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Mike Mitchell in Talks to Direct ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS 3, Which Will Not Necessarily Be 3D

by Brendan Bettinger Posted: October 26th, 2010 at 8:07 pm

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A third Alvin and the Chipmunks film is coming. December 16, 2011. It’s inevitable, so let’s accentuate the positive.

First of all, the second film provided the greatest sequel subtitle of all time in The Squeakuel. (I can’t wait to see what they come up with for number three.) Despite this, Squeakuel director Betty Thomas passed on the director’s chair for the sequel. Production is scheduled to start ten weeks from now, so 20th Century Fox is on the hunt for a new director. 24 Frames reports they may have found their man in Mike Mitchell. His most recent work is the second-best-film-in-the-series Shrek Forever After, and he contributed to a pair of solid DreamWorks Animated projects in Monsters Vs. Aliens and Kung Fu Panda. Search hard enough, and you’ll find Greg the Bunny on his resume. There are many, many worse choices than Mitchell. (Positive!)

Interestingly, the film was conceived for 3D, but Fox is now leaning toward a 2D production and release — the ultimate decision could be left up to the eventual director. If Mitchell is hired, chooses 2D, and slaps a Squeakuel-worth title on the poster, I may actually have to see this thing.

The third Alvin & the Chipmunks film may wind up looking a little like the fourth Shrek movie.That’s because Mike Mitchell, the filmmaker behind “Shrek Forever After,” is now in negotiations to direct the new installment in the live-action / animated franchise, according to several sources familiar with the project.

With a production start date just 10 weeks away, the third movie in the cartoon-creature franchise has been hurriedly searching for a director ever since “Private Parts” filmmaker Betty Thomas passed on the job. Mitchell, in addition to “Shrek,” also worked on “Monsters vs. Aliens” and “Kung Fu Panda.” Fox could not immediately be reached for comment.

The new Chipmunks movie, set for release next December, may or may not be shot in 3-D. It is, however, expected to involve the chipmunks getting shipwrecked, and its let’s-fast-forward-the-tape-recorder songs are sure to once again enchant your kids while driving you crazy.

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18 High Res Images from SHREK FOREVER AFTER

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub Posted: April 12th, 2010 at 8:26 pm

DreamWorks Animation and Paramount have released a bunch of new Shrek Forever After images as part of an “early” look at the film. With a release date of May 21st, I’m a bit surprised they’re releasing so many images this early. But I’m not a marketing guy, and both studios clearly know how to open a movie.

As I have said a few times, I saw the first 30 minutes of Shrek Forever After a few months ago and thought it looked pretty good. And this is coming from someone that did hated the previous two films. Will the fourth installment be good? Can Mike Myers end his run of bad films? We’ll all know next month. Until then, hit the jump to check out the 18 images we were sent:

Posted in Entertainment Images Movie News

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First Photo and Synopsis for SHREK FOREVER AFTER

by Matt Goldberg Posted: November 24th, 2009 at 11:49 pm

Above you can see the first image for the fourth (and supposedly final) Shrek film, Shrek Forever After. USA Today has the first in-depth synopsis of the movie and apparently the Scottish ogre is going It’s a Wonderful Life. Apparently Shrek, after getting married and having kids, feels overly domesticated. He strikes a deal with the underhanded Rumpelstiltskin (voiced by writer Walt Dohrn, not Paul McCartney as IMDb would have you believe), and ends up seeing what the world would be like without him in it. “That translates into Donkey being forced into cart-pulling duty, fat and lazy Puss in Boots trading his sword for a pink bow and the underhanded Rumpelstiltskin ruling the kingdom.” New voices for the film include Kathy Griffin and Kristin Schaal voicing a pair of ogre-hunting witches and a resistance group led by Jon Hamm as, says director Mike Mitchell (Sky High), the best-looking ogre you’ve ever seen. Hit the jump to learn why I wouldn’t be sad if I lived in a world without the Shrek franchise in it.

Posted in Entertainment Images Movie News

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Extra! Laura Dern Is a FOCKER, Mike Mitchell Enlists in MONSTER SQUAD, Screen Gems Hires THE BLACK PHANTOM, and Scott Derrickson Is Among THE LIVING

by Matt Goldberg Posted: October 19th, 2009 at 1:43 am

Here at Collider, we’re all killer, no filler. Okay, sometimes a little filler. Filler’s good for you. Makes you grow up big and strong and slightly overweight. But rather than throw up four stories, we’re going to give them to you for the price of one. We’re generous like that.

Hit the jump to read about Laura Dern joining “Little Fockers”, “Shrek Forever After” director Mike Mitchell making “Monster Squad” his next project, Screen Gems developing the comedy, “The Black Phantom”, and Scott Derrickson coming on board to direct “The Living”.

Posted in Entertainment Movie News

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