Wrath of the Titans featurette slings the lava

Warner Bros. has released a behind-the-scenes featurette for its upcoming mythological CGI spectacle Wrath of the Titans, sequel to 2010’s Clash of the Titans.

This 10 minute video spends some time discussing each of the monsters in the film, and then looking at a lot of how the effects run. There are plenty of on-set shots from the production, and some interview clips with the cast and crew to see how they feel and work in this film.

It seems like everyone involved with the film really enjoyed shooting it, which obviously resulted in a much better movie overall. Plus, hearing and seeing their effects and production philosophies has given me more confidence that this film will be worth checking out this week, despite the lackluster first attempt. Perhaps the differnce here is that this is a series of fresh ideas, and new analgons of mythology, while Clash was an attempted reimagining, and the ideas they had didn’t quite fit within the framework they’d set for themselves. 

This one looks like it will be fun, if only for the special effects. I’d skip the 3D though, as the film was not shot with a real 3D camera, which will likely make the 3D – literally – fall flat.

We also have this interview with Director Jonathan Liebesman provided by comingsoon.net:

Also, here’s the trailer:

The film’s synopsis is thus:

A decade after his heroic defeat of the monstrous Kraken, Perseus (Sam Worthington) –the demigod son of Zeus (Liam Neeson)–is attempting to live a quieter life as a village fisherman and the sole parent to his 10-year old son, Helius. Meanwhile, a struggle for supremacy rages between the gods and the Titans. Dangerously weakened by humanity’s lack of devotion, the gods are losing control of the imprisoned Titans and their ferocious leader, Kronos, father of the long-ruling brothers Zeus, Hades (Ralph Fiennes) and Poseidon (Danny Huston). The triumvirate had overthrown their powerful father long ago, leaving him to rot in the gloomy abyss of Tartarus, a dungeon that lies deep within the cavernous underworld. Perseus cannot ignore his true calling when Hades, along with Zeus’ godly son, Ares (Edgar Ramirez), switch loyalties and make a deal with Kronos to capture Zeus. The Titans’ strength grows stronger as Zeus’ remaining godly powers are siphoned, and hell is unleashed on earth. Enlisting the help of the warrior Queen Andromeda (Rosamund Pike), Poseidon’s demigod son, Argenor (Toby Kebbell), and fallen god Hephaestus (Bill Nighy), Perseus bravely embarks on a treacherous quest into the underworld to rescue Zeus, overthrow the Titans and save mankind.

Wrath of the Titans hits theaters March 30th, 2012.