Instruct: Given a question, retrieve passages that answer the question.
Query: Who directed the first Transformer film?
Transmorphers is a science fiction alien invasion film released direct-to-DVD on June 26, 2007. It was written and directed by Leigh Scott and produced by David Michael Latt and The Asylum, "a studio whose work gets slightly more respect than the Girls Gone Wild series, and slightly less than backyard-wrestling DVDs", according to Keith Phipps of AVClub. "Transmorphers" was developed as a mockbuster, intending to capitalize on Michael Bay's "Transformers". The film was followed by a 2009 prequel titled "".
Though not exactly labeled as such, there were early precedents for "television movies", such as "Talk Faster, Mister", which aired on WABD (now WNYW) in New York City on December 18, 1944, and was produced by RKO Pictures, or the 1957 "The Pied Piper of Hamelin", based on the poem by Robert Browning, and starring Van Johnson, one of the first filmed "family musicals" made directly for television. That film was made in Technicolor, a first for television, which ordinarily used color processes originated by specific networks (most "family musicals" of the time, such as "Peter Pan", were not filmed but broadcast live and preserved on kinescope, a recording of a television program made by filming the picture from a video monitor – and the only (relatively inexpensive) method of recording a television program until the invention of videotape).
The arrival of sound at the very end of the 1920s, produced a final artistic flourish of German film before the collapse of the Weimar Republic in 1933. As early as 1918, three inventors came up with the Tri-Ergon sound-on-film system and tried to introduce it to the industry between 1922 and 1926. UFA showed an interest, but possibly due to financial difficulties, never made a sound film. But in the late 1920s, sound production and distribution were starting to be adopted by the German film industry and by 1932 Germany had 3,800 cinemas equipped to play sound films. The first filmmakers who experimented with the new technology often shot the film in several versions, using several soundtracks in different languages. The film "The Blue angel" (1930), directed by the Austrian Josef von Sternberg and produced by Erich Pommer, was also shot in two versions - German and English, with a different supporting cast in each version. It is considered to be Germany's first "talkie" and will always be remembered as the film that made an international superstar of its lead actress Marlene Dietrich. Other notable early sound films, all from 1931, include Jutzi's adaptation to Alfred Döblin's novel "Berlin Alexanderplatz", Pabst's Bertolt Brecht adaptation "The Threepenny Opera" and Lang's "M," as well as Hochbaum's "Raid in St. Pauli" (1932). Brecht was also one of the creators of the explicitly communist film "Kuhle Wampe" (1932), which was banned soon after its release.
The Incredible Hulk is a 2008 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character the Hulk, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Universal Pictures. It is the second film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The film was directed by Louis Leterrier, with a screenplay by Zak Penn. It stars Edward Norton as Bruce Banner, alongside Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, Tim Blake Nelson, Ty Burrell, and William Hurt. In "The Incredible Hulk", Bruce Banner becomes the Hulk as an unwitting pawn in a military scheme to reinvigorate the “Super-Soldier” program through gamma radiation. On the run, he attempts to cure himself of the Hulk before he is captured by General Thaddeus Ross, but his worst fears are realized when power-hungry soldier Emil Blonsky becomes a similar, but more bestial creature.
Pixar Animation Studios, commonly referred to as Pixar (), is an American computer animation film studio based in Emeryville, California, that is a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, owned by the Walt Disney Company. Pixar began in 1979 as the Graphics Group, part of the Lucasfilm computer division, before its spin-out as a corporation in 1986, with funding by Apple Inc. co-founder Steve Jobs, who became the majority shareholder. Disney purchased Pixar in 2006 at a valuation of $7.4 billion by converting each share of Pixar stock to 2.3 shares of Disney stock, a transaction that resulted in Jobs becoming Disney's largest single shareholder at the time. Pixar is best known for CGI-animated feature films created with RenderMan, Pixar's own implementation of the industry-standard RenderMan image-rendering application programming interface, used to generate high-quality images.
Pixar () is an American computer animation film studio based in Emeryville, California. The studio is best known for its CGI-animated feature films created with PhotoRealistic RenderMan, its own implementation of the industry-standard RenderMan image-rendering application programming interface used to generate high-quality images. Pixar began in 1979 as the Graphics Group, part of the computer division of Lucasfilm before its spin-out as a corporation in 1986 with funding by Apple Inc. co-founder Steve Jobs, who became its majority shareholder. Pixar and Disney had a seven feature agreement that allowed Disney to distribute the films with Disney owing the character rights. With the success of "Toy Story 2" in 1999, then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner and Pixar CEO Steve Jobs began to disagree on how Pixar should be run and the terms of their continued relationship. Eisner claimed that Toy Story 2 would not count towards the "original" film count of the agreement. Jobs announced in January 2004 that Pixar would not renew their agreement with Disney and would seek out other distributors for releases starting in 2006. In 2004, Disney Circle 7 Animation was formed as a CG animation studio to create sequels to the Disney-owned Pixar properties. In Late January 2006, new Disney CEO Bob Iger and Jobs agreed to have Disney purchase Pixar which led to Disney closing Circle 7.
In 2009, Warner Premiere converted "Batgirl: Year One" into a motion comic. ""'s executive producer Bruce Timm and co-director Lauren Montgomery expressed interest in producing an animated movie based on "Batgirl: Year One". But DC cancelled all plans for an adaptation. However, the final episode of "", as part of Bat-Mite's alternate reality mini-movies, featured a CGI-animated clip of a Batgirl show including elements of "Batgirl: Year One".
The Incredibles is an American media franchise created by Pixar Animation Studios. Brad Bird wrote and directed both films, and Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah Vowell and Samuel L. Jackson are part of the cast. The first film, "The Incredibles", was released in November 2004 and received acclaim from critics, winning the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. The second film, "Incredibles 2", was released in June 2018, received mostly positive reviews and set the record for best opening weekend for an animated film with $183 million. The series has grossed a combined $1.876 billion worldwide.
Academy Award winner Dennis Muren offers a memory of 1955: “[M]y pal Bruce and I hurried into the Hawaii Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard to see a new color movie, "Conquest of Space". We were eight years old. ... ‘Reeling’ by on the giant screen, we saw a giant circular space station in orbit one hundred [sic] miles up, seemingly in orbit above me over Hollywood. Wow! And that was just the beginning. Awesome rocket ships of various shapes flew about. ... Finally, the movie ended with a skillful landing and joyful liftoff from the desolate red surface of Mars. ...”
Teaming up with producer Steven Spielberg, Bluth's next project was "An American Tail" (1986), which at the time of its release became the highest grossing non-Disney animated film of all time, grossing $45 million in the United States and over $84 million worldwide. The second Spielberg-Bluth collaboration "The Land Before Time" (1988) did even better in theaters and both found a successful life on home video. The main character in "An American Tail" (Fievel Mouskewitz) became the mascot for Amblimation while "The Land Before Time" was followed by thirteen direct-to-video sequels.
The script for "Scream" (1996), then known as "Scary Movie" was released for sale on a Friday and by 8 a.m. the following Monday had become involved in a significant bidding war from several studios, including Paramount Pictures, Universal Pictures and Morgan Creek, with producer Cathy Konrad bringing it to the attention of Bob Weinstein. The bidding eventually rose to an amount that the choice ultimately came down to Oliver Stone, who was at the time working with Cinergi Pictures, and Weinstein under Miramax. Williamson agreed to terms with Miramax for $400,000 plus a contract for two sequels and a third, unrelated film, believing their label, Dimension Films, would produce "Scream" immediately and without significant restriction. Wes Craven was approached early on to helm the film but he was occupied with remaking "The Haunting" and so other directors including Robert Rodriguez, Danny Boyle, George Romero and Sam Raimi were approached. Concerns were raised by Williamson and Weinstein when many of the approached directors, having read the script, believed the film to be a comedy, making them reluctant to hire those particular directors, believing they "didn't get it". Craven was approached and passed on the film several times, wanting to move away from the genre, but was enticed once Drew Barrymore became involved, reasoning that it may be different from his previous works if an actress of her recognition was involved. Ultimately the production of "The Haunting", at that time, fell through and Craven was able to take over directing duties on the film. Close to the end of the film's production, the Weinstein brothers had the film's title changed from "Scary Movie" to "Scream" inspired by the Michael Jackson song of the same name as Bob Weinstein felt "Scary Movie" was not suitable when the film also contained elements of satire and comedy. The change was immediately disliked by both Williamson and Craven who considered it "stupid" but would later remark that it was a positive change.
In early 2013, the company launched the documentary short “Bob the Baker,” the first film in what would become the company's. Once Films would go on to produce 5 more films in the series in 2014 while growing its rolodex of clients and hiring several full-time staffers. By the end of 2015, Once Films had completed nearly 200 films for projects in the St. Louis area and across the country.
In 1978, a "Spider-Man" live-action tokusatsu series was produced for Japanese television by Toei Company. Due to a request by Bandai that the show include giant robots and vehicles, it was not a faithful adaptation. Instead of Peter Parker, Spider-Man is . It was not related to Ryoichi Ikegami's earlier 1970 "" manga. Toei planned to follow the series with a new show starring a Japanese counterpart of Captain America called "Captain Japan", which was revamped into "Battle Fever J", the first official installment of Toei's "Super Sentai" franchise (barring the retroactive recognition of "Himitsu Sentai Gorenger" and "JAKQ Dengekitai" in later years). The concept of costumed superheroes piloting giant robots introduced in the Japanese "Spider-Man" was carried over to "Battle Fever J", which became a tradition in the "Super Sentai" franchise.
Following Marvel Entertainment Group's (MEG) ToyBiz deal in 1993, Avi Arad of ToyBiz was named President and CEO of Marvel Films division and of New World Family Filmworks, Inc., a New World Entertainment subsidiary. New World was MEG's former parent corporation and later a fellow subsidiary of the Andrews Group. Marvel Productions became New World Animation by 1993 as Marvel would start up Marvel Films including Marvel Films Animation. Marvel Films Animation shared Tom Tataranowicz with New World Animation as head of development and production. New World Animation ("The Incredible Hulk"), Saban ("X-Men") and Marvel Films Animation ("Spider-Man") each produced a Marvel series for television for the 1996–1997 season. It was Marvel Films Animation's only production. By the end of 1993, Arad and 20th Century Fox struck a deal to make a film based on the X-Men.
Group C
In 1979, British writer/producer Britt Allcroft came across the books, and arranged a deal to bring the stories to life as the TV series "Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends" (later simplified to "Thomas & Friends"). The programme became an award-winning hit around the world, with a vast range of spin-off commercial products.
Kleiser directed several television movies in the mid-1970s, including 1975's "" and 1976's "The Boy in the Plastic Bubble", which starred John Travolta. Kleiser was then tapped to direct his first feature film, the 1978 film "Grease", in large part because of Travolta's recommendation based on their work together on "The Boy in the Plastic Bubble". Kleiser would go on to direct several more feature films, including "The Blue Lagoon" (1980) with Brooke Shields, "Summer Lovers" (1982) with Daryl Hannah, "Grandview, U.S.A." (1984) with Jamie Lee Curtis, "Flight of the Navigator" (1986), featuring the first use of digital morphing in a film, "Big Top Pee-wee" (1988), "White Fang" (1991) and "Honey, I Blew Up the Kid" (1992).
Sentinel Prime is the name of several fictional characters in the various "Transformers" series in the Transformers robot superhero franchise. First mention of Sentinel Prime was in issue #65 of the US Marvel Comics "Transformers" series, where he was mentioned to hold the Autobot Matrix of Leadership before Optimus Prime. Sentinel Prime is One of the members of the Dynasty of Primes and dedicated as the leader of the Autobots and has since appeared in a variety of forms as either Optimus Prime's mentor or friend. Fun Publications has also had a character in their comic called Sentinel Major, who is based on the "Transformers Animated" version of Sentinel Prime. He is also the main antagonist in the film "," where he betrays the Autobots and later Megatron for his own personal interests. His original "Generation 1" incarnation was later reimagined by IDW Publishing as a similar fallen figure, perhaps in lieu of his movie counterpart.
The series was created by Shotaro Ishinomori, then known for the 1971–1973 "Kamen Rider" TV series and the long-running manga "Cyborg 009". He developed the first two Super Sentai Series "Himitsu Sentai Gorenger", which ran from 1975 to 1977, and "J.A.K.Q. Dengekitai", released in 1977. Toei Company put the franchise on hiatus in 1978, collaborating with Marvel Comics to produce a live action "Spider-Man" series, which added giant robots to the concept of "tokusatsu" shows. The giant robot concept was carried over to Toei and Marvel's next show, "Battle Fever J", released in 1979, and was then used throughout the Super Sentai Series.
Power Rangers is an American entertainment and merchandising franchise built around a live-action superhero television series, based on the Japanese tokusatsu franchise "Super Sentai". Produced first by Saban Entertainment, second by BVS Entertainment, later by SCG Power Rangers and today by Hasbro, the "Power Rangers" television series takes much of its footage from the "Super Sentai" television series, produced by Toei Company. The first "Power Rangers" entry, "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers", debuted on August 28, 1993, and helped launch the Fox Kids programming block of the 1990s, during which it catapulted into popular culture along with a line of action figures and other toys by Bandai. By 2001, the media franchise had generated over $6 billion in toy sales.
Green wrote and directed segment "The Diary of Anne Frankenstein" as part of the 2011 comedy/horror anthology "Chillerama", which consists of four short films by four different filmmakers. The parody "Anne Frankenstein" is shot in black and white and made entirely in German to look and feel like a lost 1940's foreign film. While Green cast authentic German speaking actors for all roles, the lead role of Adolf Hitler is portrayed by Joel David Moore, who does not know how to speak German and purposely fakes his way through the film by using a combination of gibberish and random words thrown to him by Green, such as "Boba Fett", "OshKosh B'Gosh" and "Goldie Hawn". Kane Hodder portrays the film's hero Meshugannah – a Hassidic Jewish take on the classic Frankenstein Monster, who ultimately turns against his master and kills him.
Steven Spielberg, a fan of the comics and toys, signed on as executive producer in 2004. John Rogers wrote the first draft, which pitted four Autobots against four Decepticons, and featured the Ark spaceship. Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, fans of the cartoon, were hired to rewrite the script in February 2005. Spielberg suggested that "a boy and his car" should be the focus. This appealed to Orci and Kurtzman because it conveyed themes of adulthood and responsibility, "the things that a car represents in the United States". The characters of Sam and Mikaela were the sole point of view given in Orci and Kurtzman's first draft. The Transformers had no dialogue, as the producers feared talking robots would look ridiculous. The writers felt that even if it would look silly, not having the robots speak would betray the fanbase. The first draft also had a battle scene in the Grand Canyon. Spielberg read each of Orci and Kurtzman's drafts and gave notes for improvement. The writers remained involved throughout production, adding additional dialogue for the robots during the sound mixing (although none of this was kept in the final film, which ran fifteen minutes shorter than the initial edit). Furman's "The Ultimate Guide", published by Dorling Kindersley, remained as a resource to the writers throughout production. "Prime Directive" was used as a fake working title. This was also the name of Dreamwave Productions' first .
Slipstream is a 1989 science fiction film directed by Steven Lisberger, who had previously directed the cult classic 1982 science fiction film "Tron". It was produced by Gary Kurtz, best known for his collaboration with George Lucas on the first two "Star Wars" films and "American Graffiti". "Slipstream" reunited Kurtz with his "Star Wars" lead Mark Hamill, who features alongside Bill Paxton, Bob Peck and Kitty Aldridge, with cameo appearances from Robbie Coltrane, Ben Kingsley and F. Murray Abraham.
• Executive Produced “BIG BLUE RIVER” a made-for- television documentary film. This was the first ever paddleboard film made which was directed by his wife Leslie (“Leslie Rules”) Windram O’Shaughnessy. A classic tale of the first Cuba to USA adventure, capturing the sport as it was transforming from the underground to the mainstream. 
• In 2001, an O’Shaughnessy-lead team went back to conquer the BIG BLUE RIVER, paddling 112 miles in relay, escorted by Hawaiian Tropic's 80-foot sailing yacht “The Princess Sterling.” That team consisted of all-Florida paddlers; Rob Delaune and Craig Snell of Key West and Jim McCrady of Fort Lauderdale. At that time, this was considered the longest relay of its kind in the sport of paddle boarding. Time on this paddle was 20 hours and 2 minutes.
The Transformers: The Movie is a 1986 animated science fiction action adventure film based on the animated television series by the same name, which in turn is based on the toyline of the same name created by Hasbro. It was released in North America on August 8, 1986, and in the United Kingdom on December 12, 1986. The film was co-produced and directed by Nelson Shin, who also produced the original "Transformers" television series, and features the voices of Eric Idle, Judd Nelson, Leonard Nimoy, Casey Kasem, Robert Stack, Lionel Stander, John Moschitta, Jr., Peter Cullen and Frank Welker. It also marked the final roles for both Orson Welles, who died the year before its release, and Scatman Crothers, who died months after its release. The film's story takes place in 2005, 20 years after the events of the TV series' second season, and serves to bridge into the third season.