Icon Productions future movie unveiled

Mel Gibson's Icon Productions has announced it will be co-producing three pictures with Infinity Features (which recently produced "Capote"). The first movie scheduled for shooting in 2007 is a sci-fi thriller entitled "Push": "[The] Story revolves around a group of American ex-pats with telekinetic and clairvoyant abilities who are hiding out in Beijing from U.S. intelligence agencies. In an attempt to escape detection forever, they marshal their various abilities and band together for one last assignment." [More] It is unclear whether Mel Gibson will be directing any of these movies.

Apocalypto U.K. release date confirmed!

CCNMatthews issued a press release today claiming August 25, 2006 as the official U.K. release date for Apocalypto. The full release follows: APOCALYPTO: In Cinemas Everywhere 25th August 2006 LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM--(CCNMatthews - March 28, 2006) - Following on from the worldwide phenomenon of The Passion of The Christ, Academy Award® winning filmmaker Mel Gibson returns with APOCALYPTO: a heart stopping mythic action-adventure set against the turbulent end times of the once great Mayan civilization. When his idyllic existence is brutally disrupted by a violent invading force, a man is taken on a perilous journey to a world ruled by fear and oppression where a harrowing end awaits him. Through a twist of fate and spurred by the power of his love for his woman and his family he will make a desperate break to return home and to ultimately save his way of life. APOCALYPTO which Gibson is directing, producing and financing is a Greek term meaning "an unveiling" or "new beginning". The film will be spoken in Mayan dialect, although like his last film, The Passion of The Christ, which he shot in Aramaic, it is expected to have English subtitles. Shooting on APOCALYPTO is currently taking place in the Mexican state of Veracruz. The cast features actors from Mexico, the United States and Canada as well as indigenous Mayan-speakers from the region of Yucatan. APOCALYPTO will open in cinemas across the UK on the 25th August 2006 Running Time & Certificate TBC August 25th might very well be the international release date as well, but only time will tell. As the statement says, the running time and rating have yet to be determined (we will be suprised if it gets a PG-13 rating instead of the expected R rating, due to violence).

Rumor from the set of Apocalypto

Seen on Mel's Megafans (March 25): A crew member (Apocalypto) has related [to] us the following episode. "Mel Gibson often comes to the set wearing odd socks. You can see this very plainly because more often than not he has forgotten to remove his cycle clips from the bottom of his trousers. Lunch break is at a quarter past twelve. Having no idea of the passage of time he continues working until long after twelve thirty. When this happens we become restless and sneeze and cough to catch his attention. One day we decided to bring an alarm clock each and set them to go off at a quarter past twelve. But nothing happened. He was too absor[b]ed in thought to notice the noise, and we never got around to repeating the experiment. It was one of the funniest episodes in my life." Like everything posted on Mel's Megafans, the story should probably be taken with a grain of salt (this one, however, sounds fairly believable).

Malay Mail Online on Apocalypto

Malay Mail Online mentioned Apocalypto in its Hollywood calendar roundup: Apocalypto is another hush-hush film in an ancient language by Mel Gibson who, emboldened by the success of 2004’s controversial The Passion Of The Christ, now has a historical actioner about a 16th century Mayan who goes on a perilous journey to save his idyllic world in Central America, before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors. Nothing new for us ... but hey, at least people are remembering it.

Mel & "Passion" pals ponder "Big Question"

From Reuters/Hollywood Reporter: (some excerpts) NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - An intriguing if ultimately trivial companion piece to "The Passion of the Christ," "The Big Question" consists simply of interviews with various participants in that film responding to questions about theology, faith, God and the meaning of existence. ... Directed by Francesco Cabras and Alberto Molinari, who were involved in the production of "Passion," the film presents tightly edited, brief snippets of interviews with various unidentified figures, many of them clad in their period costumes. Responding to such universal queries as "Who is God to you?" and "Do you believe in miracles?" they deliver thoughtful, heartfelt responses, none of which is exactly revelatory. Needless to say, Gibson‘s brief segments dominate the documentary, and the actor is indeed quite frank about his own spiritual crisis, admitting that without his fairly recent religious devotion he would have "devolved into chaos." [more]

ContraCostaTimes on summer movie buzz

From ContraCostaTimes: This summer's movies are not exactly like a box of chocolates. You do know what you're going to get with movies like "X Men: The Last Stand" (May 26) and "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" (July 7). But there are also plenty of question marks: summer movies that aren't part of a tried-and-true franchise, aren't the sequel to last summer's hit and aren't based on a half-forgotten '60s TV show. The summer 2006 season seems to boast more such pigs in a poke than usual. And that's good, says Paul Dergarabedian, president of Exhibitor Relations Corp., a box-office tracking firm. "Sometimes it's better not to know," Dergarabedian says. "Sometimes there's this great anticipation, and then the summer underperforms, and people say, 'What went wrong?'" Here are some summer films that are either getting buzz right now or soon may be. All release dates subject to change. ... • "Apocalypto" (Aug. 4): Mel Gibson's epic about the ancient Maya civilization -- in ancient Mayan, naturally. [the rest]

Who is Rudy Youngblood?

Rudy Youngblood will be playing the lead role of Jaguar Paw in Apocalypto (earlier speculation had given the lead role to Mauricio Amuy, who will be playing another role as it turns out). Click here for Rudy's IMDB profile. More about Rudy Youngblood, taken from his official website: Rudy Youngblood, also known as Tee-Dee-Nae (which means "Strong Boy") is a gifted grass dancer, pow-wow singer and artist. Rudy is of the Comanche, Cree and Yaqui people and was raised in Washington State, Texas and Arizona. His pow-wow circuit has taken him throughout the United States, Canada and abroad. In June 2005, he relocated to Los Angeles to pursue several new endeavors; of which, included a prospective career in acting. In October 2005, he was cast as the lead in an Oscar winning director's next movie [yes, you guessed it - Apocalypto] and immediately went on location in Mexico -- he is expected to be there until April 2006. [Read the rest.] If you want, you can sign his guestbook and wish him well. Also, his website contains more pictures and information about this young and talented actor. Rudy appeared previously in Spirit: The Seventh Fire as the role of a Warrior Protector.

Actors & Actresses of Apocalypto

A list of Apocalypto's actors and actresses, updated regularly. (clicking on a name will bring you to their personal website, IMDB page or Apocalypto Watch info page) Rudy Youngblood ... Jaguar Paw (husband of Seven) Mauricio Amuy Tenorio ... Maya Chief Raoul Trujillo ... Zero Wolf Dalia Hernández ... Seven (wife of Jaguar Paw) Mayra Sérbulo Miguel Angel Galvan ... Maya Priest Gerardo Taracena ... Middle Eye Rodolfo Palacios Iazua Larios Joaquín Cosío Jonathen Brewer Iazua Larios contributions to this list are welcome. [Sources for this information: Wikipedia, Time Mag's "Apocalypto Now", IMDB cast & crew, Tuxtlas in Catemaco, Mel's MegaFans]

Movie & Production stills from Apocalypto

From the official Apocalypto Website: A waterfall and a Mayan (that's about all we can make of it). Mel directing an actress on location. A picture from the river-crossing scene. [More pictures are available on the official website.] [Thanks to reader Nicholas for sending in the tip.] [source: Time Online Edition]

National Ledger reacts to Time mag. interview with Mel Gibson

CK Rairden of the National Ledger reacts to a comment made by Mel Gibson in his recent interview with Time Magazine. A quote: One can expect that interviewers that quiz Mel on this film [Apocalypto], if he sticks with his premise that 'President Bush and his guys are nothing more than fearmongers,' will treat Gibson with a bit more respect than they did when they dubbed "Passion" as pornography. Read the rest.

"Apocalypto Now" Time Magazine full preview

Time Magazine: "EXCLUSIVE: You'd think Mel Gibson was all done with violent movies about the past told in a foreign tongue, right? Think again" The opening paragraph: "I need to see the blood!" shouts Mel Gibson. "Your character is going to die soon!" He picks up a bullhorn: "Attention! We are all dying here! We are all dying!" The Oscar-winning director is standing in a rock quarry near Veracruz, Mexico, shooting a hellish scene for Apocalypto, his action epic about the ancient Maya. Hundreds of local extras--many of whom have never seen a movie, let alone acted in one--are pounding fake limestone to build a temple used for human sacrifices. Gibson wants one of the extras, covered in white lime dust, to visibly cough up a glob of fake blood. But something keeps getting lost in translation. Take after take, the young man, who speaks only Spanish, politely covers his mouth as he hacks. A second candidate for the role does the same. Gibson finally lets out a tortured howl, digs vainly for a cigarette in his empty pack of Camels and turns the set into his own Thunderdome. The translator does his best to convey the passion of the Mel. Read the rest. [our analysis of the article will be posted shortly. In the meantime, enjoy our new site design!]

Personal websites of Apocalypto Stars

Rudy Youngblood, who plays the hero "Jaguar Paw" in Apocalypto, has a personal website. Raoul Trujillo, who plays the sinister Maya warrior "Zero Wolf", also has a website. Finally, Mayra Sérbulo, who plays a supporting role, has her own IMDB page. Check them out!

Time Magazine's exclusive preview & interview on Apocalypto

This Time Magazine exclusive preview and interview showcases the new talent that Mel Gibson has assembled for Apocalypto, most of whom are natives of southern Mexico (where filming is now taking place). A more extensive preview is still expected from Time Magazine sometime soon. Read the Time Magazine article right here. So, what have we learned from this article? First, we've (finally!) been given official confirmation on two actors and one actress who will be appearing in Apocalypto (now we can do some background checks): "Newcomer Rudy Youngblood, 25, a movie-star handsome Comanche and Cree Indian who plays the Apocalypto hero named Jaguar Paw, grew up in Texas and had been a grass dancer with the Native American Dance Theater before Gibson found him last year." "Raoul Trujillo, a veteran Native American film actor, is perhaps the only Apocalypto actor who may be recognizable to U.S. audiences (he appeared in last year's The New World). He says he jumped at the chance to be part of Gibson's Maya adventure... [he]plays a sinister Maya warrior named Zero Wolf." "Mayra Sérbulo, a Mexican Zapotec Indian who has been nominated this year for an Ariel (Mexico's Oscar) as best supporting actress." The cast had some interesting things to say: Rudy Youngblood: "As a dancer, I know how to tell a story with my eyes and my body, which is the kind of acting this film requires most, But I also have ancestors who fought at Wounded Knee and Little Big Horn, so it's not hard to use my Native American heritage for this role. Mel's been teaching me a lot about how to go back and find emotional things in my life and family to draw on." Raoul Trujillo: "A story like this has never been done before. Mel is fearless that way." Mayra Sérbulo: "People do have to remember that this is action fiction, not a Maya documentary, but I'm frankly surprised and excited about the care they're taking to portray indigenous Mexicans." Mel Gibson also took some time to explain his reasons for choosing unknown locals rather than big-name Hollywood stars (and so far he seems very happy with the results): "It brings an honesty and a valuable reality to what [we're] doing." "These characters have to be utterly believable as pre-Columbian Mesoamericans." [speaking of Rudy Youngblood] ""I'm amazed at how much Rudy's running reminds me of a cat." And again: "He's the track star we needed for this picture." Also: "Gibson is quick to note that Apocalypto is less dependent on dialogue than most movies, and as a result, he looked for people who could express as much with their faces and actions as they do with their lines... a good chunk of Apocalypto involves a wild and terrifying foot chase through the Mexican rainforest." Biographies and more information on the newly-revealed Actors & Actresses as we find it... *stay tuned.*

Capital Press interviews Archaeologist who consulted for Apocalypto

A short story is running today in the Capital Press on an Archeologist who worked as a consultant for Apocalypto: "Because of his work in the Mayan cities, it isn’t unusual for Hansen to hobnob with Guatemalan government officials, television reporters such as Mike Wallace, and movie stars like Mel Gibson. Hansen served as a consultant for Gibson’s upcoming movie about the Mayan civilization..." Read the full article here.

Video feed of Mel Gibson's appearance on the Oscars

Mel's appearance is in the first 2 minutes and lasts all of about 15 seconds... [source]

Mel Gibson passed on hosting Oscars...

... but then again, so did everyone else in Hollywood.

Tune in to the Oscars tonight!

Remember, Mel Gibson will be appearing briefly on tonight's Oscars (check local listings for time/station). Here is the preview by the Associated Press of Mel Gibson's appearance. Here is an opinion piece from the Washington Post on this year's Oscars.

Blogcritis.org on Mel Gibson and Mayan Archaeology

Eric Olsen of Blogcritics.org: The Maya have been rocking the new of late. Just last month NASA scientists announced they are using space- and aircraft-based "remote-sensing" technology to uncover Maya ruins not recognized in over 1,000 years using the chemical signature of the civilization's building materials. "From the air, everything but the tops of very few surviving pyramids are hidden by the tree canopy," said NASA archaeologist Tom Sever, a pioneer in the use of aerospace remote-sensing for archaeology. "On the ground, the 60- to 100-foot trees and dense undergrowth can obscure objects as close as 10 feet away. Explorers can stumble right through an ancient city that once housed thousands and never even realize it." Sever's team discovered a correlation between the color and reflectivity of the vegetation seen in the images and the location of known archaeological sites. In 2004 they hiked deep into the jungle to locations guided by the satellite images, and uncovered a series of Maya settlements exactly where the technology had predicted they would be found. Images have now helped the team survey an uncharted region around San Bartolo, Guatemala. Read the rest.

Apocalypto Watch Forums launched!

In preparation for Sunday night's appearance on the Oscars by Mel Gibson, we've launched our Apocalypto Watch Forum. Changes in format will be coming soon, but in the meantime you can register now and start posting. Also, the first Apocalypto Watch Reader Poll is now running (see sidebar).

Anticipation builds for Mel Gibson's Oscar night appearance

Associated Press has the story: NEW YORK - Mel Gibson will give audiences a preview of the ancient language spoken in his upcoming movie, "Apocalypto." During a brief appearance on the Academy Awards on Sunday, Gibson will speak Maya, the only language in the film. His last movie, "The Passion of the Christ," was performed in Latin and Aramaic. "I wanted to shake up the stale action-adventure genre," Gibson told Time for a story on the magazine's Web site. "So I think we almost had to come up with something utterly different like this." "Apocalypto" is set in pre-Columbian Mexico and is being shot on the fringe of southern Mexico's rain forests. It addresses the end of civilizations and contains warnings about environmental degradation and political fear-mongering.

Drudge Report closely following Apocalypto

The popular internet news website Drudge Report is closely following Mel Gibson's latest movie, Apocalypto. Today he linked to Mel Gibson's exclusive Time Magazine interview, saying: "MEL GIBSON TAPES MESSAGE FOR SUNDAY'S ACADEMY AWARDS SHOW -- IN MAYA LANGUAGE..." Looks like anticipation is running high - we'll see what Mel has to say Sunday night.

Time Magazine Exclusive - the Apocalypto Watch Breakdown

What does Time Magazine's exclusive visit to the set of Apocalypto tell us about the movie? First, Mel Gibson will be appearing in a brief television spot on this Sunday’s Oscar broadcast speaking in the Mayan tongue. Also, Time will be publishing a full story on Apocalypto in an upcoming issue, so stay tuned. What else have we learned? Apocalypto is going to be very historically correct movie: And the obvious care that has been taken with costumes, sets and the dialect-correct language suggests the kind of cultural attention filmdom has rarely if ever accorded the Mayas, who were the Greeks of the New World. Other things revealed by the Time magazine interview: Are controversies already starting? "Could those human sacrifices cause as much of a stir among the politically correct as what some saw as anti-semitism in Gibson's depiction of the crucifixion of Christ?" Yet Apocalypto promises some surprises. The film, which Gibson co-wrote with first-time screenwriter Farhad Safinia, is an allegory about the collapse of civilizations--with warnings about environmental abuse and political fear-mongering, not the sort of thing to comfort conservatives. {An interesting mix} A small plot revelation was made: "[Mel was] choreographing scores of extras-- many of them local Mayas who’ve never seen a movie, let alone acted in one-- in a fiery scene depicting a Mayan city’s obsession with the kilned limestone used for the temples in which some of the crowd may soon be sacrificed to the gods." ... and we've got some fiery quotes from Mel Gibson: "I wanted to shake up the stale action-adventure genre. So I think we almost had to come up with something utterly different like this." [To extras:] "Show more fear, more trepidation! It’s like Mars! It’s hell on Earth!" {Mel is keeping his reputation for an intense on-set presence} After what I experienced with The Passion," [Mel] says, "I frankly don’t give a flying f--- about much of what they think." "The Maya, the subtitles, it won’t even matter in this film." And the last one: [Mel shouting at the extras, again] "Try to think of what makes you most afraid!" he shouted. "My mother!" an extra shouted back. Gibson smiled and nodded at the crew: "I told you this film was going to be very, very different." Looks like things are starting to move. Be sure to checkout our FAQ on the sidebar to catch up on all the Apocalytpo buzz. And if you haven't already, go watch the teaser trailer.

Mel Gibson speaks! Time Magazine granted exclusive visit to set of Apocalypto

The news drought has ended: His last film, The Passion of the Christ, was spoken entirely in the dead languages of Latin and Aramaic. Now Mel Gibson will appear in a brief spot on this Sunday’s Oscar broadcast speaking another exotic tongue: Maya. That's the sole language of Apocalypto, the adventure epic set in Pre-Columbian Mexico that Gibson is currently shooting on the edge of southern Mexico's rainforests, in the state of Veracruz. ""I wanted to shake up the stale action-adventure genre," Gibson told TIME, which was given an exclusive peek at the filming for a story to appear in a forthcoming issue. "So I think we almost had to come up with something utterly different like this." Read the rest. Coverage to follow...

Apocalypto Watch recent updates (and future ones!)

Some new things here at Apocalypto Watch: Spiffed-up header graphic. A syndicated newsfeed. Coming soon: More biographies of Actors/Actresses appearing in Apocalypto Apocalypto-related news ticker Reader polls! Coming eventually: Apocalypto Watch message boards Have anything you want added to Apocalypto Watch? Now is the time to email us or post in the combox!