24 Season 7

Posted in Films and Movies, News on May 21st, 2008 | 0 comments

24 is an Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning American action drama television series. Broadcast by Fox Network in the USA and syndicated worldwide, the show first aired on November 6, 2001, with an initial thirteen episodes. The first six seasons were all centered around the fictional Los Angeles branch of the U.S. government Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU).

24 is presented in real time, with each season depicting a 24-hour period in the life of Jack Bauer, who works with the U.S. government as it fights threats on U.S. soil. Bauer is often in the field for the fictional Los Angeles Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU) as they try to safeguard the nation from terrorist threats.

The show also follows the actions of other CTU agents, government officials and terrorists associated with the plot. The first six seasons of the show were all based in Los Angeles and nearby locations – both real and fictional – in California, although occasionally other locations have been featured as well – most notably, Washington, D.C., where a significant portion of the action took place during the fourth and sixth seasons. Promotional materials for the seventh season have already established that, departing from tradition, it will be set primarily in Washington, D.C.

After leading actor Kiefer Sutherland won a Golden Globe for his role in the first 10 episodes, the ratings of the show increased, leading FOX to order the second half of the season. There have been six seasons of 24 produced. On May 15, 2007, it was confirmed that FOX has ordered seventh and eighth seasons. A motion picture based on the show has been written and was scheduled to be filmed in 2007 for a 2008 release but plans for production were put on hold to focus on the TV series.

The seventh season, originally scheduled to premiere on January 13, 2008, was initially postponed in the wake of the 2007-08 Writers Guild of America strike to ensure a non stop season, a trademark of the show since the start of its fourth season in January 2005. It is now officially postponed until January 2009. To help offset the strike-induced delay, 24 will return on Sunday, November 23, 2008 with a two-hour prequel that will take place almost a year after day six and will “set up the story that launches season seven”.

Season Seven, also known as Day 7, of the television series 24 was originally planned to premiere on January 13, 2008 but was delayed an entire year due to the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike. FOX will air a two-hour “prequel” TV movie on November 23, 2008 that bridges the gap between seasons.

24 Season 7 Plot:

  • According to a TV Guide interview with co-executive producer Manny Coto, “In a sense, it’s a reboot — in location and personnel. We’re going to be introducing a new stable of characters, along with a couple of old ones. Jack starts next season in a very different place than any season so far. [He's] not living under an alias. He’s found a place he thinks he belongs and a job he enjoys doing that doesn’t involve the government… We’re hewing much closer to real life: tighter, more personal, more difficult for Jack. There will not be a ticking clock on a nuclear device and the villain is not a terrorist but someone with a supremely dark past who’s done something horrific and whose ambition is to regain his stature in the world. There may even be a plot thread that doesn’t take place on U.S. soil.”
  • Writer and Executive Producer Michael Loceff has confirmed, “what we are going for, is really taking this to the personal level,” unlike this season six’s focus on nuclear threats, the President getting hurt and possible war. Loceff says “you just can’t go much bigger than that, unless you put a spacesuit on Jack Bauer and shoot him into orbit. Which you know, we may get there, but we’re not going to be there yet.” Next season expect smaller story lines for the characters, including Jack. Loceff adds, “and how he tries to resolve a particularly thorny conflict in the final episode.” Loceff tells us Season 7 will focus on smaller and more intense story lines. But the specifics are still a mystery even for Loceff and the writers.
  • Fox President Peter Liguori said: “We’ve really heard what the loyal audience has said to us. The good news is simply this: It has really fueled the show runners to be more daring with what they’re going to do next year.”
  • Executive producer Howard Gordon told iF Magazine that the new season is set several months after the events of the sixth season and will be set entirely in Washington, D.C. or New York and will start at 7 am.
  • Carlos Bernard will return as Tony Almeida in the premiere of season 7 as one of the main antagonists. Show-runner Howard Gordon explained that Tony’s “uncertain fate” left the door open for his return and cited the lack of a “silent clock” as a deliberate move to keep his death ambiguous. “We didn’t give him the silent clock because we always wanted to keep alive the possibility for some kind of (admittedly) miraculous resurrection… which we will explain,” and followed up with “He’s definitely NOT the Almeida we once knew.”

Trailer: The debut trailer aired on October 25, 2007. In the trailer, Jack is seen testifying before Congress concerning his past extralegal activities, including the torture of terrorist Ibrahim Haddad.


The international version of the trailer is largely identical but features an additional line where Bauer implies personal enjoyment from torturing a suspect. This line is cut from the US version. A second trailer emphasized the plot concerning USA losing control of its power lines, water supplies and air traffic control.

Prequel: FOX will air a two-hour “prequel” TV movie on November 23, 2008 that bridges the gap between seasons. The storyline of the prequel takes place during Inauguration Day for the next U.S. President, Allison Taylor, and is shot partially in South Africa. “Jack is a soul in turmoil and has been moving from place to place trying to find somewhere he can be at peace,” says co-executive producer, Manny Coto. “But he winds up in Africa in the middle of a military coup.” Meanwhile, Bauer is subpoenaed to appear before the Senate hearing while in Africa, but doesn’t want to go.

Howard Gordon revealed the prequel takes place approximately a year after day six. On April 30, producers began scouting locations in Africa in order to film the prequel in the following weeks. Robert Carlyle was cast as Benton, Jack’s mentor in Africa.

Production:

  • Measures will be taken during filming and production of season 7 to save energy and reduce enough carbon emissions throughout the season to make the season finale “carbon neutral”. Howard Gordon said that 24 cares about the issue of global warming and takes fighting climate change seriously. A number of ways that the production intends to save energy are listed on the site, some of which are: using a combination of petroleum diesel and biodiesel instead of regular diesel fuel, creating a series of PSAs with Kiefer Sutherland and other main cast members to educate the public on what they can do to help with the issue, and, when appropriate, applying the issue of global warming and reducing carbon emissions to the storylines.
  • The crew was scheduled to film scenes with Kiefer Sutherland at the Marine Corps Air Station El Toro on Monday October 22, 2007, however filming was canceled for health reasons due to raging wildfires in the area. Cast and crew had blurry vision and difficulty breathing from the smoke.
  • The first promotional image of the Season 7 cast was released on the internet on April 20, 2008

Writers Strike: On October 25, FOX premiered the first trailer and announced the return date for season 7 as January 13. Just eleven days later, on November 5, the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike began. FOX executives postponed the season to ensure that it “can air uninterrupted, in its entirety.” FOX scheduling chief, Preston Blackman, admitted “It’s not a decision we wanted to make, but it’s one based on how we feel the viewers expect us to schedule the show.”

Following the conclusion of the writers strike, production resumed on April 22. Kiefer Sutherland claims the strike was beneficial to the show: “The time allowed us to do something that has never been done before  create a map of the entire season before we started shooting. So I can tell you without hesitation, I know for a fact, that season 7 is going to be the best season yet.”

Regular cast:

Recurring cast:

  • Carlo Rota as Morris O’Brian
  • John Billingsley as Michael Latham
  • Ever Carradine as an FBI Agent
  • Nick Chinlund as Former Agent Masters
  • Isaach De Bankolé as Ule Motobo (former Prime Minister of an African nation)
  • Warren Kole as Secret Service Agent Gedge
  • Mark Kiely as Rogue Secret Service Agent Vossler
  • Carly Pope as Samantha Roth
  • Kurtwood Smith as Senator
  • Peter Wingfield as Emmerson
  • Marlene Forte as Rosa Gonzales
  • Hakeem Kae-Kazim as Ike Dubaku
  • as General Benjamin Luma (dictator of Sangala, an african nation)
  • as Laurent (soldier in General Juma’s army and son of Colenel Dubaku)

Kung Fu Panda 2008 REAL STORY !!

Posted in Films and Movies, News on May 21st, 2008 | 0 comments

Kung Fu Panda is an animated film about a panda who learns martial arts and then uses this new ability to fight his enemies. Kung Fu Panda is being directed by John Stevenson and Mark Osborne and produced by Melissa Cobb. The idea for the film was conceived by Michael Lachance, a DreamWorks Animation executive. The film is due for release on June 6, 2008. It will be distributed by Paramount Pictures.

The film stars the voices of, among others, Jack Black, Seth Rogen, David Cross, Jackie Chan, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie and Lucy Liu.

Whats the Story ? Po (Jack Black) is a panda who is an apprentice noodle-maker and kung fu fanatic, but whose defining characteristic appears to be that he is the laziest animal in ancient China.

Evil warrior Tai Lung (Ian McShane) has escaped from prison, and all hopes have been pinned on a prophecy naming Po as the “Chosen One” to save the day. He has a kung fu master, Sifu (Dustin Hoffman) who “has trained five of the greatest warriors that the world has ever known”, to help him.

Notably, all the original disciples of the main masters are animal stances or styles commonly used in the art of Kung Fu – Tigress (Tiger), Monkey, Viper, Crane and Mantis. Shen Lung Kung Fu uses those animals as a base for the whole system.

In an animated ancient China populated by talking animals, the world’s most malevolent warrior is the snow leopard Tai Lung. When Tai Lung escapes from prison, all seems lost until a prophecy points to a heroic Dragon Warrior destined to save the day! Problem is, the chosen one happens to be Po, a lazy, clumsy dumpling addict whose girth puts the “giant” back in “giant panda.”

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Despite Po’s apparent lack of potential, the legendary kung fu master Shifu tries to whip him into shape with the help of his five prize students: Tigress, Monkey, Snake, Crane, and Mantis. Enthusiastic, big and a little clumsy, Po is the biggest fan of Kung Fu around…which doesn’t exactly come in handy while working every day in his family’s noodle shop.

Unexpectedly chosen to fulfill an ancient prophecy, Po’s dreams become reality when he joins the world of Kung Fu and studies alongside his idols, the legendary Furious Five — Tigress, Crane, Mantis, Viper and Monkey — under the leadership of their guru, Master Shifu. But before they know it, the vengeful and treacherous snow leopard Tai Lung is headed their way, and it’s up to Po to defend everyone from the oncoming threat.


Can he turn his dreams of becoming a Kung Fu master into reality? Po puts his heart – and his girth – into the task, and the unlikely hero ultimately finds that his greatest weaknesses turn out to be his greatest strengths.

Three Good Reasons:

  1. The voice talent is, for lack of a better word, awesome. Legends like Jackie Chan and Dustin Hoffman join the sultry Lucy Liu and Angelina Jolie, jokesters Seth Rogen and David Cross, and, of course, Jack Black.
  2. This promises to be a fun movie for the whole family, with a great message about believing in yourself and finding your hidden gifts. Plus, Po the panda is just so squeezable.
  3. With a whole menagerie of kung fu fighting animals, this movie will inspire years of “Who would win in a fight?” debates.

Soundtrack: As with most DreamWorks animated films, composer Hans Zimmer was hired to score the film. Zimmer is said to be visiting China at some point in order to absorb the culture and get to know the Chinese National Symphony, all as part of his preparation to write music for Kung Fu Panda.

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Though Zimmer was originally announced as the main composer of the film, during a test screening Jeffrey Katzenberg, CEO of DreamWorks Animation SKG, announced that composer John Powell will also be contributing to the score. This marked the first collaboration in eight years by that time between these two composers, who worked together on Dreamworks’ The Road to El Dorado and the action thriller Chill Factor. This was publicly confirmed by DreamWorks Animation on March 21, 2008. A soundtrack album will be released by DreamWorks Records on June 3, 2008.

Cast:

  • Jack Black as Po – Giant Panda
  • Jackie Chan as Master Monkey – Monkey
  • Angelina Jolie as Master Tigress – South China Tiger
  • Lucy Liu as Master Viper – Viper
  • Nadine Vi as Master Ferto – Fer-De-Lance
  • Ian McShane as Tai Lung – Snow Leopard
  • David Cross as Master Crane – Japanese Crane
  • Seth Rogen as Master Mantis – Praying Mantis
  • Michael Clarke Duncan as Commander Vachir – Javan Rhinoceros
  • James Hong as Mr. Ping – Goose
  • Dan Fogler as Zeng – Palace Goose
  • Randall Duk Kim as Oogway – Tortoise

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