According to Wikipedia the budget for the LOTR trilogy was $285 million. Surely there could be some re-use of sets and costumes to bring costs down? I know the Hobbiton set is still intact and I can't imagine that all the props, etc, were destroyed after production. I can't remember The Hobbit that clearly but Weta would obviously have all the digital models for Rivendell and so on, and things are on a substantially smaller scale than LOTR. I would not be surprised if there have been some additions to the script though, as The Hobbit is very much a lighter tale than LOTR so there has to be something extra to pull the crowds in.

BumbleBee smashes into a real Police Cruiser on set of TRANSFORMERS 3

http://aintitcool.com/node/46989

True, it's possible that some bits and pieces could be reused, but they'd have to remodelled/renovated/redecorated. A lot of it, props and costume, I'd imagine, will probably be built from scratch. The Hobbiton set has had sheep living in it for some time, IIRC, so all those sets will need to be rebuilt/reinstated.
Ultimately, I don't know, but I wonder how many people they're bringing in from outside NZ, whether there's been any changes in local work codes that'll bump up the labour costs, the actors fees, the ongoing and lengthy pre-production process (who knows how many cheques have been written just to keep pages being written, directors coming and going, test shoots and so on), Weta probably would like a larger slice of the pie this time out as well as frankly, they're able to do so. Who else can they use without having the whole lot unravel?
There's all sorts of little things that jostle for more of the pie, and before you know it the budget's swollen.

Tron Legacy track online - Listen to Daft Punk’s Tron input



Tron Legacy is taking forever to arrive, and all the teasing currently floating around isn't helping.

To add to the anticipation, Disney have released 90 seconds of music from the flick’s soundtrack online.

Crafted by kooky French duo Daft Punk, the track’s titled ‘The Game Has Changed’, and is pretty recognisable from what we’re heard playing in Legacy’s many trailers.

Still, it’s a sonorous, atmospheric chunk of scoring, drawing on various inspirations (we heard bits of Zimmer in there, as well as a few Matrix-style twangs and James Newton Howard-inspired blasts).

Not only that, but the first official image of Daft Punk’s appearance in the film has also been released (see above). Check out the track out below…

Tron Legacy opens in cinemas on 17 December.

http://www.totalfilm.com/news/tron-legacy-track-online

James Cameron May Spend Some Time In Old Egypt Before Returning To Pandora!?

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/47050




http://www.thewrap.com/movies/column-po ... zard-21693

, wonder how they'll approach it


MIB 3 Casting Continues, Adding Betty White And A Pussycat Doll!!

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/47034


Paramount Extends TOP GUN Sequel Offers To Tony Scott And Jerry Bruckheimer?? Writer Now Involved...

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/47033

That's a pity; I was hoping he'd tackle Battle Angel Alita.

He may be figuring the studios will bankroll anything after Avatar

He needs to get off his arse and make a superhero-type film while the going's good on that front. And have the good sense to have someone else script it

Frankly, his last two films have been for girls, and Jolie films are usually underwhelming somehow... I'm just hoping it would be more Gladiator than Kingdom of Heaven.

It's just Rachel Riley and Victoria Coren being chased around in ever revealing outfits, but it'll still be better than anything Bay's done with the series

now that would be worth seeing

Wolverine:

Hugh Jackman confirms that Darren Aronofsky will direct, and promises the film won't be a "usual" X-Men movie:

This is Wolverine. This is not Popeye. He's kind of dark. But, you know, this is a change of pace. Chris McQuarrie, who wrote The Usual Suspects, has written the script, so that'll give you a good clue. [Aronofsky's] going to make it fantastic. There's going to be some meat on the bones. There will be something to think about as you leave the theater, for sure.

[New York Magazine]


Avatar:

James Cameron wants to film Avatar 2 and 3 back to back:

Our plan right now is to do two and three as a single large production and release them a year apart. In order to do that, we have to refine our technical processes beyond the end of where we were finishing 'Avatar' one a year ago. We need to future-proof ourselves out five or six years to the end of the third film.

And he hints, yet again, that Sigourney Weaver may be back as Grace. [Coming Soon]


Star Trek 12:

Time for your daily quotes about this movie's script, now in the process of being written. Co-writer Alex Kurtzman says when they broke the sequel's story, it was "an epic moment for us, of feeling like we finally came to something that meets our expectations." And Roberto Orci says of adding more famous Trek characters to the sequel:

Now we have all of characters in place for the beginning of the movie, so order number one is to make sure we're taking care of them. The first movie had the benefit of slowly introducing them – they weren't all there from the beginning. Now they're all there, and we want to make sure everyone gets what they deserve first before we see who else can fit in.

http://io9.com/5669384/clues-and-bombsh ... ace-comedy

So Mel Gibson's Appearance In THE HANGOVER Sequel Has Been Reconsidered...

Earlier this week we learned that Mel Gibson was set to make an appearance in Todd Phillips' forthcoming sequel to THE HANGOVER.

This...didn't go over so well.

When I first heard about the decision to include Gibson in the movie, I knew it was certain to ruffle some feathers - but I was surprised by the overall negativity and intensity of reaction to the news. For example, we received a number of e-mails from readers saying that Gibson's appearance had soiled their perception of all Todd Phillips movies, and they weren't sure they would ever see another one of his pictures again. Pretty strong sentiments. And...in in the entire time I've been covering the entertainment biz on The Net (over a decade)...I don't recall such loud and precise ire ever having been vented towards casting of this type.

Now it looks like Gibson won't be in the film due to negative reactions about his appearance. Todd Phillips has issued a statement saying that "I realize filmmaking is a collaborative effort, and this decision ultimately did not have the full support of my entire cast and crew."

So there you have it. This decision is certain to re-open debates about where, exactly, the threshold lies in matters such as these. I.e. why do some celebrity missteps afford second and third chances, while other stars are quickly consumed by fiery and inescapable backlashes. I don't pretend to have these answers (although I have a few hunches I'm not comfortable sharing herein), but I think these are fascinating questions to ask all the same.

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/47162

Pretty bad when you can't even get a cameo anymore

Mel Gibson has had second and third chances. If you've heard the leaked phone tapes he comes across as desperately in need of psychiatric help and probably a lengthy stay in rehab.