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How Guardians of Ga'Hoole will move animation to a new level
Zack Snyder's latest film has him working a double shift: He's getting ready to shoot Sucker Punch while his animators work on Guardians of Ga'Hoole, a fantasy adventure movie based on the children's books by Kathryn Lasky.
Animal Logic is creating the animation in its Australian studio, and Snyder told reporters that he has just begun watching footage with the initial voice recordings. Now he must hone the cut to prepare for more recording sessions.
"It's just been the way that we sort of designed the movie to be made," Snyder said on Wednesday in Burbank, Calif., where he was promoting Watchmen: Director's Cut on Blu-ray. "Basically I have an HD video conferencing system that I have in the house and I'll have up in Canada [where Sucker Punch will film]. I basically do about three hours with them in Australia every day."
Guardians of Ga'Hoole is an adventure story in a fantasy realm of owls, who will of course speak English via animation and A-list voice talent. Snyder called the early footage mind-boggling, adding that if each animation studio—Pixar, DreamWorks, Blue Sky—has a signature look, he has created yet another one. His owls are photo-real, but stylized.
"I wish I had them on my phone [to show you]," Snyder said. "I can't wait until we start to show those images, because it's really something else. They're talking owls, but they're just not. It's not a cartoon. I think that's the point. It's really not a cartoon. It looks like talking owls, but they are expressing, and they're emoting, but there's this awesome proprietary software that we created for the feathers, so all the inclusion happens, and it's all real, and it looks totally—it's just awesome."
It seems any animated film these days has to be in 3-D to book theater space, so Snyder also plans a 3-D release of Guardians. "It will be 3-D," he said. "We're making it 3-D, but it's 3-D and 2-D. Even without the 3-D it's mind-boggling. I don't know what the hell it's going to be like."
Snyder called the tone more Harry Potter than Shrek, meaning a commitment to the fantasy world, not a lot of pop-culture references. The voice cast also lends itself more to character acting than celebrity stunt casting.
"I think that's kind of the movie," Snyder said. "It's an adventure film sort of like Harry Potter, so if you think of that cast at the beginning when it first was announced. Sure, Helen Mirren's awesome, and Geoffrey Rush. Those are guys you want, Hugo [Weaving]. These are people that just make a great movie."
Guardians of Ga'Hoole is due in theaters Sept. 24, 2010.
By mikymik38 at 7:28 AM ON 06/25/09
Sounds boring and stupid, the last thing we need is another Harry Potter
By glowgoboy at 8:38 AM ON 06/25/09
@mikymik38: Dude...some of us LIKE Harry Potter. Speak for yourself. The last thing YOU need is another Harry Potter. I think this sounds fun and the technology they are using quite promising!
By mikymik38 at 9:34 AM ON 06/26/09
Come on... How entertaining can a movie about talking owls possibly be??? What are they gonna do for two hours, fly around and catch mice? Yaay... Wanna see something good, wait for the new Battle of the Planets(Gforce) I'm there.
By mikymik38 at 9:43 AM ON 06/26/09
Also I've seen every Potter movie, just because they are there, but I have found everyone childish & still don't understand all the hype, the only good actor in the whole thing is the girl that plays Hermoime, but come on...Spiderwick, Mimzy, The Seeker, Golden Compass, enough already
By ersldw at 2:28 PM ON 06/27/09
they fight barn owls that are extremly racist and use magnets to control other owls brains. in this movie, humans are extinct.
By popolino at 7:42 PM ON 06/28/09
sounds so new and so exciting...i can't wait to see the movie!
By Atsoco at 8:11 PM ON 06/28/09
OH MY GOODNESS!!! THIS is going to be the most incredible movie I've ever seen! holy crap! I cant believe this is coming out! I cant wait! ARGIIIGHHH! so good!!!!
By MuaDib at 10:35 PM ON 07/01/09
Watership Down
By ms at 9:06 PM ON 07/02/09
I thought Hugh Jackman was to star in that one. Imdb thought the same... Dah! If Hugh is not part of the cast, no chance I'm watching this!
By Clintos at 8:04 PM ON 07/06/09
Milkymik have you even read the books, In the third book(which will be part of the movie) there is a battle with blood, I just hope they have blood in the movie, but even without it, fans like me will surely love this movie
By Razeekster at 6:48 PM ON 07/24/09
You guys are crazy! You need to read the books before insulting the movie! The books are great, and they don't have the owls chasing mice the whole book! If they did the auther would never have been able to get published! Really read the books before downing the movie wich hasn't even come out yet!
By mgc at 7:19 PM ON 08/25/09
If the movie is half as good as the books, it'll be the best movie EVER!!!
By hdc at 7:24 PM ON 08/25/09
Guardians of Ga'Hoole is my favorite series of all time. I can't wait until the movie comes out! I'll be the first one there.
By mrmooshie at 8:30 PM ON 08/25/09
This movie is goin to be so frinking awesome!!!!!
By v-bop(rockin'downthestreetsoff..FUNK!) at 8:21 PM ON 08/27/09
I think that this will be a very nice movie.
I am awaiting it greatly. More, to the point, that it is in three dimensions. (3d)
Only I must wait until the reviews come out, as a am cautious with my... spendors. (money)
By v-bop(rockin'downthestreetsoff..FUNK!) at 8:25 PM ON 08/27/09
sorry... my fingers strayed and mislead me.
(made a few typos)
By PantherX at 1:10 PM ON 09/01/09
I'm sooooooooo happy! When I first heard on Kathryn Lasky's website that a GoG movie was in the works, I was worried about it becoming a crappy "straight-on-to-video" childrens cartoon with children's cartoon animation. But I must say that after reading this article my fears have been (mostly) settled. All we have to worry about now is possible plot butchering. I'm just glad that it's WB and not Walden Media that has the project (that prospect scared the shit out of me at first). WB has been pretty good (not perfect though obviously) so far with progects like Harry Potter and The Twilight Saga. Walden, however, holds the monopoly on completly bastardized book-to-movies.
By nankarten at 11:24 PM ON 09/01/09
I am excited!! Can't wait.
By coconut994777 at 9:49 PM ON 09/19/09
OMG!! I've been looking forward for this movie for so long! I read these books a kid and its wonderful to finally see it being brought to life by such a talent as Zach Snyder!
By dd at 5:18 PM ON 09/30/09
dis is going to be awsome since i read every book and i wish they could make a movie about the edge series sorry about the spelling
By Myrania at 9:28 AM ON 10/25/09
To what mikymik38 said, they obviously didn't read the book. If you read the series, you would take that back because if it's a fantasy book with owls it wouldn't be owls chasing mice every chapter. Then that would be more of a book about the everyday life of owls in their natural habitat. But this is a fantasy book that I first read in grade 4 and on. I honestly can't believe I read it for so long.
And I hope, if the movie's any good, they'll make a few more movies with the other books. But that will take an even longer time so *shrug*
By Eddie at 2:13 PM ON 11/18/09
Looks like Guardians of Ga'Hoole may come out sooner than expected. Check it out: http://www.clattoverata.com/2009/11/15/zack-snyders-guardians-of-gahoole-hold-test-screenings-in-los-angeles-tonight/
By Awsome at 9:55 PM ON 01/16/10
I am on book 8 in the series. IT IS AWESOME I CANT WAIT FOR THIS MOVIE.
By lilyann at 6:02 PM ON 02/06/10
i love the Ga'Hoole series, and im ten! i cant wait for the movie it is 14 days after my b-day!
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lilyann:
i love the Ga'Hoole series, and im ten! i cant wait for the movie it is 14 days after my b-day!...More »