The director used the Venture II in his 2005 remake and later sold it to a property development firm in Wellington, which kept it moored at a wharf in the city. Ownership of the vessel has now passed to Wellington Regional Council after the company went bust, and local authorities plan to scuttle the ship in the Cook Strait on Tuesday (09Feb10), reports Radio New Zealand.
The plans have proved unpopular with residents after it was revealed the sinking will cost tax payers $23,800 (£14,875), but council officials insist the ship is becoming a safety hazard and can no longer be moored at the wharf. More..
Take a look at our Scrapbook collection of ‘Venture II’ here and here
Posted in:
Share:
Bill Desowitz writes: Now that it’s toppled Titanic at the box office and has become a best picture Oscar contender, Avatar is the talk of the industry. Joe Letteri, senior visual effects supervisor for Weta Digital, kicks off our VFX Oscar coverage with his analysis. More..
Posted in:
Share:
Anne-Marie Duff and Andy Serkis have scooped the top honours at the Evening Standard British Film Awards in London. The awards, judged by film critics, saw the world of rock and roll come out on top. Bafta-nominated Serkis picked up best actor for his portrayal of Ian Dury in Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll. More..
Posted in:
Share:
Who will star as Bilbo Baggins in the upcoming film version of The Hobbit? You can cross one name off the list: Daniel Radcliffe. The star of the Harry Potter films says he has no interest in any new project “with any wizards in it”. “I’d have to say, ‘Thanks, but no thanks’, not that anyone has asked me,” the 20-year-old said.
“Honestly, I don’t think they would want me anyway, it’s just too close. Whatever I do next, I don’t think there will be any wizards in it!” Radcliffe is now at work on the seventh and eighth films in the Harry Potter franchise, and by the 2011 release of the last film in the series, he will have spent more than a decade inhabiting the role of the orphaned boy wizard. The sixth Potter film, released in July, is closing in on $830-million (R6,3-billion) in worldwide box office. The collective franchise is now more than $5,3-billion in global box office. More..
Posted in:
Share:
Earl on our message boards has a great find this morning as Hugo Weaving talked with Drew McWeeny about “The Hobbit” while on press duties for “The Wolfman.” His character Elrond seems a lock to be in the film and the actor is open to it as well, although he hasn’t been contacted from the film which has yet to receive the official green light.
Weaving said, “I’d be interested in doing it. I would love to work with Guillermo Del Toro very much. I think he’s a fantastic talent, a great director.” Read the rest of the story here and discuss it on our message boards.
Posted in:
Share:
Claire writes: I just thought I’d let you know that there’s now a website with details of The Hobbit stage play’s tour all handily in one place. More..
Posted in:
Share:
