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Zombieland goes Viral-ish

August 10, 2009 By

Sony has released a video on YouTube for Zombieland, in which Woody Harrelson and Jesse Eisenberg (in character) give Zombieland Rule #15: Bowling Balls. Watch it below:





Apparently there are 47 tips in all, so maybe we’ll see all 47? That would seem way excessive, so I’m guessing Sony will only release a few more of these periodically up until the film’s October 9th release date. So far there have been 5 videos, and you can watch them all at Ugo.


Zombieland started their marketing campaign with a Twitter account that is sometimes in-world. Also, you may remember that the film sponsored this year’s Zombie-walk at Comic-Con in San Diego. Our reporters, Rose andKelsey actually participated in the 45-minute walk. You can listen to what they had to say here. I doubt their marketing campaign will get much more “viral” with only two months to go, but it’s interesting to see them straddle the line between viral and just modern marketing.


The horror comedy Zombieland focuses on two men who have found a way to survive a world overrun by zombies. Columbus is a big wuss — but when you’re afraid of being eaten by zombies, fear can keep you alive. Tallahassee is an AK-toting, zombie-slaying’ bad ass whose single determination is to get the last Twinkie on earth. As they join forces with Wichita and Little Rock, who have also found unique ways to survive the zombie mayhem, they will have to determine which is worse: relying on each other or succumbing to the zombies. Zombieland will be released in theaters everywhere on October 9th, 2009.


Special thanks to FirstShowing for the heads up.

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Steven Spielberg Wants to Make a Halo Movie?

August 8, 2009 By

Our friends at GeekTyrant have an article about Steven Spielberg being interested in making a Halo movie, which already has a script written by Stuart Beattie (actually, Stuart wrote scripts for 3 different films: Halo: Fall of Reach, Halo, Rise of the Flood, and Halo: Battle for Earth).


You may remember that some time ago, Neill Blomkamp and Peter Jackson (ring a bell?) were attacked to direct and produce the movie, respectively. In fact, Blomkamp even directed 3 shorts, called Halo: Arms Race, which you can see here:





However, Blomkamp has since then said that he would ‘probably not direct a Halo movie if it was offered to me.’


Back to Spielberg, who has apparently read the Halo: Fall of Reach script, and been blown away by it. If he really wanted to make this movie, how could it not happen? Microsoft and Steven have a long-lasting relationship (he actually presented Microsoft’s Project Natal at E3). From what we understand, Spielberg is actually in active negotiations to develop the movie.


Would you have hope in a Halo movie if Steven Spielberg was behind it? Or would you rather Neill Blomkamp be convinced to return to helm to project? Discuss it in the comments!

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New 2012 E-mail: Ambassadors Chosen

August 4, 2009 By

I came home tonight to see a new e-mail from Soren Ulfert in my inbox:

If you were interested in becoming an Ambassador but weren’t able to, there are still ways for you to help. For one thing, you can spread the word of the IHC’s mission to your friends and neighbors. You can tell them to enroll in the survival lottery and encourage them to participate in our election for the Leader of the Post-2012 World.
You yourself may well be the Leader we are searching for – remember, the election launches on Aug. 10. Click here for more information. Together, we can ensure that the end is just the beginning.

Sincerely,

Soren Ulfert
Communications Director
The Institute for Human Continuity
Twitter: @sorenulfert
Sincerely,
 

 

Do you know anyone who was at Comic-Con, or who might’ve become an Ambassador? I believe our own Nick Butler won, so I’m looking forward to seeing what happens from here.

2012 opens everywhere on November 20th, 2009.

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Two New Iron Man 2 Photos

August 3, 2009 By

Two photos from Iron Man 2 have been floating around the internet for a while now.

Iron Man 2

The first photo, seen above, features Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark looking at a full-scale model version of the Stark Expo, from a scene which has the following description:

“Tony is looking down at a scale model of the Stark Expo, which closely resembles the New York World’s Fair Pavilion. This included a Unisphere at the center of the convention. As the camera panned from the level of the model towards Tony looking inquisitive at the Stark Expo, he spoke to himself, “The key to the future is…where?”.”

There was also another scene witnessed where Tony was looking further into the pavillion in the Expo, and reconstructing “the main pavilion by enlarging and relocating structures with his hand motions,” with the help of Jarvis (who you’ll remember from the first film as Tony’s robot helper).

There is speculation that a central plot point in Iron Man 2 deals with Tony delving into his father’s past, mainly the Stark Expo, which might just “play a major role in the energy crisis, which is a chief issue in the film.”

Now, onto the second photo:
Kevin Feige and Robert Downey Jr.

This photo features Kevin Feige (the producer of Iron Man 2) talking to Robert Downey Jr. in what looks to be a break between shots (or maybe it’s a brief cameo, never know…but in between shots seems more likely).

Iron Man 2 hits theaters on May 7th, 2010.

Special thanks to /Film for the heads-up.

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Comic-Con: LOST Viral – LostUniversity

July 26, 2009 By

At the LOST panel today at Comic-Con, a new viral website was unveiled: LostUniversity.


Now, before I go any further, I’d just like to say that I’m not educated in the LOST universe, so I’m not 100% sure what a lot of things on the site mean, so these are just things I’ve noticed from browsing the site.


-Enrollment begins on September 22nd, 2009. There is a simple form for you to fill out, after which they will contact you on September 22nd to notify you of enrollment beginning. The first semester officially starts on December 8th, 2009. Do those dates play into LOST somehow? I have no idea, but I’m pretty sure everything on that show is a mystery.


-Semester One classes are as follows:

HIS 101: ANCIENT WRITING ON THE WALL

LAN 101: FOREIGN LANGUAGE FOR BEGINNERS

PHI 101: I’M LOST, THEREFORE I AM

PHY 101: INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS OF TIME TRAVEL

PHY 301 SEMINAR: NEW PHYSICS WITH JEREMY DAVIES

SCI 201: JUNGLE SURVIVAL BASICS

Semester Two classes are as follows:

ART 101 SEMINAR: INSPIRATION & EXPRESSION WITH JACK BENDER

LAN 201: ADVANCED FOREIGN LANGUAGE

PHI 201: I’M RIGHT, YOU’RE WRONG: THE US VS. THEM MENTALITY

PHY 201: ADVANCED PHYSICS OF TIME TRAVEL

PSY 201: SELF DISCOVERY THROUGH FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS


Some classes are noted to have no homework or exams whatsoever, which I find intriguing.


Now, what’s interesting (and perhaps funny) about this website is that ABC goes out of their way to make it blatantly obvious that this isn’t real and that it’s part of their site.


So, this is just stuff I found after snooping the site for a little bit. If you find anything else, feel free to leave a comment and let us know!


The show’s site also has a fake video series titles “Mysteries of the Universe” that claims the Dharma Initiative is a vast conspiracy.
The sixth and final season of LOST starts in February of 2010.

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District 9 Tickets On Sale Now

July 26, 2009 By

Just a quick little heads up on a Sunday afternoon, District 9 tickets have gone on sale at Fandango! There will probably be midnight showings, but that varies depending on what theater and where that theater is.


The movie opens in just under 3 weeks, so you have plenty of time to pre-order tickets if you can’t for a couple days or so.

District 9 hits theaters everywhere on August 14th.

District 9



Sidenote: make sure to check back later tonight for another ViralCast with Dan, Scott, myself and our two reporters at Comic-Con, Rose and Kelsey will be talking about all things Comic-Con.


Thanks to Ronan in the forums for pointing it out.

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Friday Comic-Con 2009 Updates

July 24, 2009 By

So, by now, Comic-Con is in full swing and updates are pouring in constantly. Here’s the jist of what’s been happening so far:

  • Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland teaser is now online.
  • James Cameron’s epic AVATAR had it’s first footage screened yesterday, and, as expected, everyone loved it.
  • After the footage was shown, James Cameron let out a doozy: on August 21st in 3D theaters everywhere, 15 minutes of AVATAR will be shown for free.
  • In the Q&A for his new movie, The Book of Eli (a trailer is available here), Gary Oldman stated that, quote:

The next Batman is next year, so I think it is two years away. But you didn’t hear it from me.

  • District 9 had it’s first screening last night, and has yielded positive responses by everyone who saw it.
  • District 9 director Neil Blomkamp gave an update on the Halo movie, saying he’d rather work on his own ideas at this point, and that he’d probably turn the movie down if it was offered to him.
  • At the District 9 panel, Peter Jackson and Neil gave some insight into the film, including “District 9 was made for the scifi fans and was never made to transcend – if it does, its a testament to the story” and “inspiration for aliens in District 9 was that they were insects who have lost their queen and evolved” (paraphrased quotes are direct from Kelsey’s Twitter)
  • The Tron 2 (now known as TRON Legacy) teaser trailer that was shown last year is now available.
  • Speaking of TRON Legacy, Disney had quite a unique viral game for the movie last night.
  • And we have to mention New Moon, i guess. Two clips were shown and leaked online, but I recommend turning your sound down when watching. Despite all the screaming girls, the clips looked pretty solid.



So, those are the biggest things to pop out of Comic-Con thus far. Remember to follow our Comic-Con reporters, Rose and Kelsey, who will both be appearing as very special guests on this weeks ViralCast!

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Comic-Con 2009: Pre-Game Viral Marketing

July 22, 2009 By

Woohoo! Comic-Con starts tomorrow down in San Diego, California. Make sure to follow our Comic-Con coverage live from staff writer David!

Alright, down to business. The show starts tomorrow and people who are already down there are spotting early viral marketing from different movies, namely 2012 and District 9.


On the District 9 front, our friend Alex Billington over at FirstShowing snapped this awesome little pic of the District 9 truck that will be at Comic-Con:


District 9's Comic-Con Truck


Notice how that’s the exact same truck seen in the trailers.


Moving onto 2012 now, another friend of ours, Peter Sciretta from /film took these couple pics of 2012 viral posters from around the area:


2012 @ Comic-Con


2012 @ Comic-Con


Also, this email was just sent out from IHC:

I am happy to announce that, at Comic-Con in San Diego, the IHC will be looking for people to participate in our prestigious IHC Ambassador program. Our Ambassadors will receive access to exclusive resources and information from the IHC.

I would particularly urge you to do your utmost to become an Ambassador.

If you or someone you know is planning to go to Comic-Con, be on the lookout for the postcard we will distribute there. You’ll also want to follow @TheIHC on Twitter. This will be the main way in which we will communicate information about how one can become an Ambassador. We’ll also be seeking Ambassadors among those who can’t make it to San Diego, so it’s crucial to follow us on Twitter.



So that’s it for the pre-game festivities (or is it?), make sure you check back here frequently for our 2009 Comic-Con coverage, starting tomorrow!


District 9 hits theaters everywhere on August 14th, 2009. 2012 will arrive in theaters on November 20th.

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New Picture of Wikus from District 9

July 22, 2009 By

Sony Pictures has released a new picture of Wikus (played by Sharlto Copley) from District 9:

Sharlto Copley as Wikus in District 9



Initial reactions from the forum seem to be that his ‘weapon’ is an alien spray-type of thing, a flamethrower, or both. Forum member and staff writer Scott points out that the canister on top of the gun is remarkably similar to the canister Wikus sprays himself with in the trailer:


Scott's analysis of the District 9 picture


However, forum member Ronan adds to his theory that it’s a mix of both alien spray and a flamethrower with his analysis:


Ronan's idea of Wikus' weapon


So what do you think it could be? What are your ideas on the new pic, as well as Wikus’ firearm? Is this something he has customized himself? Is it something provided to him by the aliens somehow? Leave your thoughts in the comments!


Stay tuned this week for our Com-Con coverage of District 9, which will open in theaters everywhere on August 14th, 2009.

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Viral Campaign for Disney’s “Tron” Sequel

July 21, 2009 By

A couple film blogs were sent these packages from a San Diego company known as ‘PMB’. Inside were these tokens:

Tron Tokens

That is, indeed, the same Flynn known as the ‘Home of Tron’ from the first movie. Also in the packages were thumb drives with these images, labeled as ’4.gif’:

Tron Viral Image

That is some very strange code in those images. Does anyone have any idea as to what it could mean?

But it doesn’t end there – this is where is gets good. The website JoBlo also received the same package, however their thumb drive had the image labeled as ’3.gif’. I’ve also heard of someone receiving the package with ’1.gif’, and the MovieBlog received image #2. I’m guessing that there were only 4 of these sent out, and they can now be decoded somehow. If you know what any of this means, by all means, contact us (News@MovieViral.com) and let us know!

Disney is probably going to have an extensive viral campaign for Tron 2 at this year’s Comic-Con (which you can follow here!).

Special thanks to FirstShowing for the heads-up.

UPDATE: Current found pieces-

So far FirstShowing, JoBlo, UGO and /Film have received these clues. Apparently it’s out of five, and we’re still looking for “5.gif”.

Email us if you find anything on this interesting viral.

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