Godzilla 2012: Brian Rogers On Legendary Pictures Film Plans

The 3D Summit in Universal City, CA was full of treasures that were right before you, even if many in the media didn't notice. Not so here. Godzilla 2012 Producer Brian Rogers took time from his event obligations as a panelist to talk about Legendary Pictures plans for the iconic film monster.

Already, without being embeded on any blog or website until now, the video interview is causing chatter on this blogger's Zennie62 YouTube page.

As a way of introducing the mostly-unknown Mr. Rogers to fans and observers, we talked about how he came to be involved in the picture slated for release in 2012. "That's the targeted release date," Rogers said. It's a fairly large project to set up, and everything so we're aiming for that point, or Legendary's aiming for that point and we hope we can actually make it."

Rogers said he got involved in the project via two Japanese gentlemen he met several years ago. One of the pair said he had the rights to do a Godzilla movie as an IMAX 3D project. "That person was Mr. Banno," Rogers said, speaking of Yoshimitsu Banno, and continued, "who had been a company director at Toho for 35 years and had directed Godzilla Versus Hedorah."

(As a note, Yoshimitsu Banno was ultimately banned from making future Godzilla films in 1971, but is back in action with Rogers for this 3D Godzilla. Godzilla Versus Hedorah is also called Godzilla Versus The Smog Monster and one of my favorite Godzilla movies. Here's a famous scene, the one that reportedly angered Godzilla creator Tomoyuki Tanaka:



"We started down the road trying to develop the project and during those early days," Rogers explained, "and I started to see the handwriting on the wall in terms of 3D feature films and 3D digital projections and seeing IMAX 3D pull back as a possible venue."

Rogers said that in 2007 they "went back and met with Toho to actually make the 3D version of Godzilla. And it did actually take a huge amount of time to get those negotiations and get a licensing agreement to the point that we had the ability to do a 3D feature film project."

Of all of the studio companies Rogers and his partners talked to, Legendary Pictures was the one that stepped forward, ready to join them.

Legendary: Rebooted Batman, Rebooting Godzilla

Legendary Pictures is the Santa Monica-based studio ran by Thomas Tull and best known for its movies Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, which successfully rebooted the iconic DC Comics character, expertly played by Christian Bale. Brian says Legendary is eager to work the same magic with Godzilla.

For those who have bad memories of the 1998 Godzilla film with Matthew Broadrick, relax. Rogers aays Legendary is committed to a reboot of Godzilla that remains faithful to the original radioactive monster. (Which means there will be "a breath thing" as Roland Emerich referred to Godzilla's radioactive fire-breath, when asked if his 1998 Goszilla would do that. Really, it didn't. There was a bad-breath thing, but not a Godzilla-breath effect.)

Legendary doesn't want Godzilla fans to worry that they plan anything resembling the "Iguana Godzilla" of 1998. Not the case.

Dispelling Internet Rumors

Brian Rogers helped put the official word out on some Internet rumors.  The strongest one concerned a photo of a kind of dragon's head that looked like it could be for the Godzilla movie and is presented in this paragraph.  Rogers said it wasn't for the movie and called Legendary Pictures just to make sure they didn't put out anything his production partners weren't aware of.  It's not Godzilla.

The others concern, first, the number of monsters joining Godzilla.  Rogers confirmed that Godzilla will have a monster villain to battle, and possibility multiple monsters.   Second, he also said Godzilla fighting the U.S. Army, as in the 1998 Godzilla, would not be a part of this 21st Century 3D Godzilla.  (Besides, with America in such a bad deficit situation, could the Army afford to fight Godzilla?)

Finally, at Comic Con 2010, The Legendary Pictures booth featured a film of segments from each of their film and entertainment products, including Godzilla.  But in the case of Godzilla, there was an animated scene that had the viewer looking at a destroyed city (Toyko?) through the eyes of a walking Godzilla, hundreds of feet in the air.  I asked the PR rep if Godzilla was to be animated, and referred to the film clip.  She said yes, but she wasn't sure.

Brian Rogers officially confirmed that was a no. It's going to be live action 3D with Godzilla computer generated, but the film will not be an animated Godzilla.

Godzilla 2012: An Exciting Development

I'm confident Brian Rogers and his partners are going to produce a Godzilla that will reestablish the great beast as King Of All Movie Monsters. If the movie is as good as our conversation, Godzilla will be an unforgettable hit.

Stay tuned.

Anchorage Feels Quake: Alaska Earthquake Information Center

The Alaska Earthquake Information Center reports that Southern Alaska was hit by an earthquake. Large at 4.9 on the Richter Scale according to the US Geological Survey, the quake of 3:22 PM PDT is one of several that have struck Southern Alaska over the last day alone.

KTNA of Talkeena, Alaska reports:

The Alaska Earthquake Information Center located an earthquake that occurred at about 1:25 (this)Monday afternoon with a preliminary magnitude of 4.9. The quake was located at a depth of 26 miles and centered 13 miles southwest of Anchorage, 25 miles northwest of Hope and 43 miles south of Willow.

The event was widely felt across southern Alaska, with strongest shaking felt in Anchorage. Many people there reported shifting furniture and items falling off shelves. No reports of heavy damage have been received.

The quake was centered 26 miles below the earth and just 13 miles Southwest of Anchorage.

Huffington Post Gets Howard Fineman; Quits Newsweek

Howard Fineman, well-known Washington D.C. Columnist, MSNBC Hardball Personality, and Facebook and Twitter friend to this blogger, has joined the staff of The Huffington Post, leaving Newsweek.

Fineman was Newsweek's Chief Political Correspondent until he heard the siren song of Arianna Huffington's voice and left print for the greener pastures of the Internet. According to The New York Times MediaDecoder, Fineman said the Internet's where the action is. He's right.

Howard Fineman follows a long list of journalists who've left print for the Internet, some succeeding, but most not. The Daily Beast, steered by print media exec Tina Brown, is still trying to find its readership base. According to a quick analysis on Alexa.com, The Daily Beast is six times smaller than The Huffington Post in daily reach. It is now the focus of a new possible arrangement merging it with Newsweek.

Yes. Newsweek online.

If a talk that reportedly was held over cocktails at the Four Seasons in Georgetown between The Daily Beast investor Barry Diller and Newsweek's new owner Sidney Harman materializes as reported in The NY Post, then Brown would take The Daily Beast and transform it into Newsweek online while working to turn-around the failing print magazine.

Since Harman took over, Newsweek staff have jumped ship for other media efforts, mostly online.

Stay tuned.

Metro North Bridge Fire That Stalled New York Traffic, Re-Opened

The giant Metro-North Bridge, a railroad bridge that serves trains going in and out of Grand Central Station, was the scene of a fire Monday, according to The New York Times.



Speculation is that the fire itself broke out as the result of a transformer that went supercritical and blew up, sending a giant plume of smoke thousands of feet into the air, and visible all the way to New Jersey.

The reason for the fire that was stated has not been confirmed as of this writing.

The blaze itself spread due to the placement of wood pilings that surround the bridge's steel footings at the waterline.

The bridge itself is known by several names: The 138th Street Bridge, The Park Avenue Lift Bridge, and The Metro North Bridge. The trains through the bridge into Manhattan also serve Harlem.

Metro North Bridge Re-Opens

As of this writing, the Metro North Bridge fire was brought under control and the bridge has reopened and did so at 1:35 PM EDT. Traffic is operating in both directions.

There's still no word of what caused the fire to breakout, stopping traffic at 11:30 AM EDT Monday morning.

Arrest Warrant Issued for Lindsay Lohan by Tina

An arrest warrant was just issued for Lindsay Lohan. She failed two drug tests - one for cocaine and the other for amphetamines - and her probation has been revoked by the LA judge. Even though a warrant was issued, it is on hold pending her court date on Friday.

The papers were just filed in court stating what the drug was for her second failed test. Amphetamines were the drug found in the second test, however, Adderall, the drug Lindsay was prescribed, is an amphetamine.

But didn't the UCLA people say she wasn't hooked on it? Who do we believe here? The people who are testing the urine or the people who analyzed her? Could Lindsay have been fooling them all along?

Tyler Colvin Video - Chest Impale Case For Body Armor?

Chicago Cubs Rightfielder Tyler Colvin was impaled by wood from a broken, flying bat during the game against the Florida Marlins on Sunday. The incident has resulted in a massive online search for "Tyler Colvin Video;" you can see it here as of this writing:

But the question is why don't Major League Baseball players wear body armor? Consider that players already have helmets used when at bat.

Given what happened to Tyler Colvin, one has to consider all of the possible ways a player can be harmed either by a wild pitch, a broken bat, players sliding into a base, or other possible occurrences.

It's hard to see how something like the equivalent of a light bulletproof vest would be limiting. We certainly have the technology to make it.

Oh, the Cubs won 13 to 3.

Paris Hilton Will Plead Guilty in Las Vegas This Morning by Tina

Paris Hilton looks like she might be taking responsibility for her actions, finally. That, or her lawyer told her it was time she better look like it or she could do some serious jail time. Either way, Paris will admit guilt on two counts in the Las Vegas county where she was caught with cocaine.

Paris has to admit lying to cops about the Twittered picture purse she said wasn't hers and for carrying the coke. In return, she has no jail time and one year of probation. Can she keep clean for one year? Lindsay only had to do it for a few months and managed three weeks. How long can Paris go?

It will probably be a media frenzy outside the courthouse, so stay tuned for more pictures and updates when it happens in an hour or so!