Sunday, July 24, 2011

SWATH at Comic-Con Press Articles and Transcript


Movieline Transcript via fiercebitchstew

3:36 We’re back for Snow White and the Huntsman! Who’s ready to see Kristen Stewart? But before that, Rupert Sanders (director), Joe Roth (producer) and Evan Daugherty (writer) hit the stage.

3:37 Rupert promises that we will get to see images from the movie and compares Huntsman to Lord of the Rings “in terms of size and scope.”

3:39 Regarding whether anyone is concerned about that other Snow White movie, Joe Roth says, “People don’t remember that Tom Hanks did the fifth body-switching movies when he did Big”

3:44 After being shown a reel of Rupert’s commercial work, the director says that he actually wanted to do a war movie but ended up with Snow White. Still, it’s “full of giant battle scenes full of exploding knights.” Rupert says that he is excited to “lose his cinematic virginity” on this project.

3:46 Finally, they are introducing cast members: Sam Claflin, Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron and Kristen Stewart. Wild applause!
3:47 On why Kristen wants to play Snow White: “I wasn’t initially jumping at the chance [to play Snow White] but she is one of the most heavy-handedly sincere, seriously doesn’t let her heart cloud her mind characters. Also, I get to have a sword and stuff.”

MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

3:49 The moderator asks whether Charlize is worried about co-starring with an actress as talented as Stewart. Charlize responds, “She’s probably going to give me a run for my money. And I’m ready for it b****. Let’s go.”

3:51 Claflin said that his parents “think that it’s a crock” that he is playing Prince Charming. “They’re all as surpised as I am, to be quite honest, to be involved in something as big as this” but warns that “the prince is not quite as charming” in this version.

3:53Wardrobe note: Charlize is wearing black and Kristen is wearing white. Was this planned? Good vs. evil, etc?

3:55 Since the cast doesn’t know each other that well, the moderator has a few questions planned so that everyone can get to know each other. Sam says that

4:00 Surprise. We see the first shot of the dwarves but there are eight of them! As Rupert introduces them, Hall H claps the loudest for Bob Hoskins. Rupert explains that there are eight because one ends up getting killed.

4:02 Next up, a photo of Claflin as Prince. Black and white, holding a sword. Sexy. As Hall H makes cat calls, Claflin says that he is very uncomfortable.

4:03 Hemsworth as the Huntsman. He is holding an ax, sexily, over his shoulder. His hair is wet and slicked back. This photo belongs on the cover of a romance novel.

4:05 Theron as the Queen is next. She is in a fitted black dress with a high feathered collar.

4:06 Kristen Stewart as the most badass Snow White ever. In this first photo, she is wearing armor! And holding a shield and sword. “My pinhead sticks out of that enormous thing.”
Theron: “Don’t worry, we’ll get you steroids. You’ll be fine.”

4:07 A fan directs a question at Stewart, fidgeting onstage. On how she relates to Snow White, Stewart jokes, “Well, I’m the fairest in the land and I have a seriously good heart.”

4:08 Theron explains how it was important for her to understand the Queen’s motivations: “I don’t think this is just the evil queen who just shows up and she is evil. I think a lot of her circumstances will bleed in her action and that’s the most important thing to me. […] My character is basically a serial killer. Watch out, Kristen.”

4:09 A fan asks what kind of music Kristen is listening to in preparation for the role. Kristen says nothing really. Charlize jokes that she has recorded some music that Kristen can listen to. The fan then asks for Kristen’s Comic-Con name tag and the audience boos. Kristen offers to throw it to the fan but a Comic-Con volunteer says this cannot be done.

4:10 Kristen says that she is excited to play someone who is “not remotely self-conscious” and “who isn’t really aware of who she is but has such a strong sense of self.” Also, Kristen really likes that her character “gets to save the day.”

4:12 A fan yells out K-Stew. Charlize asks, “Me too?” When she is corrected, Charlize admits that she needs a hearing aid.

4:14 Joe Roth says that “truth be told” he was looking for an unknown Snow White. “The more we thought about it, here is this woman who has proven within a franchise to be a big, big star. The idea to get her out of the franchise and put her into a different movie” was appealing.

4:15 The moderator says that they are out of time and the panel ends. Boo! So fast.
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hollywoodreporter Comic-Con 2011: Universal Takes Lead in Battle of Snow White Movies As 'Huntsman' Panel Impresses

Now it’s on, people!

The game of one-upmanship between Universal and Relativity over their competing Snow White movies ramped up at Comic-Con—and Universal now has the edge.

A day after Relativity released a first-look photo of Lilly Collins as Snow White in its untitled movie, Universal arrived in San Diego with a swath of character photos from Snow White and the Huntsman, including Kirsten Stewart holding a sword and shield as Snow White, Charlize Theron looking menacing as the dagger-wielding Evil Queen, Chris Hemsworth as the hunky Huntsman and Sam Claflin as a prince.

And while its movie doesn’t start production until August, Universal still made a big impression with a well-received presentation of test footage and director Rupert Sanders’ commercials to get audience excited.

All this compared to Relativity’s Comic-Con no-show for its Snow White, which has been in production in Montreal since June.

The panel began with Sanders, a noted commercials director making his feature debut on Snow White, as well as producers Joe Roth and Palek Patel, talking about the origins of their project. Roth said that after the $1 billion success of Alice in Wonderland, “to be in the big picture business, you have to come up with a big idea that is known across several generations and several languages.”

The fact that there are two Snow White features racing to theaters (Relativity’s is scheduled for release in March, Universal’s in June) quickly came up, and though Roth was respectful toward the other project, he (and Universal) quickly made moves to set their project apart.

“Our movie is on the scale of The Lord of the Rings, in terms of size, scope and appetite,” he said, promising a “tough, rough, active male-female picture.”

“From the pictures,” he continued, referring to Relativity’s Snow White, “the other looks like a softer version.”

Roth tried to soften the gap between release dates—Huntsman comes out June 1, 2012 while Relativity’s movie opens March 16. “We are 10 weeks apart. In the movie business, that is a lifetime,” he said.

The presentation then featured three Sanders-directed commercials —for video games Call of Duty and Halo 3 as well as Monster.com—which conveyed to the crowd that 1) the man can direct action and war scenes, 2) he can create fantastical worlds with strange characters and mean, dark settings.

After the cast, consisting Stewart, Theron, Hemswoth and Claflin, came on stage, Roth, Sanders and company unveiled a proof-of-concept reel that was initially presented to the studio when the moviemakers were selling the project.

Sanders said it was shot in three days, describing it as “down and dirty” and “more of stylistic piece.”

The footage revealed a beautiful princess in a forest surrounded by fauna, but it quickly became dark and fantastical as a monologue asked what kind of a person you would be when tested by evil.

Sanders’ footage surprised and impressed with its shots of a fairy emerging out of the blackbird’s breast and Snow White surrounded by trees that are part men (in a way that was much more human than the trees seen in Lord of the Rings). Two knights were shown clashing swords, one getting cut in half and disintegrating into a million pieces.
Sources have told THR the reel cost around $100,000 to produce, but it seems worth it because the footage clearly shows what kind of movie this Snow White project aims to be. The crowd left the panel believing this is something unique that might show audiences things they haven’t seen before.

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