'2012' Gets Bumped Back Four Months

Sony has announced yesterday that they're pushing back the release of Roland Emmerich's 2012 from its July 10th date all the way to November 13th, just before Thanksgiving. The studio claims this move was made to "maximize playability" largely because they don't have a major tentpole film during the fall season this year. 2012 will now be competing with Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes as well as Fox's family comedy The Tooth Fairy, both opening the same weekend. Sony execs said 2012 could have been completed by its summer date, though the new date will add some extra time for the effects-laden production.

I remember when the news about 2012 first hit, it was being sold as a pre-packed project, with everything from marketing to the budget completely worked out by Emmerich. It's interesting to see that Sony has pushed this back, and as always, it makes me a bit nervous, especially considering it was originally slated to be a big summer film. The first teaser trailer didn't seem to go over too well, with most people calling it another effects-driven Emmerich flop. 2012 stars John Cusack and Amanda Peet and is about the apocalypse that has been predicted to arrive in the year 2012. Does this seem like a confident move?

First Teaser for Roland Emmerich's 2012

The first epic teaser for Roland Emmerich's 2012 has just hit. It has one of those "oh shit" moments in it that only Emmerich could pull off. Is this the next Day After Tomorrow or something more? This is the perfect teaser for those who know nothing about the end of the world in 2012 or nothing about the movie. I think the reaction to this is going to be intense. I also think this has the potential to be a very epic movie. This doesn't show enough to give us an idea of what the plot will actually be about, but damn, that was crazy!

Watch the teaser trailer for 2012:

You can also watch the 2012 teaser trailer in High Definition on AOL

2012 is directed and co-written by epic German filmmaker Roland Emmerich, of films like Stargate, Independence Day, Godzilla, The Patriot, The Day After Tomorrow, and 10,000 B.C. previosuly. It was also co-written by Harald Kloser, of The Thirteenth Floor, The Day After Tomorrow, Alien vs Predator, and 10,000 B.C. as well. 2012 slams into theaters everywhere on July 10th, 2009 next summer!

McCarthy on Board for 2012

Thomas McCarthy, the writer and director of The Visitor, will star in Roland Emmerich's 2012.

McCarthy joins an ensemble cast led by John Cusack that includes Amanda Peet, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Thandie Newton, Danny Glover and Oliver Platt.

The Hollywood Reporter says McCarthy will play the boyfriend of Peet, who is the ex-wife of Cusack's character.

2012 is set to shoot in August in Vancouver. McCarthy also will begin working on a new script that he intends to direct.

Source: ComingSoon

John Cusack and Chiwetel Ejiofor Cast in Roland Emmerich's 2012

Next summer we'll most likely see both John Cusack and Chiwetel Ejiofor on the biggest posters, standing at odd angles and staring off into the distance. Cusack and Ejiofor have just been cast in Roland Emmerich's giant summer blockbuster movie 2012. We've featured this project before, but now it's got some faces. 2012 is an apocalyptic natural disaster movie set in 2012 about an academic researcher who opens a portal into a parallel universe and makes contact with his double in order to prevent an apocalypse predicted by the ancient Mayans. With Cusack and Ejiofor now on board, I really hope this will be something special.

Emmerich and crew will begin shooting this July in Los Angeles for a July 10th, 2009 release. If you're curious to read more about the 2012 apocalypse according to the Mayan calendar, FirstShowing wrote an extensive look at the conspiracy theory back in early March. The original screenplay was said to have "more going for it than the big idea that studios love" and ended up in the hands of Sony after an intense bidding war. It now is apparent that the ideas in the film involve a parallel universe twin on top of the entire apocalypse that threatens all of mankind. This movie is going to be big!

I'm a big fan of both John Cusack and Chiwetel Ejiofor, but moreso Ejiofor. I hope this is his big break, because he's highly underrated and needs a chance to really shine. Unfortunately this seems like much more of a paycheck project for Cusack than it does anything else. I can't even really see him being the big budget apocalyptic savior - can you? I just keep crossing my fingers and hoping this is as good as it all sounds, but worried that Emmerich is just on a downward spiral. How does 2012 sound to you now that Cusack and Ejiofor have been cast?

Sony buys Emmerich's '2012'

That didn't last long! Just d day before yesterday we mentioned that Roland Emmerich and Harald Kloser's 2012 was being shopped around to studios, and now, according to Variety, a heated Wednesday bidding battle ended with Sony Pictures buying the spec script for a summer 2009 tentpole release.

The trade says that several studios bid on the project, while some shied away from a price-tag that could hit $200 million.

The Emmerich-directed pic will start production in late summer or early fall.

The title refers to the apocryphal date that the world is supposed to end, and it frames an ensemble disaster epic akin to The Day After Tomorrow, the blockbuster that Emmerich sold in a similar spec sale and which turned into a global hit for 20th Century Fox.

The Emmerich-directed prehistoric epic 10,000 B.C. (co-written by Kloser) will be released by Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures on March 7.

Source: Variety

Studios vie for Emmerich's '2012'

Roland Emmerich is ready to wreak havoc on the planet, and once again, multiple studios are vying to go along for the ride.

CAA is shopping "2012," an apocalyptic spec script written by Emmerich and Harald Kloser, who collaborated on "10,000 B.C.," the prehistoric epic that Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures releases March 7.

Studio toppers read the script Tuesday, and indications are that nearly all of them were interested enough to meet with Emmerich and reps Wednesday to hear his budget projection and creative aspirations. After that, studios will bid on what is essentially a greenlit film, one that Emmerich intends to direct next and have ready for a summer 2009 release, barring a prolonged Screen Actors Guild strike.

Emmerich has sold several of his tentpole projects in spec auctions that came with production budgets and release dates, something that was done with "Independence Day" and "The Day After Tomorrow." Both of those films were purchased by 20th Century Fox and turned into global hits for the studio.

According to sources, Emmerich's latest project has more going for it than the big idea that studios love. Studios are hungry for fresh material after the writers strike, and getting the chance to round out a 2009 slate with an Emmerich-directed extravaganza will be a tempting proposition.

Source: Variety