WETA doing Silver Surfer as a CGI character!

[Advanced Dark]

Weta Digital to Create Silver Surfer FX
Source: The Hollywood Reporter September 24, 2006

20th Century Fox has picked Academy Award-winning visual effects house Weta Digital to oversee the upcoming film Fantastic Four: Rise of The Silver Surfer. The studio tapped Weta to create a state-of-the-art version of the Marvel Comics character Silver Surfer.

Noted character actor Doug Jones (Pan's Labyrinth, Hellboy) will provide performance and movement references for Weta, in a process similar to the way Andy Serkis portrayed Gollum in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. The voice casting of Silver Surfer has yet to be determined.

The Hollywood Reporter says Weta has developed an advanced computer-generated animation process that employs motion-capture techniques updated to add further dimensionality to the liquid-metal hero.

Now we can brush all the Bull**** aside...

 

[zer00]

You're posting this like...it's surprising. Or news really

I'm sure Jones wil still end up voicing the character. He said himself he won't do roles where he won't anymore.

 

[Advanced Dark]

Once again Zeroo you really don't need to go out of your were to prove what you are. We already know it.

 

[Hellmistress]

Oh, fer cryin' out loud ... and you believe this??? It's the Hollywood Reporter, for Pete's sake! The amount of times they get things wrong is frightening - they're as bad as AICN. It's probably Fox at it again.

HM

 

[Inky-Bot5000]

If it is true I wonder if WETA would just be handling the surfer, or would they work on the rets of the film as well.

 

[Advanced Dark]

^ Surfer's gonna take up alot of their time I'd imagine but it's quite nomral for multiple F/X houses to work on one film. Look at X3...how many did they have like a dozen or so. LOL

 

[Retroman]

Although this has been common knowledge for some time (per Tim Story) i think its good they sent this official announcement to the trades like Hollywood Reporter.The story AICN posted recently has caused some confusion and this is probably the best way to counter the BS.

 

[Advanced Dark]

^ Exactly Retro. The AICN news was ridiculous. I've been asking Tim online to refute it...why he waited I dunno. I just posted this news on his site because everyone on that site was concerned to. He's online right now so I'm hoping he'll respond to my latest message and I'll fill you in here to confirm it. I'm sure we'll hear soon but just in case:

Contact Us
Main Office (general enquiries)
Weta Digital Ltd.
P.O. Box 15208
9-11 Manuka Street
Miramar, Wellington
New Zealand
6003
ph +644 380 9080
fax +644 380 9010
email: [email protected]
website: www.wetadigital.com

Sales & Marketing
Weta Digital Ltd.
Attn: Sales Dept.
P.O. Box 15208
Miramar, Wellington
New Zealand
6003
ph +644 388 9419 (Eileen Moran)
email: [email protected]

Publicity
Weta Digital Ltd.
Attn: Publicity Dept.
P.O. Box 15208
Miramar, Wellington
New Zealand
6003
ph +644 380 7314 (Danielle Birch)
email: [email protected]

 

[zer00]

You know what would suck? If Jones isn't allowed to do the voice. Story wantes Jones. Fox finally let him have him under the condition that they pick the voice.

Yes this is all very X-files. But I don't care

 

[Dynasty]

This is awsome news, i had heard rumors but this confirms it. Now that I think about it Weta is probaly the best F/X house Marvel has gotten to work on any of their movies.

 

[Retroman]

^ Exactly Retro. The AICN news was ridiculous. I've been asking Tim online to refute it...why he waited I dunno. I just posted this news on his site because everyone on that site was concerned to. He's online right now so I'm hoping he'll respond to my latest message and I'll fill you in here to confirm it. I'm sure we'll hear soon but just in case:

I'd rather him spend most of his energy on making FF2, stuff like this is really why they have a publicity department.Sure i love when directors or studios confirm or debunk rumors but if they start doing that with every single there'd be no end.

The producer of new Bat films recently admitted that they didn't comment on certain rumors because it would 'take the fun away'.So in a strange way i think like it cause it means people are talking about the movie.

You know what would suck? If Jones isn't allowed to do the voice. Story wantes Jones. Fox finally let him have him under the condition that they pick the voice.

Yes this is all very X-files. But I don't care

I have no problem with someone else doing the voice. Get someone like Liam Neeson and i'd be happy.

PS: I don't have a particular favorite for the voice casting.

This is awsome news, i had heard rumors but this confirms it. Now that I think about it Weta is probaly the best F/X house Marvel has gotten to work on any of their movies.

Imageworks did a pretty amazing job with the Spidey films too.They didn't win an Oscar for nothing.

 

[Hellmistress]

This is awsome news, i had heard rumors but this confirms it. Now that I think about it Weta is probaly the best F/X house Marvel has gotten to work on any of their movies.

It confirms nothing at all. The Hollywood Reporter is as inconsistent and as pointless as AICN, and they are frequently used by studios to feed the unwitting film-going populace misinformation. Where did they get their info? Doesn't say. Has Fox come out to confirm or deny Doug Jones as SS? No. Does this lack of official information smack of studio crapola? YES.

HM

 

[Retroman]

^^What are you ranting on about HM? Hollywood Reporter is a very reliable source of info and in my opnion they've not been as irresponsible as AICN has been with stories they've reported.

Both director Tim Story confirmed Jones and WETA's involvement back in August. Producer Kevin Feige also confirmed WETA around the same time.Sounds like a done deal to me.


Links: http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?f...&MyToken=88ffdf97-1c1d-458a-8bcd-8a3f077a7264
http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1538925/story.jhtml

 

[lordofthenerds]

I've always thoguht that Hollywood Reporter is reliable. I'd take their word over AICN's any day.

 

[TripleF]

Oh, fer cryin' out loud ... and you believe this??? It's the Hollywood Reporter, for Pete's sake! The amount of times they get things wrong is frightening - they're as bad as AICN. It's probably Fox at it again.

HM

It confirms nothing at all. The Hollywood Reporter is as inconsistent and as pointless as AICN, and they are frequently used by studios to feed the unwitting film-going populace misinformation. Where did they get their info? Doesn't say. Has Fox come out to confirm or deny Doug Jones as SS? No. Does this lack of official information smack of studio crapola? YES.

Feige is Fox, and he has confirmed WETA. Fox ususally will only confirm, they don't usually deny the others that "could be" involved.

Is Feige and Story, not good enough as far as confirming something? If they aren't, well exactly who is in your book?

I'll agree with you on AICN reliability, but to put HNR in the same category as AICN is, in one word, unreliable.

 

[Kirk Langstrom]

Sounds good to ME (provided it's true).

 

[ultimatefan]

That puts down for good he AICN suit rumors. I just didn´t like the " liquid metal" comment. SS is not T1000.

 

[Hellmistress]

Feige is Fox, and he has confirmed WETA. Fox ususally will only confirm, they don't usually deny the others that "could be" involved.

Is Feige and Story, not good enough as far as confirming something? If they aren't, well exactly who is in your book?

I'll agree with you on AICN reliability, but to put HNR in the same category as AICN is, in one word, unreliable.

No, they're not good enough. And until I get word from Doug I won't be putting any of this up on his site, either. All this is studio hype. I don't do hype. I do facts.

HM

 

[David33]

Although this has been common knowledge for some time (per Tim Story) i think its good they sent this official announcement to the trades like Hollywood Reporter.The story AICN posted recently has caused some confusion and this is probably the best way to counter the BS.

Yeah,I knew AICN was full of ***** as usual.They dont miss a single opportunity to attack the FF 2 movie,even if they have to spread false info for that!! .

WETA creating a full CGI Silver Surfer!!!.WOW!!!!!.Its gonna be awesome!! .

 

[TripleF]

No, they're not good enough. And until I get word from Doug I won't be putting any of this up on his site, either. All this is studio hype. I don't do hype. I do facts.

HM

*very perplexed look* ok, that pretty much ends this conversation. lol

 

[Lightning Strykez!]

Didn't we already...know this?

 

[Antonello Blueberry]

Yes, but now that the thing is in the trades, Hellmistress will spill the beans on how they're really doing the Silver Surfer scenes.

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

The producer of new Bat films recently admitted that they didn't comment on certain rumors because it would 'take the fun away'.So in a strange way i think like it cause it means people are talking about the movie.

I think if I was a studio exec., I'd be quick to de-bunk rumors that will artificially inflate hopes, but let pessimistic ones go. I'd rather have expectations low so people will be happy when they get more than they thought.

For example, if the effects are actually being done by some no-name SPFX house and rumors start that WETA will do them, I'd quickly squash the WETA rumor.

If, on the other hand, WETA is doing the effects and rumors start that some no-name SPFX house is doing them, I'd let the rumor go so people will be pleasantly surprised and excited when they find out WETA is doing them.

 

[terry78]

Now if an added surprise is that WETA is doing the final transformation of The Thing if he is still mutating, then yes, that would make me twice as ecstatic.

 

[Hellmistress]

Yes, but now that the thing is in the trades, Hellmistress will spill the beans on how they're really doing the Silver Surfer scenes.

D

Yeah, right - it's more than my life's worth, mate!!! I have to wait for ... The Word ...

HM