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'The Dark Crystal' Sequel Goes To 'Daybreakers' Directors, And Here's Why That's Awesome

Posted 5/4/10 4:08 pm EST by in Commentary, News


"Daybreakers" was a surprisingly entertaining early 2010 release. The first quarter of any year is typically Hollywood's test lab and cesspool; movies frequently come here to die. It wasn't so in this case, and that's thanks largely to Peter and Michael Spierig, aka The Spierig Brothers.

"Daybreakers" is a rather unconventional vampire action flick, one set in a world which has been overrun by the blood-suckers to the point that they're the dominant species on the planet and human plasma has become a precious, dwindling commodity, something to be farmed from any survivors that are found. The brothers Spierig serve up a deft mixture of action, humor and the occasional jump scare, all while pulling solid performances out of stars Ethan Hawke and Willem Dafoe. The news today is that the Spierig's will be bringing their talents to the long-in-development "Dark Crystal" sequel, a 3-D feature titled "Power of the Dark Crystal."

Personally, I think this is a perfect pairing of filmmakers and source material. You can find the key reasons why after the jump. Read More...

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'Avatar' Wins Fourth Weekend In A Row In The Sunday Box Office Report

Posted 1/10/10 1:36 pm EST by in Box Office


1. "Avatar" ($48.5 million)
2. "Sherlock Holmes" ($16.6 million)
3. "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel" ($16.3 million)
4. "Daybreakers" ($15 million)
5. "It's Complicated" ($11 million)

The streak stays alive as James Cameron's "Avatar" won its fourth straight weekend victory at the box office, taking a commanding first place lead worth $48.5 million. Since its opening weekend, "Avatar" has grossed a domestic cumulative total of $429 million to become the seventh biggest movie of all time in North America. The weekend's foreign gross of $143 million puts the worldwide total at $1.34 billion, inching ever closer to the $1.84 billion record held by "Titanic." Read More...

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'Avatar' Stays On Top In The Saturday Box Office Report

Posted 1/9/10 1:59 pm EST by in Box Office


DESC1. "Avatar" ($13.3 million)
2. "Daybreakers" ($5.8 million)
3. "Sherlock Holmes" ($5.1 million)
4. "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel" ($3.5 million)
5. "Leap Year" ($3.3 million)

If three times is the charm, then the fourth time is the icing on the cake for director James Cameron's "Avatar," the science fiction epic that continues to shatter box office records left and right. While the weekend is far from over, "Avatar" is well on its way towards a fourth straight weekend victory, having earned a $13.3 million first place finish on Friday night. Read More...

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Stars Ethan Hawke And Willem Dafoe On The 'Daybreakers' Premiere Red Carpet

Posted 1/8/10 2:30 pm EST by in Photos


"Daybreakers" hits theaters today, a surprisingly original vampire sci-fi flick from Michael and Peter Spierig. I've seen it twice now, and I really enjoyed both trips. It might not achieve the same numbers that "Avatar" has at the box office, but it's an action-packed, blood-soaked vampire tale which ought to appeal to people who want a change of pace from Stephenie Meyer's sparkling romances.

The stars came out last night for the New York City premiere of "Daybreakers," including the movie's two main protagonists, Ethan Hawke and Willem Dafoe. You can see them and others in our flipbook image gallery from the event; just click the image below to check it out!

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Kurt Loder Reviews 'Daybreakers'

Posted 1/8/10 12:30 pm EST by in Reviews


FROM MTV.COM: Things would be real different if vampires ruled the world. Coffee would come spiked with hemoglobin, not half-and-half. Tooth-whitener ads would feature fangs. And the most compelling public-service announcement would be an hourly sunrise advisory. Some things would suck in a new way, too. As one weary vampire puts it in "Daybreakers," the inventive new genre flick from Australia, "Life's a bitch, and then you don't die."

The movie presents us with a world in which vampires do rule. Humans have been so successfully blood-farmed by a vampire corporation called Bromley Marks that they're now an endangered species. Only small bands of them remain at large, armed with stake-shooting crossbows and hiding out in the sunny countryside, where they're hard for the undead authorities to catch. With the vampire food supply running low, and consumer unrest on the rise, the corporation's elegantly sinister CEO, Charles Bromley (Sam Neill), is driving his staff scientists to find a blood substitute. His chief researcher, Edward Dalton (Ethan Hawke), is on the case; but Dalton sympathizes with the humans, and his real goal is to find a cure for vampirism — which is not what the profit-oriented Bromley has in mind. ("Besides," he asks, sipping from a glass of arterial claret, "what's to cure?")

Continue reading 'Daybreakers': Blood Types, By Kurt Loder

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'Daybreakers' Star Willem Dafoe Goes On A Virtual Shotgun Safari

Posted 1/6/10 2:30 pm EST by in Photos


I interviewed Willem Dafoe a couple hours ago. Star of "Daybreakers," which hits theaters on Friday. It was great. I'm a big fan of Dafoe's work and it was a thrill to meet him, talk to him

The bigger thrill though? Convincing him to pick up a plastic shotgun and play "Big Buck Safari" on our office coin-op machine. You may not know this if you don't read MTV Multiplayer regularly (you should!), but we have an ongoing "Big Buck" tournament here in the MTV Newsroom. All celebrity interviews are given the option of playing through the game in a high score competition. The video should hit Multiplayer soon enough, but here are some pictures to tide you over for now. Read More...

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EXCLUSIVE: 'Daybreakers' Clip Illustrates The Dangers Posed By Synthetic Blood

Posted 1/5/10 3:30 pm EST by in Video


Ah "Daybreakers." Much like Stephenie Meyer's phenomenally popular "Twilight" series, you give us a fresh, original viewpoint on a long-since-established cornerstone of popular culture: the vampire myth.

The world of "Daybreakers" is one that has been overrun by a humanity transformed into the blood-suckers. Few humans remain and blood supplies are dwindling. Life has in many ways carried on as it always has when the story opens, only now blood is mixed into everyone's diet. In this exclusive clip, we see star Ethan Hawke's Edward treating a patient with a synthetic blood substitute that he's developed. Things do not go as planned...

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Vampires And Laughs Highlight Our First Box Office Poll Of 2010

Posted 1/4/10 12:00 pm EST by in Box Office Poll


The first week of 2010 brings some great new possibilities for moviegoers who aren't quite ready for their fourth go-round with smash hit "Avatar." Whether you like your blood drunk or spilled, there's plenty of both in the dark new ensemble action/horror vampire flick "Daybreakers," from Michael and Peter Spierig. Ethan Hawke stars as a vampire scientist who rebels against a society ruled by a bloodsucker majority, linking up with a human survivor underground led by Willem Dafoe. It makes sense. Who's gonna argue with a guy who straps a crossbow to his shotgun?

For those who want to take a break from vampires, "Youth in Revolt" is your answer. The quirky comedy follows Nick Twisp, a young hipster-in-training played by Michael Cera. Nick has a hard time adjusting after his family moves to a trailer park... that is until he meets his new neighbor Sheeni (Portia Doubleday). She's everything Nick is looking for; too bad she's got a boyfriend. "Revolt" also features the talents of Jean Smart, Zach Galifianakis, Steve Buscemi and Ray Liotta. Read More...

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After 'New Moon,' What's Next For Vampires?

Posted 11/20/09 2:00 pm EST by in News


As so many of the other posts here on MTV Movies Blog today already did today, I'm first going to remind you that "New Moon" is now in theaters. See, it's kind of a big deal. And as you might imagine, we have vampires on the brain as a result.

Now even the most rabid Twilighter will tell you that Stephenie Meyer's series isn't for everyone. The phenomenon has definitely grown beyond the core audience of teenage girls, but there are still those who prefer to see their blood-suckers swimming in entrails and terrorizing and unknowing public. Well we've got you covered. Really it's Hollywood that has you covered; I'm just here to give you an update. In the coming year and beyond, there are quite a number of vampire movies coming out, catering to a variety of audiences. Two more "Twilight" movies sure, but what else? Hit the jump to read about a few of our highlights. Read More...

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EXCLUSIVE: 'Daybreakers' TV Spot Asks You To Turn Stray Humans In

Posted 11/17/09 5:00 pm EST by in Video


If you read this blog regularly, you've probably heard me rave about "Daybreakers." It's a potent equation. Take Ethan Hawke, Sam Neill and Willem Dafoe, throw in a crossbow strapped to a shotgun, human blood farms and a society ruled by vampires. Wrap it all up with a story involving a renegade group of the blood-suckers working to "cure" themselves and the dwindling human population fighting back. I can't shout "sold" loudly enough.

What we have here is an exclusive TV spot for "Daybreakers," which hits theaters on January 8, 2010. I dig the vibe here, a PSA informing all vampires to turn in humans they find for the continued survival of all. Check it out.

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