Kodi Smit-McPhee

First TV Spot for PARANORMAN

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: April 2nd, 2012 at 7:43 am

The first TV spot for the stop-motion animated film ParaNorman has gone online. The pic comes from Laika, the studio that gave us Coraline, and centers on a curious little boy whose ability to talk to the undead comes in handy when his town is ravaged by zombies, ghosts, witches, moronic grown-ups, and a centuries old curse. I was 100% sold on this movie after the glorious first trailer, and all the subsequent spots have only increased my anticipation for what looks to be an incredibly fun (and gorgeous) creature feature. This TV spot is no different, and even doubles down by throwing some good natured humor our way.

Hit the jump to watch the spot. The film features the voices of Kodi Smit-McPhee, Casey Affleck, Anna Kendrick, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Leslie Mann, Jeff Garlin, John Goodman, and Alex Borstein. ParaNorman opens in 3D on August 17th.

New International Trailer for PARANORMAN

by Ben Garman    Posted: March 29th, 2012 at 12:01 pm

Following on from the US trailer and poster out earlier this month, Focus Features have now released a new, longer international trailer for their stop-motion zombie horror, ParaNorman. When a small town is besieged by zombies, responsibility falls upon Norman, a local boy with the unique ability to speak to the dead, to save everyone from a centuries-old curse.

ParaNorman is Coraline writer Chris Butler‘s directorial debut, although Sam Fell (The Tale of Despereaux) is also co-directing. The film features the voices of Kodi Smit-McPhee, Casey Affleck, Anna Kendrick, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Leslie Mann, Jeff Garlin, John Goodman, and Alex Borstein. The movie opens in 3D on August 17th. Hit the jump for the trailer.

New Trailer and Poster for PARANORMAN

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: March 2nd, 2012 at 6:17 am

The new US trailer for the stop-motion animated film ParaNorman has gone online. From Chris Butler (Coraline) and Sam Fell (The Tale of Despereaux) comes the story of Norman, a mysterious and misunderstood boy with the ability to see and talk to ghosts. This new trailer gives us a much better idea of what the plot of ParaNorman will actually be about. It also gives us a good look at some other characters in the film and the famous voices associated with them. While the previous trailer did a good job of piquing my interest, the new one actually made me look forward to the summer release. It hits on all the right notes of comedy and charisma.

Hit the jump to check out the trailer and poster. The film features the voices of Kodi Smit-McPhee, Casey Affleck, Anna Kendrick, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Leslie Mann, Jeff Garlin, John Goodman, and Alex Borstein. ParaNorman opens in 3D on August 17th.

International Trailer for PARANORMAN

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: December 12th, 2011 at 11:34 am

An international trailer for the stop-motion animated film ParaNorman has gone online.  The movie centers on a young boy named Norman (voiced by Let Me In‘s Kodi Smit-McPhee) who is able to see ghosts but it’s no big deal.  It becomes a bigger deal when his small town comes under attack from the un-dead and he must save the day by stopping a centuries-old curse.  The US teaser trailer is one of my favorite trailers of the year, and the international version is also good, but it’s more focused on introducing Norman and the plot.  The movie still looks like a lot of fun and it will be one worth keeping an eye on in 2012.

Hit the jump to check out the trailer.  The film also features the voices of Casey Affleck, Anna Kendrick, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Leslie Mann, Jeff Garlin, John Goodman, and Alex Borstein. ParaNorman opens in the US on August 17, 2012; it opens in the UK on September 14, 2012.

Teaser Trailer for Stop-Motion Animated Film PARANORMAN

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: October 28th, 2011 at 11:37 am

The first trailer for the stop-motion animated film ParaNorman has been released. The film comes from LAIKA, the animation studio that brought us Coraline, and centers on a boy whose ability to talk to the dead comes in handy when his town is ravaged by zombies, ghosts, witches, moronic grown-ups, and a centuries-old curse. We don’t get any dialogue from this teaser, as it’s just a montage of scenes with Donovan’s appropriately titled “Season of the Witch” playing over the scenes. The images here are pretty spectacular, as expected, and I like the design of the characters. The tag of the trailer really got me as well. I’m excited to see more from this peculiar little fella.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer. The film features the voices of Kodi Smit-McPhee (Let Me In), Casey Affleck, Anna Kendrick, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Leslie Mann, Jeff Garlin, John Goodman, and Alex Borstein. ParaNorman opens August 17th, 2012.

Kodi Smit-McPhee in Talks to Play Benvolio in ROMEO AND JULIET Opposite Hailee Steinfeld; Corbin Bernsen Joins LAY THE FAVORITE

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: June 7th, 2011 at 4:34 pm

And the casting stories keep on coming. 14-year-old Kodi Smit-McPhee (Let Me In) is in early negotiations to join Carlo Carlei’s adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. Variety reports that he’s being eyed for the role of Benvolio, Romeo’s cousin. Hailee Steinfeld is attached to star as Juliet, with Ed Westwick poised to play Tybalt and Holly Hunter set to take on the role of The Nurse. Italian director Carlei (Flight of the Innocent) will helm from a script by Julian Fellowes (Gosford Park). The key roles of Romeo and Mercutio have yet to be cast, but production is set to begin this summer in Italy.

Additionally, Corbin Bernsen has joined the cast of the indie gambling comedy Lay the Favorite. Based on the memoir of Beth Raymer, the flick stars Rebecca Hall, Bruce Willis, Vince Vaughn and Catherine Zeta-Jones. The story centers on Raymer’s rise from a Las Vegas cocktail waitress to one of the world’s best gamblers. Variety reports that Bernsen will play Hall’s father in the flick. Stephen Frears (High Fidelity) is directing from a script by D.V. De Vincentis. I’m a big fan of Frears, and the cast he’s turning out is pretty impressive. Hit the jump to read a synopsis of the novel.

Focus Features Signs Two-Picture Distribution Deal with CORALINE Studio LAIKA; Will Release PARANORMAN Next August

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: May 4th, 2011 at 11:59 am

Focus Features will reteam with Coraline animation studio LAIKA for two upcoming pictures.  Focus will distribute the first film under the deal, ParaNorman, on August 17, 2012.  The film will be only the second stop-motion animated film to be released in 3D.  Directed by Sam Fell (Flushed Away) and Chris Butler (storyboard supervisor on Coraline), ParaNorman is a comedy thriller about a local boy (voiced by Kodi Smit-McPhee) who can speak with the dead, which comes in handy when his town becomes under siege from zombies, ghosts, witches, moronic grown-up, and a centuries-old curse.  The voice cast also includes Casey Affleck, Jeff Garlin, John Goodman, Leslie Mann, Christopher Mintze-Plasse, Bernard Hill, Tempestt Bledsoe, Elaine Stritch, and Anna Kendrick.

The yet-to-be-named second picture will be released by Focus in 2014.  Hit the jump for the full press release.

LET ME IN Blu-ray Review

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: February 28th, 2011 at 4:08 pm

Some of the most demanding challenges for a filmmaker are to adapt a novel for the screen, translate a foreign work for an English-speaking audience and to put their own mark on a remake without demeaning the original. Matt Reeves’ Let Me In manages to accomplish all three tasks.

The adolescent-centric vampire film, a remake of Swedish director Tomas Alfredson’s Let the Right One In, is an adaptation of the John Ajvide Lindqvist novel by the same name. Reeves’ Let Me In is actually less a remake and more a shot for shot tribute to the original with his own interpretations placed strategically throughout the film. To see how the American film differs from the original and just why this works, hit the jump.

Kodi Smit-McPhee to Join THE CONGRESS

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: January 31st, 2011 at 7:52 pm

Actor Kodi Smit-McPhee (Let Me In) has recently chosen his next project, a futuristic sci-fi film titled, The Congress. Adapted from Stanislaw Lem’s short story The Futurological Congress, the film will be directed by Ari Folman, whose last film was the Oscar-nominated Waltz with Bashir. Smit-McPhee joins a cast in the animated film that includes Robin Wright, Danny Huston, Harvey Keitel and Paul Giamatti. Smit-McPhee revealed his involvement in an interview with We Got This Covered (via The Playlist):

“I’m also doing a film called The Congress which is just in the rehearsal process and I think next week we’ll be shooting. I don’t really know how to explain it, I think it’s sci-fi and futuristic.”

We previously brought you the first image from the film last year. For more on The Congress, hit the jump.

Director Matt Reeves and Kodi Smit-McPhee Video Interview LET ME IN

by Bill Graham    Posted: September 30th, 2010 at 5:37 pm

Last week I had the opportunity to sit down and discuss Let Me In with writer/director Matt Reeves and the star of the film, Kodi Smit-McPhee, during Fantastic Fest.  I had a notepad full of questions to ask, as I loved the original Swedish film, had finished reading the book a week prior, and screened the remake the day before, but I was given a small window to talk to them so I tried to make my questions count. Join me after the break as we discuss the plot points he wanted to keep from the original film, the decision behind the use of CGI and the vampire aesthetic, and how long Kodi can really hold his breath.

If you haven’t already, check out my review of Let Me In from Fantastic Fest here and look for my interview with Dylan Minnette and Elias Koteas in the coming days.  For now, enjoy the interview and look for Let Me In tomorrow.

LET ME IN Premiere Celebrity Images

by Christina Radish    Posted: September 29th, 2010 at 9:28 am

The highly anticipated American remake Let Me In, starring Chloe Grace Moretz and Kodi Smit-McPhee, had its Hollywood premiere at the Mann Bruin Theater in Westwood Village on September 27^th. This version – which tells the story of a bullied young boy named Owen (Smit-McPhee) who befriends a young female vampire (Moretz) living in secrecy – is writer/director Matt Reeves’ (Cloverfield) reworking of the acclaimed Swedish book and film, Let the Right One In. Check out more about who attended after the jump:

Fantastic Fest: LET ME IN Review

by Bill Graham    Posted: September 28th, 2010 at 10:00 pm

When a film that gathers an enormous following and a smattering of praise has an American remake announced the same year it is released, you would expect a few groans. That is exactly what happened with Matt Reeves’ Let Me In, an adaptation and reworking of both the book and film named Let The Right One In. With that in mind, expectations weren’t high for the film, but it largely succeeds despite apprehension from most of the film-going community and works as a personal and touching tale, just in a different locale. Join me after the break for my full review of the faults and successes of this remake.

New Posters for LET ME IN, TRON: LEGACY, and PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2

by Bill Graham    Posted: September 17th, 2010 at 1:16 pm

Friday is the day that the internet teases you with info about films that are releasing today while you sit at your desk toiling away and wait for the clock to strike 6:00 PM. Or something like that. Anyway, here are three posters for films that are definitely not releasing today, but you might be eager to see. The first is a beautiful one from Matt Reeves’ Let Me In, the retelling of Tomas Alfredson’s outstanding Let The Right One In. The second is the full poster of Jeff Bridges seen at Comic-Con from Joseph Kosinski’s TRON: Legacy. The third and final one is from the sequel to the ultra low-budget Paranormal Activity, simply titled Paranormal Activity 2. Apparently they didn’t waste much money on the titling either. Hit the jump for the full posters.

8 Movie Clips from LET ME IN

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: September 14th, 2010 at 5:18 pm

Let me start off by saying congratulations to director Matt Reeves.  Why am I saying congrats?  Because Reeves has done the impossible and made the remake of director Tomas Alfredson’s Let the Right One In something everyone can be proud of.

When it was first announced the Alfredson’s film was being remade, cyberspace exploded with venom.  But I’ve spoken to a number of leading online journalists and the consensus is universal: Let Me In is a special movie – just like the original.

I have a lot more to say after the jump – including eight clips from the movie.  What are you waiting for:

International Trailer and Three Clips from LET ME IN

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: September 10th, 2010 at 10:19 am

The international trailer plus three clips from Matt Reeves’ Let Me In have gone online.  It’s based off the book Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist and was previously adapted into the excellent 2008 Swedish film of the same name.  The new version stars Chloe Moretz (Kick-Ass), Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Road), and Richard Jenkins (The Visitor).  I like the quiet mood and dark undertones of these clips and the more I see of the film, the more I think that Reeves (whose previous film was Cloverfield) has pulled off a successful adaptation.

Hit the jump to check out the international trailer and the clips.  Let Me In is playing at the Toronto Film Festival and will open this year’s Fantastic Fest.  It opens nationwide on October 1st.

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