MONTHLY HIGHLIGHTS OF ISN NEWS: THE ZOCALO TODAY

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2015

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015

Being able to work with Berlanti again is a unique opportunity for Smith and not one he could turn down. "['Everwood'] was such a special kind of time in my life, and I can speak for everybody -- all of our lives. The affection and respect we all have for each other hasn't dulled as time goes by," he tells Zap2it. "I always get really excited when I cross paths with anybody from 'Everwood.'"

Smith, who now stars on "Rookie Blue," also got to connect with another long-time friend on "Arrow."

"Brandon Routh, who plays Ray Palmer, is one of my oldest friends. We've been best friends for 15 or 16 years, but we've never been on set together," Smith says. "He used to come visit me on 'Everwood.'"

While finally getting the chance to work with one of his best friends was a very special thing, Smith admits, "I put a little bit more pressure on myself because I'm like, 'Oh man, I want to make Brandon proud.'"

Luckily, he knew what he was getting into before showing up for the job. "I was a fan, but when I knew I was going to direct the show, I watched every episode in sequence and became a superfan," he says. "By the time I came to do the show, I was almost a little starstruck by the sets and characters."

As for the most important question to any "Arrow" fan -- whether he's pro- or anti-Olicity -- Smith assures everyone, "I think I would qualify as an Olicity shipper."

"Arrow" airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on The CW.

INSPECTOR GADGET/DANGER MOUSE
Though critical hits like House of Cards and Orange Is the New Black get most of the attention, Netflix has also been cranking up its slate of original children’s programming in recent years — and now they’re looking to mine some 1980s classics.

The streaming company is working up revivals of Inspector Gadget and Danger Mouse, both of which were staples of kids' programming in the 1980s. Both shows were huge for a while but have mostly faded into obscurity in recent years — though they bring brand recognition that should be a good fit for reboots. Heck, it’s not terribly uncommon to hear a “Go Go Gadget!” joke out and about to this day.

The Inspector Gadget series is actually an acquisition of a 26-episode Canadian series developed by DHX Media, which features updated gadgets and CGI effects. Netflix will be the exclusive U.S. distributor for the show. The original series debuted in 1983 and was most recently turned into a film starring Matthew Broderick in 1999.

Along with the new-look Inspector Gadget, Netflix has also ordered a new Danger Mouse series based on the British ‘toon about a secret agent mouse. The studio has ordered 26 half-hour episodes that will be co-produced by Fremantle and the BBC. That series will also exclusively debut on Netflix, and if it is anything like the original, should be a blast.

In a chat with USA Today about the expansions to the development slate, Netflix’s VP of global independent Erik Barmack noted that a series like Inspector Gadget (and Danger Mouse by extension) should have the potential to hook a new generation of viewers while also providing something parents won’t mind watching out of nostalgia:

“It’s one of those shows where we’re able to hit a few different audiences. We think that kids are going to love the show … but it’s also going to get some co-viewing because there is a generation of parents who grew up on the original.”

The Inspector Gadget series is set to go live in March, while Danger Mouse will debut in the spring of 2016.

IRON MAN NEWS
Always the consummate showman, Robert Downey Jr. can even turn the arrival of a poster into an event.

Following yesterday’s release of the incredibly busy and overstuffed new poster for The Avengers: Age of Ultron, the first of what is apparently going to be a whole series of individual character posters from the film was released today. Not surprisingly, it's for Iron Man and was delivered to the masses via a tweet from Tony Stark himself:

You've been good so here's a new #IronMan poster from @Avengers. & on the DL, big announcement in 8 days… #getexcited

The most interesting part of Downey's tweet is the mention of a "big announcement in 8 days," which of course will have everyone speculating until next Thursday. Will it be a new trailer? Will some startling news about the Marvel Cinematic Universe break? Will Downey announce he's producing and starring in The Judge 2 (Unfortunately, that would not qualify as a "big announcement" to anyone ... except him, perhaps)?

We'll see what next week brings, and in the meantime, the word on the street is that a new character poster will be unveiled each day until then, with all of them supposedly interconnecting to form one new and probably insanely Photoshopped image. Perhaps we'll finally get a clear look at the Vision. Or maybe the first seven posters will show each of the Avengers looking at something we can't see ... with the eighth poster revealing it to be Spider-Man. OK, that's a real stretch, but I love having fun with this stuff.

The Avengers: Age of Ultron is written and directed by Joss Whedon and stars (deep breath) Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Elizabeth Olsen, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, James Spader, Stellan Skarsgard, Samuel L. Jackson, Cobie Smulders, Paul Bettany, Anthony Mackie, Hayley Atwell, Idris Elba and Don Cheadle. It opens in theaters May 1.

ORPHAN BLACK
You should watch Orphan Black. Seriously, you should. Because if you’re not currently watching Orphan Black, then you’re totally missing out, because it's actually one of the finest sci-fi shows out there right now! And we’re not only talking about Tatiana Maslany’s masterful performance as multiple Project Leda clones Sarah, Alison, Helena, Cosima (aka the Clone Club) and baddie Rachel.

There’s a lot of twisty stuff going on in the series, and season three will feature a storyline that includes Project Castor male clones — all played by Ari Millen — who were introduced back in season two. So if you’re not sure how to begin, then start by watching this 4-minute recap released by BBC America ahead of the third season premiere on April 18. For those who’ve already seen the series but need a quick refresher, then this video's also for you.

The third season of Orphan Black will air simultaneously across all AMC channels on April 18.

TOMB RAIDER
Deadline reports that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Divergent, and G.I. Joe 3 screenwriter Evan Daugherty has been tapped to pen the script for the upcoming Tomb Raider reboot. In addition, Warner Bros. Pictures has partnered up with MGM and producer Graham King to distribute the film.

The original game was published in 1996 by the London-based video game company Eidos and became one of the most successful video games of the time. The most recent entry in the series was a reboot, telling the origin of Lara Croft. It was released in 2013 and sold over 5 million copies. A follow-up game, titled Rise of the Tomb Raider, is due out later this year as a timed-exclusive for the Xbox One and Xbox 360.

Paramount Pictures previously made two movies about the daredevil archaeologist on a series of global missions. The films, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, starred Angelina Jolie and grossed a combined $432 million at the worldwide box office.

STRATTON
Screen DailyCavil2 reports that noted action director Simon West (Con Air, The Expendables 2) will direct Henry Cavill (Man of Steel) in Stratton, which will shoot in the UK and Italy this summer.

The special forces thriller will feature Cavill as the title character John Stratton tracking down an international terrorist cell. The film is based on the first in a series of eight novels by pseudonymous author Duncan Falconer, an ex-SBS (Special Boat Service) commando.

“I’ve long wanted to tell a story about the British Special Forces and finally the opportunity has come around,” Cavill said. “Duncan Falconer’s work is fantastic and we are incredibly fortunate to be working with him so closely. We plan to convert the books to cinema as accurately as possible while keeping them topical. Simon West is a perfect match for this movie with his ability to marry story-telling and action, both of which are essential to do this project justice!”

West stated, “I have been looking for an opportunity to establish a new UK based action character for some time and Stratton fits the bill perfectly. The greatest challenge was always going to be who can play a character like that and bring depth and realism. I have followed Henry Cavill’s work for while now and I cannot imagine a better actor to take on this role. Henry is the reason this project is now possible.”

Ileen Maisel and Lawrence Elman’s Amber Entertainment Ltd will co-produce with Cavill’s Promethean Productions, with GFM Films providing finance and worldwide sales.

Cavill will next be seen as secret agent Napoleon Solo in Guy Ritchie’s The Man from U.N.C.L.E. before he takes on the caped crusader in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

DUCK TALES
An all-new DuckTales, an animated comedy series based on the Emmy Award-winning series treasured by a generation of viewers, has been ordered for launch in 2017 on Disney XD channels around the world. Set to be produced by Disney Television Animation, the new series will again star Disney's enduringly popular characters: Scrooge McDuck, his grandnephews Huey, Dewey and Louie, and Donald Duck. The announcement was made today by Marc Buhaj, Senior Vice President, Programming and General Manager, Disney XD. Buhaj said:

"DuckTales has a special place in Disney's TV animation history; it drew its inspiration from Disney Legend Carl Barks' comic books, and through its storytelling and artistic showmanship, set an enduring standard for animated entertainment that connects with both kids and adults. Our new series will bring that same energy and adventurous spirit to a new generation."

The new series' adventures will once again take viewers along as Scrooge McDuck, his curious and mischief-making grandnephews - Huey, Dewey and Louie - and the optimistic yet temperamental Donald Duck embark on high-flying adventures worldwide. Other beloved characters slated to be in the new stories are: Duckworth, Gyro Gearloose, Launchpad McQuack, Flintheart Glomgold, Magica DeSpell & Poe, Ma Beagle and the Beagle Boys (Burger Beagle, Bouncer Beagle), Mrs. Beakley and Webbigail Vanderquack.

A generation's seminal cartoon, the Emmy Award-winning DuckTales led the daily syndicated cartoon block "The Disney Afternoon" with 100 episodes produced by Disney Television Animation from 1987-90. An animated theatrical film, DuckTales: The Movie - Treasure of The Lost Lamp premiered in 1990. The original DuckTales is currently available on WATCH Disney Channel, an app that allows consumers to watch on tablets, phones, computers and set-top boxes.

Disney Interactive features several DuckTales-themed items in the Disney Infinity toy box. A music video of the familiar "DuckTales" theme song (with real ducks) has amassed over six-million views since September 2014 on the popular YouTube channel "Oh My Disney."In the U.S., Disney XD is seen on a 24-hour, advertiser-supported network that reaches over 80-million households via its basic cable and satellite affiliates. In total, there are 31 Disney XD channels available in 25 languages around the world. Disney Television Animation is part of the Disney | ABC Television Group at The Walt Disney Company.

FROZEN FEVER
On March 13, all of your favorite Frozen characters will return to the big screen in the new Disney animated short Frozen Fever. Anna, Elsa, Kristoff and Olaf reunite for this 7 minute adventure, which finds a big birthday bash in trouble. ABC's Good Morning America has revealed the first footage with a teaser trailer, which also includes a brief look at Disney's Cinderella.

Frozen Fever is set to debut alongside director Kenneth Branagh's live action take on the Cinderella fairytale starring Lily James, Cate Blanchett, Helena Bonham Carter and Hayley Atwell. In Frozen Fever, it's Anna's birthday and Elsa and Kristoff are determined to give her the best celebration ever, but Elsa's icy powers may put more than just the party at risk.

Original Frozen directors Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck return for Frozen Fever, which will also include one all-new song from Oscar-winning team Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez. This will be their first project since collaborating on Disney's 2013 classic. So strap in and take a look, then be sure to check out Cinderella this March, the only place you'll be able to see Frozen Fever!

Frozen Fever comes to theaters March 13th, 2015 and stars Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Josh Gad, Jonathan Groff. The film is directed by Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2015

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2015

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2015

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2015

WONDER WOMAN
Deadline brings word, in a story unrelated to the DC Cinematic Universe, that Gal Gadot will be suiting up as Diana Prince for her solo Wonder Woman film later this year as production will begin in the fall.

“Breaking Bad” and “The Walking Dead” director Michelle MacLaren will helm the upcoming movie, which features a script by Jason Fuchs (Ice Age: Continental Drift, the upcoming Pan). Gal Gadot will make her first cinematic appearance in 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

Recent rumors have suggested that, as a franchise, Wonder Woman is being targeted for development as a trilogy with the first film planned to take place in the 1920s, revealing Themyscira’s first encounter with the outside world and Wonder Woman’s own experiences with a USA that still had a lot to learn about equal rights.

Wonder Woman is set for release on June 23, 2017 with Justice League Part One to follow on November 10, 2017.

MAGNIFICENT SEVEN REMAKE
Haley Bennett, who recently appeared in The Equalizer, is reteaming with director Antoine Fuqua and leading man Denzel Washington for The Magnificent Seven. According to Deadline, Bennett will play the film’s female lead, a woman in a small town whose husband is murdered by gunfighters. She winds up paying the bounty to enlist the film’s title ensemble.

Originally drafted by “True Detective” scribe Nic Pizzolatto (since rewritten by The Blind Side‘s John Lee Hancock), The Magnificent Seven will remake the 1960 film directed by John Sturges that itself was inspired by Akira Kurosawa’s 1954 classic Seven Samurai. Sturges’ version starred Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, James Coburn and Robert Vaughn as a group of disparate gunmen who come together to protect a Mexican village from bandits led by Eli Wallach. It led to a number of sequels as well as a CBS television series.

The new film is said to feature victimized a mining town, taken over by a gold baron, rather than the Mexican village of the original.

Chris Pratt is also set to star in the remake, which is expected to announce more cast members very soon.

DA VINCI CODE SEQUEL - INFERNO
Director/producer Ron Howard and producer Brian Grazer have cast an energetic company of some of the world's most talented and interesting rising international stars to join Tom Hanks in Inferno, the new film in Columbia Pictures' Robert Langdon series, which has taken in more than $1.2 billion worldwide to date. The Imagine Entertainment production, which has a screenplay by David Koepp based on the book by Dan Brown, is slated for release on October 14, 2016 and will begin principal photography at the end of April.

The project's executive producers are Dan Brown, Anna Culp, Bill Connor, and David B. Householter. Inferno continues the Harvard symbologist's adventures on screen: when Robert Langdon wakes up in an Italian hospital with amnesia, he teams up with Sienna Brooks, a doctor he hopes will help him recover his memories and prevent a madman from releasing a global plague connected to Dante's Inferno.

Felicity Jones, an Oscar nominee this year for her performance in The Theory of Everything, will star opposite Hanks as Dr. Sienna Brooks. Irrfan Khan, one of India's biggest stars, best known for his roles in Slumdog Millionaire, Life of Pi, and The Lunchbox, takes the role of Harry Sims, also known as The Provost. French actor Omar Sy, best known for his work in the French mega-hit The Intouchables, as well as X-Men: Days of Future Past, the upcoming Jurassic World, and John Wells' upcoming untitled project, will play Christoph Bruder. Sidse Babett Knudsen, star of the Danish television series Borgen, will portray Dr. Elizabeth Sinskey, the head of the World Health Organization. The filmmakers are also in talks with several other internationally recognized actors for major roles.

"For this film, I wanted Tom Hanks to be surrounded by an international cast of actors whose energy will underscore Robert Langdon's life-or-death peril, the high-stakes action he takes, and the global threat that he's trying to prevent. Felicity, Irrfan, Omar, and Sidse have all broken through with recognition here in America as well as their home countries - they are phenomenal talents and we can't wait to get started."

Doug Belgrad, president, Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group, had this to say in his statement.

"We're thrilled to be making a third Robert Langdon film with Ron, Tom and Brian. Inferno will deliver all of the excitement, intrigue and international adventure that audiences expect from a film based on Dan Brown's huge selling Langdon book series. We can't wait to see this character back on the big screen."

Michael De Luca and Andrea Giannetti will oversee the project for Columbia Pictures. Columbia Pictures has also released new photos of the cast, which you can take a look at below. Stay tuned for more updates on Inferno as production gets under way this spring.

A.K.A. JESSICA JONES NEWS
The cast is really coming together for Marvel’s ‘A.K.A. Jessica Jones‘ as three more faces have been added to the upcoming series. With the show to be released on Netflix later this year it was only a matter of time before we started to get the full cast fleshed out. Joining Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones will be Eka Darville (‘The Originals’,’Spartacus: War of the Damned’), Erin Moriarty (‘The Watch’,’After the Dark’), and Wil Travel (‘Once Upon a Time’,’Primal’). ‘A.K.A. Jessica Jones’ is one of Netflix’s four upcoming Marvel themed series.

Darville will be playing Jessica’s neighbor Malcom. His life is set to cross paths with Jessica’s in a surprising way. Moriarty is tackling the role of Hope who will end up becoming a client of Jessica’s private investigation business, Alias Investigations. Finally Travel will be playing a “by-the-book” police officer for New York. Detectives and police can either get along really well or not at all, so it’ll be interesting to see how these two interact with one another.

According to Jeph Loeb, Executive Producer/Marvel’s Head of Television, “All three of these enormously talented actors bring even more layers of depth and nuance to Jessica’s world. Together they help flesh out what is already a phenomenal cast in a series we believe will be truly remarkable.”

The three will be joining a cast that already consists of Rachael Taylor as Jessica’s best friend and potential super hero Trish Walker, David Tennant who will be playing the villainous Killgrave, Carrie-Anne Moss in a mystery role, and finally Mike Colter who is lined up to be introduced as Luke Cage before starting his own series.

‘A.K.A. Jessica Jones’ is the second Marvel Netflix series in the works and will follow up ‘Daredevil’ which is being released this April. The series will be followed by Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and a series that brings these street level characters together titled ‘The Defenders’.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2015

Season 5 of “Game of Thrones” is set to premiere April 12 at 9 p.m on HBO, and will include new cast members Alexander Siddig, Toby Sebastian, Nell Tiger Free, Keisha Castle-Hughes, Jessica Henwick, Rosabell Laurenti Sellers, DeObia Oparei, Jonathan Pryce, Hannah Waddingham, Enzo Cilenti, Michael Condron, and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje.

Series creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss return as executive producers and showrunners for Season 5, which will be based mostly on the fourth and fifth novels of George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire book series, “A Feast for Crows” and “A Dance with Dragons.”

NEW INDIANA JONES RUMORS
One of the bigger headlines from earlier this year was the announcement that Walt Disney Pictures and Lucasfilm are eyeing Guardians of the Galaxy star Chris Pratt to potentially replace Harrison Ford as the headlining star of the Indiana Jones franchise! Today, Deadline offers an update, suggesting that Steven Spielberg himself is interested in directing the fifth big screen installment in the life of Dr. Henry Jones, Jr.

Although the most recent big screen adventure, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, was not entirely a hit with critics, the fourth film in the series managed to gross more than $786 million worldwide when it was released in 2008. Shortly thereafter, George Lucas hinted that plans were underway for a fifth cinematic adventure, but he admitted that he had yet to decide on a MacGuffin (A term popularized by Alfred Hitchcock, referring to a narrative element that drives the story forward, such as the Ark of the Covenant in Raiders of the Lost Ark). Following the sale of Lucasfilm to Walt Disney Pictures and Lucas’ own subsequent retirement, however, hints regarding plans for the future of the franchise have been few and far between. Ford, however, has suggested that he’s quite eager to reprise the role himself, despite turning 73 this year.

Spielberg is said to have himself selected Pratt to headline Jurassic World, so, while there’s currently no script in place for a fifth Indiana Jones adventure, one may very well be on the way in the not too distant future!

GOTHAM
Next week’s all new episode of “Gotham” (the series’ 17th overall) is set to include the first appearance of the Red Hood and, today, FOX has released a new behind-the-scenes featurette that explores the mystery at the heart of the familiar comic book foe. Here’s the official description of the episode, appropriately titled, “Red Hood”:

“Following several bank robberies, Gordon and Bullock investigate the Red Hood gang. Selina Kyle continues to bond with Barbara, and Fish Mooney tries to reclaim her position in the underworld.”

The Red Hood debuted in DC Comics back in 1951 in a “Detective Comics” story called “The Man Behind the Red Hood!” For that iteration of the character, it was revealed that the mysterious foe was, in fact, the Joker all along and was a criminal identity that was in use before the accident that transformed him.

“Red Hood” is set to air on February 23 at 8:00pm ET/PT on FOX.

DAREDEVIL
As we get closer and closer to the April 10 debut of the highly-anticipated Netflix series Marvel's Daredevil, the show's official Twitter account has released a new photo today, teasing a potential connection with ABC's Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. The photo is a boxing match poster promoting an upcoming fight between Battlin' Jack Murdock, the father of Charlie Cox's Matt Murdock, and Carl "Crusher" Creel, who is also known as The Absorbing Man. As you may recall, Creel appeared in the Season 2 premiere Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., "Shadows", portrayed by Brian Wade.

It remains to be seen if Brian Wade will reprise his role as Creel in Marvel's Daredevil, but the image brings up a few interesting questions about the show's timeline. There was no date given on the boxing poster, so it's possible that Jack Murdock may still be boxing, making it possible for Brian Wade to return as Creel. In the comic books, Jack Murdock was kept alive throughout Matt's college years, but if this fight is a flashback, it may provide some continuity issues, especially since no date or year is listed on the photo. However, it's also possible that a completely different actor will come aboard to play Creel.

It's worth noting that Brian Wade (36) is just a few years older than Charlie Cox (32), so it's possible that this fight could be a flashback. As far as we know, neither Jack Murdock or Carl Creel have been cast in Marvel's Daredevil, and it isn't known how much this fight will have an impact on the story.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2015

Lu

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2015

Titan Comics revealed today that, in August, their current Tenth Doctor, Eleventh Doctor, and Twelfth Doctor comics series will stop to make way for a five-part weekly series that will bring all three Doctors together for one story, written by longtime Doctor Who fan and writer Paul Cornell. You might know Cornell from his comic book work on everything from Wolverine to Batman & Robin, but he's also a successful TV writer with credits ranging from Doctor Who ("Human Nature/The Family of Blood") to Robin Hood and Primeval, and he's contributed several stories to Doctor Who Magazine. He's also written several Doctor Who novels, and now he gets to bring together three Doctors for one epic event.

Sadly, we still don't know the title of this piece, or who the artist will be, or what the general storyline is, but we do know that the only TV companion the series will feature is Capaldi's current co-pilot, Clara Oswald. Tennant and Smith's Doctors will be paired with comic-book exclusive Companions Gabriella Gonzalez and Alice Obiefune, respectively. Technically, Capaldi, Smith and Tennant briefly shared the screen during the 50th-anniversary special, "Day of the Doctor," but they've never really interacted like this before, and now Cornell gets to deliver that story to us. The series launches its first issue on Aug. 12 and continues all the way through September, and we'll let you know when we hear more details.

DEADPOOL NEWS
If might be happening a few years later than we'd hoped but, at last, a Deadpool solo film is on the way, and Ryan Reynolds is back in the role of the Merc With a Mouth. Over the last couple of weeks, we've heard plenty of exciting things about the film, including the news that MMA star-turned-actress Gina Carano is joining the flick as the mutant Angel Dust, and comedian and actor T.J. Miller (Silicon Valley) is on board to bring some extra laughs. Now another major piece of casting news makes the film even more exciting.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Firefly star Morena Baccarin has just joined the cast as an unnamed love interest for Reynolds' Wade Wilson. The film will follow Wilson as he undergoes a cancer treatment that eventually leaves him horribly scarred but also gives him superpowers, and Baccarin will play a still-unnamed woman who struggles with loving a man who's been so hideously deformed.

Genre fans know Baccarin best for her work as Inara on the short-lived but impossibly beloved Joss Whedon drama Firefly, but she's continued to work steadily since that show ended in 2003. She's lent her voice to DC Comics adaptations like Justice League and Son of Batman, appeared on Stargate: SG-1 and played major roles on Homeland, V and the current FOX hit Gotham. Now she's diving into the big-screen comic book world for one of the most anticipated superhero films of the next couple of years.

Deadpool will be directed by Tim Miller (creative supervisor on Scott Pilgrim vs. The World) from a script by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (Zombieland). Simon Kinberg, who's been a major force in every X-Men team film since The Last Stand in 2006, is serving as a producer. Filming is set to kick off next month for a release in early 2016.

ARROW NEWS
Another DC Comics villain is set to make his debut on The CW’s Arrow this season, and he’ll be played by Hellboy’s very own Doug Jones.

Most of you know Jones as the guy who's always hidden under prosthetics, makeup or CGI (Hellboy, The Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Pan’s Labyrinth, The Strain, Falling Skies). It’s pretty rare to actually see the very physical actor without a full getup that completely hides him. And just who will Jones get to play? Well, IGN reports that he’ll be playing Jake Simmons, aka Deathbolt, in the 19th episode of season three, titled “Broken Arrow.”

Deathbolt made his first comics appearance back in 1983, in All-Star Squadron #21. His power was to manipulate electricity, a la Marvel’s Electro, but in Arrow the character will be another metahuman who’ll be able to tap into and weaponize plasma energy.

IGN points out that Deathbolt’s appearance on the show will be notable because it’ll be the first time a metahuman, or even a fully powered supervillain, will appear and even make his debut on a series that has been mostly power-less. Could this mean that Simmons is from Central City, where the particle accelerator accident that gave people metahuman powers happened? Food for thought.

THE FLASH
The CW has released a thrilling extended trailer/sneak peek preview for the next episode of its hit superhero series The Flash — which is, sadly, heading for a painful month-long hiatus. Get ready for a long month.

SHOW SPOILERS AHEAD

Boy, was last night’s episode of The Flash awesome! With the big twist being that Doctor Harrison Wells (Tom Cavanagh) — a man our speedy hero Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) and the whole S.T.A.R. Labs team trusted — was revealed as the Reverse Flash, aka the villain responsible for the death of Barry’s Mom.

The next episode is titled “Out of Time,” and we only have a short synopsis from IMDb (so NOT official), which reveals the return of a series premiere character:

When Clyde Mardon seeks revenge on the Flash, he enlists his more powerful brother, Mark, also known as the Weather Wizard, to help him achieve his goal.

The Flash will return on March 17.

AMAZON PILOTS COMING
Netflix might have the upper hand now, but Amazon Prime is making a hard push into original scripted fare — and it looks like the underdog streaming service might have found its first genre hit.

Amazon Prime has picked up five pilots to series, led by buzzy sci-fi show The Man in the High Castle, based on Philip K. Dick’s 1962 alt-history novel. The studio also snagged dark comedy Mad Dogs (from Shield creator Shawn Ryan), docu-series The New Yorker Presents and kiddie programs Just Add Magic and The Stinky & Dirty Show. Of the five, The Man in the High Castle easily leads the pack.

As you’re likely aware, Amazon has an unorthodox approach to pilot season. Basically, they produce a dozen or so, then toss them online to see what people think of the finished products. Whatever gets good reviews and garners some viewer interest typically gets a pickup. It’s a fun, collaborative approach to pilot season — and it also helps build some buzz by offering the pilots for free. Thanks to positive word of mouth, The Man in the High Castle marked the studio’s most-watched pilot in history, and the episode made it onto several “Best Of” lists.

The early preview did gangbusters to raise interest about the project, which is set in an alternate history where the Axis powers won World War II and now control most of the United States. It’s an ambitious pitch, but the pilot created an intriguing world we’re dying to see more of. The pedigree doesn’t hurt, either. The debut was written by X-Files veteran Frank Spotnitz, and the series boasts sci-fi legend Ridley Scott (Blade Runner) as an executive producer.

The full series will debut later this year, or in early 2016, on the Amazon Prime streaming service.

ALIEN SEQUEL
District 9 and Elysium helmer Neill Blomkamp made headlines last month when he posted a series of concept art designs for a new film in the 20th Century Fox’s Alien franchise. Although the filmmaker admitted that the designs were unofficial, he hinted that he’d be more than happy to take on such a project. Today, Blomkamp posted a new image with a message that should make Alien franchise fans pretty happy!

“So I think it’s officially my next film,” he writes!

At this point it’s uncertain precisely what route the new film will take or if Signourney Weaver (whose Ellen Ripley was featured in the concept designs) will be returning to the franchise.

“[Sigourney] knows about it,” Blomkamp told ComingSoon.net last week, “and part of it was just inspired by speaking to her on set when we were filming ‘Chappie,’ and getting her thoughts on ‘Alien’ and what she thought of the movies that came after ‘Aliens’ and what she felt about Ripley and what was incomplete for her about Ripley. There was so much fuel in what she was telling me.”

Blomkamp’s latest, Chappie, also stars Weaver and lands in theaters March 6!

UPDATE: 20th Century Fox has since confirmed the news, clarifying that this is, indeed, a sequel to the original Alien franchise and not the Prometheus sequel currently set for release March 4, 2016.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2015

Ni

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2015

The film, which follows “a little girl who is taken on a mind-bending tour of the distant future,” is one of the trippiest sci-fi projects we’ve seen in a long time. It uses wild colors, stick figures and a visual style all its own. It might look a bit strange, but the combination managed to snag the Short Film Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. No small feat, obviously.

Reviews have been fantastic for the 17-minute short film, and it also touches on the influence technology has on humanity as a whole. All while looking very, very cool. Though you many not have heard of him, Hertzfeldt (It’s Such a Beautiful Day) is an accomplished short filmmaker, and also created this very cool (and super-weird) Simpsons couch gag.

World of Tomorrow will be available on VOD services March 31.

GREEN LANTERN #39 PREVIEW
This is what we know about Green Lantern: New Guardians from DC Comics: Things are not looking so hot for Kyle Rayner. Then again, a happy hero is typically a boring hero, so it's probably good news for us readers that his universe is topsy-turvy. But in this exclusive sneak at issue #39, we get a sense of how serious things might get before the title concludes with issue #40.

Check out the official (foreboding) synopsis for the second-to-last New Guardians installment, then look ahead at six glorious pages from the issue hitting stands this Wednesday:

With the Templar Guardians still on Oa, Kyle faces the very real prospect that his life may soon come to an end. The love of Carol Ferris alone can't save him, and the foundation of the cosmos hangs in the balance.

Green Lantern: New Guardians #39 from DC Comics hits stands Feb. 18. The issue is written by Justin Jordan, with art by Marc Deering and Diogenes Neves, and a cover by Kyle Strahm.

WE ARE STILL HERE
A new trailer for upcoming horror movie We Are Still Here has been released, along with a dark and pretty horrifying message: Satisfy the darkness.

Starring Barbara Crampton (Re-Animator, You’re Next, The Lords of Salem), Andrew Sensenig (Powers, Focus), Lisa Marie (Sleepy Hollow, Planet of the Apes, Dominion) and Larry Fessenden (I Sell the Dead, Stake Land, The Strain), the movie tells the story of a couple who move into a new home in New England — an old house that “wakes up” every 30 years — and find themselves into a horrific situation that could ultimately claim their lives. There are some pretty scary bits in the new trailer, so make sure to turn out the lights before watching. Or not, if you're already terrified of things that go bump in the night or while driving in a car.

And here’s the gist of the story:

After their teenage son is killed in a car crash, Paul (Andrew Sensenig) and Anne (Barbara Crampton) move to the quiet New England countryside to try to start a new life for themselves. But the grieving couple unknowingly becomes the prey of a family of vengeful spirits that reside in their new home, and before long they discover that the seemingly peaceful town they've moved into is hiding a terrifyingly dark secret. Now they must find a way to overcome their sorrow and fight back against both the living and dead as the malicious ghosts threaten to pull their souls - and the soul of their lost son - into hell with them.

Boy, does this make us not want to move to the countryside. We Are Still Here is set to screen at the Midnight lineup at SXSW in Austin, Texas, in March.

X-MEN: APOCALYPSE
X-Men: Apocalypse director Bryan Singer has revealed perhaps his most interesting behind-the-scenes photo yet as pre-production continues on the highly-anticipated sequel. Singer revealed the below image on his Instagram account with the caption: “Some production art.” The art in question was done by production designer Grant Major, who worked on all three “The Lord of the Rings” films!

James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, and Nicholas Hoult will lead the cast of X-Men: Apocalypse, which will also see the return of Rose Byrne as Moira MacTaggert and newcomers Alexandra Shipp, Sophie Turner, and Tye Sheridan as young versions of Storm, Jean Grey, and Cyclops. The film is being written by Simon Kinberg from a treatment by Mike Dougherty, Dan Harris and Kinberg.

Said to be the conclusion of a trilogy started with X-Men: First Class and continued with X-Men: Days of Future Past, cameras will start rolling on the next adventure in Montreal beginning in April. X-Men: Apocalypse is set for release on May 27, 2016.

THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY 1
ComingSoon.net has your exclusive first look at a clip from the bonus documentary for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1. The two-hour behind-the-scenes documentary The Mockingjay Lives: The Making of Mockingjay – Part 1 features never-before-seen interviews and on-set footage of the cast and crew, taking an in-depth look at the making of the film including the script adaptation, location scouting, set design – including physically creating the hovercraft – casting the new characters, and bringing District 13 to life.

The documentary will be available with both the Digital HD (February 17) and Blu-ray/DVD and VOD (March 6) releases! For a full list of features coming with the February 17 and March 6 releases, click here.

The worldwide phenomenon of “The Hunger Games” continues to set the world on fire with The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1, which finds Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) in District 13 after she literally shatters the games forever. Under the leadership of President Coin (Julianne Moore) and the advice of her trusted friends, Katniss spreads her wings as she fights to save Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) and a nation moved by her courage.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 is directed by Francis Lawrence from a screenplay by Danny Strong and Peter Craig and produced by Nina Jacobson’s Color Force in tandem with producer Jon Kilik. The novel on which the film is based is the third in a trilogy written by Suzanne Collins that has over 65 million copies in print in the U.S. alone.

MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE
It's been awhile since we last heard anything about Columbia Pictures' planned reboot of the Masters of the Universe franchise, which is getting a new live action movie following the original 1987 release based on the classic 80s cartoon series. Today, DeVon Franklin, senior vice president of Columbia and the driving force behind this new iteration of the fantasy adventure series, unveiled the official title card and logo for the impending release. He also teases that more news is coming soon.

Way back in early January, just as the New Year was kicking off, DeVon Franklin revealed that Jeff Wadlow had completed a fresh draft of the screenplay. No director has been announced yet, but its speculated that this news may be revealed before the end of the week. Jon M. Chu was at one time supposed to direct, but left the project to take on another action figure toy line and cartoon series adaptation with Hasbro's Jem and the Holograms.

It's possible that Jeff Wadlow, who directed last year's sequel Kick-Ass 2, will step in as the director. He is also set to direct an X-Force movie for 20th Century Fox. Another name that has been mentioned in terms of directing is Mike Cahill, who last directed I Origins.

Masters of the Universe is in development.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2015

Cotillard won an Academy Award for playing French singer Edith Piaf in La Vie en Rose, but she is most probably known to genre fans as Talia al Ghul in The Dark Knight Rises. Although Cotillard’s character is currently being kept under wraps, she is expected to reprise her role for multiple films, as the movie is set to become another big Hollywood movie franchise. Assassin’s Creed tells the story of a secret order of assassins (the good guys) fighting off the Templars (the bad guys) over the centuries.

Directed by Justin Kurzel, Assassin’s Creed will be reuniting Cotillard and Fassbender, who starred together in Macbeth, which’ll be released later this year and was also directed by Kurzel.

The movie will begin production this fall. It is set to be released on Dec. 21, 2016.

AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.
Head of Television for Marvel Jeph Loeb recently sat down with Comic Book Resources to discuss all things Marvel — including the Marvel Cinematic Universe — in a cool and insightful interview. Loeb oversees the TV side of the MCU and is responsible for both Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Agent Carter on ABC, and will also overlook Netflix’s upcoming comic-book series A.K.A. Jessica Jones and The Defenders. Basically, he’s the Kevin Feige of Marvel's TV side.

In said interview, Loeb stressed the importance of story and those unexpected twists that drive a good narrative forward, among other interesting things. And when asked about the fact that the Inhumans got to be introduced on TV first with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. rather than in a Marvel flick, Loeb explained that they’re sort of one and the same in Marvel’s overall scheme of things:

“Well, I think when people look at Marvel, they very often -- largely because it has had such a tremendous global impact -- see us as this gigantic octopus that's going to devour the universe. (By the way, we are!) But we are, in fact, a very small company, and so my involvement in the television division and the animation division is matched to Kevin Feige andLouis D'Esposito, who's in the motion picture division, the publishing division, where we have such incredibly talented people like Alan Fine and Dan Buckley and Joe Quesada in New York -- we're sharing all the time. We don't think of it as we're introducing something in one place or another place.

In the same kind of way, I'm incredibly excited by the idea that S.H.I.E.L.D. was born out of a character that was played so wonderfully by Clark Gregg in the first "Iron Man" movie would at some point inspire a television series about the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. That's a long thread to carry, and we are absolutely introducing elements of things and getting people to understand how someone could be transformed, and if they can, become more comfortable with that idea. And to the Marvel fan audience, it's thrilling because they know where that's going. Fantastic.

But at the end of the day, what's more important to me is, do we care about Skye and Raina and what happened at the end of the winter finale, and what will happen to them? What else happens? That's the adventure. Whether or not things are called whatever they're called or however they're going to be introduced, that's the journey.

And so, what I can say is, as it is with every story that we tell, there is a tremendous responsibility, but that responsibility in many ways is to the audience, for us to be able to tell the best story that we can and hope that they get excited by it.”

Loeb then went on to explain that big, twisty game-changing moments are important when you tell a story, even though “change is terrifying.”

“As a storyteller and as a producer of what we're hoping is exciting television, it is terrifying to see what's going to happen, in terms of what our audience is going to do. But it is absolutely integral and important when you are telling a Marvel story that your audience never feels like they know what's coming and should constantly be getting caught off-guard, constantly having surprises, constantly being involved in a way that blows your mind, so that you want to come back next week, and that you want to watch the show live.”

He also specifically discussed the role and importance of Agent Carter in the overall MCU, and the fact that the show has allowed Marvel to tell a story that’s in between the stories that we already know because of the movies:

“Agent Carter" has allowed Marvel to tell stories fans could only imagine after seeing Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter in "Captain America: The First Avenger"

At the beginning of discussions about it, it really started with, if you were emotionally moved by what happened at the end of "Captain America: The First Avenger," and as captivated as we were by Hayley Atwell, the question that you asked was, what happened next? And then you got teased a little bit in "The Winter Soldier," in that you see her as an elderly woman. She didn't die -- 70 years went by. That's an awful lot of stories that you can fit in there.

One of the things that's a great deal of fun -- and this is something that I've always responded to as a storyteller -- is telling the stories that are in-between the pages of the stories that you already know. For us, it was an opportunity to tell the origins of S.H.I.E.L.D., to tell the origins of Peggy Carter and what happened in her world. And then, it was a much larger agenda, which was, how do we tell a story that has a character at the center of it that is fun and smart and kicks ass and is sexy -- and at the same time feels extremely contemporary, even though it takes place in 1946? That it has a timeless quality to it; that the issues that are involved are issues that are still important to us today; that how she feels in the work place has not been diminished?

You see stories about it every single day -- and again, there's that interconnectivity we've been talking a lot about, which is that the world is talking to each other, all the time. We're not making shows just for the American audience. We're making stories for the world, now, and the concept of a woman's right to work, a woman's place at work, a woman's role in terms of who she is and how she's perceived and how men deal with that, it's a global concept. That's where we started.”

MAD MAX
This spring, Mad Max: Fury Road will finally hit theaters after years of development hell and a delayed shoot, and we couldn't be more excited. Early trailers for the film are absolutely packed with glorious visuals, and writer/director George Miller seems poised to take his post-apocalyptic franchise to an entirely new level decades after the last film in the series hit theaters. Now it turns out we'll be getting more than just a movie.

Vertigo Comics has revealed that, in collaboration with Miller, Fury Road co-write Nico Lathouris and Fury Road storyboard artist Mark Sexton, they'll be releasing four prequel comics following four different characters from the film, along with an art book that features more than five dozen comic book artists paying tribute to Mad Max. The comics will feature a one-shot devoted to the characters Nux and Immortan Joe (Nicholas Hoult and Hugh Keays-Byrne, respectively), a one-shot devoted to Furiosia (Charlize Theron) and two issues devoted to Mad Max himself (Tom Hardy). Miller, Lathouris and Sexton will write the issues, while art will be done by Riccardo Burchelli, Leandro Fernandez, Tristan Jones and Sexton, with covers by Tommy Lee Edwards.

The art book will be titled Mad Max: Fury Road: Inspired Artists, and feature double-page spreads illustrated by 65 different artists, including comics legends like Bill Sienkiewicz, Paul Pope, Howard Chaykin, Nicola Scott, Gilbert Hernandez, Dave McKean and more. The book will include commentary throughout by the artists involved, as well as Miller, and will go on sale May 6, more than a week before the film hits theaters.

As for the comics, though they're prequels, they don't seem to be arriving prior to the movie. The first comic release, Mad Max: Fury Road: Nux & Immortan Joe will arrive May 20, with the others set to arrive at a release date that still hasn't been announced. So after you see the movie, you can head to your local comic book store and get even more from these characters.

Mad Max: Fury Road hits theaters May 15.

CHAPPIE
Sony Pictures has brought online more TV spots for Neill Blomkamp’s Chappie.

Opening in theaters on March 6, the film stars Sharlto Copley, Dev Patel, Ninja and Yo-Landi Vi$$er, Jose Pablo Cantillo, Sigourney Weaver and Hugh Jackman.

Every child comes into the world full of promise, and none more so than Chappie: he is gifted, special, a prodigy. Like any child, Chappie will come under the influence of his surroundings – some good, some bad – and he will rely on his heart and soul to find his way in the world and become his own man. But there’s one thing that makes Chappie different from anyone else: he is a robot. The first robot with the ability to think and feel for himself. His life, his story, will change the way the world looks at robots and humans forever.

ARROW
A big story went viral last week, which saw Arrow star David Ramsey teasing his potential transformation into Green Lantern. Now MTV has caught up with producer and show runner for the hit series to find out the truth behind this potentially game-changing information. Well, according to Marc Guggenheim, John Diggle is not going to be revealed as John Stewart, and he will not become a Green Lantern.

"It's funny, I've spoken to David quite a bit about this issue, I know it keeps coming up. I spoke to [writer] Geoff Johns at DC after that interview went viral. Basically, John Diggle is now a character in the comics... John Diggle is John Diggle. We're not being coy and saying John Diggle is someone else, i.e. John Stewart. DC has other plans for that character. We love David, and we love the character of John Diggle that he's created. We have really cool plans for him... they involve a wedding ring, but they don't involve a power ring."

Does his statement indicate that John Stewart will be at the center of DC and Warner Bros.' Green Lantern (Reboot) planned for 2020? That has long been the speculation. While the news of Diggle not becoming Green Lantern might come as disappointing to some fans, Marc Guggenheim did go onto tease that two existing characters on the show will be revealed as existing DC Comics characters that are quite well known sometime in the new future.

"There are two characters who would probably fall into that category. Were we to do it, they would be characters from the comics that you already know."

In a second interview with EW, Marc Guggenheim also touched on the character of The Atom, played by Brandon Routh. Apparently, Ray Palmer will struggle with becoming a superhero crime fighter, and he may not be very good at it:

"He's definitely a sloppy superhero in the sense of all of our characters don't immediately have the easiest time fighting crime... I would say episode 19 really digs underneath what does it mean for Ray to be a hero. Is he a hero because of who he is? Or is he a hero because of the suit that he's made?"

Brandon Routh is set to fully transform into The Atom in episode 15 titled Nanda Parbat. There has also been talk of the character getting his own CW spinoff series. What do you think of these latest breaking announcements as Arrow Season 3 careens towards its big finale?

Arrow episode 3.15, "Nanda Parbat" airs on The CW February 25th, 2015.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2015

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Gina Carano (Haywire) will be joining the cast as Angel Dust, who first appeared in the comics as part of the Morlocks, a band of mutants who have lived underneath Manhattan in a series of tunnels (a homage to the race from H.G. Wells' The Time Machine that they're named after) and have been featured players in X-Men storylines since 2002.

Angel Dust has the power to artifically increase her adrenaline levels, temporarily granting her superhuman strength, speed and endurance -- a quality former MMA star Carano should easily be able to harness onscreen.

The same report adds that the movie will also feature the beloved Russian mutant Colossus, although it's not clear whether the role will be recast or whether Daniel Cudmore -- who played Piotr Rasputin in X2, X3: The Last Stand and X-Men: Days of Future Past, and was underused in all three -- will return as the steel-skinned bruiser.

Carano and whoever plays Colossus will join Ryan Reynolds in the title role and comic actor T.J. Miller in an undisclosed part, with Tim Miller directing and production starting in Vancouver next month. Deadpool is scheduled to arrive in theaters from 20th Century Fox next February.

REGRESSION
An eerie international trailer for Regression, starring Harry Potter’s Emma Watson and Ethan Hawke, has been released, giving us a first look at the movie. Regression is by Alejandro Amenábar, the celebrated filmmaker who made the surreal thriller Open Your Eyes (which was later remade as Vanilla Sky, starring Tom Cruise) and that other eerie ghost story, The Others, starring Nicole Kidman. With Regression, Amenábar is returning to his psychological horror roots after dabbling in real-life stories with the biographical drama The Sea Inside.

The upcoming movie is about coverups and satanic cults and is set in Minnesota in the 1990s. It features some mysterious and ominous robed figures. Here’s the gist of the story:

Regression “tracks detective Bruce Kenner (Hawke) as he investigates the case of young Angela (Emma Watson), who accuses her father, John Gray, (David Dencik) of an unspeakable crime. When John unexpectedly and without recollection admits his guilt, recknowned psychologist Dr. Raines (David Thewlis) is brought in to help him relive his memories. What they discover unmasks a horrifying nationwide mystery.”

Regression will hit theaters on Aug. 28, 2015.

DARK MATTER FROM SYFY
It’s been a few years since fans had a Stargate series on the air, but a whole lot of the creative team is putting together the new Syfy series Dark Matter — and they’ve just added a few more familiar faces.

The 13-episode Dark Matter comes from the minds of former Stargate producers Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie, and is slated to debut on Syfy (Disclosure: Parent company of Blastr) this summer. The series follows the crew of a spaceship who awake from stasis with no clue where they are. Mallozzi and Mullie have now tapped old friends Amanda Tapping (Stargate SG-1’s Samantha Carter) and Torri Higginson (Stargate Atlantis’ Dr. Elizabeth Weir) to make sure this project has even more of a Stargate connection.

Higginson will reportedly guest-star in an early episode as the character Cmdr. Delaney Truffault, though Mallozzi noted in a recent blog post that fans could likely expect her to stick around beyond that initial appearance. Higginson’s character played a key role in the early years of Stargate: Atlantis, though she was eventually written out in the final few years.

Sadly, Tapping will only be working behind the camera this time around — following up on the burgeoning directorial career she’s been building with a smattering of SG-1, Primeval: New World and Continuum episodes over the years. She’ll reportedly be directing the fourth episode of Dark Matter’s debut season.

The series’ main cast includes Melissa O’Neil (Les Miserables), Marc Bendavid (Bitten), Anthony Lemke (White House Down), Alex Mallari Jr. (RoboCop), Jodelle Ferland (Twilight), Roger Cross (The Strain) and Zoie Palmer (Lost Girl).

EVIL DEAD NEWS
Some new details are starting to leak out in regard to Starz’s new Evil Dead series, and here are the two actors who will play key roles alongside returning star Bruce Campbell.

The studio has locked in two co-stars for Ash vs. Evil Dead, and it sounds like they’ll be joining Ash (Campbell) on his mission to take on all the deadites he can handle. The series will apparently find the former Army of Darkness hero as an “aging lothario” called out of retirement when a new evil threatens to destroy mankind as we know it.

According to Entertainment Weekly, Ray Santiago (Meet the Fockers) will portray new addition Simon Bolivar. The character is basically Ash’s sidekick, and is described as “a Sancho Panza to Ash’s Don Quixote” who buys into Ash’s mission and truly believes he’s the hero to take on the deadites.

Along with Santiago, Dana DeLorenzo (A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas) has also joined the project. She will portray a “moody wild child” who is trying to escape her past. Well, at least until she gets pulled into Ash and Pablo’s mission to save the world.

One of the big questions surrounding this long-awaited project is exactly how they’ll stretch out the Evil Dead concept to a full television series. These two casting additions will almost certainly be a big part of the puzzle, and it sounds like this new deadite threat will be driving much of the season’s narrative.

Ash vs. Evil Dead is slated to debut late this year on Starz. Sam Raimi himself has signed on to co-write and direct the pilot.

11/22/63
Stephen King fans were thrilled last September when it was revealed that the genre master's massive novel 11/22/63 would be adapted, not as a film, but as a nine-hour miniseries that will stream on Hulu. King himself said at the time that adapting the book in a long-form style was a perfect fit, and readers agree, not just because of the novel's size, but because of its focus on character development over years, pacing and the theme of the passage of time itself. Writer Bridget Carpenter (Friday Night Lights) is scripting the series for J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot production company, and King will serve as an executive producer. Now we finally know who'll play the series' central character.

The Wrap reports that James Franco (Spider-Man, The Interview) has signed on to play the leading role in the series, and will also serve as a producer. Franco will play Jake Epping, a high school English teacher who is given access to a portal that takes him back to 1958, but only to a specific moment. Every time you go back through to the present, the portal resets, so the only way to get time to pass is to simply live permanently in the past. When a dying friend asks him to undertake the mission of preventing the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963 and, hopefully, creating a better present in the process, Jake walks through the portal and simply begins living out a new life, spending the five years between 1958 and 1963 tracking JFK's eventual assassin Lee Harvey Oswald, falling in love, and struggling against time to prevent a great American tragedy.

Franco is known for the diversity of the projects he chooses, working in everything from big-budget genre films (Rise of the Planet of the Apes) to hard-R comedies (The Interview) to indie dramas (Child of God) and even TV soap operas (General Hospital). He's got a lot of range, a lot of enthusiasm and a history of working on literary adaptations, so he could be a perfect fit for 11/22/63.

We'll let you know as soon as we find out when 11/22/63 finally hits Hulu.

AGENT CARTER
Following a first clip that came online yesterday, Marvel Entertainment and ABC have released a second new clip from the penultimate episode of the first season of “Marvel’s Agent Carter.” Following the events of this week’s new episode, Hayley Atwell’s Peggy Carter has been arrested and is believed to be a traitor by the United States government. Now, her interrogation begins.

The episode, 1×7, is titled “Snafu” and is officially described as follows:

“Peggy is cornered and more vulnerable than ever as Leviathan makes their move against her. As the SSR zeroes in on Howard Stark, they may pay the ultimate price as they find their true enemy is closer than they realized.”

Also starring Chad Michael Murray as SSR Agent Jack Thompson, Enver Gjokaj as SSR Agent Daniel Sousa, James D’Arcy as Edwin Jarvis, and Shea Whigham as SSR Chief Roger Dooley, the series was written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely. Executive producers are Tara Butters, Michele Fazekas, Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely, Chris Dingess, Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Alan Fine, Joe Quesada, Stan Lee and Jeph Loeb.

“Snafu” is set to air February 17 with the season finale, “Valediction,” following on February 24. The week after that, the small screen Marvel Cinematic Universe heads back to present day as “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” returns from its midseason hiatus with a brand new episode, “Epidemic” premiering March 3 at 9:00pm ET/PT.

GOTHAM
On the heels of the a new promo that seems to tease the Joker himself, FOX has released a series of new videos tied to next week’s “Gotham.” The episode, 1×16, is titled “The Blind Fortuneteller” and, while we’re still not sure whether or not the hints of the Joker are just a Red Herring, the episode will definitely feature some other familiar DC Comics characters: The Flying Graysons! In the first player, a behind-the-scenes video offers some insight into what we’ll see of the ill-fated acrobats while the middle two players offer clips from the episode. Then, in the final player, you can check out another brief featurette that teases the return of this week’s Jonathan Crane somewhere farther down the line.

In the “The Blind Fortune Teller,” Gordon takes Dr. Leslie Thompkins (Morena Baccarin) to the circus, but the day turns quickly when the circus comes under attack. Then, Falcone enlists Butch Gilzean to help Penguin with the night club, while Fish Mooney is otherwise occupied. Also, Bruce Wayne schedules a meeting with the Wayne Enterprises board.

“The Blind Fortune Teller” is set to air February 16. “Gotham” airs Mondays at 8 P.M. EST on FOX.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2015

MM

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2015

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2015

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2015

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2015

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2015

ABC has announced plans to resurrect BattleBots as a six-episode series this summer. It's being billed as a “reimagined take” on the series that originally ran from 2000-2002 on Comedy Central. Networks are digging deeper and deeper into the vault for ideas, and hey, BattleBots was a ton of fun a decade or so ago. So, why not?

The network is planning a limited run, where they’ll basically be trying it out in the doldrums of summer to see if it can generate some buzz. According to Entertainment Weekly, producers promise the bots in the new series will be “bigger, faster and stronger than ever before,” with “greater emphasis on the design and build elements of each robot, the bot builder backstories, their intense pursuit of the championship and the spectacle of the event.”

Robots of all sizes will apparently be included in this version, with different weight classes to separate the different ‘bots.

Technology has come a long way since the original BattleBots series 15 years ago, and Syfy recently took a shot at a BattleBots-type series in 2013 with the Real Steel-esque Robot Combat League. Plus, you know, recent hits like Pacific Rim have raised awareness that fighting robots are awesome. In the summer, where quirky reality fare can sometimes find an audience, this could prove to be a fun experiment.

SUPER BOWL MET - STAR LORD MAKES GOOD
Last month, Marvel Studios stars Chris Evans and Chris Pratt made a little wager after their respective favorite teams were set to compete in Super Bowl XLIX. If Pratt's Seattle Seahawks won, Evans would visit Seattle Children's Hospital as Captain America. If Evans' New England Patriots won, Pratt would pay a visit to Boston-based pediatric cancer charity Christopher's Haven in his Star-Lord costume.

After a thrilling game last Sunday, the Patriots emerged victorious, and though Pratt and Evans announced that they would be visiting both charities, Christopher's Haven ended up first on the list after the Patriots' win.

So, true to his word, Pratt showed up earlier today at Christopher's Haven to meet kids and their families in full Star-Lord costume. Evans was along for the ride, too, though he did not don his Steve Rogers gear this time around.

Last summer, after Guardians of the Galaxy became a breakout box-office hit, Pratt paid similar visits to sick children in full Star-Lord costume, and even admitted in an interview that he stole his wardrobe from the film's set for just such a purpose, citing Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson as an example.

“I stole the jacket and some of the wardrobe so that, if this movie comes out and does what everyone hopes it can, I can follow the example of someone — say, like, a Russell Wilson, you know — and go visit kids,” Pratt said during a Guardians of the Galaxy promotional interview. “If it was a big enough movie, to where it would mean something to a kid who's sick in the hospital — for Peter Quill or Star-Lord to come visit them — I'll do that. I think that's awesome, man. That would give me real meaning for this movie, you know?”

Now, it's Evans' turn. We'll let you know when Captain America is sighted in Seattle.

SHERLOCK
Although “Sherlock” won’t be back for a full season this year, we are getting the return of Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman’s Holmes and Watson with a “Sherlock” Christmas special. The event was teased last Thanksgiving with a first still, showing off the series’ stars in mysteriously anachronistic garb. Today, the mystery intensifies with new set photos coming in from London. Now, it seems, it’s not just whole Holmes in Watson that are out of time!

“Sherlock” began airing in 2010, establishing a pattern of three 90-minute episodes per series. The most recent episode, “His Last Vow,” concluded series three with a bit of a cliffhanger, teasing the return of Andrew Scott’s Jim Moriarty.

Currently known only as “Sherlock Special,” the upcoming episode is written by series creators Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat and is expected to air this December.

“Steven and Mark have had a great idea what they can do next,” teased Freeman in conversation with The Mirror earlier this year, “and it is an exciting, mouth watering idea… “

A fourth series of the hit show is also expected to go into production this year (to then air in 2016), although specific plans have not yet been revealed.

AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON
A gigantic movie like Joss Whedon’s Avengers: Age of Ultron always brings a lot of promo art around the world, and today even more has surfaced, thanks to Tony Stark Sincero (via CBM).

In the May 1, 2015 release, when Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye, are put to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. As the villainous Ultron emerges, it is up to The Avengers to stop him from enacting his terrible plans, and soon uneasy alliances and unexpected action pave the way for an epic and unique global adventure.

Avengers: Age of Ultron stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Samuel L. Jackson, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, James Spader, Cobie Smulders, Thomas Kretschmann, Paul Bettany and Stellan Skarsgard.

SPACEBALLS 2
With the anticipation growing by the day for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which hits theaters in December, the buzz surrounding this highly-anticipated space adventure may have planted the seeds for a sequel to everyone's favorite Star Wars parody, Mel Brooks' 1987 classic Spaceballs. The 88-year-old filmmaker was recently a guest on Adam Carolla's podcast Take a Knee, where he teased possible plans for Spaceballs 2, which was actually mentioned in the movie Spaceballs itself. Here's what he had to say below.

"Maybe I could do another musical, maybe I could do another movie. I was thinking about Spaceballs the other day. In Spaceballs, in the movie, Bill Pullman says to me, Yogurt, just plain Yogurt, he says 'Do you think we'll ever meet again?' and I say 'Well, I don't know... maybe in Spaceballs 2: The Search for More Money.' And I'm thinking now, if I did a movie that came out right after Star Wars comes out - maybe a couple of months later - I'd have a big weekend, you know? No matter what, even if it fell on its ass and didn't get its money back... but that first weekend, the anticipation of seeing Spaceballs 2, would... I still have Daphne Zuniga and I still have Rick Moranis if he'd do it, and I've still got me."

Naturally, the filmmaker wouldn't divulge any specific plot details, but the sequel sadly wouldn't include John Candy (Barf) or Joan Rivers (Dot Matrix), since they have both passed away. But, if the filmmaker could get Bill Pullman (Lone Star), Daphne Zuniga (Princess Vespa) and Rick Moranis (Dark Helmet) back, there could be plenty of story opportunities to explore.

Mel Brooks hasn't directed a movie since 1995's Dracula: Dead And Loving It, but he recently lent his voice to Mr. Peabody and Sherman as Albert Einstein, and he also voices Vlad, the father of Adam Sandler's Dracula in the animated sequel Hotel Transylvania 2, set for release this September. It's worth noting that the 30th anniversary of Spaceballs is coming in just two short years, which could be perfect timing for the sequel, should it come together. Would you like to see Spaceballs 2 on the big screen? Let us know what you think.

Spaceballs was released June 24th, 1987 and stars Mel Brooks, John Candy, Rick Moranis, Bill Pullman, Daphne Zuniga, Dick Van Patten, George Wyner, Michael Winslow. The film is directed by Mel Brooks.

Spaceballs 2 comes to theaters in 2016 and stars Rick Moranis. The film is directed by Mel Brooks.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2015

The show stars Poppy Montgomery as a female detective who has an amazing memory except remembers nothing about the day her sister was murdered and Dylan Walsh ( "Nip/Tuck") as her NYPD partner and former boyfriend.

"Unforgettable" premiered on CBS in 2011 and was canceled at the end of its first season. Then after both TNT and Lifetime expressed interest in reviving the series, CBS picked it up for a summer Season 2 in 2012. The series ran through a third season and was then canceled -- again in late 2014.

Actress Marilu Henner ( "Taxi") serves as a consultant on the series, as she reportedly has the same memory condition as Montgomery's character, hyperthymesia, in real life.

LEGEND OF ZELDA AT NETFLIX
Netflix sure has been bringing a lot of exciting original content to its streaming service, hasn't it? But, I gotta be honest, I never thought they could top getting the rights for a multiple-Marvel-series deal.

Well, if this latest news is on the level, then Netflix may be about to raise the bar again. According to a source, Nintendo and Netflix are in negotiations to make a live. Action. Legend. of Zelda. SERIES.

OK, let's take a breath. Developing doesn't mean it'll definitely happen, but, man, The Legend of Zelda is a huge get with a worldwide audience the childhood of which is defined by the video game series.

So, what's the scuttlebutt? Well, supposedly the intention is for the Zelda series to be an all-ages Game of Thrones. Which, yeah. That sounds right.

Keep in mind that Nintendo is very careful with its licenses now. In the past, they were a little more willing to share the goods, which led to the Phillips CDi games, the Super Mario Bros. movie, and the Legend of Zelda cartoon show. None of those were quite, let's say, true to the source material.

But Netflix has been doing pretty solid work, so if they and Nintendo can work it out, a Legend of Zelda show could really be happening. Now they just need someone to write it. And star in it, and direct it. And...

THUNDERBIRDS
The new Thunderbirds Are GO! trailer serves as a virtual tour of Tracy Island. Weta Workshop (The Lord of the Rings, Avatar, The Hobbit) has lovingly worked on the miniature sets and craft. You can see the recreation area (with its impressive retractable pool), the underground battle station and the surrounding areas.

We have to admit we're impressed with what we saw. Have a look:

The upcoming CGI-animation-mixed-with-live-action-miniature-sets TV series serves as a reboot of the 1960s puppet adventure series that marked a generation.

Here’s a detailed synopsis:

Fifty years after its television debut the iconic series is back in production featuring a talented cast led by Rosamund Pike (The World’s End, Gone Girl) as Lady Penelope and David Graham (Thunderbirds 1965) reprising his role as chauffeur and International Rescue agent Parker. Debuting on ITV in 2015 this re-invention of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s much-loved series will be produced using an innovative mix of CGI animation and live-action miniature sets. Unstoppable inventor Brains will be voiced by Kayvan Novak (Fonejacker, Facejacker) whilst Tracy brothers Gordon and John are both played by Thomas Brodie-Sangster (Love Actually, Game of Thrones). Rasmus Hardiker (Saxondale, Lead Balloon) has been cast as both the youngest and oldest Tracy brothers Alan and Scott. The fifth Tracy brother, Virgil, will be played by David Menkin. Tracy Island matriarch Grandma Tracy is voiced by Sandra Dickinson (Amazing World of Gumball, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy) and master villain The Hood played by Andres Williams (M.I. High, Foyle’s War). Plus Thunderbirds Are Go! will feature new characters including Kayo, the Tracy brothers’ friend and fellow island resident, who will be played by Angel Coulby (Merlin, Dancing on the Edge) and Colonel Casey voiced by Adjoa Andoh (Invictus, Doctor Who).

Thunderbirds Are Go! is set to premiere on April 15 on CITV. The new series will boast a score especially composed by Ben and Nick Foster (Doctor Who, Torchwood).

STAR WARS VS. STAR TREK
YouTube user Alex Luthor has created one of the most epic video mashups we’ve ever seen by pitting the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise (and Starfleet) against the might of the Empire and its Death Star.

The Star Wars vs. Star Trek debate has been going on for decades, with Trekkies and ardent Star Wars fans getting their geek rage on and coming to blows on the Internet (and elsewhere) about which franchise is the VERY BEST ONE. Here, we say that there's enough space for both sci-fi fanchises in our bigger-on-the-inside (oops, wrong franchise) geeky hearts.

But back to the video. The very talented Luthor (no relation) used the rebooted Star Trek flicks and mixed in some footage from a variety of Star Wars films (including the originals and the prequels) and videogames in order to create this seamless, glorious fake movie trailer.

A-FORCE FROM MARVEL
For more than two years now, Marvel Comics has received a lot of attention for its emphasis on female characters. It began in 2012 when Carol Danvers was named the new Captain Marvel and launched her own series by writer Kelly Sue DeConnick, which spawned a passionate and very active fan collective known as the Carol Corps. Then Carol's former mantle of Ms. Marvel was bestowed on a Muslim teenager named Kamala Khan, and another critically acclaimed fan phenomenon was born. Then the publisher announced that the Asgardian hero Thor would fall from grace, and that his name and his legendary hammer would be given to a woman. Add to that acclaimed series starring Black Widow, an all-female X-Men team book and more, and you've got a pretty good time for female characters at Marvel, with many fans clamoring for more.

Well, now they're getting it.

We were promised some shakeups when Marvel announced the universe-altering stakes of its Secret Wars event, and it turns out one of them will be A-Force, an all-female Avengers title from writers G. Willow Wilson (Ms. Marvel), Marguerite Bennett (Angela: Asgard's Assassin) and artist Jorge Molina (X-Men). According to USA Today, the book will begin in the patchwork that is Battleworld, in Arcadia, which Wilson describes as a "feminist paradise." When a familiar Marvel threat re-emerges there, it's up to an all-female team of Avengers to assemble and stop it. According to Wilson, Marvel gave the creative team, and editor Daniel Ketchum, free rein to choose the team roster, as long as they were all women.

"They've become very committed in the last couple of years to telling new stories, to gender diversity, to getting more voices out there so they said, 'Here's the roster. Go nuts,'" Wilson said.

So, who's on the team? Well, as you can see from the art above (and the cover below) it's a pretty big group, but in the forefront are characters like She-Hulk, Medusa, Dazzler and Nico Minoru of The Runaways fame. There's also a brand-new character, a pocket universe come to life called Singularity, who Wilson compares to Q from Star Trek: The Next Generation. After choosing a female form and joining the team, Singularity has to learn what it means to be a sentient through interactions with her team.

"Her entire existence is so unlike that of ours that she really has to learn about what we think of as being an individual and having an identity from the ground up," Wilson said, "with no point of access except those she meets."

In choosing the team, Wilson and company used the fractured universe of Secret Wars to their advantage, taking the chance to unite characters who might not otherwise ever really interact, including characters who aren't used to taking orders from others. Wilson said close attention was also paid to the power sets of each character, and creating a dynamic where they don't just choose to work together, but must.

"I want people whose power sets really build on each other so that there are specific limitations that can only become overcome by working together," Wilson said. "Nobody's so overpowered that it gets boring and nobody's so underpowered that they have to be saved all the time. I wanted a balance visually and practically."

A-Force will arrive in May, amid the rest of Secret Wars, but it will definitely be kicking off yet another wave of discussion about representation and diversity in comics right this minute, something Wilson is happy to be a part of.

"We're having very interesting discussions in comics about gender, about competing ideologies, about how to be inclusive without making fans of the classic canon feel alienated. These are big questions for the whole industry right now and everybody is grappling to answer in fresh and relevant ways. So to be part of that is very, very cool for me."

AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.
ABC has released this new trailer for the midseason premiere of “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” Titled “Aftershocks,” the episode will air on Tuesday, March 3.

“Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” stars Clark Gregg as Agent Phil Coulson, Ming-Na Wen as Agent Melinda May, Brett Dalton as Grant Ward, Chloe Bennet as Daisy “Skye” Johnson, Iain De Caestecker as Agent Leo Fitz, Elizabeth Henstridge as Agent Jemma Simmons, Nick Blood as Lance Hunter and Adrianne Palicki as Bobbi Morse.

New faces will also make their debuts, including May’s ex-husband (Blair Underwood), who must help the team with their most personal mission yet, and Robert Gonzales (Edward James Olmos), whose debut will rock the foundations of S.H.I.E.L.D.

The series is executive produced by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, Maurissa Tancharoen, Jeffrey Bell and Jeph Loeb.

PENNY DREADFUL PREMIERES MAY 3
Showtime will now premiere the sophomore season of the critically-acclaimed psychological thriller “Penny Dreadful” on Sunday, May 3rd at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

“Penny Dreadful” returns with ten episodes and will find Vanessa Ives (Eva Green) and Ethan Chandler (Josh Hartnett) forming a deeper bond as the group, including Sir Malcolm (Timothy Dalton), Dr. Frankenstein (Harry Treadaway), and Sembene (Danny Sapani), unite to banish the evil forces that threaten to destroy them. Meanwhile, Dorian Gray (Reeve Carney), the Creature (Rory Kinnear) and Brona (Billie Piper) are all waging battles of their own. Patti LuPone will guest star as a mysterious character of great importance in Vanessa’s past. Helen McCrory returns as Evelyn Poole (a.k.a. Madame Kali), the seductive spiritualist who will pose a unique threat to our protagonists this season, along with Simon Russell Beale, who is back as eccentric Egyptologist Ferdinand Lyle.

Additional guest stars include Douglas Hodge as a Scotland Yard investigator; Sarah Greene as Poole’s powerful daughter, Hecate; and Jonny Beauchamp as a man with a singular past.

“Penny Dreadful” is a drama series created, written and executive produced by three-time Oscar nominee John Logan (Hugo, The Aviator, Gladiator) and executive produced by Logan’s Desert Wolf Productions, along with Oscar winner Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Skyfall) and Pippa Harris (Revolutionary Road, Call The Midwife), both of Neal Street Productions. A co-production with Sky Atlantic, “Penny Dreadful” is currently in production in Dublin, Ireland.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2015

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2015

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2015

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2015

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2015

Spoilers ahead for The Flash and Arrow!

The network has revealed the synopses for upcoming episodes of both shows, and they include some major revelations as to where the writers are taking the superhero tales next. Manu Bennett’s Deathstroke was one of the coolest things about season two of Arrow, and the formidable baddie is coming back for a victory lap.

Apparently Malcolm (John Barrowman) will somehow find his way to the secret prison on Lian Yu island — with Oliver (Stephen Amell) and Thea (Willa Holland) in tow. Yeah, that could be interesting. To make it even better? Deathstroke is still hanging around and is guaranteed to cause some problems for the gang. Oh, and old favorite Tommy (Colin Donnell) will also be making a cameo. In flashbacks, of course. Since, you know.

Over on The Flash, they’re finally getting ready to start paying off some Firestorm stories. Some type of massive explosion apparently separates Ronnie (Stephen Amell) from Dr. Stein (Victor Garber), meaning he can get back to his life and quit bursting into flames. Sadly, this development comes at about the same time General Eiling (Clancy Brown) targets Firestorm. Whoops.

Both episodes are slated to air Feb. 17 and 18. It sounds like this could be one heck of a fun week for superhero fans. Check out the full synopses below and let us know what you think:

GENERAL EILING TARGETS FIRESTORM — After the nuclear explosion separates Ronnie (guest star Robbie Amell) and Dr. Stein (guest star Victor Garber), Barry (Grant Gustin) and the team believe both men are safe. Caitlin (Danielle Panabaker) is thrilled to have her fiancé back and prepares to resume their life together while Dr. Stein returns to his wife. However, when General Eiling (guest star Clancy Brown) targets Firestorm, Ronnie and Dr. Stein must decide if they are safer together or apart. Meanwhile, Mason Bridge (guest star Roger Hayworth) tells Iris (Candice Patton) that there is something secretive going on at S.T.A.R. Labs and Dr. Stein gives Barry some important information about time travel. Steve Surjik directed the episode written by Keto Shimizu & Ben Sokolowski.

THE RETURN OF DEATHSTROKE AND TOMMY MERLYN — Malcolm (John Barrowman) puts Oliver (Stephen Amell) and Thea (Willa Holland) in a dangerous situation that lands them on Lian Yu with Oliver’s former enemy, Deathstroke (guest star Manu Bennett). A flashback reveals when Oliver and Maseo (guest star Karl Yune) returned to Starling City to retrieve the Omega bio weapon, and despite being under strict orders from Amanda Waller (guest star Cynthia Addai-Robinson) not to reveal himself to anyone, Oliver looks in on his family, Laurel (Katie Cassidy) and Tommy (guest star Colin Donnell). Dermott Downs directed the episode written by Marc Guggenheim & Erik Oleson.

ANNIE AWARDS
Following its win at the 72nd Golden Globe Awards, DreamWorks Animation’s How to Train You Dragon 2 took Best Animated Feature top honors at ASIFA-Hollywood’s 42nd Annual Annie Awards held Saturday, January 31 at UCLA’s Royce Hall.

The full list of nominees for the 42nd Annual Annie Awards

The Best Animated Special Production was awarded to “Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey” (Voyager Pictures LLC); Best Animated Short Subject to Feast (Walt Disney Animation Studios); Best Animated TV/Broadcast Commercial to “Flight of the Stories” (Aardman Animations); Best General Audience Animated TV/Broadcast Production for Preschool Children to “Tumble Leaf” (Amazon Studios); Best Animated TV/Broadcast Production for Children’s Audience to “Gravity Falls” (Disney Television Animation); Best General Audience Animated TV/Broadcast Production to “The Simpsons” (Gracie Films in association with 20th Century Fox Television); Best Animated Video Game to Valiant Hearts: The Great War (Ubisoft); and Best Student Film to My Big Brother (Savannah College of Art and Design, Jason Rayner).

The Annie Awards honor overall excellence as well as individual achievement in a total of 36 categories from best feature, production design, character animation, and effects animation to storyboarding, writing, music, editing and voice acting, and have often been a predictor of the annual Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. A complete list of winners can be viewed at AnnieAwards.org.

“Our industry waits all year for this event and it never disappoints,” said ASIFA-Hollywood Executive Director, Frank Gladstone. “This was a terrific night with something for everyone. It was fun to take a look back at our history, celebrate and honor what we have accomplished over the past year, and even look forward a little to what is in store for 2015 and beyond.”

Presenting the coveted Annie trophies this year were the comedy-folk duo Garfunkel & Oates – actress-songwriters Riki Lindhome and Kate Mucucci; Veteran voice talent and industry legend June Foray; Songwriter and music director Richard Sherman; Filmmaker and artist Tomm Moore; Industry professionals Leslie Iwerks, John Musker, Ron Clements and ASIFA-Hollywood president Jerry Beck and Executive Director, Frank Gladstone.

This year’s Juried Award recipients included Winsor McCay lifetime achievement award – producers Didier Brunner and Lee Mendelson, and legendary animator Don Lusk; June Foray benevolent service award – author and critic Charles Solomon; Ub Iwerks technical achievement award – DreamWorks Animation’s Apollo Software; and the Annie Special Achievement award – The Walt Disney Family Museum.

AGENT CARTER
We’ve officially hit the halfway mark on ABC’s latest Marvel Cinematic Universe adventure, the limited series “Marvel’s Agent Carter.” With four more episodes to go, the series has a special treat for fans with next week’s episode, “The Iron Ceiling,” as it features the return of Neal McDonough’s Dum Dum Dugan (previously seen in both Captain America: The First Avengers and the Marvel One-Shot “Agent Carter”) and the rest of the Howling Commandos!

Set to air next Tuesday, February 3, “The Iron Ceiling” is officially described as follows:

Peggy is finally trusted with a mission and calls upon her trusted Howling Commandos squad for backup. But her cover could be at risk when SSR Chief Dooley also sends Agent Thompson with her.

Airing on ABC Tuesday nights at 9:00pm ET/PT, “Marvel’s Agent Carter” stars Hayley Atwell as Agent Peggy Carter, Chad Michael Murray as SSR Agent Jack Thompson, Enver Gjokaj as SSR Agent Daniel Sousa, James D’Arcy as Edwin Jarvis, and Shea Whigham as SSR Chief Roger Dooley. The series was written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely. Executive producers are Tara Butters, Michele Fazekas, Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely, Chris Dingess, Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Alan Fine, Joe Quesada, Stan Lee and Jeph Loeb.

“Marvel’s Agent Carter” is produced by ABC Studios and Marvel Television.

TOMMORROWLAND
ased on the incredibly secretive nature of the project and the talents involved in the film on screen and off, it’s easy to see why ‘Tomorrowland’ is one of the most anticipated movies of the year. At their joint panel with ‘Big Hero 6’ at last year’s New York Comic Con, Disney debuted the first trailer featuring stars George Clooney and Brit Robertson to a very receptive Main Stage audience. And though fans have to wait until May to uncover the entire mystery, those tuning in for the Super Bowl will get a very special sneak peek.

Recently, the Mouse House carved out a coveted spot of advertising for Brad Bird and Damon Lindelof’s upcoming sci-fi adventure during this Sunday’s showoff between the Seattle Seahawks vs. the New England Patriots. Accompanying the announcement came a ten-second teaser for the thirty-second ad that will air in front of TV’s biggest audience of the year. It doesn’t really offer anything new other than a split second of new footage, but it’s a nice appetizer for the main course this weekend. You can see the TV spot below, followed by the official synopsis of the film:

Bound by a shared destiny, former boy-genius Frank, jaded by disillusionment, and Casey, a bright, optimistic teen bursting with scientific curiosity, embark on a danger-filled mission to unearth the secrets of an enigmatic place somewhere in time and space known only as “Tomorrowland.” What they must do there changes the world—and them—forever.

What do you think of Disney basically releasing a trailer for the trailer of ‘Tomorrowland’? Will you be tuning into the Superbowl to catch the whole thing? Let us know in the comment section.

‘Tomorrowland’ starring George Clooney, Brit Robertson, Hugh Laurie, Raffey Cassidy, Tim McGraw, Judy Greer, Kathryn Hahn, Keegan-Michael Key, and Thomas Robinson hits theaters on May 22, 2015.

TERMINATOR GENISYS
No need to have to sit through several plays of football to see the new trailer for ‘Terminator Genisys‘ as it has been released in advance!

‘Terminator Genysis’ will basically retcon what we’ve already seen from the entire franchise. In this installment, Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney) will be sent back in time to protect Sarah Connor (much like he did in the original 1984 film) but it’s not the Sarah Connor (Emilia Clarke) that we’ve come to know. This one is aware of her destiny and is not the naïve young woman that we first met but a savvy warrior woman much like the Sarah Connor from ‘Terminator 2’. Raised by the old T-800, she is already knows all about Skynet and what is to become of our world.

The trailer doesn’t give away too much but does emphasize that the film will be action packed (as seen by the end over end bus flip) as well as a brief promise of a showdown between a young and old Arnold Schwarzenegger that should be incredible to watch.

The year is 2029. John Connor, leader of the resistance continues the war against the machines. At the Los Angeles offensive, John’s fears of the unknown future begin to emerge when TECOM spies reveal a new plot by SkyNet that will attack him from both fronts; past and future, and will ultimately change warfare forever.

‘Terminator Genisys’ stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Emilia Clarke, Jason Clarke, Jai Courtney, Matt Smith, Byung-hun Lee, and J.K. Simmons and will be in theaters July 1, 2015.

Take care and I look forward to hearing from you.
Sandra Bruckner (sgbruckner@aol.com)
Editor/Publisher
ISN News: The Zocalo Today
http://www.isnnews.net
Copyright - SBruckner, 1999-2015