Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Warner Bros.' Announces Christopher Nolan's "Dunkirk"

Christopher Nolan to Direct the Epic Action Thriller “Dunkirk” for Warner Bros. Pictures

Casting is underway on the ensemble to be led by unknown actors, with Mark Rylance, Kenneth Branagh and Tom Hardy in talks to join the cast

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Warner Bros. Pictures announced today that Christopher Nolan will direct “Dunkirk” from his own original screenplay. An epic action thriller, “Dunkirk” is set during the legendary evacuation. The announcement was made by Greg Silverman, President, Creative Development and Worldwide Production.

The large scale film will be shot on a combination of IMAX 65mm and 65mm large format film photography for maximum image quality and high impact immersion. Shooting will begin in May using many of the real locations of the true-life events, which form the background for the story.

The cast will be headed by yet-to-be-cast unknowns. Mark Rylance, Kenneth Branagh and Tom Hardy are currently in talks to join the ensemble.

Nolan will also produce the film with his longtime producing partner Emma Thomas.

Silverman stated, “We are thrilled to be continuing our collaboration with Christopher Nolan, a singular filmmaker who has created some of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful films of all time. ‘Dunkirk’ is a gripping and powerful story and we are excited to see Chris, Emma and their cast realize it on the big screen.”

Warner Bros. Pictures is distributing “Dunkirk” worldwide and has slated the film for a July 21, 2017 release. The film will be released theatrically on IMAX, 70mm, 35mm and all other screens.

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Monday, December 28, 2015

J-Pop Summit Returns to San Francisco's Fort Mason Center

J-POP SUMMIT WILL RETURN TO HISTORIC FORT MASON CENTER IN SAN FRANCISCO FOR 2016

The Bay Area’s Premiere Japanese Pop Culture Event Announces Dates For Summer 2016 Festival At Expansive New Home In San Francisco’s Historic Marina District

San Francisco, CA – The J-POP SUMMIT Committee, the organization that presents the Japanese pop culture celebration held annually in San Francisco, has announced that the 2016 J-POP SUMMIT will be held at the historic Fort Mason Center, the weekend of Friday, July 22nd thru Sunday, July 24th, 2016.

The Bay Area’s popular celebration of Japanese pop culture, music, art, anime, fashion, food, technology, travel and film, marked its evolution into a ticketed event this year, and attracted more than 30,000 people to its first Festival staged at the historic Fort Mason Center in San Francisco’s Marina district earlier this summer. It was also complemented by additional events in Union Square and at the NEW PEOPLE Cinema in Japantown. Full details and images from the 2015 J-POP SUMMIT are featured at: www.J-POP.com.

“As we look ahead to presenting the 8th consecutive J-POP SUMMIT, we will continue to deliver a unique showcase of Japan’s latest pop trends,” says Seiji Horibuchi, Chairman of the J-Pop SUMMIT Festival Committee and the founder of NEW PEOPLE, Inc. “Every year we add new attractions and special events to highlight not only popular current trends but also emerging new aspects of Japanese pop culture. Fort Mason gives us many possibilities for future growth and we look forward to presenting another extraordinary line-up of artists and programming for 2016!”

Held since 2009, the J-POP SUMMIT is a one-of-a-kind, yearly event that has developed a unique festival format to present a diverse array of the latest in pop-influenced culture and artists from Japan. J-POP SUMMIT began as an annual street fair-style outdoor festival held in San Francisco’s Japantown and has drawn as many as 125,000 people in past years. Previous notable J-POP SUMMIT headliners have included Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, May’n, Tadanobu Asano, Takako Tokiwa, Tomomi Itano, Eir Aoi, Gacharic Spin, Tokyo Girls Style, and JAM Project.


About J-POP SUMMIT
The J-POP SUMMIT is an annual Japanese Pop Culture celebration held in San Francisco, CA that features live bands and artists from Japan, pop culture panel discussions, film premieres, fashion shows and events, food and spirits, art, and celebrity appearances. Details on J-POP SUMMIT are available at www.J-POP.com.

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Sunday, December 27, 2015

Image Comics Announces Milligan and Fernandez's "The Discipline"


THE DISCIPLINE IS A DARK, SEDUCTIVE MYSTERY

An all-new series about sex, death, and metamorphosis

Bestselling writer Peter Milligan (X-Force / X-Statix) and artist Leandro Fernandez (Queen & Country) team up for an all-new series, THE DISCIPLINE, launching from Image Comics this March 2016.

In THE DISCIPLINE #1 readers meet Melissa, one woman who—between fighting her sister and hating her husband—still finds time to fall in lust with a stranger who's an awful lot more than he seems. 

“This might be the edgiest story I've written,” said Milligan. “In most ‘erotic thrillers’ sex is the end-game, the objective. In The Discipline the erotic charge is simply a step towards something stranger, darker… beyond human.”

What appears to be a simple seduction is revealed as something much darker and more dangerous.

This controversial and erotically-charged tale of sex, death, and metamorphosis begins with an explosion of carnality and weirdness. THE DISCIPLINE #1 (Diamond Code JAN160523) will hit comic book stores on Wednesday, March 2nd, 2016. The final order cutoff deadline for comic book retailers is Monday, February 8th, 2016.


ABOUT IMAGE COMICS
Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has five partners: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino. It consists of five major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline, Skybound and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, fantasy, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com.

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Saturday, December 26, 2015

Dark Horse Announces First Volume of "World of Warcraft: Chronicle"



DARK HORSE COMICS SETS DATE FOR WORLD OF WARCRAFT®: CHRONICLE VOLUME 1

The First of Three Volumes Exploring the Mythology of Blizzard Entertainment’s Warcraft® Universe Arrives March 15

MILWAUKIE, OR—Dark Horse Comics and Blizzard Entertainment have set a release date for the first in a multivolume series detailing the history of the Warcraft® universe: World of Warcraft®: Chronicle Volume 1.

On March 15, 2016, World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 1 will hit shelves, taking readers on a journey through an age of myth and legend long before the Horde and the Alliance came to be. This definitive tome of Warcraft lore reveals untold stories about the birth of the cosmos, the rise of ancient empires, and the forces that shaped the world of Azeroth and its people.

“World of Warcraft: Chronicle is the first in a series of books that attempts to codify, tighten up, and clarify the history of Warcraft,” said Chris Metzen, Blizzard Entertainment senior vice president of story and franchise development. “People often ask why lore is important. The lore, the storytelling of Warcraft is something that we’ve really tried to work on and hone over the years as an integral part of the fantasy you’re playing through. When it catches you, it’s something you want to keep coming back to over and over.”

This beautiful hardcover book features over twenty full-page illustrations by World of Warcraft artist Peter Lee and is the first in a multipart series exploring the Warcraft universe, from its distant past to the current era. Volume 1 covers the creation of the Warcraft universe up to the story of the original Warcraft: Orcs & Humans.

World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 1 goes on sale March 15, 2016, in comic shops and bookstores.


About Dark Horse Comics
Founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson, Dark Horse Comics has proven to be a solid example of how integrity and innovation can help broaden a unique storytelling medium and establish a small, homegrown company as an industry giant. The company is known for the progressive and creator-friendly atmosphere it provides for writers and artists. In addition to publishing comics from top talent, such as Eric Powell, Mike Mignola, Geof Darrow, Brian Wood, Gail Simone, Stan Sakai, and Guillermo del Toro, and comics legends, such as Will Eisner, Milo Manara, Kazuo Koike, Neil Gaiman, and Frank Miller, Dark Horse has developed its own successful properties, such as The Mask, Ghost, X, and Barb Wire. Its successful line of comics, manga, and products based on popular properties includes Dragon Age, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Aliens, Conan, Tomb Raider, Halo, The Witcher, Serenity, Game of Thrones, and Avatar: The Last Airbender. Today Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent comic book publisher in the US and is recognized as one of the world’s leading entertainment publishers.

About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft® and the Warcraft®, StarCraft®, and Diablo® franchises, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating some of the industry’s most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard Entertainment’s track record includes nineteen #1 games* and multiple Game of the Year awards. The company’s online-gaming service, Battle.net®, is one of the largest in the world, with millions of active players.

*Sales and/or downloads, based on internal company records and reports from key distribution partners.

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"The Art of Fire Emblem: Awakening" Coming from Dark Horse


DARK HORSE TO RELEASE “THE ART OF FIRE EMBLEM: AWAKENING”

Stunning illustrations, concept art, weapon and costume design, and more

MILWAUKIE, OR—After its amazing success with the release of the collectors’ book The Legend of Zelda™: Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse turns its attention to another Nintendo® franchise, Fire Emblem™.

The Art of Fire Emblem: Awakening is an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at the smash-hit game for Nintendo 3DS. This book offers beautifully illustrated renditions of your favorite characters, storyboards for in-game events, character designs, weapon designs, character profiles, and the entirety of the script with every possible branch of dialogue!

Fire Emblem is a tactical role-playing video game franchise published by Nintendo. The series currently consists of six games available in the United States. Fire Emblem: Awakening is the latest Fire Emblem game to be released in the US. Fire Emblem: Fates, the follow-up to Awakening, was released in Japan in June 2015 and will come to the US in February 2016.

Relive some of the most poignant moments of the game—or see what might have been if you had made different in-game decisions with The Art of Fire Emblem: Awakening.

The Art of Fire Emblem: Awakening will be available in comic shops on August 17, 2016, and in bookstores on August 30, 2016.


About Dark Horse Comics
Founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson, Dark Horse Comics has proven to be a solid example of how integrity and innovation can help broaden a unique storytelling medium and establish a small, homegrown company as an industry giant. The company is known for the progressive and creator-friendly atmosphere it provides for writers and artists. In addition to publishing comics from top talent, such as Eric Powell, Mike Mignola, Geof Darrow, Brian Wood, Gail Simone, Stan Sakai, and Guillermo del Toro, and comics legends, such as Will Eisner, Milo Manara, Kazuo Koike, Neil Gaiman, and Frank Miller, Dark Horse has developed its own successful properties, such as The Mask, Ghost, X, and Barb Wire. Its successful line of comics, manga, and products based on popular properties includes Dragon Age, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Aliens, Conan, Tomb Raider, Halo, The Witcher, Serenity, Game of Thrones, and Avatar: The Last Airbender. Today Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent comic book publisher in the US and is recognized as one of the world’s leading entertainment publishers.

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Las Vegas Film Critics Named "Spotlight" Best Picture of 2015

The Las Vegas Film Critics Society (LVFCS) is a non-profit organization that describes itself as “progressive” and “dedicated to the advancement and preservation of film.”  The LVFCS membership is comprised of “select” print, television and internet film critics in the Las Vegas area. The LVFCS presents its "Sierra" awards each year for the best in film, including The William Holden Lifetime Achievement Award, which is named for the late Academy Award winning actor.

2015 Sierra Award winners:

Best Picture
“Spotlight”

Best Actor
Leonardo DiCaprio, “The Revenant”

Best Actress
Brie Larson, “Room”

Best Supporting Actor
Sylvester Stallone, “Creed”

Best Supporting Actress
Elizabeth Banks, “Love & Mercy”

Best Director
Tom McCarthy, “Spotlight”

Best Screenplay (Original)
Tom McCarthy & Josh Singer, “Spotlight”

Best Screenplay (Adapted)
Drew Goddard, “The Martian”

Best Cinematography
Emmanuel Lubezki, “The Revenant”

Best Film Editing
Margaret Sixel, “Mad Max: Fury Road”

Best Costume Design
Jenny Beavan, “Mad Max: Fury Road”

Best Art Direction
“Brooklyn”

Best Visual Effects
“Mad Max: Fury Road”

Best Foreign Film
“Goodnight Mommy” (Austria)

Best Documentary
“Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief”

Best Animated Film
“Inside Out”

Best Family Film
“Cinderella”

Best Horror/Sci-Fi Film
“Ex Machina”

Best Comedy Film
“Trainwreck”

Best Action Film
“Mad Max: Fury Road”

Best Ensemble
“Spotlight”

Best Score
“The Hateful Eight”

Best Song
“See You Again” (DJ Frank E, Charlie Puth, Wiz Khalifa, and Andrew Cedar – writers) – “Furious 7”

Youth in Film
Jason Tremblay, “Room”

Breakout Filmmaker of the Year
Alex Garland, “Ex Machina”

Silver Nitrate Award
Lee Lanier (Dam Short Film Festival)

William Holden Lifetime Achievement Award
Ennio Morricone

LVFCS Top 10 Films of 2015:
1. Spotlight
2. Creed
3. Ex Machina
4. Straight Outta Compton
5. Beasts of No Nation
6. The Martian
7. Mad Max: Fury Road
8. Sicario
9. Legend
10. Room

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Neil Gaiman's "Troll Bridge" Becomes a Graphic Novel by Colleen Doran

COLLEEN DORAN TO ADAPT NEIL GAIMAN’S “TROLL BRIDGE”

MILWAUKIE, OR—Dark Horse Books is pleased to offer Troll Bridge, a beautiful graphic novel adaptation of a tale from the mind of master storyteller Neil Gaiman (Sandman), illustrated by artist Colleen Doran (Sandman, Orbiter).

Based on a story originally published in Gaiman’s Smoke and Mirrors: Short Fictions and Illusions, Troll Bridge is a tragic coming-of-age fantasy masterpiece. The artwork of the inimitable Colleen Doran makes this book a gorgeous new addition to your Gaiman library.

“She showed me an unusual style that isn’t like classic comics. Her pencils are wonderful, layered full-color drawings. They’re subversive, more like children’s book illustrations from 50 years ago,” said Neil Gaiman in an exclusive interview with Publishers Weekly.

Troll Bridge tells the story of Jack, a young boy whose world was full of ghosts and ghouls, one of which—a ravenous and hideous troll—would haunt him long into manhood. As the beast sups upon a lifetime of Jack’s fear and regret, Jack must find the courage within himself to face the fiend once and for all.

Look for new hardcover editions of Gaiman’s Creatures of the Night and The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch in 2016!

Troll Bridge is in stores September 14, 2016.

Neil Gaiman's Troll Bridge (Hardcover) | 978-1-50670-008-3 | 9/14/2016 | $14.99

Coming soon:

Neil Gaiman's How to Talk to Girls at Parties (Hardcover) | 978-1-61655-955-7 | 6/15/2016 | $17.99

The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch (Hardcover, Second Edition) | 978-1-61655-949-6 | 4/20/2016 | $13.99

Creatures of the Night (Hardcover, Second Edition) | 978-1-50670-025-0 | 11/2/2016 | $12.99


About Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty books, and is the recipient of numerous literary honors. Originally from England, he now lives in America.

About Colleen Doran
Colleen Doran is a cartoonist/illustrator whose most recent work can be seen in The New York Times  bestseller "Amazing Fantastic Incredible Stan Lee". Her work has also appeared in "Sandman" by Neil Gaiman.

She was Artist in Residence at the Smithsonian Institution, and lectured at The Maryland Institute College of Art and Design, The Australian Society of Authors, and has exhibited and lectured in galleries, museums and exhibits around the world. Books featuring her work have received the Eisner Award, The International Horror Guild Award, and the Harvey Award.

About Dark Horse Comics
Founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson, Dark Horse Comics has proven to be a solid example of how integrity and innovation can help broaden a unique storytelling medium and establish a small, homegrown company as an industry giant. The company is known for the progressive and creator-friendly atmosphere it provides for writers and artists. In addition to publishing comics from top talent, such as Eric Powell, Mike Mignola, Geof Darrow, Brian Wood, Gail Simone, Stan Sakai, and Guillermo del Toro, and comics legends, such as Will Eisner, Milo Manara, Kazuo Koike, Neil Gaiman, and Frank Miller, Dark Horse has developed its own successful properties, such as The Mask, Ghost, X, and Barb Wire. Its successful line of comics, manga, and products based on popular properties includes Dragon Age, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Aliens, Conan, Tomb Raider, Halo, The Witcher, Serenity, Game of Thrones, and Avatar: The Last Airbender. Today Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent comic book publisher in the US and is recognized as one of the world’s leading entertainment publishers.

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