12.31.2008

The Great Microsoft Zune Failure of 2008




2008 Goes Out With a Bang & So Does The Zune

Right, so this is a weird one: we're getting tons of reports—tons—about failing Zune 30s. Apparently, the players began freezing at about midnight last night, becoming totally unresponsive and practically useless. Update: The easy official fix here.

The crisis has been dubbed by Zune users 'Z2K9', due to the apparently synchronized faceplantings across the country. According to tipster Michael, the Zune users experienced something like this:

Apparently, around 2:00 AM today, the Zune models either reset, or were already off. Upon when turning on, the thing loads up and... freezes with a full loading bar (as pictured above). I thought my brother was the only one with it, but then it happened to my Zune. Then I checked out the forums and it seems everyone with a 30GB HDD model has had this happen to them

This report is consistently corroborated by literally hundreds of others across the various Zune support and fan forums.

What hasn't emerged yet, largely due to the fact that MS's support lines aren't yet open for the day, is why these devices are failing. The evidence seems to point to a software glitch, but simple resets aren't providing any relief. Some reports indicate that only Zunes with the latest firmware are affected, but this hasn't yet been confirmed.

The proximity of the events to the New Year, which inspired the Y2K9 moniker, provides little more than a colorful backdrop; it's unlikely that the switching of years in the Zune's internal calendar has anything to do with the failures (besides, it hasn't even happened yet).

If not for the uniform representation of events across the internet, I'd be tempted to suspect this as a hoax, but it just doesn't look that way. The story, assuming the described problem is of the magnitude reported, will probably take a turn for the large when the majority of Zuners start waking up. Let us know about your experiences in the comments. [Zunescene, ZuneBoards, Zune.net—Thanks, Michael, Josh, Ben and others]

Update: We've got a DIY fix to revive slain Zunes.

Update: Reader Bill Bradski (Bill Brasky?) has summed up the situation thusly:

Update 2: Here's Microsoft's official response for the time being (it's clear they just woke up and probably haven't even flipped on their coffee pots yet):

We are aware that customers with the Zune 30GB are experiencing issues with their Zune device. We are actively working now to isolate the issue and develop a solution to address it. We will keep customers informed on next steps via the support page on zune.net (zune.net/support).


The FIX?! (or so they claim as of now...)

Early this morning we were alerted by our customers that there was a widespread issue affecting our 2006 model Zune 30GB devices (a large number of which are still actively being used). The technical team jumped on the problem immediately and isolated the issue: a bug in the internal clock driver related to the way the device handles a leap year. That being the case, the issue should be resolved over the next 24 hours as the time change moves to January 1, 2009. We expect the internal clock on the Zune 30GB devices will automatically reset tomorrow (noon, GMT). By tomorrow you should allow the battery to fully run out of power before the unit can restart successfully then simply ensure that your device is recharged, then turn it back on. If you're a Zune Pass subscriber, you may need to sync your device with your PC to refresh the rights to the subscription content you have downloaded to your device.

My Zune 30 is frozen. What should I do?

Follow these steps:

  1. Disconnect your Zune from USB and AC power sources.
  2. Because the player is frozen, its battery will drain—this is good. Wait until the battery is empty and the screen goes black. If the battery was fully charged, this might take a couple of hours.
  3. Wait until after noon GMT on January 1, 2009 (that's 7 a.m. Eastern or 4 a.m. Pacific time).
  4. Connect your Zune to either a USB port on the back or your computer or to AC power using the Zune AC Adapter and let it charge.

Once the battery has sufficient power, the player should start normally. No other action is required—you can go back to using your Zune!

My Zune 30 has been working fine today. Should I be worried?

Nope, your Zune is fine and will continue to work as long as you do not connect it to your computer before noon GMT on January 1, 2009 (7 a.m. Eastern or 4 a.m. Pacific time).

Note: If you connect your player to a computer before noon GMT on January 1, 2009, you'll experience the freeze mentioned above—even if that computer does not have the Zune software installed. If this happens, follow the above steps.

What if I have rights-managed (DRM) content on my Zune?

Most likely, rights-managed content will not be affected by this issue. However, it's a good idea to sync your Zune with your computer once the freeze has been resolved, just to make sure your usage rights are up to date.

What if I took advice from the forums and reset my Zune by disconnecting the battery?

This is a bad idea and we do not recommend opening your Zune by yourself (for one thing, doing so will void your warranty). However, if you've already opened it, do one of the following:

  • Wait 24 hours from the time that you reset the Zune and then sync with your computer to refresh the usage rights; or
  • Delete the player's content using the Zune software (go to Settings, Device, Sync Options, Erase All Content), then re-sync it from your collection.



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12.25.2008

2009 Movie Preview: What To See & What To Avoid

2009 Preview (in order of release date)

What To Avoid

Bride Wars (01.09.2009)

Paul Blart Mall Cop (01.16.09)

The Pink Panther 2 (02.06.09)

Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes To Jail (02.20.09)

Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience(02.27.09)

Dragonball Evolution (04.08.09)

Hanna Montana The Movie (04.10.09)

Final Destination: Death Trip 3D

Alvin & The Chipmunks: The Squeakuel (12.25.09)

What to see

Underworld: Rise Of The Lycans(01.23.09)

Taken (01.30.09)

Fanboys(02.06.09)

Friday The 13th(02.13.09)

Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li (02.27.09)

Race To Witch Mountain (03.13.09)

Adventureland (03.27.09)

Fast & Furious (04.03.09)

Crank: High Voltage (04.17.09)

Xmen Origins: Wolverine (05.01.09)

Star Trek(05.08.09)

Terminator Salivation (05.22.09)

Transformers Revenge of the Fallen (06.26.09)

2012 (06.10.09

G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra (08.07.09)

Toy Story 3D (10.02.09)

Saw IV (10.23.09)

Last Updated: 12.25.08






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Best & Worst Movies of 2008



WORST

10.Max Payne- this movie would be good if it wasn’t based off a awesome game.


09.The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor- big fan of the series, this one killed it for me. Very disappointed, we will see what they do wit h 4, 5 & 6.


08.Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay- I loved the first one, this one honestly blew.


07.Hellboy II: The Golden Army- whats his name tried to make this more of a pan’s laybrynth meets hellboy than a Hellboy 2.


06.Step Brothers- this movie just seemed forced.


05.Doomsday-weak plot, lighting was great, rona always hot, I like violence in my movies, when its needed, this was unesscelry voilent


04.War, Inc.- I have been looking forward to this movie for years, and was sadly disappointed.


03.The Happening- isn’t happening, and was a major let down M. Night should supprise us by NOT FORCING a supprise ending on us.


02.Superhero Movie- sersould do I need to say more, if I saw Disaster Movie im sure it would be on this list as well


01.Witless Protection-this movie is my number two worst movie of all time, I had to force my self to watch this.


BEST

10.Bolt- Just a fun movie


09.Saw V- not the best saw, and its kinda getting old, still good.


08.Sex Drive- fantastic movie, funny, relatable, sexy… lol


07.Be Kind Rewind- funny any movie buff would love this movie


06.Religulous- more people should have seen this movie.


05.Tropic Thunder- any politically incorrect movie (that’s good) is ok in my book we need more of this

short of thing.!


04.Zack and Miri Make a Porno- Nuf’ Said


03.The Dark Knight- this movie is amazing and dark and wonderful. (this movie isn’t on here because of Ledger, its on here cause its good, did you ever stop and think that every movie he did after this one could have sucked? What would ur opinion of him be then?)


02.Speed Racer- I don’t care what the “FANS” say how they said this movie was “bad”. I’ve never seen speed racer in my life, I saw this movie with no expectations and was blown away


01. Iron Man-I never read the comics but this movie is epic!


Last updated: 12.12.2008





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Miami University Q&A Cancelled…


Miami University Q&A Cancelled…

November 13th @ 7:08 pm | | Scooped by E.Christopher & Mike "Movie Miguel" Kopcak

  • Word has just come in that Kevin’s upcoming foreign market commitments promoting Zack & Miri Make A Porno will make it impossible for him to attend his November 22nd schedule Q&A session at Miami University of Ohio. Tickets holders can receive a full refund by following the instructions below that were forwarded to us by our scooper Eric….


      Dear Miami University Performing Arts Series Patron,

      Thank you for purchasing tickets to our presentation of Kevin Smith November 22. Unfortunately, Mr. Smith has just had to cancel his performance at Millett Hall due to a schedule conflict with the overseas release of his new movie. Regrettably, he is unable to re-schedule his show at Miami University because of future movie commitments. I’m sure you are as disappointed with this as we are.

      Given the cancellation, here are your options:

      * Exchange your tickets for another Performing Arts Series event. See list at the end of this email and check out our website for more details. If you choose an event with a lower ticket price, the difference will be forfeited. Simply bring or mail your Kevin Smith tickets to:

      Miami University Box Office
      Phillip R. Shriver Center
      Oxford, OH 45056

      Exchanges will be honored through December 23, 2008. If mailing tickets for exchange, please complete and include the attached form.





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Good Guy Award - Jason Mewes!

Good Guy Award - Jason Mewes!

October 10th @ 9:40 am | | Scooped by Ricky Dunham, JD Larabee & Mike "Movie Miguel" Kopcak

  • Those of you who enjoy attending Comic and SciFi conventions know that one of the tougher pills to swallow these days are the added fees - Of course, a lot of the celebs are there mostly on their time and even their dime, so it makes sense that fees get charged sometimes, though in some cases, they have gotten out of control.


    Given all this, we’re happy to report that we got word that of all the celebs at the Columbus, Ohio convention, Jason Mewes was the only major media guest to not charge a dime for an autograph. We also hear he didn’t have a limit on stuff he’d sign, was happy to take pictures, and even obliged fans while taking breaks. Our scooper calls him “the coolest person I’ve ever met”. Sounds like Jason’s a real class act, following in the very classy footsteps of Kevin himself, who treats fans similarly at his appearances. With care for the fans like this, these guys have a long successful career ahead.

    By the way, Mewes did once again report that “Red State” was in the cards, and also mentioned “Ranger Danger”, though as we saw in a recent quote from Kevin, the new sci-fi comedy will not be “Ranger Danger”, but in a similar vein.


    A final bit of evidence? Watch this puppet ask Mewes a question at the con. If that’s not a good sport, we dunno who is!






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Movie Miguel Exclusive Story From NewsAskew.com


Mewes Signing/Panel: 4 More Degrassis!

October 6th @ 6:43 pm | | Scooped by Mike \"Movie Miguel\" Kopcak

  • MovieMiguel comes to us with exclusive photos and a few details from Jason Mewes’ signing and panel appearances in Ohio this weekend. No video or further details of what went down, but we did get this one new tidbit from the event - He and Kevin shot a total of FOUR new episodes of Degrassi: The Next Generation! We knew that some filming had taken place when the guys were in Canada recently, but we had no idea that it would be for this many episodes. No plot details on their appearance just yet, though their last visits had them making a “Jay & Silent Bob Go Canadian” film and then coming back to town for the premiere. We can’t wait to see what’s next.


    Click above for some shots from Jason’s panel and autograph session.





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View Askew NewsBites For October 2, 2008

View Askew NewsBites™

October 2nd @ 7:23 am | | Scooped by Pat, Robin D\'haene, Mike Kopcak, Larry Daguanno, Alonso Duralde, Ryan Free

  • The Count Basie Theatre recently conducted an audience poll for the best 50 shows they’ve ever put on. Kevin’s historic 37th birthday Q&A showed up, as did an ‘03 appearance by George Carlin. See their article for full details. Kevin returns for what’s sure to be another fantastic night on Friday, November 7th, at 7:00 PM.
  • Brandon Routh was recently in his home state of Iowa, and the local paper (Des Moines Register) ran an article on him and mentioned his next movie being “Zack and Miri Make a Porno”:


      “Routh’s next movie, to be released Oct. 31, is “Zack and Mari Make a Porno,” in which he plays the boyfriend of a gay porn star. He said the movie is a bit raunchy.

      “It’s a very funny film and actually very heartwarming,” Routh said.”

  • Last update, we mentioned Jay Mewes’ appearance this weekend at the Mid Ohio Comic Con. We now have a few more details - Jay will be there BOTH days of the show (Saturday AND Sunday), and also participate in an interview with a moderator followed by an audience Q&A. You should be able to catch him at other events and on the floor signing all weekend as well. Definitely worth a trip in for that, folks.


    Check out a few photos a fan took from a recent Mewes appearance to get an idea.

  • The hilarious Good Will Hunting sequel created for “Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back” makes another list today, appearing in Cinematical’s Top Seven Movies Within Movies:


      Along the same lines as the uber-crappy sequels that pop up in Cecil B. Demented, Kevin Smith gives Ben and Matt’s flick some sequel action under the uninterested eye of Gus Van Sant. Good Will Hunting 2: Hunting Season awards Matt Damon with the chance to blow away rich, jerky smarty pantses rather than wasting his time in a battle of wits. It’s an all-too-brief moment, but worth Jay and Silent Bob’s trip.


      Honorable Mention in Film: Bluntman and Chronic with Mark Hamill.

  • We hope everyone’s signed up and registered to vote next month — Yep, it’s coming up THAT fast. As a reminder, check out this PSA which features a ton of celebs including View Askew great (and current “My Name Is Earl” star) Ethan Suplee. Then, pass it on, register, and VOTE - You can register online in a few seconds, so there’s no reason not to sign up. See ya.






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View Askew NewsBites For September 29th 2008

View Askew NewsBites™

September 29th @ 4:43 pm | | Scooped by E. Christopher, Greg Skinner, Scott Hartman, Mike Kopcak, Travis Post

  • Let’s kick off newsbites today with more good news from the “Zack And Miri” front - Another of the notoriously tough regular reviewers over at supersite Aint It Cool News caught the flick, and showered it with a glowing positive review. Take a peek:


      “…having broken free of the desire to do something different than his small little potty mouthed Jersey films, he instead embraced his place in the environs of the film scene and created the single best piece of film he’s turned out since Chasing Amy. Make no mistake, Zack and Miri Make a Porno is every bit Kevin Smith as you’d expect. There are all manner of sex and scat jokes – even the occasional gross out bit. Pop culture references drop out of the mouths of his cast almost as often as expletives. And there are appearances by a number of old favorites, including the ever present Jason Mewes. And yet, by freeing himself of trying to be something that he is not, he has actually managed to elevate the material to make what on the surface appears to be one of the most juvenile attempts at humor this year into something deep, heartfelt and positively adorable.”


    Check out the entire non-spoiler review over at Ain’t It Cool News.

  • Alight Australia, we’ve got good news and bad news — The good news is, we’ve got a release date for “Zack And Miri Make a Porno” for ya. The bad news? It’s January 15, 2009. Okay, so it’s not TOO far off from the US release, but those of you down under will still need to wait a few extra months to see it up on the big screen. No further word on a rating or anything else at this point. We’ll keep ya posted. This is in line with a similar UK planned release date, meaning that North America will have it exclusive for a few months before it branches out.
  • The Mid Ohio Comic-Con has announced that Jason Mewes will be in attendance this Sunday, October 5th, from 12-1 PM in Panel Room number two. Mewes is great with the crowds and we bet he’d love to chat up his role in “Zack And Miri Make a Porno”. If you’re in the Ohio area, be sure and stop by for a chance to meet a View Askew legend.
  • Film School Rejects say that “Zack And Miri” are the #2 flick that they’re most looking forward to for the remainder of the year. It’s among some nice company, too. Overall, 2008 has been a swell year for flicks, we gotta say. What a great year for a new Kevin Smith View Askew Production!
  • And finally today, monkey thieves? Sounds like the plot of a movie near and dear to our hearts’ eh? See ya next time…






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“Threevening” with Kevin - October 21st!

“Threevening” with Kevin - October 21st!

September 11th @ 9:36 pm | | Scooped by Mike Kopcak, Allan Lee, John Couture, Daniel Nelson

  • The street date for the highly-anticipated third live Q&A DVD with Kevin Smith, titled “Sold Out: A Threevening With Kevin Smith”, has been announced. You’ll be able to own and enjoy the disc a full 10 days before “Zack and Miri” hits theaters. The DVD, which arrives as a TWO DISC SPECIAL EDITION, will come with a suggested retail price of $19.97. Official running time is listed at 222 minutes (that’s 3 hours, 42 minutes!!!!)


    While some web outlets will start taking pre-orders now, as always, we suggest waiting for The Stash to get copies made available for order. Typically, Kevin will sign your DVD FOR FREE in person or for mail orders, highly increasing the value of the DVD and making it another valued item in your View Askew collection.

    We were there for the show, where Kevin celebrated his 37th birthday in Red Bank, New Jersey. The disc will be packed with all new material, stories we had never heard before (many which have not been told since), and HUGE laughs. There’s a Die Hard 4 story you just must see/hear, quite possibly the best tale Kevin has ever told over the years. We’ll keep you posted on how to order your own copy of this set from The Stash. Just really pleased to finally see that official release date!


    As always special thanks to VideoETA for getting that release date sent right over to us.






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“Threevening” DVD Released In The US

“Threevening” DVD Released In The US

September 11th @ 9:44 pm | | Scooped by Mike Kopcak, Allan Lee, John Couture, Daniel Nelson

  • The street date for the highly-anticipated third live Q&A DVD with Kevin Smith, titled “Sold Out: A Threevening With Kevin Smith”, has been announced. You’ll be able to own and enjoy the disc a full 10 days before “Zack and Miri” hits theaters. The DVD, which arrives as a TWO DISC SPECIAL EDITION, will come with a suggested retail price of $19.97. Official running time is listed at 222 minutes (that’s 3 hours, 42 minutes!!!!)


    While some web outlets will start taking pre-orders now, as always, we suggest waiting for The Stash to get copies made available for order. Typically, Kevin will sign your DVD FOR FREE in person or for mail orders, highly increasing the value of the DVD and making it another valued item in your View Askew collection.


    We were there for the show, where Kevin celebrated his 37th birthday in Red Bank, New Jersey. The disc will be packed with all new material, stories we had never heard before (many which have not been told since), and HUGE laughs. There’s a Die Hard 4 story you just must see/hear, quite possibly the best tale Kevin has ever told over the years. We’ll keep you posted on how to order your own copy of this set from The Stash. Just really pleased to finally see that official release date!


    As always special thanks to VideoETA for getting that release date sent right over to us.






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“Red State” Exclusive @ “Shock Till You Drop”…


“Red State” Exclusive @ “Shock Till You Drop”…

September 11th @ 9:34 pm | | Scooped by Kevin Spellman, Mike "Movie Miguel" Kopcak, John Whiteaker

  • Horror supersite “Shcok Till You Drop” checks in with a nice exclusive update from Kevin on “Red State”. With all eyes currently on “Zack And Miri Make a Porno”, there hasn’t been a lot of questions surrounding what will come NEXT. To this point, Kevin continues to tell reporters that he’d love to make “Red State” next, a totally different film from “Porno” and really anything he’s done in the past. And we’d sure to love to see him do it. But how goes the hunt for funding and distribution? Read on…


      …We asked whether he might start shooting on that soon, to which he replied, “I hope so. We’re still looking for some cash for it ’cause it’s not a really commercial film at all. It’s very bleak and very dark, and there’s no one to root for in the movie, so it’s a real film festival type of film, but it’s not the kind of movie you can take into multiplexes and do a bunch of business with unless it becomes a water cooler type of movie where people start talking about it. So we’ve had trouble finding financing for it, but hopefully that’ll come together soon. Script’s all done. We want to make it for like $5 million in the Midwest and do it with a bunch of unknowns and see what happens. So I mean none of those things add up to people rushing to you with a check. No one’s rushing to give us money for it.”

      Since Smith has never made a horror film, many horror fans who are also fans of Smith’s will be expecting something like we haven’t seen before and something truly shocking, since he’s probably built up a lot of ideas of what he’d want to do in a horror movie. “It is definitely a 180 from everything else we’ve done including ‘Zack and Miri’ but at the same time, it’s not like a splatter film, it’s not like slasher balls-to-the-wall gore, it’s more unsettling and disturbing type of horror,” he explained when asked about the direction he plans on taking things in his first horror outing.

    So, it seems that there’s still more funding to be acquired before this one can truly get off the ground. If any fans who have contacts are reading this, we sure think this would be a fine investment — Here’s hoping that we’ll have some good news soon and we can see the project start in early 2009 as originally planned. Chances are it’ll be made on the cheap and turn a tidy profit to the lucky investors. As we hear more on “Red State”, we’ll of course kep you posted. As we’ve seen before, project schedules often shuffle around and movie priorities change — Most directors aren’t as forthcoming with their future plans as Kevin, but shuffling projects is quite common and could happen again. But we’re sure hopeful to see another View Askew production head in front of the cameras next year.





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Judge Rules for 20th Century Fox in Watchmen Case


Judge Rules for 20th Century Fox in Watchmen Case

Source: New York Times
December 24, 2008


This hasn't been the best Christmas Eve for Warner Bros. as the New York Times reports that 20th Century Fox has won a ruling against Warners towards their claim over the rights to Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' graphic novel Watchmen, which director Zack Snyder turned into a nearly completed film.

Originally, the matter was going to be settled at a trial set for late January, just six weeks before the intended release for Snyder's movie on March 6. In a surprise ruling, Judge Gary A. Feess concluded that 20th Century Fox owns a copyright interest and have the right to distribute the movie themselves, having acquired the rights to the graphic novel in the late '80s before shelving the intended film. Judge Feess has suggested that the studios work on a settlement or an appeal rather than going to trial, but we probably won't hear the results of this decision until the New Year.

You can read the full New York Times story here.





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Disney Pulls Out of Third Narnia Film


Disney Pulls Out of Third Narnia Film

December 24, 2008


Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media have confirmed that for budgetary and logistical reasons the Burbank-based studio is not exercising its option to co-produce and co-finance The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader with Walden.

The Hollywood Reporter says the third installment was in preproduction and set for a spring shoot for a planned May 2010 release. The development puts the participation of the talent attached in doubt, adds the trade. Michael Apted was on board to direct a script by Steven Knight. The key players of the second installment, "Prince Caspian" -- Ben Barnes, Georgie Henley, William Moseley and Anna Popplewell -- were to return for the third film.

Walden has a strong relationship with the C.S. Lewis estate and will shop "Treader" in hopes of finding a new partner. The most likely candidate at this stage is Fox, which markets and distributes Walden fare under the Fox Walden banner.

Any partnership on a "Narnia" movie will require a substantial investment, however. "Caspian," which filmed in the Czech Republic, Mexico and New Zealand, cost $200 million. The first film, "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," was shot mostly in New Zealand for $180 million.





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Hossein Amini Penning New Jack Ryan Movie


Hossein Amini Penning New Jack Ryan Movie

December 19, 2008


Screenwriter Hossein Amini has been hired to pen a new Jack Ryan movie for Paramount Pictures, says The Hollywood Reporter. The character, created by novelist Tom Clancy, has not appeared onscreen since 2002's The Sum of All Fears.

Mace Neufeld and Lorenzo Di Bonaventura are producing the project for Paramount. "Spider-Man" franchise director Sam Raimi was on the hook to direct and produce a new Ryan installment, but his packed schedule made his involvement unworkable.

Amini's new Ryan film is planned as an origin story, not derived from Clancy's novels and ultimately featuring a new, younger star.

Alec Baldwin played Ryan in the first film, The Hunt for Red October, while Harrison Ford starred as the character in both Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger. Ben Affleck also took on Ryan in The Sum of All Fears.

Amini was nominated for an adapted screenplay Oscar in 1998 for The Wings of the Dove. His other credits include Jude and The Four Feathers. He has The Golden Compass sequel adaptation The Subtle Knife in development at Warner Bros. and the Weinstein Co. drama Shanghai in post-production.





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Alan Horn Clears Up Dark Knight Sequel Rumors

Alan Horn Clears Up Dark Knight Sequel Rumors

Source: Collider.com
December 18, 2008


With all the rumors swirling around the internet about possible casting for Warner Bros.' sequel to the record-breaking box office blockbuster The Dark Knight--absolutely none of them true as yet--Collider had a chance to talk briefly with Alan Horn, the President of Warner Bros., and probably the one man who would know more than anyone else about anything going on with this highly-anticipated project.

He got straight to the point when asked about progress on the sequel: "We've been talking to Chris Nolan and what we have to do is get him in the right place and have him tell us what he thinks the notion might be for a great story, but Chris did a great job and we'd love to have him come back and do another one."

As far as the timing of the project, he went onto say: "The story is everything and we are very respectful of Chris. We have a wonderful relationship with him and we are going to be respectful of his timing and we want to get it right. Also, I think the fans expect that – they want us to make a terrific movie – we have to give them another great movie."

In the interview, Horn also expressed interest in bringing back Superman and confirmed that they're very close to rolling on a movie starring DC's other power player, Green Lantern. (In fact, earlier this week Dark Horizons reported that Australia was vying for the latter project, but nothing has been confirmed as far as a start date.)

You can read the original interview here.






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12.18.2008

Maggie Q to Star in King of Fighters

Maggie Q to Star in King of Fighters

Source: Variety
December 17, 2008


Maggie Q (Live Free or Die Hard) has joined the cast of King of Fighters, an English-language, live-action adaptation of the best-selling Japanese video game now filming in Vancouver.

Directed by Hong Kong's Gordon Chan, the movie also stars Sean Faris, Ray Park, Will Yun Lee and David Leitch, who doubles as action choreographer.

The $12 million action pic is a co-production of Taiwan's Double Edge Entertainment, Japan's Micott & Basara, Inferno Entertainment from the U.S., the U.K.'s Scion Films, Axis Entertainment, Convergence Entertainment and Singapore's Innoform Media.

Production will wrap in mid-January, with the movie scheduled for delivery in the third quarter of 2009.






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The Latest False Batman Rumors

The Latest False Batman Rumors

Source: ComingSoon.net
December 17, 2008


The UK tabloids strike again. One, who shall remain unnamed, is claiming that Eddie Murphy is playing The Riddler in the next Batman movie, that Shia LaBeouf will play Robin and that Rachel Weisz is up for the role of Catwoman. Not only that, but the tabloid says the movie will come out in 2010, and that the movie "will end on a cliffhanger over whether Batman survives a blast at Wayne Towers."

All of the above is, of course, not true. Moving on...






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Walt Disney Pictures 2009 Preview

Walt Disney Pictures 2009 Preview

Source: Walt Disney Pictures
December 17, 2008


ComingSoon.net has received Walt Disney Pictures 2009 preview, featuring 14 releases. To view info on each movie, just select the titles, and to see the images, click on 'View Pics' (release dates are subject to change):

February 13, 2009
Confessions of a Shopaholic (View Pics)

February 27, 2009
Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience

March 13, 2009
Race to Witch Mountain (View Pics)

April 10, 2009
Hannah Montana The Movie

April 22, 2009
Earth (View Pics)

May 29, 2009
Up (View Pics)

June 12, 2009
The Proposal (View Pics)

July 24, 2009
G-Force

Summer 2009
When in Rome (View Pics)

September 25, 2009
Surrogates (View Pics)

October 2, 2009
Toy Story (View Pics)

November 6, 2009
Disney's A Christmas Carol

November 25, 2009
Old Dogs (View Pics)

Christmas 2009
The Princess and the Frog (View Pics)






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Ziegfeld Theatre to Hold Harry Potter Marathon

Ziegfeld Theatre to Hold Harry Potter Marathon

Source: Clearview Cinemas
December 17, 2008


Clearview Cinemas today announced that it will feature a six-day exclusive engagement featuring all five "Harry Potter" films at the legendary Ziegfeld Theatre in New York City, from December 19 to December 24. During the event's opening weekend, the "Harry Potter" films will be shown for more than 12 consecutive hours in order of when the films were released, starting at 10 a.m. each day with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and concluding with Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

"Whether people are seeing these 'Harry Potter' films for the first or fifth time, we are giving adults and children alike the opportunity to enjoy them once again the way they were meant to be seen, on the big screen in a premiere venue like the Ziegfeld Theatre," said Craig Zeltner, vice president of film, Clearview Cinemas. "The 'Harry Potter' movie marathon is another example of Clearview's commitment to provide unique entertainment choices for all audiences."

The showtime schedule for Friday, December 19 through Wednesday, December 24 is as follows:

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 10:00 am
Monday 2 pm
Tuesday 8 pm

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 1 pm
Wednesday, 2 pm

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 4:10 pm
Wednesday, 5:15 pm

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 7 pm
Tuesday, 2 pm
Wednesday, 8:15 pm

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 10:10 pm
Tuesday, 5:15 pm

Tickets are on sale now at the Ziegfeld Theatre box office at 141 West 54th Street in New York City and online at ClearViewCinemas.com.






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The Dark Knight Blu-ray Shatters All Records

The Dark Knight Blu-ray Shatters All Records

Source: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group
December 16, 2008


Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group has released the following announcement stating that The Dark Knight has sold over 1.7 million Blu-ray Discs worldwide, including over 1 million domestically:

"The Dark Knight" took the world by storm on Blu-ray and DVD, breaking records for 2008. The blockbuster hit from acclaimed director Christopher Nolan became an instant must-own classic with Blu-ray sales of over 1.7 million units and total DVD and Blu-ray sales of 13.5 million worldwide*, including consumer sales and rental sales, in one week. Brisk consumer sales – totaling over 10 million with one week of sales reported - are expected to continue through the holiday season. "The Dark Knight" is the best selling Blu-ray title in history and will become the best selling 2008 title overall this week. The response to the digital copy offering included on the Blu-ray and Special Edition DVD has been remarkable with the number of consumers activating their digital copies approaching 300,000. "The Dark Knight" is already the number one movie for the year on the iTunes 2008 Chart.

"The Dark Knight" marks the first time that a major feature film has been shot in part using IMAX® cameras, marking a revolutionary integration of film formats. "The Dark Knight"t Blu-ray disc takes advantage of the marriage of IMAX® and 35mm formats by using the hybrid master to replicate the unique theatrical experience. The IMAX scenes are also included on the 2-disc Special Edition as bonus materials.

"The Dark Knight" comes from Academy Award® nominated filmmaker Christopher Nolan ("Batman Begins," "The Prestige," "Memento"), and features commanding performances from Christian Bale ("Batman Begins," "3:10 to Yuma," "The Prestige"), Academy Award® Winner Michael Caine ("The Cider House Rules," "Children of Men"), Academy Award® Nominee Heath Ledger ("Brokeback Mountain"), Gary Oldman ("Hannibal," "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix"), Aaron Eckhart ("Thank You For Smoking," "No Reservations"), Maggie Gyllenhaal ("Stranger Than Fiction," "World Trade Center") and Academy Award® Winner Morgan Freeman ("Million Dollar Baby," "Wanted").

* The Dark Knight figures included sales data from US, UK, Canada, Japan, Benelux and Australia






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