http://www.ultramarinesthemovie.com/ (http://www.ultramarinesthemovie.com/)
:o
Not much there yet, but anyone else seen this and desperately hoping it'll be good? If the Dawn of War intros were anything to go by the animation should be excellent, I just hope they've got a professional to write the script so it doesn't end up being 70 minutes of KILLSMASHGOREBLAMBLAMDIEFILTHYXENOS and all that malarkey. They've got a real chance to do something good here.
QuoteI just hope they've got a professional to write the script so it doesn't end up being 70 minutes of KILLSMASHGOREBLAMBLAMDIEFILTHYXENOS and all that malarkey.
Frankly, if it does, I don't care. A CGI movie from Codex for 40k will hold my attention for 70 mins even if the dialogue is restricted to "AAAAARGH!" "WAAAAGH!" "GRRRR!" "YAAAA!".
R.
It would hold my attention, but I'd be a bit disappointed that I've wanted to see a 40k film since I got into it 10 years or so ago, and I want them to make the most of it.
Same reason that I liked the Dawn of War 2 trailer more than the original Dawn of War intro - it probably had less violence overall, but the dialogue was more than just "Yarr!". The Sergeant and the Eldar even managed to get one-liners off at each other as she died.
I wonder who the enemy will be? Tyranids would be traditional for Ultramarines, but the massive bug armies have been done before. Eldar, Orks and Chaos all have significant backing too though, and have been primary foes in other production.
To be honest, I'm also pleasantly surprised they're moving back to their Ultramarine standard, given the Blood Ravens got the Dawn of War games and Blood Angels got Space Hulk.
Quote from: Simeon Blackstar on October 04, 2009, 09:20:28 PMTo be honest, I'm also pleasantly surprised they're moving back to their Ultramarine standard, given the Blood Ravens got the Dawn of War games and Blood Angels got Space Hulk.
Ultramarines are the "safest" chapter to use as they're completely vanilla in every sense of the word. Hence they are the default way of saying "Hey look, this is your average space marine!"
I'm sorry but I just can't believe that this is going to be any good. I will be happy to be proven wrong but... Ultramarines? the film. I'd rather watch High School Musical (and for anyone that knows me thats something I REALLY don't want to do EVER)
Adam
I'm secretly excited, but openly pessimistic. We all know what happened to the Blood Quest movie... ::)
At least we know it will not be stop animation using 28 mm minis.
I merely hope they do not mistake bolters for machine guns, like in the intro for DoW:Dark Crusade.
That annoyed me.
Well this is an interesting development
A shame they didn't just rekindle the Blood Quest (which was mostly done and some of what I have seen is excellent)
It had a good script and a good plot just a shame that the production company went belly up.
I wonder if GW will pull out again (Like Bloodquest)
I'm suspicious that this will be another "Oh look at how awesomely powerful and unstoppable Space Marines are, with only 10 marines we can conquer a planet etc etc etc."
Still looking forward to it and the possibility of other ventures coming to light.
Fingers crossed, but I won't hold my breath for anything exceptional.
I would say the most important thing with this is if the sales figures of this DVD are good enough, then it would give GW extra leverage if another true live-action film was to be proposed by a major studio.
Quote from: Gestalt on October 05, 2009, 04:49:42 PM
Fingers crossed, but I won't hold my breath for anything exceptional.
GW seem to be getting pickier about who they licence to these days. Anyone remember the first leaked footage of the Space Marine console game due out next year? The game reportedly was tried out in that state by members of the GW design studio, who universally panned the game, which in turn resulted in the company responsible for the work up to that point being taken off the project and THQ putting Relic Entertainment (the people responsible for the Dawn of War series) to work on the game instead.
GW seem quite intent on keeping the quality of licenced works as high as possible (presumably because it means the licence remains something they can keep on making money from), which bodes well for projects like this...
one is failing to see any relevance to interesting stuff.. like Inquisitor.. we all know it's gonna be little more than Ultramarines wandering around showing how heroic they are ::)
now Damnatus... ;D
Quote from: greenstuff_gav on October 06, 2009, 11:49:38 PM
one is failing to see any relevance to interesting stuff.. like Inquisitor.. we all know it's gonna be little more than Ultramarines wandering around showing how heroic they are ::)
now Damnatus... ;D
Who knows, they could surprise us all and do a straight port of Nightbringer, the first book in the Utramarines/Iron Warriors series.
It wouldn't surprise me if the film was just 300 with space marines (I.E. One of those "We are invincible!" "Look how awesome we are!" "Nippleman*" movies,) but I hope that the GW brain-trust have the wisdom to make the film into something more than this.
Long story short, I expect the worst, but hope for the best.
*= Nippleman was a short-lived internet animation which featured the superhero 'nippleman'. His superpower was that if he touched his nipple, "the problem" would go away. So, if the planet was being invaded by aliens, with one touch of his omnipotent nipple, the aliens would vanish, and all the people who had been killed by the invaders would spring back to life as if nothing had happened. If his house was on fire, one touch of his nipple would put out the flames and reverse all the damage that they had done. Essentially, Nippleman was totally unbeatable and the animations were intended as a satire of superheroes who are unbeatable. When a hero is the one with all the power and the villain is weak, the story is not very entertaining, as there is no risk of failure.
Quote from: Ynek on October 07, 2009, 06:43:17 PM(I.E. One of those "We are invincible!" "Look how awesome we are!" "Nippleman*" movies,)
Unlikely, IMO. Look at the other recent (licenced) Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 computer animation (that is, the intro movies for various computer games). With the exception of the trailer for Space Marine, they all demonstrate a 'good doesn't always win' approach (the original WAR trailer ended with the Warrior Priest having his skull caved in, while the intro FMV shows blows dealt by both sides and ends without a conclusion; the Warhammer: Mark of Chaos video ends without a conclusion, but includes the Warrior Priest protagonist being brought down by his foes. Dawn of War's opening video sees every Space Marine cut down, while the one for Dawn of War II ends with a Blood Ravens officer alone against a Lictor). GW's settings are generally presented with that notion in mind as far as I can tell - the heroes aren't always the victors, and even the mightiest are not beyond death...
Our greatest honour is dying knowing our duty is done
(I think I may have just spoiled the ending ;D)
Quote from: Necris on October 08, 2009, 09:00:24 AM
Our greatest honour is dying knowing our duty is done
(I think I may have just spoiled the ending ;D)
They could do worse than an ending like that. The whole 'noble sacrifice' thing is very 40kish.
noble sacrifice for the good of the Imperium is kinda the reason for most of their armies
Fear us for we are the Imperium we count the lives of worlds not the lives of men.
I don't know if anyones checked back on this site recently, but they've announced the writer as none other than Mr Abnett himself. make of that what you will.
Quote from: Website
Codex Pictures revealed today the director and screenwriter for the forthcoming Warhammer 40,000 movie ULTRAMARINES.
The director is Martyn Pick, whose credits include the 2009 film The Age of Stupid, on which he was animation director; London 2012, the promotional film commissioned by Film London and the London Development Agency which was premiered at the Beijing Olympics; the 2001 US Budweiser NBA commercial; and the celebrated BBC promotional trailers for the Euro 2004 soccer tournament. Martyn was chosen to direct Ultramarines for his renowned and highly distinctive ability to fuse live action and animation and the fluid, rich painterly style of his film-making.
The screenplay has been written by someone who needs no introduction to Warhammer 40,000 fans – best-selling author Dan Abnett. Dan has penned more than 25 books for Games Workshop's Black Library, with total sales in excess of 1.2 million copies. He also works regularly for 2000 AD, Marvel Comics and DC Comics and has recently seen publication of the first of three novels for HarperCollins' new sci-fi, fantasy and horror imprint, Angry Robot.
ULTRAMARINES, a sci-fi thriller employing CGI and state-of-the-art production techniques, is being produced by Codex Pictures in association with Good Story Productions Ltd. The Canadian co-producer is POP6 Studios.
whilst I am a huge fan of Mr Abnett's fiction (come on take a shot at me clavers you know you want to) his screen play leaves a lot to be desired. Look at those episodes of torchwood...
Which episodes did he write?
Not to mention his work for Boom! Studios...
R.
Quote from: Adam Cunis on November 27, 2009, 02:14:11 AMLook at those episodes of torchwood...
what episodes did he write?? I know he wrote the rather good Border Princes from the first set of Torchwood books, didn't know he'd written an episode.
Quote from: Heroka Vendile on November 27, 2009, 06:33:57 PM
Quote from: Adam Cunis on November 27, 2009, 02:14:11 AMLook at those episodes of torchwood...
what episodes did he write?? I know he wrote the rather good Border Princes from the first set of Torchwood books, didn't know he'd written an episode.
From a quick search of the internet, it doesn't appear that he has written any episodes of Torchwood - he's written the abovementioned novel, Border Princes, and a Torchwood audiobook called Everyone Says Hello, but that's all he's done for them to date (alongside a Doctor Who novel and two Doctor Who audiobooks, and a number of Doctor Who comics in the late 80s and early 90s). As far as I can find, he's never done any writing for television or cinema to date - Ultramarines will be the first of that sort of media that he's written.
He has written a good number of comics, though, which have a very similar style to movie screenplays in layout.
R.
Among the black library regulars he's probably the pick, (which is to say mediocre, admittedly)and at least has plenty of 40K background under his belt. He fits with the apparent (to me) theme of making a fairly standard 40K based CGI without too much ambition. I don't think, as a choice, he affects the 3% chance it'll be any good either way.
Quote from: precinctomega on November 28, 2009, 08:51:14 AM
He has written a good number of comics, though, which have a very similar style to movie screenplays in layout.
R.
Sinister Dexter anyone? i seem to recall he did some of Durham Red too?
A Quick Wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_works_by_Dan_Abnett#2000_AD) confirms :D
hmm. my bad. Torchwood was awful anyway... guess thats not the point here though.
Quote from: greenstuff_gav on November 28, 2009, 01:47:43 PM
Quote from: precinctomega on November 28, 2009, 08:51:14 AM
He has written a good number of comics, though, which have a very similar style to movie screenplays in layout.
R.
Sinister Dexter anyone? i seem to recall he did some of Durham Red too?
A Quick Wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_works_by_Dan_Abnett#2000_AD) confirms :D
And Superman. And Batman. And currently, pretty much everything that Marvel's done in the last year or so that's not set on Earth. He started his career with Comics, and then moved to novels later. He has, from something he mentioned at GenCon UK in 2008, even been asked to ghost-write as Tom Clancy, though he didn't take up the offer.