Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Don't Believe Anything You Hear Until MGM Is Sold

Speculation on the internet emerges from time to time on exactly when THE HOBBIT will start shooting. The last report was from Ian McKellan, who mentioned on his website that they would start shooting around June or July.

Don't believe it, kids - everything hinges on the sale of MGM, which owns part of the rights to THE HOBBIT. No assumptions can be made until then.

In case you didn't know, MGM is in debt. Big time. Like $3.7 billion. Yikes.

Anyway, THE HOBBIT can't get the official greenlight until MGM auctions off its properties. How close are they? Well, according to Variety, Lionsgate just dropped out of the bidding war, leaving only Warner Bros. and Access Industries. It's like watching an NCAA bracket...only slower. That said, think of it as being in the final round.

So what is a Del Toro fan to do? I suggest you sit back, relax, and start thinking about another DTF project coming your way - namely, THE FALL - the second book in THE STRAIN trilogy.

So, DTF fans, your assignment is this: Visit the THE STRAIN official website. If you haven't read the first book, buy it now. Join the THE STRAIN Facebook group.

THE FALL will be released September 21, 2010. Go ahead and Preorder it!

...And get ready to satisfy your GDT fix in 6 months.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Here and There

It has been a loooooong time since I posted on my blog. Some small news here and there, but nothing really significant. Thought I might entertain faithful readers on some "stream of consciousness" musings about the world of GDT...

There are some early rumblings among faithful DTF'ers about meeting up in Chicago around August 19-22 for the Wizard Con. This could be considered "Hellebration 2" after the magical "Hellebration 1" in Los Angeles for the HELLBOY 2 premiere. Not sure what will be planned yet, but you hardcore DTF'ers should circle those dates!

Got a few emails from Guillermo the last couple of months - he's always gracious enough to respond when I have some questions. First - some seasoned veterans of the DTF (and old HELLBOY boards) may remember that Guillermo encouraged fans to email him and get in a sort-of "lottery" for working on movie projects with him. Well, that tradition is still alive and well. If you still remember his email, drop him a line, although he says that the "rules" for winning are still "unclear", which tells me it might not actually be a "lottery" - he may be looking for *some* combination of talent/experience/initiative...

He also mentioned that MIRAMAX closing won't affect the release of DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK....yet.

Our "DTF Public Relations Manager", spydaweb, has talked with Javier Soto about the MIMIC Director's Cut DVD. The final cut *may* be complete (or very, very close), and Javier is working on the special features. Great to hear that progress is getting made on that front!

Other than that, not much to report. I need to get my head out of my ass and watch some movies. I'm in DVR hell right now, trying to catch up on all my shows that I got behind on from having a baby...LAST YEAR! The guilty pleasure of the month is NIP/TUCK. I love that show, probably because I enjoy a good dramatic train wreck.