Johnny Depp’s ‘Transcendence’ Scores China Partner DMG Entertainment

Alcon Entertainment and China’s DMG Entertainment announced a multi-picture deal in Beijing, China today, which will first see them co-finance, produce and distribute the 2014 Johnny Depp-starring tentpole Transcendence.

The two companies also announced that they will next partner on the reboot of Point Break, which Alcon has been developing.

DMG will distribute both pictures in China, while Warner Brothers will distribute them in North America.

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“We are very excited that these will be the first two films of what will be a long- lasting and very successful partnership with Alcon,” said Dan Mintz, CEO of DMG Entertainment. “We look forward to making history with our new partner.”

“DMG brings a level of global insight and imagination to the project, and, most importantly, a strong relevancy to China," said Alcon co-founders and co-CEOs Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove."Their track record is unprecedented. To watch DMG’s performance on the U.S.-China collaborations of Looper and Iron Man 3, and then know our movies are following on that kind of success...it’s nothing less than awesome.”

Directed by Chris Nolan’s longtime choreographer, Wally Pfister, Transcendence stars Depp, Morgan Freeman, Paul Bettany, Rebecca Hall and Kate Mara, in a science fiction story of artificial intelligence. It will be executive produced by Nolan and Emma Thomas.

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“Without giving away too much, Transcendence is about that moment when human consciousness and the insanely fast rise of computing power collide,” Mintz said. “It pulls from the idea of singularity to tell a truly meaningful story that is more ‘science reality’ than science fiction. This is something that is likely to happen in our lifetimes and that makes it a story everyone can get into.”

DMG last partnered with Marvel Disney to co-produce Iron Man 3. The project wasn't able to secure official co-production status from the Chinese government (which entails a higher take of local box office), but DMG's local connections gave the film unprecedented marketing reach in the country, including a promotional event hosted by Robert Downey Jr. within the historic Forbidden City in Beijing, and various product placement deals with Chinese brands. The film was also released in a special Chinese cut, featuring more footage of Chinese stars Wang Xueqi and Fan Bingbing, which DMG consulted on. Iron Man 3 grossed $123 million (755 million yuan) in the country.

Twitter: @sajilpl

First 'Oldboy' Trailer: History, Hotel Rooms and Hammers to the Head

For those looking for a revenge flick that's exciting, confusing and more than a little violent -- a hammer in the head, Josh Brolin? -- the first trailer for Spike Lee's upcoming remake of the 2003 South Korean thriller Oldboy might be exactly what you're looking for.

Oldboy started life as a manga series running in Weekly Manga Action by Garon Tsuchiya and Nobukai Minegishi that ran from 1996 to 1998, before being adapted by director Park Chan-Wook in 2003 and, now, Lee for this new American version of the story.

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Each version of the story features the same basic plot. A man is locked away for years without reason, and once released, goes looking for explanations and those responsible. But what's odd is that each successive version of the story adds additional years to the length of imprisonment. In the original manga, Shinichi Goto is trapped for a decade. In the first film adaptation, Oh Dae-su is locked away for 15 years, and as the new trailer for the American edition reveals, Brolin's Joe Doucett is kept in solitary confinement for twenty years.

(As is always the case in such movies, Brolin ages suspiciously well in those twenty years; by the time he's released with his new haircut, he almost looks younger than he did in 1993.)

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The American version of the movie has been in the works for some time; in 2008, it was Will Smith and Steven Spielberg attached to the project, although both dropped out a year later, effectively killing the project until Lee became involved in 2011. Mark Protosevich, who provided scripts for I Am Legend and The Cell, has remained attached as screenwriter throughout.

The film also stars also stars Elizabeth Olsen and Sharlto Copley. Oldboy will be released October 25 via FilmDistrict.

Twitter: @sajilpl

Screen Media Picks Up Todd Sklar Comedy 'Awfully Nice'

Screen Media Films has acquired the U.S. rights to Todd Sklar’s comedy Awfully Nice, which had its world premiere at the 2013 SXSW Film Festival. The distributor will release the film next spring in conjunction with a VOD release, preceded by a nationwide college tour of event screenings and interactive parties via Sklar's Range Life outfit, Screen Media president Suzanne Blech announced Tuesday.

The film centers on estranged brothers, played by James Pumphrey and Alex Rennie (who also cowrote the film), who are forced to travel to Branson together to renovate and flip the lake house they've inherited from their just-deceased father.

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It was written, directed and produced by Sklar, executive produced by Jason Krigsfeld and Joseph Krigsfeld of Brothers K Productions, and also produced by Michael Forstein, Adam Paulsen, Sklar, Maury Steinman and Brock Williams. It also stars Christopher Meloni, Brett Gelman and Keely Hazell and is based on Sklar’s award-winning short film ’92 Skybox Alonso Mourning Rookie Card, which also starred Rennie and Pumphrey. All three are repped by CAA and Principato Young.

The deal was negotiated by Blech and Seth Needle, manager of acquisitions and marketing, on behalf of Screen Media with CAA on behalf of the filmmakers.

Entertain Your Kids with Mind-Enriching Apps

Technology is a powerful tool, especially for helping develop young minds.  Children today are growing up immersed in 3D graphics and complex games, and using a keyboard, mouse, or touchscreen interface is second nature to them.   With convertible Ultrabook systems able to transform from tablet to laptop, you can utilize many different types of brain-training apps to help your youngsters learn the essentials.

Here are some of the most popular, mind-enriching apps and games to turn an Intel inspired Ultrabook™ system into a learning tool, and sneak some education into your kid’s playtime.

Free Books What’s more educational than reading?  For only $0.99, this app gives you access to more than 23,000 books that you can download and read at any time without additional charge.  The library includes classic literature, fiction, children’s books, and a whole lot more.

Park Math Kids love cute critters.  This app uses fluffy, animated dogs, cats, and other furballs to help develop basic math skills.

Zoola Yet more furry creatures abound in Zoola, this time helping your youngsters learn all about the animal kingdom.

SkyView Every kid should have the opportunity to explore the universe.  Until we have warp drive, this app will have to do.  SkyView sees where you point your phone, and gives information on the stars and planets in that section of sky.  It’s a fun, educational mash-up of real-life atmosphere and entertaining technology.

Shape Analogies  Similar to those cereal-box pictures that ask what the differences are between two images, Shape Analogies is an engaging way for kids to develop spatial reasoning and observation skills.

Crayon Physics  The concept behind Crayon Physics is cool enough to get most adults excited.  Once you doodle a scene in the app, it automatically applies the laws of physics to it.  Balls roll or bounce within the scene you’ve created, giving kids a fun way to interact with physics and technology, and bringing their imagination to life.

These are some of our favorites, but there are many more out there to be discovered.  An Ultrabook like the Lenovo ThinkPad Twist is a great gaming tool because it adapts to type or touchscreen gameplay and swivels to allow kids to take turns.

Twitter: @sajilpl