Queen [Horizon]

For the horizon post of "Queen" I will be looking into anything that is coming out in the next 2-5 years to do with Queen or anything partially relating to it. I am hoping this will be a wide range of media, just like in both my present and past posts. I think this will throw up a variety of different things as my previous posts don’t really have much of a continuation, there’s always been something different and it’s offered a real variety.

-:Mirror Mirror:-

Mirror Mirror: The Untold Adventures of Snow White (Thijs, J. 2011)

"A reimagining of the classic fairy tale starring Oscar winner Julia Roberts as the Queen, Lily Collins as Snow White, Armie Hammer as Prince Alcott, Sean Bean as the King and Nathan Lane as the Queen's hapless and bungling servant, Brighton. An evil queen steals control of a kingdom and an exiled princess enlists the help of seven resourceful rebels to win back her birthright." (relativitymediallc.com, 2011)


Mirror, Mirror Official trailer (aaspri, 2011)

The film is in post-production at the moment, meaning it has all been filmed and it now in the final stages before its release. The trailer was released on the 15th November 2011. On YouTube it unfortunately hasn't done so popular, with only 60,000 views and a majority of dislikes (as of 22/11/2011) I don't think this movie will do so well.

The "Mirror Mirror" trailer stats on Youtube on 09/11/2011 (aaspri, 2011)

The trailer seems to show that this is more of a comedy/fantasy genre to it which may be why it's not so liked. The comedy to me seemed to be a little stale and not really that funny. I personally don't think I'll go see this film as it seems to be aimed at a younger audience. 

The one thing I noticed about the trailer though it that the costumes are very extravagant and colourful. The Queen in the movie has lots of different outfits which are flamboyant to say at the least.

Photos of the Queen of the movie (Thijs, J. 2011)

The dresses have a very Victorian feel to them which could link to when the story was first created. It also might link to the fact that Victorian dresses are always seen as being "regal" and "royal". The colours and patterns are both very bold. If you first see these images without knowing what they are I bet the person looking at them would know it was a Queen.

-:Snow White and the Huntsman:-

Snow White and the Huntsman poster (Universal Studios, 2011)
"Synopsis: Snow White, a princess, escapes her evil stepmother with the help of a huntsman who was supposed to kill her but instead trains the princess to fight back." (Unknown, 2011)

The film is now in post-production, which means it's all been filmed and they are now editing it. I found this film while doing the research on the "Mirror Mirror" film. It's odd that both films seem to be out at around the same time, they're both very different in contrast though. "Mirror Mirror" is described as a "Comedy | Drama | Fantasy" (IMDB, 2011) where as "Snow White and the Huntsman" is described as a "Action | Adventure | Drama" (IMDB, 2011).

Snow White and the Huntsman - Teaser Trailer (SnowWhiteHuntsman, 2011)

 

The official "Snow White and the Hunstman" trailer stats on Youtube on 11/11/2011 (SnowWhiteHuntsman. 2011)

As you can see the rating are a lot higher for Snow White and the Huntsman than Mirror Mirror. This may be due to a few factors though, such as this trailer coming out earlier than the Mirror Mirror trailer. Also this trailer was posted on the film studio's official YouTube account were as I couldn't find an official YouTube channel for the other film.  Also an influence of actors may be to blame or the look of the films too.

 Snow White VS Mirror Mirror (Blasingame, L. 2011)

 Snow White: Who's The Fairest Of Them All? (Parvini, S. 2011)

Here are some good images showing the comparison between the two main characters of each film, Snow White and the Evil Queen. As you can see Mirror Mirror is a very colour and has a vibrant look to it, its very fairy-tale and childlike. Snow White and the Huntsman on the other hand it has a palette of tones and has more of a darker theme to it. Both characters share similarities of course, such as Snow White's black hair.

Still, I think the stats speak for themselves and prove that this film is much more liked and anticipated then "Mirror Mirror". This may be due to the genre or the new twist on Snow White. Here she is a warrior, a strong and independent character. Were as in Mirror Mirror she's very much a princess who can't do much for herself. I personally would go see Snow White and the Huntsman myself, as it looks a lot more engaging and the trailer makes you want to see more. It really grabs your interests with the overall look and quality of the trailer.
-:Brave:-

Brave Poster (Disney, Pixar. 2011)

Brave is the new movie by Pixar and Disney. As of this point, October 2011, there has only been the release of a teaser trailer and very little images of the movie. Not a lot is known as of yet. The trailer seems to depict a young girl who is riding a horse with a bow and arrow and shows of the land that she must live in. 

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As of November 2011 we have had more information about the film. Disney has been very kind and a trailer has now been released showing more about the character and the movie itself. As well as more screen-caps of the film and more information being released, thanks Disney.

 

 Brave Trailer (DisneyPixar, 2011)

The trailer was published onto YouTube on the 16th November, a week later and it has over 2 million views! They also have a very positive response to it, with over 12,000 likes on the video.  

 The official "Brave" trailer stats on Youtube on 22/11/2011 (DisneyPixar, 2011)

"Merida is a skilled archer and impetuous daughter of King Fergus and Queen Elinor. Determined to carve her own path in life, Merida defies an age-old custom sacred to the uproarious lords of the land: massive Lord MacGuffin, surly Lord Macintosh and cantankerous Lord Dingwall. Merida's actions inadvertently unleash chaos and fury in the kingdom, and when she turns to an eccentric old Witch for help, she is granted an ill-fated wish. The ensuing peril forces Merida to discover the meaning of true bravery in order to undo a beastly curse before it's too late." (Walt Disney/Pixar, 2011)

News images from Pixar's "Brave" (Reese, K. 2011)

The reason I have included it is because it is Royal family based so there is a Queen in it. The movie looks visual brilliant, CGI has never been better. I personally love all the landscapes shots. The characters look very interesting and I can't wait to see the movie.


-:Welfare Queen:-

I did find out about a new film called Welfare Queen but unfortunately I was unable to find any images or information about it at all. It would have been great to have some information about it here but unfortunately, after many hours of searching, I found nothing.

-:Four Kings:-

"An historical epic which is set against the French and Indian War. Col. Lord Francis Nicholson, a wealthy Brit self-finances the war in hopes of creating an utopian society along with his noble wife, muse and confidante, Lady Gwenievieve Nicholson, who shares her husband's sense of higher calling and aims to build a better life in the New World." (deadline.com, 2011)

Another film that’s coming out which has royalty in the title of the film. Again though there is very little known about it. It's in pre-production so this means that they haven't film anything as of yet. The quote I found though sounds very interesting and I can't wait to see what it will be like.

-:Queen's Speech:-

The Queen's Christmas speech this year will be broadcast, for the first time, on Sky.

"This year's Queen's Christmas message could have an added dimension after production duties were handed to Sky News for the first time. A third dimension, to be specific, with a 3D Commonwealth address by her majesty the ultimate marketing coup for the satellite broadcaster." (Plunkett, J. 2011)

This will be the first time that the Queens speech will have been broadcast, not only on another channel, but maybe in 3D.

"Sky News has been given the rights to produce the Queen's Speech, alongside the BBC and ITN. It will be produced by all three companies in 2011 and 2012, which brings in the distinct possibility that the whole thing will be shot in 3D by Sky. While this isn't set in stone, a spokesperson for Sky contacted the Guardian and said the company was "exploring the opportunity" of using 3D technology for the speech." (Chacksfield, M. 2011)

This is still just a rumour at the moment; I was unable to find ay confirmation of the news about this rumour. This is still great news for the Queen though as it means more people will be able to watch her speech. This should hopefully mean more viewers for the speech, if in 3D the amount of people might either increase or decrease. People might be more interested to see the Queens Speech in 3D but not everyone is able to access 3D as of yet on their TV. I found this quote about the Royal Wedding being filmed in 3D.

"A St James's Palace spokeswoman said: "After careful consideration we have decided not to progress with 3D coverage of the service on this occasion. There are a number of reasons for this, most notably the additional camera footprint in the abbey." While Tuesday's decision rules out 3D coverage of the service in Westminster Abbey, it remains to be seen whether Sky will attempt to incorporate some kind of 3D coverage into other elements of the couple's big day." (Plunkett, J. 2011)

This information could either rule out 3D for the Queens speech or not. In the end we won't really know until closer to the time. The quote above shows that it was ruled out for the wedding but as the Queens speech is normally filmed in the Queen's office with just her it might be do-able. The pure fact that the Queens Speech will be broadcasted on an extra channel though means that it will be more accessible for people to watch on Christmas day so that fact alone should increase the popularity of the Queen.

-:Olympic Ambassadors:-

"The Duchess of Cambridge has taken on her first working role as a member of the Royal Family by becoming an official   ambassador for the London Olympics.

Kate, her husband Prince William and her brother-in-law Prince Harry will represent Team GB and Paralympics GB before and during the 2012 Games.

‘The Duchess has always been a keen sportswoman and is, like everyone, greatly looking forward to the Olympics being held in this country,’ said an aide." (Whitelock, S. 2011)

It has recently been announced that Prince William and Duchess Kate will be ambassadors of the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

"Olympic ambassadors are chosen to encourage and inspire the public to get behind the Olympics. With Prince William and Kate’s popularity, I’m sure that they will be able to do an outstanding job with this." (Unknown, 2011)

I think the Olympics made a wise choice in choosing the couple to be ambassadors. After the success and popularity of their televised wedding in April (covered in my present research) they are still seen as a public interest and are very generally liked by the public. This will not only increase the popularity of the new couple but I think the Royal Family in general.

-:The Queen's Diamond Jubilee:-

An image found on the Diamond Jubilee website (Unknown, 2011)

"To mark 60 years of the Queen’s reign the Diamond Jubilee will take place in 2012.  A special Diamond Jubilee weekend will be held between 2 – 5 June 2012.  The four day Jubilee Bank Holiday will provide an opportunity for people and communities across the nation to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s 60 year reign." (Unknown, 2011)

Next year will mark the 60th year that the Queen has reigned over England. The only other Queen to have done this was Queen Victoria over 200 years ago.

"The Queen came to the throne on 6 February 1952 and her Coronation took place on 2 June 1953. The Queen celebrated her Silver Jubilee (25 years) in 1977 and her Golden Jubilee (50 years) in 2002. The only other British monarch to celebrate a Diamond Jubilee was Queen Victoria in 1897." (Unknown, 2011)

To mark this special year that the Queen has been in power there will be several events, as well as bank holidays. The "Direct.gov" website has a full list of days off and information for the Diamond Jubilee celebration.

"Big Jubilee Lunches.
A River Pageant on the Thames.
A concert at Buckingham Palace.
The lighting of 2012 beacons throughout the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth." (Direct.Gov. 2011)

"There will be a special bank holiday for the Diamond Jubilee. The 2012 late May bank holiday will be moved to Monday 4 June 2012 and an additional Jubilee bank holiday will be on Tuesday 5 June 2012." (Direct.Gov. 2011)

With the celebration of this next year I think this will throw the Royal Family back into the public eye. The celebrations of the Diamond Jubilee will affect everyone in the UK with the change of the Bank Holiday. I think this will be a great celebration though and I think everyone will enjoy it. This will defiantly increase the popularity of the Queen, who doesn't like celebrations?

-:Coins:-

A series of new coins released throughout 2010 to 2012 (Alexander, M. 2010)


"The current gold series: CITIUS – Faster Three-Coin Set includes a £100 coin containing one full ounce of fine gold and two £25 coins containing one-quarter ounce of fine gold, all struck to Proof quality. Three Olympic sports – Sailing, Cycling and Running – are featured on the coins, each paired with a Roman god – Neptune, Diana and Mercury. The designs were created by the British sculptor John Bergdahl." (Alexander, M 2010)



The first set of coins was released in 2010 but each one will be released in both 2011 and 2012. 


"This is the first of a three year series of three coins, the next set will be issued in 2011 and the last in 2012, the year which London will host the Olympic games." (Alexander, M 2010)

 One of the coins from the "2012 Premium Proof Set" (The Royal Mint Limited. 2011)

One of the coins from the "2012 Premium Proof Set" (The Royal Mint Limited. 2011)

These coins unfortunately won't be in the currency circulation but more of a collector’s item. The coin above it priced at £99 and the set contains 11 coins. 

The coins look very pretty, the designs are appealing, modern and they link to their subject so you know what they are promoting. I like that the Olympic coin has Roman Gods on it and a motto that links. The selling of these limited edition coins for such a high price though show that there is a market for them and past items that are similar have sold before. It means they're popular and people are willing to spend a lot to have them in their collection.  I personally love the designs and feel that they are a very good representation of the even that they are promoting an well as documenting. 

Overall the research I have done I think gives a good scope on the range of different media’s to do with the word “Queen”. There is such a variety here and I think this will prove very helpful in both my Forecast and IP justification. This has proved to be very helpful.