G.I. Joe: Retaliation

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Source: Chosun.com

[Guest sarahp]

New Trailer.

http://youtu.be/OTrJf_LE34g

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December 12, 2012
G.I. Joe: Retaliation Is Back With Explosive, If Familiar, New Trailer
by Kevin Melrose comicbookresources.com
G.I. Joe: Retaliation has been a bit of a waiting game for fans of the Paramount Pictures franchise. After building excitement for director Jon M. Chu’s follow-up to 2009′s G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra — there were trailers, toy tie-ins and more posters than you could count — the studio suddenly announced about a month before the planned June 29 opening that the sequel’s release would be postponed until March 29, 2013, to allow time for 3D conversion. (It’s said Paramount also wanted to reshoot scenes to beef up the role of Channing Tatum, whose star has risen in the past year.)
But all of that’s behind us with the premiere today of a new trailer. Introduced by Dwayne Johnson, it doesn’t offer a lot in the way of new footage or story revelations, but on the plus side, Bruce Willis gets more screen time as the original Joe, who comes out of retirement to help the team. However, it does a solid job laying out the plot, with Zartan impersonating the President of the United States, framing the Joes as traitors and wiping out most of the team.
Directed by Jon M. Chu, G.I. Joe: Retaliation also stars D.J. Cotrona, Byung-hun Lee, Ray Park, Adrianne Palicki, Jonathan Pryce, RZA and Ray Stevenson. The film opens March 29.
In theaters: March 29th, 2013

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December 12, 2012
New 'G.I. Joe: Retaliation' Trailer Is Legitimately Exciting
by Rob Keyes screenrant.com
As the year comes to a close and the final big budget films hit the box office over the holidays, we also get the last push of marketing for upcoming highly anticipated 2013 releases. From our first look at Oblivion and a one-minute Star Trek Into Darkness teaser to a brand new Man of Steel trailer, today we can add to the mix the third G.I. Joe: Retaliation trailer.
Delayed for reshoots to capitalize on the recent success of Channing Tatum and to convert the film into 3D, G.I. Joe: Retaliation is aiming to boost the appeal of the sequel and address negative buzz generated from early test screenings.
Fans know what they’re going to get from a film with “G.I. Joe” in its title, but this third (and by far the best) trailer offers the cleanest and most exciting look at the action yet, with much more impressive visuals and special effects – a notable issue with Stephen Sommers’ G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.
The vehicles look awesome and in-line with what long-time fans should expect from the Joe arsenal, there’s a new weapon of mass destruction at play, and the set pieces and fight sequences between fan-favorite characters all look enticing for fans of the genre.
The same can’t be said for the lackluster one-sheet, but at least Tatum is getting some spotlight attention, with a bolstered part in the new trailer and even his own spot on the poster, behind Bruce Willis and overshadowed by the much larger Dwayne Johnson.
Will Tatum’s increased role fix the the story? Does the story even matter? The goal of Retaliation is to expand the franchise and boost the appeal of Hasbro’s toy line. Part of the added expense in the nine-month delay is not only to regroup the production team for reshoots, add 3D and revamp the marketing, but to relaunch and re-market the tie-in merchandise as well, merchandise that already hit stores earlier this year.
Paramount is smart to time this film’s release before the summer season and avoiding competition with Star Trek 2, Iron Man 3, and Fast and Furious 6 in May, and Man of Steel, World War Z and Kick-richard simmons 2 in June. Note: Johnson has starring roles in March with Retaliation, April with Pain & Gain and May with Fast & Furious 6.
Are you going to check out G.I. Joe 2 in theaters, and are you going to see it in 3D? Although with the story seemingly killing off so many of the characters from the first film, is this film franchise one that can last, or will it need to be rebooted after Retaliation? Check out the latest G.I. Joe: Retaliation international trailer for more.
The sequel is directed by Jon M. Chu, who had no idea that the film would be delayed and post-converted into 3D. It’s based off a script by Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese, and will start a mostly new cast including Adrianne Palicki, Bruce Willis, Channing Tatum, Dwayne Johnson, Ray Park, and Ray Stevenson.

[Guest ladyhotary]

very great the new trailer

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December 13, 2012
Lee Byung Hun talks about his character Storm Shadow in 'G.I. Joe: Retaliation'
by jennywill allkpop.com

Lee Byung Hun talked about his character Storm Shadow in ‘G.I. Joe 2: Retaliation‘.
The sequel to the original ‘G.I. Joe‘ held a press conference in Hong Kong and a never before seen trailer was unveiled. Lee Byung Hun was present for the press conference and when asked about playing an antagonist, Lee Byung Hun said, “Of course, I was conflicted in playing the role, but I think if I play any sort of role very well in a large blockbuster, I have diversification and I’ll be able to pick up any scenario later. Storm Shadow is not a simple villain. He’s charming because he’s a dogmatic character that aims to have a world according to his ideals. You’ll see his secret story in this movie.”
He added, “People in the American movie industry started to treat me differently when they saw all the Korean and Japanese fans sending me so much support. They started calling me the ‘Asian Elvis Presley’. I’m trying to acquire some of the Hollywood culture, but I don’t want to follow their emotions. I always believe that my emotions will be shown no matter what my nationality is.”
Lee Byung Hun’s contract runs through the 3rd movie in the ‘G.I. Joe‘ series. The movie is set to hit the theaters on March 29, 2013.

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December 13, 2012
'G.I.Joe 2' Lee Byung Hun talks about working with Bruce Willis
By Lim Ju-Hui | STAR N News l Nate

Lee Byung-heon talked about working with Bruce Willis.
On 12th (local time), Asia Press Day Event of movie 'G.I.Joe 2' 3D took place at Hong Kong Grand Hyatt Hotel, and Lee Byung-heon talked about working with Bruce Willis.
He started, "He's always so keen to me."
Lee Byung-heon worked with Bruce Willis in 'Red 2' as well.
Lee Byung-heon said, "I don't know why, but i felt that he was giving a special care for me at some point. What is even more surprising and impressive is his serious attitude. Even though he is a veteran actor now, he always comes up with new ideas and go through each of them very seriously."
Especially, he told that Bruce Willis goes through 1~2 hours of discussion with the director prior to each shooting.
Lee Byung-heon said, "He has a passion that is way beyond many new actors have. He is always full of overwhelming passion, and I was deeply impressed to see him never letting himself to get relaxed."
On the other hand, movie 'G.I.Joe 2' will be released in March, 2013.

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December 13, 2012
'G.I. Joe 2' Director Jon Chu Says Now He Knows Why Lee Byung Hun is the 'Tom Cruise of Asia'
CJ E&M enewsWorld Oh, MiJung Translation Credit: Erika Kim
Jon Chu, director of the Hollywood film G.I. Joe 2, didn′t hold back on the praise he had to give for Storm Shadow Lee Byung Hun.
Jon Chu and Lee Byung Hun attended a special Asia press conference in Hong Kong on December 12, and talked about G.I. Joe 2, which is set for a release in March 2013. This day a new 3D video from the film was also unveiled.
This image has been resized to fit in the page. Click to enlarge.
Jon Chu said, "Lee Byung Hun really was Storm Shadow in the film. Everyone in the staff started to think differently of Lee Byung Hun. There′s a scene where Storm Shadow has to speak in a minute-long monologue, and Lee Byung Hun managed to pull it off nicely. I knew that Lee Byung Hun is a great actor, but I didn′t know he would be this good. He made Storm Shadow a real character."
He then added, "Now I know why they call Lee Byung Hun the ′Tom Cruise of Asia′. He did great in the action scenes, but he also gave depth to his character through emotional acting. I was touched."
His praise continued.
"Lee Byung Hun is humble and passionate toward his work. He also gets into character easily and he has great concentration. Bruce Willis, the other actors and I all learned from him. He also showed us many possibilities in regard to marketing," he said.
He added, "Lee Byung Hun changed the culture of Hollywood. He opened more possibilities for Asian stars to make it into Hollywood."
He then finished by saying that he plans to visit Korea to promote the film next year when the film premieres, and said, "Lee Byung Hun said he would help me have fun in great locations in Korea. I′m looking forward to it very much."
Lee Byung Hun said modestly about the praise, "In Hollywood, they always praise you so generously," and said in praise for Jon Chu, "Director Jon Chu works hard to get the video he wants."
Lee Byung Hun, who is nine years older than Jon Chu, then said, "I respect him as a director regardless of age. I told him to call me hyung (big brother), but he can′t pronounce it yet."
G.I. Joe 2 is the sequel to G.I. Joe : The Rise of Cobra, which premiered in 2009. It is a blockbuster film that cost 185 million dollars (200 billion won) to produce. It aimed to premiere in June, but the date was postponed to March 2013, when it will premiere in 3D.
Photo credit: CJ E&M

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December 12, 2012
New 'GI Joe: Retaliation' trailer destroys London and resurrects Channing Tatum
Paramount's been fine-tuning this one, and the new trailer seems confident
BY DREW MCWEENY Hit Fix
The new trailer for "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" is full of CGI mayhem, ninjas on mountaintops, and Bruce Willis, The Rock, and Channing Tatum all ladling on the macho. It looks like every 13-year-old kid's dream version of an action movie, ridiculous but impossible not to watch.
One of the things that impresses me about the ninja mountain battle footage you see here is that I was on the set where they shot those scenes, and it couldn't have been any more fake. The stuff here looks great, and I think Jon Chu could turn out to be an inspired choice for this one. I know it's been a difficult film in terms of production set-backs, second-guessing, and release date shuffle, but in the end, all that matters is whether or not the film is any fun, and it looks like it is.
There's a part of me that always feels bad saying something looks like fun when it's got the sort of wholesale destruction that this film appears to have. If they really destroy London the way they show it here, then it's starting to look like Hollywood has some anger issues about London that they're working out, between this and the "Star Trek Into Darkness" poster.
One of the reasons the film was delayed was because it became clear when they were testing the film that audiences wanted Channing Tatum to stay alive and an active part of this series. It looks like some of that new footage of Duke is in this trailer, so fans who demanded that should be feeling pretty good right about now.
I like that Jonathan Pryce is front and center as the face of COBRA in the film. That story thread appears to be continued directly from the first film, and I'm sure a big part of this movie involves the way their deception allows them to take over the US government without firing a single shot.
It's interesting how they've had to basically start this campaign over because of how close they got to releasing the film this year before they blinked at the last moment, and I'll be curious to see if Paramount is able to take this second chance and make it all worthwhile.
"G.I. Joe: Retaliation" opens in theaters March 29, 2013.
Check out comicbookmovie.com for screencaptures from the trailer.

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December 13, 2012
"G.I Joe 2: Retaliation" Director Highly Praises Lee Byung Hun
By KDramaStars Staff Writer 

Director of  Hollywood movie "G.I Joe 2: Retaliation" Jon Chu highly praised actor Lee Byung Hun.
On December 12th, a press conference for the movie was held in Hong Kong at the Grand Hyatt Hotel. In the event Director Jon Chu said, "I was really touched by Lee Byung Hun. He really brought Storm Shadow to life. Everyone on set started to see him in a different way."
He added "There was a one-minute monologue and Lee Byung Hun did it right. I was very impressed."
He then continued to say "He really is the Tom Cruise of Asia. He did the action scenes the right way and put emotional touched to the character as well. He was very passionate and humble. He opened the door to Hollywood to Asian artists."
Lee Byung Hun was also asked about his antagonistic character and he said "Storm Shadow is not a simple villain, he is a very arrogant character that want to control the world with is ideals and that gives him his charm. You will be able to see what I mean in the movie."
"G.I Joe 2: Retaliation" is the sequel to the blockbuster movie "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" and is about the G.I Joe team facing a new enemy Zartan, who had controlled the world's leaders. Zartan have framed the G.I Joe Team of being traitors and most of them have been exterminated. The G.I Joe Team will make a last attempt to overthrow their enemies and save the world."G.I Joe 2: Retaliation" will premiere on March 23th, 2013, in America. 

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December 14, 2012
G.I. Joe: Retaliation assembles the team in new UK poster and trailer
By David Bentley The Geek Files

It must be international movie poster week. Following the unveiling of artwork for The Wolverine, Jack The Giant Slayer and Star Trek Into Darkness comes a UK one-sheet for G.I. Joe: Retaliation.
Gathering its new team for a spring debut in cinemas, the action-adventure sequel has delivered a poster - featuring the main cast members - as well as a new trailer.
Released on March 27, 2013, the film is a follow-up to 2009's G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.
Paramount Pictures, MGM and Skydance Productions, in association with HASBRO and di Bonaventura Pictures, have brought back several familiar faces from the first film as well as adding some new characters.
In this sequel, the G.I. Joes are not only fighting their mortal enemy Cobra; they are forced to contend with threats from within the government that jeopardise their very existence.
The film stars D.J. Cotrona, Byung-hun Lee, Ray Park, Adrianne Palicki, Jonathan Pryce, RZA, Ray Stevenson, Channing Tatum with Bruce Willis and Dwayne Johnson.
It was directed by Jon M. Chu, and produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Brian Goldner, from a screenplay by Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick based on Hasbro's G.I. Joe characters.
Channing Tatum returns as Captain Duke Hauser alongside Ray Park as Snake Eyes, Byung-hun Lee as Storm Shadow, Arnold Vosloo as Zartan and Jonathan Pryce as the US president.
They are joined by newcomers Bruce Willis as Joe Colton (the original G.I. Joe after whom the team is named), Dwayne Joyhnson as Roadblock, Ray Stevenson as Firefly, Adrianne Palicki as Lady Jaye, RZA as Blind Master, Joseph Mazzello as Mouse, Elodie Yung as Jinx, Matt Gerald as Zandar, DJ Cotrona as Flint and Eddie Hargitay as Tunnel Rat.

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December 16, 2012
Lee Byung Hun Talks about Co-star Bruce Willis and His Role on "G.I. Joe 2"
pikapika soompi
Actor Lee Byung Hun will reprise his role as Storm Shadow in the upcoming 3D Hollywood movie “G.I. Joe 2.” On December 12 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Hong Kong, the actor held a press conference with Asian reporters on the sequel. The sequel to the blockbuster is said have more action and more eye-popping 3D effects.
“G.I. Joe 2” is the continuation of the story that began in the first movie. Bruce Willis will play Joe Colton the leader of the G.I. Joes and will fight the evil organization “Cobra”, of which Storm Shadow is a member of. Lee Byung Hun will show a more charismatic and action-filled performance than in the previous movie. The two have worked together before in the American movie “Red 2.”
On his co-star Bruce Willis, Lee Byung Hun said, “He treated me well, and I was impressed that he had such passion. He would always exchange new ideas with the director.”
Storm Shadow was introduced in the first movie as one of the top villains. “I considered whether to play this role again, but I thought that if I played a character well in an American blockbuster film, I would have more chances to play roles that are more appealing to me,” the actor said. “Storm Shadow isn’t a simple villain character; he has his own methods and motives of pursuing the world which makes him charming in his own way.
Lee Byung Hun also spoke about working in Hollywood. “After ‘G.I. Joe’ came out I received the rumored nickname of ‘Asia’s Elvis Presley’ because of the enthusiastic response I received when I promoted in Korean and Japan. Because of that I received more interest from the people in Hollywood,” Lee Byung Hun said. “I want to adapt to the way things are done in Hollywood, but I don’t want to compromise my emotions. I believe that whatever expressions I show should make the audience understand, regardless of their nationality.
Director Jon Chu was also at the press conference and hinted at what the 3D effects will be like in his 180 million dollar movie, “We wanted the audience to feel like they’re actually in the movie. The 3D effects will increase the realism of the action scenes. I think this movie is best suited for 3D.” He added, “Lee Byung Hun is good at the actions scenes but he also acts the emotions of the character well. With his acting he earned the nickname ‘Asia’s Tom Cruise’.”
“G.I. Joe 2” will be released in America and in Korea on March 29.

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December 20, 2012
G.I. JOE: RETALIATION - New International Poster By JOEY PAUR Geek Tyrant (+ many others)

Here's a new international poster for G.I. Joe: Retaliation. In case it looks familiar, that's because it looks very similar to a previous poster that was released earlier this year. The Jon Chu-directed film stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Bruce Willis, Channing Tatum, Adrianne Palicki, Byung-hun Lee, Elodie Yung and Ray Park. 
Regardless of the negative things that have been reported on the film because of its very long delay, it still looks like it could be a really cool movie. It will finally be released in theaters on March 29th, 2013. 

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Full interview at I am Rogue, link enclosed
December 23, 2012
IAR EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: WALTON GOGGINS TALKS 'DJANGO UNCHAINED,' 'G.I. JOE: RETALIATION,' AND 'JUSTIFIED' SEASON FOUR
Written by  Jami Philbrick i am rogue
http://www.iamrogue.com/news/interviews/item/7926-iar-exclusive-interview-walton-goggins-talks-django-unchained-gi-joe-retaliation-and-justified-season-four.html

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January 2, 2013
Hot Toys GIJOE Retaliation 1/6th Scale Snake Eyes Pre-Order
by DESTRO HissTank.com (check out link for more Snake Eyes photos)
Sideshow Collectibles is proud to present the Hot Toys Snake Eyes Sixth Scale Collectible Figure from the upcoming film, G.I. JOE Retaliation. The movie-accurate collectible is specially crafted based on the appearance of Snake Eyes in his black 'military ninja' bodysuit, highlighting the character's likeness, highly detailed costume and weapons.
Pre-Order yours here:Snake Eyes Sixth Scale Figure - Hot Toys - SideshowCollectibles.com
The Snake Eyes Sixth Scale Figure features:Authentic and detailed fully realized likeness of Snake Eyes in his black 'military ninja' bodysuit from G.I. Joe RetaliationApproximately 30 cm tallTrueType body with over 30 points of articulationFive (5) pairs of interchangeable gloved palms including:One (1) pair of fistsOne (1) pair of palms for holding gunOne (1) pair of palms for holding swordsTwo (2) pairs of relaxed palmsOne (1) black 'military ninja' bodysuit with armor on upper body and armsOne (1) black helmetOne (1) pair of black bootsTwo (2) Japanese-style metal swords with sheathOne (1) pair of daggers with sheathsOne (1) submachine gunOne (1) pistol with holsterFigure stand with Snake Eyes nameplate and the movie logo

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January 5, 2013
Hot Toys G.I. Joe: Retaliation Snake Eyes Pre-Order Live; Three Additional Figures Confirmed
The HDRoom
Hot Toys is jumping into Jon M. Chu's G.I. Joe: Retaliation in a big way with a minimum of four confirmed 1:6 scale figures set for release.
First up is Snake Eyes whom has already had a full reveal and an estimated May 2013 release date. Snake Eyes comes with his ninja bodysuit, boots, armor on upper body and arms, five interchangeable glove hands, Japanese-style metal swords with sheath, two daggers with sheath, a submachine gun, a pistol with holster, and a figure stand with nameplate and movie logo. Sideshow Collectibles has priced Snake Eyes at $194.99 plus shipping.
Hot Toys has also confirmed that 1:6 scale figures for Joe Colton (Bruce Willis), Roadblock (Dwayne Johnson) and Storm Shadow (Byung-hun Lee) are also in the works and will feature their respective actor likenesses. Expect customizers to go nuts with the Bruce Willis and Dwayne Johnson heads that can be used to make John McClane, Luke Hobbs and many other characters the actors have played.
Please check out this PAGE for images and more toy info

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January 8, 2013
Attention UK G.I. Joe fans – G.I. Joe: Retaliation premiere in February!
Source: GeneralJoes l https://twitter.com/UKFilmPremieresAt least according to the Twitter account UK Film Premieres, which seems to be legitimate from what I can tell.  According to this Tweet, the G.I. Joe: Retaliation UK film premier will hit in February, 2013 and will have Bruce Willis, Channing Tatum, and Adrianne Palicki in attendance.
Obviously this hasn’t been officially announced by Paramount yet, but some quick research of past Tweets from this account seem to indicate a level of legitimacy, so we’ll go with it for now.
And with a sudden jolt, you realize just how close we are to the release of the film.  Under 90 days until it hits American theaters.  Holy wow!

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January 8, 2013
G. I. Joe: Retaliation Featurette Airing Soon

by BCYOJOE HIssTank.com

Get ready to take a look at 4 minutes of G. I. Joe: Retaliation Behind-The-Scene action. Thanks to our trusty movie info website; Alberta Film Ratings, we learn that Paramount Pictures will reveal a G. I. Joe: Retaliation Featurette. 
There is no release date yet, but the Featurette is PG rated and running for 3:59 minutes. 

Stay tuned with HISSTANK for more info.

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Related GI Joe 2 excerpts only, full articles at USA Today / ScreenRant links

January 9, 2013
A squad of big films that were held from 2012
Susan Wloszczya USA TODAY
Will 'Gatsby,' 'G.I. Joe' sequel and 'World War Z' prove to be worth the wait?
It used to be when a studio announced it was delaying the release of a film for several months, it was treated as a sign of a troubled production.
With the rush-to-judgment tendencies of the Internet age, the entertainment media continue to initially judge such decisions as surefire red flags.
But in these days of budget-busting blockbusters loaded with sophisticated effects and 3-D technology, such scheduling shifts don't seem to raise eyebrows quite as high anymore. That may be one reason why no fewer than five major-studio releases were pushed from 2012 dates into this year with a minimum of concern.
"Big moves on big movies used to mean big disasters," says Hollywood.com box-office tracker Paul Dergarabedian. "That's just not the case anymore. This is a notable year with so many high-profile releases that were moved."
Rob Moore, Paramount's marketing chief, confirms that observation. "The process is more complicated nowadays. To get all the parts right to make the best movie, you might have to revise plans from when you started."
In 1997, his studio's Titanic created enormous waves of concern when it was moved from a summer berth to December. Of course, James Cameron's supposed sinking ship of a historical epic, with its bloated price tag and overly ambitious effects, would sail on to Oscar glory while breaking box-office records with $600-million-plus domestically.
Moore also points to a more recent Paramount example: 2010'sShutter Island. Martin Scorsese's psychological thriller set off alarms at first after moving from Oscar-friendly October 2009 to February the following year.
"The original date created a lot of pressure and expectations, when it really was a commercial thriller," he says. By switching to a period outside of the awards season, Shutter Island gave Scorsese his biggest opening weekend ever ($41 million) and his best worldwide box-office gross (nearly $300 million).
Such results suggest it might be smarter to worry less about bad buzz and more about providing optimal conditions for a release, whether it means a rewrite, extra time to tweak digital imagery or simply finding a more suitable first weekend. "It usually pays for studios to be more cautious with tens of millions of dollars on the line," Dergarabedian says.
Besides Gangster Squad — whose opening was switched from September to this Friday after the Aurora, Colo., theater shootings — here are four other holdovers that just might prove to be worth the wait.
G.I. Joe: Retaliation
The move: From June 29, 2012, to March 29, 2013
The back story: The sequel to G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, a surprise 2009 hit based on the popular line of military action figures, had more reason than most films to ditch its original date. For one, it would have opened against G.I. Joe star Channing Tatum's male-stripper odyssey, Magic Mike. For another, it became clear that Tatum, whose character was supposed to quickly die off with other returnees to allow the newcomers in the cast take over, had grown too popular to have so little screen time.
But Paramount's Moore says the main factor behind the delay was to allow time to convert the action-adventure to 3-D. "So many people at screenings said, 'Why isn't it in 3-D?' It became preposterous." The schedule change was costly, since a pricey trailer already had made its debut during last year's Super Bowl.
But Moore has a different marketing strategy this time: A four-minute scene in 3-D that went over well when it was unveiled in Asia (to take advantage of popular South Korean actor Lee Byung-hun) will premiere in theaters showing Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters on Jan. 25.
Source: ScreenRant

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January 10, 2013
Hollywood sticks to tried and true in 2013 lineup
LOS ANGELES - It’s not really news that Arnold Schwarzenegger is back this year. Everybody else in Hollywood is, too, so why not the former California governor? 
Schwarzenegger’s back with this month’s action tale “The Last Stand,’’ while fellow aging action star Bruce Willis returns in February’s “A Good Day to Die Hard,’’ the fifth installment in his “Die Hard’’ series. 
Superheroes return throughout the year with “Iron Man 3,’’ “The Wolverine,’’ “Thor: The Dark World’’ and a new take on Superman with “Man of Steel.’’ Animated pals revisit with follow-ups to “Despicable Me,’’ “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs,’’ “The Smurfs,’’ and “Monsters, Inc.’’ Horror is resurrected with fresh stabs at “Carrie’’ and “The Evil Dead.’’ Action crews re-enlist for more on the “G.I. Joe,’’ “The Fast and the Furious’’ and “Star Trek’’ fronts. Comedy crews go for more laughs with “The Hangover Part III’’ and “Grown Ups 2.’’ Even old favorites such as “Jurassic Park,’’ “The Little Mermaid’’ and a couple more “Star Wars’’ prequels come back in 3-D reissues. 
And the next chapters quickly follow for two of 2012’s biggest hits with “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire’’ and “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.’’ 
The second “Hobbit’’ originally was supposed to finish Peter Jackson’s prelude to his “The Lord of the Rings’’ trilogy, until Warner Brothers and the filmmakers decided last year to shoot more footage and make it another three-pack. To expand the relatively slender “The Hobbit’’ into a three-movie epic, Jackson has borrowed heavily from J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings’’ appendices, which fill in much of the Middle Earth back-story about dwarf history, elf lore and the mysterious comings and goings of Ian McKellen’s wizard, Gandalf. 
“In ‘The Hobbit,’ Gandalf accompanies the dwarves on the journey, but from time to time, he disappears. He says, ‘Right, I’ve got some important things to do. I’ll meet you up at so-and-so,’’’ Jackson said. “Tolkien wrote a lot of, like, story outlines for what was happening to Gandalf during that time, and it was all ‘Lord of the Rings’ stuff. .?.?. We’ve been weaving that material into ‘The Hobbit,’ so this is ‘The Hobbit’ expanded, using Tolkien’s own text to do so.’’ 
Other highlights through April: Sean Penn’s mob drama “Gangster Squad’’; Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton’s fairy-tale update “Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters’’; Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy’s comedy “Identity Thief’’; James Franco and Sam Raimi’s “Wizard of Oz’’ prelude “Oz the Great and Powerful’’; and Channing Tatum, Bruce Willis and Dwayne Johnson’s action sequel “G.I. Joe: Retaliation.” 
AP / Korea JoongAng Daily