Trailer Released for Selena Gomez’s “Hotel Transylvania: Transformania”

Selena Gomez is transform(ania)ing

The first trailer has been released for the 28-year-old Mexican American actress/singer’s Hotel Transylvania: Transformania, the fourth and final film in the franchise that has bitten off $1.36 billion worldwide — thus far — with each of the three films grossing more than its predecessor.

Selena Gomez

Since the original film hit theaters in 2012, the Fang gang has expanded their lodging to include humans and welcomed a baby (2015’s Hotel Transylvania 2) and took a decidedly unrelaxing sea cruise (2018’s Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation).

Fast-forward to 2021, and Van Helsing (Jim Gaffigan) has perfected his mysterious invention that allows humans to become monsters. But the Monsterfication Ray goes haywire, and Drac (Brian Hull, replacing Adam Sandler) and his monster pals are all transformed into humans, and Johnny (Andy Samberg) becomes a monster. In their new mismatched bodies, Drac — now stripped of his powers, sporting a “dad bod” and making dad jokes — and his exuberant son-in-law Johnny, who’s loving life as a monster, must team up and race across the globe to find a cure before it’s too late. With help from Mavis (Gomez) and the human Drac Pack, the heat is on to find a way to switch themselves back before their transformations become permanent.

Kathryn Hahn, Keegan-Michael Key, Steve Buscemi, David Spade, Asher Blinkoff, Brad Abrell, Fran Drescher and Molly Shannon also lend their voices to the film from first-time feature helmers Jennifer Kluska and Derek Drymon. Amos Vernon and Nunzio Randazzo and Genndy Tartakovsky penned the screenplay.

“In Hotel Transylvania: Transformania we wrap up the franchise with a bang as we see our familiar, beloved cast of monster characters in a hilarious new light when they accidentally transform themselves into humans,” helmers Kluska and Drymon said. “The bond between the mismatched comic pair of human Drac and monster Johnny is put to the test on a ridiculous road trip to South America while Mavis leads the humanized Drac Pack on an adventure to find the cure. At their heart, the Hotel Transylvania movies are about family – monster style. We think the final chapter will bring the story full circle in a thrilling fun theater experience for the whole family.”

After a few pandemic-forced release-date moves, the toon from Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation hits theaters Friday, October 1

Rodriguez to Direct Live-Action Remake of the 1983 Animated Film “Fire and Ice”

Robert Rodriguez is on fire (and ice)

The 46-year-old Mexican American filmmaker is set to direct Sony Pictures’ live-action version of the 1983 animated film Fire and Ice.

Robert Rodriguez

The film is being heralded as Rodriguez’s homage to his friend, the late legendary animator Frank Frazetta, on whose works Frazetta and Ralph Bakshi based that original film.

The deal reunites Rodriguez with Sony Pictures; Columbia Pictures acquired the Sundance Film Festival breakout El Mariachi, Rodriguez’s memorable debut.

The goal is for Fire And Ice to lead to a fantasy adventure franchise, informed by the dreamlike worlds Frazetta poured into his paintings.

In the original film, a small village is destroyed by a surging glacier domain for the evil Ice Lord, Nekron. Sole survivor is a young warrior who vows vengeance, and when Nekron’s subhuman, apelike creatures kidnap a king’s daughter, the warrior becomes determined to track down and free her.

“I’m a lifelong Frazetta fan who was inspired by his work, like so many people,” Rodriguez said. “It was my dream to work with him, and the first thing I did when I got to Hollywood was call him. I got him to do a From Dusk Till Dawn poster for me, and I got to work with him and know him over the years. When I’d visit him at his museum and see his artwork, I tried to figure what would the ultimate Frazetta movie be. I remembered the movie he did, Fire And Ice, back when I was a kid. I thought, ‘I wish they could have made it look more like the paintings, but I guess they’d have had to paint each frame.’ Now, you could do that. You could make it look like you were in his imagination. He didn’t use models, he didn’t use swipes. He painted purely from his imagination, and the characters and the colors made you feel like you were in a dream, and a fully realized and completely imagined world. It was so visual and arresting.”