George Lucas

George Lucas Addresses Changes to STAR WARS; Maintains Greedo Shot First

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: February 9th, 2012 at 2:24 pm

Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace opens yet again this Friday, and the film is destined to make even more money because all the marketing for the 3D re-release has been aimed directly at kids. Even the junket interviews were conducted by children (you can watch our interviews here, here, and here). George Lucas hasn’t given too many interviews regarding the 3D release, but one hit today that’s sure to grind fanboy gear. During the discussion, Lucas defends the edits he’s made to the Star Wars saga, and specifically addresses CGI Yoda and why Greedo shot first. Hit the jump to see what he had to say.

First Trailer for Film vs. Digital Doc SIDE BY SIDE Featuring Interviews with Christopher Nolan, Martin Scorsese, and More

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: January 18th, 2012 at 5:12 pm

A little over a week ago, a curious little documentary was announced called Side by Side. The project, spearheaded by Keanu Reeves, features interviews with a number of master filmmakers regarding the film vs. digital debate. Now the first trailer for the film has popped up and Side by Side is officially one of my most anticipated movies of 2012. The trailer showcases Reeves having candid conversations about the death of film (and the advent of 3D) with people like George Lucas, Christopher Nolan, Martin Scorsese, James Cameron, and Steven Soderbergh. It looks incredibly intriguing, and I can’t wait to hear today’s foremost filmmakers weigh in on the future of moviemaking.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer. Side by Side will be released sometime this year.

Producer Rick McCallum Talks RED TAILS and Live-Action STAR WARS TV Series; Describes Show as “EMPIRE STRIKES BACK on Steroids”

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: January 18th, 2012 at 11:40 am

Opening this weekend is director Anthony Hemingway‘s World War II action-drama Red Tails.  Produced by George Lucas and Rick McCallum, the movie is based on the real-life story of the first all African-American squadron and their fight to defend our country.  They were given second-hand planes and the most dangerous missions, and it makes their story all the more incredible. Red Tails stars Terrence Howard, Cuba Gooding Jr., Bryan Cranston, Brandon T. Jackson, Nate Parker, David Oyelowo, Ne-Yo, Elijah Kelly, Tristan Wilds, Cliff Smith, Rick Otto, Daniela Ruah, and Michael B. Jordan.

Last week I did an exclusive phone interview with McCallum. During our wide ranging conversation we talked about LucasFilm’s two decade quest to make Red Tails, how advances in technology helped make the film possible, the 11.1 sound mix, and what being a producer really means.  In addition, with McCallum producing the live-action Star Wars TV series (Star Wars: Underworld), he talked about what fans can look forward to, why it’s still not filming, and revealed “It’s Empire on steroids.”  Finally, we also talked about Lucas’ future as a director, what props he owns, whether or not the 3D release of The Phantom Menace is the same cut that’s on the Blu-ray, if we’ll ever see the original trilogy on Blu-ray without any corrections, and so much more.  Hit the jump to either read or listen to what he had to say.

George Lucas Claims He’s Ready to Retire from Blockbuster Filmmaking; Producer Rick McCallum Says Lucas is Taking a Break

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: January 17th, 2012 at 1:51 pm

George Lucas is ready to retire, again. Though he previously threatened retirement before launching into the Star Wars prequels, the director’s 20-year passion project Red Tails is finally hitting theaters this month, and with that Lucas says he’s basically done:

“I’m retiring. I’m moving away from the business, from the company, from all this kind of stuff.”

That “stuff” would be blockbusters, and Lucas seems to be taking a page out of Francis Ford Coppola’s book and says he’s ready to move on to more personal material. Hit the jump for more, including what Lucas had to say to critics of his Star Wars tampering.

TOP 5: New STAR WARS Live-Action Series Details, CONTRABAND, WARM BODIES, Cinemath, Our TCA Winter Press Tour Coverage

by Jason Barr    Posted: January 14th, 2012 at 11:35 am

I have to say that I can’t wait to check out Steven Soderbergh‘s actioner Haywire. Everything I’ve seen from it thus far has looked great and the positivity pouring out from early reviews only supports my belief that the entire pic will deliver. Whether it be the stellar cast, the proclaimed breakout performance from Gina Carano, or Soderbergh’s top-notch action sequences, I fully expect to be talking about Haywire right here again next week in a little “Before & After” discussion. In the meantime…

…This week’s “Top 5″ brings you some new details regarding the long-gestating Star Wars live-action television series, Contraband interviews with Mark Wahlberg, Giovanni Ribisi, and more, the first official images from Jonathan Levine‘s (50/50) Warm Bodies, a “Cinemath” feature that analyzes the 2011 box office, and all of our coverage from the 2011 Television Critics Association (TCA) Winter Press Tour. Hit the jump for brief recaps and links to each.

Rick McCallum Talks Tone and Logistics of Live-Action STAR WARS TV Series; Describes it as “EMPIRE STRIKES BACK on Steroids”

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: January 11th, 2012 at 6:42 pm

Everybody knows the name George Lucas. Whether you love or hate the guy, his name is instantly recognizable and sends off the first few notes of John Williams’ Star Wars score in your head. Another name you may or may not know is Rick McCallum. McCallum’s relationship with Lucas began on the early 1990s TV series The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, after which Lucas tapped McCallum to produce the three Star Wars prequels. Steve recently talked with McCallum to discuss the World War II action-adventure pic Red Tails (which Lucas and McCallum produced), and while we’ll have the full interview up closer to the film’s release, we wanted to share a few tidbits with you today.

McCallum talked at length about the long-in-the-works live-action Star Wars TV series, discussing the show’s tone, the logistics of doing an effects-heavy series on television, how soon the show might come to fruition, and a lot more. Hit the jump to see what he had to say.

STAR WARS Live-Action Series May be Titled STAR WARS: UNDERWORLD; Plus Other Details

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: January 9th, 2012 at 6:00 pm

With George Lucas’ Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace set to be the first of the 3D re-releases in little more than a month, you might be thinking to yourself, “Gee, there really isn’t anything more they can do in the Star Wars universe that I haven’t already seen.” Well, your self would be wrong. The long-developing Star Wars TV series may be no closer to production but it does at least have a working title: Star Wars: Underworld. This fits in with the previous plot details having to do with a Godfather-like storyline set in the Star Wars universe.  Unfortunately, prequels producer Rick McCallum confirmed that they’re still at the mercy of financial constraints and the inefficiency of ratings standards on network television. However, we do have a few tidbits of information on the series that Star Wars fans might find interesting. Hit the jump to see what they are.

Keanu Reeves Documentary SIDE BY SIDE Tackles Film vs. Digital Debate; Includes Interviews with Martin Scorsese, Christopher Nolan, and David Fincher

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: January 9th, 2012 at 11:10 am

A curious little website has popped up announcing a new documentary produced by Keanu Reeves that tackles one of the foremost issues facing filmmakers today: the advent of digital filmmaking. Entitled Side by Side, the documentary takes an in-depth look at the issue of film vs. digital, and “examines all aspects of filmmaking – from capture, to edit, to visual effects, to color correction, to distribution to archive.” Through interviews with numerous well-respected masters of the medium, Side by Side “explores what has been gained, what is lost and what the future might bring.” Take this sample quote from Christopher Nolan:

“No credible source really has been claiming to have invented something that is aesthetically superior to film at this point.”

The documentary will feature Reeves interviewing filmmakers like Martin Scorsese, David Fincher, Lana and Andy Wachowski, George Lucas, James Cameron, Steven Soderbergh, and many more. Hit the jump for more details.

6 Movie Clips and 52 Images from George Lucas’ RED TAILS

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: January 6th, 2012 at 10:41 pm

With director Anthony Hemingway‘s World War II action-drama Red Tails opening January 20, 20th Century Fox has provided us with six clips and fifty-two images from the film.  Produced by George Lucas, the movie is based on the real-life story of the first all African-American squadron and their fight to defend our country.  They were given second-hand planes and the most dangerous missions, and it makes their story all the more incredible.

I actually spoke to someone tonight that recently saw the film and they said the action scenes are incredible and the film was better than they expected.  Which is always good to hear.  Red Tails stars Terrence Howard, Cuba Gooding Jr., Bryan Cranston, Brandon T. Jackson, Nate Parker, David Oyelowo, Ne-Yo, Elijah Kelly, Tristan Wilds, Cliff Smith, Rick Otto, Daniela Ruah, and Michael B. Jordan.  Hit the jump to watch the clips.

George Lucas Knows the Genre, but Not the MacGuffin for INDIANA JONES 5

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: December 12th, 2011 at 7:24 pm

It’s time for your semi-regular update on the development of another Indiana Jones movie.  Earlier in the month, Steven Spielberg declared, “We have already agreed on the genre of the fifth movie.  We already have a concept in mind.”  According to series co-creator George Lucas, that concept is so far only the genre and the shell of a story.  Lucas followed up with Vulture:

“I told [Spielberg] about the story, but I really haven’t found the MacGuffin yet. I mean, I know what it’s about, but I just have to find a MacGuffin that fits into the arena we’re working in.”

I don’t think anyone will mind if Spielberg and Lucas take their time on this.  Well, maybe Paramount, since Kingdom of the Crystal Skull grossed $787 million worldwide and all that.  But for the rest of us, absence makes the heart grow fonder.  I am genuinely curious to see what Lucas comes up with for the MacGuffin, but I will be even curiouser a couple years down the road.  To try and ascertain some detail about the story, Vulture asked if Indy’s family would be featured.  Lucas laughed and replied, “Yeah, we’ll see!”  I’ll let you interpret that.

Steven Spielberg Talks Michael Bay Returning for TRANSFORMERS 4; Plus an Update on INDIANA JONES 5

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: December 2nd, 2011 at 3:56 pm

Director Steven Spielberg has two very different movies coming out this holiday season. One is a fun, animated action-adventure (The Adventures of Tintin), while the other is a very serious drama about World War I (War Horse). In anticipation of the release of those films, The Beard recently spoke to Entertainment Weekly. His full interview will run in the latest issue, but the director made some comments regarding Michael Bay returning for a fourth Transformers pic and gave an update on Indiana Jones 5, both of which are now available. In addition, he addressed recent discouraging comments he made about Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Hit the jump to see what he had to say. 

THE PEOPLE VS. GEORGE LUCAS DVD Review

by Phil Brown    Posted: November 19th, 2011 at 5:16 am

With Star Wars Blu-rays sitting on everyone’s shelves that offer both an amazing presentation of a childhood classics and even more of the irritating changes that George Lucas insists improve the movies, the love/hate relationship between the flannel-loving fantasist and his fans has never been more intense. It’s kind of amazing how in the ten years since the release of The Phantom Menace, Star Wars has gone from one of the most beloved film franchises in existence to being simultaneously the most loved and despised. In an age where geeks run the world, Lucas seems to enjoy prodding and irritating the fanbase that made him a multibillionaire for reasons best known to himself. Fortunately, the ongoing obsession and frustration of Star Wars fans has been given a definitive documentary in The People Vs. George Lucas. Short of a confrontational interview with the man himself, the film covers every aspect of the Star Wars phenomena and controversies in a breezy, entertaining manner. The new DVD is an ideal companion piece to the best selling Blu-ray to examine how the Star Wars phenomena has awkwardly evolved over the last decade. Hit the jump for our review of The People vs. George Lucas on DVD.

17 Minutes from Jamie Benning’s Unofficial RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK Documentary, RAIDING THE LOST ARK

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: November 17th, 2011 at 10:48 am

Jamie Benning has previously put together “filmumentaries” where he goes along with a movie and adds interviews as commentary and production notes and behind-the-scenes footage that runs concurrently with the motion picture.  He has now turned his attention to Raiders of the Lost Ark and while his work is unofficial, I doubt any official documentary will be able to match what he’s put together, especially since Steven Spielberg doesn’t do audio commentaries.  The first 17 minutes of his new filmumentary, Raiding the Lost Ark has gone online and it’s a must-see.  It reminded me that it’s been too long since I last watched Raiders and how many details I missed or forgotten.

Hit the jump to check out the first seventeen minutes of Raiding the Lost Ark.  There’s no word on when the full documentary will be released, but Benning will put it online when it’s finished.

RED TAILS Trailer 3

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: November 9th, 2011 at 1:09 pm

The latest trailer for the World War II film Red Tails finally has found the right balance between drama and action.  The movie is based on the real-life story of the first all African-American squadron and their fight to defend our country.  They were given second-hand planes and the most dangerous missions, and it makes their story all the more incredible.  The new trailer is the most exciting so far because it while it still has the grandiose language, it feels more comfortable when couched in an exciting action film (and that action looks spectacular).

Hit the jump to check out the trailer.  The film was produced by George Lucas and stars Terrence Howard, Cuba Gooding Jr., Bryan Cranston, Brandon T. Jackson, and Nate Parker.  Red Tails opens January 20, 2012.

Steven Spielberg Talks JURASSIC PARK 4, INDIANA JONES 5, and the Faults of KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: October 26th, 2011 at 9:36 am

Steven Spielberg is making the press rounds for The Adventures of Tintin, and naturally he’s being asked the future of his franchises, specifically Jurassic Park and Indiana Jones.   In June, we reported that Spielberg was brainstorming ideas with screenwriter Mark Protosevich (I Am Legend) on how to reboot the Jurassic Park.  In a recent interview with Empire, Spielberg provided an update on the project:

“The screenplay is being written right now by Mark Protosevich. I’m hoping that will come out in the next couple of years. We have a good story. We have a better story for four than we had for three…”

Perhaps there will be less of a reliance on raptor whistles this time around.  Hit the jump for what Spielberg had to say about the shortcomings of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and the status of Indiana Jones 5.

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