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It's no secret that video game movies have been risky propositions for most of their history, though that's changed in more recent years with successful adaptations of big properties like Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog. But back in the mid-2010s, the genre was still mostly wildcards bending toward box office bombs. Unperturbed by this, Sony decided to get in on the business with a handful of movies adapting major PlayStation properties. Specifically, two hit action-platformer franchises from the PS2 era -- "Ratchet & Clank" and "Sly Cooper" -- were put in development as animated films.

The "Ratchet" adaptation was announced in 2013, and the "Sly" movie got a full teaser trailer a year later. Blockade Entertainment, animation studio Rainmaker Entertainment, and director Kevin Munroe and animation studio were attached to both. The projects even had some video game pedigree in the form of Blockade producer Brad Foxhoven, who previously worked...

One of the best actors to rise to fame because of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is Chris Evans, the man who brought legendary comic book icon Captain America to the big screen. But before Evans hit the A-list wearing a vibranium shield, and in the time since he first appeared as Steve Rogers, he has starred in many great films.

Many of Chris Evans' best roles have nothing to do with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. They feature Evans playing a diverse set of characters that spread far beyond the pages of Marvel Comics. Over the last 20 years, Chris Evans' genre-spanning work has captivated audiences around the world.

Evans Starred as This Iconic Cartoon Character Tmnt (2007)

Chris Evans as:

Casey Jones

Directed by:

Kevin Munroe

Rotten Tomatoes Score:

36%

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise is a fascinating one, turning what started as a series of independent comics that served as a...

It's the saddest cowabunga for all the dudes and dudettes out there, as a major bummer hits the airwaves. As November rolls in, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fans will have to face some serious shell shock as the 2007 animated movie Tmnt is departing the sewers of Netflix for pastures new. The boys are backing up their nunchucks and katanas, with the last day fans will be able to check out some more pizza-munching fun landing on November 1st. Directed by Kevin Munroe, the movie brings a new villain to the fold in the shape of Max Winters, a mysterious billionaire voiced by Patrick Stewart.

Although Tmnt is one of the more forgotten Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle adaptations, it features a perfectly cast Chris Evans as Casey Jones, which makes it worth a watch. Released in 2007, Tmnt follows the turtles shortly after the defeat of the Shredder, the main antagonist to the turtles in the franchise. In the animated movie, Chris Evans voices Casey Jones, April's boyfriend and an ally to the turtles.

Even though Tmnt never got the sequel it deserved, it is a great standalone movie that features aspects of previous Tmnt adaptations. Evans' Casey Jones, in particular, is heavily inspired by the Casey voiced by Marc Thompson in the 2003 animated series and Pat Fraley in the 1987 Tmnt movie. Chris Evans' history in the superhero genre especially adds to the significance of his casting in the 2007 version.

Chris Evans As Casey Jones Was One Of Many Great Things About Tmnt (2007) Casey Was One...

There are no capes and there is no spandex in Dampyr, the fantasy horror film by Italian director Riccardo Chemello. But the English-language feature, which has been a surprise hit on Netflix, is the first entry in what you could call the Bonelli Cinematic Universe.

The vampire-hunter tale, starring Wade Briggs, Stuart Martin, Frida Gustavsson, Sebastian Croft, David Morrissey and Luke Roberts, is the first of a new wave of comic-book adaptations from Bonelli Entertainment, the Italian publisher billed as Italy’s answer to Marvel.

The film, which cracked the top 3 on Netflix’s US service, is the origin story of Harlan Draka, a Serbian dampyr, or half-breed offspring of a vampire dad and human mother, whose blood has the power to kill the undead. Draka was first introduced to Italian comic fans 20 years ago — the collapse of the former Yugoslavia and the 1990s Balkan war is the comic’s...

Last weekend's box office top five was hotly-contested, with "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem," "Meg 2: The Trench," and "Oppenheimer" all vying for second place. "Meg 2" ultimately landed the No. 2 spot, with "Mutant Mayhem" settling at No. 4. It's worth noting that "The Trench" owed its victory to $3.2 million in Thursday previews that, per box office tradition, were counted as part of its Friday total. "Mutant Mayhem" released earlier in the week, and therefore only Friday-to-Sunday ticket sales were included in its weekend gross. But either way, it was a very tight race with only a $2 million difference in the three movies' totals.

Now in their second weekend of release, "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem" and "Meg 2: The Trench" have swapped places and are starting to separate. "Tmnt" is on track to drop just 48 percent this weekend, adding $14.6 million to its domestic gross and rising to third place on the charts,...

After years of being sheltered from the human world, the Turtle brothers set out to win the hearts of New Yorkers and be accepted as normal teenagers through heroic acts. Their new friend April O’Neil helps them take on a mysterious crime syndicate, but they soon get in over their heads when an army of mutants is unleashed upon them. We've not kept up to date with the animated world of Tmnt. The last animated movie we remember was Kevin Munroe's ill-fated feature length outing from 2007, which pretty much sank Imagi Animation Studios. We thought it was pretty good at the time, at the very least the action was pretty good. Alas, here we are some 15 years later and a new, much...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

The heroes in a half-shell are back.

The first trailer for Paramount Pictures’ and Seth Rogen’s “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” reboot has been released. It’s the latest iteration of Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael and Donatello after several TV shows and film runs, and this is the second fully animated version to hit the big screen. This version of “Tmnt” has a distinctly colorful, comic-book animation style, reminiscent of 2018’s “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.”

Revealed on Saturday, the voice cast includes Micah Abbey, Shamon Brown Jr., Nicolas Cantu and Brady Noon as the roles of Donatello, Michelangelo, Leonardo and Raphael, respectively. The A-list cast has Jackie Chan as Master Splinter, Ayo Edebiri as April O’Neil, Rogen as Bebop, John Cena as Rocksteady, Hannibal Buress as Genghis Frog, Rose Byrne as Leatherhead, Ice Cube as Superfly, Natasia Demetriou as Wingnut, Giancarlo Esposito as Baxter Stockman, Post Malone as Ray Fillet,...

Trailblazer. Icon. Turtle. These are just a few of the words one could use to describe Venus de Milo, a character largely forgotten by pop culture despite being entirely unforgettable.

On Sept. 12, 1997, Fox Kids debuted Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation, the first (and still only) live-action series based on the popular franchise. It was a massive undertaking, former President of Motion Pictures and Television for Saban Lance H. Robbins recalls to TVLine, including “the biggest sets we’d ever done for a show, including Power Rangers, to make that long tunnel in underground New York.”

More from TVLineEmmys 2022: Lee Jung-jae...

Tears is based on Chinese classic text Classic Of Mountains And Seas.

Shenzhen-based animation studio Kk Animation has sold 3D CGI feature Tofuman to Big Film for Korea and Sahamongkolfilm for Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia.

Directed by Joey Zou, the film follows a group of beans that come to life and start practising magic arts to gain immortality. Big Film plans to give the film a theatrical release in Korea in May. In addition, Kk Animation is making its international market debut at Filmart to launch its new project, 3D CGI animated feature Tears, directed by Mon Cheung.

In the early stages of production,...

It producer Roy Lee, is developing a very cool new live-action film project based on the classic 1980s Japanese battle mech sci-fi property Ma.K. If you're not familiar with the property, it involved giant robots, two-legged tanks, and an epic battle for survival.

Ma.K was created by artist and sculptor Kow Yokoyama and was introduced in the early 80s in Hobby Japan magazine. It was a monthly comic that was also tied into customizable model kits. They ended up finding a strong and large cult following. Yokoyama is also known for working on films such as Star Wars and Blade Runner.

This could seriously end up being an incredibly epic movie! I just hope that Lee ends up bringing on a talented team of individuals to bring it to life. Here are the story details:

The story is set far, far into the future after a nuclear war caused survivors to flee Earth.

Our famous Lomax is back and not on a video game.

In Ratchet & Clank, the heroic duo must stop a nefarious space captain from destroying the universe. He must join a team of galactic heroes in order to stop the invading forces.

The 3d CGI animated film features the voice of James Arnold Taylor, David Kaye, Jim Ward and Armin Shimerman from the video games. They are joined by cast members of Paul Giamatti, John Goodman, Bella Thorne, Rosario Dawson and Sylvester Stallone.

Ratchet & Clank is currently available on Blu-ray, DVD and digital download today.

Read the full transcript below.

Lrm: Thank you for speaking with me. The last time I’ve talked with you, I had you and your counterpart together for an interview. It’s interesting to talk to Ratchet and not Clank.

James Arnold Taylor: [Chuckles] It’s strange to have Ratchet and not Clank around me. I’m telling ya.

Dave Green’s first film, Earth To Echo, had some mighty familiar DNA. You could tell that he was a fan of ‘80s Amblin’ films and that he’d absorbed the lessons of the film on a nearly molecular level like many of the film nerd kids who grew up on those movies. More than anything, he got the relationships between the kids right in that film, and it appears he carried that skill set over to a franchise that I have very little personal fondness for, resulting in what may well be the most consistently fun live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie ever made. It’s easy to dismiss someone’s fondness for something as pure nostalgia, but it’s also reductive and, in many cases, not why someone loves something. I may not personally be a Turtles fan, but I know enough of them (and have fathered a...

The Ratchet & Clank movie opens on Friday, April 29 and fans of the video game franchise and newcomers alike will be introduced to a brand new adventure. We had James Arnold Taylor and David Kaye, the the voices of Ratchet and Clank, respectively, in to tell us what to expect from the adaptation of the popular game, teach us to be famous voiceover actors, and do some iconic movie moments as some of their most famous characters. Example: Marvel's J.A.R.V.I.S does the Inigo Montoya speech from Princes Bride. Take a look in the player above or below! I also hosted an event at Google for the movie recently for kids participating in the Project Lead the Way (a non-profit organization that develops Stem curricula for use by elementary, middle, and high schools) and a 'Femineers' program to encourage girls to learn and interact more with engineering and science.

Busy, loud and fast-paced, the animated video-game adaptation “Ratchet & Clank” — based on the Insomniac Games series pitting a crafty cat-like mechanic and a diminutive robot against a megalomaniacal villain — takes the PlayStation controls out of the gamer’s hands in search of all-scripted, feature-sized pizzazz for an interactive title that’s been around since the start of this century. As second-tier CG-styled animations go, this origin-retelling diversion from director Kevin Munroe (“Dylan Dog: Dead of Night”) is a serviceable action-and-humor-crammed space hero saga for kids. But as is usually the case with carefully engineered franchise movies with a reputation...

Could have been assembled entirely from clips from other movies — mostly the Star Wars prequels — and would have been better if it had been. I’m “biast” (pro): nothing

I’m “biast” (con): never hopeful about based-on-videogame movies

(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)

Ah, so there’s my answer, once again.

I was wondering how that standard movie philosophy still applied to me. You know, that standard movie philosophy that is not only the stuff but the actual stuffing of 99 percent of wish-fulfillment genre fantasy movies for decades now. I approached Ratchet & Clank with great anticipation. Can I do anything? Can I be anything I want to be? Am I destined for greatness, to save the world or even the whole galaxy even if I am a foolhardy, thoughtless, unfocused screwup with almost nothing to my name but maybe some undisciplined smarts and outsized aspirations to grandeur?...

Children can often times find inspiration from the most surprising and unexpected sources, especially those places that are usually believed to cause them the most intellectual harm. But some modern technology, which is often regarded to be one of the most harmful influences on kids, is surprisingly leaving a powerful and positive message on its users this week. The new CG-animated movie, ‘Ratchet & Clank,’ which is based on the iconic 2002 PlayStation video game of the same name, is a gripping reminder of the importance of accepting yourself in a society that largely emphasizes the most superficial aspects of life. The new inspiring animated film was directed and produced [ Read More ]

The post Interview: Kevin Munroe and James Arnold Taylor Talk Ratchet & Clank (Exclusive) appeared first on Shockya.com.

From Rainmaker Entertainment and Blockade Entertainment,&#160Ratchet & Clank&#160is a CG-animated movie based on the iconic PlayStation video game. Two unlikely heroes struggle to stop a vile alien named Chairman Drek from destroying every planet in the Solana Galaxy. Ratchet is the last of his kind, a foolhardy "lombax" who has grown up alone on a backwater planet with no family of his own. Clank is a pint-sized robot with more brains than brawn.

When the two stumble upon a dangerous weapon capable of destroying entire planets, they must join forces with a team of colorful heroes called The Galactic Rangers in order to save the galaxy. Along the way, they will learn about heroism, friendship, and the importance of discovering one's own identity. Two new clips from the movie have debuted fresh from WonderCon, which is happening in Los Angeles as we speak.

This adaptation has voice actors James Arnold...

Based on the video game series of the same name Ratchet and Clank tells the story of two unlikely heroes as they struggle to stop a vile alien named Chairman Drek from destroying every planet in the Solana Galaxy.

When Ratchet and Clank stumble upon a dangerous weapon capable of destroying entire planets, they must join forces with a team of colorful heroes called The Galactic Rangers in order to save the galaxy. Along the way they’ll learn about heroism, friendship, and the importance of discovering one’s own identity.

Directed by Kevin Munroe and Jericca Cleland, Ratchet and Clank features the voices of James Arnold Taylor and David Kaye; alongside the likes of Sylvester Stallone as Victor Von Ion, Rosario Dawson as Elaris, Paul Giamatti as Chairman Drek and John Goodman as Grimroth.

Ratchet and Clank is released in the UK on May 8th.

See Full Gallery Here

April is shaping up to be a major year for residents of the Solana Galaxy. Before Kevin Munroe and Jericca Cleland’s animated feature film shoots for theaters on April 29, developer Insomniac Games is releasing a rebooted version of Ratchet & Clank for PlayStation 4 on April 12.

In anticipation of the former, Sony has rolled out a series of new images from Munroe and Cleland’s movie, teasing a grand, galactic adventure ahead for the beloved mascots. Electrified wrench in hand, it is James Arnold Taylor’s anthropomorphic Lombax that leads the charge as Ratchet, joined by his chirpy and sarcastic bot, Clank (voiced by David Kaye).

An origin story by name and nature, Ratchet & Clank will shed light on how the titular pairing crossed paths in the first place, before they’re thrust into an all-out assault to save Solana Galaxy from the villanious Chairman Drek. Bearing...

Two new TV spots have been released for the big screen animated adaptation of the video game Ratchet & Clank. This looks like it will be a fun film that I know at least my kids will enjoy watching. 

Ratchet and Clank tells the story of two unlikely heroes as they struggle to stop a vile alien named Chairman Drek from destroying every planet in the Solana Galaxy. When the two stumble upon a dangerous weapon capable of destroying entire planets, they must join forces with a team of colorful heroes called The Galactic Rangers in order to save the galaxy. Along the way they'll learn about heroism, friendship, and the importance of discovering one's own identity.

Ratchet & Clank was directed by Kevin Munroe (Tmnt) and co-directed by Jericca Cleland. It also has a great voice cast that includes Sylvester Stallone, John Goodman, Rosario Dawson, Paul Giamatti, and Bella Thorne. The...

It's been quite some time since we've seen any footage from Ratchet & Clank, with our last glimpse coming with the second trailer released way back in October. Now that we're getting closer and closer to the April 29 release, Playstation Nation has unveiled two new TV spots, which showcases the transforming powers of a weapon known as 'The Sheepinator.' As you might have guessed, this crazy ray gun turns its targets into sheep. We're not quite sure how exactly that's useful, but The Sheepinator was a popular weapon used in the Playstation video game series this animated movie is based on.

The story centers on the title characters, Ratchet (James Arnold Taylor) and Clank (David Kaye), two unlikely heroes struggle to stop a vile alien named Chairman Drek (Paul Giamatti) from destroying every planet in the Solana Galaxy. Ratchet is the last of his kind, a foolhardy "lombax" who has...

Rob Leane Sep 20, 2016

From Assassin’s Creed to The Witcher, via Mass Effect, Minecraft and maybe more Warcraft...

Latest update: Uncharted delayed.

In the years since Den Of Geek first sprung into existence, we’ve consistently kept an eye on the videogames that have been touted for the big screen treatment. We’ve tried to list them all in a big article a few times before, and it feels like the time has come to pull a new version together.

If we haven’t heard anything about a certain videogame movie in two years or more, it seems safe to assume that it’s quietly been binned. That’s why you won’t find the likes of BioShock, Devil May Cry, Far Cry, Gears Of War, Halo, Heavy Rain and Rollercoaster Tycoon on this list. If we get proven wrong on any of those, we’ll update this article as more information comes to light.

Ratchet and Clank tells the story of two unlikely heroes as they struggle to stop a vile alien named Chairman Drek from destroying every planet in the Solana Galaxy. Ratchet is the last of his kind – a foolhardy “lombax” who has grown up alone on a backwater planet with no family of his own. Clank is a pint-sized robot with more brains than brawn. When the two stumble upon a dangerous weapon capable of destroying entire planets, they must join forces with a team of colorful heroes called The Galactic Rangers in order to save the galaxy. Along the way they’ll learn about heroism, friendship, and the importance of discovering one’s own identity. Ratchet & Clank will feature: Directors: Jericca Cleland & Kevin Munroe James Arnold Taylor as Ratchet David Kaye as Clank Jim Ward as Captain Qwark Paul Giamatti as Chairman Drek John Goodman as Grimroth Bella Thorne as...

Watch the first trailer for the upcoming animated movie, Ratchet & Clank.

The CG-animated movie is based on the iconic PlayStation video game. The voice cast includes Paul Giamatti, John Goodman, Bella Thorne, Rosario Dawson, Jim Ward, James Arnold Taylor, David Kaye, Armin Shimerman, and Sylvester Stallone.

(Apple iTunes)

Two unlikely heroes struggle to stop a vile alien named Chairman Drek from destroying every planet in the Solana Galaxy. Ratchet is the last of his kind, a foolhardy “lombax” who has grown up alone on a backwater planet with no family of his own. Clank is a pint-sized robot with more brains than brawn.

When the two stumble upon a dangerous weapon capable of destroying entire planets, they must join forces with a team of colorful heroes called The Galactic Rangers in order to save the galaxy. Along the way, they will learn about heroism, friendship, and the importance of discovering one’s own identity.

Way back in 2013, the first trailer arrived from the highly-anticipated video game adaptation Ratchet & Clank, although it didn't feature any actual footage, serving as somewhat of a parody of the movie itself. Today, Apple has released the first full trailer with our first true look at this adaptation, which features voice actors James Arnold Taylor and David Kaye reprising their roles as the title characters from this hit video game, which shows how this lovable "lombax" and his robot friend first meet. We also get a glimpse at the nefarious villain, Chairman Drek, voiced by Paul Giamatti.

Two unlikely heroes struggle to stop a vile alien named Chairman Drek from destroying every planet in the Solana Galaxy. Ratchet is the last of his kind, a foolhardy "lombax" who has grown up alone on a backwater planet with no family of his own. Clank is a pint-sized robot with more brains than brawn.

"When a galactic force threatens the world...! Test your gear, find your courage..." Focus has debuted a trailer for the CG animated Ratchet and Clank movie, adapted from the very popular and very amusing video game series of the same name. It's not exactly the most innovative video game adaptation, but I have to say, this looks crazy fun. James Arnold Taylor voices Ratchet, David Kaye voices Clank, and Jim Ward voices Captain Qwark, along with Bella Thorne, Sylvester Stallone, Rosario Dawson, John Goodman and Paul Giamatti all lending their voices to this, too. This is co-directed by the guy who made the Tmnt animated movie as well. Even if you're not a fan of the video game series, give this a quick watch. Here's the first trailer for Jericca Cleland & Kevin Munroe's Ratchet & Clank movie, high def from Apple: A CG-animated movie based on the iconic PlayStation video game.

As we still wait and see if a great videogame-to-movie adaptation can exist, 2016 will be the true test. Before Warcraft and Assassin’s Creed arrive, Ratchet & Clank — a franchise that has been going strong in the video game world since the first game’s release in 2002, selling over 27 million copies worldwide and spawning a whole host of sequels and spin-offs — is getting the animated feature film treatment.

For those of you not into the series, the overall arc of the story follows Ratchet (a last of his kind “lombax”) and Crank (his robot buddy) as they try to stop the dastardly Chairman Drek from wrecking havoc on the Sonoma Galaxy in order to create a new planet for his own kind. Directed by Jericca Cleland and Kevin Munroe, the first trailer has landed today and it seems to stray heavily towards the kiddie side, although that’s perhaps to be...

Paul Giamatti, John Goodman, Bella Thorne, Rosario Dawson and Sylvester Stallone have joined the voice cast on Ratchet & Clank, which Cinema Management Group sells internationally here.

The Rainmaker Entertainment and Blockade Entertainment animation is based on the PlayStation video game and screens in the market this week.

James Arnold Taylor stars as Ratchet, David Kaye as Clank, Armin Shimerman as Nefarious and Jim Ward as Captain Qwark.

Kevin Munroe directs and Jericca Cleland co-directs the story of two unlikely heroes who struggle to stop a vile alien named Chairman Drek from destroying their galaxy.

Insomniac Games and Sony aren’t pulling any punches when it comes to the upcoming Ratchet & Clank animated film, after the companies revealed the adaptation’s voice cast will boast the likes of Paul Giamatti, Rosario Dawson, John Goodman and Hollywood veteran Sylvester Stallone.

Due to release at some point this year, Sony’s big-screen feature will also bring together the dulcet tones that helped transform the titular pair into the mascots we know and love, namely Arnold Taylor and David Kaye as Ratchet and Clank, respectively. In tandem with today’s announcement, Insomniac CEO Ted Price spoke of his own excitement to bring the eccentric pair onto the big screen.

“Everyone at Insomniac is thrilled that Ratchet & Clank will be shared in cinemas around the world with new and longtime fans alike,” said Insomniac Games founder and CEO Ted Price. “It’s been particularly exciting to collaborate closely with PlayStation,...

Ratchet and Clank The Movie got a whole bunch of celebrities to voice some new characters in the upcoming movie.

The cool thing behind the movie was that the original voice actors from the game are also doing the movie. James Arnold Taylor as Ratchet and David Kaye as Clank for example, but being honest they are not really big name brands. If it's one thing Hollywood knows, it's that if you attach a popular name to a movie it then creates easy marketing. Those celebrities then do interviews etc... and promote the movie.

Well that is what happened today as the studio behind the film has announced Paul Giamatti, John Goodman, Bella Thorne, Sylvester Stallone, and Rosario Dawson have all joined the cast of the movie for additional characters. The film is being directed by Kevin Munroe (Tmnt) and written by Tj Fixman, who wrote the  series for Insomniac.

Sylvester Stallone, Paul Giamatti, John Goodman, Bella Thorne and Rosario Dawson are set to lend their voices to the upcoming computer-animated feature "Ratchet & Clank" based on the popular PlayStation game series.

The group join the four leading cast members James Arnold Taylor as Ratchet; David Kaye as Clank; Armin Shimerman as Nefarious; and Jim Ward as Captain Qwark with all four reprising their roles from the games.

The story follows the two unlikely heroes as they struggle to stop a vile alien from destroying every planet in their Galaxy. When the duo stumble upon a planet-destroying weapon, they must join forces with The Galactic Rangers in order to save the galaxy.

Kevin Munroe ("Tmnt") and Jericca Cleland co-helm the project which includes a script by Munroe and Tj Fixman.

Source: THR...

Exclusive: Edward Noeltner’s international sales company has reported strong business on the animation titles after showing footage in Berlin.

Rainmaker Entertainment and Blockade Entertainment’s stereoscopic CG-animated features Ratchet & Clank (pictured) and Sly Cooper are based on the PlayStation video game franchises from Sony Computer Entertainment America.

Cinema Management Group (Cmg) has closed all rights deals on Sly Cooper in Latin America (Imagem Filmes), Cis (Volga Films), South Korea (Korea Screen), Poland (Kino Swiat), Middle East (Front Row Filmed), Turkey (Mg Beyond), Israel (FilmHouse), Portugal (Outsider Films), Hungary (Ads Service), Romania (Programs4Media) and Vietnam (Rain Film Sdn).

Ratchet & Clank has also been licensed for all rights to Cis (All Media Company), Poland (Kino Swiat), Portugal (Outsider Films), Hungary (Ads Service) and Romania (Programs4Media) with previous sales on the feature having been done for Latin America (Playarte), South Korea (Joy n’ Contents Group), the Middle East (Eagle Films), Israel (United King), Ex-Yugoslavia (Blitz Film), Bulgaria...

Exclusive: Near 20-film haul includes God’s Pocket, Bill, Pound of Flesh, Backtrack, Testament of Youth, The Guest.

Dubai-based distributor Front Row Filmed Entertainment did brisk business at the European Film Market (Efm) in Berlin last week, locking in deals on a number of buzzed-about market titles.

Among the company’s near-20 film acquisition haul for Middle East, North Africa and Iran were Bankside’s Backtrack, starring Adrien Brody and Sam Neil; Automatic Entertainment’s Jean Claude Van Damme action film Pound of Flesh; Cmg duo Where the Devil Rides, starring Jennifer Carpenter and Rufus Sewell; and animation comedy Sly Cooper 3D, from Tmnt director Kevin Munroe.

Front Row nabbed comedy A Birder’s Guide to Everything, starring Ben Kingsley and Kodi Smit-McPhee, from Screen Media Venture; Catherine Keener drama War Story from Visit Films; UK comedy Bill from Independent; and documentary Cocaine Cowboys: Reloaded from Magnolia Pictures.

Per Front Row and Gulf Film’s output...

The project marks the second theatrical collaboration between animation studio Rainmaker Entertainment and producer Blockade Entertainment following Ratchet & Clank.

Sly Cooper is based on the PlayStation game about an orphaned raccoon thief and his childhood friends Bentley Turtle and Murray Hippo who plan a heist.

The film is scheduled to release in early 2016. Kevin Munroe directs from his screenplay and the producers are Blockade CEO Brad Foxhoven and vp of development David Wohl alongside Rainmaker’s Kim Dent Wilder.

Rainmaker president Michael Hefferon serves as executive producer.

Edward Noeltner’s Cinema Management Group handles sales at Efm on Sly Cooper and Ratchet & Clank and will be showing footage from both titles.

Sly Cooper is a CG animated feature film adaption of of PlayStation's video game of the same name. The story revolves around three friends led by the “gentleman thief” named Sly Cooper. The other characters include Bentley Turtle and Murray Hippo. This looks like it could turn out to be a fun and entertaining film. It's being developed by Rainmaker Entertainment and Blockade Entertainment. It will be directed by Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles director Kevin Munroe. Here's the official synopsis:

Sly Cooper is a kinetic and comedic heist film that tells the story of Sly Cooper, an orphaned raccoon thief, along with his childhood friends and partners in crime, Bentley Turtle and Murray Hippo. In the film, Sly learns of his birth family’s secret legacy; that he comes from a long line of talented and international thieves. Endowed with this knowledge, Sly and his friends are catapulted into a...

Now this looks awesome. Earlier today, screens from the upcoming Sly Cooper film adaptation landed on Facebook, and sent the internet a-twitter discussing its look and general art style. Though I don’t necessarily promote thoughtless conversion of source material to Dreamworks-like visual tomfoolery, a quick glance at the above teaser affirms that we probably don’t have too much to worry about in the looks department. Such fur shading!

The film will be penned by Tmnt writer Kevin Munroe, who also happens to be handling the upcoming Ratchet and Clank film adaptation. Both films are a collaboration between Blockade Entertainment and Rainmaker Entertainment, the latter of which is responsible for such classics as Barbie in the Nutcracker and Tony Hawk in Boom Boom Sabotage. Let’s just hope they know what they’re doing.

Will slick CG translate to a charming film that captures the spirit of the games?...

While PlayStation games like Gran Turismo, Ratchet & Clank and Watch Dogs already have feature film adaptations in development, another game franchise is coming to the big screen as well. The PlayStation Blog has announced an animated feature film adaptation of Sly Cooper, the heist centric video game following an orphan raccoon who comes from a long line of talented, international thieves. Blockade Entertainment and Rainmaker Entertainment are behind the film with Tmnt director Kevin Munroe at the helm. And for those eager for a first look, we have some images and a teaser trailer for the new project. The teaser trailer for Kevin Munroe's Sly Cooper from The PlayStation Blog (via ComingSoon): And here are a couple pieces of artwork showing off the new character design: Sly Cooper is directed by Kevin Munroe (Tmnt) and will follow the titular hero as he learns that he comes from a long line of talented,...

The latest entry into the world of video game adaptations for the big screen may come as a bit of a surprise. Animation studio Rainmaker Entertainment and indie production company Blockade Entertainment are teaming up to create a 3D CG-animated feature based on PlayStation's popular franchise, Sly Cooper. Written and directed by Kevin Munroe (Tmnt), the film follows the title character - a raccoon descended from a long line of thieves - along with his friends Bentley Turtle and Murray Hippo as they race to assemble pieces of a Cooper family heirloom. The first teaser trailer gives a great look at the new interpretations of the main characters as well as establishing the tone of the film, but fans will be left wondering if Inspector Carmelita Fox is going to make an apeparance. The film is expected to arrive on screens in 2016. Hit the jump for the Sly Cooper trailer and synopsis.

Rainmaker Entertainment and Blockade Entertainment are teaming to create a 3D CG-animated feature based on the popular PlayStation video game series "Sly Cooper".

Kevin Munroe ("Tmnt") has penned and will direct the feature which follows an orphaned raccoon thief who must reassemble pieces of an ancient book holding his family secrets.

This marks the second CG animated feature by Rainmaker and Blockade based on a popular game series, the first is a 3D CG animated film adaptation of the "Ratchet and Clank" franchise.

An early 2016 release for 'Sly' is planned.

Source: Heat Vision...

Sly Cooper, the popular video game series about an orphaned raccoon thief, is getting the film treatment. Animation studio Rainmaker Entertainment and indie production company Blockade Entertainment are teaming up to create a 3D CG-animated feature based on the popular video game. They're looking toward an early 2016 release. The film is written and directed by Kevin Munroe (Tmnt) and produced by Blockade’s CEO Brad Foxhoven and vp development David Wohl, along with Rainmaker’s Kim Dent Wilder. Rainmaker president Michael Hefferon is serving as executive producer. The story will follows the titular character, who, along with his childhood best friends

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Storyboards by Tom Nelson Thanks to a heads up from Film Sketchr Gatchaman, originated in Japan in the early 1970s as a television series called Science Ninja Team Gatchaman. Aired in the U.S. as Battle of the Planets and G-Force, it soon became one of the top syndicated shows. Set in a future world grappling with environmental and technological issues, the story focuses on five reluctant heroes whose remarkable genetic code makes them Earth's only hope of defeating extra- terrestrial invaders. Imagi's Gatchaman will be would've been a big, effects-rich movie with some of the most ambitious action sequences ever seen in animation. Robert Mark Kamen (The Fifth Element, The Karate Kid) is the screenwriter and Kevin Munroe (Tmnt) directs. Click Here to See Another Gatchaman Storyboard...

Director: Kevin Munroe. Writers: Thomas Dean Donnelly Joshua Oppenheimer, and Tiziano Sclavi. Cast: Brandon Routh, Anita Briem and Sam Huntington. Brandon Routh is one of those actors who shot up the ladder of fame thanks to Superman Returns. In Dylan Dog: Dead of Night, he's a sleuth, another comic-book hero, who tries to be slicker than oil. But he is hardly Dick Tracy as far as how this movie goes. Some fun can be found with this product, especially with the effects work, but these monsters do not try to stand out. The movie is just as good as The Spirit, and both are catering to a very select market. The colours used on the hero's costume makes for some simple motifs, but unlike previous films, it is not used to great effect. Instead, it is just a schtick, like how Clark Kent wore his clothes in "Smallville." At the same time,...

You'll notice that in today's cinematic landscape, most major characters needing a voice in a CGI or motion capture family film are supplied by an established A-list actor (see Johnny Depp in Rango) or a known celebrity (Taylor Swift is fourth billed in Dr. Seuss' the Lorax). Twenty-two years ago, way back in 1990, that wasn't the case. Take Beauty and the Beast for instance. In 1991, Robby Benson, the lead voice actor in the film, had been absent from the spotlight for many years and was cast primarily for his talents on the microphone, not any sort of marquee value. Angela Lansbury served as the only real stunt casting. If the film was made today, we'd see Anne Hathaway serving as Beauty, with Hugh Jackman stepping in as the Beast. Even a smaller part, like Chip or Stove, would be supplied by any given member of the Apatow repertoire.

One of...

A new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fan film has surfaced online, and it's a fairly impressive piece of work telling the origin story of Casey Jones, with some iconic comic book shots and homages to the franchise, and featuring good cinematography on what’s probably a relatively low budget.

Those involved, such as director Polarion Banks and star Hilarion Banks, have talent, though the specific storyline chosen, while well-told, holds the film back. Specifically, Casey Jones’ moral flaws undermine it.

Basically, despite the film’s merits, it’s too dark (thematically speaking), and not heroic enough. That is to say, not heroic enough in the true sense of the word. Casey Jones becomes a formidable and iconic figure over the course of the film, but although he fights evil, his methods mean he barely qualifies as a good guy.

There’s arguably an element of satire of a brutal vigilante,...

2011 - 95 mins. - Rated PG-13

D: Kevin Munroe

C: Brandon Routh, Sam Huntington, Anita Briem, Peter Stormare, Taye Diggs

A private investigator who chases cheating spouses, is brought back into the world of the paranormal after abandoning it when he takes on a client whose father was murdered by a creature of the night.

A pleasant, if not particularly distinguished or memorable, diversion. The word that singularly best describes Dylan Dog is “almost”. The proceedings are amusing , but if the pacing had been tighter Dylan Dog would have been much more exciting and fun. Brandon Routh makes for an alright hero, but he is never really given all that much to do. Routh gets to engage in plenty of action, but is never given any action sequences that really showcase him well. He is never given that big emotional scene that makes it so that his character resonates with viewers.

Remember when we told you all about the wonderful Italian Dylan Dog comic series from writer Tiziano Sclavi? It became a less than beloved feature film adaptation which was released on DVD earlier this month from director Kevin Munroe.

Well, we have obtained three copies of the perfect blend of sources as Munroe has autographed copies of Dark Horse Comics’ The Dylan Dog Case Files, an omnibus collecting Dylan Dog #1-6 and Dylan Dog: Zed. The book also has a cool Mike Mignola cover.

Between now and 11:59 p.m. Saturday, September 3, tell us what makes the international comic so good and we’ll pick the three best answers. The judgment of ComicMix will be final.

Kevin Munroe directs Brandon Routh, Sam Huntington, and Anita Briem in the mystery thriller Dylan Dog: Dead of Night, which is now available on Blu-ray and DVD. We are giving away two copies of the Blu-ray, which you can win by following the instructions below.

Winners Receive:

Dylan Dog Blu-ray

Here's How To Win!

Just "Like" (fan) the MovieWeb Facebook page (below) and then leave a comment below telling us why these prizes must be yours!

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Brandon Routh stars as Dylan Dog, a supernatural detective who will go where the living dare not - facing friend and foe alike in the monster infested backstreets of New Orleans. Armed with an edgy wit and an arsenal of silver and wood-tipped bullets, Dylan must solve a series of murders before an epic war ensues between his werewolf,...

I first encountered the legend of Dylan Dog back when I was trying to cover foreign comics while at Comics Scene and then wrote about the film adaptation a while back over at Famous Monster of Filmland. A Pi in the world of things that go bump in the night sounded like a lot of fun. That the Italian comic has been running for decades also spoke to its creative spark and the genius of Tiziano Sclavi. Then I saw that this was going to Brandon Routh’s third film based on a comic book and figured he was 1 for 2 so far (entertaining in Scott Pilgrim, not served well by Superman Return’s lousy script) and might improve his average. He had certainly improved as an actor, as witnessed by Fear Itself and his recurring role on Chuck.

The trailers certainly made the movie look lighthearted and wonky, much like...

Blu-ray Review

Dylan Dog: Dead of Night

Directed by: Kevin Munroe

Cast: Brandon Routh, Taye Diggs, Sam Huntington

Running Time: 1 hr 50 min

Rating: PG-13

Due Out: July 26, 2011

Plot: Dylan Dog (Routh) investigates the supernatural, trying to keep the peace between vampires, werewolves, zombies and humans.

Who’S It For? If you like supernatural horror comedies that aren’t funny, you will love this movie!

Movie:

The filmmakers behind Dylan Dog did their homework, they must have seen a lot of other supernatural films and TV shows. I can tell because they copied what they saw all through the movie. Early on, a guy in a bar buys a “vampire blood drug”, yes, it’s totally True Blood. Later, the characters enter a zombie body parts warehouse that eerily recalls the waiting room for the recently deceased in Beetlejuice. And yeah, it just goes on like that. A whole subplot is taken from Idle Hands,...