Thompson on Hollywood

Immersed in Movies: Talking Disney Animated Short Oscar Nominee 'Paperman,' See Full Video

Reviews

Is Disney's hand-drawn animated legacy dead? Let's hope not. The new "Paperman" short may provide the answer for its survival. (See trailer below.) "Paperman," which just premiered at the Annecy Film Festival and debuts locally this week at the Los Angeles Film Fest (in 3-D), will play in theaters alongside Disney's "Wreck-It Ralph" on November 2.

By Bill Desowitz
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January 30, 2013 3:56 PM
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Disney's Mysterious '1952' Clooney Project Entitled 'Tomorrowland'

News

Disney's top secret project, known as "1952" while in development, has been given an official title: "Tomorrowland." George Clooney is on board to star. The story was developed by director Brad Bird, Damon Lindelof and EW writer Jeff Jensen. Bird and Lindelof wrote the screenplay. Rumors have swirled about the film's subject. Is "1952" the working title for the upcoming "Star Wars: Episode VII"? Or perhaps about the founding of Disney's Imagineering division in 1952?

By Sophia Savage
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January 30, 2013 12:15 PM
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Weekend Recap: 'Alice in Wonderland' Sequel, Heroine Complex Short Films, Depp's Don Quixote, What's Next for Refn, Cuaron and Abrams

News

Disney is making moves to follow up "Alice in Wonderland" with a sequel. The 3-D 2010 Tim Burton film, featuring Mia Wasikowska as Alice and Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, grossed $1 billion worldwide. Variety reports that Disney has brought back scriptwriter Linda Woolverton, who also wrote "Beauty and the Beast" and "The Lion King," to do the job.

By Maggie Lange
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December 10, 2012 12:12 PM
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May the Rights Be With You: Which Studios Own Which Franchise Characters?

News

In the wake of Disney's major purchase of LucasFilm for $4.05 billion, EW asks the pertinent question: Which studios own which major franchise characters? Disney's Robert Iger made clear during a conference call after the announcement that he'd rather pay through the nose for an established brand than risk creating anything new. He's making the smart bet that longtime Spielberg producer Kathleen Kennedy, president of LucasFilm, will be able to take consultant Lucas's blueprint for new "Star Wars" episodes and reinvent the series with fresh writers and directors. ("The Empire Strikes Back," directed by Irvin Kershner, is widely considered the best of the saga.)

By Anne Thompson and Beth Hanna
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November 1, 2012 1:44 PM
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Disney Empire Strikes Back: As George Lucas Moves On, Disney Picks Up His Bay Area Lucasfilm for $4.05 Billion

News

Walt Disney Co. has made a major purchase-- following its earlier acquisition of Pixar and Marvel Entertainment-- by scooping up George Lucas's Bay Area LucasFilm for $4.05 billion. This means that Disney and its theme parks will now own future rights to Lucas's "Star Wars" franchise--in all its myriad forms.

By Anne Thompson
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October 30, 2012 5:11 PM
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Hollywood is in Turnaround

Features

"It's in turnaround" is one of the great Hollywood lines in "Argo" as John Goodman and Alan Arkin throw insider lingo at Ben Affleck's neophyte "associate producer." Truth is, it seems like all of Hollywood is in turnaround right now.

By Anne Thompson
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October 12, 2012 7:07 AM
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Watch: Johnny Depp in Eye Liner in 'The Lone Ranger' Trailer

Video

One glance at this trailer for "The Lone Ranger" (July 3, 2013) and there's no need to announce that the remake comes from the filmmaking team behind "Pirates of the Caribbean." Per usual these days, Johnny Depp is in heavy character makeup as the brave and brilliant fool to his stalwart fair-haired companion (Armie Hammer).

By Maggie Lange
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October 3, 2012 11:32 AM
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Moving on from 'House of Cards,' Will Fincher Return to Salander and Play 'with Fire'?

News

David Fincher's upcoming film slate has been shifting over the last week, and some are speculating that it may be moving in the direction of Lisbeth Salander. Not so fast, guys. With news that the director broke up with Egyptian beauty "Cleopatra," starring Angelina Jolie, and with Sony's confirmation that "The Girl Who Played with Fire" would not be a 2013 release (the kernel is that the sequel is in the works at all), eyes are on Fincher to return for the sequel.

By Anne Thompson and Beth Hanna
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August 27, 2012 4:28 PM
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Fantastic Fest to Open with World Premiere of Tim Burton's 'Frankenweenie'

News

Austin's Fantastic Fest will host the world premiere of Tim Burton's playfully Goth return to stop-motion animation, "Frankenweenie." The film will open the week long festival on September 20, prior to its theatrical release on October 5...

By Beth Hanna
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June 29, 2012 12:11 PM
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Marvel's Kevin Feige Talks to Bloomberg About 'Avengers' and Marvel Future (Video)

Video

In case you weren't aware, Hollywood's man of the hour is Marvel President and "The Avengers" producer Kevin Feige, who speaks to Bloomberg about what is now the summer's first $1 billion blockbuster and what's next. "I have a good job, I can't complain."