In a small, nondescript office building somewhere in Los Angeles, director Joseph Kosinski (TRON: Legacy) and his post-production team are working feverishly behind the scenes finishing up his second feature film, Oblivion, for its April 19 release.  Tom Cruise stars as one of the last remaining drone repairman stationed on a post-apocalyptic Earth.  He works as part of a mission to extract vital resources from the ground following a decades-long war with a threat known as the Scavs.  When Cruise’s character rescues a beautiful stranger from a downed spacecraft, events are set in motion that force him to “question everything he knows and puts the fate of humanity in his hands.”  Oblivion also stars Morgan Freeman, Olga Kurylenko, Andrea Riseborough, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, and Melissa Leo.

Recently, I got to do an extended interview with Kosinski at his post-production facility.  We talked about how he came up with the idea, why they filmed in Louisiana and used the new Sony CineAlta F65 camera, how and why they’re releasing the film a week early in IMAX,  why he chose M83 to do the soundtrack (and if it’s all new music), how long was his first cut and what’s the current running time, how he landed Cruise, the costumes and design of the ships, why Disney passed and how it landed at Universal, if things changed on set, and so much more.  Hit the jump for what he had to say.

Next year is looking pretty stacked as far as sci-fi films go and director Joseph Kosinski’s Oblivion is a perfect example. Taking place on a dystopian Earth, drone repairman Jack Harper (Tom Cruise) finds himself holding the future of mankind in his hands after discovering a crashed spaceship. While the first trailer debuted earlier this month, Kosinski recently provided an extensive commentary track that accompanied it. Along with behind-the-scenes information on how certain scenes of the movie were filmed, Kosinski fills in backstory as to what Cruise’s character is doing on terra firma, the time frame the movie takes place in and a lot of technical details on buildings, spaceships and more.

Kosinski also recently updated us on the status of Tron 3 and we will have an Oblivion interview with him posting next week. Also starring Olga Kurylenko, Morgan Freeman and Andrea Riseborough, Oblivion opens April 19, 2013. Hit the jump to hear Kosinski’s commentary on the Oblivion trailer.

Tron fans had reason to rejoice a little over a week ago when we reported that Disney is now moving forward with a sequel to 2010’s TRON: Legacy.  The follow-up has been in development since that film’s release, but new Disney Studios head Alan Horn sees Tron 3 as a priority, and so Jesse Wigutow has been brought on to pen the latest draft of the script in order to get things moving.  Legacy star Garrett Hedlund recently confirmed his inevitable involvement in the pic, but details regarding the sequel have been few and far between.

Steve recently participated in an exclusive interview with Legacy director Joseph Kosinski in anticipation for his upcoming sci-fi film Oblivion, and he kindly provided a lengthy update on Tron 3, which he intends to direct.  Kosinski talked about the status of the script, the fact that this had to be their Empire Strikes Back in order for him to return, the possibility of Daft Punk once again providing the score, how much time has passed when Tron 3 picks up, and much more.  Hit the jump to see what he had to say.

Just last week, we learned that the in-development sequel to TRON: Legacy has been given a boost, as Disney is keen on moving forward with the project with Jesse Wigutow tapped to pen the latest draft of the script.  Now, in “no shit” news, Legacy star Garrett Hedlund has confirmed in an interview with NextMovie that he’s set to return for the Joseph Kosinski-helmed follow-up:

“Yeah, are we gonna break this now? Disney’s very excited. That’s about that. You know, yeah, I’m very excited, Disney’s very excited.”

With all big studio projects that have franchise potential, actors are signed to multi-picture deals in which they are contractually obligated to return for further sequels whether they want to or not, so obviously if Disney is moving ahead with Tron 3 it will be with Hedlund in tow.  You can also expect Olivia Wilde to be coming back, as the ending of Legacy set up a nice tease for the future of the two characters.  New Disney Studios head Alan Horn sees the Legacy sequel as a priority for the Mouse House, so expect more news on the sequel sooner rather than later.

The first trailer for director Joseph Kosinski’s (TRON: Legacy) sci-fi film Oblivion has been released.  At first blush, it’s not exactly what I was expecting and I think that bodes well for the picture. Rather than a straight shoot-em-up actioner or a generic survival story, Oblivion looks to have elements of mystery and betrayal all tied into Tom Cruise’s character, Jack Harper.  Olga Kurylenko looks beautiful even dressed-down and Morgan Freeman channels his own version of Laurence Fishburne’s Morpheus. The all-white aesthetic looks sharp and clean against a backdrop of chaos and destruction and the overall design definitely has some nods to TRON. There are also elements of The Fifth Element, Minority Report and The Matrix presented in this introductory trailer, but Oblivion looks to be something all its own. (But what is up with that creature that looks like Darth Vader and sounds like a Tusken raider?)

The film also stars Andrea Riseborough, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, and Melissa Leo.  Oblivion opens on April 19, 2013.  Hit the jump to watch.

The first poster for director Joseph Kosinski’s (TRON: Legacy) upcoming sci-fi film Oblivion has landed online, and it’s very, very pretty. Tom Cruise stars as one of the last remaining drone repairman stationed on a future Earth.  He works as part of a mission to extract vital resources from the ground following a decades-long war with a threat known as the Scavs, which lead to humans moving civilization to the skies thousands of feet above.  When Cruise’s character rescues a beautiful stranger (Andrea Riseborough) from a downed spacecraft, events are set in motion that force him to “question everything he knows and puts the fate of humanity in his hands.”  This poster definitely teases an epic scope and a beautifully cinematic landscape, and given Kosinski’s incredible visual work on TRON: Legacy it’s safe to assume we’re in for one gorgeous-looking sci-fi film.

Hit the jump to take a look at the poster, and check back here on Sunday to watch the first trailer.  The film also stars Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Olga Kurylenko, Melissa Leo, and Morgan Freeman.  Oblivion opens exclusively in IMAX on April 12, 2013, followed by its traditional release on April 19th.

The sequel to Tron: Legacy looks to be back on track.  Disney has been developing a follow-up to the 2010 Tron sequel for a couple of years now, though movement had slowed considerably as of late.  Apparently new Disney Studios head Alan Horn sees the sequel as a priority, with Heat Vision reporting that Jesse Wigutow being tapped to pen the latest draft of the script as development on the project moves forward “with a renewed urgency.”  Legacy director Joseph Kosinski is set to helm this next installment, though a timetable for production isn’t given.  Kosinski is currently finishing up post-production on the Tom Cruise-led sci-fi pic Oblivion.

Last we heard, David DiGilio was writing a new draft of the script for Tron 3.  Legacy screenwriters Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz stepped back to a producer role on the follow-up given their commitment to the ABC series Once Upon a Time, which they created and run.  With this “renewed urgency” on the project, we should hear more about the sequel sooner rather than later.

 We recently brought you the release date shuffle for Universal pictures Oblivion, starring Tom Cruise and Olga Kurylenko, and Mama, the horror film directed by Andres Muschietti and produced by Guillermo del Toro.  Now we can actually tell you what those films are about!  An official synopsis for each film has dropped and we share that with you after the jump.  Joseph Kosinski’s Oblivion opens April 19th, 2013 with an IMAX-only run-up starting on April 12th, 2013.  Mama, starring Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Jessica Chastain will open January 18th, 2013.  Hit the jump to read the synopses.

Check out the latest shuffling of release dates below:

• Oblivion, from director Joseph Kosinski and starring Tom Cruise and Olga Kurylenko, has been moved up a week from April 26th, 2013 to April 19th, 2013.  The film will screen exclusively in IMAX for one week starting on April 12th.
• Rush, the Forumula 1 racing picture from Ron Howard and starring Chris Hemsworth has a new release date of September 20th, 2013.
• Mama, a horror film directed by Andres Muschietti and produced by Guillermo del Toro, has been pushed from October of this year to January 18th, 2013.  The picture stars Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Jessica Chastain.
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower, from writer/director Stephen Chbosky and starring Logan Lerman and Emma Watson, has been pushed back a week from September 14th to September 21st of this year.

Hit the jump for more on each picture.

The first set photos of Tom Cruise in costume for Oblivion have gone online.  We previously brought you these rather generic-looking set photos of Cruise and co-star Olga Kurylenko filming in New York.  This time, Cruise was to be found in June Lake, California sporting a futuristic military uniform with a gun slung over his shoulder.  As is usually the case in set photos, these images are out of context and have no sense of dramatic lighting but, hey, cool jacket, right?  Oblivion, also starring Morgan Freeman, Andrea Riseborough, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Melissa Leo, hits theaters July 19th, 2013.  Hit the jump to see the new set photos.

The first official synopsis for TRON: Legacy director Joseph Kosinski’s sci-fi pic Oblivion has landed online.  The film is described as “an original and groundbreaking cinematic event,” and Tom Cruise stars as one of the last remaining drone repairman stationed on a future Earth.  He works as part of a mission to extract vital resources from the ground following a decades-long war with a threat known as the Scavs, which lead to humans moving civilization to the skies thousands of feet above.  When Cruise’s character rescues a beautiful stranger (Andrea Riseborough) from a downed spacecraft, events are set in motion that force him to “question everything he knows and puts the fate of humanity in his hands.”

It’s an ambitious follow-up to the (visually) spectacular TRON: Legacy, and having Cruise onboard as the lead is a major plus.  The synopsis release also notes that Kosinski is shooting Oblivion in digital 4K resolution in the U.S. and Iceland.  The supporting cast includes Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Olga Kurylenko, Melissa Leo, and Morgan Freeman.  Oblivion hits theaters on April 26th, 2013.  Hit the jump to read the full synopsis.

The first crop of set photos debuted today from director Joseph Kosinski’s Oblivion, starring Tom Cruise and Olga Kurylenko.  Though the plot of the sci-fi pic features Cruise as a veteran soldier banished to the surface of a ruined, post-apocalyptic world, these images are fairly bright and sunny (okay, maybe a little rainy) with a lot of smiling faces and intact infrastructure in the background.  Are these pre-apocalyptic scenes from the opening of the film, a flashback within the story or just stars coming to work and smiling at the waiting cameras?  Hard to tell at this point.  It’s also hard to tell exactly what this film is about without an official synopsis.  Hit the jump for more on the story of Oblivion and a look at the first set photos.

Oscar winner Melissa Leo is going sci-fi. Deadline reports that The Fighter actress has signed on to join the cast of Joseph Kosinski’s (Tron: Legacy) sci-fi pic Oblivion. Tom Cruise stars as a veteran soldier who’s banished to the surface of a post-apocalyptic Earth and tasked with repairing ships that hunt down the aliens who destroyed our planet. When a mysterious woman (Andrea Riseborough) crash-lands nearby, their encounter sets off an eye-opening chain of events. Deadline’s report doesn’t mention what role Leo will play, but she joins an impressive cast that also includes Morgan Freeman, Olga Kurylenko, and Game of Thrones star Nickolaj Coster-Waldau.

Leo recently wrapped a role in Robert Zemeckis’ return to live-action, Flight. The drama stars Denzel Washington as an alcoholic and drug-addicted pilot who rises to fame after flying a damaged plane to safety. The actress is currently shooting the third and penultimate season of HBO’s Treme in New Orleans, which is also where filming on Oblivion just got underway. The sci-fi pic is slated to open on April 26th, 2013.

Director Joseph Kosinski’s (Tron: Legacy) sci-fi pic Oblivion will be arriving a few months earlier next year. Deadline reports that Universal has shifted the Tom Cruise-fronted Oblivion up to April 26th, 2013 from a previous release date of July 10th. There are currently no other film slated for that April weekend, but The Evil Dead remake opens a couple weeks earlier. No reason is given for the release date shift, but another Cruise film, One Shot, was recently moved up from early 2013 to December of this year.

In Oblivion, Cruise plays a veteran soldier who’s banished to the surface of a post-apocalyptic Earth and tasked with repairing ships that hunt down the aliens who destroyed our planet. When a mysterious woman (Andrea Riseborough) crash-lands nearby, their encounter sets off an eye-opening chain of events. The cast also includes Morgan Freeman, Olga Kurylenko and Game of Thrones’ Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. Production on the film just began in Louisiana.

Director Joseph Kosinski’s (Tron: Legacy) upcoming sci-fi flick Oblivion (formerly titled Horizons) recently added Morgan Freeman to its increasingly impressive cast, and now Game of Thrones star Nikolaj Coster-Waldau is poised to co-star alongside Tom Cruise. Cruise plays a veteran soldier who’s banished to the surface of a post-apocalyptic Earth and tasked with repairing ships that hunt down the aliens who destroyed our planet. When a mysterious woman (Andrea Riseborough) crash-lands nearby, their encounter sets off an eye-opening chain of events. Olga Kurylenko also stars.

Deadline reports that Coster-Waldau will play “Sykes, a battle-hardened, physically imposing, intelligent and extremely athletic military technology and weapons expert.” The actor is best known for playing the sinister Jamie Lannister on HBO’s stellar series Game of Thrones. He’s incredibly effective on the HBO series, and I’m interested to see how he’ll fare as a decidedly less-evil character. He recently wrapped the Guillermo del Toro-produced horror film Mama alongside Jessica Chastain. Production on Oblivion begins in March in Louisiana.