Michelle Rodriguez and Aaron Eckhart Take on Aliens in ‘Battle: Los Angeles’

Source: ET Online – Video interview at the page

The citizens of Los Angeles, Calif. are about to go to war against the aliens that have invaded their great city in the new film ‘Battle: Los Angeles,’ and ET’s with the actors of the film’s Marine platoon as they spill some set secrets.

Aaron Eckhart revealed to ET at the 2010 Comic Con event that though the movie is set in L.A., it was actually filmed in Louisiana. “We filmed it in Louisiana in the middle of summer. It was quite a physical and mental experience. … L.A., Louisiana,” he says of filming the movie in the South.

Aaron described the film: “It’s an alien invasion movie meets a war movie. Aliens, for some reason, have come out of the Santa Monica bay to come take over Los Angeles. It’s a global invasion and the first strike is in Los Angeles. … We’re a platoon of Marines that goes in and takes care of business.”

Michelle Rodriguez refers to her costar Eckhart as “one awesome cat.” However, Michelle didn’t seem too confident that he’d be able to battle aliens in real life. “He’s so sweet!”

Eckhart plays the leader of the platoon but told ET that he doesn’t think that he’d be able to fend off aliens in real life. “I’m not sure if we could take on aliens. We could take on Canadians,” he said jokingly.

‘Battle: Los Angeles’ hits theaters March, 2011.

July 23rd, 2010 by Jamie • Leave a comment • Movies, News and Gossip

Battle: Los Angeles – First image

I’ve added the first promotional still for Battle: Los Angeles and you can check it out in the gallery.

Films > Battle: Los Angeles (2011) > Stills

July 23rd, 2010 by Jamie • Leave a comment • Gallery Updates, Movies

Comic-Con 2010: Battle: Los Angeles Footage

Source: UGO

I’ve just seen Los Angeles destroyed.

First footage from the somewhat secretive Battle: Los Angeles just screened and I’m a little bit terrified and a little bit deaf.

Jonathan Liebesman’s “Black Hawk Down meets Aliens” starring Aaron Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez and a zillion other young actors just exploded off Hall H. The footage opens with black & white imagery from the so-called actual Battle of Los Angeles in 1944 when artillery fire was shot at mysterious lights in the sky. The film posits that it was a scouting mission for an alien invasion.

We then cut to Aaron Eckhart and a band of real tough guys in a huge Osprey helicopter getting rattled by incoming flak. It’s a really disarming moment – we never see badasses looking scared like this. Their “woah” is our “woah.”

They are going in to save civilians and the clock is ticking before the big bombs are dropped.

There are explosions over the city, some of them looking very otherworldly like the destruction of Praxis from Star Trek VI. Then a cut to just ash and mist and soldiers in a residential area moving in slow-motion. The group comes under enemy fire and one guy goes for cover in a random house. There’s a great jump-scare when a washing machine buzzer goes off. Naturally, the beastie comes from behind and goes in for the kill.

We don’t get a good look at him – he’s definitely organic like District 9′s Prawn.

After this was another montage of battle footage. Really intense. More intense than I was expecting. Guys getting shot through their helmets and a helicopter mid-airlift exploding in front of civilians.

We got some quick glimpses of the ships. They are kinda small and clunky – one of them shoots fire from the front.

The producers are pitching this as simply a war movie, one to celebrate our soldiers, and frankly, if there were no spaceships, this movie might be too intense for a fun event like Comic-Con. I’m definitely interested in seeing more about this movie — and maybe something nice and fluffy next to cool my nerves.

July 23rd, 2010 by Jamie • Leave a comment • Movies, News and Gossip

‘Battle: Los Angeles’ Is Very ‘Emotional,’ Says Star Bridget Moynahan

Source: MTV

San Diego Comic-Con has gifted us with our first extended look at “Battle: Los Angeles,” the alien disaster movie from director Jonathan Liebesman (“The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning”) and starring Aaron Eckhart and Bridget Moynahan: first a viral campaign and then this afternoon’s panel.

Before all this went down, though, we had a chance to chat with Moynahan about the film, and she had some surprising things to say — namely what separates “Battle” from previous alien invasion flicks.

“It’s actually very emotional,” she told MTV News. “I can’t even tell you — when I saw parts of it recently, I was crying. It’s just got such heart to the movie. The director shot such a beautiful movie, so hopefully the editing and everything is going to pull together, but it was a really good story.”

How the whole thing “pulls together,” Eckhart told us last year, will be with a gritty, ultra-realistic vibe. “Jonathan’s gonna make it real, like a ‘Black Hawk Down’ sort of feel,” the actor explained. “It’s gonna be an intense, action killer movie. It’s about a squad of Marines that goes and takes on aliens. It’s gonna be a kick-butt movie.”

“Battle: Los Angeles” hits theaters on March 11, 2011.

July 23rd, 2010 by Jamie • Leave a comment • Movies, News and Gossip

Comic-Con 2010 – Battle: Los Angeles Interview – Aaron Eckhart and Michelle Rodriguez

Source: Screen Crave

July 23rd, 2010 by Jamie • Leave a comment • Movies, News and Gossip

Comic-Con 2010: ‘Battle: Los Angeles’ Press Panel

Source: Screen Rant

Battle: Los Angeles stars Aaron Eckhart and Michelle Rodriguez were on hand at Comic-Con 2010 to discuss what happens when aliens invade Earth.

Based on early pictures and reports, Battle: Los Angeles is shaping up to be one of the better action/sci-fi films that will be released in 2011.

Today, before their big Hall H presentation, actors Michelle Rodriguez and Aaron Eckhart – as well as director Jonathan Liebesman and producer Neil Moritz – held a press conference to talk more about the film and how it is a unique take on the alien invasion genre.

To get the conversation started, someone asked Michelle Rodriguez how her character in Avatar compared to her work in Battle: Los Angeles. Rodriguez said that she felt relieved because the part wasn’t as physical as her previous action movie roles.

As a technical specialist, Rodriguez said that her character really only uses her physical capabilities when she is forced to as a matter of survival. Neil Moritz assured the audience that Rodriguez definitely does “kick ass” in the movie however, so don’t worry about seeing some awesome action scenes.

Next, someone asked Aaron Eckhart what he thought about being in indie films versus big blockbuster films. Eckhart said there really is no difference and that loves both. He did admit that on a big set you have “every toy” and that on Battle: Los Angeles, they had the ability to shut down whole freeways and bring in helicopters, so that’s definitely an advantage.

Someone asked if alien invasion films were coming back in popularity, to which Neil Moritz replied “I don’t know if they ever left.” Describing alien invasion films as a “staple of the movie business,” Moritz promised that Battle: Los Angeles would provide a fresh twist on the genre.

According to Moritz, the movie really focuses on “one marine battalion’s POV of a worldwide invasion” and he responded to “the reality of the script.” The movie is going to ask the question, “What would really happen if aliens were to invade?”

Citing their respective appearances in Avatar and The Dark Knight, someone asked Michelle Rodriguez and Aaron Eckhart what it was like to be “Gods at Comic-Con.” Rodriguez answered the question humbly, explaining that when she sees fans at Comic-Con she sees “a deep appreciation and love for the manifestation of the imagination.”

Eckhart added to Rodriguez’s remarks, saying that big film experiences help to shape people’s lives and that he learned lessons from comic books growing up. He also said that it was fun to see families come out to Comic-Con and that they “work hard making these movies, so it’s rewarding” to see people enjoy them.

In order to achieve the realism that Jonathan Liebesman was going for, Eckhart and Rodriguez went through extensive training for the movie. In fact, the reality of the film is what drew Eckhart to the movie.

According to Eckhart, when he first met Liebesman to discuss the film, the director showed him a YouTube video of marines fighting in Fallujah and said he wanted to movie to look like that. Eckhart was immediately interested in the idea, and, after signing on to the film, went through a three week boot camp to prepare for the role.

During the boot camp, Eckhart went through physical training, learned weapons, and more. He said that it was a great experience because all of the cast members bonded and that the relationships they developed “come across in the movie.”

Jonathan Liebesman answered a question about how the aliens would appear in the film, explaining that his goal is to have aliens that looked like “a real army.” Liebesman explained that he “wanted to go back to making aliens feel really alien” and that, for the audience seeing strange beings attack as an army would be a very scary thing.

One person asked why Michelle Rodriguez’s character always seems to get killed off in movies to which she smartly replied, “Because I don’t take my clothes off and I’m no one’s girlfriend.” She went on to explain that many writers and directors don’t know what to do with a strong female character.

In a somewhat tangential question, someone asked what the panel’s thoughts were on alien abduction? Aaron Eckhart tried to beg off the question before finally saying, “I have empathy for those people, they’re nuts.”

Jonathan Liebesman gave an interesting answer on the future of entertainment and movies, explaining that it’s “Impossible to replace an actor’s performance” and that “you’re going to have actor’s forever.” The basic sentiment was that motion-capture is amazing, but it relies on an actor’s performance and computers will never be able to take over that responsibility.

Michelle Rodriguez jumped in to talk about motion-capture performances and described what it was like to be on set for Avatar.

Rodriguez said that for Jim Cameron, the future of film involved using technology to literally enhance the actor’s performance. She said, “Literally, the dots are on all the parts of your face” and that the performance has to be authentic in order to be compelling. Rodriguez said that even with technology, it’s “about the human soul shining through whatever story you’re trying to tell.”

Aaron Eckhart graciously answered questions about Batman (a film he is no longer involved with in any way) saying that he doesn’t think a replacement for Heath Ledger as the Joker would be a good idea and that if he ever had the chance to work with Christopher Nolan again, he would jump at the opportunity.

Getting back to the reason for the panel, Jonathan Liebesman talked about how aliens represent something oppressive that is easy for audiences to connect with. In a world where there are grey areas and moral relativism reigns supreme, Liebesman said, “The time is right for these kinds of black and white, good versus evil movies.” He went on to say, “I think there’s a lot of insecurity over the last decade and that’s why people are predisposed to watching good battle evil.” Eckhart also chimed in to say the movie works because we can’t identify with aliens and that it unifies “our side.”

Liebesman touched on a bit of the plot of the film, saying that it was based on a government cover up of a 1942 UFO sighting. Apparently, some army guys saw a UFO, shot at it, and the government swept it under the rug. They used the idea that it was a recon mission and that the aliens were scouting out the planet for an eventual attack. Liebesman also confirmed that the aliens attack over natural resources, specifically mentioning the fact that the Earth is 70% water.

July 23rd, 2010 by Jamie • Leave a comment • Movies, News and Gossip

Exclusive: Aaron Eckhart Says ‘In the Company of Men’ Sequel a Possibility

Source: Film School Rejects

At the press conference for Battle: Los Angeles I had one goal in mind: to ask Aaron Eckhart, “When are we going to see In The Company of Men 2?” Yes, obviously it was a completely joking question. If you’ve seen In The Company of Men then you most likely know it’s not exactly something you’d think of having sequel potential.

Eckhart and director Neil Labute disagree.

When I cornered Eckhart he first laughed it off with, “The musical?,” but seriously, how great would that be? Who wouldn’t want to see slimy narcissistic businessmen singing about ruining people’s lives? I know I do. But then Eckhart dropped a bombshell with, “I don’t know, [but] we’ve talked about it.”

“Really?!” was my first thought, and then he continued, “We talked about making a Broadway show or doing a sequel to it.”

Eckhart, being completely serious, said there’s even room for more than one sequel:

“We’ve talked about doing it every ten years [about] where [Eckhart's character Chad] is every ten years.”

All Neil LaBute fans should squeal with joy or at least dream about the potential of this idea. In The Company of Men is a fantastic film and was the classic LaBute we knew before The Wickerman came along. And where does Eckhart see Chad in ten years?

“In rehab.”

July 23rd, 2010 by Jamie • Leave a comment • Movies, News and Gossip

Is Aaron Eckhart Coming Back for Batman 3?

Source: E! Online

“To recreate what Heath has done…I just don’t think it’s gonna happen. That’s my instinct. Obviously, Heath was supposed to reprise the role in the next one; it was written that way. I don’t know if they’re going to go on. I suspect they will not have the Joker.”

—Former Batman baddie Aaron Eckhart when asked at the Comic-Con panel for his latest flick, Battle: Los Angeles, whether he thought Heath Ledger’s Oscar-winning Joker would be recast for the third installment of the superhero franchise

Looks like we can put our clown makeup away because director Christopher Nolan realizes exactly why we’re so serious that Heath’s psychotic criminal mastermind remain untouched. Why have another actor try to fill Heath’s shoes when he recreated the character so perfectly, no?

But what about A.E.’s own fate as a foe of the Dark Knight?

“I’m sure Two-Face has obviously died in the last one. I’m in the dark as much as anyone else,” Aaron spilled when we wondered if we might see his usually gorge face disfigured on the big screen for another go with the caped crusader.

But what if Gotham’s politician-gone-bad hasn’t really kicked the bucket?

“That’s something you can’t say no to. I never thought I’d be in a Batman first of all; then when you’re with Chris and a script like that, with those kinds of actors, it transcends any genre. You’re just working on something really special. I would always work with Chris Nolan if he asked me to.”

Hey, Chris, put out your Bat signal, because, we’re sure your genius mind could find some way to resurrect Two-Face. After all, you survived enough Jenifer Aniston dating rumors, right? And with Joseph Gordon-Levitt rumored to be interested in joining the cast, it would make for one sexy-as-hell criminal underworld.

July 23rd, 2010 by Jamie • Leave a comment • Movies, News and Gossip

Aaron attending 2010 Comic Con to present Battle: Los Angeles

It’s official — Aaron along with co-star Michelle Rodriguez, producer Neal H. Moritz and director Jonathan Liebesman will present footage from Battle: Los Angeles on July 22nd  at this year’s Comic Con in San Diego!

SDCC 2010: Preview Night and Thursday Comic-Con Revealed
Source: Movieweb

1:00-2:00 Sony Pictures Entertainment: Battle: Los Angeles and Salt

Two great new films from Sony Pictures Entertainment are showcased in this Hall H presentation!

Battle: Los Angeles — When unknown forces suddenly and mercilessly attack the City of Angels out of nowhere, it’s up to a local Marine staff sergeant (Aaron Eckhart) and a new platoon of unseasoned soldiers to meet the threat. As the invasion hits the streets of LA, these Marines become our first and last line of defense in an intense battle against an enemy unlike any they’ve ever encountered before. Appearing in person are Michelle Rodriguez, Aaron Eckhart, Neal H. Moritz, and director Jonathan Liebesman.

July 9th, 2010 by Jamie • Leave a comment • Movies, News and Gossip

New Shoots added

I’ve added a new shoot set to the gallery so check them out! These are the same set Aaron posed for in the HMV UK Inspiration campaign back in December 2008.

Photoshoots > Set 48

July 7th, 2010 by Jamie • Leave a comment • Gallery Updates