Andrew Stanton

2012 Hero Complex Film Festival to Include Screenings of ROBOCOP, SERENITY, A CLOCKWORK ORANGE, SHAUN OF THE DEAD and More with Special Guests

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: April 25th, 2012 at 2:21 pm

Last year’s Los Angeles Times Hero Complex Film Festival included screenings of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan & J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek, a Jon Favreau-hosted double bill of Iron Man and Iron Man 2, and Warren Beatty opened the festival with his 1990 film Dick Tracy.  The event sounded like a lot of fun and proved more than insightful with some truly swell panels.  The line-up for this year’s iteration of the festival has been announced, and as expected it’s a fun mix of old and new films with special guests galore.  Hit the jump for more info.

TOP 5: JOHN CARTER, Topher Grace Edits STAR WARS Prequels, THE CABIN IN THE WOODS, SILENT HOUSE, First Image from THE LONE RANGER

by Jason Barr    Posted: March 10th, 2012 at 1:29 pm

I’ll use this week’s opening paragraph to offer a bit of foreshadowing. There’s a great chance that I’m going to be talking about 21 Jump Street here next week. Now, I’ll admit, I’ve never been one to laud the work of Channing Tatum. For the first time ever, though, I’m going into a film with high expectations for his performance. I think that everything I’ve seen of the film thus far looks terrific and Matt’s review and this NSFW extended trailer are just icing on the cake at this point.

On tap in this week’s “Top 5″ is a plethora of John Carter coverage including interviews with Taylor Kitsch, Andrew Stanton and more, a video blog recap of Topher Grace‘s Star Wars prequels edit, new images and a new trailer for The Cabin in the Woods, Silent House interviews with Elizabeth Olsen and co-directors Chris Kentis and Laura Lau, and the first image of Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer in The Lone Ranger. Per usual, a brief recap and link to each await after the jump.

JOHN CARTER Review

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: March 8th, 2012 at 4:09 pm

There’s a special place in my heart for big, bold adventure movies like John Carter.  In an age where detached irony seems to permeate every recess of our lives, John Carter throws out names like “Zodongan”, “Therns”, “Tharks”, and “Barsoom” and doesn’t blink an eye.  This is the world of John Carter and co-writer/director Andrew Stanton mostly lets the world open up at its own pace.  The conflicts are laid out cleanly, the lead characters are compelling, and eventually you’re not wondering about the difference between Zodongans and Heliumites and how a guy from 19th-century Earth was drawn into their conflict.  You’re too enraptured by the majesty of the red planet.  You’re also too busy laughing at the good-natured humor and being sucked into the exhilarating action.

Watch JOHN CARTER and WALL-E Director Andrew Stanton’s TED Talk

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: March 6th, 2012 at 12:09 pm

Every year, TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) hosts conferences that invite speakers to give talks on a variety of subjects with the moniker “ideas worth spreading.” Past TED Talk attendees include Bill Gates, Malcolm Gladwell, Bill Clinton, and J.J. Abrams, and we’ve even seen a fictional TED talk featuring Guy Pearce from the future by way of the viral campaign for Prometheus. This year director Andrew Stanton was given the stage, and his full talk is now available online for your viewing pleasure.

Stanton is a Pixar regular with screenwriting credits on all three Toy Story movies, and he personally helmed Finding Nemo and the magnificent Wall-E. He recently tried his hand at live-action with John Carter, which opens this Friday, and his TED talk entitled “My Life In Story, Backwards” focuses on storytelling. He opens the session with a pretty great joke, and proceeds to tell his life story in reverse. It’s a fascinating watch from a truly talented storyteller, and it’s definitely worth your time. Hit the jump to watch the full talk.

Director Andrew Stanton Talks JOHN CARTER, Reshoots, Editing, the Long Post-Production Schedule, Deleted Scenes, and More

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: March 5th, 2012 at 10:13 am

Ninety-five years ago, Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote A Princess of Mars, and since its publication, the series has influenced generations of readers.  As you might imagine, numerous filmmakers were inspired by Burroughs imagination, and many tried and were unsuccessful in bringing the story to the big screen.  Enter Andrew Stanton.  As the writer-director of Pixar’s Finding Nemo and WALL-E, Stanton has proven himself to be a great director.  He’s also a big fan of A Princess of Mars, and when he made the move to live-action, he got Disney to bring the film to theaters (now under the title of “John Carter“, named after the book’s protagonist).  After you see it this weekend, you’ll be glad you did.  The film is fantastic and well worth the price of an IMAX 3D ticket.  Trust me: once you’re transported to the world of Barsoom, you’re going to love it.

The other week, Disney held a big press junket in Arizona and I landed an exclusive video interview with Stanton.  During our extended conversation we talked about the challenge of bringing Burroughs’ story to mainstream audiences, the long post-production schedule, the editing process, how the movie changed along the way, and deleted scenes.  In addition, we talked about Easter Eggs, his favorite movie, director and actor, and a lot more.  Hit the jump to watch.

JOHN CARTER Battles White Apes, Saves the Princess in New Clip and Featurette

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: February 24th, 2012 at 5:25 pm

Disney has released a new clip and featurette for director Andrew Stanton’s John Carter that will satisfy your need for action and romance respectively. First up is a clip that shows the titular hero, played by Taylor Kitsch, as he battles for his life in the Barsoomian (ie Martian) version of gladiatorial games. Alongside Carter is a badly wounded Tars Tarkas (Willem Dafoe), a Martian warrior who is being tested for signs of weakness by pitting him against the ferocious White Apes. Those of you who prefer the softer side of John Carter will be interested in the new featurette that highlights the relationship of Carter and the Martian princess, Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins). If none of the above makes any sense to you, might I suggest you check out some posters, images, trailers, behind-the-scenes footage and set visit interviews. Better yet, just get caught up on everything here. John Carter releases in 3D on March 9^th. Hit the jump to see the new clip and featurette.

New Fan-Made Trailer for JOHN CARTER Sells the Movie Better Than the Film’s Previous Trailers

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: February 21st, 2012 at 10:44 am

We’re merely a couple weeks away from the release of Disney’s John Carter and I’m willing to bet that a good deal of the general public still has no idea what this movie is about. The previous trailers and TV spots have tried in vain to sell the film as a big action-adventure pic, but none of that matters if your audience doesn’t understand why there are a bunch of CG people monsters hanging out in the desert. A fan-made trailer for the film has recently hit the web and it’s leagues better than what the Disney marketing machine has come up with. It clearly sets up the story and rightly sells the Edgar Rice Burroughs adaptation as the precursor to basically the entire sci-fi genre. From Star Wars to Avatar, Burroughs’ source material served as the inspiration for some of the world’s most beloved sci-fi stories, and finally the tale that started it all is getting a film adaptation of its own. That’s how the movie should have been sold.

Despite the air of cynicism surrounding John Carter, I’m really pulling for the film to be a success. Having absolutely loved all of director Andrew Stanton’s previous work (Wall-E, Finding Nemo), I sincerely hope he delivers an entertaining, epic sci-fi adventure. Hit the jump to watch the impressive fan-made trailer. John Carter opens in 3D on March 9th.

Watch 13 Minutes of Behind-the-Scenes Footage to See How JOHN CARTER Was Brought to Life; Plus 3 New Clips

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: February 16th, 2012 at 6:10 pm

Disney’s John Carter is a movie that’s been in development for over two decades. Numerous filmmakers have attempted to tackle Edgar Rice Burroughs’s source material (published 100 years ago), and Andrew Stanton (Wall-E) is the director who finally brought the story to life. In order to transport Taylor Kitsch’s title character to a creature-infested Mars, a great deal of visual effects work was needed. Nearly 13 minutes of behind-the-scenes footage from the making of John Carter have been released that give us a glimpse into how Stanton pulled it all off. We see models built during the conception stage, Willem Dafoe walking around on stilts in order to portray a towering Thark, how Stanton got Kitsch to make those giant leaps, and even composer Michael Giacchino (Lost, Star Trek) hard at work on the film’s score.

Hit the jump to check out the footage, as well as three new clips from the film. The sci-fi pic also stars Thomas Haden Church, Mark Strong, Lynn Collins, and Samantha Morton. John Carter opens in 3D on March 9th.

New Clip, Featurette, and Exclusive TV Spot for JOHN CARTER

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: February 15th, 2012 at 11:04 pm

Disney has released a new clip, featurette, and provided us with an exclusive TV spot from director Andrew Stanton‘s John Carter.  The film stars Taylor Kitsch as the eponymous hero, a Civil War veteran who’s transported to the surface of the moon [Correction: Mars, not the moon.  I personally blame Disney for removing "of Mars" from the title] and thrown into a new battle between warring tribes.  This new clip and the featurette finally provide what I’ve been looking for in the story: scope.  Even on my computer monitor, the film finally seems bigger with diverse settings and set pieces.  I assume Disney held off on showing this stuff because the effects weren’t completed, because this footage would have been worth the Super Bowl ad-time.

Hit the jump to check out the clip, the featurette, and an exclusive TV spot.  The film also stars Lynn Collins, Mark Strong, Samantha Morton, Thomas Haden Church, and Willem Dafoe.  John Carter opens in 3D on March 9th.

Over 95 High Resolution Images from JOHN CARTER

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: February 15th, 2012 at 5:49 pm

We’re only a few weeks away from the release of Disney’s epic John Carter, and a large batch of high resolution images have been released. We’ve seen some of the images before, but we also get some really cool behind-the-scenes images that show just how director Andrew Stanton captured many of the effects-heavy portions of the film. While the initial trailer had me wary, I’ve been impressed by each new trailer and clip released this far. Stanton’s previously directorial resume is stellar, so I’m really hoping he delivers when we get a chance to check out the full film.

Hit the jump to check out the images. If you missed it, be sure to check out Matt’s set visit coverage including his full recap and interviews with co-writer/director Andrew Stanton, Taylor Kitsch, Willem Dafoe and Thomas Haden Church, Lynn Collins, and Samantha Morton. The film also stars Mark Strong, Ciaran Hinds, Dominic West, James Purefoy, Daryl Sabara, Polly Walker, and Bryan Cranston. John Carter opens in 3D on March 9th.

TOP 5: JOHN CARTER Set Visit, STAR WARS, THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, THE BOURNE LEGACY, Super Bowl XLVI Movie Ad Recap

by Jason Barr    Posted: February 11th, 2012 at 11:50 am

With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, I can’t help but think that Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum’s The Vow is Hollywood’s way of saying, “We know you suck at planning romantic Valentine’s dates, so why not pay us to take care of that for you?”. And you know what? They’re right. I’ve already reserved a couple of tix for the pic and, just like that, I’m basically a romance deity (Note: “Romance deity” may be a slight exaggeration”).

All romantic escapades aside, this week’s “Top 5″ brings you all of our John Carter set visit coverage, a plethora of Star Wars items, a new trailer for director Marc Webb‘s The Amazing Spider-Man, the first trailer and poster from Jeremy Renner‘s The Bourne Legacy, and all of Super Bowl XLVI’s movie ads in one place. You can find a brief recap and link to each after the jump.

Collider Visits the Set of JOHN CARTER

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: February 9th, 2012 at 9:07 am

“Barsoom” reads a sign on the outskirts of the movie set we’re about to visit.  “Barsoom” is what Martians call their planet in Edgar Rice Burroughs‘ A Princess of Mars.  A group of my fellow online movie journalists and I are headed to the set of Andrew Stanton‘s adaptation of the classic sci-fi novel, John Carter.  Mars may technically be in Big Water, Utah, but today we’ll be walking the ruins of an ancient Martian city, meeting a princess who bleeds blue, and a nine-foot-tall nomad tribe of warriors.  Hit the jump to take a trip to the red planet and find out about my visit to the set of John Carter.

Director and Co-Writer Andrew Stanton JOHN CARTER Set Visit Interview

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: February 9th, 2012 at 9:06 am

Making the move from directing animation to live-action was the big question facing Andrew Stanton when I visited the set of John Carter in April 2010.  Stanton had already delivered two amazing Pixar movies with Finding Nemo and WALL-E, but he headed to Mars with John Carter and Mars was a mix of live-action and CG.  Stanton was refreshingly honest about the transition and how the two mediums compare.  He also talked about his frustrations with the live-action process, how the film isn’t in post-production but “Principal Digital Photography”, the process of adapting the book, trying to flesh out the main characters, where they’re at with the planned sequels, and more.

Hit the jump to check out the interview.  John Carter opens in 3D on March 9th.

Willem Dafoe and Thomas Haden Church JOHN CARTER Set Visit Intervew

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: February 9th, 2012 at 9:06 am

Tharks, the green-skinned, six-limbed creatures living on Mars in John Carter are about nine feet tall.  Great actors though they are, Willem Dafoe and Thomas Haden Church, are not nine feet tall.  Even though they’re wearing the standard motion-capture grey leotards and tracking dots, there’s no accounting for height…unless you add stilts.  Watching Dafoe and Church march around on stilts is one of the high-lights of any set visit I’ve gone to.

With a sandstorm whipping into our faces and into our microphones, my fellow movie journalists and I spoke to Dafoe and Church on the set of John Carter.  In addition to talking about the stilts, we spoke about the scene they were currently filming, their characters, how doing motion-capture on set helped their performances, and more.  Hit the jump to check out the interview.  John Carter opens in 3D on March 9th.

Lynn Collins JOHN CARTER Set Visit Interview

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: February 9th, 2012 at 9:05 am

Andrew Stanton‘s John Carter is based off the novel A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs.  Lynn Collins plays the novel’s eponymous princess, Dejah Thoris.  But rather than a damsel in distress waiting for the Earthman John Carter (Taylor Kitsch) to come to her rescue, she can hold her own and kick some ass. When I went to the set of John Carter with some of my fellow movie bloggers, Collins spoke to us about her martial arts training, Dejah’s fighting style training, the three hours it takes to cover her body in intricate tattoos, what the tattoos mean, and more.  “John Carter” may be the title of the movie, but don’t be surprised if we’re paying just as much attention to the Princess of Mars.

Hit the jump to check out the interview.  John Carter opens in 3D on March 9th.

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