Another TOP Secret movie from JJ Abrams. As his fans know all too well, Abrams and his tight-knit group enjoy dropping breadcrumbs and teasing the audience with outside the box ideas. These mysterious elements sometimes link such diverse universes and have proven immensely popular so we have no reason to not belive that Super 8 movie will be one of those. Lets wait and see.
Abrams pays tribute to Spielberg
June, 27. 2010.
JJ Abrams knows what he's playing at. Best known as the master manipulator behind the many mysteries of Lost, he's carved himself an enviable place as one of Hollywood's most sought after talents. Outside of the small screen, he reinvented the previously dusty Star Trek franchise last year and also produced the monstrous thriller Cloverfield. It was the expertly drawn-out campaign for the latter which highlighted one of Abrams's most distinctive strengths: his ability to create hype.
From the initial, shocking trailer to the proceeding seven months worth of clues, misdirection and general toying with the public, Cloverfield didn't need any stars or even a catchy title to open big; the work had been done via word of mouth. Two years later, and Abrams is at it again. Last month, it emerged that another "secret" movie was in the works. No sooner had this information "leaked" than a teaser trailer cropped up, attached to US prints of Iron Man 2.
The 90-second video follows a truck as it purposefully derails a train, which we are told is carrying something that was found in Area 51, circa 1979. Once the carnage ensues, the trailer leaves us witnessing an attempted break-out from one of the carriages. What lies inside the carriage is unknown.
Paramount casting call was something totaly different
June, 2. 2010.
As per usual, it looks as though rumors as to just what a super secret Paramount casting call was for, happened to be a little off mark.
According to Production Weekly (via The Playlist), a recent Paramount casting call asking for 13 to 14-year-old mid-Western teens is for Bad Robot’s upcoming remake of the 1980 Tatum O’Neal/Kristy McNichol starring teen comedy, LITTLE DARLINGS.
Prior thought amongst most people was that the casting call was for J.J. Abrams forthcoming Steven Spielberg homage, SUPER 8. However, it looks to be for their upcoming DARLINGS remake, a film that follows two teen girls from “different sides of the tracks” as they race to see who can lose their virginity first while at summer camp.
Well that was a bit anti-climactic. While I’m far more interested in SUPER 8, it is nice to see some movement on DARLINGS, a project that has been stagnant for some time now. The original is a really interesting film, and is just the type of film that deserves a remake. A little seen film that didn’t quite work completely, that tells a really interesting story. Now if this means the film will actually kick off production, then we would be fine.
Paramount lunches open casting call. Is it for 'Super 8'?
May, 27. 2010.
Earlier tonight Paramount sent out a casting notice searching for three leads in an upcoming feature film. The three leads all range between 13 and 14 years old, and all three must come with a "Midwestern feel". Paramount doesn't mention the name of the film, which was strange because moments before they sent a casting notice for Footloose, mentioning that title. Looking over Paramount's upcoming slate, I can't seem to find a lot of films that would be a good fit for three 14-year-old kids from the Midwest, though there is one that definitely sticks out.
J.J. Abrams' Super 8 is scheduled to begin production this fall, so there's a very good chance they'd be looking to cast up right now. Plus, this is a low-budget affair, so the fact that they're looking for unknowns -- and it's Abrams -- doesn't surprise me in the least. He wants this to look and feel like an old school Spielberg film from the early '80s, and getting three kids with that wholesome, Midwestern "Gee, whatcha think that is?" kinda vibe was pretty much expected. We've contacted Paramount to see if this is indeed Super 8, though if it is we don't expect them to get back to us. We'll certainly update as soon as we have more info.
Check out the casting notice after the jump ...
Seeking 13-14 year old Boys & Girls for the lead roles in a new Paramount feature film. No previous acting experience is necessary, but must have great energy and a wonderful sense of humor and thoughtfulness.
JOSH: Male 13-14. Josh is cute, but could be on the scrawny side – definitely not the school jock. Loveable, empathetic, smart and interesting. Must have a great sense of humor. Should have a Midwestern feel.
COLLIN: Male 13-14. Slightly, or more than slightly, overweight. Collin is confident, driven, optimistic and a natural leader. Must have a great sense of humor. Should have a Midwestern feel.
NATALIE: Female 13-14. A natural beauty – she is stunning, but not the "cheerleader" type. Strong and confident, but has an underlying sadness. Should have a Midwestern feel.
The viral ad / backstory campaign for the J.J. Abrams film Super 8 kicked into gear in a big way earlier this week with a series of frames at the end of the teaser trailer that point obliquely to a website, ScariestThingIEverSaw.
Quite a few small clues were available at the site right off, but the most significant ones led explorers to a countdown clock. That countdown expired last night, which opened a new section of the website and gave access to a couple of new images, which you can see below.
None of the work uncovering these clues is ours — it has been done by WikiBruce and Unfiction forum members, and collated by MovieViral. For anyone who says that a super-detailed viral campaign is too much for a casual viewer, why not just let the hardcore viral fans have their fun and do the work, and then spend a few minutes perusing the results?
Paramount Pictures has finally released the official high definition quicktime movie trailer for the Steven Spielberg - produced JJ Abrams-directed super secret project Super 8. You may have watched a bootlegged handicam version on YouTube over the weekend, but now it is officially online.
The teaser trailer is sure to wet your appetiate, and head on over to our post Everthing We Know About Super 8 to learn more. Also, hidden within the trailer are easter eggs which launched a viral promotion.
After so much hyperbole floating around online about the "Super 8" trailer this week, Borys Kit has cut through the chatter and has written up a report for Heat Vision dealing with the facts of the case.
In the interests of keeping it brief - if there's one thing viral marketing is good at it's creating endless streams of electronic nonsense - here's the bullet points:
J.J. Abrams and Steven Spielberg began collaborating on a hush-hush project a year ago called "Super 8".
Abrams has written the original script and will direct the film this Fall. The budget will be in the $45 million-$50 million range.
Paramount Pictures will release the film next Summer. Amblin and Bad Robot are producing.
The film HAS NOTHING to do with "Cloverfield". It will be shot traditionally, NOT handicam style like "Cloverfield".
With "Star Trek 2" not due till June 2012, Abrams could still direct that after "Super 8" if he choses to do so.
The 90-second trailer was shot independently of the actual film shot about a month ago and has been put assembled in the past few weeks.
Abrams says " 'Super 8' has nothing to do with 'Cloverfield' "
May, 5. 2010.
The mystery around J.J. Abrams' new trailer and film keeps growing. We reported yesterday that a trailer for Abrams's secret project supposedly entitled Super 8 will be attached to prints of Iron Man 2 this weekend, with some sources claiming that the trailer would be the first glimpse at a Cloverfield sequel. Now Vulture spoke to Abrams himself, who said that the trailer has nothing to do with Cloverfield.
"You have to check out the trailer," he told us. "But it has nothing whatsoever to do with Cloverfield, despite your expert reporting."
When asked the nature of the new trailer, Abrams cryptically replied, "I won't be able to tell you until it's done."
All we do know for now is that the trailer will indeed roll out in front of Iron Man 2 this weekend, but we'll be sure to keep you posted with any further news on this J.J. Abrams project as soon as more information becomes available.
Trailer debut for new J.J. Abrams movie 'Super 8' this week.
May, 4. 2010.
The last time "Star Trek" mastermind J.J. Abrams was working on a top-secret movie, it turned out to be "Cloverfield" — a game-changing blockbuster that would open with $46 million, nearly double its budget. Now that the writer/producer/director is hard at work on something that will finally be unveiled before showings of "Iron Man 2," movie fans have good reason to get excited.
According to New York magazine's Vulture, Abrams will premiere his trailer for "Super 8" before screenings of the new Marvel blockbuster that opens Friday. MTV News reached out to Abrams for comment, but he had not responded as of press time.
Like "Cloverfield," Abrams is producing the film, whose trailer reportedly shows "a bunch of kids who are shooting a movie with a Super 8 camera in the '70s or '80s. When they develop the film, they notice that there's an alien creature in the frame."
Here's where things get really interesting: The Vulture report speculates that "Super 8" is linked to "Cloverfield," possibly as a sequel or prequel.
As his fans know all too well, Abrams and his tight-knit group of co-collaborators enjoy dropping breadcrumbs and teasing the audience with outside-the-box ideas. These mysterious elements sometimes link such diverse universes as "Lost," "Alias" and "Star Trek" and have proven immensely popular with such fictional eccentricities as the Slusho! phenomenon. Back in early 2008, the question "What is 'Cloverfield'?" was on the lips of moviegoers all over the world, undoubtedly contributing to the film's success.
So what is "Super 8"? On Friday, millions of people might get their first clue.
