On Mar 25, 10:24 pm, "Mr. Hole the Magnificent"
<
classic.mr.h...@gmail.com> wrote:
> THR EXCLUSIVE
> By Borys Kit
>
> The late Orson Welles is back in the movie business. A rare recording
> only recently discovered of the filmmaker narrating a children's
> Christmas novel is being used as the basis for a film. It is being
> produced by Drac Studios, best known as a special effects and makeup
> shop for movies like "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" but now
> moving into full-fledged production.
>
> Drac is in development on "Christmas Tails," a 3D live-action/CG
> hybrid movie to be directed by Todd Tucker and narrated by Welles, who
> died in 1985.
>
> "It's a movie about how Santa's dog saves Christmas, but on one level,
> this a story about the discovery of Orson's lost tapes," Drac
> president Harvey Lowry said. "This is a substantial find. It's
> something that a filmmaker dreams of."
>
> More than 25 years ago, author Robert X. Leed self-published a book
> titled "Christmas Tails," and in 1985 got his friend -- who happened
> to be the legendary Welles -- to narrate it, making five reel-to-reel
> recordings. The filmmaker passed away a few months later, and apart
> from Leed making the occasional copy of a reel to pass along with his
> book, the recordings stayed on a shelf in a closet of his Las Vegas
> home.
>
> In December 2008, Lowry was discussing a project with a colleague,
> Karl Fritz, who mentioned in passing a rumor of the "lost tapes,"
> believed to be the Welles' last professional recordings. The remarks
> went over Lowry's head at the time, but a month later he called Fritz
> back and wanted specifics.
>
> Lowry contacted Reed, who confirmed the tapes' existence and sent them
> to Lowry's Burbank offices. Lowry heard the distinct voice and began
> brainstorming.
>
> "We worked out a deal to option the book, and I got the recordings
> from him," Lowry said. The tapes were so old, he had to have them go
> through a chemical bath and baking process at Chemical Records so they
> could be digitized. He also verified their authenticity.
>
> Lowry then approached Welles' estate to make a deal about getting the
> film icon back onscreen.
>
> "I had the recording, but that didn't mean I could use them," he said.
> Deal in hand, Lowry began getting the movie on track.
>
> In "Tails," Santa's reindeer fall ill, forcing him to consider
> canceling Christmas. Meanwhile, his dog gathers other canines in the
> North to help save the day. Matt Thompson wrote the screenplay based
> on Leed's book, and Tucker, who directed "Monster Mutt," an upcoming
> feature Lowry produced, came on board as helmer.
>
> Drac, using its expertise in animatronic movie animals, will create
> the dog heroes and create a fantastical North Pole with computer
> graphics. The creative team -- Lowry, Tucker, Ron Halvas and creative
> director Greg Cannom -- has won Oscars for "Bram Stoker's Dracula,"
> "Mrs. Doubtfire" and "Benjamin Button" and was nominated for "Titanic"
> and "The Passion of the Christ" among others.
>
> Welles' voice will be interspersed throughout the movie, much in the
> same way Boris Karloff's voice was used in the 1966 animated version
> of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas."
>
> Lowry said he already has fielded interest from talent from word-of-
> mouth alone. "People see this as their last opportunity to act in a
> movie with Orson Welles," he said.
>
> Leed will serve as a consultant on the movie, and Fritz will be an
> executive producer. The plan is to shoot in the summer or fall with an
> eye toward a Christmas 2011 release.
>
> "We're still hoping to do the project we were talking about, but this
> one took over as priority, you know what I mean?" Lowry said. Orson
> Welles heading back to big screenTHR EXCLUSIVEBy Borys Kit
> March 25, 2010, 11:00 PM ET
> The late Orson Welles is back in the movie business. A rare recording
> only recently discovered of the filmmaker narrating a children's
> Christmas novel is being used as the basis for a film. It is being
> produced by Drac Studios, best known as a special effects and makeup
> shop for movies like "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" but now
> moving into full-fledged production.
>
> Drac is in development on "Christmas Tails," a 3D live-action/CG
> hybrid movie to be directed by Todd Tucker and narrated by Welles, who
> died in 1985.
>
> "It's a movie about how Santa's dog saves Christmas, but on one level,
> this a story about the discovery of Orson's lost tapes," Drac
> president Harvey Lowry said. "This is a substantial find. It's
> something that a filmmaker dreams of."
>
> More than 25 years ago, author Robert X. Leed self-published a book
> titled "Christmas Tails," and in 1985 got his friend -- who happened
> to be the legendary Welles -- to narrate it, making five reel-to-reel
> recordings. The filmmaker passed away a few months later, and apart
> from Leed making the occasional copy of a reel to pass along with his
> book, the recordings stayed on a shelf in a closet of his Las Vegas
> home.
>
> In December 2008, Lowry was discussing a project with a colleague,
> Karl Fritz, who mentioned in passing a rumor of the "lost tapes,"
> believed to be the Welles' last professional recordings. The remarks
> went over Lowry's head at the time, but a month later he called Fritz
> back and wanted specifics.
>
> Lowry contacted Reed, who confirmed the tapes' existence and sent them
> to Lowry's Burbank offices. Lowry heard the distinct voice and began
> brainstorming.
>
> "We worked out a deal to option the book, and I got the recordings
> from him," Lowry said. The tapes were so old, he had to have them go
> through a chemical bath and baking process at Chemical Records so they
> could be digitized. He also verified their authenticity.
>
> Lowry then approached Welles' estate to make a deal about getting the
> film icon back onscreen.
>
> "I had the recording, but that didn't mean I could use them," he said.
> Deal in hand, Lowry began getting the movie on track.
>
> In "Tails," Santa's reindeer fall ill, forcing him to consider
> canceling Christmas. Meanwhile, his dog gathers other canines in the
> North to help save the day. Matt Thompson wrote the screenplay based
> on Leed's book, and Tucker, who directed "Monster Mutt," an upcoming
> feature Lowry produced, came on board as helmer.
>
> Drac, using its expertise in animatronic movie animals, will create
> the dog heroes and create a fantastical North Pole with computer
> graphics. The creative team -- Lowry, Tucker, Ron Halvas and creative
> director Greg Cannom -- has won Oscars for "Bram Stoker's Dracula,"
> "Mrs. Doubtfire" and "Benjamin Button" and was nominated for "Titanic"
> and "The Passion of the Christ" among others.
>
> Welles' voice will be interspersed throughout the movie, much in the
> same way Boris Karloff's voice was used in the 1966 animated version
> of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas."
>
> Lowry said he already has fielded interest from talent from word-of-
> mouth alone. "People see this as their last opportunity to act in a
> movie with Orson Welles," he said.
>
> Leed will serve as a consultant on the movie, and Fritz will be an
> executive producer. The plan is to shoot in the summer or fall with an
> eye toward a Christmas 2011 release.
>
> "We're still hoping to do the project we were talking about, but this
> one took over as priority, you know what I mean?" Lowry said.
>
>
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3if745772b2...
That's great news, and a very clever plan. Of course, I'm not familiar
with the story, but if Welles agreed to narrate it, it must have
something going for it.