Steele Studios, a postproduction and visual effects house, has named Thom Burkhart as sr. producer. He formerly served as head of digital postproduction for Rhythm & Hues for 14 years.
During his Rhythm & Hues tenure, Burkhart upgraded his department to a full HD post facility and shepherded post services for high-profile commercials, features and theme park ride films, working in tandem with such directors as Ron Howard, Jake Scott, Peter Berg, Harold Ramis, Steve Beck, Charlie Watson, Clark Anderson, Michael Patterson, Jay Vigon and Randy Roberts, as well as VFX supervisors Bill Westenhofer, Doug Smith, John Heller, Todd Schifflett and Richard Hollander.
Burkhart worked on features including Life of Pi, The A-Team, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, Fast and Furious 3 and 4, X-Men, Night at the Museum 1 & 2, Moneyball, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. His spot credits span such clients as Budweiser, Coca-Cola, GMC, Mazda, Dodge Neon, Geico, McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Sears, Honda and Toyota.
Is “Glicked” The New “Barbenheimer”? “Wicked” and “Gladiator II” Hit Theater Screens
"Barbenheimer" was a phenomenon impossible to manufacture. But, more than a year later, that hasn't stopped people from trying to make "Glicked" — or even "Babyratu" — happen.
The counterprogramming of "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" in July 2023 hit a nerve culturally and had the receipts to back it up. Unlike so many things that begin as memes, it transcended its online beginnings. Instead of an either-or, the two movies ultimately complemented and boosted one another at the box office.
And ever since, moviegoers, marketers and meme makers have been trying to recreate that moment, searching the movie release schedule for odd mashups and sending candidates off into the social media void. Most attempts have fizzled (sorry, "Saw Patrol" ).
This weekend is perhaps the closest approximation yet as the Broadway musical adaptation "Wicked" opens Friday against the chest-thumping sword-and-sandals epic "Gladiator II." Two big studio releases (Universal and Paramount), with one-name titles, opposite tones and aesthetics and big blockbuster energy — it was already halfway there before the name game began: "Wickiator," "Wadiator," "Gladwick" and even the eyebrow raising "Gladicked" have all been suggested.
"'Glicked' rolls off the tongue a little bit more," actor Fred Hechinger said at the New York screening of "Gladiator II" this week. "I think we should all band around 'Glicked.' It gets too confusing if you have four or five different names for it."
As with "Barbenheimer," as reductive as it might seem, "Glicked" also has the male/female divide that make the fan art extra silly. One is pink and bright and awash in sparkles, tulle, Broadway bangers and brand tie-ins; The other is all sweat and sand, blood and bulging... Read More