Farewell

One thing that always inspired me about movies from the beginning was visual effects. It started out with the creation of optical illusions and realistic props and effects. Then it moved to more advanced photography and compositing. Now were in the digital age, where everything is made of pixels.

One person has been there through this whole evolution, and I've loved everything this guy has ever created. Sadly, we have to say farewell... to Stan Winston. I will always be inspired.

From Scifi.com:

F/X Maestro Winston Is Dead

Hollywood special-effects maestro Stan Winston--whose company was best known for creating creatures for the Terminator films, Jurassic Park and this year's Iron Man--died June 15 after a long fight against cancer, the Associated Press reported. He was 62.

The Oscar-winning visual effects artist died at his home surrounded by family after a seven-year struggle with multiple myeloma, according to a representative from Stan Winston Studio, the AP reported.

Winston won visual effects Oscars for 1986's Aliens, 1992's Terminator 2: Judgment Day and 1993's Jurassic Park.

Winston is survived by his wife, Karen; a son, daughter, brother and four grandchildren.

Terminator 4, 3 times = T12!!

From Joblo.com:

If you were concerned that Christian Bale's involvement in the new TERMINATOR movie(s) would be minimal, fear not -- the Batsuit-wearing Brit will smash those metal motherf*ckers into junk at least three times, assuming the franchise retains momentum.

Bale plays the adult John Connor in the scorched future of McG's new TERMINATOR, but there was speculation as to whether the offspring of Linda Hamilton and Michael Biehn would be a central figure or essentially a "supporting role," with Bale adding genre cred and name value. According to producer Derek Anderson, "He read the script and he loved it, so he's signed on for all three."

The production, now underway, is going to lengths in order to prevent leakage -- apparently the actors involved are only getting script pages for the scenes they're actually in. No further details were given on the plot (which, we can assume, involves the vestiges of mankind fighting cyborgs), or the potential appearance of the guy who made mechanical assassin so popular, Arnold Schwarzenegger. The flick is due in theaters next May.

Dreamworks does GITS

From SciFi.com:

DreamWorks has acquired rights to the Japanese manga Ghost in the Shell and plans to adapt the futuristic police thriller as a 3-D live-action feature film, Variety reported.

The story follows the exploits of a member of a covert ops unit of the Japanese National Public Safety Commission that specializes in fighting technology-related crime.

Created by Masamune Shirow, Ghost in the Shell was first published in 1989. It went on to generate two additional manga editions, three anime film adaptations, an anime TV series and three video games. The second anime film, Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, was released in the United States by DreamWorks in 2004. 

Avi Arad, Ari Arad and Steven Paul of Seaside Entertainment are attached to produce and brought the project to the studio. Jamie Moss has been tapped to write the adaptation.

X-Files Trailer @ Iron Man (May 2)

From SciFi.com:

X-Files Trailer Previewed

Chris Carter, who co-wrote and directed the upcoming X-Files sequel film, offered fans a glimpse at a rough cut of the trailer for the movie, which featured the new tagline "Believe Again."

Screened at the William S. Paley Television festival in Hollywood on March 26, the trailer featured a bit of dialogue between Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson):

Mulder: "Scully. I need you on this with me."

Scully: "I know. That's what scares me."

It featured quick cuts of footage of uniformed men searching a snowfield, led by a white-haired man played by Billy Connolly; someone dragging a body; Mulder in a car being hit by another vehicle; a glimpse of cast member Callum Keith Rennie; Scully hitting someone over the head with a blunt object; the discovery of a body buried in ice; and other images, some of which were also previewed at WonderCon in San Francisco last month.

The trailer ends with a voice-over bit of dialogue between Connolly's character and Mulder as viewers see an image of Mulder and Scully climbing out of a helicopter:

Connolly's voice: "Do you believe in these kind of things?"

Mulder's voice: "Let's just say I want to believe."

The finished trailer will debut in movie theaters along with Iron Man on May 2, a Fox spokesman told SCI FI Wire. The second, as-yet-untitled X-Files movie opens July 25. --Patrick Lee, News Editor

Hulk Trailer

From SciFi.com:

The first teaser trailer for The Incredible Hulk will make its exclusive broadcast debut in a simultaneous block on seven networks on March 12, Marvel announced.

The trailer will air at approximately 9:56 p.m. ET/6:56 p.m. PT on MTV, MTVU, MTV2, VH1, Spike TV, Nick at Nite and CMT.

Following the on-air premiere, the trailer will be immediately posted on MTV.com for an exclusive period.

The trailer will begin showing in theaters across the country on March 14, attached to prints of Rogue Pictures' Doomsday.

The Incredible Hulk, starring Edward Norton, hits theaters worldwide on June 13.