The story is set on the island of Berk, where fighting dragons is a way of life. We follow dragon slayer in training, teenage Viking, Hiccup, who has a colourful sense of humour and a longing to prove himself worthy of being a fighter. He faces a captured dragon, whom he cannot bring himself to kill (being totally cute and adorable helps in this case). Hiccup and the dragon become friends and this sparks the course for a new future for his entire tribe—if he can only get them to understand.

more How to Train Your Dragon pictures

‘How to Train your Dragon‘ centers around a Viking teenager named Hiccup, who lives on the island of Berk, where fighting dragons is a way of life. The teen’s smarts and offbeat sense of humor don’t sit too well with his tribe or its chief…who just happens to be Hiccup’s father.

However, when Hiccup is included in Dragon Training with the other Viking teens, he sees his chance to prove he has what it takes to be a fighter. But when he encounters (and ultimately befriends) an injured dragon, his world is flipped upside down, and what started out as Hiccup’s one shot to prove himself turns into an opportunity to set a new course for the future of the entire tribe.

Trailer – How to Train Your Dragon on MovieSet – A comedy adventure set in the mythical world of burly Vikings and wild dragons.

More from ‘How to Train your Dragon‘ including videos, pictures and news

It’s 9:30 pm and I am finally in my room, sitting down writing. Today’s activity is already beginning to blur. So quick, before I forget, here’s the update.

Disney Goes UP in 3D

Disney kicked off the morning with an amazing preview of their upcoming 3D Digital movies. They rolled out a spectacular presentation featuring glimpses of some of their library titles which will be getting new life with new 3D releases, as well as new movies to be released in both 2 and 3D. The growth of the 3D market is staggering with approximately 2,000 3D screens in 1,500 locations currently showing 3D films. They stated that with this rate of growth it would not be too long before it made sense to release a 3D movie in wide general release. It will be interesting to see with the economic slowdown if that has any influence on the speed at which 3D digital cinema is adopted by both distributors and movie-goers.

The footage they showed was on the ‘super-secret’ caliber and they remanded all in the audience to hold hands and form a human chain. Anyone letting go was to be shot. Humor was clearly the order of the day as they kicked off the presentation.

First up they showed us the latest trailer for UP but this time in 3D. This came with a promise of more at the end of the session. Though it was the same trailer already available online, it was in glorious digital projection and in 3D. The glasses they handed out were very sophisticated and hard plastic. These were not your run of the mill disposable lenses you may be used to. Prices for these glasses are said to go between $28 to $45 a pair!

More Toys Coming

Following the warm up by UP (in theaters this May) they announced the re-release of Toy Story 1 and 2 in 3D later this year for limited two-week engagements just in time for the holidays. Attached to the double feature Toy Story 3D release will be the first look at Toy Story 3 which is due out in theaters in Summer 2010. No footage was available to be viewed but I am happy to report that the entire cast (Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, etc…) will be back and new toys will be added to the list! Stay tuned.

Car Toons and 3D Beasts

Next up on the roster was a teaser for the upcoming Cars 2 release. Again, no footage was available, but they did show us the first of several teaser ‘Cars Toons‘ which will be released in the coming months to help promote the movie and reacquaint audiences with the cast of “Cars.” They ran “Tokyo Mater” which looked and sounded amazing. Truly eye-popping and great.

Following this was a rather disjointed clip from the upcoming reissue of “Beauty and the Beast” in 3D. This rendering of older footage seemed a much weaker entry into the 3D market place when compared to the crystal clear imagery of Pixar’s toons. Although it was impressive to see the toon in 3D, it was not as strong as the other contenders. Nice improvement, not sure of how well it will do to woo audiences in.

Refreshed Classics

Next up was a short set of sequences from “A Christmas Carol” from director Robert Zemeckis and starring the incomparable Jim Carrey. Yes, that’s Jim Carrey as Mr. Scrooge (photo below). They teased us with a few glimpses from the behind the scenes production reel and some concept art but nothing more.

Apparently they are busy with post-production. The shot of Carey as Scrooge was the only real image from the film released. Disney is claiming that “This November, we’ll charm the Dickens out of you”. I certainly hope so!

Although we were all anticipating some wildly fun scenes from the upcoming Burton/Depp pic “Alice in Wonderland” all we got were some production photos. Still it’s better than nothing and what we did see whet my appetite! But they kept the best back. Helena Bonham Carter stars at the Queen of Hearts, yet all we were shown were her feet and a stock head shot of Helena out of make up. As for Depp, we got the top of his hat as his head was tilted forward, face out of view. Sneaky devils! And for all the IMAX 3D fans, “Alice in Wonderland” is also be released in Digital 3D as well as IMAX 3D. I think it is safe to say we are all wild about ‘Alice’!

The footage I was most looking forward to seeing was from TRON. I remember seeing the original TRON years ago and was mesmerized by the blending of computer imagery and live-action. The footage they presented was a production reel to demonstrate the technology and look of the movie. SPECTACULAR! It takes TRON to a whole new level and expands it 100 fold over where the original TRON left off. Principal photography commences in a few weeks in Vancouver and we are angling for some behind the scenes news. Stay tuned.

Highs and Lows

The least appealing of all of the trailers shown was surprisingly a Jerry Bruckheimer production called “G-Force” starting the voice antics of Bill Nighy, Will Arnett and Zach Galifinkis. It can be best described as a hamster movie about a secret army of highly trained government hamsters out to save the world. Seriously? I guess kids will like it… very young kids… who have never seen other movies… and who love hamsters.

But the highlight of the Disney presentation was a full 47-minute clip from the upcoming Disney/ Pixar release “UP“. Introduced by the film’s director, Pete Docter, “UP” will be the next instant classic to come out of the house of Pixar. Pairing a cantankerous 78-year old man with a precocious boy and setting them out on an adventure in a flying house with thousands of colorful balloons is a recipe for a fun-filled family outing!

When the clip ended the audience applauded loudly and I was left feeling I can’t wait for this movie to open! As a special treat they sneaked in a short never before seen action sequence from the end of the movie. They really got us to the edge of our seats and just as they were about to save the… the lights came up! Again, sneaky devils! Total cliff-hanger but I can’t wait till May.

At this morning‘s session Disney applied all the charm and wowed us with some terrific examples of what to expect from them in 3D coming soon. The 3D technology never looked so good and the stories are there as well – the perfect pairing for box office gold.

Transformed in Paris, Vegas

Following the presentation I took a walk, a long walk, out front to the entrance of the Paris Las Vegas where ShoWest is held each year, to take some photos of the life-sized model of Bumblebee from Transformers. He was standing guard welcoming delegates and visitors to the Paris under the replica Arc de Triomphe. They also had a few cars used in the movie on display in the turn court.

Also this evening I saw the DreamWorks/ Paramount picture “The Soloist” starring the incomparable Robert Downey Jr. and a riveting Jaime Foxx. Based on a true story and based on the writings of LA Times reporter Steve Lopez, this movie not only delivers but it’s a knock out. A full review to come!

More on all the posters, the standees, the attendees and my walk around the showroom floor in my next update. Stay tuned!

Steven Spielberg has found his DreamWorks partner in the form of Walt Disney. Disney’s Touchstone division, which markets and releases films that veer away from the safer branding of the animated or family oriented pictures, will distribute about six DreamWorks movies a year beginning in 2010.  The news is a relief to Spielberg who had partnered with an Indian-based finance company to seed the studio up to $500 million to make movies; now that he has a North American distributor guaranteed, things will go a lot faster for these new DreamWorks movies to get made.

This now gives Spielberg the financial and distribution clout that he’s sought for after resurrecting DreamWorks from its original inception as a place where the leading edge of filmmakers can make the pictures that they want to. Everyone in the biz had wagered that Spielberg would have hitched his trailer with Universal Pictures, the company where he made Jaws, E.T., Jurassic Park and where he currently has an office on the backlot.

Now comes the part of the game where we find out what kind of new movies Spielberg has in mind for the new DreamWorks. He doesn’t have a lot of wiggle room for making mistakes and needs more Gladiator-like kind of movies — the ones that are both a box office success as well as win Oscars — rather than make more Revolutionary Roads. He needs a new E.T. or Jurassic Park to show that DreamWorks is a shining star and not a falling star.

Video after the leap!

What a novel (and expensive) concept.

In a press release sent to MovieSet yesterday, we have been told DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc., PepsiCo’s SoBe Lifewater, Intel Corporation and NBC have climbed into bed together to bring millions of potential film fans a unique opportunity. Over 125 million pairs of FREE Intel 3D glasses are to be distributed at various retail outlets across the U.S. for the purpose of viewing the 3D trailer.

Here’s the text of the release:

Glendale, CA – January 5, 2009 – DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. (NYSE: DWA) and PepsiCo’s SoBe Lifewater today announced that they have joined together with Intel Corporation and NBC to create a first-of-its kind, nationwide ‘Monstrous’ 3D event for Super Bowl XLIII. This first-ever all 3D Super Bowl commercial break event will mark the debut of DreamWorks Animation’s premier 3D movie trailer for its upcoming feature film, “Monsters vs. Aliens,” which comes to theaters in the U.S. on March 27th.

In addition, the timeslot will feature a 60-second 3D SoBe Lifewater commercial marking the return of the ultra-hip SoBe lizards, who made noise during last year’s Super Bowl broadcast with one of the most talked about spots. DreamWorks Animation’s history-making 3D movie trailer was animated using Intel’s latest, high-performance processing technologies and will be broadcasted along with the SoBe television spot at the end of the second quarter of the game, which airs on NBC on Sunday, February 1, 2009. Viewers will have the opportunity to re-use their glasses for a special 3D episode of NBC’s hit comedy “Chuck,” airing Monday, February 2, 2009 (8-9pm ET.)

Intel has produced over 125 million pairs of 3D glasses, which are being distributed by PepsiCo through the SoBe Lifewater brand. The glasses will be disseminated via 25,000 SoBe Lifewater retail displays in grocery, drug and other retail venues beginning in early January and will be FREE to consumers. Should a display’s supply of glasses run out, consumers can call 1-800-646-2904 in order to obtain a pair.

NBC viewers will be alerted to the SoBe Lifewater Super Bowl Displays via a series of tune-in spots airing beginning on January 19th. Displays and tune-ins will instruct viewers to use their 3D glasses on Super Bowl Sunday, with additional messaging, “Don’t Chuck Your Glasses,” prompting viewers to re-use them during the special 3D episode of “Chuck,” which will feature a special guest appearance by NBC Sports analyst and Super Bowl champion Jerome Bettis.

The 60-second SoBe Lifewater spot, directed by Super Bowl commercial veteran and brand architect Peter Arnell, will mark arguably the first ever Super Bowl ad cross over event – with the SoBe Lizards sharing the screen with characters from the upcoming DreamWorks Animation film that will be showcased in the pod’s preceding spot. The SoBe Lizards and stars from DreamWorks’ “Monsters vs. Aliens” will dance alongside current NFL stars in what promises to be among the most highly-anticipated commercials on Super Sunday. The spot features a modern interpretation of the famed ballet Swan Lake, and the rhythmic effects when the players and creatures are infused with the refreshing and re-invigorating impact of SoBe Lifewater.

Stay tuned to MovieSet’s sitelet for Monsters vs. Aliens for a synopsis of the film.

We see them at the beginning of every movie we sit down to watch but have you ever wondered why a movie studio chose their particular logo? Why does Warner Bros. use a shield? Who is the woman holding up the torch for Columbia Pictures? Is the kid sitting on the crescent moon in the DreamWorks logo based on a real child? And why did Paramount pick a mountain top for their company’s logo?

It’s a question that up until now I hadn’t really considered. Thankfully the dudes at Neatorama are a curious sort and began an investigation into uncovering the stories behind the logos used for Hollywood’s studios. So far they have unearthed answers for six companies: 20th Century Fox, Columbia Pictures, DreamWorks, Warner Bros., MGM and Paramount. You can find out the answers to why these images were chosen as well as learn something about who founded each particular studio and the history of their logos over on Neatorama.

According to THR Mandate has bought the rights to popular Korean cult hit Old Boy co-written and directed by Park Chan-wook from Universal, who had acquired the rights in 2004 with Vertigo Entertainment. And round and round we go.

Old Boy is “the story of Dae-Su who is locked in a hotel room for 15 years without knowing his captor’s motives. When he is finally released, Dae Su finds himself still trapped in a web of conspiracy and strangeness. His own quest for vengeance becomes tied in with romance when he falls for an attractive sushi chef.” [wikipedia]

All of the usual ingredients are falling into place to make Old Boy another big budget, cookie cutter offering from Hollywood:

• The rights to a successful foreign film ripe for remaking, with a built in fan base, have been procured
• Dreamworks is involved
• Mark Protosevich who wrote I am Legend, Poseidon and The Cell is in talks to write the screenplay
• Steven Spielberg and Will Smith are developing the project

It is a formula that works. Doesn’t mean a great film. Financially successful? Yep.

To give you more of an idea of what this project is about, here’s the English trailer for the original film that I very much enjoyed and recommend:

Awesome, but Will Smith? I’m not sure he has the hair for it.

But it’s not the end of the road for collaboration between the two studios. Steven Spielberg will remain involved as a producer on Paramount’s Transformers franchise as well as three other movies at the Rock including a remake of When Worlds Collide. The new DreamWorks operation is taking about 200 IPs in various stages of development. About 15 of those will be co-ventures with Paramount. However, while Mom (DreamWorks) and Dad (Paramount) may still be on speaking terms for the sake of the children (the movies), make no mistake that the ex-Mrs. is seeing other people. It’s expected that Spielberg will make an announcement this week that Universal Pictures will distribute all of the new DreamWorks flicks. Steve has had a long and close relationship with Uni dating back to Jaws so for that studio to buddy up and release DreamWorks products makes a lot of business sense.

In the end everyone is happy. Paramount has gotten some good wins through its partnership with DreamWorks including Disturbia, Blades of Glory and the Transformers mega-franchise while Spielberg now gets back to setting his own couse as the mogul of a full-fledged motion picture studio. Sounds great. Now we get to wait and see what the first bona fide hit for the new DreamWorks will be.