News, spoilers and updates in the Stargate world
Solutions had the opportunity to chat with lively and lovely Jane Loughman, partner of David Hewlett and the producer of David’s film A Dog’s Breakfast. Jane discusses plans for releasing the movie, her experiences producing it, her time on the Atlantis set, and life with David and canine star Mars.
Please read the interview here.
In spite of the fact MGM has agreed to handle world-wide distribution of David Hewlett’s film “A Dog’s Breakfast” (via television and home video; see press release below), David continues to implore fans to act as his squirrel army to help keep the buzz going for the film.
The trailer that David showed at the Creation Convention is now up here at YouTube. Keep in mind there are spoilery scenes, but you probably won’t understand what they mean without having seen the film. Plus you get to see David clad in only a rubber ducky. Go watch the clip, rate it, comment on it, and subscribe to videos by h0rrid to help buzz-wise! If MGM believes there is a lot of interest, David and MGM will do more screenings so more of you will get to see the film.
Second, the news story that aired in KNBC-LA during the Creation Convention weekend is now on-line here at the station’s website. You may recognize yourself or your friends among the fans in the various shots!
MGM ACQUIRES WORLDWIDE RIGHTS TO HYSTERICAL DARK COMEDY A DOG’S BREAKFAST
Side-Splitting Independent Film Marks Directorial Debut For David Hewlett, Star of Stargate Atlantis
LOS ANGELES, CA December 4, 2006 — Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM) has acquired the worldwide rights to A Dog’s Breakfast, an original dark comedy shot by members of the cast and crew of the hit science fiction/adventure series Stargate Atlantis and Stargate SG-1 while on a production hiatus earlier this year. The film, which will be distributed for television and home video, marks the directorial debut for actor David Hewlett, who stars as Dr. Rodney McKay on Stargate Atlantis.
“We are delighted to be working with David Hewlett and Kibble Productions on this hilarious comedy,” said Charles Cohen, Executive Vice President, MGM. “A Dog’s Breakfast is a film that Stargate fans, families and pet-lovers around the world will truly enjoy.”
Hewlett recently premiered exclusive short clips from the film on the popular website Youtube.com and quickly garnered over 100,000 views. A Dog’s Breakfast tells the story of Patrick (David Hewlett) and Marilyn (Kate Hewlett) who are siblings that have always driven each other a little crazy. When Marilyn brings home her new TV-star fiancé, Ryan (Paul McGillion), it seems to send Patrick over the edge. First he tries to drive a wedge between the happy couple, and then he reaches for sharper instruments. Every family has a few skeletons in the closet: A Dog’s Breakfast is the mess Patrick makes when he tries to add another to his.
Hewlett added: “We are pleased that so many people from Stargate Atlantis and Stargate SG-1 were able to donate their time during hiatus and make this project come to life. We were able to put the entire film together for a tiny budget thanks to the generous and gracious support of the local production houses. It’s exciting that MGM has agreed to distribute the film.”
A Dog’s Breakfast was shot in high definition on a budget of under $1 million. Principal photography began on Friday 13th, January 2006 at a house on beautiful Deer Lake in Vancouver BC during one of the wettest winters on record.
The film also stars Christopher Judge (Stargate SG-1), Rachel Luttrell (Stargate Atlantis), Amanda Byram (Swan), Mars the Dog, with writing by Hewlett and is produced by Jane Loughman, and John G. Lenic. MGM acquire all rights to distribute the film in any and all media including television, new media and home video. For more information on A Dog’s Breakfast, please visit www.adogsbreakfastmovie.com.
Better late than never, I hope, I’ve finally finished my lengthy and illustrated report on the November 16-19 Creation convention in Burbank, featuring Michael Shanks, David Hewlett, and many more! The report also covers the screening of David Hewlett’s film, A Dog’s Breakfast. You can read the report here in our Features section.
David Hewlett has announced today that MGM will be doing the world-wide distribution of his independent film, “A Dog’s Breakfast.” David gives much credit for this deal to Stargate fans who stepped up to help market the film and create on-line buzz for it. Honestly, as one who has seen it, the quality of the film stands on its own, and it is well deserving of big-time distribution. Here’s hoping it comes to a theater near you sooner rather than later!
There were at least 3 Stargate-related conventions going on this weekend, and various bits of news came out of them related to casting of the remaining S10/S3 episodes, as well as upcoming SG-1 DVD movies and Season 4 of Atlantis.
Visit our forum for brief snippets on the conventions from attendees, and stay tuned for a complete A Dog’s Breakfast Screening and Creation Burbank report.
Now that SGA has finished filming Season 3, David Hewlett and partner Jane Loughman are hard at work moving their film A Dog’s Breakfast to the distribution stage, so fans around the world can actually see it! This week they announced the first screening of the film, to take place in a Los Angeles cinema the evening of Thursday, November 16. They’re accepting RSVP’s from fans via their website, so go sign up if you can go, and we’ll see you there.
The screening is timed to preceed the Creation Stargate Convention in Burbank that weekend, where David, Jane, and SG-1 producer John Lenic will make a special appearance Saturday afternoon. Those of us who were planning to attend Burbank already are ecstatic about seeing the movie and meeting those behind it — a huge doggie treat!
David also put up a new clip from the film, here on YouTube. Watch early and often to show your support for the film! As noted here on the movie’s Live Journal community, David really did share his toothbrush with his mutt Mars. But, they only did one take, and he (David, not Mars) rinsed thoroughly afterward. Such is the glamour of acting. 🙂
Finally, David gave a great interview to Carole Gordon recently, in which he discussed the movie as well as Atlantis. It’s very interesting to see the all the channels of distribution he and Jane are considering. They are truly ahead of their time by Hollywood standards. Maybe they could teach MGM something. 😉
Having written, directed, and starred in his own movie, Stargate Atlantis’ David Hewlett (Rodney McKay) is continuing his do-it-yourself theme as he and his partner Jane set out to market and even distribute the film: A Dog’s Breakfast. David has coded his own website (using the Joomla CMS, for geeks who want to know), including a forum, which to us is quite unheard of in acting circles!
He wants to distribute the movie himself in North America and the UK, to prevent most of the income from the film from going to the distributor instead of to those who made the film but haven’t yet been paid. As he described in this interview,
But the reality is we have a whole crew there who deferred all their wages. Deferrals usually mean you don’t see the money. Most people, and I’ve done this for like 20 years or something, and everything I’ve ever deferred, I’ve never made a penny on. And you know that going in and you just assume that it’s not going to happen. I very much want to be one of those films that’s an exception to that rule.
As a first step, David is planning all-day screening events for fans, sort of one-day conventions in which he would be there to answer questions, sign autographs, and of course show the film. He is likely looking for high concentrations of Stargate fans to ensure a good turnout.
In his latest blog entry, David asks fans to boost the profile of the movie through on-line activities like linking to his site and watching the trailer on YouTube. He also welcomes fans to request screenings in their area and perhaps even to help contact local theaters to convince them to provide a time and place for a screening.
So we’re here to help David get his very funny film out to the masses, if for no other reasons than he’s a cool guy, a great actor, and a geek like us. Good luck, David!
I’ve encoded many electrons worth of my experiences at Comic Con, from merchandise hunting to the Stargate panels and other stuff in between. Enjoy the report here.
Tonight’s episode, “The Pegasus Project”, sees Dr. Daniel Jackson finally realizing a dream and going to Atlantis. His trip, however, is not for pleasure, but to research the Atlantis archives for more information about Merlin’s anti-Ascended weapon, the Sangreal. Daniel’s long-awaited trip is made with his teammates, Lt. Col. Samantha Carter and Lt. Col. Cameron Mitchell, and new SGC consultant, Vala Mal Doran.
As monumental as Daniel’s trip to Atlantis is, there is another story going on while he and Vala perform their research with Dr. Elizabeth Weir. Dr. Rodney McKay and Lt. Col. John Sheppard assist Carter and Mitchell in their attempts to make a wormhole jump from a Space Stargate (“Spacegate”) in the Pegasus Galaxy to the Ori’s Super Stargate (“Supergate”) in the Milky Way Galaxy in order to close off the Ori’s ability to send more warships through that particular Supergate. Teal’c is near the Supergate in a cargo ship, working on his end of the project.
Tapping and Hewlett enthuse over working together again in this interview, which also includes some spoilers for later episodes for both shows (so beware!).
Click HERE for the full Q&A.
David Hewlett announced via email to David-Hewlett.co.uk that a clip from his newly finished movie “A Dog’s Breakfast” is up at YouTube.com. You can view it here.
This is the same clip that he showed at Comic Con to much laughter. It features Paul McGillion, Rachel Luttrell, David, his sister Kate, and of course his Dog.