Written By: Ken Hulsey Source: Walt Disney Studios
There are several milestones that an actor or actress can achieve in their career. These can range from simply being cast in a local play to landing a part in a big time Hollywood movie. Some of the very fortunate may even bring home a coveted Oscar for a amazing performance in a timeless role.
However, I ask you, how do you know when you have finally made it? I mean really reached the pinnacle of acting?
The answer is simple. You find yourself being interviewed on the red carpet at a movie premiere by Kermit the Frog.
I found an interesting email in my In Box this morning from Disney hyping the fact that Kermit was on hand at the premiere of "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" interviewing celebrities.
I found this odd that with all the stars on hand for such a gala event that Kermit was the one being listed in my email?
That was until I learned that there was a new Muppet movie coming out in November and that it was to do some covert publicity for that film.
The Mouse is a sly one.
Anyway, here are some photos of Kermit attacking .... I mean interviewing Penélope Cruz.
Penélope Cruz answers a question posed by Kermit the Frog, star of Walt Disney Pictures’ “The Muppets,” coming to theaters this Thanksgiving, on the red carpet at the World Premiere of Walt Disney Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer Films’ “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” at Disneyland on Saturday, May 7. The highly anticipated action-adventure opens in theaters on May 20, in Disney Digital 3D™.
Is it just me or does Kermit look like he's about to say "Nice dress .... can I see you out of it later?"
Translation: "Get me away from this puppet and on to someone from "Entertainment Tonight"
Next victim: Sam Claflin chats with Kermit the Frog, star of Walt Disney Pictures’ “The Muppets,” coming to theaters this Thanksgiving, on the red carpet at the World Premiere of Walt Disney Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer Films’ “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” at Disneyland on Saturday, May 7. The highly anticipated action-adventure opens in theaters on May 20, in Disney Digital 3D™.
Other sites have Johnny Depp .... I got Kermit.
Yes I have a love for the strange a surreal ......
Written By: Ken Hulsey Source: Simon Pegg via Twitter
Two really important notes for all of you Simon Pegg fans out there. First off Simon will be doing a three stop mini tour to promote his book "Nerd Do Well" here in America.
This is what Pegg posted to Twitter on Saturday:
America. D'you like books? Would you like my book. Would you like me to sign said book? Well here's how that can happen http://bit.ly/jciHer
Here is a list of the locations where you, the lucky Pegg worshiping maniac that you are, can meet him:
NEW YORK, NY STRAND BOOKSTORE, 828 Broadway, Fl 3, New York, NY 10003 Monday, June 13 - 7:00 PM - author event. Talk/Signing http://www.strandbooks.com/
AUSTIN, TX BOOKPEOPLE, 603 North Lamar Blvd., Austin, TX 78703 Wednesday, June 15 - 7:00 PM - bookstore.
LOS ANGELES, CA BARNES & NOBLE #2089, The Grove, 189 The Grove Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90036 Friday, June 17 - 7:00 PM - bookstore. Talk/Signing http://www.bn.com
No word on whether the Dalek will be on tour with Pegg or not. He sure seems to like the book though.
Secondly, it has just been announced that "Paul" will be released on DVD and Blu-ray in the UK on June 13th. No news on a US release yet, but I'm sure that is right around the corner. Here is the press release:
From the team that bought you Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead comes an out-of-this-world gift for Father’s Day and the must-own comedy adventure of the year… PAUL. Comedy duo Simon Pegg and Nick Frost team up again in this inventive, laugh-out-loud film as Graeme (Pegg) and Clive (Frost); two sci-fi geeks who embark on an insane road trip that alters their universe forever. Join Graeme, Clive and Paul on their road-trip adventure as Working Title and Universal Pictures (UK) Ltd bring you the hilarious PAUL on two disc DVD, two disc Blu-Ray Triple Play and two disc Limited Edition Blu-ray Steel Book on 13 June 2011.
For the past 60 years, an alien named Paul (voiced by Seth Rogen; Superbad, Knocked Up) has been hanging out at a top-secret military base. When he discovers he's been taken prisoner, the quick-witted, smart-ass alien decides to escape the compound and hop on the first vehicle out of town-a rented RV containing Earthlings Graeme Willy (Pegg) and Clive Gollings (Frost) who are on a pilgrimage to America’s UFO heartland. Chased by federal agents and the fanatical father of a young woman that they accidentally kidnap, Graeme and Clive hatch a fumbling escape plan to return Paul to his mother ship. As the two nerds struggle to help, one little green man might just take his fellow outcasts from misfits to intergalactic heroes.
Co-written by Pegg and Frost, and directed by Greg Mottola (Superbad), PAUL features a fantastic supporting cast of Hollywood actors including Jason Bateman (Up in the Air, Juno), Bill Hader (Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Superbad) and Kristian Wiig (Despicable Me, Knocked Up). Packed with brilliant special features, PAUL is the perfect comedy to share with your dad this Father’s Day on DVD and Blu-ray Triple Play!
Blu-ray and DVD Details Title Paul Certificate 15 Feature Run Time 1 hour 47 mins Genre Comedy RRP (DVD) £19.99 RRP (Blu-ray) £26.99 RRP (Blu-ray Steelbook) £29.99
DVD Special Features: Extended feature Audio commentary with Greg Mottola, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost Bloopers The Evolution of Paul Simon Silly Faces Who the hell is Adam Shadowchild? Galleries Between The Lightning Strikes: The Making Of Paul Audio Description
Blu-ray Special Features: Extended feature Audio commentary with Greg Mottola, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and Producer Nira Park BTS Featurette (8 featurettes) Between The Lightning Strikes: The Making Of Paul The Evolution of Paul Bloopers Who the hell is Adam Shadowchild? Simon Silly Faces Galleries
COMEDY CENTRAL is taking “Futurama” fans on a 50 day multi-platform journey leading up to the season premiere on Thursday, June 23 at 10 p.m. The "Countdown To 'Futurama'" launches on Facebook on Wednesday, May 4 – every day for 50 days, the network will release a new piece of exclusive content including preview clips, character designs, episode stills, story boards and much more. For the kick-off, COMEDY CENTRAL will post a sneak peek clip from the season premiere episode. "Futurama’s" Facebook page has over 12 million fans and ranks among the Top 5 animated television show pages.
In addition to Facebook, COMEDY CENTRAL will feature the "Countdown To 'Futurama'" on-air and online, including a daily feature on CC Insider, the COMEDY CENTRAL blog and on mobile with SMS messaging.
"Futurama" focuses on the life of Philip Fry (Billy West), a 25-year-old pizza delivery boy who accidentally freezes himself on December 31, 1999 and wakes up 1,000 years later with a fresh start at life and a "diverse" new group of friends including Leela (Katey Sagal), a tough but lovely one-eyed alien and Bender (John DiMaggio), a robot who possesses human characteristics and flaws. The series aired for five seasons on Fox (1999 to 2003) earning Emmy® nominations each season while winning three times, including "Outstanding Animated Program" in 2002.
"Futurama," created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen, is produced by twentieth Century Fox Television, with Rough Draft Studios, Inc. contributing the animation.
20th Century Fox Television, a division of News Corp, is a leading supplier of entertainment content domestically and around the world.
Written By: Ken Hulsey Sources: Avery Guerra / Robert Hood
Ohio based Mitch Teemley and the folks over at Moriah Media are about to lampoon one of the largest movie franchises ever, a iconic movie series that the great Mel Brooks never had the stones to take on himself. I am, of course, talking about the "King of Monsters" ...... Godzilla.
Okay, I know what your thinking. "Wow! Hold on lawyer alert! Legal team ready......ATTACK!!!!
Over the past several years Toho has shown that they are more than happy, and willing, to sue anyone that produces anything that remotely resembles their beloved monster. This time, surprisingly, the famed Japanese movie company has given their blessing at having "Big G" parodied by an American film company ..... more on that in a moment.
Teemly has a script at the ready for "Notzilla: Duke of the Monsters" a script that has already gained a lot of attention when it made it into the final round of the Worldfest Contest, one of the largest screenplay competitions in the world.
After the screenplay was so widely praised Teemly actually stuck it under the nose of Toho to see if they had any interest in developing it into a film.
The film maker explains, "Actually I offered the project to Toho not long after I wrote it. They weren’t interested in spoofing their own films, but wished us well. Parodies are not plagiarism; if they were, Saturday Night Live would have been shut down 35 years ago! Notzilla will not feature any footage from Toho films, nor will the monster be a visual copy of Godzilla."
Understanding why Toho may not want to lampoon their own monster Teemly then set his sights on making the film here in America with a big budget and with any luck a major studio behind him.
He adds, "Notzilla is intended for mainstream release (we have serious interest from both the majors and large indie distributors), and Moriah Media is for-profit company, by the way. A Fox Searchlight analyst estimated a $40 million North American box office gross; international box office is expected to exceed that. We are actively seeking completion funding!"
That's a lot of greenbacks!
Teemly knew that if he wanted to get a studio to take him seriously he would have to produce something visual to go along with his beloved screenplay. A teaser trailer was in order!
Check out the great clip that Moriah Media produced!
But wait .... that's not all!
Teemly then set out to get some "star power" for his "Notzilla" film and landed Patrick Warburton, who you may remember from the spoof superhero series, "The Tick". Just like when Franklin J. Schaffner landed Charlton Heston for a "talking monkey movie" no one was interested in called "Planet of the Apes"Teemly hopes the presence of Warburton will add credibility to his production and ultimately aide in getting the backing he needs.
The film maker notes, "Patrick Warburton is attached to star. I wrote the lead role of the “brilliant young American scientist”, Dr Dick Harvard (who’s actually not very brilliant nor very young) for him. All of the other leads are Japanese.
"Notzilla" has not yet been filmed. We are in the midst of capitalization and are using the teaser to generate investor interest. I appeared as a guest at G-Fest in Chicago last year and read segments of the screenplay to a very enthusiastic crowd. We’ve lined up some crack crew heads: Production Designer Robert Harbour designed sets for Heroes and X-Files; multi-Emmy winning Director of Photography Jeff Barklage shot the teaser; Oscar-nominated producer Melissa Godoy is also attached to oversee production."
Here is the story:
In the future (1975), “brilliant young American scientist” Dr Dick Harvard (played by not-so-brilliant and not-so-young Raymond L. Suave) leads a team of crack scientists in atomic testing (no one knows why) near Yomama Bay. The unexpected result (these scientists don’t watch enough B-pictures): a prehistoric egg is shaken loose, after being exposed to massive amounts of radiation. Of course.
Dick’s mentor, “brilliant old Japanese scientist”, Dr Nissan Toyota, succeeds in hatching a dinosaur! But then it escapes, and begins growing at an alarming rate. Of course.
Dr Toyota wants to save the creature. But Dick is certain it will attack Tokyo. “Because that’s what always happens”. The two split up. Dick goes off to build his atomic molecule blaster, which he admits will leave a radioactive cloud over Tokyo for fifty years (“but after that you’ll never even know it was there”), while Toyota seeks a gentler alternative that will keep the monster alive.
Notzilla attacks Tokyo. Sort of. Actually he’s on a lark, playing with the miniature city, reversing toy trains, eating plastic soldiers, running a touchdown with a blimp under his arm. He parties hard while thousands of people run screaming in the streets (actually a couple dozen of the same people run screaming over and over again).
The army, led by General Buzz Kurosawa (George Takei—Star Trek, Heroes), is powerless to stop the monster (though Kurosawa, an amateur filmmaker, does get some great footage). Dick completes his controversial molecule blaster. He’s about to use it when Dr. Toyota shows up with his alternative device. In a rage, Dick accidentally turns the blaster on himself, resulting in his own over-the-top death scene—which schlock actor Raymond L. Suave had hoped would result in an Oscar nomination. It didn’t.
Toyota’s device stops Notzilla, but does not kill him, leaving the creature free to defend Tokyo from other latex monsters in the future!
- also -
"Notzilla" purports to be a restored print of a 1966 Japanese film, a long-lost classic of the genre. It begins with a special “anniversary release” prologue in which Rudy McBernstein, president of Great Big Impressive Pictures International, introduces viewers to the 1966 masterpiece, "Notzilla, the Duke of Monsters", the last film ever to feature American TV star Raymond L. Suave (Patrick Warburton).
How can you not love that?!
Teemly adds, "Notzilla is a classic monster movie spoof with heart—it makes a gently teasing statement about cultural arrogance. Also … reversing the trend toward raunchy, R-rated parodies, Notzilla is a family-friendly PG film with positive values. It’s clean enough for grandparents to take their grandkids to … and hip enough for college guys to drag their girlfriends to. Everyone will love Notzilla!"
Everyone should .... and if they don't they should be taken out in the desert and ...... wait ..... I got a little worked up there .... sorry.
Here are some bullet points that Teemly wants everyone to know:
The expected budget is $1.5 million. There’s a complete package (Investors Memorandum and Business Plan) available for any potential investors out there. It’s a great opportunity; they expect return on investment in the 1,000 to 2,000% range.
They’re looking at a 2012 shoot and a 2013 release.
No, there are no other daikaiju, aliens, or creatures. Notzilla is basically a spoof of the original one-monster flicks (Godzilla/Gojira, Mothra, Rodan, Gamera, etc.), rather than the “versus” films. It’s in colour, of course, widescreen, and utilizes a single Anglo-American actor in a lead role as did a number of the Toho films.
All f/x will be suitmation and miniatures, since Notzilla purports to be a film made in the pre-CGI era. Other vintage f/x will include rear-screen projection, robotics, and cheezy practicals—shaking the camera, for example, to indicate an explosion.
Here some stills from the promo trailer and a couple of sketches of the monster:
The ever present net scout Avery Guerra turned me on to this wonderful bit of fun animation called "Abominable." Actually it's a great combination of computer animation combined with live actors.
"Abominable" is the handy work of Lamson To and Joseph Won who put the short together as a school project.
Here is the synopsis:
Up on a distant snow covered mountain, an Evil Hunter of mythical creatures sets his sights on a Baby Yeti, but is soon meets his demise when he comes face to face with Daddy Yeti.
A Sasquatch on skis? Looks like the Canadian Olympic team has a new member? There goes our chances for the gold. Can you imagine having to face off against Bigfoot?
Celebrate the show that refuses to stay dead with this Futurama The Only Good Human Paper Giclee!
Stunning artwork inspired by retro propaganda posters!
Limited to just 100 pieces worldwide!
Celebrate the show that refuses to stay dead with this Futurama The Only Good Human Paper Giclee! The wacky crew of Planet Express is back (again), and now you can bring home humorous propaganda posters from New New York and beyond. Limited to just 100 hand-numbered pieces worldwide, includes certificate of authenticity. Measures 16-inches wide x 24-inches tall.
Giclée (pronounced "zhee-clay") is an invented name for the process of making fine-art prints from a digital source using ink-jet printing. The word was coined to distinguish commonly known industrial "Iris proofs" from the fine-art prints artists were producing on the same printers. The name has since come to mean any high-quality, ink-jet print, and is often used in galleries and print shops to denote such. In the past few years, the word (as a fine-art term) has come to be associated with prints using fade-resistant "archival" inks and the inkjet printers that use them. A wide variety of substrates are available, including various textures and finishes such as matte photo paper, watercolor paper, cotton canvas, or artist textured vinyl.
Killer baby rabbit! This 5-inch plush bunny may be cuddly and cute, but he's a killer. Just look at the chompers on this guy! From that wild and wacky movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail, comes this hilarious plush baby rabbit with sharp pointy teeth. Well, they're not really that sharp. But you can still use him to terrorize your kids, pets, and spouse!
Written By: Ken Hulsey Source: Walt Disney Studios / Dreamworks
Disney has just released three brand new pics from their remake of "Fright Night" which is due out this summer. Unfortunately none of these feature every ones favorite Doctor, David Tennant as Vincent. I know that will make a few of you, and you know who you are, rather miffed.
Regardless, they do feature Colin Farrell and Anton Yelchin which will make others very happy indeed.
Here's the synopsis from the Mouse Factory:
Senior Charlie Brewster (Anton Yelchin) finally has it all going on: he’s running with the popular crowd and dating the most coveted girl in his high school. In fact, he’s so cool he’s even dissing his best friend. But trouble arrives when Jerry (Colin Farrell) moves in next door. He seems like a great guy at first, but there’s something not quite right—but everyone, including Charlie’s mom (Toni Collette), doesn’t notice. After observing some very strange activity, Charlie comes to an unmistakable conclusion: Jerry is a vampire preying on the neighborhood. Unable to convince anyone, Charlie has to find a way to get rid of the monster himself in this Craig Gillespie-helmed revamp of the comedy-horror classic.
Charlie Brewster (Anton Yelchin) is a high school senior who’s on top of the world—that is until Jerry (Colin Farrell) moves in next door and Charlie discovers that he is a vampire preying on the neighborhood.
And here are the photos with descriptions and legal stuff:
Jerry (Colin Farrell) , a vampire preying on the local neighborhood, feeds on his latest victim in "Fright Night", the Craig Gillespie-helmed revamp of the comedy horror classic.
Charlie Bewster (Anton Yelchin, left) is attacked by Jerry (Colin Farrell), the vampire who has moved in next door in "Fright Night", the Craig Gillespie-helmed revamp of the comedy-horror classic.
His hands burning, the vampire Jerry (Colin Farrell) rips away the cross that Charley (Anton Yelchin) unsuccessfully tried to protect himself with in "Fright Night", the Craig Gillespie-helmed revamp of the comedy-horror classic.
Okay, you all should be aware of my love for everything Simon Pegg and Nick Frost related by now. I feel that they are the brightest comedy duo to come along in a long .... long .... long time and I feel that their latest film "Paul" was highly underrated by critics and fans alike.
That being said I would like to turn everyone on to this little bit of animation that I discovered on Youtube. This piece is the handy work of an animator who calls himself (herself?) "Pippinopalon" and I think that you will agree that it is bloody brilliant!
Here is the low-down from Pippinopalon:
My entry into the Empire/Jameson Done in 60 Seconds Competition 2011!
This is basically my love letter to all things Edgar Wright/Scott Pilgrim! I saw and read Scott Pilgrim in the summer of last year, and it had such a massive impact I decided to make this to vent my creative juices!
interesting fact - I did a cracking caricature of Bill Nighy but I had to leave it out in the end. Shame :(
I did the voices for Shaun and Ed and my mum kindly lent her vocal chords for Liz and Daisy... I Mean Yvonne!
Must be a dude if he did the voices of Shaun and Ed ..... hey you never know on the internet .... still don't I guess ..... could be a deep voiced woman ..... maybe?
Anyway .... great work!
Ed: What's the plan then? Shaun: Right. [cuts to dream sequence] Shaun: We take Pete's car, we drive over to Mum's, we go in, take care of Philip - "I'm so sorry, Philip" - then we grab Mum, we go over to Liz's place, hole up, have a cup of tea and wait for this whole thing to blow over. Ed: Why have we got to go to Liz's? Shaun: Because we do. Ed: But she dumped you! Shaun: I have to know if she's all right! Ed: Why? Shaun: Because I love her! Ed: All right... gayyy... I'm not staying there, though. Shaun: Why not? Ed: If we hole up, I wanna be somewhere familiar, I wanna know where the exits are, and I wanna be allowed to smoke. Shaun: Okay. [cuts to dream sequence again] Shaun: We take Pete's car, go round Mum's, go in, deal with Philip - "Sorry, Philip!" - grab Mum, go to Liz's, pick her up, bring her back here, have a cup of tea and wait for this whole thing to blow over. Ed: Perfect! Shaun: No, no, no, no, no, wait, we can't bring her back here. Ed: Why not? Shaun: Well, it's not really safe, is it? Ed: Yeah, look at the state of it. Shaun: Where's safe? Where's familiar? Ed: Where can I smoke? [Shaun and Ed pause then slowly make a realisation] Shaun: [cuts to dream sequence a third time] Take car. Go to Mum's. Kill Phil - "Sorry." - grab Liz, go to the Winchester, have a nice cold pint, and wait for all of this to blow over. How's that for a slice of fried gold? Ed: Yeah, boyyyeee! [Shaun and Ed clang their weapons together]
Alpha Video has announced that it has obtained U.S. home video distribution rights to the 2010 made for television movie ‘The Dreadful Hallowgreen Special’. After winning rave reviews following its broadcast last Halloween, the film will be released on DVD April 26, 2011 .
The Dreadful Hallowgreen Special pairs TV horror hosts Penny Dreadful & Dr. Gangrene together. The duo finds themselves readying for the upcoming Halloween season when suddenly all things go awry. It’s up to the physician of fright, Dr. Gangrene, and the eerie enchantress, Penny Dreadful, to set things right and save Halloween for everyone in this half hour special. Narrated by Washington DC’s legendary horror host Count Gore De Vol, this Halloween treat is packed with fright.
The DVD retails at $7.99 and will include the extended cut of the film with footage not aired in the original half hour broadcast version. In addition to ‘The Dreadful Hallowgreen Special’ the DVD will include an all new half hour special entitled ‘Trailer Terror’ hosted by Penny Dreadful & Dr. Gangrene, which has the hosts introducing some of their favorite classic horror film trailers.
Dr. Gangrene said "It is a privilege to work with Alpha Video, a favorite of mine for a very long time, so I was glad we could make this happen. We can now reach a larger audience with the Dreadful HallowGreen Special at an affordable price for our fans."
DVD bonus features include a gallery of artwork, trailers, bios, shorts, bloopers and outtakes. In addition the dvd will contain rarely seen Penny Dreadful footage from her live Holiday Specials and eight public service short films from the Emmy nominated series “Go Green With Dr. Gangrene”.
The Dreadful Hallowgreen Special is a co-production of Shackle Island Studios and Peculiar Productions. Cast and crew members from Dr. Gangrenes Creature Feature, and Penny Dreadful’s Shilling Shockers produced segments in both Massachusetts and Tennessee, as well as California and Washington D.C.. The film was co-directed by Cameron McCasland and Rebecca Paiva.
In celebration of the DVD release ‘The Dreadful Hallowgreen Special’ will be making a special big screen appearance at this years Wonderfest during the Saturday Night Chiller Cinema Live Event hosted live by Dr. Gangrene and Penny Dreadful on May 15th 2011.
Alpha Video is an entertainment company based near Philadelphia, PA specializing in the release of Classic Hollywood films from the Golden age, as well as interesting and unusual contemporary motion pictures and television productions. For more information please visit www.Oldies.com
Wonderfest will be held may 14-15th 2011 in Louisville, KY. Wonderfest is an international hobby event now in its 22nd year that celebrates the art of movie monster artists, and model makers. For more information please visit www.wonderfest.com
Penny Dreadful’s Shilling Shockers, set to premiere it’s 8th season, is based in New England and airs in over 150 cities. Penny Dreadful is portrayed by Danielle Gelehrter, two time recipient of the Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Award for Favorite Horror Host.
Dr. Gangrene’s Creature Feature airs on its home station WNAB CW58 in Nashville TN. Dr. Gangrene is portrayed by Larry Underwood. The Good Doctor has been shocking the Scare-waves since 1999. His programs have won countless praise and have been nominated for two Emmy Awards for Public Service.
The future is looking bright for Fry, Leela and Bender!
COMEDY CENTRAL and Twentieth Century Fox Television have announced today the pick-up of 26 new episodes (Seasons "7- A" and "7-B") of Matt Groening and David X. Cohen's brilliantly subversive animated sci-fi comedy, "Futurama." The announcement was made today by Twentieth Century Fox Television Chairmen Gary Newman and Dana Walden, and David Bernath, Executive Vice President, program strategy and multiplatform programming for COMEDY CENTRAL. The first installment of 13 new episodes will premiere in the summer of 2012, with the additional 13 new episodes to air the following summer of 2013 on COMEDY CENTRAL.
Seven years after its last original episode aired on Fox, the sixth season premiere of "Futurama" last June led COMEDY CENTRAL to its best Thursday prime ever among young men. The animated sci-fi comedy continued its out-of-this-world winning streak throughout the summer, averaging 2.5 million viewers each week, along with a 1.5 P18-49 rating, a 3.0 M18-34 rating and 3.3 M18-24 rating. In the social media realm, the "Futurama" Facebook fan base has grown from one million "likes" prior to its return last summer to over 11 million "likes" today, making it one of the top television sites on Facebook.
"Successfully bringing the show back last summer was gratifying enough," said Bernath. "Now, being able to extend the series for two more years is beyond our expectations! The dedicated fans have spoken and we are excited to bring them 'Futurama' for the foreseeable future.""We're very grateful to COMEDY CENTRAL and Twentieth Television for this show of support," said Matt Groening and David X. Cohen. "Our entire staff will celebrate tonight by going out and getting even drunker.""Matt and David created one of the most brilliantly subversive animated comedies ever made in 'Futurama' and we consider its continued life on COMEDY CENTRAL to be a huge victory for this studio," commented TCFTV Chairmen Dana Walden and Gary Newman. "This show is a tremendous labor of love for all concerned, from its talented voice cast to the incredible writers and animators who pour so much of themselves into every episode. And its fans are among the most loyal and passionate there are, so we're especially pleased to be able to promise them many more original episodes to look forward to in the years ahead."
The show's entire original voice cast will be returning, including stars Billy West, Katey Sagal, and John DiMaggio. "It is my great honor to be back with all my friends and colleagues," said West. "There's nothing better."John DiMaggio commented, "Winner, winner, chicken dinner!"
"Futurama" was a staple of Fox's Sunday night animation block from 1999 to 2003 before ceasing production on original episodes. In June 2006, COMEDY CENTRAL acquired the rights to the existing 72 episodes of the series, which the channel began airing in January 2008 and four recently-produced extended-length "Futurama" adventures: "Bender's Big Score," "The Beast with a Billion Backs," "Bender's Game" and "Into the Wild Green Yonder," which enjoyed enormous success both on COMEDY CENTRAL and in DVD release.
"Futurama" is only the second series in the history of the medium to go back into production based on the strength of its DVD sales and repeat airings on cable.
"Futurama" focuses on the life of Philip Fry (Billy West), a 25 -year-old pizza delivery boy who accidentally freezes himself on December 31, 1999 and wakes up 1,000 years later with a fresh start at life and a "diverse" new group of friends including Leela (Katey Sagal), a tough but lovely one-eyed alien and Bender (John DiMaggio), a robot who possesses human characteristics and flaws.
The series aired for five seasons on Fox (1999 to 2003) earning Emmy® nominations each season while winning three times, including "Outstanding Animated Program" in 2002."
Written By: Ken Hulsey Source: Walt Disney Studios
Today Walt Disney Studios has released the first ever images from "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides." These pics show Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow, and the fetching Penelope Cruz as Angelica, in the usual kind of hi jinks that we have come to expect from the "Pirates" movie series. There's Jack taking a ride on the back of a carriage , in some sort of a chase scene no doubt, Jack pushing a boat into the water, Jack and Angelica confronting Blackbeard, Jack and Angelica waste-deep in the swamp, Jack hiding and Jack being hauled away by guards.
A typical day in the life of one Jack Sparrow.
Here is the press release:
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES (In Disney Digital 3D™)
Cast:Johnny Depp, Penélope Cruz, Ian McShane, Kevin R. McNally,
Astrid Bergès-Frisbey, Sam Claflin and Geoffrey Rush
Director:Rob Marshall
Producer:Jerry Bruckheimer
Executive Producers:Mike Stenson, Chad Oman, Barry Waldman, Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio,
John DeLuca
Screen Story and Screenplay by:Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio
Suggested by the novel by:Tim Powers
Based on characters created by:Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio and Stuart Beattie and Jay Wolpert
Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Rob Marshall, “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” captures the fun, adventure and humor that ignited the hit franchise—this time in Disney Digital 3D™. Johnny Depp returns to his iconic role of Captain Jack Sparrow in an action-packed adventure. Crossing paths with the enigmatic Angelica (Penélope Cruz), he’s not sure if it’s love—or if she’s a ruthless con artist who’s using him to find the fabled Fountain of Youth. When she forces him aboard the “Queen Anne’s Revenge,” the ship of the legendary pirate Blackbeard (Ian McShane), Jack finds himself on an unexpected adventure in which he doesn’t know whom to fear more: Blackbeard or Angelica, with whom he shares a mysterious past. The international cast includes franchise vets Geoffrey Rush as the vengeful Captain Hector Barbossa and Kevin R. McNally as Captain Jack’s longtime comrade Joshamee Gibbs, plus Sam Claflin as a stalwart missionary and Astrid Bergès-Frisbey as a mysterious mermaid.
Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) finds himself on an unexpected journey to the fabled Fountain of Youth when a woman from his past (Penélope Cruz) forces him aboard the Queen Anne’s Revenge, the ship of the formidable pirate Blackbeard (Ian McShane).
Written By: Ken Hulsey
Penélope Cruz answers a question posed by Kermit the Frog, star of Walt Disney Pictures’ “The Muppets,” coming to theaters this Thanksgiving, on the red carpet at the World Premiere of Walt Disney Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer Films’ “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” at Disneyland on Saturday, May 7. The highly anticipated action-adventure opens in theaters on May 20, in Disney Digital 3D™.
Penélope Cruz is all smiles as she exits her red-carpet interview with Kermit the Frog, star of Walt Disney Pictures’ “The Muppets,” coming to theaters this Thanksgiving, at the World Premiere of Walt Disney Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer Films’ “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” at Disneyland on Saturday, May 7. The highly anticipated action-adventure opens in theaters on May 20, in Disney Digital 3D™. (Photo © Greg Williams)
Sam Claflin chats with Kermit the Frog, star of Walt Disney Pictures’ “The Muppets,” coming to theaters this Thanksgiving, on the red carpet at the World Premiere of Walt Disney Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer Films’ “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” at Disneyland on Saturday, May 7. The highly anticipated action-adventure opens in theaters on May 20, in Disney Digital 3D™.
