Studio Update: 'Johnny Thunder 2' Extras Begin Appearing and Barry Hollows Responds to 'Forest of Fear.'

By: Andrew Bermudez

(Lego Studios; August 27, 2010)

     Fall is almost here, and that means more news from the studio! Today, deleted animation from Johnny Thunder and the Gift of the Nile was released which showcases clips that were cut out of the film. More extras will be released during the weekend, including a production gallery.

     Also, after the studio said that they wanted Barry Hollows, director of Zombie: Genesis (check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQW0sGkgqCI), to direct Forest of Fear, the studio sent him a copy of the script to read over and leave feedback on. This is what he had to say:

     To the Lego Studios Board of Directors,

     I have just finished reading the script for Forest of Fear and I cannot tell enough how much I hate it. There are so many problems with this "story" that I would be here all day listing them all. However, let me be straight to the point and point out the obvious problems.

1. The reason I put the word story in quotes is because there is no story! It's just two people wandering around in a forest, running into monsters and hillbillies.
2. It is extremely disjointed and does not do well with characters. Once you get to know someone, he's out of the film. True, some do appear near the end, but those inclusions feel forced, not natural.
3. The movie has no plot points, which are scenes that either start the story or turn it in a new direction. This is partly because, like I said before, THERE IS NO STORY!!!
4. The events of the film are extremely random. One minute, you have a hitchhiker turn into a werewolf. The next, you have them stop at a vampire's castle. Then you go to a laboratory, then you jump here and there, you have characters appear and disappear, and a windmill burns down. That's basically the whole movie.

     I am urging you, if nothing else, to rewrite the entire script to make the order of scenes flow better, introduce the characters a better way, and include a story to drive the events forward. If you leave it the way it is, I will not associate with the project and you will have another The Adventures of Legoman on your hands.

     Barry Hollows, director of Zombie: Genesis

     "Personally, I'm not exactly taking the prospect of rewriting the script again well, and he did admit that he wanted to focus on the zombies over the dialogue in Zombie: Genesis," said scriptwriter Peter Samuel. "But after reading it again, I do see what he means by the inconsistencies and the overall chaos of the script. Over the next few months, I'll see what I can do." He plans on rewriting the script in September, which will be sent for approval in October. The film itself will be released in 2011.