Five Oscars and four Baftas are recognition for a body of work in the film industry, but a knighthood for Weta Workshop’s Richard Taylor is reward beyond the realm of his imagination. Sir Richard, 45, who has won the movie awards for his work with Lord of the Rings trilogy and King Kong, has been knighted in this year’s Queen’s Birthday honours list.
It comes after he was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2004, and was Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2006 and 2007, among other honours. More..
We received more images and video of a very large animal trekking its way to Universal Studios! This time, it is leaving a path of destruction through Los Angeles’s famous Santa Monica Pier. Check out the video above, and we’ve got a few great photos posted after the break. (Obviously this is a promotion for Peter Jackson’s KING KONG 360 3-D Ride that will be opening at Universal Studios Hollywood very soon – and since it is such a fun promotion, we just have to share it with you all!) Continue reading “Peter Jackson’s KING KONG continues his trek through LA…”
Will MGM’s creditors sell the studio or run the studio? The waiting, figuring and speculation continues. No matter which option they choose, debtholders must realize that Guillermo del Toro walking away from the project because of the delayed greenlight was another loss to the value of the venerable studio. Scrambling for a new director or forcing Peter Jackson to sit in a director’s chair he passed on isn’t ideal for anybody’s bottom line. www.businessweek.com breaks down the latest figures, rumors and actions of the studios and lenders involved. Tom Cruise even manages to get mentioned in the story. Read and learn! Thanks to message board member Pipeline Pipe Dream for finding the story.
From Jenna Busch: While we were all out having picnics and honoring the veterans, there was some breaking news about the upcoming films based on ‘The Hobbit.’ And it was big! After I got over the shock (and my sunburn), I called someone who is in the know about the whole thing. I’ll give you all the info.
From our pal John Campea at amcentertainment.com: As most of you have heard by now, this past weekend it was announced that director Guillermo del Toro has stepped down from the upcoming “The Hobbit” films.
Del Toro has been with the film for 2 years now, but according to his official statements, the number of delays in getting production started has now brought shooting the film in conflict with other films he is committed to. We had a chance to talk with several film pundits to get their reaction to the news and what… if anything… this means to the future of “The Hobbit” movies.
