Forbidden Planet is pleased to announce signing by top comics artist and writer LIAM SHARP. He will be signing Gears of War at the Forbidden Planet London Megastore on Thursday 10th December 6 – 7pm.
Artist, writer, publisher and some-time rocker frontman, Liam’s career spans from the solid roots of 2000AD through the hallowed halls of Marvel and Wildstorm and into designing a Heavy Metal magazine strip for Playboy model Tiffany Taylor. In 2004, he set up his own publishing company, Mam Tor, and rapidly expanded the brand into the independent comic market – including the publication of the award-winning Mam Tor: Event Horizon.
Now working for DC, Liam has provided the illustrations for the game-based Gears of War graphic novel that tells the story of Marcus Fenix’s Delta Squad… and what really happened between the Lightmass bombing and the opening of the second game.
He has also written and published God Killers, a powerfully visual collection of novellas and short stories dealing with an epic, time-travelling hero and building to a cataclysmic finale of emptiness, nothing and ‘vile space’.
EPIC MOTION PICTURE, FEATURES MUSIC COMPOSED & CONDUCTED BY
OSCARÒ-WINNER JAMES HORNER,
PLUS “I SEE YOU (THEME FROM AVATAR)” PERFORMED BY LEONA LEWIS
FROM ATLANTIC RECORDS, ALBUM’S U.S. RELEASE SET FOR DECEMBER 15TH;
AVAILABLE INTERNATIONALLY ON DECEMBER 14TH
AVATAR IN CINEMAS EVERYWHERE DECEMBER 18,
FROM TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX
LONDON, November 16, 2009 - AVATAR: MUSIC FROM THE MOTION PICTURE, the official score album companion to Oscar-winning filmmaker James Cameron’s epic motion picture adventure, will be released digitally and physically December 15th (available internationally on December 14th), from Atlantic Records. Pre-orders begin at www.atlanticrecords.com/store on November 16th.
The album, which features music composed and conducted by Academy Award®-winner James Horner (Titanic), will be highlighted by the film’s end title song, “I See You (Theme from Avatar),” performed by multiple Grammy® Award-nominated singer Leona Lewis, and produced by James Horner and Simon Franglen, the team behind Titanic’s blockbuster theme song, “My Heart Will Go On.” A companion video directed by Jake Nava (Beyoncé, Shakira) is currently in production.
James Cameron’s AVATAR will have its World Premiere on December 10th
before an audience of 3,000 people at the Odeon and Empire Leicester Square cinemas. Attending the premiere event will be director/writer/producer James Cameron, producer Jon Landau and cast members Sigourney Weaver, Sam Worthington, Zoë Saldana and Stephen Lang.
AVATAR stars Sam Worthington (Terminator Salvation), Zoë Saldana (Star Trek), Michelle Rodriguez (Lost, Fast & Furious), and Sigourney Weaver (Aliens, Galaxy Quest). The film is written by James Cameron and produced by Cameron and Jon Landau.
Advance screenings from December 16th in the UK, box office now open. For more information, please visit www.avatar-movie.co.uk
Multi-Platinum Singer Songwriter Leona Lewis Offers Brand New Song
“My Hands” As Game’s Theme Song
Friday 13th November/…Square Enix Ltd., the publisher of Square Enix® interactive entertainment products in Europe and other PAL territories, announced today the highly anticipated street date for FINAL FANTASY® XIII. This latest project in the multi-platinum FINAL FANTASY series promises to be intensely compelling and will be available for both the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft on 9th March 2010.
FINAL FANTASY XIII marks the dawning of a new era for the celebrated series, bringing the series to multiple hi-definition consoles simultaneously for the first time in its history. Expanding upon the rich tradition of the series, producer Yoshinori Kitase (FINAL FANTASY VII, X, X-2), director Motomu Toriyama (FINAL FANTASY VII, X, X-2), character designer Tetsuya Nomura (FINAL FANTASY V, VI, VII, VIII, X) and art director Isamu Kamikokuryo (FINAL FANASY X, XII) combine their creative vision to deliver the latest masterpiece in the FINAL FANTASY universe. Additionally, Masashi Hamauzu (FINAL FANTASY X, DIRGE of CERBERUS -FINAL FANTASY VII-) presents a sweeping soundtrack while movie director Takeshi Nozue (FINAL FANTASY VII ADVENT CHILDREN) and his team of artists adorn the game with seamless cinematic sequences of unparalleled calibre.
“FINAL FANTASY XIII promises to be a huge event in the 2010 gaming calendar,” said Phil Rogers, president and chief executive officer of Square Enix Europe. “This is truly a landmark title, arriving simultaneously for multiple platforms for the first time in the history of the series. We are also immensely proud to be able to bring the game to the European and PAL audience much earlier than was publically anticipated.”
Multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter Leona Lewis has come on board with Square Enix to provide the theme song for FINAL FANTASY XIII. The song is entitled “My Hands,” and is featured on her highly-anticipated second album ECHO (J Records/Syco Music) set for release on November 16th. Leona Lewis took the music world by storm with her 2008 6x platinum debut album Spirit which features her chart topping, biggest selling single of 2008 “Bleeding Love,” and mega-hit “Better In Time.”
“When Square Enix approached Leona about including her song, “My Hands,” in FINAL FANTASY XIII, she was honoured to be partnered with such an iconic and groundbreaking video game series,” said Tom Corson, EVP/GM, RCA Music Group. “Leona is a natural fit with the game’s powerful themes and strong female protagonist. We’re delighted to be part of this effort, bringing great musical artistry to FINAL FANTASY XIII which is a riveting and dynamic gaming experience.”
Introducing new worlds, memorable characters and extraordinary stories with each new instalment, the FINAL FANTASY series has continued to reinvent itself over the last two decades and has shipped over 85 million copies worldwide. The series is defined by a constant evolution, offering nothing less than the finest creative vision, graphical quality and gameplay system of its generation with every instalment, and FINAL FANTASY XIII will be no exception to its legacy.
For more information about FINAL FANTASY XIII and to watch the release date announcement video, please visit the Official Website at www.finalfantasy13game.com
DJ HERO – THE MOST ANTICIPATED NEW MUSIC GAME OF THE YEAR – SPINS ONTO STORE SHELVES ACROSS EUROPE
DJ Hero Renegade Edition Features Premium Renegade Turntable Controller, Case, Stand and Exclusive DJ Hero Renegade 2-CD pack from JAY-Z and EMINEM * 93 Exclusive Original Mixes from World Renowned DJs Bring Unprecedented Variety of Music Spanning Hip Hop, Rock, Pop, Dance and R&B to the Music Game Genre
Go to the iTunes store, you sons (and daughters) of a silly person! The Monty Python collection is now available for download … for the very, very, very first time on the UK iTunes store.
Meet the stars of the smash hit BBC series ‘Merlin’ at the Forbidden Planet Megastore, 179 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, WC2H 8JR, on Saturday 31st October 3 – 4pm.
Bradley James (Arthur) and Angel Coulby (Guinevere) will be signing The Adventures of Merlin: The Official Annual and The Adventures of Merlin: Complete Guide plus a full range of other Merlin titles.
Bradley James is a relative newcomer to television but has managed to make his mark in each role he has taken on. He made his television debut in the ITV series Lewis in 2008, in a recurring role opposite Kevin Whately and Laurence Fox, before moving onto Shine’s teen drama Dis/Connected on BBC Three. Bradley’s passion for sports, including football, athletics and cricket, has helped him in his physically demanding role as a young Arthur in Merlin.
Angel’s impressive credits include Doctor Who, Life is Wild, Hustle, Tripping Over, Making Waves, International Emmy nominated crime drama Vincent, and BBC medical dramas Holby City and Casualty. Angel also featured in the BBC Three sitcom The Visit. She has worked with Shine before, on teen drama As If. Angel was a member of the National Theatre, and performed in productions including The Statement of Regret and The Importance of Being Ernest.
We did talk about this upcoming BBC show a while back but now we have a full press release and some photos. There are some slight similarities to Flash Forward (getting a glimpse of the future, trying to prevent the outcome of what was seen) but that’s no bad thing and I’m guessing the actual show will be a lot different.
I’m looking forward to seeing how they tackle this premise.
Judging from one of the quotes from the director I’m wondering if he’s seen Moon, District 9, BSG or a whole host of dark and serious sci-fi shows and films that have been on in recent years.
“I was initially wary because I thought it was a sci-fi show but, when I read the scripts, I realised it wasn’t that at all. It was something much darker and deeper and when I came on board I was excited about setting up the whole show, creating the look and getting involved with casting.” – Director, Simon Cellan Jones.
At the moment there’s no transmission date but as soon as we know something I’ll pass it along.
BIOWARE ANNOUNCES JANUARY 29 UK LAUNCH DATE FOR MASS EFFECT 2 TOGETHER WITH EXCITING PRE-ORDER INCENTIVES
Unique Armour and Weaponry Available with Pre-Orders Guildford, UK – October 16, 2009 – Mark your calendar and lock in your copy of Mass Effect 2 now! Leading video game developer BioWare™, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. today announced that the epic Shooter/RPG Mass Effect™ 2 will be on store shelves in the UK on January 29. With its larger-than-life hero Commander Shepard, intense shooter action, nuanced characters and a rich storyline, the sequel to the original award-winning opus is one of the most anticipated titles of 2010. In support of the launch, BioWare is releasing unique Mass Effect 2 pre-order incentives* at key retailers in North America and across Europe. Codes for downloading these items will be provided to players who have pre-ordered, usable when the game is released.
Moodus CT, October 12, 2009: Partners Keith J. Murphey and Hector E. Rodriguez announced today the launch of their new creative venture, Guild Works Publications. To accompany the announcement, the duo also launched the creative studio’s new website, http://www.gwpbooks.com.
In a statement released by the studio, Murphey, a freelance illustrator and current president of the Comicbook Artists Guild shared, “We have a new vision! Our direction will be geared toward a more mature audience, featuring more horror, suspense, and other darker edged materials. Several new titles will be announced in the months ahead.” Formerly known as Guild Works Productions, solely owned and operated by Murphey, the new GWP will now also operate with a brand new editorial and management team.
Hector Rodriguez, creator of Hell’s Blood, is now primary partner in this revived venture. On the horizon fans will see Issue #2 of Hell’s Blood hit the stands before the end of 2009. In addition Rodriguez will be playing the dual role of Art Director of GWP.
Commenting on the newly formed partnership, Rodriguez said “It was only natural that I join Keith in this venture; we’ve been working together since I joined CAG, always producing high quality stories and art. This is simply the next logical step for us and we’re more than just excited over what’s to come.”
Talented writer and editor Chris Buchner will be taking on editorial matters on all future GWP books. As Buchner continues to write Hell’s Blood, he also will spearhead several new projects that will soon be announced. Buchner currently works on the Marvel Index, spiderfan.org, and is the NYC Chapter Coordinator for the Comicbook Artists Guild.
Heading up efforts in the studio’s promotions and graphic design are Susan Soares and Matt Mundorf respectively. Soares, a freelance promotions consultant, comes to the studio with experience from Jolly Rogue Studios and the Comicbook Artists Guild, where she currently serves as Membership Coordinator. Mundorf brings years of graphic design to the GWP table and will be responsible for logo design and other design tasks that spotlight the studio’s amazing talent.
On the launch of the new website, Murphey commented “GWP has shed its old skin and is going in a bright new direction. We are sharper, sleeker and have a new focus. The new website is just the first step as we have many more wonderful plans in the days ahead.”
To witness the first steps of this new venture, fans and members of the comic book media are invited to visit both the studio’s new website at http://www.gwpbooks.com and the studio’s fan community at http://guildworkspublications.ning.com. Murphey and Rodriguez are scheduled to appear at this weekend’s Big Apple Con, at Artist Alley Table 3073.
Forbidden Planet is pleased to announce a signing by horror legend Clive Barker this Thursday evening. He will be signing his new DVD The Midnight Meat Train at the Forbidden Planet Megastore, 179 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, WC2H 8JR, on Thursday 15th October 6:30 – 7:30pm.
Featuring Vinnie Jones and based on the short story by Clive Barker, Midnight Meat Train is the horrific tale of Leon, a New York photographer who saves a woman from being attacked. The woman then disappears and the police show no interest in Leon’s story, forcing him to track down the killer on the subway system himself.
Clive Barker is a true legend in the world of horror having created, as either writer or director, The Hellraiser series of movies, Night Breed, The Books Of Blood, Candyman and many more books, movies and comics.
Forbidden Planet is the largest store of its kind in the world. Some of the biggest names in Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Comics and Cult Entertainment have come to our London Megastore for signing events, including: Sam Raimi, Guillermo del Toro, Terry Gilliam, Christopher Lee, Andy Serkis, Simon Pegg, William Gibson, Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett and Stephen King.
