Spider-Man 2

[ono]

Now, see?  Look what Fellini started.

[Stefen]

They should call the next one SpiderMan 3: The Adult.

[MacGuffin]

Sony slinging 'Spidey 2' in 4K resolution

For the first time, an entire feature film will be projected digitally in 4K resolution when Sony Electronics debuts its next generation digital projector with a screening of "Spider-Man 2."

Set to take place Jan. 13 at the Hollywood Pacific Theater, the ground-breaking d-cinema exhibition offers two different divisions of Sony -- Sony Electronics and Sony Pictures Digital, along with its Sony Pictures Imageworks and sound mixing units -- the opportunity to come together to display their most advanced technologies. Fortuitously, the screening also will permit Sony to show off a pristine digital print of "Spider-Man 2" to an important cross-section of industry cognoscente in the midst of awards season.

Sony's first full-length 4K d-cinema display will be preceded by a behind-the-scenes presentation and panel discussion on "Spider-Man 2's" sound design, editing and visual effects work at the industry screening hosted by the Entertainment Technology Center's Digital Cinema Lab.

"Not only is Sony showcasing advances in digital projection," said Andrew Stucker, general manager of digital production systems at Sony Electronics, "but we're also highlighting the technology and the tools Sony has developed that support the artist and the art of filmmaking."

To that end, members of industry groups interested in d-cinema -- such as the DGA, the American Society of Cinematographers, the Motion Picture Editors Guild, the Motion Picture Sound Editors and the Visual Effects Society -- are expected to be invited to the screening, Stucker said.

"We were very excited by the possibility of doing this," said Don Levy, senior vp marketing and communications at Sony Pictures Entertainment. "We see it as an opportunity to expose the film and the projector to a wider industry audience and create excitement around seeing an exciting movie."

Although the timing could benefit "Spider-Man's" awards hopes, Sony execs insisted that the demonstration, which requires different parts of the company to work together closely, is not just an awards season gambit but came about organically.

"Even going back 10 years there's always been a desire from a top corporate level for the companies to find common ground," Stucker said. "But it's never been a forced issue by any stretch. We're in independent business groups, but if we can find opportunities for our objectives to align, then by all means it is encouraged and taken up by smart people like Don Levy."

Levy said that the timing was predicated on the availability of the projector as well as having an original 4K master of "Spider-Man 2."

Sony's 4K projector debuted in June at ETC and was taken back to the lab because of issues of shading and color uniformity. Execs had planned to show the tweaked projector again this month or early in the new year.

The new d-cinema projector displays 4K (4096 x 2160) resolution, and "Spider-Man 2" is one of the first films mastered at 4K resolution, execs said. As a result, the screening will be the first to demonstrate a closed-loop of 4K digital technology from master to display.

Although the visual effects in "Spider-Man 2" were created in 2K resolution, as is standard for most visual effects shots, execs said that the resolution of the shots was increased to 4K during the digital intermediate mastering process at eFilm.

"All the original camera negative was scanned to 4K," said Al Barton, vp digital cinema technology at Sony Pictures Entertainment. He said that about 43% of the film is unadulterated 4K camera negative, which does not contain visual effects shots.

The "Spider-Man 2" d-cinema master is 9.6 terabytes, pulled from a working total of 40-50 TBs of footage created during the filmmaking process. The film will be projected uncompressed from a master server -- in this case, the Silicon Graphics Onyx advanced visualization and SGI InfiniteStorage RM660 storage systems.

"We don't have the time to compress to the (DCI-compliant) JPEG2000 specification," Barton said. "For our next tests we will be looking at hours and hours of pictures compressed and uncompressed. Our main focus is showing that we have a digital system in place that has the ability to show better than a 35mm answer print.

[matt35mm]

That would be so boss to see.  Too bad the CGI was at 2K.

[NEON MERCURY]

That would be so boss to see.

i like your energy but please refrain from using that word again.

thanks

[MacGuffin]

Sony has just officially announced that a Spider-Man 2.1: Extended Cut DVD will be released on 4/17 (SLP $19.94). The 2-disc set will include 8 minutes of new footage added back into the film. Video will be anamorphic widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1 audio. Extras will include an introduction by producers Grant Curtis and Avi Arad, the Inside 2.1 featurette, audio commentary by producer Laura Ziskin and screenwriter Alvin Sargent, and an exclusive sneak peak at the upcoming Spider-Man 3.

[picolas]

he's jumping right into octopus. tactical mistake.

[Ravi]

This double-dip is completely necessary.

[MacGuffin]

Marvel spins Spider-Man into Broadway musical
Source: Hollywood Reporter

Get ready for "Spider-Man: The Broadway Musical."

That may not be the official title, but Marvel Studios is putting the pieces together for a musical on the Great White Way starring the popular superhero, which will be directed by Tony winner Julie Taymor, with U2's Bono and the Edge creating new music and lyrics for the project.

Auditions are taking place, and a reading is scheduled for the summer. No dates for a Broadway opening have been set.

Producing are Hello Entertainment/David Garfinkle, Martin McCallum, Marvel Entertainment and Sony Pictures Entertainment. In addition to co-producing the show, Hello Entertainment is arranging all financing for the project.

While the Spider-Man musical marks the first time a Marvel character has been the subject of a Broadway show, it's not the first time a superhero has hit the stage. Superman was in the spotlight of "It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman," which opened at the Alvin Theatre in 1966. Despite fairly positive reviews, it closed a few months later.

Before becoming Marvel chairman, David Maisel spearheaded the 1999 best musical Tony winner "Fosse."

Taymor won two Tonys for direction and costume design for the Broadway production of "The Lion King."

[bonanzataz]

Marvel spins Spider-Man into Broadway musical
Source: Hollywood Reporter

Get ready for "Spider-Man: The Broadway Musical."

That may not be the official title, but Marvel Studios is putting the pieces together for a musical on the Great White Way starring the popular superhero, which will be directed by Tony winner Julie Taymor, with U2's Bono and the Edge creating new music and lyrics for the project.

Auditions are taking place, and a reading is scheduled for the summer. No dates for a Broadway opening have been set.

Producing are Hello Entertainment/David Garfinkle, Martin McCallum, Marvel Entertainment and Sony Pictures Entertainment. In addition to co-producing the show, Hello Entertainment is arranging all financing for the project.

While the Spider-Man musical marks the first time a Marvel character has been the subject of a Broadway show, it's not the first time a superhero has hit the stage. Superman was in the spotlight of "It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman," which opened at the Alvin Theatre in 1966. Despite fairly positive reviews, it closed a few months later.

Before becoming Marvel chairman, David Maisel spearheaded the 1999 best musical Tony winner "Fosse."

Taymor won two Tonys for direction and costume design for the Broadway production of "The Lion King."

they did one of these at the universal studios theme park. it was fucking hot-larious. they sang bonnie tyler's "holding out for a hero." let's hope this one's just as good, considering it costs just as much money and they don't have jaws.