Reels Facts & Opinions

FACT: Warner Bros. Pictures is developing a combination live-action/CG-animated movie featuring Pepe Le Pew, the lovesick French skunk and Looney Tunes character. Mike Myers will voice the amorous skunk who will be the sole CG character in this aside from Penelope Pussycat, the reluctant object of his affection. Everything else will be live-action.

OPINION: Perfect casting. Myers stinks up everything he does, so why not?

FACT: Peter Jackson may be taking his toys and leaving the sandbox. There are reports that THE HOBBIT producer (and most likely director) will be moving the entire production out of New Zealand to The Gold Coast, a city in the Australian state of Queensland. No reports on what would come of the rebuilt Shire set, which gardeners have been caretaking for over a year.

OPINION: This has good and bad points to it. A good thing is that this may be the move needed to finally get the production green lighted. As of this writing, the pesky actors’ union was still holding things up. The bad point is it’s a shame that we won’t see any familiar locations in THE HOBBIT, which would physically and visually bridge the gap with THE LORD OF THE RINGS. It’s worth noting that 10 years ago when LOTR went into production (yes, it’s been that long), people scoffed at the fact that the little country of New Zealand would be the home to Middle-earth. PJ showed ‘em, and he just may show us again.

FACT: A recent Warner Bros. release states that Part 1 of HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS will NOT be released in 3D, as the film would not be converted in time. Part 2 is expected to get the 3D treatment.

OPINION: Perhaps Warner Bros. learned their lesson from the CLASH OF THE TITANS debacle, which was a visual disaster thanks to the rush to get it converted. Warner seems to have at least one person who understands that if they screw up these last two films, there will be hordes of angry wizards and witches storming the gates.

What say you?