George Lucas to Turn Star Wars Saga into 3D

ComingSoon.net caught up with DreamWorks Animations CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg on Tuesday and learned that George Lucas is looking to repurpose the six “Star Wars” episodes into 3D format.

Katzenberg told us that Lucas is very excited about it and that he’s got the technical resources to pull it off. “He isn’t going to put a product out, I think, that isn’t anything other than first rate,” Katzenberg said.

Stay tuned for possibly more on this soon.

 

The New Official Stephen King Web Site Is Now Live

The new official Stephen King web site is now live. The new site features some exciting interactive pieces with a more fluid and user-friendly interface than the old version.  Check it out here.

 

Rear-View Mirror GPS To Come to US, Named SmartMirror

Previously named the DS400GB, the SmartMirror is a GPS system that is mounted in place of your conventional rear-view mirror, and has a rear-facing cam input. With Navigon Mobile Navigator 6.5 inside, it’s got “reality view”, a 4-inch touchscreen, integrated speakers and Bluetooth and takes SD cards. It’s actually got two inputs for rear-view cameras, which may be good news for the parking-skill-challenged. SmartMirror will be available August 1st for $799.

The Cover to Issue # 2 of Stephen King’s “The Stand” Comic

Here is the cover to issue # 2 of the upcoming comic adaptation of Stephen King’s classic novel THE STAND, illustrated by Mike Perkins and written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa.

 

Iron Man DVD Confirmed for September 30th

Video Business has confirmed that Paramount Home Entertainment has set a September 30 release for Iron man on DVD and Blu-ray Disc.

Amazon.com is currently accepting pre-orders for Iron man and lists the title as being offered in three different versions – a Two-Disc Special Collector’s Edition, a Special Collector’s Edition Blu-ray Disc and a Single-Disc Edition.

Marvel Studios will pass out a flash drive containing a sneak peek of the DVD at its Comic-Con booth this week.

 

Comics-Based Movies Keep on Comin’

Superheroes saved Hollywood this summer, boosting box office to record heights and funneling $1 billion and counting into studio coffers. Now, emboldened by the success of The Dark Knight, Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Wanted and Hellboy II, filmmakers are stampeding toward comic books and graphic novels to find bigger-than-life stories for the silver screen.

 

Longtime heavyweights DC Comics (Batman, Superman) and Marvel (Spider-Man, X-Men, Fantastic Four) are trotting out lesser-known characters from their catalogs. 

 

Joining the fray are relative upstarts including Dark Horse, Platinum Studios, Top Cow Productions, Oni Press and Devil’s Due Publishing, which are busy populating the superhero pipeline with a new generation of flawed crime-fighters. As pulp fiction fans pack their bags for next week’s Comic-Con International in San Diego, here’s a look ahead at some of the comic book movies heading for the big screen. (From Wired.com)

 

Heroes Webisode Chapter 2: The House Guest

Artist Jim Lee Gets In On DC Game

Comic-book artist Jim Lee, 43, has drawn iconic superheroes including Batman, Superman, the X-Men, Iron Man and the Fantastic Four. And he is an online gamer. So Lee was a natural to oversee DC Universe Online. “He speaks both languages,” says Sony Online’s John Blakely. Lee gave an exclusive preview of the game to USA TODAY.

 

Q: How will the DC Universe Online game fit into the DC Comics universe?

A: The game is based on the prime DC universe but not necessarily at the exact same point in time. That said, we are striving to have DC Universe-defining story lines unveil both in print and online as simultaneously as possible. … (From the beginning) we actually have a story line. I can’t really divulge the details, but it’s organic and it fits into the DC universe mythos. You understand why all these characters appear, there is a reason for it, and these characters are going to serve some bigger function in this bigger story down that line. And we’re going to have something that ties into the print comics and some things in the print comics that tie into the video game.

 

Q: What other massively multiplayer online (MMO) games have you played?

A: I played a little bit of City of Heroes- they have a really great character generation system. I was pretty impressed with that. I played World of Warcraft with my kids. That’s a lot of fun. And EverQuest and EQ II. I just loaded up Age of Conan but I haven’t started that. I haven’t had the time. … I prefer MMOs, honestly. I like the persistent world. I like being able to progress my character from the guy that kills rats to the “something” that kills giant rats.

What I really like about this game is they are doing a lot of secondary characters that you would never ever see in a first-person game. Longtime DC fans are going to get off on the fact they can see Zatanna and someone like Hawkman. Our hope is that a lot of gamers will come to this, learn more about the DC universe, and pick up the comics.

 

Q: How will DC Universe Online differ from other MMOs?

A: To me, a lot of MMOs are fairly, I wouldn’t say static, but it’s the kind of thing where you start, push “attack,” and get a cup of coffee, come back and say, “I won.” (In DC Universe), you are constantly moving and actually doing a lot more dogfight-type battles, running along on the ground and flying and going around buildings and blasting people. It’s chaotic, but it’s organized and it’s very, very dynamic. To me, that is kind of how superheroes fight. It’s not like they stand there and trade blows. The cities are their playgrounds, and they demolish them.

 

Q: What can you say about the artistic style of the game?

A: I actually spend a lot of time on the faces. As a gamer, I like to go up and look at people’s faces and see how good of a job they did. For me, it does feel more alive because the video games have sound and movement. … To me, I’m not trying to get Superman to look like he is the guy who lives next door. To me, he should still look iconic and bold, and that’s what we do best.

 

Q: How involved is DC in the game’s development?

A: I’m real tight with Dan DiDio, who is the editor in chief of DC Comics. So a lot of times, we’ll get on the phone and (he’ll) say, “Hey, can you do a new take on Aquaman for us?” And we’ll design Aquaman in the game, and they might introduce it (in print) either before or after the game. But we are going back and forth, trading assets, because they like a lot of stuff that’s developed for the game, and we want to make sure what’s developed for the game is organic and tied into the DC universe. So there is more interplay than you would typically see in a franchise game. (Reprinted from USA Today)

 

  

Buy A Full-Size T. Rex Replica

A mere $100,000 gets you a STAN museum-grade T-Rex replica, a whopping 40′ long and 12′ high. They’ll pose him for you, too.

 

Each STAN T-Rex skeleton is constructed according to your creative needs, allowing you to fashion a more dynamic exhibit. Whether you want your skeleton walking, stalking, attacking, running, jumping or looking your visitors right in the eye, we welcome your input, so long as the pose requested is natural and anatomically possible. Constructed modularly with no section more than 6 feet long, this incredible specimen can be assembled by an experienced crew of six in just under an hour!

 

If interested, you can order your dinosaur replica here.

 

Batman: The Story of the Dark Knight by Ralph Cosentino

Yesterday, a book caught my eye at Powell’s Books entitled “Batman: The Story of the Dark Knight” by Ralph Cosentino. I loved the retro interior art and the simply told origin story that would be perfect for a 5 year old comic fan (or a 43 year old).  I contacted the author/illustrator via e-mail and asked him what inspired him to create the book. Ralph was kind enough to respond and here is what he said.

“I’ve been a Batman and comic book fan since the age of 4 when I moved here from Argentina. Not having friends or being able to speak English I gravitated towards comics immediately, I guess because I felt I was in a strange new place and all these fantastic monsters and heroes filling the pages were in strange worlds as well. Not only did the comics teach me the English language but introduced me to something very important that would set the course for my entire life, my imagination. Becoming a father reminded me and reinforced how important it is for young children to read and be read to. It enhances their social skills, instills confidence in them and of course allows them to use their imagination so I wanted to contribute to that experience. I began writing, illustrating and even self publishing my own children’s books. After also having several children’s books published by Penguin, I realized there didn’t seem to be any accessible versions of Batman’s story for young readers so I began doodling a very graphic, less brooding Batman in a sort of Anime/Retro style, and thru a dear friend was able to show DC. Ultimately the book came to fruition and a dream came true. Penguin and DC have also signed me on to write and illustrate Superman and Wonder Woman versions next.”  I’ll keep you posted when those books come to fruition, meanwhile you can order the beautiful Batman children’s book here. 

 

Ralph is also looking into getting the rights to sell silkscreen prints based on the book art so I will keep you posted regarding future availability.