Wolverine Finds a Director

According to Variety and Superhero Hype, the upcoming Wolverine film has found a director:

20th Century Fox has set Gavin Hood to direct Hugh Jackman in Wolverine, the "X-Men" spinoff that was written by David Benioff.

The film, which begins production in November for a 2008 release, will be produced by Lauren Shuler-Donner, Jackman and his Seed Productions partner John Palermo.

Hood is the South African director whose 2005 film Tsotsi won the foreign film Oscar. His next film, the thriller Rendition with Reese Witherspoon and Jake Gyllenhaal, opens on October 12.

Using several resources that include the Marvel Comics lore, along with the more recent Weapon X graphic novels by Frank Miller, Wolverine mixes action with an origin story about how Logan emerged from a barbaric experiment as an indestructible mutant with retractable razor-sharp claws.

After three "X-Men" films grossed over $1 billion worldwide, the studio has made Wolverine a top priority.

"I have long been a fan of Gavin's work and know he will make a masterful film with the character intensity and action beats the fans expect," said Jackman.

As some of you were aware, key parts of the X2: X-Men United story were filmed in the Kananaskis area of Alberta. Because the character has roots in our province, it was great to see parts of the movie filmed in the place in which the story is set. Let's hope the production decides to film more of Logan's history in Alberta.



Photo: 20th Century Fox.

LIONSGATE To Film TV Series In Edmonton

Various news agencies are reporting that Lions Gate Entertainment will be opening up a production office in Edmonton to work on a television series.

According to AMPIA:

With financial incentives from the provincial government and the City of Edmonton, Lionsgate, one of the world's leading independent producers and international distributors, has been lured to produce one of their drama series in the capital city of Alberta.

The new deal will see 13 episodes per season for a minimum 2 seasons produced both in-studio and in various locations throughout the city, beginning this Fall.

From The Hollywood Reporter:

As part of a financial incentive package, the province of Alberta will invest CAN$5.4 million in the TV series, and the city of Edmonton will provide another CAN$3.5 million. In return, the city of Edmonton will receive a 15% equity stake in the TV series.

Lionsgate will decide by the end of July which of its series will relocate to Edmonton. But it is thought that either "The Dresden Files," a detective fantasy series starring Paul Blackthorne airing on the Sci Fi Channel, or Showtime's "Masters of Horror," will make the move.

Tucker said Lionsgate cold-called Edmonton last year, looking for financial incentives in oil-rich Alberta to help shift a TV series to a new locale.

Edmonton mayor Stephen Mandel subsequently met in Washington with Lionsgate executive vp Mark Manuel to discuss terms for a possible relocation. "He (Manuel) wasn't just looking for tax credits. He was looking for a business deal," Tucker said.

And from the Edmonton Journal:

It's expected that the Film Alberta studios near Calgary Trail South -- formerly Allarcom Studios -- will be home to the production. Streets and communities around Edmonton will also get in on the action.

In fact, Edmonton was attractive to Lionsgate because it is considered fresh and welcoming. Not so with cities like Montreal and Vancouver, where the citizenry is burned out on TV and movie productions. Some Vancouver neighbourhoods even prohibit filming on their streets.

Lionsgate's body of work is extensive, eclectic and involves both TV and film, including the Oscar-winning movie Crash. In television, it's known for such series as The Dead Zone and Missing.

While some naysayers will not be happy at provincial and civic governments getting (back) into helping the film industry, I would like to remind them that it is an industry which employs many cast and crew who are possibly family and friends of theirs. As mentioned in the articles, there is also a chance that graduates of audio visual programs will gain experience by working on the series and help to increase the local talent base.

Great news indeed, and as both an Albertan and Edmonton-born industry supporter, it's about time things started looking up for film and television production again. I also get the feeling that this is just the beginning for many more productions that will call Alberta home over the coming years. Our cities, towns, talent, and crew deserve it.

This is an example where many partners work together to make things happen. Cross-provincial, cross-governmental, and cross-creative. Kudos to all involved in making this deal a reality.

Lions Gate Entertaimment also produced Good Luck Chuck starring Jessica Alba. Segments from the upcoming film were shot in Edmonton.

nextMEDIA 2007 and Banff World Television Festival

Just a note to all of you folks that will be attending nextMEDIA 2007 and Banff World Television Festival to say 'howdy' if you see me around. I'd love to meet some of the blog readers in person and am always eager to hear any feedback.

The Banff New Media Institute and Digital Media Association of Alberta are co-producing presentations at nextMEDIA so I've been pretty busy. On Saturday, June 9, we're facilitating a New Media Business Exploration Study brief, and on Sunday we're showcasing a panel on Interactive Games & Social Networks.

I'll also be around during the Banff World Television Festival representing The Banff Centre at our booth and events.

A big thanks to all of you who came out to support the Digital Alberta Mixer in the Mountains at The Banff Centre on Friday evening!

Don't forget to check out all the other events at both festivals involving the many companies and organizations from Alberta's film, television, mobile, and digital media production industries.

And to those of you pitching projects in Banff: I wish you all the best of success.

Cheers!

Herland Film and Video Festival Closing

Due to the effects of funding cutbacks, it looks like the Herland Film and Video Festival had its last showing this year according to the Calgary Herald:

I'm very disappointed," says festival board member Tamrin Hildebrant, 33.

"Herland is the only film festival in Calgary that really focuses on films by women. We focus on topics that aren't covered in other film festivals."

For 17 years, Herland has provided a home to films that covered a range feminist-related topics not typically seen in the mainstream. From films about queer culture to movies by and for aboriginal women, women of colour and women with disabilities, the festival has hosted hundreds of independent movies throughout the years.

It began in 1989 when the Calgary Status of Women Action Committee, a feminist collective, joined with the Women of Colour Collective to host a film-focused fundraiser. Building up its audience throughout the years, the festival peaked in 2003-04 with an audience of about 1,700. The next year, however, the audience fell to 1,000."

Though I missed posting about this last month, it's still important to note the effects that government funding cutbacks have on smaller organizations.

You can read the full article at the link above.

2007 AMPIA Award Recipients List

You can now view the full list of 2007 Alberta Motion Picture Industries Association award recipients at the official website.

Congratulations to all the nominees and winners!

September Dawn Website Live

The website for September Dawn, a production shot here in Alberta starring Jon Voight, is now live.

You can check out trailers for the film at this link.

Nathan Fillion in Waitress

Looks like Edmonton-born Nathan Fillion has been incredibly busy lately. Now he's after Keri Russell's pie.

Be sure to check out the trailer for Waitress at Apple's QuickTime site.

Image: Copyright © 2007 Fox Searchlight Pictures.

Shift Into Drive

Sympatico discusses the new TV series Drive starring Edmonton-born Nathan Fillion:

“I was in a terrible car accident when I was two years old...I shouldn't have been driving in the first place,” joked series front man Nathan Fillion. The Canadian-born actor admitted that Los Angeles driving terrified him at first but has now learned to leave early and go slow.

Drive is not the first project that Minear and Fillion have collaborated on. Firefly fans will recognize Fillion as Captain ‘Mal’ Reynolds from the short-lived sci-fi series, a cult favourite, and later the feature film, Serenity.

The participants on Drive begin the race at the southernmost point in the United States, but no one knows where it ends. With no idea who their competition is or who is behind the game, contestants embark on a labyrinth of intrigue, danger, mystery and twists and turns, and that’s not just the terrain.

“Part of the game is, if you get pulled over […] you can't explain what you were doing. If you start to tell the police what you're doing, then you're disqualified,” explained Minear. “It's also structured in such a way that if you were to go to the police and try to rat this thing out, they would laugh at you.”

Be sure to check out the full article at the link above. You can also find more information on the show at the official FOX website.

Photo: FOX Broadcasting Company.

Casting call has locals dreaming of Hollywood stardom

The Edmonton Journal talks about a recent extras casting call for Christmas in Wonderland, a feature film starring Ray Liotta and Leslie Nielson. The film begins shooting in Edmonton on April 23.

Thousands of people spent hours lining up for the chance to be extras in Christmas in Wonderland, a feature film starring Ray Liotta and Leslie Nielsen that is scheduled to start filming here on April 23. Never mind that extras will only appear in the film's background and that many will not even be paid for their time; those attending the casting call still seemed to think the experience would be worth it.

"I came because I like to act and I wanted to be in the movie, so that I can start my big career!" said 10-year-old Kira Mann, who was accompanied by her mother.

Mann was surrounded by a diverse crowd that included teenagers, seniors and children. Some people brought folding chairs to make the wait more comfortable, while others brought books or iPods for entertainment. Some arrived in their street clothes, while others appeared carefully primped for the event.

I've also heard reports that the holiday decorations are still up at West Edmonton Mall for the filming. You can read the full article at the link above.

A good movie is a good investment

Todd Babiak (The Edmonton Journal) discusses the effects of the decline and subsequent reviving of the Alberta film industry. From the article:

Once, not long ago, Alberta was a leader in film and television. The province had momentum, a formula for success. Under Peter Lougheed and Don Getty, Alberta had a well-funded, well-regarded and well-watched provincial television station in ACCESS. From 1981 to 1996, the Alberta Motion Picture Development Corporation (AMPDC) built a thriving film and television industry here. Crews, producers, writers, editors and directors lived in Edmonton and Calgary. They told Alberta stories for locals as well as for national and international audiences.

Then, in 1996, just as the Canadian film industry was expanding, Premier Ralph Klein shut down the AMPDC. The government sold ACCESS for $1 to some Ontarians, who relaunched it as one of the cheapest, most measly television stations in the developed world.

For the most part, the crews, producers, writers and directors left Alberta. Hewing of wood ensued. Of course, this was hardly an election issue. For Klein and the province, it was a financial and social error. But all in all, it was probably a good political move. A few thousand fewer Liberals, give or take, can only refine the Alberta advantage.

Good move or bad, Klein is remembered as the man who destroyed film in Alberta. Many of those who didn't leave are only now, post-Klein, rebuilding their careers here. Again, this is not controversial material. No one is crying for the movie producers. A lot of publicly funded institutions were smashed by the Klein government in the 1990s, so the public at large could enjoy the various pleasures of debt freedom today.

"At the time, when the AMPDC was cut, some people had no choice but to leave the province," says Alan Brooks, executive director of AMPIA. "But we understand it was necessary at the time, to get the province out of debt. And remember, Ralph Klein also brought in the Alberta Film Development Fund."

Be sure to read the full article at this link.

Alberta Film in Hong Kong

Alberta is #1!
Originally uploaded by hotrocket.

Alberta Film @ Filmart
Originally uploaded by hotrocket.

Some photos from our pal Ken (Hotrocket) taken during the Digital Entertainment Leadership Forum in Hong Kong.

Funding Delays Passchendaele

Passchendaele, the World War I film Paul Gross was supposed to shoot in Alberta last summer, has been delayed due to funding issues. Alexandra Burroughs and Stephen Hunt discussed the matter surrounding the postponement of the production for the Calgary Herald and the Edmonton Journal.

"It's been a monster to put together," he adds, "because we've never really attempted to do anything like this in our domestic cinema history. We've done some co-productions that have been large, but as a purely Canadian domestic production, it's well outside the normal model.

"The ceiling on a pure Canadian film is about $7 (million) or $8 million. And we're aiming for somewhere closer to $20 million.

"I hope we're going to go to camera probably Aug. 1," Gross adds. "Shooting for, I don't know, 50 days I think. Plus weekends, so somewhere into the fall."

Passchendaele tells the story of a large battalion of Alberta soldiers who participated in the third Battle of Ypres, in Belgium, during the First World War. The film got a $5.5-million kickstart during Alberta's 2005 centennial celebrations, when Gross pitched the project to then premier Ralph Klein.

For more information, check out the full article at this link.