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Martin Campbell Talks About Green Lantern Visual Effects

by Alex Billington
November 1, 2009
Source: Coventry Telegraph

Most of the recent updates I've seen on DC Comics' Green Lantern movie have been about how they're moving production from Australia to New Orleans due to budgetary concerns. Now we have another new update, from director Martin Campbell himself, that's actually about the movie and the visual effects and what we'll be seeing on the big screen in 2011. It's nothing major, but it's a solid update. Campbell talked with Empire recently (via Coventry Telegraph) and said that there are going to be a lot of effects shots. "It's daunting. Just the process, something like 1,300 visual effects shots, it's mind-blowing, quite honestly."

Well, sure, we all hope it's going to be mind-blowing Mr. Campbell, but what does that mean for us right now? Before we go any further, Campbell himself explains why it'll be so effects heavy - the Green Lantern ring Ryan Reynolds wears is, obviously, superpowered. And that means it can do a lot, as he explains here:

"It's energised by a battery on the planet of Oa, which taps into the willpower of everyone in the universe. From that ring you can form constructs. So if you got into a fight, you could form a giant fist. Or a fighter plane."

Hint, hint? All of the Green Lantern fans out there are saying "okay, we knew that, big deal?" Well, the reason why this is a big deal is because that confirms that: a) Martin Campbell knows the Green Lantern character very well, which is so important for the director, and b) they're not going to scrap the bigger story for some localized Earth-based story about a Green Lantern crime fighter. As in, now we know that they're actually keeping the Green Lantern Corps (who knows how much of it we'll see?) which means we may even see Hal Jordan go to planet Oa. Speaking of which:

"He's the only superhero to my knowledge who regularly goes to another planet. Superman and Batman were essentially locked into a particular city. The Lantern isn't so Earthbound."

Ah, so it sounds like he will be leaving Earth, maybe even a few times. Now this is the big, awesome Green Lantern movie I've been waiting to see. It's exactly why I don't mind that they shoot this in New Orleans. Where they're shooting doesn't really matter, what matters the most is that they have reserved enough of the budget to work on effects afterwards, because this will be very effects heavy and I really don't want to see any cheap CGI like in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. So far it sounds like they're moving in the right direction and that Martin Campbell definitely knows what he's doing. We'll keep you updated on this! Sound good?

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Related categories: Hype, Movie News, Opinions

Jamie

Well I'm not worried. I trust Mr Campbell and Reynolds to do a good job.
Victor

"a) Martin Campbell knows the Green Lantern character very well, which is so important for the director" Doesn't tell me much, he is just quoting the script. I think we should wait for a more solid update on this movie before jumping to conclusions. But so far I'm a little worried about this movie.
Spider94

dont forgot the cgi in wolverine,worst claws ever.even everyone in the theatre that didnt know what the hell cgi was was laughing there heads off- oh shiny ha ha ha ha even tron (1982) and terminator 2 has better cgi than all these new movies
Xerxex

#3 that CGI made me want to throw up a little, O.o I want this to be good and I have hope in Campbell and Reynolds can do this but I just hope that we can see a difference between Deadpool and The Green Lantern.
jake the snake

What has Martin Campbell done? Anything good that involves heavy special effects?
xerxex

Jake The Snake He did Casino Royal.
LuckyLoser

#3 so true hahaha
isrealiDude

this is gonna suck really big...I mean REALLY!! look at any and all comic book movies in the last decade (apart from The Dark Knight and Watchmen, in my opinion). must of you who comment here were SUPER hyped at anything that had Marvel or DC stamped on it, and absolutely EVERYTHING sucked in one major way or another: 1. Blade - only the second was any good, and it was far better than it could have been only because of Gilermo Del Toro, who, to me, is one of the leading directors we have today, even if his creature design is sometimes too much the same. 2. X-men: it wasn't all that great, maybe a few scenes in the second movie but that is way not enough to cheer the entire film or franchise, I mean "The last stand" was pulp material. 3.Spiderman - Come on now, it was a joke full of bad dialog and even worse acting, and that was just the 1st movie!! the second had 2 great action scenes and the third... don't even get me started on that one. 4. Superman returns - where was the action??? and what's with Lex Luthor hanging out with a bunch of idiots all the time? for the smartest man on earth he's not very particular about his recreational buddies. did I mention there was no action?! 5. Ironman - it was big on laughs... if you're 12!! also, it was very disconnected from a technological POV (computer, build me this suit... thank you). and was too long.. 6. The Hulk (both movies) - personally, I liked Ang Lee's "Hulk", but I know pretty much the rest of humanity didn't, so, 'nuff said. The Ed Norton movie was not as good as I wished it to be, way too much CGI in the end there. 7. Transformers - 'nuff said. 8. Wolverine - that was bad on so many levels, I won't even waste words on it. and these are but some items in a long list that's getting longer, of bad comic book movies you all spent time cheering and wishing to see, only to come out of the cinema a bit depressed but unwilling to express why... I think that there are not many directors that have pull in Hollywood today, and most of the movies that come out are studio directed by people who don't really understand the media, but understand dollars. I think that maybe if there was a boycot of some sort on movies that were obviously going to be bad (i.e. Green Lantern or Deadpool for that matter), then maybe the studios would think twice about who to put on the helm, and maybe give them a little slack. Look at how well The Dark knight did...maybe it was because it was so grounded technologically and location wise (a real city and not a Tim Burton design). Don't cheer anything and everything... pick what "smells" good and pay for THAT and not the other, mediocre kind.... I love action movies... but mostly today I just wait for the DVD to rent. It's cheaper and I feel a lot less cheated.
Dave Lister, JMC

'I liked Ang Lee's "Hulk" '... that's where you lost me for good, israeliDude. You made some valid points; but Ang Lee's Hulk was the biggest load of dung of any comic book film ever made... ever.
don p

@ #8 your so right!! i loved both of the hulks thou and i think the first 2 Blades are the best comic book movies ever, they fucked up on the third one thou cause they made dracula a pussy, they should have used a dracula like from van helsing or sumthing
M-Cat

xerxer ok then I'll check it out. I loved casino royale
Jordan

Reynolds will make this truly one of the best comic book video ever.
Dreckent

After reading Emerald Dawn I & II and watching Green Lantern: First Flight, its obvious that the Green Lantern movie will happen in an universe similar to StarWars or StarTrek. Now i get what they meant when they said "Its going to be huge"...they meant "planets, battleships and aliens huge"...
SlashBeast

I'm extremely excited for this and I trust Martin Campbell.
zubzwank

I too am glad the GLC and the GOTU ("Guardian of The Universe", a big job to which those little blue guys appointed themselves) are involved. These elements are all part of the GL mythos. I thought the individual GLs were selected for, among other qualities, indomitable will power. I never heard that the main power battery tapped into "the will power of everyone in the universe." So it's a triumph of the will? Sounds a little fascist. Did they ask everybody if that's OK? I don't remember being asked. Hey GLC and GOTU, give ME a power ring and you can have my will power! Re: the special effects-I am looking forward to (all glowing green) giant scissors, boxing gloves, lassos, et al, but...in the early to mid-90s, when DC tried to replace my old fart hero Hal Jordan with a young whippersnapper, or should that be ring-slinger, they came up with a cool idea. They gave the ring to Gen Xer comic book artist Kyle Rainer. Being an artist, he visualized things differently, so his constructs were things like a green motorcycle he road/flew around on. Instead of a big green lasso, he would create a big green boa constrictor; instead of giant green scissors, he grabbed bad guys in the mouth of a giant green lion. I enjoyed that. Maybe Hal could try a little imagination (if he's got one) once in a while? While Kyle (now called Ion?), an example of a trend going on in comics circa 93-94. could never replace Hal in everybody's hearts, he was a worthy hero in his own right and deserves a place in the DC universe. Change that stupid mask, though, and get rid of the armor (another unfortunate 90's trend. Spidey and Daredevil got it too). You can get the ring to take care of that. By the way #13 Dreckent, GL's don't need spaceships. The ring takes care of that, too. They are inappropriate for a Green Lantern movie. Aliens are OK. Most of the GLC is alien.
yojoe

instead of bitching so much people should be happy that comicbook movies are made at all, gimme a halleluja!!!
Blue Silver

#8, you should read a book every once in a while! That said, I believe Campbell will be great as director. I think we should be so lucky the project is getting underway and not just delayed due to some random issue! Let's reserve the bitchin', at least until we see a trailer!
sean

TO EVERYONE: I know Hal's story and the GL legacy backwards and forwards. I have read/am in possession of the script. You have NOTHING to worry about.
dave13

Alex, i think you're reading too much into those little quotes. though it is nice to hear that they'll be keeping the Corps... i never thought that was an option, but thats hollywood for ya.
Ostilad

Care to share the link to the script #18?
evilnik

if they just make a pretty good atleast 50% good live action adapation of the green lantern first flight animated movie, then the battle is half won!
tazz

@#20 evilnik if the green lantern make stupid shapes from his ring i will start laughing. just imagine he makes a giant basket in the movie, just like the one in green lantern first flight animated movie. no one will take the movie seriously.
sean

@ #19 - if I knew how to post it, I would.
Roman

Campbell did some great work with Casino Royale. I totally trust him...
tir na nog

Read somewhere they are relaunching the Superman character in this one with a cameo.This film looks like it has a lot of potential.
Corran Horn

tir na nog: As I understand it, Clark Kent makes an appearance but not Superman. Campbell, like Favreau and Nolan before him, clearly seems to get it. His previous work has shown that he knows how to balance effects and story. I, for one, am quite eager to see what he has in mind. As for the script Sean is referring to, I haven't read it myself as it was taken down before I could get to it. However, Latino Review did an excellent rundown on it a year or so ago. If you check this site's archives, I'm sure Alex or the others posted a link to it.
tazz

heres Latinoreview.com script review of the Green Lantern. http://www.latinoreview.com/script-reviews/green-lantern-84
isrealiDude

#9 Too bad I lost you at point 6, I had some more valid points and although I had the patience to read them I shouldn't expect everyone to have the patience to read them. #17: I read 3 books a week, as well as work both hired and freelance jobs in graphic design and illustration, I hope I have time for that baby girl that's arriving in a month... and I have time to answer you.
isrealiDude

#9 Too bad I lost you at point 6, I had some more valid points and although I had the patience to write them I shouldn't expect everyone to have the patience to read them. #17: I read 3 books a week, as well as work both hired and freelance jobs in graphic design and illustration, I hope I have time for that baby girl that's arriving in a month... and I have time to answer you.
tobi,leader of the akatsuki

warner/dc if the man needs extra money to do cgi on the green lantern then give him the dollar because if the effects look shit its gonna flop you have got nothing thats gonna even rival what marvel have planned(iron man 2,captain america,thor,the avengers,spider-man 4 & DEADPOOL)what jonah hex & lobo.
tobi,leader of the akatsuki

warner/dc if the man needs extra money to do cgi on the green lantern then give him the dollar because if the effects look shit its gonna flop you have got nothing thats gonna even rival what marvel have planned(iron man 2,captain america,thor,the avengers,spider-man 4 & DEADPOOL)what jonah hex & lobo.
tobi,leader of the akatsuki

sorry about the double post.
drano manji

"It's energised by a battery on the planet of Oa, which taps into the willpower of everyone in the universe. From that ring you can form constructs. So if you got into a fight, you could form a giant fist. Or a fighter plane." my sincere thanks for letting me know in advance what a steaming piece of shit this is going to be. I can save my money for a real movie. Comic books belong on the rack. Maybe he will form that giant fist and go jerk off the minions that will pay good $$$ to see this shit?
SlashBeast

#33 - drano manji Go back to your little hole. You're obviously severely retarded.