen it twice (including IMAX 3D) and it’s definitely recommended.

During my interview with Liebesman, we talked about what was the most complicated special effect, the difference between sunlight and darkness for making effects look real, whether he felt added pressure with the 3D conversion after the negative reaction to the 3D in Clash of the Titans, and what’s his favorite director, actor and movie.  In addition, I also got an update on the Battle Los Angeles Sequel.  Hit the jump for more.

Lenny Kravitz Talks THE HUNGER GAMES, Favorite Movie, Director and Actor, and Tells a Great Karaoke Story Involving Mick Jagger

Posted: March 25th, 2012 at 6:20 pm

During the recent Los Angeles press junket for The Hunger Games, I landed an exclusive interviews with the cast and director Gary Ross.   While I already posted my conversations with Jennifer Lawrence and Liam Hemsworth, I decided to wait to post Lenny Kravitz figuring the movie would do well and fans would love to get some fresh content after the film had opened.  However, while I thought Hunger Games would do well, I never figured it would be one of the biggest openings of all time and make $155 million dollars in three days!  Needless to say, due to the box office, fans are definitely getting sequels.

Anyway, since Kravitz had been doing a lot of press before the film opened, I tried to ask some new questions like what’s his favorite movie, director and actor, how did he decide the look of Cinna, what made him want to play this role, what did his friends and family think when he got cast, how many takes does he like to do, and a lot more.  In addition, Kravitz tells a great story involving Mick Jagger and karaoke.  Hit the jump to either read or listen to the interview.

Liam Hemsworth Talks THE HUNGER GAMES, the Sequels, THE EXPENDABLES 2, TIMELESS, Dito Montiel’s EMPIRE STATE and More

Posted: March 23rd, 2012 at 7:28 pm

As everyone knows, director Gary Ross‘ The Hunger Games is now playing in theaters.  During the recent Los Angeles press junket, I landed an exclusive interview with Liam Hemsworth.  Since he’s been doing so much press recently, I tried to ask new questions like what’s his favorite movie, director and actor, what’s his karaoke song, what surprised him about making the film and the promotion that has come with it, deleted scenes, the mall tour and more.  In addition, with Hemsworth busy with a number of other projects, we also talked about The Expendables 2, Phillip Noyce‘s Timeless, Dito Montiel‘s Empire State, and more.

Based on Suzanne Collins’ novel and produced by Nina Jacobson, The Hunger Games stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Lenny Kravitz, Elizabeth Banks, Woody Harrelson, Donald Sutherland, Wes Bentley , Alexander Ludwig, Isabelle Fuhrman and Amandla Stenberg.   For more on the film, here’s three clips and six minutes of behind-the-scenes footage, as well as all our previous coverage.  Hit the jump to either read or listen to the interview.

Author/Screenwriter Seth Grahame-Smith Talks ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER at WonderCon

Posted: March 23rd, 2012 at 6:10 pm

At last weekend’s WonderCon, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter director Timur Bekmambetov, star Ben Walker and author/screenwriter Seth Grahame-Smith showed off a new trailer and an extended section of a big action set piece that featured all the principal cast.  If you missed Dave’s recap of the panel, click here.  You can also watch the new trailer here.  For those just hearing about the project, the film re-imagines our 16th President as a statesman by day and a vampire slayer by night.

Shortly before the panel, I got to sit down with Grahame-Smith.  We talked about being at WonderCon, the collaboration between himself, Tim Burton, Timur Bekmambetov and 20^th Century Fox on the project, how has the project changed along the way, and and what they learned from their friends and family screening.  Hit the jump to watch.

John Noble, Joshua Jackson and Seth Gabel Talk FRINGE at WonderCon 2012

Posted: March 23rd, 2012 at 9:50 am

One of the best sci-fi shows on any network is Fringe.  Week in and week out, the ratings-challenged FOX show tells great stories, introduces interesting characters, and pushes the boundaries of what television can do.  If you’re not watching the show, I strongly suggest tuning in.  And if you were an X-Files fan, do you remember when The X-Files was great?  When you couldn’t wait to see what was coming next?  That’s Fringe every week.

At last weekend’s WonderCon, I got to participate in group interviews with John Noble, Joshua Jackson and Seth Gabel.  They talked about being at WonderCon, what’s coming up on the show, the challenges of playing different versions of the same character, the chances of getting another season, and a lot more.  Hit the jump to watch.

5 Clips from WRATH OF THE TITANS Starring Sam Worthington and Liam Neeson

Posted: March 23rd, 2012 at 8:50 am

We’ve been provided with five clips from the upcoming sequel Wrath of the Titans to share with you today. Jonathan Liebesman (Battle: Los Angeles) takes over the director’s chair this time around and takes a more practical approach to the effects than Clash of the Titans.  The film finds Perseus (Sam Worthington) tasked with stopping the titans and saving Zeus (Liam Neeson) from Hades’ stranglehold (Ralph Fiennes).  Though Clash wasn’t exactly warmly received, Worthington has stated that he feels they did things right this time around. After seeing the film the other night, I agree.  Wrath of the Titans is what I hoped Clash of the Titans would be.  Trust me, the sequel is a vast improvement and a really good fantasy movie.

Hit the jump to watch the clips and look for exclusive video interviews with the cast and director Jonathan Liebesman next week .  The film also stars Rosamund Pike, Bill Nighy, Edgar Ramirez, Toby Kebbell and Danny Huston.  Wrath of the Titans opens in 3D on March 30th.

Director Gary Ross Talks THE HUNGER GAMES, CATCHING FIRE, Deleted Scenes, and a Lot More

Posted: March 22nd, 2012 at 8:54 am

As everyone knows, opening this weekend is director Gary Ross‘ The Hunger Games.  Based on Suzanne Collins novel and produced by Nina Jacobson, the film stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Lenny Kravitz, Elizabeth Banks, Woody Harrelson, Donald Sutherland, Wes Bentley , Alexander Ludwig, Isabelle Fuhrman and Amandla Stenberg.   For more on the film, here’s three clips and six minutes of behind-the-scenes footage, as well as all our previous coverage.

During the recent Los Angeles press junket, I landed an exclusive interview with director Gary Ross, who did an awesome job on the movie.   Since he’s been doing so much press recently, I tried to ask new questions like what’s his favorite movie, director and actor, why he chose to shoot the movie with a lot of close-ups, the studio’s reaction to that decision, deleted scenes, editing, sequences that were difficult to cut, the sequel Catching Fire, and a lot more.  Hit the jump to either read or listen to the interview.

COMMUNITY Creator Dan Harmon Talks About the Status of Another Season, Inspector Spacetime, Evil Troy and Abed, a COMMUNITY Movie, and More

Posted: March 22nd, 2012 at 8:36 am

With one of the best shows on TV finally returning with new episodes, the cast of NBC’s Community and creator Dan Harmon were in great spirits at last weekend’s WonderCon.  Shortly before their Sunday panel, I got to sit down with Harmon for an extended interview.  We talked about being at the Con and his appreciation of the fans, where did the Beetlejuice nod come from, Inspector Spacetime and a possible guest star that could have played one of Abed’s longtime friends, will evil Troy and Abed make another appearance, are there any ideas that were too far out (he reveals one of them and it’s a great one!), where would a Community movie take place in the shows timeline if they were to make one (again, another awesome idea), will they get another season, and a lot more.  Hit the jump to watch.

Jennifer Lawrence Talks THE HUNGER GAMES, THE SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK, Her Tabloid “Feud” with Kristen Stewart, and More

Posted: March 21st, 2012 at 8:02 pm

As everyone knows, opening this weekend is director Gary Ross‘ The Hunger Games.  Based on Suzanne Collins novel and produced by Nina Jacobson, the film stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Lenny Kravitz, Elizabeth Banks, Woody Harrelson, Donald Sutherland, Wes Bentley , Alexander Ludwig, Isabelle Fuhrman and Amandla Stenberg.   For more on the film, here’s three clips and six minutes of behind-the-scenes footage, as well as all our previous coverage.

During the recent Los Angeles press junket, I landed an exclusive interview with Jennifer Lawrence.   Since she’s been doing so much press recently, I tried to ask new questions like what’s her favorite movie, director and actor, her karaoke song, what TV shows does she watch, what surprised her the most about making this big tentpole release and the promotion that goes with it, how many takes does she prefer, the sequels, did she call anyone in Twilight to ask ‘What am I getting myself into?’ and more.  In addition, we talked about director David O. Russell‘s The Silver Linings Playbook where she plays an an ex-sex addict, and she talked about her tabloid “feud” with Kristen Stewart and how it’s completely made up.  Hit the jump to either read or listen to the interview.

Writer-Director Rian Johnson Talks LOOPER, the Rules of Time Travel in Movies, the Film’s Unique Score and More at WonderCon 2012

Posted: March 21st, 2012 at 7:23 pm

One of my most anticipated movies of 2012 is writer-director Rian Johnson‘s Looper.   If the name Rian Johnson doesn’t mean anything to you, I strongly suggest renting Brick and The Brothers Bloom.  After you see them, you’ll understand why films nerds can’t wait to see what’s next from the director.  If you haven’t heard of Looper, the futuristic thriller takes place in a world where time travel exists, but is only used on the Black Market. When the mob wants to kill someone, they send the target 30 years into the past where a contract killer (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) does the dirty work. Things are going smoothly until Gordon-Levitt’s future self (Bruce Willis) is sent into the past to be killed.  For more on the film, here’s the first images, and Dave’s recap of the WonderCon panel.

After the panel, I got to sit down with Johnson for an extended interview.  We talked about being at WonderCon, the plot of the film, the rules of time travel in movies and what films he looked to for inspiration, the music (which will be done by his cousin, Nathan Johnson), what he learned from a friends and family screening, the running time and deleted scenes, whether or not they’ll do a viral campaign, and more.  Hit the jump to watch.  Looper hits theaters September 28.

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