Check out leaked Star Wars: The Force Awakens concept art! Or is it?

If you've followed my blog for a while you know I always feature the hottest concept art out there. So, you may have wondered why I haven't shared much concept art from Star Wars: The Force Awakens. There's a simple reason: I think they're fake. Not all of them, of course, a few have proven to be reliable like the Stormtrooper helmet and speeder but most are obviously not from the movie. The Internet is full of dozens of images that claim to be from the film. Whole websites have built their reputation on leaking a suspiciously large amount of concept art.

The main reason I think most are fake is because of the intense secrecy while filming. There's no way this many pictures are leaking from the film. Mark Hamill said "You know, the security on it is just crazy. I'm surprised I can even admit I'm in it! ...I like being surprised. It's a whole different era now. When we made the original films, you had the odd reporter hanging around the studio bribing people to give them stories. Now, I said to them, 'Do I really have to wear this robe and this hood that covers my entire head to go from the trailer to the soundstage?' They said, 'Yeah, there's drones.' Seriously! There's drones flying over the studio trying to get pictures of whatever they can get pictures of."

Everyone that visits the set has to put a security sticker over the lens of their devices that can't be removed and reapplied. Disney has pushed the boundaries of nondisclosure agreements and even tried to purchase anti-drone technology after a set picture of the Millennium Falcon went viral. They even got Britain to establish no-fly zones around their shooting locations. Besides all that, they have the power of high-priced lawyers at their disposal. "The nondisclosure agreements these people have to sign have created a culture of terror," says Chris Taylor, author of How Star Wars Conquered the Universe. That's right. Only a fool would leak anything from the production and professional concept artists aren't fools. They'd never intentionally let their Star Wars work go into the public domain. When I asked an artist, who is officially attached to the production, if the Stormtrooer helmet art is real only said they "can't confirm or deny anything to do with the new Star Wars films or they'll send the Stormtroopers after me."

I've debunked many pieces of "leaked" concept art before like Man of Steel. I even wrote a whole post on how to spot a fake. Which is why I'm holding judgement on sharing artwork until I can verify it. Until Lucasfilm releases the artwork or the artist identified themselves I'm holding back. The only exception is if the concept art shows something that someone could not have known about like the design of the Stormtrooper helmet or Rey's speeder. I do recognize the signatures in some of the artwork, but those could be faked pretty easily.

I recognize that a picture of artwork from the film is worth tens of thousands of dollars, but there's no way this many are getting out. Most are wonderful illustrations that fans create and are then mistakenly (or intentionally) associated with the movie.

Here are some examples of obvious fakes that are popular,

A perfect example is this concept art of X-Wing fighter which many blogs like Comic Book Movie, Blastr and other sites picked up and analyzed.

Until Yahoo tracked down the artist, Robert Bailey, and proved its nothing but wonderfully done fan art. While Bailey does work for Lucasfilm, and George Lucas himself enjoys his work, it has nothing to do with the movie. “These are definitely not concept drawings from the next ‘Star Wars’ movie,” Bailey told Yahoo. “They are based upon the ‘Star Wars’ trailer, which as you know is in the public arena. I can fully understand how these rumours start, and that fans are very excited about the upcoming film. But Lucasfilm would not allow the release of concept fames at this time.” He could be lying, but he'd be a moron for posting these on Facebook in the first place. He'd be sued within an inch of his life.

So, while all the artwork is wonderful, be careful the next time you come across hot, new "leaked" concept art. You might get burned.

Click on the links if you want to see more Star Wars: The Force Awakens artwork on my blog.

What do you think of the concept art? Do you think most of the Star Wars: The Force Awakens artwork is real or fake?

Official Star Wars VII Summary
Star Wars: Episode VII will be directed by J.J. Abrams (Super 8, Mission: Impossible III, Star Trek) and is being scripted by Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan (Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi). Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, J.J. Abrams, and Bryan Burk are producing, with Tommy Harper (Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, Jack Ryan, Star Trek Into Darkness) and Jason McGatlin (Tintin, War of the Worlds) serving as executive producers. John Williams is returning to score Star Wars: Episode VII..
Directed by J.J. Abrams
Cinematography by Daniel Mindel
Production Design by Rick Carter and Darren Gilford
Starring: John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Max von Sydow, Lupita Nyong'o, and Gwendoline Christie, with Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew and Kenny Baker
Release Dates: December 18, 2015 (USA)
Official Site: http://www.starwars.com/theforceawakens
© Copyright 2015 Lucasfilm, Bad Robot. All rights reserved


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Jupiter Ascending (2015) concept art by Oliver Pron

 Check out Jupiter Ascending concept art by Philippe Gaulier and Oliver Pron!

The latest film by The Wachowskis was originally scheduled to open July 25, 2014, but was rescheduled for this Friday. The reason is that the film features over 2,000 special effects shots and they felt they couldn't do it justice in time. "With the July release date, they were just not going to make it on time,” domestic distribution chief Dan Fellman told Variety, “A lot of the issue for us was getting it ready for the international release, since the foreign territories need additional time.” From the look of the trailer and the concept art it's a very ambitious effort and looks gorgeous. Two of the talented artists working on the film,  Philippe Gaulier and Oliver Pron, have shared concept art in advance of the release.

Philippe Gaulier and Oliver Pron are professional concept artists who've worked on big budget movies like Iron Man 3 (2013), Inception (2010), Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) and Guardians of the Galaxy (2014).

Click on the images to enlarge.

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The Flash (2014) - Reverse Flash

Check out The Flash concept art by John Gallagher!

After hints and speculation all season about the evil "Reverse Flash" (or "Professor Zoom") and we finally got a good look at him in the episode "Man in the Yellow Suit." "It’s fun when you finally see our team confronting the Reverse Flash and seeing everybody’s reactions, because he is the devil, in a way, to the show," executive producer Andrew Kreisberg told EW. "When you finally see everybody confront him, it's really scary. It’s certainly the scariest thing we’ve done on the show. Our tone note to Tom, Jesse and Grant was to pretend you were in the room with the alien from Alien. You should all be that scared."

He is terrifying. One of the artists that helped bring the terrifying image of Reverse Flash to life is John Gallagher and he shared some promo art recently. Gallagher is a professional concept artist who's worked on Hollywood projects like Mockingbird Lane (2012) and V (2009).

Click on the images to enlarge.

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Arrow (2014) concept art by Andy Poon

Check out Arrow concept art by Andy Poon!

The Green Arrow costume has been pretty much the same since the show started except for an updated mask last season. But, during a Q&A, actor Stephen Amell said, "Suit upgrade is coming. There is going to be new stuff added to the suit at some point this season." That happened in the season 3 Arrow\The Flash crossover episode "The Brave and the Bold" when his suit gets improvements. Concept artist Andy Poon just updated his site with concept art of the new costume and it's awesome.

Poon is a professional concept artist who's worked on network television shows like Smallville, and Slugterra.

Click on the images to enlarge.

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Ant-Man (2015) concept art by Rodney Fuentebella

Check out Ant-Man concept art by Rodney Fuentebella, Andy Park and Jackson Sze!

The trailer for Ant-Man debuted last week and is a huge success getting 29 million views worldwide in three days. To continue the promotion of the film Marvel has released a new batch of concept art for the film. While many were skeptical of the film's success, former director Edgar Wright explained, "The difference between Ant-Man and other shrinking movies is other shrinking movies are usually about somebody trapped small. This is different in that he can actually change size and he can do that at will, so it becomes more of a power than an impediment." To help create the incredible look of the film they tapped many successful concept artists including Rodney Fuentebella and Jackson Sze.

Jackson Sze is a senior illustrator at Marvel Studios who's helped contribute artwork for films like Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and Thor: The Dark World (2013). Rodney Fuentebella is a professional concept artist who's worked on big-budget movies like The Avengers (2012), Iron Man 3 (2013). Andy Park is a concept illustrator who's worked on blockbuster movies like Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), Thor: The Dark World (2013) and Iron Man 3 (2013).

Click on the images to enlarge.

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Check out Doctor Who concept art by Neill Gorton, Chris Goodman, Dave Bonneywell, Brian Coldrick, Gary Pollard, Calum5 and Kevin Walker!

Doctor Who is known for it's incredible creature designs even comparing it to the inventive low-budget effects of the 60s and 70s. Last season of Doctor Who continued the tradition with terrifying creatures like the Teller and the redesigned Cybermen. Recently, Radio Times shared some concept art and talked with Millennium FX which helped design the special effects and creatures. The also shared some mind-blowing artwork by several of the talented concept artists.

Neill Gorton, Chris Goodman, Dave Bonneywell, Brian Coldrick, Gary Pollard, Calum5 and Kevin Walker are professional concept artists who've worked on Hollywood films like Children of Men (2006), Clash of the Titans (2010) and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001).

Click on the images to enlarge.

Deep Breath - Half-Face Man

Robot of Sherwood
The Hunter
"Mark Gatiss is really good so we often get his scripts really early on, months and months in advance. When a script first comes through it has all these amazing ideas and concepts and locations in it, but the reality of what we can shoot within a TV schedule is really tight. By the time we got to prep, the script and structure had changed. The Hunter was a character who never made it into the episode, but I can’t reveal what he did." - Kate Walshe, one of the SFX Producers at Millennium FX

Time Heist

Teller

"With the Teller, the script described it as insectoid, massive, hulking, all these adjectives, but it didn’t really give us very much detail. It was when we were in a meeting going through the script, talking about what to shoot and where, that we came up with the idea of the two tentacles coming together to produce the beam." - Kate Walshe

"The bulk of the design work for The Teller was done by Neill Gorton, Dave Bonneywell and Gary Pollard.  I threw in a few early designs but the majority of my contribution was on The Teller’s straight jacket-like costume." - Chris Goodman
Bank Guards

Psi
"We tried to think about who the character was – he’s obviously interested in looking cool, but technology is important for him – so we tried to imagine future technologies but also future trends in wearable technology. Steven was really insistent about getting a certain look. We kept producing stuff and not getting it quite right for him. Normally we do something, then one or two variations, and then we’ll nail it. But with Psi we did 20 or so variations." - Kate Walshe

"I did several variations for the make-up design of the Doctor Who character Psi, some of which can be seen in this gallery. In the episode 'Time Heist', Psi is a cybernetically enhanced ‘gamer’ who aides the Doctor in a bank heist. Make-up by Dave Bonneywell and model build by Nico Zarcone." - Chris Goodman

Bank of Karabraxos Guards

"One of the first designs that I have ever had made was for the Doctor Who episode Time Heist.  I did a few sketches that became the helmets for the Guards of the bank of Karabraxos. Brilliantly realised by model maker Pete Fielding." - Chris Goodman

The Caretaker - Skovox Blitzer
“It’s like most design processes, you need to start quite loose. Especially because of the tight turnaround with our builds, you can’t spend too long on one design in the hope they will like it,” Rob Mayor explains. “Unless it’s something very specific in the script, you basically cast a wide net then gradually you see what appeals to people and what strikes a chord. Then we start to hone down and refine the design from there. There’s no point in doing a selection of sketches that are kind of the same.” - Kate Walshe

"Skovox Blitzer marks the first time a design of mine has been realised as a complete character." - Chris Goodman

Kill the Moon - Moon Spiders

"Originally, they wanted incredibly spindly legs, kind of like spider crabs. To build something that could actually function on set would have been so problematic for us, so we tried to push them in a way that was possible for us, with slightly chunkier legs." - Kate Walshe

Dark Water/Death in Heaven

Danny Cyberman
“It was a really tricky one to nail: getting across the horror of what Danny’s going through while keeping it sympathetic. A big part of that was actually Samuel’s performance. We can add all of this body horror, but he has such kind eyes that we had a lot to work with.” - Kate Walshe

Mausoleum Skeleton
"It was a really tricky concept, because obviously they’re people’s relatives, but really for the skeletons to operate the Cyber-costumes they should have had some muscle structure. But Rachel Talalay [the episode’s director] was quite clear what she wanted and we were able to scale back from that to really cool, interesting skeletons." - Kate Walshe

See more of they're awesome portfolio at their sites:

• Neill Gorton http://neillgorton.com
• Chris Goodman http://christophergoodman.com
• Dave Bonneywell http://www.davebonneywell.com
• Brian Coldrick http://www.briancoldrick.com
• Calum5 http://www.calum5.com/

Click on the links if you want to see more of Neill Gorton, Chris Goodman, Dave Bonneywell, Brian Coldrick, Gary Pollard, Calum5 and Kevin Walker's work or Doctor Who artwork on my blog.

Via Radio Times via io9

What do you think ofthe concept art? If you've seen Doctor Who what do you think of the creatures on season 8?

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Alien 5 concept art by Geoffroy Thoorens

Check out Unused Alien 5 sequel concept art by Geoffroy Thoorens and Doug Williams!


Neill Blomkamp is a huge fan of the Alien franchise and lists the first two films as a huge influence on his science fiction film District 9. He told Animation World Network that "at the top of the list [of favorite movies] would be the first two Aliens, the Terminators, Predator and Robocop -- all the '80s hardcore, sci-fi/action films. And I don't know whether the film has that feeling or not for the audience, but I wanted it to have that harsh 1980s kind of vibe -- I didn't want it to feel glossy and slick." Recently, Blomkamp shared some concept art for the a sequel or reboot  of Alien on Instagram and identified two of the artists.

Geoffroy Thoorens and Doug Williams are professional concept artists who've worked on big budget movies like Pacific Rim (2013) and Blood: The Last Vampire (2009).

Click on the images to enlarge.

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Check out Divergent concept art by Christian Lorenz Scheurer!

The movie based on the Divergent series of books is a blockbuster hit making almost $300,000,000 worldwide. The movie depicts a dystopian world where the city of Chicago is divided into five factions that all control the place:  Dauntless, Abnegation, Erudite, Amity and Candor. Everyone is divided among the factions and a young girl has to decide where she belongs. The production team had to create some pretty amazing sets and two of the most important sets where in the world of Dauntless where Beatrice "Tris" Prior (Shailene Woodley) the main character spends most of her time. One of the concept artists that helped craft the look of the world is Christian Lorenz Scheurer and he shared some designs for the Dauntless compaund, Chicago's L Train and alternate designs for the "Fear Chair" which plays a huge part in the film. He recently shared some concept art on his site.

Scheurer is a professional concept artist who's worked on blockbuster projects like Man of Steel (2013), House (2004) and The Fifth Element (1997).

Click on the images to enlarge.

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Iron Man Three (2013) - Ellen Brandt (Stephanie Szostak)

Check out Iron Man 3 storyboards by Darrin Denlinger!

The scene where Tony Stark goes to Rose Hill North Carolina and fights Ellen Brandt (Stephanie Szostak) is a highlight, but it could have been very different. Storyboard artist Darren Denlinger sent me some exclusive storyboards from Iron Man 3 that show an explosive battle between Brandt and Stark that raged across the small town. Denlinger said "it was trimmed to fit locations." Darren Denlinger is a professional storyboard artist who's worked on big budget films like Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007), The Avengers (2012) and Captain America: The First Avenger (2011).

Click on the images in the gallery to advance to the next board.

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The Flash (2014) concept art by John Gallagher

Check out Arrow and The Flash concept art by Andy Poon and John Gallagher!

The Flash is a hit and is the highest rated show of The CW Network so rumors started circulating of the inevitable second season order of the show. CW Tampa claimed that the show was coming back next season, but they recently added the note: "Editors note: An earlier post incorrectly stated that The Flash and Jane The Virgin had been picked up for season 2, when the ratings and critical acclaim earned both shows full orders for their first season."

Two major villains on both Arrow and The Flash are Ras Al Ghul and Leonard Snart (AKA Captain Cold). Recently concept art for both characters have shown up online by Andy Poon and John Gallagher.

Andy Poon and John Gallagher are professional concept illustrators who've worked on major projects like Mockingbird Lane (2012), V (2009) and Arrow (2013).

Click on the images to enlarge.

Ras Al Ghul concept art by Andy Poon

"So here is my concept illustrations of the 'Demon' himself once again working with the fantastic costume designer Maya Mani and her costume department. I did this illustration before they cast the actor Matt Nable. There were rumors that 'The Mummy returns" actor Oded Fehr was on the list and Niam Neeson from the Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight triology is interested, so I tried to gave my Ra's a hybrid of both actors' qualities." - Andy Poon

Here's what Ras Al Ghul looks like in the comics

 Here's what Ras Al Ghul looks like on Arrow (Matt Noble)

Captain Cold concept art by John Gallagher

"Concept piece for Captain Cold with New 52 look for The Flash. We went in a different direction but d*** Wentworth looks bad**s holding the cold gun I had the pleasure of designing. Stay tuned for plenty more Rogues villainy!"- John Gallagher

Here's what Captain Cold looks like in the comics (New 52 version)

 Here's what Captain Cold looks like on The Flash (Wentworth Smith)

See more of Andy Poon's marvelous portfolio at http://andypoondesign.blogspot.com and John Gallagher's amazing portfolio at http://www.uncannyknack.com

Click on the links if you want to see more of Andy Poon and John Gallagher's work or Arrow and The Flash artwork on my blog.

Via Comic Book Movie (Nailbiter111)

What do you think of the concept art? If you've seen Arrow and The Flash what do you think of the villains? If Ras Al Ghul fought Captain Cold who would win?

Official The Flash Summary
"After a particle accelerator causes a freak storm, CSI Investigator Barry Allen is struck by lightning and falls into a coma. Months later he awakens with the power of super speed, granting him the ability to move through Central City like an unseen guardian angel. Though initially excited by his newfound powers, Barry is shocked to discover he is not the only "meta-human" who was created in the wake of the accelerator explosion -- and not everyone is using their new powers for good. Barry partners with S.T.A.R. Labs and dedicates his life to protect the innocent. For now, only a few close friends and associates know that Barry is literally the fastest man alive, but it won't be long before the world learns what Barry Allen has become...The Flash."
Created by Robert Kanigher, John Broome and Carmine Infantino.
Cinematography by C. Kim Miles, Jeffrey C. Mygatt and Glen Winter
Production Design by Tyler Bishop Harron and Ian D. Thomas
Original airdate: October 7, 2014 (USA)
Official Site: http://www.cwtv.com/shows/the-flash
© Copyright 2014 Bonanza Productions, Berlanti Productions, Warner Bros. Television, DC Entertainment, Warner Bros. Television Distribution. All rights reserved

Official Arrow Synopsis
"After a violent shipwreck, billionaire playboy Oliver Queen was missing and presumed dead for five years before being discovered alive on a remote island in the Pacific. When he returns home to Starling City, his devoted mother Moira, much-beloved sister Thea, and best friend Tommy welcome him home, but they sense Oliver has been changed by his ordeal on the island. While Oliver hides the truth about the man he's become, he desperately wants to make amends for the actions he took as the boy he was. Most particularly, he seeks reconciliation with his former girlfriend, Laurel Lance. As Oliver reconnects with those closest to him, he secretly creates the persona of Arrow – a vigilante – to right the wrongs of his family, fight the ills of society, and restore Starling City to its former glory. By day, Oliver plays the role of a wealthy, carefree and careless philanderer he used to be – flanked by his devoted chauffeur/bodyguard, John Diggle – while carefully concealing the secret identity he turns to under cover of darkness. However, Laurel's father, Detective Quentin Lance, is determined to arrest the vigilante operating in his city. Meanwhile, Oliver's own mother, Moira, knows much more about the deadly shipwreck than she has let on – and is more ruthless than he could ever imagine. The series stars Stephen Amell as Oliver Queen, Colin Donnell as Tommy, Katie Cassidy as Laurel Lance, David Ramsey as John Diggle, Willa Holland as Thea Queen, with Susanna Thompson as Moira Queen and Paul Blackthorne as Detective Quentin Lance."
Developed by Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, Andrew Kreisberg
Starring: Stephen Amell, Katie Cassidy, Colin Donnell, Willa Holland, David Ramsey, Paul Blackthorne, Susanna Thompson, Emily Bett Rickards, Colton Haynes, Manu Bennett
Original run: October 10, 2012
Official Site: http://www.cwtv.com/shows/arrow
© Copyright DC Entertainment, Berlanti Productions, Warner Bros. Television. All rights reserved


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