Colin Strause and Liam O’Donnell Interview: Skyline, science-fiction, the studio system and more

by Luke Savage at Den of Geek

How excited should we be about Skyline? Quite excited, if those trailers are anything to go by. The second film from special effects gurus-turned-filmmakers Colin and Greg Strause (should we mention AVP: Requiem? Maybe not), looks like a far bigger film than its small budget would suggest. And when we caught up with Colin Strause and co-writer Liam O’Donnell, it was hard not to get a little bit more excited.

It seems like you’ve done something very different with Skyline: Shooting most of it in your own apartment, financing it yourselves …

Colin Strause: It’s been such our own baby from every step. We got to do whatever we wanted to do. And you know, it was kinda funny. It started out as a really small movie. Because, obviously, you’re doing a little independent film, and we kind of solidly did a Paranormal Activity. And we’re like, well, we’ve got better cameras than that guy. And Greg’s got a cooler house. We’ve gotta be able to do something kind of neat here.

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Trailer watch: Voyage of the Dawn Treader

by Billy Maulana at The Marshalltown Chronicle

A brand new trailer for the upcoming 3D installment of the latest Chronicles of Narnia flick Voyage of the Dawn Treader has made its debut.

The third film features a returning cast of Liam Neeson, Simon Pegg, Georgie Henley and Tilda Swinton and is due in cinemas December 10th.

The film is about the continuing journey of Edmund and Lucy Pevensie to mysterious islands, a river that turns to gold, confrontations with magical creatures and sinister enemies as they fight to save the fate of Narnia.

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Another director quits Dune, as time runs out on for the project

By Charlie Jane Anders at io9

Pierre Morel (Taken) has reportedly quit as director of Frank Herbert’s Dune, which Peter Berg was also on board to direct at one point. And unless Paramount can get the film up and running by spring, they’ll lose the rights.

According to Deadline, Paramount faces a “ticking clock situation” over Dune, which is seeking a new director in the wake of Morel’s departure. (Morel will still be credited as an executive producer.) The film has a solid script — Morel worked with writer Chase Palmer to revise the screenplay that Berg had been working with — but Paramount could still walk away. Says Deadline:

Despite the ticking clock, Paramount is proceeding as cautiously as it would on any project that will carry a price-tag well north of $100 million. Unless studio brass is absolutely confident by the time the buzzer goes off, Paramount will kiss the project goodbye

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SuckerPunch’s Second Trailer is a Little Easier to Follow

via BuzzSugar

When the first trailer for Zack Snyder’s Sucker Punch was released, we were confused to say the least. Luckily, this second version does a better job of setting up the film — at least a teeny bit.

The basic plot: a girl named Baby Doll tries to shoot someone and gets sent to a mental ward. While in lockup, she dreams up fantasies as a means of escape (alongside recognizable faces like Vanessa Hudgens and Jena Malone).

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Harry Potter Author J.K. Rowling Responds To Owl Controversy Associated With The Potter Franchise

by Kenneth Davis at BSC Kids

You know a film franchise is huge when it affects the owl population in India. And that is apparently what Harry Potter has done. The popularity of the Harry Potter franchise in India is to blame for a decline in the owl population, which is already a highly endangered species in the country.

“Following Harry Potter, there seems to be a strange fascination even among the urban middle classes for presenting their children with owls,” says Indian Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh, who also stated there is an increase in people looking to purchase owls from illegal traders.

Addressing the issue, Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling wrote on her Web site, “There has been a spate of stories in the press recently concerning the upswing in popularity of keeping owls as pets, allegedly as a result of the Harry Potter books…”

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I cannot wait to see SuckerPunch! The story sounds really cool, and it’ll be as gorgeous as The Watchmen and 300. Skyline looks good too. I’ve never seen the original Dune (or read the book) so I don’t have any strong feelings about the remake.

Are you excited about Voyager of the Dawn Treader? Do you want to Dune remake to move forward? What do you think about the owls in India?