source: moviesblog.mtv

Director Joe Carnahan spoke with MTV about casting Liam Neeson as the roll of Col. John Hannibal "It was just these very subtle things that I thought we did. The sense of humor and the adventure and exploration, all made Hannibal this fun character."

As for the beloved creation of the late Peppard, Carnahan said fans will still appreciate the roots of the A-Team leader. "[The old Hannibal] is absolutely there," he insisted. "I don't think we sacrificed that one bit."

Carnahan reminisced with MTV, "I think Dirk Benedict gave [Bradley Cooper] the biggest compliment: 'This was who I wanted to be'," Carnahan recalled of the day when the original Templeton Peck visited the set to film a cameo.

During his time there, Benedict had some kind words to say about Cooper's re-interpretation of the character as a manlier, tougher Face. "I'll just give you an example of how different [Cooper's Face] is: Bradley is in an inverted position, almost laying backwards, strapped to the side of this moving truck [in one scene]."

We all remember Colonel Decker as the bad guy always after The A-Team. But will there be a new Decker in the Feature Film. MTV asked Director Joe Carnahan that question,

"We took the Lynch character who was in the army - Lynch was the original guy in the pilot that was chasing them - we basically made him a CIA operative, played by Patrick Wilson."

But what of Colonel Decker, Carnahan explains, "We've got a cameo at the end that I can't blow, but it will tell you where this thing is going forward," Carnahan explained, inferring that things will not end well for Lynch. "It was important that we have a main villain that we could dispose of, and another one that can linger on that we can bring back if we make another one of these."

In spite of Sharlto Copley's heavy South African accent director Joe Carnahan knew he was the man for the job. "When you see him in the movie, there's not a shred of that." Carnahan confirmed, "He's doing this pan-handle Texan twang that is unidentifiable"

Copley had met with Dwight Schultz, the original Mad Dog Murdock, who confirmed that he would use a vague Texas accent most often when playing the part.

"Sharlto is such a great actor" Carnahan continued, "He has the ability to mimic and compartmentalize each accent. He'd say to me: 'I could go more here, I could pull back there;' it's pretty remarkable he was able to shed that so easily."

The South African seemed to be tireless Carnahan marveled that, "In fact, we got flack from the studio one day, because we shot nine rolls of film of just Sharlto in this one scene; he just kept going and going and going!"

source: movieblog.mtv.com

MTV was asking the tough questions to A-Team Director Joe Carnahan this week.

Will the fans accept Rampage Jackson as the new B.A Baracus? Check out the video below.

"Rampage auditioned for a previous version of [the 'A-Team' movie] when it was ramping up under a different director; different circumstances," Carnahan said in his interview with MTV. "I saw that audition, and thought he was a guy that had some raw skill. A good friend of mine, Ed Quinn - who is a great actor in his own right - worked with Rampage. And I saw his audition after he worked with Ed, and it was like night and day. I brought him to Vancouver to screen test him, and the scene is actually in the movie."

source: movieblog.mtv.com

With principal production of the film wrapped, fans of The A-Team have given up hope of a Mr. T Cameo. But Director Joe Carnahan has not. In an interview with MTV Carnahan declares, "[Mr. T] has tremendous respect for Rampage, and I think that there's always a way to make these things work."

source: moviesblog.mtv

The A-Team trailer is out, but for the fans of the original series out there who have been re-watching the trailer obsessively, while clutching their Mr. T action figures, there are many fears that need to be put to rest. MTVasked Director Joe Carnahan what he hoped to convey in the trailer to the fans,

It was important that we let the fanbase know we hadn't abandoned the television show and the characters everyone loved so much. It was a big part of it and important to convey that. But also to let people know that 25 years have gone by since 'The A-Team' was on the air, and [we] want to evolve that story that needs to be evolved and should be evolved, and I think we spent a considerable amount of time doing that. The approach is gritty and more real world, with everything that is going on in Iraq and the Middle East, there were certain things that I felt were important to conform. ...Because the show was very whimsical and campy at times, and we wanted to avoid that. As much as the dark knight avoids the old Adam West incarnation of Batman, we wanted to do the same thing.

Spying a Marine plane in the trailer gave some old school fans over at IGN some fears that Carnahan had moved the team from the Army to the Navy. Carnahan was quick to reassure them.

Oh, no, they're Army, even to the point where I think we amped that up. I don't want to give it away because I think it's a really cool device we use to kind of bond these guys in a way, and narratively we don't have to spend these long periods of time explaining why they got so close so fast. But listen, I think that if you're a fan of that show and you have any doubts about the movie, you should have none. You have absolutely nothing to worry about.

sources:
MTV
IGN

Fox has finally released a few more press shots to complement the one shot we had been savoring for months. Of course there is the classic shot of Hannibal chomping on a stogie, we finally get a good look at Jessica Biel, and yes, Bradley Cooper as Face, need I say more.

If you missed the sneak peak, now you can enjoy the official release of The A-Team Movie trailer in all its HD goodness.

Liam Neeson has taken on the roll of Col. John "Hannibal" Smith and sure looks the part as he chomps on a stogie and utters the classic line, "I love it when a plan comes together." The trailer doesn't quite give us enough sound bits to really be sure if we are ready for Hannibal to have an Irish brogue. The matter may take some future pondering.

Bradley Cooper has taken on the roll of "Face," and he sure looks the part, but we have yet to see if he has the charm. He will certainly have his hands, or face full of Jessica Biel who is starring as his ex girl friend and Army general. We only get a quick glimpse of Biel, but perhaps the trailer most satisfies our looks at Sharlto Copley who seems to have Murdock nailed and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson who is lacking B.A. Baracus's classing gold chains, but seems to have much the same bad attitude, and of course, the same van.

It looks like the embed function has just been disabled on the trailer, but if you hurry you can still catch it at vimeo

I'll transcribe the new opening narration for those interested.

One year ago, an elite commando unit was sent to prison for a crime they didn't commit. These men promptly escaped from a maximum security facility. Today, still wanted by the government they survive as soldiers for hire. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, if you can find them, maybe you can hire... the A-Team

And heres the original just in case you don't know it by heart.

Ten years ago a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn't commit. These men promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the Los Angeles underground. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire... The A-Team

Originally set to appear tonight, as with everything it's up now for you to view early! Check it out before it goes offline.

We don't have long to wait for the A-team trailer, in fact a few lucky projectionists already have it memorized. One was brave enough to blog of his experience at aintitcool.com Here's a sample of what blogger "HazMatt" has to say:

Starts off as you'd expect, with just a hint of the theme music and it's variation of the classic voiceover (Apparently they were arrested one year ago for a crime they didn't commit), which runs throughout the trailer. We see Hannibal in his colonel uniform attending a military funeral. Next we get quick shots of the team breaking out of a prison bus and then Hannibal meeting with Face on a beach. Some footage of fast cars and a shot of B.A. getting out of one. It's filmed from the rear, so we can get a good look at the mohawk! That just leaves Murdock, who's introduced in his familiar jacket/cap getup, complete with pilot's headset. From there it's all high action mixed with nostalgia, sure to leave fans of the show with a "plot-hatching Hannibal" sized grin. Everyone involved gets to break out a well known piece of of their character. Hannibal gets to chomp a stogie and proclaim "I love it when a plan comes together".

Check out the full article at aintitcool.com

In an earlier article Fanhouse had probed Mr. T on whether or not he might be paying a visit to the A-Team set. He sounded doubtful, but the fans still held out hope that he might make have a cameo appearance in the film as his costars Dwight Schultz and Dirk Benedict had previously confirmed.

The Latino Review bumped into the actor over the holiday and got the final word on the subject.

He said it wasn't about money, because he turned down the chance to appear in the film before that was even discussed. He said it just wouldn't be right for him to be in it. If his B.A. isn't the main guy, then why do it? What's wrong with the film that they need him to make a cameo? Plus they would market the film with him being in it, and he didn't want his friends and family to think he would have some big role when he wouldn't. He told me he has nothing against the cast or even the fact that they're doing a remake. But a cameo is just something he wasn't interested in. He said he's very happy with his life right now and enjoys giving back to the community.

Four all new A-Team Comics have been released. A two-parter subtitled "Shotgun Wedding," and two one-shots focusing on individual members of the team, Hannibal Smith and B.A. Baracus. The one-shots are prequels that focus on the characters time in Iraq. And of course, all the artwork will incorporate the new faces of the team, Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Jessica Biel, Sharlto Copley and Quinton Jackson.

This isn't the first time the A-Team have appeared in comics, the House of Ideas published an A-Team mini-series back in the 1980s that coincided with the TV show.

The A-Team: Shotgun Wedding #1
Joe Carnahan, Tom Waltz (w) • Stephen Mooney (a) • John K. Snyder III (c)

The A-Team are back! Before you see their return on the big-screen, thrill to this special mission told in comic book form only! After a successful-but harrowing-completion to a mission in icy Alaska, Hannibal and the team are up for some much-needed leave in sunny San Diego to attend the wedding of a high-ranking U.S. official's daughter.

But when threats are made against the event, the A-Team is forced to quit their vacation and go undercover to foil what might be a terrorist plot.

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

The A-Team: Shotgun Wedding #2
Joe Carnahan, Tom Waltz (w) • Stephen Mooney (a) • John K. Snyder III (c)

The A-Team have fallen into their deep undercover personas at a very high-profile wedding for an important U.S. official's daughter, seeking to stop a potential terrorist plot before it happens. But, with Murdock cooking, Face event planning, B.A. chauffeuring, and "Reverend" Hannibal presiding, will the wedding be able to survive the A-Team?

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

The A-Team: War Stories: Hannibal
Chuck Dixon & Erik Burnham (w) • Hugo Petrus (a) • Michael Gaydos (c)

A standalone prequel to this summer's most anticipated movie! Colonel John "Hannibal" Smith is never stuck for a plan. But how is he going to cope with a mission in which everything goes wrong and he might just wind up on the wrong side of Saddam Hussein in this Desert Storm flashback adventure we're calling... "The Luckiest Man In Iraq."

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

The A-Team: War Stories: B.A.
Chuck Dixon & Erik Burnham (w) • Casey Maloney (a) • Michael Gaydos (c)

A prequel to this summer's most anticipated movie! Sgt. Bosco "B.A." Baracus is the kind of man you want on your side in a tough situation-which is why he was sent into Kuwait City to help retrieve weapons stolen from the coalition during Desert Storm. But when B.A. learns that this particular mission isn't exactly what he was told, you'll pity the fool that tried to lie to him.

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Source: IDW Publishing

Sharlto Copley's time in Vancouver is regretably comming to an end. Before his departure he has plans to enjoy a white Christmas skiing with girlfriend Mel.

For all the fans out there who have been following him as he took on the roll of Murdock for the new A-Team move he sent out the following Christmas wishes and thanks via his facebook page

SHARLTO COPLEY is finished filming the A-Team and going to enjoy a WHITE XMAS with Mel. We going skiing. I have to say that Vancouver is one of my all time favourite cities and I hope to spend a lot more time here in future. Thanks to all fans who sent fan art and letters during the shoot. I love you guys and will try to get back to you all now that I have a bit of time off...