"Luke Skywalker has vanished," declared the opening text scroll of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," and finding him became the movie's narrative thrust. The film ends with Rey (Daisy Ridley) finally finding Luke on a remote planet, Ahch-To, where he's living on a small rock island surrounded by a vast sea.
Director J.J. Abrams and his crew stressed "authenticity" with their location choices. "We wanted to make sure that wherever we went in this movie, you always felt you were really there," recounted Production Designer Rick Carter in an Ireland tourism video. For Luke's hiding place, they chose a truly remote site with history carved into its jagged exterior; Sceilg Mhichíl (Skellig Michael), a small island off the coast of County Kerry, Ireland, shaped like a mountain protruding out of the sea. Reportedly, Carter "stumbled across" a photo of the island and then Abrams fell in love at first sight.
Director J.J. Abrams and his crew stressed "authenticity" with their location choices. "We wanted to make sure that wherever we went in this movie, you always felt you were really there," recounted Production Designer Rick Carter in an Ireland tourism video. For Luke's hiding place, they chose a truly remote site with history carved into its jagged exterior; Sceilg Mhichíl (Skellig Michael), a small island off the coast of County Kerry, Ireland, shaped like a mountain protruding out of the sea. Reportedly, Carter "stumbled across" a photo of the island and then Abrams fell in love at first sight.
- 11/25/2023
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
Long-standing and admired directors of the British Independent Film Awards, Johanna von Fischer and Tessa Collinson, will jointly step down from their posts at the end of this year. The org announced the surprising news today; their departures will follow the 17th awards ceremony to be held on December 7. The BIFAs were founded by Raindance in 1998 and run under the Raindance umbrella until 2006, when Collinson and von Fishcer became joint directors. They have produced the show since 2001. The awards now will return to Raindance, and the new structure is to be defined later in the year. The BIFAs are akin to the Indie Spirit Awards and have become an important feature on the awards season trail in the UK. “It has been a tough decision to move on from Bifa, but we are ready to take on new challenges and excited about embarking on a fresh chapter in our careers,...
- 9/24/2014
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline
Endemol Worldwide Distribution has struck a development and distribution deal with Feel Films, currently working on feature The Song of Names.
The super-indie’s international arm will provide development funding and deficit financing for Feel Films to produce scripted projects in the UK, Us and global markets in return for first-look distribution rights.
Feel Films is currently co-producing BBC1 drama Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell in association with Cuba Pictures, Cite Amerique and Far Moor Media.
The indie was set up Nick Hirschkorn in 2004 and produced Sky 1’s Tim Roth drama Skellig in 2009. It also produces commercials and is working on feature film The Song of Names.
Endemol Worldwide Distribution chief executive Cathy Payne said it was cementing the relationship with Feel Films as it gears up to launch 6 x 60-minute Napoleonic War drama Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell at Mipcom.
The deal is Endemol Worldwide Distribution’s latest first-look deal following its agreement with Mam Tor, the...
The super-indie’s international arm will provide development funding and deficit financing for Feel Films to produce scripted projects in the UK, Us and global markets in return for first-look distribution rights.
Feel Films is currently co-producing BBC1 drama Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell in association with Cuba Pictures, Cite Amerique and Far Moor Media.
The indie was set up Nick Hirschkorn in 2004 and produced Sky 1’s Tim Roth drama Skellig in 2009. It also produces commercials and is working on feature film The Song of Names.
Endemol Worldwide Distribution chief executive Cathy Payne said it was cementing the relationship with Feel Films as it gears up to launch 6 x 60-minute Napoleonic War drama Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell at Mipcom.
The deal is Endemol Worldwide Distribution’s latest first-look deal following its agreement with Mam Tor, the...
- 9/23/2014
- ScreenDaily
Those looking forward to the return of Laika Studios next year are in for a real treat, because not only has a new trailer debuted for The Boxtrolls, it’s introduced by none other than the filmmakers themselves.
The trailer, released by Focus via Apple, starts off by showing some behind-the-scenes footage of the painstaking work that goes into creating something at Laika, the team behind Coraline and ParaNorman.
The new 3D animated feature from Laika Studios tells the tale of the Boxtrolls, monsters who live underneath the charming streets of Cheesebridge, who crawl out of the sewers at night to steal what the townspeople hold most dear: their children and their cheeses. At least, that’s the legend the townspeople have always believed. In truth, the Boxtrolls are a community of lovable oddballs who are raising as one of their own an abandoned and orphaned human boy named Eggs.
The trailer, released by Focus via Apple, starts off by showing some behind-the-scenes footage of the painstaking work that goes into creating something at Laika, the team behind Coraline and ParaNorman.
The new 3D animated feature from Laika Studios tells the tale of the Boxtrolls, monsters who live underneath the charming streets of Cheesebridge, who crawl out of the sewers at night to steal what the townspeople hold most dear: their children and their cheeses. At least, that’s the legend the townspeople have always believed. In truth, the Boxtrolls are a community of lovable oddballs who are raising as one of their own an abandoned and orphaned human boy named Eggs.
- 11/27/2013
- by Kenji Lloyd
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
September 2014 may well still be a long way off, but that doesn’t meant that we can’t start getting excited about Laika’s next project, The Boxtrolls.
The animation house behind Coraline and ParaNorman are once more reuniting with Focus Features, bringing us the 3D stop-motion / CG hybrid animated feature next fall/autumn. And I’ve been looking forward to it ever since it was first announced back in February.
The voice cast, as ever, is nothing short of brilliant. And whilst its release date is still a long time off, the studios have decided to give us a terrific early little taster, now launching the first teaser trailer.
The Boxtrolls is a comedic fable that unfolds in Cheesebridge, a posh Victorian-era town obsessed with wealth, class, and the stinkiest of fine cheeses. Beneath its charming cobblestone streets dwell the Boxtrolls, foul monsters who crawl out of the sewers...
The animation house behind Coraline and ParaNorman are once more reuniting with Focus Features, bringing us the 3D stop-motion / CG hybrid animated feature next fall/autumn. And I’ve been looking forward to it ever since it was first announced back in February.
The voice cast, as ever, is nothing short of brilliant. And whilst its release date is still a long time off, the studios have decided to give us a terrific early little taster, now launching the first teaser trailer.
The Boxtrolls is a comedic fable that unfolds in Cheesebridge, a posh Victorian-era town obsessed with wealth, class, and the stinkiest of fine cheeses. Beneath its charming cobblestone streets dwell the Boxtrolls, foul monsters who crawl out of the sewers...
- 7/2/2013
- by Kenji Lloyd
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Katie Mitchell made her name directing difficult, bleak drama for adults. But since the birth of her daughter, Edie, when she was 41, she has discovered a knack for madcap, fast-paced kids' shows
Katie Mitchell, theatre's harbinger of doom, "the princess of darkness", is known for being one of the most serious and uncompromising of British theatre directors. Her productions – Bruckner's Pains of Youth, say, or Euripides' Women of Troy – involve intense rehearsal periods and scour the depths of human emotion and behaviour. She enjoys using the word "rigorous" and mentioning Stanislavski and "complex psychological ideas". She is inspired by eastern European theatre, in particular the work of Pina Bausch; her favourite film is Tarkovsky's plotless The Mirror (1975); she cites Rothko as her favourite artist. So she is not necessarily the first person you would imagine directing a children's show, Beauty and the Beast (age group eight to 12), complete with insect orchestras and goldfish-swallowing,...
Katie Mitchell, theatre's harbinger of doom, "the princess of darkness", is known for being one of the most serious and uncompromising of British theatre directors. Her productions – Bruckner's Pains of Youth, say, or Euripides' Women of Troy – involve intense rehearsal periods and scour the depths of human emotion and behaviour. She enjoys using the word "rigorous" and mentioning Stanislavski and "complex psychological ideas". She is inspired by eastern European theatre, in particular the work of Pina Bausch; her favourite film is Tarkovsky's plotless The Mirror (1975); she cites Rothko as her favourite artist. So she is not necessarily the first person you would imagine directing a children's show, Beauty and the Beast (age group eight to 12), complete with insect orchestras and goldfish-swallowing,...
- 11/27/2010
- by Sabine Durrant
- The Guardian - Film News
Misdirection on the cover aside, Skellig is the tale of a boy with troubles who discovers the secret of an odd homeless man who is living in a dilapidated shed. The troubles of life melt away has the lad discovers himself through his new friend. If only it all was solved so handily. Michael (Bill Milner) and his parents Louise (Kelly MacDonald) and Steve (John Simm) have moved into a new house. The reason for their moving is that Louise is very pregnant and they need the room. The rooms they move into are rundown but they.re working hard to make the place inhabitable. That hard work causes Louise to go into labor and the daughter born to...
- 8/19/2010
- by Jeff Swindoll
- Monsters and Critics
A look at what's new on DVD today:
"The Assassin Next Door" (2009)
Directed by Danny Lerner
Released by First Look Studios
Retitled since its premiere at last year's Toronto Film Festival as "Kirot," Bond girl Olga Kurylenko is the one handling the gun in this thriller about two women -- an assassin and a grocery clerk -- desperate to leave their lot in life who hatch a plan to improve their situation and decidedly won't do the same for the men who stand in their way.
"Black Orpheus" (1959)
Directed by Marcel Camus
Released by Criterion Collection
Marcel Camus' Palme d'Or-winning Brazilian-set retelling of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurdice is reissued by Criterion Collection on Blu-ray and DVD with a completely new set of extras including the French documentary "Looking for 'Black Orpheus'" about the film's legacy and archival interviews with Camus and actress Marpessa Dawn.
"Burning Bright...
"The Assassin Next Door" (2009)
Directed by Danny Lerner
Released by First Look Studios
Retitled since its premiere at last year's Toronto Film Festival as "Kirot," Bond girl Olga Kurylenko is the one handling the gun in this thriller about two women -- an assassin and a grocery clerk -- desperate to leave their lot in life who hatch a plan to improve their situation and decidedly won't do the same for the men who stand in their way.
"Black Orpheus" (1959)
Directed by Marcel Camus
Released by Criterion Collection
Marcel Camus' Palme d'Or-winning Brazilian-set retelling of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurdice is reissued by Criterion Collection on Blu-ray and DVD with a completely new set of extras including the French documentary "Looking for 'Black Orpheus'" about the film's legacy and archival interviews with Camus and actress Marpessa Dawn.
"Burning Bright...
- 8/17/2010
- by Stephen Saito
- ifc.com
No surprise there. It goes without saying that James Cameron's sci-fi spectacle Avatar has the potential to clean house at the 8th Annual Ves Awards for its breath taking visuals by the acclaimed Weta Digital. Cameron will also be picking up a well-deserved Lifetime Achievement Award. In the outstanding animated feature category, the nominees include Up, 9, Coraline, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs.
The official press release is as followed:
3-D Films Dominate With Most Noms as Avatar grabs 11, Coraline 4, and Visual Effects Company Weta Digital Snags Most Company Noms with 9
Los Angeles, January 19, 2010 - The Visual Effects Society (Ves) today announced the nominees for the 8th Annual Ves Awards ceremony recognizing outstanding visual effects artistry in over twenty categories of film, animation, television, commercials and video games. Nominees were chosen Saturday, January 16, 2010, by numerous blue ribbon panels of Ves members who...
The official press release is as followed:
3-D Films Dominate With Most Noms as Avatar grabs 11, Coraline 4, and Visual Effects Company Weta Digital Snags Most Company Noms with 9
Los Angeles, January 19, 2010 - The Visual Effects Society (Ves) today announced the nominees for the 8th Annual Ves Awards ceremony recognizing outstanding visual effects artistry in over twenty categories of film, animation, television, commercials and video games. Nominees were chosen Saturday, January 16, 2010, by numerous blue ribbon panels of Ves members who...
- 1/22/2010
- Screen Anarchy
James Cameron's "Avatar" led the list of nominations announced Monday by the Visual Effects Society, scooping up 11.
The animated "Coraline," another movie released in 3D, followed with four nominations.
New Zealand-based Weta Digital, which worked on "Avatar," led the company noms with nine.
For visual effects in an effects-driven motion picture feature, the nominees are "2012," "Avatar," "District 9," "Star Trek" and "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen."
Noms for supporting visual effects in a movie went to "Angels & Demons," "The Box," "Invictus," "The Road" and "Sherlock Holmes."
"9," "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs," "Coraline," "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" and "Up" were nominated for outstanding animation in an animated feature.
Ves noms in 20 categories, covering film, animation, TV, commercials and video games were chosen Saturday by blue-ribbon panels of Ves members, meeting in Burbank, San Francisco and London.
The eighth annual Ves Awards will be handed out on Feb.
The animated "Coraline," another movie released in 3D, followed with four nominations.
New Zealand-based Weta Digital, which worked on "Avatar," led the company noms with nine.
For visual effects in an effects-driven motion picture feature, the nominees are "2012," "Avatar," "District 9," "Star Trek" and "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen."
Noms for supporting visual effects in a movie went to "Angels & Demons," "The Box," "Invictus," "The Road" and "Sherlock Holmes."
"9," "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs," "Coraline," "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" and "Up" were nominated for outstanding animation in an animated feature.
Ves noms in 20 categories, covering film, animation, TV, commercials and video games were chosen Saturday by blue-ribbon panels of Ves members, meeting in Burbank, San Francisco and London.
The eighth annual Ves Awards will be handed out on Feb.
- 1/18/2010
- by By Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Original Sky1 drama Skellig was a ratings hit for the channel on Sunday night, with almost 1 million tuning in. The adaptation of David Almond's 1998 novel - starring John Simm and Tim Roth - averaged 936k (4.7%) over two hours from 7pm. It was beaten by the final new episode of Red Dwarf on Dave, seen by 1.02m (4.6%) at 9pm. Reruns of Saturday night's terrestrial programming were particularly popular in multichannel homes on Sunday, led by ITV2's screening of Primeval, which was seen by 767k (3.7%) at 8pm. Doctor Who: Planet Of The Dead picked up 756k (4.1%) for BBC Three at 7pm, while Britain's Got Talent brought in 686k (3.9%) to ITV2 at 6.30pm. Elsewhere, ITV2's Supernatural took 675k (3.1%) at 9pm, overtaking Sky1's Lost, which had 664k (3.1%) over the same period. The most popular programme (more)...
- 4/14/2009
- by By Neil Wilkes
- Digital Spy
London -- Tim Roth, Kelly MacDonald and John Simm will star in Sky1’s new feature-length drama “Skellig,” based on the award-winning children’s book, which will air on Sky1 and Sky HD in Spring 2009 with theatrical distribution thereafter.
The movie will be produced by Feel Films and Taking A Line For A Walk Productions and was commissioned by Sarah Conroy, head of drama for Sky1.
It is the first project to come out of Sky’s additional 10 million pounds ($17.8 million) earmarked for HD drama investment and will be filmed on location in Cardiff, Wales, with Caerphilly Castle, Wenalt Woods in the Caerphilly mountains and Canada Lakes in Llantrisant providing some of the epic landscapes and vistas for a modern British fairytale.
The film tells the story of a young boy who befriends a creature that is half-owl, half angel (played by Roth) after he moves to a new home,...
The movie will be produced by Feel Films and Taking A Line For A Walk Productions and was commissioned by Sarah Conroy, head of drama for Sky1.
It is the first project to come out of Sky’s additional 10 million pounds ($17.8 million) earmarked for HD drama investment and will be filmed on location in Cardiff, Wales, with Caerphilly Castle, Wenalt Woods in the Caerphilly mountains and Canada Lakes in Llantrisant providing some of the epic landscapes and vistas for a modern British fairytale.
The film tells the story of a young boy who befriends a creature that is half-owl, half angel (played by Roth) after he moves to a new home,...
- 9/3/2008
- by By Mimi Turner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Good lord, Tim Roth is doing a lot of morphing lately. He de-aged himself in Youth Without Youth, became a weird ol' monster in The Incredible Hulk, and now he's getting his wings.
Variety reports that Roth is taking the title role in Skellig -- a UK production that will hit television screens next spring before getting a theatrical release. Based on the novel by David Almond, Skellig focuses on a boy in northern England who makes a surprising discovery. His parents have just bought a rundown house, and while investigating the shed out back, he finds a man/creature lying in the darkness who he decides to help. "Feeding him Chinese food and beer, the boy nurses the creature, who possesses magical powers, back to health."
It definitely sounds like an interesting story (read more about it here), and it's hard not to get intrigued at the thought of Roth as an angel,...
Variety reports that Roth is taking the title role in Skellig -- a UK production that will hit television screens next spring before getting a theatrical release. Based on the novel by David Almond, Skellig focuses on a boy in northern England who makes a surprising discovery. His parents have just bought a rundown house, and while investigating the shed out back, he finds a man/creature lying in the darkness who he decides to help. "Feeding him Chinese food and beer, the boy nurses the creature, who possesses magical powers, back to health."
It definitely sounds like an interesting story (read more about it here), and it's hard not to get intrigued at the thought of Roth as an angel,...
- 9/2/2008
- by Monika Bartyzel
- Cinematical
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.