Wednesday, November 25

• James McTeigue Enlisted Comic Book Artist for Ninja Assassin

  In the past, comic book artists were not regarded very highly in Hollywood. When a director needed to have certain scenes "pre-visualized," it was often a storyboard artist that was tapped for the job. However, with the recent popularity of comic book movies and the sky-rocketing costs of developing feature-length action films, directors have increasingly turned to comic book or "sequential" artists to help flesh out their ideas.

  James McTeigue (V for Vendetta) is one such director. For his latest film, Ninja Assassin, McTeigue hired comic book artist Steve Skroce to help him bring the script to life, he told ComingSoon.net.

  What I usually do with Steve is that we start off with concept pieces — we call them key frames. We talk about the key frames and how they come together and then I'll say to him, "Look, I felt like this should be a cross between anime and gameplay," so then he starts sketching out the boards and I go, "Maybe look at Ninja Scroll" and then he'll go and do that and he'll draw some key frames, and then once we flesh out the aesthetic of the film, then we start getting into the action sequences. He pretty much draws a lot of them. And then after he does that, once you get the aesthetic down, you get the action choreographers —in this case, it was Chad Stahelski and David Leitch — and then we start working out the choreography exactly, like all the mechanics of how that will work. The way I do that is that we work out the basic choreography, then they get with their fight teams, and they video tape it, and then we edit it down and go, "Oh, that's good, that's not so good, let's put a bit more of that in, do a bit more of that, let's use this weapon ... the katana or the shuriken you see." So it's sort of a slowly evolving process.

  Skroce has worked on The Matrix trilogy and is the artist and co-creator of Doc Frankenstein, which is published by the Wachowski Brothers' Burlyman Entertainment.

  
  
  

  Ninja Assassin - Trailer

  Rain stars - in theaters today

  Posted 11/25/2009 by BrentJS

  Related: James McTeigue | Ninja Assassin

Tuesday, November 24

• Kevin Spacey Would Be "Delighted" to Play Lex Luthor Again

  Even though Bryan Singer's Superman Returns grossed $390 million worldwide, it is still considered a failure by many. Critics often compare it to Warner's other top superhero property, The Dark Knight, which grossed more than $1 billion and had a smaller production budget.

  Still, Superman topped the list of a recent MTV poll that asked which DC Comics character should be fast-tracked to the big screen next. In a recent interview with MTV, Kevin Spacey said that he would be "delighted" to reprise the role of Lex Luthor in a sequel to Superman Returns.

  If I ran Warner Brothers I could tell you definitively we'd be making that movie. But I don't, and they haven't called me to tell me. Literally, all I know is what I've heard from press reports. I can't even confirm whether those are true or not because I haven't spoken to Bryan.

  Recently, director James McTeigue's (Ninja Assassin) name has been popping up as the man who will possibly direct the next installment of the franchise. However, his take on "The Big Blue Boy Scout," would likely leave little room for Spacey, since he said the franchise is "ripe for a retooling."

  
  
  

  Superman Returns - Trailer

  Brandon Routh and Kate Bosworth stars - June 26, 2006

  Posted 11/24/2009 by BrentJS

  Related: Bryan Singer | James McTeigue | Kevin Spacey | Superman Returns | The Dark Knight

Monday, November 23

• Rain Discusses Training To Be a Ninja Assassin

  While out promoting Ninja Assassin, director James McTeigue lauded the "incredible discipline" of his movie's star, Ji-Hoon (Rain) Jung. McTeigue said that Rain trained to get into fighting shape "for five or six months."

  In a recent interview with Latino Review, Rain corrected McTeigue's statement, saying that his training was even more intense, lasting "eight months, five days a week, eight hours a day."

  There is no wire, no camera tricks. I had to make my body fit like Bruce Lee.

  Rain said that he does not have formal martial arts training — except for studying tae kwon do when he was 10 — but that he learned "a lot of martial arts" to star in the movie, including "tai chi, ninja techniques, karate ... a lot."

  As for learning how to play the role of a ninja, Rain said that inspiration wasn't hard to find.

  From when I was young I loved martial arts films so I love ninja, ninja techniques ... you know, in Asia, there's so many ninja films so I saw a lot of ninja films.

  
  
  Next Showing: Ninja Assassin opens November 25
  

  Ninja Assassin - Trailer

  Rain stars - releasing Nov. 25, 2009

  Posted 11/23/2009 by BrentJS

  Related: James McTeigue | Ji-Hoon (Rain) Jung | Ninja Assassin

Saturday, November 21

• James McTeigue Discusses Ninja Assassin

  Digital effects have become a mainstay of Hollywood action movies these days and director James McTeigue's (V for Vendetta) latest movie, Ninja Assassin, is no exception. However, in a recent interview with Coming Soon, McTeigue said that many of the weapons were real and that the movie's lead, Korean pop star Rain, trained "for five or six months," and that he had "incredible discipline."

  Rain in the movie uses this blade and chain weapon, but when we're training him, it's with an actual martial arts weapon called the rope dart, so he trained with that so he knew how to swing it around, because then ultimately when you get into it, you need something for him to physically use. He'll use that, and the visual FX guys will put tracking markers on it, so that way, it gives the stunt guys something to react to and then we'll replace it later. But with swords and katanas and other things, sometimes we'll use bamboo painted silver for example, they're actually real sometimes.

  Many critics have commented on how violent and bloody the movie is, but McTeigue said that he didn't have any problem with the MPAA ratings board.

  When we submitted the movie, we said, "Look, it's really stylized." In no way is this Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer or one of those movies that's so extreme it's meant to make you feel sick. This is like a game, it is like anime, it is like a comic book. I think they saw it as that, so henceforth, they gave me an R-rating and if you look at the ratings card, it goes "For stylized violence and blood." I think they got it.

  
  
  Next Showing: Ninja Assassin opens November 25
  

  Ninja Assassin - Trailer

  Follows, from boy to man, a deadly assassin

  Posted 11/21/2009 by BrentJS

  Related: James McTeigue | Ji-Hoon (Rain) Jung | Ninja Assassin | Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer

Tuesday, November 17

• James McTeigue Says Superman Franchise Is "Ripe for a Retooling"

  

  Director James McTeigue's new movie, Ninja Assassin, opens this month, but during a recent interview with MTV, Superman was one of the topics of the conversation.

  McTeigue first teased his interest in the Superman franchise back in August, when he said that he would "do a complete reboot" if he were to take the helm. McTeigue reiterated this sentiment in recent comments to MTV, but said that the studio doesn't know what they want to do with the franchise.

  It's in a weird place at the moment. They're trying to work out what they're doing. Warner Brothers is trying to figure out their next move on it. There's some things you can do with the Superman franchise, there's other things you can't do. So it hasn't gone anywhere.

  I think it's ripe for a retooling. I would love to — if it happened, I would at least start a conversation about it.

  Next up for McTeigue will be The Raven, a fictionalized account of the last days of writer Edgar Allen Poe.

  
  
  

  Ninja Assassin - Trailer

  Jung-Ji Hoon, also known as Rain, stars - Releasing Nov. 25, 2009
  

  Superman Returns - Trailer

  Posted 11/17/2009 by BrentJS

  Related: James McTeigue | Superman Returns | Ninja Assassin

Thursday, September 10

• New Ninja Assassin Clip a Traffic Violation

  While director James McTeigue won't admit he's directing the next Superman, he is working on Ninja Assassin, an upcoming bloody and violent action movie starring Korean pop star Rain. The movie follows a rogue assassin who joins an Interpol agent to bring down a clan of, well, ninja assassins. The latest clip shows off the movie's fight choreography and stunt work. Check it out below:

  
  
  

  Ninja Assassin - Trailer

  Releasing Nov. 25, 2009

  Posted 09/10/2009 by Ryan

  Related: James McTeigue | Ji-Hoon (Rain) Jung | Ninja Assassin

Wednesday, August 26

• James McTeigue Thinks Next Superman Should Go "Darker"

  Director James McTeigue won't say whether he'll direct the next Superman movie, but that hasn't stopped him from telling how he thinks the franchise should continue post-Superman Returns:

  I think that the culture has sort of changed a little bit around Superman now as well. If you're going to do something with Superman, I think people would probably like something a little darker. I know that sounds like a bit of a cliche. You just to need to take it and...retool it, I guess. Like make it something that appeals to audiences now a little more.

  Does McTeigue mean a Superman movie should be made that doesn't turn off fans? He may be onto something.

  McTeigue certainly talks like he would like to direct Superman. He's not even put off by the recent court ruling that gave the family of Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel exclusive rights to Superman's origin story.

  I think it's good that they just had a court case where, basically, if you make another Superman movie, you can't touch Superman growing up — that's part of the story that you can't touch any more. That wouldn't be a bad thing. I think everybody's a bit sick of seeing the origin story.

  Of course, some could argue that the death of Superman's parents and his exile to earth is one of the darker aspects of the straight-laced hero's life. Perhaps McTeigue could elaborate on what darker aspects he would explore. That is, if he would just admit he's directing the next Superman.

  
  

  Posted 08/26/2009 by Ryan

  Related: James McTeigue | Jerry Siegel | Superman Returns | Superman: The Man of Steel

Friday, August 7

• Is James McTeigue Directing the Next Superman?

  

  Last week, IESB reported that Warner Bros. had closed the door on Bryan Singer's involvement with Superman and were looking to reboot the franchise, possibly with James McTeigue as director and Andy and Larry Wachowski producing.

  Warner was supposedly hoping for a more action-oriented director, which McTeigue may prove to be with his upcoming Ninja Assassin. However, when SlashFilm asked McTeigue about the possibility of directing Superman, his answer was decidely vague:

  You know ... I ... I would say. .. I'll keep you guessing, actually. It's good not to dispel every rumor, right?

  McTeigue's answer was surprising considering he was the one to announce Warner's interest in having the Wachowskis take over the Superman franchise in February. At the time, McTeigue thought the Wachowskis may be too busy should their pet project Plastic Man get off the ground, though McTeigue says the movie, at this point, is dead:

  Obviously, Larry and Andy, did a script for Plastic Man back in the day. I'll be very surprised if that movie gets made. We haven't ever really talked about it. But I know it's still a Joel [Silver] property or a Warner property...

  After directing V For Vendetta, McTeigue has been no stranger to comic book adaptation speculation. At one point he was in talks to direct X-Men Origins: Magneto, though he dismissed those rumors:

  [Magneto] was just one of those rumors that started out and I don't know where it came from or how it came up. I think that David Goyer would be surprised about that actually.

  I mean, you know, it's not a bad idea.

  So no Plastic Man, Magneto's "not a bad idea," and maybe to Superman? McTeigue could potentially have a full slate is any of these rumors become substantiated. Until then, fanboys will have to wait on Ninja Assassin's November 25 release to see if McTeigue's got the goods.

  
  

  Posted 08/07/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Andy Wachowski | James McTeigue | Joel Silver | Larry Wachowski | David Goyer | Superman Returns | Superman: The Man of Steel | Ninja Assassin | X-Men Origins: Magneto | Plastic Man

Wednesday, May 13

• James McTeigue in Talks to Direct Magneto

  Fox has got to be pleased. With X-Men Origins: Wolverine's success, the studio is now working on a Deadpool movie, a Wolverine sequel, X-Men trilogy prequel (X-Men: First Class), and X-Men Origins: Magneto. While Magneto has been at times "on hold," it seems that the movie is moving ahead and looking for a director. IMDb lists James McTeigue (V for Vendetta) as "in talks" to direct the movie from a script by David Goyer (Batman Begins), who was unable to direct due to his commitment to his The Invisible Man.

  X-Men Origins: Magneto will expand on Magneto's concentration camp beginnings, shown briefly in X-Men, and his fractious relationship with Charles Xavier. Producer Lauren Shuler Donner has called the script "fantastic."

  
  

  Posted 05/13/2009 by Ryan

  Related: James McTeigue | Lauren Shuler Donner | David Goyer | V for Vendetta | The Invisible Man | X-Men Origins: Wolverine | Deadpool | X-Men: First Class | Batman Begins | X-Men | X-Men Origins: Magneto

Friday, April 18

• Colin Chou Turns Down Ninja Assassin

  During the course of our exclusive interview with Colin Chou (debuting on ReelzChannel.com later today!) we got the chance to ask Chou about his rumored involvement in James McTeigue and the Wachowski sibling's Ninja Assassin.

  "I just turned down that project," Chou told ReelzChannel.com. "Unfortunately the character they were trying to offer me is not what I'm looking for at this stage in my career. I don't know where that news [came from]..."

  "After I read [the script] I said, 'Sorry, I'm not going to take it.' I want to jump to another stage [in my career] so I don't want to play that role, but it's a great script."

  
  

  Posted 04/18/2008 by reelz

  Related: Andy Wachowski | James McTeigue | Larry Wachowski | Collin Chou