Douglas Trumbull (1942–2022), visual effects pioneer on “2001,” “Blade Runner”

The always prodigious Steven Spielberg just released his first musical, “West Side Story,” in December, is already done shooting his next film (“Meet The Fabelman”), and already has many future projects brewing. One of those potential films may allow the filmmaker to tackle crime in San Francisco during the swinging 1960s, placing Spielberg directly in the cop action genre.

Steven Spielberg is developing a film based on one of Steve McQueen’s most iconic film roles, Frank Bullitt, according to an individual with knowledge of the project.Josh Singer will write the screenplay. The film will not be a remake but a new story with the Bullitt character at the center.

Technicolor said it will spin off its creative studios division into a new independent entity specializing in visual effects and animation.

Lynwen Brennanm, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Lucasfilm, will be the recipient of this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award from the Visual Effects Society (VES) in recognition of her contributions to visual arts and filmed entertainment.

died in February 2020 at the age of 103.The “Wall Street” icon chatted with the producers of the Fourth Annual Meihodo International Youth Visual Media Festival and discussed the future of movies as well as his famous dad.“Having a father who was a movie star and mother [Diana Douglas] as an actress, I was able to watch their insecurities and see that what was on the screen was not exactly what that person was like,” Douglas said.He continued, “I learned to treat this as a true business-being professional and not getting caught up in the image people try to create.”Diana passed away in July 2015 at the age of 92 from cancer. She was married to Kirk from 1943 until their divorce in 1951.In 2021, the “Ant-Man” actor paid tribute to his father on the first anniversary of his passing.

Michael Douglas is reflecting on an astute piece of advice his late father Kirk Douglas told him during the actor's foray into the film business. The 77-year-old "Wall Street" star was a guest of honor at the Fourth Annual Meihodo International Youth Visual Media Festival and recalled in an interview with producers that in being so close to his father and mother Diana Douglas, the actor was able to "watch their insecurities and see that what was on the screen was not exactly what that person was like," according to People magazine.

Nightmare Alley cat Guillermo del Toro is set to receive the Visual Effects Society’s career honor next month.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans EditorThe Visual Effects Society will present Guillermo del Toro with VES Award for Creative Excellence on March 8.del Toro will be honored for his consummate artistry and expansive storytelling that blends iconic visual effects and unforgettable narrative. Harnessing his intuitive vision, del Toro has created a distinctive cinematic style mixing the world of monster movies, comic books and exuberant visuals straight from his imagination.“Guillermo is a fiercely inventive storyteller, who has pushed the boundaries of filmmaking,” said VES Board Chair Lisa Cooke.

The Blade Runner universe is being brought to the small-screen!

Last year, director Ridley Scott shocked “Blade Runner” fans with the announcement that a live-action series was in the works at rights holders Alcon. Scott stopped short of giving concrete details about the series’ setting or where it would air.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterA live-action “Blade Runner” sequel series is in development at Amazon, Variety has learned.Titled “Blade Runner 2099,” the series will serve as a follow-up to the “Blade Runner” sequel “Blade Runner 2049.” Silka Luisa will write and executive produce, with Ridley Scott set to executive produce via Scott Free Productions. Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson of Alcon Entertainment are also executive producing along with David W.

EXCLUSIVE: The replicants are heading to the small-screen as Amazon Studios has put a live-action series set in the Blade Runner universe into development.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans EditorVisionary visual effects pioneer Douglas Trumbull, who died Monday, contributed his groundbreaking inventions and techniques to classics including “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” and “Blade Runner.”Among his many honors were three visual effects Oscar nominations (“Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” and “Blade Runner”); the Academy’s Scientific and Engineering Award for creating the Showscan Camera System; and the Visual Effects Society’s Georges Méliès Award, honoring those who have made significant, pioneering contributions to the effects business, in 2012.A generation of visual effects artists and filmmakers were influenced by his work, including Weta FX senior VFX supervisor Joe Letteri, who said, “Doug stands out as an iconic figure in visual effects, one of the early pioneers who blended a deep knowledge of cinematography and mechanics to develop techniques that we still use today. An early evangelist of high frame rate processes, Doug’s vision for where we can take cinema is just now coming to fruition.” Here’s a look at a five iconic moments Trumbull helped create.Trumbull was Oscar nominated for visual effects for Spielberg’s “Close Encounters,” and one of his significant contributions was the motion control photography used in the scenes featuring the alien’s massive mother ship.

Douglas Trumbull, a visual effects master who showed movie audiences indelible images of the future and of space in films like “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and “Blade Runner,” has died. He was 79.His wife Julia Trumbull said he died Monday of complications from mesothelioma.Director Edgar Wright tweeted, “RIP to an actual visionary, Doug Trumbull...he directed a childhood favourite of mine, the sci fi gem ‘Silent Running.’ Watch it tonight.”Producer and documentarian Charles de Lauzirika, who worked with Trumbull on “Blade Runner: The Final Cut,” tweeted that, “He wasn’t just innovating magnificent visuals, but also pursuing the big ideas behind whatever story he was telling.”Born in Los Angeles in 1942, Trumbull’s father was visual effects supervisor Donald Trumbull, who worked on “The Wizard of Oz.” He got his start at Graphic Works Films, where a short of his caught the attention of Stanley Kubrick who was beginning work on “2001: A Space Odyssey.” At 23 years old, he not only talked himself into a key job on “2001" but helped innovate the process that would be used to create the iconic star-gate sequence."It was a really unique time because we were at these Borehamwood Studios outside of London and it was a highly unionized studio," he said in an interview.

Douglas Trumbull, the legendary special effects master who helped create the worlds of 2001: A Space Odyssey, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Blade Runner and Star Trek: The Motion Picture has died, according to a social media post from his daughter, Amy Trumbull. He was 79.

Facebook post. He died Monday night following a two-year battle with cancer, a brain tumor and a stroke.

Carmel Dagan Staff WriterVisual effects pioneer Douglas Trumbull, one of the masterminds behind the visual effects on some of the most visually audacious science fiction films of all time, including “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and “Blade Runner,” died Monday. His daughter Amy wrote on Facebook.