To make Paramount and Hasbro’s first fully CG-animated Transformers movie, Academy Award-winning director Josh Cooley (“Toy Story 4”) turned to Industrial Light & Magic, the visual effects studio behind the franchise’s live-action movies. The first challenge to making “Transformers One” was defining the overall look, which in this case involved a design philosophy that was […]

“Gladiator II” producers Douglas Wick and Lucy Fisher will be presented with the Advanced Imaging Society’s Harold Lloyd Award, Feb. 7 during the AIS Lumiere Awards luncheon at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Their credits also include Ridley Scott’s 2000 epic “Gladiator,” which won five Academy Awards including best picture. Scott’s recently-released sequel stars Paul Mescal, […]

Chris Sanders’ “The Wild Robot” from Dreamworks Animation leads the feature competition of the 52nd Annie Awards for animation with 10 nominations, followed by Disney/Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” and Aardman and Netflix’s “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl,” with seven apiece; and Locksmith Animation and Netflix’s “That Christmas,” with six noms. All four movies are […]

One of the set pieces in director Michael Gracey’s bold Robbie Williams biopic, “Better Man,” is an elaborately choreographed “Rock DJ” number lensed on Regent Street, a major curved street and bustling shopping destination in London’s West End. It was filmed over four consecutive nights with up to 500 extras who dance in the final […]

“Godzilla Minus One” director and VFX supervisor Takashi Yamazaki and two-time Emmy Award winning actor and producer Hiroyuki Sanada will be honored at the 23rd annual Visual Effects Society Awards, Feb. 11 at The Beverly Hilton. Yamazaki will receive the VES Visionary Award, and Sanada, the VES Award for Creative Excellence. Counted as one of […]

The visual effects branch of the Motion Picture Academy recently narrowed its list of VFX Oscar contenders down to 20 films, from which 10 will be shortlisted. They range from the bold Robbie Williams biopic “Better Man” to Ridley Scott’s epic “Gladiator II,” the dramatic “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” and Jon M. […]

Weeks after the controversial premiere of ‘Rust,’ IATSE has appointed a pair of industry vets as firearms experts for the entertainment labor union. The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees has named Larry Zanoff, a longtime member of IATSE Local 44, who will serve as the firearms expert representing the Basic Agreement; and Brook Yeaton, prop master, […]

Amazon MGM Studios will join the lineup of CinemaCon main stage studio presentations for the first time when the theater owners confab returns to Las Vegas’ Caesars Palace from March 31 to April 3. Additionally, event host the National Association of Theater Owners has confirmed that Sony Pictures is returning to the main stage lineup […]

American Cinema Editors revealed the nominees for its 75th ACE Eddie Awards, which will be handed out Jan. 18 at UCLA’s Royce Hall. The nominees for dramatic theatrical feature are Jake Roberts for “Civil War,” Nick Emerson for “Conclave,” Joe Walker for “Dune: Part 2,” Juliette Welfling for “Emilia Pérez” and Eliot Knapman and Margaret […]

The audacious approach to the upcoming Robbie Williams biopic “Better Man” began when the British singer-songwriter referred to himself in an interview as a sort of performing “monkey.” That quip inspired “The Greatest Showman” director Michael Gracey to take a bold approach to his original and entertaining film: telling the story from Williams’ perspective while […]

Los Angeles is getting more production infrastructure. Sylmar Studios, a new 300,000 sq. ft. production facility, is set to open next month in Sylmar, Calif. The complex will include six 16,000 sq. ft. soundstages, a lighting and grip department, make-up / hair space, dressing rooms, wardrobe, green rooms and production offices. A 600-space parking structure is […]