“Madagascar 2: Escape 2 Africa” Poster and New Photos

Nine new images and poster for the upcoming DreamWorks Animation-led sequel Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa have popped up online courtesy of a USA Today feature. The film brings back returning stars Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Cedric the Entertainer, Andy Richter and Sascha Baron Cohen. Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath co-directed.

To get off Madagascar, the New Yorkers have hatched a plan so crazy it just might work. With military precision, the penguins have repaired an old crashed plane - sort of. Once aloft, this unlikely crew stays airborne just enough to make it to the wildest place of all - the vast plains of Africa itself - where our zoo-raised crew encounter species of their own kind for the very first time. While discovering their roots, they quickly realize the difference between the concrete jungle and the heart of Africa. Despite long-lost relatives, romantic rivals and scheming hunters, Africa seems like a “crack-a-lackin” great place… but is it better than their Central Park home?

“Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa” hits theaters on November 7th 2008.

More images here

Spielberg’s DreamWorks to remake ‘Yomigaeri’

A new remake of a Japanese smash hit is in development over at DreamWorks and it’s a horror movie with a sci-fi element, but the horror elements aren’t really scary. Variety is reporting that Yomigaeri, a fantasy based on Shinji Kajio’s novel has had its rights acquired from Tokyo Broadcasting System by the house that Spielberg built. William Nicholson (”Gladiator“) is writing the screenplay while DreamWorks is eyeing a late 2008 start date.

A quick synopsis of the original film:

A boy who died during World War II turns up at the door of his now-ancient mother, looking the same, down to his burr haircut, as he did 58 years ago. Heita (Tsuyoshi Kusanagi), an elite bureaucrat for the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry, is called in to investigate and is flummoxed by what he discovers. But when he discusses the case with Aoi (Yuko Takeuchi), a colleague and childhood friend, she is brusquely dismissive. The number of cases keeps growing, however. 

‘Tropic Thunder’ Restricted Trailer

DreamWorks has released a restricted trailer for the upcoming “Tropic Thunder” film, featuring several crazy scenes from the movie and some of the hilarious past projects of Ben Stiller and Jack Black.

“Tropic Thunder” is a comedy about five actors who go on location and find themselves relying on their boot camp experiences when they get stuck in a real war-like situation.

The film stars Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr., Brandon T. Jackson and Jay Baruchel as a group of actors shooting a Platoon-esque war film in the jungle.

Tropic Thunder hits theaters on August 15.

Watch “Tropic Thunder” movie trailer after jump Read the rest of this entry

DreamWorks Grabs Rights for ‘Ghost in the Shell’ Manga

DreamWorks Pictures has acquired rights to the Japanese manga Ghost in the Shell with plans to adapt the futuristic police thriller as a 3-D live-action feature. Avi Arad, Ari Arad and Steven Paul of Seaside Entertainment are attached to produce and brought the project to the studio. Jamie Moss has been hired to write the adaptation.”‘Ghost in the Shell’ is one of my favorite stories,” Spielberg said. “It’s a genre that has arrived, and we enthusiastically welcome it to DreamWorks.”

DreamWorks president of production Adam Goodman said “Ghost in the Shell” is a property “that epitomizes 3-D live-action motion picture possibilities.”

Plot Concept:
The story follows the exploits of a member of a covert ops unit of the Japanese National Public Safety Commission that specializes in fighting technology-related crime.

Created by Masamune Shirow, “Ghost in the Shell” was first published in 1989. It went on to generate two additional manga editions, three anime film adaptations, an anime TV series and three video games. The second anime film, Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, was released in the U.S. by DreamWorks in 2004.

Ben Stiller Producer And Star In ‘The Return of King Doug’

Ben Stiller is attached to produce and possibly star in “The Return of King Doug,” an adaptation of an upcoming Oni Press graphic novel whose film rights were picked up by DreamWorks.Written by Greg Erb and Jason Oremland, “King” centers on a man who must return to the fantasy world which he abandoned 30 years earlier. Erb and Oremland will also write the screenplay.

Stiller, Stuart Cornfeld and Jeremy Kramer will produce through their DreamWorks-based Red Hour Productions.

Eric Gitter, one of the partners at Oni, will also produce through his Closed on Mondays Entertainment, the shingle which acts as Oni’s production arm. Peter Schwerin is executive producing.

Holly Bario will oversee the project for DreamWorks.

Portland, Ore.-based Oni has several projects set around town, including “Courtney Crumrin and the Night Things” and “The Damned,” both at DreamWorks.

Erb and Oremland are a screenwriting duo who hail from animation, having worked on “Frog Princess” and “Fraidy Cat,” both at Disney. They are repped by UTA and the Safran Company.

UTA-repped Stiller stars in the upcoming comedy “Tropic Thunder,” which he also directed and produced via Red Hour, and is prepping to shoot “Night at the Museum II: Escape From the Smithsonian.” His Red Hour was behind the horror movie “The Ruins,” which opens April 4.

‘Monsters vs Aliens’ - First Look

‘Monsters vs. Aliens‘ is directed by Rob Letterman (who directed Shark Tale) and Conrad Vernon (who directed Shrek 2), two very experienced DreamWorks team members.

Susan Murphy aka Ginormica (voiced by Reese Witherspoon), is a modern-day California girl who has the bad luck to be hit by a meteor on her wedding day and grows to be 49 feet, 11½ inches tall.

Aside from Witherspoon, other actors joining the film include Hugh Laurie (Dr. Cockroach, PhD), Seth Rogen (the jellylike B.O.B.), Will Arnett (the half-ape, half-fish Missing Link), Kiefer Sutherlan (Gen. W.R. Monger) and Stephen Colbert (the president), and finally, Rainn Wilson (the evil alien Gallaxhar).

The film hits theaters on March 27th, 2009.