The Day The Earth Stood Still director Scott Derrickson, star Keanu Reeves, and producer Erwin Stoff opened the first major panel of Comic Con 2008. Here are the three things I learned about The Day The Earth Stood Still remake from the panel:
Erwin Stoff actually proposed the idea f a Day The Earth Stood Still Remake to a producer shortly after the release of Speed, but a regime change prevented the project from developing into a film until nearly 15 years later.
Derrickson confirmed that Gort is definitely in the movie. He claims they went through hundreds of different possibilities in the conceptual stage but came back to something that wasn’t very different from the Gort from the original film. Weta is still working on the design.
Klatu’s spaceship and suit is more organic than technological.
They also showed three clips from the film. I have to admit that I wasn’t very impressed by the previously released movie trailer, and the new footage didn’t get me any more excited.
The first clip began with Klatu, played by Keanu Reeves, being wheeled through a dark hallway into an US government interrogation room where he is hooked up to some kind of lie detecting equipment and questioned by an official.
“Are you Human?” the interrogator asks.
“My body is…” Klatu responds.
“Do you feel pain?”
“My body does…”
“Are you aware of a pending attack on the US?”
“You should let me go…”
Klatu takes control on the interrogator and finds out which exit to escape the building. He then sends out a signal which disables all the guards. They all fall to the ground.
The second clip was a much smaller innocent scene between Klatu and Jaden Smith’s character Jacob in the back of a pick-up truck.
“You aren’t so scary,” says Jacob. ” You don’t even look like an alien….”
Klatu responds: “Its so i can talk to you…”
“What were you before?”
“Klatu…
“I told helen we should kill you…”
“Did you mean it?”
“Before….”
“Whats gonna happen to us?”
“I was thinking the same thing.”
The third clip was more of a highlight reel / extended trailer comprised of half finished special effects shots and clips from the film. Someone from the US government shows up to Connely’s door.
“Dr Bensson come with us, Everything will be explained on route.”
Helen is told not to be afraid. Cut to a Connely watching the interrogation from behind a two way mirror. Klatu takes control of the government official.
Big balls of light descent upon earth in various cities worldwide. The usual shots of people looking up at the sky. A big ball of liquid rises from the oceans. Connoly in hazmat suit. Cut to the scene in the trailer where Klatu tells Connely that “If the Earth dies, you die. If you die, the Earth survives.”
Smoke overtakes huge truck tearing it apart. Same thing happens with a stadium. The electricity in a major city goes out. And the ending shot is a tease of Gort, but much like the trailer, we don’t see much of anything.
And finally the clip ended with Jaden Smith’s character asking Klatu “What’s gonna happen to us”.
July 24th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
I am sorry Peter but what exactly do you get impressed of?
TDTESS footage was EPIC. It looks like a well made movie with actors doing good job in acting.
Seeing shit like a blue man walking naked and superhero in retarded costumes aint impressive.
July 24th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
cool. looks good.
July 24th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
This movie does not seem even remotely interesting. If it’s at least intelligent like Contact, it might have a chance and be watchable. But having Reeves as the star casts serious doubt on that being the case.
July 24th, 2008 at 1:53 pm
Its like the dialogue was written for Keanu. I can pretty much hear his voice when I read them…. but I add ” whoa!.. and ..Dude!” for authenticity.
July 24th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
This is gonna suck so bad.
July 24th, 2008 at 2:43 pm
lol, jonny
July 24th, 2008 at 2:50 pm
Clearly all Klatu wants is room service and a $10000 a night hooker.
July 24th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
Holly crap, his ship is eco-friendly too. Sounds neato, (sarcastic).
How much lumber, garbage, wasted food, gas, plastic, metal fabrication, ego-trips all went into the inviromemt for this eco-film.
Bet the dvd comes packed in cardboard.
Blah !!!! I’m totally not seeing this.
July 24th, 2008 at 3:05 pm
Keanu can make this kind of thing work
July 24th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
this film is going to suck.
” like dude, Gort is gonna toast your planet if you short earth dudes dont like get all green and stuff “
July 24th, 2008 at 4:12 pm
I will wait for it to come out on DVD.
July 24th, 2008 at 4:22 pm
Left wing hollywood propaganda.
July 24th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
Young people don’t care about the environment. It’s true. But they do care about things getting blown up in cool ways, which is why they’re going to love this film.
July 24th, 2008 at 10:29 pm
Anyone wish that they got Bruce Campbell to play klatu just so we can hear him say “klaatu verada nikto” without mucking it up?
July 26th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
It’s not “klaatu verada nikto”. It’s “Klaatu barada nikto”. I’m reading the phrase from my awesome T shirt I got in Hall H. The presentation was awesome and amazing and the audience was vry excited.
Ummm Geek Boys, the Bill and Ted whoas and dudes are 15 years old. Get a calendar. Keanu is known for playing Neo.