THIS WEEK IN SCIENCE FICTION

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2008

THE DAYS BEFORE
Variety reports that Warner Brothers has snapped up THE DAYS BEFORE, a science fiction action spec script by new writer Chad St. John, about aliens invading Earth by traveling backwards through time and wiping out humanity.

UP
Disney/Pixar released new details about and a new trailer for the upcoming 3-D animated film UP--from Monster, Inc. director Pete Docter--which will feature the voices of Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer, John Ratzenberger, Delroy Lindo and Jordan Nagai. The studio describes Up thusly: "A comedy adventure about 78-year-old balloon salesman Carl Fredricksen, who finally fulfills his lifelong dream of a great adventure when he ties thousands of balloons to his house and flies away to the wilds of South America. But he discovers all too late that his biggest nightmare has stowed away on the trip: an overly optimistic 8-year-old Wilderness Explorer named Russell."
Take a look at the trailer http://up--trailer.blogspot.com/.

CAPTAIN AMERICA
According to Variety, Marvel Studios has engaged Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely to write CAPTAIN AMERICA, a film that has Joe Johnston attached to direct. The red-white-and-blue hero with the mighty indestructible shield came to prominence right after the invasion of Pearl Harbor as the United States declared war on Japan. The hero is the Marvel character most closely associated with the United States. Marvel's CAPTAIN AMERICA will be a World War II-set movie, and the character will appear in the modern day-set AVENGERS.

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS
Variety writes that 20th Century Fox has hired GOSSIP GIRL creator Josh Schwartz to write X-MEN: FIRST CLASS. He'd also been offered a chance to direct the film, but declined. Schwartz, the creator and executive producer of The CW's hit as well as Fox's "The O.C." and NBC's "Chuck," is expected to inject a next-gen sensibility into the superhero series. The studio has been leaning toward using the younger characters introduced in the previous films in future installments --teenagers with powers taught at the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning. Resulting film would likely draw from elements of the Marvel Comic of the same name, launched in 2006, and enlist such characters as Iceman, Rogue, Angel, Colossus, Jubilee and Shadowcat, who have appeared prominently or made cameos in prior pics. Lauren Shuler Donner, who produced all three "X-Men" pics, as well as next summer's X-Men Origins: WOLVERINE, is producing FIRST CLASS alongside Mr. & Mrs. Smith scribe Simon Kinberg.

THE SPIRIT TRAILER
On Christmas Day, Lionsgate is release Frank Miller's anticipated THE SPIRIT. Go to http://www.mycityscreams.com/ for a trailer and more information.
Written and directed by Miller and adapted from Will Eisner's comic book series, the action adventure stars Gabriel Macht, Samuel L. Jackson, Sarah Paulson, Eva Mendes, Dan Lauria, Paz Vega, Jaime King, Scarlett Johansson, Louis Lombardi and Stana Katic.
The Spirit is the story of a former rookie cop who returns mysteriously from the dead as The Spirit (Macht) to fight crime from the shadows of Central City. His arch-enemy, The Octopus (Jackson) has a different mission: he's going to wipe out Spirit's beloved city as he pursues his own version of immortality. The Spirit tracks this cold-hearted killer from Central City's rundown warehouses, to the damp catacombs, to the windswept waterfront... all the while facing a bevy of beautiful women who either want to seduce, love or kill our masked crusader. Surrounding him at every turn are Ellen Dolan (Paulson), the whip-smart girl-next- door; Silken Floss (Johansson), a punk secretary and frigid vixen; Plaster of Paris (Vega), a murderous French nightclub dancer; Lorelei (King), a phantom siren; and Morgenstern (Katic), a sexy young cop.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2008

OSCAR ROUNDTABLE: THE WRITERS
The Hollywood Reporter has a great interview with writers in contention for the Oscar this year. Among them, is our own J. Michael Straczynski. Each writer talks about writing as a profession and the story that has brought them to the forefront of their profession this year. Here are snips of the article with JMS' responses:
J. Michael Straczynski: I found a long time ago that if you have a compulsion, discipline isn't necessary. I have to be at the keyboard. I'm there 10 hours a day, every day, and if I'm not, I get nervous and twitchy. My wife and I took our first vacation in 20 years and she said, "You're gonna go to London. You're gonna have a good time and not do any writing." Within two days I was vibrating so badly that I got a little notebook in the pharmacist's and was in the bathroom working on my next novel.
Straczynski: I had to go against my own instincts because the story was so surreal and so bizarre. I thought if I fictionalized it too much, I (would) call the integrity of the whole thing into question. I felt I should treat it as almost an article, rather than as a movie, so that virtually every line of every scene is based directly on testimony or transcripts or articles or whatever from the time.
Straczynski: The incremental process you describe is emblematic of what people ask: "Where do stories come from?" Stories are created like lint on a sweater. Over time, it gathers. And you do this one day (brushes his hand down his arm) and -- oh! -- there's a story there, suddenly.
Read the entire article at http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3ica2035fd8499625cd2fa51587121d9c1.

CONTROL-ALT-DELETE
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Warner Brothers has picked up CONTROL-ALT-DELETE, a high-concept SF spec script from writers Tim Kelleher and Danny Zuker. Bob Shaye and Dylan Sellers are producing through their Unique Features banner. The concept is described as Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure meets The Matrix. Unique, formed in June by Shaye and fellow New Line founder Michael Lynne, is developing an adaptation of Isaac Asimov's futuristic SF epic Foundation. Vince Gerardis also is a producer on that project.

WAR MONKEYS
Director Kevin Munroe (TMNT) helm WAR MONKEYS, an SF thriller with comedic elements, based on a script by Cleve Nettles and story by Chris Patton. The movie will be produced by Dark Horse Indie. "I had known the writer, ... Cleve Nettles, and because he had some work at Imagi when I was there," Munroe said in a recent interview. "He worked on Cat Tale for a little bit and a couple of other projects. And so I just called him up to say congratulations and that sounds really cool, and so he offered to send it to me, just to check it out. And so I read it, and I was ... just blown away by it." WAR MONKEYS centers on two slackers--"It's almost like a modern-day Abbott and Costello movie," Munroe said--who work low-level jobs in an Area 51-type place and get locked in over Christmas with an army of military-trained research monkeys. "And it's basically like Aliens," Munroe said. "But whenever I spoke to Cleve, Cleve had a high concept, you know: It's ... sort of like if Tarantino wrote Gremlins. ... I was like, 'It's exactly it.' ... It's one of the things where the comedy is really pure, but the scares and the threats are all very real."
WAR MONKEYS will be a live-action film, Munroe added. "What we're planning on is sort of a mix of live monkeys," he said. "One of the producers, Chris Patton, he calls me up and he says, ... 'I've got a lead on a guy who can train rhesus monkeys.' ... [They] like to hold prop guns and wear helmets and stuff. And so there's going to be a mix of live [and puppets]. I'm a real big fan of prosthetics, sort of puppets and stuff, and we'll probably have a little bit of CGI, you know, like for whenever it makes sense and stuff. But I would love to do things sort of as practical as possible with it." Munroe will start WAR MONKEYS after he finishes DEAD OF NIGHT, his next film, which is based on the best-selling Italian comic-book series Dylan Dog. Superman Returns star Brandon Routh will star in the movie, based on a script by Sahara writers Joshua Oppenheimer and Thomas Dean Donnelly. "DEAD OF NIGHT is actually closing financing, ... I think, within days, it sounds like," Munroe said. "And we are going to be starting prep before the New Year. And if all goes well, we should be shooting in Louisiana by the end of January-ish." DEAD OF NIGHT stars Routh as a detective of the paranormal. "He actually is this guy who's a detective who works in the world of vampires, werewolves, zombies, all of these supernatural creatures," Munroe said. "And he's ... an expert, basically. But we actually meet up with him at the beginning of the story, after he's gone through all that, and the whole course of the story is basically him going back into that world whenever a case comes across his desk, so ... we hit him at his lowest point at the beginning of the movie."
Sammo Hung is negotiations to star in WAR MONKEYS, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

TWILIGHT
Variety reports that Summit Entertainment's TWILIGHT had sold out more than 500 Thursday midnight shows, according to online ticketer Fandango. Summit and exhibitors decided to add hundreds of midnight screenings in advance of Nov. 21's official opening.

STAR TREK
The official trailer is now out at http://www.apple.com/trailers/paramount/startrek/. The clips are absolutely AWESOME. It's going to be a long wait until May 8, 2008 -- premiere date.

MONK - EIGHT IS ENOUGH
USA network announced Friday that MONK, the defective detective, will be picked up for its eighth and final season. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the series final 16 episodes will debut in the summer. MONK has been a consistent performer in the ratings, which supports the report that all parties decided to end the show while it was still creatively strong, and not because of poor performance. MONK stars Tony Shalhoub as a private detective who suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder. The show has won numerous awards, including an Emmy and Golden Globe for Shalhoub's performance. A special holiday episode of MONK will air on USA on Friday, Nov. 28, before the holiday episode of "Psych."

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2008

QUANTUM OF SOLACE
According to the Associated Press, QUANTUM OF SOLACE topped the Nov. 14 weekend box office with a record $70.4 million, nearly $30 million more over its opening weekend than its predecessor, 2006's CASINO ROYALE. The debut also topped the previous opening-weekend record for a Bond movie: $47 million for 2002's DIE ANOTHER DAY. Adjusting for inflation, Sony's QUANTUM OF SOLACE easily drew a bigger audience than that installment, the last Bond adventure featuring Pierce Brosnan. Meanwhile, DreamWorks Animation's MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA, which debuted in first place the previous weekend, slipped to second place with $36.1 million, raising its 10-day total to $118 million.

HARRY POTTER TRAILER
The new trailer for HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE has hit the Internet and can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAtvkDZ8Lng. The movie, based on the sixth of J.K. Rowling's hit Potter books, opens July 17, 2009.

ROBOTECH WRITERS
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Alfred Gough and Miles Millar have been drafted to write Robotech, Warner Brothers' adaptation of the anime classic. Akiva Goldsman and Chuck Roven are producing with Tobey Maguire and Drew Crevello. ROBOTECH was a 1980s cartoon series from Harmony Gold USA and Tatsunoko Productions. It was re-edited and re-dialogued to combine three Japanese anime series to give the producers enough episodes to air as a daily syndicated series. A sprawling SF epic, ROBOTECH takes place at a time when Earth has developed giant robots from the technology on an alien spacecraft that crashed on a South Pacific isle. Mankind is forced to use the technology to fend off an alien invasion, with the fate of the human race ending up in the hands of two young pilots.

BATTLE: LOS ANGELES
THE DARK KNIGHT's Aaron Eckhart is attached to star in BATTLE: LOS ANGELES, an SF movie that Jonathan Liebesman is directing for Columbia, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The story, written by Chris Bertolini, revolves around a Marine platoon's encounter in the battle on the streets of Los Angeles against an alien invasion. Eckhart will play the platoon leader in the film, which has yet to set a start date.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2008

WORLD WAR Z - DIRECTOR NAMED
Vareity reports that Paramount has set QUANTUM OF SOLACE director Marc Forster to helm WORLD WAR Z, based on the Max Brooks best-selling novel about a worldwide infestation of flesh-eating zombies. BABYLON 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski is writing the screenplay, and Brad Pitt's Plan B is producing. Brooks--the son of Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft--wrote a detailed tale in which a researcher for the U.N. Postwar Commission interviews survivors from countries all over the world, 10 years after the crisis, to gather a first-person post-mortem on a war that obliterated every country on the map. "The genre always fascinated me, and when they pitched it to me, it reminded me of the paranoid conspiracy films of the '70s like All the President's Men" Forster states.
JMS writes: I'm now finishing up the revisions per Marc's director's notes, and with any luck, we can get this thing moving forward after the first of the year. Given the scale of the story, Marc's a perfect choice.

STAR TREK TRAILER COMING MONDAY
The new movie trailer from the J.J. Abrams STAR TREK XI movie is scheduled to premiere in High Def on Monday. Go to www.startrekmovie.com. A YouTube version can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUkjjH7RSQk. This is pretty bad quality but the HQ version will be out tomorrow.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2008

STAR TREK TRAILER COMING MONDAY
The new movie trailer from the J.J. Abrams STAR TREK XI movie is scheduled to premiere in High Def on Monday. Go to www.startrekmovie.com.

PINOCCHIO
Variety reports that Guillermo del Toro's developing PINOCCHIO as a stop-motion feature with the Jim Henson Co. as a darker version of the original fairy tale. Project will be produced by JHC co-toppers Brian Henson and Lisa Henson along with senior VP Jason Lust. Del Toro will exec produce.
Del Toro's working on the screenplay with Gris Grimley, who illustrated a 2002 version of PINOCCHIO. Grimley and Adam Parrish King will co-direct the film. Del Toro disclosed the project in an interview with the website bloodydisgusting.com and said that it would take about three years to complete.
Pinocchio first appeared in the 19th Century book "The Adventures of Pinocchio" by Carlo Collodi. Walt Disney produced the first feature version of the story with his animated "Pinocchio" in 1940.
PINOCCHIO is the latest in a long list of projects to which del Toro's attached. Top priority is New Line and MGM's THE HOBBIT, the two-picture project he's committed the next five years to as director and co-writer with Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens. He also has a three-year first-look deal with Universal, where he's setting up remakes of FRANKENSTEIN, DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE, and SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE and an adaptation of DROOD and several other projects.

EARLY BOX OFFICE RETURNS
No surprises here. James Bond's QUANTUM OF SOLACE has quickly conquered the domestic box office. Pic will gross at least $20 million on its first day. Whether critics like the picture or not, SOLACE is on track to nab the biggest opening weekend ever for a Bond pic. Prevous record-holder is DIE ANOTHER DAY, which scored a first-day take of $14 million on its way to grossing $47 million in its opening weekend. Directed by Marc Forster, SOLACE should hit $60 million for the weekend, if not more. SOLACEcontinues the smashing success of CASINO ROYALE, which rebooted the Bond franchise. The new Bond, played by Daniel Craig, is more moody and mysterious, giving a kinetic feel to the most endearing film franchise in history. CASINO ROYALE scored a first-day take of $14.7 million two years ago, and $40.8 million for the weekend. Pic grossed $167 million domestically, the best ever for a Bond installment. SOLACE is already a blockbuster overseas, having hit the $200 million mark through Thursday.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2008

WORLD WAR Z - DIRECTOR NAMED
Vareity reports that Paramount has set QUANTUM OF SOLACE director Marc Forster to helm WORLD WAR Z, based on the Max Brooks best-selling novel about a worldwide infestation of flesh-eating zombies. BABYLON 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski is writing the screenplay, and Brad Pitt's Plan B is producing. Brooks--the son of Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft--wrote a detailed tale in which a researcher for the U.N. Postwar Commission interviews survivors from countries all over the world, 10 years after the crisis, to gather a first-person post-mortem on a war that obliterated every country on the map. "The genre always fascinated me, and when they pitched it to me, it reminded me of the paranoid conspiracy films of the '70s like All the President's Men" Forster states.
JMS writes: I'm now finishing up the revisions per Marc's director's notes, and with any luck, we can get this thing moving forward after the first of the year. Given the scale of the story, Marc's a perfect choice.

THOR
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Marvel's THOR is the latest hero from the comics and entertainment company to get the cartoon treatment. Marvel Animation is developing and self-producing a 26 half-hour episode series based on its long-running comic book, with the series targeted to launch in fall 2010, following Marvel's live-action feature THOR, which bows in 2010. The animated series will follow Thor, the Norse god of thunder, as he defends his mythical home of Asgard against fantastical villains, fiendish hordes, winged creatures and angry giants. The show will take place in various worlds -- from mountainous landscapes to places of icy mists and fiery voids -- and will include many of the comic's supporting cast, including Balder the Brave, the Warriors Three and Thor's evil adopted brother, Loki.
Marvel president of animation Eric Rollman said the series is part of the company's plan to follow each live-action movie with an animated series and "offer a continued awareness in the marketplace." It already is in production on cartoon series "The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes," which will be available for broadcast in 2011, in time for Marvel Studios' releases of the live-action "The First Avenger: Captain America" and "The Avengers."

SANCTUARY GETS SECOND SEASON
Sci Fi Channel announced that it has greenlit production on a second season of its hit series SANCTUARY. The show, shot in the style of "300" in front of green screens instead of on sets, will come back with 13 new hour-long episodes in 2009.
"Sci Fi will continue to trail blaze the television landscape by further exploring the many worlds of SANCTUARY through its unique green screen environments,"says Mark Stern, Executive Vice President, Original Programming for the network. "Technology and great storytelling makes SANCTUARY a fantastic addition to Sci Fi's 2009 lineup."
On SANCTUARY, Dr. Helen Magnus (Amanda Tapping) is a 157-year-old "terrologist," one who studies monsters that she calls "abnormals." Along with her team, she befriends creatures that have evolved from mankind and gives them a safe haven in which to live. The premiere of SANCTUARY on Oct. 3 brought in more than 3 million viewers, making it the highest-rated original series premiere since "Eureka" debuted in July 2006. The new season will begin production in Vancouver early next year.

THE WATCHMEN
Yahoo! Movies has debuted the new trailer for Zack Snyder's WATCHMEN movie, based on Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' seminal graphic novel. The movie opens March 6, 2009. Go to http://watchmenmovie.warnerbros.com for more information.

DREAMWORKS SF PROJECTS
Variety reports that DreamWorks is putting a handful of projects on its high-priority list, including several SF&F movies. The writers, directors and actors the studio is talking with or already have attached are a diverse and prominent group, ranging from Clint Eastwood to Len Wiseman to Steve Carell to the writing team of Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. While there are many deals still to be negotiated and many green lights yet to be handed out, the studio is expected to move quickly as it builds its Reliance-funded and Universal-distributed slate. Some movies could even go into production well ahead of DreamWorks' original fall '09 target.
Among the projects:
--Cowboys and Aliens: The large-scale comic-book adaptation is now being penned by writer-executive producers Kurtzman and Orci (Star Trek, TV's Fringe), who took on the gig from Iron Man co-writers Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby. Imagine is producing, and director-producer Ron Howard, who remains a long shot to shoot the film, is developing the project for attached star Robert Downey Jr.
--Real Steel: A futuristic boxing movie being penned by Dante's Peak writer Les Bohem, who created and wrote the Steven Spielberg-executive produced SCI FI Channel miniseries TAKEN.
--The 39 Clues: The project is a potential Spielberg directing vehicle, though it's still in script phase, with Jeff Nathanson only recently hired to adapt the first novel, The Maze of Bones, in the 10-book Clues series.

HEREAFTER
From Variety comes reports that Clint Eastwood is in talks to direct the supernatural thriller HEREAFTER for DreamWorks, based on a script by Peter Morgan (Frost/Nixon). DreamWorks principals Steven Spielberg and Stacey Snider picked up the spec script. The plot details are being kept under wraps, but it is described as in the vein of The Sixth Sense. Kathleen Kennedy is producing.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2008

AX FALLS ON MY OWN WORST ENEMY
After only a few weeks on the air, NBC has canceled MY OWN WORST ENEMY, the SF-tinged spy drama that starred Christian Slater. Variety reported that the Universal Media Studios show will stop production after it wraps filming on its current episode, the ninth in its original 13-episode order. There's no word yet from NBC on what will fill its Monday 10 p.m. timeslot. In its most recent airing on Oct. 27, ENEMY averaged 5.2 million viewers for a 2.3 rating/6 share in adults 18-49.

NEW WATCHMEN TRAILER DUE TODAY
Yahoo! Movies has announced that it will debut the new trailer for director Zack Snyder's Watchmen online on Nov. 13 at 5 p.m. PT.

CORALINE POSTER
Focus Features has released a new one-sheet poster for its upcoming stop-motion-animated fantasy movie CORALINE, directed by Henry Selick and based on Neil Gaiman's best-selling book. The movie, featuring the voices of Dakota Fanning and Teri Hatcher, opens in February 2009.

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA MEETS GREY'S ANATOMY
After four seasons of playing President Laura Roslin on BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, Mary McDonnell is moving on to newroles. McDonnell has a three-episode arc on GREY'S ANATOMY that begins Thursday (today). She plays Dr. Virginia Dixon, a cardiac surgeon who begins a stint at Seattle Grace. The character also has Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism that causes an inability to interact socially with others. "This woman is really an excellent surgeon and a leader in her field, but she has a really interesting twist to her," McDonnell says. "... It's accompanied in her case by an inability, in a sort of normal social sense, to perform everyday functions easily that other people do quite easily."

PRISON PROJECT
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Warner Bros. has picked up the Delta Force prison project, an action thriller written by Ari Rubin with Francis Lawrence (I Am Legend) attached to direct. Michael De Luca is producing along with David Keane, "Black Hawk Down" author Mark Bowden and Aaron Bowden via their Wild Eyes. The project tells the true story of the riots and siege of Atlanta Federal Penitentiary in 1987. Cuban and American prisoners seized control of the maximum security facility and took more than 100 federal prison staff members hostage. The situation was so extreme that the FBI's hostage rescue team was ill-equipped to handle the riots, and Delta Force, the Special Forces detachment, was called in to retake the prison.

NANNY MC PHEE
Actress Emma Thompson will not be returning as Professor Sybil Trelawney for HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS, according to MTV News. Thompson has opted instead to make a sequel to NANNY MC PHEE, the 2005 family fantasy movie which she wrote and produced. The McPhee film, entitled NANNY MC PHEE AND THE BIG BANG, the story is set one hundred years later during wartime and follows two families of evacuees - one from the country, the other from the city. "This time, the lone parent is the mother. That's what it's about: The big war, and a war between these two sets of extremely different children...It's not a sequel, actually, it's a new story. The only thing that is the same is Nanny McPhee" says Thompson.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2008

GAME OF THRONES
Variety reports that HBO has given a green light to production on the pilot for a fantasy drama series, GAME OF THRONES, based on a book series by George R.R. Martin. The pilot for the long-gestating project was written by feature scribes David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. Former HBO entertainment president Carolyn Strauss will serve as a co-executive producer, along with Guymon Cassidy, Vincent Gerardis and author Martin. HBO acquired the TV adaptation rights to Martin's SONGS OF ICE AND FIRE book series nearly two years ago. The pilot for the HBO series is described as an exploration of an epic struggle for power set in a vast and violent fantasy kingdom.

DEFYING GRAVITY
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Laura Harris has been tapped as the female lead opposite Ron Livingston in the SF drama series DEFYING GRAVITY, about eight astronauts from five countries who take on a mysterious six-year mission through the solar system. Harris will play Chloe, a geologist assigned to the mission alongside former flame Maddux (Livingston).

KYLE XY RETURNS IN JANUARY
ABC Family announced that KYLE XY will premiere on January 12 at 9:00pm ET/PT. In KYLE XY world, Kyle (Matt Dallas) will have to contend with the price he has to pay for his special powers. Greater forces will push him to new levels and to sacrifice relationships with those he holds most dear. Also, viewers will discover the fate of his girlfriend Amanda (Kirsten Prout), who was kidnapped at prom. Season Two of KYLE XY will be released on DVD on Tuesday, Dec. 30.

CAST ADDITIONS FOR 24 AND LOST
The Hollywood Reporter indicates that Reiko Aylesworth is in negotiations for a major recurring role on ABC's "Lost." Amy Price-Francis has landed a recurring role on Aylesworth's former show, Fox's "24."
In at least four episodes of LOST, Aylesworth will play Amy, a smart and successful professional woman with a love for the outdoors who is looking for the right man.
In a six-episode arc on "24," Price-Francis will plays a ruthless attorney working for Jonas Hodges (Jon Voight).

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2008

STAR TREK
Paramount released two new character posters for its upcoming STAR TREK movie, featuring Chris Pine as Captain Kirk and Zachary Quinto as Spock. The official Star Trek Web site has added a clock that is counting down to the online debut of the new trailer on Nov. 17. The trailer will debut the previous weekend in theaters, attached to copies of Quantum of Solace, the next James Bond movie. STAR TREK, directed by J.J. Abrams, opens on May 8, 2009.

NEW WATCHMEN POSTER RELEASED
Warner Brothers released a second teaser poster for its upcoming superhero movie WATCHMEN, featuring the image of Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley). The movie, directed by Zack Snyder and based on Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' seminal graphic novel, opens March 6, 2009.

NEW KARATE KID
Variety reports that Columbia Pictures is putting together a new version of the 1984 hit THE KARATE KID, which is being tooled as a starring vehicle for Jaden Smith. According to the trade, the film will be produced by Jerry Weintraub (who launched the original franchise) and Overbrook Entertainment's James Lassiter, Will Smith and Ken Stovitz. Will Smith, who is the 10-year-old actor's father, co-starred alongside Jaden in his feature debut, The Pursuit of Happyness, which Overbrook and Escape Artists produced for Columbia. The script is being written by Chris Murphy, and the film will shoot next year in Beijing and other cities. While the new film will be set in that exotic locale, it will borrow elements of the original plot, wherein a bullied youth learns to stand up for himself with the help of an eccentric mentor.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2008

WEEKEND AT THE MOVIES
According to the Associated Press, MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA topped the Nov. 7 weekend box office with a massive $63.5 million debut. The haul for the DreamWorks Animation comedy far surpassed the $47.2 million debut for the first MADAGASCAR over Memorial Day weekend in 2005. Its three-day total also beat the $61 million gross the first movie took in over that full four-day holiday weekend.
QUANTUM OF SOLACE continued to pull in big audiences overseas, with $106.5 million in 60 countries, raising its total to $160.3 million since it began opening internationally Oct. 31. The movie opens in the United States on Nov. 14.

HEROES
Beginning with today's episode, Eric Roberts' returns as previously deceased character, Company bad guy Thompson. Being dead on this series doesn't mean you're out -- as we have seen with Niki/Jessica/Tracy.
"'Villains' is in many ways the origin story for our villains," cratore Tim Kring said. "You get a little bit more of the origin story of Sylar [Zachary Quinto] and then you get the origin story of Arthur Petrelli [Robert Forster]. Then also some of the Primatech story as well." The Primatech story involves Claire's mother, Meredith Gordon, played by Jessalyn Gilsig.
The irony of having an episode named "Villains" in Heroes "Volume Three: Villains" isn't lost on Kring, but he promises a "cool" episode that will extend the show's mythology. "We go back basically a year before the pilot started," Kring said. "We dig into the whole idea of the Petrelli family when they were actually a family and Arthur was part of the picture. We learn all sorts of little family secrets in that episode."
"Volume Three: Villains" is the first of two volumes slated for this season. "Villains"' volume finale will air on Dec. 15, with "Volume Four: Fugitives" premiering the day after the Superbowl, Kring said. HEROES airs on Mondays at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

CAPTAIN AMERICA
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Joe Johnston (Jurassic Park III) has signed a deal to direct FIRST AVENGER: CAPTAIN AMERICA, Marvel Studios' take on its classic comic-book character. Marvel's Kevin Feige is producing. No writers are on board, but the studio, which is hearing pitches, expects to hire shortly.
Johnston first met with Marvel two years ago. When the two parties clicked, general talks turned into Captain America-specific meetings, with much of the project's current direction resulting from those early conversations.
Created in 1941 by Jack Kirby and Joe Simon for Timely Comics, Captain America is the heroic alter ego of Steve Rogers, who is rejected by the Army for being too sickly and undergoes an experiment that takes him to the pinnacle of human form. Paired with an indestructible shield, he became a symbol of the war effort, in and out of comics. The character disappeared in the 1950s but was revived during the early era of Marvel Comics. He was reintroduced as part of the Avengers, the absence explained by having him being in a state of suspended animation during a war mission until found by the superteam. Johnston is currently in post-production on THE WOLFMAN.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2008

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2008

THE LINE
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Dylan McDermott (The Practice) has been tapped as the lead in THE LINE, Jerry Bruckheimer's drama pilot for TNT. The project, from Warner Horizon and Jerry Bruckheimer TV, is a character-based police drama that revolves around a squad of undercover LAPD officers as they walk the line between doing their job and being seduced by easy money. McDermott will play Lt. Andre Carter, a veteran officer who created and is running the secret unit, trying to strike a balance in his personal and professional relationships with his underlings. He joins the recently cast Logan Marshall-Green, Omari Hardwick and Nicki Aycox on "Line," written by Doug Jung and directed by Danny Cannon. The pilot is executive produced by Bruckheimer, Cannon, Jung and Jonathan Littman. McDermott, who won a Golden Globe for his role as Bobby Donnell on ABC's "The Practice," is filming the feature "Burning Palms," writer-director Christopher Landon's satire of Angeleno stereotypes.

CONAN GETS A DIRECTOR
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Brett Ratner is in final negotiations to direct CONAN, which is aiming for a release in early 2010. Ratner liked the Conan script by Joshua Oppenheimer and Thomas Dean Donnelly, who looked to Robert E. Howard's original pulp stories of the 1930s to create their take on the character. The writers are doing a quick polish to incorporate some of Ratner's ideas. Joe Gatta and Avi Lerner of Millennium Films are producing, along with Paradox Entertainment president and CEO Fredrik Malmberg. Millennium and Lionsgate are eyeing a potential franchise and envision a very R-rated approach in the $85 million budget range. Preproduction is under way for a shoot at Nu Image's Nu Boyana Studio in Bulgaria.
"The story opens on the battlefield where Conan is born and tells the origin story that sets the stage for what will be the first of multiple films," Lerner said.

THE KILLER INSIDE ME
Casey Affleck and Jessica Alba are teaming with director Michael Winterbottom for THE KILLER INSIDE ME, an adaptation of a novel from noir author Jim Thompson, says The Hollywood Reporter. The story follows a West Texas sheriff (Affleck) and his downward spiral from a boring small-town cop into a ruthless, sociopathic murderer. Alba plays a prostitute. The novel was made into a 1976 film starring Stacy Keach. MuseFilm's Chris Hanley, Cyclone Prods.' Robert Weinbach, Revolution Films' Andrew Eaton and Bradford Schlei are producing the latest adaptation, which was written by Weinbach and John Curran. A mid-January start date is being eyed.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2008

DOLLHOUSE DEBUT SET - FEBRUARY 13
Fox announced it will debut Joss Whedon's much-anticipated but troubled SF series DOLLHOUSE in a problematic Friday-night timeslot on Feb. 13, 2009, following TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES, which also moves to Fridays from Mondays on that day. DOLLHOUSE, starring Eliza Dushku, will air Fridays at 9 p.m. ET/PT, nicknamed "the Death Slot." THE X-FILES flourished in that timeslot, but no other show has survived it, including Whedon's earlier Fox series, FIREFLY.
SARAH CONNOR, which has struggled in the ratings in its Monday 8 p.m. slot, moves to Fridays at 8. DOLLHOUSE was originally envisioned as a follow-up to Fox's hit 24 on Mondays. The show, which scrapped its original pilot and took several weeks off to retune its concept and scripts, is now in production. Meanwhile, Fox's FRINGE, the top new series of the season among adults aged 18-49, will air in its regular time period, Tuesdays at 9 p.m., and will undoubtedly get a boost from a new lead-in, AMERICAN IDOL, starting Jan. 20, 2009.

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA AUCTION
Props and costumes from SCI FI's BATTLESTAR GALACTICA will be auctioned off on Jan. 16-18, 2009, in Pasadena, Calif., with proceeds in part going to benefit the United Way. The first Live BATTLESTAR GALACTICA Auction will take place at the Pasadena Convention Center. Friday will be Preview Day, and all the items in the auction will be on display, including full-size spaceships like the Viper, the Blackbird and even a Cylon Raider. Saturday and Sunday, 800 lots will be auctioned off in a live auction that will be Webcast online. On Monday, a 200-item online auction will take place, with less expensive items up for bid.

AFTER.LIFE
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Justin Long and Josh Charles are joining Christina Ricci and Liam Neeson in Agnieska Wojtowicz-Vosloo's supernatural thriller AFTER.LIFE. The film tells the tale of a young woman (Ricci) caught between life and death and a seemingly helpful funeral director (Neeson) who may be intent on burying her alive. Long will play her boyfriend, Paul, who becomes increasingly suspicious of foul play. Charles is set for the role as Paul's friend. The movie begins shooting Tuesday in New York.

ABC NEW SERIES CHANGES
The Hollywood Reporter informs us that ABC is looking to reduce the order on two of its midseason drama series, CASTLE and THE UNUSUALS. The network has cut the order for CASTLE, which hails from its sister studio, from 13 to 10. It also has approached Sony TV, producer of THE UNUSUALS, for the same type of episode cutback. CASTLE stars Nathan Fillion as a horror novelist who helps the NYPD solve crimes. THE UNUSUALS is an ensemble dramedy set in a New York police precinct co- starring Amber Tamblyn. The order reductions came the same day ABC pulled the plug on midseason comedy series SINGLE WITH PARENTS.
Sources close to the network stress that the cutbacks are not for creative but for inventory reasons, as ABC has "Lost" as well as six new scripted series launching in midseason, CASTLE, UNUSUALS, hourlong CUPID and comedies IN THE MOTHERHOOD, BETTER OFF TED and THE GOODE FAMILY. They could be joined by the Bill Lawrence/Courteney Cox comedy COUGAR TOWN, which was fast-tracked last week with a pilot order targeted for midseason.

OLDBOY
Variety reports that Steven Spielberg and Will Smith are looking to remake Chan Wook-park's OLDBOY. Speilberg's DreamWorks Studios is currently looking into the rights to the picture. If it happens then Universal Studios will be tapped as the distributor.
In the original film from 2003, a man is inexplicably kidnapped and imprisoned for 15 years and his wife is brutally murdered. On his release, he is given a wallet full of money and a mobile phone. A stranger calls and asks him to try and figure out why he was imprisoned. A girl appears and promises to help him solve the enigma and seek vengeance for his cruel fate. As the search progresses, the man finally comes face to face with his kidnapper, who proposes a game: if the man discovers the reason for his imprisonment, his kidnapper will kill himself. If not, then the girl will be killed - but he has only five days to unravel the mystery.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2008

MICHAEL CRICHTON PASSES
Michael Crichton, the million-selling author of such historic and prehistoric science fantasies as JURASSIC PARK, TIMELINE and THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN, died Tuesday in Los Angeles at the age of 66. He had been privately battling cancer, his family said. "Through his books, Michael Crichton served as an inspiration to students of all ages, challenged scientists in many fields, and illuminated the mysteries of the world in a way we could all understand," his family said in a statement.

EVA ADAMS
The Hollywood Reporter writes that James Van Der Beek and David Denman have been tapped to co-star on Fox's supernatural pilot EVA ADAMS about a sexist sports agent who, under a witch's spell, turns into a beautiful woman so he can endure the harassment he's been dishing out.

SIGNS AND WONDERS
Variety reports that A&E is developing SIGNS & WONDERS, a paranormal-themed procedural drama with producer Jed Mercurio (BBC's Bodies), Mandalay Television and Fox TV Studios. SIGNS & WONDERS tracks a psychiatrist who runs the cognitive sciences research department at a prestigious university and leads a team of grad students in solving suspicious medical cases.

DOLLHOUSE PREVIEW
A new trailer for Joss Whedon's DOLLHOUSE, starring Eliza Dushku has been released by fox. The series--which has undergone an overhaul, including the scrapping of its original pilot--comes from the creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly. Dushku (Buffy's Faith) plays Echo, an "Active," or member of a highly illegal and underground group of individuals who have had their personalities wiped clean so they can be imprinted with any number of new personas. Hired by the wealthy, powerful and connected, the Actives don't just perform their hired roles, they wholly become them--with mind, personality and physiology--to do whatever a client wants or needs. Whether imprinted to be a lover, an assassin, a corporate negotiator or a best friend, the Actives know no other life than the specific engagements they are in at that time. Confined between missions to a secret facility known as the "Dollhouse," Echo and the other Actives--including Sierra (Dichen Lachman) and Victor (Enver Gjokaj)--are assigned engagements by Adelle (Olivia Williams), one of the Dollhouse leaders. After each scenario, Echo, always under the watchful eye of her handler Boyd (Harry Lennix), returns to the mysterious Dollhouse where her thoughts, feelings, experiences and knowledge are erased by Topher (Fran Kranz), the Dollhouse's genius programmer. But is Echo acquiring a memory of her own? Dollhouse is slated to air in January. Click here http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1545148137/bctid1902520342 for trailer.

GULLIVER'S TRAVELS
Variety reports that Twentieth Century Fox is moving forward with a big-screen adaptation of GULLIVER'S TRAVELS, with Jack Black taking on the title role as his next project. Rob Letterman (Shark Tale) has signed on to direct the contemporary reimagining of the classic Jonathan Swift tale. The story centers on Lemuel Gulliver, a free-spirited travel writer who, on an assignment to the Bermuda Triangle, suddenly finds himself a giant among men when he washes ashore on the hidden island of Lilliput, home to a population of industrious, yet tiny, people. Forgetting Sarah Marshall helmer Nicholas Stoller and Joe Stillman (Shrek) penned the screenplay. Shooting will start in March; locations are still being set.

JESSE STONE: NO REMORSE
CBS has begun production on JESSE STONE: NO REMORSE, the sixth telefilm in the Tom Selleck franchise. Selleck has played Jesse Stone in a series of TV movies including "Stone Cold," "Jesse Stone: Night Passage," "Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise," and "Jesse Stone: Sea Change." The franchise's fifth installment, "Jesse Stone: Thin Ice," has yet to air. In NO REMORSE, Police Chief Stone finds himself suspended by the town council in Paradise, MA and goes to work for State Homicide Commander Healy (Stephen McHattie) on a series of murders in Boston. Meanwhile, Rose (Kathy Baker) and Suitcase (Kohl Sudduth) have to investigate a crime wave in Paradise on their own. Also returning for NO REMORSE are William Devane, Saul Rubinek and William Sadler. New to the franchise is Krista Allen. Production is now underway in Halifax, Nova Scotia with Robert Harmon directing from a script by Selleck and Michael Brandman.

24 PREMIERE SET
Fox has set a premiere day for the return of "24," planning a two-night, four-hour event in January. The seventh season debut will air on Sunday, Jan. 11 and Monday, Jan 12 at 8 p.m. The network used a similar rollout plan for 2007's sixth season premiere. Delayed due to the writers strike, the premiere is the first new regular episode of "24" in nearly two years. "Day Seven" opens with CTU dismantled and Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) on trial. Bauer's day takes an unexpected turn when former colleague Tony Almeida (Carlos Bernard) returns after being presumed dead. Two-hour prequel movie "24: Redemption" will give viewers a head start on the season when it airs Sunday, Nov. 23.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2008

WAREHOUSE 13
SCI FI Channel's upcoming new series WAREHOUSE 13 has filled out its staff of writers with sci-fi experts, including executive producers Jack Kenny (Book of Daniel) and David Simkins (Blade, The Dresden Files). Other staff members include co-executive producer Dana Baratta (Runaway), supervising producer Drew Greenberg (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Star Wars: The Clone Wars), co-producers Matt Federman and Steven Scaia (Jericho) and staff writers Bob Goodman (Batman Beyond, The New Batman/Superman Adventures), Tamara Becher (Crash) and Ben Raab and Deric Hughes (The Operator, Afterworld). The series received a green light to production of the new original drama series and has ordered 11 hours, including a previously produced two-hour pilot. WAREHOUSE 13 stars Eddie McClintock (Bones), Joanne Kelly (Jeremiah) and Saul Rubinek (Frasier). After saving the life of the president, two Secret Service agents find themselves abruptly transferred to WAREHOUSE 13, a massive top-secret storage facility in windswept South Dakota, which houses every strange artifact, mysterious relic, fantastical object and supernatural souvenir ever collected by the U.S. government. The Warehouse's caretaker, Artie (Rubinek), charges Pete (McClintock) and Myka (Kelly) with chasing down reports of supernatural and paranormal activity in search of new objects to cache at the Warehouse, as well as helping him to control the Warehouse itself. Production is slated to begin in February in Toronto for a July 2009 premiere.

AFTERLIFE
Variety reports that British-Asian helmer Gurinder Chadha is prepping IT'S A WONDERFUL AFTERLIFE, which she described as MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING meets SHAUN OF THE DEAD. The story follows a British-Asian mother whose obsession to marry off her daughter comically leads to serial murder. Chadha is casting the multicultural project, which has a budget of about $10 million. Shooting begins in the United Kingdom in February. She's co-writing and producing the movie with husband Paul Berges. The two previously collaborated on Chadha's 2002 breakout hit BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM.

GHOST WRITER
X2 star Alan Cumming makes his solo directorial debut with the independent straight- to-DVD supernatural movie GHOST WRITER. Cumming also stars with ANGEL's David Boreanaz, Anne Heche, STAR WARS' Carrie Fisher and E.T.'s Henry Thomas. In the thriller, a failed composer-turned-music teacher (Cumming) mentors a handsome struggling writer, Sebastian St. Germain (Boreanaz), who overstays his welcome. When John discovers that Sebastian has simply been using him, he turns the tables on his young tenant in an effort to make him work off his rent debt. When Sebastian dies accidentally in the process, John tries to make it up to him by helping him get his book published posthumously. When the book is published, John can not help but take credit for the work of genius ... and Sebastian comes back to haunt him. GHOST WRITER is set for release on Jan. 6, 2009.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2008

HEROES UPDATE
Following yesterday's announcement that co-executive producers Jesse Alexander and Jeph Loeb had been fired, Variety reports that Tim Kring, creator and executive producer of HEROES has been under pressure to simplify the show's storylines and refocus on character development. There's been a feeling that he's delegated too much responsibility for writing and story development to his top writing lieutenants. Kring has reportedly assured NBC and Universal Media Studios, which produces the series, that he intends to focus on simplifying what's been criticized, even by ardent fans, as an overly complex storytelling structure to get back to the show's comic-bookish good vs. evil themes and to emphasize character development more than plot twists. The thinking is that his focus is needed most in breaking stories and refining the tone of the show for the remainder of its third season, the trade paper reported. HEROES is averaging 10.4 million viewers and 5.1 rating/12 share among adults 18-49 so far in its third season, a 21 percent drop in total viewers and an 18 percent decline in adults 18-49 from its second season (which was cut short by the writers strike).

WALL-E
WALL*E Director Andrew Stanton said in a recent interview that that the upcoming Blu-ray high-definition disc of the movie comes about as close as is humanly possible to capturing what the creators had in mind when they made the hit animated film. "We always used to say this when we were making any other films: 'It will never look any better than it does here,'" Stanton said. "It's only going to go downhill from here when somebody watches it at home or somebody watches it in their town theater. And now you can go, 'No. They can see it exactly as good as we see it here.'" The prospect that WALL*E would wind up on Blu-ray allowed Stanton to aim for the highest-quality image he could achieve, confident that it would find its way to viewers. "The way that I've always looked at Blu-ray is just it's going to look that much better and be able to hold that much more stuff, so I don't have to think of [the movie and the home-video release] as separate," he said. "At that time, ... I just hoped that one format wins out [HD DVD vs. Blu-ray]. It's just very recently that it became one, but in a weird way, as consumers, we hope that Blu-ray becomes 'it,' because it's the first time that medium, a format, can represent exactly how good it looks for us in the building here."
Because WALL*E, like other Pixar animated movies, was created in a digital medium, the transition to high-definition home video is very smooth, Stanton said. "It's exactly the tones and everything we picked," he said. "That's the nice thing about having a digital medium--and in our case it's 100 percent digital--is that we can control it like God and then put it onto the DVD and make sure that it's exactly the magic [we want]. I couldn't be happier. As a matter of fact, I'll probably be let down from here on in if I ever work in a non-all-CG medium." WALL*E drops on Blu-ray (in two- and three-disc editions) and DVD on Nov. 18.

MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA
MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA will open on Nov. 7 in a record 130 IMAX theaters, including 35 new locations equipped with IMAX's digital projection system, in conjunction with the film's nationwide release.
Here's a clip that you will enjoy http://www.movieweb.com/video/V08K5cptyDKPUX

DEFYING GRAVITY
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Fox TV Studios has teamed with Canada's CTV, Germany's ProSieben and the BBC for "Defying Gravity," a 13-episode adventure drama series starring Ron Livingston (Office Space).
GRAVITY, which hails from creator/executive producer James Parriott ("Grey's Anatomy") and executive producer Michael Edelstein ("Desperate Housewives"), is set in the near future and revolves around eight astronauts from five countries who take on a mysterious six-year mission through the solar system. German actress Florentine Lahme also has been cast in GRAVITY, a co-venture between FtvS and Vancouver-based Omni Film Productions, whose Brian Hamilton and Michael Chechik also executive produce.
David Straiton has signed on to direct the first episode of the series, which is slated to begin production Jan. 19 in Vancouver.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2008

HEROES SHAKE-UP
Variety reports that NBC's HEROES fired co-executive producers Jesse Alexander and Jeph Loeb, who had been with the show since its first season, on Nov. 2 in a surprise shakeup. The two were known to have led the day-to-day production operation under the direction of creator/executive producer Tim Kring, the trade paper reported. HEROES has struggled in the ratings its third season. It's understood that Alexander and Loeb were let go because of the network's frustration with the creative direction of the show. The show is also said to have been grappling with hefty budget overruns this season, which are going well beyond its already sizable $4 million per-episode price tag. Representatives for NBC and Universal Media Studios, which produces the show, declined to comment to Variety.

DANTE'S INFERNO
According to reports in Variety, Universal Pictures won a bidding battle for an unreleased Electronic Arts video game that sources said will be called DANTE'S INFERNO by the time it hits the marketplace next year. The agreement is the second the studio has made in recent weeks for an EA game property. The deal--an option fee against seven-figure purchase price--ended an auction that pitted four studios against one another late last week. Paramount, New Regency and MGM were the other final bidders, after Warner Brothers dropped out Thursday. The property shook up a sluggish material marketplace. It was a surprise entry, because EA made past movie deals (including The Sims with Fox and producer John Davis and Mass Effect with producer Avi Arad) after the properties were already popular with gamers. This time around, EA hadn't even announced the existence of the game at the time the concept was brought to the film marketplace. EA declined to comment or confirm the game's title. Both the DANTE'S INFERNO game and movie involve a journey through the depths of hell.

SEASON OF THE WITCH
Stephen Graham has signed on for Relativity's SEASON OF THE WITCH, joining Nicolas Cage and Ron Perlman. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Graham will play a swindler and navigator in the period horror movie. The film follows 14th century knights who transport a girl suspected of being the witch responsible for spreading the Black Plague. Shooting will start in early November in Austria and Hungary.

TINTIN
Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson have finally secured financing for their three-part movie TINTIN, with Sony and Paramount partnering to fund the movies. The two previously turned down a deal with just Paramount that would have reduced their combined backend deal to just-- horrors!-- $135 million. Variety says the first TINTIN movie is still expected to be finished in 2010, which is an even tighter schedule than the one Jon Favreau was working with for Iron Man 2. I love both Jackson and Spielberg's moves, and I hate feeling sour on them based on this one incident, but this really is just making them look really greedy. While I'm excited that we'll finally get to see this passion project of Spielberg's, I can't help resent the two of them as they go off to sleep soundly on their beds made of money.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2008

QUANTUM OF SOLACE
QUANTUM OF SOLACE, rolled into U.K. theaters Friday and broke the biggest Friday openers of all time by taking $8 million (£4.94 million) on its first day at U.K. theaters. The previous Friday best was HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE, which earned $6.5 million (£4 million). CASINO ROYALE did $4.7 million on its opening Friday but, unlike "Solace," it had Thursday previews. QUANTUM OF SOLACE will hit theaters here on November 14, 2008.

TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN
TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN has wrapped up principal photography and is now entering post-production for the special effects (Industrial Light & Magic), sound and editing. The sequel stars Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, John Turturro, Isabel Lucas, Rainn Wilson and Jennifer Alden. Bay is once again behind the camera, based on a screenplay by Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Ehren Kruger. Plot Summary:
Optimus Prime and the rest of the Autobots return for the live-action follow up to Michael Bay's 2007 blockbuster "Transformers."
TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN will hit standard and IMAX theaters June 26, 2009.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2008

LEGEND OF THE SEEKER PREMIERES TONIGHT
Action-adventure fans can enjoy a first look of the highly-anticipated epic fantasy series LEGEND OF THE SEEKER before its premiere tonight. Disney-ABC Domestic Television is offering an extended preview of the nationally-syndicated series as a free download, exclusively available on the iTunes Store (www.iTunes.com). The free download, entitled "Legend of the Seeker: A First Look," will give fans the opportunity to view the first 30-minutes of the upcoming two-hour television event executive-produced by Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert, the team that brought the characters of Hercules and Xena to life almost a decade ago.
"Fans have been clamoring to get a first look at the series and based on the early response from the clips released on the 'Legend of the Seeker' website, we knew this would be a huge success with audiences," noted Janice Marinelli, President, Disney-ABC Domestic Television.
Shot with the exotic and rugged New Zealand landscape as its backdrop, the one-hour scripted series is an adaptation of internationally best- selling author Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth book series. "Legend of the Seeker" explores the adventures of woodsman Richard Cypher (Craig Horner, "Monarch Cove" and "Blue Water High"), who discovers that he was born to fulfill a prophecy of becoming a guardian hero to oppressed people. With the help of a mysterious woman named Kahlan (Bridget Regan, "Sex and the City" and "Six Degrees") and a wise old wizard named Zedd (Bruce Spence, "Mad Max 2" and "The Matrix Revolutions"), he must stop a ruthless and bloodthirsty tyrant named Darken Rahl (Craig Parker, "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" and "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers") from unleashing an ancient evil and enslaving the world.

WCG GAME QUEST
SCI FI Channel has given the green light to production of WCG GameQuest (working title), an eight-episode elimination-style reality competition that pits 12 contestants against each other in a series of video-game challenges in order to find the "Best All-Around Gamer"; the show is slated to premiere in the first quarter of 2009.

WAITING FOR GODOT
Ian McKellen (The Lord of the Rings, X-Men) and Patrick Stewart (Star Trek: The Next Generation) will team up on the London stage in a new production of Samuel Beckett's classic absurdist play WAITING FOR GODOT, March 5-June 28, which will wind up at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in the British capital. McKellen provided this information on his official Web site at http://www.mckellen.com/stage/godot/081031.htm.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2008

FORBIDDEN PLANET
The Hollywood Reporter indicates that BABYLON 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski, who also wrote Clint Eastwood's upcoming CHANGELING, is writing a long-in-the-works update of the SF classic FORBIDDEN PLANET for Warner Brothers. Joel Silver is producing via Silver Pictures.
Warner picked up the project on the down-low earlier this year. As late as last year, it was set up at DreamWorks, with David Twohy attached to direct. Prior to that, New Line had it. James Cameron, Nelson Gidding and Stirling Silliphant have been associated with the remake over the years. Released in 1956, PLANET told the tale of an expedition sent from Earth to check on a colony of scientists on a far-off planet. They find two members, a man who has found alien technology that doubled his intellect, Dr. Morbius, and his daughter, both of whom have managed to survive an unseen monster roaming the planet. The movie is loosely based on Shakespeare's The Tempest. The movie, directed by Fred Wilcox, starred Walter Pidgeon, Anne Francis and Leslie Nielsen, but is perhaps best known for the character Robbie the Robot.
THR also writes that Straczynski also has feature projects "The Flickering Light" and "Lensman" with Ron Howard at Imagine Entertainment, and "They Marched Into Sunlight," with Paul Greengrass directing, at Playtone and Universal.

ANGELS & DEMONS
Columbia Pictures has revealed the new teaser trailer for ANGELS & DEMONS, the prequel to the hit supernatural thriller THE DA VINCI CODE. Based on Dan Brown's best-selling book, ANGELS & DEMONS reunites director Ron Howard with star Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon, who once again finds that forces with ancient roots are willing to stop at nothing, even murder, to advance their goals. The movie opens May 15, 2009.
The official website hosts the trailer and leads to a Path of Illumination contest.

SPIDER-MAN 4
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Lindsay-Abaire (Rabbit Hole) is in final negotiations to write SPIDER-MAN 4 for Columbia Pictures. Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire are back as director and star, as are series producers Laura Ziskin and Avi Arad. Kirsten Dunst also is expected to return for the latest movie featuring the Marvel Comics character. The plot details are under lock and key. Columbia always has gone off the beaten path during the development process when hiring writers for the Spider-Man movies. Alvin Sargent, a veteran scribe best known for 1973's Paper Moon and 1980's Ordinary People, served as a writer on the second and third films. Michael Chabon, another Pulitzer winner, also worked on Spider-Man 2. James Vanderbilt previously wrote a draft of Spider-Man 4.

AGNES QUILL
Variety writes that Paramount Pictures has acquired screen rights to Dave Roman's graphic novel AGNES QUILL: AN ANTHOLOGY OF MYSTERY. The story follows 16-year-old Agnes who inherits from her grandfather an estate and an ability to see and communicate with the dead. Thor Freudenthal ("Hotel for Dogs") is attached to direct from a script by Evan Spiliotopoulos. Steven Gilder and Jason Clark will produce.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2008

DOCTOR WHO CHANGING
The BBC reports that David Tennant will quit the role of DOCTOR WHO, after becoming one of the most popular Time Lords in the history. Tennant stepped into the Tardis in 2005 and will leave the role after four special episodes are broadcast next year. Tennant made the announcement after winning the outstanding drama performance prize at the National Television Awards. "When DOCTOR WHO returns in 2010 it won't be with me," he said.
Rumors have already begun as to who will play the next incarnation of the Doctor, including Paterson Joseph, David Morrisey, James Nesbitt and John Simm. Tennant, the 10th actor to play the Doctor, left fans guessing about his return at the end of the latest season. In the last episode, which aired in the United Kingdom in July, the Doctor had to defeat his enemies, the Daleks, to save the universe. Almost 10 million people watched as the Time Lord apparently started the process of regeneration-- but did not complete it. Tennant will appear in a Christmas special, titled "The Next Doctor," before filming four more specials in January.

THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL
Yahoo! Movies has posted a new five-minute trailer for the upcoming remake of THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL, featuring previously unseen footage, including more shots of the updated Gort. The film, an update of the classic 1950s SF cautionary tale, stars Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Connelly, Kathy Bates, Jaden Smith, Jon Hamm and Kyle Chandler. It opens Dec. 12. Go to http://au.video.yahoo.com/watch/3810106/10430112 to watch.

LEGEND OF THE SEEKER
Bridget Regan, star of LEGEND OF THE SEEKER, said in a recent interview that episodes will spin one-off stories while following the basic trajectory of the fantasy book WIZARD'S FIRST RULE, on which the show is based. WIZARD'S FIRST RULE is the first in author Terry Goodkind's THE SWORD OF TRUTH series. Regan (New Amsterdam) plays Kahlan, a beautiful, mysterious and powerful Confessor who joins forces with a wizard named Zedd (Bruce Spence) to protect Richard (Craig Horner). Richard is a young man who discovers that he's a prophesied Seeker, tasked with saving his world from the tyrannical Darken Rahl (Craig Parker). Together with Kahlan and Zedd, Richard sets about fulfilling his destiny.
"One of my favorite things about the show is that it changes, and because Richard and Kahlan's relationship is being stretched and pulled and challenged every week, we're put into these situations, whether it be searching down this villain or saving one another from a sticky situation," Regan said. "I have to protect Richard on the way to getting to this guy who's really an evil dictator trying to gain control over the land, and each week we face different challenges."
The villains will vary from week to week, Regan added. "Sometimes it may be a sorceress that's captured one of us or declared a prophecy that's going to come true," she said. "We're always pushing things to the limit and seeing how much we can take, how much we can handle. Every day, it feels like it's the end of the world, and it's so intense, and the stakes are always so high. And I love that, because it means we have to keep fighting, we have to stay strong and keep pushing."
Viewers can expect mini-stories within the bigger one that is WIZARD'S FIRST RULE. "The fans that come along for the whole ride will hopefully see that," Regan said, "but each episode is somewhat contained and has its own little beginning, middle and end." LEGEND OF THE SEEKER, which is executive-produced by Rob Tapert and Sam Raimi, will premiere in first-run syndication the weekend of Nov. 1.

QUANTUM OF SOLACE
Princes William and Harry were on the London red carpet on Oct. 29 for the world premiere of the new James Bond movie QUANTUM OF SOLACE, in which Daniel Craig reprise the role of superspy 007. Reuters reported that the 40-year-old actor and his co-stars were greeted by hundreds of fans and a sea of camera flashes in central London for the 22nd installment of the Bond franchise. Craig showed up wearing a tuxedo and his right arm in a sling after a shoulder operation. QUANTUM OF SOLACE, which follows on directly from the plot of the last Bond movie "Casino Royale", is released in British cinemas on Oct. 31 and hits theaters in the key U.S. market two weeks later, on Nov. 14. The film's stars were joined by Prince William, second in line to the British throne, and younger brother Harry. The brothers have asked for proceeds from the night to benefit charities Help for Heroes and the Royal British Legion.

BOOK OF ELI
Variety reports that Gary Oldman will co-star with Denzel Washington in BOOK OF ELI, a post-apocalyptic actioner to be directed by Allen and Albert Hughes. Alcon Entertainment is financing the film and co-producing with Silver Pictures. Warner Bros. will distribute domestically through its output deal with Alcon, while Summit will handle international sales.
ELI revolves around a lone warrior (Washington) who must fight to bring society the knowledge that could be the key to its redemption. Oldman has been set to portray the despot of a small makeshift town who's determined to take possession of the book Eli's guarding.
Alcon toppers Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson will produce, along with Joel Silver and Washington. Lensing begins in February in New Mexico, with the pic set for a U.S. release on Jan. 15, 2010.

THE LAST DRAGON
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Samuel L. Jackson is set to star as a bad guy in Columbia Pictures' remake of Berry Gordy's 1985 cult classic THE LAST DRAGON. The actor will play Sho'nuff, the Shogun of Harlem, a role played in the original by the late Julius Carry, whose spiel included asking ego-driven questions like 'Am I the baddest mofo lowdown around this town?' Each time his gang of thugs answered, 'Sho 'nuff!'
Handling screenwriting as well as producing duties is Dallas Jackson, who heads up the urban family label DJ Classicz with Davis. Wu-Tang Clan's RZA is co-producing. This new version of the film will be along the same lines of the original, centering on young martial arts student Leroy Green in his quest through the streets of New York to achieve the highest level of martial arts accomplishment, known as the Last Dragon. Those who achieve the high ranking possess the Glow, making them the greatest fighter alive.
The plan is for the project, announced by Columbia presidents Doug Belgrad and Matt Tolmach, will take a new look at Last Dragon coinciding with the 50th anniversary of Motown next year.
"We're thrilled to be working with Kerry Gordy as he continues his father's legacy, and we're confident that he along with John and Dallas are the perfect team to develop the project," Belgrad offered. "They will capture everything that people love about the original while also bringing a fresh edge to the remake." Despite poor reviews, LAST DRAGON did well at the boxoffice, grossing nearly $26 million. It soon became a cult classic for scenes like Bruce Lee follower Green remaining so loyal to the martial arts star that he eats his popcorn in a movie theater with chopsticks.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2008

I know this is more appropriate for the magazine section, but I didn't want anyone to miss the gorgeous cover of the latest Empire magazine. The new issue and is jam-packed with exclusive images and interviews from JJ Abrams' STAR TREK.

NEW FALL TV SHOWS
Over at SciFi Wire, you will find a good article giving the rundown of all the new shows for the fall TV season. Look at the ratings and see if you agree.

DEVIL
Variety reports that M. Night Shyamalan and Media Rights Capital have formalized the first project in their three-picture deal to hatch horror films. Brian Nelson (30 Days of Night) is set to write the first project, DEVIL, which Quarantine helmer John Erick Dowdle will direct and produce with his brother, Drew Dowdle. The supernatural thriller is based on an original story by Shyamalan, who'll produce with Sam Mercer under the Night Chronicles banner. The Dowdle siblings will be executive producers. The PG-13 film will begin production next year. MRC set up Night Chronicles as a financing and production partnership with Shyamalan in July. The company's goal is to generate one genre film per year over three years, with Shyamalan hatching the ideas and overseeing the selection of talent and the creative direction.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, French director Pascal Laugier (Martyrs) is in final negotiations to write and direct Dimension's re-imagining of HELLRAISER, one of horrormeister Clive Barker's best-known creations. Released in 1987, HELLRAISER told the story of an unfaithful wife who attempts to assist her dead lover in his escape from hell. The movie introduced viewers to a race of demons called Cenobites, most notably one nicknamed Pinhead--who became one of the most enduring horror characters of the decade--who was summoned using an antique puzzle box. Dimension has been hoping to relaunch the franchise for the past couple of years, first hiring Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo to write and direct a remake, then tapping Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton to write a new draft.

CLIP FOR 24 NEW SEASON
For fans of 24, it has been a very LONG wait. The series will return in January and from the looks of this clip, it has been well worth the wait! Go to http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1513658671/bctid1885474195 for a non-stop seventh season trailer for 24.

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA MEETS LAW & ORDER
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA's Katee Sackhoff is set to appear on an upcoming episode of LAW & ORDER. Sackhoff's LAW & ORDER appearance coincides with a starring role in "Lost and Found," a pilot Dick Wolf is executive producing for NBC. She'll play a Los Angeles detective who's relegated to working cases with anonymous victims after fighting with higher-ups in the department. Brian Cox ("Deadwood," "The Bourne Supremacy") will play her old-school partner.

IRON MAN/AVENGERS
Variety writes that Downey has agreed to return as billionaire Tony Stark and his crime-fighting alter ego in "The Avengers" and a third "Iron Man" installment, guaranteeing the thesp a superhero-sized payday and his own ongoing franchise as part of a four-picture deal with the comicbook company. Jon Favreau, who is set to helm the second "Iron Man" pic, will also exec produce "The Avengers," which is skedded for release on July 15, 2011. Pic will unite the Iron Man, Captain America, Thor and the Incredible Hulk characters. Company confirmed that Don Cheadle will replace Terrence Howard as Col. James Rhodes in the "Iron Man" sequels. Cheadle will also appear in "The Avengers." Marvel has long refused to confirm until now whether Downey or Favreau were back for "Iron Man 2" even though both have been forthcoming about their plans for the sequel, which will bow May 7, 2010. "Iron Man" has earned $578 million worldwide. Given the sizable haul, Marvel needed to lock down Downey for future pics. Thesp’s been filling up his dance card with projects. He’s currently lensing Warner Bros.’ "Sherlock Holmes," which could also turn into a new franchise for Downey. Either way, deals put Downey front and center in a major tentpole each year through 2012. Marvel will self-finance and produce its upcoming slate with Paramount distribbing the pics.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2008

THE CHANGELING
The JMS' written movie is getting a lot of positive buzz. NPR interviewed JMS yesterday and you and read the entire article, focusing more on JMS' comic books http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2008/10/we_call_him_jms_comics_fans_on_1.html.

JASON CARTER - THE DEAD MATTER
Gothic Horror Soundscape masters, Midnight Syndicate bring their nightmarish visions to the big screen with the supernatural horror thriller THE DEAD MATTER (coming 2009). Co-produced by Robert Kurtzman (From Dusk Till Dawn, KNB FX) and starring Andrew Divoff (Lost, Wishmaster), Jason Carter (Babylon 5, Angel), and Tom Savini (Dawn of the Dead, Grindhouse), THE DEAD MATTER tells a story of vampirism, the living dead, and ancient occult relics all drenched in the dark and shadowy world of Midnight Syndicate's music.
View THE DEAD MATTER trailer exclusively at www.t3nth1rtyone.com, hosted by Hot Topic stores.

TWILIGHT TRAILERS
With the movie set to open on November 21, several new trailers have gone live for TWILIGHT, the feature film based on Stephenie Meyer's young-adult vampire novel. The trailers include a new international spot and two TV commercials.
Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tieJPzpeaA to watch.

NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM 2
Ben Stiller reprises his role as security guard Larry Daley in NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM 2: BATTLE OF THE SMITHSONIAN. In a recent interview to promote his latest project, MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA, Stiller said that his process is simpler than his co-stars may perceive. Stiller jogs in place to get ready for takes. "It just depends on the scene," Stiller said. "It was probably a scene where I had to come running from somewhere. I'm not good at faking being out of breath for something like that." The sequel takes place in Washington's Smithsonian Institution, where the exhibits come to life while Daley works the graveyard shift. Stiller, who is used to improvising with his fellow comedians, found it a challenge to act amid the movie's many visual effects. "It's weird," Stiller said. "I think it's hard to find the comedy within that one. There are all the technical elements going on. I just find it exhausting. It's harder, because you have to really create much more energy on your own. I think it's much easier when you have real stimuli to react to. It's a strange combination of things, of elements that are there and aren't there." Stiller found it most difficult to work on a green-screen stage. "The green-screen stuff is the hardest, I find, just because there's nothing there. I find that really hard, because you really actually are acting on camera, but there's nothing to react to, even like a set."
Meanwhile, Stiller said that he is still working on a feature-film version of HEAT VISION AND JACK, based on a TV pilot he directed. "We've got a draft, and we've been working on the script and continue to work on it. I think it'd be great to do." The unaired satifical show--a lampoon of buddy-copy shows that starred Jack Black and Owen Wilson--has been seen on Youtube.com enough to warrant consideration as a movie. "It was a pilot that I did with Jack," Stiller said. "That's actually how I met my wife [Christine Taylor] 10 years ago. Jack played an astronaut from NASA who flew too close to the sun, so whenever the sun comes up, he's the smartest guy in the world, and when it goes down, he's back to normal. His best friend gets turned into a motorcycle by an evil Ron Silver, who runs NASA secretly. Owen Wilson was the voice of the motorcycle, who was sort of like his Knight Rider buddy." With typical self- deprecation, Stiller joked: "I can't believe they didn't pick it up."
NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM 2: BATTLE OF THE SMITHSONIAN opens May 22, 2009.

ALICE IN WONDERLAND
DigitalSpy reports that Christopher Lee and Alan Rickman have joined the cast of Tim Burton's ALICE IN WONDERLAND remake. Lee has taken on an undisclosed role, while Rickman will play the hookah-smoking Caterpillar. Eleanor Tomlinson is another new addition. She will star as Fiona Chataway, a friend of Alice created specifically for the Burton adaptation. Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Sheen and Matt Lucas are also among the star-studded cast. ALICE IN WONDERLAND is scheduled for release in 2010.

ANGELS AND DEMONS
USA Today has published a first look at Columbia Pictures' The Da Vinci Code prequel, ANGEL & DEMONS. Again directed by Ron Howard, written by Akiva Goldsman and starring Tom Hanks, the adaptation of Robert Langdon's book hits theaters on May 15, 2009. The new film, co-starring Ayelet Zurer, Ewan McGregor, Pierfrancesco Favino and August Fredrik, will move quicker than the first pic, says the article:
The adaptation of Dan Brown's novel continues the sleuthing adventures of Robert Langdon (Hanks), a Harvard expert in religious symbols who discovers a conspiracy to destroy the Vatican.
Da Vinci collected $758 million worldwide, but even Grazer says the movie moved a little slowly. Angels, by contrast, sprints from crypts, catacombs and cathedrals. In adapting the hugely successful Da Vinci novel, "I think we may have been too reverential toward it," Grazer says. "We got all the facts of the book right, but the movie was a little long and stagey."
In Angels, "Langdon doesn't stop and give a speech," Grazer says. "When he speaks, he's in motion."

SKYSCRAPER
Variety reports that Universal has bought Mike Sobel's disaster-action pitch SKYSCRAPER. Neal Moritz is producing via his Original Film. The project is described as a modern-day TOWERING INFERNO, in which a Donald Trump-esque developer sets out to build a mile-high structure in Chicago. When the tower starts to falter, a crew must rescue the city from mayhem. Original's Tania Landau is executive producing. Sobel, a former New York criminal lawyer, moved to Los Angeles 18 months ago to pursue a writing career. His first screenplay, also a disaster project, titled ANIMALS, sold to Columbia with Moritz producing as well.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2008

HARRY POTTER
A new international teaser trailer has gone live for HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE, with footage not seen in the U.S. teaser trailer. The movie, based on the sixth of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books, opens July 17, 2009. Go to http://www.traileraddict.com/trailer/harry-potter-and-half-blood-prince/feature-trailer to watch.

NINJA SCROLL
Variety reports that Warner Brothers has acquired the rights to turn the Japanese action-thriller anime NINJA SCROLL into a live-action feature film. Alex Tse has been set to write the script. The movie will be produced by Leonardo DiCaprio's Appian Way, with Jennifer Davisson Killoran and Mike Ireland producing. Appian is mounting the film as a co-production with Mad House. SCROLL, set in feudal Japan, revolves around a ninja for hire, who is forced to fight an old enemy who will stop at nothing to overthrow the government. DiCaprio is not planning to act in the film.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2008

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2008

CHANGELING REVIEW
Renowned columist and reviewer Roger Ebert takes a look at THE CHANGELING which opens this week in theaters. He gives the movie 3 1/2 stars! Read his review at http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081023/REVIEWS/810239995.

GARY COLE JOINING ENTOURAGE
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Gary Cole is set to join HBO's comedy ENTOURAGE as a regular next season, playing Hollywood agent Andrew Klein, Ari Gold's (Jeremy Piven) oldest Hollywood friend from their early days in the business. Cole is introducing the character this season in a three-episode arc slated to air in November 2. ENTOURAGE is halfway though its fifth season and recently was picked up for a sixth season to begin production in early 2009 for a summer launch.
Babylon 5 fans will remember Gary from his CRUSADE days, as Captain Matthew Gideon.

STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS FOR NOVEMBER
The Cartoon Network has released a rundown of the new episodes of STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS airing in November.
All episode will air at 9 p.m., preceded by the previous weeks episode at 8:30 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 7: "Downfall of a Droid" -- R2-D2 is lost during a fierce space battle -- and Anakin must find him before the Separatists discover the Jedi military secrets locked in his memory banks
Friday, Nov. 14: "Duel of the Droids" -- Anakin, Ahsoka and replacement droid R3 embark on a dual rescue/sabotage mission when they discover R2-D2 is being held at General Grievous' secret enemy listening post.
Friday, Nov. 21: "Bombad Jedi" -- Jar Jar Binks is a Jedi Knight? So thinks the Separatists when comically heroic Gungan and C-3PO fight to save Padme Amidala from doom at the hands of evil Viceroy Nute Gunray.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2008

WATCHMEN
Warner Brothers has released a new teaser poster for Zack Snyder's upcoming WATCHMEN movie, based on Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' classic graphic novel. The new image shows the ill-fated Edward Blake/The Comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) going out the window, an act that sets the story in motion. WATCHMEN opens March 6, 2009.

ALICE IN WONDERLAND
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Crispin Glover has signed on to play the Knave of Hearts in Tim Burton's ALICE IN WONDERLAND movie for Disney. Glover joins Mia Wasikowska as Alice and a cast that includes Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway and Helena Bonham Carter. Burton is using a combination of live action and performance-capture technology to tell the Lewis Carroll story. Glover is no stranger to performance- capture technology, having worked on Robert Zemeckis' animated BEOWULF. In ALICE, the Knave of Hearts is put on trial for stealing the Queen of Hearts' tarts and is defended by Alice.

DERYNI RISING
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Columbia Pictures is bringing Katherine Kurtz's fantasy book DERYNI RISING to the big screen. The studio has picked up Deryni as a spec script by Alex Sabeti. Jimmy Miller is producing via his Mosaic banner. DERYNI is a historical fantasy novel first published in 1970 that launched Kurtz's Deryni Kingdom series that, almost 40 years later, encompasses five trilogies, short stories and reference books. The story is set in a medieval kingdom of humans alongside the Deryni, a race of people with psychic and magical abilities. The first novel centers on a young prince who, after the death of his father the king, must defend his throne from a Deryni usurper.

PERSONS UNKNOWN
Variety reports that Fox TV Studios has filled out the cast and hired a director for PERSONS UNKNOWN, the company's SF-ish series from writer Christopher McQuarrie. Michael Rymer, who helmed the pilot to SCI FI Channel's critically acclaimed BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, has been tapped to direct the first episode of PERSONS UNKNOWN. The show, a co-production with Mexico's Televisa and Italy's RAI, starts shooting Oct. 27 in Mexico City. The series has an initial 13-episode order and will star Jason Wiles as Joe. Also newly cast: Daisy Betts, who will play Janet; Tina Holmes as Moira; Sean O'Bryan as Blackham; and Lola Glaudini as Kat. They join previously announced cast memberes Alan Ruck, Chadwick Boseman, Gerald Kyd and Kate Lang Johnson. The show's mystery revolves around a group of strangers who wake up in the middle of nowhere and try to figure out how they got there.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2008

THOR
Daniel Craig told reporters that Marvel Studios did indeed offer him the role of THOR in a movie about the Norse god/superhero, but he definitively turned it down. The actor, who also plays James Bond, thought it would be too egotistical to play another man of action. "I'm not doing it. I said no," Craig said during an interview promoting QUANTUM OF SOLACE. "They spoke about it, but I just thought, 'I can't play Bond and Thor.' What am I, on some stupid f--king power trip? I can't imagine, blond hair and a big hammer." The self-deprecating actor joked about his own image, but he was quite serious about avoiding a role that was too physically similar. "It would've been too much of a statement, and physically, [Bond] is kind of as physical as I want to get in movies at the moment," Craig said. "To go and do another role that's just as physical ... "
Meanwhile, Craig said that he had hoped that the film adaptations of Philip Pullman's HIS DARK MATERIALS trilogy would be another franchise for him. The first film, THE GOLDEN COMPASS, was produced by New Line Cinema. Since Warner Brothers took over New Line, finishing the trilogy will be their call. "Warner Brothers have it, so you'll have to lobby them," Craig said. "I'd love them to do it again, because I love the books. I think there's a great story to tell." THE GOLDEN COMPASS performed well below New Line's expectations in the United States. Craig hopes the new owners will take worldwide success into account. "I don't know what to say," Craig said. "It failed here. To their mind I think it failed here, unfortunately. It did fantastically worldwide."
As for his other SF projects, Craig commented on THE INVASION, the re-imagining of INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS, in which he co-starred and which also disappeared quickly. "I think it could've been creepier," Craig said. "Again, I think that kind of got hijacked a bit to my mind."

THE HOLE
According to Variety, Teri Polo is set to star in Joe Dante's supernatural feature film THE HOLE. Additionally, the actress has been tapped for two episodes of CBS' supernatural drama GHOST WHISPERER.
HOLE, from Bold Films and Benderspink, centers on Susan (Polo), a mother who moves with her teen sons to a rural house where the three are forced to face their fears after discovering a bottomless hole in the basement.
Also cast in the project, penned by Mark L. Smith, is Haley Bennett. She will play Julie, a neighbor who is attracted to one of the sons.
Production on the film, which will be filmed in 3-D, starts Dec. 5 in Vancouver, Canada. On GHOST, Polo will play the fiancee of somebody close to Melinda (Jennifer Love Hewitt).

GHOST HUNTERS GO TO COLLEGE
The SciFi Network has ordered a pilot for another spinoff of the popular reality franchise from exec producer Craig Piligian. Tentatively titled "Ghost Hunters: College Edition," the show features a group of students going around the country to seek out paranormal activity. The students will be guided by an experienced ghost investigator. Producers have not determined if any cast members from the other shows will be involved in the new project. "Hunters" launched in 2004 starring two Rhode Island plumbers who investigate purportedly haunted houses in their spare time. The show has since grown every season and is now Sci Fi's second highest-rated series (after new drama "Sanctuary"). The Oct. 8 "Hunters" episode scored an all-time high of 2.7 million total viewers. " 'Ghost Hunters' appeals to a wide demographic, and we felt the college edition would be a great asset to the franchise," Piligian said. The first spinoff, "Ghost Hunters International," took the format around the world. The show debuted in January to record ratings and enjoyed a successful seven-episode run, averaging 2.4 million viewers. "International" has been renewed for a second season. Sci Fi's "Ghost Hunters" franchise has been an on-brand and relatively affordable success for the network. The new show is sure to prompt comparisons to A&E's "Paranormal State," where Pennsylvania college students investigate supernatural claims. A&E launched "State" last year and, along with Travel Channel's U.K. import "Most Haunted," has given Sci Fi's "Hunters" brand some paranormal-investigation-genre company on basic cable.

ANIMAL KINGDOM
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Guy Pearce is set to go back Down Under for his next film. He has signed on for the lead role in ANIMAL KINGDOM. Fellow countryment Ben Mendelson and Joel Edgerton have signed onto the cast as well. The film centers on a 17-year-old boy struggling to survive in a criminal family when he reaches out to a cop (Pearce). No production schedule for the film was released.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2008

WATCHMEN/TWILIGHT FOOTAGE
The teaser footage from WATCHMEN, TWILIGHT and FRIDAY THE 13TH, which debuted on Spike TV's Scream 2008 Awards on Oct. 21, has gone live on YouTube.com. See them all at http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=0&id=61570.

CLONE WARS
Lucasfilms reports that since the Oct. 3 premiere of STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS on Cartoon Network, more than 27 million people have seen the first three episodes on TV, on StarWars.com and on CartoonNetwork.com, as well as on iTunes.

BOLDLY GOING NOWHERE
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Fox has cast newcomer Ben Koldyke in the central role in its SF comedy series BOLDLY GOING NOWHERE, which will also feature ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT alumnus Tony Hale. The high-concept comedy--from the It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia trio of Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day and Glenn Howerton-- is about what happens day-to-day on an intergalactic spaceship helmed by a rogue captain (Koldyke). Hale will play the ship's robot, who thinks he's superior to the human race.

DEXTER RENEWED FOR TWO SEASONS
Showtime has ordered up two addition seasons of its acclaimed drama DEXTER. The premium cable network announced Tuesday (Oct. 21) that the fourth and fifth seasons of DEXTER will be 12 episodes apiece. In addition, shooting on that fourth season will begin next spring in Los Angeles, setting the show up for another fall premiere in 2009. "DEXTER's enormous success is a tribute to the great achievements of its cast, the producing team, the author of the original book, and the gifted Michael C. Hall," says Showtime Entertainment President Robert Greenblatt. "I thought at best we would attract a devoted cult audience but soon realized that, ironically, this show is so thematically rich and layered with humanity that audiences of all kinds have flocked to it." Starring Hall as a Miami blood spatter expert (and moonlighting serial killer), DEXTER is Showtime's highest rated drama and its bestselling DVD title. The series DEXTER received its first best drama series Emmy nomination earlier this year, while Hall earned his second nod for the series. DEXTER won a 2008 Peabody Award, has twice been named one of the AFI's Top 10 TV programs and won a Television Critics Association prize for Hall in 2007. The third season of DEXTER premiered last month and drew 3 million viewers spread out over its first week of airings.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2008

NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM 2: BATTLE OF THE SMITHSONIAN
Craig Robinson, who plays a museum exhibit brought to life in NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM 2: BATTLE OF THE SMITHSONIAN, said in a recent interview that his character is half of a pair of unnamed Tuskegee Airmen, members of a group of history-making black pilots who flew with distinction during World War II. "I play Tuskegee Airman number two," Robinson said while out promoting ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO. Keith Powell joins Robinson as Tuskegee Airman number one. "Tuskegee Airman number one is always announcing what's going on, and [Tuskegee Airman number two]'s like, 'Really? You gotta do it? Come on.' That was their play," Robinson said. Robinson added that the Tuskegee Airmen are full-sized characters, a la Robin Williams' Teddy Roosevelt in the first Museum movie, and not miniatures like the Romans and the cowboys. "We do come alive, but we're not miniatures," he said. "We're exhibits."
Ben Stiller returns as a security guard who must wrangle all the museum exhibits when they come alive at night. The action moves from New York's American Museum of Natural History to Washington's Smithsonian Institution. An admirer of Stiller's work, Robinson paid close attention to how the star kept his game up between long, complicated setups. "Ben Stiller was amazing," Robinson said. "Just a nice dude. And watching him work, I've been lucky and blessed to see a lot of people at the top of their game and see how they just get prepared for a scene. Ben would always jog in place and get his energy up. Things like that." Robinson also marveled at the physical sets constructed for the film. "Just the sets on that show were amazing," he said. "They rebuilt the Smithsonian. It was to the letter, so it was nice." NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM 2: BATTLE OF THE SMITHSONIAN opens May 22, 2009.

KNIGHT RIDER GETS FULL SEASON
According to the Hollywood Reporter, NBC has picked up KNIGHT RIDER for a full season. The network has ordered another nine episodes of the Wednesday-night action-drama, which is produced by the network's sister division Universal Media Studios. KNIGHT RIDER has been modestly rated since its premiere, typically matching CBS' comedy block for second place in its 8 p.m. time slot. The most recent episode was seen by 6.9 million viewers and earned a 2.3 adults 19-49 rating. The pickup marks the first freshman fall NBC series to receive a full season order, joining CBS' THE MENTALIST, Fox's FRINGE and The CW's 90210.

SEASON OF THE WITCH
Variety reports that HELLBOY star Ron Perlman has signed on to star opposite Nicolas Cage in the supernatural thriller SEASON OF THE WITCH for Relativity Media and Atlas Entertainment. Dominic Sena is helming from a Bragi Schut screenplay. SEASON OF THE WITCH tells the story of 14th-century knights transporting a girl suspected of being a witch responsible for spreading the Black Plague. Stephen Campbell Moore, Claire Foy and Robbie Sheehan round out the cast. Shooting will start in early November in Austria and Hungary.

BOOK OF SHADOWS
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Castle Rock has picked up BOOK OF SHADOWS, a supernatural action-adventure pitch from Zoe Green that will act as a directing vehicle for principal Rob Reiner. The story follows a young man who must embark on the perilous journey of first love and face many trials of maturity while on the dangerous quest to close a mythical tome called Book of Shadows in order to restore balance to the world. Reiner was in a general meeting with Green and told her of an idea on which he had been working. Green picked up on that and ran with it, fleshing it out.

ROGUE PICTURES/RELATIVITY MEDIA
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Relativity Media is in negotiations with Universal to acquire the assets of Rogue Pictures, the studio's genre label, for as much as $150 million. The proposed deal would see Ryan Kavanaugh's Relativity purchase more than 25 library titles, four upcoming films and more than 30 projects in development at Rogue, which was launched in 2004 as a division of Universal's Focus Features. In 2007, Rogue became an independent specialty unit of the parent studio. Universal would continue to market and distribute the Rogue films that Relativity is acquiring, and Relativity would also be able to turn to Universal to handle other titles. Universal would get a distribution fee. The purchase would cover Rogue films now in postproduction, which include FIGHTING, starring Channing Tatum and Terrence Howard; Platinum Dunes' THE UNBORN, from writer/director David Goyer; Wes Craven's 25/8 and a remake of THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT. Relativity also would pick up the first-look deals Rogue has with Platinum Dunes and Wes Craven, while Universal would get first right of refusal, for a set period of time, for any sequels based on any of the movies released.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2008

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
MAX PAYNE topped the Oct. 17 weekend box office, taking in an estimated $18 million from 3,376 runs, Variety reported. BEVERLY HILLS CHIHUAHUA, meanwhile, declined just 37 percent in its third weekend to gross an estimated $11.2 million for a total of $69 million. MAX PAYNE scored the third-best opening of the fall after CHIHUAHUA ($29.3 million) and EAGLE EYE ($29.2 million).

BATMAN 3 RUMORS
THE DARK KNIGHT producer, Charles Roven, downplayed rumors about an expected third Batman movie when he and co-star Gary Oldman showed up in Hollywood on Oct. 18 to collect an armful of prizes at Spike TV's Third Annual Scream Awards. "I can't speak to that right now," Roven said. "We are excited about the possibility of something coming together, but we're definitely in the stage where we're just thinking about it. [Director] Chris [Nolan] is really the one who is thinking on it." Oldman--who won a Scream Award for best supporting actor for his role as James Gordon and accepted posthumous awards for star Heath Ledger for best actor and best villain-- said that he'd heard nothing about the sequel. "There's no rumor," he said. "I haven't heard a thing [about a third movie]. I've heard the stuff being thrown around online, but nothing from official sources."
THE DARK KNIGHT was lauded with the Ultimate Scream Award and 11 others, which were accepted by Roven, fellow producer Emma Thomas and Nolan. "We sure are excited the movie won all those awards tonight," Roven said. "Even though it's a big spectacle [about Batman], the characters feel kind of relatable. Yet they are also ones [you] can aspire to be. Both the good guys and the bad guys have interesting things about them." When asked to what he attributes the movie's success, Roven said he really couldn't pin it down. Although the production was smooth, that doesn't always mean the movie will turn out well. "I wish it was that easy," he said. "Because sometimes you do get creativity out of chaos. But, really, it's Christopher Nolan. Chris is the kind of director who's very thoughtful and spends a lot of time figuring things out [ahead of time], so, usually, when we get to set, everything is well mapped out." Roven added: "Also, I think people have come to the realization that comic books, graphic novels, are a great source of material, just like any other literary genre. That's really gratifying. We set out to make what we thought was a really great film, irrespective of what the genre was."

THE SPIRIT
THE SPIRIT director Frank Miller said in a recent interview that the film will mix eras and influences. The much anticipated cinematic adaptation of Will Eisner's seminal comic follows young cop Denny Colt (Gabriel Macht) who becomes an urban hero called the Spirit after being declared deceased: a hero who fights the criminal element in Central City. Above all, THE SPIRIT is a romance. "It's romantic, but as in Sin City, you don't know what date it is," Miller said. "It's a very urban/Zorro story. I tried to make it as timeless as possible, so you will see cell phones and vintage cars and not really know where you are." Miller added: "It's my solo directorial debut, so of course that's exciting." Miller shared a director's credit with Robert Rodriguez on SIN CITY in 2005, which was based on Miller's own graphic novel. "I learned everything I know about directing from Robert Rodriguez. Everything," Miller said. "Mainly, I learned never to waste anyone's time. When the cameras are ready to roll, then the actors are ready to go [and so on]. No one gets tired, everyone steps lively, and I think it makes for a better movie." That feel may be not unlike the ambitious SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW, which Miller said had its moments, "Especially when Angelina Jolie put on the rocket- pack," Miller tittered. "That's always a plus." Miller added that his own powerful and beautiful female lead, Eva Mendes, will be even more memorable when "she does her march toward the camera. You really see who's boss in that scene. She is amazing." THE SPIRIT opens on Christmas Day.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2008

SHERLOCK HOLMES RELEASE DATE
Warner Bros. Pictures has set a November 20, 2009 release date for the Guy Ritchie- directed SHERLOCK HOLMES, starring Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Mark Strong and Kelly Reilly.
In the thriller, Downey Jr. brings the legendary detective to life as he has never been portrayed before. Jude Law stars as Holmes' trusted colleague, Watson, a doctor and war veteran who is a formidable ally for Sherlock Holmes. Rachel McAdams stars as Irene Adler, the only woman ever to have bested Holmes and who has maintained a tempestuous relationship with the detective. Mark Strong stars as their mysterious new adversary, Blackwood. Kelly Reilly will play Watson's love interest, Mary.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2008

EUREKA
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Jaime Ray Newman (Veronica Mars) has been tapped for a multi-episode arc on SCI FI Channel's original series EUREKA.

KEVIN SMITH SPACE COMEDY
According to the Hollywood Reporter, writer-director Kevin Smith is developing a futuristic outer-space comedy that will reference other SF movies and revolve around a father-son relationship. Smith has nodded to the genre in his earlier work but never made an SF film. Smith is aiming for a budget in the $45 million- $50 million range, which would be his biggest, the trade paper reported. He again will produce with partner Scott Mosier via their View Askew company. Harvey and Bob Weinstein, with whom Smith has collaborated on most of his movies, could reteam with Smith on the film. Insiders told the trade paper that Weinstein Co. executives have read part of the script and are interested in making the movie. Smith has finished a first draft of the script, but the project will not move forward until after his next project, RED STATE.

AFTER LIFE
Variety reports that Christina Ricci and Liam Neeson will star in the supernatural thriller AFTER.LIFE, with Bill Perkins and Plum Pictures producing. Agnieszka Wojtowicz-Vosloo will make her directorial feature debut, helming from her own screenplay. AFTER.LIFE centers on a young woman caught between life and death and a funeral director who appears to have the gift of transitioning the dead. The film, which has a Screen Actors Guild waiver, will begin shooting in November in the New York region.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2008

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA RETURNS JANUARY 16
The SciFi Channel announced that BATTLESTAR GALACTICA will return at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Jan. 16, 2009, with the remaining episodes of its fourth and final season. The 10-week run will culminate with the series finale on March 20.
(Spoilers ahead!)
The new episodes pick up from last June's cliffhanger, in which the Colonial fleet, led by Adm. Adama (Edward James Olmos) and the Galactica crew, and their new Cylon allies arrive on Earth only to find it a barren nuclear wasteland.

ODYSSEY
According to Variety, Brad Pitt will star in and George Miller will direct an SF take on Homer's THE ODYSSEY for Warner Brothers. Their intention is to transfer the tale to a futuristic setting in outer space. Warner has quietly set up THE ODYSSEY, and the early hope is that Pitt will star and Miller will direct, with Pitt's Plan B producing. Pitt played Achilles in the Wolfgang Petersen-directed TROY, a hit film that David Benioff adapted from Homer's The Iliad. THE ODYSSEY focuses on the exploits of Odysseus and his long journey home from the Trojan War.

STAR TREK
Entertainment Weekly has released an image of Zachary Quinto as Spock and Chris Pine as Captain James T. Kirk from J.J. Abram's upcoming STAR TREK movie, the cover of its Trek-themed issue due out on Oct. 17. The magazine also features an interview with director Abrams, who responds to William Shatner's YouTube.com video chastising Abrams for not including him in the film. Abrams has seen the video, of course. "I don't know how my life has become a thing where William Shatner talks to me through YouTube," Abrams told EW. "I was such a huge fan of his, but we wrote a scene for him in the movie, and it didn't feel right. And he said to us--he said publicly--that doing a cameo didn't interest him. Which I totally appreciate. But we did try." EW tried to reach Shatner, but he declined to be interviewed. Through a spokesperson, he said, "I don't think it would be appropriate for me to be involved in the Star Trek universe at this point." STAR TREK beams down May 9, 2009.

FIRE AND ICE
ALIAS and ANGEL's Amy Acker stars in SCI FI Channel's upcoming original movie FIRE AND ICE. "I have always wanted to do any sort of period piece," the Aker said in a recent interview. "I love horseback riding. I got to be a tomboy princess and fight dragons." Helmed by visual-effects supervisor-turned-director Pitof (Catwoman), FIRE AND ICE stars Acker as Luisa, a daddy's girl princess who must team up with a knight named Gabriel (300's Tom Wisdom) to save their kingdom from a menacing fire-breathing dragon. Joining Acker--who's due next in Joss Whedon's upcoming Fox SF series DOLLHOUSE--are such familiar genre faces as Arnold Vosloo (The Mummy) and John Rhys-Davies (the Lord of the Rings trilogy). "I couldn't really think of anything bad about it," Acker said. "It was great, and there were good people involved and a lot of British accents. It was fun to be the only girl with this group of guys and fighting along with them and doing all of that. I hope I get to work with all of them again. Maybe they can make it into a series!" Acker added that she welcomed the change from series television. "It was [also] a chance to do something totally different from your normal television show," she said. "The only thing that wasn't real was the dragon, but luckily they had already drawn up what he was going to look like. I haven't seen it finished, but [from] the pictures and early CG stuff they were doing it was this really cool dragon that looked different from any other dragon I'd ever seen. But it was easy to imagine it huge." FIRE AND ICE premieres Oct. 18 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

KINGS
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Brian Cox has been tapped to co-star opposite former BATTLESTAR GALACTICA star Katee Sackhoff on the legal drama LOST AND FOUND and has landed a major four-episode arc on the midseason drama series KINGS. KINGS, from Universal Media Studios, creator Michael Green and director Francis Lawrence, centers on David (Christopher Egan), an idealistic soldier who joins the court of King Silas (Ian McShane), monarch of the modern nation of Gilboa. Cox will play Silas' nemesis, former King Vesper. The show is a contemporary retelling of the biblical story of King David.

LEGEND PREVIEW
Lucy Lawless, wife of producer Rob Tapert and former XENA: THE WARRIOR PRINCESS, will host THE MAKING OF A LEGEND, a half-hour preview of the upcoming syndicated fantasy TV series LEGEND OF THE SEEKER, Oct. 18. The preview takes viewers on to the show's set in New Zealand to meet the stars, both on and off the screen, and will include 10 minutes of the premiere episode. LEGEND OF THE SEEKER follows the adventures of woodsman Richard Cypher (Craig Horner) and a beautiful and mysterious woman named Kahlan Amnell (Bridget Regan). When Richard discovers that he has powers from within, he is transformed into a magical leader to stop a sinister tyrant, Darken Rahl (Craig Parker). Kahlan serves as his protective guide, sworn to keep him safe from all harm. Zedd (Bruce Spence), a wise and powerful old wizard, accompanies Richard and Kahlan on their epic journey. The epic fantasy series, based on Terry Goodkind's Wizard's First Rule, premieres the week of Nov. 1.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2008

STAR TREK
Paramount Pictures has released the first batch of photos from J.J. Abrams reinvention of STAR TREK with the shots showing off the new crew in uniform, the new bridge, and Eric Bana as the Romulan villain.

SLEEPER
Variety reports that Warner Brothers has tapped Brad Ingelsby to write SLEEPER, an adaptation of the DC Comics/Wildstorm comic being produced by Sam Raimi with Star Road Entertainment partner Josh Donen and starring Leonardo DiCaprio and will be directed by Ridley Scott.
The comic, written by Ed Brubaker, centers on an operative whose fusion with an alien artifact makes him impervious to pain and allows him to pass the ability on to others through skin contact. He is placed undercover in a villainous organization by an intelligence agency and falls for a member of the group named Miss Misery. DiCaprio has replaced the previously attached Tom Cruise.

MEDIUM
According to the Hollywood Reporter, NBC has ordered three more scripts for MEDIUM; the midseason drama typically joins NBC's schedule during the winter, but the production has been told to be ready to go on the air earlier than usual, suggesting the series might join NBC's lineup sometime before the end of the year.

XENA REUNION POSSIBLE?
Rob Tapert, former producer of XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS, said during a recent interview that pretty much everyone involved in the old show would love to see Xena (Lucy Lawless) pick up her chakram once again for a TV movie or some other kind of reunion project. Tapert said he even had an idea in mind, but that matters are entirely out of his hands. "That's a Universal question," Tapert said, adding: "Meaning [NBC] Universal ... Television [Group]. I don't control the strings."
Xena ran from 1995-2001 and starred Lawless--aka Mrs. Rob Tapert--as the title heroine and Renee O'Connor as her plucky sidekick, Gabrielle. The show was both a mainstream and cult success during its time on the air, and to this day its stars and makers attend conventions worldwide. Unfortunately, fans' hopes for a reunion movie have yet to be realized. "We've said long ago that we'd love to do something," Tapert said. "We have a fun, 300-style idea for it. ... I can't answer [why nothing's happening]."

THE ROAD
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Viggo Mortensen's dark thriller THE ROAD, a Dimension title from the Weinstein Co., originally was set for a Nov. 14 limited and Nov. 26 wide release, has been shifted until at least December--and might be moved out of 2008 altogether. Executives are scheduled to meet with THE ROAD's producers this week to discuss whether the movie will debut this year; the discussions come as Harvey Weinstein has pushed ahead with Stephen Daldry's THE READER for a Dec. 10 opening.
2929 Entertainment and Nick Wechsler Productions are producing the film, based on Cormac McCarthy's post-apocalyptic tale about a man and his son wandering a bleak landscape. John Hillcoat's movie, shot this year mainly in Pennsylvania, is in post-production and is not finished, those familiar with the project told the trade paper.

THE MENTALIST
CBS announced yesterday that it would be picking up THE MENTALIST, the most-watched new series of the fall, for a full season order. The order comes closely on the heels of CBS asking for six extra scripts -- which will now become part of the show's back nine episodes.
Starring Simon Baker as a debunked TV psychic-turned-highly observant consultant to the California Bureau of Investigation, THE MENTALIST is averaging about 16.1 million viewers a week this season. That puts it in the top 10 of all shows and several million viewers ahead of any of its fellow freshmen. CBS says the series is also the top newcomer in the adults 25-54 demographic, where it's drawing a 5.3 rating. It's also doing pretty well in the 18-49 demo; its 3.8 rating trails only FOX's "Fringe" (4.6) among new shows. THE MENTALIST is the third new show to be picked up for a full season, following FRINGE and The CW's "90210."
The series also stars Robin Tunney, Amanda Righetti, Tim Kang and Owain Yeoman. Bruno Heller ("Rome") is the creator and executive producer.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2008

DRAG ME TO HELL
Producer Rob Tapert said in a recent interview promoting GHOST HOUSE UNDERGROUND, a DVD set of horror movies, that Sam Raimi is returning to his horror roots in the upcoming DRAG ME TO HELL. "It's Sam Raimi doing what Sam Raimi does best, which is going out of his way and using every trick in the book and every talent that he has to entertain the audience," Tapert said. "So it's a throwback to Sam Raimi somewhere between DARKMAN and EVIL DEAD II and ARMY OF DARKNESS. So it's a movie that's a roller coaster ride in the dark."
In DRAG ME TO HELL, Alison Lohman plays Christine, a young loan officer who denies a mortgage extension to an elderly lady (Lorna Raver) and pays the ultimate price: She's cursed by the old woman. "Part of the beauty of DRAG ME TO HELL was Sam pretty much had absolute, total creative control and yet really not the enormous pressures you have when you're dealing with a hundreds-of-millions-of-dollar franchise like SPIDER-MAN," Tapert said. "So he was able to do a lot of things that he'd been dying to do."
Universal Pictures will release DRAG ME TO HELL, which also stars Jessica Lucas (Cloverfield), Justin Long (Idiocracy) and David Paymer, on May 29, 2009.

JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS
Variety reports that NBC is developing a new take on JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS, which would be produced as the first-ever green-screen drama developed for prime time. Media Rights Capital is behind JASON, which comes from executive producers Josh and Jonas Pate (Surface). The network has given a put pilot commitment to the project, which it secured after a fierce bidding war. As for ARGONAUTS, the project is NBC's second stab this decade at the topic. NBC aired the unrelated Robert Halmi miniseries JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS, starring Jason London, Frank Langella and Dennis Hopper, in 2000.
The Greek myth also has drawn interest in the feature world: Zak Penn is writing and producing THE ARGONAUTS for 20th Century Fox, while DreamWorks also has a project titled THE ARGONAUTS in the works.

AVATAR
James Cameron was interviewed by CBC's "The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos" and talked about his anticipated December 18, 2009 opener, AVATAR. The sci-fi action-adventure tells the story of an ex-Marine, thrust unwillingly into an effort to settle and exploit an exotic planet rich in bio-diversity, who eventually crosses over to lead the indigenous race in a battle for survival. Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez, Giovanni Ribisi, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Peter Mensah, Laz Alonso, Wes Studi, Stephen Lang and Matt Gerald star. You can watch the clip at www.cbc.ca/thehour.

HEADSHOT
According to Variety, Warner Bros. has picked up screen rights for HEADSHOT, and has set scriptwriter Alessandro Camon to adapt the three-book graphic novel series by Alexis Nolent. The film will be produced by Alexandra Milchan and Smallville creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar. In HEADSHOT, an unlikely alliance between a cop and a hitman takes place after each watches his partner die. The new partners seek revenge and discover they have a shared enemy and much in common despite being on opposite sides of the law. No production date has been set.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2008

TOP 10 BEST-SELLING SF&F BOOKS
The Shack
Brisingr (Inheritance 3)
Twilight
Breaking Dawn (Twilight 4)
New Moon (Twilight 2)
Eclipse (Twilight 3)
The Tales of Beedle the Bard
The Graveyard Book
Living Dead in Dallas (Southern Vampire 2)
Inkdeath (Inkheart)
Source: Amazon.com, 10/10/08

IRON MAN 2
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Don Cheadle is stepping in to replace Terrence Howard in IRON MAN 2, Marvel Studios' sequel to its summer blockbuster. In the first film, Howard played Jim Rhodes, Tony Stark/Iron Man's best friend and the future armor-clad hero War Machine. One scene featured Howard looking at a silver suit of armor and saying "Next time," a line that caused great delight for fans. But there will be no next time for Howard. Marvel had no comment, but sources close to the deal told the trade paper that negotiations with Howard fell through over financial differences, among other reasons. Marvel, which had wanted to work with Cheadle, then decided to take the role in another direction and approached the actor. Rhodes is expected to play a larger part in the sequel, which is rumored to go beyond high-tech villains. Justin Theroux is writing the screenplay. Jon Favreau is returning as director, and Robert Downey Jr. is expected back as billionaire industrialist Stark/Iron Man. Gwyneth Paltrow also is expected to be back as Stark's assistant, Pepper Potts.

VALENTINE/EAST MONEY PRODUCTION HALTS
Variety reports that Media Rights Capital has halted production, for now, on The CW's fantasy series VALENTINE and a second show, EASY MONEY. Officially, MRC said the four to six week hiatus was pre-planned and that the time off will allow scribes to catch up on the shows' writing schedules. Shooting won't entirely stop, however, as both VALENTINE and EASY MONEY complete episodes already written (believed to be eight episodes in both series' cases). An MRC spokeswoman said the company still plans to produce all 13 episodes of its initial orders for both shows. But others tell the trade paper that the hiatus will also give MRC a chance to continue examining both shows' ratings in the coming weeks and decide whether it makes financial sense to finish out the orders for one, both or neither. Early ratings for both have been disappointing, with VALENTINE's second episode posting a 0.4 rating and 1 share among adults 18-49 this past Sunday.

KNIGHT RIDER - 4 MORE EPISODES ORDERED
According to Variety, NBC has ordered four more scripts of its new KNIGHT RIDER from Universal Media Studios. The update of the 1980s talking-car show has performed so-so overall in the ratings but has gained traction with young men in its Wednesday 8 p.m. timeslot in three airings. The series stars Justin Bruening and is executive- produced by Gary Scott Thompson, Doug Liman and Dave Bartis.

SHERLOCK HOLMES
Although we will have to wait a long time to see the film in theaters (2010), the internet is sporting a new batch of photos from the set of SHERLOCK HOLMES in London. This new set features Jude Law in period garb as the titular detective's trusted collegue Dr. Watson. Over the weekend Just Jared revealed a set of photos with Robert Downey Jr. in costume. The film stars Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Mark Strong and Kelly Reilly. Ritchie is handling the directing duties, based on a screenplay that he co-wrote with Tony Peckham.
Plot Summary: Robert Downey Jr. brings the legendary detective to life as he has never been portrayed before. Jude Law stars as Holmes' trusted colleague, Watson, a doctor and war veteran who is a formidable ally for Sherlock Holmes. Rachel McAdams stars as Irene Adler, the only woman ever to have bested Holmes and who has maintained a tempestuous relationship with the detective. Mark Strong stars as their mysterious new adversary, Blackwood. Kelly Reilly will play Watson's love interest, Mary.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2011

HEADHUNTERS
Deadline reports that Summit Entertainment has plans to develop an American film based on the Norwegian novel Headhunters. Released in Norway in 2008 and domestically just last month, the international bestseller launched a novel series by author Jo Nesbø, who describes the first book as follows on his official site:
"Headhunters" introduces us to the charming villain Roger Brown, a man who seems to have it all: he is Norway’s most successful headhunter, married to the beautiful gallery owner Diana, owns a magnificent house – and is living larger than he should. Meanwhile, he is playing at the dangerous game of art theft. At a gallery opening, his wife introduces him to the Dutchman Clas Greve. Not only is Greve the perfect candidate for the CEO position of the GPS company Pathfinder that Roger Brown is recruiting for; he is also in possession of ”The Calydonian Boar Hunt” by Peter Paul Rubens, one of the most sought-after paintings in modern art history. Roger sees his chance to become financially independent, and starts planning his biggest hit ever. But soon, he runs into trouble – and it’s not financial problems that are threatening to knock him over this time… The winding, explosive plot takes us from society’s financial and industrial elite to an underworld of contract killers and swindlers, offering Nesbo’s variations on the most spectacular murders, car chases and escapes that the genre has to offer on the way.
Yellow Bird Productions (who produced the original film versions of Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy) released a film adaptation of Headhunters earlier this year.

THE AVENGERS
A preview of tomorrow's release of the trailer to Marvel's The Avengers has just aired on Entertainment Tonight and it's already online at YouTube.
Opening in theaters on May 4, the Joss Whedon action adventure stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgård and Samuel L. Jackson.
Marvel's The Avengers is the superhero team up of a lifetime. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as SHIELD, finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins.

DREDD
On Friday, some potentially troublesome word broke through The LA Times that suggested that Dredd director Pete Travis was no longer involved in the film and that writer/producer Alex Garland had stepped in as his post-production replacement. Today, an official update has been issued from both Travis and Garland that reads as follows:
"During all stages of the filmmaking, 'Dredd' has been a collaboration between a number of dedicated creative parties. From the outset we decided on an unorthodox collaboration to make the film. This situation has been misinterpreted. To set the record straight, Pete was not fired and remains a central part of the collaboration, and Alex is not seeking a co-director credit. We are all extremely proud of the film we have made, and respectfully suggest that it is judged on viewing when its released next year."
Set in a dystopian future, the adaptation of the British comic book anthology "2000 A.D." (within which Judge Dredd is a recurring story) focuses on a police force given the power to act as judge, jury and executioner to whomsoever they perceive to be part of the criminal element.
The source material was previously adapted into a film in 1995 with Sylvester Stallone in the lead. This version features Karl Urban as Dredd with a supporting cast that includes Olivia Thirlby and Lena Headey.
Dredd is still planned for release in 2D and 3D on September 21, 2012.

WE ARE MORTALS
Tom Cruise is in talks to star in Doug Liman's sci-fi war thriller "We Are Mortals" at Warner Bros. Pictures says The Hollywood Reporter.
Based on Hiroshi Sakurazaka's 2004 novel "All You Need is Kill", the story follows a new recruit sent out to fight off an alien invasion and finding himself in a Groundhog Day-esque scenario of dying on the battlefield and being reborn each day.
Five months into this cycle though, he notices something different than the previous versions - a female soldier who may be the key to his escape. Dante Harper adapted the script.
Brad Pitt had previously been offered the role in the "Groundhog Day-meets-Halo" film. No production schedule has yet been set.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2011

WORLD WAR Z
The zombie-filled set of World War Z is suddenly defenseless—because a Hungarian SWAT team recently shut down the production after learning that illegal weapons were being used on set.
World War Z is currently shooting in Budapest, where authorities were notified that a massive amount of "live weapons" were in possession. The police felt that this was "an accident waiting to happen," so they went in and seized a variety of guns, which included sniper rifles and AK-47s. After it was all said and done, they racked up a total of 85 firearms.
The weapons used weren't supposed to be fully functioning, but in this case, they were. Hajdu Janos and Zsolt Bodnar, the director and deputy director of Hungary's Anti-Terrorism Unit, said, "Guns like these are highly illegal to transport even if they were to used as stage guns, which hopefully they weren't."
A World War Z spokesperson told E! News, "We are working with the authorities to resolve the matter and have no further comment at this time."
With a production of this magnitude, carrying fully functioning automatic weapons is a dangerous error that can have life-altering consequences.
The police are currently interviewing witnesses and trying to get to the bottom of this mixup.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2011

SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN
The Oscar-winning actress is strapping into some serious finery to play the Evil Queen who gives Snow White and her noble prince a run for their money. Oh, and there an overflowing handful of dwarves.
Immortals' Tarsem is directing this still-untitled Snow White flick—not to be confused with Snow White and the Huntsman, starring Kristen Stewart and Chris Hemsworth—with an eye towards being the family-friendly alternative to the darker Huntsman.
The Blind Side's Lily Collins plays this Snow White, and she has nothing but fear for Robert's Evil Queen:
"She gets in character and stays there. ... She's 'Julia' and graceful and an amazing woman, but on-screen, when she turns ... the way she's playing the queen, people feel really bad for Snow White."

SANCTUARY RETURNS
Season-four premiere! With Helen in the past trying to stop Adam and an army of Abnormals from Hollow Earth about to invade the surface, it looks like the Sanctuary team will have their hands full when the series premieres.

DR. SEUSS
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Illumination Entertainment and Infinitum Nihil are developing a live-action movie about the life of classic children's author and illustrator Dr. Seuss (aka Theodor Geisel). Johnny Depp will produce the project with the potential to star as Seuss, and Universal Pictures will distribute. Keith Bunin (In Treatment) has been hired to write the screenplay.
Depp is producing with Infinitum Nihil partner Christi Dembrowski, Illumination's Christopher Meledandri and David Kennedy.
With Depp already having brought to life the Mad Hatter, Peter Pan author J.M. Barrie and Willy Wonka, the iconic Seuss seems a great fit for his chameleonic personality and recent desire to make family films. While producers say that the film is unlikely to take the fantastical CGI-coated style of Alice in Wonderland, which grossed more than a billion dollars worldwide with Depp in the lead, they are not ruling out animated bells and whistles. As some of the most popular works of all time, Geisel's books have sold more than 200 million copies worldwide.
Geisel was born in 1904 and spent much of his childhood in Springfield, Massachusetts before going to college at Dartmouth. Throughout his early years, he drew advertising and comic strips, then political cartoons during World War II. By 1950, Geisel was publishing the books that became worldwide classics. He died of throat cancer in 1991.
Universal and Illumination, which paired on last year's $543-million grossing Despicable Me, are in post-production on an animated adaptation of Seuss's The Lorax, which hits theaters in March. The Seuss estate must be happy with their handling of the author's work to open up the man's life to further cinematic interpretation. Universal produced How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) and The Cat in the Hat (2003) from classic Seuss works, as well.
The UTA-repped Depp last starred in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, which grossed north of a billion this year, and provided the lead voice in the animated film Rango. He will next star in The Rum Diary and the Martin Scorsese-directed Hugo, which opens at Thanksgiving. Depp has Dark Shadows, with frequent collaborator Tim Burton, hitting theaters in May, and a possible starring role as Tonto in a Disney version of The Lone Ranger.
Illumination produced Hop, which was released in April, and it has Despicable Me 2 in production for a Summer 2013 release. The company has projects in the works on The Addams Family, Uglydolls, Curious George and Emily the Strange.

THIN MAN
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Billy Ray, the writer-director of Shattered Glass and Breach, has been tapped to write The Thin Man, an adaptation of the classic Dashiell Hammett novel. Johnny Depp is attached to star and Rob Marshall is attached to direct the Warner Bros. project.
William Powell and Myrna Loy starred in the 1934 adaptation of the book, which centered on former private detective-turned-professional drunkard Nick Charles, his lovely socialite wife Nora and their schnauzer Asta as they investigate a murder involving an eccentric inventor and his bizarre family. The film led to five more movies and a TV series.
The project is a priority at the studio, but it has been putting writers through the spin cycle. Jerry Stahl was initially on board to write. Then David Koepp was brought on, but he left when his vision didn’t line up with Marshall’s, forcing a hunt for a new scribe.
Depp will produce Thin Man with his Infinitum Nihil partner Christi Dembrowski. Former Warner Bros. exec Kevin McCormick is producing via his studio-based Langley Park.
Ray has been on a studio hot streak of late. He is writing Peter Pan Begins for producer Joe Roth and Columbia, where he also has A Captain’s Duty, the story of boat captain Richard Phillips and his days-long ordeal with Somali pirates. (Tom Hanks is attached to the latter.)
Repped by CAA and Management 360, Ray is also working on the 24 movie at Fox, and he is writing an English-language remake of the Oscar-winning 2009 Argentinean thriller The Secret in Their Eyes for himself to direct at Warners.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
Shawn Levy's father-son boxing tale Real Steel has a clear shot at the weekend box office crown on the strength of families and fanboys, while the George Clooney-directed political drama Ides of March will rely on older adults.
Conservative estimates show Real Steel -- starring Hugh Jackman -- opening in the $22 million-$25 million range. Disney is distributing the film. From DreamWorks, the $110 million pic introduces the sport of robot boxing and is set in the near future. Jackman's character, a washed-up fighter, discovers he has an 11-year-old son, and the two bond over a junkyard robot they discover.
The biggest question is whether males under 25 will show up (they've been AWOL from the multiplex in recent months).
Real Steel, rated PG-13, tested best among families in prereleasing screenings. Disney believes Sunday business could be strong, since Monday is the Columbus Day holiday, when 36% of kids are out of school.
Overseas, the DreamWorks pic opens in a handful of major markets, including Mexico, Russia and Australia (Jackman's home country).
In North America, Real Steel opens in 3,440 locations, including Imax theaters. Ides of March goes out in 2,199.
Sony is distributing Ides of March -- starring Clooney, Ryan Gosling and Philip Seymour Hoffman -- for Cross Creek pictures, which fully financed the $12.5 million political thriller.
The well-reviewed Ides of March, set during a presidential campaign, should benefit from its topical subject matter. The film is tracking best among women and men over the age of 25, but Sony expects some younger moviegoers to turn out as well.
At the specialty box office, Emilio Estevez's The Way, starring the director's father, Martin Sheen, opens in 33 locations. The film is being distributing the Producers Distribution Agency.
The Weinstein Co. opens Dirty Girl, starring Juno Temple, in nine locations, while IFC opens sequel Human Centipede 2: Full Sequence in 18.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2011

GODZILLA
Images of an impressive Godzilla sculpture created by Hector A. Arce are swirling around the monster-verse and if this is what they're eventually going with, this remake project is going to crush all pretenders.
Arce made the artwork several years ago and its retro coolness led to his joining Legendary's design team. According to website Infamous Kidd, aside from a few minor tweaks, this will be the final version used in the movie. Last year, we were given a sneak peek at an anime-style Godzilla poster and a menacing dino-head mock-up based on Arce's rendering that energized Tokyo-trouncing fanatics and gave an idea where the design team was leaning—mean, macho and more scaly spikes. And apparently the use of CGI will be limited, instead relying on the more old-school rubber-suited rendition.
In this era of motion-capture magic, use of rubber-suits seems a bit odd. But director Gareth Edwards did some amazing things on his laptop with the micro-budgeted indie horror flick, Monsters. Wonder what he'll concoct with a much bigger wallet? Godzilla's 2012 return to respectable, King of the Monsters glory hinges on him alone.
We'll have to wait and see if rumors ring true but it's definitely a thudding step in the right direction.

THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN
The more we see of Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson's The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn, the more we're willing to overlook the whole "dead-eyes" thing and give it a shot.
Maybe it's because this international trailer concentrates a lot more on action than interaction, and as such it summons a pretty heady Indiana Jones vibe, but looking at this, I'm way more inclined to strap in for Tintin than I was before.
It's fast, has a sense of humor and seems to have a flirting relationship with physics as we know it. Looks like fun to me.

NEW X-FILES?
The director of Iron Man and Cowboys & Aliens, the co-creator of Fringe and the co-creator of Robot Chicken assembled together for one project. It sounds like an unlikely superhero team-up, but news broke today that the trio is working on a new sci-fi pilot for ABC, set in the White House. Is this the next big government conspiracy show?
This sci-fi dream team (which also includes X2 co-writer Michael Dougherty and Orci's writing and producing partner Alex Kurtzman) has come together to produce Ex-Comm, a series focusing on a new president and his elite executive committee ("ex-comm") of advisors that focus on strange happenings and "conspiracy theory truths" throughout America. If it sounds like The X-Files meets The West Wing, that's exactly what they want you to think. The idea is to create a sci-fi drama with a sense of humor that blends sci-fi and supernatural suspense with political intrigue.
The idea originated with Green and Dougherty, who then pitched it to Orci and Kurtzman's production company. Orci and Kurtzman got on board, then tapped Favreau while they worked on Cowboys & Aliens together. All four are signed on to be executive producers for the series (along with Orci and Kurtzman's producing partner Heather Kadin and Green's Robot Chicken pal Matthew Senreich), and Favreau himself is set to direct the pilot.
No word yet on when we might see footage from this bad boy, but it's hard not to get excited about a project with this many big names behind it.

BATMAN: YEAR ONE
Batman: Year One is based on the landmark 1987 DC Comics titles from 12-time Eisner Award winner Frank Miller and illustrator David Mazzucchelli. The film depicts young Bruce Wayne’s return to Gotham City in his first attempts to fight injustice as a costumed vigilante. The playboy billionaire chooses the guise of a giant bat to combat crime, creates an early bond with a young Lieutenant James Gordon (who is already battling corruption from inside the police department), inadvertently plays a role in the birth of Catwoman, and helps to bring down a crooked political system that infests Gotham.
Primetime television stars Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), Ben McKenzie (Southland, The O.C.), Eliza Dushku (Dollhouse, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica) provide the core voices for Batman: Year One. Three-time Emmy® Award winner Cranston gives voice to young Jim Gordon, while McKenzie makes his animated voiceover debut as Bruce Wayne/Batman. Fanboy favorites Dushku and Sackhoff fill the roles of Selina Kyle/Catwoman and Detective Sarah Essen, respectively. Alex Rocco (The Godfather) is the voice of crime lord Carmine Falcone.
Animation master Bruce Timm is executive producer of Batman: Year One. Directors are Lauren Montgomery (Superman/Batman: Apocalypse) and Sam Liu (All-Star Superman) from a script penned by Academy Award® nominee Tab Murphy (Gorillas in the Mist, Superman/Batman: Apocalypse).
Here is a new clip just received from the WB:
BatmanYearOne.wmv

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

WALKING DEAD
As part of the warm-up for the October 16th premiere of The Walking Dead's second season, AMC hatched Torn Apart, a six-episode web series chronicling one mother's indoctrination to the zombie holocaust.
If I have one critique of these gore-ific gems directed by makeup maestro (and Walking Dead co-executive producer) Greg Nicotero, it's that Torn Apart begins much in the same way that the series did: With our main character waking up to find that the apocalypse began without him or, in this case, her.
Still, these are all very much worth a watch.

http://www.amctv.com/the-walking-dead/videos/the-walking-dead-webisodes-1-a-new-day
http://www.amctv.com/the-walking-dead/videos/the-walking-dead-webisodes-2-family-matters
http://www.amctv.com/the-walking-dead/videos/the-walking-dead-webisodes-3-domestic-violence
http://www.amctv.com/the-walking-dead/videos/the-walking-dead-webisodes-4-neighborly-advice
http://www.amctv.com/the-walking-dead/videos/the-walking-dead-webisodes-5-step-mother
http://www.amctv.com/the-walking-dead/videos/the-walking-dead-webisodes-6-everything-dies.

MORE DISNEY GREATS COMING
Throwing open its vault with unprecedented gusto, Disney has announced it will rerelease four of its classic animated films in 3D, including two Pixar titles -- Beauty and the Beast, Finding Nemo, Monsters, Inc. and The Little Mermaid.
The sweeping announcement follows the runaway success of the 3D rerelease of The Lion King, which has grossed nearly $100 million worldwide in less than a month. Today, the rerelease jumps the $80 million mark at the domestic box office.
First out of the gate is Beauty and the Beast in 3D, which begins its limited theatrical run on Jan. 13, 2012. The animated film, grossing $377.4 million worldwide, was first released in 1991 and, like Lion King, spawned a long-running Broadway show, as well as regional tours.
Beauty and the Beast is followed on Sept. 14 by Pixar's 3D update of Finding Nemo, first released in 2003 and grossing $868 million to date worldwide.
Pixar's Monsters, Inc in 3D will debut on Jan. 18, 2013, six months before prequel Monsters University on June 21. Monsters, Inc. originally hit theaters in 2001, earning an estimated $524.5 million globally.
The Little Mermaid in 3D goes out on Sept. 13, 2013. It first hit theaters in 1989, and has grossed $211.3 million worldwide. It also was adapted into a musical stage show.
"Great stories and great characters are timeless, and at Disney we're fortunate to have a treasure trove of both," Walt Disney Studios president Alan Bergman said.

THE LAST STAND
Jaimie Alexander and Rodrigo Santoro have joined the cast of The Last Stand, reports Variety and Latino Review, respectively.
Already set to star Arnold Schwarzenegger, Peter Stormare and Zach Gilford, the project is the first American film from Kim Jee-Woon (I Saw the Devil, The Good, The Bad, The Weird) and tells the story of an American sheriff battling against a Mexican drug cartel. Jee-woon described the project as follows:
"[I]t's kind of a combination of 'Die Hard' and 'High Noon' where (the latter) was about protecting something very important that needs to be protected, while 'Die Hard' is a very drawn-out, long process that almost kills someone in the process. So my film will be something that has to be very well protected and, in the process, we almost die protecting it in a way."
Alexander, who recently starred as Sif in Marvel Studios' Thor, will play the female lead, a cop named Sarah Torrance. Santoro, best known for 300, will play her romantic interest, another cop named Frank Martinez.

MISTER ED MOVIE?
Fox 2000 has plans to bring the 1960's sitcom Mister Ed to the big screen, says a story at The Hollywood Reporter.
The original series, which ran for six seasons, celebrated the 50th anniversary of its pilot broadcast last Saturday. The show starred Alan Young as Wilbur Post, an architect who winds up owning a talking horse, Mister Ed (voiced by Allan Lane) that tends to speak only to him, constantly putting Wilbur in embarrassing situations.
Jim Mahoney is set to produce the adaptation, of which few details are currently known outside of the fact that Ed will be a real horse with CGI lip movements.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2011

UNIVERSAL SOLDIER REBOOT
Were you a fan of Roland Emmerich's 1992 sci-fi flick Universal Soldier? While we must admit, the the film spawned a few mediocre sequels, there are fond memories of the original one starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren. And now it's going to be rebooted for TV.
Deadline has just revealed that there are currently plans to bring Universal Soldier to the small screen:
Those of you who cheered when Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren went mano-a-mano in Roland Emmerich's 1992 sci-flick Universal Soldier will be pleased to know that it is being rebooted as a TV series.
Damian Kindler (Stargate, Sanctuary) is writing the show, which will be produced by FremantleMedia North America, the U.S. arm of the London-based TV producer. Allen Shapiro and Craig Baumgarten, who produced the original movie, will be executive producers.
Shapiro is currently chairman of TV Guide Network and was a founder of Mosaic Media Group, while Baumgarten's movie credits include Hook and Shattered Glass. Baumgarten has a long track record as a studio executive including stints at Paramount, Columbia, Fox and Lorimar.
The film starred a kickass Jean-Claude Van Damme—then at the height of his popularity—as a dead (yes, you read right — dead) Viet-Nam war hero who faced off against another dead Viet-Nam vet who was quite insane (that's 'cause he cut Viet-cong's ears and such things) and was played by Dolph Lundgren.
The basic story went like this: Government uses the bodies of dead soldiers in a secret Army experiment including cryogenics, computer implants and physical alterations to turn them into perfect little soldier boys. Everything goes smooth until two of them (Van Damme and Lundgren) regain their memories. The two were former mortal enemies in Nam a few decades back so they start beating the crap out of each other, again. The good one wins. Ta-da!
We don't know about you, but we think that it's rather a cool piece of news. We just hope they can do something along the lines of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and make a show that's rich in terms of mythology and story.

NOAH
Paramount Pictures and New Regency Productions jointly announced today that Academy Award-nominated director Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan) will direct the feature film Noah, with Academy Award-nominated screenwriter John Logan (Gladiator, The Aviator) coming aboard to re-write the script by Aronofsky and Ari Handel.
"Since I was a kid, I have been moved and inspired by the story of Noah and his family's journey. The imaginations of countless generations have sparked to this epic story of faith. It's my hope that I can present a window into Noah's passion and perseverance for the silver screen," said Aronofsky.
Aronofsky and Scott Franklin will produce the movie.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2011

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
Alcon Entertainment and Warner Bros.' inspirational Dolphin Tale took the No. 1 spot in its second weekend with $14.2 million, wresting the box office crown from fellow family pic The Lion King.
Dolphin Tale fell only 27 percent--proving again the clout of an A+ CinemaScore—and ended the weekend with a domestic cume of $37.5 million. The movie's staying power is a victory for Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove's Alcon, the same production company behind The Blind Side, another film that played to both general moviegoers and faith-based audiences.
"It's resonating with audiences everywhere in North America, from big cities to small towns," Warner executive vice president of domestic distribution Jeff Goldstein said.
Moneyball also stayed in the limelight in its second outing, declining 37 percent to an estimated $12.5 million for a cume of $38.5 million and coming in No. 2.
The Lion King re-release came in No. 3, grossing an estimated $11.1 million for a domestic total of $79.7 million.The weekend’s four new films paled in comparison to Dolphin Tale, Moneyball and Lion King, although faith-based pic Courageous pulled off its own surprise upset in nearly beating Joseph Gordon-Levitt-Seth Rogen cancer dramedy 50/50, and easily besting Anna Faris-Chris Evans R-rated comedy What’s Your Number? and Daniel Craig-Rachel Weisz horror pic Dream House.
50/50 and Courageous ended the weekend in a virtual tie. From Summit Entertaiment and Mandate Pictures, 50/50 grossed an estimated 8.9 million to take No. 4, although Courageous was right behind with $8.58 million. The order won’t be resolved until Monday morning.
"What a great weekend for us, between Moneyball and Courageous. Moneyball had a tremendous hold, while Courageous, only costing $2 million to make, was a huge success. It hit home for that core audience," Sony worldwide president of distribution Rory Bruer said.
50/50 came in on the lower end of predictions, considering it is a critical darling and received an A- CinemaScore. The film skewed slightly female at 53 percent, while 83 percent of the audience was between the ages of 18 and 49. Between reviews and the A- CinemaScore, Summit believes the film will have strong legs.
"While it's true that we came in a little less than expected, I think we will end up in a good place," Summit president of distribution Richie Fay said.
Sherwood Pictures and Tri-Star’s Courageous played in only a fraction of the locations its competitors were and, like Dolphin Tale, received an A+ CinemaScore. The film scored a location average of $7,151, the best of any pic in wide release.
Courageous, about four police officers who grapple with their faith and fatherhood, did big business in the Southeast and Bible Belt. Courageous is the fourth title from the film unit of the Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia, and cost $2 million to produce.
Morgan Creek’s Dream House opened to No. 6 with $8.2 million, and received a B CinemaScore. Universal is distributing the pic for Morgan Creek. The film was beset with controversy over conflicts between Morgan Creek and director Jim Sheridan, and wasn’t screened for critics.
New Regency and Fox’s What’s Your Number? opened to No. 8 with an even softer-than-expected $5.6 million. Regency fully financed the R-rated comedy, which had to battle poor reviews, although it drew a B CinemaScore.
What's Your Number was narrowly beat out by holdover Abduction, which fell 48 percent in its second weekend to an estimated $5.7 million for a domestic cume of $19.1 million.
The specialty box office brought mixed results. Sony Pictures Classics' Michael Shannon-Jessica Chastain starrer Take Shelter grossed an estimated $56,171 from three theaters in New York and L.A. for a solid per location average of $18,724.
Kenneth Lonergan's long-delayed Margaret grossed $7,496 from two theaters in L.A. and New York for a muted average of $3,748.
Satirical documentary Sarah Palin: You Betcha!, from Freestyle Entertaiment, failed to whip up much interest in its debut, grossing $7,374 for a location average of $1,229. Freestyle saw more interest for horror pic Munger Road, which grossed $38,855 as it opened in one theater in the Chicago area.
Gerard Butler adventure-drama Marchine Gun Preacher expanded into a total of 33 theaters in its second weekend, grossing an estimated $82,000 for a cume of $140,999 and location average of $2,485. IFC's Weekend moved into a total of six theaters in its second outing, grossing $48,000 for a cume of $91,000 and theater average of $8,000.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2011

. FRIDAY RATINGS
In the second week, many of Friday's original fare dipped, with the exception of the only unscripted offering and a CW action thriller.
Even with A Gifted Man, CSI: NY and Blue Bloods all dropping in Week 2 of the television season, CBS still managed to come out of the night on top, averaging 9.8 million viewers and a 1.5 rating among adults 18-49 in primetime.
A Gifted Man (8.1 million, 1.2) remained the top-rated and most-watched scripted series in its 8 p.m. time slot, sinking two-tenths from its debut. The Patrick Wilson drama improved CBS' average in the time period in total viewership (37 percent increase) and the demos. CSI: NY (9.6 million, 1.6) was No. 1 in all key categories, including adults 25-54 (2.3) and the same could be said for Blue Bloods (11.1 million, 1.8).
Fox's Fringe (3.1 million, 1.2) performed lower in the ratings for its second episode of its fourth season, even though Kitchen Nightmares (4 million, 1.6) remained steady from last week. Fox narrowly edged out NBC to take the No. 2 spot in the demo for Friday, averaging a 1.4.
NBC's Dateline (6.2 million, 1.6) carried the network to third place in the 18-49 demo for the night (1.3). ABC's 20/20 delivered 4 million and a 1.2 rating at 10 p.m.
The CW's action thriller Nikita (1.8 million, 0.6) was steady from its premiere, while Supernatural (1.8 million, 0.7) dropped a tenth.

MARVEL NEWS
According to the Hollywood Reporter, when DC Comics announced that it would be relaunching its titles, longtime followers of its comics were hesitant.
Now, according to the New York Times, DC Comics' gamble seems to be paying off. In the past five weeks, since the first of the DC Comics series, Justice League, was restarted, in the company's effort to grab new readership, have increased exponentially.
For instance, the Justice League's first issue has sold more than 200,000 copies compared to the 46,000 it averaged for the last issues before the restart.
Nine other series, including Action Comics, Batgirl and the Flash, have doubled average sales, selling more than 100,000 copies, the Times reports. That benchmark had not been reached in several years.
DC Comics has also been offering its titles digitally the same day they are released in stores, but according to Brian Hibbs, who owns Comix Experience in San Francisco, that won't be a detriment. “I’m pleasantly surprised by how enthusiastic the demand for print copies has been," he told the Times. But, the Times notes that digital sales figures have not been released.

JEFF CONAWAY'S DEATH RULED ACCIDENTAL
Taxi, Grease and Babylon 5 actor Jeff Conaway's death on May 27 was accidental and caused by major internal infection, according to a coroner's report released Friday.
A toxicology test was not conducted on the actor, who had a history of drug problems, because he had been hospitalized for weeks before his death and his blood would have come back clean, Los Angeles County coroner Craig Harvey told the Associated Press.
When Conaway entered the hospital on May 10, he did register opiates and other drugs in his system. He was put into a medically induced coma a week later and taken off life support on May 26.
Conaway discussed his addiction struggles as part of the VH1 reality show Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew in 2008. He was a team captain for Season 3 of the cable outlet's Celebrity Fit Club in 2006 but struggled and left after three episodes to enter rehab.
Conaway's big acting break came when he was cast at the vain actor/cab driver Bobby on Taxi. He was nominated for Golden Globes in 1979 and '80 but left the show after the third season, though he guest-starred in two episodes during Season 4.
He is perhaps best known for co-starring as Kenickie in the 1978 film adaptation of Grease, in which he's featured prominently in two of the film's most popular musical numbers, which also were released as singles: "Summer Nights," which reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, and "Greased Lightnin.'
The actor was notably absent from this year's Emmy Awards' "In Memoriam" tribute.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011

FIREFLY
Just a progam note. FIREFLY is back on the SCIENCE channel. Be sure to watch episodes all day today.

PUSS IN BOOTS
DreamWorks Animation and Paramount have moved up the release of animated family film Puss in Boots by one week, from Nov. 4 to Oct. 28.
The relocation to Halloween weekend gives Puss in Boots more breathing room before a crush of family pics debut around the Thanksgiving holiday.
Directed by Chris Miller, the Shrek spin-off is an origins pic about the popular feline voiced by Antonio Banderas. In March, the movie was one of the biggest hits of theater owners trade show CinemaCon, where footage was shown for the first time.
Puss in Boots doesn't have to worry about serious competition in its new date (just as it didn't in its old). The other films opening on Oct. 28 are Sony's Anonymous, Fox's In Time, FilmDistrict's The Rum Diaries and Universal's Johnny English Reborn.
Puss in Boots' voice cast also includes Salma Hayek, Zach Galifianakis, Billy Bob Thornton and Amy Sedaris. Tom Wheeler penned the screenplay basd on a story by Brian Lynch, Will Davies and Tom Wheeler. Andrew Adamson and Guillermo del Toro executive produced, while Joe M. Aguilar and Latifa Ouaou produced.

DJANGO UNCHAINED
Kurt Russell is reuniting with Quentin Tarantino for Django Unchained.
Russell is in talks to join the all-star movie, which includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Jamie Foxx, Samuel L. Jackson and Christoph Waltz. He would replace Kevin Costner, who bowed out last week.
The movie is set in the American South of the 1800¹s and follows a freed slave (Foxx) who partners with a German bounty hunter (Waltz) in order to find his wife.
The bad guy list they encounter is impressive: DiCaprio as a Francophile plantation owner who forces slaves to compete in death matches and Jackson as a vile head slave who works for DiCaprio.
Coming on to the list of antagonists will be Russell, playing a character called Ace, a man who oversees the plantation in a ruthless manner and who relishes punishing slaves.
The Weinstein Co. will distribute the movie domestically while Sony Pictures handles the rest of the world. The movie is due to go into production in November.
Russell starred as a serial killing stuntman in Tarantino's Death Proof, which acted as the second half of the 2007 B-movie combo Grindhouse. The CAA-repped actor hasn't appeared on the big-screen since but has an indie football drama titled Touchback in the can.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2011

UNIQUE
The Hollywood Reporter writes that X-Files creator Chris Carter is heading back to the small screen.
After several years away from Hollywood despite heavy demand, Carter has reemerged with a female-lead mystery police thriller titled Unique. The project, which is set up at Media Rights Capital, has a supernatural element to it. He is set to write and executive produce.
Carter spent nearly a decade at the helm of the David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson vehicle, which ran from 1993 to 2002. The series not only helped put host network Fox on the map but also define it as a destination for edgy, quality fare.
In addition to a rich ancillary revenue that came from DVD and merchandise, the franchise spawned two feature films, 1998's The X Files and 2008' The X Files: I Want to Believe. Last month, Anderson told an Australian morning show that there's talk of a third X-Files feature. "I hope it happens," she said. "There's talk of it."
Carter, who also created Millennium, which ran on Fox from 1996 to 1999, is repped by ICM.

DEAD ISLAND
Lionsgate, ever on the lookout for properties with movie franchise potential, has optioned the film rights from video game publisher Deep Silver to develop a zombie picture inspired by the viral media sensation Dead Island.
Sean Daniel (The Mummy) and Stefan Sonnefeld will spearhead production through the Sean Daniel Company.
Jason Brown of The Sean Daniel Company and Missy Papageorge for Sonnenfeld’s Sunny Field Productions are executive producing, with Sarah Perlman serving as co-producer.
Alli Shearmur, Lionsgate’s president of motion picture production and development, will oversee the project at the studio with Jim Miller, senior vp of production and development.
The project, announced by Lionsgate motion picture group president Joe Drake, was preceded by a teaser trailer for the Dead Island video game in February 2011 that portrayed a family on a tropical island beset by a mysterious zombie outbreak.
The video game trailer grabbed around 10 million views after two days online, on its way to becoming a viral sensation.
The Dead Island video game from Deep Silver was released stateside on September 6th, and has sold over two million units to date.
Lionsgate is aiming at a Dead Island zombie genre picture that focuses on family ties and non-linear storytelling.
“This is exactly the type of property we’re looking to adapt at Lionsgate – it’s sophisticated, edgy, and a true elevation of a genre that we know and love. It also has built in brand recognition around the world, and franchise potential,” Drake said in a statement.

RED STATION
Red Station, the 2010 novel by Adrian Magson that launched his "Harry Tate" series, has been optioned by Benderspink, says a story at The Hollywood Reporter. The plot of the book is officially described as follows:
Harry is a former soldier, loyal Security Services (MI5) officer and a servant of the State. He does what he's told, fighting the war against terrorism, drugs and high-level criminal gangs.
When things go bad, and two civilians are shot dead during a drugs intercept, he agrees to take an immediate posting to a place called Red Station, to help the agency avoid embarrassing media questions.
All Harry knows is, it's in a remote place where he will be under strict orders to stay off the radar - a No Contact Rule. That includes former colleagues, friends, family - everyone.
What his bosses haven't told him, however, is that Red Station is a punishment posting for washed-out spooks from MI5 and MI6... and that Harry won't be coming home.
Which is where they have seriously underestimated their man. Because the loyal servant has his limits, and when he finds that the set-up behind Red Station is not all that it seems, and his life is in imminent danger, not only from an invading Russian army but a government assassination team known as The Hit, he decides to fight back.
Red Station was followed earlier this year by another Tate adventure, "Tracers", with more books on the way.
No writers are yet attached to the film version of Red Station, but Jake Weiner and Christopher Cosmos are overseeing the project.

NOW YOU SEE ME
According to Variety, Woody Harrelson is in negotiations to join the cast of the upcoming Louis Leterrier film, Now You See Me.
Already set to star Jesse Eisenberg, Melanie Laurent, Mark Ruffalo, Isla Fisher and Morgan Freeman, Now You See Me pits a crack FBI squad in a game of cat and mouse against a super team of the world's greatest illusionists, who pull off a series of daring bank heists during their performances, showering the profits on their audiences while staying one step ahead of the law.
Harrelson would play Merritt Osbourne, a mentalist who joins the team of criminals. He can next be seen in Rampart and, next year, The Hunger Games.
Now You See Me, written by Boaz Yakin and Edward Ricourt, will be produced by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci via their Kurtzman Orci Paper Products production banner. Yakin will executive produce along with Kurtzman Orci Paper Products' Bobby Cohen.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2011

STAR TREK: NEXT GENERATION
Star Trek fans all over the world have been waiting what seems like forever for this news: Star Trek: The Next Generation will beam into our homes on beautiful high-def Blu-ray just in time to celebrate the show's upcoming 25th anniversary in 2012.
The news broke today—on the 24th anniversary of The Next Generation's TV premiere back on Sept. 28, 1987—and first popped up on Star Trek.com. Here's what looks to be their official press-releasey announcement:
Star Trek: The Next Generation will be released in high-definition Blu-ray, starting in January with a sampler of several popular episodes, followed by a season-one set to be released later on in 2012, and subsequent seasons beaming down after that. Each of the 178 episodes spanning The Next Generation's seven seasons will be transferred to true high-definition 1080p for release in the Blu-ray format and, eventually, for runs on television and digital platforms in the U.S. and across the world. Star Trek: The Next Generation will, as fans know, be celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2012.
"Fans have been clamoring for a high-definition release of Star Trek: The Next Generation," Ken Ross, Executive Vice President and General Manager of CBS Entertainment, said in a statement. "Transferring the series to high-definition presented difficult technical challenges, but our team has come up with a process to create true 1080p HD masters with true HD visual effects. We can't wait to show fans how pristine the series looks and sounds with our upcoming Blu-ray releases."
CBS is, in fact, returning to the original film negatives, a mother lode of material encompassing 25,000-plus reels of footage, and editing the episodes together precisely as they were when they originally aired between 1987 and 1994. Visual effects will not be upconverted from videotape, but instead will be recompositioned. The freshly cut film will ultimately be transferred to high definition with 7.1 DTS Master Audio. And all of the work is being done in conjunction with respected, longtime Star Trek figures Denise and Michael Okuda, who are on board as consultants.
The episodes included in the single-disc sampler called Star Trek: The Next Generation—The Next Level are the series' two-hour pilot "Encounter at Farpoint," "Sins of the Father" and "The Inner Light." (Not a bad selection, though we'd have liked to see either "Yesterday's Enterprise" or the "Best of Both Worlds" two-parter as well.) The sampler will hit stores on Jan. 31, 2012.

CHAMELEON
The Hollywood Reporter writes that CSI creator Anthony Zuiker has sold his first project under his new three-year overall deal with ABC Studios.
ABC has picked up the drama Chameleon, from World Trade Center writer Andrea Berloff, with Zuiker attached to executive produce.
Chameleon revolves around a female FBI undercover agent is well-versed in changing disguises.
The pickup comes two months after Zuiker jumped from his longtime home at CBS Television Studios, where he developed the flagship series and its corresponding spinoffs.
Zuiker’s shingle, Dare to Pass, will partner on developing projects with Brillstein Entertainment Partners, which is also based at ABC Studios.
Zuiker remains an executive producer on the CSI franchise but does not serve as showrunner on any of them.

PARADISE LOST
Callan McAuliffe, best known for his leading role in Flipped, has joined the cast of Alex Proyas' Paradise Lost according to Variety. The same article also reports that Diego Boneta is likely for a part as well.
Already set to star Bradley Cooper, Benjamin Walker, Djimon Hounsou and Casey Affleck, the film is an adaptation of John Milton's 17th-century English poem about the epic war in heaven between archangels Michael (Walker) and Lucifer (Cooper), and will be developed as an action vehicle that will include aerial warfare, possibly shot in 3D.
McAuliffe will play the role of the Archangel Uriel while Boneta, if he signs on, will play the first man, Adam. It was also recently reported that Camilla Belle is likely to take on the role of the first woman, Eve.
In addition to Flipped, McAuliffe has appeared in I Am Number Four and will be featured as a supporting character (a younger version of Leonardo Di Caprio's Jay Gatsby) in the upcoming The Great Gatsby. Boneta, meanwhile, is set to appear in the upcoming musical, Rock of Ages.

GODS AND KINGS
Deadline reports that Warner Bros. is planning an epic adaptation of the life of Moses. What's more, the site claims that Steven Spielberg is being courted to become the project's director.
An important figure in a number of faiths, Moses is considered in religious texts to be a prophet and a spiritual leader. He is credited with writing the Torah and The Book of Exodus details Moses leading the Israelites from Egypt by parting the Red Sea. After their journey begins, Moses receives the Ten Commandments and delivers them to his people, spending the next four decades wandering the desert in search of the Promised Land.
Though Moses' tale has been adapted for the screen before (most famously in the 1956 Cecil B. DeMille epic, The Ten Commandments), Gods and Kings is said to be a wholly new take from screenwriters Michael Green and Stuart Hazeldine. The former contributed to Warner Bros.' Green Lantern while the latter worked on the script for the upcoming Paradise Lost.
Dan Lin and Matti Leshem are set to produce and Spielberg's interest in the project at the moment is said to be tentative at best, though discussions are likely to begin in earnest in the very near future.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2011

MARVEL NEWS
While DC's relaunch has suffered from week after week of controversy, there's no arguing with the numbers. With several of the new 52 breaking 200,000 copies sold, it seemed like Marvel would inevitably follow suit with a relaunch of its own. Today, it looks like we're getting the first glimpse of that happening.
Marvel has just announced a one-shot titled Point One that will "set the stage for the biggest stories coming in 2012. Here's the language the press release uses:
"Point One is a massive one-shot of 64 all-new pages of story by the top creators in the business, setting the stage for the biggest stories coming in 2012. It is the starting point to what's in store for the world's most iconic characters and startling events. Point One serves as the launch pad for dynamic new series, the return of fan-demanded characters, and a shocking teaser that will have everyone talking. See how all it comes together in one gigantic epic!"
Point One? Flashpoint? No, those aren't similar at all.
In addition to that, Marvel also has the return of popular time-traveling mutant, Cable, on the loom. It seems as though the solicitations for his appearance are hinting towards something as well. Don't believe us? Well, listen to this:
"How has Cable been reborn? Where has he been since "Second Coming"? And what dark event has driven him to destroy the Avengers? The answers are just the tip of an iceberg that threatens to smash the Marvel Universe to smithereens!"
Add to that the launch of all the new Marvel Ultimate books, X-Men, and Spider-Man, and you've got something that's very much a cousin to the DC relaunch. It's hard to say at this point just how much of an actual reboot Marvel will try to pull, but it's hard to ignore that, at the very least, they're trying to ride DC's coattails.

HARRY POTTER PET
If you like dogs and Harry Potter, here's your chance to have both: The dog who played Sirius Black's animagus, Padfoot, who appeared in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is in need of a good home.
Berry, the black German shepherd who was played in human form by Gary Oldman, is up for adoption. Berry's owner and trainer, stuntman Paul Thompson, told the Sunday Express, "I found myself spending a lot of time away from home. The dogs needed more attention than I could give. It was a difficult decision to make but one I had to accept was best for the dogs."
Note that he said dogs, plural. Berry is not the only doggie in this deal; he can only be adopted along with his pal Porridge, a 13-year-old German shepherd mix who had in a role in the TV drama White Teeth. (Berry is currently 10 in human years.) Currently, they reside in a foster home.
These two former stars need food, water and a good brushing. In exchange, Berry will spill all of his on-set secrets. (Of course, you'll need the canine version of parseltongue to understand him.)
Potential families can inquire at German Shepherd Rescue. Muggles are welcome to apply.

THE WALKING DEAD
It’s been nearly a year since AMC’s zombie drama, The Walking Dead, first premiered, and much has changed in the world created by Robert Kirkman.
Frank Darabont has been replaced as showrunner by the No. 2 he brought in, Glen Mazzara, and the series now has a 13-episode season and a legion of new fans.
Walking Dead returns Oct. 16 for its long-awaited second season, which kicks off with a 90-minute installment followed by AMC’s new Chris Hardwick-hosted post-show Talking Dead wrap up.
During a screening and Q&A with producers, Mazzara noted that Darabont had already mapped out the course for the season and didn’t plan to deviate from that and that his transition to showrunner has been a smooth one.
Part of that plan will see Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and his band of survivors looking for a new home after the CDC's fiery destruction in the Season 1 finale.

NEW YEAR'S EVE
The full trailer for the star-studded romantic comedy ensemble New Year's Eve has arrived at iTunes Movie Trailers.
A thematic follow-up to the studio's Valentine's Day, the movie is set in New York and follows intertwining stories of characters trying to navigate their way through romance on New Year's Eve.
The big cast includes Robert De Niro, Ashton Kutcher, Michelle Pfeiffer, Hilary Swank, Lea Michele, Abigail Breslin, Sofia Vergara, Jessica Biel, Sarah Jessica Parker, Katherine Heigl, Zac Efron, Sienna Miller, Josh Duhamel, Ice Cube, Jon Bon Jovi, Seth Meyes, Til Schweiger, Halle Berry and Carla Gugino.

AREA 52
It's been some time since we last heard an update on Area 52, the feature film adaptation of the Image comic book series. Now, Deadline reports that Summit Entertainment has stepped in and taken the screen rights.
Published in 2001, the four-issue miniseries told the story of a secret storage facility in Antarctica that houses the alien technology that Area 51 is no longer studying. The lead character is an army nurse who must save the day after a mercenary attack unleashes a fantastic terror.
The RED and Transformers: Dark of the Moon producing team of Lorenzo Di Bonaventura and Mark Vahradian will produce alongside JC Spink.
Originally, the film was to be directed by Steven C. Miller with a script from Jack Phillips, based on the Brian Haberlin comic. Now it appears that they'll be working from a new draft with a director yet to be announced.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2011

DOCTOR WHO
If you've seen ''Closing Time''—the penultimate episode of Doctor Who's sixth season this past weekend—then you're already aware of the shocking twist that took place in the last few minutes and can't wait for that finale to air. In the meantime, you can see what happens between the episodes in this particularly chilling new prequel.
''Tick Tock goes the clock.'' Seriously, children's songs and nursery rhymes have a knack for being utterly creepy at times, and this one is no exception. It's sending cold chills down our little geeky spines. Spoo-keh.
Ahhh, Doctor! We can't wait to see how you'll get out of that jam you're in, impending death and all. (We all know he will, but the fun will be to see just HOW he'll do it.)
In the meanwhile, our lucky colleagues over at SFX have already seen ''The Wedding of River Song'' and are teasing us mercilessly gently with non-spoilery teasers.
So we just thought we'd let you know about 5 of them that stood out for us, though in truth all of them were particularly intriguing:
? It does answer a lot of questions, but some old ones (from Matt Smith's first series) are still left open, and some new ones are posed.
?The denouement is bound to cause some debate. If you like the episode, you'll be able to rationalize it, but if you don't you'll be going, "But hang on, in that episode ... ?" But that's Doctor Who fandom.
? You'll discover a whole new meaning to the phrase "Live Chess" that has nothing to do with Harry Potter.
?The episode title may not be as much of a red herring as you might think. But then again ...
? I can guarantee that some people will go, "Oh I guessed that all along" at one point, but considering millions of fans on thousands of websites have been discussing every possible outcome, it's not surprising that some people will have come across it. I'm happy to say, I was pleasantly surprised. Maybe I'm thick.
What do you think? Are you looking forward to ''The Wedding of River Song''? What are your predictions about the episode?
''The Wedding of River Song'' airs this upcoming Saturday, Oct. 1, 2011, on BBC One, BBC America and Space.

TERRA NOVA
After months of hype and a delayed premiere, viewers finally got their first look at Fox's new drama Terra Nova on Monday night.
The series follows the Shannon family (Jason O'Mara, Shelley Conn, Landon Liboiron, Naomi Scott and Alana Mansour) and other settlers who, threatened with extinction in the year 2149, travel back 85 million years in time to join a prehistoric Earth colony.
After Terra Nova was teased to the media at January’s Television Critics Association tour and then again in a Super Bowl commercial, Fox abruptly announced that its two-hour premiere after American Idol would be pushed back to the fall. The move was a result of executive departures and a shortage of material.
As a result, the show, which counts Steven Spielberg and former News Corp. president and COO Peter Chernin among its many executive producers, was quite possibly the most anticipated -- and scrutinized -- new show of the fall season.
After watching the pilot, viewers hit Twitter to share their reactions, which were mixed.
What did you think of the pilot episode?

NEW THRILLER FROM KEVIN WILLIAMSON
Kevin Williamson, the mastermind behind the CW's sudsy adaptations, The Vampire Diaries and The Secret Circle, has sold an original hour-hour drama with a put pilot commitment to the network. Williamson will serve as writer and executive producer on the project.
The thriller, from Williamson's Outerbanks Entertainment in association with Warner Bros. TV, centers on a diabolical serial killer who uses technology to create a cult of serial killers, and the FBI agent who finds himself in the middle of it.
Williamson, whose other credits include Scream and Dawson's Creek, is repped by WME.

BRILLIANT
Variety confirms earlier rumors that Australian actor Eric Bana will be the male lead in Robert Luketic's diamond heist thriller Brilliant, being produced by Lakeshore Entertainment based on the first screenplay by Gillian Gorfil, producer of Edward Zwick's Blood Diamond.
Luketic previously directed Legally Blonde, 21, The Ugly Truth and Killers, the latter for Lakeshore.
In the movie, Bana will play a small-time criminal who joins accomplished thieves in a diamond heist.
The other name that's been mentioned but unconfirmed to star opposite Bana is Cameron Diaz.

OBLIVION/HORIZONS
Jessica Chastain has secured one of the leading female roles in Joseph Kosinski's next project (which has been referred to as both Oblivion and Horizons, but which is now officially without a final title).
Tom Cruise set to headline, the film is based on Kosinski's own Radical Publishing comic book series and takes place in a future where humanity has fallen to an irradiated Earth. Cruise plays Jak, a maintenance drone working on the planet's surface alongside another worker, Vika. When a woman, Julia, is discovered in a crashed ship, Jak's whole world is thrown into question and he finds himself strangely drawn towards Julia.
It is uncertain whether Chastain will be playing Vika or Julia, though her name did appear recently on a short list of actresses up for potential parts. The other names included Olga Kurylenko, Brit Marling, Noomi Rapace and Olivia Wilde. Whether the other role gets filled by one of those talents remains to be seen.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

REVOLUTION
NBC is developing Revolution, an epic adventure thriller from the uber-producer and Supernatural creator Eric Kripke with details being kept under wraps. If the project, which scored a pilot production commitment, ultimately gets ordered, it would join other Abrams newcomers Person of Interest and Alcatraz, at CBS and Fox, respectively.
Despite Abrams' enviable resume, which includes ABC's long-running Lost, the prolific producer's 2010 effort Undercovers failed to lure viewers to NBC. The CIA series, starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Boris Kodjoe, was only on for a few short months before getting the axe.
The drama thriller, from Warner Bros. TV and Abram's Bad Robot shingle, counts Abrams, Kripke and Bryan Burk (Fringe, Lost) as executive producers. Kripke (Deadman) will also pen the pilot.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
Disney’s 3D re-release of The Lion King remained lord of the jungle in its second weekend, pulling off another surprise upset in beating a number of new players to top the domestic box office chart with $22.1 million.
The 3D version of the animated classic has earned $61.7 million in its first 10 days of play at the domestic box office, exceeding all expectations. Overseas, where it rolled out earlier, the re-release has grossed $16 million for an impressive global total of $77.7 million.
Defying the odds, Lion King trumped Sony’s new Brad Pitt baseball drama Moneyball, which ended its opening weekend in a close race with 3D family offering Dolphin Tale, from Alcon Entertainment and Warner Bros.
Moneyball grossed an estimated $20.6 million, while Dolphin Tale took in an estimated $20.3 million. The order of the two films could switch once final figures come in Monday morning.
Even with Lion King, Moneyball and Dolphin Tale scored strong openings in reaching $20 million, reflected in the fact that the domestic box office was up 18 percent over the same weekend a year ago. (Moneyball boasts the top opening of all time for a baseball pic, not accounting for inflation).
Dolphin Tale and Moneyball--an early awards contender, particularly for Pitt's performance--also have the potential to dig in, with moviegoers awarding Moneyball an A CinemaScore, and Dolphin Tale, a glowing A+.
Lionsgate thriller Abduction—Taylor Lautner’s first solo outing—opened to a softish $11.2 million. Playing to younger women, the film received a B- CinemaScore overall and an A- from females under 18.
Abduction was able to best Jason Statham-Robert DeNiro action pic Killer Elite, which rounded out the top five with an estimated opening of $9.5 million. Killer Elite, the first title from acquisitions and distribution company Open Road Films, earned a B CinemaScore.
Moneyball wasn't Sony's only headline--its animated pic The Smurfs jumped the $500 million global mark over the weekend, earning $12.9 million at the international box office for a worldwide total of $502.8 million.
But when it comes to family fare, no one in Hollywood can believe the power of Lion King nearly 17 years after its original release in theaters. Disney attributes the spectacular showing to the property's enduring popularity, whether because of DVD or the live stage show.
Warner Bros. president of domestic distribution Dan Fellman said there's no doubt that Lion King took business away from Dolphin Tale, but that he expects Dolphin Tale to play well for weeks to come and ultimately take in close to $100 million domestically. The inspirational pic will get a boost when most theaters stop playing Lion King on Oct. 4, the day the Diamond Blue Ray edition of the film is released.
Dolphin Tale drew 50% of its grosses from 3D theaters, a good stat considering this summer's overall decline in 3D attendance.
Dolphin Tale, costing roughly $35 million to make, was financed and produced by Alcon Entertainment, the same company behind box office hit The Blind Side.
"We're thrilled with this opening," said Alcon's Broderick Johnson, "especially considering Lion King, which no one saw coming. It's reminisicent of the The Blind Side, which also received an A+ CinemanScore.
Sony was equally as pleased with Moneyball, a favorite among critics and one of the hottest titles to premiere at the recent Toronto Film Festival. The film cost north of $50 million to produce.
"It feels good that we are getting the sort of love we think this movie deserves," Sony worldwide president of domestic distribution Rory Bruer said.
Moneyball, based on the real-life story of Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane, played decidedly older, with 64 percent of the audience over the age of 35, but played relatively evenly among men and women. Sony believes the pic will ultimately do four times its opening number. The studio launched Moneyball in roughly the same frame it used last year to open The Social Network, which debuted to $22 million on its way to earning $97 million in North America.
Abduction was the clear choice for younger women and teenager girls who are Twilight fans. Nearly 70 percent of the audience was female, while 56 percent were under the age of 25. There's been intense focus on the film because of Lautner, and whether he and other Twilight stars can have a career outside that franchise.
"The film will be profitable for Lionsgate, and that's great for Taylor," said Lionsgate executive vice president of domestic distribution David Spitz, adding that the pic opened in line with pre-release expectations.
Abduction, costing $35 million to produce, is off to a strong start in Australia and Latin America, although Lionsgate didn't yet have numbers.
Killer Elite opened slightly lower than other recent Jason Statham pics, and likely lost male eyeballs to Moneyball.
Open Roads CEO Tom Ortenberg said he was pleased with Killer Elite's performance. In acquiring the film, Open Roads only put up marketing costs.
"We're happy that we're making money with our first release," Ortenberg said.
At the specialty box office, Relativity Media's Gerard Butler drama Machine Gun Preacher opened in four theaters in New York and Los Angeles, grossing an estimated $44,000 for a per location average of $11,000. Relativity said the film scored strong marks especially from women. On Sept. 30, the pic expands into an additional 15 markets.

MAN OF STEEL
Deadline reports Ayelet Zurer will now take on the role of Lara, Kal-El's birth mother, in the upcoming Man of Steel.
Zurer, who will appear opposite Russell Crowe in the role of Superman's Kryptonian father, Jor-El, is best known for appearances in films like Angels and Demons and Munich.
Now filming, Man of Steel's cast also includes Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Diane Lane, Kevin Costner, Michael Shannon, Antje Traue, Christopher Meloni, Harry Lennix and Laurence Fishburne. It is targeting a June 14, 2013 release.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2011

FRIDAY NIGHT RATINGS
The first Friday of the new TV season made for moderate debuts, at best, for returning series. CBS's freshman drama "A Gifted Man" was a success with 9.3 million viewers.
While FOX had its best fall premiere Friday in six years, the "Fringe" season premiere was down 21% from last year's season opener -- which, of course, was on a Thursday. It was up from last year's finale, though, which is good news, because the FOX execs have made it clear that they don't expect the "Fringe" audience to grow.
The CW's openers were lackluster. The premiere of "Nikita," moved from Thursday, tied its series low. "Supernatural," while on par with its Season 6 finale, was down 25% from its Season 6 premiere.
In average viewers, CBS won with 10.6 million viewers and a 6.9 rating/12 share in households. With only reruns and "Dateline," NBC took second place at 5.7 million (4.0/7). ABC (3.7 million, 2.6/4) and FOX (3.6 million, 2.3/4) were quite close, with The CW trailing with 1.9 million and a 1.2/2 share.
In the adults 18-49 demographic, CBS won with a 1.7. FOX and NBC tied at 1.6, with ABC pulling a 1.0. The CW averaged 0.7.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2011

ZERO HOUR
According to the Hollywood Reporter, ABC has picked up a high-profile project from Prison Break creator Paul Scheuring revolving around the mysteries surrounding the Twelve Apostles.
Titled Zero Hour, the ABC Studios project is described as an epic adventure revolving around a skeptical everyman who is swept up in one of history’s greatest conspiracies. His passion leads him on a dangerous journey around the world as he collects clues that will unlock a mystery surrounding the Twelve Apostles but also clues to his own identity.
Lorenzo Di Bonaventura and Dan McDermott are attached to executive produce the project through their Di Bonaventura Pictures Television shingle.
Scheuring, who created the 2005 to 2009 Fox drama Prison Break, will pen the script and executive produce.
The project marks the latest this development season from Di Bonaventura’s shingle. The producer, via his deal with ABC Studios, also has a pair of comedy projects as well as dramas Golden Gate and a Walter Mitty-type project with The Blind Side scribe John Lee Hancock set up at the network.

THE SECRET LIVES OF ROAD CREWS
Chris Columbus is negotiating to direct The Secret Lives of Road Crews, Deadline reports.
First announced back in 2007, the film was originally set to be released through DreamWorks, but is now housed at Paramount. Written by Kevin Lund and T.J. Scott with rewrites by Craig Mazin, the sci-fi action comedy involves a road crew going up against a race of underground aliens.
Columbus most recently directed Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief. Though that film is planning a sequel, Columbus is likely to only be involved as a producer. He was also recently attached to the Korean remake, Hello Ghost. Which project he'll tackle first remains to be seen.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2011

THOR 2
The Internet's been buzzing all day with news about Marvel's upcoming Thor sequel. For the most part, the story for Thor 2 has been kept under wraps—but Marvel's head honcho Kevin Feige has spilled the beans about a few plot points.
This past summer, Thor grossed over $400 million at the worldwide box office, so no one's surprised that Marvel wants to capitalize on its success. The first film established Thor as a character, gave him relationships and left us with an open ending. So what happens next?
Kevin Feige told EW:
"[We're going to] take Thor literally to other worlds. ... [It will] primarily be the journey of that character, of he and Jane Foster and how the new dynamic with his father is working out, as well as what are the broader stakes for The Nine Worlds."
The idea of exploring The Nine Worlds and the danger amongst them seems like a major CGI fest waiting to happen. Asgard itself was a shiny, yet beautiful undertaking. We can only imagine what the SFX team will do for Vanaheim, Alfheim, Nidavellir and the others.
On a side note, earlier today it was revealed that Patty Jenkins is in talks to direct Thor 2. She's best known for directing Charlize Theron's Oscar-winning performance in Monster and the pilot episode of AMC's The Killing. Nothing has been confirmed as of yet, but we're keeping a close eye on the story.
Thor 2 is scheduled to hit theaters July 26, 2013.

DOCTOR WHO -- NOT UNTIL 2012
The trouble with Time Lords is they're always jumping around the calendar, but we probably can't blame the Doctor for this. We've seen it coming for a while, and now it's confirmed: Doctor Who season seven won't premiere until autumn 2012.
Doctor Who Magazine has confirmed what's been suspected for quite some time about the Doctor's next set of timey-wimey adventures. There's no clear-cut schedule from the BBC yet, but it's clear that Doctor Who won't be returning for a good long while. Season seven won't even begin shooting until early next year, so everything is still very murky in terms of details, but fan site Doctor Who TV offered this schedule prediction:
2012
Easter Special
Autumn - Series 7 Part 1
Christmas Special
2013
Spring - Series 7 Part 2
Autumn - Series 8
Christmas Special
So, that's a little glimpse in the spring followed by a handful of episodes, one special, and then another handful of episodes. Those are just predictions, but it seems likely that the BBC's official schedule will look something like that. It's a bummer, but it could be worse.

STAR WARS ON BLU-RAY
The Force has certainly been with Lucasfilm Ltd. and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment during the first week of the Star Wars: The Complete Saga's release on Blu-ray.
The nine-disc set took in $84 million globally since its launch on Sept. 16, selling 515,000 units in North America, and making the set the highest-selling and most pre-ordered title in Blu-ray history.
Fans got a preview of some of the added features at Comic-Con this summer, where some of the deleted scenes were screened.
Despite the warm commercial welcome, the release has caused some grumbling among fans, who are upset over tweaks to the original films, including the adding of a Darth Vader line to the climactic scene of Return of the Jedi.
Along with the six feature films, the set includes making-of documentaries, popular Star Wars spoofs, deleted and alternate scenes, and interviews.

PARADISE LOST
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Casey Affleck is in negotiations to star as the angel Gabriel in Paradise Lost, Legendary Pictures’ action-heavy adaptation of the John Milton’s epic poem.
Alex Proyas is directing the movie, which focuses on the Lucifer rebelling against God, causing a war to break out between angels and demons. Bradley Cooper is set as Lucifer, while Ben Walker is portraying Seraphic Angel Michael. Also in the cast is Djimon Hounsou.
Gabriel, an angel with six wings, was created by God to serve as His messenger and initially to work alongside Michael for Lucifer. He and Michael team up to fight Lucifer.
Legendary's Thomas Tull and Jon Jashni are producing along with Vincent Newman.
The movie is eyeing a shoot in Sydney, Australia in January 2012.
Affleck appears in Universal’s Ben Stiller comedy Tower Heist. He last appeared in The Killer Inside Me.

THE CAVES OF STEEL
Deadline reports that 20th Century Fox is planning to adapt another Isaac Asmiov novel. Henry Hobson will direct The Caves of Steel with a script from John Scott 3.
Published in 1954, the book tells a sci-fi detective story set roughly 3,000 years in the future. In it, a police detective, Elijah Bailey, joins forces with a robot, R. Daneel Olivaw, to solve a murder case of a "Spacer" Ambassador before it becomes an intergalactic incident. In the world of the book, Spacers are those who have chosen to leave the Earth for colonies on new worlds, creating a rift between those who remain on the overpopulated Earth.
Bailey and Olivaw (or elements thereof) reappear in subsequent Asimov stories, including The Naked Sun, The Robots of Dawn and Robots and Empire.
The Caves of Steel was previously adapted as a British telefim in 1964 and some have criticized Fox's previous Asmiov-based hit, I, Robot for borrowing the basic setup, as the human detective/robot pairing was not a story told in the original 1950 I, Robot anthology.
Hobson and Scott, as announced earlier this year, are working on their first theatrical project, Maggie, about a teenage girl's gradual transformation into a zombie.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2011

NEWS ON THE DVD FRONT
The floodgates have opened. Studios are pushing out new DVD and Blu-ray Disc releases as the fourth-quarter selling season nears, with one or two summer tentpoles, and a handful of other high-profile new releases, slated to arrive in stores each week from now through Christmas.
Not surprisingly, then, all but one of the 10 top-selling discs on the Nielsen VideoScan First Alert sales chart for the week ending Sept. 18 are new releases, topped by Paramount Home Entertainment’s Thor, the big-budget fantasy that grossed $181 million in U.S. theaters over the summer.
Thor pushed the previous week’s best seller, fellow summer tentpole X-Men: First Class, from 20th Century Fox, to No. 2. Fox also snagged the No. 3 spot on the chart with Star Wars: The Complete Saga, featuring all six films in their Blu-ray debut. The package lists for $139.99, which makes its No. 3 debut all the more spectacular.
Rounding out the top 10 on the First Alert chart are seven other new releases, including the latest season sets of popular TV shows The Big Bang Theory (No. 4), Glee (No. 6), Supernatural (No. 7), Spartacus: Gods of the Arena (No. 8), Grey’s Anatomy (No. 9) and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (No. 10). Joining them in the top 10 is Universal Studios’ Barbie: Princess Charm School (No. 5), the latest installment in the popular direct-to-video series about the iconic doll.
Thor also topped Nielsen’s dedicated Blu-ray Disc chart, with Star Wars coming in at No. 2 and X-Men: First Class slipping to No. 3. Blu-ray seems to be enjoying a bit of a surge, with Thor generating 61 percent of its sales from the format and X-Men: First Class, 54 percent.
Home Media Magazine’s rental chart for the week, Thor easily nailed the top spot as well, while the No. 2 position went to the Warner comedy Something Borrowed, which just came off its 28-day holdback from Netflix and Redbox. Universal’s Paul, the previous week’s top rental, slipped to No. 4, right behind Lionsgate’s Everything Must Go, which remained at No. 3 for the second consecutive week.

FRINGE DIGITAL COMICS
To gear up for the launch of the fourth season of Fringe, a digital comic series by DC Entertainment written with series star Josh Jackson has debuted.
Beyond the Fringe, featuring cover art by Drew Johnson, will explore pivotal events that take place between the third and fourth seasons of the Fox sci-fi drama, and will also look at alternative scenarios.
The new digital comic will alternate every two weeks between two shorelines for 14 chapters. "A" storylines look at things that are directly related to the show, while "B" storylines explore the alternative scenarios (ex: how things might be different if some elements are out of balance).
Jackson is penning Peter and the Machine, an arc that will consist of the first three "A" issues.
Beyond the Fringe marks the third comic series based on the show. The first issue is available for download at read.dccomics.com or through the DC Comics app on mobile phones.
Fringe premieres Friday, Sept. 23 at 9 p.m. on Fox.

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO
Columbia Pictures has just debuted, through iTunes Trailers, a new, extended trailer for director David Fincher's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, starring Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgård, Steven Berkoff, Robin Wright, Yorick van Wageningen and Joely Richardson.
Opening in theaters on December 21, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is the first film in the studio's three-picture adaptation of Stieg Larsson's literary blockbuster "The Millennium Trilogy." The movie is based on the first novel in the trilogy, which altogether have sold 50 million copies in 46 countries and become a worldwide phenomenon.

THING IN COMIC FORM
In conjunction with the upcoming Universal Pictures film, The Thing, Dark Horse Comics has announced a special digital comic that will serve as a prequel to the October 14th release (which, in itself, is a prequel to the 1982 John Carpenter film).
The comic will be released in three parts, beginning today and continuing each Wednesday until the film's release. Full details of the comic are as follows:
"The Thing: The Northman Nightmare" tells the origin story of pioneering Norsemen who discover a shape-shifting creature that is hiding in a desolate village with few human survivors.
In December 1991, Dark Horse Comics first published The Thing From Another World #1. In the style of Aliens, Predator and Terminator, Dark Horse Comics picked up where John Carpenter’s classic 1982 film left off. Now, 20 years later, Dark Horse shares a much earlier story about this creature from beneath the ice.
Taking us into frigid Greenland, the comic introduces us to a group of Norsemen who find themselves caught in a game of survival when they discover a terrifying creature. The shape-shifting monster has the ability to turn itself into a perfect replica of any living being. It can look just like you or me, but inside, it remains inhuman. And it hides somewhere in a desolate village with few human survivors, among them a strange group of women...
Said editor Scott Allie: “This property consistently generates much excitement from fans, which made it easy to round up an incredible team for this prequel comic. This is a sincere horror story by guys who know how to knock it out of the park.”
"The Thing: The Northman Nightmare" is written by Steve Niles (Criminal Macabre), with art by Patric Reynolds (Serenity), colors by Dave Stewart (Hellboy) and a cover by Menton3 (Silent Hill). The Thing: The Northman Nightmare comes to readers as a prequel to Universal Pictures’ upcoming prelude to John Carpenter’s classic 1982 film of the same name.
“Steve Niles and Dark Horse have done it again, truly an amazing book,” said Menton3. “I am extremely proud to be a small part of it.”
Read the first part online now at Digital.DarkHorse.com or via the free Dark Horse Comics mobile app.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2011

SUPERNATURAL
Out with the old, in with the new is the motto for the seventh season on Supernatural. The CW series returns this week and features a loopy Sam, a frustrated Dean and a badass Castiel. Everyone's favorite angel has gone rogue.
"The Castiel you knew is gone!" That's what Sam and Dean's former ally says after they ask for his help. In Supernatural's premiere episode, "Meet the New Boss," Castiel has gone through some serious changes and his priorities have shifted drastically.
There's a lot of bad blood amongst the demon-hunting group, with Castiel being the man scorned. His portrayer Misha Collins doesn't think Castiel really cares for the Winchesters anymore, especially Sam. He says, "No, he wants Sam to suffer for a while. Sam's basically f***ed." Yeesh! Has Castiel gone completely insane? Will he ever return to his old self? Collins says he hopes so.
"I've grown affectionate for him and developed an affinity for him over the years, and of course, I probably identify with him more than anyone," says Collins. "I definitely want him to be redeemed. I love him; of course I want to see that."
Supernatural premieres Friday, Sept 23.

THE SARAH JANE ADVENTURES
The final six episodes of The Sarah Jane Adventures, completed before star Elisabeth Sladen's death from cancer in April, are set to begin airing Oct. 3. But the new trailer for the show's final season isn't about Sarah Jane's curtain call.
You might expect some kind of goodbye theme for these episodes, even though they were completed quite some time before Sladen's death. It wouldn't be out of the question for the show's creative team to package them as a kind of final farewell to one of the longest-serving characters in the Doctor Who—and by extension BBC—universe. But the way it's done here, as the continued story of an uncommon woman who never stops having adventures, turns out to be better.
We've known for a while that the final six episodes are three two-part serials, the final pair featuring Sarah Jane's son Luke (Tommy Knight). Long-serving Doctor Who and Sarah Jane Adventures writers Phil Ford and Gareth Roberts get to close out the series with their stories. It's all very fitting for the end.
But the trailer gives no indication that we're about to see the final episodes of the series, or that Sarah Jane herself is in some way gone. The trailer is about the adventures, about all the fun sci-fi madness that will befall Sarah and her little extended family as the show comes to an untimely end. There will no doubt be some sort of tearful farewell all over again when the final episode airs, but with these stories—as far as this trailer is concerned, anyway—we can think of Sarah Jane as living on, still on an adventure somewhere in our heads.

THE RAID
Following a successful debut at the Toronto Film Festival earlier this month, Gareth Evans' The Raid is likely for an American remake. The Hollywood Reporter has word that Screen Gems is interested in developing an English-language version of the Indonesian action film.
Though Evans is expected to make an American film his next project, he reportedly turned down the offer to remake The Raid himself.
Starring Iko Uwais, Doni Alamsyah, Joe Taslim, Yayan Ruhian and Ray Sahetapy, the original film took place in the slums of Jakarta and featured a police raid of a criminal safe house.

IMMORTALS
A new TV spot for Tarsem Singh's Immortals has debuted at Fandango.
Opening in 3D and 2D theaters on November 11, the fantasy action adventure stars Henry Cavill, Stephen Dorff, Isabel Lucas, Freida Pinto, Luke Evans, Kellan Lutz, John Hurt and Mickey Rourke.
In the film, the brutal and bloodthirsty King Hyperion (Rourke) and his murderous Heraklion army are rampaging across Greece in search of the long lost Bow of Epirus. With the invincible Bow, the king will be able to overthrow the Gods of Olympus and become the undisputed master of his world. With ruthless efficiency, Hyperion and his legions destroy everything in their wake, and it seems nothing will stop the evil king’s mission.
As village after village is obliterated, a stonemason named Theseus (Cavill) vows to avenge the death of his mother in one of Hyperion's raids. When Theseus meets the Sybelline Oracle, Phaedra (Pinto), her disturbing visions of the young man's future convince her that he is the key to stopping the destruction. With her help, Theseus assembles a small band of followers and embraces his destiny in a final desperate battle for the future of humanity.

CATWOMAN AT NY COMIC CON
Warner Home Video, Warner Premiere, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation proudly present an action-packed hour of first looks at DC Universe Animated Original Movies properties on Friday, October 14 from 3:00-4:00 p.m. at New York Comic Con.
Central to the panel will be the world premiere of the animated short Catwoman, starring Eliza Dushku (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dollhouse) as the voice of title character. The 15-minute short will be included on the release of Batman: Year One, which streets October 18 on Blu-ray, DVD, for Download and On Demand.
The panel will also include the very first footage to be seen from Justice League: Doom, the highly-anticipated next entry in the ongoing series of DC Universe Animated Original Movies.
The panelists, which include the ultimate voice of Batman, Kevin Conroy, DCU executive producer Bruce Timm and casting/dialogue director Andrea Romano, will offer a glimpse into the 2012 DC Universe Animated Original Movies slate, give away some exclusive prizes to inquisitive audience members, and quite possibly welcome a few surprise guests to the stage.
An autograph session with the panelists will immediately follow the panel.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2011

J. EDGAR
“Even great men can be corrupted,” says Leonardo DiCaprio’s J. Edgar Hoover in the trailer for Clint Eastwood’s highly anticipated biopic.
And there are plenty of great men in the Warner Bros. film: Oscar winner Clint Eastwood directs, Oscar-nominated actor Leonardo DiCaprio stars, and the screenplay was written by Dustin Lance Black, who won the Best Original Screenplay Oscar for 2008's Milk. With such a stacked deck, the Warner Bros. film has already been generating plenty of Oscar buzz, due to its very stacked deck.
Although there’s been months of hype, the trailer that premiered Monday is the first hint we’ve gotten as to what the film actually looks like. J. Edgar follows the mysterious life of the man who started and ran the Federal Bureau of Investigations.
The film, which will debut at the AFI fest on November 3, also stars Armie Hammer, Judi Dench, Naomi Watts, Josh Lucas and Ed Westwick. It is set for a November 9 release.

EXPENDABLES 2
According to Variety, Liam Hemsworth is the latest name to join the cast of The Expendables 2. There's no word on his role quite yet, but he marks a surprisingly youthful addition to the cast of seasoned action stars, already slated to include Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chuck Norris and Jean-Claude Van Damme.
Co-written and directed by Stallone, the original Expendables also starred Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Eric Roberts, Randy Couture, Steve Austin, David Zayas, Giselle Itie, Charisma Carpenter, Gary Daniels, Terry Crews and Mickey Rourke. Who among those that may be returning for the second film (this time directed by Simon West) has yet to be confirmed, though newcomers Nicolas Cage and John Travolta are also said to be in talks.
Hemsworth is set to appear early next year in The Hunger Games and will play a leading role in the upcoming AWOL as well.
The Expendables 2 will begin filming next month in Bulgaria and is planning an August 17, 2012 release.

11th COMMANDMENT
New Franchise Media Inc. has announced plans to adapt the Jeffrey Archer bestseller, The Eleventh Commandment, into an ongoing television series. Gale Anne Hurd (The Terminator, "The Walking Dead") is attached to produce through Valhalla Entertainment. The official description for the series is as follows:
In The Eleventh Commandment, Connor Fitzgerald is the CIA's most deadly assassin, hiding the details of his career from his family. Only days from his retirement from the Agency, he comes across an enemy he cannot handle, the Director of the CIA, bent on making Connor the fall guy for a phony assassination on a Russian presidential candidate that could inadvertently trigger World War III.
"Jeffrey Archer's storytelling is compelling, character driven and perfect for television-full of fast-paced, high-stakes danger," Hurd announced in the press release, "I'm thrilled to bring his books and the adventures of Connor Fitzgerald to life for audiences."
“Like Jeffrey Archer’s page-turning novels, which are always a guaranteed good read, this TV series will entertain with its unexpected twists and compelling characters that will keep you hooked,” added NFMI CEO Jeffrey Steiner, “We plan for event television with that must-see factor.”
Archer himself also weighed in with his thoughts on seeing his book brought to the small screen:
“Gale Anne Hurd's amazing pedigree in bringing action-oriented entertainment to the screen puts her among the best in the business," he said, "I am delighted to be working with her."
There is currently no announced timeline for production, but a pilot could be prepared to air as early as next year.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2011

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2011

PRIMEVAL
While we're impatiently waiting for season five of Primeval to air over here in North America, news of a spinoff of the U.K. sci-fi series has just emerged.
Titled Primeval: New World will be a Canadian production from our friends over at SPACE, and it will be set in the same anomalies-filled universe we all know and love.
This is the announcement:
We're excited to announce today that SPACE has ordered a new original drama series known as Primeval: New World!
The series will run 13 one hour long episodes and will build on the UK Primeval mythology, taking place in the same universe that we've come to know and love. The story will centre on a new Canadian team of animal experts taking on whatever past or future creatures come through the anomalies that are now appearing around the world.
The creative team behind New World boasts an all Canadian team of writers, and takes place in Vancouver, continuing the SPACE tradition of creating top quality original Canadian genre programming!
SFX seems to have a bit more news about the Primeval spinoff, saying:
This new series will be "darker and scarier" than the original and it will have a younger, sexier cast and lots of gory special effects to go with it; as a result of this the new show will air at the later time of 9pm [hmmm... do they mean UK time?].
Production is set to start in the winter of 2012 and the show will be filmed mostly in Vancouver. The special effects of the show will be dealt by Impossible's London group. Jonathan Drake, managing director of Impossible says that this is not a continuation of Primeval but rather "a bigger, better, badder re-imagining of the show".
The two stories seem to contradict themselves a little bit here, with SPACE calling it a spinoff and SFX calling it a re-imagining, but as soon as we know more, we'll let you guys know.
There's also no news yet on whether the new Canadian production will involve any of the original ITV series' creators, much as the U.S. version of Being Human involved the original U.K. series' own creator, Toby Whithouse.
Season five of Primeval will air on SPACE on Nov. 10 and should come to BBC America early next year.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2011

THE THING
The Thing is coming! The prequel to John Carpenter's 1982 horror flick is heading to theaters and it's creepier than ever. Universal has released a new TV spot for the film that's dominated by special effects ... and lots of paranoia.
What's "The Thing" and how the heck does it survive inside an ice block? That's the question the crew of this unfortunate expedition have to ask themselves. The movie takes place in Antarctica at an isolated outpost that's home to scientists and researchers who discover a deadly, shapeshifting creature.
Unlike the first trailer for The Thing, the TV spot only shows a couple of the people that get attacked, instead of the whole roster. We'd love a trailer that doesn't reveal any of the victims ... but we digress. They've got to show off the CGI effects somehow.
Speaking of the team, Mary Elizabeth Winstead leads the group as a paleontologist named Kate Lloyd who visits the region to get the scoop on their new "find." She's joined by Joel Edgerton (Warrior), who plays Carter, a pilot that has an eerie Kurt Russell vibe. If his hair was longer he'd be a spitting image!
Overall, The Thing looks like it can stand on its own in the thriller department. But do you think it can live up to its famous name?
The Thing hits theaters Oct. 14.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
In Drive, a film directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, Ryan Gosling plays a stunt driver opposite Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston and Christina Hendriks.
Meanwhile, Sarah Jessica Parker portrays a woman dealing with motherhood and the pressures of her career in the domestic comedy I Don't Know How She Does It. The movie's cast also includes Pierce Brosnan, Greg Kinnear and Christina Hendricks.
Straw Dogs, directed by Rod Lurie, is a remake of Sam Peckinpah's 1971 original. The movie stars James Marsden, Kate Bosworth and Alexander Skarsgard.
And the Disney classic The Lion King is returning to the big screen this weekend, this time in a 3D version.
See what THR's critics have to say about the movies opening this weekend:
Drive
Bottom Line: Tasty, if sketchy, modern noir with car chases and bloody action that should turn the trick for genre-seeking audiences.
I Don't Know How She Does It
Bottom Line: Sarah Jessica Parker gets the job done in this briskly workable, if thoroughly conventional, domestic comedy.
Straw Dogs
Bottom Line: Remake of Sam Peckinpah's controversial original retains the sensational violence but loses character depth and ambiguity.
Restless
Bottom Line: Goopy doomed teen romance looks to appeal mostly to impressionable adolescent girls.
Granito (opened Wednesday)
Bottom Line: Meaty, self-reflexive doc about the tragic history of Guatemala.
Jane's Journey
Bottom Line: An engaging, often personal look at the great primatologist-turned-conservationist Jane Goodall.
The Mill and the Cross (on Wed.)
Bottom Line: This attempt to explore and dramatize a masterpiece of 16th-century art falls flat.
My Afternoons With Margueritte
Bottom Line: A gentle French comedy that evokes both compassion and humor.
Also opening are The Weird World of Blowfly, Muran and Back Door Channels.

THE PIG WITH THE FROGGY TATTOO
Disney is doing its best to up the Muppets' hip quotient in advance of the The Muppets movie coming this November. But the latest attempt pushes the family-friendly characters into edgier territory than they've ever entered before with a new trailer parodying David Fincher's dark and violent upcoming thriller The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.The trailer features a parody of the Trent Reznor-Karen O cover of Led Zeppelin's Immigrant Song and even name checks Fincher's film, so the similarity is not coincidental. This version is referred to as The Pig With the Froggy Tattoo.This isn't the first Muppets trailer to parody the marketing of an adult-themed movie. Earlier this summer, a teaser trailer was released referencing the ad campaign for the R-rated comedy The Hangover Part 2.
The question is, if the trailer clicks with young Muppet fans, will any kids be wanting to see the very R-rated thriller?

SOURCE CODE COMING TO TV?
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Mark Gordon is bringing his feature film Source Code to the small screen.
His Mark Gordon Company, which is locked into an overall deal at ABC Studios, has sold a TV version of the sci-fi thriller to CBS with a meaningful penalty. The news marks ABC Studios' first off-network sale of the development season.
Like the film on which it is based, the action/procedural follows three former federal agents who are part of a top-secret program. Each week, they'll use "Source Code" technology to jump into the consciousness of people involved in tragic events.
Gordon (Grey's Anatomy, Criminal Minds) will produce the project, with Vendome Pictures' Philippe Rousselet serving as a consulting producer. Steve Maeda (Lie to Me, Lost) is on board to write.
This follows a flurry of development season deals for Gordon's company, including a contemporary Miami Vice-style crime drama Untouchable, a Crazy Stupid Love-esque emotional procedural Winging It and an adaptation of Candace Bushnell's One Fifth.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
CW has plans to reboot the television series "Beauty and the Beast", says a story at The Hollywood Reporter.
The original, which ran for three seasons beginning in 1987, was created by Ron Koslow as a reimagining of the fairy tale. Ron Perlman starred as Vincent, the leader of a group of deformed beast-men that lived beneath New York City. Through a psychic bond, he developed a relationship with Catherine (Linda Hamilton), a District Attorney in the city.
The series follows the release earlier this year of the theatrical film Beastly, which also retold the fairy tale in a modern day setting. ABC, meanwhile, is planning their own episodic take on the story while Emma Watson is attached to headline a currently untitled film version, to be directed by Guillermo del Toro.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

SHERLOCK HOLMES
Sherlock Holmes is one of pop culture's most enduring characters, so it's no wonder that every generation takes its stab at updating the great detective. But on the heels of the Doctor Who mastermind's superlative BBC revamp, why would CBS even try?
If you haven't seen Moffat's updated take on Arthur Conan Doyle's sleuth for the ages, then you're missing out on almost six hours of television glory, with the impeccably cheekboned Benedict Cumberbatch as the sociopathic detective and Martin Freeman as Watson, the distraught, distressed veteran of the Afghan wars. It perfectly captures Holmes' old school mania while dragging it into a world of text messaging, blogging and electronic surveillance. After a three-episode first season—oh, the British—Sherlock has just wrapped another batch of mysteries.
And that hit airwaves after Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law had their way with Holmes and Watson in 2009's gazillion-dollar-grossing feature—the sequel to which, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, unspools this December.
In other words: The Holmes-space is already rather full. But CBS is plunging forward with a pilot script by Medium and Tru Calling's Rob Doherty anyway.

THE SPECTRE TV SERIES
Deadline reports that Fox has bought the rights to The Spectre, a drama series to be based on the DC Comics character co-created by Jerry Siegel and Bernard Baily. The character first appeared in a next issue ad in "More Fun Comics" #51 (January, 1940) and received his first story the following month, #52.
The site says that Brandon Camp ("John Doe") will write the adaptation and executive produce with Bill Gerber (Gran Torino).
According to Deadline, the show will center "on a former cop serving time in afterlife limbo who hunts down earthly criminals on behalf of the dead — and mortals soon to be dead, if ultimate justice is not served."

DRIVE
Bryan Cranston Behind-The-Scenes Featurette
We're pleased to share a cast featurette from FilmDistrict's DRIVE! Opening in theaters this Friday, the fast-paced, action-packed thriller stars Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, Christina Hendricks, Ron Perlman, with Oscar Isaac, and Albert Brooks!

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2011

WALKING DEAD - SEASON 2
Another season, another opportunity for AMC to create a totally terrifying poster to promote its zombie hit, "The Walking Dead."
Again, the central figure is Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln), the Georgia lawman who finds himself the unlikely leader of a ragtag band of survivors of a zombie-pocalypse. But where season one's poster had him atop a horse headed into a decimated Atlanta, this year's image telegraphs the show's shift in focus to a rural setting.
Grimes runs along a dirt road toward a farmhouse with storm clouds lowering overhead and, we can only assume, zombies not too far behind.
Yes, we got chills.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2011

MEN IN BLACK 3
IMAX Corporation and Sony Pictures Entertainment today announced that the action comedy Men in Black 3 will be released to IMAX theatres simultaneously with the film's worldwide release on May 25, 2012. Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, Men in Black 3 is the first in the franchise to be released in IMAX.
Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones are back in black in Men in Black 3. Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld from a screenplay written by Etan Cohen, based on the Malibu Comic by Lowell Cunningham, the film is produced Walter F. Parkes and Laurie MacDonald and executive produced by Steven Spielberg and G. Mac Brown. The film also stars Josh Brolin, Jemaine Clement, and Emma Thompson.
"Releasing a film in IMAX 3D signals an event release, and 'Men in Black 3' on Memorial Day weekend certainly qualifies in a big way. We couldn't be more excited about how MIB 3 will look and sound in IMAX theatres," said Rory Bruer, president of Worldwide Distribution for Sony Pictures Releasing.
"Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones and Barry Sonnenfeld have made the 'Men in Black' franchise a fan favorite and we're excited to feature the return of this iconic title in IMAX," said Greg Foster, Chairman and President, IMAX Filmed Entertainment. "'Men in Black 3' is another strong addition to our 2012 film slate and we're looking forward to continuing to work with the talented team at Sony Pictures."
The IMAX release of Men in Black 3 will be digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX 3D Experience with proprietary IMAX DMR (Digital Re-mastering) technology. The crystal-clear images coupled with IMAX's customized theatre geometry and powerful digital audio create a unique environment that will make audiences feel as if they are in the movie.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2011

MAMA
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, who plays the devious Jaime Lannister in HBO’s Game of Thrones, will star opposite Jessica Chastain in Mama, a Guillermo del Toro-executive produced horror movie being distributed by Universal.
The movie tells the story of a couple – Chastain and Coster-Waldau – who take in their long-lost young nieces and nephews. The kids were found after living in the forest for five years but now murderous events begin to unfold and it becomes clear that a supernatural force is intent on claiming the kids.
Andres Muschietti is directing, expanding the story he first told in his 2008 Spanish-language short. Neil Cross rewrote the script based on an original draft by Muschietti and his sister-partner Barbara Muschietti.
Miles Dale and Barbara Muschietti are producing. The movie will begin shooting October 3 in Toronto.
Coster-Waldau, repped by WME and Impression Entertainment, is also starring in the hot Scandinavian crime thriller Headhunters.

13: GAME OF DEATH
TORONTO—Financing and sales company IM Global has set Daniel Stamm (The Last Exorcism) to direct the English-language remake of Thai horror-thriller 13: Game of Death.
Stuart Ford said Stamm is currently working with writing partner David Birke to adapt the screenplay, and that they hope to go into production early next year.
A cult favorite, the original Game of Death is a macarbre satire of media culture that follows a financially strapped salesman who receives an anonymous phone call informing him he's on a hidden camera game show, and that if he complete 13 tasks, he will receive a multi-million cash prize.
But, entrapped within the horrors manipulated by unseen spectators, the protagonist's need to complete the game escalates as the tasks grow more extreme, to a devastating point of no return.
Ford and Brian Kavanaugh-Jones of Automatik, IM Global's production joint venture with Alliance Films, will produce alongside Kiki Miyake.
“Daniel is one of the most talented young genre directors in the business and we're really excited to see what he and David can do with such darkly riveting source material,” Ford said.
Miyake's Little Magic banner initially brought the widely pursued project to IM Global's executive vice president of acquisitions Amal Elwardi. IM Global collaborator Jason Blum Paranormal Activity, Insidious) and Somsak Techaratanaprasert of Sahamongkolfilm (producer of the original Thai movie) will executive produce.
IM Global and Automatik are currently in production or post-production on 10 features they are producing and/or financing with various partners, including action-thrillers Safe (Jason Statham), Bullet to the Head (Sylvestor Stallone) and Welcome to the Punch (James McAvoy), and genre titles The Bay, from Barry Levinson, Scott Derrickson’s Sinister and Rob Zombie’s The Lords of Salems.
Stamm is repped by CAA and Undergrounds Films & Management; Birke, by Paradigm and Madhouse Entertainment.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2011

BREAKING DAWN
Summit Entertainment has just unveiled a new poster for its upcoming The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn -- Part 1.
The poster features stars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson in an embrace.
It's much more intimate pose than was featured in the previous poster, released in mid-August, which pictured the entire main cast, including Taylor Lautner, Nikki Reed, Kellan Lutz, Elizabeth Reaser, Peter Facinelli, Ashley Green and Jackson Rathbone.
Breaking Dawn -- Part I, which hits theaters Nov. 18, centers around -- spoiler alert for those who haven't read the books or pretty much any Twilight coverage in recent months -- on the wedding between Bella (Stewart) and Edward (Pattinson) and ensuing pregnancy.
Part 2 is slated for a Nov. 16, 2012 release. Both films are directed by Bill Condon.

364
Ron Howard has lined up another project in the form of 364, an original superhero drama from David Guggenheim, Deadline reports.
The film centers on a man who has superpowers only one day a year.
Set up at Universal with Imagine Entertainment producing, 364 represents a new addition to the already packed slate of potential Howard directing projects. Following the now-in-production Formula One biopic Rush, Howard has attached himself to the Jon Krakauer adaptation Under the Banner of Heaven and the MAD Magazine comic strip adaptation Spy vs. Spy. He's also still attached to the Stephen King multi-tiered film and television version of The Dark Tower, but that project is currently without a studio, following Universal's decision to pass on the property.
Guggenheim is the writer behind the upcoming action thrillers Medallion and Safe House.

LES MISERABLES
According to reports in Deadline, Russell Crowe has joined the cast of Tom Hooper's Les Misérables. He'll play Inspector Javert to Hugh Jackman's Jean Valjean.
Based on Victor Hugo's 1862 novel, the hit Broadway musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg opened in 1985, beginning one of the longest runs for a musical ever. Set against the backdrop of the 19th Century French rebellion, Jackman's character is a man who ends up in jail after stealing bread to feed his sister and ends up becoming the guardian of a young woman named Cosette. The musical has been adapted for the screen by William Nicholson.
Hooper is going to be following up his Oscar win for The King's Speech with the adaptation, set up at Working Title and Universal Pictures.
The movie will be the first time that Jackman, who has sung and danced on Broadway in his Tony-winning role in "The Boy From Oz" as well as host of the Oscars and Tonys, would perform in that capacity on screen. The film will likewise mark the first big screen musical for Crowe, who sings for his band 30 Odd Foot of Grunts.
Lining up a diverse series of projects, Crowe will soon also appear in RZA's directing debut The Man with the Iron Fists, Allen Hughes' Broken City and Zack Snyder's Superman reboot, Man of Steel. Though currently shooting, that film will actually be released after Les Misérables, which is planned to hit theaters on December 7, 2012.

CHARLOTTE DOYLE
Morgan Freeman and Pierce Brosnan are attached to star in a film adaptation of children's author Avi's bestselling book "The True Confessions Of Charlotte Doyle" reports Screen Daily.
The story follows an adventurous young girl who braves the high seas aboard a ship with a ruthless captain and a mutinous crew, set in 1830. Saoirse Ronan was previously attached to the role of Doyle.
Danny DeVito directs from a script he adapted and shooting is scheduled to begin in Ireland in 2012. DeVito, Lori McCreary, Michael Weisler and Beau St.Clair will produce.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2011

ALPHAS RENEWED FOR SECOND YEAR
Looks like Alphas—which, along with Eureka and Warehouse 13, recently helped give Syfy its best Monday night in a decade—will be back for more superhuman investigating. Because 13 more episodes of the drama have been ordered and will be coming our way in 2012.
Here's Syfy's official press release:
SYFY RENEWS ALPHAS FOR SECOND SEASON
13 EPISODES OF SUPERHUMAN DRAMA SERIES FROM UNIVERSAL CABLE PRODUCTIONS AND BERMANBRAUN TELEVISION ORDERED FOR 2012
NEW YORK - September 7, 2011 - Syfy's new super-powered original drama series Alphas, featuring a team of superhuman investigators, will be returning for a second season, it was announced today by Mark Stern, President, Original Content, Syfy, and Co-Head, Original Content, Universal Cable Productions. Syfy is ordering 13 episodes of the breakout scripted summer hit from series producers Universal Cable Productions and BermanBraun Television to air in 2012.
"Alphas' smart, innovative approach to a superhero franchise has clearly caught on with our audience," said Stern. "From the first-rate writing to the outstanding cast lead by David Strathairn, we're very proud of what was achieved in its first season and look forward to seeing this series fulfill even more of its creative potential in a second season."
Alphas debuted on July 11th and became Syfy's most-watched original scripted series premiere in two years. To date, premiere episodes which air Monday nights at 10PM ET/PT have averaged 3.3 million total viewers (including all available Live +7 DVR data).
Comparatively, in both key demos, Alphas has outperformed other new and returning scripted series this season including Teen Wolf, Rescue Me, Hawthorne and The Killing. Alphas also tops Memphis Beat in Adults 18-49.
Alphas has scored impressive numbers with on demand viewers since its July launch averaging over 240,000 plays within 7 days per episode. Alphas is also Syfy's most popular series in digital downloads.
Alphas, airing Monday nights at 10PM ET/PT on Syfy, follows a clandestine group of ordinary people whose unique neurological condition equips them with extraordinary physical abilities. Led by preeminent neurologist and psychiatrist Dr. Lee Rosen (Emmy Award-winner and Academy Award-nominee David Strathairn (Temple Grandin, Good Night, and Good Luck) and operating within the Defense Department, the team investigates cases involving other Alpha activity. The ensemble cast also stars Malik Yoba (New York Undercover, Why Did I Get Married?), Warren Christie (October Road), Azita Ghanizada (Castle), Ryan Cartwright (Bones) and Laura Mennell (Watchmen). Valerie Cruz is a recurring guest star.
Notable guest stars this season include Summer Glau (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles), Garret Dillahunt (Raising Hope), Lindsay Wagner (The Bionic Woman), Brent Spiner (Star Trek: The Next Generation) and Rebecca Mader (Lost) on September 12th and John Pyper Ferguson (Caprica) on September 26th.
Created by Zak Penn and Michael Karnow, Alphas is a production of Universal Cable Productions and BermanBraun Television.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2011

"Supernatural" fans, the premiere photos are here! Hey, these Winchester boys may be miserable, but they sure make it look good, don't they? When Season 7 begins on Sept. 23 at 9 p.m., we're yet again going to see a very different Sam (Jared Padalecki) -- he's not drinking blood, and he's got his soul back, but his terrifying memories of hell are blurring his reality.
As always, Dean's (Jensen Ackles) biggest concern is his brother -- oh, and saving the world from the new wrathful God, Castiel (Misha Collins). As Castiel seeks vengeance on the angels who betrayed him during the civil war in Heaven, he believes he's on a righteous path -- but the consequences of his mission could be terrible.
Dean calls on Death (Julian Richings) to stop Castiel -- after all, Death had the power to retrieve Sam's soul when no one else could -- but when plans go awry, Death turns his anger on Dean.

WORLD WAR Z
A new set video has appeared for the film adaptation of Max Brooks's acclaimed book, WORLD WAR Z and it shows just how the movie's zombies operate.
Watch as the video someone managed to capture from the filming in Glasglow shows an infected man twitching into a spastic undeath that includes headbanging the side of a mini van.
What is even more apparent is that the high-speed zombie attack seems to be a departure from Brooks' novel due to the creatures' ability to run and the quick change-over rate from bite to zombie mode. This is something sure to annoy Brooks loyalists if they weren't already annoyed to begin with.
A press release for the film already showed a massive deviation from the film's plot. Instead of Brad Pitt's character traveling around the world collecting survivors' accounts of a global zombie plague that brought civilization to a halt a decade earlier in order to gain perspective on the events, the film feels more like typical Hollywood fare about the sprint to stop an outbreak.
The release says, "The story revolves around United Nations employee Gerry Lane (Pitt), who traverses the world in a race against time to stop the Zombie pandemic that is toppling armies and governments and threatening to decimate humanity, itself."
There also seems to be a love story involving Lane getting back to his wife Karin (played by Mireille Enos) and their two children.

NEW WEINSTEIN LABEL LAUNCHED
The Hollywood Reporter writes that the Weinstein Company is launching a new label that will deliver films through digital distribution channels. Magnolia exec Tom Quinn and legal consultant Jason Janego have been named co-presidents of the yet-to-be-named shingle and will run it out of New York. They will report to TWC co-chairmen Harvey and Bob Weinstein.
Quinn and Janego will oversee acquisitions, productions and distribution of label content, with the Toronto International Film Festival their first hunting ground. Their goal is to release a film by mid-2012.
“It’s an exciting time in filmmaking; technology has made film a more democratic medium than ever, for artists and audiences," said the Weinsteins. "There are just so many great movies being made all over the world, and the new digital platforms make it possible for more people than ever to see them."
While at Magnolia, Quinn launched its genre shingle, Magnet Releasing, and acquired films such as Man on Wire, Jesus Camp, Let the Right One In, Page One, Monsters and Trollhunter. Janego has worked as an executive at Big Beach Films, Miramax Films, Cinetic Media and Magnolia Pictures, where he and Quinn were among the first to explore day-and-date strategies with movies such as Bubble, Two Lovers, 13 Assassins and Client 9.
“Our experience in digital distribution has been eye-opening and inspiring; we see it as a new frontier for studios and for independent filmmakers of every stripe," said Quinn and Janego.
The Weinstein Company most recently released Our Idiot Brother and Spy Kids 4: All the Time in the World. Upcoming releases include My Week With Marilyn, The Artist, Butter and The Iron Lady.

SOLACE
According to Variety, Anthony Hopkins is in final negotations to headline New Line Cinema's Solace.
Originally announced for development in 2008 with Mark Pellington (The Mothman Prophecies, Arlington Road) directing, the project deals with a clairvoyant doctor who is enlisted by the police to help catch a serial killer. Hopkins would play the doctor, John Clancy.
Pellington is no longer attached, but Beau Flynn and Tripp Vinson of Contrafilm are still producing alongside Matthias Emcke and Thomas Augsberger. When the project was originally announced, the script had been written by Sean Bailey and Ted Griffin with rewrites by James Vanderbilt. It has since been rewritten by Peter Morgan.
Hopkins most recently starred in Thor and is likely to reprise his role in some capacity for the 2013 sequel.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2011

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2011

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
Horror-thrillers Apollo 18 and Shark Night 3D remain in a dead heat at the Labor Day box office, while The Help and Helen Mirren starrer The Debt continue to trump both in an end-of-summer upset.
The final race between Shark Night and Apollo 18 wont’ be called until Monday morning, when updated numbers for the four-day holiday weekend come in.
The Help will easily win the Labor Day contest with a projected four-day cume of $18 million; it’s three-day cume is an estimated $14.2 million—representing only a 3% drop from last weekend. The $25 million film will cross $120 million in domestic grosses sometime on Monday, besting all expectations. From DreamWorks Entertainment and Participant Media, The Help is the first film since last year’s Inception to top the box office chart for three consecutive weekends. Disney is distributing director Tate Taylor’s pic, based on Kathryn Stockett’s runaway bestseller.
“We continue to add theaters—we have each week—it’s getting us into smaller towns and more rural areas,” said Disney executive vice president of worldwide distribution Dave Hollis. “We’ll slow that expansion of theaters as demand slows on the picture, but we’re hopeful that we’ll continue to play well on into the fall.
The Help began its rollout at the international box office this weekend, opening to a solid $1.7 million in Australia, despite its uniquely American theme.
From Focus Features and Miramax, The Debt is expected to reach $12.2 million for the four-days, putting its six-day launch (the adult drama-thriller opened Wednesday) at a stellar $14.1 million. For the three-day weekend, the John Madden-directed pic is estimated to gross $9.7 million.
The Help, playing in far fewer theaters than its competitors, is overperforming in much the same way The Constant Gardener did, which Focus successfully launched over Labor Day in 2005 (the independent distributor is famous for using the holiday for adult fare).
For genre titles—the traditional staple of Labor Day—the holiday isn’t bringing much good news this year.
Found-footage sci fi thriller Apollo 18, from the Weinstein Co., and Shark Night, from Incentive Filmed Entertainment and Sierra/Affinity, grossed an estimated $8.7 million and $8.6 million for the three-day weekend, respectively.
Projections show Apollo 18 squeaking by Shark Night for the four-day weekend with a cume of $10.7 million, versus a projected $10.5 million for Shark Night. Neither film seemed to particularly please audiences: Apollo 18 received a dismal D CinemaScore, while Shark Night drew a C (The Debt drew a B).
Heading into the weekend, tracking showed Apollo 18 grossing $11 million to $14 million for the four-day weekend, while Shark Night—which didn’t show the same level of heat as Apollo 18—was expected to earn $7 million to $8 million.
Apollo 18 only cost $5 million to produce, so the Weinstein Co. isn’t financially at risk; however, it’s the third weekend in a row that the company has seen one of its film underperform.
As expected, Apollo 18—produced by Timur Bekmambetov and Ron Schmidt—appleaed heavily to males, who made up 59% of the audience, while 64% of those buying tickets were over the age of 25.
Apollo 18 is impressive for coming together in less than a year; Dimension and Bekmambetov introduced the project to foreign buyers at last November’s American Film Market.
Director David R. Ellis’ Shark Night, fully financed and produced by Incentive Filmed Entertainment and Sierra/Affinity, is relying on younger moviegoers. Exit polling showed that 57% of Friday night’s audience was under the age of 25, while 53% of the audience was male.
Relativity put up all marketing costs for Shark Night, while Sierra/Affinity covered much of the pic’s production budget (just under $30 million after tax rebates) through foreign presales. The movie begins its international rollout this weekend when opening in Russia.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes placed No. 5 for the three-day weekend (Fox didn’t provide a four-day estimate) grossing $7.4 million for a domestic cume of $160 million.
Sony’s Zoe Saldana action pic Colombiana did the best among the three films playing in their second weekend, grossing an estimated $7.4 million for the three days for a cume of $22 million. Sony projects the movie will earn $9.3 million for the four days. Our Idiot Brother, from the Weinstein Co., grossed an estimated $5.1 million for the three-day weekend, followed by FilmDistrict’s Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark with $5 million (four day numbers won’t be available until Monday).
Sony’s The Smurfs rounded out the top 10 chart, and jumped the $400 million mark over the weekend at the worldwide box office.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2011

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2011

REVENGE
The Hollywood Reporter writes that in an effort to lure potential viewers to the ABC mystery Revenge, ahead of fall's TV crush, the network has opted to dole out the series' pilot script to passengers aboard the Hamptons-bound buses this Labor Day weekend. The script will also be available for free download at the Kindle store until Sept. 21, the date the Hamptons-based series premieres.
The get-out-the-word campaign will continue on Sept. 3 with the dissemination of Revenge towels for beach-goers in the Hamptons, Jersey Shore and Los Angeles. Jitney riders will received towels in addition to scripts.
Revenge, which ABC entertainment Group Paul Lee called one of “our internal favorites” during August's Television Critics Association tour last month, is billed as a contemporary reimagining of The Count of Monte Cristo.
The drama centers on a mysterious young woman, played by Emily VanCamp, who is welcomed into a rich Hamptons community filled with people who don't know she's there to exact revenge on the people who had destroyed her family.
“We’re dealing in a particular time right now in American history where I think the average American is going to want to see a takedown of the rich,” says star Madeleine Stowe.
Added creator/executive producer Mike Kelley, “Revenge is such a great story engine. It’s really a jumping off point.”
The series, which will use pieces of the book as "sign-posts," began with executive producers Marty Bowen and Wyck Godfrey, who were interested in telling a Hamptons-set story of haves and have-nots. When ABC brass suggested they layer in a story engine, Bowen decided to pull from Monte Cristo as inspiration. The decision to do so from a female point of view lead to the hiring of Kelley, whose credits include One Tree Hill and The O.C.
“It feels great to be so firmly on brand at ABC,” said Kelley, acknowledging that that wasn’t the case on some of his past projects, likely referencing his time on CBS’ short-lived Swingtown.
In an era of limited attention spans and infinite options, he was quick to dispell any concerns of lingering story lines. Instead, Kelley said he plans to answer all of the questions that he sets up in the pilot during the show's first 13 episodes.
“I want to satisfy viewers,” he said, noting that ultimately there will only be one way to wrap up a series about revenge. "It will be Emily and Victoria with a sea of bodies between them and they’ll have to forgive. That’s the only way out of this series."

KITE
Variety reports that David R. Ellis, whose Shark Night 3D hits theaters today, has signed on to direct a live-action adaptation of the Japanese OVA Kite.
Released as two halves in Japan, the 1998 anime was directed by Yasuomi Umetsu and told the story of a sexually abused orphaned schoolgirl, Sawa, who becomes an assassin.
The original famous for its high level of sex and violence, Kite has been planned for a live-action version for some time. In 2008, it was announced that Mexican directors Jorge and Javier Aguilera were attached, though nothing significant developed.
Production on Kite is expected to begin in early 2012.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2011

SECRET STASH
AMC announced the addition of two new shows to its line-up:
The unscripted series "Secret Stash" -- set in Kevin Smith's comic book shop, Jay and Silent Bob''s Secret Stash, promises to "capture the world of the neighborhood comic book store and fanboy culture." We love it, but we're going to go ahead and predict this as appealing to a niche market. The show is set to debut in February 2012.
"JJK Security" will be centered on a small, family run security business and is (a la "Walking Dead") set in Georgia. AMC describes it as a "Southern gothic workplace dramedy." So "The Office" meets "True Blood"? Expect to see it air in summer 2012.

WOLVERINE WOES
First, the director quit. Then the location for filming had to be changed. Now the script for the new Wolverine movie is getting a rewrite.
Variety reports that Mark Bomback, whose credits include the upcoming Total Recall remake and director Bryan Singer's fantasy Jack the Giant Killer, has been hired to rewrite the script for The Wolverine that was originally turned in by Christopher McQuarrie way back when Darren Aronofsky was still directing this thing.
After all, since shooting is delayed until 2012 anyway, why not have some dude who wrote Live Free or Die Hard come in and tinker with what's reportedly a good script already?
The synopsis for the movie says that the story "will find Wolverine suffering from amnesia and searching for answers about his past in the Japanese criminal underworld where he finds both love and tragedy."
At least we know the picture is still set in Japan, meaning it's still related somehow to the classic comic book arc created by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller. In fact, Variety adds that the entire cast will consist of Japanese or Japanese-American actors with the exception of Viper, who's the secretary for Japan's Minister of Justice. It's not clear if this is the same Viper who becomes Madame Hydra in the Marvel comic book universe.
Production will take place mainly in Vancouver, with some filming to be done in Tokyo, and will start early next year with James Mangold directing and Hugh Jackman, of course, returning as Wolverine. No release date yet, but if you put your money on summer 2013 you'd probably win.

FRINGE NEWS
Olivia, Walter and (M.I.A.) Peter dominate the latest Fringe poster—but they're not alone. The trio is joined by not one or two, but FOUR of those pasty, beady-eyed Observers!
The poster's tagline is "New Beginning. New Dimensions," which proves producers Jeff Pinkner and Joel H. Wyman's statement about season four being like "a pilot episode." In a way, the characters are starting over, which attests for the new beginning part. But what about the dimensions?
So far, the Fringe team has only worked with one alternate universe, so why is "dimension" plural? Is there another one out there as well? Or are they just referring to the two? And what the heck are the Observers hiding besides Peter's existence? They're up to their fedoras in this mess!
As for the heavy ripple effect used in the poster, it obviously illustrates the aftermath of Peter's disappearance. But judging from the last promo trailer, Olivia has a feeling that something's off. Her Petey sense is tingling and it's only a matter of time before she realizes what happened.
Fringe premieres Friday, Sept. 23, at 9 p.m.

BIG DEAD PLACE
Former ‘Sopranos’ Actor James Gandolfini is developing drama Big Dead Place, based on Nicholas Johnson’s memoir about his work in the U.S. Antarctic Program.
Breaking Bad writer Peter Gould, who recently teamed with the premium network on Andrew Ross Sorkin's telepic Too Big to Fail, is on board to pen and executive produce the project. Gandolfini will executive produce the project, which could also become a starring vehicle for him.
Gandolfini’s managers Nancy Sanders and Mark Armstrong as well as actor Brian Swibel and Mosaic’s Jimmy Miller are also attached as EPs. Sam Hansen will serve as an co-executive producer.

WONDERDON MOVING TO ANAHEIM
The move for next year's show rumored for some time, Comic-Con International has officially confirmed that WonderCon 2012 will be held in Anaheim, California rather than in the San Francisco Bay Area, where it has been held since it began in 1987 (first at the Oakland Convention Center and, since 2003, the Moscone Center). The official announcement about the move appeared on the organization's official site and reads as follows:
WonderCon, part of Comic-Con International's (CCI) family of conventions, today announced that the 2012 show will be held March 16-18, and Anaheim, California, will play host to the long-running comics and popular arts convention. San Francisco's Moscone Center, WonderCon's traditional venue, will undergo renovations in early 2012, leaving the 25-year-old show in the unenviable position of either being canceled or finding a new venue.
In a move to help alleviate an overcrowded calendar, ReedPop's C2E2, which has been waiting to announce dates for its own show in March 2012, will now seek alternative dates while Wizard World has announced that it will postpone its April 2012 Anaheim show.
"It certainly was not our wish to move," commented David Glanzer, director of marketing and public relations for the nonprofit event. "However, when faced with the prospect of canceling the show for a year or moving locations, after careful consideration we decided to keep WonderCon on the 2012 calendar at a venue that could accommodate our needs."
"We fully understand the challenges of trying to secure dates at any venue, let alone one undergoing renovation," said Lance Fensterman, Group Vice President of ReedPop. "In an effort to minimize the impact on exhibitors and attendees we are currently looking to shift C2E2 from our traditional March dates."
Gareb Shamus, CEO of Wizard World offered a unique solution to offset any potential conflict for fans and exhibitors: "All of us who produce conventions know securing dates can often be a frustrating experience especially when you find yourself having to move to a new city." Shamus continued, "Because of their long history, Wizard World has decided to accommodate WonderCon and postpone our April 2012 Anaheim show."
"We appreciate the efforts of Lance and Gareb for going above and beyond in making the WonderCon transition more manageable," said Glanzer.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2011

DIE HARD 5
According to the Hollywood Reporter, 20th Century Fox has settled on studio mainstay John Moore to direct Die Hard 5, the latest in the decades long Bruce Willis action franchise.
Moore is now in negotiations to helm the movie, which will see Willis return to star as John McClaine.
The move is not a surprise as Moore's name kept surfacing even as the studio looked at names such as Fast Five helmet Justin Lin, Nicolas Refn of Drive and Attack the Block's Joe Cornish. The derby was set in motion when Noam Murro, who was slated to direct, left to take on Warner Bros.'s 300 sequel 300: Battle of Artemisia.
The new Die Hard movie has a script by Skip Woods and is said to feature McClaine's son, with some saying Fox may be setting up a passing of the baton.
All of Moore's features - which begin with 2001's Behind Enemy Lines starring Owen Wilson and Gene Hackman, include Flight of the Phoenix and a remake of The Omen, and end with Max Payne - have been for Fox.

SUPERMAN
Superman has a brand-new costume and thanks to newly released images from the set of Man of Steel, fans are getting their first chance to study it in detail.
The new costume, worn by actor Henry Cavill, appears to be keeping in line with the revised version of the character soon to be seen in DC Comics' reboots of the Action Comics and Superman series next month. The red briefs and yellow belt are gone; replaced by blue briefs. And from the looks of the photos, the omnipresent red cape is now optional.
A previous photo of the Man of Steel was released earlier in August, but the image was dim and moody and didn't give fans a sense of what the costume would look like in action.
Warner Bros.' Superman reboot began filming outside of Chicago in early August.

ROMANCING THE STONE
Deadline reports that a remake of Robert Zemeckis' 1984 adventure film Romancing the Stone has been relatively quiet since it was first announced nearly three years ago. Now plans have changed and, rather than being set up as a feature film, the property will be developed by NBC as a television series with Shawn Levy producing and potentially attached to direct the pilot.
The original film starred Kathleen Turner as a romance novelist and Michael Douglas as an American soldier of fortune who team together to try and save her missing sister. The new version is said to expand on that premise, swapping the sister character for a brother.
The series plans to head to the network with Mark Friedman (Home of the Brave, "The Forgotten") writing. Levy is said to be interested in directing, though his upcoming slate is looking to be quite full. His next, Real Steel is hoping to launch a franchise and his name has been brought up in connection to Fantastic Voyage and 20th Century Fox's Untitled Frankenstein Film, among others.

THE DOUBLE
The trailer for the thriller The Double has come online. Directed by Michael Brandt and written by Derek Haas and Brandt (the duo behind Wanted, 3:10 to Yuma and 2 Fast 2 Furious), the film stars Richard Gere, Topher Grace, Stana Katic, Stephen Moyer, Martin Sheen and Odette Annable.
In The Double, opening in theaters on September 23, the mysterious murder of a US senator bearing the distinctive trademark of the legendary Soviet assassin "Cassius" forces Paul Shepherdson (Gere), a retired CIA operative, to team with rookie FBI agent, Ben Geary (Grace), to solve the crime. Having spent his career chasing Cassius, Shepherdson is convinced his nemesis is long dead, but is pushed to take on the case by his former supervisor, Tom Highland (Sheen). Meanwhile, Agent Geary, who wrote his Master's thesis on Shepherdson's pursuit of the Soviet killer, is certain that Cassius has resurfaced. As Shepherdson and Geary work their way through crimes both past and present, they discover that Cassius may not be the person they always thought him to be, forcing both to re-examine everything and everyone around them.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

TRON 3
At a recent convention, Bruce Boxleitner confirmed Tron 3 is entering full resolution and well on its way toward a 2013 release.
Brainstorming sessions began last January for a third installment of Disney's Tron franchise when Tron 2 was teetering over $300 million and the merchandising juggernaut was providing a glittering stream of ancillary revenue. Supporting the cyberscape love-fest, Disney XD's awesome-looking upcoming cartoon series Tron: Uprising is gathering gigabytes of followers. One of the ideas being juggled around for the next sequel is reintroducing the character of Yori, played by Caddyshack vamp Cindy Morgan in the 1982 original.
Joseph Kosinski, director of Tron: Legacy, revealed a potential plot for the screenplay earlier this year. Rumored to be called Tron: The Next Day, the film picks up where Legacy ended, with Quorra in the real world, continuing the exploits and adventures of Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund).
A six-pack of alternative storylines have been in consideration since last winter. Several of them feature the character of Laura, who would be married to Alan Bradley (Bruce Boxleitner's Tron character). Cillian Murphy is also said to be onboard the film, should it proceed, playing two pivotal characters.
Jeff Bridges is not confirmed to return as Kevin Flynn. But don't count the fantastic Mr. Flynn out yet.
Originally budgeted at $170 million, Tron: Legacy opened on Dec. 17, 2010, and, after surviving a wave of mediocre reviews, churned on through the holiday season to rack up over $400 million worldwide. That's nothing to rattle a fistful of quarters at.

DYNAMIC DUO-SPIELBERG/KING
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Stephen King and Steven Spielberg are at it again.
The duo who previously teamed on The Talisman are developing a drama series based on King’s 2009 novel Under the Dome.
The project, which will be produced by DreamWorks Television, revolves around locals a Maine locale who battle each other when a force field surrounds their town and cuts them off from the remainder of the world.
King will executive produce along with DreamWorks TV’s Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank. No writer is currently attached.
DreamWorks TV also produces Spielberg’s TNT alien invasion drama Falling Skies, which was recently picked up for a second season, and had the Toni Collette dramedy United States of Tara at Showtime.
King and Peter Straub’s fantasy novel The Talisman was published in 1984, which TNT developed into a six-part miniseries in 2006; the project was ultimately scraped due to budget concerns.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

from Bleiberg Entertainment on Vimeo.

BISHOP TO PAWN
TNT is getting into the pawn business. The cable network has picked up Bishop to Pawn, a script from Person of Interest writer Greg Plageman.
The drama project revolves around a private investigator who runs his business out of his Los Angeles pawn shop and has Jerry Bruckheimer is attached to executive produce through Jerry Bruckheimer Television in association with Warner Horizon Television.
Jonathan Littman (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation) will also executive produce, with KristieAnne Reed (The Whole Truth) on board as a co-executive producer.
Bruckheimer and Reed also have an hourlong 1980s wrestling project in development at NBC and a put-pilot commitment from CBS for a character-based procedural from Heroes scribe Aron Eli Coleite.
Plageman's Person of Interest premieres Sept. 22 on CBS.

ARGO
According to variety, Ben Affleck's next has added three new cast members, namely Tate Donovan, Nelson Franklin and Taylor Schilling in the upcoming Argo.
The trio join Alan Arkin, John Goodman and Affleck himself in the true espionage story about a 1979 CIA team that, working with the Canadian government, moved to rescue six U.S. diplomats who had been taken hostage at an American embassy by a group of Iranians. Working undercover, the team pretended that they were part of a Hollywood film crew scouting a movie called "Argo."
Schilling, who most recently appeared in Atlas Shrugged and who will star in next year's The Lucky One, will play wife to Affleck's CIA Agent with Donovan an embassy consulate and Franklin a journalist.
The screenplay was adapted by Chris Terrio from Joshua Bearman's April 2007 Wired magazine article, "How the CIA Used a Fake Sci-Fi Flick to Rescue American from Tehran" and it's being produced by George Clooney and Grant Heslov's Smoke House to be released by Warner Bros.

APOLLO 18
The Weinstein Company has released a new trailer for their upcoming Apollo 18, which hits theaters this Friday.
Shot in a "found footage" documentary style, Apollo 18 pretends to unearth lost footage from Apollo 18's undocumented and covert mission to the moon, revealing disturbing new evidence of other life forms.

OLD BOY
Deadline reports that Josh Brolin has been cast in the upcoming remake of Park Chan-wook's Old Boy.Brolin, who next appears on the big screen in Men in Black III, will play the part of Joe (Dae-su Oh in the original), a man who, on the day his daughter is born, is captured and imprisoned in a hotel room for over two decades (15 years in the original) with no understanding as to why. When he is suddenly released, he's told that he has just four days to determine the reason for his imprisonment and, if he cannot, his daughter will be killed.
Originally a late '90's manga series by Garon Tsuchiya and Nobuaki Minegishi, the American version will apparently, as in that series, go by that two word title rather that the single world Oldboy that Chan-wook's version used.
Spike Lee is set to direct the film with a script from Mark Protosevich and is eyeing an early 2012 production start.

MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2011

DOMINION
Reports in the Hollywood Reporter indicate that Zoe Saldana has signed a deal to produce and star in Paramount Pictures' supernatural thriller Dominion.
Little is known about the plot specifics, but the pitch arrives from relative newcomers Chester Hastings and Dean McCreary and concerns a half-human, half-angel. The project bears no relation to the unproduced DreamWorks project, Dominion or the recently announced Barry Sonnenfeld/Grant Morrison project, Dominion: Dinosaurs Versus Aliens.
Saldana headlines this week's Colombiana and is soon expected to return for two major sci-fi sequels, Star Trek 2 and Avatar 2.

IN TIME
An international trailer for Andrew Niccol's In Time has come online. Opening in theaters on October 28, the thriller stars Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried, Cillian Muphy, Vincent Kartheiser, Alex Pettyfer, Johnny Galecki, Olivia Wilde and Matthew Bomer.
In Time presents a world where time has become the ultimate currency. You stop aging at 25, but there's a catch: you're genetically-engineered to live only one more year, unless you can buy your way out of it. The rich "earn" decades at a time (remaining at age 25), becoming essentially immortal, while the rest beg, borrow or steal enough hours to make it through the day. When a man from the wrong side of the tracks is falsely accused of murder, he is forced to go on the run with a beautiful hostage. Living minute to minute, the duo's love becomes a powerful tool in their war against the system.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 27, 2011

Good day to curl up with a good book, your DVDs or VHS copies of BABYLON 5 -- whatever you have to keep you inside andaway from harm -- for at least those of you on the East Coast! Not a bad prescription for anyone really -- as long asthe electriciity holds out.

Take care everyone!

FRIDAY, AUGUST 26, 2011

BOX OFFICE WEEKEND
On Friday, Zoe Saldana, Jordi Molla and Lennie James stars in the bullet thriller Colombiana, directed by Olivier Megaton.
Meanwhile, Katie Holmes, Guy Pearce and Bailee Madison star in the horror flick Don't Be Afraid of the Dark. The movie is written by Guillermo del Toro and Matthew Robbins and directed by Troy Nixey.
Also opening Friday is the family comedy Our Idiot Brother, directed and produced by Jesse Peretz and starring Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks and Zooey Deschanel.
Here is what The Hollywood Reporter's critics have to say about those films.
Colombiana
Bottom Line: Another Besson bash of bullets, bodies and broads.
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
Bottom Line: A scary film where the scares peter out far too quickly.
Our Idiot Brother
Bottom Line: Dysfunctional family comedy ambles instead of snowballing and treats its good-hearted hero pretty shabbily.
Circumstance
Bottom Line: Stunning debut lifts the veil on life in Iran.
Brighton Rock
Bottom Line: The story is a typical Greene tale of good versus evil.
Chasing Madoff
Bottom Line: A riveting yet maddeningly stylized doc looking into a whistleblower whom no one listened to.
Higher Ground
Bottom Line: A rare American film that explores the born-again experience without mockery or condescension.

DEADMAN
The CW is getting back into business with Supernatural creator Eric Kripke.
The network is developing an adaptation of DC Comics' Deadman, by Arnold Drake and Carmine Infantino, with Kripke writing and executive producing.
Deadman centers on the spirit of a trapeze artist, Boston Brand, who is murdered, and continues to live on by inhabiting other people's bodies and helping them resolve conflicts and issues in their lives. He first appeared in October 1967. Deadman will be produced by Warner Bros. TV.
Kripke exited his day-to-day duties as showrunner on Supernatural at the end of the fifth season, with executive producer Sera Gamble taking over. Supernatural is entering into Season 7 this fall.
Earlier this year at PaleyFest, Kripke told The Hollywood Reporter that the TV adaptation of Neil Gaiman's comic book series The Sandman was "not in the works, at least for this season" but he hoped that "we can do it again in the future." In September 2010, WBTV named him its top choice to develop the series.

R.I.P.D.
James Hong, the veteran Asian-American actor who has appeared in cult classics such as Blade Runner and Big Trouble in Little China and more recently did voicework Kung Fu Panda 2, has joined the cast of Universal’s R.I.P.D., the supernatural action movie starring Ryan Reynolds and Jeff Bridges.
The story centers on a murdered cop (Reynolds) who is recruited to work in the Rest in Peace Department, a police force comprised of ghosts who battle spirits unready to depart this world.
Hong will play “Grandpa Chen,” Reynolds’ avatar, the form humans see when Reynolds’ character goes about his business.
Marisa Miller just joined the cast as Bridges’ avatar.
Also in the cast of the Robert Schwentke-directed pic are Kevin Bacon, Mary-Louise Parker, and Stephanie Szostak.
Hong, with a career dating back to the mid-1950s, has astoundingly appeared in over 500 movies and television roles and will next be seen in the Jason Statham action movie Safe. He is repped by Stage 9 Talent.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 25, 2011

MAN OF STEEL
A series of pictures taken on the set and posted at the Man of Steel Facebook page appear to show quite definitively that Cavill is not wearing the red trunks that have been part of Superman's costume since the very beginning.
So now we can guess why that initial photo deliberately kept Kal-El's midsection in the shadows—director Zack Snyder and the film's producers (who include Christopher Nolan) wanted to keep the full costume a mystery and not necessarily set off alarm bells with Superman purists.
Of course, it's not just the new movie that's messing with the Man of Steel's iconic outfit: DC Comics has also revealed that Superman's red underwear is going to be a thing of the past when the publisher reboots its entire line of titles next month.
By the way, if you can get over the shock of the new Superman outfit in those set pics, you might also notice that they give us our first (sort of) view of female Kryptonian villain Faora (Antje Traue), who looks for our money a lot like Ursa from the first two Christopher Reeve Superman flicks. And is that Michael Shannon as Zod in the mo-cap suit??
But more importantly, are you okay with Superman losing the red undies for Man of Steel? Or is Zack Snyder committing comic book sacrilege with Supes' new look?

HIDE
Legend of the Seeker's Bridget Regan has been tapped to play Annabelle Granger in the TNT telepic Hide.
The project, which will debut Dec. 6 on the Turner-owned cable network, is based on Lisa Gardner's book of the same name. Regan joins Carla Gugino, who will play Boston Police Detective D.D. Warren, who is called to investigate the remains inside a buried chamber at an abandoned mental hospital.
The case leads Gugino's character to Annabelle (Regan), a young woman who moved around a lot as a child, changing identities and hiding from things and people she knows nothing about. Warren uses clues from Annabelle's upbringing to unravel the mystery behind her twist family history.
Filling out the cast are fellow stars Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Kevin Alejandro. Hide is being penned by Janet Brownell (Eloise at the Plaza), with John Gray (Ghost Whisperer, Helter Skelter) and Stephanie Germain (The Day After Tomorrow) attached to direct and executive produce, respectively.
The telepic is part of the net’s lineup of original movies under its upcoming TNT Mystery Movie Night franchise, which will feature six procedural dramas. The series kicks off Nov. 29 with Scott Turow's Innocent, starring Bill Pullman, Marcia Gay Harden and Alfred Molina.
Regan, whose past small screen credits include stints on Six Degrees, Law & Order: Criminal Intent and The Black Donnollys, is repped by Gersh.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24, 2011

SUPERNATURAL PREVIEW
SPOILER WARNING!
The CW has released a new The CW has released a new "Supernatural" promo spot... and it makes us a little sad.
We love that the show is veering in an unexpected direction -- the game-changer at the end of Season 6 turned the series' formula on its head and kept us on our toes -- but we're going to miss Castiel.
"The Castiel you knew is gone," he warns the Winchesters in the preview. When we last spoke with Misha Collins, he confirmed that the character has been stripped of his humorous angle -- there won't be any more fumbling with technology, learning via porn, or accidental double entendres with Dean.
"I'll spoil this right now for you -- he does start the season as both a wrathful and vengeful god," Collins told us earlier this month. Don't expect a redemption before Castiel exits in episode 2, titled "Hello, Cruel World." Details as to where Castiel is going will be revealed on Sept. 30.
While Collins welcomes the opportunity to return to the series, he hasn't yet booked any future episodes beyond those first two. We're still holding out hope for a comeback later in the season.
As for the Winchesters, Sam (Jared Padalecki) will continue to struggle with his crippling memories of hell. He says that the challenge of portraying a man with the worst PTSD ever has been an interesting one. "I'm still figuring it out. It's difficult to understand," he tells us. He's chosen to focus on the smaller moments of Sam's experience in hell, rather than the greater picture, because 100 years of torture isn't exactly relatable.
"When you tell somebody '6 million people died between the years, blah blah blah,' you're kind of like, 'Whoa,' but you can't grasp it. If you then say, 'One person had every nail pulled out and his nose cut off, and salt poured in' ... thinking about specifics, that's where you can go," he says.
As for Dean -- we hear you, Dean girls! There's been a bit of an uproar in our comments section when it comes to Dean's storyline this season. When the show returns on Sept. 23, Dean will be occupied with keeping Castiel at bay, while grappling with the fact that Castiel was arguably his best friend before he turned against the Winchesters.
However, as it has been since we first met Dean at four years old, his primary concern will be his brother's well-being. "Sam is dealing with more of a personal issue than Dean," Jensen Ackles told our friends at E! when they visited the set. "Essentially the big topic [this season] is there's a new evil in the world and the boys are going to have to combat it by pooling their [meager] resources...It's going to be a difficult situation for both guys."

SYFY FOR THE FALL
If you're looking forward to finding out how the current seasons of Eureka, Alphas, Haven and Warehouse 13 will end, or learning how Peter Pan and Captain Hook began their epic rivalry, then check out what Syfy has in store for us this fall.
Check out Syfy's officlal press release:
SYFY'S FALL PROGRAMMING FEATURES PREMIERE OF PARANORMAL WITNESS, GHOST HUNTERS, HALLOWEEN LIVE AND 31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN
RETURN OF FACT OR FAKED: PARANORMAL FILES, SANCTUARY AND SCARE TACTICS
4-HOUR MOVIE EVENT NEVERLAND STARRING RHYS IFANS, ANNA FRIEL AND OSCAR NOMINEE KEIRA KNIGHTLEY AS TINKER BELL

NEW YORK - August 23, 2011 - Syfy will take the chill out of the air with a robust fall programming lineup featuring the series premiere of Paranormal Witness, the annual spook-a-thon 31 Days of Halloween culminating with Ghost Hunters Halloween Live telecast, and the 4-hour movie event Neverland, an original prequel to Peter Pan featuring Oscar nominee Keira Knightley as the voice of Tinker Bell.
Syfy's fall primetime schedule will also include the return of hit series Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files, Sanctuary, Scare Tactics, and the Saturday Original Movie Zombie Apocalypse, as well as the season finales of the hit scripted series Eureka, Alphas, Haven and Warehouse 13.
Highlights of Syfy 2011 Fall Programming (All Times ET/PT)
SEPTEMBER<br> PARANORMAL WITNESS (NEW ORIGINAL SERIES)
Wednesday, September 7 at 10PM - Paranormal Witness teams with 9PM lead-in Ghost Hunters to anchor the fall's Wednesday prime paranormal programming block. This tense, filmic and high-octane drama-documentary series brings to life the real stories of people who have lived through paranormal experiences that defy explanation. Using a mixture of intimate first-hand testimony, actual home video and gritty realistic drama, Paranormal Witness transports viewers into a world turned upside-down by extraordinary, terrifying and sometimes life-threatening paranormal events.
The season premiere episode showcases two stories with spine-tingling, first-person narration. The episode begins with "Emily the Imaginary Friend," a story about a young Baltimore family whose life is turned to chaos when they move into a new home and their 5-year-old daughter makes friends with an invisible girl named Emily. At first, Emily appears as a harmless playmate. Then, signs of mischievous behavior and household items moving or breaking start to occur in the house. The parents initially assume this could be uncharacteristically naughty behavior from their daughter, until the mischief turns increasingly more sinister and threatening towards the family members. The second story is "The Lost Girl," where a mother and daughter relive an unexplainable encounter along a rural dirt road in Florida with a mysterious girl who carries a shocking secret.

SCRIPTED SERIES SEASON FINALES
Eureka Season 4.5 finale -- Monday, September 19, 8-9PM
Alphas Season One finale -- Monday, September 26, 10-11PM
Haven Season Two finale -- Friday, September 30, 10-11PM
Warehouse 13 Season Three two-hour finale -- Monday, October 3, 9-11PM

To accompany the season finales, Syfy will air the following marathons:
Alphas Season One -- Monday. September 26, 11:30AM-10PM
Haven Season Two -- Friday, September 30, 8AM-6PM
Warehouse 13 Season Three -- Monday, October 3, 11AM-9PM
OCTOBER
31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN and GHOST HUNTERS HALLOWEEN LIVE
Saturday, October 1, through Monday, October 31 -- 31 Days of Halloween will unleash nearly 600 hours of bloodcurdling programming with original series, Saturday Original Movies and theatricals as well as ghoulish celebrations on Chiller and Syfy.com.
The month-long fright fest culminates with the annual six-hour Ghost Hunters Halloween Live telecast on Monday, October 31 at 7PM (ET/PT).
This year Syfy will partner with NYC & Company, New York City's official tourism, marketing and partnership organization for 31 Days of HalloweeNYC. The joint venture will bring the popular 31 Days of Halloween to the streets of New York City.
SANCTUARY (SEASON 4 PREMIERE)
Friday, October 7 at 10PM (ET/PT) -- The 13 all-new episodes of Season 4 change everything. With the arrival of the Hollow Earth refugees, the balance between Abnormals and humans is severely upset. In order to keep the peace, Magnus and team must throw out the rulebook. But forging their own way means they're not just dodging dangerous Abnormals anymore, now they've got world governments and new villains nipping at their heels. Sanctuary stars Amanda Tapping as the brilliant Dr. Helen Magnus, Robin Dunne as forensic psychiatrist Dr. Will Zimmerman, Agam Darshi as Kate Freelander, Ryan Robbins as Henry Foss and Christopher Heyerdahl as John Druitt. Created by Damian Kindler (Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis), Sanctuary is produced in association with Syfy and is distributed by Tricon Films and Television. Season four of the series is executive produced by Damian Kindler, Amanda Tapping, Martin Wood, Keith Beedie and Tricon Films.
SCARE TACTICS (SEASON 4.5)
Monday, October 10 at 9 pm (ET/PT) -- Hosted and executive produced by actor/comedian Tracy Morgan, Scare Tactics is a hidden camera show with a sci-fi twist. The show conspires with friends and family members to lure those close to them into outrageous scenarios. Unsuspecting victims find themselves in shocking situations from alien abductions to brushes with the living dead, taking advantage of the age-old practice of friends playing practical jokes on each other. In the premiere episode, "Tracy the Tour Guide," Tracy Morgan is on hand when one of his ancestors comes back to life in the form of a bloodthirsty mummy.
FACT OR FAKED: PARANORMAL FILES (SEASON 2.5)
Wednesday, October 19 at 10 pm (ET/PT) - Fact or Faked continues its red hot second season with six all-new episodes featuring former FBI agent Ben Hansen, lead scientist Bill Murphy, journalist Jael de Pardo, tech specialist Devin Marble, stunt expert Austin Porter and photographer Lanisha Cole. To date, new episodes this year have averaged more than 1.5 million viewers, up 57% from its first season.
Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files uncovers the truth behind supernatural and unexplained occurrences that have been caught on camera. In each episode, the team searches for the most intriguing images, videos and unnatural phenomenon found online and around the world. After selecting the most compelling cases, they head into the field, attempting to recreate the video, carrying out key experiments and questioning eyewitnesses. The team investigates all the clues and evidence with the most advanced techniques and tools at their disposal, and their objective is to answer the question, "Is this real?"
ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE (SATURDAY ORIGINAL MOVIE)
Saturday, October 29 at 9PM (ET/PT) -- Months after a zombie plague has wiped out 90 percent of the American population, a small group of survivors fight their way cross-country to a rumored refuge on the island of Catalina. Stars Ving Rhames. A production of The Asylum.
DECEMBER
NEVERLAND (ORIGINAL 4-HOUR MOVIE EVENT)
Sunday, December 4 at 9PM & Monday, December 5 at 9PM (ET/PT) -- Neverland, an original prequel to author J.M. Barrie's classic Peter Pan, sweeps in time from the turbulent seas of the pirates of the Caribbean and the back alleys of Dickensian London to a world of pure imagination. The film stars Rhys Ifans (The Amazing Spider-Man) as James Hook, Keira Knightley as the voice of Tinker Bell, Anna Friel (Pushing Daisies) as Captain Elizabeth Bonny, Oscar nominee Bob Hoskins as Smee (who previously played the character in Steven Spielberg's feature Hook), Raoul Trujillo (Tin Man) and Charlie Rowe (Pirate Radio) as one of literature's most cherished characters, Peter Pan. Neverland is produced by Dublin-based Parallel Films on behalf of MNG Films, in association with Syfy and Sky Movies HD, and will be distributed by RHI Entertainment.

DOCTOR WHO RUMORS
The saga regarding Doctor Who's seventh season has been ongoing and terrifying for fans of the good Doc. Thankfully, both Steven Moffat and Matt Smith have gone on record, once again, to say that we'll have a full season coming in 2012—we're just going to have to wait a little longer to get there.
When asked if budget concerns would lead to a shortened season next year, Moffat responded quite adamantly to the contrary, saying, "Absolute nonsense. First of all, we are airing in 2012. The only thing that's happening is that we're moving a bit later. There's lots of reasons for that that will become clear quite soon. It is certainly not a reduced episode count. Do you think the BBC would really let that happen? With an average audience of 10 million? ... Doctor Who's international profile is huge. It's never been more successful. You're not going to reduce a show like this. The opposite is going to happen, in fact."
Matt Smith, too, has recently confirmed that he will return for 14 additional episodes, saying, "I'll shoot 14. It'll be the whole thing—a Christmas special and, yeah, a 13-episode series."
It's sometimes hard to distinguish the fact from the fiction. Depending on the moment and whom you ask, the situation with Doctor Who's future, much like its titular character, seems to change from day to day. After all, many of the actors are going on to other projects, and rumors have abounded as to whether the Ponds would return next year. But the optimist in us is happy to accept the idea that the story is merely being delayed and not reduced.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2011

USA RENEWALS
If you're itching to see what happens with Annie Walker following the summer run of "Covert Affairs," you won't have to wait all that long. The same goes for Michael Westen and "Burn Notice."
USA will bring both series back in early November to complete their current seasons. Their fall runs will join the previously announced sixth season of "Psych," which premieres Oct. 12.
The cable channel will also air two films on Sunday, Sept. 11, to mark the 10th anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. The drama "The Space Between," starring Melissa Leo, airs at 9 p.m. ET and will be followed by the Oscar-winning documentary short "Twin Towers." Both will air commercial-free.
"Covert Affairs" will begin a six-episode run to end its second season on Tuesday, Nov. 1. Annie (Piper Perabo) will continue to take on far-flung missions for the CIA but also must deal with the fallout of revealing her job to her sister (Anne Dudek).
"Burn Notice" will also get a six-episode fall run beginning Thursday, Nov. 3. Lauren Stamile will continue her guest role as Agent Pearce, and Jere Burns ("Justified," "Breaking Bad") and Ian Anthony Dale ("The Event") are also set to guest-star alongside Jeffrey Donovan and Co.

GAME OF THRONES
"Game of Thrones" will expand its world in Season 2 by expanding the number of locations where it films.
HBO announced Monday (Aug. 22) that the series, whose primary location is Belfast, Northern Ireland, will also film scenes in Croatia and Iceland this season. (Portions of the first season were also shot in Malta.)
Sites in Croatia will serve as Southern locations in Season 2. Iceland, unsurprisingly, will be the home to scenes set in the uncharted land beyond the Wall in the north of Westeros.
Season 2 of "Game of Thrones," which has also added a host of new cast members, has been filming for about a month. It's scheduled to premiere in early 2012.

PIXAR NEWS
Everyone's favorite animation studio may have a full slate ahead with the fantasy film Brave and Monsters University (sequel to Monsters, Inc.) on the way, but that doesn't mean they're resting on their laurels. Instead, they used the D23 Expo to reveal the existence of two new projects that sound like nothing the studio has attempted before.
Both are as-yet untitled, but the descriptions are enough to get our animation-loving hearts racing. The first is from Bob Peterson, who wrote and co-directed Up, and features a world in which the asteroid strike that killed the dinosaurs never happened, meaning the creatures coexist with humans. The second, to be directed by Pete Docter, is being called "an inventive new film that explores a world that everyone knows but no one has seen: inside the human mind."
It's probably not Psychonauts: The Movie, but it sounds pretty intriguing. Expect the dino-flick in November 2013, with the brain-bending production to be released in May 2014.

THE EAST
Alexander Skarsgard appears likely to join the cast of The East, says a story at The Hollywood Reporter. He would appear opposite Brit Marling, who co-wrote the project alongside Zat Batmanglij, who will also direct.
The film is said is to focus on a group of eco terrorists led by Skarsgard's character. Marling would play a law enforcement agent who goes undercover to infiltrate the group.
Skarsgard is best known for his role as Eric on HBO's "True Blood". He'll soon appear on the big screen as well in Straw Dogs, Melancholia and next summer's Battleship.
Marling, meanwhile, is now in theaters in the just-released Another Earth and will soon headline Sound of My Voice, both of which she also co-wrote and the latter of which is directed by Batmanglij. She's also slated to appear in Robert Redford's The Company You Keep.

THE LAST EXORCISM
A sequel to the 2010 "found footage" film The Last Exorcism is in the works, says a story at The Hollywood Reporter. Damien Chazelle has just boarded the project to provide the screenplay.
Little is known about the direction that the sequel will take, especially given the surprise ending of the first film.
Chazelle, who wrote and directed Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench, has also sold a Hitchcockian spec script entitled Grand Piano that will be produced by Adrian Guerra and directed by Eugenio Mira (Agnosia).

REAL STEEL
DreamWorks Pictures has released a new "Main Event" featurette for director Shawn Levy's action drama Real Steel, starring Hugh Jackman, Evangeline Lilly, Dakota Goyo, Anthony Mackie and Kevin Durand.
In the film, hitting conventional and IMAX theaters on October 7, Jackman stars as Charlie Kenton, a washed-up fighter who lost his chance at a title when 2000-pound, 8-foot-tall steel robots took over the ring. Now nothing but a small-time promoter, Charlie earns just enough money piecing together low-end bots from scrap metal to get from one underground boxing venue to the next. When Charlie hits rock bottom, he reluctantly teams up with his estranged son Max (Goyo) to build and train a championship contender. As the stakes in the brutal, no-holds-barred arena are raised, Charlie and Max, against all odds, get one last shot at a comeback.

BYZANTIUM
According to Variety, Caleb Landry Jones (Banshee in X-Men: First Class) will play the male lead in director Neil Jordan's Byzantium.
He's joining Saoirse Ronan and Gemma Arterton in the film, based on Moira Buffini's play. According to the trade, the actresses play a "mother and daughter who are vampires and arrive in a small British town revealing their secret to the town. Jones plays a teenager dying of leukemia which in turns forces him to struggle with his mortality, causing Saorsie Ronan's character to struggle with her own immortality."
Buffini also wrote the script with Elizabeth Karlsen and Stephen Woolley producing.

HYDE
ABC has picked up a potential new series called "Hyde."
This spin-off of the classic "Jekyll and Hyde" follows a man named Grant Hyde who, after experimenting with a drug to improve his vision, turns into something else after he falls asleep.
Sheldon Turner is writing with Jennifer Klein. Turner penned Up in the Air, but his horror credits include The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning and a bit of rewriting on The Amityville Horror.
Classic monsters are seeing a resurgence on the small screen. NBC just ordered up a modern version of Frankenstein.

MONDAY, AUGUST 22, 2011NEW ADDITIONS TO SERIES
NBC's midseason drama "The Firm" has recruited Tricia Helfer ("Battlestar Galactica") for a recurring part. She'll be playing a character named Alex Clark, a senior partner in the law firm that hires Mitch McDeere (Josh Lucas) after he's been in witness protection for the better part of a decade.[TV Line}
"Breaking Bad" star Bryan Cranston will lend his voice to an episode of "The Simpsons" in the coming season. He'll play a Hollywood spy named Stradivarius Cain (awesome) who helps Homer -- who's suffered a head injury and is hallucinating the character -- become irresistible to Marge. [EW]
The final season of "Desperate Housewives" has added a pair of recurring guest stars: Andrea Parker ("Less Than Perfect," "The Pretender") will play Tom's (Doug Savant) new girlfriend (Jessica Hecht had initially been in talks for the role), and Miguel Ferrer ("The Protector," "Crossing Jordan") will play an artist teaching a college class that Susan (Teri Hatcher) is taking. [TVLine/Deadline]
Bravo is re-editing the coming season of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" in the wake of Russell Armstrong's suicide. Network head Frances Berwick doesn't offer specifics, but presumably the changes will de-emphasize his presence and any conflict he may have had with wife Taylor Armstrong. Berwick also says Bravo hasn't decided whether to delay the Sept. 5 premiere. [Variety]
Ryan Rottman ("Gigantic") is moving from TeenNick to The CW this fall. He'll recur on "90210" as a gay man who's "confident in his identity and committed to fighting for marriage equality." So ... a possible love interest for Trevor Donovan's Teddy, then? [EW]
Frankie (Patricia Heaton) has mentioned her sister on "The Middle" before, but we're about to meet her for the first time. The ABC comedy has cast Molly Shannon as the sibling in question; no word yet on when she'll make her first appearance. [TVLine]

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
DreamWorks and Participant Media’s The Help continued to overperform in its second weekend, beating a new round of competitors in grossing $20.5 million and coming in No. 1 at the domestic box office.
Distributed by Disney, The Help has racked up $71.3 million in its first 10 days of release. The pic fell less than 22% from its opening weekend, when it came in No. 2. To rise to No. 1 is an unusual feat, and reflects the film's great buzz.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes, from 20th Century Fox, also remained a worthy contender in its third weekend, falling only 41% to an estimated $16.3 million for a domestic cume of $133.8 million and coming in No. 2.
Robert Rodriguez’s Spy Kids: All the Time in the World in 4D, from the Weinstein Co./Dimension, did the best of the bunch, coming in No. 3 and grossing an estimated $12 million.
"We were within range of our expectations. Yes, it was on the low end, but given the market conditions, we're okay with this number. We're going to be in good shape with this movie, and it will play for the rest of the summer, since there's no other family film coming in," Weinstein president of distribution Erik Lomis said.
Yet the family pic, receiving a B+ CinemaScore, fell notably short of the $33 million earned by the last Spy Kids in its July 2003 debut.
Nu Image/Millennium’s big-budget Conan the Barbarian, distributed by Lionsgate, and DreamWorks’ Colin Farrell-Anton Yelchin vampire remake Fright Night both fell well short of expectations, grossing $10 million and $8.3 million, respectively, to come in No. 3 and No. 4.
“It was a rough weekend, and disappointing for the new films,” Lionsgate executive vice president of distribution David Spitz said.
“Historically, August has always been a challenge, but we at Lionsgate have certainly enjoyed plenty of success with titles like The Expendables and The Last Exorcism,” Spitz continued.
Marcus Nispel’s Conan and Craig Gillespie’s Fright Night, both based on 1980s properties, ended up appealing largely to older moviegoers (also, both are rated R).
Of Fright Night’s audience, 60% was over the age of 25; Conan, 67%. The two pics—each receiving a B- CinemaScore--also vied for males. Males made up 76% of Conan’s audience, and 60% of Fright Night’s.
Conan was fully financed by Nu Image/Millennium Films and cost upwards of $70 million to produce. Fright Night cost far less, or just under $30 million, but the pic’s soft performance is still a disappointment for DreamWorks. Disney is distributing Fright Night.
Conan and Fright Night, along with Spy Kids, were released in 3D, meaning a deluge of 3D titles. Spy Kids cost $27.5 million to produce.
Elsewhere at the domestic box office, Focus Features’ romantic One Day, starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess, grossed $5.1 million to come in on the low end of expectations. Based on the best-selling book by British author David Nicholls, One Day had a limited footprint, only playing in 1,721 theaters.
Focus, which produced the film per its deal with Random House, said it is pleased with the result. One Day opens next week in the U.K., where it should do strong business.
In the U.S., One Day likely struggled to lure moviegoers otherwise intrigued by The Help, with both films based on books and drawing older females. Of those buying tickets for One Day, 72% were females, while 73% were over the age of 25. The film drew a disappointing B- CinemaScore.
While DreamWorks and Disney are perplexed by Fright Night's tepid debut--the film received great reviews and played well in screenings--the two companies are elated over The Help's great start.
"We hoped that The Help would be a breath of fresh air at the end of a busy summer, and that has turned out to be the case," Disney executive vice president of distribution Dave Hollis said.
In other headlines, Sony's The Smurfs placed No. 6 for the weekend domestically, grossing an estimated $8 million for a cume of $117.7 million. Even better, the hit family film crossed the $300 million mark worldwide over the weekend, ending the session with a cume of $329 million, inlcuding an international total of $211.4 million.
Sore spots incuded Fox's Glee: The 3D Concert Movie, which tumbled to No. 15 in its second weekend, declining 69% to $1.8 million for a domestic cume of $10.5 million.
At the specialty box office, documentary Senna made a strong showing as it expanded to 14 theaters in its second weekend, grossing an estimated 169K for a strong per screen average of $12,071 and cume of $280K. Producers Distribution Agency is distributing the pic.
Kevin Smith's Red State made its debut in Los Angeles, grossing $25,800 for a cume of $1 million.
And the Weinstein Co.'s Sarah's Key continued to score strong returns, grossing $783K as it expanded into a total of 201 theaters for a domestic cume of $3.1 million.
Domestic Box Office Top 10 (Aug. 19-21)
1. The Help (2,690): $20.5 million
2. Rise of the Planet of the Apes (3,471): $16.3 million
3. *Spy Kids: All the Time in the World in 4D (3,295): $12 million
4. *Conan the Barbarian (3,015): $10 million
5. *Fright Night (3,114): $8.3 million
6. The Smurfs (3,057): $8 million
7. Final Destination 5 (3,115): $7.7 million
8. 30 Minutes or Less (2,888): $6.3 million
9. *One Day (1,721): $5.1 million
10. Crazy, Stupid, Love (1,940): $5 million

SUNDAY, AUGUST 21, 2011

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2011

AMERICAN HORROR STORY
Ryan Murphy, the man behind Nip/Tuck and Glee is moving into darker territory with FX's American Horror Story. This teaser promo is circulating on the Internet, and the show looks like a mix of The Addams Family, True Blood and Dark Shadows.
American Horror Story centers on the Harmon family, which consists of parents Ben and Vivien (Dylan McDermott and Connie Britton), teen daughter Violet (Taissa Farmiga) and the many ghosts that live in their house. The family is haunted by its fair share of nasty demons, whose sole purpose is to torture them.
From what we've heard from critics, American Horror Story sounds like the FX version of True Blood, thanks to its campy nature. Linda Holmes from NPR said, "It's very, very over-the-top, but I also found it wildly entertaining." Doesn't that sound True Blood-ish to you?
It's definitely an ambitious show, and we're interested in seeing if it will find a hardcore audience. They've already got the perfect headlining couple. Who can go wrong with Bobby from The Practice and Tami from Friday Night Lights? That's an awesome combination.
American Horror Story will debut Oct. 5 on FX.

GHOST RIDER: SPIRIT OF VENGENCE
Nic Cage may still be in the driver's seat as Johnny Blaze, but this sequel sees a whole new team behind the scenes in the form of Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, who are best known for the high-octane Crank films. That's the reason those of us disappointed by the first film are holding out hope that the sequel might be better.
Ghost Rider, as a concept, is a little over-the-top on its own. We think the best way to deal with that in movie world is to just embrace it. Parts of this trailer seem to do just that. There's a heavy focus on adrenaline-infused violence and intense action. Plus, Ghost Rider pees fire. No, really. In fact, for better or worse, that might be the best part of the trailer.
Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance is due out Feb. 17, 2012.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 19, 2011

UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING
After three movies of vampires versus lycans, the first trailer for Underworld: Awakening reveals that we normals are now the hunters, while our friends both fanged and furry are now the prey.
Kate Beckinsale is back in her tight leather outfit for the movie, reprising her role as the "death dealer" Selene. She awakens 12 years in the future after being held captive in stasis, only to find that the tables have turned on the world stage. Now, as one of the last of her kind, Selene's re-emergence will shake up this new world order of humans vs. vamps vs. Lycans. And of course she needs to solve the mystery of what happened to her Lycan/Vamp hybrid lover, Michael.
The film is being directed by Måns Mårlind and Björn Stein, with series creator Len Wiseman producing. Underworld: Awakening, which will be released in 3-D on Jan. 20, 2012.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
On Friday, Jason Momoa, Rachel Nichols, Stephen Lang and Rose McGowan star in the rebooted Conan the Barbarian, directed by Marcus Nispel.
Meanwhile, David Nicholls’ One Day, a best-selling romantic novel, has been adapted for the big screen. The movie, from director Lone Scherfig, stars Anne Hathaway, Jim Sturgess and Patricia Clarkson.
Also opening this weekend is Fright Night, a remake of the 1985 vampire-themed original. It's directed by Craig Gillespie and stars Anton Yelchin, Colin Farrell and Christopher Mintz-Plasse.
Below is a snapshot of what The Hollywood Reporter's critics have to say about those films -- and others opening this weekend -- and find out how well they are expected to perform at the box office.
Conan the Barbarian
Bottom Line: Nonstop blood-and-guts action aimed at game boys and emotionally stunted lovers of adolescent fantasy.
One Day
Bottom Line: An unusual but ultimately successful piecemeal approach to romantic drama that follows a couple on the same day for each of 20 years.
Fright Night
Bottom Line: This decent remake of the ’80s vampire favorite should satiate horror fans.
Amigo
Bottom Line: Good looking, atmospheric and steeped in the culture of the rural Philippines of the time, Amigo follows what happens when a U.S. platoon occupies the village of San Isidro deep in the rice paddies far from Manila.
Flypaper
Bottom Line: Although tempting enough to initially attract audiences, this caper comedy may have trouble getting them to stick around, despite a starry cast.

NEW BLADE RUNNER MOVIE
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Ridley Scott is returning to the futuristic world of Blade Runner, his iconic 1982 film, for a new feature for Warners-based Alcon Entertainment.
Adapted from Philip K. Dick’s story Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?,” Scott’s original film -- with its mix of rainy, neon-lit exteriors, its human-like androids call replicants, and its shadowy, controlling corporation -- established a template for dystopian views of the future. In 2007, it was named the second most visually influential film of all time by the Visual Effects Society.
While the new movie is being described as a “follow-up” to the first film, the filmmakers have not yet disclosed whether it will function as a prequel or a sequel to the original. One thing it won't be, though, is a re-make, Alcon co-head Andrew Kosove said. "We very fortunate that Ridley Scott has decided to come back to one of his seminal movies," he added. "And with Ridley, I can tell you it will be fresh and original."
With no screenplay in place at the moment, the producers are currently meeting with writers. Kosove declined to say what direction the project would go it, but did say he didn't expect Harrison Ford, who starred in the original movie as a retired cop who hunts down replicants, to be involved.
Alcon, the financing and production company behind movies like The Blind Side and The Book of Eli, recently partnered with producer Bud Yorkin to produce new Blade Runner films as well as TV and interactive productions based on the property. Alcon hasn't decided yet if it will finance the entire production itself or whether it will bring in partners like Warners, through which it will release the movie.
Alcon co-founders and co-CEOs Broderick Johnson and Kosove will produce the new film with Yorkin, Cynthia Sikes Yorkin and Scott. Frank Giustra and Tim Gamble, CEOs of Thunderbird Films, will serve as executive producers.
Scott is currently completing another sci-fi feature Prometheus, which has connections to his 1979 movie Alien, and which will be released by Fox on June 8, 2012.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2011

SUPERNATURAL
"Supernatural" welcomes Joss Whedon alum Jewel Staite as a guest star in its third episode of Season 7, and E.P. Sera Gamble isn't stopping there. "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" star Charisma Carpenter revealed on her Twitter that she'd be guest starring in a "Supernatural" episode this season.
Now, TVLine confirms that it gets better. She'll reunite with her "Buffy" co-star James Marsters in an upcoming episode that films August 22.
The episode, entitled "Shut Up, Dr. Phil," features Carpenter and Marsters as a married couple on the outs. She's a witch, so when they were happily married, their life was terrific -- but when he falls out of favor with her, his luck changes, big time. Gamble describes the episode as "'Bewitched' gone wrong."

DOCTOR WHO
The BBC has just released more clips for the next Doctor Who episode, ''Let's Kill Hitler.'' Hold on to the TARDIS, because we think this one's gonna be one heck of a mad, wild ride!
The new clips — feature actress Karen Gillan, who plays companion Amy Pond, the Doctor (Matt Smith) and his faithful companions Amy and Rory (Arthur Darvill) in ''Let's Kill Hitler.''
This is the official episode synopsis:
In the desperate search for Melody Pond, the TARDIS crash lands in Thirties Berlin, as the time-travelling drama returns for the second half of the series shown earlier in the year.
The Doctor comes face to face with the greatest war criminal in the Universe. And Hitler.
Old friendships are tested to their limits as the Doctor suffers the ultimate betrayal and learns a harsh lesson in the cruellest warfare of all. As precious time ebbs away, the Doctor must teach his adversaries that time travel has responsibilities. And he must succeed before an almighty price is paid.
The Doctor is played by Matt Smith, Hitler by Albert Welling, Amy by Karen Gillan and Rory by Arthur Darvill.

THE NEW 52
Let it never be said that DC isn't throwing their promotional weight behind their super hero relaunch. In addition to all the print press so far (and there's been quite a bit), they have finally begun releasing trailers to the general public to hype them up for the 52 number one issues due out starting August 31st. Are they effective?
Motion comics are nice to look at, that much is true. They are also a way to try and pull in new readers who aren't used to reading comics, but enjoy traditional animation. The trailers themselves focus on DC's three most famous characters - Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, but also give brief glimpses of the additional catalog. That's the good.
The less-than-good is that there is still very little incentive to pick these issues up. Why not a focus on how this is the perfect entry point for new fans? We get that the artwork looks good and is worth spotlighting, but it still doesn't tell people new to DC what the big picture is.
What we're saying is, there should have been more. If the motion comic route is the path they want to take, why not go whole hog and actually release five-minute-or-so shorts, including voice acting, to introduce some of the heaviest hitting new issues? In fact, why not do the same for the relatively unknown titles, too?
As it stands, we doubt very much this latest round of advertising will change anyone's mind. If you were planning to read it, you still will. If you were angry or didn't care, you probably won't feel any more inclined to give the relaunch a try.

THE GREATEST SHOWMAN ON EARTH
Variety reports that Michael Gracey has been named as the director of the long-in-development 20th Century Fox project The Greatest Showman on Earth.
Set to star Hugh Jackman in the lead, the film will offer a musical take on the life of P.T. Barnum, specifically focusing on the creation of his three-ring circus and his infatuation with "Swedish Nightingale" Jenny Lind.
Originally announced two years ago, the plan was to team Jackman with his former Academy Awards singing partner Anne Hathaway and the script (From Sex in the City writer Jenny Bicks) was being prepared for her to play the Lind part. Whether she remains interested is currently unclear.
Gracey only recently signed on for the Walt Disney live-action "Snow White" tale, The Order of the Seven, which he'll film first. Jackman, meanwhile, appears in the upcoming Real Steel and is slated to headline both The Wolverine and Les Miserables.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2011

IMMORTALS
A new trailer for Tarsem Singh's Immortals has been released.
Immortals is a "clash of the titans" story that once again features a man saving the world from supernatural forces. But instead of it being man against gods, it's titans against gods, with some much-needed help from man. It's slightly confusing, but good stuff.
The latest trailer offers up plenty of new footage, including a couple of golden gods kicking butt and taking names. One of the helmet-wearing immortals appears to be Athena, who's played by Australian actress Isabel Lucas (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen).
Aside from all the kicking and punching, this trailer features a lot of spear throwing. It's very obvious that the spear was the weapon of choice back in those days. Overall, the action looks pretty solid, but the gods vs. titans vs. man triangle is the film's real selling point.

MAGIC MIKE
VARIETY EXCLUSIVE: Matthew McConaughey is set to join Channing Tatum and Alex Pettyfer in Steven Soderbergh's indie drama "Magic Mike."
Tatum stars as the title character, a stripper and dancer who takes Pettyfer's character under his wing and mentors him on how to hustle both on and off the stage.
McConaughey will play Dallas, a former exotic dancer who now owns and operates Xquisite, the club where "Magic Mike" works.
Pic draws on Tatum's experiences working as a teen stripper in Tampa.
Nick Wechsler and Gregory Jacobs are producing with Tatum and his 33andOut Prods. partner Reid Carolin, who's also writing the script.
"Magic Mike" marks the fifth straight indie McConaughey has done since wrapping Lionsgate's "The Lincoln Lawyer." He's currently filming Lee Daniels' thriller "The Paperboy" and recently signed on to play the title character in Jeff Nichols' drama "Mud." Thesp next stars in Richard Linklater's "Bernie" and William Friedkin's "Killer Joe."

PHANTOM
Following up on a project from earlier in the summer, the haunted submarine project Phantom has now found financing through the RCR Media Group. Variety reports that they'll produce the thriller, which is set to star William Fichtner, Andy Garcia, Ed Harris and Natascha McElhone.
Todd Robinson will direct the film, which takes place during the cold war on a Soviet submarine. The captain soon learns that there's something aboard the vessel that is trying to take control.
Phantom will shoot this fall in Long Beach and is said to be budgeted at $18 million.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2011

MIRKWOOD
Earlier this year, J.R.R. Tolkien was at the center of a hot debate—and it had nothing to do with The Hobbit. Have you ever heard of Mirkwood? It's a novel that features the late author as one of its primary characters, and after months of legal wrangling, it's being made into a movie.
Author Steve Hillard has gone back and forth with Tolkien's family regarding the use of his likeness in Mirkwood. The book features six characters. Five are fictional and one is Tolkien himself. Hillard's big defense was that Mirkwood was nothing more than literary criticism, a defense that Tolkien's family originally didn't buy.
After months in court, both sides reached a settlement and agreed that the novel could be released if it was tagged with the disclaimer "This is a work of fiction which is neither endorsed nor connected with The J.R.R. Tolkien Estate or its publisher."
With the lawsuit out of the way, Hillard is looking for new ways to cash in on Mirkwood's story. He just signed a deal with EMO Films to turn the novel into a movie.
He says the film "will delve considerably deeper into Tolkien's little-known back story, such as his original plans to become a codebreaker in World War II up through the writing of his enduring works."

THE MERCURY MEN
Remember those old TV serials, like Flash Gordon, where each episode ended in a cliffhanger? Well, Syfy's new online web series, The Mercury Men, made that old format new again with a black-and-white tale involving glowing aliens, a moon-crashing plot to destroy the Earth and a raygun-equipped aerospace engineer named Jack Yaeger.
(The Mercury Men premiered July 25 and now all 10 episodes are online at www.syfy.com/rewind/mercurymen.)
Creator Chrisopher Preksta, who made the 10-part serial for a mere $7,000, admits, "I just want to shoot something with rayguns, because I knew there was no way I was going to get rayguns into a feature script." And in fact, "anything with a jetpack instantly wins my heart."
The retro raygun-filed web series takes place in Pittsburgh in 1975 and is about a drone of a government employee named Edward Borman (Mark Tierno), who suddenly finds himself in the middle of a plot involving murderous glowing men from Mercury who are attempting to crash the moon into Earth. Helping Edward survive the invasion of his government building—and save the Earth—is aerospace engineer and all-round hero Jack Yaeger.
"It's a throwback to the old serials of the '40s and '50s," said actor Curt Wootton, who plays Jack. "Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers ... It's really just a great old-fashioned adventure story. A great story about a man (aka Edward) coming to his own and pretty much having to go through the trials, and is he going to save the world or what? There's a lot of Star Wars elements and Indiana Jones elements."

THE CROW
“As the crow flies” may denote the shortest route from one place to another, but the movie version of The Crow is proving to be less than a straight shot.
Relativity is remaking the supernatural action movie based on the 1990s comic and has set Juan Carlos Fresnadillo to direct.
Bradley Cooper was to have played the title character but sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that he has now exited due to scheduling conflicts. Cooper has David O. Russell’s Silver Linings Playbook shooting this fall and then dives straight into Legendary’s Paradise Lost, which shoots first quarter next year…the exact time Relativity plans on making the high-priority Crow.
But akin to the project’s rock musician who is killed and resurrected, two new names have surfaced as possible replacements: Channing Tatum and Mark Wahlberg.
Walhberg has a previous association with the Crow; he was offered the part last fall but a deal never materialized. But there is a question as to whether he wants to revisit the role, and last week he signed on to Universal's 2 Guns action pic.
Tatum is best known for his work in G.I. Joe and the weepie Dear John.
It’s too early to tell what will happen with either Tatum or Walhberg, or whether other actors join the fray, although Relativity is keen on not wasting time.
The studio also is embroiled in litigation with The Weinstein Co. over distribution rights to the film. Harvey and Co. believe they have a deal to release the film but Relativity argues that the Weinsteins forfeited their right by, among other things, botching the release of the expensive Relativity-backed flop Nine. That case is currently in arbitration.
Crow, created by James O’Barr, centered on a musician who is murdered while trying to save his fiancée from thugs. He is brought back from the dead by supernatural forces and seeks revenge. The role was originally played by Brandon Lee, who was killed by a freak accident during production of the original movie in 1993.
The new film is being produced by Edward R. Pressman, Jeff Most, Relativity's CEO Ryan Kavanaugh and Apaches Entertainment's Enrique LopezLavigne and Belen Atienza.

J. EDGAR
Warner Bros. Pictures has released the first images of J. Edgar, the Clint Eastwood-directed movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio as the legendary FBI director.
The movie also stars Naomi Watts as Helen Gandy, Hoover’s longtime secretary, who is pictured alongside DiCaprio in the first photograph.
J. Edgar, written by Milk scribe Dustin Lance Black, aims to explore the public and private life of one of the most powerful, controversial and enigmatic figures of the 20th century.
The rest of the cast includes Armie Hammer as Hoover’s protégé Clyde Tolson; Judi Dench as Hoover’s overprotective mother, Anne Marie Hoover; Josh Lucas as legendary aviator Charles Lindbergh, whose son’s kidnapping changes the public profile of the FBI; and Ken Howard as U.S. attorney General Harlan F. Stone.
The movie, produced by Malpaso and Imagine, is set to open in limited release Nov. 9 and expand wide two days later.

THE GRAY MAN
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Brad Pitt is negotiations to star in The Gray Man, a New Regency action project being directed by James Gray.
The script, by Adam Cozad, was on the 2010 Black List, which ranks the best unproduced script in Hollywood.
If a deal is made, Pitt will play a CIA operative-turned-assassin targeted for elimination, forcing him to elude teams of killers while trying to save the lives of the daughters who don't know he exists.
Plan B's Dede Gardner will produce along with Stephen Garrett of Shine.
Pitt will next be seen in Moneyball, which premieres at the Toronto Film Festival and is shooting World War Z for Paramount.

5 DAYS OF WAR
ComingSoon.net brings us the first look at a clip from Renny Harlin's 5 Days of War, starring Rupert Friend, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Richard Coyle, Andy Garcia and Val Kilmer.
Opening in theaters on August 19, the R-rated action thriller is a vivid account of a renegade American journalist, his cameraman and a local woman caught behind enemy lines, and determined to not only survive, but tell the world what was happening, during the swift but devastating 5-day war between Russian and the Georgian Republic in 2008.

MONDAY, AUGUST 15, 2011

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Twentieth Century Fox’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes stayed at No. 1 in its second weekend with $27.5 million, while DreamWorks and Participant Media’s The Help exceeded predictions in grossing $25.5 million for a second place finish and stellar five-day debut of $35.4 million.
The big casualty of the domestic box office race was Fox’s Glee: The 3D Concert Movie, which came in No. 11 in its debut, grossing just $5.7 million. The financial sting is minimized by the pic’s modest $9 million budget, but perception is a separate issue, considering how popular the TV show is.
Those who turned out did like what they saw, giving Glee the Movie—which is only playing in 3D theaters—an A CinemaScore (moviegoers under the age of 25 gave it an A+). The concert pic played heavily to younger girls, with females making up 82% of the audience, while 66% were under the age of 25.
Fox took solace in the fact that Rise of the Apes jumped the $100 million mark at the domestic box office in its second frame, dropping only 50%. Overseas, it grossed $40.5 million from 40 markets over the weekend for an international total of $75 million and worldwide haul of $180 million.
“We have a movie that is a broad, mainstream commercial hit. It’s remarkable to only drop 50% and do $27.5 million worth of business, despite $60 million worth of new movies coming into the marketplace,” Fox senior vice president of distribution Chris Aronson said.
Disney, which distributed The Help for DreamWorks and Participant, also was ebullient. The female-driven movie, based on Kathryn Stockett’s best-selling novel about white women and their maids in the Jim Crow south, drew an A+ CinemaScore, virtually guaranteeing a long and healthy run.
“The fact that audiences are responding this way couldn’t make us any happier,” Disney executive vice president of distribution Dave Hollis said.
The Help, directed by Tate Taylor (Stockett’s childhood friend), played especially well in African-American theaters and upscale commercial theaters, such as the Landmark and ArcLight in Los Angeles, and Lincoln Square in New York.
The movie's large ensemble cast is led by Viola Davis, Emma Stone, Octavia Spencer and Bryce Dallas Howard.
While 74% of Friday night’s audience was female, that stat dropped to 69% on Saturday, indicating that more older men were showing up.
“It gives us a great deal of hope that more and more people will be exposed to it,” Hollis said.
The Help, costing $25 million to produce, was co-financed by DreamWorks and Participant, while 1492 Pictures produced the movie with Brunson Green and Taylor's film company.
Faced with competition from Rise of the Apes for male attention, Final Destination 5 and Ruben Fleischer’s R-rated action-comedy 30 Minutes or Less opened to ho-hum results.
Final 5, from New Line and Warner Bros., opened at No. 3, grossing $18.4 million and receiving a B+ CinemaScore. Heading into the weekend, box office observers thought the 3D pic, costing $45 million to produce, would open north of $20 million. The last title in the franchise, The Final Destination, debuted to $27.4 million in August 2009.
The good news: Final Destination drew 75% of its grosses from 3D locations.
"In a summer of light 3D performances, to do 75% is huge," said Warner Bros. executive vice president of domestic distribution Jeff Goldstein.
30 Minutes or Less, headlining Jesse Eisenberg, Aziz Ansari and Danny McBride, grossed $13 million for the weekend. The pic received a B CinemaScore, with men making up 58% of the audience. Nearly 70% of those turning out were under the age of 25.
Media Rights Capital fully financed 30 Minutes, which cost $28 million to produce. Like Glee the Movie and Final Destination, 30 Minutes doesn't need to do big box office business, since its production budget was relatively modest.
Elsewhere at the box office, Sony's The Smurfs continued to shine, jumping the $100 million domestically and winning the international race with a weekend gross of $60 million. Through Sunday, the pic's global total was $242 million, including a domestic cume of $101.5 million and international cume of $141 million.
Domestic Box Office, 8/12-8/14
1. Rise of the Planet of the Apes (3,691 theaters): $27.5 million
2. *The Help (2,534 theaters): $25.5 million
3. *Final Destination 5 (3,155 theaters): $18.4 million
4. The Smurfs (3,427 theaters): $13.5 million
5. *30 Minutes or Less (2,888 theaters): $13 million
6. Cowboys & Aliens (3,310 theaters): $7.6 million
7. Captain America: The First Avenger (2,835 theaters): $7.1 million
8. Crazy, Stupid, Love (2,635 theaters): $6.9 million
9. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (2,414 theaters): $6.87 million
10. The Change –Up (2,913 theaters): $6.2 million

FACES IN THE CROWD
An international trailer for Julien Magnat's psychological thriller Faces in the Crowd has come online.
The film chronicles the account of elementary school teacher Anna Marchant (Milla Jovovich) who is attacked by a serial killer known only as Tearjerk Jack and survives, but is left to struggle with a neurological disorder commonly referred to as face-blindness (prosopagnosia).
Only able to recognize voices she fights to adapt to her diagnosis and the ever-changing faces of those around her. Working with Detective Kerrest (Julian McMahon) Anna race's to identify her attacker. All the while the killer is closing in determined to eliminate this potential witness. Only Anna has seen his face – and he could be anyone.
Michael Shanks, David Atrakchi, Sarah Wayne Callies and Marianne Faithful co-star.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 14, 2011

THE FINEST HOURS
Deadline reports that Disney has secured the rights to Michael J. Tougias and Casey Sherman's The Finest Hours,. Based on a true story, the 2009 best-seller is described as follows:
In the winter of 1952, New England was battered by the most brutal nor'easter in years. As the weather wreaked havoc on land, the freezing Atlantic became a wind-whipped zone of peril, setting the stage for one of the most heroic rescue stories ever lived.
In the early hours of Monday, February 18, while the storm raged, two oil tankers, the Pendleton and the Fort Mercer, found themselves in the same horrifying predicament. Built with "dirty steel," and not prepared to withstand such ferocious seas, both tankers split in two, leaving the dozens of men on board utterly at the Atlantic's mercy. The Finest Hours is the gripping, true story of the valiant attempt to rescue the souls huddling inside the broken halves of the two ships.
The spellbinding tale is overflowing with breathtaking scenes, as boats capsize, bows and sterns crash into one another, and men hurl themselves into the raging sea in their terrifying battle for survival.
Not all of the eighty-four men caught at sea in the midst of that brutal storm survived, but considering the odds, it's a miracle—and a testament to their bravery—that any came home to tell their tales at all.
Paul Tamasy and Eric Johnson (The Fighter) are attached to adapt the book, re-teaming with producer Dorothy Aufiero. Jim Whitaker is also attached as a producer.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 13, 2011

VAMPIRE DIARIES
Just a little over a month until "The Vampire Diaries" Season 3 premieres on Sept. 15 at 8 p.m. on The CW. The first episode, "The Birthday," takes place on Elena's 18th -- but she's having a tough time celebrating with her friends while her boyfriend is indulging his monster instincts all over the country.
The new trailer released is positively sizzling and gives away some juicy moments from the first episode. In it, we see Damon tell Elena, "Stefan's gone, Elena. You can forget about him. He's not coming back."
Has Damon given up on Stefan? Here's what Ian Somerhalder had to say:
"Damon knows this cycle with his brother," Somerhalder said. "He's seen it before, totally. He says to Elena, 'Stefan's not coming back. Not in your lifetime.' I mean, she's young, but human beings only live maybe eighty years. For Stefan and Damon, that's nothing. Unless Klaus rips their hearts out, they're going to live for another thousand years."
Damon still has some hope that Stefan will eventually be Stefan again, but in the meantime, he's been tracking his brother's progress with newspaper clippings that hint at the havoc that Stefan and Klaus are wreaking. In the beginning of the season premiere, though, Damon isn't actively searching for Stefan.
"I don't think that Damon's focus is really to save Stefan, because he understands that if Stefan doesn't want to be found, he's not going to be, and in some weird way Damon respects that. He's been there, too, not very long ago," he says.
Despite everything, though, Somerhalder says that Damon isn't aggressively pursuing Elena in his brother's absence. "He wants Elena to be happy and he wants her to be safe," he explains, "and she'll try anything crazy to find Stefan, so he's looking out for her."
Judging by the trailer, Damon and Stefan aren't exactly giving each other man-hugs when they do finally reunite. "Oh, make no mistake about it, Damon's pissed off at Stefan," Somerhalder laughs. "For two seasons he tried to get Stefan to do exactly what he's doing now, to drink blood, with Damon. And now he's running off doing exactly that thing, but with some a**hole that Damon can't stand. A guy that tried to kill Damon and everyone they care about."
Is Damon feeling a little jealous of Klaus, perhaps? "Stefan's left Damon here in Mystic Falls. Now he's got to protect this girl that he loves, but that he can't have, because it's his brother's girl -- and even though it's Damon, he can't do that to his brother," Somerhalder says. "And even if he could, she doesn't love him anyway. She wants his brother. So when he finally sees Stefan, it's like, 'I tried for two seasons to get you to do this and now you're off running around with this idiot.' That's all Damon wanted in Season 1, was his brother to run around with him and munch on sorority girls and bring down the house wherever they went, and Stefan said no. Now he's left Damon here all by himself, to fend for himself, and protect this girl who is 150 years his junior. He's not happy about it."
On some level, Stefan is enjoying the ripping -- he had to work so hard to be noble and good for so long that giving in to his weaknesses now takes a bit of a weight off his shoulders. As you'll see in the first few episodes of the season, Stefan doesn't plan on coming back for Elena. He thinks she's better off without him... and when he's in this state, he's probably right.
There's been a definite role reversal -- though we will say that Stefan's "ripper" rampage is much bloodier than the spree of killings we saw from Damon in Season 1. Does Somerhalder miss that part of the role?
"I do, a lot, but I realize that there are ebbs and flows," he says. "This is a hundred-episode arc of a character, and he can't just be one dimensional. I was worried that Damon was becoming this hero, and Kevin [Williamson] said 'No, he's not the hero. He needs to be, but he's the anti-hero, because he's supposed to be not hurting people, but that's not his nature.' So he slips, and his response is 'Screw this.' Now, I think that struggle, that push and pull for Damon is what's going to make this season interesting for me as an actor and interesting for Damon as a character. I don't want to lose that quote-unquote 'bad' side of Damon."
He pauses, then adds, "You're not going to see Damon crying this season. Trust me."

LEVERAGE GRABS A RENEWAL
TNT has picked up a fifth season of "Leverage," which will continue pulling cons through 2012.
The pickup -- like that of Syfy's "Warehouse 13," which was also renewed on Friday (Aug. 12) -- isn't a huge surprise. "Leverage" is on track to record its most-watched season yet this year, as both its total-viewer and demographic numbers are up over last year.
So far this summer, the series is averaging 4.8 million total viewers (including DVR playback), a 10-percent jump over last season. Its adults 18-49 (1.9 million) and adults 25-54 (2.3 million) audiences have grown by 6 percent and 9 percent, respectively.
"'Leverage' has defied the odds and continued to climb," says Michael Wright, TNT's head of programming. "More and more viewers are discovering this weekly joy ride through wonderfully complex schemes and con games, all brought to life through smart writing, sharp directing and a terrific cast."
Season 5 of "Leverage" is set to premiere in summer 2012 and will run 15 episodes.

HOMELANDERS
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Miles Chapman has been hired to pen Summit’s adaptation of Homelanders, a young-adult book series by Andrew Klavan. Screenwriters Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, best known as the showrunners of TV’s Smallville, are working with Chapman in developing Homelanders and, while no deals are made, are in talks to make their directorial debut on it.
Lorenzo Di Bonaventura is producing while Di Bonaventura Pictures’ David Ready is exec producing.
The books, described as The Bourne Identity crossed with Disturbia, centers on a high school student who wakes up to find himself tied to a chair, not knowing where he is or how a whole year has passed. After he manages to escape, he embarks on an adventure to find out why terrorists and the authorities are after him.
Summit and the filmmakers are inserting a sci-fi element to the story.
Two Homelanders books have been published - The Homelanders: The Last Thing I Remember and The Homelanders: The Long Way Home. The books are the first young adult novels by Klavan, who is known for writing thrillers, two of which have been adapted: True Crime, directed by Clint Eastwood, and Don't Say a Word, a Michael Douglas vehicle co-starring Brittany Murphy.
Summit, home of the Twilight blockbusters, is looking at Homelanders as another possible teen franchise.
For Chapman, the deal reunites him with the studio that picked up his spec The Tomb, which currently has Antoine Fuqua attached to direct and Bruce Willis attached to star. The scribe, who first worked with di Bonaventura on a ABC pilot titles Priceless, just rewrote back to back action projects Four 50s and Slipknot, both for Relativity.
Gough and Millar, who are showrunning ABC's fall Charlie’s Angels TV series and have worked on movies such as Spider-Man 2 and Shanghai Noon, are also helping to develop an adaptation of comic Existence 2.0, now called Upgrade. They are not attached to direct Upgrade.

BOX OFFICE PREVIEW
There’s something for everyone at the multiplex this weekend. Four new movies compete for attention, not to mention that 20th Century Fox’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes will remain a formidable opponent in its second outing.
Most box office observers believe Rise of the Apes has every chance of staying at No. 1, and expect the pic to gross $26 million to $28 million, following its $54.8 million debut last weekend. Through Wednesday, Rise of the Apes’ domestic cume was a healthy $73 million.
New Line and Warner Bros.’ franchise installment Final Destination 5 could have the best chance of beating Rise of the Apes if it exceeds expectations and grosses north of $25 million. The Final Destination, the last title in the franchise, opened to $27.4 million in August 2009.
Steve Quail, who has worked with James Cameron, directed Final Destination 5.
DreamWorks and Participant Media’s female-driven The Help is something of a wild card, since it opened midweek and could be front-loaded. Box office observers believe it will gross in the high teens to $20 million for the weekend itself.
That would put The Help’s five-day debut at $27 million or more, considering it grossed a stellar $5.5 million on Wednesday and was on track to gross at least $3 million on Thursday.
Disney, which is distributing The Help, is being conservative in its estimate, considering how volatile the marketplace has been, but there’s no doubt the movie—earning a rare A+ CinemaScore—could open higher than expected, much as Rise of the Apes did last weekend (that film received an A- CinemaScore). It's even possible that The Help could compete with Final Destination 5 for No. 2.
Sony and Media Rights Capital enter the fray with Ruben Fleisher’s R-rated action-comedy 30 Minutes or Less, starring Jesse Eisenberg, Aziz Ansari and Danny McBride. Sony is counting on great word of mouth and a long run, versus a big opening, and predicts a $15 million to $17 million launch. The pic’s core demo is young men.
Ben Stiller's Red Hour Films produced the $28 million movie, with MRC financing and then selling the project to Sony. Both 30 Minutes Less and Final Destination 5 will vie for younger males.
The fourth new film of the weekend is Glee: The 3D Concert Movie, from Fox's film and television studios. Tracking has been sluggish for the concert pic, and Fox is predicting an opening in the high single digits, far less than earned by Justin Bieber: Never Say Never ($29.5 million) and Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour ($31.1 million) in their debuts.
It’s hard to gauge how Glee will do, since it’s based on a weekly television show, and not centered around one personality. Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience did far less than Never Say Never and Hannah Montana, opening to $12.1 million.
However, there’s no denying the fervor of Glee fans, known as “Gleeks.”
Glee the Concert Movie is only playing in 3D theaters, and goes out in 2,040 locations.
One thing the four new movies have in common—all were modestly budgeted, relatively speaking. Final Destination 5 cost $45 million to produce, followed by 30 Minutes or Less at $28 million. The Help, co-financed by DreamWorks and Participant Media, cost $25 million, while Glee the Concert Movie cost $9 million.

THE LONE RANGER PRODUCTION HALTED
Walt Disney Pictures has halted production on The Lone Ranger, Deadline reports. This comes as surprising news as the project has been fully cast and was planned to begin shooting this fall.
Described by Verbinksi as "'Don Quixote' told from Sancho Panza's point of view," the film was to star Armie Hammer as the titular western hero with Johnny Depp as his Native American sidekick, Tonto. The supporting cast was to include Ruth Wilson, Dwight Yoakam, Helena Bonham Carter, James Badge Dale and Barry Pepper.
The reason for the move is said to be due to ballooning production costs and an increasingly expensive upcoming slate for the studio. Still, the most recent collaboration between Depp and producer Jerry Bruckheimer, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, has grossed more than a billion dollars internationally. That film also belonged to a franchise launched by Verbinski.
Though planned for a December 21, 2012 release, the future of The Lone Ranger is now uncertain.
UPDATE: Variety is now reporting that Disney still plans to move forward on the project but is in the process of bringing down costs in order to do so. Whether this will result in a delay of production remains to be seen.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 12, 2011

STAR WARS LEGAL COINS
It's no secret that Star Wars is George Lucas' biggest cash cow. The property is so successful, it's literally given him a license to print (or should that be mint?) money. Specifically—coins.This IS the $$ you're looking for: NZ mints legal Star Wars coins.
The folks of New Zealand are taking their love of all things Star Wars to the mint. The South Pacific island of Niue is grabbing characters from the sci-fi series and turning them into legal tender.
The New Zealand mint is producing a set of 40 coins that will have a face value of NZ$2 (£1). They'll feature color depictions of Luke, Leia, Darth Vader, Yoda and the rest of the gang on one side, while a sketch of Queen Elizabeth II will appear on the other.
Now you might be asking yourself, "Who would actually spend a Star Wars coin?" The people of Niue are aware that no one in their right mind would exchange Star Wars money for actually goods. That's why they're targeting collectors and investors in hopes that they'll pay money to get money. It's all part of an effort to help boost their struggling economy.
If you're interested in adding the coins to your collection, sets of four (each containing 1oz. of silver) will sell for NZ$469 (£235).

THE STAND
Harry Potter is one of Hollywood's most successful movie series, earning Warner Bros. critical acclaim and seven and a half billion dollars. Now the studio wants to do it all over again—this time with Stephen King's The Stand. And Harry Potter will be a big part of it.
Specifically, Warner Bros. wants to put Harry Potter screenwriter Steve Kloves and director of the last four movies David Yates on the job.
According to HitFlix, "Warner Bros. is in the process of finalizing the deals for David Yates and Steve Kloves to re-team for a multi-movie version of Stephen King's epic The Stand."
Obviously, Warner Bros. is confident in Kloves' ability to adapt pop culture for the screen and Yates' prowess with maintaining a film's tone over years of work. In other words ... they want these geese to keep laying golden eggs.
The Stand is about the survivors of a military-created biological weapon, as well as a struggle between good and evil. It was written in 1978, revised in 1990 and turned into a made-for-TV miniseries in 1994.
We don't know how many movies The Stand will become, but a trilogy makes sense considering the book is split into three major sections.
The news of a movie series of The Stand almost (but not quite) makes up for the loss of The Dark Tower, which would not only have become multiple movies but also been continued as a television series. (Universal Studios heartbreakingly canceled the project over budget issues.)

THE FANTASTIC FOUR
The Fantastic Four has been around for 50 years. In that time, other than a few temporary lineup changes, the core four have always remained intact—until the recent death of Johnny Storm (the Human Torch, that is). Is it possible that, in less than a year, he's back?
Marvel has been teasing a major issue of FF recently, which has been confirmed as Fantastic Four #600. Today we got to see one of the covers—which includes the Human Torch and Spider-Man. It's been pointed out that this particular image first appeared at last May's Dallas Comic Con as an exclusive. Does that mean that the image doesn't relate to the story within? Or has Johnny's return been planned out all along?
We're a little confused, considering that this particular death, much like Peter Parker's in Ultimate Spider-Man, was billed as being something that wouldn't be taken back. It's not that resurrecting comic book characters is surprising, or that it's even the first time it's technically happened with members of the Fantastic Four ... we just thought it would take a little longer.
Still, we might be looking at a retrospective and not a present-day return of the character. Or could there be a new Human Torch?

WAREHOUSE 13 RENEWED
Syfy has renewed Warehouse 13.
The Syfy series, starring Eddie McClintock and Joanne Kelly, will return for a fourth season with 13 episodes set to air next year, The Hollywood Reporter confirms.
Created by Jack Kenny, Warehouse 13 has been a solid performer in the ratings so far this season, averaging 2.3 million total viewers. This season of Warehouse 13 saw an addition to the cast with Aaron Ashmore as Steve Jinks.
In May, THR broke the news that Syfy, which recently axed plans for a sixth season of Eureka, was developing a potential spinoff starring Warehouse 13 character H.G. Wells. At Comic-Con last month, Kenny talked about the status of the project, saying that it is in "very early planning stages" but has "gotten Syfy interested in the notion."

THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

HAVEN'S TWITTER EPISODE
NEW YORK - August 10, 2011 - Syfy's popular series Haven will become the first television series to create a storyline that flows between the show itself and the micro-blogging service Twitter when it launches a special seven-episode arc beginning Friday, August 12, at 10PM (ET/PT).
"The Haven writers and producers have done an amazing job of crafting a story line that seamlessly moves between the TV show and Twitter," said Craig Engler, General Manager and Senior Vice President, Syfy Digital. "Although there have been simple integrations before, no one has fully and organically integrated Twitter into the fabric of the show in the way Haven is doing. If you watch Haven and use Twitter, you're in for a real treat."
In the story, Vince (Richard Donat) and Dave (John Dunsworth), who run the newspaper in Haven, join Twitter as newcomers to the medium. Viewers who follow their characters (@VinceHaven, @DaveHaven) will see them interact with a mysterious Twitter user (@ColdInHaven) who knows more about Haven - and Vince and Dave - than anyone should.
Said Executive Producer Lloyd Segan: "Although Twitter has been featured in TV shows before, this is the first time a storyline from a television series has been fully integrated with the popular online service. The story has been created in such a way that viewers who don't follow the Twitter plot can still enjoy the show. For those that do, there will be a special meaning to events in Haven during these seven episodes."
As the special plot unfolds on Twitter, viewers will catch glimpses of it in the show itself, where they'll be directed to follow the Twitter conversation through special promos. The outcome to the Twitter story will be revealed in the second-season finale on Friday, September 30.
"Twitter has become the default platform for TV fans to talk, in real-time, about the shows they love," said Robin Sloan, manager of media partnerships at Twitter. "Syfy has embraced that conversation, and now it's breaking new ground with this Haven storyline. It incorporates Twitter more deeply into the show's plot than anything we've ever seen before."
Viewers can follow the story on Twitter with the hashtag #HavenNews as well as on www.syfy.com/haven.
Syfy and Twitter will be working together during the seven-week event to measure viewer engagement around the Haven Twitter storyline. The findings will be shared in an online case study, with best practices for any network to use when integrating Twitter directly into a storyline.
Now in its second season, Haven, starring Emily Rose, is based on The Colorado Kid from renowned author Stephen King. The series follows FBI agent Audrey Parker (Rose), who takes up residence in the small town of Haven, Maine, and soon discovers the town's many secrets.
A longtime refuge for people with an eclectic range of supernatural abilities, Haven also holds the key to unlocking the mysteries of Audrey's lost past. Among the townspeople are Nathan Wuornos (Lucas Bryant), a handsome local cop with his own supernatural affliction, and Duke Crocker (Eric Balfour), a smuggler and reluctant aide in solving Haven's troubles.

CAPTAIN AMERICA COMIC BOOK - RECORD SALE
Do you have old comic books in the attic or basement? Ever wonder if they are actually worth money? The answer isprobably not. But if you happen to have a copy of Captain America #1, however, well ... that's a little different.
First appearances of heroes like Batman and Superman do sometimes turn up at auction, but, much like the comics themselves, these events are very rare. Timing is everything, though, and it's not surprising that a copy of Captain America #1 (which famously shows the good Cap punching Adolf Hitler in the face a year before the U.S. even entered World War II) would show up during the same summer of his latest and greatest theatrical feature.
The copy in question, which was graded at 9.2, may not be the highest-quality copy ever sold (the best physical copy was graded at 9.6 a decade ago), but it still broke the record books by selling at a whopping $343K.

THE STAND
Reports indicate that Warner Bros. is planning a massive adaptation of the 1974 Stephen King novel The Stand. Now, HitFix says that the studio has a creative team in mind and that negotiations are underway to bring aboard David Yates as director and Steve Kloves as screenwriter.
Previously adapted as a television miniseries in 1994, "The Stand" tells the story of a full-scale apocalypse, driven by the accidental release of a biological weapon and the ensuing struggle of good versus evil carried out by the world's final survivors.
Yates and Kloves, who previously collaborated on the final three Harry Potter films for the studio, would plan to bring The Stand to life as multiple films. The original version of the book is, after all, famously massive, checking in at 823 (for the 1978 edition) pages and 1,141 in a "complete and uncut" edition released in 1990.

NOW YOU SEE ME
According to Variety, Morgan Freeman (upcoming The Dark Knight Rises) is in talks to join Jesse Eisenberg, Melanie Laurent, Mark Ruffalo and Amanda Seyfried in Summit Entertainment's Now You See Me.
To be directed by Louis Leterrier (Clash of the Titans, The Incredible Hulk, the thriller pits a crack FBI squad in a game of cat-and-mouse against a super-team of the world's greatest illusionists, who pull off a series of daring bank heists during their performances, showering the profits on their audiences while staying one step ahead of the law.
The trade says that Freeman will play Thaddeus, an ex-magician who has made a career out of exposing other magicians' illusions, making him a despised figure within the magic community.
Ruffalo will play the main FBI agent, while Eisenberg is set to play an arrogant but brilliant magician who's the leader of the Four Horsemen. Seyfried and Laurent co-star on opposing sides of the law.
Boaz Yakin and Edward Ricourt wrote the film, to be produced by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. Yakin will executive produce along with Bobby Cohen.

THE GREY
Open Road Films announced today that Joe Carnahan's The Grey will hit theaters on January 27. Also scheduled for that date are The Amityville Horror: The Lost Tapes and One for the Money. Here is the press release:
Open Road Films will release the highly anticipated, action-packed survival thriller, The Grey, in theaters nationwide on January 27, 2012. The Grey stars Liam Neeson and is directed by Joe Carnahan (A-Team, Smokin’ Aces, Narc); it was produced by Liddell Entertainment. The announcement was made today by Tom Ortenberg, CEO of Open Road Films.
In The Grey, Liam Neeson leads an unruly group of oil-rig roughnecks when their plane crashes into the remote Alaskan wilderness. Battling mortal injuries and merciless weather, the survivors have only a few days to escape the icy elements – and a vicious pack of rogue wolves on the hunt – before their time runs out.
The Grey also features Frank Grillo (upcoming Warrior and Lay The Favorite), Dermot Mulroney (Burn After Reading, About Schmidt), Dallas Roberts (“The Good Wife," 3:10 To Yuma), Joe Anderson (Across The Universe, upcoming ABC series "The River"), James Badge Dale (upcoming World War Z, The Conspirator, HBO’s “The Pacific"), Nonso Anozie (upcoming Conan The Barbarian, Atonement, RocknRolla).
The Grey is produced by Jules Daly, Joe Carnahan, Ridley Scott and Mickey Liddell. Executive producers are Tony Scott and Jennifer Hilton as well as Jim Seibel, Bill Johnson and Marc Butan of Inferno Entertainment.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2011

STAMPS
Rod Serling, creator of The Twilight Zone, has been honored with a U.S. postage stamp. Homer Simpson as well. So we're happy to hear that Tarzan and his creator are getting some U.S. Postal Service love, too.
Edgar Rice Burroughs and the King of the Jungle will be featured next year on a forever stamp drawn by Sterling Hundley and based on a 1934 photo taken by Burroughs' son, Hulbert Burroughs.
Stephen Kearney, executive director of Stamp Services, said:
"The Postal Service is proud to honor Edgar Rice Burroughs, one of the most popular and prolific authors of the early 20th century. ... Best known for inventing the iconic character Tarzan, he wrote more than 70 books, including historical fiction and several popular series of science fiction tales."
The stamp is being issued to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the publication of the John Carter story "Under the Moons of Mars" and the first Tarzan story, "Tarzan of the Apes," both of which appeared in All-Story Magazine in 1912.
The Post Office is making collecting stamps fun again.

TERRA NOVA - ONLY 13 EPISODES?
Late last week at the Fox TCA, Fox entertainment president Kevin Reilly stated that Terra Nova's first season was being planned for 13 episodes only, and not the 22 it might otherwise get if it got good ratings, due to the complex production.
However, executive producer Brannon Braga said in a recent interview that, "If they tell us they want nine more, it'll be incredible. But we're up to the challenge. I might have a nervous breakdown, but ..."
Braga admitted, though, that when it comes to the number of episodes in any given season, "those decisions are made by people far above ... the emperors. I'm just in the trenches over here. I have no idea ... We're designing it like the first season will be 13, but one never knows."
The show's rigorous production—involving the creation of realistic dinosaurs and shooting in Queensland, Australia—has cause delays which pushed the planned airing of the two-hour pilot from May to Monday, Sept. 26.
"It's a massive production," said Braga. "We're very far away from it physically, and we have a lot of special needs that no other show in history has really had in terms of scope and visuals and the kind of visual effects we're doing. And we've managed to pull it off. We're nearly done, certainly, writing the first season. And we're about over halfway done filming. "
According to Braga, their special-effects team has had to create new technologies to "do dinosaurs on a television schedule."
As for what Terra Nova is going to look like, I got a chance to see the first hour, and that initial hour is rich and awesome and takes the viewer from a dystopian far future to a lush and dinosaur-enriched past.
"Wait till you see hour two. Things get real scary. But [we didn't] want to lose the sense of spirited fun. And I think that's what we've been doing, and that's certainly what Steven Spielberg has brought to it. It's very Spielberg-esque," he said about the show's most high-profile producer.
With Spielberg (Jurassic Park), Braga (Star Trek) and several other talented producers behind the scenes, along with actors Jason O'Mara (Life on Mars) and Stephen Lang (Avatar) leading the cast, talk about the show's difficult production will likely vanish if Terra Nova performs well for Fox.
And if Terra Nova does hit big, when it comes to that 13-episode order, as Braga says, "One never knows."

NEW BEWITCHED
The Hollywood Reporter writes that CBS could be in the market for a Darrin.
The network has ordered a script from Sony Pictures Television for a potential remake of Bewitched.
Miss Congeniality scribe Marc Lawrence has been tapped to pen the script and executive produce. Husband-and-wife team of Douglas Wick and Lucy Fisher – who produced the 2005 feature film starring Will Ferrell and Nicole Kidman – will produce through their Red Wagon shingle.
The script order for Bewitched joins a growing number of classic TV series returning back to the small screen. ABC’s Charlie’s Angels – also from Sony Pictures Television -- will premiere in September, and CBS’ Hawaii Five-O returns for its second season in the fall.
Bewitched ran for eight seasons on ABC, from 1964 to 1972 and starred Elizabeth Montgomery as Samantha, a witch who marries Darrin, a mortal (Dick York and later Dick Sargent), and attempts to become a typical suburban housewife.

BIG SCREEN CHALLENGES
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the zombie war will begin on Dec. 21, 2012 and it could be a blood-letting at the box office.
Paramount has dated World War Z, which it describes as a geo-political thriller, to open four days before Christmas Day. The move puts the Bratt Pitt movie on a collision course with Disney’s The Lone Ranger, starring Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer, as well as Fox’s Tobey Maguire drama Life of Pi. And it’s only a week after the release of Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, which opens Dec. 14.
But the Christmas holiday has proven to be the most lucrative time of the year, with the market able to support multiple films.
World War Z, currently in production, is being directed by Marc Forster and adapts Max Brook’s novel World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War. The movie stars Pitt, Mireille Enos, Daniella Kertesz, James Badge Dale and Matthew Fox.
The studio says the “story revolves around United Nations employee Gerry Lane (Pitt), who traverses the world in a race against time to stop the Zombie pandemic that is toppling armies and governments and threatening to decimate humanity itself.”

NEW CHUCK GUESTS
As Chuck is apparently pulling out all the stops for its upcoming final season, its already rampant fan base will be joined by the very devoted fans of series past, The CW’s Smallville and ABC’s Lost.
An NBC spokesperson confirms to The Hollywood Reporter that Justin Hartley and Jeff Fahey are appearing on Episode 2 of Season 5 as brothers.
Fahey (pilot Frank Lapidus on Lost), plays the allusive Karl Sneijder, who runs a diamond company with mines in South Africa. The CIA has kept a watch on him for alleged criminal activity, but it hasn’t been able to collect enough evidence to charge him.
As Karl's younger brother, Wesley Sneijder, Hartley (Smallville's Oliver/ Green Arrow) plays an anthropologist who has successfully kept himself away from his brother’s shady dealings. That will change when Karl’s enemies kidnap him and the older brother hires the newly formed spy business, Carmichael Industries, to help free Wesley.
Apparently, Hartley had a good time on set. “Couple of days on the show Chuck this week,” he tweeted on Tuesday. “Great people over there. Fun times.”
Chuck’s final season moves to NBC Fridays starting on Oct. 21 at 8 p.m.

LUCASFILM AND SONY PICTURES IMAGEWORKS RELEASE ALEMBIC 1.0
Alembic 1.0, the open source project jointly developed by Sony Pictures Imageworks and Lucasfilm Ltd. was released to the public today, it was announced at ACM SIGGRAPH conference in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Alembic is the computer graphics interchange format developed by the two entertainment giants last year and focused on efficiently storing and sharing animation and visual effects scenes across multiple software applications. It was designed to handle massive animation data sets often required in high-end visual effects and animation, which are routinely developed and produced by companies such as Lucasfilm's Industrial Light & Magic and Lucasfilm Animation Ltd and Sony Pictures Imageworks. The studios each saw the need for a tool like Alembic, something that would fit within existing pipelines and allow for customization at the facility level without impeding the ability to share work.
The code base for Alembic is available for download on the project's Google Code site and more information can be found online at: http://www.alembic.io

TUESDAY, AUGUST 9, 2011

GODZILLA
Remember Roland Emmerich's regrettable Godzilla reboot? Here's something to whett your appetite -- a couple of minutes of Godzilla the way it's supposed to be. But unfortunately, it looks like a couple of minutes is all we're gonna get.
If you are like us, you'll wish that this taste was an appetizer for a full-length movie to come. Sadly, it's only a dream sequence being experienced by a Godzilla-loving character in the Japanese comedy Always Zoku Sanchome no Yuhi (which translates as Always: Sunset on Third Street 2).

UPCOMING MARVEL MOVIES
Sony announced last week that The Amazing Spider-Man 2 would be released on May 2, 2014, before they even have any idea whether we like the first film in the rebooted franchise. But that's not all Marvel has in store for us in 2014.
Disney announced today it would be releasing TWO more Marvel movies in 2014—one on May 16, 2014, two weeks after the coming Spidey sequel, and another on June 27, 2014—but they're not saying a word about just which superheroes will be invading theaters two summers from now.
By then, we'll have seen Avengers (May 4, 2012), Iron Man 3 (May 3, 2013) and Thor 2 (July 26, 2013)—so where does that leave us?
Will it be time for a return of one of the superheroes we've already seen on screen, maybe a Captain America 2? Or will we get to see someone new, like Dr. Strange or the Guardians of the Galaxy?

THE BRICKLAYER
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Gerard Butler is set to headline a feature adaptation of Noah Boyd's novel The Bricklayer. Released early last year, the novel is officially described by the publisher as follows:
"The Bricklayer" is the pulse-pounding novel introducing Steve Vail, one of the most charismatic new heroes to come along in thriller fiction in many years. He's an ex–FBI agent who's been fired for insubordination but is lured back to the Bureau to work a case that has become more unsolvable—and more deadly—by the hour.
A woman steps out of the shower in her Los Angeles home and is startled by an intruder sitting calmly in her bedroom holding a gun. But she is frozen with fear by what he has to say about the FBI—and what he says he must do. . . .
A young agent slips into the night water off a rocky beach. He's been instructed to swim to a nearby island to deposit a million dollars demanded by a blackmailer. But his mission is riddled with hazardous tests, as if someone wanted to destroy him rather than collect the money. . . .
Vail has resigned himself to his dismissal and is content with his life as a bricklayer. But the FBI, especially Deputy Assistant Director Kate Bannon, needs help with a shadowy group that has initiated a brilliant extortion plot. The group will keep killing their targets until the agency pays them off, the amount and number of bodies escalating each time the FBI fails. One thing is clear: someone who knows a little too much about the inner workings of the Bureau is very clever —and very angry—and will kill and kill again if it means he can disgrace the FBI.
Steve Vail's options —and his time to find answers—are swiftly running out.
Hanna Weg, who wrote the planned Zelda Fitzgerald biopic, The Beautiful and the Damned, will adapt the novel for the screen.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 7, 2011

SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 2011

Cowboy & Aliens
, which fell 64% on its second Friday.
Both Change-Up and Cowboy were trounced by Sony’s surprise hit The Smurfs, which grossed $6 million Friday for a domestic cume of $61.2 million. SmurfsNo. 2.
Sony’s holdover The Smurfs remained a strong contender, coming in NNo. 2 for the day and grossing an estimated $5.7 million.
Sony’s holdover The Smurfs remained a strong contender, coming in No. 2 for the day and grossing an estimated $5.7 million.
Universal and DreamWorks’ Cowboys & Aliens
tumbled more than 60 percent, grossing roughly $4.7 million, although it’s possible Change-Up could pull ahead of Cowboys once final Friday numbers are calculated.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3, 2011

MAN OF STEEL
Laurence Fishburne has a new job ... and it's at the Daily Planet. Move over Morpheus, see you later CSI, this Oscar nominated actor has bigger fish to fry in Metropolis!
Fishburne has officially joined the cast of Zack Snyder's Superman reboot Man of Steel as the hard-hitting, no nonsense Perry White. He's the editor-in-chief of the Daily Planet and the workhorse boss of Clark Kent, Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen.
In the past, White has been played by a plethora of talented actors including Jackie Cooper, Frank Langella and Michael McKean, so Fishburne's in good company. This news comes shortly after he left his role on CSI, which left us wondering what was next.
There must be something in the water over at Warner Bros., because not only did they scoop Fishburne, but they also cast Christopher Meloni five seconds after he left his 12 year gig on Law & Order: SVU. It sounds like Superman is the new hot ticket in town ... again.
Man of Steel's growing cast now includes Fishburne, Meloni, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Julia Ormond and Russell Crowe.

MARVEL ONE-SHOT: THE CONSULTANT
After playing second fiddle to Nick Fury, Tony Stark and Thor, Phil Coulson is finally getting his just desserts. The S.H.I.E.L.D. agent stars in a new short film aptly titled, Marvel One-Shot: The Consultant.
The first clip from The Consultant features footage that fills in the gap of time between Iron Man 2 and The Incredible Hulk. [Spoilers ahead] Do you remember when Tony Stark made a surprise visit to General Ross? Were you wondering why they sent Stark instead of somebody—anybody else? Here's your answer.
The Consultant fun doesn't stop here—there's more to come. Marvel also has a soon-to-be-released short called A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor's Hammer. In it, Coulson and a few supporting characters will bridge the gap between the action in Iron Man 2 and Thor.
Agent Coulson might not have the prestige and honor of Nick Fury, but at least he gets a mini-movie highlighting his cool, behind-the-scenes antics.
Marvel One-Shot: The Consultant will appear on the DVD, Blu-Ray and 3D Blu-Ray of Thor, which hits shelves on Sept. 13.

TWIXT
Oscar winner Francis Ford Coppola is back—and he's taking a creepy turn with his latest film, Twixt. The first trailer for the movie has been released and it features witchcraft, vampires, satanic worship, murder, Gothic makeup and narration by Tom Waits.
Twixt centers on a third-string writer (Val Kilmer)—the bargain basement Stephen King—and a creepy sheriff (Bruce Dern) who's more interested in gaining fame than solving crimes. The duo are joined by several "imagined characters," namely V (Elle Fanning) and a very convincing Edgar Allen Poe (Ben Chaplin).
Kilmer's character Hal Baltimore is in need of some serious cash, so he's forced to write a new horror story to make ends meet. It's within his writing process we're introduced to all the crazy, seedy, underhanded things that his small hosting town has to offer.
You might be asking yourself, what's Francis Ford Coppola doing making such a convincing yet confusing horror-thriller? Granted, Twixt is very different from most of his works, but he did direct Dracula and he produced 1994's Frankenstein, Sleepy Hollow and Jeepers Creepers. Plus, one of his mentors is Roger Corman, so are we really surprised by this shift?
Twixt will debut at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival, which runs from Sept 8-18.

GREEN LANTERN 2
Fans and critics agree: Green Lantern wasn't the bestest-ever movie based on a comic book. But that's not stopping the president of Warner Bros. from considering a potential sequel.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Warner Bros.' head honcho Jeff Robinov has said:
"We had a decent opening so we learned there is an audience. To go forward we need to make it a little edgier and darker with more emphasis on action. ... And we have to find a way to balance the time the movie spends in space versus on Earth."
Green Lantern received a mere 26 percent approval rating on the aggregate review site Rotten Tomatoes. But more importantly, the movie has so far earned only $154 million out of the $200 million it cost to make.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2011

GRIMM
The cast and producers on NBC’s Grimm faced reporters at the Television Critics Association (TCA) on Monday and tried to explain what exactly the show was about.
The series re-imagines the classic Grimms’ fairy tales as if its fantastical creatures actually existed and the stories were meant to be like that of a police profiler’s files.
“It takes the police procedural and kind of turns it on its head,” executive producer David Greenwalt (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) explains. “And it takes the storybook fairy tales and fractures that.”
The problem is that there seems to be some mixed messages coming from Greenwalt and his fellow EPs as to which element is more important, especially as reporters continued to search for some kind of solid explanation as to how audiences should view the show and how it fits into NBC’s stable of programming.
When faced with the question of the numerous other upcoming shows and movies also based off fairy tales, like ABC’s Once Upon a Time, and the two upcoming Snow White movies, executive producer Todd Milliner backtracks a bit on the fairy tale aspects.
“It is odd,” Milliner says of his show’s emergence as part of the trend. “There’s a lot of movies and shows about fairy tales, but ours is so not about the fairy tale. It’s a police procedural with a hint of fairy tale.”
So, what is Grimm about again? Maybe, it will help to go back to how the idea was born in the first place – with fairy tales.
Milliner and fellow exec producer, Sean Hayes (Yes, of Will & Grace fame – he also EPs Hot in Cleveland), was looking for something to base a new series on, but the source material would have to be in the public domain (meaning it wouldn’t have to be licensed). Grimms’ Fairy Tales fit the bill and additionally offered something like 200 possible stories the series could “fracture.’
This season, the series will repurpose “The Three Little Pigs,” but with wolves instead. And it plans to do something with the "Cinderella" story, renaming her “Finderella.” In addition, there will be a take on "Goldilocks and the Three Bears."
So, what parts of the show make it more crime procedural than a parody of fairy tales? The producers will try to make sure that the episodes are “digestible” with cases closed each episode.
It follows Det. Nick Burkhardt (David Giuntoli), who finds out he’s a descendent of the Brothers Grimm and inherits their unique talents for seeing mystical creatures, and his very classically trained police partner, Lt. Hank Griffin (Russell Hornsby) as they solve tough cases and figure out each other’s quirks.
Again, there was a lot of talking in circles as if the show’s producers weren’t quite sure themselves how the series will shake out and which side, the fantasy or the procedural, will ultimately end up defining the series.

SPACELESS
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Cary Fukunaga, who last directed Jane Eyre, is heading into sci-fi territory for his follow-up.
The director has closed a deal to helm Universal's Spaceless, and will also rewrite the screenplay based off the original spec by Jeff Vintar. Gore Verbinski is producing the project through his BlindWink Productions. Vintar is executive producing.
The story centres on an assassin who wakes up inside a spacesuit tumbling helplessly through space, with a computer designed to keep him company until his air runs out. He must try to solve the mystery of his death, which began when he broke into an orbiting space station to carry out a hit. The man, however, begins to question his reality, unsure if he is succumbing to madness or in an artificially created environment
Fukunaga has been eager to mix up genres with every directorial outing he’s taken.
His debut was the award-winning immigration drama Sin Nombre, which he followed up with the adaptation of Emily Bronte’s Eyre, a period social drama.
Peter Cramer and Sara Scott are overseeing the project for the studio.

NON-STOP
The sky’s the limit for Dark Castle, which has picked up Non-Stop, an airplane thriller spec from writers John Richardson and Chris Roach. Jeff Wadlow is set to direct.
Joel Silver, Andrew Rona and Alex Heineman are producing.
Plot details are being kept under wraps but the project is described by those in the know as a contained, gritty action thriller centering on an air marshall flying on a domestic flight.
Wadlow discovered the first-time writers, who are unrepped, and worked with them to develop the script.
Dark Castle, which made its early name on supernatural and horror thrillers, is moving to develop more stright thrillers in the realistic action sphere after the success of Unknown, its thriller starring Liam Neeson, which grossed $130 million worldwide on a reported budget of $30 million.
The deal puts WME-repped Wadlow, best known for helming Never Back Down, back in business with Silver, this time on a feature level. Silver was a producer on Hail Mary, a CBS pilot Wadlow created and wrote, and the two also worked on the CBS pilot The Odds.

WRATH OF THE TITANS!
For the past few months, director Jonathan Liebesman (Battle: Los Angeles) has been working hard in England and other locations to create the sequel to Warner Bros' 2010 hit remake Clash of the Titans, working on the movie under the rather clever working title of "Clash of the Titans 2." Surely, no one thought that title would stick and with a lot of different choices to go for, the filmmakers have finally picked a title, and according to ERC Box Office, that new title is...
Wrath of the Titans!
So far, it's been confirmed that Sam Worthington, Ralph Fiennes, Liam Neeson and Danny Huston are all back, joined by Bill Nighy, Toby Kebbell and Rosamund Pike, and now they have a title, all they have to do is finish the movie in time for its release date of March 30, 2012.

MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2011

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS - Part 2
Warner Bros.’ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 has become part of the elite billion dollar club, while Paramount’s Transformers: Dark of the Moon should become a member within days.
Before this summer, only seven movies in history had grossed $1 billion or more at the domestic box office.
There’s now nine, between Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and Deathly Hallows 2, the first film in the franchise to reach the milestone. Dark of the Moon will make it ten.
Through Sunday, Deathly Hallows has earned $1.01 billion, including a domestic total of $318.5 million and international cume of $690 million. The pic tied the record for the fastest climb to $1 billion, accomplishing the task in only 17 days.
Deathly Hallows 2 also is the top grossing film in Warner history worldwide.
“What’s truly astounding is that these kind of numbers are being achieved so early in the film’s release,” said Warners president of domestic distribution Dan Fellman, who announced the milestone with president of international distribution Veronikia Kwan-Rubinek.
Dark of the Moon’s worldwide cume rose to $983 million over the weekend, including a domestic total of $337.9 million and international haul of $645 million. As with Deathly Hallows 2, Dark of the Moon will become the first title in its respective franchise to hit $1 billion in global grosses.
Here's how the billion dollar winners rank: Avatar ($2.8 billion), Titanic (1.8 billion), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King ($1.11 billion), Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest ($1.07 billion), Toy Story 3 ($1.06 billion), Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (1.03 billion), Alice in Wonderland ($1.02 billion), Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 ($1.01 billion) and The Dark Knight ($1.00 billion).

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
Universal Pictures and Sony Pictures are both claiming their new films, Cowboys & Aliens and The Smurfs, earned $36.2 million at the weekend box office, making it impossible to determine which of the two films won the weekend until the final figures come in on Monday. Cowboys & Aliens opened in 3,750 theaters and averaged $9,653 per theater while The Smurfs debuted in 3,395 theaters and averaged $10,663. The former also cost $163 million to make, not counting marketing costs, and the latter was budgeted at $110 million.
Director Jon Favreau's Cowboys & Aliens features a cast that includes Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde, Sam Rockwell, Adam Beach, Paul Dano, Noah Ringer, Keith Carradine, Clancy Brown, Ana de la Reguera and Abigail Spencer. The Smurfs stars Neil Patrick Harris, Jayma Mays, Sofia Vergara, Hank Azaria, Anton Yelchin, Jonathan Winters, Katy Perry, Alan Cumming, Fred Armisen, George Lopez, Paul Reubens, John Oliver, Kenan Thompson, B.J. Novak, Jeff Foxworthy, Wolfgang Puck, Gary Basaraba and Tim Gunn.
Last week's champ, Paramount Pictures and Marvel Studios' Captain America: The First Avenger dropped to third place and 61.7% in ticket sales to take in $24.9 million its second weekend. The $140 million comic book adaptation has earned $116.8 million domestically so far.
Warner Bros.' Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows - Part 2 added $21.9 million domestically to push its total to $318.5 million after three weeks. The epic finale passed the $1 billion mark at the worldwide box office on Saturday.
WB's new Crazy, Stupid, Love rounded out the top five with $19.3 million from 3,020 theaters. Starring Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone, Marisa Tomei and Kevin Bacon, the film averaged $6,391 per theater.
In its second weekend, Screen Gems' Friends With Benefits dipped 50.1% in sales, collecting $9.3 million for a total of $38.2 million. The romantic comedy cost $35 million to make. Also costing that amount was New Line's Horrible Bosses, which added $7.1 million its fourth weekend for a total of $96.2 million.
Michael Bay's Transformers: Dark of the Moon earned $5.97 million its fifth weekend to bring its total to $337.9 million domestically. The Paramount release cost $195 million to make.

SUNDAY, JULY 31, 2011

HAWAII FIVE-O ADDITION
William Baldwin is the latest addition to the ever-growing cast of recurring characters on CBS drama "Hawaii Five-O."
Baldwin will join the cast for a multi-episode arc, reports TV Guide, as a former homicide detective who was kicked off the force for corruption. He enters the story as a sort of ringleader for a band of dirty cops.
Previously announced guest star Tom Sizemore will play the head of Internal Affairs who wants to put Baldwin, his former partner, behind bars.
Also joining the cast this fall: "Lost's" Terry O'Quinn, Richard T. Jones and Lauren German.

LEAF MEN
20th Century Fox has scheduled Leaf Men for release on May 17, 2013.
Based on the children's book "The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs" by William Joyce, the animated film will arrive in 3D under director Chris Wedge (Robots, Ice Age).
The story in the book involves a troop of noble bugs that, in an effort to protect a garden from the evil spider queen, summon the mythical Leaf Men to their aide.

SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2011

CHUCK NEWS
"Chuck" has cast a love interest for Adam Baldwin's character, and she should be more than up to the task of keeping pace with John Casey.
"The Matrix" star Carrie-Anne Moss has signed on for a multi-episode run on the NBC series' final season, EW reports. She's the second big guest star to join Season 5 of the show; it was announced at Comic-Con that Mark Hamill will appear in the season premiere.
Moss will play a character named Gertrude Verbanski, who despite her ungainly name is a ruthlessly efficient spy. She runs a private firm that competes with Chuck (Zachary Levi) and Sarah's (Yvonne Strahovski) newly launched enterprise.
Gertrude also has a history with Casey, and though they've been professional rivals they have clicked personally. That sound you may have just heard is a bunch of "Chuck" fans squee-ing.
In addition to the "Matrix" trilogy, Moss' credits include "Memento," "Disturbia" and the upcoming "Silent Hill: Revelation." Earlier this year she starred in a Lifetime pilot called "Normal," but it didn't go forward.
"Chuck" begins its final season on NBC Friday, Oct. 21.

TORCHWOOD FUTURE IN QUESTION
"Torchwood: Miracle Day" has performed fairly well for Starz in its first few weeks, and it's earned mostly positive reviews. But its future is anything but assured.
Starz CEO Chris Albrecht says the show's future will depend largely on creator Russell T. Davies and whether -- and how soon -- he wants to return to the material.
"'Torchwood' is not one of the shows we went into thinking about a yearly return," Albrecht told reporters Friday (July 29) at the Television Critics Association press tour. Davies, he notes, "has a lot of things on his plate. If 'Torchwood' is at the top of his list, that will affect the future of 'Torchwood.'"
A longer-than-typical wait between seasons of "Torchwood" wouldn't be unprecedented: Two years passed between the airing of "Children of Earth" and the premiere of "Miracle Day." In his former gig as head of HBO, Albrecht also dealt with protracted delays between seasons of shows like "The Sopranos" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm."

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
Jon Favreau’s big-budget Cowboys & Aliens ended up in a relatively close race with Sony’s 3D kids pic The Smurfs for the Friday crown, and possibly the weekend.
Observers say Cowboys and Smurfs both looked to gross $13 million to $13.5 million for the day, with Cowboys -- from DreamWorks and Universal -- falling short of reaching its projected $15 million opening day take.
Cowboys may now gross roughly $38 million for the weekend, less than expected. If Smurfs continues to do overperform, it could come close to the $38 million mark as well.
Coming in No. 3 at the domestic box office on Friday was Paramount and Marvel’s holdover Captain America: The First Avenger, which was on track to gross $7.5 million for the day and roughly $25 million for the weekend.
The third new film of the weekend, Warner Bros.’ Steve Carell-Ryan Gosling comedy Crazy, Stupid, Love got off to a solid start, likely grossing $6.5 million on Friday and $18 million or $19 million for the weekend.
Cowboys, starring Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford, couldn’t have better pedigree. Stacey Snider and Steven Spielberg’s DreamWorks oversaw production and co-financed the $163 million pic with Universal and Ryan Kavanaugh’s Relativity Media. Brian Grazer and Ron Howard’s Imagine Entertainment also produced the film.
But original stories are always a risk, not to mention mixing the Western and sci-fi genres. Westerns generally draw older moviegoers, and Cowboys has indeed been tracking best among males over 25, followed by males under 25, who are Favreau and sci-fi fans.
Cowboys grossed a soft $700,000 in midnight runs Thursday night, suggesting that younger fanboys weren’t rushing to see the film.
Earlier this summer, Super 8 grossed $13.1 million on its first Friday, along with $1 million in special sneaks the previous Thursday night. Super 8 went on to post an opening weekend gross of $36.5 million.
The big difference between the two movies is their price tags. J.J. Abrams’ Super 8 reportedly cost $55 million to make. DreamWorks financed half of Cowboys’ pricey $163 million budget, while Universal and Relativity Media each put up 25%.
Smurfs cost $110 million to produce.

FRINGE NEWS
Earlier this week, Fox released a new Fringe teaser asking Season 4's biggest question: Where exactly is Peter?
Showrunners Jeff Pinkner and Joel Wyman spoke to The Hollywood Reporter after the show's Comic-Con panel last weekend and what they said was mind-blowing and head-scratching.
Joshua Jackson joked to THR that he would like his alter ego to return to the cult sci-fi drama in a "flash of light," when the time came. Wyman, however, wasn't as giving. "You know, that is an assumption," he replied when asked about how Peter would return to the series. "He will not be another identity."
"For us, we are really using Peter's story this season to explore a lot of the basic rules of the show, which are choices and connection," Pinkner added.
But Wyman and Pinkner were adamant in dispelling any theories that questioned whether the events in the season finale actually happened.
"It really happened," Wyman reassured. "What we are trying to do from a conceptual standpoint is have the audience understand that it happened and you know it did happen. We watched it and there has been a catastrophe and it needs to be righted. It will either right itself properly or it will go in a very negative way. Now you have to understand what those repercussions are going to mean."
He added, "Peter sacrificed himself. He was a selfless hero. There are sacrifices; a sacrifice wouldn't be hard if it was easy."
Before they decided to go ahead with the finale, there were discussions about the events that unfolded that would affect the trajectory of the series.
"Before we decided to actually pull the trigger and do that season finale, we convinced ourselves that it happened and we were willing to play with consequences," Pinkner said. "I think it ends up in a place that is really kind of beautiful."
"When we were toying with it, it is analogous to this," Wyman explained. "In Fringe, we get to tell the quintessential kidnapping story, not about a kidnapping but about crossing universes. We get to tell the love triangle with two people who are the same person. We get to reinvent these trite situations."
Pinker agreed: "And we have characters that really hold up a mirror to themselves, having a second Walter and having a second Olivia really exposes sides of their characters that you wouldn't otherwise get."

THE MIGHTY
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Drew Pearce, who created the British superhero TV satire No Heroics, has been tapped to write Paramount’s adaptation of DC Comics title The Mighty.
Created by former DC editor Peter Tomasi and artist Keith Champagne, Mighty centers on a godlike and Superman-like hero and his relationship with a police officer who lands the plum job of being the man’s human handler. The relationship begins to fray when the officer begins to suspect that the hero adored the world-over is behind a series of ghastly murders.
Mary Parent, Cale Boyter and JC Spink are producing.
Paramount was able to get the book from DC and its parent company Warner Bros. since the book was creator-owned and not set in the DC Universe.
Pearce, repped by WME and London’s PBJ Management, created, wrote and produced No Heroics, which featured superheroes milling around a local pub; ABC commissioned a pilot for an American version but it didn’t get picked up.
The show led Pearce to Hollywood gigs, with the scribe landing gigs to pen Marvel Studios’ adaptation of their teen comic Runaways and to work with Shane Black on Iron Man 3.

RED TAILS
After many delays, George Lucas' long-discussed Red Tails has finally received a release date.
The film, which details the plight of the first team of African American fighter pilots (the Tuskegee Airmen) to fly in combat during World War II, has been something the Lucas, who is billed as both story writer and executive producer, has talked about making for years. John Ridley was tapped to write the screenplay in 2007 and the film was cast in 2009.
On Friday, Lucasfilm released a trailer for the war epic (directed by Anthony Hemingway), now set to hit theaters January 20, 2012.
Judging from the trailer, movie-goers can expect to watch star Terrence Howard tussle with Bryan Cranston's prejudiced Major William Mortamus and deliver a number of motivational speeches set to soaring music which will inspire his courageous team of fighter pilots (which include musicians Ne-Yo and Method Man and up-and-comer Nate Parker (The Secret Life of Bees)).
If successful, the film could serve as a comeback of sorts for Cuba Gooding Jr. who plays a military Major (if nothing else, his prior experience playing characters in dramatic-yet-uplifting war films Men of Honor and Pearl Harbor will have come in handy, not to mention a TV movie he made in 1995 called...The Tuskegee Airmen).
The cast also includes Daniela Ruah (NCIS: Los Angeles), Michael B. Jordan (Parenthood), Tristan Wilds (90210) and Josh Dallas (Thor).

TREK NATION COMING TO SCIENCE CHANNEL
With the 2011 Comic-Con International in San Diego as the backdrop, SCIENCE announced its partnership with science fiction royalty, Eugene “Rod” Roddenberry, and Roddenberry Entertainment on the upcoming feature-length special, TREK NATION, scheduled to air in fourth quarter 2011. TREK NATION explores the popularity and appeal of Star Trek through the man who created it all – the late Gene Roddenberry.

FRIDAY, JULY 29, 2011

GAME OF THRONES
If you've been holding back from getting too invested in Game of Thrones because you've worried that HBO would kill the series before it could play out its storyline—which is what the network did with Carnivàle and Deadwood—you can stop now.
After the show's first successful season on HBO, the network has announced that they plan on riding the Stark-Lannister train until the wheels fall off!
Amidst the annual TCA press tour, HBO executives were grilled about Game of Thrones and its foreseeable future. While some shows have a predetermined amount of seasons set at the beginning, Games of Thrones has the potential to stay on a LOT longer. We're talking Gunsmoke and the original Law & Order long.
"I hope it lasts for 20 years," says HBO programming president Michael Lombardo of the show. "I promise you we won't stop it before it's ready to stop ... There's a great relationship fans have with the show and we appreciate that."
And if you're worried about certain storylines getting the short end of the stick, you shouldn't. Even though George R.R. Martin continues to actively write entries in the book series, HBO plans to go tit for tat with the author. "We told [author George R.R. Martin] we'd go as long as he keeps writing," said HBO co-president Richard Plepler.
It sounds like the network is in love with Game of Thrones just as much as we are.

COWBOYS & ALIENS
Cowboys & Aliens hasn't opened yet, but if the movie's stars are to be believed, they've already got their eyes set on a possible sequel.
We took a trip to the Paws Up Ranch in Missoula, Mont., where Olivia Wilde told us why Jon Favreau "can't be out-geeked," Favreau explained how a film can be both a cliche and a commentary on what came before, and Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford hinted that they've already been thinking about revisiting their Cowboys & Aliens characters.

WALKING DEAD
Ever since we learned Tuesday that Frank Darabont, the creator and executive producer of AMC's The Walking Dead, might not be back as the series' showrunner, we started to worry. Could the show continue to be a success without Darabont's zombie brains?
Well, now that Glen Mazzara has taken over for Darabont, AMC wants us to know it has everything under control.
Here's the official statement the network just released on the matter:
The Walking Dead's Glen Mazzara, writer and executive producer, is expanding his responsibilities to assume the role of showrunner. AMC is grateful to executive producer, writer and pilot director Frank Darabont whose contributions to the success of The Walking Dead are innumerable. We continue to discuss his ongoing role with the series.
Robert Kirkman, creator of The Walking Dead graphic novels, executive producer and writer on the series, will remain in this role and will continue to steward the brand. Gale Anne Hurd will remain in her role as Executive Producer. The production continues on schedule for an October 16th premiere.

THE KARMA COALITION
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Trevor Cawood is in negotiations to direct The Karma Coalition, a thriller being produced by Lin Pictures at Warner Bros.
The move sets into motion a project that Warners picked up in 2008, plunking down $750,000 against $1. 5 million for the spec by rocker-by-day/scribe-by-night Shawn Christensen.
The story centers on a professor who engages in a game of cat and mouse with a corrupt detective after he's told his dead wife of five years might still be alive. He uncovers the existence of a secret organization responsible for faking her death but suffers the consequences of that knowledge.
Lin Pictures' Jon Silk and Mark Bauch are co-producing.
Cawood, repped by WME and Anonymous Content, is a Canadian helmer who is a co-owner the visual effects house the Embassy, which has worked on movies such as Cowboys & Aliens and District 9.
Cawood made a name for himself with his shorts and commercials. One that caught Hollywood’s eye was an arty and unique film titled Terminus and featured a man haunted and followed by an inner representation, a stone figure. Among his commercials are a spot for Clone Wars, featuring two droids at a skate park, and a spot for Citroen, featuring a car transforming into a running robot.
His work is marked for the way it uses real settings and brings inanimate objects to life.
Karma will be Cawood’s directorial debut.
Jesse Ehrman and Andy Fischel is overseeing for the studio.

GANGSTER SQUAD
Robert Patrick has signed to join the cast of Ruben Fleischer's Gangster Squad, Variety reports. He will take over the part of Officer Max Kennard, which had been rumored to go to Bryan Cranston.
Adapted from a series of L.A. Times articles, Gangster Squad explores the true story of a band of secret "off the record" police task force who went after Meyer Harris "Mickey" Cohen, a high-profile gangster who was a member of the "Jewish Mafia" in the 1940's.
Patrick will be joining Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin, Anthony Mackie, Giovanni Ribisi, Holt McCallany and, still in negotiations, Emma Stone, in the crime drama.
Though no reason has been given for Cranston not signing on, it likely has to do with a busy schedule. In addition to his leading role on "Breaking Bad," Cranston will appear in some major upcoming projects, including John Carter and Total Recall.

R.I.P.D.
According to Variety, Kevin Bacon looks to be joining the cast of Universal Pictures' supernatural action film R.I.P.D. (short for "Rest In Peace Department"). The trade reports that the actor is in final negotiations for the part.
The project, based on Peter Lenkov's Dark Horse comic about a police department of the dead, will be directed by Robert Schwentke (RED) and will feature the team-up of Ryan Reynolds and Jeff Bridges. Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi are writing the screenplay with Mike Richardson, founder and President of Dark Horse, producing alongside Lawrence Gordon and Neal Moritz.
Bacon's most recent appearance was also as a comic book villain, playing the part of Sebastian Shaw earlier this year in X-Men: First Class.
R.I.P.D. is scheduled to begin production soon, planning a June 28, 2012 release.

THURSDAY, JULY 28, 2011

WALKING DEAD - NEW SHOWRUNNER
Just a day after Frank Darabont stepped down from his perch as showrunner at "The Walking Dead," writer Glen Mazzara will reportedly take over the top behind-the-scenes spot at AMC's zombie-pocalypse hit.
Mazzara ("Hawthorne," "The Shield") joined the show as a writer/producer in its second season, currently filming in Georgia.
"We hired Glen Mazzara as our Number 2 in the room," Darabont said in a June Deadline.com interview. "We consider him our head writer and he's just a fantastic asset."
According to Deadline, production of the show has not been interrupted and, as per Darabont -- who participated in the show's Comic-Con panel and pressroom -- the writers already had eight of 13 shows written with the rest of the season in outline.
The premiere date, announced at Comic-Con, remains Oct. 16.

THE HULK
Kevin Feige and Marvel really want us to like the Hulk's new look. In a recent interview, he spoke about a few changes they've made to the character and how Mark Ruffalo's casting has influenced his facial design. It sounds like the Hulk's getting a makeover!
For the most part, the Hulk has been nothing more than a CGI fest that's required little to no input from his Bruce Banner alter ego. But that type of laziness won't slide in The Avengers.
"The most important thing is that face," said Feige. "As you can already see in that concept painting, it is—more than any Hulk that's ever been done in live action—a Hulk that lets you see the actor in there. You will be able to see Ruffalo in there. That was a big revelation for us. It's just a concept painting, but in that you can see the [influence of Marvel Comics pioneer and original Hulk artist Jack] Kirby, as people have already pointed out, but also, and equally important in this case, Ruffalo's eyes and his cheek structure. It is him."
The rest of the Hulk's body has also gone through some changes. He might not be as big and brawny as we've seen in the past.
According to Feige, "He'll be about the same size he was in The Incredible Hulk [which was about 9 feet tall], or maybe a little bit smaller. His muscles won't be quite as cut. We figure he's been the Hulk now for a few years and [his physique is changing]. He's not as cut or as ripped as he was in The Incredible Hulk."
This tidbit of info gives us high hopes for what to expect next summer. Even though we haven't seen any finished footage of the Hulk in action, it sounds like they know what they want and how to get it. They're definitely going in a new direction, and we like it!

THE IDES OF MARCH
The trailer for George Clooney's upcoming movie The Ides of March hit the Internet on Wednesday.In the movie, Ryan Gosling plays a young press secretary who falls prey to dirty backroom politics in the film. Clooney portrays the candidate for whom Gosling's character works.
Clooney directed the Columbia Pictures drama and co-wrote the script with his Smoke House Pictures partner Grant Heslov.
Clooney, an outspoken liberal, says he made his character a Democrat to bypass any claims that the film had a personal agenda.
Ides, which also stars Paul Giamatti, Marisa Tomei, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Evan Rachel Wood, is set for wide release Oct. 7 via Sony Pictures Entertainment.
The film also screens at both the Venice Film Festival and the Toronto Film Festival in September.

NEW TALES FROM THE CRYPT
A new "Tales From the Crypt" is planned for television, Deadline reports, though it will offer a very different take on the property than the one featured in the well-known HBO series that aired 1989 through 1996 (later spawning two feature films, Demon Knight and Bordello of Blood)
Gil Adler, who produced the HBO version will team with "Eureka" co-creator Andrew Cosby to develop the project which, rather than offer an anthology slant, will feature ongoing characters inspired by the original EC Comics from the 1950's.
Planned as an hourlong show, "Tales From the Crypt" is being set up to pitch to broadcast and cable networks, though an alternate plan is also being devised that could see the series funded independently before finding a network home.

FROZEN GROUND
According to Variety, Nicolas Cage and John Cusack are in talks to headline the $27 million thriller "The Frozen Ground" for Emmett Furla Films and Amber Entertainment.
The story centers on the investigation of Robert Hansen (Cusack), a respected family man who systematically abducted some two dozen women and flew them into the Alaskan wilderness where he released and then hunted them.
Cage would play the Alaska State Trooper who cracked the case after finding one of Hansen's victims alive on the street. Hansen was arrested in 1983 and is currently serving a 461 year sentence in prison.
Randall Emmett, George Furla, Mark Ordesky and Jane Fleming are producing. Scott Walker will make his feature directorial debut from his own script with filming to begin October 10th in Anchorage, Alaska.

WILL GALLOWS
Deadline reports that the team behind "Gnomeo & Juliet" are coming back together for the live-action and CG-animated combo feature "Will Gallows and the Snake Bellied Troll."
Based on the first in Derek Keilty's series of books, the story follows a young cowboy who seeks justice in a world that mashes together fantasy and the Wild West.
Elton John's Rocket Pictures will produce and the film will feature strong musical elements. 'Gnomeo' writer/director Kelly Asbury will return in the same capacities here.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 2011

VAMPIRE DIARIES
Sarah Michelle Gellar is returning to TV this fall, but it looks like there's a new vampire slayer in town. TVLine reports that "The Vampire Diaries" producers are introducing Eric, a hunter who is like "Indiana Jones with a stake instead of a whip." He'll be middle-aged and good-looking.
Our question is this: What about Alaric (Matt Davis)? He was introduced as a history teacher by day, vampire hunter by night. Still, we haven't seen him do too much slaying aside from that time he killed Elijah, which didn't exactly stick. We're guessing that Eric won't be easily swayed to Team Salvatore, especially with Stefan (Paul Wesley) back on the sauce.
Speaking of the ripper, our favorite Mystic Falls residents will have a singular focus when Season 3 begins on Sept. 15. "We've got a lot of stuff to kick us off, the first of which obviously being, where Stefan is," executive producer Julie Plec tells us. "Is he alive? Is he dead? How can we find him? How can we help him? How can we save him? And ultimately, can he be, or does he want to be saved?"

RINGER
The first time you see Sarah Michelle Gellar's "Ringer," when it premieres Sept. 13 on the CW, you'll probably be struck by the dramatic New York backdrop.
There are bird's-eye views from the tops of palatial Upper East Side estates, a black tie party in the Museum of Natural History and jaunts out to Long Island. But after getting picked up to series, "Ringer" settled into its new home in Los Angeles, where shooting recently began.
While at Comic-Con, co-creators Nicole Snyder and Eric Charmelo and producer Pam Veasey eased fears that the series might loose some of its style in the transition from one coast to the other.
"I promise you you'll see it," assures Veasy, who also produces another New-York-in-Los-Angeles series. "Because I've worked on 'CSI: New York' -- and still executive produce that -- we have mastered the talent of finding New York in Los Angeles. Our inside joke used to be 'add a water tower.'"
But there will be more than just water towers. "Ringer" has brought on production designer Steven Wolff, who's previously created elaborate New York sets for shows like "Dirty Sexy Money."
"You'll feel like you're in New York," says Veasy. "He has created shows that so reflect the Upper East Side. We've all wanted to move into our sets."
Still, they don't want to dwell to much on what's happening behind the scenes. "The characters tell the story," Veasy adds. "It's where they're from, it's not where you are. You can definitely tell a New York story in LA."

THE WALKING DEAD
Just days after taking the stage and speaking with reporters at Comic-Con, Frank Darabont’s days as showrunner on AMC’s The Walking Dead have come to an end.
Sources confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that Darabont, the creator, executive producer and director of the zombie hit based on the comics by Robert Kirkman, is stepping down as showrunner. Whether the former feature film director will stay on with the series remains unclear.
After the drama’s six-episode first season wrapped, Darabont toyed with the idea of using freelancers to script the series, but nixed that plan and opted to hire a full writing staff, with Glen Mazzara brought in to serve as Darabont’s No. 2.
“This year we have a room full of writers who know the show now as fans of it, having seen the first little half season, they came into the room going wow, we get to do The Walking Dead,” Darabont said during the Friday session in San Diego. “The first six episodes, nobody knew what the hell we were doing. … It was an unknown quantity as a TV show.”
Darabont gave no indication that he was considering stepping down during his panel at Comic-Con, noting that conversations were currently under way to cast three major roles for the upcoming second season.
In late May, however, Darabont told THR that he feared budget cuts would hurt the series but he had no other creative complaints at the time.
“Creatively I have no complaints thus far,” Darabont said at the time. “But I believe if they do move ahead with what they’re talking about [with budget cuts], it will affect the show creatively ... in a negative way. Which just strikes me as odd. If you have an asset, why would you punish it?”
Season 2 of The Walking Dead premieres Sunday, Oct. 16 at 9 p.m.

BOURNE LEGACY
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Joan Allen and Albert Finney are in negotiations to join Universal's The Bourne Legacy, the latest installment in the successful Bourne spy series.
While Matt Damon is not headlining this installment of the franchise -- instead, Jeremy Renner will star as a new operative -- Allen and Finney will step back into the roles they created in the previous chapters. Allen will again be seen as the CIA agent she played in 2004's The Bourne Supremacy and 2007's The Bourne Ultimatum. Finney, who was seen as the head of a behavior modification program in Ultimatum, will pick up where he left off as well.
Tony Gilroy, who was a writer on the first three Bourne movies, is both writing and directing this time around.
Legacy will also star Rachel Weisz, Oscar Isaac and Edward Norton.
Frank Marshall, Captivate Entertainment's Ben Smith and Jeffrey Weiner, and Pat Crowley are producing. Jennifer Fox is exec producer.

TUESDAY, JULY 26, 2011

RINGER
Production recently started on Sarah Michelle Gellar's new CW thriller, "Ringer," and one character from the pilot looks a little different.
TVGuide reports that the role of rebellious teen Juliet Martin (originally Caitlin Custer) will now be played by Zoey Deutch.
Deutch is the youngest daughter of "Back to the Future" star and TV vet Lea Thompson -- Mrs. McFly, get it? -- and has a resume that includes a part on Disney's "The Suite Life on Deck" and guest roles on "NCIS" and "Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior."
There's still no telling how big of a role Juliet, the daughter of Andrew (Ioan Gruffudd) and stepdaughter of Siobhan (Gellar), will play on the series -- but in the pilot, her character clearly doesn't get along that well with her stepmother.
... or, as it were, her stepmother's twin sister posing as her stepmother.
"Ringer" premieres on the CW, Tuesday, Sept. 13, at 9:00 p.m. ET.

EUREKA
Syfy's series "Eureka" is planning another holiday-themed episode for December, but this one will look a little different than last year's special.
OK, a lot different: The holiday episode will be animated.
The story for the show has a machine designed to turn Eureka's Main Street into a postcard-perfect winter setting going haywire, turning everyone into cartoon versions of themselves. Other rules of cartoon worlds will also apply, so get ready for talking animals and inanimate objects.
The episode, titled "Do You See What I See," will also feature several guest voices. "The Big Bang Theory" star Jim Parsons will provide the voice of Sheriff Carter's (Colin Ferguson) Jeep; Edward James Olmos ("Battlestar Galactica") will play the leader of a pack of sled dogs; and Chris Parnell ("30 Rock") will reprise his role from last year's holiday special as Dr. Noah Drummer.
Curious Pictures ("Codename: Kids Next Door") will produce the animation segments, in styles ranging from anime to stop-motion to CGI. An airdate hasn't been scheduled yet.

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES
If you are like me, you wonder what projects actors get into after starting for years in projects like STARGATE SG-1. Christopher Judge has landed a gig in one of the biggest movies of 2012—The Dark Knight Rises!
The Dark Knight Rises is currently in production, but when has a silly thing like shooting ever stopped casting? After rumors started circulating that Judge might pop up in the final installment of Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, he took to Twitter to clear the air.
He wrote, "I can finally confirm: I have been cast in The Dark Knight Rises." Now, who will he play? We have NO idea, but isn't that how Nolan rolls? The director is known for casting familiar faces in bit parts, so Judge could be another Michael J. White or Anthony Michael Hall for the new film.
The cast of The Dark Knight Rises is already pretty big. Aside from major players Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman and Michael Caine, they've got Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Juno Temple, Josh Pence, Daniel Sunjata, Matthew Modine, Tom Conti, Brett Cullen, Chris Ellis and Josh Stewart.
The Dark Knight Rises opens in theaters everywhere July 20, 2012.

DOCTOR WHO
Doctor Who fans who were in attendance at the Comic-Con panel Sunday got a first exciting look at the trailer showing what's coming up for the Doctor (Matt Smith) and his TARDIS companions in the second half of season six. And we're now bringing it to you. Hitler and all.
Doctor Who is set to return on Aug. 27 on BBC America, so we can assume it'll also return on the same date on BBC One in the U.K. Only four (very painful) weeks to go.
Cybermen! Weeping Angels! The return of Winston Churchill! The Silence! River Song (Alex Kingston) looking like eye-patch lady! We're thinking: What the heck is that about? And about the eye-patch thingy? Take a very close look at the trailer, because there's a lot going on there.
But the prize goes to the look on the Doctor's, Rory's (Arthur Darvill) and Amy's (Karen Gillan) stunned faces when a grateful Hitler says he thinks they just saved his life. Major oops.

ARTHUR & LANCELOT
Warner Bros. has wasted no time in dating David Dobkin’s Arthur & Lancelot, which hits theaters on March 15, 2013.
Last month, Warners emerged the victor in a heated biding war for an untitled King Arthur spec script written by Dobkin, who is set to direct and produce the project. Univeral and Fox were among the other interested suitors.
Arthur & Lancelot, a modern-day retelling of the classic King Arthur tale, marks a departure for Dobkin, who has primarily worked on comedies, including The Change Up, which opens Aug. 5 and stars Ryan Reynolds and Jason Bateman.
So far, Arthur & Lancelot has the date to itself. A week earlier, Disney opens Oz: The Great and Powerful.

MARGIN CALL
The trailer for the Sundance hit Margin Call has arrived online, courtesy of Yahoo! Movies.
Starring Zachary Quinto, Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Stanley Tucci, Demi Moore, Penn Badgley, Simon Baker, Mary McDonnell and Aasif Mandvi, the J.C. Chandor film offers a fictionalized take on modern economics.

SUNDAY, JULY 24, 2011

COMIC-CON NEWS
MARK HAMILL ON CHUCK
The final panel ever for "Chuck" at Comic-Con certainly didn't skimp on the goodies for fans.
The show is entering its last season on NBC, so Saturday (July 23) was likely the last chance for the cast to take in the admiration of its most devoted fans. They didn't disappoint, giving the cast and co-creator Chris Fedak a standing ovation at the end.
"Chuck's" fans were in turn rewarded with a big piece of news -- Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill, is guest-starring in the season premiere -- and the video below, featuring Josh Gomez (and Jeffster!) attempting to get himself in shape for Morgan having the Intersect at the start of Season 5.
As for Hamill, Fedak says he'll play a villain in the season premiere, which starts filming next week. The new season will feature Chuck and Sarah (Zachary Levi and Yvonne Strahovski) running their own, Volkoff-funded private spy outfit, which will bring them into conflict with both the CIA, some past foes and, apparently, Hamill's character.
And, of course, they'll have to deal with Morgan having the Intersect. We hope it's going better than the video below -- which also features fine comic work from Ryan McPartlin -- would indicate. "Chuck" premieres Oct. 21 on NBC.

GHOST RIDER
Columbia Pictures kicked off its multi-hour Comic-Con panel with a first-look at Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, a sequel to the fiery, motorcycle-driving demon anti-hero pic. Not surprisingly, the movie promises much flame-filled action.
In fact, the directors, Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, were shown in a production video on bungee cords, rollerblades and motorcycles operating cameras as they shot in-your-face action.
Neveldine said the duo make a promise to their stuntmen -- "if you get hurt doing a shot, that shot is going to be in the movie.”Added Taylor: "You will see real bones breaking in Ghost Rider.
Star Nicolas Cage, meanwhile, made the case for a movie that, while a hit, wasn’t exactly embraced by fans.
"In a day and age where we are making comic book movies all the time, you need to have a couple of bad boys in there,” he said. “And Ghost Rider provides that.”
"I wanted to go in scarier direction. The first one was like a Grimms’ fairy tale. This one I wanted to embrace the nightmare aspect of the character. I wanted a shot at that and I’m glad I got to do it with these guys.”

SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN
The game of one-upmanship between Universal and Relativity over their competing Snow White movies ramped up at Comic-Con—and Universal now has the edge.
A day after Relativity released a first-look photo of Lilly Collins as Snow White in its untitled movie, Universal arrived in San Diego with a swath of character photos from Snow White and the Huntsman, including Kirsten Stewart holding a sword and shield as Snow White, Charlize Theron looking menacing as the dagger-wielding Evil Queen, Chris Hemsworth as the hunky Huntsman and Sam Claflin as a prince.
And while its movie doesn’t start production until August, Universal still made a big impression with a well-received presentation of test footage and director Rupert Sanders’ commercials to get audience excited.
All this compared to Relativity’s Comic-Con no-show for its Snow White, which has been in production in Montreal since June.
The panel began with Sanders, a noted commercials director making his feature debut on Snow White, as well as producers Joe Roth and Palek Patel, talking about the origins of their project. Roth said that after the $1 billion success of Alice in Wonderland, “to be in the big picture business, you have to come up with a big idea that is known across several generations and several languages.”
The fact that there are two Snow White features racing to theaters (Relativity’s is scheduled for release in March, Universal’s in June) quickly came up, and though Roth was respectful toward the other project, he (and Universal) quickly made moves to set their project apart.
“Our movie is on the scale of The Lord of the Rings, in terms of size, scope and appetite,” he said, promising a “tough, rough, active male-female picture.”
“From the pictures,” he continued, referring to Relativity’s Snow White, “the other looks like a softer version.”
Roth tried to soften the gap between release dates—Huntsman comes out June 1, 2012 while Relativity’s movie opens March 16. “We are 10 weeks apart. In the movie business, that is a lifetime,” he said.
The presentation then featured three Sanders-directed commercials —for video games Call of Duty and Halo 3 as well as Monster.com—which conveyed to the crowd that 1) the man can direct action and war scenes, 2) he can create fantastical worlds with strange characters and mean, dark settings.
After the cast, consisting Stewart, Theron, Hemswoth and Claflin, came on stage, Roth, Sanders and company unveiled a proof-of-concept reel that was initially presented to the studio when the moviemakers were selling the project.
Sanders said it was shot in three days, describing it as “down and dirty” and “more of stylistic piece.”
The footage revealed a beautiful princess in a forest surrounded by fauna, but it quickly became dark and fantastical as a monologue asked what kind of a person you would be when tested by evil.
Sanders’ footage surprised and impressed with its shots of a fairy emerging out of the blackbird’s breast and Snow White surrounded by trees that are part men (in a way that was much more human than the trees seen in Lord of the Rings). Two knights were shown clashing swords, one getting cut in half and disintegrating into a million pieces.
Sources have told THR the reel cost around $100,000 to produce, but it seems worth it because the footage clearly shows what kind of movie this Snow White project aims to be. The crowd left the panel believing this is something unique that might show audiences things they haven’t seen before.

FRIDAY, JULY 22, 2011

LOGAN'S RUN
What do you get when you mix a present-day chase flick with a little Logan's Run-type twist? In Time, starring Justin Timberlake.
In Time is set in a not-too-distant future where time has replaced money as the currency of society. The more time you earn, the longer you live. But once you hit 25, if you don't have any more accrued time, you die a year later.
Timberlake plays a man from the wrong side of the tracks who inadvertently comes into a large amount of time from a deceased friend. But certain elements of society (i.e. the wealthy) don't want a guy like him having so much time on his hands, so to speak, and he becomes a fugitive. Amanda Seyfried plays the daughter of a high society figure who gets caught up in Timberlake's plight.
Instead of glowing lifeclocks in their palms like the characters in the film version of Logan's Run (where death was enforced at the age of 30), everyone in In Time has a countdown clock imprinted on their arm ... once that clock hits zero, you drop dead.
Timberlake, Seyfried and writer/director Andrew Niccol joined moderator Damon Lindelof onstage at San Diego Comic-Con for a few brief words about the film, with Timberlake saying, "Getting into this world with Andrew was a trip because he had such a complete, detailed vision. A couple of weeks after we finished filming, I kept looking at my forearm where we had these dots where the clocks would be. I held onto a lot of idiosyncratic behavior for a while after making this movie."
The trailer really said it all though.

DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK
Guillermo Del Toro made the first of three panel appearances at Comic-Con on Thursday afternoon ... and surprisingly, had no surprise announcements to make.
Del Toro has a habit of announcing new projects at Comic-Con, as he did last year when he revealed that he was working on a film based around Disney's Haunted Mansion. But this first panel, for the indie company FilmDistrict, featured Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, which GDT produced and co-wrote—and which received its own panel at last year's con.
As a matter of fact, the panel spotlighted both Don't Be Afraid of the Dark and an upcoming crime thriller called Drive (which looks awesome, by the way), with cast and filmmakers for both movies onstage at the same time. A good deal of the panel was devoted to Del Toro and Drive director Nicolas Winding Refn praising each other's work, with a lot of attention focused on Drive and Refn.
The panel did have a number of peripheral sci-fi references, however: one of the stars of Drive in attendance was Hellboy himself, Ron Perlman, while one of Refn's upcoming projects is the long-in-the-works remake of Logan's Run, with Drive star Ryan Gosling as Logan (that movie was mentioned only in passing).
But other than that, a few words from star Guy Pearce about playing the dad in Don't Be Afraid of the Dark and a showing of the movie's new trailer, Del Toro had nothing new to reveal ... yet. He's got two more panels at Comic-Con this weekend, including an early look at his upcoming sci-fi epic Pacific Rim, so we might still here something from the man between now and Sunday!

PROMETHEUS
20th Century Fox delivered the goods Thursday, giving a packed Hall H a first glimpse at Prometheus, director Ridley Scott’s return to the science-fiction genre. The Prometheus look began with a production video the combined Scott talking about the project and, more tantalizingly, quick shots from the movie, still nearly a year away from release.
The footage teased a star-spanning epic with massive sets, mystery, distrust and maybe (hopefully) horror. There was a shot of Charlize Theron telling someone to stay back, then obliterating the person with a flamethrower. Next came a spaceship, looking puny as it streaked past a massive planet, and an astronaut walking past a wall of alien hieroglyphics. A room full of alien pods reminiscent of Scott's landmark Alien film appeared, then several shots of Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender (with bleached blond hair) and Idris Elba.
Scott spoke to the audience via a live feed from the movie's Iceland set, perhaps a Comic-Con first, and was able to explain that the reason he took so long to return to sci-fi was that he was simply busy exploring other genres.
What bought him back was a desire to answer a mysterious question that he was surprised no one had ever asked about the Alien movies.
“That [question] could be the centerpiece of what we just completed. That said, that is the only DNA from the first Alien,” Scott said. Huh? So is Prometheus a prequel to Alien or not?
“You’ll hopefully understand what I mean in the last few minutes of the movie,” Scott said.
“So do I,” quipped Fox panel moderator (and the movie’s writer) Damon Lindelof.
“So does Fox,” snorted Scott.
Scott also discussed the massive sets, why he limited his use of CG and his first foray into 3D.
“I’ll never work without it again,” he said, referring to the 3D format. “It opens up the universe even for the small scenes."
When Lindelof asked if the movie was going to have an android (the Alien series featured synthetic humans), Scott revealed there “may be two” and hinted at something more.
“Robots and androids and replicants have become so much of the landscape, so you have to come up with something that hasn’t been seen before," he said. "You have to find a notion that makes something fresh.”
Rapace (Girl With the Dragon Tattoo) also joined Scott from the Iceland set, while Theron appeared on stage. Theron described her character as “a suit."
“In the third act, you see her strip her from her skin and you see what her bones are like and what she’s doing there,” she said.
Fox has said the movie would be rated PG-13, typical for most summer action blockbusters. But Scott said that could change to an R rating.
“I’ve got a responsibility to my studio and [studio co-chief] Tom Rothman, but I always make sure I have both options,” he said. “We will both look at it and decide which is the best way to go.”

MAN OF STEEL DELAYED
Superman fans waiting for Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel to fly into theaters will have to wait six months longer than they originally expected.
Warner Bros., which initially penciled in the movie for a tentative December 2012 release, announced Thursday that the movie now has an official opening date of June 14, 2013.
The move appears to come as the studio reviews its overall release slate. It had never committed the Superman tale to a specific date in 2012 and now that it also has Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey set to open on Dec. 14, 2012, it decided to space out its tentpoles and move Man of Steel into 2013.
The Warners/Legendary Pictures production starts filming this summer with British actor Henry Cavill playing Clark Kent/Superman. The cast also includes Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Diane Lane, Kevin Costner and Russell Crowe.
Charles Roven, Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan and Deborah Snyder are the producers of the film, which will be distributed worldwide by Warners. The screenplay is by David S. Goyer based on a story by Goyer and Nolan. Legendary’s Thomas Tull and Lloyd Phillips are serving as executive producers.

RINGER
The CW presented Comic-Con attendees today with this first look at "Ringer," the new series starring Sarah Michelle Gellar as Bridget and Siobhan, Kristoffer Polaha as Henry, Ioan Gruffudd as Andrew Martin, Nestor Carbonell as Agent Victor Machado and Tara Summers as Gemma. "Ringer" premieres on September 13 and is described as follows:
Sarah Michelle Gellar stars as a woman who, after witnessing a murder, goes on the run, hiding out by assuming the life of her wealthy identical twin sister – only to learn that her sister's seemingly idyllic life is just as complicated and dangerous as the one she's trying to leave behind. Bridget is six months sober and starting to turn her life around when she is the sole witness to a professional hit. Despite the assurances of her FBI protector, Agent Victor Machado, Bridget knows her life is on the line. She flees to New York, telling no one, not even her Narcotics Anonymous sponsor, Malcolm. In New York, Bridget reunites with her estranged twin, Siobhan. Wealthy, pampered and married to the strikingly handsome Andrew Martin, Siobhan lives what appears to be a fairy tale life – a life where no one knows that Bridget exists. The sisters seem to be mending their frayed relationship, until Siobhan disappears overboard during a boat trip, and Bridget makes the split decision to take on her sister's identity. She discovers shocking secrets, not only about her sister and her marriage, but also about Siobhan's best friend, Gemma, and Gemma's husband, Henry. And when someone tries to kill Bridget in her sister's penthouse, she realizes she is no safer as Siobhan than she is as herself.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 2011

THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2011

SPIDER-MAN
It's official: The new Spider-Man trailer is out for all of us to enjoy without fear of takedowns. That leaked trailer we posted yesterday? Yeah, we know it's not playing. But this one is, and it's a whole two and a half minutes of intense Spidey action.
As we mentioned yesterday, this is a darker take on Peter Parker's origin story. Also, it gives us something that we rarely get to see in a Spider-Man retelling: his parents. We know that Peter was raised by his kindly Aunt May and Uncle Ben, but here we get a tiny slice of life before they died. (Was it a plane crash? Marvel has never been clear on the subject.)
For those of us who feel that this reboot is too soon after the last movie in the Raimi trilogy, Spider-Man 3 in 2007, yeah, you're right, it's too soon. But it's still another year in the making. This version of Spider-Man won't be released until July 2012.

GAME OF THRONES-SEASON TWO
Things are gearing up for the second season of Game of Thrones as the Emmy-nominated HBO fantasy series, based on George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire novels, casts three more actors in important lead roles.
British actor Stephen Dillane (John Adams, King Arthur) has been cast in the role of Stannis Baratheon, King Robert Baratheon's eldest brother (and brother of Renly, the youngest Baratheon brother, who also wants to be King), Lord of Dragonstone and one of the pretenders to the Iron Throne.
Stannis is a humorless, authoritative man with a strong moral code. And he strongly believes he is the true heir to the throne. He really does.
Dutch actress Clarice van Houten (Black Book, Valkyrie, Black Death) has been cast in the role of Melisandre, a powerful sorceress and priestess of R'hllor who counsels Stannis in his quest for the Iron Throne. She's a seductive woman possessing prophetic powers, and she's more than willing to impose her monotheistic religion on the people. She'll slowly have Stannis under her spell, so to speak.
Melisandre is also called the Red Priestess, as she always dresses in red and has red eyes. Should be a stunning sight to behold on TV.
And last but not least, awesome actor Liam Cunningham (Camelot, Outcasts, Centurion) has been cast as Davos Seaworth, a family man and former smuggler who's also known as "the Onion Knight" because he managed to get food into Stannis Baratheon's besieged castle during the war that got Robert the Iron Throne.
Davos received a knighthood from Stannis for his efforts, but this one also had some of his fingers shortened as punishment for his criminal past (with friends like these). Davos will help Stannis wrest the Iron Throne from that very bad King Joffrey.

RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
Andy Serkis, who brings Caesar to life through motion capture the same way he did for Gollum from Lord of the Rings, sets up the clip, this one spotlighting his character's "ingenious escape," eventually leading to a revolution.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes hits theaters Aug. 5.

A CABIN IN THE WOODS
Lionsgate has acquired worldwide distribution rights to the horror movie The Cabin in the Woods from MGM, which had originally scheduled it for release way back in 2009. The movie is now set to open April 13.
Co-written by Joss Whedon, of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame, and Drew Goddard, who wrote 2008’s Cloverfield, the movie marks Goddard’s directorial debut.
Chris Hemsworth, who’s a bigger star now than when he shot to the film thanks to his starring role in Thor, plays a young professional who visits a quaint cabin in the woods with a group of friends where he discovers something horrifying. Whedon, who also produced the movie, has described it as “the horror movie to end all horror movies.” And the fact that the movie, which had been sidelined in the midst of the MGM bankruptcy, is now scheduled to hit theaters in the spring will be good news to the legion of Whedon fans.
Richard Jenkins, Bradley Whitford, Kristen Connolly, Brian J. White, Amy Acker, Fran Kranz and Jesse Williams also star in the film.
The acquisition was announced Wednesday by Joe Drake, president of Lionsgate’s Motion Picture Group, and Jason Constantine, president of acquisitions and co-productions. Lionsgate will distribute in North America and the U.K., with Lionsgate’s international sales team handling international sales.
Negotiations on behalf of Lionsgate were overseen by Constantine along with Lionsgate senior vp acquisitions Eda Kowan and executive vp business and legal affairs Wendy Jaffe.

THE HOBBIT
Peter Jackson has posted the third production video for The Hobbit which you can now watch below! Jackson also posted the following note about the fact that the films won't be presented at this year's Comic-Con:
Good news and bad news today. Bad news is that we won't be doing any Hobbit presentation at Comic Con in San Diego this year. New Line and Warner Bros were very happy to support a presentation, but I declined, simply because I felt it was too early. There's so much more of the films still to shoot. I just wanted to get that out there, because I've seen various references to the possibility of something Hobbity at Comic Con. Hate to disappoint anyone. But something tells me we will be there in force next year.
Now for the good news...
We've just finished a new video blog, covering a little more of the first block of shooting. So please enjoy this—at least you don't have to travel to San Deigo to see it!
I've been on the go since wrapping the first shooting block, but I'm about to settle down and get into the much delayed 20 Questions. I've a few half-written and will get those done very, very soon! I promise!
Cheers,
Peter J

SHRAPNEL
According to Variety, Hilary Swank will star in and produce a big screen adaptation of "Shrapnel" at Radical Pictures. Nick Sagan and M. Zachary Sherman wrote the comic book, which is based on an original creation by Sagan and Mark Long.
The comic is set in the year 2250 and follows a former Solar Alliance Marine (Swank), who spearheads an uprising on Venus, the last free colony, against an oppressive solar government in order to fight for the freedom of her people.
Toby Wagstaff will write the script for the sci-fi film.
Radical president Barry Levine will produce with Swank and Sean Daniel (The Mummy) of the Sean Daniel Co., while Radical executive VP Jesse Berger will executive produce with Untitled Entertainment partner Jason Weinberg and Long.
"Hilary came to Radical excited to find a project with a strong female protagonist that could show off her abilities to do action films," said Levine. "With Hilary being an actor's actor, 'Shrapnel' will give a whole new definition to that type of role."
Swank added: "I am a fan of the work that Barry Levine and Radical Pictures are doing in the comic and action arena. 'Shrapnel' and specifically the character of Sam offer me the opportunity to dive into an exciting character with many layers and depth that are rarely found in this genre."
"'Shrapnel' takes core elements of classic Westerns and brings them into a futuristic epic. We are excited to be working with Hilary to create a cutting edge heroine for a new generation," said Daniel.

DOCTOR WHO
After much waiting, we've finally seen our first little snippets from the upcoming second part of Doctor Who's season six, and what we saw looked pretty darn cool, a bit spooky, and funny as heck.
The trailer's a bit strange (as you'll see): But that's only because the great people over at Doctor Who TV took that itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny short bit of Doctor Who that was part of a new, longer "Original British Drama" trailer from the BBC, and then proceeded to slow it down so we could see those awesome Doctor Who scenes better.
While we're completely wowed by Amy Pond's (Karen Gillan) newfound ninja/samurai-like fighting skills (she did get to do some sword fighting in "The Curse of the Black Spot," even if she was a clone), it's that little exchange between returning fan favorite Craig Owens (James Corden, "The Lodger") and the Doctor (Matt Smith)—while the two of them are getting a bit too close for comfort, if you ask us—that had us almost choke on our coffee with laughter:
Craig: "Doctor, are you going to kiss me?"
The Doctor: "Yes, Craig. Yes I am."
(Notice the exchange takes place while the Doctor's playing with his sonic screwdriver's settings. Absolutely. Brilliantly. Priceless.)

POWERS
"Supernatural" and "Veronica Mars" star Alona Tal has been cast in FX's superhero pilot "Powers." Writer Brian Michael Bendis confirmed the news on his official Twitter account and revealed she will be playing Zora.
"Powers" is based on the comic book series by Bendis and Michael Avon Oemig and follows detective Christian Walker (Jason Patric) and his partner Deena Pilgrim (Lucy Punch), who investigate crimes against superheroes.
In the comics, Zora appears to have immortality and possesses a great capacity for memory. She also has an interesting history with Walker.
Tal isn't the only "Supernatural" alum to join the project -- AOL TV recently reported that Titus Welliver -- a.k.a. War -- will play Triphammer.
Tal most recently appeared on AMC's "The Killing" and ABC Family's "Pretty Little Liars."

SECOND SON
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Warner Bros. has picked up Second Son, a sci-fi spec script from newcomer Justin Rhodes that has Scott Aversano attached to produce.
Rhodes worked in the low-budget film world editing shorts, and in 2009 he wrote and directed a low-budget action movie called Contract Killers. Focusing on writing, he penned a well-regarded script that got him representation with ICM and manager Kevin Donahue.
In between supporting himself and his family by working at his dad’s accounting firm, he then set about writing his next project, Second Son. ICM hooked him up with Aversano, the former Nickelodeon president-turned-producer (The Last Airbender, the upcoming Safe House), who was looking for something in the genre, and the producer helped Rhodes further develop Son.
Last week, Warners preemptively bought it. The studio is keeping the logline under wraps but sources say the story is an adventure set on another planet with twists.
Warners creative exec Chris Gary brought the project in. Sarah Schechter will oversee.

THE RED STAR
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Warner Bros. is in negotiations to pick up the Soviet-themed sci-fi fantasy comic book series The Red Star, which had been put into turnaround by Universal.
Neal Moritz and his Original Films banner are attached to produce as is Jason Netter of comic-centric shingle Kickstart Productions.
The lavish comic, created by Christian Gossett, first appeared in 1999 and is set in an alternate USSR where futuristic technology and magical elements co-exist. The main character is a soldier in the Red Fleet and his wife, who become keys to defeating a former brutal ruler and his minions.
While at Universal, the project was being developed as a vehicle for Timur Bekmambetov, with Matthew Sand penning a script and Mark Platt producing.
The Warners deal is just getting underway and at this stage has no creative attachments.
Moritz, who is coming off the success of Fast Five, is in production on the Columbia’s remake of Total Recall and New Line’s Jack the Giant Killer. His Ryan Reynolds-Jason Bateman comedy The Change-Up opens Aug. 5.
Netter was a producer on the 2007 Angelina Jolie comic book movie Wanted. He is developing adaptations of Preacher, set up at Columbia with D.J. Caruso attached to direct, and The Boys, based on the Garth Ennis comic.

THE COMPANY YOU KEEP
Shia LaBeouf and Robert Redford will headline the political action thriller The Company You Keep, Voltage Pictures and Wildwood Enterprises announced Tuesday.
Redford will also direct from a script by Lem Dobbs (The Limey), based on the novel by Neil Gordon. Redford will play a former Weather Underground militant, wanted by the FBI, whose identity is exposed by a young reporter, played by LaBeouf.
Redford, Bill Holderman and Nicolas Chartier are producing, with Craig J. Flores as exec producer. Redford's Wildwood Enterprises originally acquired the novel and developed the screenplay with Voltage, which is selling the picture internationally. Filming is set to begin in Vancouver in September.
Both LaBeouf and Redford are repped by CAA.

CAPTAIN CANUCK
TORONTO – Not wanting to be left out of the superhero movie game, Canadian indie producer Minds Eye Entertainment has acquired the movie adaptation rights to the classic Captain Canuck comic book series.
Captain Canuck is the Canadian masked crusader launched in 1975 as a comic book by writer/creator Richard Comely and, after the second issue, by fellow artist George Freeman.
The Captain Canuck franchise has been optioned many times over the years as a possible TV series or movie, most recently by Sinking Ship Entertainment.
Now Mind’s Eye will look to develop a live action movie for international movie screens.
“I have always been a big fan of Captain Canuck, and we are honored to be working with Richard on bringing Canada’s greatest Superhero to the big screen,” Mind’s Eye topper Kevin DeWalt said Tuesday.
No word on which Canadian actor will don head-to-toe in figure-hugging rubber to play the Captain Canuck character, but Canadian-born stars Hayden Christensen, Ryan Reynolds and Ryan Gosling have been rumored as possible leads.
Recent credits from Mind’s Eye include the action drama The Tall Man, starring Jessica Biel, the thriller Faces in the Crowd, with Milla Jovovich and Julian McMahon, and Stephen King’s Dolan’s Cadillac, starring Christian Slater.

UNDER THE BANNER OF HEAVEN
One day after their high-profile adaptation of The Dark Tower was tumbled by Universal, Ron Howard and Brian Grazer are leading the charge of another adaptation, Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer.
The rights to the book is in the process of being acquired by Warner Bros. and the plan includes having Dustin Lance Black, who wrote Milk and Warner¹s J. Edgar, pen the screenplay.
Imagine would produce and Howard would direct.
Heaven was published in 2003 and centered on the terrible murders committed by two brothers who were members of an extreme group of Mormonism. Claiming to act under order from God, the two brothers killed the wife and infant daughter of their youngest brother.
At the same time as telling that story, the book also traced the origins and rise of Mormonism and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Sarah Schechter will oversee for Warners.

GARGOYLES
Variety reports that Disney has been trying to get a Gargoyles project to fly for some time now.
The proposed film isn't tied to the animated series or the made-for-television flick of the same name. Instead, this is a new property the Mouse House hopes to exploit across various platforms - film, television, video games, theme parks, etc.
That said, Variety reports Disney has hired writers David Elliot and Paul Lovett to pen a script. They're the duo that gave us G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.
Lauren Shuler Donner will produce. The film is being considered for live-action.

TUESDAY, JULY 19, 2011

THE DARK TOWER
The hugely ambitious adaptation of "The Dark Tower" that director Ron Howard is shepherding is no more at Universal Studios. But it's not entirely dead, at least not yet.
That's because Howard's company, Imagine, still retains the rights to Stephen King's series of novels and is now free to try to set up the project elsewhere. It's probably a long shot -- potentially risky (and expensive) projects rejected by one studio aren't exactly easy sells at others -- but Howard, producer Brian Grazer and screenwriter Akiva Goldsman do have a fair amount of pull in Hollywood.
According to Deadline, which first reported the news, Universal balked at the idea of committing to making three films and two seasons of TV to tell the sprawling story in King's seven-book series (an eighth is due next year), which centers on a gunslinger named Roland Deschain (Javier Bardem was reportedly attached to star). The studio only wanted to do the first film (the site says some at Universal dispute that notion), but the filmmakers wanted to do at least that plus the first batch of TV episodes in one big shoot.
Regardless of what exactly happened at Universal, "The Dark Tower" is now in limbo. Goldsman's production company, Weed Road, is based at Warner Bros., and Deadline and others mention it as a possible destination for the project. Warner Bros. has certainly had success with big stories -- it's behind the "Harry Potter" movies and is currently financing a two-movie adaptation of "The Hobbit."

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES
Finally, the first official look at "The Dark Knight Rises" has arrived.
The clip debuted over the weekend ahead of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2." Not a bad move, considering the film's box office-shattering record.
It's awesome in that it's, umm, the first look at "The Dark Knight Rises" and we get a peek at Christian Bale back in the bat suit and tantalizing voice-over from Liam Neeson as Ra's Al Ghul. Not to mention the scary shots of Tom Hardy as Bane.
But, alas, we get no preview of Catwoman (Anne Hathaway), Joseph Gordon-Levitt or Marion Cotillard.
What we do get is a clip of Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) asking "The Batman" to come back to fight "this evil" (aka Bane).
Meanwhile, Neeson intones "If you make yourself more than just a man, if you devote yourself to an ideal, then you become something else entirely. A legend, Mr. Wayne, a legend."

AMERICAN HORROR STORY
"Glee" creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk are taking their creative mojo back to FX with "Amercian Horror Story." FX on Monday (July 18) announced that it placed a 13-episode order for the show about a family of three who "move from Boston to Los Angeles as a means to reconcile past anguish." The horror!
Murphy and Falchuk previously scored a big win for F/X with "Nip/Tuck."
"American Horror Story" has signed on an ensemble cast of big-time talent: Dylan McDermott, "Friday Night Lights'" Connie Britton, Jessica Lange, "Six Feet Under's" Frances Conroy and Taissa Farmiga (yep, Vera's younger sister).
"Our cast is extraordinary and we can't wait to get started on production," said Murphy, who wrote the pilot along with Falchuck, in a press release.
"American Horror Story" is set to debut in October.

IRON MAN NEWS
Here's a rumor for you. We may get to see our favourite non-superhero redhead, Iron Man's Pepper Potts, in The Avengers after all.
Right in the wake of that leaked Avengers teaser clip found at the end of Captain America: The First Avenger, we've also learned that actress Gwyneth Paltrow may have already reprised her role as Tony Stark's love interest, Pepper Potts, in the Joss Whedon-directed film.
This was suggested by the people over at Dis Fan Review, who claim that "sources" have confirmed to them that Paltrow had already filmed her scenes for one of the most highly anticipated films of 2012:
According to our sources the famous Hollywood leading lady made an extremely quiet entrance into New Mexico on Monday or Tuesday and was said to have definitely departed by Thursday, making an equally quiet exit. A source close to the production say's that somewhere in that time frame Mrs. [Paltrow] spent two entire days shooting her appearance in the film. Our sources also indicate that her part in the film is more than just a glorified cameo. However, our sources were unwilling to reveal much more than that.
As with every rumor, it should be taken with a grain of salt (as we're sure you already are)—though Pepper Potts' actual appearance in the film would both make sense and be truly awesome.
In the meanwhile, we'll just be crossing our fingers and toes that we'll get some sort of official confirmation (or denial) before or during Comic Con. Or at least soon. Before they turn blue.

CONAN THE BARBARIAN
Prepare for an epic bloodbath of Cimmerian slaying in the latest UK trailer for Conan The Barbarian. Thereis plenty of blood and gore to go around.
The British get to hoist a pint and cheer the bloody wrath while the damn yankee Puritans in the United States get the tamer, more civilized versions on the trailer-go-round. Lucky Redcoats! This adults-only, red band wonder amps up the action in anticipation of next month's worldwide release and showcases enough broken bones and severed limbs to fill two sequels.
The 3-D Conan The Barbarian pic stars Jason Momoa, Ron Perlman, Rachel Nichols, Stephen Lang and Rose McGowan and mercilessly attacks on August 19.

JOHN CARTER: WORLD OF MARS
Walt Disney Pictures has revealed, through Comic Book Resources, their plans for a prequel to their upcoming John Carter, to be published by Marvel Comics.
The film version, hitting theaters on March 9, 2012, marks the live-action debut of director Andrew Stanton who brings to the screen the Edgar Rice Burroughs novels, which celebrate their centennial next year. The film stars Taylor Kitsch as the title hero and Lynn Collins as the Martian Princess Deja Thoris with roles for Samantha Morton, Mark Strong, Ciaran Hinds, Dominic West, James Purefoy, Daryl Sabara, Polly Walker, Bryan Cranston, Thomas Hayden Church and Willem Dafoe as well.
The prequel, entitled "John Carter: Worlds of Mars" will run as a four-issue miniseries by Peter David and Luke Ross. Launching this October, it will feature the diverse characters of Burroughs' worlds in adventures that set the stage for the film version, going back as far as fifty years before the events of John Carter.

MONDAY, JULY 18, 2011

HARRY POTTER OPENING WEEKEND
Warner Bros.’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 grossed a massive $476 million in its worldwide debut, by far the best showing of all time.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was the previous crown holder at $394 million.
Deathly Hallows 2’s opening overseas clocked in at $307 million, while it earned $168.8 million in North America.
Earlier this summer, Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides scored the biggest debut of all time at the international box office when opening to $262 million. Deathly Hallows safely beat that number as it rolled out in 59 countries.
Domestically, Deathly Hallows raced past the $158.4 million opening of The Dark Knight to score the top three-day weekend debut of all time.
“The phenomenal result is a true testament to the universal and timeless appeal of J.K. Rowling's beloved books. Whether in German, Russian, Spanish, Japanese or any other language, fans everywhere have embraded the finale," Warner Bros. president of international distribution Veronika Kwan-Rubinek said.
"We thank the filmmakers, cast and crew for this amazing film, as well as our teams and partners in exhibition for bringing this epic story to its conclusion on big screens all over the world," she continued.

MERLIN GOES TO SEASON FOUR
Fans of the Arthurian legend should feel better about this news after Starz canceled its series, Camelot. Merlin, a more lighthearted, family-oriented version of the tale, will be back on our sets in 2012.
A Syfy spokesperson confirms to The Hollywood Reporter that the network has picked up the series for a fourth season, as first reported by TV Guide Magazine.
The series follows the iconic legend through the point of view of the magician Merlin (Colin Morgan) in his younger years. Bradley James also returns as young Arthur along with costars Angel Coulby, Katie McGrath, Anthony Head and Richard Wilson. John Hurt also reprises his role as the voice of the Great Dragon.
Originally aired on BBC, Merlin has been picking up steam with American audiences. Season 3 averaged 1.9 million viewers an episode for Syfy, an increase of 12 percent over the previous season. Season 4 begins airing in the UK in the fall.
FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME) distributes and licenses The Adventures of Merlin, as its known outside the U.S. FME has invested in the Merlin series alongside BBC One. The show is produced and created by Shine TV whose producers were inspired to create the series after seeing what Smallville did with Superman.

WALKING DEAD
AMC has delivered as promised, dishing the gory goods with a sneak peek of The Walking Dead season 2. This clip aired during the season premiere of "Breaking Bad".
You're going to hear a lot about "TWD" this week. Comic-Con coverage strikes this Wednesday, with a "TWD" panel planned for Friday!

SUNDAY, JULY 17, 2011

HARRY POTTER
Warner Bros.' Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 is making box office magic, earning a massive $92.1 million on Friday to easily score the biggest single day gross of all time domestically.
Overseas, the pic earned another $75 million on Friday for a three-day international total of $157.5 million, bringing its worldwide cume to a record-breaking $249.6 million.
By all accounts, Deathly Hallows 2 is on track to score the biggest worldwide opening of all time, beating the $394 million earned by Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in its debut. Domestically, it's expected to eclipse the record-breaking $158.4 million grossed by Warners' The Dark Knight in its opening weekend.
Domestically, the previous single-day best belonged to The Twilight Saga: New Moon, which earned $72.7 million on its first day.
The final Harry Potter pic also fueled the biggest Friday ever at the domestic box office, with all films grossing a combined $117 million, smashing the $107 million record set on Nov. 20, 2009.
Friday’s $92.1 million domestic tally for Deathly Hallows 2 -- which received an A CinemaScore--included a record-breaking $43.5 million in midnight grosses.
Deathly Hallows 2 ’s stunning performance continues the enormous popularity of the Potter franchise, with the first seven films grossing $6.4 billion worldwide, the most successful series of all time.
Sentiment is running at red-hot levels as the last title hits the big screen. The final installment also has the advantage of playing in 3D for the first time in the series, upping earning potential.
Deathly Hallows 2 marks another enormous success for Warners, home studio for the boy wizard.
Elsewhere at the Friday box office, Disney Animation Studios' Winnie the Pooh was off to a solid start, grossing $2.9 million on Friday and on track to gross $7 million or $8 million for the weekend. The film looks like it's succeeding in luring tots too young for the PG-13 Potter. It received an A- CinemaScore, with those under 18 giving it an A+.

JUDGE DREDDBleeding Cool has posted this new image of Karl Urban in Dredd, the Pete Travis-directed adaptation also starring Olivia Thirlby and Lena Headey.
Dredd takes us to the wild streets of Mega City One, the lone oasis of quasi-civilization on Cursed Earth. Judge Dredd (Urban) is the most feared of elite Street Judges, with the power to enforce the law, sentence offenders and execute them on the spot - if necessary.

SNOW WHITE
"Game of Thrones" star Sean Bean is in final negotiations to play Snow White's father in director Tarsem Singh's Untitled Snow White Project, which is currently shooting in Montreal.
In the Relativity Media film, an evil Queen (Julia Roberts) steals control of a kingdom, and an exiled princess (Lily Collins) enlists the help of seven resourceful rebels to win back her birthright in a spirited adventure comedy filled with jealousy, romance, and betrayal. The film also stars Armie Hammer as the object of their affection, Prince Andrew Alcott, and Nathan Lane as the hapless and bungling servant to the Queen.
The movie is scheduled for a March 16, 2012 release.

SATURDAY, JULY 16, 2011

AKIRA=NEW LEASE ON LIFE
The live-action adaptation of the classic manga Akira has a new director, a new budget, and a new release plan for bringing this cyberpunk saga to the big screen. Originally optioned for production in 2008, Akira has suffered its share of pre-production pitfalls, losing two directors (Ruairi Robinson and Albert Hughes), being turned down by potential lead Keanu Reeves, and going through several writing teams and script drafts. At one point, Warner Bros. was planning to tell the tale of a far-future biker and his hunted psychic friend in two films with a total budget of $250 million. Now, we're looking at a completely different animal: One film. A $90 million budget. And a director known for delivering bang for the buck. The man in question is Spaniard Jaume Collett-Serra, best-known for the 2009 horror flick Orphan and the 2011 Liam Neeson-starring thriller Unknown. Collet-Serra has apparently built a rep in Hollywood for delivering his movies on time and under budget, which must be music to the ears of the folks at the WB and producer Leonardo DiCaprio. So, will Akira finally see the light of day? And when it does, will its modest budget relegate it to the middling territory occupied by the likes of, say, Aeon Flux? Or is the source material strong enough to carry the day?

MORE HOBBIT NEWS
Thirteen dwarves make up the company that Bilbo and Gandalf join on the quest to take back the Lonely Mountain, and, you know, get the gold in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit. Now here are two more!
The newest pic shows Balin, played by Ken Stott, and Dwalin, played by Graham McTavish. Below is Warner Bros' description of the characters:
"Dwarf Lords in their own right, Balin and Dwalin are close relatives of Thorin. Beyond this, these brothers are two of his most loyal and trusted friends. An old warrior, Balin has lived through hard times and fought many battles, yet he harbors doubts about the wisdom of the quest to retake the Lonely Mountain. Dwalin has no such forebodings - his belief in Thorin's leadership is unshakeable. A powerful and bruising fighter, with a natural tendency to distrust anyone who is not a Dwarf, particularly anyone who might be an Elf, Dwalin is not someone to cross lightly."
Balin and Dwalin — the first two to arrive at Bilbo's house at the start of The Hobbit — are now joining Oin and Gloin, Dori, Nori and Ori, Fili and Kili and Bofur, Bombur and Bifur in the mighty dwarves' lineup.
Twelve dwarves down, one more to go — Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage). Saving the best (he's the leader, after all) for last.
Interesting spoilery fact: Of all the dwarves, Balin's fate is the one The Lord of the Rings trilogy viewers will be most familiar with. In The Fellowship of the Ring, our main characters discover Balin's tomb in the Chamber of Mazarbul in Moria.

300: BATTLE OF ARTEMISIA
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Warner Bros. has zeroed in on Noam Murro to direct its 300 spin-off, 300: Battle of Artemisia (formerly known as Xerses).
The Israel-born director, who helmed the 2008 film Smart People, was vying for the gig with Jaum Collet-Serra, the director of this year’s Liam Neeson thriller Unknown. But Warners, which liked both directors, in Solomon-like wisdom divided up gigs for the filmmakers, yesterday handing Collet-Serra the adaptation of Akira. An official offer to Murro is expected to be made early next week.
Artemisia is based on Frank Miller’s upcoming graphic novel that takes Xerxes, the Persian leader who is an antagonist in 300, and turns him into more of a pivotal figure. He's a man in search of godhood after the death of his father, battling an Athenian warlord named Themistocles. The story takes place over the course of several years, but the focal point is the battle of Artemisium, which occured in 480 BC.
Zack Snyder, who directed 300, wrote the script with his 300 partner Kurt Johnstad.
The aim is to shoot Artemisia in the same stylized vein as Snyder did with 300.
Artemisia would be a change of pace for CAA and Management 360-repped Murro, whose Smart People was an indie drama that starred Dennis Quaid as a widower dealing with his adopted brother (Thomas Hayden Church), his overachieving daughter (Ellen Page) and possible new love in the form of Sarah Jessica Parker.
The movie caught Hollywood's eye and got Murro lined up to direct the in-development Die Hard 5 movie.

MONSTER MAN
Syfy has given a six-episode order to Monster Man, a docu-series revolving around a Hollywood creature-making family, the network announced Friday.
Monster Man goes behind-the-scenes of Cleve Hall and his unique family business: a monster prop-building workshop.
Production begins in Los Angeles this month and is expected to premiere in January 2012.
“We are entering the creative world of a very eccentric, artistic family,” said Mark Stern, president of original content at Syfy and co-head of content for UCP. “Cleve and his team will give our viewers a rare behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to bring monster props, puppets and costume pieces to life. But they’re also a family business, so the unusual dynamic between them is half the fun.”
Hall is a veteran in the business, entering prop design since he was a teenager. He has created props for films for Paramount, DreamWorks, Warner Bros. and Disney, including Ed Wood, and Yo Gabba Gabba.

FRINGE SEASON OPENING TEASER
The first official teaser for the upcoming fourth season of Fox’s cult sci-fi drama has hit the web and it doesn’t answer any looming questions. In fact, it raises the biggest one: “Where is Peter Bishop?” Is he in an alternate dimension? Does he even exist? Is this all a dream?
No new scenes from the upcoming season of Fringe were featured, so where did the scene in the 10-second teaser from from? A Season 1 episode titled “The Arrival.”
Like many out-of-this-world conundrums and situations the Fringe gang find themselves in, the scene still has its intended effect after the shocking third season closer, which left many viewers questioning Peter’s true existence.
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Fringe showrunner Jeff Pinkner admitted that the inevitable questions about Peter would be difficult to answer, especially during its Comic-Con panel next Saturday. “We’ll probably be faced with hose questions. Our answer will probably be, 'Who’s Peter?,' " Pinkner joked.
Fringe returns for its fourth season on Friday, Sept. 23 at 9 p.m. on Fox.

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2011

JOHN CARTER
John Carter isn't the first adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs' novel A Princess of Mars—that was a 2009 direct-to-DVD Asylum studio film starring Traci Lords. But even from a one-and-a-half-minute trailer, we see the newest adaptation from Disney looks far more faithful to the 1917 book.
If you've read A Princess of Mars, you know that Edgar himself explains how he came into possession of his (fictional) uncle John Carter's manuscript. Carter, a Civil War veteran-turned-prospector, tells the tale in first person: While fleeing an Indian attack, he hid in some caves and mysteriously found himself transported to Mars. There, with a newfound super strength, he tries to restore a conflicted, dying planet.
The trailer, featuring Friday Night Lights alum Taylor Kitsch in all his sweaty glory, has it all. Burroughs learning about his uncle's demise, and Carter waking up on Mars and battling various foes on Barsoom (the native word for "Mars") as well as meeting his love interest, Princess Dejah Thoris. John Carter looks like something we want to see.

EMMY NOMINATIONS
The 2011 Primetime Emmy Award nominations have been announced, and fantasy fans can raise a tankard to HBO's Game of Thrones, which snagged 13 nods!
Of the nominations bestowed on the denizens of Westeros, several were expected—that Main Title sequence is pretty sweet—but several were of the hoped-for-but-not-guaranteed variety, including the citing of producers David Benioff and Dan Weiss for writing the episode "Baelor," the coveted Best Drama Series category, and our personal favorite, Peter Dinklage for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.
Unfortunately, the competition in some of these categories is stiff, with shows like Mad Men and Boardwalk Empire providing perhaps the greatest threat to Thrones' chances. The Best Drama category is a murderer's row featuring the above-mentioned behemoths as well as critical faves Friday Night Lights, Dexter, and The Good Wife.
Can a swords-and-sorcery epic compete with the likes of Don Draper? We're not sure...but if Peter Dinklage doesn't bring home the prize for his perfect portrayal of Tyrion Lannister, then something in the system is just broken. The full list of Game of Thrones nominations is here:
• Best Drama Series: Game of Thrones
• Supporting Actor in a Drama Series: Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister
• Writing in a Drama Series: David Benioff and Dan Weiss for "Baelor"
• Direction in a Single-Camera Series: Timothy van Patten for "Winter is Coming"
• Casting in a Drama Series: Nina Gold and Robert Sterne
• Costumes for a Drama Series: Michelle Clapton and Rachael Webb-Crozier for "The Pointy End"
• Hairstyling in a Single-Camera Series: Kevin Alexander and Candice Banks for "A Golden Crown"
• Main Title Design: Angus Wall, Robert Feng, Kirk H. Shintani, and Hameed Shaukat
• Non-prosthetic Makeup in a Single-Camera Series: Paul Engelen and Melissa Lackersteen for "Winter is Coming"
• Prosethtic Makeup in a Series: Paul Engelen and Conor O'Sullivan for "A Golden Crown"
• Sound Editing for a Series: Stefan Hendrix, Tim Hands, Michelle McCormack, Steve Fanagan, Andy Kennedy, Jon Stevenson, Robin Whittaker, Caoimhe Doyle, and Eoghan McDonnell
• Special Visual effects for a Series: Adam McInnes, Angela Barson, Lucy Ainsworth-Taylor, Raf Morant, Henry Badgett, Damien Mace, Stuart Brisdon, and Graham Hills
• Stunt Coordination: Paul Jennings
You can get the full list of nominations at the official Emmys site. We'll find out if winter can come to the Emmys stage when the little statues are handed out Sept. 18.

FALL TV PREMIERE DATES
In two months you'll get a chance to finally feed your Vampire Diaries addiction. However, you're going to have to wait 'til late October to check out the final season of Chuck.
The five networks have announced their fall TV schedules and so we've put together a list of the sci-fi, fantasy, weird mystery shows that might be sci-fi and spy-fi shows. We also threw in a couple of cable shows, just because we had premiere info.
Here's our list of fall TV shows by premiere date.
Death Valley (MTV) — Series premieres Monday, Aug. 29 at 10:30 p.m.
The Vampire Diaries (The CW) — Season three premieres Thursday, Sept. 15 at 8 p.m.
The Secret Circle (The CW) — Series premieres Thursday, Sept. 15 at 9 p.m.
The Big Bang Theory (NBC) — Season five premieres Thursday, Sept. 22 at 8 p.m.
Person of Interest (CBS) — Series premieres Thursday, Sept. 22 at 9 p.m.
A Gifted Man (CBS) — Series premieres Friday, Sept. 23 at 8 p.m.
Nikita (The CW) — Season two premieres Friday, Sept. 23 at 8 p.m.
Fringe (Fox) — Season four premieres Friday, Sept. 23 at 9 p.m.
Supernatural (The CW) — Season seven premieres Friday, Sept. 23 at 9 p.m.
Terra Nova (Fox) — Series premiere Monday, Sept. 26 at 8 p.m.
The Walking Dead (AMC) — Season two premieres in October
Bedlam (BBC America) — Series premieres Saturday, Oct. 8 at 9 p.m.
Chuck (NBC) — Season five premieres Friday, Oct. 21 at 8 p.m.
Grimm (NBC) — Series premieres Friday, Oct. 21 at 9 p.m.
Once Upon a Time (ABC) — Series premieres Sunday, Oct 23 at 8 p.m.
Alcatraz (Fox) — Series premieres in midseason on Mondays at 9 p.m.Touch (Fox) — Series premieres in midseason
Awake (NBC) — Series premieres in midseason

THE THING
Something's hiding in the Arctic, and it wants Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Joel Edgerton's bodies. The first trailer for The Thing has finally debuted, and it's filled with freaky, shapeshifting craziness. The Thing centers on a paleontologist named Kate Lloyd (Winstead) who travels to Antarctica to investigate an eerie find: Some explorers have stumbled across a strange ship encased in ice, and they have no idea what it really is or where it came from. (Hint: it's not from Earth). Little do they know the ship holds a dangerous shapeshifting creature that starts picking them off one by one. There's nothing like being trapped, isolated and scared for your life with an alien creature on the loose. That's what we call suspense! For those of you worried about this being a remake, The Thing is actually a prequel to John Carpenter's 1982 film. Therefore, you shouldn't be too worried about it stomping on anyone's creative toes. Aside from Winstead and Edgerton, the cast of The Thing includes Jonathan Lloyd Walker, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje and Eric Christian Olsen. Matthijs van Heijningen directed The Thing, which opens everywhere on Oct. 14. COMIC-CON UPDATE
According to Hero Complex, Steven Spielberg will show up at the San Diego Convention Center on Friday, July 22 (in the cavernous Hall H, of course), marking the first time he's ever set foot at the massive fan culture event.
Spielberg will be there to receive the Inkpot Award, which Comic-Con has been giving since 1974 to giants in the fields of comics and genre entertainment (previous recipients include folks like Jack Kirby and Ray Bradbury), and also to present footage from his upcoming motion-capture fantasy adventure The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn.
Tintin opens in December and is in some ways one of the riskiest projects Spielberg has ever taken on. It's his first voyage into the tricky waters of feature-length motion capture, which has met with mixed reactions at the box office in films like Beowulf and The Polar Express, and it's based on a series of European comics that are largely unknown to American audiences.
Still, if anyone can pull it off, Spielberg can (plus he's got Peter Jackson along as a producer). We're sure he'll have plenty to say about Tintin in Hall H, not to mention the rest of his illustrious career and perhaps even his upcoming adaptation of the best-selling novel Robopocalypse.
Jaws, E.T., Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jurassic Park, Close Encounters of the Third Kind ... the man who brought us some of the greatest genre films of all time will finally be at Comic-Con, so if you're down there, get in line early for this!

BATMAN: YEAR ONE TO PREMIERE AT COMIC-CON
BATMAN: YEAR ONE will premiere at Comic-Con International in San Diego on Friday, July 22 at 8:00 p.m. in Ballroom 20. The premiere screening will be followed by a panel discussion amongst voice cast membersBryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), Ben McKenzie (Southland), Eliza Dushku (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica) as well as executive producer Bruce Timm, casting/dialogue directorAndrea Romano and directors Lauren Montgomery & Sam Liu.
Here's a video clip from the DVD:
http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/batmanyearone/tvspots/BYO_12_YEARS_TSR-FINAL-STEREO-PRORES422HQ_300.asx

NEW THRILLER HAS ETHAN HAWKES
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Ethan Hawke has signed on to star in Scott Derrickson’s untitled horror-thriller pic, from Insidious and Paranormal Activity producer Jason Blum.
Blum’s Blumhouse/Possessed Pictures is producing the genre film with Brian Kavanaugh-Jones’ Automatik Entertainment, a joint venture of Alliance Films and IM Global. Charles Layton is executive producing.
Derrickson (The Exorcism of Emily Rose) begins shooting the micro-budgeted horror-thriller on Sept. 19 from a script he co-wrote with C. Robert Cargill. The logline is being kept under tight wraps.
Most recently, Hawke wrapped production on a television adaptation of Moby Dick, starring opposite William Hurt in the role of first officer Starbuck. The two-part Encore telepic premieres on Aug. 1.
The actor’s other upcoming projects include Pawel Pawlikowski’s The Woman in the Fifth. Hawke stars opposite Kristin Scott Thomas as a college lecturer who flees to Paris after a scandal costs him his job.
Hawke also makes a cameo appearance in Len Wiseman’s remake of Totall Recall, starring opposite Colin Farrell and Bryan Cranston.
Derrickson co-wrote and directed The Exorcism of Emily Rose, a sleeper hit that grossed more than $140 million worldwide. His other credits include the recent remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still.
He’s also set to direct Goliath for Relativity Media.
Blum’s Blumhouse Prods. recently signed a three-year first-look deal with Universal Pictures. Blum is among only a few Hollywood producers who have succeeded in making low-budget films that have also worked at the box office.

HUGO
Paramount Pictures has revealed the first trailer for director Martin Scorsese's Hugo, opening in 3D and 2D theaters on November 23. The film stars Asa Butterfield, Chloe Grace Moretz, Sacha Baron Cohen, Ben Kingsley, Jude Law, Ray Winstone, Christopher Lee, Helen McCrory, Richard Griffiths, Frances de la Tour, Emily Mortimer and Michael Stuhlbarg.
Hugo tells the story of an orphan boy living a secret life in the walls of a Paris train station. With the help of an eccentric girl, he searches for the answer to a mystery linking the father he recently lost, the ill-tempered toy shop owner living below him and a heart shaped lock, seemingly without a key. Based on Brian Selznick's award winning and imaginative New York Times bestseller, "The Invention of Hugo Cabret," this magical tale is Scorsese's first film shot in 3D.

THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2011

TEEN WOLF RENEWED
MTV announced on Wednesday, July 13, that it will be picking up its hit series "Teen Wolf" for a second season. The show will return with 12 all new episodes in 2012.
"I'm incredibly happy that MTV and our ever-growing fanbase have given us the chance to do another season of 'Teen Wolf' and the opportunity to tell more stories," executive producer Jeff Davis exclusively tells Zap2it. "Most of all it means I get the privilege of working again with a cast and crew I love.""We're incredibly proud of this show. Jeff Davis has brought an exciting, cinematic story to life with a breakout young cast who our audience has wildly embraced," David Janollari, Head of MTV Programming, says. "Picking up 'Teen Wolf' for a second season marks another step towards the further diversification of our schedule, with this big, bold entertaining scripted series."
"Teen Wolf" is MTV's highest-rated new series of 2010 and 2011 and averages 1.7 million viewers. The show has doubled its time period average from a year ago and ranks No. 4 across all TV in its time slot (Mondays at 10 p.m.).

GODZILLA
The screenwriter who helped relaunch iconic superheroes like Batman and Superman for the screen is next tackling perhaps his biggest character ever: Godzilla.
Deadline reports that David Goyer will write the screenplay for Legendary Pictures' upcoming reboot of the giant nuclear lizard. Goyer has a long list of genre writing credits under his belt, some good (the first two Blade films), some not so good (The Unborn, which he also directed). But he's probably best known nowadays for co-writing the screenplay of Batman Begins with Christopher Nolan—which restored the Caped Crusader to cinematic glory—as well as contributing to the storylines for both The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises.
In fact, Nolan and Legendary have been so pleased with Goyer's output that they handed him the scriptwriting duties for Man of Steel, next year's Superman epic being directed by Zack Snyder (which Nolan is producing).
According to Deadline, Legendary intends to approach the Godzilla mythology in "the most authentic manner possible," which probably means we can rest assured that we won't see Matthew Broderick smirking his way through this one like he did in Roland Emmerich's disastrous 1998 Godzilla flick. The company has hired Gareth Edwards to direct, and if you don't know who he is, check out a little indie film from last year called Monsters. You'll be glad you did.
No word yet on a release date, but this is looking like a 2013 summer tentpole if everything falls into place. Wouldn't it great if Hollywood finally made a Godzilla film to rival the best of the Japanese series?

COWBOYS & ALIENS
Are you ready to watch Harrison Ford channel his inner John Wayne? He—along with Daniel Craig, Adam Beach and a doe-eyed Olivia Wilde—all appear in this first clip from Jon Favreau's Cowboys & Aliens.
The clip doesn't show very much, but it alludes to a lot. Some type of creature makes its way through a building, ruffles a few feathers and is shot before making an escape. Adam Beach is there to pick up its trail, which is like nothing he's ever seen before.
Being the take-charge man's man that Harrison Ford is, his character wants to rally the troops and go after it. Unfortunately for him, Daniel Craig's not interested in joining the team.
The interaction between the two is borderline campy. Ford hits Craig; Craig pulls back and punches him in the face. This is where Ford stereotypically wipes off his chin in slow motion, while giving Craig the evil eye.
How many times have we seen that done in movies? It's so old-school we love it!
Cowboys & Aliens opens in theaters on July 29.

THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN
The second trailer for the Tintin movie is here. Use this link to see it:http://bcove.me/o51e1jlt.
It shows us more than the first, with Tintin in adventure mode, flying a plane, discovering secrets, getting punched in the gut. The music is still great, some the sequences look down-right thriller but...am I buying the way he looks?
The Adventures of Tinin: The Secret of the Unicorn is being directed by Steven Spielberg and is out Dec. 23.
The motion capture effects for the Paramount Pictures release are being spearheaded by Peter Jackson's WETA digital effects house, which introduced the clip on its website by warning viewers to “prepare to be blown away.”

CONTAGION
Warner Bros. Pictures has released the trailer and poster for the Steven Soderbergh thriller Contagion, starring Marion Cotillard, Matt Damon, Laurence Fishburne, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Winslet.
Contagion follows the rapid progress of a lethal airborne virus that kills within days. As the fast-moving epidemic grows, the worldwide medical community races to find a cure and control the panic that spreads faster than the virus itself. At the same time, ordinary people struggle to survive in a society coming apart.
The film opens in conventional and IMAX theaters on September 9.

MERLIN RETURNS TO COMIC-CON
The hit Syfy/BBC series MERLIN returns to Comic-Con with a special panel on Sunday, July 24 at 1:00 p.m. in the 2,000-seat Room 6BCF. Featured panelists are Anthony Head (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Free Agents) and Colin Morgan, who play King Uther and Merlin, respectively, and Merlin executive producers and co-creators Johnny Capps and Julian Murphy, as well as first-time Comic-Con attendees Bradley James and Katie McGrath, who play Prince Arthur and the villainous Morgana. The hour-long panel will include Comic-Con exclusive “first look” footage of the upcoming fourth season of MERLIN, as well as inside information from the cast and co-creators. There will be Comic-Con exclusive goodies for all fans in attendance, as well as extremely limited edition prizes awarded to some lucky audience members. Jenna Busch, host/writer for Moviefone, Screen Junkies, She Knows and more, will moderate the panel. The series is currently filming its fourth season in Wales and France.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 2011

ADDITIONAL HAWAII-FIVE-O CASTING
Lauren German ("Happy Town," "Hostel: Part II") will have a recurring part on the show's upcoming season as a former Homeland Security officer who joins McGarrett (Alex O'Loughlin) and Co. on the Five-0 squad.
It's not exactly McGarrett's call, though: German's character is there at the behest of the new governor (Richard T. Jones), and her duties include keeping tabs on the team in addition to helping solve crimes. According to TVLine, she's also a potential love interest for McGarrett.
German is one of several new faces on "Hawaii Five-0" this season, joining Jones, "Lost" alumnus Terry O'Quinn and Tom Sizemore, who will all have recurring parts. The series began filming on Season 2 this week and is scheduled to premiere on Sept. 19.

EVIL DEAD 4
A fourth "Evil Dead" movie is in the offing, and if Bruce Campbell isn't starring once again, he's at least in the loop on the production.
Campbell, who joined Twitter over the weekend (he's @GroovyBruce), confirmed a report from horror site Dread Central that "Evil Dead 4," which was announced way back in 2004, is finally getting off the ground. The movie will be more of a remake/restart than a sequel to the previous "Evil Dead" movies and "Army of Darkness."
"Believe in the remake, dawg!" Campbell tweeted in response to a follower's question. "The project is real. In the works. Cool as hell. Scary as hell."
Dread Central says Bob Murawski, who edited "Army of Darkness" and the three "Spider-Man" movies for director Sam Raimi, has set up shop in Michigan to begin work on "Evil Dead 4." Bloody Disgusting further reports that Federico Alvarez will direct.
What we don't know yet is if, or how, Campbell will be involved. Even if the new movie is basically a remake, we'd think Ash would have to be part of it somehow.

NEW SHERLOCK HOLMES
Fans of the Guy Richie-fied "Sherlock Holmes" starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law will be excited to see two new official posters released by Warner Bros. just a week ahead of Comic-Con.
In the first, RDJ poses in the foreground while the shadowy Moriarty (Holmes' nemesis, played by "Mad Men's" Jared Harris) lurks in the background. In the second, Jude Law takes center stage as Noomi Rapace (star of the original "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo who takes on the role of "Sim") walks toward him.
Rachel McAdams, who makes a return appearance as Irene Adler, isn't featured in the promo shots.

SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS
Sherlock Holmes is back to his old tricks again. Watch Robert Downey Jr. (sporting Tony Stark's goatee) personally introduce the new trailer for Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.
Sherlock and his dear Watson (Jude Law) are back in a new adventure that has them chasing Professor Moriarty. If you remember the first film, he was the elusive figure that was knee deep in Holmes' troubles. In the sequel he's finally given a face and he's none other than Jared Harris aka the guy who plays a villain in everything!
Swedish actress Noomi Rapace (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo) also co-stars in the film as a fortuneteller whose fortune is about to run out. The trailer is filled with the usual Holmes antics, which plays off the amazing chemistry between Downey and Law.
Even if you weren't a fan of the first movie, you have to admit that the casting of these two actors is gold. We can't wait to see how Rapace and Harris mesh with the duo.
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows will hit theaters just in time for the holidays on Dec. 16.

SYFY MONDAY
NEW YORK - July 12, 2011 - Sparked by Alphas - the most watched Syfy series debut since 2009 - the channel's powerful new Monday night scripted programming block of Eureka, Warehouse 13 and Alphas each delivered more than two million total viewers from 8-11:30PM (ET/PT) on July 11.
This marked Syfy's highest Monday time period audience for scripted series in over 10 years.
At 10PM Alphas found 2.5 million total viewers, 1.2 million Adults 18-49 and 1.3 million Adults 25-54 along with a 1.84 HH rating, the top-rated series premiere since Warehouse 13 debuted in July 2009, the same night Syfy launched its new brand evolution.
From 9-10PM, the season three premiere of Warehouse 13 snagged, bagged and tagged 2.3 million total viewers, 1.0 million Adults 18-49 and 1.2 million Adults 25-54 with a 1.74 HH rating.
Eureka's season 4.5 return kicked off the night at 8PM by grabbing 2.0 million total viewers, 893,000 Adults 18-49 and 987,000 Adults 25-54, while averaging a 1.5 HH rating.
Boosted by the premieres of Alphas, Warehouse 13 and Eureka, Syfy.com delivered its best day in video streams (378K) since 11/1/2009; uniques (376K) since 10/31/10; page views (1.4 million) since 3/18/11, and visits (373K) since 1/17/11.
Syfy's Summer Premiere Week continues on Wednesday, July 13, with the third season of Ghost Hunters International at 9PM, followed by the premiere of Legend Quest at 10PM. On Friday, July 15, Haven returns for its second season at 10PM.

VAMPIRE DIARIES NEWS
7th Heaven star David Gallagher has joined The Vampire Diaries for the first two episodes of the season as werewolf Ray Sutton, The Hollywood Reporter confirms.
Though best known for playing preacher’s son Simon Camden on 7th Heaven, which aired on the WB and the CW, Gallagher recently tapped into the supernatural/sci-fi world with J.J. Abrams’ 1970s-set feature Super 8 as Donny.
Gallagher’s Vampire Diaries gig marks the actor’s return to the CW. He previously guest starred on The Deep End, Smallville, Numb3rs, Bones and Without a Trace.
The Vampire Diaries premieres its third season on Thursday, Sept. 15 at 8 p.m. on the CW.

CSI NEWS
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Ted Danson is joining CBS’ flagship CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.
The former Cheers star replaces Laurence Fishburne as the new team leader. The news of Fishburne's departure came as a surprise to viewers and industry folk alike last month. The Oscar-nominated actor had spent two-and-a-half seasons on the procedural.
Danson, an Emmy and Golden Globe winner, will play the new CSI supervisor for the grave shift after heading the crime lab in Portland. He comes to the team as it is still grappling with the professional and personal fallout from last season’s take-down of serial killer Nate Haskell (Bill Irwin).
“You can create a new character on the page, but until the perfect actor comes along and breathes life into it, it’s just words,” executive producer Carol Mendelsohn said in a statement announcing the casting Tuesday. “We’re very excited Ted Danson came along.”
The once top-rated CSI has seen its ratings drop since original star William Petersen departed the show in December 2008. The series posted its lowest-rated finale ever in May, drawing 11.4 million viewers and a 2.6 rating in the advertiser-coveted adults 18-49 demographic. Still, CSI stands as the most-watched series in the world, spawning two spinoffs which are licensed in more than 200 markets globally.
Danson will make his debut in CSI’s Season 12 premiere -- in the series’ new time slot -- on Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 10 p.m.
The actor also remains a series regular on HBO's Bored to Death. Danson, whose recent credits also include Damages, is repped by CAA and Industry Entertainment.

HARRY'S LAW
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Harry's Law is ramping up its cast for the upcoming second season.
The NBC hourlong drama that stars Kathy Bates has snagged Human Target and Boston Legal alum Mark Valley as a series regular.
Valley, who also appeared in several episodes of Fringe and Keen Eddie, will play Oliver Richard, one of two new attorneys joining Harriett "Harry" Korn's (Bates) law firm. The other new addition to Harry's team is Karen Olivo as Cassie Reynolds.
In addition to Valley, 24 and Hawaii Five-0 vet Jean Smart will appear in the first three episodes of the new season as Roseanna Remmick, a defense attorney prosecuting the high-profile Eric Sanders (guest star Alfred Molina) murder case. Eric's case is being handled by Harry and her team.
Harry's Law returns for its second season on Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 9 p.m. on NBC.

TUESDAY, JULY 12, 2011

PAT TALLMAN BABYLON 5 SCRAPBOOK
Here's a note from Pat on her new book:
My new book "Pleasure Thresholds; Patricia Tallman's Babylon 5 Scrapbook" will be premireing at SDCC ( San Diego Comic Con ). It's my personal pictures and stories from behind the scenes while we made Babylon 5. The preview is a limited release. I'll have 50 copies for sale at $$40! (cash only) and include a special Comicon signature page. Come to see me Friday AA10 10:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. or Sat AA1 3pm-4pm . Please send me a message on the FB page so I can hold a book for you! https://www.facebook.com/pages/Patricia-Tallman/128609907215548.

DARK KNIGHT RISES
Bruce Wayne, Catwoman and all the other characters in "The Dark Knight Rises" are nowhere to be found in the movie's first teaser poster. Neither is any of the iconic Batman imagery. (As several commenters pointed out, the space between the crumbling buildings forms the Bat-logo.)
We were pretty well sold on "The Dark Knight Rises" from day one, but the vertigo-inducing image on the poster has us incredibly intrigued. Gotham City is literally falling apart, which makes us wonder if the film will be even bleaker (if that's possible) than "The Dark Knight."
There's a chance that fans may soon get to see a little more of "The Dark Knight Rises," which is scheduled for release in July 2012. Hollywood Chicago notes online buzz that a teaser trailer for the movie may be attached to "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2," which hits theaters on Friday (July 15). There's no official word, but the pieces seem to fit: Both movies come from Warner Bros., and using the studio's biggest release of this summer to promote its biggest movie of next summer makes a lot of sense.

SUNDAY, JULY 10, 2011

SUPERNATURAL NEWS
"Supernatural" has a long history of inviting some of our favorite genre actresses to guest star -- including "Buffy's" Amber Benson, "Battlestar Galactica's" Tricia Helfer, and even Linda Blair, from "The Exorcist."
FIREFLY alum Jewel Staite has now joined the esteemed list. Staite is certainly a mainstay in the sci-fi/fantasy arena, having starred on Whedon's "Firefly" and "Serenity" as Kaylee and on "Stargate: Atlantis" as Dr. Jennifer Keller. (Some of us non sci-fi folks also remember her from the short-lived but totally awesome '90s series "Flash Forward" with Ben Foster.)
Staite will appear in the third episode this season, set to air Oct. 7, as a childhood friend of Sam's (Jared Padalecki) who he encounters on a hunt. The story will involve flashbacks -- there's no word yet on who will play the younger version of Staite's character, Amy, but we have confirmed that Colin Ford will return as 15-year-old Sam.
The episode is currently shooting in Vancouver, directed by series star Jensen Ackles. Staite has been dropping vague hints about her appearance on the show via her official Twitter. "Off to Vancouver soon to shoot a juicy role in a show u guys know! Can only drop hints at this point. #1? No spaceships. To ride in or fix," she tweeted. "It's killing me not being allowed to tell u what it is! I keep secrets like I keep diets: Not well."

ALPHAS
We have had The 4400 and Heroes -- shows about humans with extraordinary abilities. Well, Syfy's newest series, Alphas, isn't anything like them, promises executive producer Ira Steven Behr and castmates Ryan Cartwright and Azita Ghanizada.
Instead the series—about a disparate group of people with special abilities who work for the government—takes on subjects like autism and extreme science, but mixes in humor and some very real characters.
"We don't consider ourselves a superhero show by any means," said Behr, who also executive-produced The 4400. "We're trying to take what's already going on or what can already go on within the human brain and just up it a little bit more to extreme science. So I think that is interesting, the fact that the characters themselves are not exactly suited to the position that they're in."
These are not your typical heroes, according to Behr. "This is a group of people who are not really your first choice to be an investigative unit or to be going out into the field and getting shot [at]," he added. "They are working for the government, but the government doesn't totally know whether to trust them. They don't know whether to trust the government. They're working against this organization of Alphas called Red Flag, and Red Flag keeps telling them that they're on the wrong side. And it's a very precarious position to be in."
Perhaps the most non-typical person in the group is Gary Bell, an autistic man who is a "transducer," meaning he's a human antennae with the ability to read a wide range of frequencies. Gary is played by English actor Ryan Cartwright, who played the recently deceased Vincent Nigel-Murray on Bones.
"It was really good piecing together Gary to the point where I could actually give him a good sense of humor and lift him like all actors say, you want to lift the guy off the page," said Cartwright. "You don't want to play the syndrome. You want to play the character and the person. And the way it was written, as well, was really good. He had a voice already there. So yes, it was a really good challenge but a fun challenge, and now he's up and running. It's really good to be Gary every day."
Of course, playing an autistic man who often finds himself in tense situations, even Gary begins to wonder if he should be apart of the Alphas team. "There's just a ton of action and it's gotten seriously dangerous and it's at a certain point now for Gary where he is having to decide himself, and also those around him are having to decide, whether it's even right to put a person like Gary in these dangerous, life threatening situations," said Cartwright.
"And it's very interesting because it seems like it actually is the best thing for him, in a way, because he is his own person. And even though he is making decisions within a limited capacity, it's still his decision. So it's a very trying time, I guess, for little old Gary. But he seems to be having fun. So let him get shot at," he added.
As for the other character in the group, Rachel Pirzad, who also may not be quite equipped to handle the action-packed adventure she's found herself in, she'll end up gaining more confidence thanks to her situation, said Ghanizada (Castle), who's from Afghanistan. Her character, a timid, sheltered girl, is a "synesthete," who can enhance one sense while losing the ability to use her other senses. In essence it makes her a human forensics lab.
"I think Rachel is all heart. I think she's extremely emotional and very sensitive," said Ghanizada. "In the pilot you see her, she's not very confident in that fact because she has been told her whole life that this is a condition. If anything it's a disease, it's a curse. And it's created a lot of fear for her to be able to communicate that she has these abilities and she's seen them as nothing but a curse for her entire life.
"You definitely feel her struggle the most with her family as the series progresses and [she tries] to make these choices to become confident and to become the authority. She's extremely bright and with Dr. Rosen and the rest of the Alphas she really learns that she's an integral part in solving these cases," said Ghanizada.
Through her work with the Alphas, "you see her finding her balance and finding her way through that stuff and blossoming and becoming more confident and becoming more eager to be utilized and becoming proud of herself. It's a really awesome journey. And they have done a really good job in giving her this arc to break free. She's just so special, you know? She's really pure. There's a purity to her heart and I'm really privileged to be playing her."
The other members of the Alphas include: Dr. Lee Rosen (David Strathairn), who leads the group and works to help them deal with their special abilities; former FBI agent Bill Harken (Malik Yoba), who has super strength; the beautiful and manipulative Nina Theroux (Laura Mennell), who can influence most people to do whatever she wants; and we'll also meet Cameron Hicks (Warren Christie), who has a condition called "hyperkinesis," which allows his mind and body to be in perfect sync and do things like take an impossible shot.
"The show evolves every week and the show is different every week. I mean we could have a really [tense] dark episode," said Behr. "And then we do an episode which has the title 'Bill & Gary's Excellent Adventure,' which gives you an idea that it might not be the darkest show in the history of television, where Bill and Gary go off on an assignment or not even an assignment and get to work together."
According to Behr, "there is a real honest and true humor to the show and humor to the situations these people find themselves in. I mean the stories can get extremely dark. Don't get me wrong. They can be dark," said Behr. "They can be violent at times. But we try to remain true to what would ordinary people ... how would they react to being in those situations? And there is a lot of humor in extreme situations as protection just to get through them because people yearn for the normal. And to get them there they will depend at times on their relationships and the humor within those relationships."
Alphas is not a "cookie cutter series where every episode is exactly the same and plays out basically as the episode the week before and the episode the week after." Things will change for the dysfunctional created family and the characters over time, said Behr.
"As we like to say in the writers office, the center cannot hold," said Behr. "Eventually you know, things are going to start cracking. Cracks are going to appear on the surface and, I think, by the end of season one there will be cracks appearing all over the surface."

FRIDAY, JULY 8, 2011

FALLING SKIES RENEWED
It's going to take longer than 10 episodes to deal with the alien invasion on "Falling Skies."
TNT has ordered a second season of the series, which stars Noah Wyle as a leader of resistance fighters in the wake of an alien invasion. Season 2 is scheduled to air in summer 2012.
"'Falling Skies' is a true standout series, from its ambitious storytelling, high-profile cast and production team to its phenomenal success when it comes to international and time-shifted viewing," TNT head of programming Michael Wright says. "We're reaching new audiences with 'Falling Skies' and look forward to seeing where this fascinating and exciting series takes us next."
In addition to Wyle, the series stars Moon Bloodgood, Will Patton, Drew Roy, Sarah Carter, Colin Cunningham and Peter Shinkoda. Steven Spielberg is among the executive producers; Robert Rodat ("Saving Private Ryan") created the show.
The June 19 premiere drew 5.9 million viewers in its initial airing; the audience grew to 8 million people in the live +7 ratings. The two subsequent episodes have averaged 4.1 million viewers, with DVR numbers still to be calculated.
Season 2 of "Falling Skies" is scheduled for summer 2012.

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FINAL DESTINATION 5
Death is back in the new trailer for Final Destination 5! After four movies, people still don't understand that it can't be cheated. In the latest sequel, there's a new group of victims, which means more blood, guts and gore.
The Final Destination films are known for starting with huge would-be death scenes that only a few escape. In Final Destination 5, that incident takes place on a bridge that collapses and is supposed to kill a busload of people. But unfortunately, a young visionary makes sure that doesn't happen.
The new trailer shows a little more of the story and features a few members of the group trying kill other people in their place. There's a shot of a guy attempting to push a woman into oncoming traffic. Really? Haven't we seen that death already?
The film features horror veteran Tony Todd doing what he does best—scaring the crap out of us! Apparently he's the expert on death, and he tries to drop some knowledge on the doomed group. Will his wise words help? Judging from the amount of spoiled death scenes they flash in the trailer, we think not.
Final Destination 5 opens in theaters everywhere on Aug. 12.

MAN OF STEEL
Back in 2006, Superman Returns paid serious homage to the Christopher Reeve incarnation of the man in blue. Five years later, Zack Snyder and David Goyer are working hard to bring us a very different kind of Superman with Man of Steel and we may have the first details on what that movie will be like.
Production Weekly gave this little hint of what's to come:
"Clark Kent is a freelance reporter in his early 20's, traveling all around the world covering various news stories. However, Kent is forced to fly back into action to attain a fleeing assassin instead of covering an ethnic conflict between the Ghuri and Turaaba clans in West Africa. Upon his return to form, Kent returns to Smallville to learn more about his origins and become the hero he was born to be."
If this story sounds familiar to you, it's because it's very similar to a comic series by Mark Waid called Superman: Birthright. In that story, we meet Clark in West Africa while he's covering a conflict between, you guessed it, the Ghuri and Turaaba clans. In the story, Clark grows close with activist and leader of the Ghuri, Kobe Asuru. As Kobe seeks to gain equal rights for the Ghuri, he comes into conflict with the representative of the Turaaba who wish to keep the Ghuri subservient to them.
Clark feels a kinship with Kobe, a man who isn't trying to be a hero, simply someone who changes things for the better. When Kobe is assassinated, Clark becomes enraged and decides it's time he learn more about his own origin and make a difference himself. He returns to Smallville where he learns about his past and, with the help of his mother, formulates his future as the Man of Steel.
That is where the similarities in story will likely end, since Birthright involves Lex Luthor as a primary villain and Man of Steel will have General Zod in the part instead. We hope one additional element will remain, however. In Birthright, humans are wary of Superman, seeing him as an outsider, someone with too much power who shouldn't immediately be trusted. That feels like much more likely a scenario to us than people immediately embracing a man with near god-like power.
If the synopsis can be trusted, Man of Steel seems like it will be a very different animal from its predecessors. It feels much more grounded in reality, but is it the Superman story people want to see?

THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2011

NEW SERIES FOR RUSSELL DAVIES
Russell T Davies has a television track record that is the envy of any writer. In addition to revamping the current iteration of the classic "Doctor Who" (now helmed by Steven Moffat), Davies created spin-off "Torchwood" and the original "Queer as Folk" and has written for umpteen other British series during his career. Now he may be bringing a new series to the states.
Deadline reports Davies is currently developing a drama for Showtime called "Cucumber."
At the moment there are few (read: no) details on the series, but the pilot script was written by Davies.
The American remake "Queer as Folk," initially developed by Davies, ran for five seasons on Showtime -- and is one of the network's biggest hits.
It isn't an all-American project, though. BBC Worldwide is producing.
Davies latest project --"Torchwood: Miracle Day," itself a co-production between the BBC and US cable network Starz -- begins its 10-episode run on July 8.

FAMILIAR FACES BACK ON TV
When USA's Psych returns for its fifth season this fall, a few familiar faces will be making their way to Santa Barbara.
Former Beverly Hills, 90210 star Jason Priestley and Arrested Development alum Tony Hale have signed on for guest spots on an upcoming episode of the veteran hourlong comedy, toplined by James Roday and Dule Hill, The Hollywood Reporter confirms.
Priestley will play a motorcyle-riding con man who attempts to pull off a job at a resort that Shawn (Roday) and Juliet (Maggie Lawson) happen to be staying in that weekend.
Meanwhile, Hale will play an owner of an imports and exports business who crosses paths with the pair while they're staying at the resort.
They join former Boston Legal and $#*! My Dad Says star William Shatner, who will appear as Juliet's father in the new season. A premiere date for Psych has not been officially announced.

UNDYING LOVE
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Warner Bros. is diving into the deep pool of the vampire genre, picking up Undying Love, a comic book mini-series published by Image Comics.
Stephen L’Heureux and Benderspink, run by Chris Bender and J.C. Spink, are producing.
Created by Tomm Coker and Daniel Freedman, Love mixes up the traditional vampire lore with Chinese monster myths as well as the Hong Kong action genre.
The story centers on an ex-soldier who falls for a girl that happens to be a vampire. The only way the two can be together is if the man takes on the vampire who created her, which also means fighting an army of monsters in the Hong Kong underworld.
Coker and Freedman will write the script.
Jake Weiner is exec producing while Ford Gilmore will co-produce.
Benderspink, which recently renewed its deal at Warners sibling label New Line, is eyeing a fall start on the magician comedy Burt Wonderstone, which it is producing with Steve Carrell’s Carousel Prods.
It recently set up the comic book adaptation The Mighty at Paramount and are producing with Mary Parent’s Disruption Entertainment. The company is also working with Disruption on sci-fi thriller Abducted, also recently set up at Paramount.

CARE BEARS COMING TO THE MOVIES
According to a report in the Hollywood Reporter, the Care Bears are getting the CGI-animated treatment in a new TV show aiming to launch next year, which has been designated the 30th anniversary of the launch of the children’s franchise.
The Care Bears were created in 1981 by American Greetings for use in greeting cards and plush toys were released in 1983 when the creatures first appeared on TV. They were a successful toy, TV and pop-culture franchise throughout the decade.
The Care Bears are a community of colorful bears each with a unique “belly badge” to stress its personality -- a four leaf clover for Good Luck Bear, a storm cloud for Grumpy Bear, a shooting star for Wish Bear, etc. The Care Bears live in Care-a-lot, adjacent to the Forest of Feelings, and are looked after by their Star and Heart Buddies who act as guardian angels.
The franchise is managed by American Greetings Properties, which also handles such characters as Strawberry Shortcake, Holly Hobbie and Twisted Whiskers.
American Greetings didn’t say Wednesday where the new TV show might air, but The Hub Network might be a good bet, since it’s the home of several shows based on characters that are controlled by American Greetings. Plus, The Hub is co-owned by Hasbro, which is launching a new line of toys based on the Care Bears in 2013.
A spokesperson said a broadcast partner will be announced in the next two weeks.
American Greetings initiated a relaunch of the Care Bears a decade ago, and it said Wednesday that $2.6 billion in licensed products have been sold since 2002.
The most recent TV iteration of the franchise was Care Bears: Adventures in Care-a-lot, which aired on CBS from 2007-2008.

WAKE
1408 director Mikael Hafstrom has become attached to helm the thriller Wake for Exclusive Media Group's Hammer Films banner. Christopher Borelli and Matt Sand wrote the screenplay, about a sociopath who is incapable of feeling fear.
Hammer will produce and finance the project. David Alpert of Circle of Confusion and Chris Cowles of H2F are also producing the project; Stephen Emery of Circle of Confusion, H2F's Chris Fenton and Slingshot's Arvind Ethan David will serve as executive producers. Shira Rockowitz is overseeing the production on behalf of Hammer and Exclusive.
Hammer recently produced Let Me In and The Resident and will next have The Woman In Black, starring Daniel Radcliffe, in theaters.

COMIC-CON NEWS
The news you’ve all been waiting for: Taylor Lautner is going to Comic-Con.
Sure, we all suspected he was going to be part of the Twilight: Breaking Dawn panel but Lautner will also be on hand to promote his action thriller Abduction. He will be at the Lionsgate booth (#3729 for those of you trying to map out the San Diego Convention Center floor) for a signing Thursday, July 21.
On the Conan the Barbarian front, Jason Momoa, Rachel Nichols and Stephen Lang will be at the Lionsgate booth Friday, July 22 from 5 to 6 p.m.
If you have questions regarding the new Batman movie, feel free to ask them to Tom Hardy, the actor who is playing Bane in the new Christopher Nolan film. Hardy won’t be there for any official Dark Knight business but will be at Comic-Con with Joel Edgerton at the Lionsgate booth from 1-2 p.m. on Friday, July 22. The duo will be there to support the fighting drama Warrior.
But none of these, at this point, have a big Hall H presentation. So what will have a Hall H panel?
The horror comedy Tucker and Dale vs. Evil (6 p.m. on Friday, July 22).

WEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 2011

FRIGHT NIGHT
In the upcoming remake of vampire classic "Fright Night" (Out Aug. 19) one of its greatest assets is David Tennant. The former "Doctor Who" star plays vampire expert Peter Vincent, and even though he's one of the highest billed members of the cast and an update of Roddy McDowall's prominently-featured characters from the original, he's not even in the theatrical trailer.
Dreamworks may be rethinking the approach. They recently released a crop of individual character posters for the international release, and one features Tennant looking less like a Dave Navarro impersonator and more like the rugged vampire slayer we were banking on.
Here's the latest trailer.

BUFFY MEETS BURN NOTICE
TVLine reports that Charisma Carpenter will appear in episode 11 of the current season of USA's "Burn Notice."
She's been cast as Nicki, a "high-maintenance trophy wife" -- not unlike her turn as Kendall Casablancas on "Veronica Mars" -- who gets exploited by Michael (Jeffrey Donovan) and Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar) when they go after her bioweapons engineer husband.
Carpenter, best known for playing Cordelia Chase on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel" for eight years, most recently appeared in "The Expendables."
There's currently no scheduled air date for Carpenter's episode.

STARGATE CONTINUED?
It's been nearly two decades since the original Stargate film came to theaters, and since then, we've watched the concept grow into a series and several spin-offs. But we've wondered what would happen if more FILMS had been made. After all this time, are we finally going to get our answer?
In a recent interview, writer-producer Dean Devlin was asked what could have been with the Stargate film franchise.
According to Devlin, "The irony is that we wrote it as a trilogy of movies, but we were never able to do parts two and three. Our hope is that, now that the series is starting to wind down that maybe it'll be time to do parts two and three. So we're hopeful we'll get to come back and tell the rest of that story."
Will the same actors from the movie be used? "Yes, absolutely." Devlin went on to admit that the story would have to be changed to incorporate all the time that's passed since the original film. As for what the two sequels might entail, Devlin said, "We wanted to explore how the Stargates were built originally and where else in the universe they exist, why they exist, and where else they exist on Earth."

RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
20th Century Fox has started airing new TV spots for Rise of the Planet of the Apes, hitting theaters on August 5. Directed by Rupert Wyatt, the film stars James Franco, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow, Brian Cox, Tom Felton, David Oyelowo and Andy Serkis.

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS - PART 2
With just ten days left until the final chapter hits theaters, Warner Bros. is releasing additional Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 videos.
Hitting 3D, 2D and IMAX 3D theaters on July 15, the David Yates-directed epic finale stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Tom Felton, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon, Jason Isaacs, Alan Rickman, David Thewlis, Julie Walters, Bonnie Wright and Kelly Macdonald.

TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2011

TORCHWOOD: MIRACLE DAY
STARZ has posted an eleven-minute behind-the-scenes video with a heap of new footage from the upcoming "Torchwood: Miracle Day".
A few have been asking if they should watch any of the original "Torchwood" first before starting 'Miracle Day'. Though it's not absolutely necessary, my advice would be to definitely see the 'Children of Earth' mini-series which is the five-episode immediate predecessor to this season.
The fallout from the events in 'Children' will inform on actions here, plus it works as a good introduction to the series even if you haven't seen any of the show beforehand.

HOLIDAY BOX OFFICE
Paramount’s Transformers: Dark of the Moon set off fireworks in its worldwide assault, lighting up the box office with the best July 4th weekend performance of all time and earning $398.1 million in its global six-day debut.
In North America, Dark of the Moon—receiving an A CinemaScore--is set to gross $181.1 million through Monday. At first, Michael Bay’s threequel was trailing the last film in the franchise, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, but picked up the pace over the long holiday weekend to end up only 6% behind.
And Dark of the Moon’s Friday-Monday gross of $116.4 million makes it the best July 4th opening on record, eclipsing the $115.8 million earned by Spider-Man 2.
Overseas, Dark of the Moon grossed $217 million through Sunday, Paramount’s best international launch ever, and 55% ahead of Revenge of the Fallen.
International Monday numbers weren’t immediately available, but once they come in, Dark of the Moon's total haul will come in around and $410 million (without them, the pic’s global cume is $398.1 million). Already, Dark of the Moon boasts the third best global launch of all time.
Dark of the Moon scored the biggest opening of all time in seven countries, led by Korea at $28 million, and followed by Hong Kong, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Singapore and Peru.
Paramount heavily marketed the 3D element of Bay’s tentpole, and the efforts paid off. In North America, Dark of the Moon earned 60% of its grosses from 3D theaters, bucking the recent downturn in 3D attendance. Overseas, where 3D continues to thrive in certain markets, 70% of the grosses came from 3D.
“It shows that you’ve got to motivate and inspire the audience,” said Paramount vice chair Rob Moore, who praised Bay.
Imax theaters playing Dark of the Moon ponied up well north of $22 million through Sunday, a record for the large format exhibitor.
One secret weapon: For the first time in months, younger fanboys turned out in force, with 55% of those buying tickets for Dark of the Moon under the age of 25. Males made up 62% of the audience overall.
The same glow didn’t extend to the Tom Hanks-Julia Roberts starrer Larry Crowne, which opened to a soft $15.7 million over the four-day holiday weekend. The comedy-drama, directed by Hanks, placed No. 4, behind Dark of the Moon and holdovers Cars 2 and Bad Teacher.
A full 71% of the audience for Larry Crowne was over the age of 50, and 93% over the age of 25. The film, directed by Hanks and receiving a B CinemaScore, is one of the oldest skewing films box office observers can remember.
Universal is distributing Larry Crowne on behalf of Hanks’ Playtone and Vendome Pictures, which fully financed the $30 million drama-comedy.
Universal said the film’s performance was in line with the studio’s modest expectations, and that adults will continue to turn out to see the movie in the weeks to come.
The third new film debuting nationwide over the four-day holiday weekend was 20th Century Fox and New Regency’s tween girl pic Monte Carlo, which grossed an $8.8 million through Sunday.
The niche pic, toplining Selena Gomez, received an A- CinemaScore, with 61% of those buying tickets under the age of 25. Of the audience, 82% were females.
Placing No. 2 over the holiday weekend, Disney/Pixar’s Cars 2 grossed a pleasing $32.1 million through Monday for a domestic cume of $123 million.
Sony’s raunchy Cameron Diaz comedy held nicely, grossing $15.7 million through Sunday for a cume of $63.1 million in its second weekend.
Warner Bros.’ Green Lantern fell to No. 7 in its third weekend, grossing $8 million over the long holiday weekend for a cume of $103.7 million.
Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris continued to deliver nicely for Sony Pictures Classics, coming in No. 10 and grossing $4.3 million for a cume of $34.5 million.
At the specialty box office, Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life grossed $1.4 million from 858 locations for a cume of $7.9 million. Fox Searchlight is distributing the film.
Focus Features’ Ewan McGregor-Christopher Plummer starrer Beginners, directed by Mike Mills, grossed $709,063 from 108 theaters for a cume of $2.5 million.

SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN
Entertainment Weekly talked to Snow White and the Huntsman producer Joe Roth (Alice in Wonderland), who says that they are planning to turn the action adventure into a trilogy.
"It's meant to be the first in a series of films," he said. "This story will end, but there will be questions remaining for these three characters."
Universal Pictures has scheduled a June 1, 2012 release date for the movie, directed by Rupert Sanders and starring Kristen Stewart, Charlize Theron, Sam Claflin, Chris Hemsworth, Ray Winstone, Ian McShane, Eddie Izzard, Bob Hoskins, Toby Jones, Eddie Marsan, Stephen Graham, Ray Winstone, Lily Cole and Sam Spruell. Shooting will start in August.
"We retain the basic story in the same way we retain the basic story of Alice, a young girl meant to be the queen who is cast out," Roth added. "The Huntsman is a mercenary, in the sense that he's a guy who is very able in the woods, more able than most anyone. His job is to capture runaway girls, who are all fleeing the kingdom because of the queen. He's a nondescript bounty hunter, as we first meet him... He's not a nice guy, but not only that he’s someone who has lost hope and lost faith. He has lost his wife, given up on everything."
The project is a new take on the classic fairy tale. "She starts out not a damsel in distress, but innocent, and after 11 years of imprisonment by the Evil Queen, she escapes and learns the ways of a warrior in the woods," he said.
The magazine says that the movie will be presenting at the San Diego Comic-Con later this month.

COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO
Variety reports that Warner Bros. Pictures has picked up Ian Shorr's script which is described as a futuristic retelling of Alexandre Dumas' "The Count of Monte Cristo."
The original 1844 tale follows a young man wrongly imprisoned. After many years he escapes, transforming himself into the mysterious Count of Monte Cristo, and systematically destroys those who manipulated and enslaved him.
Kevin McCormick ("Arthur," "Gangster Squad") will produce the film which is being fast tracked and is already out to directors. The last major direct film adaptation was the 2002 Spyglass film starring Jim Caviezel, Guy Pearce, Richard Harris and a teenage Henry Cavill.
The news follows a similar story yesterday of a sci-fi take of Joseph Conrad's classic 1902 novel "Heart of Darkness" being put into development.

MONDAY, JULY 4, 2011

This has been a weekend of marathons. I hope that you have been able to catch your favorite episodes of theTWILIGHT ZONE on Syfy this weekend. There are a number of others running today.
Chiller: "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" marathon, midnight to 6 a.m., "Harper's Island" marathon, 11 a.m. to 6 a.m. the next day
Sleuth: James Bond movie marathon, midnight to 6 a.m. the next day ("License to Kill," "A View to a Kill," "For Your Eyes Only," "License to Kill," "Thunderball," "Dr. No," "Casino Royale," "Goldfinger," "Golden Eye," "Dr. No," "The Living Daylights")
SCI: "Firefly" marathon, 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. the next day
Syfy: "The Twilight Zone" marathon, 8 a.m. to 4 a.m. the next day
TNT: "Law & Order" marathon, noon to 10 p.m.
TVLand: "Bewitched" marathon, 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
USA: "Royal Pains" marathon, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

SHORELEAVE CONVENTION COMING SOON!
We're less than a week away from Shore Leave 33, and the committee is hopping!
Memberships will be available at the door. Registration begins Friday morning at 9AM.
Photo ops and T-shirts will also be available for purchase.
In addition to the awesome list of guests (including Christopher Judge, Tricia Helfer, Eddie McClintock,John DeLancie and more) there are many additional activities:
Presenting The First Annual Shore Leave Scavenger Hunt for Teens & Young Adults
Children's Programming
FRIDAY NIGHT MAD HATTER'S TEA PARTY!!
Extreme Writing Workshop – Limited to 9 participants (Sign up at Registration.)
For a full schedule, go to www.shore-leave.com.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
Paramount’s Transformers: Dark of the Moon has transformed into the third best worldwide debut of all time, smashing records and grossing a whopping $372 million through Sunday.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince scored the best worldwide debut of all time in grossing $394 million, followed by Spider-Man 3 at $382 million.
With the actual July 4th holiday still to go, Michael Bay’s Dark of the Moon should finish Monday with a total opening gross of $405.8 million. That would not change its status compared to Half-Blood Prince and Spider-Man, since Monday's grosses don't count in terms of the record.
Domestically, Dark of the Moon’s gross through Sunday was $162 million. It’s expected to earn another $18.8 million Monday for a total domestic launch of $180.8 million.
That’s behind the $200 million earned by Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen in its six-day domestic debut but well ahead of the $155.4 earned by the first film in the Shia LaBeouf action franchise.
Dark of the Moon is an undisputed monster overseas, where it’s already grossed $210 million, the best debut of all time for Paramount International and beating the $147 million earned by Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
Through Monday, Paramount puts the movie’s foreign cume at $225 million.
Dark of the Moon is pacing 50% ahead of the foreign launch of Revenge of the Fallen ($139.6 million) and has scored the biggest opening of all time in seven countries, led by Korea at $28 million and followed by Hong Kong, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Singapore and Peru.
Paramount heavily marketed the 3D element of Bay’s tentpole, and the efforts paid off. In North America, Dark of the Moon earned 60% of its grosses from 3D theaters, bucking the recent downturn in 3D attendance. Overseas, where 3D continues to thrive in certain markets, 70% of the grosses came from 3D.
“It shows that you’ve got to motivate and inspire the audience,” said Paramount vice chair Rob Moore, who praised Bay.
Imax theaters playing Dark of the Moon ponied up $22.5 million worldwide, a record for the large format exhibitor. Domestically, Dark of the Moon hit another milestone -- its Friday through Sunday gross of $97.4 million is the best three-day number ever for the July 4th weekend.
The same glow didn’t extend to the Tom Hanks-Julia Roberts starrer Larry Crowne, which grossed an estimated $13 million through Sunday to come in No. 4 at the domestic box office, behind Dark of the Moon and holdovers Cars 2 and Bad Teacher.
Universal’s four-day estimate for Larry Crowne is $15.6 million, a meek number considering the film’s star power.
A full 71% of the audience for Larry Crowne was over the age of 50 and 93% over the age of 25. The film, directed by Hanks and receiving a B CinemaScore, is one of the oldest-skewing films box office observers can remember.
Universal is distributing Larry Crowne on behalf of Hanks’ Playtone and Vendome Pictures, which fully financed the $30 million drama-comedy.
The third new film debuting nationwide over the four-day holiday weekend was 20th Century Fox’s tween girl pic Monte Carlo, which grossed an estimated $7.6 million through Sunday (Fox isn’t providing a four-day estimate until Monday morning).
The niche pic, toplining Selena Gomez, received an A- CinemaScore, with 61% of those buying tickets under the age of 25. Of the audience, 82% were females.
Placing No. 2 over the holiday weekend, Disney/Pixar’s Cars 2 grossed $25.1 million through Sunday for a domestic cume of $116 million.
The 3D toon is expected to earn another $5.5 million Monday, upping its total to $121.5 million. It fell more than most Pixar titles, but was likely impacted to some extent by Dark of the Moon.
Sony’s raunchy Cameron Diaz comedy Bad Teacher held nicely, grossing $14.1 million through Sunday for a cume of $59.5 million in its second weekend. The R-rated pic should finish Monday with a total $62.4 million.

SUNDAY, JULY 3, 2011

SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON PREVIEW
With Comic-Con quickly approaching The Hollywood Reporter’s Live Feed has compiled an early look at what, in some cases, is confirmed and other cases rumored to be heading to Comic-Con International. Set for July 21-24 with preview night July 20 at the Convention Center in San Diego, some studios, like Warner Bros. Television and 20th Television, as well as networks including Starz and HBO, have already released their early panel lineups. With the help of THR sources as well as assists from EW, IGN, seat42f.com and TVLine, here’s an early look at the TV side of Comic-Con 2011.
Additional announcements and panelists are sure to come in the weeks ahead as the convention date gets closer.
THURSDAY, JULY 21
Archer (FX): Stars H. Jon Benjamin, Aisha Tyler, Chris Parnell, Judy Greer, Amber Nash; Creator/Executive Producer Adam Reed. Screening & Panel, Room: Indigo.
Awake (Fox): The first episode will be screened, with Howard Gordon, Kyle Killen and Jason Isaacs attending.
Beavis and Butt-Head (MTV)
Covert Affairs (USA)
Dexter (Showtime): (Ballroom 20) Michael C. Hall, C.S. Lee, David Zayas, guest star Colin Hanks, executive producers John Goldwyn, Sara Colleton, Manny Coto and Scott Buck are all scheduled to attend.
Game of Thrones (HBO): Author George R.R. Martin will moderate the panel with attendees including David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, Emilia Clarke, Peter Dinklage, Kit Harington, Jason Momoa and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. The panel marks the freshman series first time at Comic-Con.
Napoleon Dynamite (Fox): Jon Heder, Tina Majorino, Efren Ramirez, Jon Gries, Sandy Martin, Diedrich Bader and EP Mike Scully. A sneak preview of the animated series to be screened.
Penn & Teller Tell a Lie
Psych (USA)
Ringer (CW): 1:45-2:45 p.m. (Ballroom 20) Panelists confirmed to participate in the Q&A following a preview of the series include executive producer Pam Veasey, co-executive producers Nicole Snyder and Eric Charmelo. Cast members attending include Sarah Michelle Gellar, Nestor Carbonell, Ioan Gruffudd and Kristofer Polaha.
Shameless (Showtime): (Ballroom 20) Emmy Rossum, William H. Macy and executive producer John Wells are scheduled to attend.
Wilfred (FX): Stars Elijah Wood, Jason Gann, Fiona Gubelman, Dorian Brown; Executive Producer David Zuckerman, Co-Executive Producer/Director Randall Einhorn. Panel, Room: 6A

FRIDAY, JULY 22
Bedlam (BBC America): Creator David Allison and star Theo James will participate in a Q&A following the screening at 5:15 p.m. in Room 7AB
The Big Bang Theory (CBS) Attending are Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg, Kunal Nayyar,Mayim Bialik and Melissa Rauch. Creators/executive producers Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady will be on the panel along with Steven Molaro.
Bob’s Burgers (Fox): Season 2 clip to be presented, along with Q&A with Loren Bouchard, Jim Dauterive, H. Jon Benjamin, John Roberts, Dan Mintz, Eugene Mirman and Kristen Schaal.
Bones/The Finder (Fox): Panel discussion with Hart Hanson, Stephen Nathan, David Boreanaz, Emily Deschanel as well as the stars of its spinoff, The Finder.
Children’s Hospital (Adult Swim): Attending are Rob Corddry, Jonathan Stern, Malin Akerman, Lake Bell, Erinn Hayes, Rob Huebel and Megan Mullally.
Death Valley (MTV)
Falling Skies (TNT) (3:15-4:15, Room 6BCF)
Green Lantern: The Animated Series (Cartoon Network)
Locke & Key Pilot screening and panel with creators Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez, writer Josh Friedman, and producers Alex Kurtzman Robert Orci.
MAD (Cartoon Network)
Phineas and Ferb (Disney Channel)
Reign of the Dinosaurs (Discovery): Erik Nelson, David Krentz, Ricardo Delgado
The River (ABC)
Spartacus: Vengeance (Starz): New Spartacus Liam McIntyre will be introduced alongside fellow panelists Lucy Lawless, Dustin Clare, Manu Bennett, Katrina Law and Steven S. DeKnight.
ThunderCats (Cartoon Network)
Torchwood: Miracle Day (Starz): John Barrowman, Eve Myles, Bill Pullman, Mekhi Phifer, Alexa Havins, Lauren Ambrose and Jane Espenson will attend.
True Blood (HBO): Attendees include Alan Ball, Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Sam Trammell, Ryan Kwanten, Rutina Wesley, Kevin Alejandro, Kristin Bauer van Straten, Nelsan Ellis, Joe Manganiello and Deborah Ann Woll. The panel will be the show’s fourth Comic-Con appearance.
Warehouse 13 (Syfy)

SATURDAY, JULY 23
Alcatraz (Fox): Panelists include Sarah Jones, Jorge Garcia and executive producer Elizabeth Sarnoff. The pilot episode will be screened.
American Dad (Fox): A preview of the Season 7 premiere will be screened, featuring guest star Cee Lo Green, followed by a panel discussion with Wendy Schaal, Scott Grimes, Rachael MacFarlane, Dee Bradley Baker, Mike Barker, Matt Weitzman and Kara Vallow.
Chuck (NBC): Panelists include Zachary Levi, Yvonne Strahovski, Joshua Gomez, Ryan McPartlin, Mark Christopher Lawrence, Vik Sahay, Scott Krinsky, Sarah Lancaster, Adam Baldwin and Chris Fedak.
Community (NBC)
Family Guy (Fox): Alex Borstein, Seth Green, Adam West, Mark Hentemann, Steve Callaghan and Kara Vallow will screen a sneak preview of Stewie Goes for a Drive, featuring voice guest star Ryan Reynolds.
Fringe (Fox): Panelists include Anna Torv, Lance Reddick, Blair Brown, Jasika Nicole, John Noble, Jeff Pinker and J.H. Wyman.
Futurama (Fox): Matt Groening, David X. Cohen, Billy West, Katey Sagal, John DiMaggio and Maurice LaMarche to attend with a sneak preview of the show reincarnated as Japanese anime and a preview of the new season to be screened. Bill Morrison will moderate.
Grimm (NBC): The pilot episode will be screened, followed by a panel with Jim Kouf, David Greenwalt, David Giuntoli, Russell Hornsby, Bitsie Tulloch, Silas Weir Mitchell, Reggie Lee and Sasha Roiz.
Good Vibes (MTV)
Kick Buttowski -- Suburban Daredevil (Disney XD)
Mythbusters (Discovery)
Nikita (CW): Panelists include Maggie Q, Shane West, Lyndsy Fonseca and executive producer Craig Silverstein.
Once Upon a Time (ABC)
Person of Interest (CBS): Set to attend are Jim Caviezel, Michael Emerson, Taraji P. Henson, Jonathan Nolan and Greg Plageman.
Power Rangers Samurai (Nickelodeon)
The Secret Circle (CW): Panelists for the rookie series will include Britt Robertson, Thomas Dekker, Phoebe Tonkin, Natasha Henstridge, Kevin Williamson, Andrew Miller and Richard Hatem.
The Simpsons (Fox): Matt Groening, Al Jean, Rob Lazebnik, Matt Warburton, Mike Anderson and Tom Gammill will be in attendance.
Teen Wolf (MTV)
Terra Nova (Fox): The first episode will be screened with Stephen Lang, Rene Echevarria and Brannon Braga set to attend.
The Vampire Diaries (CW) Panel will include Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder, Candice Accola, Joseph Morgan, Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec.

SUNDAY, JULY 24
Allen Gregory (Fox): Jonah Hill, David Goodman, Andrew Mogel and Jarrad Paul will be joined by the voice-cast for a sneak preview of the animated series.
Castle (ABC)
The Cleveland Show (Fox): A look at its Die Hard parody will be screened, followed by a Q&A with Mike Henry, Sanaa Lathan, Kevin Michael Richardson, Reagan Gomez, Rich Appel and Kara Vallow.
Doctor Who (BBC America) 12:30 p.m. in Hall H. Matt Smith and Karen Gillan will make their first Comic-Con appearances with writer Toby Whithouse and executive producers Piers Wenger and Beth Willis.
Fish Hooks (Disney Channel)
Glee (Fox): Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and stars of the musical hit will air a musical sneak preview at never-before-seen footage and behind-the-scenes secrets about the series.
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FX): Stars Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton, Kaitlin Olson, Danny DeVito. Panel & Screening, Room: Hall H.
The Looney Tunes Show (Cartoon Network)
Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated (Cartoon Network)
Sons of Anarchy (FX): Stars Charlie Hunnam, Ron Perlman, Katey Sagal; Creator/Executive Kurt Sutter. Panel, Room: Hall H.
Supernatural (CW) Set to attend are Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles. The guys make their first appearance in Hall H this year.
Young Justice (Cartoon Network)

ALSO GOING -- DETAILS TBD
Alphas (Syfy)
Being Human (Syfy)
Eureka (Syfy)
The Guild (Web series)
The Nine Lives of Chloe King (ABC Family)
Sanctuary (Syfy)
The Walking Dead (AMC)

SATURDAY, JULY 2, 2011

PROMETHEUS
There's been a lot of buzz on the Intertubes lately about Ridley Scott's Prometheus as we all try to figure out if it's an Alien prequel or not, and whether the recently spotted synopsis is real. The studio's response? Release a synopsis of its own.
Here are the story details Fox put out to clear things up, while at the same time stating that recent reports have been "way off":
Visionary filmmaker Ridley Scott returns to the genre he helped define, creating an original science fiction epic set in the most dangerous corners of the universe. The film takes a team of scientists and explorers on a thrilling journey that will test their physical and mental limits and strand them on a distant world, where they will discover the answers to our most profound questions and to life's ultimate mystery.
Not much to go on ... and it doesn't really answer all our questions ... but at least it's official!

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
Paramount’s Transformers: Dark of the Moon may be trailing the last film in the franchise, but it continued to rock the domestic box office on Friday, grossing north of $30 million to put its domestic cume at nearly $96 million, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
The same glow didn’t extend to the Tom Hanks-Julia Roberts starrer Larry Crowne, which struggled to reach $4 million on Friday, its first day of play at the domestic box office. Hanks directed the $30 million pic.
A full 71% of the audience for Larry Crowne was over the age of 50. The film, distributed by Universal, received a B CinemaScore. Larry Crowne was fully financed and produced by Vendome Pictures and Hanks’ production company Playtone.
The third new film debuting nationwide over the July 4th weekend is 20th Century Fox’s tween girl pic Monte Carlo, which looked to gross $3 million on Friday. The pic, toplining Selena Gomez, received an A- CinemaScore, with 61% of those buying tickets under the age of 25. Of the audience, 82% were females.
Dark of the Moon, which got a jump on the long holiday weekend by opening Tuesday night in special 3D sneaks, is doing big business overseas, grossing $66 million through Thursday. Combined with Friday’s domestic tally, the pic has now earned at least $161.7 million worldwide.
Paramount estimates that Michael Bay’s threequel will gross $170 million domestically through Monday, the July 4th holiday. The international opening could reach as high as $150 million or $200 million.

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS - Part 2
Warner Bros. Pictures has released a third clip from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 that is set inside Bellatrix Lestrange's vault at Gringotts.
Hitting 3D, 2D and IMAX 3D theaters on July 15, the David Yates-directed epic finale stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Tom Felton, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon, Jason Isaacs, Alan Rickman, David Thewlis, Julie Walters, Bonnie Wright and Kelly Macdonald.

THOR SEQUEL
Yesterday, it was reported that Marvel Studios will be rolling ahead with a sequel to their recent hit Thor for a release on July 26, 2013.
Although Kenneth Branagh is no longer directing and they need to find someone new, they'll first have to get a screenplay together and today, Deadline has the name of the screenwriter who'll be doing that: Don Payne, who was a credited writer on Thor and whose previous superhero experience includes Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer and the Ivan Reitman comedy My Super Ex-Girlfriend.

COMIC-CON NEWS
Sony's Screen Gems will be presenting Underworld 4 at the San Diego Comic-Con in Hall H on Friday, July 22 from 1:30pm to 2:00pm. Stars Kate Beckinsale, Michael Ealy and Theo James will attend, as will directors Mans Marlind and Bjorn Stein and producer Len Wiseman.
Underworld 4 is scheduled to hit 3D and 2D theaters on January 20, 2012.

FRIDAY, JULY 1, 2011

BEING HUMAN ADDITION
Variety reports that Dichen Lachman has landed a new gig. The "Dollhouse" alum will be playing a vampire on Syfy's "Being Human" when it returns in 2012 for its second season.
Lachman joins the show in the series regular role of Izumi, a centuries-old reclusive vampire "who causes upheaval" when she returns to Boston.
After leaving behind her many "Dollhouse" personalities (Sierra FTW!), Lachman has guest-starred on "NCIS:LA" and "Hawaii Five-0" and can next be seen in Starz' "Torchwood: Miracle Day," which premieres July 8.
In January, "Being Human" became the network's most-watched wintertime scripted premiere in six years. Season 2 will go into production shortly in Montreal.

THOR 2
Thor 2 is officially a go and has been set for release on July 26th, 2013. Now all the movie needs is a director.
According to Deadline, Thor director Kenneth Branagh will not return behind the camera for the sequel. No reason was given for him not coming back to direct, although the parting with Marvel Studios was said to be "mutual and amicable." He'll probably still get a producing credit on the new movie, which is the usual consolation prize when a director is not asked to shoot the next film in a successful franchise.
Chris Hemsworth—who's currently working on the set of The Avengers—is locked to come back for a third time as the God of Thunder, although it is not known whether any of the other cast members from the first film will be back. The biggest question is whether Natalie Portman will reprise her role as Jane Foster, now that she's won an Oscar and is enjoying motherhood and all that.
The other question is which villain Thor will face. With Loki the main antagonist in The Avengers, it seems unlikely that Marvel would bring the God of Mischief back for a third straight face-off with his adopted brother.
Meanwhile, the jockeying for the director's chair starts now. With $437 million worldwide already in the bank for Thor, a lot of filmmakers will want to bring Thor 2 to the screen and get a piece of that action.
The movie will come out just two and a half months after Iron Man 3 hits screens on May 3rd, 2010, so it looks like Marvel will keep doubling down two summers from now, just like it's doing this year with Thor and Captain America.

WORLD WAR Z
World War Z has finally been gearing up, announcing its cast and actually starting production. But now two of its better-known cast members have both dropped out of the film.
Although filming has already begun in Malta on the zombie epic based on Max Brooks' novel and starring Brad Pitt, Vulture reports that two actors reportedly signed to appear in the picture, Ed Harris (The Abyss) and Matthew Fox (Lost), have now both bailed. Fox apparently has a scheduling conflict with I, Alex Cross, a crime thriller starring Tyler Perry, while the reason for Harris' departure is not known.
The producers are auditioning actors now in London and New York to recast the roles, while Pitt and director Marc Forster (Quantum of Solace) will keep plugging along. Pitt is playing Brooks—a fictional version of him, anyway—as he travels around the world collecting survivors' accounts of a global zombie plague that brought civilization to a halt a decade earlier (the book is awesome, if you haven't read it).
World War Z is due out in 2012.

TORCHWOOD: MIRACLE DAY SCREENINGS
Torchwood fans, can’t wait for Starz’s July 8 premiere of Torchwood: Miracle Day? The network has partnered with Landmark Theatres for free advance screening events of the first episode in about a dozen U.S. cities on July 5 and July 6.
Seating is on a first come, first serve basis. Screenings will take place in Chicago, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Denver, San Francisco, Dallas, New York City, Los Angeles, Boston, Houston, and Washington D.C.
Torchwood: Miracle Day finds earth hit with a strange occurrence: No one is dying. While that may sound like a good thing, people begin suffering from what would be mortal wounds or diseases with no end. In addition, Earth’s resources can only sustain life for a limited time with the population swelling.
Original cast members John Barrowman, Eve Myles, and Kai Owen are joined by series newcomers Mekhi Phifer, Bill Pullman, Alexa Havins, Arlene Turs, and recurring guest star Lauren Ambrose.

COMIC-CON NEWS
Francis Ford Coppola is returning to Comic-Con for the first time since 1991, presenting portions of his latest film, Twixt.
The panel will be held on Saturday, July 23 in Hall H and in a Twixt twist, will have a live music component. Indie performance artist Dan Deacon will be on hand to “demonstrate the interactive experience of the film,” according to the Twixt filmmakers. The film incorporates both 2-D and 3-D elements.
Not much is known about Twixt, other than it takes Coppola to his early filmmaking roots when he was making flicks for Roger Corman. Coppola wrote the screenplay and self-financed the pic, which stars stars Val Kilmer, Bruce Dern, Elle Fanning, and Ben Chaplin.
Coppola calls it "one-part Gothic romance, one-part personal film, and one-part the kind of horror film that began my career." The project was also inspired by the writings of Edgar Allen Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne.
Coppola first attended Comic-Con in 1991 as part of a presentation for his Dracula movie.

PROMETHEUS
20th Century Fox has released the official synopsis for director Ridley Scott's sci-fi film Prometheus, starring Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba, Sean Harris, Kate Dickie and Logan Marshall-Green.
Written by Damon Lindelof, Jon Spaihts and Scott, the film is described as follows:
Visionary filmmaker Ridley Scott returns to the genre he helped define, creating an original science fiction epic set in the most dangerous corners of the universe. The film takes a team of scientists and explorers on a thrilling journey that will test their physical and mental limits and strand them on a distant world, where they will discover the answers to our most profound questions and to life's ultimate mystery.
Prometheus is scheduled for a June 8, 2012 release.

THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 2011

MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE
More than two years ago we were excited/terrified at the possibility of Warner Bros. trotting out the Masters of the Universe series for another movie. We'd forgotten all about it—until right now, that is. Get ready to be excited/terrified all over again, because He-Man is on target for a film release.
Vice president of Sony, DeVon Franklin, said that the movie is back on track and that a script will be submitted soon. According to Franklin, "One of other things I'm really excited about is we're doing a reboot of the 1980s franchise Masters of the Universe. The He-Man franchise. Very excited about that. Should have that script very soon. I'm praying that we can start figuring out how we're going to make it."

TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Paramount’s Transformers: Dark of the Moon is expected to gross at least $38 million Wednesday in its first full day of play at the domestic box office, giving it the best opening-day gross of 2011.
So far, Dark of the Moon is pacing ahead of the first Transformers, but behind Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, which grossed $62 million in its first day. Revenge of the Fallen opened June 24, 2009, a Wednesday.
Comparisons are difficult, however, both because of the calendar and the marketplace.
The movie got an A CinemaScore, while 55 percent of Wednesday's audience was under the age of 25, a good sign for the movie's prospects. The last film received a B+.
Wednesday’s tally includes $8 million in midnight shows, but doesn’t factor in the $5.5 million earned earlier Tuesday night from special 3D sneaks.
Previously, the best opening day of the year belongs to Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, which debuted to $34.8 million, including $4.7 million in midnights, on a Friday.
Dark of the Moon should pick up noticeably as the July 4th holiday weekend gets underway.
Still, Paramount is prepared for the three-quel to come in behind Revenge of the Fallen, which grossed roughly $200 million in its first five days; Paramount expects Dark of the Moon to gross $155 million to $170 million through July 4th, closer to the opening gross of the first Transformers.
Dark of the Moon is doing very well in 3D locations, compared to other recent 3D event pics.

MATTERHORN - THE HILL
Disney is developing an adventure movie project inspired by the Matterhorn ride and has set Jason Dean Hall to pen the script. Justin Springer (Tron Legacy, Prom) is producing the project, which has a working title of The Hill.
The Matterhorn, also known as the Matterhorn Bobsleds, is part of Disneyland’s Fantasyland section. Opened June 1959, the elaborate ride was inspired by Walt Disney's desire for a toboggan-themed roller coaster as well as thoughts he had after an extended trip to Switzerland, the site of the famed mountain. The ride, a centerpiece of the park, was refurbished in 1978, with one of the upgrades being the addition of three automatronic Abominable Snowmen (aka Yetis) who growl at riders.
The idea behind The Hill is to do a thrilling, fast-paced movie centering on five young adventure seekers who, for mysterious reasons, are called to the top of the mountain and encounter a Yetis on the journey down.
Adapting Disney rides into film franchises is a priority for the company. Pirates of the Caribbean is the most successful of the rides-turned-movies, generating $3.7 billion worldwide over four films. A movie was made out of the Haunted Mansion, and another is being developed with Guillermo del Toro producing. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was a Disney film, then a theme park ride, and is now being rebooted as a David Fincher directing vehicle. The ultimate theme park movie might be Disney's Magic Kingdom, which is set entirely in the park. That project is being developed by writer Michael Chabon and director Jon Favreau.
Hall is best known for writing the 2009 indie drama Spread, starring Ashton Kutcher and Anne Heche. But he has worked on action-oriented projects that are in various development stages, notably Robin Hood 2058, set up at Warners, Grand Theft Auto, and sci-fi actioner Blacklight.

SHADOW RUNNER
Sony is the latest studio to jump into the black ops game, picking up Shadow Runner, an original thriller with Chris Hemsworth attached to star.
Plot details are being kept secret although it is known it involves elite commandos. The project is based on an original idea from Hossein Amini, who is one of the writers of Snow White and the Huntsman, which also stars Hemsworth.
Tripp Vinson and Beau Flynn are producing, as is Will Ward, Hemsworth’s manager at ROAR.
Hannah Minghella, Rachel O¹Connor and Adam Milano will oversee the project for Columbia Pictures.
Hemsworth is best known for his star-turning performance as Thor, a character he will reprise in next summer’s The Avengers. He worked with Vinson and Flynn on the duo’s remake of Red Dawn.
Amini, who will also executive produce Shadow Runner, is the writer of Drive, the buzzed-about movie starring Ryan Gosling and directed by Nicolas Winding Refn.

WORLD WITHOUT END
AMSTERDAM -- Sex and the City star Cynthia Nixon and Oscar nominees Miranda Richardson and Peter Firth have joined the cast of the epic limited series World Without End, the sequel to Pillars of the Earth.
Also signing up for the eight-hour medieval period drama are Ben Chaplin, Charlotte Riley, Rupert Evans, Megan Follows, Nora von Waldstaetten, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Tom Weston-Jones and Sarah Gadon.
Michael Caton-Jones (Rob Roy) is directing the entire $44 million event series, which is based on Ken Follett's bestseller of the same name.
Tandem Communications and Take 5 Productions are producing, in co-production with Galafilm and in association with Ridley and Tony Scott's shingle Scott Free Films.
World Without End will shoot on location in Hungary, Slovakia and Austria with Howard Ellis' Mid Atlantic Films.
Tandem has pre-sold the series to several networks worldwide including Channel Four in the U.K., Germany's Sat.1, Shaw Media in Canada, Cuatro in Spain, and Sky Italia for Italy. Sony Pictures Worldwide picked up home entertainment rights to World for English-speaking territories and France.

INTO DARKNESS
Variety reports that Radar Pictures has hired Peter Cornwell (The Haunting in Connecticut) to direct an adaptation of Joseph Conrad's novel, "Heart of Darkness."
The adaptation, to be titled Into Darkness, will take place in space. Conrad's 1902 book is the story of ferryboat captain Charles Marlow's quest to return shadowy ivory trader Kurtz to civilization.
Tony Giglio and Branden Morgan wrote the script. Radar's Ted Field and Mike Weber are producing.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29, 2011

HAWAII FIVE-O CAST ADDITION
The CBS series has added Tom Sizemore ("Saving Private Ryan," "Black Hawk Down") in a recurring part for Season 2. He'll play a former Detroit homicide detective who now heads up the internal affairs division in Honolulu, EW reports -- which almost certainly means he'll be looking into some of McGarrett's (Alex O'Loughlin) and the Five-0 team's extracurricular activities.
Sizemore is the second well-known actor to join the "Five-0" cast in the past week. "Lost" alum Terry O'Quinn will also have a recurring role in the coming season as McGarrett's former Navy SEAL trainer and a friend of his dad.
Sizemore has made a bunch of independently produced/straight-to-video movies in the past couple years, but his TV work has been limited. He guested on "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" last year and had a recurring part on Starz's "Crash" in 2008-09 (in addition to appearing on VH1's "Celebrity Rehab"). He co-starred with Ethan Hawke in the FOX pilot "Exit Strategy" earlier this year, but the network passed on it.

FRINGE NEWS
Creators of FRINGE have been saying that the start of season four would be like a "new pilot" for the show. Star John Noble has a few words to say about that.
Following the startling events at the end of season three, producers Jeff Pinkner and Joel H. Wyman said that the new season would give viewers who had never seen the show a chance to climb on board without having to make time to watch 65 previous episodes.
But Noble, who plays Dr. Walter Bishop, thinks that talk of a "new pilot" is a bit over-the-top. We caught up with him at a launch event in Los Angeles for the extended edition Blu-ray box set of The Lord of the Rings, where he told us (possible spoilers ahead):
"I don't know why they're saying that. We have a mythology now that needs to be unraveled a little bit for new viewers. I defy people to come in at the end of season three and understand—they might find it really interesting, but to understand it might be hard. So we need to unravel some of that mythology a bit, and I think that might be what they mean—give it a restart, from the same place, but for example without Peter or that intangible Peter [who seemingly ceased to exist at the end of the season finale], and we have to retell some of the story."
Noble added:
"They're really clever guys and they're aware of that problem, so if that's what they said, I'm sure that they mean retelling the story again, but from a slightly different angle. I'll wait and see when I get the first script."

TORCHWOOD: MIRACLE DAY
Torchwood: Miracle Day is almost upon us, and while we're doing our best to while away the time until the premiere (seriously, we really need our own TARDIS), an action-packed 11-minute behind-the-scenes featurette is here to help a bit with all that waiting.
Released by Starz, the explosive new sneak-preview video (which comes complete with that professional movie-ad-style voiceover we seem to hear everywhere) features some pretty cool scenes that we haven't seen before in previous promo trailers.
It also reintroduces us to what's left of the Torchwood team—which is basically Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman) and Gwen Cooper (Eve Myles)—while also focusing on the fresh new faces of the upcoming 10-part series, starting with CIA agent Rex Matheson (played by ER's Mekhi Phifer), his partner Esther Drummond (Alexa Havins), Dr. Vera Juarez (Arlene Tur), convicted killer Osward Danes (Bill Pullman) and Jilly Kitzinger (Lauren Ambrose).
We even get to see a wonderful kick-ass moment from Dichen Lachman, who, if you recall, played the wonderful bad-ass Sierra from Joss Whedon's sadly defunct sci-fi series Dollhouse.
Torchwood: Miracle Day will air on Starz Friday, July 8, at 10 p.m. in the U.S. and on Thursday, July 14, at 9 p.m. on the BBC in the U.K.

WAR HORSE
The trailer for Steven Spielberg's upcoming adaptation of War Horse has hit the web.
The World War II-set movie centers on a horse named Joey and his friendship with a farmer's son named Albert (Jeremy Irvine). When the two are forcefully parted, the movie follows the horse's journey through war as he changes and inspires the lives of everyone he meets.
Tom Hiddleston, Benedict Cumberbatch, Patrick Kennedy, Emily Watson, Toby Kebbell, David Thewlis, Eddie Marsa and Peter Mullan also star.
The movie is based on a children's fiction novel by Michael Morpurgo, first published in 1982, and the 2007 stage adaptation of the same name.
DreamWorks releases War Horse on Dec. 28.

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: GHOST PROTOCOL
This winter, fans will likely be flocking to IMAX theaters and regular movie screens at the multiplex alike to see the fourth installment of the Mission Impossible franchise, Ghost Protocol.
Directed by Brad Bird, best-known for his work on films such as The Incredibles, the movie stars Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, Josh Holloway and a large cast of other well-known actors. Here is the just-released trailer for the film, which is due in December.

The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy Extended Edition is out on Blu-ray!! Warner Bros hosted a Blu-ray launch event in Los Angeles last night.
Fans came out for the “Middle-earth Midnight Madness,” count down celebration - in anticipation of the magic moment when they could finally own Warner Home Video’s release of Peter Jackson’s visual masterpieces on Blu-ray in a 15-disc stunning collection entitled The Lord of the Rings™ The Motion Picture Trilogy: Extended Edition.
Here is some fabulous footage from the night including interviews with John Noble and Sala Baker, the fireworks/laser show, costume contest and more.

TUESDAY, JUNE 28, 2011

BRAVE
Pixar's newest movie, "Cars 2," has been in theaters for all of four days, but we're kind of looking forward to the company's next film a year from now.
It's called "Brave," and in a first for the company, it will feature a female lead character. The teaser trailer for the film is up above.
The movie is set in the Scottish Highlands, where Merida (voiced by Kelly Macdonald), an archer and the daughter of King Fergus (Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson), stirs up trouble when she defies an old tradition and then has to put things right. The movie also features the voices of Kevin McKidd, Craig Ferguson, Julie Walters and Robbie Coltrane.
"Brave" is scheduled to open June 22, 2012.

RINGER
The CW announced Sarah Michelle Gellar will be on-hand at the San Diego summit of all things fandom to unveil her new series, RINGER. And, as surprising as this may be, it only marks the actress' second appearance at Comic-Con. (She stopped by in 2004 to promote "The Grudge.")
Gellar will be joined by co-stars Nestor Carbonell, Ioan Gruffudd and Kristoffer Polaha -- as well as the creative team -- for a sneak preview of the series and a panel discussion.
The "Ringer" event is currently scheduled to take place Thursday, July 21, from 1:45 to 2:45 p.m. PT, in Ballroom 30 of the San Diego Convention Center.

TRANSFORMERS: DARK SIDE OF THE MOON
The video production company The Monocular Group has cut together a clip proclaiming Bay the maetro of mayhem, and the tongue is so firmlly in cheek here that we can't tell exactly which cheek, so it manages to have it both ways, mocking Bay AND those who think he's nothing more than a guy who knows how to blow stuff up real good.
Whichever side of the fence you're on, we think you'll find it a blast.

IMMORTALS
We know the new Immortals trailer is supposed to make us all excited about seeing Immortals, but honestly, what it does is make us want to see Man of Steel even MORE.
In addition to starring in Immortals, Henry Cavill will also appear as Superman in Zack Snyder's Man of Steel. And as much as we want to see the guy hacking and slashing in a 300 kind of way, we're more curious to know how he'll rock that Kryptonian cape.
In addition to Cavill, Immortals stars Freida Pinto, Stephen Dorff, Isabel Lucas, Luke Evans, Kellan Lutz, John Hurt and Mickey Rourke. The film, directed by Tarsem Singh, hits theaters Nov. 11.

TORCHWOOD: MIRACLE DAY
In the much-anticipated Starz continuation of the British series, Torchwood vets John Barrowman (Jack Harkness) and Eve Myles (Gwen Cooper) are joined by Mekhi Phifer, Bill Pullman, and recurring guest star Lauren Ambrose.
The network has released an inside look at the new series in a new behind-the-scenes featurette from Torchwood: Miracle Day premiering Friday, July 8 at 10 p.m.
“We’ve got helicopters. We’ve got explosions. We’ve got car crashes. We’ve got poisonings,” Barrowman says in the video below. “You name it, we got it on Torchwood.”
“Miracle Day” begins with a day when nobody dies. That may seem like a good thing, but as the days go by people begin aging, getting sick and hurt, but they don’t die. All that suffering combined with the limited resources of sustaining a world in which the population continues to swell as no one passes away makes it a job for Torchwood.

WAKE THE DEAD
Variety reports that Haley Joel Osment will headline Wake the Dead, playing Victor Franklin in the modern-day retelling of "Frankenstein."
Based on Steve Niles' (30 Days of Night) graphic novel, the film is set to be directed by Jay Russell (Ladder 49, The Water Horse) and takes place in a present day college.
Wake the Dead will lead the charge of the upcoming "Frankenstein"-inspired films. Mary Shelley's tale has, lately, been a major source of inspiration for Hollywood. In addition to Guillermo del Toro's long-expressed interest in reimagining the novel and a recent stage version directed by Danny Boyle, Timur Bekmambetov is set to helm a prequel, The Casebook of Victor Frankenstein, based on the Peter Ackroyd novel of the same name. Summit Entertainment has another prequel, This Dark Endeavor, based on the novel by Kenneth Oppel. Dean Koontz's own, modern day take on the story is slated for adaptation with Frankenstein: Prodigal Son. Lakeshore is aiming for an original, film noir slant on the monster with their screen version of the comic book I, Frankenstein. 20th Century has announced a currently untitled take and, last but not least, Tim Burton plans to return to his filmmaking roots with his Shelley-inspired stop motion release, Frankenweenie.

THE GIVER
According to Variety, Jeff Bridges appears to have machinations on adapting the 1993 young adult science fiction novel The Giver. Reports indicate Bridges and producer Nikki Silver have purchased the rights to the Lois Lowry story and that Bridges may step in to play the title character.
Set in a distant future, the book tells of a society in which the entire range of human emotion has been eradicated by removing any trace of history. Only one individual in the society -- called "the Giver" -- is tasked with remembering the past in case it becomes necessary to make use of it. A twelve-year-old boy, Jonas, is tasked to become the next Giver in line and has his whole world thrown into question when he begins tutelage with the previous, elderly Giver.
"I originally thought of the role of the Giver as a vehicle for my father, the late Lloyd Bridges," says the True Grit actor, who has been eyeing the project for some time, "however, at 61 years old I feel the time is right for me to do it."
Vadim Perelman, the writer/director behind House of Sand and Fog, will provide the screenplay and, at one point, was looking at the project to direct. There is currently no word on whether his involvement in that capacity still remains a possibility.
The original book was followed by two sequels, Gathering Blue and Messenger, the latter of which was published in 2004.

MONDAY, JUNE 27, 2011

WALKING DEAD CASTING
Production of the second season of AMC's zombie-pocalypse drama, "The Walking Dead," is well underway and new characters are being added to the mix. According to TV Guide, "Supernatural" alum Lauren Cohan and veteran actor Scott Wilson are joining the cast.
Wilson and Cohen will play the father/daughter team of Hershel and Maggie Greene, whose farm sheriff Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and his band of survivors find in their journey along the road.
"He is the patriarch of the family," executive producer Gale Anne Hurd tells TV Guide. "He's a veterinarian with a great sense of humanity and a very unique take on the Walkers."
His daughter, Maggie, is in her twenties and becomes a love interest for one of the main characters.
The actors join Pruitt Taylor Vince as additions to the season 2 cast.

GREEN LANTERN SEQUEL
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Warner Bros. is already planning a sequel to Ryan Reynolds' superhero pic Green Lantern, despite the film’s soft performance at the box office.
Sources say Warners still believes in the franchise, even if the studio is “somewhat disappointed” with Green Lantern’s result.
Over the weekend, Green Lantern fell a steep 66% at the domestic box office, grossing $18.4 million for a cume of $89.3 million. That’s a big decline.
Warner Bros. president of domestic distribution Dan Fellman said the movie is settling in, pointing out that fanboy pics often see a significant drop-off in their second weekends.
Still, Green Lantern fell off more than recent superhero pics Thor and X-Men: First Class. Thor dropped 47% in its second weekend, while First Class dropped 56%.
Similar films that have seen the same sort of dip that Green Lantern did include Hulk, which dropped nearly 70% in its second outing.
Green Lantern cost $200 million to produce before a sizeable marketing spend (rival studios say it was one of the most expensive on record). Warners, preparing for the end of Harry Potter, needs new franchises, so was willing to invest big in Green Lantern.
A formidable obstacle standing in Green Lantern’s way now is Paramount’s Transformers: Dark of the Moon, which opens in theaters around the globe on Tuesday night.

CAPTAIN AMERICA
The new trailer for the Marvel movie hit the 'net Thursday with story and action and the year's best tagline so far: "On July 22, Heroes are Made in America."
Not sure what kind of lines they are using in territories outside of North America, where the stars and stripes doesn't always fly, but this line played like gangbusters when director Joe Johnston snuck it in at a special screening of The Rocketeer Wednesday night.

MAN OF STEEL
News spread quickly yesterday that Christopher Meloni ("Law & Order: SVU") had joined the cast of Zack Snyder's Man of Steel in an undisclosed role. Many fans thought he may be playing Lex Luthor, but the actor has now revealed a bit more to Vulture:
"When Vulture caught up with the now ex–Law & Order: SVU star at the Public Theater Gala earlier this week, he told us he'd be instead playing a general in the movie. But when we pressed for more information about the role, he said, "I can't tell you, or I'd have to kill you." We did manage to learn that he starts filming at the end of August and he'll shoot his part over the course of five months in locations including Chicago, Vancouver, and Edwards Air Force Base."
He'll be joining Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Diane Lane, Kevin Costner, Michael Shannon, Antje Traue and possibly Russell Crowe and Julia Ormond in the anticipated movie, scheduled for a December 2012 release.

SEVENTH SON
He's played Prince Caspian in the "Narnia" series and Oscar Wilde's immortal "Dorian Gray", now British star Ben Barnes is in negotiations to join the fantasy tentpole "The Seventh Son" for Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures says Deadline.
Based on Joseph Delaney's children's book series "The Wardstone Chronicles" (aka. "The Last Apprentice"), the story follows a young man named Tom in training to be the apprentice of a 'Spook' (Jeff Bridges), a fighter against evil magic, in the 1700's.
Trouble begins when his friend Alice (Vikander) tricked into releasing the most sinister witch in the world (Julianne Moore). Barnes will replace "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" star Sam Clafin who had been in negotiations for the role until talks fell through.
Sergei Bodrov ("Nomad," "Mongol") directs 'Son' from a script by Max Borenstein and shooting kicks off in September in Vancouver.

SUNDAY, JUNE 26, 2011

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
The Disney/Pixar sequel easily won domestic box office; Bad Teacher starring Cameron Diaz lands No. 2 spot with better than expected $31 Million.
Moviegoers fell hard for fast cars and fast women at the weekend box office, delivering big victories for Disney/Pixar’s Cars 2 and Sony’s risqué Cameron Diaz comedy Bad Teacher.
Cars 2 easily won the domestic box office race, grossing $68 million and far outpacing expectations, not to mention beating the $60.1 million debut of the original Cars. The $200 million 3D toon scored the fourth best opening of 2011, and delivers Pixar its 12th No. 1 opening. Overseas, the Pixar sequel—set on foreign shores this time—displayed plenty of horsepower, grossing $42.9 million from 1mberlake, bested the $26.1 million debut of Universal’s Bridesmaids.8 markets for a worldwide debut of $110.9 million.
Bad Teacher also overperformed in its domestic debut, grossing $31 million and continuing the R-rated comedy craze. The film, touting substantial star power in Diaz, Jason Segel and Justin Timberlake, bested the $26.1 million debut of Universal’s Bridesmaids.
Produced for only $20 million, Bad Teacher earned another $12.9 million internationally for a pleasing global opening of $49.3 million.
In North America, Bad Teacher beat superhero pic Green Lantern for the No. 2 spot. From Warner Bros., Green Lantern fell a steep 66% in its second weekend, grossing $18.4 million for a cume of $89.3 million.Regardless of any weak spots, domestic box office revenues were up an estimated 10% over last year. And with Transformers: Dark of the Moon and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 getting ready to launch, the lingering year-over-year decline in revenues should continue to narrow.
Heading into the weekend, tracking suggested an opening of $50 million to $55 million for Cars 2. Instead, the sequel—directed by Pixar CEO John Lasseter—secured the second-best June opening ever for animated film after Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story 3.
“I think there is this wonderful aura that comes with Disney/Pixar movies. They play almost like fanboy pics. Everyone rushes out Friday to see them,” Disney worldwide president of distribution Chuck Viane said.
If there was a sour note, the downturn in the 3D market continued. Grosses from 3D theaters accounted for 40% of the toon’s total bow, the lowest margin to date for a big studio film. About 36% came from digital 3D screens; the other 4%, from Imax locations (Imax ponied up roughly $2.3 million).
Disney said a contributing factor is the popularity of Pixar titles—and Cars in particular—at drive-in theaters, which haven’t been converted to 3D. There are about 500 drive-ins nationwide.
Rival studios pointed out that Cars 2 dropped 10% from Friday to Saturday, suggesting that bad reviews, unusual for a Pixar title, may have had an impact. Disney said the drop had to do with the fact that most kids are out of school now, with Friday playing more like a Saturday. Opening on the same weekend last year, Toy Story 3 also dropped 10% on Saturday.
Those going to see Cars 2 seemed to have little complaint; the toon received an A- CinemaScore.
At the international box office, Cars 2 grossed $9.3 million in Russia—a boom market for 3D—to grab the best debut ever for a Pixar title. In Australia, the toon grossed $5.2 million to best Kung Fu Panda 2 in a head-to-head battle.
Considering its production budget of $200, Cars 2 will need to amass a significant worldwide gross in the weeks to come.
Sony is already on golden ground financially with Bad Teacher.
Heading into the weekend, tracking suggested the subversive comedy would opening to around $20 million. The studio credited a great marketing and publicity campaign for the film’s unexpected strength, as well as the cast’s promotional efforts.
Moviegoers gave Bad Teacher only a C+, however. The comedy skewed older, with 57% of those buying tickets over the age of 25. Females made up the majority of the audience at 63%.
Bad Teacher is the third R-rated comedy to impress after The Hangover Part II and Bridesmaids.
"Cameron really brought this home in a big way. She totally went for this role," Sony president of worldwide distribution Rory Bruer said. "To do more than $30 million is hitting it out of the park."
Coming in No. 4 at the domestic box office was Paramount's Super 8, which continued to hold in nicely, falling 43% to an estimated $12.1 million for a domestic cume of $95.2 million. Overseas, the J.J. Abrams pic has grossed $36 million, for a global total of $131.2 million.
Jim Carrey family film Mr. Popper's Penguins rounded out the top five, falling a slim 42% in its second weekend to an estimated $10.3 million for a cume of $39.4 million.
Other box office headlines included Woody Allen's crossover hit Midnight in Paris, which earned $4.5 million for the weekend, bringing its domestic cume to $28.6 million for Sony Pictures Classics.
And DreamWorks Animation and Paramount's Kung Fu Panda neared the $500 million mark at the worldwide box office, ending the weekend with a cume of $493 million. The 3D toon is particularly strong overseas, where it has earned $340 million.

POWERS
Following the news this past week that Jason Patric and Lucy Punch will play the two leads in the upcoming television adaptation of Brian Michael Bendis' and Michael Avon Oeming's "Powers", comes confirmation that the project has also found its Retro Girl.
"A couple of weeks ago, we cast a woman named Carly Foulkes to be Retro Girl," Bendis told the Sirius Radio Show Geektime (via reader Mac_hine), "You're sitting there going, 'Who's that?' That is the super, super cute T-Mobile girl."
The series, headed to FX, deals with a pair of detectives that investigate superhero-related homicides. In the comic book series, Retro Girl is a celebrity heroine whose murder marks the first major case for Christian Walker (Patric) and Deena Pilgrim (Punch). If the comics are any indication, the death of Retro Girl is only the beginning of the exploration into the character's history and her close ties to several of the series' regulars.
The TV series is gearing up to shoot in Chicago this summer. "Powers" launched as a comic book in 2004 from Image Comics and is currently published by Marvel's Icon imprint.

COWBOYS & ALIENS
The third trailer for director Jon Favreau's Cowboys & Aliens has hit! Opening in theaters on July 29, the film stars Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde, Sam Rockwell, Adam Beach, Paul Dano, Noah Ringer, Keith Carradine, Clancy Brown, Ana de la Reguera and Abigail Spencer.
Joined by an arsenal of top moviemakers—Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci—Favreau brings an all-new action thriller that will take audiences into the Old West, where a lone cowboy leads an uprising against a terror from beyond our world.

SATURDAY, JUNE 25, 2011

TV'S COLOMBO DIES
Peter Falk, who created one of the all-time great TV detectives on "Columbo" and was twice nominated for an Oscar, has died.
A family spokesperson says Falk, 83, died Thursday night (June 23) at his home in Beverly Hills. He had been suffering from dementia and Alzheimer's disease in recent years.
Falk is best known for his iconic role as Lt. Columbo, the disheveled, trench coat-wearing, constantly underestimated LAPD detective in the classic 1970s series. He won four Emmys for the role (and a fifth for an earlier role in an episode of "The Dick Powell Theatre"), most recently in 1990 after ABC revived the character.
His career stretched back to the late 1950s, and he was nominated for the best supporting actor Oscar in two consecutive years, first for 1960's "Murder Inc." and then for 1961's "Pocketful of Miracles." He also worked with director John Cassavetes on several films, including "Husbands" and "A Woman Under the Influence."
Falk also became known to a generation of younger viewers as the grandfather and narrator of "The Princess Bride." His other credits include "The In-Laws," the Neil Simon detective spoofs "Murder by Death" and "The Cheap Detective," "Wings of Desire" and more recently, "Made" and "Next."

THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 2011

SUPERNATURAL NEWS
"Supernatural" star Jensen Ackles got his first taste of life behind the camera in Season 6, when he directed the fan favorite episode "Weekend at Bobby's." Ackles will return to the director's chair in early July when the cast and crew returns to Vancouver to begin work on Season 7.
Though Ackles' episode is the first one that the "Supernatural" gang will shoot this summer, it will actually air as the third episode of the season. The shooting order of the episodes was shifted in order to allow Ackles reasonable time to prepare.
Speaking of prep time -- judging by a tweet from Ackles' co-star, Jared Padalecki, they're cutting it closer than expected this year. "T-minus two weeks to shoot and I JUST got the first two scripts?" he wrote. "Who wants a copy? Please send fax numbers ;)"
(He wasn't kidding -- one lucky fan checked her fax machine to find the cover page of the script, with a personal note in the margins.)
Last season, Ackles directed an episode that focused heavily on Jim Beaver's character, Bobby -- meaning Ackles didn't have to spend too much time directing scenes that he also acted in. This season, he may not have that luxury! We're sure to hear much more about his second crack at directing at Comic-Con, where Ackles and Padalecki will headline the largest "Supernatural" panel that the convention has ever seen on Sunday, July 24.
The episode is written by Andrew Dabb and Daniel Loflin, who also wrote "Weekend at Bobby's."

POTTERMORE
Nothing like the possibility of more "Harry Potter" to get the internet worked into a collective frenzy. J.K. Rowling is set to announce the launch of "Pottermore," her latest wizard-related venture, at 7 a.m. EST on Thursday morning.
UK Tabloid The Guardian reports that a leak from the Rowling camp has revealed the big secret. According to them, Pottermore is a scavenger hunt that begins online and ends up in the real world, leading players to actual wands hidden in various places in the US and the UK.
One resourceful fan checked in with the U.S. Trademark office, which is public record. According to her, there are six pending trademarks suggesting that Pottermore will be a website with social networking function, as well as downloadable audio/video and book merchandise.
"One is for On-line retail store services featuring audio books, electronic books, books, magazines, etc," she tweets. "Another is for toys/sporting goods (Ser. No. 77788368), also books & mags feat. action, adventure, comedy (Ser No. 77788107). Phone cards, cash cards, prerecorded tapes and discs (Ser. No. 77788098) and lots of digital/ebook things (Ser.No.77788427)."
It's possibly that Rowling and co. are just covering all possible bases.
Still, fans are holding out hope that Pottermore will be another book in the "Harry Potter" series. Though Rowling has expressed that she doesn't intend to do another Potter novel (though she's considered writing a wizard encyclopedia for charitable purposes), a YouTube tip has fans anticipating the best. The elaborate YouTube page where Rowling plans to make her announcement shows the video set at the time 0:09/1:13.
Anyone familiar with Rowling's work knows that nothing is a coincidence, and it just so happens that 9/1/13 - September 1, 2013 - would be the date that Harry Potter's son, James, would first arrive at Hogwarts.

FRINGE NEWS
The season finale of Fringe flipped the script on everything we thought we knew about the show. Certain people came together, others disappeared, and we were left with huge a cliffhanger. And according to the show's producers, next season will bring even more changes.
Fringe producers Jeff Pinkner and Joel H. Wyman recently spilled the beans about what we can expect from season four. "Without revealing anything, we have some really—we have some things we're very excited about. We're bringing back some characters who were among our favorites," Pinkner shared.
From that statement alone we already know who one of the favorites is—Agent Lincoln Lee! It was confirmed shortly after the finale that he was coming back as a series regular. Aside from him, we think Charlie definitely has a shot at returning. There's a lot of potential characters that can be used from both sides.
And if you've always wanted to watch the show but felt like you were too late, you're in luck! Pinkner and Wyman have devised a plan to rope you in without making you feel dumb or confused.
"We've had a lot of people say 'We love the promos; we want to figure out time to watch', but not everyone has time to sit down and watch [three full] seasons, so we tried to make this [fourth] season like a new pilot. We did that a little bit last season, too, but it will just be an entry point for people to come in who haven't seen everything."
How do you feel about that? With a certain someone being wiped from the face of the earth, we definitely understand the concept of a new beginning. Plus, with the joining of the two universes, they have to find some way to start over and make everything mesh.
Even though the producers and writers have a huge job on their hands, they don't feel intimidated or pressured by fans. Pinkner said, "I truly believe they're going to love [the resolution from the season finale], and they'll understand it. We have smart fans. They won't be disappointed."

TORCHWOOD
We've known for a while that Torchwood: Miracle Day would be supplemented with an animated motion comic series for the Web, featuring the voices of Eliza Dushku, John Barrowman and Eve Myles. It turns out that Torchwood: Web of Lies is more than that—it's also a game, available on iTunes.
MTV writes that this game "will consist of 10 three-minute chapters ... in bundles of three for ninety-nine cents." Players can also purchase the whole series for $2.99.
The press release, also from MTV, reads:
Torchwood: Web of Lies is an episodic interactive experience for iOS that fuses together motion comic and gameplay elements to tell an original and digitally exclusive Torchwood story. Players will participate in a parallel storyline to Torchwood: Miracle Day that includes lead characters Captain Jack Harkness and Gwen Cooper—voiced by John Barrowman and Eve Myles.
Torchwood: Web of Lies runs alongside weekly premieres of Torchwood: Miracle Day, providing fans with a way to engage in the world of Torchwood between episodes. It reveals a past day in the lives of Captain Jack Harkness and Gwen Cooper—a day they've both forgotten. The events of that day fuel a modern day conspiracy-laced treasure hunt, as Holly Mokri, voiced by Eliza Dushku (Dollhouse, Tru Calling, Buffy The Vampire Slayer), labors to uncover the secrets of Miracle Day. Each week a new episode unlocks, allowing players to access another piece of original motion comic narrative and game which ties into and extends plot developments of the show, as well as providing new twists in its own narrative.

GREEN LANTERN - ANIMATED SERIES
The Green Lantern movie has opened to negative reviews and a mediocre box-office take. But fans of the comic book can take heart: That big-screen adaptation isn't the last we'll see of Hal Jordan.
Green Lantern: The Animated Series should be appearing on the Cartoon Network on Sept. 5, 2011, at 8 p.m.
When you look at the 30-second clip, your first thought is probably "Hey, this looks like it's just for kids." True, it's aimed at children. But if it has any of the epic struggles that include descending into insanity, the destruction of planets and betrayal from your mentors—in other words, the elements that make Green Lantern great—then it should find a loyal following of all ages.

FRANKENSTEIN
20th Century Fox and producer John Davis have hired up and coming scribe Max Landis to pen a script based on the iconic Frankenstein tale.
Landis has close ties to the studio and Davis, having solid two spec scripts to Fox, including Chronicle, about three friends who gain superpowers from a mysterious substance, and then find themselves in conduct.
Details of the Frankenstein project are being kept under wraps, but Landis is no stranger to ghouls. He worked with his father, John Landis, on the Masters of Horror television series.
Kenneth Branagh’s 1994 Frankenstein was the last time the famous monster graced the big screen. The film was a disappointment in the U.S., but did far better overseas.
Davis Entertainment is attached to produce the untitled pic, which Fox will distribute.

SPY-VS-SPY
According to Deadline, Ron Howard has become attached to an adaptation of the "MAD Magazine" comic strip Spy vs. Spy. David Koepp and John Kamps are set to tackle the screenplay (Kamps writing with Koepp overseeing) which will bring to the big screen the endless struggle between rival black and white spies.
Howard, still attached to direct The Dark Tower, was also, just yesterday, named as a potential candidate for the Formula 1 biopic Rush. He most recently directed The Dilemma for Universal.
Koepp and Kamps have already teamed for Premium Rush (no relation to the potential Howard project) which Koepp will direct. That film, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Shannon and Jamie Chung, is set for released January 13, 2012.
First appearing in "MAD Magazine" #60, the popular Spy characters celebrate their 50th anniversary this year. Light on continuity, Spy vs. Spy has previously been adapted in an animated form, appearing on both "MADtv" and the more recent sketch comedy show "MAD."

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2011

POWERS
The Hollywood Reporter writest that Jason Patric is making his first dip into the world of TV and is in negotiations to star in Powers, FX’s adaptation of the Brian Michael Bendis-Michael Avon Oeming comic book.
Sony Pictures Television is behind the pilot, which is being produced by Circle of Confusion and directed by Michael Dinner.
Patric will play Christian Walker, a cop who works in the Powers division of the police force and deals with crimes involving those endowed with special abilities.
The first story in the Powers comic, which is serving as the basis for the pilot, involves the murder of Retro Girl, a superpowered celebrity. Walker, who gets paired up with a rookie on the case, is determined to track down the killer even if it costs him his badge.
Patric will join a cast that so far includes Charles S. Dutton and Bailee Madison.
Patric has always skewed toward the offbeat in his movie career, starring in films ranging from The Lost Boys and Rush to In the Valley of Elah and comic book movie The Losers.

SNOW WHITE NEWS
There are no small parts in Hollywood. But these days there are plenty of dwarf roles to go around.
Universal is ramping up its casting of the warrior dwarfs in its high-profile Snow White and the Huntsman action adventure movie, with Eddie Izzard, Bob Hoskins and Toby Jones in negotiations to board the movie.
Eddie Marsan (Sherlock Holmes) and Steven Graham are in negotiations to play dwarves in the film as well.
The project, being directed by Rupert Sanders, is a revisionist take on the fairy tale and features Snow White (Kristen Stewart) as a princess who escapes her evil stepmother (Charlize Theron) with the help of a huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) who was to have killed her but now trains the princess to survive and fight back.
Evan Daugherty wrote the initial script and Evan Spiliotopoulos is currently working on it.
As Heat Vision first reported Monday, Ian McShane was cast first as the dwarf leader. The dwarf names are veering mightily away from the well-known Disney version, with McShane as Caesar, Jones as a timid dwarf named Claudius and Izzard will be Tiberius, described as the biggest and burliest of the crew. Hoskins will play Constantine, a blind dwarf.
Izzard, who will be heard as part of the Cars 2 voice cast, is repped by UTA, the Collective and UK-based Conway Van Gelder.
Hoskins, who last appearerd in Made in Dagenham, is repped by CAA and the UK's United Artists.
Jones, repped by UTA and ARG Talent, will next be seen in Captain America: The First Avenger and does voicework in The Adventures of Tintin. He next shoots a part in Hunger Games.

RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
20th Century Fox has released new images from director Rupert Wyatt's Rise of the Planet of the Apes.
The action adventure stars James Franco, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow, Brian Cox, Tom Felton, David Oyelowo and features the captured performance of Andy Serkis as Caesar.

RUSH
Variety reports that Ron Howard is in early talks to direct Rush, the Formula 1 biopic written by Peter Morgan (Frost/Nixon, The Queen).
The film will deal with Andreas Nikolaus "Niki" Lauda's rivalry with English racer James Hunt and the August 1, 1976 accident that left Lauda near death when his Ferrari swerved off the track, which allowed Hunt to win the race.
Paul Greengrass was previously rumored to direct. Cross Creek Pictures (Black Swan) will finance the movie.
Howard is still attached to direct The Dark Tower, which he said they are hoping to start shooting in spring 2012.

HAWAII FIVE-O CASTING NEWS
TV Line reports that Terry O'Quinn is set to reunite with his former "LOST" star Daniel Dae Kim in CBS' "Hawaii Five-O." The site says that he'll play a Navy Seal Lt. Commander who trained Alex O'Loughlin's McGarrett in Coronada, and served with his father in Vietnam. The role will be a recurring one for O'Quinn.

GREY'S ANATOMY CASTING
Scott Foley, who has been seen on "Grey's Anatomy" last season (and will continue to appear), has landed a role in HBO's "True Blood." His character is not expected to appear until the Season 4 finale and then will continue in Season 5.

TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2011

CRIMINAL MINDS - SEASON 7
A few weeks back, a story broke that Thomas Gibson, Aaron Hotchner on CRIMINAL MINDS, had not yetsigned for the new season. The question went out -- what would CRIMINAL MINDS be like withoutAgent Hotchner to run the team?
Well, fans of the show need not worry. Thomas Gibson has signed a new deal to return to the CBS show for its seventh season, which is set to begin production is just two weeks, TVLine reports.
Even better news. A source says Gibson signed on for two more years in a deal worth mid-to-high seven figures. His new salary is reportedly more than double his previous salary.

POWERS
FX's comic book-inspired pilot "Powers" has cast its female lead.
Lucy Punch ("Hot Fuzz," "The Class") will play Deena Pilgrim, a homicide detective who works on cases involving people with superpowers, Deadline reports. In the opening of the comic series by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming, Deena is a new transfer to the Powers division, where she's partnered with Christian Walker, a former hero who lost his powers.
Katee Sackhoff had campaigned for the part of Deena, but to no avail. British actress Punch is mostly known for comedy -- her credits also include "Bad Teacher" and "Dinner for Schmucks" -- but that background could serve her pretty well as Deena, who in the comics doesn't have much of a filter.
The Walker role hasn't been cast yet. Reports earlier this year said FX was courting "Friday Night Lights" star Kyle Chandler for the part, but we haven't heard much since then.
Charles H. Eglee ("The Shield," "The Walking Dead") is writing the pilot script and executive producing with Bendis, director Michael Dinner and David Engel. The pilot is scheduled to film later this summer in Chicago.

CAPTAIN AMERICA
Captain America's shield is so famous that not only does it do cameos in movies (Iron Man, Iron Man 2), it also has its own featurette. The video is called "Behind the Shield" and it features Chris Evans, Joe Johnston, Kevin Feige, and the rest of the film's crew talking about how the famous weapon came to be.
The shield has a life of its own. It started off with a triangle shape then got upgraded to the sleek circle we all know and love. According to Evans, he went through several versions of it while shooting Captain America: The First Avenger. If a scene called for Cap to hit someone with the shield, they used a rubber one. If he had to carry the shield on his back, they had a magnetic one. There's a shield for every occasion.
Dominic Cooper, who plays Howard Stark (Tony's dad) talks about how his character created the shield from a special metal called Vibranium. Vibranium is stronger than steel but weighs less, which makes it the ultimate Nazi-fighting accessory.

SNOW WHITE
The Hollywood Reporter writes -- Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, it’s off to Snow White and Huntsman that Ian McShane will go.
The actor, currently seen on screen as Blackbeard in Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, has signed to play one of the dwarfs in Universal’s Snow White adventure movie.
The project, being directed by Rupert Sanders, is a revisionist take on the fairy tale and features Snow White (Kristen Stewart) as a princess who escapes her evil stepmother (Charlize Theron) with the help of a huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) who was to have killed her but now trains the princess to survive and fight back.
The movie is on track for an August production start. Universal will release the film in theaters June 1, 2012.
McShane will play Caesar, the leader of the dwarfs. Universal is in the process of casting the rest of his crew. With Universal and Relativity Media racing separate Snow White projects into theaters next year (Relativity's untitled project also is ramping up production and is currently set to hit theaters in March), there could be serious competition to find strong character actors to fill the roles.
McShane, repped by ICM, Gallant Management, Independent Talent, and attorney Mark Wetzstein, is currently shooting Bryan Singer and New Line’s Jack the Giant Killer, in which he plays a benevolent king.

GOOD START FOR FALLING SKIES
TNT's alien invasion series Falling Skies, executive produced by Steven Spielberg, hit big in the ratings.
For the two-hour series premiere last night, 5.91 million viewers tuned in to the Noah Wyle-led drama, according to Nielsen. The launch marks cable's top new series for the year to date. The TNT drama also ranks as cable's biggest scripted debut since last year's TNT drama Rizzoli & Isles, which drew 7.6 million to its premiere in mid-July 2010.
Comparably, Falling Skies outdrew the series debuts of USA's Covert Affairs (4.9 million) and AMC's The Walking Dead (5.3 million).
In the adult demos, the ambitious sci-fi drama did well: in the 18-49 demographic, 2.64 million tuned in and 3.24 million in the adults 25-54.
“The enormous success of Falling Skies demonstrates what can happen when you partner with the best people in the business and give them what they need to do their very best work,” said Michael Wright, executive vice president, head of programming for TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies. “TNT’s Falling Skies is an exciting, fascinating and often moving story made possible through the magic of DreamWorks Television, an incredibly talented cast led by Noah Wyle and the vision of one of the greatest storytellers of our time, Steven Spielberg.”
Falling Skies premieres in its regular time slot this Sunday at 10 p.m. following Leverage.

MONDAY, JUNE 20, 2011

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
Warner Bros.' "Green Lantern" underperformed at the box office this weekend, bringing in $53 million, which didn't meet the studio's lowered expectation after experiencing a 21 percent drop-off from Friday to Saturday. The studio is hoping the superhero flick starring Ryan Reynolds experiences a Father's Day boost.
The weekend's other new release "Mr. Popper's Penguins" starring Jim Carrey came in third with $18 million, meeting the studio's expectation, but still underwhelming.
J.J. Abrams' supernatural thriller "Super 8" still had a super-strong hold on moviegoers this weekend. The film, which stars relative unknowns, had a budget of $50 million and has already grossed $72 million. Another win for J.J. Abrams!
"X-Men: First Class" starring James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender ($11.5M) and "The Hangover Part ll" with $9.6 million rounded out the top five.
Here's the weekend Top 10:
No. 1: "Green Lantern" -- $53M
No. 2: "Super 8" -- $21.3 M
No. 3: "Mr. Popper's Penguins" -- $18.2M
No. 4: "X-Men: First Class" -- $11.5M
No. 5: "The Hangover Part ll" -- $9.6M
No. 6: "Kung Fu Panda" -- $8.7M
No. 7: "Bridesmaids" -- $7.5M
No. 8: "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" -- $6.2M
No. 9: "Midnight in Paris" -- $5.2M
No. 10: "Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer" -- $2.2M

SAN DIEGO COMIC CON SCHEDULE
With Comic-Con quickly approaching The Hollywood Reporter’s Live Feed has compiled an early look at what, in some cases, is confirmed and other cases rumored to be heading to Comic-Con International. Set for July 21-24 with preview night July 20 at the Convention Center in San Diego, some studios, like 20th Television, and networks including Starz and HBO, have already released their early panel lineups. With the help of THR sources as well as assists from EW, IGN, seat42f.com and TVLine, here’s an early look at the TV side of Comic-Con 2011.
Additional announcements and panelists are sure to come in the weeks ahead.
THURSDAY, JULY 21
Awake (Fox): The first episode will be screened, with Howard Gordon, Kyle Killen and Jason Isaacs attending.
Beavis and Butt-Head (MTV)
Covert Affairs (USA)
Game of Thrones (HBO): Author George R.R. Martin will moderate the panel with attendees including David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, Emilia Clarke, Peter Dinklage, Kit Harington, Jason Momoa and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. The panel marks the freshman series first time at Comic-Con.
Napoleon Dynamite (Fox): Jon Heder, Tina Majorino, Efren Ramirez, Jon Gries, Sandy Martin, Diedrich Bader and EP Mike Scully. A sneak preview of the animated series to be screened.
Penn & Teller Tell a Lie
Psych (USA)

FRIDAY, JULY 22
Bob’s Burgers (Fox): Season 2 clip to be presented, along with Q&A with Loren Bouchard, Jim Dauterive, H. Jon Benjamin, John Roberts, Dan Mintz, Eugene Mirman and Kristen Schaal.
Bones/The Finder (Fox): Panel discussion with Hart Hanson, Stephen Nathan, David Boreanaz, Emily Deschanel as well as the stars of its spinoff, The Finder.
Falling Skies (TNT)
Reign of the Dinosaurs (Discovery): Erik Nelson, David Krentz, Ricardo Delgado
Spartacus: Vengeance (Starz): New Spartacus Liam McIntyre will be introduced alongside fellow panelists Lucy Lawless, Dustin Clare, Manu Bennett, Katrina Law and Steven S. DeKnight.
Torchwood: Miracle Day (Starz): John Barrowman, Eve Myles, Bill Pullman, Mekhi Phifer, Alexa Havins, Lauren Ambrose and Jane Espenson will attend.
True Blood (Fox): Attendees include Alan Ball, Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Sam Trammell, Ryan Kwanten, Rutina Wesley, Kevin Alejandro, Kristin Bauer van Straten, Nelsan Ellis, Joe Manganiello and Deborah Ann Woll. The panel will be the show’s fourth Comic-Con appearance.

SATURDAY, JULY 23
American Dad (Fox): A preview of the Season 7 premiere will be screened, featuring guest star Cee Lo Green, followed by a panel discussion with Wendy Schaal, Scott Grimes, Rachael MacFarlane, Dee Bradley Baker, Mike Barker, Matt Weitzman and Kara Vallow.
Family Guy (Fox): Alex Borstein, Seth Green, Adam West, Mark Hentemann, Steve Callaghan and Kara Vallow will screen a sneak preview of Stewie Goes for a Drive, featuring voice guest star Ryan Reynolds.
Futurama (Fox): Matt Groening, David X. Cohen, Billy West, Katey Sagal, John DiMaggio and Maurice LaMarche to attend with a sneak preview of the show reincarnated as Japanese anime and a preview of the new season to be screened. Bill Morrison will moderate.
Good Vibes (MTV)
Mythbusters (Discovery)
Power Rangers Samurai (Nickelodeon)
The Simpsons (Fox): Matt Groening, Al Jean, Rob Lazebnik, Matt Warburton, Mike Anderson and Tom Gammill will be in attendance.
Teen Wolf (MTV)
Terra Nova (Fox): The first episode will be screened with Stephen Lang, Rene Echevarria and Brannon Braga set to attend.

SUNDAY, JULY 24
Castle (ABC)
The Cleveland Show (Fox): A look at its Die Hard parody will be screened, followed by a Q&A with Mike Henry, Sanaa Lathan, Kevin Michael Richardson, Reagan Gomez, Rich Appel and Kara Vallow.
Allen Gregory (Fox): Jonah Hill, David Goodman, Andrew Mogel and Jarrad Paul will be joined by the voice-cast for a sneak preview of the animated series.
Glee (Fox): Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and stars of the musical hit will air a musical sneak preview at never-before-seen footage and behind-the-scenes secrets about the series.

ALSO GOING -- DETAILS TBD
Alphas (Syfy)
Being Human (Syfy)
The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
Children’s Hospital (Adult Swim)
Chuck (NBC)
Community (NBC)
Eureka (Syfy)
Fringe (Fox)
Grimm (NBC)
The Guild (Web series)
Once Upon a Time (ABC)
The Nine Lives of Chloe King (ABC Family)
Person of Interest (CBS)
Ringer (CW)
The River (ABC)
Sanctuary (Syfy)
The Secret Circle (CW)
Sons of Anarchy (FX)
The Vampire Diaries (CW)
The Walking Dead (AMC)
Warehouse 13 (Syfy)
Wilfred (FX)

TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON
Several more TV spots for Michael Bay's Transformers: Dark of the Moon have come online and feature new footage from the film, opening at 9pm on June 28 in 3D and IMAX theaters, before hitting 2D theaters three hours later.
Shia LaBeouf, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Kevin Dunn, Julie White, Frances McDormand, John Malkovich, Ken Jeong, Patrick Dempsey, Alan Tudyk, John Turturro and Leonard Nimoy star in the anticipated film.

NOIR
Following on from their successful teaming on "Spartacus", premium cable network Starz is reuniting with Sam Raimi and Robert G. Tapert for the new action drama project "Noir".
The network has given a series order to the show, though the number of episodes haven't been determined says Deadline.
A live-action adaptation of a 2001 Japanese anime series, the story follows two female assassins who vow to fight a secret society and also try to work together to determine why and how they're mysteriously linked.
Steve Lightfoot wrote the pilot and will executive produce along with Raimi, Tapert, Joshua Donen and Bill Hamm.

HOT WHEELS
According to Variety, Legendary Entertainment is in early negotiations with Mattel to acquire film rights to the popular toy car line "Hot Wheels".
The reported aim isn't to appeal to kids who buy the cars, but rather to produce an edgy action racing film akin to "Fast Five".
No director or writers have yet been hired. Warner Bros. Pictures, where Legendary is based, would distribute.

SUNDAY, JUNE 19, 2011

FALLING SKIES PREMIERES TODAY ON TNT
"Falling Skies" finished filming its 10-episode season last November, and since then Noah Wyle has developed a selective memory about the physical rigors of the alien-invasion story.
"I think I knew it was going to be a physically demanding show, but I don't think I had any idea how physically demanding it would be. It wasn't too bad, but there was a lot of running and jumping and diving and rolling," Wyle said in a recent interview. "And for the first time in my life, I found myself being the oldest cast member [in a lot of scenes] and having to keep up with these young springboks.
"I enjoy the physicality. I certainly like the freedom to move ... and it's sort of the Spielberg aesthetic to shoot big, wide scenes where the actors do more moving than the camera does. So I thought that was great, but I'm also now experiencing amnesia of all the bumps and bruises and scrapes I endured."
In "Falling Skies," which debuts Sunday (June 19) on TNT, Wyle plays a Boston University history professor who joins a human resistance after aliens wipe out most of the population and abduct one of his sons. The Steven Spielberg-produced show is his first series since "ER," and he is something of an elder statesman in the cast (along with Will Patton, who plays the military commander under whom Wyle serves).
For a review of the series, go to http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/falling-skies-tv-review-196959.

MAGIC KINGDOM
Michael Chabon has been tapped to write MGIC KINGDOM, Disney’s family adventure project that is being directed by Jon Favreau.
Heat Vision first reported the author's possible involvement in March, when the Pulitzer Prize-winning author initially talked with Favreau about it but before any meetings with Disney had taken place.
Since then, deal-making quietly got under way and an agreement closed this week.
Chabon will now begin tackling a story whose details are being kept under wraps but is set in Disney’s flagship theme park and may even be connected to other parks worldwide.
Ron Moore, who revived the recent Battlestar Galactica TV series, wrote the initial draft but Kingdom re-routed into a different direction when Favreau came on board.
Strike Entertainment is producing MAGIC KINGDOM.
Chabon is a big Disney aficionado and spent time at the Anaheim park with Favreau. He worked on the studio’s high-priority Snow White project titled The Order of the Seven as well as its upcoming adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs book series John Carter of Mars. He is also penning the book for the Broadway-bound Dumbo musical.
In non-Disney matters, Chabon and his wife, author Ayelet Waldman, are developing an HBO pilot titled Hobgoblin, which Darren Aronofsky will direct.

ARTHUR & LANCELOT
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Warner Bros. has emerged victorious in a heated bidding war for an untitled King Arthur spec script written by David Dobkin, who is also attached to direct and the produce.
Warners beat out Fox and Universal for the Arthur project, which is a major departure for Dobkin and could be a defining moment for the man as a filmmaker.
Dobkin is best known for his successful buddy comedies such as Wedding Crashers and Shanghai Knights, and is behind The Change-Up, the upcoming comedy starring Ryan Reynolds and Jason Bateman.
Dobkin is producing via his Big Kid Pictures along with the shingle’s Jeff Kleeman. Lionel Wigram (Sherlock Holmes) is also producing.
The deal was in the seven figures and the project is intended to be a big-budget action adventure.
The more interesting question is what this project may do to the other King Arthur projects Warners has in development. The studio is working on a remake of the 1981 movie Excalibur that Bryan Singer is a producer on while Guy Ritchie is developing King Arthur, based on Thomas Mallory’s novel.
The fact the studio picked Dobkin’s project speaks volumes about its strengths but also casts doubt on the life of the others.
CAA-repped Dobkin and his Big Kid banner are also producing Jack the Giant Killer (with Neal Moritz’s Original Films) and RIPD, Universal’s supernatural action movie which will star Ryan Reynolds and Jeff Bridges. Original and Dark Horse Entertainment are also producing.

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2
Warner Bros. Pictures has started airing this 7th TV spot for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2, coming to 3D, 2D and IMAX 3D theaters on July 15. The epic final was directed by David Yates from a script by Steve Kloves and stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Tom Felton, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon, Jason Isaacs, Alan Rickman, David Thewlis, Julie Walters, Bonnie Wright and Kelly Macdonald.
In the film, the battle between the good and evil forces of the Wizarding world escalates into an all-out war. The stakes have never been higher and no one is safe. But it is Harry Potter who may be called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice as he draws closer to the climactic showdown with Lord Voldemort. It all ends here.

THE MUPPET MOVIE
Walt Disney Pictures has released the full trailer for their upcoming The Muppets.
Directed by James Bobin with a script by Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller, the November 23rd release stars Segel, Amy Adams, Chris Cooper and many, many more.
The focus of the story is Walter, the world's biggest Muppet fan, and his friends Gary (Segel) and Mary (Adams). Together, they discover the nefarious plan of oilman Tex Richman (Cooper) to raze the Muppet Theater and drill for the oil recently discovered beneath the Muppets' former stomping grounds. To stage The Greatest Muppet Telethon Ever and raise the $10 million needed to save the theater, Walter, Mary and Gary help Kermit reunite the Muppets, who have all gone their separate ways: Fozzie now performs with a Reno casino tribute band called the Moopets, Miss Piggy is a plus-size fashion editor at Vogue Paris, Animal is in a Santa Barbara clinic for anger management, and Gonzo is a high-powered plumbing magnate.

SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 2011

JURASSIC PARK 4
We have heard rumors before about another JURASSIC PARK project, but apparently Steven Spielberg is brainstorming ways to finally add a fourth installment to the dinosaur drama.
THR reports that Spielberg, once again in bed with CGI dinos this fall on FOX's "Terra Nova," has approached screenwriter Mark Protosevich to discuss possible storylines for "JP4."
A previous attempt at the film was made in 2007, with the rumored plot focusing on government owned dinosaurs that carry weapons into battle.
Universal and team Spielberg maintain that all talk of more "Jurassic Park" is just for fun, at the moment, but if there's an interest to bring back the dinosaurs, we can't imagine it will be that difficult to find an excuse.

THE HOBBIT NEWS
Although filming is firmly underway in New Zealand for Peter Jackson's The Hobbit parts 1 and 2, there were still some secondary characters that needed to be cast, including the voice of Smaug the Dragon and Bard the Bowman. Well, it's done. Cast. Revealed.
Actor Luke Evans (Clash of the Titans, Immortals) has snatched the role of Bard the Grim (probably Bard the Bowman), a secondary but important character in The Hobbit. Why is he important? Well, in case you haven't read the book, we won't reveal the reason here, but let's just say it'll have something to do with the second casting news below.
Deadline's reported:
Luke Evans has bagged the role of Bard in The Hobbit, a last major part that Peter Jackson hadn't cast in a production that's underway in New Zealand. Bard the Grim is a skilled archer, and the heir of King Girion of Dale. The king was killed by the talking dragon Smaug. The character plays a greater role in the second film, and is somewhat reminiscent of the action-hero exploits of Viggo Mortensen's Aragorn, I'm told.
While some people have been speculating for months that Leonard Nimoy or even Bill Nighy would get to voice Smaug the Dragon, the role has officially gone to Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch.
Again from Deadline's report:
After reporting today that Luke Evans will play Bard in the Peter Jackson-directed The Hobbit and wondering who'll voice the dragon Smaug, Deadline can now tell you that it will be Benedict Cumberbatch. He'll portray Smaug via motion capture. He is already on the picture, providing the voice of the character Necromancer.
While this will come as no great surprise, since Cumberbatch's involvement in the film had already been revealed a few weeks back at the BAFTA awards, when his Sherlock co-star and The Hobbit's own Bilbo Baggins, actor Martin Freeman, let slip that Cumberbatch was going to film a part in the movie, it wasn't revealed which part it would be.
What's surprising, however, is that Cumberbatch (whom we'll soon see in Steven Spielberg's War Horse, as well as in the spy thriller Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, and HBO's five-part mini-series Parade's End is also voicing another character: the Necromancer.
In The Hobbit, the Necromancer is another name given to a certain Lord of the Rings villain ... namely [spoiler alert] Sauron.

WOLVERINE NEWS
Deadline reports that James Mangold has been chosen by both 20th Century Fox and star Hugh Jackman to direct WOLVERINE, the X-Men spinoff film, with negotiations soon to get underway for Mangold to take the job left vacant by Aronofsky back in March.
Mangold's the guy who directed the merely OK Knight and Day, which starred Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz, but he also directed the great 3:10 to Yuma with Russell Crowe and Christian Bale, as well as the Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line.
The director apparently beat out Warrior director Gavin O'Connor and Brooklyn's Finest and King Arthur helmer Antoine Fuqua for the job.
There's no word as to when exactly production will resume on The Wolverine, but with a new director now found, we hope it'll be shortly.
The Wolverine will see Logan finally embarking on his Japan adventure. This is THE Wolverine story we're looking forward to seeing, and we hope Fox will be able to re-create the same magic it brought back to the X-Men franchise with the just-released X-Men: First Class.

TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON
Paramount Pictures has just announced that their upcoming Transformers: Dark of the Moon will offer early 3D and IMAX showings at 9pm on June 28th, allowing moviegoers nationwide to be among the first to see the latest installment in the hit franchise, and the first to be shot in 3D. The movie will then open wide beginning at 12AM on June 29th.
“Michael Bay has created an incredibly engaging and immersive 3D experience with this latest movie, one that will undoubtedly be among the most entertaining movie going experiences of the summer,” said Paramount’s Vice Chairman Rob Moore in an official announcement, “Providing fans an opportunity to see it early in 3D is a great way to kick off the movie’s opening.”
Transformers: Dark of the Moon is directed by Michael Bay, written by Ehren Kruger and produced by Don Murphy & Tom DeSanto, Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Ian Bryce. The executive producers are Steven Spielberg, Michael Bay, Brian Goldner and Mark Vahradian. When a mysterious event from Earth’s past erupts into the present day it threatens to bring a war to Earth so big that the Transformers alone will not be able to save us. The movie stars Shia LaBeouf, Josh Duhamel, John Turturro, Tyrese Gibson, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Patrick Dempsey, Kevin Dunn, Julie White with John Malkovich and Frances McDormand.

STAR TREK COMIC COMING
IDW Publishing and CBS Consumer Products have announced a brand-new ongoing comic book series to be based on J.J. Abram's rebooted Star Trek universe. Teaming with the film's writer/producer Roberto Orci, the new monthly series will tie into both the 2009 film and the upcoming untitled sequel.
“Movies cost money. Lots and lots of money,” says Orci of the new series, “But comics give us unlimited budgets to take the crew of the Enterprise farther than they've ever been. Join us!”
The comic book series will re-adapt episodes of the original television series in the "rebooted" canon, beginning with the series' second pilot, "Where No Man Has Gone Before". That episode saw the U.S.S. Enterprise traveling to the edge of the galaxy, exposing two crewmembers to an energy field that causes them evolve into godlike beings. Fearing their increasing lack of humanity, Captain James T. Kirk decides that he must maroon them on a nearby planet before they become too powerful to stop. One of the afflicted crewmen is Helsman Gary Mitchell, a close personal friend to Kirk.
Specifically interesting to fans of the film is the fact that Mitchell has been one of the many characters speculated to appear in the upcoming sequel. While there's no assurance that this comic book version will mirror the episode to the point of his inclusion, it does make an upcoming film appearance less likely.
Incidentally, the planet on which Mitchell was marooned in the original episode was Delta Vega, the same world on which Spock leaves Kirk in the 2009 film. The original episode was also given a direct sequel in comic book form in the bizarre 1996 "Star Trek / X-Men" crossover, published by Marvel Comics.
The first issue slated for September, the upcoming comic book series arrives under the creative direction of Orci, writer Mike Johnson and artist Stephen Molnar. The first will feature covers from Tim Bradstreet (pictured below) and David Messina, plus four rare photo covers.

GREEN LANTERN OPENS
According to Deadline, Warner Bros. Pictures' latest dip into the superhero movie pool with Green Lantern, starring Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively, has made an estimated $3.35 million from its midnight showings, which is a comparable number to what Fox's X-Men: First Class did in midnight screenings two weeks ago. By comparison, Marvel's Thor did $3.25 million in midnights, while Fast Five did $3.8 million.

LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY RELEASE CELEBRATION
Count-Down to “Middle-earth Midnight Madness” Launch Celebration
Theatre Screenings Lead Huge Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group Push for The Lord of the Rings™ The Motion Picture Trilogy: Extended Edition
Special Event Featuring Cast Member Greetings, Costume Contest With Fabulous Prize Packages, and More at Best Buy in West Los Angeles to Celebrate Warner Home Video's June 28 Midnight Release.
Facebook Page, with 5.2 Million Friends, is Official Destination for Insider Information, “Wisdom Wednesday” Q&A with Weta Workshop Talent and new Elvish Name Translator application!
More information tomorrow!

FRIDAY, JUNE 17, 2011

MOVIE WEEKEND
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Warner Bros.’ superhero pic Green Lantern is poised to win the weekend box office race, while 20th Century Fox’s Jim Carrey starrer Mr. Popper’s Penguins is bracing for a slippery ride.
Officially, Warner Bros. is saying Green Lantern should open between $50 million and $60 million domestically. Box office observers believe it will come in on the high end of that range, if not higher, and launch a new franchise, despite poor reviews.
Father’s Day has become a strong movie-going holiday for Hollywood as kids and dads look for something to do together. Green Lantern, based on the D.C. Comics character, could be a preferred choice, since it’s tracking best among males over the age of 25. Younger males are a strong second, followed by younger females who want to see Ryan Reynolds in the title role.
Mr. Popper’s Penguins likewise hopes to be a favorite option on Father’s Day because of its family friendly storyline, but soft tracking has required Fox to readjust its expectations. The studio is now projecting that Penguins will open in the $10 million to $15 million range, a disappointing launch.
Fox says its financial exposure is limited since Popper’s Penguins cost $55 million to produce. In much of the movie, real penguins were used, versus having to rely solely on special effects.
Warners has much more at stake financially, with Green Lantern costing $200 million to produce. The original budget was $150 million, but special effects and the 3D conversion drove up the price tag.
Green Lantern will need to do well overseas, where it rolls out in 15 markets this weekend, in addition to a strong domestic run. The good news: 3D is booming internationally.
Directed by Martin Campbell, Green Lantern features Blake Lively as the love interest and also stars Peter Sarsgaard, Tim Robbins and Angela Bassett.
Green Lantern opens at 12:01 a.m. Friday, and will play in a total of 3,816 theaters over the weekend, including 2,711 3D runs. The film business will be watching closely to see how the movie does in 3D, after lower-than-usual turnouts for other 3D summer tentpoles.
Directed by Mark Waters, Penguins is about a divorced dad who redeems himself after a flock of penguins overtake his Manhattan apartment — and life. The movie also stars Carla Gugino, Madeline Carroll, Angela Lansbury and Philip Baker Hall. Penguins, based on the beloved 1938 children’s book, could prove a test for Carrey’s ongoing appeal.
One studio exec said he expects Penguins to do well internationally, where it begins a slow rollout this week, and on DVD.
Penguins was originally set to open in August, but Fox moved the release date up to Father’s Day weekend, incorporating the holiday into its marketing campaign (take "your pops" to see Popper's Penguins).
Among more specialized fare, Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris continues to do so well that it’s expanding into a total of 1,038 theaters this weekend, the widest count of Allen’s long career. The film has earned more than $16 million to date.
Three documentaries open in limited runs, including Andrew Rossi’s Page One: A Year Inside the New York Times, featuring Times writer David Carr. Magnolia opens the film in two theaters in New York.
IFC Films opens Cindy Meel’s Buck, about legendary horse whisperer Buck Brannaman, in four theaters in Los Angeles and New York.
The third documentary opening is Screen Media’s Jig, which follows the 40th Irish Dancing World Championships.

HOBGOBLIN
Black Swan director Darren Aronofsky is making his first foray into television, boarding HBO’s high-profile Hobgoblin, a period drama written by Michael Chabon (The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay) and his wife, Ayelet Waldman.
The project, which is in development, revolves around a group of con men and magicians who, using their deception skills, help defeat Hitler and the Germans during World War II.
Le Grisbi Productions’ John Lesher and Adam Kassan will serve as executive producers, with authors Chabon (Wonder Boys, The Yiddish Policemen’s Union) and Waldman (Bad Mother, Love and Other Impossible Pursuits) set to co-write and executive produce.
Hobgoblin will be Aronofsky’s first filmed project since he left Fox’s Wolverine sequel. That project was to be his follow-up to Black Swan, which grossed $332 million worldwide, but he abruptly exited Wolverine in March.

PACIFIC RIM
Variety reports that Charlie Day (Horrible Bosses) has joined Charlie Hunnam in director Guillermo del Toro's Pacific Rim.The Legendary Pictures project sees a future Earth defending itself from attacking creatures. Day will play a professor in the film.
Travis Beacham wrote the script for the movie, produced by Thomas Tull and Jon Jashni. Filming will start this fall.
Pacific Rim is aiming for a summer 2013 release.

GREEN LANTERN PROMO
MISSION VIEJO, Calif. (June 17, 2011) - EFX Performance, producers of performance bands worn by superstar athletes, announced the signing of a licensing agreement with Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. today with the unveiling of a custom Green Lantern EFX bracelet as a nod to the recently released blockbuster.
The first series of these specially designed performance bands were given to attendees at the Green Lantern premiere party on June 15, with the official, public rollout to begin Friday, June 17.
Future projects, as part of the licensing agreement, will also include custom-designed bands for DC Comics. The Green Lantern wristband is the first of many prospective DC designs; a retro Batman and Superman band are also on the horizon. EFX has also hinted at a special band for the forthcoming Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 movie.
The partnership with Warner Bros. Entertainment is yet another reflection of the surging popularity of EFX Performance's holographic technology, with this agreement coming on the heels of a recently signed licensing agreement with NASCAR. "EFX is very excited to partner with Warner Brothers and help not only generate awareness for some amazing projects on the horizon, but positively effect those wearing our technology," said Jim Ruschman, president of EFX Performance. "We're eager to unveil the stylish new concepts that are currently being designed."
For more information on all the bands available, go to http://www.efxusa.com/category/WBDC.html.

THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2011

DOCTOR WHO SHELVED UNTIL 2013
The first concern on "Doctor Who" fans' minds when the BBC announced an additional 14 episodes of the series was when they might get to see them.
Showrunner Steven Moffat initially assuaged fears of a broken Season 7, but now it looks like the current run will be the last regular season until 2013.
A BBC reporter took to Twitter after BBC One Controller Danny Cohen spoke on the matter at an event, saying there won't be a full season in 2012, but a special anniversary run in 2013. (The seventh season of the current "Doctor Who" marks the 50th in the franchise's history.)
There's still no official word on how many episodes -- or specials -- will air in 2012, but Cohen reportedly assured that there would be some "Who" next year.

WAREHOUSE 13 SPIN-OFF
After a second-season finale that left the future of government agent Myka Bering (Joanne Kelly) in doubt, Syfy's "Warehouse 13" is currently in production for its Season 3 launch on Monday, July 11.
Before that, though, the future of another character in the show, Helena G. (H.G.) Wells (Jaime Murray), became an object of speculation with reports of the possibility of a spinoff.
In the universe of "Warehouse 13" -- a government facility in South Dakota stuffed with objects from history that have often-dangerous supernatural powers -- Wells is the sister and inspiration for her brother, Charles Wells, who wrote the famed H.G. Wells stories.
Recruited as an agent by an earlier incarnation of the Warehouse in the late 19th century, Wells let her grief over her daughter's murder get the best of her and was "bronzed" and imprisoned. Released in the 21st century, her destructive acts put her back into captivity.
But it's tough to leave a good character in cold storage.
Says Jack Kenny, the executive producer and showrunner of "Warehouse 13," "Myself and one of the other writers, Bob Goodman, went in to talk to Syfy about spinning off H.G. and basically doing a series with her as an action hero/Sherlock Holmes in 1893 England.
"They really loved it. They loved the character. They love that whole world of steampunk. We're developing it now. We had one meeting. We pitched it to them; they loved the idea. They told us to come back and pitch some more specifics and stuff.
"Then, all of a sudden, it's in the press, and we're doing it. I'm like, 'Whoa, guys, wait!' I was getting calls from the ministry in Toronto, saying, 'Will you shoot it up here?' 'Shoot it? We haven't even finished pitching it!'"
Among the issues to be worked out is how to film a period series on a cable budget.
"I don't know how we do all that," Kenny says. "My guess is it would be harder to do that as a location shoot. We'd have to have some big stages and build some sets that could be modular and put together for various parts of London and England and things like that."
But it's early days, and Kenny might change his mind.
"I don't know necessarily that it would happen in London," he says. "We could have her come to New York and work there, because I've been reading books about that period, and it's fascinating and wonderful. We can play with history, anyway, so why not?"
Kenny says a final decision could come fairly soon.
"No decision can be ever be made until the script's in, and they see it," he says. "We're probably meeting with Syfy at the end of this month to have what they call a 'creative commencement' meeting, where we seriously talk about episode ideas, pilot ideas, the arc of the series, the characters.
"We've pitched sketches of all those things to get them interested, but now we're in the deal-making process and then in the commencement process. By the end of the summer, we should know pretty much what's what. We wrap [on 'Warehouse 13'] July 25, and then Bob and I are both free to write our little hearts out."
As for how he would work on two series at once, Kenny says, "Oh, I don't know. My heart is in 'Warehouse 13,' so I'd find a way to do both."

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES
SPOILER WARNING!!!
According to Hitfix, Liam Neeson shot a scene on Monday in London as Ra's al Ghul for the third film in director Christopher Nolan's epic Bat-trilogy. Neeson played the role in Nolan's first Caped Crusader adventure, 2005's Batman Begins, where he first tried to recruit Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) into the mysterious League of Shadows and then became his enemy in the battle for Gotham City's survival.
Ra's was presumably killed in a fiery train crash at the end of that film, but as fans of Batman comics know, the character in the books is essentially immortal and can resurrect himself by submersion in the dangerous chemical pool known as a Lazarus Pit.
Does this mean that Nolan is finally delving into the weirder, more supernatural aspects of the Batman universe after keeping his first two films grounded in reality? Not necessarily. It's not clear whether Neeson was filming some sort of flashback or a scene as a resurrected Ra's.
But we do know that the production went to a remote part of India during the early days of shooting, where a leaked photo appeared to show what could be a Lazarus pit on the set. We also know that actor Josh Pence (The Social Network) was cast as a young Ra's in the film, and the betting money also still says that Marion Cotillard is playing his daughter Talia (disguised as a Wayne Enterprises board member named Miranda Tate).
Of course, Warner Bros. Pictures is silent on all of this, as they are with anything regarding Nolan's Batman films. We have just over a year to find out what it all means, since The Dark Knight Rises opens on July 20, 2012.

TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON
In the latest TV spot for Transformers: Dark of the Moon, they try to take advantage of our emotions. John Turturro gives a somber intro, saying, "Years from now they're going to ask, 'Where were you when they took over the planet?'" Wait, what? Who's taking over the planet? A new alien force, that's who!
Sam Witwicky's got a gun, and he's not afraid to use it! The world's going to hell in a handbasket in the latest Transformers TV spot, and it's got Shia LaBeouf on edge. Unknown forces are trying to take over the world, and his girlfriend is missing. The kid is under some serious stress.
Transformers: Dark of the Moon opens in theaters on June 29 and co-stars Tyrese Gibson, Josh Duhamel, Patrick Dempsey, John Malkovich and Ken Jeong. Yes, Ken Jeong has somehow found his way into another summer blockbuster.

MAN OF STEEL
Russell Crowe is in talks to play the role of Jor-El, Superman's Kryptonian father, in director Zack Snyder's upcoming Man of Steel.
Variety reported that the Australian actor has been approached for the role, adding that producer Christopher Nolan wanted a heavyweight star to take on the part. Other actors who had been considered included Sean Penn and Clive Owen.
The role was originally played in 1978's Superman by Marlon Brando, who made headlines by earning $3.7 million for approximately 13 minutes of screen time—the biggest payday ever for an actor up to that point.
Brando was also supposed to appear in 1981's Superman II, but a dispute between him and the producers led to his scenes (as a recording of Jor-El that Superman accesses in the Fortress of Solitude) being rewritten for his mother, Lara (Susannah York). The scenes were reinstated for the 2006 release of director Richard Donner's cut of Superman II.
Speaking of Lara, Latino Review reports that an offer has been made to Connie Nielsen (who co-starred with Crowe in Gladiator) to play that part in Man of Steel. If she and Crowe sign on, they'll join Henry Cavill (Superman/Clark Kent), Amy Adams (Lois Lane), Kevin Costner (Jonathan Kent), Diane Lane (Martha Kent) and Michael Shannon (General Zod) in the production, which starts shooting this summer for a December 2012 release.

WORLD WAR Z
Brad Pitt has started filming director Marc Forster's thriller World War Z in Valletta, Malta.
Pitt stars in the Paramount release opposite Mireille Enos, James Badge Dale, Matthew Fox, Ed Harris and Julia Levy-Boeken. The film is based on Max Brooks' best-selling novel about a worldwide infestation of flesh-eating zombies. Brooks -- the son of Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft -- wrote a detailed tale in which a researcher for the U.N. Postwar Commission interviews survivors from countries all over the world, 10 years after the crisis, to gather a first-person post-mortem on a war that obliterated every country on the map.
Our own J. Michael Straczynski has written the screenplay for this one.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2011

MYTH
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the Avatar director and star (James Cameron and Sam Worthington) are in talks to come aboard a project called MYTH that 20th Century Fox is looking to pick up. Almost nothing else is known about it, except that it's been pitched by a writer named Will Staples, and it's a big action/sci-fi adventure. Although Staples has penned or co-authored several yet-to-be-produced scripts already, his day job is writing video games—in particular, a little series you might have heard of named Call of Duty, which happens to be one of the best-selling games of all time.
Now here's the catch: Cameron is interested in being an executive producer on the project, and not directing, while Worthington is also attached as a producer, not a star, although it's probably reasonable to assume that he would end up appearing in the movie. Also getting in on the action is Transformers producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura, who has his name on this thing as a producer as well.
The project is in the very early stages of development, so all the players involved could change over time. But Staples must have made one heck of a pitch to get Hollywood heavyweights like Cameron, di Bonaventura and Worthington involved even as just producers.

THE AVENGERS
We already know how Captain America's costume has been altered for the big screen—but what will happen to Hawkeye, the archer played by Jeremy Renner, who we've only seen so far in a brief cameo in Thor?
A promo poster for The Avengers has been unveiled in connection with the Licensing International Expo, which begins today, and it shows off the entire team, including the previously uncostumed Hawkeye.
Yeah, we know it's a drawing rather than a photo, but still, it gives an idea of the hero's on-screen look.
The Avengers will hit theaters May 4, 2012.

SUPER 8
FX has acquired the commercial television rights to Paramount's Super 8, the J.J. Abrams-Steven Spielberg team-up.
The male-skewing network will air the film in late 2013 or early 2014.
Super 8, starring Kyle Chandler, Joel Courtney and Elle Fanning, centers on a sleepy town in Ohio and a group of friends who make a super-8 film by the train tracks -- capturing a mysterious creature that escapes and wreaks havoc.
Super 8, which has received positive reviews, debuted atop the domestic box office, taking in $37 million in its first weekend.
This comes after the cable network snagged Fox's X-Men: First Class, starring Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy.
FX has been on a roll, acquiring rights to Disney's Tron: Legacy, Sony's The Green Hornet, Paramount's Rango and Warner Bros.' The Hangover Part II.

TUESDAY, JUNE 14, 2011

INDIANA JONES TURNS 30
Thirty years ago on Sunday (June 12), Harrison Ford's most most iconic character, Indiana Jones, made his debut in 1981's "Raiders of the Lost Ark."
The role put him on the map. Or more on the map since he was an integral part of the original "Star Wars" trilogy. Ford ended up reprising the Jones role three times -- in 1984, 1989 and 2008.
And, stay tuned Indy fans, because Ford (now 68) may be making a fifth appearance as Jones. According to Shia LaBeouf, who co-starred with Jones in "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," Ford recently hinted that he's staying in shape because he fully expects a call from George Lucas.
"I talked to [Harrison Ford]," LaBeouf tells MTV News. "He said he's staying in the gym, he said he's heard no word, but he does know that [George Lucas] is out there looking for a MacGuffin. He said he's staying in the gym, so it means [the movie is] not so far off."
In "Raiders of the Lost Ark," Ford played Indiana Jones, a mild-mannered archaeology professor who -- for kicks -- took a sabbatical to save the Ark of the Covenant from falling into Nazi hands. The character had swagger to spare and more than a little skill with a whip. He was smart, funny, vulnerable and -- at times -- a total idiot. We loved him.
The movie was a watershed moment for director Steven Spielberg, whose previous movie -- "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" -- was respected, but hardly a cultural phenomenon. Spielberg teamed with "Star Wars" creator George Lucas to rekindle the genre of adventure serials, a staple of their cinema-going youth. Hence the big-time music score, the map with dotted lines tracking the action as Jones ping-ponged around the globe and, of course, the larger-than-life premise.
It worked. "Raiders of the Lost Ark" was a smash hit at the box office and snagged a Best Director Oscar for Spielberg.

GREEN LANTERN
Warner Bros. Pictures has released another TV spot and a fourth featurette for Green Lantern.
Opening June 17th, the Martin Campbell-directed action adventure stars Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong, Angela Bassett, Tim Robbins, Temuera Morrison, Jay O. Sanders, Taika Waititi, Jon Tenney, Geoffrey Rush and Michael Clarke Duncan.

MONDAY, JUNE 13, 2011

COWBOYS & ALIENS AT COMIC-CON
Comic-con has officially arrived. The once indie fan boy/girl fest held in San Diego annually that has become increasingly mainstream in recent years will host the world premiere of the highly-anticipated summer blockbuster "Cowboys & Aliens."
The movie is set for a July 29 nationwide release and stars Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford in a sci-fi/western crossover about gunslingers who make a stand against aliens who attempt a takeover of the Old West.
"The worldwide premiere of 'Cowboys & Aliens' will be at Comic-Con," director Jon Favreau tells the Los Angeles Times. "And not only are we going to premiere it there, we're going to find a way to include as many of the fans as possible. I feel like they've come out for me, they've supported me."
Favreau's directing credits include both "Iron Man" movies -- big-time fan favorites at Comic-Con, fans capable of generating the buzz needed to push anticipation for a movie from ho-hum to hyperdrive.
"[Comic-Con's] where it all started, and I want to give back," Favreau said. "They should have the opportunity to see it first."
On Sunday, Favreau debuted nine minutes of footage from the movie at the Hero Complex Film Festival.

The Nine Lives of Chloe King (ABC Family) 9 p.m.
Series premiere! In this new ABC Family series, Chloe King dies on her 16th birthday and then comes back to life. It's only the beginning for the pretty teen, who discovers she's suddenly got special powers and that she's a descendant of an ancient race of protectors. But someone's after her, and they plan to kill her as many times as it takes. If you've been missing the Kyle XY of it all, this may be for you.

FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 2011
ALPHAS
You've seen shows about teams of superheroes before, and you've seen shows about seemingly ordinary people who can do amazing things.
But you may not have seen a show about a team of people who can do amazing things, but also has to share a drab office suite and take a minivan to the scene of their latest case. That's what you'll get with "Alphas," Syfy's new series about five regular/extraordinary people recruited for their brain-stretching capabilities.
The extensive preview -- from Zap2it -- "Alphas" tweaks the superhero genre a little by giving its characters at least semi-plausible abilities and forcing them to deal with the more mundane aspects of working for a super-secret part of the Defense Department. It's a novel approach, aided in no small part by the presence of David Strathairn as Dr. Lee Rosen, an expert in "alpha" phenomena who both gives the team its assignments and tries to protect them and help them harness their abilities.
The series also stars Malik Yoba, Laura Mennell, Ryan Cartwright, Azita Ghanizada and Warren Christie. Zak Penn and Michael Karnow created it.
"Alphas" premieres at 10 p.m. ET July 11. This looks pretty cool!
http://www.zap2it.com/videobeta/713d7c39-37a3-4cea-9fd1-c89d105b1b16/Entertainment/-Alphas-The-lowdown-on-Syfy-s-newest-heroes

DOCTOR WHO
The first half of Doctor Who season six is almost over in the U.S. and Canada (one more episode to go this Saturday!), but it's already over in the U.K. And the BBC has released a bone-chilling teaser promoting the return of the series in the fall.
Since we *ahem* presume that most of you haven't seen "A Good Man Goes To War" yet, we won't spoil anything by talking about this pivotal episode here. But this short teaser doesn't spoil the big game-changing elements that take place in the mid-season finale, so fear not.
Though this first teaser is quite short (as are all teasers, by definition), it's effective and carries a good measure of doom with it, as it appears that ''Time Runs Out" for the Doctor and his companions come next September ...

DISNEY MEETS LOST
Disney is going into business with Damon Lindelof, one of the showrunners of Lost.
The studio is making a seven-figure deal for Lindelof to write and produce 1952, an original sci-fi family adventure film.
Lindelof is taking a page out of the mystery-building he learned while making Lost and from the handbook written by Super 8 pal J.J. Abrams and is not revealing any details about the project.
The writer has parlayed his work on Lost into a thriving feature screenwriting career. He worked on Comboys & Aliens with Alex Kurtzman and Robert Orci and is working with the duo on a new Star Trek script. Lindelof also rewrote Ridley Scott’s Prometheus.

TOUCH
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Danny Glover has been cast in Touch, Fox’s likely midseason drama starring Kiefer Sutherland.
From Heroes creator Tim Kring, the drama pilot revolves around a father (Sutherland) and his autistic and mute son (David Mazouz) who can predict events before they happen.
As first reported by TV Line, Glover will play Arthur DeWitt, a professor who works with gifted children.
Kring penned the script and is executive producing with Sutherland, Katherine Pope and Peter Chernin for 20th Television and Chernin Entertainment.
The drama marks Kring’s first series since Heroes and Sutherland’s first since 24. Production on Touch will begin soon now that Sutherland has completed his run on Broadway in the revival of Jason Miller’s That Championship Season.
Glover’s most recent TV credits include episodes of Human Target, My Name Is Earl and an arc on Brothers & Sisters.

GREEN LANTERN
With just over a week until Green Lantern hits theaters, another TV spot has come online that showcases a number of new scenes.
Opening in 3D and 2D theaters on June 17, the Martin Campbell-directed action adventure stars Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong, Angela Bassett, Tim Robbins, Temuera Morrison, Jay O. Sanders, Taika Waititi, Jon Tenney, Geoffrey Rush and Michael Clarke Duncan.

ELYSIUM
According to Variety, the cast for Elysium, Neil Blomkamp's follow-up to his hit District 9, continues to grow with Mexican actor Diego Luna (Alfonso Cuaron's Y Tu Mama Tambien) now in talks to join Matt Damon, Sharlto Copley and Jodie Foster in the sci-fi thriller.
The movie which is set to start filming this summer for release on March 1, 2013 involves a battle between aliens and humans, and if he signs on, Luna would play the best friend of Damon's character, Julio.

THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2011

WALKING DEAD
Frank Darabont might be worried that budget cuts could hurt the second season of The Walking Dead, but the zombies we just saw shambling toward us don't seem to be worried at all.
This new pic doesn't reveal any of the regular cast, not unless someone's died in the space between seasons and has so putrefied that we no longer recognize them. But the zombies are the true stars anyway, right?
The 13-episode second season of AMC's surprise hit will premiere in October. We can't wait!

SUPER 8
The Spielbergian vibe given off by Super 8 gets stronger with each new poster and every additional piece of footage—and the latest poster is no exception. Not that that's a bad thing.
Yes, we know, J.J. Abrams is the director here, and Steven Spielberg is acting as producer, but if we'd seen this poster with no name attached, we'd have called it as a Spielberg film all the way.
Super 8 hits theaters June 10.

STOKER
According to Variety, there's been a lot of competition to play the male lead in Old Boy director Park Chan-wook's English language debut Stoker, which already has Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland) and Nicole Kidman on board, but it looks like British actor Matthew (Watchmen) Goode has beat out would-be frontrunners Colin Firth and James Franco for the role.
The film is a thriller about a teen girl (Wasikowska) mourning the death of her father who then encounters a mysterious uncle she had never met, played by Goode.
Working from a screenplay by Wentworth Miller and with Tony and Ridley Scott producing, the South Korean filmmaker will be working in English for the first time with Fox Searchlight already on board to release the movie.

PUNK FARM
MGM looks to be getting back into the animation game for the first time since 1989's All Dogs Go to Heaven as they've picked up the rights to adapt Jarrett J. Krosoczka's children's book Punk Farm into an animated film with The Simpsons Movie director David Silverman at the helm.
Scripted by Jim Hecht (Ice Age: the Meltdown) and David Stern, it will be only MGM's second in-house project since reemerging from their bankruptcy with Prada Studios handling the animation.
The story revolves around five barnyard animals who form an underground rock band.
Besides directing and producing episodes of "The Simpsons" television series, Silverman was also a co-director on Disney•Pixar's Monsters, Inc. and director of The Road to El Dorado.

VAMPIRE ACADEMY
Preger Entertainment has acquired the film rights to Richelle Mead's New York Times best-selling book series "Vampire Academy" (Penguin/Razorbill Books). In its first week of publication, "Spirit Bound," the fifth book in this series, achieved a New York Times and USA Today #1 best-selling series ranking, while simultaneously debuting as the #1 best-seller in Australia and New Zealand.
The "Vampire Academy" book series is a coming-of-age, action driven, "paranormal romance" fantasy. It is set in the present day against a hidden universe of vampires, half-humans, alchemy, and magic. The series centers on a strong, yet flawed, 17-year-old female who confronts her world with grit, determination, and lots of moxie. Rose Hathaway is a dhampir, half human/half vampire and guardian of the Moroi, a race of peaceful and magical mortal vampires who can walk in the daylight, survive by feeding off willing blood donors, grow old and die. Hidden deep in the forests of Montana is St. Vladimir's Academy, where Moroi and dhampirs learn to take their place in Moroi society. Rose must master her inherited abilities as a dhampir and earn the approval of the Royal Council, as guardian to Princess Lissa, her best friend and sole heir of one of the twelve Royal families of Moroi. Rose and Lissa share a mysterious psychic bond and sense of destiny, but first they must survive an intense social scene, politics and the physical challenges of Moroi life at the Academy. Outside the sanctuary of St. Vladimir's waits their greatest threat of all, the Strigoi, a race of bloodthirsty immortal vampires and predators of the Moroi.
"This spontaneous viral event has exploded all across the internet," comments Preger. "Finding an epic story like this for adaptation is one thing, but to then discover this mass market audience, that's growing exponentially, who are eagerly awaiting --- even demanding --- a film be produced, is something very compelling."
The "Vampire Academy" series has sold well over 3.5 million copies domestically and 1 million copies internationally. It has now been published in 34 countries including the United Kingdom and Australia. The sixth and final book of the series is scheduled for release in December 2010. Based upon the series worldwide acclaim and success, Penguin/Razorbill has ordered a spin-off series scheduled to begin in 2011, continuing the series into the coming decade.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 2011

CSI CHANGES
Laurence Fishburne is leaving CBS' procedural drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation after two and a half seasons, sources confirm to The Hollywood Reporter.
The Emmy-winning actor opted not to renew his deal to continue on the series.
In one of the richer casting deals on TV, Fishburne replaced William Petersen when the latter left the show in December 2008.
But the once-top-rated show has seen its ratings drop since Petersen left, posting its lowest-rated season finale ever last month (11.4 million viewers, 2.6 rating in the adults 18-49 demo).
At its upfront presentation last month, CBS announced that it would be moving the show from its longtime Thursday 9 p.m. slot in the fall. In its place will air J.J. Abrams' new drama Person of Interest.
CSI will instead air at 10 p.m. Wednesdays.
As THR first reported, when Fishburne most recently renewed his deal to stay on the show, the contract covered only the 2010-11 season.

TOUCH
According to the Hollywood Reporter, David Mazouz has been cast opposite Kiefer Sutherland in Fox’s likely midseason entry Touch.
Reports confirmed that Mazouz will play Jake, Sutherland’s autistic and mute son who can predict events before they happen. He also serves as the narrator for the series.
Tim Kring (Heroes) penned the script and is executive producing with Sutherland, Katherine Pope and Peter Chernin for 20th Television and Chernin Entertainment.
The drama marks Kring’s first series since Heroes and Sutherland’s first since 24. Production on Touch will begin soon now that Sutherland has completed his run on Broadway in the revival of Jason Miller’s That Championship Season.
Mazouz’s credits include the Lifetime telefilm Amish Grace and episodes of CBS’ Mike & Molly as well as ABC’s Private Practice.

DAREDEVIL REBOOT
With X-Men: First Class having successfully relaunched its X-Men franchise, Fox is turning its attention to the reboot of Daredevil, the blind but sonar-powered Marvel superhero last played on screen by Ben Affleck in 2003.
Brad Caleb Kane, a writer-producer on cult Fox TV show Fringe, has been hired to pen the franchise’s relaunch, which has high ambitions: Kane is being asked to adapt one of the most influential and acclaimed comic stories of all time, Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli’s "Born Again" run from Daredevil.
Fox is tackling the project with Regency.
David Slade is developing and attached to direct the new Daredevil movie. Peter Chernin and Dylan Clark of Chernin Entertainment are producing.
While Kane only has one produced feature to his credit -- he worked on the crime drama Brooklyn’s Finest -- the scribe has gained a following around town for that strong script. He worked on DreamWorks’ View-Master movie, a Richard Pryor biopic that has Bill Condon attached to direct, and a draft of The Historian, Columbia’s planned adaptation of the Elizabeth Kostova vampire novel.
Kane is a Daredevil fan, and his energy and passion for the material helped him nab the job, according to insiders.

CAPTAIN AMERICA
Marvel has released new TV spots for Captain America and they're FILLED with new footage. One of them even includes a face off between Cap and the Red Skull! The promos really play up Steve Rogers' (Chris Evans) All-American persona, plus his can't stop, won't stop attitude. Seriously, the guy doesn't know when to quit.
The tagline for the movie is "Discover the man behind the legend" and they really hammer it home. In all three videos they show Steve Rogers literally go from a puny wannabe to The First Avenger.
This will be our first glimpse at what's to come when he appears in The Avengers. Can you imagine the conversations that him, Tony Stark and Thor will have?
Captain America: The First Avenger opens in theaters everywhere July 22.

NOAH
Darren Aronofsky looks to be finally moving towards production on Noah, his epically-scaled retelling of the biblical story of Noah and his ark. Deadline has the story, explaining that the Black Swan director is looking for backers for the film's proposed $130 million budget.
With Aronofsky's script undergoing rewrites by John Logan, it's likely a matter of studio backing as to whether or not Noah becomes his next project. His name has also been associated with Human Nature, Machine Man and several other projects.
Meanwhile, the film that he recently departed, The Wolverine, is still looking for a replacement director.

DOCTOR WHO NEWS
When the head of the BBC and the guy running Doctor Who say that Matt Smith will be back next season, you can pretty much take that to the bank!
And that's exactly what happened today. First BBC programming chief Sam Hodges tweeted that Doctor Who would be back next year with 14 new episodes.
Showrunner Steven Moffat followed immediately with a tweet of his own, confirming that Smith would be back for another 14 episodes and adding: "I've got a plan and I'M NOT TELLING YOU WHAT IT IS."
When those two guys say that Smith and the show will both be back for the seventh season (or series, as the Brits call it) of the modern-day Who, we'd say that's pretty much confirmed, wouldn't you?
Meanwhile, the first half of this year's series ends this weekend on a major cliffhanger, with the next six episodes to air this fall. But once that's over, fans will be able to relax and enjoy the break, because the Doctor is definitely coming back in 2012!

TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2011

FRIGHT NIGHT
There wasn't much of David Tennant in the first Fright Night trailer. We're finally getting to see a bit more of the former Doctor Who in this second new trailer—which he rocks bigtime.
It's really great to see David Tennant in action, and from what we've seen in this second trailer, we can pretty much assume that the former 10th Doctor may very well pull a scene-stealing act in director Craig Gillespie's film—which wouldn't surprise us in the least: Tennant's charisma here shines even brighter than the former Doctor's last regeneration sequence did (Doctor Who's "The End of Time: Part Two").
Plus, there's that whole "let's kill something" line, which reminded us of Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Spike. Priceless.
Which kinda makes the rumors we reported last week about Tennant becoming the main star of a possible sequel even more likely to be true. But we still have to wait and see how the movie performs at the box office before we get any kind of confirmation about any eventual sequel.
Fright Night opens up in theatres Aug. 19, 2011.

SUPER 8
Super 8 will be hitting theaters in the U.S. and Canada Friday, so Paramount has hit us with a creepy new trailer. This trailer is slightly more disturbing than the previous ones ... (no) thanks to the military.
In the background of one shot, an officer leans over a traumatized civilian and asks, "I don't want any more trouble, do you?" In the foreground, we see a doctor drawing a needle. This implies that the military is doping the poor guy to keep him from talking.
It won't surprise us if the monster is only ONE of the antagonists that our heroes have to worry about.
And spoilers are something that Paramount has worried about for months now. We have no idea what this monster looks like and what it's capable of; from this trailer, we only know it's huge, terrifying and has a Godzilla-like howl.
Considering the security on Super 8, we're also curious about Paramount's decision to stagger its release dates.
Audiences in the U.K. will have to wait until Aug. 5 to see the movie, by which time every spoiler about the movie will have circumnavigated the Internet. For a movie as spoiler-free as Super 8 has been, a staggered release date kind of lessens that impact.
But if the movie is as terrific as its trailers have suggested, people will flock to the cinema, even if they've ... oops ... accidentally downloaded it in June.

E3: STAR TREK VIDEO GAME
Paramount Digital Entertainment has released, at E3, the trailer to the upcoming Star Trek game. The release, set to hit in the summer of 2012, is one of the first licensed properties to spin-off from J.J. Abram's rebooted Trek canon, as featured in the 2009 film.
The game, coming to Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC, will feature an original story and "unprecedented" co-op experience, casting players as Kirk and Spock for the first time ever.
Star Trek features an original story by BAFTA award winner and God of War writer Marianne Krawczyk, in collaboration with the writers/producers of the new Star Trek films, Bob Orci and Alex Kurtzman.
The game is under development by Digital Extremes (BioShock 2, Unreal Tournament, Dark Sector, The Darkness II), working closely with Bad Robot, K/O Paper Products and Damon Lindelof and published by Paramount Digital Entertainment through a license with CBS Consumer Products. Star Trek will be available in stores in 2012.

GREEN LANTERN: EMERALD KNIGHTS
GREEN LANTERN: EMERALD KNIGHTS, the 11th film in the popular series of DC Universe Animated Original Movies, is AVAILABLE TODAY -- JUNE 7, 2011 -- from Warner Home Video on Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD, On Demand and for Download.
Produced by Warner Premiere, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation, and distributed by Warner Home Video, GreenLantern: Emerald Knights weaves six legendary stories of the Green Lantern Corps’ rich mythology around preparations for an attack by an ancient enemy. As the battle approaches, Hal Jordan (voiced by Castle’s Nathan Fillion) mentors Arisia (Mad Men's Elisabeth Moss) in the history of the Green Lantern Corps, telling tales of Avra (the first Green Lantern) and several of Hal’s comrades – including Kilowog, Abin Sur, Laira and Mogo. In the end, Arisia must rise to theoccasion to help Hal, Sinestro and the entire Green Lantern Corps save the universe from the destructive forces of Krona.
Below are links to an action-packed clip featuring Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps battling Krona and his evil forces.
Here is the link for the animated film clip:http://dam.dvs.tv/view/GreenLantern/GLEK_HalAttacks_hd
http://dam.dvs.tv/view/GreenLantern/GLEK_HalAttacks_sd

MONDAY, JUNE 6, 2011

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HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: Part 2
Though they may have been overshadowed by the "Twilight" madness at the MTV Movie Awards, there were some "Harry Potter" stars in attendance! Tom Felton took home the Best Villain award, and Emma Watson was on hand to introduce the very first clip of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2."
"On behalf of the enormous cast of 'Harry Potter,' thank you to all of our amazing fans for all of the support over the years," Watson said. "You guys ahve made this the most crazy incredible ride, so tonight, I'm very proud to bring you an exclusive sneak peek of the final movie. Ladies and gentlemen, 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2."
The clip introduced showed Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) finally stepping up before Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) to accept defeat... or so it seems, as Voldemort casts the Avada Kedavra killing curse on our bespectacled hero.

, ,

TWILIGHT: BREAKING DAWN
After months of anticipation, the official Breaking Dawn trailer hit the Internet on Sunday afternoon.
In the clip for the fourth installment in Summit's Twilight Saga franchise, Breaking Dawn -- Part 1, fans are treated to a glimpse at the wedding invitations for Bella (Kristen Stewart) and Edward (Robert Pattinson) as well as a tiny peek at Bella's wedding dress and veil and Jacob's (Taylor Lautner) reaction to the news.
It also alludes to the events that set up the final showdown between the Cullen clan and the Volturi in the final installment in the film franchise, Breaking Dawn -- Part 2.
While "stolen" trailers have leaked online in the past few months, this is the first official trailer for the movie, which opens Nov. 18. The clip will have its on-air during Sunday's MTV Movie Awards.

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SUPER 8
J.J. Abrams' Super 8 has been shrouded in mystery, but on Sunday night, the director gave MTV Movie Awards viewers a new sneak peek at the film.
Abrams -- along with executive producer Steven Spielberg and stars Elle Fanning and Joel Courtney -- introduced the clip during the MTV Movie Awards.
The video starts out with six kids shooting their own movie at a train station, where a train suddenly crashes and sets into motion a series of mysterious events.
Kyle Chandler, Ron Eldard, Riley Griffiths, Gabriel Basso, Ryan Lee and Zach Mills also star in the film, which opens Friday.

SUNDAY, JUNE 5, 2011

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
"X-Men: First Class" got off to a solid start at the box office Friday (June 3), earning an estimated $21 million on its opening day.
Friday's figures (which include $3.4 million in midnight screenings) put the movie, which has earned mostly positive reviews, on pace for a weekend take in the $50 million-$55 million range. That's in line with most forecasts and the expectations of studio 20th Century Fox, which was hoping for something similar to the $54 million the first "X-Men" movie made back in 2000.
"X-Men: First Class" is the only big new release this weekend, and so far it's leading the pack by a pretty wide margin. Last weekend's leader "The Hangover Part II" took a pretty steep (and not unexpected) drop, earning $9.3 million on Friday.
"Kung Fu Panda 2" ($6.2 million), "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" ($4.9 million) and "Bridesmaids" ($3.5 million) rounded out the top five on Friday.

TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON
Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) is all grown up in the latest clip from Transformers: Dark of the Moon. The last time we saw him, he was entering college. Now fast-forward two years and he's attacking the workforce. Or should we say, it's attacking him. Literally.
Michael Bay just released a new clip/mini-trailer from Dark of the Moon that shows us Witwicky's new life. He's got a new girlfriend and a low-level job at a fancy corporate office. But you know the old saying—the more things change, the more they stay the same. Robots are still out to kill him!
Do you remember that scene in Revenge of the Fallen when every appliance in Sam's kitchen turned against him? Well, that happens again, but this time it's in his office. If you thought copy machines sucked before, wait until you get a glimpse of this!
On another note, Bumblebee is still a huge part of Sam's life. There's a little quip at the end of the video where a smart-mouth soldier asks Sam, "How's your car now?" And it shows Bumblebee run up behind him, transform in midair and cue up his blasters while Sam smugly replies, "That's my car."
Transformers: Dark of the Moon opens everywhere June 29.

THE WALKING DEAD
During a roundtable interview with TV showrunners sponsored by the Hollywood Reporter, The Walking Dead head honcho Frank Darabont expressed his concern that AMC might slash the show's budget for its second season—despite the show being the biggest original series success ever for the network.
Darabont said, "Creatively I have no complaints thus far. But I believe if they do move ahead with what they're talking about, it will affect the show creatively ... in a negative way. Which just strikes me as odd. If you have an asset, why would you punish it?"
Darabont wasn't alone in his fears, with Boardwalk Empire producer Terence Winter saying that his hit HBO series was also looking at budget cuts.

GREEN LANTERN
A full, minute-long clip from GREEN LANTERN has arrived, thanks to Yahoo! Movies, offering a look at the world of Oa and Hal Jordan's first flight as a member of the Corps.
Hitting 3D and 2D theaters on June 17, the Martin Campbell-directed action adventure stars Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong, Angela Bassett, Tim Robbins, Temuera Morrison, Jay O. Sanders, Taika Waititi, Jon Tenney, Geoffrey Rush and Michael Clarke Duncan.

SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2011

JAMES ARNESS PASSES AWAY
Actor James Arness, who played the gunslinging marshal Matt Dillon on TV's "Gunsmoke" is dead at 88. According to the Los Angeles Times, the actor died of natural causes.
The death comes just a year after Arness' equally famous brother, "Mission: Impossible's" Peter Graves, died of a heart attack.
The 6'-7" inch Arness played the straight-shooting law man on TV for 20 years until the show was canceled in 1975. He reprised the role in four made-for-television movies and then went on to star in the mini-series "How the West Was Won."Arness played in over 60 movies during his career, including a number of science fiction features. One of my favorites was THEM.
Arness was born in Minnesota in 1923 and served in the Army and worked as a radio announcer before pal John Wayne helped him land the "Gunsmoke" role. He is survived by his wife, three sons and three grandchildren.
A message on Arness' official website asks that donations be made in his name to United Cerebral Palsy, a cause he vigorously supported.

DEFIANCE
We've played plenty of sci-fi games, and we've watched plenty of sci-fi TV shows, but we've never played/watched any sci-fi games/TV shows so deeply enmeshed that what happened in one affected the other. But that's about to change, and even better, Farscape's Rockne O'Bannon is going to be a part of it.
Syfy has teamed up with gaming publisher Trion Worlds to create DEFIANCE, the world's first massively multiplayer online game that's also a scripted live action television series. (Or should that be vice versa?) The open world shooter game will debut at E3 2011 in Los Angeles next week.
According to the HollywoodReporter:
Set on a future Earth, Defiance introduces players and Syfy viewers to a world ravaged by decades of conflict, where humans and aliens live together in a world the likes of which no one has seen. The game combines the frenetic action of a top-tier console shooter with the persistence, scale, and customization of an MMO, while its TV counterpart exudes the scope, story, and drama of a classic sci-fi epic. The game's story will take place in the San Francisco bay area, while the TV series will be set just outside of St. Louis, MO. Because they exist in a single universe, the show and the game will influence and evolve each other over time, with actions in both mediums driving the overall story of Defiance.
But it's the participation of O'Bannon that has us most excited, because he's been working with both the game developer AND the creative team behind the TV series for the past two-three years to help develop the storyline and mythology of both.
Though the game will be demonstrated live for the first time ever next week on PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 at Trion's E3 2011 booth, the release date for the TV series and MMO game has yet to be announced. But we're REALLY looking forward to playing an MMO that lets us affect the plot of a TV show.

NEW UNIVERSAL SCI-FI PROJECT
Universal has acquired an untitled sci-fi crime thriller project from Bobby Glickert, a former assistant turned burgeoning filmmaker. Scott Stuber and Fast Five helmer Justin Lin are producing.
Glickert wrote the outline for the pitch and will direct. He'll also be a producer. The studio will search for a writer to pen the screenplay.
The pick-up brings additional heat to Glickert, who was a P.A. on Transformers and Iron Man, then acted as an assistant to Lin on Fast & Furious. In between, he directed a couple of short films: the action-tinged The Descendent and the horror tale Road to Moloch.
Glickert jumped up several rungs last July when he, with Michael Bay and his Platinum Dunes partners attached as producers, set up a spec sci-fi project at Paramount. That untitled project is still in development.
The new project’s details are being kept secret but speaking to Heat Vision, Lin said: “Taking a step back, as a viewer, the tone and the gritty approach to the sci-fi genre taken here is something that hasn’t been seen in a while.”
Insiders say the project is in the vein of the Michael Mann crime thriller Heat and the Jason Bourne spy-action movies.
Lin said even when Glickert was an assistant, they always talked about projects. “We’ve always shared information and wanted to be part of something we could start from the ground up.”
Part of the appeal for Lin and Glickert is to work with people of like minds in a fun and creative environment, something that doesn’t always happen in the corporate culture.
“When this project gets going, this core group is going to be poeple who’ve I worked with and who’s he’s worked with,” said Lin. “And this will be good to do on a studio film.”
The project was brought into Stuber Pictures by Nick Nesbitt and Michael Clear, with Jon Mone overseeing for the company. Jeff Kirschenbaum and Jay Polidoro will shepherd for the studio.

THE CORRECTORS
Masi Oka is teaming up with writer Alex Sabeti (Art of Cool) on an Inception-esque pilot script for Syfy.
The Correctors follows two agents of the Exceptions Bureau who are dispatched to a parallel universe where they inhabit the bodies of their identical selves in order to stop events from occurring.
The time-travel elements and changing the course of history were key in the plot of NBC’s now-defunct Heroes, where Oka played a Hiro Nakamura, who could bend the space-time continuum.
Sabeti and Oka developed the story and Sabeti will write the script with Masi executive producing and possibly starring. Sabeti and Oka are repped by UTA and The Collective, which will executive produce the project along with its clients.
Project is being developed at Universal Cable Productions.
Osa has had a recurring role on CBS’ Hawaii Five-0 this season.
Syfy has become a player in ad-supported cable’s scripted arena. Last January’s bow of Being Human was the net’s most successful winter scripted series since Battlestar Galactica in 2005. The show, an adaptation of the popular BBC series, averaged 1.9 million viewers per episode.
In July, Syfy will launch a new Monday-night scripted block with new seasons of Eureka, Warehouse 13 (Syfy’s most-watched series averaging 3.4 million viewers last season) and new drama Alphas, while Haven returns Friday, July 15.

FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 2011

BOND 23
We at least know one thing about the next James Bond movie: It will arrive in American theaters on Nov. 9, 2012.
MGM and Sony have announced the release dates for the film, which is currently known only as "Bond 23." It will debut in the U.K. and Ireland on Oct. 26, 2012, and open to the rest of the world two weeks later.
We also know that Daniel Craig will once again be playing James Bond, that Sam Mendes is directing and that "Casino Royale" and "Quantum of Solace" writers Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, as well as John Logan ("Gladiator," "Rango") worked on the screenplay. Javier Bardem was approached for a starring role (as the bad guy, perhaps), and figure Judi Dench to reprise her role as M.
As for anything resembling a detail about the movie's story (or even its title), the Bond camp continues to do an excellent job of keeping things secret.

RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
What starts off as a cure always turns into a crime against humanity. That's a basic plot point that pops up in Rise of the Planet of the Apes. A new trailer has been released, and it explains how James Franco's obsession with science and a monkey screws up life for the rest of us.
The trailer shows Franco giving a presentation on something he calls "The Cure." He then decides to bend the rules and experiment on a chimp named Caesar. The animal grows up in his home and begins to learn at an alarming rate. He likes to read, write and color, and eventually he's just as smart as some humans—even smarter.
The organization that Franco works for eventually takes Caesar and places him with other apes, which doesn't go over well. He was raised by humans, so in comparison his new neighbors seem a little—uncivilized. So what's a super-smart monkey to do? He breaks out! And he takes some drugs and a few buddies with him.
Compared to the first Rise of the Planet of the Apes trailer, this one makes the movie look a lot more interesting. We know it's wrong that Caesar's leading an ape revolt, but you can't give someone the good life and then take it away. He was living in the lap of luxury then forced into a cage.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes opens in theaters everywhere on Aug. 5.

TEEN WOLF
TEEN WOLF premieres Sunday on MTV. The series creator, Jeff Davis, mentions Spider-Man, Buffy and The Lost Boys as his inspiration for MTV's new werewolf series. He even embraces the show's namesake, Michael J. Fox's 1985 comedy Teen Wolf—although he's quick to point out the differences.
"I take my cue from the Spider-Man comics I loved as a kid," said Davis in an exclusive interview. "He was a teenager, first and foremost, falling asleep in class because he was out busy getting pictures of his alter ego, Spider-Man, to sell to the newspaper in order to live and afford his life. I mean, it's great when normal life always kind of interferes with the supernatural one, with the life of the hero. It's a challenge to constantly ground things in reality, but I think it makes the show better. I always loved Buffy for that reason as well. They did such a good job with the fact that she was a high school student. And every now and then they were able to remind us when Willow said, 'Hey, I have a final. I can't go out and kill vampires."
Davis pitched rebooting Teen Wolf to MTV because he felt vampires had been done to death. No one was interested in doing a straight comedy about werewolves, so Davis recommended mixing in a bit of The Lost Boys, the Kiefer Sutherland 1987 vampire flick, which had a darker tone laced with comedy.
If all this talk of vampires is concerning, not to worry. Davis promises vampires are one thing the young werewolf bitten hero, Scott McCall, won't have to deal with. "First off, there are no vampires and there will be no vampires. That is a rule I have made. And ask me that again after five seasons. Second is that for me it's a real Romeo and Juliet story," he said.
The Romeo and Juliet of it all involves Scott's instant attraction to the new girl in town Allison Argent, played by Crystal Reed. Once Scott gets bitten and his wolfy powers begin to take hold of him, he starts to get faster, stronger and have enhanced senses. That makes him a sudden star on the his high school lacrosse team, much to the dismay of the previous star, Jackson (Colton Haynes), and much to the interest of Allison. The problem is that Allison's dad, Mr. Argent (Stargate SG-1's JR Bourne), is a werewolf hunter, and that's a huge problem for a teen who suddenly realizes that he's become a werewolf. The other major players in the series are the werewolf who bites Scott, Derek Hale (Tyler Hoechlin), Scott's best friend Stiles (Dylan O'Brien) and popular girl with a secret Lydia (Holland Roden).
According to Davis, Scott has to ask himself, "'How am I ever going to be with the girl I'm completely in love with while her father is trying to hunt me down and kill me?'" he said. "It gives us a lot of room to play with teenage themes within genre and that is the greatest thing about genre. Sci-fi itself always does best when it is a future story commenting on present problems. Those are the things we're going to do."
It adds up to a brand new world for Davis, who also created the CBS hit, Criminal Minds. When it comes to that episodic series, "it was fun to do a show where I could use all my fascination for psychology in it. I could talk about Criminal Minds, but this is the more interesting one. It's werewolves and it's teenagers and it's a thriller. It was also a chance to do a serialized show. People ... tell me it feels like chapters in a book, and I get to do cliffhangers at the end of every episode that make you breathless for the next episode," he said.
"Telling a full story in 12 episodes and keeping all these plotlines in the air and then tying them together by the end so you felt like it was a complete story, that has been a challenge. I have a great writing staff to help out with that, which is very nice. But it also has been a challenge to marry teenage stories with a genre story, because partly as a writer you need to remember that these are still teenagers, they still go to school and as a teenager every day is the end of the world. Emotions are heightened and as a genre writer I just want to get to those fast-paced action scenes. But nobody's going to care about the fast-paced action scenes until they care about the characters. So we have spent time on that. It's a balance of telling real teenage stories with the great genre elements that I love, [as well as the] action scenes with werewolf fighting and having blood and guts and gore," he said.
Davis also promises that there's a "really good mystery" at the center of it all. "There's twists and turns and allegiances won and people betraying other people. So it's a real character drama, but a mystery as well. And it's a big thriller too," said Davis.
The other thing you can expect are some surprises when it comes to the werewolves themselves. There will be more than one type of werewolf, especially noticeable when it comes to Scott's new werewolf and Derek's older werewolf. "And then we have some other surprises in store too for other kinds of werewolves."
So far MTV has been happy enough with what they've seen that they've actually pumped more money into the production, which seldom happens in TV land. "They're giving us a lot of confidence, which is great."
Davis has big plans for the series which, if he has his way, will last several seasons. "I have an idea for three seasons and I think as a writer you don't want to overwhelm yourself by looking too far, but three seasons, definitely. I already know what the theme of the second season is going to be."
What it adds up to is a project that Davis is thrilled about and one he hopes you'll check out. "People should tune in because they'll be surprised by what they find. They may have one notion of what Teen Wolf, the movie, is, but I think Teen Wolf, the TV series, will surprise them. So they should tune in to see what we've done," he said.
Teen Wolf's two-part premiere begins on MTV on Sunday after the 2011 MTV Movie Awards at 11 p.m., and then finishes up in its regular timeslot on Monday at 10 p.m.

GREEN LANTERN AND CASTLE
Don't miss a great interview with Nathan Fillion from GREEN LANTERN: EMERALD KNIGHTS and CASTLE here atNathan Fillion.

THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2011

THE EVENT NEWS
Nearly three weeks after NBC formally canceled its freshman science fiction thriller, "The Event," it now appears that the show might not be completely dead after all.
Deadline reports NBC sister network Syfy is currently in talks to resuscitate it as a miniseries -- and possibly add on another season if the mini performs well.
There's still a lot to consider for the network and producers at Universal Media Studios. A move to Syfy would greatly decrease the budget, and every day the show stays dead, the more cast members enter commitments to other opportunities.
Plot-wise, the series does have a lot of loose ends to tie. The Season 1 finale explained what "the event" was, carefully mentioning that it hasn't actually happened yet. But there's a more important thing to consider here: Is this really the felled show from the last season we want to see get a pardon from the proverbial governor?
"The Event" never really rocked in the ratings, and though it went out on a comparatively high note, it still only averaged 4.57 million viewers and a 1.5 in the adults 18-49 demo.
And was "The Event" ever actually that... good? Even by sci-fi standards, the story seemed frazzled and contrived. We can think of a handful of stronger, better performing canceled series -- just not ones that would fit on Syfy.

Tags: 2011 MTV Movie Awards, Movie Main, Twilight: Breaking Dawn

THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn is almost here! If you're one of those people who are obsessed with everything Edward and Bella, you're going to love this. The first glimpse of their highly anticipated wedding has been released and it's even more overdramatic than we imagined.
The 2011 MTV Movie Awards will debut the first scenes from Breaking Dawn: Part 1, which will include the vampire and his human girlfriend's walk down the isle. The whole Cullen clan will be there showing their support and looking as ghostly as ever.
A preview clip of the clip (if that makes sense) has popped up online and it only shows bits and pieces of the bride, but we get a full shot of Edward grinning from ear to ear. Judging from his smile you can tell that he's been waiting for this moment forever. Or in his case, almost 200 years ... give or take a few.
You can watch the full scene when it airs during The MTV Movie Awards on Sunday June 5. Jason Sudeikis will host the event and something tells us that vampires and werewolves are going to rule the ceremony.

TORCHWOOD: MIRACLE DAY
A new action-packed Torchwood: Miracle Day feature clip has been released by Starz, and it's really, REALLY explosive.
Despite the focus on how action-packed the upcoming 10-part sci-fi series will be (if you're doubting this, listen to the stars telling us so over and over again), the clip is also a nice little behind-the-scenes featurette giving us a look at new bits and scenes.
While we're being promised thrills, helicopters, explosions, car chases, poisoning, assassins and even the occasional bit of drama and fun here and there (as you'll see in this video), we hope this new opus from executive producer and creator Russell T Davies will turn out to be as mind-blowingly awesome as Children of Earth was.
Lightning could strike twice ... right?
Torchwood: Miracle Day will explode on our TV screens July 8, 2011, at 10 p.m. on Starz.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 2011

COMPETING SUPERMAN PROJECTS
It has been six years since our last SUPERMAN movie. MAN OF STEEL is scheduled for releasein 2012, but thanks to a bizarre legal battle, there could be TWO Superman projects up and running by 2013.
Man of Steel, directed by Zack Snyder and produced by Christopher Nolan, is scheduled to come out in December 2012. But less than a year after that, according to Variety, certain rights pertaining to the character will revert back to the families of Superman's original creators, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.
Notice we said "certain rights." Not everything will belong to Siegel and Shuster's heirs. That's because, the way this has played out legally, everything that the pair invented for Superman before they began working for DC Comics will be owned by their families. Everything they came up with for the Superman mythology after DC starting paying them will still belong to the comics giant (which is owned by Warner Bros. Pictures).
As a result, the Siegel and Shuster estates will own the rights to Superman's costume, as well as his ability to "leap tall buildings in a single bound." Other iconic aspects, like his ability to fly and most of his rogues' gallery, including arch-nemesis Lex Luthor, came into being under the DC Comics umbrella and therefore belong to the company.
Starting in 2013, the families and Warner Bros./DC could both proceed with their own Superman movies. However, a Siegel/Shuster movie would essentially be based around elements created in 1938, before they began working for DC, while a Warner Bros. movie would be based on what the article calls the "modern Superman." A 1938 movie could not show Superman flying, while a "modern Superman" film would not have access to the classic costume.
The lawyer for the Siegels and Shusters, Marc Toberoff, is aggressively pursuing an appeal to establish who owns what, while WB/DC is suing him, claiming that he has destroyed the relationship between the company and the families.
So unless this gets sorted out somehow, Man of Steel could be the last "true" Superman movie we ever see. Sequels may or may not be able to feature Kal-El in his trademark costume, while a separate set of movies could introduce a costumed Superman in 1938, unable to fly, battling whatever criminals Siegel and Shuster created before DC starting cutting their paychecks.

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FRIGHT NIGHT
An old AC/DC song warns you to "lock up your daughter, lock up your wife, lock up your back door and run for your life, the man is back in town." That's actually not a bad plan after viewing this smokin' scene with a leering, bloodthirsty Colin Farrell showing his true fangs.
Vampires truly live charmed lives. Check out this clip from DreamWorks for the upcoming '80s horror remake Fright Night. Farrell's seductive vampire, Jerry Dandridge, has a little heart-to-heart chat with his teenage neighbor, Charlie Brewster (Anton Yelchin), sharing his private dirty thoughts about his "ripe" girlfriend and hot single mother. This guy's not at all shy about his feelings.
And here's the official plot synopsis:
"Senior Charlie Brewster (Anton Yelchin) finally has it all going on: he's running with the popular crowd and dating the most coveted girl in his high school. In fact, he's so cool he's even dissing his best friend. But trouble arrives when Jerry (Colin Farrell) moves in next door. He seems like a great guy at first, but there's something not quite right--but everyone, including Charlie's mom (Toni Collette), doesn't notice. After observing some very strange activity, Charlie comes to an unmistakable conclusion: Jerry is a vampire preying on the neighborhood. Unable to convince anyone, Charlie has to find a way to get rid of the monster himself in this Craig Gillespie-helmed revamp of the comedy-horror classic."
Seems like that delicate balance of humor and fear that made the first film a guilty pleasure has a strong pulse. But could this be a case of the old "NGR" (Not as Good as you Remember) rating that coagulates on many remakes of the '70s and '80s?
The original 1985 film, starring Chris Sarandon, toyed with the innocent sexuality in a tamer way, but here the hormones drip with 21st-century antici ... pation. Farrell seems to be channeling his real-life Irish bad-boy image, and he tears into the role with obvious gusto.
Fright Night screams into theaters Aug. 19.

JUSTICE LEAGUE
According to Heat Vision, DC finally made it official that it is relaunching their entire comics line with 52 first issues.
And leading the charge will be the launch of even longer-rumored Geoff Johns-Jim Lee collaboration on Justice League. The team-up is noteworthy as Johns is the CCO of DC Entertainment and one of the top writers in the comics business, writing such books as Green Latern and The Flash; Lee was one the industry’s top artists before most of his time was taken by his current duties as DC Comics co-publisher.
Bleeding Cool has been looking under every rock for clues and tips on possible titles and creative teams while Comic Book Resources, which dangles the possibility of a new Superman comic written by Grant Morrison in its rundown, also talks to retailers to dissect the ramifications of this “historic renumbering.”
Relaunching a title with a new No. 1 sees a jump in sales but in most cases it’s a short-term effect. And Marvel is guilty of renumbering titles all the time only to fall back, a year or two later, to the previous numbers. Is DC really going to ignore Detective Comics’ issues which are running in the 880s and restart the comic?
And will this help stem the erosion of readers from the ailing comics industry?
Tune in this September.
This image is from John and Lee’s Justice League that is tantalizing comicdom today.

MORE AS THIS STORY DEVELOPS
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Law & Order vet Sam Waterstonhas has joined the cast of Aaron Sorkin’s cable news pilot at HBO.
The project, tentatively titled More as This Story Develops, revolves around Will (Jeff Daniels), the co-anchor of a cable news show who must contend with a new team after his fellow host lands a new gig and takes most of his staff with him. Waterston will play Will’s boss.
Waterston joins Olivia Munn, who will play Sloan, one of the “new breed” of sexy financial analysts with a show on Will’s network; and Alison Pill, who is set as Maggie, one of Will’s loyal associate producers who is in a shaky relationship with another staffer on the show.
Daniels’ role was originally written as a fortysomething and marks his first regular series TV gig.
Alan Poul (Six Feet Under) recently joined the project as an executive producer alongside Sorkin and Scott Rudin (The Social Network), and will direct episodes should the pilot go to series.
Waterston, who played Jack McCoy onLaw & Order from 1994-2010, is repped by Gersh and Industry Entertainment.

CARS 2
The third clip from Disney•Pixar's CARS 2 has been released. Opening in 3D, 2D and IMAX 3D theaters on June 24, the sequel features the voices of Owen Wilson, Larry the Cable Guy, Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer, Jason Isaacs, Joe Mantegna, Peter Jacobson, Thomas Kretschmann, Bonnie Hunt, Cheech Marin, Tony Shalhoub, Guido Quaroni, Lloyd Sherr, Paul Dooley, John Ratzenberger, Jenifer Lewis, Michael Wallis, Katherine Helmond, John Turturro, Franco Nero, Vanessa Redgrave, Eddie Izzard, Bruce Campbell, Michel Michelis, Jeff Gordon, Darrell Waltrip, Lewis Hamilton and David Hobbs.

TUESDAY, MAY 31, 2011

THE HOBBIT NEWS
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Peter Jackson's two upcoming movies based on J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit have now been given official names and release dates.
The first of the two films, which are currenly being filmed back to back in New Zealand, will be called The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey when it arrives in theaters via Warners on Dec. 14, 2012.
The sequel, which will follow on Dec. 13, 2013, will be known as The Hobbit: There and Back Again.
The two prequels to Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy follow the adventures of Bilbo Baggins -- to be played by Martin Freeman, with Ian Holm reprising his role as the elder Bilbo -- in his quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the dragon Smaug.
The sprawling cast includes a number of other Rings veterans: Ian McKellen as Gandalf the Grey; Cate Blanchett as Galadriel; Orlando Bloom as Legolas; Christopher Lee as Saruman; Hugo Weaving as Elrond; Elijah Wood as Frodo; and Andy Serkis as Gollum. The ensemble cast also includes Richard Armitage, Jed Brophy, Adam Brown, John Callen, Stephen Fry, Ryan Gage, Mark Hadlow, Peter Hambleton, Stephen Hunter, William Kircher, Sylvester McCoy, Bret McKenzie, Graham McTavish, Mike Mizrahi, James Nesbitt, Dean O'Gorman, Lee Pace, Mikael Persbrandt, Conan Stevens, Ken Stott, Jeffrey Thomas, and Aidan Turner.
Jackson has written the screenplays along with Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens and Guillermo del Toro, and he is also producing with Walsh and Carolynne Cunningham. The exec producers are Ken Kamins and Zane Weiner, with Boyensserving as co-producer.
The movies are productions of New Line and MGM, with New Line managing production. Warners is handling worldwide theatrical distribution, with select international territories as well as all international television licensing being handled by MGM.

SPY KIDS: ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD
The trailer for Robert Rodriguez's Spy Kids: All the Time in the World has been revealed. Dimension Films will release the family action adventure, starring Jessica Alba, Jeremy Piven, Joel McHale, Rowan Blanchard, Mason Cook, Antonio Banderas, Danny Trejo, Alexa Vega and Daryl Sabara, in 3D and 2D theaters on August 19. The fourth installment is described as follows:
On the surface, Marissa Cortez Wilson (Jessica Alba) has it all...married to a famous spy hunting television reporter, a new baby and intelligent twin step kids. But in reality, trying to mother Rebecca (Rowan Blanchard) and Cecil (Mason Cook), who clearly don't want her around, is her toughest challenge yet. Also, her husband, Wilbur (Joel McHale), wouldn't know a spy if he lived with one which is exactly the case - Marissa’s a retired secret agent.
Marissa's world is turned upside down when the maniacal Timekeeper (Jeremy Piven) threatens to take over the planet and she's called back into action by the head of OSS, home of the greatest spies and where the now-defunct Spy Kids division was created. With Armageddon quickly approaching, Rebecca and Cecil are thrust into action when they learn their boring stepmom was once a top agent and now the world's most competitive ten year olds are forced to put their bickering aside and rely on their wits. With a little help from a couple of very familiar Spy Kids, Carmen (Alexa Vega) and Juni Cortez (Daryl Sabara), and some mind-blow gadgets, they just may be able to save the world and possibly bring their family together while they're at it.

MONDAY, MAY 30, 2011

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS REVIEW
Below is a review of X-MEN: FIRST CLASS:
Much as Casino Royale rebooted the James Bond franchise in a fresh and dynamic way, X-Men: First Class injects new blood into a franchise that, for all its profitability, had become blandly anemic. In fact, roughly the first half of this massive and very well cast origins extravaganza is arguably the best hour of Marvel Comics-derived filmmaking among the torrent of it that's cascaded across screens in recent years. Audacious, confident and fueled by youthful energy, this is a surefire summer winner for a wide global audience.
The spectre of Bond actually hovers over this British-flavored production in a number of ways, all of them beneficial: The 1962 setting shot through with Cold War tensions conjures up the political moment at which 007 was born cinematically, the hardware and style harken back to an earlier high-tech era that looks quaintly beguiling today and Michael Fassbender as Erik, the future Magneto, cuts a dashingly ruthless figure that can only have been patterned on Sean Connery in the early Bonds. First Class is comprised of an enormous stew of elements and influences but head chef Matthew Vaughn has stirred things so as to make them not only digestible but quite tasty.
Departing from the backstory of the comics, the new yarn, devised by Sheldon Turner and original X-Men director Bryan Singer and written by Thor co-scenarists Ashley Edward Miller and Zack Stentz along with Jane Goldman and Vaughn, pivots on an alluringly fanciful proposition, that the real events of the Cuban missile crisis had a shadow history involving manipulations by figures whose super powers put those of the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. to shame; it's as if JFK, Khrushchev, Castro, the CIA and the combined armed forces of the East and West were mere puppets doing the bidding of unsuspected Olympian gods, the most spiteful of whom desire nothing less than human extermination.
Not inaptly, then, it all begins (as did Singer's original 2000 X-Men) at Auschwitz, where young Erik, challenged to display his “magnetic” powers, sees his mother gunned down by the heinous camp doctor (Kevin Bacon), an event that dictates all his actions from then on. In the more benign setting of Westchester, New York, two kids, Charles and Raven, exhibit odd characteristics of their own that, nearly two decades later, will put them in the forefront of the mutant movement.
Like the most peripatetic of 1960s globe-hopping thrillers, the early stretch of First Class hardly stays put for more than a moment, jumping all over the world—Geneva, Oxford, Las Vegas, Argentina, Miami, Washington, D.C.--in the service of introducing an enormous number of characters and delineating their unique powers. Under the circumstances, director Vaughn impressively maintains a strong focus dedicated to clarity and dramatic power; while Erik scours the world for stray Nazis (his confrontation with two of them in a tavern on the pampas is an early highlight), Charles (James McAvoy) achieves academic prominence and, with Raven (Jennifer Lawrence), is recruited by the CIA with the eventual aim of assembling a “Division of Mutant Powers.”
Even though a lot of the early material is set-up, it nevertheless develops surprising momentum and tension. The malevolent doctor Erik remembers from the concentration camp now resurfaces as Sebastian Shaw, who has developed an extraordinary capacity to absorb, harness and deploy energy, while his fabulously sexy partner in crime, Emma Frost (January Jones), not only has extreme telepathic ability but possesses an optional indestructible diamond veneer. When Erik tracks them down on board their yacht and seems on the verge of fulfilling his vengeful 18-year quest, his quarry escape in a manner befitting the best of the Bonds.
Once the loner Erik decides to join forces with Charles under the auspices of an offbeat CIA honcho (Oliver Platt) and an adventurous agent (Rose Byrne), the film takes on more the air of a standard-issue Marvel effort as mutant youngsters are trained in hiding to master their unusual powers; they are Hank/Beast (Nicholas Hoult), Alex/Havoc (Lucas Till), Sean/Banshee (Caleb Landry Jones), Armondo/Darwin (Edi Gathegi) and, for a while, Angel (Zoe Kravitz). The problem here is not only familiarity but that, unlike the other characters, these kids seem resolutely 21st century, not early 1960s; one of them even says “whatever.” Another drawback, a likely victim of an overcrowded roster of characters, is that two swarthy henchmen of Shaw's are not even given the benefit of an introduction, much less anything to play.
Still, once Emma Frost penetrates the inner sanctum of the Soviet military and the enormity of Shaw's scheme becomes clear, the film takes off again with a fantastical rendition of an American/Soviet naval confrontation off Cuba trumped by the manipulative antics of battling telepathic mutants on board an ultra-futuristic plane and a stealth submarine.
Vaughn orchestrates the mayhem with a laudable coherence, a task made easier by a charging, churning score by Henry Jackman that, much as that of his mentor Hans Zimmer did in Inception, helps smooth the connections among rapidly changing locations and events. A few of the effects in the climactic section don't quite measure up, but the visual effects by veteran wizard John Dykstra are mostly terrific. Top-drawer contributions are also delivered by production designer Chris Seagers, costume designer Sammy Sheldon and cinematographer John Mathieson.
The cast is almost absurdly easy on the eyes and is most powerful at the top, thanks to the intense Fassbender, who will now need no audition if Daniel Craig decides to give up Bond after another picture or two. McAvoy is forced to spend a bit too much time with his hand to head summoning telepathic signals but nonetheless conveys the intelligence and sobriety required for the future Professor X. Bacon is formidable as the former Nazi who aspires to far greater power than Hitler could ever dream of, while Jones dazzlingly projects the arrogance of maximum beauty and invulnerability. As the naturally blue-skinned, red-haired and yellow-eyed Raven/Mystique, Lawrence is at her most appealing when conveying an ashamed insecurity about her natural looks, which she can conceal with a human facade. A vulgar cameo by a certain hirsute character provides a hearty laugh.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
Not only did Warner Bros.’ The Hangover Part II score the best opening of all time for a comedy at the domestic box office, it grossed the most of any R-rated film in its first five days.
Hangover, debuting last Thursday on the eve of the long Memorial Day weekend, earned $137.4 million through Monday. That beats the $134.3 million earned by Warner’sThe Matrix Reloaded in its first five days.
The movie’s performance marks a milestone for Hollywood, proving that comedies can become summer event pics, and do as well as superhero franchises. In addition to breaking several key records, Hangover also nabbed the fourth-best opening ever for Memorial Day.
Overseas, Hangover also soared, opening to $59 million from 40 countries--thee times higher than the first Hangover and bringing the sequel's global bow to almost $200 million. Hangover grossed $16.4 million in the U.K., the best ever launch for a U.S. comedy, as well as the top opening of 2011.
Back in the U.S., Matrix Reloaded still retains the crown for top opening for an R-rated film when comparing weekend earnings for the two titles. Matrix Reloaded grossed $91.8 million over the Friday-Sunday stretch, while Hangover grossed $86 million.
It’s difficult to make exact comparisons since Matrix Reloaded didn’t open over Memorial Day. The movie debuted May 15, 2003, a Wednesday.
Whatever the case, Hangover is squarely No. 2 in terms of all-time best opening for an R-rated film.
All told, Hangover opened to nearly $200 million at the worldwide box office—not bad for a sequel that cost $80 million to produce. Warners financed the pic with Legendary Pictures.
So, could a third Hangover be on the way?
"We'll see," director Todd Phillips recently told the Associated Press. "It's about audience's desire to see it, and how well this one does, and if these guys are up for taking another trip and doing something (expletive) crazy."
Said star Bradley Cooper, "We don't want to get ahead of ourselves. There's no rush."
For now, he is impressed with the film's success thus far. Asked by the AP if he feels pressure to top the success of the first film, Cooper said: "The pressure I felt was to make a great movie, and I believe we made a great movie. That's the pressure. Whether the audience is going to like it or not, it's out of our control. We've done everything we can to make a movie we're proud of. I think it's certainly better than the first movie."

SUNDAY, MAY 29, 2011

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATOO
The Red Band trailer for director David Fincher's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo has started playing in theaters internationally and has been leaked on YouTube. The domestic trailer for the film will officially be released on Thursday, June 2nd.
Hitting theaters on December 21, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo stars Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Stellan Skarsgard, Robin Wright, Max von Sydow, Christopher Plummer, Joely Richardson, Steven Berkoff, David Dencik, Alexandra Daddario and Goran Visnjic.
The movie is based on Stieg Larsson's posthumously published crime thriller trilogy, "The Millennium Series."

SUPER 8
Another clip for J.J. Abrams' SUPER 8 has come online that shows more footage leading up to the train wreck.
Hitting theaters on June 10, the film stars Kyle Chandler, Elle Fanning, Joel Courtney, Gabriel Basso, Noah Emmerich, Ron Eldard, Riley Griffiths, Ryan Lee and Zach Mills. In the summer of 1979, a group of friends in a small Ohio town witness a catastrophic train crash while making a super 8 movie and soon suspect that it was not an accident. Shortly after, unusual disappearances and inexplicable events begin to take place in town, and the local Deputy tries to uncover the truth – something more terrifying than any of them could have imagined.

HOLIDAY MARATHONS
Memorial Day 2011 weekend is here and while we should all take time to thank a veteran and active servicemen and women, it also means for us TVphiles - lots of good programming. So either settle in with some popcorn or make sure your DVR is ready to go.
There are movie marathons. Syfy has "Star Trek" movies all weekend. TCM and AMC are showing nothing but military movies, including classics like "All Quiet on the Western Front," "From Here to Eternity" and "Patton."
If marathons are your thing, you've got everything from "Firefly" and "Doctor Who" to "House Hunters" and "How It's Made." And if you're a sports fan, while the NBA playoffs are on hiatus, you can still watch a ton of baseball, the 2011 French Open or the annual Memorial Day race the Indianapolis 500.
Here are just a few selections you may be interested in:
SUNDAY
BBC America: "Top Gear," 6 a.m. to 6 a.m. the next day
Sci: "Firefly," 8 a.m. to 3 a.m.
Slueth: "In Plain Sight," 6 a.m. to 1 a.m.
Syfy: "Star Trek" movies, 11 a.m. to midnight
TCM: Military movies, midnight to midnight ("Flight Command," "Fighter Squadron," "Hell to Eternity," "From Here to Eternity," "All Quiet on the Western Front," "Sergeant York," "The Deep Six," "They Were Expendable," "The Story of G.I. Joe," "Battleground," "Tell It to the Marines")
USA: "Law & Order: Criminal Intent," "Law & Order: SVU," 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

MONDAY
A&E: "Criminal Minds," "Breakout Kings," 7 a.m. to midnight
AMC: Military movies 2 am to 5:40 a.m. the next day ("Twelve O'Clock High," "Patton," "The Longest Day," "Midway," "The Dirty Dozen")
BBC America: "Top Gear," 8 a.m. to midnight
Chiller: "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "The Twilight Zone," Stephen King movies, midnight to midnight
SCI: "Oddities," "How It's Made," 3 a.m. to midnight
Sleuth: "Law & Order: SVU," "Royal Pains," 1 a.m. to midnight
Spike: "Star Wars," movies 9 a.m. to midnight
Syfy: "Star Trek" movies, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. TCM: Military movies, 2 am to 6:30 a.m. the next day ("Ashes to Diamonds," "The Paratrooper," "Screaming Eagles," "Objective, Burma!," "The Green Berets," "Kelly's Heroes," "The Devil's Brigade," "A Bridge Too Far," "The Best Years of Our Lives," "Since You Went Away," "The White Cliffs of Dover," "Homecoming")
TNT: "Law & Order," 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
USA: "NCIS," 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

SATURDAY, MAY 28, 2011

THE HOBBIT NEWS
Lord of the Rings star Orlando Bloom has joined the cast of Peter Jackson's upcoming Hobbit movies -- even though his character, the elf Legolas, doesn’t appear in J. R. R. Tolkien’s original novel.
Jackson announced the casting in a Facebook post Friday.
“Ten years ago, Orlando Bloom created an iconic character with his portrayal of Legolas," he wrote. "I’m excited to announce today that we’ll be revisiting Middle Earth with him once more. I’m thrilled to be working with Orlando again.”
Jackson is currently directing the two-movie adaptation in New Zealand.
He helped catapult Bloom to stardom by giving him his first major film roles as Legolas in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Looking back, Jackson wrote on his Facebook page, "I look older — and he doesn’t! I guess that’s why he makes such a wonderful elf."
The Hobbit movies, which have been in the works for 14 years, has faced a series of setbacks.
In 2005, Jackson filed suit against New Line Cinema, claiming he had lost revenue from merchandising, video, and computer games releases associated with The Fellowship of the Ring and was no longer attached to The Hobbit.
Three years later, director Guillermo del Toro signed on but dropped out in May 2010 due to scheduling conflicts.
Jackson was confirmed again as director in October 2010, but union disputes in New Zealand threatened to relocate filming to Europe. In January, Jackson underwent surgery for a perforated ulcer, delaying shooting further.
On March 21, it was announced that shooting had begun in Wellington, New Zealand. Jackson also posted two images of himself on his Facebook page hanging out on set.
Actors Cate Blanchett, Ian McKellen, Elijah Wood and Andy Serkis are reprising their roles from Rings in the prequel, which centers on Bilbo (Freeman) finding the supernatural ring and passing it on to his nephew, Frodo (Wood).
The first of the two movies is planned for a December 2012 release and the second is expected a year later.

JACK THE GIANT KILLER
New Line Cinema and Legendary Pictures announced today that principal photography is underway in London for Bryan Singer's 3D epic action adventure Jack the Giant Killer, starring Nicholas Hoult, Eleanor Tomlinson, Stanley Tucci, Ian McShane, Bill Nighy and Ewan McGregor.
Jack the Giant Killer tells the story of an ancient war that is reignited when a young farmhand unwittingly opens a gateway between our world and a fearsome race of giants. Unleashed on the Earth for the first time in centuries, the giants strive to reclaim the land they once lost, forcing the young man, Jack (Hoult), into the battle of his life to stop them. Fighting for a kingdom, its people, and the love of a brave princess, he comes face to face with the unstoppable warriors he thought only existed in legend�and gets the chance to become a legend himself.
Hoult and Singer recently collaborated on the Singer-produced X-Men: First Class, opening next week. Jack the Giant Killer also stars Eleanor Tomlinson as Princess Isabelle; Stanley Tucci (Captain America: The First Avenger, Julie & Julia) as the deceitful Lord Roderick; Ian McShane (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, HBO's "Deadwood") as the besieged King Brahmwell; Bill Nighy (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) as the giants' leader General Fallon; and Ewan McGregor ("Star Wars") as palace guard Elmont.
Singer will direct from a screenplay by Darren Lemke and Christopher McQuarrie and Dan Studney, story by Darren Lemke & David Dobkin. The film will be produced by Neal Moritz, David Dobkin, Bryan Singer and Patrick McCormick.
The creative filmmaking team includes Singer's longtime collaborators, director of photography Newton Thomas Sigel (X-Men, Superman Returns) and editor John Ottman (X2, Superman Returns). The production designer is Gavin Bocquet (Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith).
Jack the Giant Killer is filming on location in and around London, and is scheduled for a June 15, 2012 release by Warner Bros. Pictures.

FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2011

JEFF CONAWAY PASSES AWAY
Below is information from the Hollywood Reporter:
Jeff Conaway, the troubled actor of Taxi and Grease fame whose addiction problems were well chronicled for years by reality TV and the media, has died, his manager, Phil Brock, confirms to The Hollywood Reporter. He was 60.
He was taken off life support Thursday (May 26) and died Friday at 10:30 a.m. in Encino, nine days after being put into a medically induced coma. He was surrounded by his sisters, nieces, nephews and ministers.
"We loved Jeff as a person, respected him as a consummate performer and entertainer. Somewhere in heaven, somebody is getting a hickey from Kenickie," Brock said. "On a darker side, we're happy his personal struggles are now over. We do not have memorial plans yet. The family has asked for forbearance and privacy today. It's a very difficult time.
"Our staff has been with him through his struggle over the last few years," Brock adds. "He is one of the nicest, kindest people. The most gentle person, and that may have been his downfall in the long run. He was a really nice guy in general, a person who would give the shirt off his back for anyone. He loved and lived to be on stage and entertaining others."

Many readers have written in about the sadness they feel about Jeff Conaway's passing. He was a good actor and leftan impression on B5 fans as Zack Allen. However, he was also a kind and gracious convention guest. Those who werefortunate enough to meet him said he was thoughtful and appreciated attention from fans.

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2011

WORLD WAR Z NEWS
THE long talked-about film adaptation of World War Z, a 2006 novel by Max Brooks, appears to be gathering momentum.
Swedish rising star Alicia Vikander (pictured) may be set to play Segen in the Plan B Entertainment Production, reports horror site Bloody Disgusting.
Pitt, who heads up Plan B, will be headlining a roster with the likes of Mireille Enos (The Killing, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf - Broadway) and Anthony Mackie (The Hurt Locker, Eagle Eye) in this post-apocalyptic zombie tale.
World War Z follows Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt), a United Nations employee who travels the world in an effort to stop the spreading epidemic and save the human race.
Calling the shots will be Quantum of Solace director Marc Forster with veteran writers J. Michael Straczynski (Babylon 5, Superman Earth One) and Matt Carnahan (The Kingdom, State of Play) penning the script.
Early reports have cited budgeting and other issues as cause for early delays, but with actors in place and a June shoot date it looks like this may just be the next big zombie flick.

CONAN THE BARBARIAN
Conan The Barbarian hasn't ransacked a single theater yet, but Jason Momoa is already hinting at magical plot elements for future sequels.
In an interview with Empire Online, Momoa offered his predictions for Conan 2 and 3 and promises a sleeker, more panther-like hero than Arnold's immortalized armored tank physique. In preparation for the iconic character, he studied the actions of big cats and incorporated their natural aggressive tendencies into his performance:
"We wanted to make him nimble. He's a product of his environment. He's not out there squatting tree trunks and dead lifting boulders."
Momoa says to anticipate Japanese-style stance work and bloody samurai combat action reminiscent of old Kurosawa films. And regarding the wealth of shadowed wizardry and black arts woven into the original Robert E. Howard source material, the lion-locked star says to not dismay:
"There's a lot of magic and sorcery in the Conan stories but they wanted to steer clear [of including] too much of that because of Clash Of The Titans. They have a little bit of the sorcery in there with Marique (Rose McGowan) but I'm sure in Conan 2 and 3 there's going to be a lot more of that."
Momoa's confidence is obviously high. Conan The Barbarian swings into cinemas in 3D on August 19th.

THE DARK TOWER
Here's the scoop on THE DARK TOWER. The script and the budget are out of whack, and the production has been delayed. Director Ron Howard has finally opened up about the film's recent troubles—including Javier Bardem's (sort-of) casting.
In a recent interview, Howard revealed that yes, production on The Dark Tower has been pushed back, but they've got a new start date! Instead of fall 2011, they're looking to get things going early next spring.
Howard said, "We had to pull back to our September start date due to budget delays and ongoing story development and logistical issues, but Dark Tower is moving forward." That's great from a production standpoint, but what about the cast?
For months, Javier Bardem has been rumored, then confirmed, then rumored again to play The Dark Tower's Roland. So, is he or isn't he? According to Howard, he is—kind of. "I can't really say who'll be in it yet, but Javier Bardem has shown a great deal of interest." Javier, sign on the dotted line already so we can get this party started!
If you're wondering about the television aspect of this saga, Howard revealed that the actors in the film and TV show will definitely be the same. He also said there's a method behind his madness. There's a reason he's jumping from the movie theater to television screens.
"There are elements of The Dark Tower saga that are more personal and can be best dealt with on television," Howard continued. "TV allows you to roll out details of the characters in a more methodical way."

GREEN LANTERN
Pull up a chair, everybody—Tomar-Re (Geoffrey Rush) is about to tell us a story. In the latest Green Lantern trailer, the alien gives a history lesson on the Lantern Corps, the Guardians of the Universe and their super-exclusive power rings.
We think this trailer was created specifically for people who know nothing about the Green Lantern comic. The first half of it is pretty much a bio of how the Lantern Corps came to be and why Hal Jordan's (Ryan Reynolds) a significant character. They also touch on Parallax and the most dangerous color of the rainbow—yellow!
It also looks like Hector Hammond (Peter Sarsgaard) is being possessed or having his life force drawn out. In this movie, that guy really goes through it, doesn't he? He has a face only a mother could love.
It's no secret that the power rings can create whatever the Lantern thinks of (usually weapons). But in the trailer we actually see a few vehicles thrown into the mix. An old school car gets driven through a building and a tank is shown shooting off major rounds. We wonder what else those rings will do in this movie?
The Green Lantern opens in theaters everywhere on June 17.

TOTAL RECALL REMAKE
Bill Nighy is in negotiations to join the cast of Total Recall, Columbia’s Colin Farrell-led remake of the 1990 Arnold Schwarzenegger action movie.
The film, which starts shooting in June in Toronto and will be directed by Len Wiseman, also stars Bryan Cranston as the villain, and Kate Beckinsale and Jessica Biel as the female leads. Ethan Hawke is on board for a cameo.
The movie ditches the Martian storyline from the original pic and instead involves nation states Euromerica and New Shanghai. Farrell plays Douglas Quaid, a factory worker in the latter who begins to believe he is a spy — although he doesn't know for which side.
Nighy will play Quatto, the leader of the resistance. (In the 1990 movie, the character, called Kuato, was played by Marshall Bell with the conceit that the leader was actually a small mutant living off the human.)
Nighy has made a name in the geek community playing a vampire ruler in the Underworld movies and Davy Jones in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. He can next be seen on the big screen as Minister Rufus Scrimgeour in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.
Nighy is repped by WME, Markham, Froggatt & Irwin and Jackoway Tierman.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, 2011

COWBOYS AND ALIENS
Daniel Craig's got a lot of problems in the new Cowboys & Aliens TV spot. He's lost his memory, a strange bracelet's attached to his wrist, and did we mention he lost his memory? Luckily for him, Olivia Wilde and her doe eyes are there to help him through it.
From the looks of it, Jake Lonergan (Craig) was dropped out of the sky with a new piece of snazzy jewelry. It has a mind of its own, and it's caught the attention of a young woman named Ella (Wilde). He wants to know what happened to him, and she wants to know where he got his arm candy.
This whole TV spot is filled with Wilde giving Craig some positive reinforcement. If aliens abducted you, wiped your memory and kidnapped your girlfriend, you would need some words of encouragement, too.
According to Ella, they have one major advantage against their enemies—they underestimate him! We're not sure what that means, but we assume Jake's a lot more badass than he's letting on.
Once Jake gets his head on straight he'll be unstoppable. At one point in the TV spot, he's shown taking charge and rallying the troops. He even asks Col. Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford), "You ready to get your people back?" You bet he's ready! No one goes after Han Solo ... we mean Indiana Jones ... we mean Col. Dolarhyde's family and gets away with it!
Cowboys & Aliens hits theaters on July 29.

TORCHWOOD: MIRACLE DAY
Yesterday, we had a new TORCHWOOD trailer for you. Now we have the real trailer for you ... with more (and better) footage.
This trailer is longer than the previous one by 18 seconds. The best part of the new footage, seen in the last few seconds, is short yet punchy. Let's just say that Gwen Cooper, played by Eva Myles, confronts an unnamed CIA agent, played by Dichen Lachman (formerly Sierra of Dollhouse) about her heritage.

PRIMEVAL
The fifth season of the cool little sci-fi series that could, Primeval, may not be coming to North America just yet, but that doesn't mean we can't feast our eyes on the latest official, action-packed (and dinosaur-filled) trailer to make the wait a tiny bit more bearable.
The new trailer features a lot of action sequences, some wild dinosaur action, an awesome underwater scene pitting a dino against a submarine, some ewww-inducing cockroaches, as well as a dash of romance.
It also features the return of a season-four character we didn't think we'd see again, but we won't spoil the surprise for you by telling you who it is. Just take a look at the trailer and see for yourselves.
Seems like there's gonna be a lot of action during season five, and we really can't wait to see it!
The fifth season of Primeval starts tonight in the U.K. at 8 p.m. on Watch. Since the series will be re-shown later in the year on ITV (remember there was a partnership between ITV and Watch to save the series when it was originally canceled), we guess it should soon air on BBC America around the same time, so stay tuned.

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS
The first reviews of X-Men: First Class are starting to emerge and the word is bordering on astonishing.
After X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men Origins: Wolverine, who could blame anyone for thinking this was another cheap cash-grab that was going to not be very good, to put it mildly. Apparently we should all act like Daredevil and have no fear, is the message that is telegraphing out.
“It’s a huge home run,” says Collider.
HeyUGuys actually compares the movie to J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek reboot and says, “The talented screenwriting duo of Jane Goldman and director Matthew Vaughn have made a fantastic effort here to bring the '60s age of civil unrest and cold world paranoia successfully into a comic book milieu, and weave what is essentially a period, character-based (a term which don’t normally spring to mind in such a genre) espionage thriller with big action spectacle thrills.”
And you can’t leave out Hitfix’s very thoughtful first, um, thought: “It uses your expectations about the genre to set you up one way, then time and again, reaches for something a little bit more perverse or a little bit more eccentric or a little bit more heartfelt X-Men: First Class is a genuinely good movie, not just a good superhero movie.”
Many sites are singling out James McAvoy as Professor X, Michael Fassbender as Magneto, Jennifer Lawrence as Raven and Nicholas Hoult as well; it seems like almost everyone is getting some love from some quarter, showing audiences could end up having their favorite moments and character.
The movie comes out June 3.

NEW HOUDINI PROJECT
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Scott Frank is in talks to come on board to write HOUDINI, Columbia’s project centering on famous escape artist and magician Harry Houdini.
Francis Lawrence is attached to direct while Jimmy Miller is producing via his Mosaic Media shingle.
While there several Houdini projects being developed in film and TV -- some supernatural, some in the vein of the recent Sherlock Holmes movie -- this one seems to be one of the more grounded. It sees Houdini striving to expose a troubled, beautiful spiritualist as a fraud. As he becomes obsessed with her, he starts to believe she's authentic, only to uncover what appears to be a tragic scam.
The studio has long been developing a Houdini project, attracting filmmakers such as Ang Lee, Paul Verhoeven and Robert Zemeckis over the years, but Houdini got a new act in March when Lawrence and Miller conjured up a fresh take.
One of the town’s more respected scribes, Frank’s credits range from Steven Soderbergh’s Out of Sight to Steven Spielberg’s Minority Report to the canine weepie Marley & Me. He is repped by CAA.

DEXTER NEWS
Edward James Olmos, best known for playing William Adama in Syfy’s Battlestar Galactica, has joined the cast of Showtime’s Dexter, writes the Hollywood Reporter.
The Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning actor will play a brilliant, charismatic professor of religious studies.
Olmos joins recently announced guest stars Colin Hanks and Mos, formerly Mos Def, in the new season.
Production on the sixth season of Dexter begins Wednesday in Los Angeles and will launch on Showtime this fall.
In addition to Battlestar Galactica, Olmos has starred in Miami Vice, Stand and Deliver, Selena, Blade Runner and the theater and film versions of Zoot Suit.
Guest actors on Dexter have most recently included Jimmy Smits, John Lithgow and Julia Stiles.

THIS DARK ENDEAVOR
Summit Entertainment has brought on Matt Reeves to direct and Jacob Estes to write This Dark Endeavor, based on the first book of a series, "This Dark Endeavor: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein." The novel, written by Kenneth Oppel, will be published by Simon & Schuster later this summer. Karen Rosenfelt will produce the film.
In This Dark Endeavor, Victor Frankenstein's twin brother, Konrad, falls gravely ill, leading Victor to seek out a mysterious old alchemist to help him produce the Elixir of Life, a fabled serum that will bestow the drinker with perpetual health. Faced with the unthinkable outcome of losing his brother, and aided by his best friend Elizabeth (whose relationship with both brothers grows increasingly complicated), Victor sets out on a quest for the three ingredients needed to save Konrad's life.
Reeves' recent credits include Let Me In, starring Kodi Smit-McPhee, Chloë Grace Moretz and Oscar nominee Richard Jenkins, which he wrote and directed, as well as the sci-fi thriller Cloverfield.
Estes wrote and directed Mean Creek as well as The Details, starring Tobey Maguire and Elizabeth Banks which premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.
Erik Feig, Summit's President of Production, Gillian Bohrer, Summit's Vice President of Production, and Ashley Schlaifer, Summit's Creative Executive, are overseeing the project for the studio.

TUESDAY, MAY 24, 2011

THE MUPPET MOVIE
Here is our first peek at "The Muppets" movie.
Amy Adams and Jason Segel star as a couple who visits Hollywood only to have something go quaintly awry.
At some point, Muppets get involved -- as they are wont to do. All our old faves are here: Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Beaker -- we think we even spotted Dr. Teeth (of Electric Mayhem fame) in the mix. And -- amazingly -- none of them appear to have aged a day since their late 1970s heydey.
The movie's due in theaters Thanksgiving weekend. I had forgotten how much I missed these guys!

STAR WARS LEGO CREATION
We've all seen a ton of awesome LEGO creations over the years, but this 30,000-brick diorama that recreates the Emperor's arrival from Return of the Jedi is the awesomest yet.
Jay Hoff built this work of art for Science Discovery Day at Berkeley Preparatory School in Tampa.
And before you start complaining—yes, we know there are some Clone Troopers mixed in with the Storm Troopers. But that doesn't make Hoff's feat any less impressive.

GREEN LANTERN
Here comes a new Green Lantern TV trailer, clocking in at 30 seconds. There's not much plot given away here, but with only minimal dialogue it manages to convey a dark danger that's threatening the world. And it looks ... exciting.
The first trailer for Green Lantern had me worried about the movie. Even Warner Bros. apologized for making us watch it.
But with trailers like this latest one, we've officially warmed up to the idea that Ryan Reynolds can do Hal Jordan justice and that Green Lantern can deliver the excitement that we're looking for in a movie based on DC's beloved comic-book series.
Green Lantern is hitting theaters on June 17.

JURASSIC PARK 4
Have you been hoping that Michael Crichton's dinosaurs would live on? Well, Sam Neill has some great news for you! He's willing to come back and reprise his role as Dr. Alan Grant ...
... just as soon as both Crichton and dinosaur effects artist Stan Winston (both deceased) come through a time tunnel and announce that they're on board with another sequel.
Here's how Neill recently put it:
"I think we've told the story. I think it's done. ... Stan Winston who made those beautiful dinosaurs died. So, no Stan, no Jurassic Park really ... Crichton died too. ... I'll tell you what. If Michael Crichton time travels, writes the book [and] Stan time travels [and] reanimates dinosaurs, then absolutely."
Neill's genuine take seems to be that it would be borderline tasteless to continue the franchise without two of its most important creative forces. It's kind of hard to argue with his logic, but will that stop another film from getting made?

LITTLE MERMAID
Hans Christian Andersens’ The Little Mermaid is the latest fairy tale to follow into the studios thirst for reimaginings writes the Hollywood Reporter.
Sony has picked up Mermaid: A Twist on the Classic Tale, a book by Carolyn Turgeon, for Country Strong filmmaker Shana Feste to write and direct. Tobey Maguire and Jenno Topping, who worked with Feste on Country Strong,are producing.
The story gets its point of view shifted and the tone is definitely not Disney. It centers on a princess who, in order to save her ravaged kingdom, sets out on a dangerous journey to marry the prince of her rival kingdom, not knowing that a beautiful mermaid has fallen for the same man and has sacrificed everything to be with him.
Maguire is producing via his Material Pictures and the company’s Nick Reimond will oversee. Andrea Gianetti oversees for the studio.
Feste, repped by CAA, Madhouse Entertainment, and attorney Sean Marks, also wrote and directed The Greatest, the drama which starred Pierce Brosnan, Susan Sarandon and Carey Mulligan.
Turgeon is repped by ICM.

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES
Two more have been added to the cast of Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises. Variety reports that Brett Cullen and Chris Ellis have signed on for the film as a judge and a priest, respectively.
Cullen is best known for appearances in films like Apollo 13 and, in a very different comic book universe, Ghost Rider, where he played Barton Blaze, father to Nicolas Cage's Johnny Blaze.
Ellis, meanwhile, is also known for a part in Apollo 13 and other character roles in films like Transformers, Armageddon and Catch Me If You Can.
The Dark Knight Rises is now in production internationally and features the return of Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman and Nestor Carbonell, along with roles for Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Juno Temple, Josh Pence, Daniel Sunjata, Matthew Modine, Tom Conti, Joey King, Alon Aboutboul, Burn Gorman and Diego Klattenhoff. It is set for release on July 20, 2012.

JOHN CARTER
Formerly titled John Carter of Mars, Andrew Stanton's live action debut will now be released under the shorter title, John Carter, Walt Disney Pictures has confirmed.
Starring Taylor Kitsch as the titular lead, the film is based on Edgar Rice Burrough's science fiction series which sees Civil War veteran John Carter transported to the world of Barsoom (the Martian word for their own planet) where he becomes caught up between the different races of warriors who inhabit the red desert.
The title John Carter of Mars is actually that of the final book in the series. The first, which is said to the primary basis for the film, was published under the name A Princess of Mars (and originally serialized as Under the Moons of Mars).
Also starring Lynn Collins, Samantha Morton, Mark Strong, Ciaran Hinds, Dominic West, James Purefoy, Daryl Sabara, Polly Walker, Bryan Cranston, Thomas Hayden Church and Willem Dafoe, John Carter is planned for release on March 9, 2012.

TORCHWOOD: MIRACLE DAY
Starz has unveiled the first trailer for the upcoming "Torchwood: Miracle Day," set to begin airing on July 8th.
The series, a spinoff of "Doctor Who," began airing in Britain in 2006. It ran for two 13-episode seasons before opting for a unique approach for a third, airing a single five-episode story, "Children of Earth" over a single week. The new, fourth production is shot primarily in the US and looks to blend both approaches, running 10 episodes that involve a single, ongoing storyline called "Miracle Day" in which an unknown force prevents anyone on Earth from dying.
The series is set to feature the return of John Barrowman, Eve Myles and Kai Owen with new roles for Mekhi Phifer, Alexa Havins, Arlene Tur, Bill Pullman, Lauren Ambrose, Tom Price, William Thomas, Sharon Morgan, Dillon Casey, Dicehn Lachman, Lena Kaur, Wayne Knight, Ernie Hudson, C. Thomas Howell and John de Lancie.
I don't know about you, but I may have to look into subscribing to STARZ for this one!

MONDAY, MAY 23, 2011

JOSS WHEDON NEWS
According to the Hollywood Reporter, THOR, toplined by Chris Hemsworth, wasn’t just directed by Kenneth Branagh. Thor actor Stellan Skarsgard revealed at Cannes, while promoting MELANCHOLIA, that Joss Whedon, who is currently helming THE AVENGERS, actually filmed part of THOR.
Whedon, Skarsgard tells Empire, directed the post-credits scene, in which his Erik Selvig, Tom Hiddleston’s Loki and Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury all appear.
“That was just a couple of months ago,” Skarsgard said of filming the extra scene. “I flew over there and went down into a basement, talked to Sam a couple of minutes and then went back home.”
“Was that with Ken Branagh?,” the interviewer asks.
“No that was with a director called Joss Whedon, who’s doing THE AVENGERS,” Skarsgard answers.THE AVENGERS is slated for a May 4, 2012 release. Thor is currently in theaters.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
Fueled by foreign moviegoers, Disney’s 3D PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES opened to $346.4 million at the worldwide box office to grab the fourth-best global bow of all time, as well as the biggest international opening ever.
ON STRANGER TIDES grossed a massive $256.3 million overseas, nearly three times the $90.1 million earned in North America.
Disney had hoped for a $100 million opening at the domestic box office but took solace in the fact that ONSTRANGER TIDES still scored the top debut of the year (Universal’s Fast Five was the previous crown-holder with $86.2 million). Tracking had always suggested that the movie would open in the $80 million to $100 million range domestically.
Thanks to the 3D tentpole, domestic box-office revenue was up 12 percent from a year ago.
ON STRANGER TIDES was an expensive proposition for Disney, costing $250 million to produce before a hefty marketing spend.
The movie’s stellar opening overseas reinforces the glowing clout of the international box office, where ONSTRANGER TIDES came in ahead of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince ($236 million), Spider-Man 3 ($230.5 million) and the previous Pirates film, At World’s End ($216 million).
Those three movies all opened north of $100 million domestically, so in terms of global grosses, they still pace ahead of ON STRANGER TIDES in terms of best overall opening. Half-Blood Prince opened to $393 million, Spider-Man 3 with $381 million and At World’s End to $357 million.
In North America, At World's End debuted to $114.7 million in May 2007, well more than the $90.1 million grossed by ON STRANGER TIDES.
Domestically, ON STRANGER TIDES drew a B+ CinemaScore rating, indicating that moviegoers liked the film despite generally poor reviews. The majority of Friday’s audience was older than 25 (54 percent), and 54 percent were male. Couples made up 53 percent.
“I think Rob Marshall obviously made one hell of a movie, and when you team Jerry Bruckheimer and Johnny Depp, it’s dynamite,” Disney president of worldwide distribution Chuck Viane says. “And for me, I will never look $90 million in the face and say it’s not a successful opening. Tracking had always aimed at this number, but everybody tried to make it more than the realty of tracking was. And there’s no doubt but that the international box office is becoming more and more important.”
Key drivers overseas included markets where there’s a booming appetite for 3D pics. ON STRANGER TIDES grossed more than $25 million in Russia — an industry record and outpacing the entire run of At World’s End. ON STRANGERTIDES grossed $20 million in China to outpace the entire run of the previous Pirates installment.
ON STRANGER TIDES did especially well in Imax theaters, becoming the top global opening of all time for the large-format exhibitor in grossing $16.7 million. In the U.S., the movie played in a record 256 Imax theaters.
“For Disney and the Pirates franchise, this is a huge global phenomenon, and we're thrilled that Imax produced a worldwide record, as well,” says Greg Foster, chairman and president of filmed entertainment at Imax. “This shows that moviegoers around the world continue to embrace Imax as the place to see their blockbusters. We're particularly excited about the powerful $61k per screen average internationally.”
ON STRANGER TIDES was the only wide opening of the weekend domestically.
Also making headlines was Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris, which scored the writer-director a career best. The film grossed $578,805 from six theaters in Los Angeles and New York for a per location average of $96,468 — the best theater average in months and beating recent specialty hits including The King’s Speech, which grossed $355,450 from four theaters in its debut for a location average of $88,863.
Back on the domestic top 10 chart, Universal’s Bridesmaids held strong in its second weekend to come in No. 2. The R-rated comedy fell a scant 21 percent to an estimated $21.1 million for a cume of $58.9 million in its first 10 days.
Paramount and Marvel Studios’ Thor placed No. 3, declining 55 percent to $15.5 million for a cume of $145.4 million.
Coming in No. 4 was Fast Five, which grossed fell 50 percent to $10.2 million for a cume of $185.8 million.
Rounding out the top five was Fox’s 3D toon Rio, which grossed an estimated $4.7 million in its sixth weekend for a cume of $131.6 million.

NEW TRANSPORTER
British actor Chris Vance ("Prison Break," "Burn Notice," "Dexter") is set to play the lead role of Frank Martin in the upcoming Cinemax TV series based on "The Transporter" film franchise reports EW.
The show follows a professional transporter who is hired to carry out various jobs, usually taking top secret packages from one place to another. The twelve episode first season is said to come in at a considerable $48 million budget.
Luc Besson, who wrote the three films, will executive produce the new series which begins a five-month shoot this Summer in Europe and Canada. The show will air in 2012.

SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2011

OBLIVION
TRON LEGACY director Joseph Kosinski is getting $100 million for a project that was in danger of not happening just two months ago, but he also landed Tom Cruise to star in it.
According to Deadline, Universal Pictures is ponying up the budget for OBLIVION, a SF epic based on a graphic novel created by Kosinski (which will be out later this year), while Cruise has committed to starring in the picture. Production will begin in October on the film, which takes place in a post-apocalyptic future where most of humanity now lives in the clouds and the surface of the Earth has been ravaged by hostile aliens. Cruise will presumably play the main character, who fixes the drones that hunt down the aliens and finds a beautiful woman in a crashed spaceship who alters his view of the world.
Disney had originally won the film rights while the studio was high on Kosinski and the job he was doing directing Tron: Legacy. But when Tron did not do Avatar-like business at the box office—it made $400 million worldwide, nothing to sneeze at but not quite the behemoth Disney had planned on—the studio began to have second thoughts about Oblivion. It also tried to get Kosinski to water it down from a PG-13 rating to a PG to attract a bigger family audience, which ended up not working to anyone's satisfaction.
Disney did allow Kosinski to shop it around and Universal, which had been bidding for it last year at the same time as Disney, snapped it up. Strangely enough, Universal only recently put the brakes on another mammoth SF/horror film starring Cruise—Guillermo del Toro's adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's At the Mountains of Madness—because Del Toro refused to pare it down from an R rating to PG-13.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
Disney’s PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES opened to a softer than expected $35 million at the Friday box office, but continued to soar overseas, ringing in $92.1 million in its first three days.
The big question now is whether the Johnny Depp tentpole can eclipse Universal’s Fast Five to score the best domestic opening of the year. Disney is still hoping to reach $90 million, but has lowered its weekend estimate to $87 million to $89 million.
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD'S END, the last film in the franchise, opened to $114.7 million over Memorial Day in 2007.
ON STRANGER TIDES will need to do brisk business on Saturday and Sunday and lure families, if it’s to beat Fast Five, which opened to $86.2 million in late April.
ON STRANGER TIEDS drew a B+ CinemaScore, indicating moviegoers liked the film, despite poor reviews. The majority of Friday’s audience was over the age of 35 (56%), while there was an even number of males and females buying tickets.
Playing in a total of 4,155 theaters, ON STRANGER TIDES did particularly well in 256 Imax locations.
Overseas, ON STRANGER TIDES is an unqualified hit, grosssing another $46.2 million on Friday to bring its three-day total to $92.1 million. Tally doesn’t include China grosses. The movie is pacing 8% ahead of AT WORLD'S END.
ON STRANGER TIDES is looking at an international opening of $150 million or more, and is already the top debut of the year, reflecting the ravenous appetite for 3D titles and the franchise.
Russia has already ponied up a whopping $15.6 million. Other key drivers are the U.K. and Ireland ($8.5 million), Scandinavia ($8 million), France ($6.8 million) and Italy ($4.3 million).
ON STRANGER TIDES is an expensive proposition for Disney, having cost $250 million to produce, according to insiders. The studio was hoping for a $100 million domestic debut, but considering the soft marketplace, was prepared for a lower number.
Elsewhere at the domestic box office on Friday, Universal’s BRIDESMAIDS was holding strong. The R-rated female comedy came in No. 2, falling a scant 18% on its second Friday to $6.3 million for a cume of $44.8 million.
Paramount and Marvel Studios’ THOR placed No. 3, declining 52% to $4.4 million for a cume of $134.3 million.
Coming in No. 4 was FAST FIVE, which grossed $3.1 million on Friday for a cume of $178.7 million.
Rounding out the top five was Sony’s PRIEST 3D, which fell a steep 74% in its second weekend to $1.5 million and bringing its cume to $20.5 million.
Making headlines on the specialty side was Woody Allen’s MIDNIGHT IN PARIS, from Sony Pictures Classics. The film—which opened the Cannes Film Festival—grossed an estimated $170,928 from six theaters for a per location average of $28,488.

SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2011

PAT TALLMAN AND PENNY LANE
For years, Pat Tallman (Lyta Alexander on B5) has supported Penny Lane with convention appearances and efforts to make Christmas special for those at Penny Lane. Here's a special request from Pat for you today:
Dear Friends,
Do you have a Facebook account?
If so, you can help Penny Lane win a $250,000 donation! Please also invite your friends to participate.
Visit our Facebook page to find out how!
http://www.facebook.com/PennyLaneCenters
Once you click the link above: click the LOGIN button, LIKE them, then scroll down to the BOTTOM of the page to ENDORSE Penny Lane.

DOCTOR WHO PREMIERE SETS RECORD
DOCTOR WHO's still got it! Whoever doubted him and his appeal can eat crow. When the series returned to television last month, several papers and tabloids made noise about its comparatively low ratings in the U.K. Well, guess what? People didn't tune out, they just tuned in ... differently.
The DVR strikes again. Instead of watching this season's first episode of DOCTOR WHO, titled "The Impossible Astronaut," live, people recorded it and played it back later. The folks over at Kantar Media Audiences (they do ratings analysis) have announced that the episode was the most recorded show in U.K. TV history!
In a way, viewers decided to do a little time traveling of their own with Doctor Who by watching it in the future. After it was all said and done, 4.1 million viewers decided to watch recorded Who, which beat the previous record, held by the Come Fly With Me Christmas special (3.29 million).
Technology is evolving, and home entertainment isn't what it used to be. Not only can we watch shows on DVRs, but we can stream them online with the BBC iPlayer and ITVplayer. They've got to take those into account, too!

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS
What happens when you have The Hunger Game's sexy killing machine Jennifer Lawrence and About a Boy's geeky Nicholas Hoult together in a romantic scene from X-MEN: FIRST CLASS? What could be have been awkward turns out to be an awwww-inducing moment.
Right, a discussion about wanting to be normal, serum and blood samples shouldn't be all cute and sweet and romantic and sort of sexy, but that's the end result of this 50-second clip that expands on a very short snippet we've now seen countless times in countless different X-MEN: FIRST CLASS trailers.
Taking over for the sexy Rebecca Romijn (who played the blue-skinned shape-shifter mutant in the first three X-Men films) as Raven Darkholme/Mystique, Lawrence adds a bit of an Emma Peel vibe to the role, while Hoult, who's taking over the role of Hank McCoy/Beast from a blue-fur-covered Kelsey Grammer in X-MEN: THE LAST STAND, looks much more like a shy, geeky, Peter Parker-ish high-school student.

TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON
Paramount unleashed a new trailer for TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON upon us.
And this one can be seen in 3D. How, you ask? One way to see it is to get the new handy-dandy My 3D device that Hasbro just put into stores. You slide your iPhone or iTouch into what is essentially a ViewMaster and voila, stuff made for 3d viewing will be in 3D. (You gotta download an app first though, but it's free.)
Transformers 3 is looking like it's going to blow people away. Paramount showed about 15 to 20 minutes of the movie as a special presentation Thursday night and what people saw left folks buzzing.
TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON opens in theaters on June 29.

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES
Warner Bros. released the first photos of THE DARK KNIGHT RISES villain, Bane (played by Tom Hardy), on Twitter Friday.The studio's viral video campaign has the Twitter handle @TheFireRises publishing links to a Web site in which you can upload your photo. The photo composite is of Bane.
Christopher Nolan's THE DARK KNIGHT RISES is due in theaters on July 20, 2012.
NEW CAST MEMBERS
With production already underway on the Christopher Nolan bat-finale, THE DARK KNIGHT RISES has added three more to its cast. Variety reports that Matthew Modine, Tom Conti and Joey King have signed on in undisclosed roles.
Best known for his breakout role in 1987's Full Metal Jacket, Modine will soon appear in Curtis Hanson's HBO movie Too Big To Fail, premiering next Monday. Conti, meanwhile, played the title character in Nagisa Ôshima's Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence and appeared last year in Julie Taymor's rendition of The Tempest. King, now eleven years old, played Ramona Quimby in Fox's Ramona and Beezus.
The Dark Knight Rises is now in-production internationally and features the the return of Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman and Nestor Carbonell, along with roles for Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Juno Temple, Josh Pence and Daniel Sunjata. It is set for release on July 20, 2012.

GREEN LANTERN
Here is an absolutely awesome new trailer for GREEN LANTERN.
Hitting 3D and 2D theaters on June 17, the Martin Campbell-directed action adventure stars Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong, Angela Bassett, Tim Robbins, Temuera Morrison, Jay O. Sanders, Taika Waititi, Jon Tenney, Geoffrey Rush and Michael Clarke Duncan.
In a universe as vast as it is mysterious, a small but powerful force has existed for centuries. Protectors of peace and justice, they are called the Green Lantern Corps. A brotherhood of warriors sworn to keep intergalactic order, each Green Lantern wears a ring that grants him superpowers. But when a new enemy called Parallax threatens to destroy the balance of power in the Universe, their fate and the fate of Earth lie in the hands of their newest recruit, the first human ever selected: Hal Jordan (Reynolds). Hal is a gifted and cocky test pilot, but the Green Lanterns have little respect for humans, who have never harnessed the infinite powers of the ring before. But Hal is clearly the missing piece to the puzzle, and along with his determination and willpower, he has one thing no member of the Corps has ever had: humanity. With the encouragement of fellow pilot and childhood sweetheart Carol Ferris (Lively), if Hal can quickly master his new powers and find the courage to overcome his fears, he may prove to be not only the key to defeating Parallax...he will become the greatest Green Lantern of all.

GREEN LANTERN: EMERALD KNIGHTS EXTRAS
Singer/actor/spoken-word artist Henry Rollins, the voice of Kilowog in "Green Lantern: Emerald Knights" talked abouthis experience in creating the character Kilowog. The interview can be found at Henry Rollins. The DC Universe Animated Original Movie will be released by Warner Home Video on June 7, 2011.

FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2011

THE HOBBIT NEWS
THE HOBBIT is absolutely our most anticipated movie of 2012. It's based on one of the best fantasy books ever written, directed by Peter Jackson and has Ian McKellen and Cate Blanchett reprising their roles from Lord of the Rings. We've been imagining a near-perfect movie ... but now it just got better than that.
Stephen Fry has been cast as the Master of Lake-town, the elected leader of the town of Esgaroth. The character is intelligent, yet greedy and cowardly, and he [*spoiler alert*] comes to a very bad end.
To know Stephen Fry is to love how awesome he is. An actor who's appeared in V for Vendetta, as well as the classic TV show Blackadder, he also hosts the wonderfully geeky British comedy quiz show QI. In addition, he voices videogame characters, has written a science fiction novel and blogs about technology.

PRIMEVAL PREVIEW
The fourth season of PRIMEVAL has been behind us for quite a few weeks already, and we're already missing the team, the ARC, the anomalies and the dinosaurs. But something fantastic cheered us up this morning: the first trailers, and a promo clip, from the eagerly anticipated season five!
If you, like us, were left hanging on the edge of your seat at the end of season four with [*spoilers ahead*] the revelation that Phillip Burton (Star Trek DS9's Alexander Siddig) was clearly involved with that crazy evil villain Helen Cutter (Juliet Aubrey) and the reveal of new team leader Matt's (Ciaran McMenamin) agenda, and if you screamed "Noooooooo" in front of your TV screen when Connor (Andrew Lee Potts) got into Burton's car, then you'll be happy to know that season five is coming soon with a new run of six episodes.
However, the downer is that for now, it's only coming to the U.K. on a digital channel called Watch (it was part of a deal with ITV to save the show).
Sadly, no news yet on when BBC America will air this baby, but let's hope it's going to be soon.

DARK SHADOWS
Cameras for Dark Shadows were finally rolling inside London's historic Pinewood Studios this week, and not a scream too soon.
Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Eva Green and Michelle Pfeiffer star in the eerie, big-screen production inspired by the cult daytime soap created by Dan Curtis. Dark Shadows originally ran on ABC from 1966-'71. The rumor cauldron on this ghostly spectacle peaked last year when Burton and company signed on and casting whispers filtered through the midnight air, but never anything about the screenplay ...
Until this synopsis from Warner Brothers materialized:
"In the year 1752, Joshua and Naomi Collins, with young son Barnabas, set sail from Liverpool, England to start a new life in America. But even an ocean was not enough to escape the mysterious curse that has plagued their family. Two decades pass and Barnabas (Johnny Depp) has the world at his feet--or at least the town of Collinsport, Maine. The master of Collinwood Manor, Barnabas is rich, powerful and an inveterate playboy...until he makes the grave mistake of breaking the heart of Angelique Brouchard (Eva Green). A witch, in every sense of the word, Angelique dooms him to a fate worse than death: turning him into a vampire, and then burying him alive.
Two centuries later, Barnabas is inadvertently freed from his tomb and emerges into the very changed world of 1972. He returns to Collinwood Manor to find that his once-grand estate has fallen into ruin. The dysfunctional remnants of the Collins family have fared little better, each harboring their own dark secrets. Matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Michelle Pfeiffer) has called upon live-in psychiatrist, Dr. Julia Hoffman (Helena Bonham Carter), to help with her family troubles.
Also residing in the manor is Elizabeth's ne'er-do-well brother, Roger Collins (Jonny Lee Miller); her rebellious teenage daughter Carolyn Stoddard (Chloe Moretz); and Roger's precocious 10-year-old son, David Collins (Gulliver McGrath). The mystery extends beyond the family, to caretaker Willie Loomis, played by Jackie Earle Haley, and David's new nanny, Victoria Winters, played by Bella Heathcote."
Tim Burton's obvious love for classic Hammer horror tales was displayed in Sleepy Hollow, and we see them layering this project with that same polish and respect, He'll direct Dark Shadows from a clever script by Seth Grahame-Smith. Grahame-Smith wrote the Jane Austen-meets-the-undead bestseller Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and the screenplay for Timur Bekmambetov's (Night Watch, Wanted) Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter from his own novel.
An all-star crew of Burton regulars includes Oscar-winning production designer Rick Heinrichs (Sleepy Hollow), Oscar-winning costume designer Colleen Atwood (Sweeney Todd, Alice in Wonderland) and editor Chris Lebenzon (Unstoppable, Corpse Bride). The score will be composed by maestro Danny Elfman.
Check your pulse if the delirious notion of Burton and Depp haunting the 18th-century realm of cobwebs, crypts and coffins doesn't cause any heavy breathing.

PERSON OF INTEREST
CBS has released the trailers for its new season of shows, which give even more reason to get excited about next fall. J.J. Abrams and Jonathan Nolan's PERSON OF INTEREST may or may not be sci-fi, but it certainly has a Lost-sized mystery at its core. Beyond that it seems to channel its inner Dark Knight, likely thanks to Nolan, who co-wrote that movie.
The PERSON OF INTEREST trailer gives us a clue why CBS is moving longtime resident CSI from its timeslot to make room for the new series. It stars Emmy winner Michael Emerson as a billionaire who presses a presumed dead former-CIA operative (Jim Caviezel) into helping him stop violent crime before it happens. The mystery part has to do with Emerson's character having access to some mysterious numbers (hummm, where have we heard that before?) which help them track down evildoers. Well, those numbers and the state-of-the-art surveillance techology the two use to fight crime.
PERSON OF INTEREST - Premieres this fall on Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET

TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON
Paramount Pictures has moved up Michael Bay's TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON two days from Friday, July 1st to Wednesday, June 29th. TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN also opened on a Wednesday while Transformers was released on a Monday.
Opening in 3D, 2D and IMAX theaters, the action adventure stars Shia LaBeouf, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Kevin Dunn, Julie White, Frances McDormand, John Malkovich, Ken Jeong, Patrick Dempsey, Alan Tudyk, John Turturro and Leonard Nimoy.
The film just received a PG-13 rating for "intense prolonged sequences of sci-fi action violence, mayhem and destruction, and for language, some sexuality and innuendo."
In TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON, a mysterious event from Earth's past erupts into the present day and threatens to bring a war to Earth so big that the Transformers alone will not be able to save us.

THE MACHINE
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Vin Diesel has lined up a project at MGM called THE MACHINE.
The film, from NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM writers Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon, is officially described by MGM as follows:
[Diesel will play] a human-like machine created in secrecy by the Pentagon as the world's first true ultimate weapon. Twenty years after the project was buried and decommissioned for reasons unknown, The Machine is discovered by a kid who befriends him. When the government learns it has been reactivated, the Machine must protect the family harboring him.
In addition to starring, Diesel is set to the produce the project, as he has with several prior films, including FAST AND FURIOUS and FAST FIVE. He previously teamed with Garant and Lennon (as an actor only) for the 2005 comedy THE PACIFIER.

MR. POPPER'S PENGUINS
20th Century Fox has released the new trailer for MR. POPPER'S PENGUINS, the family comedy directed by Mark Waters and opening June 17.
Jim Carrey is Mr. Popper, a driven businessman who is clueless when it comes to the important things in life – until he inherits six penguins. Popper's penguins turn his swank New York apartment into a snowy winter wonderland – and the rest of his life upside-down. Filmed on a refrigerated soundstage with real Gentoo Penguins, MR. POPPER'S PENGUINS is a contemporary adaptation of the classic book.

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES
Filming has already been underway in both India and London for almost a fortnight, it's only today however that the official start of production press release has been issued for the highly anticipated THE DARK KNIGHT RISES.
No new information is contained sadly, though it does confirm that shooting will also take place in Pittsburgh, New York, Los Angeles and sites in England and Scotland. It also says the film will feature more IMAX sequences than THE DARK KNIGHT did, but doesn't elaborate how much more. Here's a copy for those who're interested:
"Principal photography has begun on Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ “The Dark Knight Rises,” the epic conclusion to filmmaker Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy.
Leading an all-star international cast, Oscar® winner Christian Bale (“The Fighter”) again plays the dual role of Bruce Wayne/Batman. The film also stars Anne Hathaway, as Selina Kyle; Tom Hardy, as Bane; Oscar® winner Marion Cotillard (“La Vie en Rose”), as Miranda Tate; and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, as John Blake. Returning to the main cast, Oscar® winner Michael Caine (“The Cider House Rules”) plays Alfred; Gary Oldman is Commissioner Gordon; and Oscar® winner Morgan Freeman (“Million Dollar Baby”) reprises the role of Lucius Fox.
In helming THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, Christopher Nolan is utilizing IMAX® cameras even more extensively than he did on THE DARK KNIGHT, which had marked the first time ever that a major feature film was partially shot with IMAX® cameras. The results were so spectacular that the director wanted to expand the use of the large-format cameras for this film.
The screenplay for THE DARK KNIGHT RISES is written by Christopher Nolan and Jonathan Nolan, story by Christopher Nolan & David S. Goyer. The film is being produced by Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan and Charles Roven, who previously teamed on BATMAN BEGINS and the record-breaking blockbuster THE DARK KNIGHT. The executive producers are Benjamin Melniker, Michael E. Uslan, Kevin De La Noy and Thomas Tull, with Jordan Goldberg serving as co-producer. THE DARK KNIGHT is based upon characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by Bob Kane.
Behind the scenes, THE DARK KNIGHT RISES reunites the director with several of his longtime collaborators, all of whom worked together on the THE DARK KNIGHT. The creative team includes director of photography Wally Pfister, who recently won an Oscar® for his work on Nolan’s “Inception”; production designer Nathan Crowley; editor Lee Smith; and Oscar®-winning costume designer Lindy Hemming (“Topsy-Turvy”). In addition, Paul Franklin and Chris Corbould, who both won Oscars® for the effects in “Inception,” will supervise the visual and special effects, respectively. The music will be composed by Oscar® winner Hans Zimmer (“The Lion King”).
The locations for THE DARK KNIGHT RISES span three continents and include the American cities of Pittsburgh, New York and Los Angeles, as well as sites in India, England and Scotland.
THE DARK KNIGHT RISES is a presentation of Warner Bros. Pictures, in association with Legendary Pictures. Slated for release on July 20, 2012, the film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company."

JEFF CONOWAY IN COMA
The Hollywood Reporter writes today that Jeff Conaway, former star of Taxi and Grease and Babylon 5, is in a coma following a drug overdose, possibly from pain pills, his manager told the Associated press.
Phil Brock said the 60-year-old actor was found unconscious May 11. He is hospitalized in critical condition.
Brock added that Conaway is in a coma in a California hospital and his recovery is uncertain. The name of the hospital was not disclosed.
As part of VH1's reality show Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew in 2008, Conaway discussed his addiction to drugs and alcohol.
His manager described Conaway as a "gentle soul" but one who has been unable to "exorcise his demons."

RINGER
Soon The CW will be showering fans with footage and photos of Sarah Michelle Gellar's upcoming return to television in RINGER.
USA Today provides us with the first released image from the new drama, originally developed for CBS and snatched up by The CW when CBS passed.
RINGER stars Gellar as, Bridget, a woman who hides from the mob by pretending to be her estranged twin sister, Siobhan -- who also has a price on her head.
The photo includes co-star Ioan Gruffudd ("Fantastic Four"), who plays the Siobhan's suspicious husband, so it's anybody's guess as to which sister we're looking at. (Gellar plays both characters in the pilot.)

Witches vs. Vampires

TRUE BLOOD
HBO's TRUE BLOOD vampires and werewolves are getting some unwanted company, because ... The witches are coming! The witches are coming! In the latest promo for season four, it's all about the new neighbors—witches and warlocks.
If you've been following the show [*spoilers ahead*], you know that Lafayette and his new friend Jesus have been dabbling in magic. More specifically, Jesus is a witch, and this season his Wiccan buddies are coming out of the woodwork. They're like roaches!
In the new promo, we're introduced to a circle of witches, one of which is Fiona Shaw, aka Aunt Petunia from the Harry Potter movies. Lafayette has joined forces with the group and is participating in some type of spell, but they're missing one important thing—a dead body! It must be their lucky day, because Bon Temps is filled with them.
Besides the fight between witches and bloodsuckers, there's footage of an angry Bill, who's sporting a new haircut and guyliner. Plus, Jessica has gone crazy (again), and Pam's being, well, Pam. At the end of it all, we think Sookie sums up what most of us are already thinking: "Oh great, now I have to deal with witches?"
TRUE BLOOD premieres on HBO June 26 at 9 p.m.

THE HUNGER GAMES
When it was announced that the role of THE HUNGER GAMES heroine Katniss Everdeen was going to 20-year-old Jennifer Lawrence a few months ago, fans of the book immediately went into a blind panic. Posts stated that the recent Academy Award-nominated actress was too old, blonde, pale and, frankly, traditionally pretty to play the book's 16-year-old, olive-skinned, plain warrior-teen.
Things may change with the release of Entertainment Weekly's exclusive cover image of Lawrence in full Everdeen look.
Lawrence's lithe look, single brown braid, green eyes and "don't mess with me" stare is Katniss to a T. However, how will her age will read on screen? Will the screenwriters tweak that element in translating the book to the screen.
THE HUNGER GAMES is scheduled for release on March 23, 2012.

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS
f there's one thing we learned from the latest scene to be revealed from X-MEN: FIRST CLASS, it's that Charles Xavier has a big mouth and should think before he speaks.
Check out what happens when he (James McAvoy) and Raven Darkholme (Jennifer Lawrence) meet Hank McCoy (Nicholas Hoult).
X-MEN: FIRST CLASS hits theaters June 3, 2011.

A GIFTED MAN
When it comes to Fridays next fall, the television schedule is getting downright crowded for sci-fi and fantasy fans. CBS announced its fall television schedule and placed the new medical supernatural drama A GIFTED MAN in the Friday 8 p.m. ET slot. That puts it opposite NBC's CHUCK, with the 9 p.m. hour having its own battle between Fox's FRINGE and NBC's GRIMM.
And Friday nights will likely get even more crowded when The CW announces its lineup tomorrow. SUPERNATURAL has done well on Fridays at 9 p.m., but if the network decides to keep the show in that timeslot, that puts three major sci-fi and fantasy shows up against each other. And that's not even counting what The CW might do at 8 p.m. in SMALLVILLE's old timeslot. Time to get U-verse! At least with that you can record up to four shows at the same time.
It could be worse. While it would be nice if genre shows were placed more evenly around the schedule, at least the networks are picking them up for fall and midseason.
Elsewhere around the schedule, the geeky comedy THE BIG BANG THEORY will stay on Thursday nights at 8 p.m.
And there are two other significant non-sci-fi notes. J.J. Abrams and Jonah Nolan's PERSON OF INTEREST snagged C.S.I.'s Thursday 9 p.m. slot. And for the first time in years, CBS is putting original scripted programming on Saturday nights, with its established series, RULES OF ENGAGEMENT. That could end up being great news if it works, meaning more original TV on a night the networks mostly use as a dumping ground.
Here's the official description for A GIFTEN MAN:
"A GIFTED MAN is a drama about a brilliant, charismatic surgeon whose life changes forever when his deceased ex-wife begins teaching him the meaning of life from the "hereafter." Michael Holt (Patrick Wilson) is an exceptional doctor who lives a materialistic life of luxury thanks to his work-obsessed career and powerful and wealthy patients; however, Michael's ordered world is rocked when his ex-wife, Anna (Jennifer Ehle), an idealistic free-clinic doctor and the love of his life, mysteriously appears to him. Michael's off-beat sister, Christina (Julie Benz), a single mom to her teenaged son, Milo (Liam Aiken), is thrilled that Anna's back in her brother's life, even as an "illusion," because Michael was always a better person with her. Curious about Michael's sudden change in behavior is his efficient assistant, Rita (Margo Martindale). When Anna asks Michael to go to her clinic to help keep it running, he meets Autumn (Afton Williamson), a volunteer carrying on Anna's work with the underprivileged. Touched by those in need and accepting of Anna's compassionate "presence," Michael's attitude toward serving the rich and poor is turned upside down, and he begins to see that there's room in his life for everyone. Academy Award nominee Susannah Grant (Erin Brockovich), Academy Award winner Jonathan Demme (The Silence of the Lambs), Sarah Timberman, Carl Beverly and Neal Baer (ER) are executive producers for CBS Television Studios."

WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

TORCHWOOD NEWS
Our wait for a new, revamped TORCHWOOD is almost over! The series (aka Miracle Day) will finally start airing in July, and it won't be alone. Get ready for a TORCHWOOD web series called Web of Lies, which may or may not star a beautiful villain.
Writer and producer Jane Espenson has been using her Twitter account for evil by teasing fans about Web of Lies. All of her statuses have been hints about the possible casting of Eliza Dushku in the new show.
She recently wrote, "We have faith in Torchwood: Web of Lies."
Followed by, "It's tru; there's an echo of my past work in #Torchwood: Web of Lies."
Really Jane? That's about as subtle as Thor's hammer!
Faith, Echo, and Tru are the names of characters that Dushku played in the past on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dollhouse, and Tru Calling. And is it a coincidence that Epenson helped write and produce all three of those shows? We think not!
TORCHWOOD: WEB OF LIES is supposed to be a companion series to TORCHWOOD: MIRACLE DAY, which means its debut can't be that far off. We're excited about both shows!

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES
If you're thinking it might be a good idea to mutiny against Blackbeard, you'd better check the latest teaser for PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES, which unleashes the pirate's dark fury aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge. His solution to Jack Sparrow's uprising is definitely creative ...
Last week, we were given an extended clip from PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES displaying Jack Sparrow's high-diving talents. In this third teaser from Disney, which is throttling up the publicity engine for this week's world premiere, we get another juicy dose of Ian McShane's turn as infamous pirate lord Blackbeard.
His smoldering whiskers are a sweet touch. McShane delivers a ruthless swagger and seems to conjure the Black Arts to quickly end the trouble.

ONCE UPON A TIME
Fairytales are coming back bigtime. NBC just announced the addition of the modern fairytale procedural Grimm to its schedule, and now as expected, ABC is adding its own take on modern fairytales with ONCE UPON A TIME.
ABC unveiled its 2011-2012 fall schedule this morning, scheduling the new series from Lost's Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis on Sundays before DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES at 8 p.m. ET.
According to ABC Entertainment president Paul Lee, Once Upon a Time is "completely unlike Lost. But in some ways it's like Lost ... because it's about a group of people who are trapped." While the new series will use flashbacks like Lost, those flashbacks will be of the fairytale world the characters come from, he said.
Here's ABC's description of the new show:
ONCE UPON A TIME — "From the inventive minds of Lost executive producers Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis comes a bold new imagining of the world, where fairy tales and the modern-day are about to collide. And they all lived happily ever after - or so everyone was led to believe. Emma Swan knows how to take care of herself. She's a 28-year-old bail bonds collector who's been on her own ever since she was abandoned as a baby. But when the son she gave up years ago finds her, everything starts to change. Henry is now 10 years old and in desperate need of Emma's help. He believes that Emma actually comes from an alternate world and is Snow White and Prince Charming's missing daughter. According to his book of fairytales, they sent her away to protect her from the Evil Queen's curse, which trapped the fairytale world forever, frozen in time, and brought them into our modern world. Of course Emma doesn't believe a word, but when she brings Henry back to Storybrooke, she finds herself drawn to this unusual boy and his strange New England town. Concerned for Henry, she decides to stay for a while, but she soon suspects that Storybrooke is more than it seems. It's a place where magic has been forgotten, but is still powerfully close... where fairytale characters are alive, even though they don't remember who they once were. The epic battle for the future of all worlds is beginning, but for good to win, Emma will have to accept her destiny and fight like hell. OONCE UPON A TIME stars Ginnifer Goodwin (Big Love) as Snow White/Sister Mary Margaret, Jennifer Morrison (House) as Emma Swan, Robert Carlyle (The Full Monty, Trainspotting, SGU Stargate Universe) as Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold, Lana Parrilla as Evil Queen/Regina, Jamie Dornan as Sheriff Graham, Jared Gilmore (Mad Men) as Henry, Josh Dallas as Prince Charming/John Doe and Raphael Sbarge as Jiminy Cricket/Archie. Once Upon a Time was written by Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, who are also executive producers, along with Steve Pearlman (ABC's V). The pilot is directed and executive-produced by Mark Mylod (Entourage). ONCE UPON A TIME is from ABC Studios."

THE RIVER
The ABC network also announced that the Amazon horror series THE RIVER will join the schedule in midseason as a replacement show. It comes from Steven Spielberg, the producers of Paranormal Activity and Michael Green (Kings).
THE RIVER — "The River follows the story of wildlife expert and TV personality Emmet Cole. Emmet set course around the world with his wife, Tess, and son, Lincoln, while filming what would become one of the most popular shows in television. After he goes missing deep in the Amazon, his family, friends and crew set out on a mysterious and deadly journey to find him. Famed explorer Dr. Emmet Cole (Bruce Greenwood) went looking for magic deep in the uncharted Amazon and never returned. The shocking truth about his disappearance is out there, somewhere, just waiting to be discovered. To the millions of kids who grew up watching his nature show, Dr. Cole was a hero. To his own son, Lincoln (Joe Anderson), he was more of an enigma. Now, six months after he vanished, Lincoln is finally ready to bury the past when Dr. Cole's emergency beacon suddenly goes off. At the urging of his mother, Tess (Leslie Hope), Lincoln reluctantly joins her on a search for his father. To fund the rescue, they agree to let Dr. Cole's cagey ex-producer, Clark (Paul Blackthorne), film the mission documentary-style. The mixed crew of old friends and new acquaintances includes the sexy and resourceful Lena (Eloise Mumford), loyal mechanic Emilio (Daniel Zacapa) and lethal bodyguard Captain Kurt Brynildson (Thomas Kretschmann). THE RIVER stars Bruce Greenwood (Star Trek) as Emmet Cole, Joe Anderson (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Parts 1 and 2) as Lincoln Cole, Paul Blackthorne (Lipstick Jungle) as Clark, Paulina Gaitan as Jahel, Leslie Hope (24) as Tess Cole, Eloise Mumford (Lone Star) as Lena, Shaun Parkes (The Mummy Returns) as Adjay, Thomas Kretschmann (King Kong) as Captain Kurt Brynildson and Daniel Zacapa (Resurrection Blvd.) as Emilio. THE RIVER, from Amblin's Steven Spielberg, Daryl Frank and Justin Falvey, showrunner/executive producer Michael Green (Heroes, Kings), is also executive-produced by Oren Peli (creator of Paranormal Activity), Zack Estrin, Jason Blum and Steven Schneider. Teleplay by Michael R. Perry and Michael Green, story by Oren Peli & Michael R. Perry and Michael Green. The pilot is directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and produced by ABC Studios."

THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN
Most of the world loves TINTIN, but in the U.S., that comic strip about an adventuring young Belgian reporter is sort of an acquired taste. Which may be why the first trailer for Steven Spielberg's upcoming movie adaptation does its best to bring to mind a certain other globe-trotting adventurer.
Spielberg's upcoming THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN, produced by Peter Jackson, will be a 3-D motion-capture adaptation, and we all know how well motion capture worked for Robert Zemeckis. But based on our limited look, from this first teaser, we're hopeful that Spielberg and crew can pull it off.

SUPER 8
A third clip from J.J. Abrams' SUPER 8 has come online.
Written and directed by Abrams and produced by Steven Spielberg, the June 10 release stars Kyle Chandler, Elle Fanning, Joel Courtney, Gabriel Basso, Noah Emmerich, Ron Eldard, Riley Griffiths, Ryan Lee and Zach Mills.

TUESDAY, MAY 17, 2011

NEW FOR FOX THIS YEAR
Earlier today, Fox announced its 2011-2012 television schedule that included the Steven Spielberg dinosaur adventure TERRA NOVA Nova, J.J. Abrams' ALCATRAZ and Tim Kring's TOUCH with Kiefer Sutherland.
Here's a look at the trailers for TERRA NOVA and ALCATRAZ. TOUCH is still in development for midseason and doesn't have a trailer available.
TERRA NOVA — "From executive producers Steven Spielberg (Saving Private Ryan, Jurassic Park), Peter Chernin, René Echevarria (Castle, The 4400) and Brannon Braga (24) comes an epic family adventure 85 million years in the making. TERRA NOVA follows an ordinary family on an incredible journey back in time to prehistoric Earth as a small part of a daring experiment to save the human race. In the year 2149, the world is dying. The planet is overdeveloped and overcrowded, with the majority of plant and animal life extinct. The future of mankind is in jeopardy, and its only hope for survival is in the distant past. When scientists at the FERMI Particle Accelerator unexpectedly discovered a fracture in time that made it possible to construct a portal into primeval history, the bold notion was born to resettle humanity in the past - a second chance to rebuild civilization and get it right this time. The series centers on the Shannon family as they join the Tenth Pilgrimage of settlers to Terra Nova, the first colony established in this beautiful yet foreboding land. JIM SHANNON (Jason O'Mara, Life on Mars), a devoted father with a checkered past, guides his family through this new world of limitless beauty, mystery and terror. Jim's wife, ELISABETH (Shelley Conn, Mistresses), is a trauma surgeon and the newest addition to Terra Nova's medical team. JOSH (Landon Liboiron, Degrassi: The Next Generation) is their 17-year-old son who is angry to leave life as he knows it behind; upon arriving at the settlement, he finds himself instantly drawn to the beautiful and rule-breaking SKYE (Allison Miller, Kings). MADDY (Naomi Scott, Life Bites), Josh's endearingly awkward 15-year-old sister, hopes Terra Nova will give her a chance to reinvent herself. Although Elisabeth's medical training secured the family a spot on the pilgrimage, a secret involving their five-year-old daughter, ZOE (newcomer Alana Mansour), soon endangers their place in this utopia. Upon the Shannons' arrival, they are introduced to COMMANDER NATHANIEL TAYLOR (Stephen Lang, Avatar), the charismatic and heroic first pioneer and leader of the settlement. Taylor warns the travelers that while Terra Nova is a place of new opportunities and fresh beginnings, all is not as idyllic as it initially appears. Along with blue skies, towering waterfalls and lush vegetation, the surrounding terrain is teeming with danger - and not just of the man-eating dinosaur variety. There is also a splinter colony of renegades led by the battle-hardened MIRA (Christine Adams, TRON: Legacy), who is vehemently opposed to Taylor and his leadership. Even more threatening than what lies outside the protective walls of the colony is the chilling possibility that something sinister is happening inside Terra Nova. The Shannons will come to suspect that not everyone on this mission has the same idea of how to best save mankind; in fact, there may be forces intent on destroying this new world before it even begins.
TERRA NOVA - Premieres this fall on Mondays at 8 p.m. ET.

ALCATRAZ
ALCATRAZ — "From executive producer J.J. Abrams (FRINGE, Lost, Star Trek and the upcoming Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol and Super 8) and writer and executive producer Elizabeth Sarnoff (Lost, Deadwood) comes ALCATRAZ, the chilling new thriller centered on America's most infamous prison and one-time home to the nation's most notorious murderers, rapists, kidnappers, thieves and arsonists. When San Francisco Police Department DET. REBECCA MADSEN (Sarah Jones, Sons of Anarchy) is assigned to a grisly homicide case, a fingerprint leads her to a shocking suspect: JACK SYLVANE (guest star Jeffrey Pierce, The Nine), a former Alcatraz inmate who died decades ago. Given her family history - both her grandfather and surrogate uncle, RAY ARCHER (Robert Forster, Jackie Brown), were guards at the prison - Madsen's interest is immediately piqued, and once the enigmatic, knows-everything-but-tells-nothing government agent EMERSON HAUSER (Sam Neill, Jurassic Park) tries to impede her investigation, she's doggedly committed. Madsen turns to Alcatraz expert and comic book enthusiast, DR. DIEGO DOC SOTO (Jorge Garcia, Lost), to piece together the inexplicable sequence of events. The twosome discovers that Sylvane is not only alive, but he's loose on the streets of San Francisco, leaving bodies in his wake. And strangely, he hasn't aged a day since he was in Alcatraz, when the prison was ruled by the iron-fisted WARDEN EDWIN JAMES (Jonny Coyne, Undercovers) and the merciless ASSOCIATE WARDEN E.B. TILLER (Jason Butler Harner, The Changeling). Madsen and Soto reluctantly team with Agent Hauser and his technician, LUCY BANERJEE (Parminder Nagra, ER), to stop Sylvane's vengeful killing spree. By delving into Alcatraz history, government cover-ups and Rebecca's own heritage, the team will ultimately discover that Sylvane is only a small part of a much larger, more sinister present-day threat. For while he may be the first, it quickly becomes clear that Sylvane won't be the last prisoner to reappear from Alcatraz. Through the course of the investigation, Madsen and Soto will learn that Agent Hauser has known about the prison's secret history and has been awaiting the prisoners' return. Soto will witness his life's work - the history of Alcatraz - come alive. Madsen will be forced to keep her supportive San Francisco cop fiancé, JIMMY DICKENS (Santiago Cabrera, Heroes), at arm's length from the highly classified assignment as she sees everything she thought she knew about her family's past shattered, all while fighting to keep the country safe from history's most dangerous criminals.
ALCATRAZ Premieres in midseason on Mondays at 9 p.m.

CASTLE GRAPHIC NOVEL
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Marvel is teaming with its corporate sibling ABC for a graphic novel inspired by the network's crime series CASTLE.
CASTLE: RICHARD CASTLE'S DEADLY STORM is described as a graphic novel adaptation of mystery writer Richard Castle's thriller Deadly Storm. Of course, neither Castle nor the novel is actually real: Castle is played by Nathan Fillion, while Deadly Storm is part of the character's series of novels about Derrick Storm.
The 112-page hardcover will be available Sept. 28, around the time the new fall season gets under way.
The project is from writers Brian Michael Bendis and Kelly Sue DeConnick, interior artist Lan Medina and cover artist Carlo Pagulayan.
The season finale of CASTLE aired Monday night.
Marvel and Disney are both owned by ABC.

A HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN
According to reports in the Hollywood Reporter, a spirited book auction sparked Monday evening for Miss Peregrine’s HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN, a fantasy novel from author Ransom Riggs.
APA and Heroes and Villains rep the book and author while CAA is repping the publisher. The project hit all the studios Monday with producers each carving out a “territory” to pitch–DreamWorks/Disney (Mark Gordon Co.), Fox (Chernin Entertainment), MGM and New Line (ContraFilm), Paramount (Brad Weston), Sony (Original Film), Universal (Barry Josephson) and Warner Bros.(Roy Lee).
Insiders say that Fox has already made a big pre-emptive bid for the project, with more likely to follow on Tuesday.
The book doesn’t hit stores until June 7 but it’s already drawing movie buzz, with studio execs hailing its combination of super powers, dark humor, spooky tone and heart.
The story centers on a boy who grows up enraptured by his grandfather’s tale of an island of monsters and kids with powers. When his grandfather is killed, the now-16-year old boy finds himself on the island, exploring the ruins of an abandoned orphanage and discovering that the stories he heard were not only true, but only he can help stop the remaining hidden children – living in a time loop - from creatures who would destroy them.
The book comes with creepy black-and-white photographs of some of the kids that help tell the story.
Riggs is no stranger to Hollywood. While the Florida-raised author studied English lit at Kenyon College, he attended USC film school. He now mixes his time writing books, shooting shorts and penning a blog.
We'll see what Tuesday brings.

NEW MERLIN PROJECT
Ed Whitworth, a script reader for Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Prods., has seemingly come out of nowhere to land the plum gig to write THE LOST YEARS OF MERLIN, Warner Bros.’ big-budget adaptation of the first book of the fantasy series by T.A. Barron.
Donald De Line (Green Lantern) is producing what is basically an origin story of the mythical wizard. The film will trace Merlin’s journey from being a boy washed on the shores of Wales with no memory and no home, to him becoming a young man learning to use his powers and ultimately defender of the natural world and eventual mentor to King Arthur.
The project previously had been at Paramount, where Simon Kinberg (Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Sherlock Holmes) was taking a crack at it. But the option ran out and Warners, looking for a suitable replacement for its billion-dollar Harry Potter franchise, picked it up with De Line attached.
The studio then set upon a quest for a scribe to tackle what it hopes will be a new spell-binding tentpole.

ARABIAN KNIGHTS GOES TO UNIVERSAL
Universal Pictures is in final negotiations to acquire ARABIAN KNIGHTS, a pitch by Kyle Ward, who will also write the script.
The film is described as being "radically different" from FilmDistrict's Arabian Nights, which has Liam Hemsworth attached to star.
Blacklight Transmedia's Zak Kadison will produce with Brian Grazer and Erica Huggins of Imagine Entertainment, while Eric Lieb will exec produce. Jeff Kirschenbaum and Kiska Higgs will oversee the project for Universal.
Universal previously bought Ward's Fiasco Heights. Ward also wrote Kane & Lynch and Hitman 2. He is currently writing the game adaptation Devil May Cry.

MONDAY, MAY 15, 2011

GRIMM TALES
NBC got the jump on all the networks this week by announcing its 2011-2012 fall and midseason television schedule today. As expected, the network picked up new shows GRIMM and AWAKE, along with renewing CHUCK for a fifth and final season of 13 episodes.
However, there were some surprises. CHUCK has been moved to Fridays at 8 p.m. ET, followed by the fairytale-laden GRIMM, at 9 p.m. As for Inception-esque AWAKE, it's planned for midseason.
"We wanted to do some reinvigorating on Friday night," said NBC Entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt, during a conference call with journalists. "We really wanted to get more scripted dramas on Friday night. We liked GRIMM a lot. We didn't want to put it out there with nothing leading into it, and I personally like CHUCK. I know it's been on the bubble, you know, perennially, but I thought if we had a chance of transporting an audience to Friday night, it might be with something that has a real loyal following. We'll see what we can do in that two-hour block."
Greenblatt added: "CHUCK is a good show, which gets bad rap from always being on the cancellation line ... We're giving the show a send-off with a final season. That's what the fans want."
So the good news is that CHUCK's back and NBC has picked up two additional genre shows. The bad news is that if Fox puts FRINGE on Friday at 9 p.m., that means it's going up against GRIMM. Additionally, the CW has had success with the canceled SMALLVILLE and the returning SUPERNATURAL on Fridays, so its entirely possible that SUPERNATURAL will be back at 9 p.m. up against BOTH GRIMM and FRINGE.
If Friday night does indeed become the dumping ground for low-rated sci-fi and fantasy shows for three of the five networks—and remember ABC has a couple of new genre shows they might want to stick on Friday as well—that could end up being a big dilemma for viewers. We'll know by Thursday, when the last of the networks, the CW, makes its upfront announcement.
Here's the official descriptions of Grimm and Awake with clip so you can get a look:
"GRIMM is a new drama series inspired by the classic Grimm's Fairy Tales. Remember the fairy tales your parents used to tell you before bedtime? Those weren't stories—they were warnings. Nick Burkhardt (David Guintoli Turn The Beat Around) thought he prepared himself for the realities of working as a homicide detective until he started seeing things he couldn't quite explain. When his ailing Aunt Marie (guest star Kate Burton, Grey's Anatomy) arrives, Nick's life turns upside down when she reveals they are descendants of an elite group of hunters, also known as Grimms, who fight to keep the balance of humanity safe from the supernatural creatures of the world. As Nick digs deeper into her past, he realizes that he will have to shoulder the responsibility of his ancestors—and contend with a larger-than-life mythology of the Brothers Grimm that is now all too real. Russell Hornsby ( Lincoln Heights ), Bitsie Tulloch (Quarterlife), Silas Weir Mitchell (Prison Break), Reggie Lee (Persons Unknown) and Sasha Roiz (Caprica) also star. Grimm is a production of Universal Media Studios and Hazy Mills Productions. Sean Hayes and Todd Milliner (Hot in Cleveland) serve as executive producers, Jim Kouf (National Treasure, Angel) and David Greenwalt (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel) are the creators/executive producers and Marc Buckland (My Name Is Earl) is the director."
"AWAKE is an intriguing drama about a detective (Jason Issacs, Harry Potter, Brotherhood) who finds he is leading an arduous double life that defies reality. When Detective Michael Britten (Issacs) regains consciousness following his family's car accident, he is told that his wife Hannah (Laura Allen, Terriers) perished but that his teen son, Rex (Dylan Minnette, Saving Grace), has survived. As he tries to put the pieces of his life back together, he awakens again in a parallel reality in which his wife is very much alive—but his son Rex died in the accident. In order to keep both of his loved ones alive at one time, he begins living two dueling realities in parallel worlds, which churns up confusion—in one moment, Michael and his wife debate about having another child to replace their son, while in the other reality, he is attracted to his son's tennis coach, Tara (Michaela McManus, The Vampire Diaries), to fill the void from the loss of his wife. Trying to regain some normalcy, Michael returns to police work and solves crimes in both worlds with the help of two different partners—Detective Isaiah Bird Freeman (Steve Harris, The Practice) and Detective Efrem Vega (Wilmer Valderrama, That '70s Show). Also starring are Emmy Award winner Cherry Jones (24) and BD Wong (NBC's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit) as therapists in each respective world. The series is produced by 20th Century Fox Television. Kyle Killen (Lone Star) and Howard Gordon (24) are executive producers. David Slade (Twilight: Eclipse, 30 Days of Night) also serves as executive producer and directed the pilot written by Killen."

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
Despite the release of two new movies in wide release, Marvel Studios' THOR, starring Chris Hemsworth, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Natalie Portman and Tom Hiddleston, remained in first place with an estimated $34.5 million, down roughly 48% from its opening weekend and bringing its North American total to $119.2 million. Internationally, the comic book adaptation added $27.5 million from 60 countries to bring its foreign total to $225 million. Thor has now reached $344.2 million worldwide.
Opening in a strong second place was Paul Feig's R-rated comedy BRIDESMAIDS (Universal), starring Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph, with an estimated $24.4 million in just over 2,900 theaters, averaging over $8,300 per site. Produced by Judd Apatow for a reported $32.5 million, the raunchy female-targeted comedy opened with $7.8 million on Friday, then saw a bump on Saturday to $10.7 million. With a CinemaScore of B+ (similar to Apatow's second film Knocked Up), it should be expected to have a strong run over the summer.
Universal's other summer hit FAST FIVE starring Vin Diesel, Paul Walker and Jordana Brewster dropped to third place with $19.5 million and $168.8 million grossed domestically in three weekends. The Justin Lin-directed action movie was also the #1 movie worldwide for a third weekend in a row, grossing another $77.5 million in 63 countries to bring its total worldwide gross to $440.5 million! Universal had its second-biggest opening in China where it opened at #1 with $8.5 million in 1,500 locations, four times the opening of Fast & Furious.
Screen Gems' long-delayed action thriller PRIEST, starring Paul Bettany, opened weakly domestically with just $14.5 million in 2,864 theaters to take fourth place. Delayed in order to convert the movie into 3D, it opened weaker than Scott Stewart's debut Legion last January. Internationally, the film opened to $16.7 million in 46 countries for an overseas total of $25.6 million.
20th Century Fox's animated comedy RIO remained in fifth place with roughly $8 million and a five-week domestic gross of $125 million. The hit film added $10.4 million internationally and reached a foreign total of $306.3 million. Its worldwide total now stands at $431.3 million.
The other two wedding-related comedies, Sony/TriStar's ensemble comedy JUMPING THE BROOM and the Ginnifer Goodwin-Kate Hudson rom-com SOMETHING BORROWED (Warner Bros.), took sixth and seventh places with $7.3 million and $7 million, respectively. They both have grossed roughly $26 million in their first ten days.
20th Century Fox's romantic drama WATER FOR ELEPHANTS, starring Reese Witherspoon and Rob Pattinson, dropped to eighth place with $4.1 million and $48.4 million after four weeks in theaters. The film placed fifth overseas with $9.1 million and has earned $34 million internationally.
Tyler Perry's Madea's BIG HAPPY FAMILY (Lionsgate) was ninth with $2.2 million and $50.2 million total.

CAPTAIN NEMO
Heat Vision reports that Veteran British TV actor Hugh Bonneville will star in the 3D steampunk action feature CAPTAIN NEMO for Shoreline Entertainment.
The story serves as a pseudo sequel to Jules Verne's "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" and finds Captain Nemo joining forces with President Ulysses Grant to battle an evil genius who is causing naval disasters.
Pearry Teo will direct the project which begins filming in Beijing this August. Illuminate Hollywood will handle the 3D visual effects while Mark Rudnitksy and Amy Krell are producing.
Bonneville's long resume stretches back two decades and includes the likes of "Lost in Austen," "Married for Life," "Tipping the Velvet," "The Robinsons," "Bonekickers," "Courting Alex," "Five Days" and films like "Notting Hill," "Mansfield Park," "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein," "Iris," "Glorious 39" and "Burke and Hare". He currently stars in "Downton Abbey" and played a pirate captain in last week's episode of "Doctor Who".

SUNDAY, MAY 15, 2011

FRIDAY NIGHT RATINGS
Fast National ratings for Friday, May 13, 2011
CBS held on strong all evening with help from "CSI: New York" and the cop drama "Blue Bloods," which pulled in 11.4 million viewers. The CW enjoyed a bit of a boost from last weeks ratings with the "Smallville" series finale.
CBS averaged 9.7 million viewers and a 6.1 rating/11 share in households to win the night. NBC was next in line with 4.8 million, 3.3/6, followed by ABC at 4.4 million, 2.8/5. FOX was fourth at 3.5 million, 2.1/4 and the CW put up an impressive 2.97 million, 1.8/3.
CBS led the 18-49 demo with a 1.5, with FOX on their heels at 1.4. ABC and the CW tied for third at 1.3 and NBC trailed behind with 1.1.

THE DARK TOWER
Despite recent rumors that Universal wasn't going to pony up the money to make a giant movie-and-TV adaptation of Stephen King's opus THE DARK TOWER, it looks like they'll be making it after all. Just for less money.
The project is the brainchild of director Ron Howard, producer Brian Grazer and writer Akiva Goldsman, who first announced it back in September. Adapting the seven-book Dark Tower series (a new book set between books four and five called The Wind Through the Keyhole will be out in 2012) is a big project, with a trilogy of movies and two TV series bridging the gaps between the films. Unfortunately, Universal's been having a lot of money troubles recently, which forced them to cancel a $150 million adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's At the Mountains of Madness that was to be directed by Guillermo del Toro and starring Tom Cruise.
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Universal has dropped plans to start shooting the fall, as Goldsman is rewriting the script to reflect a lower budget. It hasn't been revealed how much lower the budget will be, or how that will affect the script, but it's still going to be a trilogy of movies and two TV series. Ron Howard is also still signed to direct the movie and the first episode of the TV show, with Brian Grazer producing and Goldsman writing all three movies.
The big question is whether this will affect the involvement of Javier Bardem, who signed on to play lead gunslinger Roland for at least the first movie and TV series back in April.

BYZANTIUM
According to reports in The Hollywood Reporter, Saoirse Ronan and Gemma Arterton have signed aboard Neil Jordan's film BYZANTIUM.
It is the director's return to bloodsuckers after helming INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE.
Arterton and Ronan will play a mother-daughter vampire team who sometimes pose as sisters. Unusual.
Moira Buffini penned the script; Jordan is teaming up with his A Company of Wolves producer to bring the film to the screen. Shooting begins this October.
Ronan, you may recall, played the young girl in Peter Jackson's LOVELY BONES and Arterton is at work on HANSEL AND GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS.

FAIRYTALE OF NEW YORK
Variety reports that Kiefer Sutherland and Kate Bosworth are set to star in director Lee Cleary's independent romance film FAIRYTALE OF NEW YORK, to be produced by Lisa Katselas and Dan Reardon.
Written by Jeff Murphy, the project "centers on a cynical but charming Irish standup comic who, while in New York, meets an intriguing American woman and the two connect."
Shooting for the film will take place in Northern Ireland and New York.

SATURDAY, MAY 14, 2011

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS - Part 2
A new TV spot for the upcoming HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS - Part 2 has debuted at the film series' official Facebook page.
Hitting theaters on July 15, the film is directed by David Yates, the film stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Tom Felton, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon, Jason Isaacs, Alan Rickman, David Thewlis, Julie Walters, Bonnie Wright and Kelly Macdonald.
In the second half of the epic finale, the battle between the good and evil forces of the Wizarding world escalates into an all-out war. The stakes have never been higher and no one is safe. But it is Harry Potter who may be called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice as he draws closer to the climactic showdown with Lord Voldemort. It all ends here.

MAGIC, MAGIC
Variety reports that Emily Browning, Juno Temple and Catalina Sandino Moreno have joined the cast of MAGIC, MAGIC.
First announced two days ago, the project will also star Michael Cera and will be directed by Sebastian Silva (whose 2009 film, The Maid was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Feature). The plot is said to feature a girl on vacation in Chile who begins to lose control of her mental faculties.
Browning most recently appeared in Sucker Punch and will next star in Sleeping Beauty. Temple is best known for her role in Atonement, but will be featured in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises next summer. Sandino Moreno, meanwhile, made her acting debut as the lead in Maria Full of Grace and later appeared in both parts of Steven Soderbergh's Che.
There are no specifics yet on who will play what role, but expect more updates on the film in the days to come.

ABC SERIES NEWS - V CANCELLED
Guess we're never going to know how V's dramatic cliffhanger—in which Anna blissed out the human race—is going to turn out. In a flurry of programming activity, ABC canceled V, but picked up modern fairy tale ONCE UPON A TIME and THE RIVER for their 2011-2012 television season.
In ONCE UPON A TIME, House's Jennifer Morrison stars as Emma, a woman with a troubled past, who is drawn to a small Maine town called Storybrooke by the son she gave up years before. Her son, Henry, is 10-years-old and believes in fairytales. In fact, he believes his mother is the missing daughter of Prince Charming and Snow White, and that she was sent away to an alternate world to protect her from the Evil Queen. As Emma begins to investigate Storybrook, she discovers that the world of fairytales and modern day are about to collide. Lost's Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis created the series, which also stars Stargate Universe's Robert Carlyle as Rumpelstiltskin.
As for the other genre pickup, THE RIVER, it's not often you get something a major network is willing to bill as a horror story. In the series, when a TV explorer (Star Trek's Bruce Greenwood) goes missing in the Amazon with his crew, his wife and son set off down the enormous river in a vessel called The Magus to find out what happened to him. However, in their search for answers they discover a place where powerful magic is as real as science. 24's Leslie Hope and The Dresden Files' Paul Blackthorne also star in this series from the creators of Paranormal Activity, DreamWorks and Michael Green (Kings).
All in all, ABC's picked up several other dramas and comedies, including non-sci-fi shows Charlie's Angels, Revenge, Scandal, Pan Am, Good Christian Belles (formerly Good Christian Bitches), Tim Allen's Last Man Standing (formerly The Last Days of Man and Tim), Apartment 23, Suburgatory, Man Up and Work It.
The other bit of ABC news is that they officially canceled No Ordinary Family. No surprise there.
And over at CBS, J.J. Abrams' PERSON OF INTEREST just got picked up. While the series has a strong sci-fi pedigree with Abrams and The Dark Knight's Jonah Noland behind the scenes, and Lost's Michael Emmerson in the cast, the show about an ex-CIA agent who fights crime in New York City sounds pretty non-sci-fi. Lucky for us Fox picked up Abram's ALCATRAZ, which DOES sound like it might be sci-fi.

FRIGHT NIGHT
The first trailer for DreamWorks' remake of FRIGHT NIGHT hit the web Friday.
The movie stars Anton Yelchin as the kid who discovers that his new neighbor is a vampire (Colin Farrell). But while the 1985 original was centered around the partnership between the teen and the host of a local horror TV show, David Tennant, the British actor who plays the equivalent role in the remake, is nowhere to be found in the trailer. Maybe next time.
Still, this is promising some edgy scares.

FRIDAY, MAY 13, 2011

WAREHOUSE 13 SPIN-OFF SERIES
If you caught last season's WAREHOUSE 13 twist that H.G. Wells was actually a woman—the H stands for Helena, you know—then you'll love what's coming next from WAREHOUSE 13 showrunner Jack Kenny.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Kenny is prepping a spinoff series for Syfy based on the following concept:
While it is still in the early stages and thus subject to change, the idea is to put Wells in a 1890s steampunk environment. Despite Warehouse 12's efforts to recruit her, she would remain a free agent who uses her knowledge of contemporary science to solve murders and other mysteries.
In this incarnation, she would enlist the help of a mechanical engineer and utilize her relationship with the police commissioner to solve what appear to be unsolvable cases. Both the skills and style she employs will become the framework for the well-known stories of H.G. Wells, as written by her brother.
Since WAREHOUSE 13 is the most watched original series in Syfy's history, with an average of 3.4 million viewers tuning in for the second season that introduced Wells, it seems as if the series already has a presold audience.

TRUE BLOOD
HBO's TRUE BLOOD is really pushing the sex and pecs in this new short but hot trailer.
While we admit that the last promo trailer we showed you was—let's face it—really not that exciting, this one has a lot of stuff going on for it that actually makes us excited again about the upcoming fourth season of the hit HBO vampire drama.
Oh, and there's also plenty of cool new action bits and fangy scenes we haven't seen before for you to sink your teeth into—but only if you can manage to not to be completely distracted by the near nakedness of Jason (Ryan Kwanten), Eric (Alexander Skarsgard), Sookie (Anna Paquin) and Alcide's (Joe Manganiello) rather amazing pecs.
TRUE BLOOD returns to our TV screens on June 26th at 9pm on HBO.

SUPER 8
It's not a reboot, a remake, a sequel or based on a comic book, so how come we're so excited about Super 8? A new TV spot, which looks under the hood (and not just metaphorically) of J.J. Abrams' movie reminds us why.
In the previous trailers, we were awash in Spielberg-ian childhood innocence combined with a sense of alien menace, but this time around there are so many frenetic cuts that it makes us feel like we're watching a promo for a horror flick. And it has us kind of jumpy.
SUPER 8 will hit theaters June 10.

CHUCK RENEWED
One of my family's favorite shows, CHUCK, is constantly on the bubble of renewal. While NBC sources are not confirming that the spy-fi series will get a fifth season, several sources are reporting that a deal is being hammered out with Warner Bros. and is imminent.
Though the ratings have been at their lowest this spring, Warner Bros. would love to make a deal, because five seasons of CHUCK means syndication. As for NBC, well, scripted drama has not been the network's friend. That said, don't be surprised if we get a shorter 13-episode final season.
So, while it looks like fans won't have to eat mountains of Subway sandwiches to save Chuck as they did to insure a third season of the show, there are no such hopeful murmurings for THE EVENT, which has even lower ratings. The alien conspiracy series is not likely to be renewed.

WILLIAM TELL IN 3-D
Cannes, France – May 9, 2011 – Producer Todd Moyer has announced that Brendan Fraser will take on the title role in the historical family action adventure WILLIAM TELL: 3D, to be shot this fall in Europe. Nick Hurran (The Prisoner and Doctor Who; UNDERTAKING BETTY; LITTLE BLACK BOOK) is slated to direct from a script by Scott Reynolds. Moyer expects principal photography to begin October 1st at Castel Studios in Romania and on location in Switzerland. Gary Hamilton will also produce under his Arclight banner, with Arclight handling international distribution of the film at Cannes.
Moyer says, “There is no other actor who is more perfectly suited to be the patriot and family man that is William Tell. Brendan was the driving force behind the movie being shot in 3D. He’s a witty, charming and very likeable action hero, and he really anchors the ensemble cast.” Moyer’s in negotiation to attach Anna Paquin (True Blood; JANE EYRE, X-MEN series) to the cast as well.
William Tell is a legend in North America for shooting an apple from the top of his son’s head with a bow and arrow (it was really a crossbow). What Americans don’t know is that he’s a revered historical figure in Europe.
In the legend, Tell just can’t leave well enough alone. The local potentate of the Hapsburg monarch, Hermann Gessler forces Tell to shoot the apple because he refused to bow before Gessler’s hat, erected in a town square. Tell succeeds in cleanly (and safely) cleaving the fruit and wins his and his son’s freedom. But Gessler asks Tell why he had two arrows is his quiver, and Tell replies he was going to shoot Gessler with the second if he’d missed. Tell’s defiance of Gessler ignited an uprising against the Austrian government which led to the formation of Switzerland. If confirmed, Paquin will play Zora, Tell’s wife and Schweiger will play Gessler.
This announcement caps a true summer of love for Brendan Fraser. This is the fourth film announcement for the star in recent weeks. Fraser’s currently on location in Belfast shooting the “fish heist” comedy WHOLE LOTTA SOLE, co-written and directed by Terry George, and will start on GIMME SHELTER in June as previously reported, directed by writer/director Ronald Krass. Next, Fraser will voice the role of Scorch in The Weinstein Company’s long-awaited 3-D animated film, ESCAPE FROM PLANET EARTH. Then he’ll play a wealthy British nobleman enmeshed in the early 1700’s French and Indian War with FOUR KINGS.
A veteran of dozens of films and one of America’s most charming leading men, Fraser’s best known for playing amiable archaeologist Rick O’Connell in the three blockbuster MUMMY films for Universal; he’s also starred in EXTRAORDINARY MEASURES, GODS AND MONSTERS, CRASH and SCHOOL TIES. Fraser’s repped by CAA, Joanne Colonna with Brillstein Entertainment Partners and attorney Patti Felker.

BURN NOTICE ADDITION
With Fox axing Shawn Ryan’s rookie police drama THE CHICAGO CODE, one of its stars has already booked a role on another show.
Matt Lauria, an alum of DirecTV/NBC’s Friday Night Lights as football player Luke Cafferty, has been cast as discharged soldier Ethan who has similarities to Michael (Jeffrey Donovan) in USA Network staple BURN NOTICE, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.
Lauria will appear in the fifth episode of the new season, which launches Thursday, June 23 at 9 p.m. as a lead-in to new series SUITS.
His role, currently a guest starring stint, may be upped to recurring status. Now that Code will not be returning for a second season, that could be a strong possibility.

THURSDAY, MAY 12, 2011

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS
We've been barraged lately by X-MEN: FIRST CLASS video in advance of the June 3 opening, but rather than just trailers, how about an extended scene from the movie itself?
Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Raven Darkholme (Jennifer Lawrence) pay a visit to the highly skeptical CIA and give them a lesson about just what mutants are all about.
Well, that's the first minute. We can't wait to see the rest of them.

FRINGE
If you're anything like us, you're suffering big time Fringe withdrawal after last Friday's season finale. But here is some major casting news that took some of the edge off as we look ahead to next season.
Our favorite alt-universe agent, Lincoln Lee (Seth Gabel) has just been promoted. Gabel has been bumped to series regular, which means there'll be even alternate-drama!
Like Olivia, Walternate, Astrid, and everyone else on the show, there are two versions of Lee. There's one that's a member of the Fringe division "over there" and there's the FBI bookworm we saw back in March. We're pretty sure Alt-Lee is the version we'll see the most of next season.
As you may remember from the finale [*spoilers ahead*], Peter created a bridge between the two worlds, which brought Olivia/Fauxlivia and Walter/Walternate face to face. We were left with the impression that they were going to work together to create a balance between the universes. Since Lee is the head of the Fringe division over there, and Broyles is the head over here, it only makes sense that he'd get in on the action.
Where are the writers going with this? How will Broyles and Lee interact? He's his dead alternate's replacement (awkward). And what about the lingering feelings that Lee has for Fauxlivia that were briefly touched on when she returned to the other side? With Peter out of the picture (or forgotten, who knows) those two could finally get together.
Last but not least, with Lee on full-time does that mean Charlie Francis (Kirk Acevedo) isn't too far behind? There are so many directions they could go in for next season. The possibilities are endless!

THE WORDS
Variety reports that Dennis Quaid is joining Bradley Cooper and Jeremy Irons in dramatic thriller THE WORDS.
The film is the directorial debut of TRON: Legacy screenwriters Brian Klugman and Lee Sternthal.
THE WORDS follows a successful writer who discovers he has to pay a price for stealing another man's work.

TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON
Some new footage from Transformers: Dark of the Moon is now online at French website Lyricis Interactive (spotted by reader Razorxc), albeit in a somewhat unusual manner. As you can see in the player below, the footage is part of an outdoor arch advertisement at the Cannes Film Festival.
In the movie, a mysterious event from Earth's past erupts into the present day and threatens to bring a war to Earth so big that the Transformers alone will not be able to save us. The film stars Shia LaBeouf, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Kevin Dunn, Julie White, Frances McDormand, John Malkovich, Ken Jeong, Patrick Dempsey, Alan Tudyk, John Turturro and Leonard Nimoy.
TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON is directed by Michael Bay from a script written by Ehren Kruger and opens in 3D, 2D and IMAX theaters on July 1st.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2011

NEW FOX PROGRAMMING
FOX has opened this year's series order season with three pick-ups.
On the drama side, the network has picked up the "Bones" spin-off "The Finder" and J.J. Abrams' time-travel series "Alcatraz," Deadline reports. "The New Girl," a comedy starring Zooey Deschanel, was also picked up.
"The Finder," which is based on Richard Greener's "The Locator" book series, stars Geoff Stults and Michael Clarke Duncan and is from "Bones" creator Hart Hanson. "Alcatraz" is a crime drama set at the country's most infamous prison and follows an investigative team looking into the disappearance of its '60s inhabitants. The project reteams Abrams with "Lost" star Jorge Garcia.
"The New Girl" stars Deschanel as an elementary school teacher whose unlucky when it comes to love. She movies in with three unruly guys after splitting with her boyfriend. Jake M. Johnson, Max Greenfield, Hannah Simone and Damon Wayans Jr co-star in the Liz Meriwether project.

HOBBIT NEWS
It's been rumored for months, but now it's confirmed: Hugo Weaving will once again play Elrond in Peter Jackson's film version of THE HOBBIT.
Weaving's involvement in Jackson's two-part adaptation of the Tolkien novel has been rumored for some time, but it was confirmed by fellow The Lord of the Rings alumnus Ian McKellen. In a post at his blog, McKellen started by mentioning that star Martin Freeman, who plays Bilbo Baggins, would be taking three weeks off to shoot a few episodes of his BBC series SHERLOCK. McKellen wrote:
Martin Freeman has left THE HOBBIT.
This is not another April Fool, just a May Fact. Before signing as Bilbo, Martin had agreed to make three 90-minute TV films in London, again playing Dr Watson to Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock Holmes. No worries: he'll be back in Middle Earth after our first hiatus, during which Peter Jackson will have spare time to edit the scenes already completed. The rest of the cast remains on duty for another few weeks, working on hobbit-less sections of the film. These involve dwarves of course but also elves, with Hugo Weaving back for a stretch as Lord Elrond.
Weaving played Elrond, Lord of Rivendell, in all three installments of The Lord of the Rings, and since he gives Bilbo and his party shelter in The Hobbit, thus beginning their friendship, it was hoped that Weaving would encore as the wise and powerful elf in the film version.
The Australian actor joins fellow LOTR vets McKellen (Gandalf), Elijah Wood (Frodo), Ian Holm (old Bilbo), Cate Blanchett (Galadriel), Orlando Bloom (Legolas) and Andy Serkis (Gollum) in the film, which is now shooting in New Zealand. Part one will be released Dec. 19, 2012.

REAL STEEL
A new trailer has been released for Jackman's latest film, REAL STEEL, and even though Adamantium isn't involved, there's still plenty of metal on metal.
REAL STEEL is one of those action flicks that take place in the "near future," where everything looks the same but is slightly different. For one, boxing mano-a-mano has been outlawed. There's no Mosley versus Pacquiao in this new day and age. Instead, humans put giant robots in a ring and watch them annihilate each other.
Jackman's character (Charlie) is a former boxer who's knee-deep in debt and looking for a way out. Luckily for him, his son Max (Dakota Goyo) has an ace up his sleeve. He wants his dad to turn a run-down junkyard robot into the next boxing champion. In other words, REAL STEEL takes the training story you've seen in movies like THE KARATE KID and MILLION DOLLAR BABY and applies it to robots.
If you're still on the fence about the movie, former "Lostie" Evangeline Lilly co-stars, along with THE HURT LOCKER's Anthony Mackie. Jackman, Lilly and Mackie, plus director Shawn Levy should sweeten the deal—right?REAL STEEL hits theaters on Oct. 7, 2011.

DOCTOR WHO AND NEIL GAIMAN
Neil Gaiman's eagerly anticipated episode of DOCTOR WHO is finally coming up this Saturday.
After last week's somewhat disappointing episode, "The Curse of the Black Spot," hopes are going to be riding very high for Gaiman's first DOCTOR WHO outing.
"The Doctor's Wife" is the episode Who and Gaiman fans (and probably the whole of geekdom as well) have been waiting for ever since it was announced that the popular fantasy writer was writing an episode of the BBC's sci-fi series—season premiere nonwithstanding.
As a reminder, here's the episode synopsis that was included in the press release a few weeks back:
The Doctor receives a distress signal from an old friend. Could there really be another living Time Lord out there? Hopes raised, he follows the signal to a junkyard planet sitting upon a mysterious asteroid in a Bubble universe, populated by a very strange family, as the time-travelling drama continues.
The Doctor, Amy and Rory are given the warmest of welcomes by Auntie, Uncle and Nephew. But the beautiful and insane Idris greets them in a more unusual fashion - what is she trying to tell the Doctor? As the Doctor investigates, he unwittingly puts his friends in the gravest danger.

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS
A new TV spot for X-MEN: FIRST CLASS has come online.
Hitting theaters on June 3rd, the Matthew Vaughn-directed action adventure stars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Rose Byrne, January Jones, Kevin Bacon, Nicholas Hoult, Jennifer Lawrence, Caleb Landry Jones, Lucas Till, Edi Gathegi, Jason Flemyng, Oliver Platt, Morgan Lily, Zoe Kravitz and Bill Bilner.
X-MEN: FIRST CLASS charts the epic beginning of the X-Men saga, and reveals a secret history of famous global events. Before mutants had revealed themselves to the world, and before Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers for the first time. Not archenemies, they were instead at first the closest of friends, working together with other Mutants (some familiar, some new), to prevent nuclear Armageddon. In the process, a grave rift between them opened, which began the eternal war between Magneto’s Brotherhood and Professor X's X-Men.

THE FALLEN
Variety reports that Ruairi Robinson is attached to direct sci-fi film THE FALLEN for Lionsgate UK and Harry Brown producer Kris Thykier.
The $35 million film "is about an alien spaceship that crash lands in Russia. When it creates a 400-mile electronic dead-zone, international special ops teams are sent in to neutralize it."
The original script was written by Andrew Will (Joseph Kosinski's upcoming Archangel).
THE FALLEN is expected to shoot in early 2012.

TUESDAY, MAY 10, 2011

SMALLVILLE FINALE
Two-hour series finale! Lex alert! Michael Rosenbaum returns as Lex (finally!) for the finale. While there's not much info about the episode's story, according to the press release: "The story of Clark Kent (Tom Welling) culminates in this epic two-hour series finale as Clark takes the last step to becoming the Man of Steel. With surprise guest appearances, nods to the first few seasons of the series and Michael Rosenbaum's return as Lex Luthor, this final episode wraps up a decade-long story following one man's journey to becoming the world's greatest superhero." With John Glover, Annette O'Toole and John Schneider on board, it almost seems like old times.

VAMPIRE DIARIES
The Vampire Diaries (The CW) 8 p.m. - "As I Lay Dying"
Season-two finale! It's another huge finale for Diaries as Elena and gang discover the consequences of Klaus' deeds. And as Damon suffers from the results of the werewolf bite, a town-square showing of Gone With the Wind leads to memories of Katherine in 1864.

SNOW WHITE NEWS
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Chris Hemsworth, coming off a $65 million dollar opening with his Marvel movie THOR, is in negotiations to star with Kristen Stewart in Universal’s SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN.
The negotiations with the Australian actor put the big-budget fairy tale adaptation back on track after it had some trouble hunting down its co-star.
Viggo Mortensen was in negotiations for the role in the winter but the on-again and off-again dealmaking never took root. Michael Fassbender was in the running before Mortensen while Hugh Jackman entertained an offer after Mortensen. The studio spend time casting a net, pulling in actors like Joel Edgerton, although nothing ever materialized on that front either.
Hemsworth, who began building buzz for his star-making role in THOR in the weeks before the movie’s release, began talks with Universal last week. The studio entered negotiations today.
This retelling of the Brothers Grimm fairy tale plays up the Huntsman, a secondary character in the centuries-old tale, who now becomes Snow White's protector and mentor.
The Rupert Sanders-directed project sees Stewart as SNOW WHITE, Charlize Theron as the evil queen and Sam Claflin, who appears in the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie, as Stewart’s love interest, the prince.
Hunstman is in a race for actors and for bragging rights with the Snow White movie being made by Relativity. The latter is being directed by Tarsem Singh and sees Julia Roberts as the evil queen and Lily Collins as Snow White.

NEW SYFY FILMS HEAD
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Gregory Noveck, formerly the creative affairs and exec producer who oversaw DC Comics’ film and TV division, will head up Syfy Films, Syfy and Universal’s joint feature venture.
Noveck has been named senior vp production of Syfy Films, a newly created position that will see him shepherd Syfy branded genre films.
Noveck will report to Syfy president of original content Mark Stern and Universal Pictures co-chairman Donna Langley.
According to Syfy and Universal, “Noveck will work closely with the Universal and Syfy creative teams to find projects to develop by leveraging Syfy’s experience in developing genre content.”
At DC, Noveck established the film and TV division and oversaw the mining of the library. His tenure saw a DC resurgence with the Christopher Nolan Batman movies, Watchmen, Red (made by Summit) and Green Lantern, as well TV shows such as Human Target and many of the DC original animated features.
Noveck also worked at Silver Pictures Television and Platinum Studios, where he oversaw the early development of COWBOYS & ALIENS and Showtime’s JEREMIAH.
Syfy and Universal created Syfy Films late last year to produce movies in the sci-fi, fantasy, supernatural and horror realms and have a goal to release one to two films a year starting 2012.

CONAN THE BARBARIAN
The new trailer for Lionsgate's CONAN THE BARBARIAN just hit the web, giving us the first real look at Jason Momoa as Conan and the movie in general.
It seems to cover a great deal of landscapes and looks like it could have something interesting to show, but it seems to jump around a lot. Will it stand shoulder to shoulder to this summer's other offerings?
The film is out in theaters Aug. 19.

FINAL DESTINATION 5
The trailer for New Line's FFINAL DESTINATION 5 (the franchise has re-embraced its numerical title after The Final Destination) has made its premiere.
Fans will be happy to see that Tony Todd appears to have a larger presence this time. And it's interesting to see that the trailer leads with what we're told is one of the film's triumphant kills. You also get a tease of the opening disaster.
Emma Bell, Nick D'Agosto, Miles Fisher and Arlen Escarpeta star in this entry directed by Steven Quale. Look for it in theaters August 12.

MONDAY, MAY 9, 2011

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
Movie-goers swarmed the multiplex on Saturday to boost THOR's box office take to a respectable $66 million -- just $4 million short of projections. But that's just in the U.S. -- the movie also took in $46 million in international ticket sales.
Speaking of overseas viewers, Universal's Vin Diesel-fronted FAST FIVE broke the studio's all-time foreign weekend mark, according to The Wrap, grossing $86.6 million. The previous record-holder was "King-Kong" with $84.3 million.
Two rom-coms -- JUMPING THE BROOM and SOMETHING BORROWED -- also did decent business taking in, respectively, $13.7 and $13.2 million.
Rounding out the top five was the animated RIO, which grabbed $8.2 million in ticket sales -- down 44 percent from last week, per Box Office Mojo.

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS
Fox has given us another helping of X-MEN: FIRST CLASS, showing one of the most interesting characters in the X-mythos, Mystique, getting some much-deserved attention.
Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone), who brings this version of the character to life, looks to be adding some much-needed vulnerability to the part. While the possibility of romantic tension between Beast and Mystique is heavily hinted at in the trailer, it's the beginnings of Mystique's relationship with Magneto, the one we know will have the most lasting effects on the woman she is destined to become, that got us most excited.

TRANCES
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Michael Fassbender is in talks to be the first actor to board Danny Boyle’s return to the land of edgy thriller, TRANCES.
The pic is remake of a 2003 British movie directed by Joe Ahearne and centers on an art heist. An assistant at an auction house masterminds the heist and teams up with a gang of thieves, but suffers a blow to the head and wakes up with amnesia. He is the only one who knows where the painting’s location is and after his continued failure to remember, the gang begins to suspect duplicity on his part and hire a female hypnotist to get into his brain.
If a deal is closed, Fassbender would play the shady leader of the gang who partners with the assistant.
Boyle is producing with Christian Colson and plans to shoot the film this fall, before tackling the the Summer Olympics in 2012. The filmmaker will edit after the Games.
Fassbender has found himself working non-stop since breaking out in Inglourious Basterds. He’ll be seen as Magneto in this summer’s X-MEN: FIRST CLASS and is currently shooting Prometheus, Ridley Scott’s maybe-it-is/maybe-it-isn’t Alien prequel.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2011

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES
We've been seeing plenty of trailers for PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES pop up, but how about a look at an extended scene so we can get a real idea of what the movie's action scenes will be like?
Disney knows that's what we're hankering for, and so released a clip today of Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) making an acrobatic break from Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) and the king's guards.
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES opens May 20.

FRINGE SEASON FINALE
Fox is pulling out all the stops for the third season finale of FRINGE. A traditional 30-second preview just wouldn't do, so they had to take it a step further. The network has released a two-minute theatrical trailer that features tons of new footage and some mild spoilers (if you look close enough).
In last week's episode [*spoilers ahead*!], Peter stepped into the "world-destroying" machine and woke up in a future plagued by chaos. Seriously, it vaguely resembled the world Kyle Reese spoke about in the Terminator movies. In the final episode, Olivia looks more jaded than usual, Walter looks crazier than ever, someone's given Astrid a flat iron, and Broyles appears to be blind in one eye. What the heck happened?
One thing's for sure, Walternate is not happy to see his son. It looks like Peter's entrance into the machine destroyed the other world, which begs the question, how is Walternate still alive? Knowing him, he probably had an escape plan just in case things didn't go his way.
The season finale of FRINGE airs on Friday, May 6, at 9 p.m. on Fox.

OZ: THE GREAT AND POWERFUL
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Oscar-winning actress Rachel Weisz is in negotiations to play the villainess in OZ: THE GREAT AND POWERFUL, Disney’s prequel-ish take on The Wizard of Oz tale that stars James Franco and Mila Kunis and is being directed by Sam Raimi.
The movie stars Franco as Oz, a snake oil salesman who finds himself dealing with real magic when his balloon carries him into a fabled land and he runs into genuine witches.
Weisz would play Evanora, a powerful, evil witch who intends to rule the land. She is the sister of Theadora (Kunis) and tries to seduce her to the dark side.
The role would be a change of pace for Weisz, who — despite an eclectic resume ranging from her Oscar-winning work in The Constant Gardener to Wong Kar Wai’s My Blueberry Nights to The Mummy — has never worked on a project of this scale and never tackled what is sure to be a splashy role.

GHOUL
Nolan Gould, who plays Luke on ABC’s hit comedy Modern Family, and veteran actor Barry Corbin, who has appeared in No Country for Old Men and TNT’s The Closer, have joined the cast of Chiller’s first original telefilm Brian Keene’s GHOUL.
Gould will star as lead character, the fearless Timmy Graco, while Corbin will play his devoted grandfather, Dane.
Based on the novel by Keene, Ghoul centers on a group of young friends who risk their lives to stop who — or what — is behind a handful of disappearances in their town. The TV movie was penned by William M. Miller and is directed by Gregory M. Wilson. Moderncine’s Andrew van den Houten and Robert Tonino are producing.
Production on the project has already begun in Baton Rouge, La., with the film set for a fourth quarter premiere on Chiller.
It was announced in March that the cable network had greenlighted Ghoul, along with two other original projects, Steve Niles’ Remains and Chiller 13: Horror’s Creepiest Kids.
Gould is repped by Stone Manners Salners Agency and M/C Talent Management. Corbin, who has several films coming down the pipeline, is repped by Linda McAlister Talent and Elkins Entertainment.

TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY
According to Variety, Lisa Cholodenko, who received an Oscar nomination for co-writing The Kids Are All Right, is in negotiations to direct Alexander and the TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY, a live-action adaptation of Judith Viorst's classic children's book.
The 1972 book revolves around family members collectively enduring the worst day of their lives. In the book, Alexander's day goes from bad to worse after he wakes up with gum in his hair.
The 20th Century Fox release is being produced by Shawn Levy's 21 Laps and the Jim Henson Company. Levy and Dan Levine will produce for 21 Laps, while Lisa Henson and Jason Lust will produce for the Jim Henson Company.

SEEKING A FRIEND AT THE END OF THE WORLD
VARIETY EXCLUSIVE: William Petersen, who's been extremely selective in choosing feature roles since leaving "CSI," is in negotiations along with "Scream 4" star Adam Brody and Rob Corddry to join Steve Carell and Keira Knightley in Mandate Pictures' "Seeking a Friend at the End of the World."
In addition to writing the script, Lorene Scafaria is making her directorial debut on the project, which finds an incoming asteroid threatening to end life on Earth.
Carell stars as a man whose wife leaves him amidst the ensuing panic, prompting him to seek out his high school sweetheart, who yearns to be with him when doomsday arrives. Knightley plays the female lead, a neighbor of Carell's character who accompanies him on a romantic road trip to find her.
Mandate and Indian Paintbrush are co-financing the picture, which is slated to start production later this month. Anonymous Content's Steve Golin and Joy Gorman will produce with Steven Rales and Mark Roybal of Indian Paintbrush. Mandate's Nathan Kahane and Nicole Brown will exec produce. WME packaged the project for clients Carell, Knightley and Scafaria.

TUESDAY, MAY 3, 2011

AVENGERS SCRIPT STOLEN
Someone has managed to get his hands on Samuel L. Jackson's copy of the AVENGERS script. And not only that, but the anonymous thief has been contacting various entertainment sites and offering to sell the script to the highest bidder.
Pictures of some of the script pages have already popped up in the wild, but, as of yet, there haven't been any takers.
The big question is, just how serious are the consequences of the leak? According to Film Fan Review, production on the film has already been halted in order to make changes to the story. There's still some skepticism out there, though, as to whether such a costly move is really necessary.
For one thing, there's no way of knowing how finalized the script actually is. There are plenty of smaller projects out there that get rewrites every day. Word is, the script that was leaked disappeared from L.A., not from filming in Albuquerque, which begs another question: "Just how recent is that script?"
In addition, the images that have cropped up online show scenes involving Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo and Robert Downey Jr.'s characters. Meanwhile, the scenes in production currently involve Chris Evans, Samuel L. Jackson and Chris Hemsworth. Why halt production when the scenes being filmed aren't the ones leaked online?
Still, AVENGERS is no ordinary movie, and that means that a script leak means a lot of debate as to what to do, without any easy answers. Has production really been put on hold, though? At the moment, the answer seems to be "probably, but not definitely." And if it has, it feels unlikely that this hold will last for long.
In the end, the most likely truth is that the script would be altered during production anyway, regardless of whether there was a leaked script out there. That means we'll still be surprised when we're sitting in the theater come next summer.

HOBBIT NEWS
Rob Kazinski, the actor who was to play Fili, the youngest of Bilbo's dwarven companions in THE HOBBIT, had to leave the shoot for personal reasons. But the role wasn't left empty for long. Now there's a new dwarf in town.
The role of Fili is going to Dean O'Gorman, a Kiwi actor with fantasy street cred. O'Gorman has just finished the first season of his new TV show, The Almighty Johnsons, about a family who realizes they're incarnations of Norse gods. O'Gorman plays the arrogant Anders Johnson, who is also the Bragi, god of poetry.
Director Peter Jackson posted on his Facebook wall:
I should let fans of that show know that our shooting schedule allows Dean to continue with a second series next year. Dean will be joining us next week.
The role of elf king Thranduil has also been cast. Lee Pace, who starred in the criminally canceled Pushing Daisies, as well as appeared in the criminally canceled Wonderfalls, plays the dwarf-hater and father of Legolas.
Jackson wrote:
Casting these Tolkien stories is very difficult, especially the Elven characters, and Lee has always been our first choice for Thranduil. He's going to be great. We loved his performance in a movie called The Fall a few years ago, and have been hoping to work with him since. When we were first discussing who would be right for Thranduil, Lee came into mind almost immediately.
The only bad news? We still have to wait for its December 2012 release date.

DOCTOR WHO
If you enjoyed the last DOCTOR WHO episode, "Day of the Moon," then this one could possibly shock you. Perhaps watching the chilling prequel to the next episode, "The Curse of the Black Spot," just might do the trick.
The eerily spooky short prequel stars Downton Abbey's Hugh Bonneville as the pirate Captain Avery. And to get you even more excited about the episode, we even threw in the two trailers. Looks like our favorite Time Lord (Matt Smith) and the gang are going to get into some serious pirate-y action (especially Amy Pond, played by Karen Gillan—you go, girl) along with some spine-chilling thrills!
This is the episode synopsis:
The TARDIS is marooned onboard a 17th-century pirate ship whose crew is being attacked by a mysterious and beautiful sea creature, as the time-travelling drama continues.
Becalmed and beset by cabin fever, the pirates have numerous superstitious explanations for the Siren's appearance. The Doctor has other ideas but, as his theories are disproved and every plan of escape is thwarted, he must work to win the trust of the implacable Captain Avery and uncover the truth behind the pirates' supernatural fears - and he must work quickly, for some of his friends have already fallen under the Siren's spell...

BONES RENEWED
Fox has renewed its forensic drama series Bones for a seventh season, with a formal announcement expected to come as soon as Tuesday.
The news comes after another round of down-to-the-wire negotiations between host network Fox and its sister studio 20th TV. The cast and crew of Bones found themselves in a similar situation in the spring of 2009, when talks dragged on until just before Fox’s upfront presentation to advertisers.
On a conference call with reporters last month, showrunner Hart Hanson said that he was "confident" a deal would be reached for the show’s seventh season. What isn’t as clear is how the show will handle star Emily Deschanel's pregnancy, with Hanson noting a host of potential options, including a shorter season or a collection of episodes that don’t feature Deschanel.
Star David Boreanaz first announced news of Bones' renewal on Twitter, tweeting: "Season 7 is GO for Bones."
The network has a potential Bones spinoff starring Geoff Stults in contention. The back-door pilot, which aired in late April, drew 11 million viewers.

MOONRISE KINGDOM
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Focus Features has acquired worldwide rights to Wes Anderson’s upcoming feature, MOONRISE KINGDOM, Focus CEO James Schamus announced Monday.
Focus will release the indie film in the U.S., while the company’s foreign sales arm will begin pitching it to foreign buyers at Cannes later this month.
Filming has begun on the project - which stars Bill Murray, Bruce Willis and Frances McDormand – about a young couple who go off to be together even though people in their small New England town are convinced they've disappeared.
Anderson is directing from an original screenplay that he wrote with Roman Coppola.
MOONRISE KINGDOM is being produced by Mr. Anderson, Scott Rudin, Indian Paintbrush’s Steven Rales and American Empirical’s Jeremy Dawson.

POMPEII
Paul W.S. Anderson looks to be headed to Italy sometime in the first century. The Hollywood Reporter has word that the RESIDENT EVIL director has signed on to helm an epic period disaster film entitled POMPEII, to be based on the world's most famous volcanic eruption.
In the year 79 AD, the eruption of Mount Vesuvius wiped out the city of Pompeii, preserving much of the architecture and inhabitants in pumice. The film version is said to incorporate a love story against the tragedy as a slave fights to protect the woman he loves from the disaster.
The film was formerly in the works in 2007 with Roman Polanski attached to direct. He left the project in September of that year and little has been heard from it since.
Anderson, whose next film is the 3D adaptation of Alexandre Dumas' THE THREE MUSKETEERS, would likely begin production on POMPEII early next year.

MONDAY, MAY 2, 2011

INTERNATIONAL BOX OFFICE
Paramount's THOR decisively claimed the weekend's No. 1 box office spot on the foreign theatrical circuit with a gross of $83 million -- 2011's biggest opening weekend tally by more than $25 million -- from some 7,250 locations in 56 overseas markets.
Director Kenneth Branagh's interpretation of a Stan Lee comic book about an otherworldly renegade warrior defending planet Earth opened at No. 1 in the U.K. and Ireland ($9 million from 500 situations over five days), in France ($8.1 million from 579 locales), South Korea ($5.7 million from 513 spots), Italy ($5.5 million from 455 locations) and Spain ($5 million from 377 situations).
THOR also recorded first-place openings in several smaller markets, including Taiwan ($2.1 million from 58 sites for a per-screen average of $36,206), Singapore and the Philippines. In Vietnam, the opener yielded $308,000 from 19 sites, which Paramount said was a three-day debut record for the market.
So far, THOR has tallied an overall foreign gross of $93 million. The Marvel Entertainment outing opened last round in Australia, where this time it drew a second-weekend tally of $3.3 million from 226 locations, a 42% from the opener, hoisting the Down Under cume to $13.1 million.
Universal's FAST FIVE, which like THOR opened overseas last weekend (in the U.K., Australia, South Korea and New Zealand), drew $45.3 million this time from 3,211 playdates in 14 territories, running up its early foreign gross total to $81.4 million.
FAST FIVE ranked No. 2 on the weekend overseas; in the U.S. and Canada it opened at No. 1 on the weekend. Worldwide, the fifth sequel in the turbocharged car action franchise has grossed $128.9 million.
The action title starring Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson and Paul Walker grabbed No. 1 slots in each of its 10 new overseas markets, with Russia leading the pack with $11.5 million drawn from 712 sites. Other No. 1 debuts included Germany ($10.2 million from 633 spots), Austria ($1.4 million from 82 situations) and Turkey ($900,000 from 175 venues, Universal's biggest opening weekend in the market ever).
The biggest FAST FIVE holdover was Australia, where it commanded the No. 1 slot with $4.7 million from 230 sites, off 41% from the opening round. Down Under cume stands at 20.9 million. Thor is set to open in Finland and China by next weekend, while Fast Five will open in 45 markets this week, including France, Italy, Brazil and Mexico.
Meanwhile, 20th Century Fox's RIO, which had been the No. 1 box office champ overseas for the past three weekends, finished its fourth stanza in the weekend's No. 3 spot with $31.7 million 10,560 locations in 67 markets.
International cume for the family-oriented animation title stands at $263 million, more than two-and-a-half times its domestic gross total. Rio continues to thrive in No. 2 weekends France, Brazil and Mexico, with the France tally coming in at $4.9 million from 781 sites, an increase, said Fox, of 31% from the prior round. Rio has grossed a market total of nearly $36 million in Brazil so far.
Despite having no new overseas openings, Universal's HOP snared $5.7 million from 3,800 sites in 53 territories, lifting its foreign gross total to $58.4 million. The Easter bunny title blending animation with live action has five more markets to play over the next few months, said Universal.
Fox's Depression-era drama WATER FOR ELEPHANTS picked up its box office pace offshore with a $4.7 million weekend at 1,851 screens in 23 markets. The Fox 2000 drama starring Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson opened at No. 4 in German with $1.9 million elicited from 411 situations. Foreign cume so far stands at 8.2 million.
A solid Italy opening plus steady holdover action in France drove the weekend tally of Summit International's thriller SOURCE CODE, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, to $4.5 million from about 1,525 screens in 36 territories and a $35 million offshore gross total to date.
JUST GO WITH IT, Sony's comedy starring Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston, pushed its overseas cume safely past the $100 million mark ($107.9 million) thanks to a $2.2 million weekend at 1,310 screens in 54 markets. Universal British-made road comedy Paul, with 34 markets still to play, bagged $2 million from 800 situations in 21 territories, lifting its overseas gross total to $49.2 million.
The biggest local-language title in France was La fille du Puisatier (The Well Digger's Daughter), actor-director-scenarist Daniel Auteuil's update of Marcel Pagnol's 1940 romantic drama. The Pathe release nabbed the No. 3 market spot with $2.6 million drawn from 513 screens, off just 13% from its opening round.
Other international cumes: Sony's WORLD INVASION: BATTLE LOS ANGELES, $118.1 million; Fox's BIG MOMMAS: LIKE FATHER,LIKE SON, $44 million; Pathe's Le Film Titeuf, $10.9 million over four rounds in France only; Fox's BLACK SWAN, $191.6 million; Universal's THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU, $52.7 million; Fox's DAIRY OF A WIMPY KID, $6.2 million; Universal's SCREAM 4, $2 million over 10 days in Spain only; and Fox's GULLIVER'S TRAVELS, $187.1 million.

THE WATCHING HOUR
Variety reports that New Line/Warner Bros. has picked up Shane and Carey Van Dyke's spec script THE WATCHING HOUR.They are Dick Van Dyke's grandsons.
The trade says that "Plot details are under wraps other than being described as a horror franchise with sci-fi elements."
Michael Connolly is producing through his Mad Hatter Entertainment along with Mary Parent and her company Disruption Entertainment.

DJANGO
A Twitter photo of the cover page to the script for Quentin Tarantino's next film has made the online world quite excitable over the past 24 hours.
The photo indicates the title of the spaghetti western flick is "Django Unchained". IndieWire confirms that Tarantino's final draft has been handed over to The Weinstein Company and a source gives away brief plot details.
The story reportedly follows Django, a freed slave, who assists a German bounty hunter (Christoph Waltz) in taking down some bad guys for profit. Taken under the man's wing, the pair track down Django's slave wife and try to liberate her from an evil plantation owner.
A source says it's a popcorn and revenge flick, but it "deals with racism as I’ve rarely seen it handled in a Hollywood film", and essentially rips into Southern slave owners in this the way he did with the Nazis in "Inglourious Basterds".
Waltz is the only confirmed cast member right now, though Franco Nero and Keith Carradine are also said to be starring. The story is partly inspired by the Sergio Corbucci original 1966 film "Django" (which starred Nero).

SUNDAY, MAY 1, 2011

AMERICAN HORROR STORY
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Dylan McDermott has been cast in Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk’s FX drama pilot AMERICAN HORROR STORY.
The thriller centers on husband and wife pairing Ben (McDermott) and Vivien Harmon (Friday Night Lights’ Connie Britton) who move from Boston to a haunted San Francisco home in an attempt to rebuild the family after a miscariage and affair.
Living next door is Constance (Jessica Lange) and her daughter with down syndrome who knows more about the Harmon house than everyone realizes. Denis O’Hare joins them as Larry the Burn Guy, a former resident of the home, while the part of teen Tate Langdon has yet to be cast.
Though details for the hotly-anticipated project remain tightly guarded, FX chief John Landgraf was enthusiastic about it’s prospects in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter last month, calling the “really complicated, interesting psychological horror show” an “incredibly ambitious” series that “could define or redefine the genre that [it’s] in.”
When asked how it would differ from Harper’s Island, CBS’ poorly-rated attempt at the horror genre in 2009, Landgraf argued American Horror Story will be nothing like that show. “I can’t explain why,” he told THR, “but I’d just ask the question: Was [Murphy’s] Nip/Tuck like any medical show you’d ever seen?
McDermott was last seen on television in TNT’s Dark Blue, which ended after two 10-episode seasons in 2010. Other TV credits include Big Shots, miniseries The Grid and long-running legal drama The Practice.
The actor is repped by CAA and the Schiff Company.

FRIDAY NIGHT RATINGS - FRINGE RISING
The royal wedding was the talk of the town Friday but several beloved shows still aired originals at night.Fox’s FRINGE (3.5 million total viewers, 1.3 rating in the adults 18-49 demographic) rose slightly, with lead-in KITCHEN NIGHTMARES (3.3 million, 1.3) down a few notches from its last original.
NBC’s FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS (3 million, 0.6) was down significantly at 8 p.m., with ABC competitor SHARK TANK (4.6 million, 1.2) slipping as well.
SMALLVILLE (1.9 million, 0.8) went below the 2 million mark in viewers, but was up 14 percent in the adults 18-34 demographic. SUPERNATURAL (1.9 million, 0.9), meanwhile, was steady for the CW.
CSI: NY (9.2 million, 1.7) and BLUE BLOODS (9.8 million, 1.6) returned with new episodes. CBS’ royal wedding special (8.6 million, 1.7) at 8 p.m. tied with CSI: NY for the demo win.

WILLIAM CAMPBELL DIES
William Campbell, who guest-starred in two memorable episodes of the original Star Trek TV series, died Thursday at the Motion Picture & Television Country Home and Hospital in Woodland Hills, according to StarTrek.com. He was 84.
Campbell played the all-powerful Trelane in the episode "The Squire of Gothos" and Koloth, a Klingon, in "The Trouble With Tribbles," both of which aired in 1967. He reprised the role of Trelane for a Star Trek: Judgment Rites video game in 1993, returned for a 1994 episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and was a regular at Star Trek conventions and cruises.
A native of Newark, N.J., who bore a resemblance to Liberace, Campbell also sang with Elvis Presley in Love Me Tender (1956) and starred in the violent Dementia 13 (1963), produced by Roger Corman and directed by Francis Ford Coppola.
Other film credits include Operation Pacific (1951), Battle Circus (1953), The High and the Mighty (1954), Hush … Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964) and Pretty Maids All in a Row (1971), written by Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry.
Campbell’s almost 50-year career as an actor also included a regular role on 1958-59 truck-driver series Cannonball and episodes of The Loretta Young Show, O’Hara, U.S. Treasury (with Trek cast member George Takei), Adam-12, The Streets of San Francisco and Kung Fu: The Legend Continues.
Survivors include his wife, Tereza.

SATURDAY, APRIL 30, 2011

RISE OF THE APES
The first trailer for RISE OF THE APES was surprisingly light on both plot info and those dang-dirty apes that just keep taking over our planet. But luckily we get more of both in a new online featurette that gives further background on ape ringleader Caesar and how this version of the Planet of the Apes comes to be. (Judging from the featurette's concept art, a major part of the plan is holding the Golden Gate Bridge hostage with spears.)
While a lot of newssites keep referring to this movie a prequel, this featurette definitely proves that it's a reboot with a different continuity from any of the other Apes films. And luckiest of all, it definitely isn't tied to the Tim Burton's Planet of the Apes, which took place on a completely different planet. (Although it's easy to forget that, due its ridiculous "Ape Lincoln Memorial" ending.)

SUPERMAN COMICS
Action Comics #900 carries many stories in it from different authors and artists, it's "The Incident" by The Dark Knight and the upcoming Man of Steel writer David Goyer that's got everyone talking, and rightfully so. In its pages, Superman faces a very real threat and then renounces his citizenship to the U.S.A.
Let's back up, though. If we only talk about the conclusion, we miss out on the "why," which, for my money, makes the scenario much more interesting. The story goes that Superman, having a nose for news after all, is following the story of protests in Tehran. Deciding that it's not enough to handle supervillains and apocalypses, Supes flies directly into the chaotic city and ... stands there. That's all. He stands in solidarity with the protestors for 24 hours. Then he leaves.
The Iranian government assumes that Superman is acting on behalf of the president of the U.S. and considers his actions and act of war. With that in mind, Superman makes the realization that, if he wants to be a hero in this way, stand up for the oppressed, the starving, and the dehumanized, he can't do so as a representative of any one nation. Hence, he renounces his U.S. citizenship.
But is he any less an American icon now? No doubt this alteration will be a temporary one, but, in addition, it feels like Superman is just changing to meet with the times. One could argue that with the multitude of global crises we've been dealing with in the last years that America has become more connected to the rest of the world than ever. What hurts us hurts everyone else, and vice versa.
Maybe the comic argues that what we need now is more than just an American hero. Maybe what we need is a global one, someone who will take the big risks in order to push the world forward, to try and make things better for everyone. At its most ideal, isn't that the very definition of "The American Way"?

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
If Universal insiders are correct about the numbers, FAST FIVE will easily eclipse the $70.5 million earned by Fast & Furious during its opening weekend, reports the Hollywood Reporter.
Directed by Justin Lin, FAST FIVE is a much-needed win for Universal, and has already grossed $43.7 million at the international box office, where it began rolling out last weekend. The pic reunites franchise stars Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Jordana Brewster and Tyrese Gibson. Joining the series is Dwayne Johnson.
Universal has a lot riding on the event pic, set this time in Rio de Janeiro. The studio says Fast Five cost $125 million after production incentives and tax credits, but others put the price tag as high as $150 million.
The box office glow enjoyed by FAST FIVE didn’t extend to the other new films, including tween-driven PROM, the first film greenlit by Disney chair Rich Ross. Prom struggled to gross even $2 million on Friday, meaning it could only open to $6 million, a disappointment for Ross. Financially, Disney isn’t that exposed, having spent only $8 million to produce pic.
Directed by Joe Nussbaum, Prom’s cast includes Aimee Teegarden, Nicholas Braun, Danielle Campbell, Cameron Monaghan and Christine Elise McCarthy.
The Weinstein Co.’s 3D toon HOODWINKED TOO! Hood vs. Evil also struggled, grossing roughly $1.2 million to $1.3 million on Friday.
HOODWINKED TOO! is a co-production with Maurice Kanbar’s Kanbar Entertainment (Kanbar created SKYY Vodka). Insiders say Kanbar put up much of the financing for the $30 million film.
Among holdovers, 20th Century Fox’s 3D toon RIO is expected to finish the weekend at No. 2, followed by Lionsgate’s Tyler Perry’s Madea’s BIG HAPPY FAMILY and Fox 2000’s WATER FOR ELEPHANTS. All three films saw bigger than usual drops on Friday, since so many kids were out of school a week ago.

KUNG FU PANDA 2
DreamWorks Animation has brought online a new clip from KUNG FU PANDA 2.
Opening in 3D, 2D and IMAX 3D theaters on May 26, the sequel is voiced by Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Gary Oldman, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross, James Hong and Michelle Yeoh.
In KUNG FU PANDA 2, Po is now living his dream as The Dragon Warrior, protecting the Valley of Peace alongside his friends and fellow kung fu masters, The Furious Five - Tigress, Crane, Mantis, Viper and Monkey. But Po's new life of awesomeness is threatened by the emergence of a formidable villain, who plans to use a secret, unstoppable weapon to conquer China and destroy kung fu. It is up to Po and The Furious Five to journey across China to face this threat and vanquish it. But how can Po stop a weapon that can stop kung fu? He must look to his past and uncover the secrets of his mysterious origins; only then will he be able to unlock the strength he needs to succeed.

FRIDAY, APRIL 29, 2011

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS - Part 2
We've been expecting this movie since the late 1990s, but the new trailer for HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS - Part 2 still manages to surprise with heaping piles of awesome ... like PO'ed dragons, invading armies of Death Eaters, hundreds of wands shooting what looks like tracer fire, and a hard-hitting tone that kind of has a Saving Private Ryan vibe.
Among all the awesome is what looks like a kick-out-your-heart high casualty rate among some beloved principals from the Harry Potter series (no spoilers, for those who haven't read the book). And dig that Hans Zimmer-like droning on the soundtrack!

DOCTOR WHO SPOILERS/TEASERS
The mind-blowing DOCTOR WHO season-six premiere will conclude in just two days with "Day of the Moon," and everyonewonders what happens next? In the meanwhile, we've got some very tantalizing teasers to share with you.
*Spoilers!*
Digital Spy's Tube Talk has released 10 very cool teasers about "Day of the Moon," but we cherry-picked six that we thought were really the most fun and exciting.
"You're building me the perfect ****** and it still won't be enough!"
The Tardis swimming pool plays a vital role in a daring escape attempt.
At least one of the shocking twists from last week's episode is called into question, but who can The Doctor really trust?
If you don't feel sorry for Rory at least once while watching this episode, then you're truly heartless.
Speaking of Rory, if you've been wondering whether he remembers his 2000 years as Amy's plastic guardian, then this episode provides a definitive answer.
The Doctor has a new experience, while River does something for the very last time.
The final scene contains an absolutely shocking twist.

ENDER'S GAME
The Hollywood Reporter writes that ENDER'S GAME finally has a home.
Summit Entertainment is in talks to co-finance and acquire the U.S. rights to the live-action, sci-fi film adaptation of the novel by Orson Scott Card.
Sierra / Affinity, meanwhile, will launch international sales of Ender’s at this year’s Cannes Film Market.
The dealmaking is coming after Ender’s hit the town in February with a package that included a script by Gavin Hood (X-Men Origins: Wolverine), who is also attached to direct, with Star Trek superproducers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci producing along with Gigi Pritzker and Linda McDonough of OddLot Entertainment. Card and Lynn Hendee are also producing.
Bill Lischak and Mandy Safavi will executive produce along with Cliff Plumer and Ed Ulbrich of Digital Domain, which is financial partner in the movie.
The 1985 novel is set in a future where the Earth is under attack by an insect-like race and mankind has created a battle school to train fighting forces. In this environment enters Ender Wiggin, a kid who is tormented by bullies and an older brother but proves to be a master at a three-dimensional, zero-gravity laser tag-like game. That sets him on a path as a possible savior of the human race.
The novel won a Nebula Award as well as a Hugo Award and was followed by five books. Marvel Comics also adapted the novels into the four-color world.
Hood is repped by WME and Anonymous Content.

TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON
Paramount Pictures has launched the trailer for this summer's highly-anticipated TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON, opening in 3D, 2D and IMAX theaters on July 1st.
In the movie, a mysterious event from Earth's past erupts into the present day and threatens to bring a war to Earth so big that the Transformers alone will not be able to save us. TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON stars Shia LaBeouf, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Kevin Dunn, Julie White, Frances McDormand, John Malkovich, Ken Jeong, Patrick Dempsey, Alan Tudyk, John Turturro and Leonard Nimoy.
The film is directed by Michael Bay from a script written by Ehren Kruger.

BATMAN NEWS
The Times of India has published a few more details on the filming that will take place in India for Christopher Nolan's third Batman film, THE DARK KNIGHT RISES:
The director will be in Jodhpur to shoot "The Dark Knight Rises" with none other than Christian Bale. However, no other Hollywood actors from the film will be part of this shooting schedule in India.
Incidentally, Nolan had come down to India in December to scout for locations in Jodhpur. That was when he chose to shoot in Jodhpur's Mehrangar Fort. The main crew will start arriving from May 1. Christian Bale is expected to arrive in India on May 4 or May 5. Though permissions have been sought for shooting the film for the whole of May, the unit will shoot in India for only two days – May 6 and May 7.
Incidentally, hotels in Jaipur and Jodhpur have been booked for the crew. Says a source, "Nolan had scouted locations in both Jodhpur and Jaipur. But, he fell in love with Jodhpur and decided to return to film here. They are coming with a very small unit of around 15 people and will be shooting here for two days. There are no Bollywood actors being cast in the movie. But, local actors and crew members might be roped in. The unit wants to use the beautiful fort as the background for the movie. However, nothing is known yet whether Jodhpur will feature as an Indian city in the movie or not."

THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 2011

SUPERMAN NEWS
It's official: the female villain in director Zack Snyder's Superman reboot, MAN OF STEEL, will be Faora, and Snyder has also found an actress to play the role.
According to Variety, German actress Antje Traue, last seen by alongside Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster in Pandorum, will join a cast that already includes Henry Cavill as Superman, Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Michael Shannon as General Zod and Kevin Costner and Diane Lane as Superman's adopted Earth parents, the Kents.
The only thing still not clear is which Faora Traue will be playing. One version of the character, a beautiful Kryptonian who hated all males, was introduced in Action Comics #471, while another Faora showed up in issue #779 of the same comic book. That Faora was an accomplice of Zod and is the one that the film version will most likely be adapted from.
Another Faora appeared in season eight of Smallville as Zod's wife, and the character of Ursa (Sarah Douglas) from the first two Superman movies, 1978's Superman and 1981's Superman II, was also said to be loosely based on Faora as well.
Whichever Faora she ends up being, Antje Traue has the role and will no doubt help Zod give Superman plenty of grief when filming for the December 2012 release begins this summer in Chicago.

A DANCE WITH DRAGONS
After years of waiting and waiting, George R.R. Martin's A DANCE WITH DRAGONS is finally done.
That name first appeared way back during the novel release of GAME OF THRONES and was meant to be the title of the second of the Ice and Fire books. Little could any of us (or even Martin himself, for that matter) have known in 1996 that we would only be glimpsing that story now.
But glimpsed it we have. It began when Martin posted a picture of a slain Kong (which had become his pet name for the book) to LiveJournal today along with the title "twas a beauty" and the mood "exhausted". Shortly thereafter, his editor, Anne Groell, gave us the clarification we were waiting for.
"It is true. Kong is dead. There were a few moments of George in a spare office yesterday, cleaning up the last bits and inserting a few new bits in longhand, while I typed the changes into the electronic files, but we are honestly and officially done. And there is MUCH rejoicing!"
After nearly five years of waiting and many, many missed launch dates since the journey of writing this book began, it feels like the fans and the creator are gasping at the finish line together, weak in the knees, but exhilarated at the same time.

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS
The premiere of X-MEN: FIRST CLASS is a little more than a month away, and FOX has just released a brand-new (and totally awesome) trailer, as well as a cool new poster. Though the trailer primarily focuses on Professor X (James McAvoy) and Magneto (Michael Fassbender), it also features all the X-Men team members together.
The trailer also shows us a lot of really, really awesome new footage (we're talking the kind of footage that make us all go OMG!), including some juicy stuff about Beast (Nicholas Hoult), more stuff about the Hellfire Club, and some very stupendous special effects.
X-MEN: FIRST CLASS hits theaters June 3, 2011.

THE FIRM
The Hollywood Reporter writes that NBC is in negotiations to pick up a series based on John Grisham's best-selling 1991 novel THE FIRM.
The 22-episode series is produced by eOne Television in association with Sony Pictures Television's Networks Group and Paramount Pictures. Paramount, which produced the 1993 movie of the same name that starred Tom Cruise, owns rights to the novel.
EOne already has sold The Firm in more than 125 territories worldwide, where it will air on SPT's AXN Networks.
The two-hour pilot script, written by Lukas Reiter, picks up 10 years after the movie left off, with Mitch McDeere having just emerged from the Federal Witness Protection Program after bringing down a Memphis law firm operated by the mob. But he and his family soon find their lives are still in danger.
Reiter previously developed the project at CBS three years ago. He's since rewritten the script.
Casting is under way. The project is expected to go into production in Canada in July.
Grisham and Reiter will executive produce with eOne’s John Morayniss, Michael Rosenberg and Noreen Halpern.

THE SURROGATE
Variety reports that Helen Hunt (Soul Surfer), Rhea Perlman and Moon Bloodgood (Terminator Salvation) have joined the independent drama The Surrogate (not to be confused with the possible Paul Verhoeven film).
John Hawkes (Winter's Bone) will play Mark O'Brien, "a paraplegic polio victim who lived most of his life in an iron lung, paralyzed from the neck down." The real O'Brien is expected to appear early in the film using stock footage.
The trade adds that the film, set in the late '80s, "finds the lonely O'Brien contacting a sex surrogate to take his virginity. Period pic will explore O'Brien's manhood and depict his strong spirit through his relationships with nurses, caregivers, a hip priest, and of course, his surrogate."
Hunt will play the title character. Bloodgood is set to play Vera, O'Brien's daily caretaker. Ben Lewin will write and direct.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 2011

NEW CSI CAST MEMBER
"One Tree Hill" and "Point Pleasant" star Elisabeth Harnois will make her first appearance in the May 5 episode of "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" as Conrad Ecklie's daughter, who he is estranged from. Her character works for the LAPD and helps the Las Vegas CSIs find a serial killer.
The role was always expected to be recurring, but Harnois has now been upgraded to a full-time series regular, Deadline reports. "CSI" has not yet been picked up for the 2011-2012 season, but CBS is expected to announce a Season 12, as the series remains strong across the demographics board.
After playing Satan's daughter in FOX's one-season "Point Pleasant" supernatural thriller, Harnois had a successful guest arc on "One Tree Hill" and has appeared in several shows and films since, including the recent "Mars Needs Moms."

SUPERNATURAL, VAMPIRE DIARIES RENEWED
The CW has officially renewed "The Vampire Diaries," "Supernatural," "90210," "Gossip Girl," and "America's Next Top Model" for the 2011-2012 season.
Though ratings are down from its first season, "The Vampire Diaries" remains the network's top-rated show. Executive producer Julie Plec teases that the show's Season 2 finale, airing May 12, will set up the tonality of Season 3. In future seasons, they plan to explore the issue of the vampires' immortality, and the loneliness therein.
"Supernatural" has performed extremely well in its new Friday timeslot, even against genre competition like FOX's "Fringe." Executive producer Bob Singer told Zap2it that this year's Season 6 finale ends with a cliffhanger, so we're glad to see that we'll get some resolution in Season 7.
Still up in the air? Veteran series "One Tree Hill" and newbies "Hellcats" and "Nikita." "Life Unexpected" is not... well, expected to return.

THE WALKING DEAD
With the second season of THE WALKING DEAD so far away, what's a zombie lover to do? Luckily, it looks like before the AMC series returns, we'll be able to chomp into the further adventures of Robert Kirkman's post-apocalyptic characters ... in a novel.
Rise of the Governor, which will be written by Kirkman and Stoker Award-nominated horror novelist Jay Bonansinga, is the first of a trilogy, and here's how the book's described over at Amazon:
Following in the footsteps of the New York Times bestselling graphic novels and the record-breaking new television show, this debut novel in a trilogy of original Walking Dead books chronicles the back story of the comic book series greatest villain, The Governor.
In the Walking Dead universe, there is no greater villain than the Governor. The despot who runs the walled-off town of Woodbury, he has his own sick sense of justice: whether it's forcing prisoners to battle zombies in an arena for the townspeople's amusement, or chopping off the appendages of those who cross him. The Governor was voted "Villain of the Year" by Wizard Magazine the year he debuted, and his story arc was the most controversial arc in the history of the Walking Dead comic-book series. Now, for the first time, fans of The Walking Dead will discover how the Governor became the man he is, and what drove him to such extremes.
And since the first-season character of Merle Dixon, played by Michael Rooker, is rumored to [*spoiler ahead*] return in the second season as the Governor, it sounds like it might be a good idea to learn a bit more about that villain of the year ...

GREEN LANTERN
Warner Bros. felt it had to apologize for that first Green Lantern trailer, but the studio is doing everything it can to make sure it doesn't have to apologize for the movie itself—it just bumped the special effects budget by $9 million in the hope that we won't be disappointed when the film opens June 17.
So does this mean the picture is in trouble? Not according to Variety, which claims that this sort of last-minute rushing is the new normal, and that:
" ... the kind of sturm and drang that's swirled around Green Lantern is actually par for the course on most visual effects-heavy tentpoles these days—and the problem's growing."
Chris de Faria, Warner's executive VP of digital production, animation and visual effects, also defended the move, stating:
"There is no problem on Green Lantern ... We try to add things to make the movie better until the 11th hour. That doesn't mean we're risking the movie up to the 11th hour."
De Faria added that, "When the bar is raised, we can't refuse to jump over it."

ICE AGE: CONTINENTAL DRIFT
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Jeremy Renner, Wanda Sykes, Keke Palmer and Jennifer Lopez are joining the voice cast of 20th Century Fox’s ICE AGE: CONTINENTAL DRIFT, along with Aziz Ansari and hip hop star Drake.
Returning are Ice Age franchise stars Ray Romano, Queen Latifah, Denis Leary, John Leguizamo, Seann William Scott and Josh Peck.
The cast was revealed Tuesday during a meeting on the Fox lot with potential promotional partners, licensees and retail partners. The presentation was led by Fox Filmed Entertainment co-chair Tom Rothman and Fox Animation Studios president Vanessa Morrison. Romano and Queen Latifah took participants through the story Continental Drift.
The first three Ice Age films have grossed nearly $2 billion at the worldwide box office, putting Fox and partner Blue Sky Studios squarely in the animation game.
Fox and Blue Sky’s winning streak is continuing with 3D toon Rio, which has grossed nearly $300 million in less than three weeks.
Ice Age is becoming a year-round brand for Fox. A Christmas television special is being planned, along with a mobile game and online game.
In Continental Drift — which hits theaters on July 13, 2012 — Renner will portray Gutt, a self-styled master of the high seas. Lopez will play Shira, a sabre toothed who melts the heart of Diego, also a sabre toothed tiger.
Leary has recommitted to voice the role of Diego, while Romano returns as Manny and Queen Latifah as Ellie.

ZORRO REBOOT
24 Frames has posted some unconfirmed details about a possible "Zorro" reboot at 20th Century Fox that will reportedly be titled Zorro Reborn.
The site says that previsualization expert Rpin Suwannath ("X-Men" and "Narnia" films, Superman Returns) will direct from a script by Lee Shipman and Brian McGreevy, the duo behind Warner Bros.' upcoming Dracula film Harker.
The report says that the film would remove Zorro from his historical California or Mexico setting and that the film would take place in a "desolate and post-apocalyptic" future.
"In this version, Zorro will be less a caped crusader for justice than a one-man vigilante force bent on revenge, in a western story that has echoes of both Sergio Leone and 'No Country for Old Men,'" 24 Frames added.

DEVIL'S DOUBLE
Based on a gripping, unbelievable true story of money, power and opulent decadence, Lionsgate's THE DEVIL'S DOUBLE takes a white-knuckle ride deep into the lawless playground of excess and violence known as Bagdad, 1987. Summoned from the frontline to Saddam Hussein's palace, Iraqi army lieutenant Latif Yahia (Dominic Cooper) is thrust into the highest echelons of the "royal family" when he's ordered to become the 'fiday' - or body double - to Saddam's son, the notorious "Black Prince" Uday Hussein (also Dominic Cooper), a reckless, sadistic party-boy with a rabid hunger for sex and brutality. With his and his family's lives at stake, Latif must surrender his former self forever as he learns to walk, talk and act like Uday. But nothing could have prepared him for the horror of the Black Prince's psychotic, drug-addled life of fast cars, easy women and impulsive violence. With one wrong move costing him his life, Latif forges an intimate bond with Sarrab (Ludivine Sangier), Uday's seductive mistress who's haunted by her own secrets. But as war looms with Kuwait and Uday's depraved gangster regime threatens to destroy them all, Latif realizes that escape from the devil's den will only come at the highest possible cost.

TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2011

WORLD WAR Z
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Mireille Enos, the star of AMC’s THE KILLING, is making the leap into features, nabbing the role of Brad Pitt’s wife in WORLD WAR Z, Paramount’s adaptation of Max Brooks’ globe-spanning zombie novel.
Marc Forster is directing the big-budget movie while Pitt and his Plan B shingle are producing.
The novel is set 10 years after a global zombie epidemic, and is an oral history told from many perspectives around the world. J. Michael Straczynski and Matt Carnahan wrote the script.
Pitt is playing a U.N. worker. Enos would play his wife, a mother of two girls.
The movie is scheduled to begin shooting in June in London, Malta and other locales around the world.
Enos, repped by Innovative and Authentic Talent, plays the taciturn detective Sarah Linden in The Killing, the American remake of a Danish TV series, which is being showered with accolades. Being cast in the show was a major breakthrough for Enos, who up until then had a run on HBO’s Big Love and a slew of TV appearances ranging from Sex and the City to Medium.
The Killing was AMC’s second highest-rated premiere behind only The Walking Dead, which will be returning for a second season. Five episodes of the drama have aired so far. With the casting of Enos, it seems the folks at Paramount and Plan B have been tuning in.

SMALLVILLE REUNION
SMALLVILLE's finale has been 10 seasons in the making—and we don't just mean the fact that the "no tights, no flights" rule we started with is finally being tossed out the window because Clark Kent will at last be putting on that famous supersuit.
No, we mean that the Clark Kent/Lex Luthor rivalry which has been a subtext of the series since the first episode is going to come to its dramatic conclusion, thanks to the return of Michael Rosenbaum as Lex.
It looked for a while as if Rosenbaum wouldn't be back, but lucky for all of us, the actor changed his mind.
Check out the confrontation between Tom Welling and Rosenbaum above. Is that a smile we see on Luthor's face? It can't be for any good reason, we're sure.
The finale airs Friday, May 13.

DOCTOR WHO - SEASON SIX
Were you nervous about Saturday's DOCTOR WHO season-six premiere? What about the creators? While we were worrying about whether or not it would be any good, they were worrying about whether we'd even turn up for another dose of Matt Smith.
Well, the numbers and the positive critical response show that neither of us had anything to worry about. That is ... in the U.S. The UK reception was a different matter entirely.
According to TV By the Numbers, "The Impossible Astronaut", the first episode of the new season, was BBC America's highest-rated, most-watched telecast ever in the Live + Same Day category, reaching almost 1.3 million viewers, which was up by 71,000 viewers from the network's previous best, which was LAST season's opening episode of DOCTOR WHO.
The news from the other side of the pond wasn't as positive, however. According to the BBC, the first episode in the UK was "watched by an average audience of 6.5 million viewers," which sounds pretty good until you realize that this "was down from the eight million recorded by overnight figures on Matt Smith's show debut in April 2010."
In fact:
While final consolidated viewing figures—which include playback on recording devices—will push ratings higher, "The Impossible Astronaut" is likely to be the least watched series opener since Doctor Who was relaunched in 2005.

SAFE HOUSE
According to The Hollywood Reporter, THE KILLING's co-star Joel Kinnaman is joining the Universal thriller SAFE HOUSE, starring Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds.
Swedish actor Kinnaman is reteaming with director Daniel Espinosa, who helmed Kinnaman's breakout film Easy Money/Snabba Cash.
SAFE HOUSE follows the only surviving agent of an attack on a CIA safe house (Reynolds) as he tries to transport a lethal prisoner (Washington) to a second destination before being taken out by violent forces that want them both dead.
In a key role, Kinnaman is playing a man who operates a safe house where Reynolds and Washington show up.
The script was written by David Guggenheim, an Us Weekly editor who worked nights on the story and whose spec landed him a new career as a hot Hollywood scribe. Terry George did a polish.
The film, currently shooting in South Africa, also co-stars Tim McGraw, Ruben Blades, Vera Farmiga and Brendan Gleeson.
Kinnaman starred in Easy Money, which scored him U.S. representation with UTA and Magnolia Entertainment. (The film is being developed as a remake by Warner Bros.) Kinnaman's first American role is as the shady detective Stephen Holder in AMC's Killing. The show, now in its fifth week, is a ratings hit and seems to be serving as a powerful career springboard for both Enos and Kinnaman.
Kinnaman's next feature is The Darkest Hour, which also stars Emile Hirsch, Rachel Taylor and Max Minghella. THESUMMIT alien invasion movie is due to open Dec. 23.

MORTAL KOMBAT: LEGACY EPISODE 3
Episode 3 of Kevin Tancharoen's "Mortal Kombat: Legacy" digital series is now online. If you missed Episode 2, that is still available here, while Episode 1 can be watched here.
Next Tuesday's Episode 4 features Kitana and Mileena, so stay tuned.

PIRANAH 3D
New York, NY, April 25, 2011 – After earning rave reviews from top critics and wild cheers from audiences around the country, Dimension Films has started production on the sequel to PIRANHA 3D.
Principal photography is now underway in Wilmington, NC on PIRANHA 3DD, being directed by John Gulager (FEAST).
There’s something in the water . . . again. And this time no one is safe from the flesh eating fish as they sink their razor sharp teeth into the visitors of the best summer attraction, The Big Wet Water Park.
Featuring a talented ensemble cast including Danielle Panabaker (THE CRAZIES), Matt Bush (ADVENTURELAND), Chris Zylka (THE AMAZING SPIDERMAN), David Koechner (ANCHORMAN), Meagan Tandy (UNSTOPPABLE), Paul James Jordan, Jean-Luc Bilodeau, Hector Jimenez, Adrian Martinez, Clu Gulager and more cast to be announced soon.
PIRANHA 3DD is a Dimension Films release, produced by Mark Canton, Marc Toberoff and Joel Soisson. Executive producer Chako van Leeuwen; Co-Produced by Pete Goldfinger and Josh Stolberg.
PIRANHA 3DD shows its teeth in theatres nationwide on November 23, 2011. The feast is on this Thanksgiving.

MONDAY, APRIL 25, 2011

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Twentieth Century Fox’s 3D toon RIO has become the top grossing 2011 release, ending Easter weekend with a new worldwide cume of $286 million. That easily bests Paramount’s Rango, which has earned just under $240 million globally.
Rio topped the box office chart both domestically and internationally for the weekend in a big win for Fox. In North America, the 3D toon grossed an estimated $26.8 million from 3,842 theaters in its second weekend for a cume of $81.3 million.
Overseas, Rio -- voiced by Jesse Eisenberg and Anne Hathaway -- grossed an estimated $44 million for a new international cume of $204.7 million. Rio opened two weeks ago internationally, a week ahead of its domestic bow on April 15.
Rio’s performance is helping to restore confidence in the domestic box office, which has been suffering the worst slump in years. Easter weekend was up a whopping 38% from a year ago (a non-holiday weekend), helping to narrow the year-over-year decline in box office revenues from 20% to 18%.
Coming in No. 2 domestically over Easter weekend was the latest offering from Tyler Perry, Madea’s Big Happy Family. The Lionsgate movie scored a solid $25.8 million from 2,288 locations in its debut, and drew a pleasing A CinemaScore.
Big Happy Family posted a per screen average of $11,255, the best of any wide release, and pointing to Perry's core fanbase among African-Americans, who made up 81% of the audience. The film played great in urban markets including New York, Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, as well as in the South, such as Atlanta.
"Tyler Perry has such a loyal following," Lionsgate president of theatrical distribution David Spitz said.
Overperforming in its opening was Fox 2000’s period circus romance Water for Elephants, which debuted to $17.5 million from 2,817 locations. Based on Sara Gruen’s bestselling book and directed by Francis Lawrence, the film stars Reese Witherspoon, Robert Pattinson and Christoph Waltz.
Water for Elephants drew an A- CinemaScore, and played heavily to adult women. Females made up 70% of the audience, while 70% were over the age of 25. The film’s successful opening is a win for Fox’s marketing team, which targeted fans of the book, as well as playing up the love story.
"It is a great number for an adult film. When a movie shows emotion, that's what draws you in," Fox senior vice president of domestic distribution Bert Livingston said. "This really overperformed, and will have great legs."
Placing No. 4 was Universal’s Easter bunny hit Hop. The CGI/live-action pic jumped the $100 million mark at the domestic box office, grossing an estimated $12.5 million for a new cume of $100.5 million. Overseas, Hop hasn’t had the same appeal, but has still grossed a solid $47.2 million for a worldwide total of $147.7 million.
Dimension Films’ Scream 4 came in No. 5 at the domestic box office, grossing an estimated $7.2 million in its second weekend for a cume of $31.2 million. The movie fell 62%, an acceptable decline for a horror pic.
Disneynature’s latest Earth Day documentary African Cats came in No. 6, grossing an estimated $6.4 million from 1,220 locations. African Cats also played well, drawing an A- CinemaScore.
A trio of strong holdovers took the next three spots on the box office chart. TriStar and FilmDistrict’s Bethany Hamilton biopic Soul Surfer, playing to young women and faith-based audiences, grossed an estimated $5.6 million for a cume of $28.7 million in its third weekend.
FilmDistrict’s micro-budgeted Insidious followed with an estimated gross of $5.4 million. The sleeper hit finished its fourth weekend with a cume of $44.2 million.
Smart thriller Hanna, from Focus Features and directed by Joe Wright, grossed an estimated $5.3 million in its third weekend for a cume of $31.7 million.
Among more limited offerings, Roadside Attractions' The Conspirator, directed by Robert Redford, fell 35% in its second weekend to come in No. 13, grossing an estimated $2.3 million from 849 theaters for a cume of $6.9 million.
The Metropolitan Opera's The Met: Live in HD continued to score top results, with Saturday's live broadcast of Richard Strauss' Capriccio grossing $2.1 million from 759 screens in North America. Overseas, 45,000 people watched the broadcast, which played on 300 screens in Europe and Latin America.
In the U.S., Morgan Spurlock’s new documentary Pom Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold got off to a soft startt, grossing an estimated $135,135 from 18 theaters in a handful of top markets for Sony Pictures Classics. The pic’s per theater average was $7,506.
Sony Classics scored the best theater average of the weekend with foreign film Incendies, which grossed an estimated $54,582 from three theaters in New York and Los Angeles for a location average of $18,195.
Focus Features’ Jane Eyre approached $8 million over the weekend, ending the frame with a new cume of $7.7 million.

THE AVENGERS
Walt Disney Pictures and Marvel Studios will start filming The Avengers tomorrow (Monday) and director Joss Whedon has posted the following at Whedonesque!
Hi Pumpkins, joss here.
Tomorrow we start shooting (I THINK I'm legally permitted to say that). Day one. That's right. We'll be shooting the pivotal death/betrayal/product placement/setting up the sequel/coming out scene, at the following address:
[Marvel Lawyers rush in, take Joss's keyboard, blowtorch a picture of his family like in "Stormy Monday", drink his milkshake, leave the seat up, fluff his pillows, violently unfluff his pillows, leave]
Went too far. My bad. Anyhoo, it should be a fun day, followed by the eighty thousand other fun days it will take to finish this. I'll be checking in from time to time, if there's news or I crave attention (i.e. am awake) . None of it will be Avengers news -- I have some very denty pillows to remind of that -- but I may have tidbits. (They're not about Firefly. I should say that up front, if only to protect Sis Mo from the HATORZ.)...
...So wish me luck. DO IT! LUCK! NOW! I'm off to finish some Buffy pages, and then figure out what the movie is about already. I'm pretty sure it's about the Justice League [Marvel Lawyers re-enter, unspeakability occurs] or possibly something else. I'll get it. I've been looking forward to this. For about 46 years.
Catchphrase!
-j.
THE AVENGERS is scheduled to hit theaters on May 4, 2012.

SUNDAY, APRIL 24, 2011

THE CORRECTORS
During his HEROES days, Masi Oka traveled through time on a regular basis. Now he has signed up with Syfy for a potential trip to a parallel universe, and will be helping to create a pilot script for THE CORRECTORS.
Oka developed the story with writer Alex Sabeti (Art of Cool), and they'll be co-writing the script. Oka will also star in and act as executive producer for the project.
Describing the concept, The Hollywood Reporter wrote:
THE CORRECTORS follows two agents of the Exceptions Bureau who are dispatched to a parallel universe where they inhabit the bodies of their identical selves in order to stop events from occurring.

We will have to see if Syfy gives a greenlight to the project.

BBC AMERICA ACQUIRES BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
The Hollywood Reporter writes that BBC America will air all 80 hours of Ron Moore’s Battlestar Galactica, including the two-part miniseries.
Battlestar Galactica will air on the cable network’s “Supernatural Saturday” lineup. The drama ran for four seasons on Syfy and starred Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Katee Sackhoff, James Callis, Tricia Helfer, Grace Park and Jamie Bamber.
The franchise debuts on BBC America on June 18 at 7 p.m. The show spawned a prequel on Syfy, Caprica, which lasted one season, and another “spinoff,” titled Blood and Chrome, is in the works. Razor and The Plan telepics also aired.
Since Galactica ended its run in 2009, much of the cast has gone on to numerous projects, with Park starring in CBS’ Hawaii Five-0 and McDonnell in TNT’s The Closer. Sackhoff has been cast in the A&E pilot Longmire, while Helfer, Bamber and Callis have joined NBC pilot 17th Precinct from Moore.

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2
ABC Family has announced the channel will be airing the U.S. premiere of the new HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS - Part 2 trailer on Wednesday, April 27 during a showing of Happy Gilmore, which airs 7:00-9:00 PM ET/PT. ABC Family describes the trailer as follows:
The premiere of the new trailer will give fans a glimpse at the epic finale of the "Harry Potter™" film series, including moments from such scenes as Harry, Ron and Hermione escaping from Gringotts bank, the Room of Requirement fire storm, Mrs. Weasley taking on Bellatrix Lestrange, and Harry and Voldemort's last stand.
There's no official word yet on when the trailer will be online. Stay tuned!

SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2011

THE HOBBIT NEWS
HOBBIT NEWS
Movieweb reports that with Martin Freeman playing Bilbo Baggins in THE HOBBIT, you'd think there'd be no place for Ian Holm, who played Bilbo in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. (Especially since The Hobbit will take place 60 years before The Fellowship of the Ring.)
But it looks like we'll be seeing Holm's old Bilbo again, as Peter Jackson's found a place for him in the prequel.
As Jackson posted on his Facebook page:
One comment that came up from the recent video blog was the Bilbo voice at the end—many of you assumed it was Sir Ian Holm. Whilst Ian will be returning as the older Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit, that recording was actually Martin Freeman's voice, taken from a script read through we recorded when the cast first arrived. I have to admit, I wasn't sure who it was when I first heard it, either.
So where would old Bilbo fit into THE HOBBIT?
Well, back in January, it was reported that Elijah Wood would play Frodo in a wraparound sequence where he'll read about the events of THE HOBBIT from Bilbo's book. We're betting that's where we'll see Holm's Bilbo ... maybe even reading the story to Frodo himself.

PRIEST
Screen Gems has debuted a new clip from PRIEST, opening in 3D and 2D theaters on May 13. Directed by Scott Stewart, the film stars Paul Bettany, Karl Urban, Cam Gigandet, Maggie Q, Lily Collins, Steven Moyer, Brad Dourif and Christopher Plummer.
PRIEST, a western-fused post-apocalyptic thriller, is set in an alternate world -- one ravaged by centuries of war between man and vampires. The story revolves around a legendary Warrior Priest (Bettany) from the last Vampire War who now lives in obscurity among the other downtrodden human inhabitants in walled-in dystopian cities ruled by the Church. When his niece (Collins) is abducted by a murderous pack of vampires, Priest breaks his sacred vows to venture out on an obsessive quest to find her before they turn her into one of them. He is joined on his crusade by his niece's boyfriend (Gigandet), a trigger-fingered young wasteland sheriff, and a former Warrior Priestess (Q) who possesses otherworldly fighting skills.

SAVAGES
Variety reports that Emile Hirsch is joining the cast of Oliver Stone's SAVAGES.
Based on the novel by Don Winslow novel, the book features two friends from Laguna Beach (Aaron Johnson, Taylor Kitsch) who share the same girlfriend (Blake Lively) and a thriving business growing and distributing the best-quality pot on the planet. When they resist being muscled by a Mexican drug cartel, the girl is kidnapped and the ransom is every cent they've made for the last five years. They agree to pay but hatch an alternate plan to get her back, get revenge, and then get lost.
Salma Hayek will play the role of Mexican cartel queen-pin Elena and Benicio Del Toro is portraying vicious cartel enforcer Lado. John Travolta and Uma Thurman are also said to be in talks to appear.
The SPEED RACER and INTO THE WILD star will next appear in December's THE DARKEST HOUR.
SAVAGES, a Universal Pictures release, is scheduled to start filming in July.

FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2011

ANOTHER EARTH
While parallel Earths may seem like well-trod ground (and they are), ANOTHER EARTH looks like it might not only be the surprise hit of the summer, it might also leave GREEN LANTERN, THOR and CAPTAIN AMERICAin the dust.
The last three movies will likely be light on heart and heavy on heart-exploding action, but ANOTHER EARTHlooks to tug the heart strings and maybe play a few mind games in the process.
Here's how the story is described:
"Rhoda Williams, a bright young woman recently accepted into MIT's astrophysics program, aspires to explore the cosmos. John Burroughs, a brilliant composer, has just reached the pinnacle of his profession, and is about to have a second child with his loving wife. On the eve of the discovery of a duplicate Earth, tragedy strikes, and the lives of these strangers become irrevocably intertwined. Estranged from the world and the selves they once knew, the two outsiders begin an unlikely love affair, which reawakens them to life. But when one of them is presented with the opportunity to travel to the other Earth and embrace an alternative reality, which new life will they choose?"
The film wasn't on anyone's radar when it premiered at Sundance. It was, after all, conceived by two relative unknowns (Mike Cahill and Marling, herself). Cahill, a documentarian and Marling, an investment-banking analyst, took the festival by storm.
Handling almost every aspect of production themselves (writing, directing and editing), Cahill and Marling made ANOTHER EARTH as low budget as it could be, but you'd never know looking at it. The trailer is stark and chilling, the acting understated, and it's the perfect cure for the "Action-packed Summer" Blues.
Could it be a sleeper hit like Primer or Pi before it?
You'll be able to catch ANOTHER EARTH in limited release on July 22.

BATMAN: YEAR ONE
An animated version of the comic-book classic BATMAN: YEAR ONE is about to become a reality—and luckily for us, some BIG names are stepping up to lend their voices to the film.
According to Heat Vision, BSG's Katee Sackhoff, DOLLHOUSE's Eliza Dushku, Bryan Cranston of BREAKING BAD fame and Ben McKenzie The O.C. have all landed roles in the long-awaited adaptation of Frank Miller's classic four-issue comic-book tale, which went on to become one of the key graphic novels in the Batman canon and a comic-book milestone in its own right.
The story, which was drawn by David Mazzucchelli and followed shortly after Miller's other landmark work THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS, details the early days of Bruce Wayne's battle against Gotham City crime as the Caped Crusader.
Many elements of the story, such as Wayne's return to Gotham after years abroad, the seeds of Batman's friendship with Jim Gordon (newly transferred to Gotham in the book) and the parasitic relationship between the city's cops and underworld bosses, found their way into Christopher Nolan's films BATMAN BEGINS and THE DARK KNIGHT.
Cranston will voice Gordon, whose role in the story is as big as Batman's, while McKenzie will play the young vigilante. Sackhoff will portray Detective Sarah Essen, a partner of Gordon's with whom he begins an affair, while Dushku will voice Selina Kyle/Catwoman, who is reimagined in Miller's tale as a prostitute who follows in Wayne's crimefighting footsteps. Alex Rocco will appear as crime boss Carmine Falcone.
The film will arrive on DVD and Blu-ray this fall but will make its debut at this July's Comic-Con. The movie is the 12th animated film in the popular DC Universe series from Warner Premiere, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation.
Executive producer Bruce Timm promises a faithful adaptation of the comic, saying, "The source material is surprisingly cinematic; it's a pretty straightforward literal retelling. Mazzucchelli's artwork is beautifully composed, and we were able to refer to the comic for about 80 percent of the camera setups."

THE BOURNE LEGACY
After a long search, Universal Pictures and director Tony Gilroy have found their lead for THE BOURNE LEGACY, which is meant to spinoff from the franchise that introduced Matt Damon's Jason Bourne character, and it is... Jeremy Renner.
The star of Kathryn Bigelow's Oscar-winning THE HURT LOCKER, who was also nominated for Ben Affleck's THE TOWN, co-stars with Tom Cruise in the upcoming MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE GHOST PROTOCOL and is playing Hawkeye in Joss Whedon's THE AVENGERS, is expected to sign on as a new undisclosed government operative who has come out of a program even more dangerous than the one that spawned Jason Bourne in the new film that begins production in September.
Deadline mentions that the studio tested many other actors including Joel Edgerton from the upcoming The Thing prequel, Dominic Cooper, Garrett Hedlund from TRON: Legacy, Luke Evans, and even Renner's Hurt Locker co-star Anthony Mackie.

GREEN LANTERN
Warner Bros. Pictures aired this extended TV spot for Green Lantern during "American Idol" and "30 Rock." The June 17 release is directed by Martin Campbell and stars Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong, Angela Bassett, Tim Robbins, Temuera Morrison, Jay O. Sanders, Taika Waititi and Jon Tenney. It features the voices of Geoffrey Rush and Michael Clarke Duncan.

THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2011

DOCTOR WHO'S COMING SEASON
If you were on the edge of your seat during the last season of DOCTOR WHO, the creators promise that this time around, the action will be even more nail-biting.
Director Toby Haynes explains why—how we've "never felt the danger of it" and so had to "push it into edgier territory"—while Neil Gaiman outlines the kind of script you write "when you've been a fan of a show for 47 years" and Mark Sheppard tells why "Matt [Smith] is my Doctor Who."

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS
That X-MEN: FIRST CLASS PR team is certainly earning its paycheck this week. Only yesterday they gave us an eyeful of X-Men with two new posters and the 30-second TV trailer. Today, they've released the second International trailer, clocking in at a minute and a half. And it's the most dramatic trailer so far.
If these trailers really are a true representation of the movie (and not just the good bits), we're in for a treat. Not only is it an action-packed adventure that can be enjoyed by adrenaline junkies, but it's also a movie with moral and even philosophical complexity that can be enjoyed when that adrenaline rush dies down.
Charles Xavier provides the narration by way of dialogue snippets. And it's all about Erik: what he can do ... and what he shouldn't.

REX MUNDI
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Warner Bros. is planning an adaptation of the comic book series REX MUNDI. Writers Brian Klugman and Lee Sternthal have been brought aboard the project, which will be produced by Johnny Depp and his company, Infinitum Nihil.
The series, which ran for 38 issues between 2003 and 2009 (1-18 and a zero issue at Image and, subsequently, an additional 1-19 at Dark Horse), tells of an alternate 1930's in which the Catholic Church still holds primary political power over a feudalistic world and in which a murder mystery is played against a search for the Holy Grail.
Though a script by Jim Uhls has been in development for some time, the arrival of Klugman and Sternthal marks a bit of a coincidence. The pair contributed to the story for TRON Legacy and that film's director, Joseph Kosinski, is now planning his followup feature, Horizons, co-created by Rex Mundi comic book author, Arvid Nelson.
There is no word yet on how quickly the studio wants to move with Rex Mundi or any information as to whether or not Depp might be interested in starring as well.

THE SOUND OF MY VOICE
Fox Searchlight Pictures Presidents Stephen Gilula and Nancy Utley announced today that the company has acquired rights to English speaking territories, including North America, United Kingdom and Australia, for the suspenseful drama SOUND OF MY VOICE theatrical release. Directed by Zal Batmanglij and written by Batmanglij and Brit Marling, SOUND OF MY VOICE stars Brit Marling, Christopher Denham, Nicole Vicius and Avery Pohl. The film was produced by Hans Ritter, Shelley Surpin and Brit Marling.
"Zal Batmanglij's first feature offers a truly unique voice in filmmaking with a tense and compelling tale. Brit Marling amazed us once again with her stunningly deft performance," said Utley and Gilula. "We are thrilled to be working with such exceptional talent."
"'Sound of My Voice' could not have found a better home than at Fox Searchlight. I'm inspired by their brave choices and unwavering support of filmmakers. I'm excited to be part of the family," said Batmanglij.
In SOUND OF MY VOICE, Peter (Denham) and Lorna (Vicius), a young Los Angeles couple, infiltrate the underworld of a cult led by an enigmatic young woman named Maggie (Marling). Intent on exposing her as a charlatan and freeing the group members from her spell, Peter and Lorna start to question their objective as they unravel the mysteries of Maggie's past.

HEMLOCK DRIVE
David Arquette, Adam Brody and Susan Sarandon are set to star in Hemlock Drive, Variety reports.
The film, a family drama about a dying mother who has her adult children host a living funeral, will mark the narrative directorial debut of Rosanna Arquette. While there though there is no specific word yet on whether Rosanna would appear in the cast as well, it's quite possible that she, her real life brother and Brody would all play the children to Sarandon's character.
The project will begin production in Louisiana in September.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 2011

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS
Good things sometimes come in threes. X-MEN: FIRST CLASS has a thrilling new TV spot as well as two cool new movie posters.
In the action-packed new TV spot, we get to see more of Professor X (James McAvoy) and Magneto (Michael Fassbender—and boy, that submarine scene gets more awesome every time we see it), as well as an über-cool Jason Flemyng as Nightcrawler's dad Azazel.
But it gets really interesting with the new footage that shows Havok (Lucas Till) using his powers with the help of a suit (which strangely reminds us of Iron Man somehow) that helps him control his bio-energy blast; and with Banshee (Caleb Landry Jones) flying through the air by using his sonic screen. Pretty. Cool. Stuff.
As for the two new posters released by 20th Century Fox, they sort of speak for themselves. But we think we like the second one better.

ZANBATO
We all know J.J. Abrams' intense love of mystery, starting back when he was given a "mystery box" from Tannen's Magic Shop in New York City as a child and continuing into stealth release modes for flicks like CLOVERFIELD andSUPER 8. Now the latest mystery unfolds ...
We're unsure of the exact timeline, but Abrams has peeled back the Oz curtain for a peek into his next project. FRINGE writers and co-executive producers Monica Breen and Alison Schapker have been hired to rewrite J.J. Abrams' top-secret project ZANBATO at Paramount Pictures. The story involves a hidden history of feudal Japan and kickass robotics.
A "zanbato" is an especially large style of Japanese sword, also called a "horse-slaying saber," as it's thought to be an effective anti-cavalry weapon that could kill a horse and rider in one clean swing. Impressive!
The sword, and variations of it, are used by many characters in anime and fantasy videogames, most of which depict the behemoth weapon as an oversized sword forged with magical properties.
Breen and Schapker were producers on two other Abrams shows—Alias and Lost—and recently signed a sweet deal to co-executive-produce the fourth season for Fringe. The pair are also set to be developing another sci-fi show for Abrams' Bad Robot banner.
Anything about kung-fu robots with oar-sized knives by the Fringe minds and Svengali allure of Abrams has a certain "Show me, dammit!" quality that can't be resisted. Call us obsessed, but not late for dinner.

GAME OF THRONES RENEWED
Hoping it might have another True Blood-sized hit on its hands, HBO has renewed the George R.R. Martin fantasy series GAME OF THRONES for a second season two days after the series premiered to an audience of 2.2 million viewers. And with two additional viewings, the new series scored a total of 4.2 million viewers.
"We are delighted by the way David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have brought George R.R. Martin's amazing book series to the screen, and thrilled by the support of the media and our viewers," HBO Programming president Michael Lombardo said in a press release. "This is the continuation of an exciting creative partnership."
While HBO's BOARDWALK EMPIRE premiered last fall to 4.8 million viewers, GAME OF THRONES has been getting great reviews, and it wasn't all that long ago (okay, it was three years) that TRUE BLOOD premiered with 1.44 million viewers before becoming a monster hit for them. Add into the mix that HBO is already earning more than $2.5 million per episode overseas, and you can almost understand why the pay cable channel forked out $50 million to create this series and why they are ready to give it a very early second-season pickup.

SUPER 8
Portal 2 is one of gaming's most anticipated videogames, and its release today continues the adventures of Chell and her nemesis, the psychopathic AI GLaDOS. But Portal 2 also includes an astonishing extra: an interactive trailer for the upcoming movie SUPER 8.
In other words, you can "play" Super 8 as a very basic walk-through level.
As we know, SUPER 8 involves a monster that's freed from a train when the train derails. And in this trailer, we get to see the interior of that train, walk around it and zoom in on clues about the monster.
Then the train explodes, throwing you outside. You get to walk around the wreckage, avoiding the dead cows, until something bursts out of a compartment. The end.
The level is extremely simple, but it's a clever way to involve us in the world of Super 8. We're not just seeing the trailer. We're experiencing it.
Of course, you need a copy of Portal 2 to access the trailer. But we found a walk-through of it at Kotaku.
Maybe those of you who have a copy of Portal 2 can let us know what they find while rummaging through the train.
An interactive trailer is only part of the fun of Portal 2. For the past week, fans have been playing an alternate-reality game, Potato Fool's Day, that reveals secret, Portal-based levels in different videogames. In other words, you can be playing one game (say, The Ball, from Teotl Studios) and break through a wall into the world of Portal (from a completely different company, Valve).

T5
What made the TERMINATOR movies so awesome was Arnold Schwarzenneger and how badass he was (especially in T2). But we could soon have another famous badass muscle man for T5—Pitch Black's Richard B. Riddick himself, actor Vin Diesel.
FAST & FURIOUS and FAST FIVE director Justin Lin, who could soon be taking on the gig of directing the next TERMINATOR film for Universal, may reunite with his FURIOUS star and friend, actor Vin Diesel, for the upcoming fifth entry into the popular sci-fi franchise.
Though Lin says the only person he's approached for T5 at the moment is Arnold Schwarzenneger himself, the director doesn't rule out Diesel's involvement in the project, readily admitting he's discussed the Terminator mythology with Diesel before:
"We've talked about the mythology [of the Terminator series] ... [pause] he's a great guy and a great actor. I really like working with him so anything I do I usually talk to him about. Sometimes we even talk about going back and doing a little indie movie."
So when Lin was asked whether we should expect to see Diesel on T5—and perhaps take on Arnold's Terminator (yeah, we know Arnold may be getting too old for this, but special effects are getting better and better all the time, so who knows?) or Skynet in the process, Lin's coy reply was:
"You never know."

COWBOYS & ALIENS
The new COWBOYS & ALIENS trailer debuted during last night's episode of American Idol.
While the studios behind it may feel a little nervous about it, since it's not a sequel or based on a toy or comic book, a lot of folks are excited about it as it represents something fresh this summer.
The movie, directed by Jon Favreau and starring Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford, comes out July 29.

SEQUELS FOR THOR AND CAPTAIN AMERICA
Details about the future of the Marvel Universe on the big screen have been revealed thanks to IGN and an upcoming interview in Disney's D23 magazine. In it, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige drops a number of intriguing hints about what the studio has in the works.
"Thor will go off into a new adventure," says Feige, "and Captain America will continue to explore the modern world in another film of his own. We hope that holds true for the characters appearing in that film — Black Widow, Hawkeye, and the spy organization, S.H.I.E.L.D. — all of whom are more than worthy and capable of carrying their own films. And, we've got a lot of other characters we're prepping and getting ready for film debuts: the world of martial arts, these great cosmic space fantasies, Dr. Strange, and the magic side of the Marvel Universe. There are many, many stories to be mined."
Though Doctor Strange, Black Widow and S.H.I.E.L.D. films have been previously brought up as potential projects, a Hawkeye feature is new to the discussion as is confirmation that Captain America 2 will be set in the present.
Marvel Studios, in the meantime, is gearing up for an incredible summer slate with THOR hitting on May 6th and CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER following on July 22nd.

TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 2011

MORTAL KOMBAT: LEGACY
The second episode of director Kevin Tancharoen's "Mortal Kombat: Legacy" live action digital series is now online.
Starring Jeri Ryan ("Star Trek: Voyager") as Sonya Blade, Michael Jai White (The Dark Knight) as Major Jackson 'Jax' Briggs and Darren Shahlavi (300) as Kano, this series will take gamers deep into the history of the warriors they know and love.
Written by Kevin Tancharoen, Aaron Helbing and Todd Helbing, "Mortal Kombat: Legacy" is an anthology of nine live action shorts, and brings to life the motivation behind each character's participation in the Mortal Kombat tournament. Each episode will provide never-before-revealed insights into characters featured in the new game as well as the game's universe.

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS
JenniferLawrenceDaily.com has revealed this new photo of the actress as Mystique in director Matthew Vaughn's X-MEN: FIRST CLASS, opening in theaters on June 3. She stars in the film opposite James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Rose Byrne, January Jones, Kevin Bacon, Nicholas Hoult, Jennifer Lawrence, Caleb Landry Jones, Lucas Till, Edi Gathegi, Jason Flemyng, Oliver Platt, Morgan Lily, Zoe Kravitz and Bill Bilner.

MR. POPPER'S PENGUINS
20th Century Fox has revealed a new international trailer for MR. POPPER'S PENGUINS.
Directed by Mark Waters, the family comedy stars Jim Carrey, Carla Gugino, Ophelia Lovibond, Philip Baker Hall, Andrew Stewart-Jones, James Tupper, Clark Gregg, David Krumholtz and Angela Lansbury.
Carrey plays Mr. Popper, a driven businessman who is clueless when it comes to the important things in life – until he inherits six penguins. Popper's penguins turn his swank New York apartment into a snowy winter wonderland – and the rest of his life upside-down.

FALLING SKIES
A new five-minute clip from TNT's FALLING SKIES has come online.
Premiering on Sunday, June 19 at 9/8c, the Steven Spielberg-produced series stars Noah Wyle as a former college professor who becomes the leader of a group of soldiers and civilians struggling against an occupying alien force. Moon Bloodgood co-stars as Anne Glass, a therapist who works with the surviving children to help them cope with the traumatic situation. The series also stars Drew Roy as Hal and Maxim Knight as Matt, Tom's two sons; and Seychelle Gabriel as Lourdes, an orphaned teenager who helps run the group's commissary. Will Patton plays a fierce leader of the resistance.

MONDAY, APRIL 18, 2011

TORCHWOOD
Joining Bill Pullman, Mekhi Phifer and the surviving members of TORCHWOOD is ... the fabulous John de Lancie.TORCHWOOD writer Jane Espenson tweeted:
I just this minute got permission to tell about the TORCHWOOD guest star I was tweeting about. Two great Sci Fi fandoms collide...
He's de licious. He's de lightful. He's de lovely...
Our friend Q from Star Trek: TNG, John De Lancie, is part of the #Torchwood family!
Great news, for fans of de Lancie, who snarked his way into our lives as Q in Star Trek: The Next Generation (not to mention spinoffs Deep Space Nine and Voyager). He's made appearances in such shows as Stargate SG-1 and Charmed, among others. But he's a moving target and never seems to stay in one place—including Next Generation—for very long.
Currently, there's no word on what role he's playing.
But as Espenson tweeted, "He's not playing Q!!! Let's be clear!"

THE PASSAGE
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Matt Reeves is heading back to the world of vampires.
The thoughtful and intellectual director behind Let Me In, the remake of Swedish bloodsucker thriller LET THE RIGHT ONE IN,has come aboard to develop and direct THE PASSAGE, Fox 2000’s adaptation of the novel by Justin Cronin. Ridley Scott is producing.
Fox 2000 picked up the rights for the adaptation as well as two possible sequels in a reported seven-figure deal in 2007. The novel was published in 2009.
The novel is set a hundred years in the future, where a government experiment to lengthen the human life span goes awry, unleashing a virus that physically and psychologically transforms people into vampires.
John Logan wrote the script when Scott was considering the project as a directing vehicle. Reeves, who wrote Let Me In and co-created Felicity with JJ Abrams, will oversee the rewrite when a new writer is brought in.
This is the second major project Reeves is involved with. Last week he signed on to write and direct an adaptation of the sci-fi short story 8 O’Clock in the Morning, which was the inspiration of the 1980s John Carpenter film They Live. 8 O’Clock is being made by Universal and Strike Entertainment.

SATURDAY, APRIL 16, 2011

VOLTRON RETURNS
Fans of the "Voltron" franchise who have been waiting for the Nicktoons animated remake of the popular eighties cartoon will be very excited to hear that the series now has a premiere date.
Zap2it.com reports that VOLTROL FORCE will premiere on Thursday, June 16 on Nickelodeon.
It appears that Grammy-winning hip-hop artist, Swizz Beatz has recorded the remake's theme song, which will make its debut in a promo running on Monday, April 18.
Previously scheduled for a 2010 premiere, fans have been waiting for the remake with anticipation. Art from the new iteration was released in March and fans were happy to see that it doesn't stray too far from the original in its style.
"Voltron: Defender of the Universe," the original series adapted from Japanese animation, was an instant hit among viewers in the mid-eighties and was followed by huge merchandising sales. Its five characters each controlled a robotic lion. When combined, they created the robot Voltron.
In the new series, Voltron and a few new recruits are needed once again to "combat a rising evil in the galaxy and a tyrant from within."

SYFY SUMMER SCHEDULE
Finally, something to look forward to this summer except reruns of your favorite programs!
Syfy will launch of four scripted series, the premiere of ALPHAS, the return of WAREHOUSE 13, EUREKA and HAVEN, and much more.
Here's the official press release:
SYFY'S SIZZLING SUMMER 2011 WILL FEATURE PREMIERE OF ALPHAS, RETURN OF WAREHOUSE 13, EUREKA AND HAVEN
DEBUT OF REALITY SERIES HAUNTED COLLECTOR AND LEGEND QUEST
NEW SEASONS OF HOLLYWOOD TREASURE AND GHOST HUNTERS INTERNATIONAL
SATURDAY ORIGINAL MOVIES INCLUDE RED FACTION: ORIGINS AND ICE ROAD TERROR
NEW YORK - April 15, 2011 - Syfy will heat up Summer 2011 by launching four scripted series in July -- the most ever in a single month -- with newcomer Alphas joining powerhouses Warehouse 13, Eureka and Haven.
Along with expanding its popular scripted franchise, Syfy is building on successful reality programming such as Ghost Hunters, Face Off and Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files by introducing two new series. Haunted Collector will be paired with the second season return of Hollywood Treasure on June 1, while Legend Quest debuts in July following the third season premiere of Ghost Hunters International.
Hot weather Saturday Original Movies will include Red Faction: Origins -- based on the popular Red Faction video game franchise -- Swamp Shark and Ice Road Terror.
Syfy Summer 2011 kicks off with a Star Trek movie marathon on Memorial Day weekend and will also include a July 4th Twilight Zone marathon.
Highlights of Syfy Summer 2011 Programming
June 2011
HAUNTED COLLECTOR **NEW ORIGINAL REALITY SERIES**
Wednesday, June 1, at 9PM (ET/PT) -- Ghosts and spirits inhabit more than just homes and buildings -- they can also live in objects. In the new Syfy reality series Haunted Collector, a family of paranormal investigators hunt down haunted items bedeviling their owners. For 30 years John Zaffis, eminent paranormal researcher and demonologist, has been consulted on countless hauntings for clients all over the country, desperate to return their lives to normalcy. Author of the critically acclaimed book "Shadows of the Dark," Zaffis has amassed thousands of possessed objects that reside in the bizarre museum which he built next to his house in Connecticut. Along with his son Chris, daughter Amy, and paranormal investigators Beth Ezzo and Brian Cano, Zaffis tracks down haunted items such as paintings, guns, jewelry and antiques. Once identified, the items are collected and stored in the museum. Haunted Collector is produced by Gurney Productions. Executive producers are Scott Gurney and Dierdre Gurney.
HOLLYWOOD TREASURE MID-SEASON RETURN
Wednesday, June 1, at 10PM (ET/PT) -- All new episodes of Hollywood Treasure, which premiered its first season in October, introduced Joe Maddalena, owner of Profiles in History and the world's largest auctioneer of original movie, television and pop culture collectibles. In these new episodes, Joe tracks down one-of-a-kind pieces from Forbidden Planet and Lost in Space. He also works with Debbie Reynolds, who entrusts Joe with the task of selling her multi-million dollar collection. Hollywood Treasure is produced by Zupon Entertainment, LLC. Mark Zupon is executive producer. Joseph Boyle is co-executive producer.
July 2011
ALPHAS **NEW ORIGINAL DRAMA SERIES**
Monday, July 11 @ 10pm (ET/PT) -- Alphas follows a team of ordinary citizens with extraordinary mental and physical abilities. Taking the law into their own hands, the unlikely team, led by Dr. Leigh Rosen (Emmy Award-winner and Oscar nominee David Strathairn) investigates cases that suggest other Alpha activity to uncover what the CIA, FBI and Pentagon have not been able, or willing, to solve. These gifted individuals must balance their quirky personalities and disparate backgrounds with their not always visible powers as they work to solve crimes, stop the ticking time bomb and catch the enemy. Alphas also stars Malik Yoba, Warren Christie, Laura Mennell, Ryan Cartwright and Azita Ghanizada, and is a production of Universal Cable Productions and BermanBraun Television. Executive producers are Gail Berman, Lloyd Braun and Gene Stein for BermanBraun, Zak Penn and Ira Steven Behr.
LEGEND QUEST **NEW ORIGINAL REALITY SERIES**
Wednesday, July 13 @ 10pm (ET/PT) -- This fast-paced action-adventure series follows Ashley Cowie, an archaeological explorer and expert in ancient symbols, as he travels the world in search of some of history's greatest and most mysterious artifacts. From King Arthur's famous sword to the Lost Ark of the Covenant, all of the elusive items are believed to hold hidden powers and mystical significance for ancient and modern cultures. Each of the six episodes will include Indiana Jones-type adventure and Da Vinci Code-style puzzle solving as the secreted truths and alternative theories of these mythical relics are explored. Cowie and his team leave no stone unturned as they hack through dense jungles, squeeze through tiny caves and trek through forbidding deserts to find their next clue. Their expeditions will reveal secrets that have been guarded for centuries and are still being protected today. Legend Quest is executive produced by John Brenkus and Mickey Stern for BASE Productions.
EUREKA SEASON 4.5
Monday, July 11 @ 8pm (ET/PT) -- In the season 4.5 return of Eureka, as the timeline changes from their trip to 1947 continue to surprise Carter, Allison, Henry, Jo and Fargo, an accident of astronomical proportions launches Eureka's most ambitious project yet. The entire town rallies to go where no man has gone before, pitting scientist against scientist to be one of the chosen few. But our heroes' new relationships are tested as secrets begin to surface. And the competition grows fierce when darker forces threaten to bring everyone down if they fail. During its fourth season, Eureka averaged 3.16 million total viewers, 1.40 million Adults 18-49, 1.58 million Adults 25-54 and a 2.25 household rating, based on Live+7 DVR data. Eureka stars Colin Ferguson, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Joe Morton, Erica Cerra, Neil Grayston and Niall Matter. Co-creator Jaime Paglia and Bruce Miller are executive producers. The series is produced by Universal Cable Productions.
WAREHOUSE 13 SEASON 3
Monday, July 11 @ 9pm (ET/PT) -- Warehouse 13, Syfy's most successful series ever, returns for a third season with a key question looming from the gripping season two finale: has Myka (Joanne Kelly) left the Warehouse for good? Joining the Warehouse team is Steve Jinks (Aaron Ashmore, Smallville), an ATF agent with an innate ability to detect when someone's lying.
Warehouse 13 follows a team of government agents who work at a massive, top-secret storage facility in South Dakota which houses every strange artifact, mysterious relic, fantastical object and preternatural souvenir ever collected by the U.S. government. The Warehouse's caretaker Artie Nielsen (Saul Rubinek) charges Pete Lattimer (Eddie McClintock), Myka Bering (Kelly) and young apprentice Claudia Donovan (Allison Scagliotti) with chasing down reports of supernatural and paranormal activity in search of new objects to cache. During its second season, Warehouse 13 averaged 3.43 million total viewers, 1.51 million Adults 18-49, 1.80 million Adults 25-54 and a 2.4 household rating, based on DVR Live +7 data. Warehouse 13 is produced for Syfy by Universal Cable Productions. Jack Kenny (The Book of Daniel) is executive producer and showrunner.
HAVEN SEASON 2
Friday, July 15 @ 10pm (ET/PT) -- Last season, when FBI agent Audrey Parker (Emily Rose) arrived in the town of Haven, Maine on a routine case, her knack for unraveling mysteries proved an asset when she discovered that the seemingly sleepy town was, in fact, a longtime refuge for people with supernatural afflictions. Now, in Season Two, Audrey must not only stay on top of Haven's many afflictions -which continue to be revealed in every episode - but also solve her most challenging case yet: the secret of her own lost past and its ties to Haven.
With the help of Nathan Wuornos (Lucas Bryant), a handsome local cop with his own trouble, and Duke Crocker (Eric Balfour) a local smuggler and reluctant aide in solving Haven's troubles, Audrey digs deeper into uncovering her identity. Guest stars Jason Priestley (who will also direct an episode) and Vinessa Antoine join the cast for season two, which is currently in production on 13 episodes in Nova Scotia. Haven, from leading independent producer Entertainment One (eOne) is co-commissioned by Shaw Media in Canada and globally via Universal Networks International (UNI).
The creative team behind the second season of Haven includes Executive Producers John Morayniss (Hung, Goodnight for Justice) and Noreen Halpern (Call me Fitz, Rookie Blue) from eOne and David MacLeod (Legends of the Fall, The Ray Bradbury Theater) of Big Motion Pictures, who are joined by Lloyd Segan, Shawn Piller, Scott Shepherd (Stephen King's The Dead Zone) and Matt McGuiness (Journeyman) as well as and Sam Ernst & Jim Dunn (Stephen King's The Dead Zone) who also developed the series.
Haven is produced by Entertainment One (eOne) and Big Motion Pictures in association with Piller/Segan/Shepherd and airs on Syfy in the U.S., Showcase in Canada and internationally on UNI's multiple Syfy Universal channels. Entertainment One controls the worldwide distribution rights to the one-hour series and concluded a deal with Germany's Tele München Group (TMG) for the television rights in continental Europe.
GHOST HUNTERS INTERNATIONAL SEASON 3
Wednesday, July 13 @ 9pm (ET/PT) -- Ghost Hunters International -- The GHI team kicks off the third season traveling deep into the rainforest of Trinidad, where it's reported that the spirit of Count Lopinot, a cruel slave master, rises from the grave of his cocoa plantation. Ghost Hunters International features a squad of paranormal investigators who use their principles of scientific techniques to explore some of the most legendary haunted spots around the world. Each week the team travels to the far corners of the globe, searching for answers to bizarre supernatural mysteries. The team of investigators is led by Barry FitzGerald and Kris Williams and also stars Joe Chin, Susan Slaughter, Paul Bradford and Scott Tepperman. Ghost Hunters International is produced in association with Craig Piligian's Pilgrim Films and Television (Dirty Jobs, The Ultimate Fighter, My Fair Wedding). Piligian and Thomas Thayer, along with Rob Katz and Alan David, serve as executive producers.
Saturday Original Movies
Red Faction: Origins -- Saturday, June 4, at 9PM (ET/PT) -- Robert Patrick (Terminator 2), Brian J. Smith (Stargate Universe) and Kate Vernon (Battlestar Galactica) star in Red Faction: Origins, based on the hugely successful Red Faction video game franchise. Twenty-five years have passed since Alec Mason (Patrick) led the Martian Colonies to freedom and 12 years since vengeful enemies killed his wife, kidnapped his daughter Lyra (Tamzin Merchant), and left a broken hero in their wake. Jake Mason (Smith), Alec's only son and an officer in the Red Faction Militia, has his world turned inside out when he discovers that now, 12 years after her kidnapping, his sister is still alive. As a powerful new enemy swarms across the planet, Jake goes out to find her, only to learn that his lost sister is one of them -- a cold-blooded soldier sworn to destroy the Red Faction. Vernon portrays The Matriarch, leader of the tribal Marauders sect. Red Faction: Origins is produced by Universal Cable Productions and UFO Films.
Ice Road Terror - Saturday, June 11, at 9PM (ET/PT) -- Truckers (Brea Grant, Michael Hogan) face a deadly ice creature on the frozen roads. A production of ARO Entertainment.
Swamp Shark - Saturday, June 25, at 9PM (ET/PT) -- Kristy Swanson, D.B. Sweeney and Robert Davi star in the story of mutant sharks terrorizing the Louisiana bayous. A production of Active Entertainment.
Age of Dragons - July - Danny Glover stars in a re-imagining of Herman Melville's classic novel Moby Dick, set in a mythical realm where Captain Ahab and crew hunt dragons for the vitriol that powers their world. A production of Dragon Quest Productions LLC.
Super Eruption -- July -- A scientist and a park ranger (Juliet Aubrey, Richard Burgi) try to stop the eruption of a massive volcano under Yellowstone Park. A production of MarVista Entertainment.

AWAY FOR A FEW DAYS
I will be away for a few days so I will not be updating the site until next week.

THURSDAY, APRIL 14, 2011

TERRA NOVA NEWS
Fox executives have been saying that Steven Spielberg's new sci-fi series for Fox, TERRA NOVA, needs more time to complete its special effects before being shown. But a new report suggests there are other, more serious reasons for the show's continuing delay.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the issues with the show—which follows a group of colonists back in time to restart human civilization during the age of the dinosaurs—go much deeper than making the visuals look as good as possible. In fact, the main problem is apparently not just that the effects need more time, but that not enough footage was even shot for the show's two-hour premiere episode.
The complications reportedly stem from the way the program was developed and the constant turnover of personnel involved. More than a dozen executive producers have been in and out of the project, along with a number of writers. And all this was going on while Fox was dithering over whether the premiere should be one or two hours long, with the network finally deciding at the last minute to make it two hours.
Once filming got underway in Australia, another problem hit the production: rain. Director Alex Graves said at WonderCon last month, "It never stopped. There were days where we would have to not go to location." The combination of weather problems, script length issues and what a Fox spokesperson called "the difficulty of timing action sequences" led to the production coming back from the shoot with less footage than needed for a two-hour program.
Some sources blamed Graves, while others, including Fox, put the fault on current executive producer Brannon Braga and showrunner Rene Echevarria. A Fox spokesperson said, "Brannon misjudged it at the script stage, and Alex and his script supervisor misjudged it as it was being shot." But an executive at another studio sniped, "Maybe the problem is that there are so many cooks in the kitchen—all the producers on the project, along with the network and the studio."
So where do things stand? The show had been originally slated to premiere last summer, was delayed to this May, and now has been delayed again to this fall. It's got a skyrocketing budget, with the pilot alone costing somewhere between $10 million and $20 million (which would make it the most expensive pilot in history). There are elaborate visual effects to complete, and a premiere episode that doesn't have enough story to fill a two-hour time slot.
And once the pilot is finally slapped together from what they've got to work with, they have to do it again ... every week.

THE PRODIGIES
Instead of giving all your love to those mutants from X-MEN: FIRST CLASS, how about sparing some for those first-class mutants from the animated superhero movie THE PRODIGIES?
This French film was scheduled to open in March, but now it will open in April. THE PRODIGIES (or La Nuit Des Enfants Rois) is still being referred to as "upcoming," so it looks like we'll have to wait to see the movie. But from the full theatrical trailer below, it looks like it'll be worth that wait.

BOND 23
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Sony Pictures, which released the last two James Bond movies, has struck a deal with MGM to co-finance and distribute worldwide the next Bond, still known only as Bond 23.
With BOND 23 set for release on Nov. 9, 2012, Sony and MGM also plan to join forces for the next film in the ongoing series, BOND 24, under a similar arrangement.
As part of the deal, announced Wednesday by MGM’s Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum and Sony’s Michael Lynton and Amy Pascal, MGM and Sony are also exploring co-financing deals on future movies produced by each of the studios during the next five years.
Although not mentioned in the announcement, MGM is expected to co-finance Sony's THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, which will be released Dec. 21. There has also been speculation the two companies could join forces for the upcoming TOTAL RECALL, although no deal appears to be in place yet on that title.
MGM, which is rebuilding as it emerges from bankruptcy, had sounded out a number of studios about a distribution deal for its upcoming Bond movie, which will be directed by Sam Mendes and once again star Daniel Craig. While talks with Paramount broke down when that studio declined to go below an 8 percent distribution fee and wouldn’t agree to partner on other films, Sony moved to the head of the list to capture the Bond distribution rights.
Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson already had a comfort level with Sony, which played a role in re-launching the Bond franchise with 2006’s Casino Royale, which grossed $599 million worldwide, followed by 2008’s QUANTUM OF SOLACE, which collected $577 million.
“Sony Pictures is the ideal studio partner for us as MGM re-enters the filmmaking business. We have longstanding relationships with Michael and Amy and look forward to what promises to be a prosperous future together,” Barber and Birnbaum said.
“In addition to working together on Bond, this deal expands our relationship with MGM as we explore co-financing opportunities on other high-profile projects,” Lynton said.
The new Bond movie will join a high-profile 2012 slate at Sony that also includes MEN IN BLACK 3 and THE AMAZINGSPIDER-MAN, as well as I HATE YOU, DAD, starring Adam Sandler; HERE COMES THE BOOM, starring Kevin James; 21 JUMPSTREET; RESIDENT EVIL 5; and TOTAL RECALL.

ABDUCTION
The first trailer for the upcoming John Singleton thriller ABDUCTION has debuted at MTV.
Taylor Lautner stars as a teen who discovers that the people that he thought were his parents may have kidnapped him as an infant. Attempting to find his true identity, Lautner's character winds up unraveling a complex conspiracy, calling everything he thought he knew into question.
The film also stars Lily Collins, Alfred Molina, Jason Isaacs, Maria Bello, Michael Nyqvist, Sigourney Weaver, Denzel Whitaker, Tim Griffin and Elisabeth Rohm and is targeted for a September 23rd release.

RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
20th Century Fox has revealed the teaser trailer for Rise of the Planet of the Apes, opening in theaters on August 5. Directed by Rupert Wyatt, the film stars James Franco, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow, Brian Cox, Tom Felton, David Oyelowo and Andy Serkis as Caesar.
In RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, a single act of both compassion and arrogance leads to a war unlike any other. The Oscar-winning visual effects team that brought to life the worlds of Avatar and "Lord of the Rings" film is breaking new ground, creating a CGI ape that delivers a dramatic performance of unprecedented emotion and intelligence, and epic battles on which rest the upended destinies of man and primate.

DOCTOR WHO
The BBC has released two awesome new preview clips from Doctor Who's sixth season premiere episode, "The Impossible Astronaut."
Watch Amy (Karen Gillan) and Rory's (Arthur Darville) encounter with a cool, Stetson-wearing Doctor (Matt Smith) as the loving duo backpack in the U.S. while on their honeymoon, and the fun arrival of a gun-toting River Song (Alex Kingston).
Then, in the second clip, see the Time Lord talk about a mysterious summons, drill River Song as to WHO exactly she is, and then see Amy make a hearfelt request of the Doctor.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2011

NEW ALBUM FOR CAPTAIN KIRK (THE ORIGINAL)
William Shatner, 80, the actor-singer-spoken word artist plans to release a new album, "Searching for Major Tom" later this year. It's a cornucopia of corny covers all orbiting around one central theme: space.
But unlike Shatner's live one-man performance classics, the Shat has enlisted some big time help. Bootsy Collins lends a hand on Thomas Dolby's "She Blinded Me With Science." Brad Paisley sings along on Steve Miller's "Space Cowboy," Peter Frampton sits in on "Spirit in the Sky," and even Toots of Toots and the Maytals is adding his vocals to The Police's "Walking on the Moon."
The full track listing:
"Space Trucking" (Deep Purple)
"She Blinded Me With Science" (Thomas Dolby)
"In a Little While" (U2)
"Empty Glass" (The Tea Party)
"Lost in the Stars" (Frank Sinatra)
"Twilight Zone" (Golden Earring)
"Space Cowboy" (Steve Miller)
"Rocket Man" (Elton John)
"Space Oddity" (David Bowie)
"Spirit in the Sky" (Norman Greenbaum)
"Bohemian Rhapsody" (Queen)
"Silver Machine" (Hawkwind)
"Major Tom" (Peter Shilling)
"Learning to Fly" (Pink Floyd)
"Mr. Spaceman" (The Byrds)
"Iron Man" (Black Sabbath)
"Planet Earth" (Duran Duran)
"Walking on the Moon" (The Police)
"Mrs. Major Tom" (?)

THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES
Steven Spielberg tried—and failed—to get a movie made out of Ray Bradbury's short story collection THE MARTIANCHRONICLES back in the '90s. So it looks like it's up to John Davis, a producer responsible for bringing PREDATOR,I, ROBOT and WATERWORLD to the screen, to finally make it happen.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Paramount has picked up the movie rights to Bradbury's collection, which had previously been made into an NBC/BBC miniseries written by Richard Matheson (I Am Legend) in 1980.
Universal's option on CHRONICLES reverted earlier this year, and now that Paramount has snapped it up, the studio has put Davis in charge of getting the project from page to screen. There's no writer, no director, and certainly no stars attached to the movie yet ... so before any announcements are made, now's the time to start dreaming.

PRIEST
In our favorite (and most exciting) PRIEST trailer yet, we get more than a kaleidoscope of action cuts—we get an extended fight sequence in which Paul Bettany takes on a band of some pretty gruesome vampires.
Here is what the movie's all about, the official synopsis:
PRIEST, a post-apocalyptic sci-fi thriller, is set in an alternate world -- one ravaged by centuries of war between man and vampires. The story revolves around a legendary Warrior Priest (Paul Bettany) from the last Vampire War who now lives in obscurity among the other downtrodden human inhabitants in walled-in dystopian cities ruled by the Church. When his niece (Lily Collins) is abducted by a murderous pack of vampires, Priest breaks his sacred vows to venture out on a quest to find her before they turn her into one of them. He is joined on his crusade by his niece's boyfriend (Cam Gigandet), a trigger-fingered young wasteland sheriff, and a former Warrior Priestess (Maggie Q) who possesses otherworldly fighting skills.
PRIEST will premiere May 13, 2011.

GOLD
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Michael Mann is teaming up with Paul Haggis for GOLD, a contemporary thriller in the vein of THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE, set around a ruthless search for the precious metal.
The script was written on spec as a feature writing sample by Patrick Massett and John Zinman, who acted as writer/co-exec producers on TV shows FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS and THE CHICAGO CODE.
Haggis was initially drawn to the script, about the prospectors and speculators on the hunt for gold, as a directing vehicle, but other projects took his attention.
He showed the writing sample to Mann, who saw the glitter in the pages.
Mann acquired GOLD for his Forward Pass banner, looking at it as a directing vehicle.
Mann will also produce with Haggis and Michael Nozik.
The plan is to develop and package the project before setting it up at a studio. No actors are attached.
Mann does have a couple of other projects in development that are vying for his attention. One is AGINCOURT, about the story of Nicholas Hook, a British archer who fought the French alongside Henry V in the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, and Batam.
GOLD is still in the early development process, so it may be a while before it shores up.

RIO
According to the Hollywood Reporter, RIO, Fox's 3D toon could be this year's "How to Train Your Dragon."
The top-grossing film of 2011 at the domestic box office this year is Paramount family film RANGO, which has earned $117.7 million so far. Could Fox’s 3D toon RIO soon fly away with the crown?
Last weekend, RIO opened to a stunning $55 million at the international box office — the top debut of the year for any film anywhere — raising hopes for the family film’s domestic chances.
Universal’s HOP posed little competition for RIO in the foreign territories where they both played, and Fox is hoping for the same when RIO opens Friday in the U.S. and Canada. HOP has done far better in the U.S., grossing nearly $69 million in its first 10 days.
RIO has a great date. With a large swath of kids out of school next week for spring break and with the Easter holiday falling on April 24, RIO has the potential to gross north of $90 million in its first two weeks alone — if it plays as well as last year’s HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON.
RIO, with a voice cast led by Jesse Eisenberg and Anne Hathaway, is sure to take a bite out of Universal’s HOP, but HOP already has two weeks of play under its belt, grossing $68.7 million to date.
Just as RIO revived the international box office, it could restore confidence in the earning potential of the domestic box office, which has been struggling for months.
Animated films debuting before summer don’t necessarily have big openings, but if they open close to Easter, they can amass huge grosses quickly.
Last year, DreamWorks Animation’s DRAGON grossed $43.7 million when bowing at the domestic box office on March 26, a week before Easter. In its first 10 days, DRAGON raked in $92.1 million en route to $217.6 million domestically.
Box office observers expect RIO to debut along the lines of DRAGON, which would put it just above RANGO ($38.1 million) and Hop ($37.5 million). Fox is putting RIO’s opening lower, considering how volatile the box office has been.
RIO won’t have any competition until late May, when KUNG FU PANDA 2 opens.
RIO has big earning potential overseas, as did DRAGON, which cumed $277.3 million at the foreign box office for a global take of $494.9 million. As in the U.S., kids overseas also get a spring break, although most kids in Europe are only now starting to get out of school.
HOP has gotten off to a slower start internationally, but studio insiders are expecting it to ultimately bring in $75 million-$100 million overseas and roughly $125 million domestically.
RIO has more earning potential than HOP for several reasons. Pure animated films do better than CGI/live-action hybrids like Hop. Also, HOP is a tougher sell overseas because of its American take on the Easter bunny (the Easter bunny actually originated in Europe). And RIO is in 3D.
Universal says HOP, which cost $63 million to produce, is a financial hit for the studio. The film was made by Illumination Entertainment, which Chris Meledandri launched in partnership with Universal after leaving Fox Animation Studios.
RIO didn't cost all that much more than HOP. The film's production budget was $90 million, thanks in large part to Fox partner Blue Sky Studios being based in Greenwich, Conn., which provides generous production tax breaks. Also, Blue Sky Studios doesn't succumb to the West Coast animation arms race, since it is based back east.
RIO is the sixth film that Blue Sky has made for Fox Animation, now headed by Vanessa Morrison.

HORIZONS
The Hollywood Reporter indicates that Joseph Kosinski’s sci-fi project HORIZONS is finding a home.
Universal is in negotiations to pick up the project, with Tom Cruise attached to star. Kosinski will produce with Barry Levine and Jeffrey Silver.
HORIZONS, with a script by William Monahan and Karl Gadjusek, was created by Kosinski who partnered with Radical Pictures before setting it up at Disney.
The sci-fi actionner centers on a soldier assigned to patrol a desolate planet who meets a mysterious traveler.
Disney, which was in the design stages on HORIZONS, became uncomfortable in making a PG-13 actionner and let Kosinski shop the project to other parties.
Warner Bros, Fox and Paramount were in the mix with Universal to grab it with Universal fighting for it the hardest.
An October start is now being eyed.
Kosinski is repped by Verve and Anonymous Content. Cruise is repped by CAA.

DRAGONRIDERS OF PERN
TORONTO -- Watchmen and X-Men writer David Hayter will pen an adaptation of Anne McCaffrey’s THE DRAGONRIDERS OFTHE PERN book series for Copperheart Entertainment and Entertainment One writes the Hollywood Reporter.
The agreement with Hayter and Benedict Carver's Dark Hero Studios will see the science fiction/fantasy novel DRAGONFLIGHT by McCaffrey adapted into a feature film.
Entertainment One, which has a first-look deal with Dark Hero Studios, is to take key international territories, including Canada. Talks are ongoing to include the U.K., Benelux and Australia.
Copperheart's Steve Hoban (Splice) and Carver will produce the film, with Susan Montford of Angry Films and Hayter executive producing along with Transformers producer Don Murphy.
DRAGONFLIGHT, the first in the Dragonriders of Pern series, features an elite group of warriors take to the skies on the backs of giant, fire-breathing, telepathic dragons to save the wondrously exotic planet of Pern from a terrifying airborne menace.
DRAGONFLIGHT will be an international co-production, financed by several international distribution partners. Production is scheduled to begin early 2012. No director is currently attached.

GREEN LANTERN
Michael Clarke Duncan has officially joined GREEN LANTERN in the role of Kilowog. Latino Review had the news late last month and their scoop has since been confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter.
Kilowog, a member of the Green Lantern Corps, is a hulking figure from the planet Bolovax Vik and has been a mainstay of the DC Universe since he first appeared in 1986.
The voice of Kilowog was previously performed by Michael Madsen in the direct-to-DVD feature GREEN LANTERN: FIRST FLIGHT.
Clarke Duncan, still best known for his breakout performance in Frank Darabont's THE GREEN MILE, most recently provided a voice in CATS & DOGS: THE REVENGE OF KITTY GALORE. He joins Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong, Angela Bassett, Tim Robbins, Temuera Morrison, Jay O. Sanders, Taika Waititi, Jon Tenney and Geoffrey Rush in the June 17th release.

TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2011

TRON 3
According to TRON: LEGACY director Joseph Kosinski, TRON 3 is (almost) a go! And though he didn't explicitly say, we suddenly have a stronger idea of WHO the villain of the next film might be.
While out promoting the TRON: LEGACY DVD and Blu-ray release, Kosinski talked about the main storyline for the third entry in Disney's sci-fi franchise (the movie may have made only $170 million in the U.S., but it made $400 million worldwide, and the DVD and Blu-ray sales will probably bring in a load of cash for Disney), saying the main storyline would be about the adventures of Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund) and Quorra (Olivia Wilde):
"I think we will pick with where TRON: LEGACY left off with Quorra [Olivia Wilde] in the real world and what does that mean and the possibilities it opens up for the next chapter. It's that relationship between the two of them that's the next step."
As for the role of the villain—and though Kosinski didn't actually SAY—onew possibility is Dillinger's son, played by an uncredited Cillian Murphy, who had a brief cameo in Legacy and also figured (if only referenced by Bruce Boxleitner's Alan Bradley character, which was really cool) in the 10-minute featurette TRON: THE NEXT DAY:
"Dillinger [David Warner] was a really important part of the first film and felt like an easy way to continue that storyline and thread to have his son in the new movie. That way you have people ask those questions of what the Dillinger legacy is in the world of TRON. We didn't want to ignore it completely and it leaves a really nice springboard for some intertwining development for the next film."
We may even get the reappearance of that pesky Master Control Program from the first Tron film—which we also talked about here. You just can't keep a bad program down.
Joseph Kosinski says he officially wants to come back as director of TRON 3, but it will all depend on what project will come next: It'll perhaps be OBLIVION, or the remake of another Disney sci-fi blast from the '80s (1979, to be precise, but it's almost the '80s), THE BLACK HOLE.
And he also plans on bringing back the same team that worked on TRON: LEGACY: "That's my intent. We're developing it now. It's all about getting a script and story and making sure we can get the same team back together."

NEW SORKIN PROJECT ON HBO
SIX FEET UNDER's Alan Poul has joined Aaron Sorkin's cable news drama project at HBO.
The announcement comes as part of Poul's decision to sign an overall deal with the premium cable network. He will executive produce the pilot, along with Oscar winners Sorkin and Scott Rudin, and will direct episodes if the show gets picked up to series.
The highly anticipated project, tentatively titled MORE AS THE STORY DEVELOPS, is set behind the scenes of a nightly cable news show, just as Sorkin's Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip and Sports Night were behind-the-scenes looks at a Saturday Night Live-type sketch comedy show and a SportsCenter-style sports news program, respectively. Sorkin spent time with high-profile cable newsmen, including Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews, to better understand the world he planned to re-create.
Jeff Daniels has been tapped for the lead role of anchor Will McCallister, originally written as a 40-something. The project's remaining actors have yet to be cast.

MOVIE DATES CHANGE
The Hollywood Reporter writes that 20th Century Fox is pushing back RISE OF THE APES from June to the lucrative Thanksgiving frame. In another key move, the Jim Carrey family pic MR. POPPER'S PENGUINS moves from Aug. 12 to June 17.
Fox also dated Jack Black/Steve Martin/Owen Wilson starrer THE BIG YEAR, which opens nationwide Oct. 14. Directed by David Frankel, BIG YEAR is based on Mark Obmascik's book The Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature and Fowl Obsession.
Shuffling comes as Oren Aviv joins Fox as co-president of domestic theatrical marketing and chief marketing officer. He'll work alongside co-president of marketing and chief creative officer Tony Sella.
RISE OF THE APES, an origins pic hoping to reenergize the Planet of the Apes franchise, now opens Nov. 23 instead of June 24.
The tentpole, produced by Chernin Entertainment, reteams Fox and Peter Jackson's WETA Digital, which are using technologies developed for AVATAR to render photo real apes. (WETA staffers have nicknamed the project "Apetar.")
Fox believes RISE OF THE APES will play throughout the year-end holidays.
Other changes announced FRIDAY: THE SITTER moves from July 15 to June 24; MONTE CARLO will open July 1 instead of Aug. 12; New Regency's WHAT'S YOUR NUMBER? moves from April 29 to Sept. 30; and NOW is bumped a month from Sept. 30 to Oct. 28.

Melancholia from Zentropa on Vimeo.

MELANCHOLIA
BERLIN - Fans of Danish auteur Lars Von Trier got their first peek at his latest drama when the trailer for MELANCHOLIA went online today.
The film, billed as a "beautiful movie about the end of the world" stars Kirsten Dunst, Kiefer Sutherland and Charlotte Gainsbourg. It is Von Trier's first feature since the controversial Antichrist, which also featured Gainsbourg. Melancholia promises to do for the sci-fi genre what Antichrist did for torture porn.
The trailer sets the scene: Kirsten Dunst's character Justine is celebrating her wedding to Michael (Alexander Skarsgard) at the luxurious home of sister Claire (Gainsbourg) and brother-in-law John (Sutherland). Meanwhile the planet MELANCHOLIA is heading towards earth, setting off a distructive chain of physical and psycological events.
MELANCHOLIA is expected to debut in Competition at the Cannes Film Festival next month. The film will bow in Scandinavia in May. Magnolia Pictures has picked up MELANCHOLIA for North American release.

MORTAL KOMBAT: LEGACY
Starring Jeri Ryan ("Star Trek: Voyager") as Sonya Blade, Michael Jai White (The Dark Knight) as Major Jackson 'Jax' Briggs and Darren Shahlavi (300) as Kano, this series will take gamers deep into the history of the warriors they know and love.
Written by Kevin Tancharoen , Aaron Helbing and Todd Helbing, "Mortal Kombat: Legacy" is an anthology of nine live action shorts, and brings to life the motivation behind each character's participation in the Mortal Kombat tournament. Each episode will provide never-before-revealed insights into characters featured in the upcoming videogame as well as the game's universe.

MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011

SUPERMAN NEWS - GENERAL ZOD HAS BEEN CAST
After a decent amount of speculation, Zack Snyder has settled on the villain for Warner Brothers' Superman reboot: that great Kryptonian refugee, General Zod. As for the actor who'll play him ... well, that's something of a surprise.
No word on whether Zod will be accompanied by his fellow Phantom Zone escapees, Ursa and Non, nor if the inclusion of Zod automatically eliminates the possibility of Lex Luthor making an appearance.
Here's the full press release:
Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures announced today that Michael Shannon will star in the role of General Zod in director Zack Snyder's new Superman film, titled MAN OF STEEL.
Snyder stated, "Zod is not only one of Superman's most formidable enemies, but one of the most significant because he has insights into Superman that others don't. Michael is a powerful actor who can project both the intelligence and the malice of the character, making him perfect for the role."
As General Zod, Shannon will go toe-to-toe with Henry Cavill, who plays the new Clark Kent/Superman in the film. The main cast also includes Amy Adams as Lois Lane, and Diane Lane and Kevin Costner as Martha and Jonathan Kent.
Michael Shannon was honored with an Academy Award® nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Sam Mendes' REVOLUTIONARY ROAD, with Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. Shannon was most recently seen in the award-winning HBO drama series BOARDWALK EMPIRE, from executive producer Martin Scorsese. He will next be seen in Sony Pictures Classics', TAKE SHELTER, from director/writer Jeff Nichols.
Charles Roven, Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan and Deborah Snyder are the producers of the film. The screenplay is being written by David S. Goyer based on a story by Goyer and Nolan. Thomas Tull and Lloyd Phillips are serving as executive producers.
MAN OF STEEL will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

THE WOMAN IN BLACK
Hammer Films' latest production, THE WOMAN IN BLACK, premiered its teaser trailer via IGN UK. The film will make its debut in the UK on February 10, 2012.
Directed by James Watkins, the film stars Daniel Radcliffe ("Harry Potter" films), Ciaran Hinds, Liz White, Janet McTeer and Alisa Khazanova. Watkins previously helmed the shocker Eden Lake and is switching gears here for something a bit more spooky and gothic.
The story follows a young lawyer, Arthur Kipps, who is ordered to travel to a remote village and sort out a recently deceased client’s papers. As he works alone in the client’s isolated house, Kipps begins to uncover tragic secrets, his unease growing when he glimpses a mysterious woman dressed only in black. Receiving only silence from the locals, Kipps is forced to uncover the true identity of the Woman in Black on his own, leading to a desperate race against time when he discovers her true intent.

SUNDAY, APRIL 10, 2011

X-MEN ORIGINS: DEADPOOL
The Hollywood Reporter writes that things are moving ahead with X-MEN ORIGINS: DEADPOOL, 20th Century Fox has set VFX expert Tim Miller to direct the movie. Studio also has closed a producing deal with Ryan Reynolds, who is attached to star.
DEADPOOL will serve as the directorial debut for Miller, who has done effects work on the Bryan Singer-directed X-Men movies, DAREDEVIL and SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD, among others.
The Marvel character DEADPOOL, a.k.a. Wade Wilson, is a talkative mercenary with a host powers, including the ability to heal at a fast rate.
Ryan Reynolds played Wilson in X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE, while Scott Adkins played the character of Deadpool after Wilson had transformed.
Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick are writing the script for DEADPOOL, being produced by Lauren Shuler Donner.

WEEKEND BOX-OFFICE
Universal’s family pic HOP stayed at No. 1 on its second Friday at the domestic box office, grossing an estimated $5.5 million from 3,616 theaters. The CGI/live-action hybrid should gross $20.2 million for the weekend, putting its 10-day cume at more than $66 million.
The weekend race is much harder to call for a trio of new films — Warner Bros.’ ARTHUR, Focus Features’ HANNA and TriStar/FilmDistrict’s inspirational film SOUL SURFER.
Starring Russell Brand, ARTHUR — a remake of the Dudley Moore classic — grossed an estimated $4.5 million on Friday from 3,276 screens, not far ahead of the $4.2 million grossed by Joe Wright’s smart action-thriller Hanna, playing on far fewer screens (2,535).
The Bethany Hamilton biopic SOUL SURFER is a wild card. Grossing $3.7 million on Friday from 2,214 locations, the film could see a spike in family traffic today and Sunday among faith-based audiences, as well as teen girls.
Also, SOUL SURFER received a glowing A+ CinemaScore. In another good sign, 55% of Friday’s audience was under the age of 25; and 48%, under the age of 18.
Based on Friday’s results, box office pundits say ARTHUR, HANNA and SOUL SURFER will gross in the $12 million to $13.5 million for the weekend.
Like SOUL SURFER, HANNA is doing better than expected. Appealing to adults, HANNA also should see increased traffic on Saturday.
While it is coming in lower than expected, ARTHUR — originally projected to gross $15 million to $17 million for the weekend — wasn’t an expensive pic for Warner Bros., costing under $40 million to produce. Of Friday’s audience, 64% were over the age of 25.
The weekend’s fourth new film, Universal’s raunchy R-rated comedy YOUR HIGHNESS, grossed $3.8 million on Friday from 2,769 theaters, but traffic is expected to fall off today since the film’s core fan base are young males. The movie drew a C+ CinemaScore, with 48% of Friday’s audience under the age of 25.
Among holdovers, FilmDistrict’s horror pic INSIDIOUS made headlines on Friday, falling only 32% to come in No. 6. The film grossed an estimated $3.2 million for a cume of $20.6 million.

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS
Last month, we posted an international trailer for X-MEN: FIRST CLASS that was available only in Russian. Now a non-dubbed version of the trailer has come online!
Opening in theaters on June 3, the Matthew Vaughn-directed film stars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Rose Byrne, January Jones, Kevin Bacon, Nicholas Hoult, Jennifer Lawrence, Caleb Landry Jones, Lucas Till, Edi Gathegi, Jason Flemyng, Oliver Platt, Morgan Lily, Zoe Kravitz and Bill Bilner.

SATURDAY, APRIL 9, 2011

MISSING
Sean Bean is trading one brand of intrigue for another. The "Lord of the Rings" actor, who stars in HBO's upcoming "Game of Thrones," has taken a role opposite Ashley Judd in ABC's series "Missing."
The show centers on Judd's character, who travels to Europe to track down her missing 18-year-old son; it becomes apparent rather quickly that she's not just a concerned mom, but also a former CIA agent. Bean will play her late husband, who appears in flashbacks, Deadline reports. ABC has already ordered 10 episodes of the series from writer Greg Poirier ("National Treasure: Book of Secrets," "Gossip").
Bean plays Lord Eddard Stark in "Game of Thrones," which premieres April 17 on HBO. His other credits include the "Red Riding" trilogy, "Flightplan" and the first "National Treasure."

BATMAN NEWS
A major Batman villain is returning for an encore appearance in Christopher Nolan's THE DARK KNIGHT RISES—but not in the way you might think. According to The Hollywood Reporter, actor Josh Pence has been cast as a young Ra's al Ghul in director Christopher Nolan's third Caped Crusader epic. Pence is best known for playing one of the Winklevoss twins in The Social Network, except that his head was digitally replaced by that of actor Armie Hammer.
Now it looks like we'll see Pence as the same character played by Liam Neeson in BATMAN BEGINS, except he'll appear in flashbacks that take place 30 years before the events of THE DARK KNIGHT RISES.
This news will further fuel speculation that the recently cast Marion Cotillard (Inception) will play Talia al Ghul, daughter of Ra's, in the film. Cotillard has signed up for the movie, but like another cast member, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, it has not been officially announced which character she is playing.
Ra's was killed at the end of BATMAN BEGINS, but while the character in the comics could resurrect himself via the use of a supernatural "Lazarus pit," the immortality angle just wouldn't fit in Nolan's "realistic" Bat-world.
No one in the DKR camp has given any hint of the movie's plot, but it's rumored that Talia will lead a reconstituted League of Shadows back to Gotham to both destroy the city and seek revenge against Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) for her father's death, with Bane (Tom Hardy) along as muscle. Where those flashbacks come into play is anybody's guess at this point.
THE DARK KNIGHT RISES also stars Michael Caine as Alfred, Gary Oldman as Jim Gordon and Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle/Catwoman. The movie's due out July 20, 2012.

DOCTOR WHO
Know nothing of Doctor Who but want to make the leap into the wibbly-wobbly beyond with season six? Well this new BBC behind-the-scenes video will surely help you find out just WHO Who is.
Though this cool video is definitely not only for non-Who fans, it does serve as a nice crash-course introduction to the phenomenally long-running sci-fi series. There's also a lot of nice tidbits on our favorite Time Lord, The Doctor (Matt Smith)—plus it features exclusive interviews with Smith's partner in time travel, Karen Gillan, and executive producer/lead writer Steven Moffat.
Though, sadly, most scenes come from the fifth season, there's a nice little TARDIS scene that will be seen in the April 23 season premiere that's worth the look.

ODD THOMAS
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Willem Dafoe is in talks to join the cast of ODD THOMAS, the supernatural thriller being directed by Stephen Sommers.
Based on a Dean Koontz novel and adapted by Sommers, the story centers on a short-order cook named Odd Thomas who can commune with the dead, a secret only his girlfriend (Addison Timlin) and the local police (Dafoe) chief know.
The young man can also spot malevolent forces called bodachs, who feed on pain and portent imminent death. When Odd sees them in spades surrounding a stranger, he finds himself in a race against time to avert a catastrophe.
The movie, with a budget in the $20 to $30 million range, is due to shoot in New Mexico later this spring and summer.
Sommer and John Baldecchi are producing.
Dafoe is currently on screen with MIRAL and will next be seen in Disney/Pixar’s JOHN CARTER OF MARS.

SCREAM 4
Dimension Films has released the fourth TV spot for SCREAM 4.
The Wes Craven-directed thriller opens on April 15 and stars Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courteney Cox, Emma Roberts, Hayden Panettiere, Marielle Jaffe, Rory Culkin, Nico Tortorella, Erik Knudsen, Marley Shelton, Anthony Anderson, Adam Brody, Alison Brie, Mary McDonnell, Anna Paquin, Kristen Bell and Brittany Roberts.

FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 2011

GAME OF THRONES
Only 10 days left until the series premiere of GAME OF THRONES, HBO's adaptation of George R.R. Martin's epic fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire. Make sure you're up to speed with this just-released making-of documentary.
The documentary gives some more background on many of the complex characters, including Eddard "Ned" Stark (Sean Bean), his wife Catelyn Stark (Michelle Fairley), Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey), her brothers Jame Lannister (Nicolaj Coster-Waldau) and Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage), Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clark), King Robert Baratheon (Mark Addy) and Eddard's bastard son Jon Snow (Kit Harrington).
Check it out so you'll know who's who when the series begins!

THE CROW
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, best known as the director of 28 Weeks Later, has been tapped to direct Relativity's remake of THE CROW.
The film is being produced by Edward R. Pressman, Jeff Most, Relativity's CEO Ryan Kavanaugh and Apaches Entertainment's Enrique Lopez Lavigne and Belen Atienza.
CROW is based on a gritty black-and-white indie comic by artist James O'Barr. Miramax made the film adaptation, which gained cult status partially due to star Brandon Lee's on-set accidental death.
Three sequels and a TV series, each starring a new actor, followed.
The reboot of the title has been in the works since 2007, with Stephen Norrington previously attached to direct.
The story follows a rock musician who is murdered while trying to save his fiancee from thugs. He is resurrected by supernatural forces and seeks revenge.
Nick Cave wrote the most recent draft of the script, though sources say a new writer will be brought on to work with Fresnadillo.
Fresnadillo, repped by UTA, is in post on INTRUDERS, an indie thriller starring Clive Owen and Daniel Bruhl.
Relativity's Tooley will serve as executive producer. Jose Ibanez, Pressman Film Corp.'s Jon Katz and Apaches' Jesus de la Vega will serve as co-producers.

THE RETURN OF ARNOLD
UPDATE, NOW WITH MORE HEAT: Sources tell Heat Vision that Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lionsgate are far along in the dealmaking process and a tentative late August start date is being eyed. Dealmaking could still fall apart over money, but if made, Lionsgate would get bragging rights to having the first post-office Arnie movie, a movie that would likely be a safe bet for all involved as it would feature old school Arnie: him versus a bunch of bad guys.
Sources say that the actor-turned-governor-turned-returning actor is circling THE LAST STAND, a Lionsgate action project being produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura.
Jee-Woon Kim, the director behind Korean film The Good, The Bad, The Weird, is helming the crime thriller, which is set in motion when a cartel leader breaks out of a courthouse and speeds to the Mexican border. The only thing standing in his way is a bordertown sheriff and his inexperienced staff.
Andrew Knauer wrote the spec script, which was worked on by Jeffrey Nachmanoff.
Sources say Schwarzenegger is in early negotiations for the part of the sheriff, although his agency, CAA, could not confirm the dealmaking and Lionsgate had no comment. The news of Arnold’s involvement first surfaced in Poland and was followed by the U.S. film fan sites Movieweb and /Film.
Schwarzenegger has been courted for over a dozen projects since he finished his term as California governor. World War II action project With Wings Eagles and sequels and remakes to Predator and Marathon Man are some of the titles that have surfaced.
Schwarzenegger last appeared on screen in a brief cameo in 2010’s hit action film The Expendables. His last starring gig was 2003’s Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines and he also appeared in the 2004 Jackie Chan movie Around the World in 80 Days.

SHOWTIME SERIES MOVE FORWARD
Showtime has given series orders for its two pilots.
HOUSE OF LIES, starring Don Cheadle and Kristen Bell, and HOMELAND, toplined by Claire Danes and Damian Lewis, have been given 12-episode orders by new Showtime entertainment president David Nevins.
“On the heels of successfully launching our four freshman series in the last 8 months, we’re excited to introduce the next wave of Showtime shows,” said Nevins. “Homeland and House of Lies are audacious in both their concept and their casting. They build upon the network’s successful pedigree and expand the definition of what a Showtime series can be.”
LIES, a half-hour comedy created by Matthew Carnahan, revolves around a successful and cutthroat consultant (Cheadle) who is never above using any means (or anyone) necessary to get his way with and for his clients.
HOMELAND, a psychological thriller from Howard Gordon, Alex Gansa and Gideon Raff, tells the story of a CIA officer (Danes) battling her own demons and who becomes convinced that the intelligence that led to the rescue of a U.S. soldier (Lewis) was a setup.
Both series will begin production this summer.
Showtime recently launched historical drama THE BORGIAS last weekend and is coming off successful runs of freshmen series SHAMELESS and EPISODES, both of which have been renewed for second seasons. The pay cabler debuts its U.S. run of SECRET DIARY OF A CALL GIRL and new docu-series GIGOLOS on Thursday.

THOR
Paramount Pictures has debuted a new clip for Thor over at IGN and, in addition to showcasing a Thor himself in action, it happens to feature a cameo by what appears to Hawkeye!
The film's official site has also been updated. You can check out new wallpapers, icons, photos and videos. You can also switch the theme of the site between Earth and Asgard.
Opening in 3D and 2D theaters on May 6, the Kenneth Branagh-directed adaptation stars Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Rene Russo, Stellan Skarsgard, Jaimie Alexander, Kat Dennings, Ray Stevenson, Josh Dallas, Tadanobu Asano, Idris Elba, Clark Gregg and Colm Feore.

HIGHLY ANTICIPATED “MORTAL KOMBAT: LEGACY” DIGITAL SERIES TO PREMIERE WORLDWIDE APRIL 12 ON MACHINIMA.COM
FANS CAN WATCH ACTION-PACKED EPISODES ON ONE OF YOUTUBE’S LARGEST ENTERTAINMENT NETWORKS
BURBANK, CALIF., April 7, 2011 – Warner Bros. Digital Distribution and Machinima.com today announced they have signed an agreement to premiere and distribute the highly anticipated “Mortal Kombat: Legacy” live action digital series produced by Warner Premiere. Directed by Kevin Tancharoen (“Fame”), and starring Jeri Ryan (“Star Trek: Voyager”) as “Sonya Blade,” Michael Jai White (“The Dark Knight”) as “Major Jackson ‘Jax’ Briggs” and Darren Shahlavi (“300”) as “Kano,” this series will take gamers deep into the history of the warriors they know and love.
The first action-packed episode of “Mortal Kombat: Legacy” will debut April 12 exclusively on Machinima, the dominant entertainment network for videogamers on YouTube (www.youtube.com/machinima). Fans from around the world will be able to watch and engage with the entire “Mortal Kombat: Legacy” series through Machinima’s YouTube channel.
"With over 500 million monthly video views and 50 million monthly viewers, Machinima has the world’s most highly-engaged gaming audience, which makes this agreement with Warner Bros. such a great fit," said Allen DeBevoise, Chairman and CEO of Machinima, Inc. "Mortal Kombat is an epic franchise with a rich story and characters, we’re truly excited to bring 'Mortal Kombat: Legacy' to our community. With our global scale and reach, we can now drive greater engagement and viewership than anyone for entertainment properties that fit our young, male-centric demo. Kevin’s new incarnation of the Mortal Kombat franchise is precisely the type of world-class, high-octane action content that our audience will love.”
Kevin Tancharoen who directed and produced the popular, unofficial “Mortal Kombat: Rebirth” fan short, is bringing the same immersive directing style to this live-action digital series. Kevin Tancharoen who directed and produced the popular, unofficial “Mortal Kombat: Rebirth” fan short, is bringing the same immersive directing style to this live-action digital series. “Machinima is the perfect entertainment destination to premiere the series,” said Kevin Tancharoen, Director, Producer and co-writer of “Mortal Kombat: Legacy.” “They have a massive audience of gamers from around the world. We worked very closely with NetherRealm Studios and Ed Boon, and we’re now putting the finishing touches on the episodes. I’m confident we’ve stayed true to the Mortal Kombat lore and am hoping the fans will be blown away by what they see.”
Also on April 12, in a lead up to the series premiere, Machinima will host Kevin Tancharoen and cast from the series in a special live event. Details will be announced on Machinima.com soon.
Written by Kevin Tancharoen , Aaron Helbing and Todd Helbing, “Mortal Kombat: Legacy” is an anthology of nine live action shorts, and brings to life the motivation behind each character’s participation in the Mortal Kombat tournament. Each episode will provide never-before-revealed insights into characters featured in the upcoming videogame as well as the game’s universe.
The latest iteration of the award-winning videogame, “Mortal Kombat," marks a triumphant return to the series’ mature presentation and a reinvention of its classic 2D fighting mechanic. Driven by an all new graphics engine, the fan favorite Fatality is back and presented in more gory detail than ever before. In addition, “Mortal Kombat” introduces a number of new game-play features including tag team and a deep story mode. “Mortal Kombat” is being developed by NetherRealm Studios, led by “Mortal Kombat” creator and creative director Ed Boon.

THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2011

TRUE BLOOD
While the premiere of TRUE BLOOD's fourth season is still a few months away, here is a sneak peek at a tense scene featuring our blond vamp-in-designer-suits-and-shoes—Pam (Kristin Bauer)—to remind us that waiting really sucks.
Not only does it feature our favorite lady vamp in a face-off with witch Marnie (a new character played by British actress Fiona Shaw—aka Aunt Petunia from the Harry Potter films)—but we're also getting us some Lafayette (the always-awesome Nelsan Ellis), Jesus (Kevin Alejandro) and Tara (Rutina Wesley ... and oh look! She has that new hairdo!).
This short video is yet another in a growing list of "Waiting Sucks'' promo videos HBO's been releasing in the last couple of weeks. All to keep us on our toes about the upcoming fourth season of the hit vampire drama series.

THE HOBBIT NEWS
While Peter Jackson will still be the captain of the good ship HOBBIT, he's turned to one of his trusted lieutenants—and frequent collaborator—to help him capture the action on this latest trip to Middle-earth.
Jackson has asked Serkis to serve as his second-unit director. Traditionally, films of this size have more than one camera crew shooting different scenes at different times—the first unit shoots with the main characters, while the second unit can do anything from scenery to effects material to grisly action footage. And Serkis will have a hand in it all:
"It is wide-ranging and encompasses a lot of directing aspects of filmmaking and story. Yes, there is some performance capture, but I will be very much on the live-action sets and locations helping Peter to tell the story."
Serkis has experience doing performance-capture direction for videogames—and, given that he's famous for playing characters like Gollum and King Kong, which were brought to life via performance capture, it makes sense that Jackson would turn to him for help there—but this is Serkis' first real time behind a live-action camera:
"When Peter asked me...there was this email out of the blue. It was a fantastic surprise. ... A lot of the crew from The Lord of the Rings was returning to work on The Hobbit. There is really a sense of Peter wanting people around him who totally understand the material and the work ethic."
Luckily, Serkis won't have to pull double duty: The actor has reportedly already finished all the shooting necessary for him to reprise his role as Gollum.

THE CLOSER
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA vet Mary McDonnell is returning for the seventh season of THE CLOSER, but this time as a series regular.
McDonnell, who had been recurring in the fifth and sixth seasons of the TNT drama, will return as Capt. Sharon Raydor in Season 7.
The upcoming season, which premieres July 11 at 9 p.m., marks Kyra Sedgwick’s swan song.
TNT will air 10 episodes of Season 7 this summer, but the network has not announced plans for the remaining episodes.
As for the potential Closer spinoff, MAJOR CRIMES, no new details have emerged.

RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
20th Century Fox has extended the title of the previously-named "Rise of the Apes" to RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES.
Directed by Rupert Wyatt, the sci-fi action adventure stars James Franco, John Lithgow, Freida Pinto, Andy Serkis, Brian Cox, Tom Felton and David Oyelowo. It opens in theaters on August 5.
Oscar-winning visual effects house Weta Digital – employing certain of the groundbreaking technologies developed for AVATAR – have rendered, for the first time ever in the film series, photo-realistic apes rather than costumed actors.
Set in present day San Francisco, the film is a reality-based cautionary tale, a science fiction/science fact blend, where man's own experiments with genetic engineering lead to the development of intelligence in apes and the onset of a war for supremacy.

SHADOW DANCER
Clive Owen, Andrea Riseborough, Gillian Anderson and Aidan Gillen have joined James Marsh' (tentatively titled) SHADOW DANCER, Vulture reports.
Though announced late last year to star Guy Pearce and Rebecca Hall, Owen and Riseborough will now, instead, step into those leading roles in an adaptation of the novel by Tom Bradby.
Marsh, best known for his Oscar-winning documentary Man on Wire, has also supplied the screenplay for the novel adaptation, which tells the tale of a former female IRA terrorist turned informer.
Riseborough, best known for roles in Happy-Go-Lucky, Made in Dagenham and Never Let Me Go will play the lead opposite Owen (who next appears in The Killer Elite). Anderson is best known for her her long-running role on "The X-Files" and Gillen for his role on "The Wire."
SHADOW DANCER is expected to shoot in Dublin in May.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2011

GREEN LANTERN
The GREEN LANTERN clip unveiled at WonderCon last weekend was awesome! This clip shows how Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively reacted to the finished footage.
Reynolds tells us which of the many alien Green Lanterns he shares the screen with is his favorite, hear Lively explains just how many shades of brown her hair had to be dyed before they decided the color was true to her character in the comic, and more.

STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS
Katee Sackhoff, the stogie-smoking, hard-drinking portrayal Starbuck in the reboot of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, is about to go to the next level when we "see" her in her next appearance.
Sackhoff will be voicing a role in STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS.
Entertainment Weekly spoke to supervising director Dave Filoni, who was tight-lipped about Sackhoff's actual role, except to say that she was going to portray "a memorable character."
But Filoni did dish about the influence of Battlestar Galactica on THE CLONE WARS:
EW: Actually, there've been a number of BSG references on the show lately, like how a Separatist tactical droid said "By your command" a la the old chrome-domed Cylons.
DF: See that's me being old, because that's classic Battlestar. The Separatist tactical droids have a similar sounding voice to old Cylons. In fact, the inspiration I had for those tactical droids was a Cylon in the original series called Lucifer. He was Baltar's adviser. I always like the idea of this really smart droid that could calculate all these possibilities. I thought the Droid Army should have these brainiac droids that could wage battles based on calculations of probability whereas the Jedi are fighting out of heart and commitment to each other.
Interviewer Christian Blauvelt was quick to recall that, once upon a time, 20th Century Fox sued the makers of the original Battlestar Galactica for copyright infringement. "[I]t's amazing to see how it's come full circle, with Star Wars referencing Battlestar," Blauvelt said.
Sackhoff's role only cements this amazement.

THE DARK KNIGHT COMING TO PITTSBURGH
According to the Hollywood Reporter, THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, the third installment in Christopher Nolan's Batman franchise starring Christian Bale, is shooting in Pittsburgh.
"Pittsburgh is a beautiful city," Nolan says in a statement. "We have been able to find everything we were looking for here, and I am excited to spend the summer in Pittsburgh with our final installment of Batman."
Nolan has already met with representatives of Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, who tells the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: “We are thrilled to be welcoming the Batman film to Pittsburgh, and eager for the economic impact that our city will experience. This is another example of the growing film industry in our community, and we will be rolling out the red carpet for them."
The Warner Bros. production could shoot in Pittsburgh for four to six weeks, shooting mostly downtown.
Said Dawn Keezer, the director of the Pittsburgh Film Office: "They're still nailing down actual locations but what they really fell in love with was the diversity of architecture and the gorgeous buildings that we still have in Downtown Pittsburgh and the surrounding areas."
The movie also stars Anne Hathaway as Catwoman and Tom Hardy as Bane.
It is slated a July 20, 2012, release.

THE ADVENTURES OF OSCAR PILL
TheWrap reports that "Harry Potter" franchise producer David Heyman will next turn his attention to "The Adventures of Oscar Pill," based on French author and physician Eli Anderson's books.
The site says that Warner Bros. Pictures has acquired the French youth-fantasy novel series and Heyman's Heyday Films will produce.
The series, which included five novels, is about a teenage boy who can travel inside living beings - including humans.

TUESDAY, APRIL 5, 2011

THE HOBBIT NEWS
Peter Jackson has added Flight of the Conchords member Bret McKenzie to the cast of THE HOBBIT.
McKenzie will play an elf named Lindir, Variety reports. "The Hobbit" began shooting a couple weeks ago and will continue into next year; as he did with the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, Jackson is shooting the two parts of this story back-to-back.
When we look at McKenzie, we think hobbit, but he actually has some experience playing an elf. As a certain strain of hard-core "LOTR" fan already knows, he appeared as an extra in "The Fellowship of the Ring" and popped up again in "The Return of the King," where he actually had a couple lines. (Both films were released before Flight of the Conchords broke out.)
McKenzie wasn't credited in the first movie, but fans dubbed him Figwit (an acronym for Frodo Is Great ... Who Is THAT?). He was credited as "Elf Escort" in "Return of the King."
Part one of THE HOBBIT is scheduled to hit theaters in December 2012.

NEW SCI-FI FLICK COMING
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Will and Jaden Smith are teaming up on the big screen again, this time asci-fi adventure helmed by M. Night Shyamalan.
The film will be set 1,000 years in the future and center around a young boy's attempt to navigate an abandoned Earth in order to save himself and his estranged father after their ship crashes.
"The chance to make a scary, science-fiction film starting Jaden and Will is my dream project," Shyamalan gushes.
"Night is an outstanding filmmaker who has a tremendous vision for this science-fiction adventure story and we couldn't be more excited to be working again with Jaden after our experiences on 'The Pursuit of Happyness' and 'The Karate Kid,'" Doug Belgrad, president of Columbia Pictures, says. "We're thrilled to have the two of them together on this project."
Jaden stole our hearts in 2006's "The Pursuit of Happyness," when he co-starred with his dad for the very first time. At this point, it would seem too weird to have anyone else play Jaden's dad on screen. Or Will's son, for that matter.
The film is a family affair, with mom Jada Pinkett-Smith signed on to produce the film, alongside Overbrook Entertainment partners, Ken Stovitz and James Lassiter. Now all we need is a little Willow Smith cameo, and we're good to go.

GOVERNATOR - HE'S BACK!
Arnold Schwarzenegger's foray into children's animation, THE GOVERNATOR, was not some kind of incredibly elaborate April Fools' Day joke, as this video will show.
Complete with Schwarzenegger's voice, a cameo from Larry King—because kids, they love the septuagenarian ex-talk show hosts!—and some of the shoddiest animation since Captain Planet, here's your first look at THE GOVERNATORin action.
By "borrowing" liberally from The Matrix, Transformers, Tron and Schwarzenegger's own Terminator franchise, THEGOVERNATOR continues the tradition of laughable cartoons based on real people that began with shows like Chuck Norris: Karate Kommandos and Mister T. And what's more, Deadline is reporting that a 3-D feature film is also in the offing.

THUNDERCATS
At this past weekend's WonderCon la-di-da, Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network unveiled a deeper look into their updated THUNDERCATS series, which has an distinct Avatar: The Last Airbendery vibe. And that is not a bad thing in the least.
Given that Avatar is the best—and perhaps only—recent example of long-form storytelling for a young audience, I'd would be thrilled to pieces if these new adventures of Lion-O and his aides de camp managed to approach the depth of emotion and awesomeness of action that Nickelodeon's long-running series had.
That said, the animation seems to be taking a few anime shortcuts—mouth open! mouth closed!—it lacks Avatar's fluidity. Still, it is great to hear the boy king gave us the ol' "Thunder ... Thunder ... ThunderCats, ho!"

WILD GUNS
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Warner Bros. has preemptively picked up WILD GUNS, a spec by T.S. Nowlin for Gianni Nunnari and his Hollywood Gang shingle to produce.
Described as having shades of TOMBSTONE and SHERLOCK HOLMES, the story is set shortly after the Civil War and follows legendary gunslingers Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday. The duo team-up to rescue the daughter of Sitting Bull, who has been kidnapped by a powerful Shaman with mysterious powers who is terrorizing the Western plains.
GUNS is the first project brought in by newly hired Warners exec Matt Cherniss, who will oversee. Cherniss was previously Fox Broadcasting.
Hollywood Gang’s John Ridley will oversee and be involved in a producer capacity.
For Nowlin, the deal marks the second splashy spec the young scribe has sold; Relativity recently picked Columbus, a biopic about the Spanish explorer, with McG attached to direct. He also has a Marco Polo project set up with Endgame which Nunnari is producing.
Nunnari was a producer on Zack Snyder’s 300 and has IMMORTALS, a Greek fantasy epic, set for release by Relativity this November.

MONDAY, APRIL 4, 2011

THOR
Paramount and Marvel Studios have aired two more TV spots for THOR, hitting 3D and 2D theaters on May 6. Directed by Kenneth Branagh, the comic book adaptation stars Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Rene Russo, Stellan Skarsgard, Jaimie Alexander, Kat Dennings, Ray Stevenson, Josh Dallas, Tadanobu Asano, Idris Elba, Clark Gregg, Colm Feore and Samuel L. Jackson.

Game of Thrones Exclusive Preview

GAME OF THRONES
HBO has revealed the first 14 minutes from GAME OF THRONES.
Based on the popular book series "A Song of Ice and Fire," by George R.R. Martin, the fantasy series chronicles an epic struggle for power set in a vast and violent fantasy kingdom.
The ensemble cast includes Mark Addy, Sean Bean, Emilia Clarke, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Peter Dinklage, Michelle Fairley, Lena Headey, Kit Harington and Aidan Gillen.
The show was shot at the Paint Hall Studio in Belfast, Northern Ireland, as well as at various locations in Northern Ireland and Malta.
GAME OF THRONES launches its ten-episode season Sunday, April 17 exclusively on HBO.
GAME OF THRONES was created by David Benioff & D.B. Weiss; executive produced by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss; co-executive producers, Carolyn Strauss, Guymon Casady, Vince Gerardis, Ralph Vicinanza and George R.R. Martin; producers, Mark Huffam and Frank Doelger.
Directors include Brian Kirk, Daniel Minahan, Alan Taylor and Tim Van Patten; writers include David Benioff & D.B. Weiss, Bryan Cogman, Jane Espenson and George R.R. Martin.

SUNDAY, APRIL 3, 2011

GREEN LANTERN AT WONDERCON
A few minutes of footage was shown at Friday's GREEN LANTERN panel at San Francisco's WonderCon of the upcoming Warner Bros. film, and it has finally made it online.
In the four-minute recut version of what was shown, you catch a glimpse of what to expect come June 17 when the movie is out in theaters with Ryan Reynolds as Hal Jordan.
Producer Donald De Line did say in an interview with Heat Vision that with two and a half months left to go before the film is released, about half of the film's shots still need to be fine-tuned.

COMMENT: This preview is head and shoulders above the other trailers presented. I have always been a fan of GREEN LANTERN andI can't wait for the movie to come out. This one they may have done right.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
Universal's Easter pic HOP overperformed in its domestic box office debut, grossing an estimated $11.4 million on Friday from 3,570 theaters. The CGI/live-action hybrid is on track to gross north of $38 million for the weekend, and has a shot at becoming the top opening of 2011 for a non-holiday weekend.
HOP is looking like another win for Universal’s foray into the animation business, a venture led by Chris Meledandri of Illumination Entertainment. Last summer, DESPICABLE ME opened to a much better than expected $56.3 million.
Universal estimated that HOP would open in the low $20 million range; rival studios say the studio’s aggressive marketing campaign is paying off, with tracking picking up in recent days. Hop also is benefiting from kids being out of school for spring break.
Paramount’s RANGO currently holds the crown for best 2011 opening for a non-holiday weekend ($38.1 million).
It was a good day overall at the box office. FilmDistrict’s debut title INSIDIOUS also beat expectations, nearly catching Summit Entertainment’s SOURCE CODE, even though INSIDIOUS is playing in 500 fewer theaters.
SOURCE CODE grossed $5 million on Friday from 2,861 theaters to come in No. 2, putting it on track to earn $15 million for the weekend, a strong start for Summit.
INSIDIOUS grossed an estimated $4.8 million from 2,408 theaters to place No. 3. The film should reach $12 million for the weekend, a big financial win for Peter Schlessel and Bob Berney’s FilmDistrict, since the horror-thriller was an acquisition.
Jeanne Berney, executive vice president of marketing, is credited with running a smart campaign for the film, which was produced by Jason Blum of the Paranormal Activity franchise, and directed by James Wan.
Relativity Media’s thriller LIMITLESS came in No. 4 on Friday, grossing an estimated $3 million from 2,838 theaters for a cume of $49.2 million.
Facing competition from HOP, 20th Century Fox family film DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: RODRICK RULES fell 62% from the previous Friday to roughly $2.8 million from 3,161 theaters for a cume of $31 million in its first eight days. Kids pic came in No. 5.
Lionsgate’s THE LINCOLN LAWYER showed the lowest drop of any film on the top 10 chart, declining 30% to an estimated $2.1 million from 2,707 theaters for a cume of $34.7 million. The adult-skewing legal thriller came in No. 6 for the day.
Another title the film business is watching closely this weekend is the PG-13 version of THE KING'S SPEECH, which the Weinstein Co. opened in 1,006 theaters on Friday after pulling the R-rated version. Early estimates show the new version staying at about the same level as last weekend, when the movie grossed $1.6 million. The Weinstein Co. is hoping the tamer version attracts families.

SNOW WHITE CHOSEN
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Lily Collins, who played Sandra Bullock's daughter in THE BLIND SIDE, has enchanted Relativity Media, which is in negotiations with the young actress to star as SNOW WHITE in its not-yet-titled retelling of the classic fairy tale.
Collins, who also is the daughter of rocker Phil Collins, is said to have blown away Relativity execs with her audition. The plan is for her to shoot SNOW WHITE before she films MORTAL INSTRUMENTS for Screen Gems.
Tarsem Singh is directing the 3D feature, which will also star Julia Roberts as the Queen and Armie Hammer as the Prince.
Relativity's Ryan Kavanaugh is producing along with Bernie Goldman and Brett Ratner. Script is by Melissa Wallack and Jason Keller.
The film is slated for release on June 29, 2012 as it races to hit the screen before a competing Snow White project from Universal.Collins, repped by CAA, will next be seen in Screen Gems' PRIEST and Lionsgate's ABDUCTION.

SATURDAY, APRIL 2, 2011

VAMPIRE DIARIES
There's very little known about highly anticipated VAMPIRE DIARIES villain, Klaus, and the actor who plays him, Joseph Morgan, intends to keep it that way. However, Morgan himself, has already made a splash with VAMPIRE DIARIES fans on Twitter, displaying his detailed knowledge of the book series and chatting with fans about vampire lore. You can follow him at @_josephmorgan.
Morgan is eager to use the considerable buzz generated about his new CW gig to fuel a cause close to his heart, an organization called Positive Women, which raises funds and awareness to empower the women of Swaziland, a small nation in Southern Africa. "Our work focuses on supporting communities to help them change their own lives and circumstances, to alleviate poverty and make significant social progress," the organization's website states. "To achieve this, they must have their basic needs met, choices in their lives and an understanding of their rights. We help make this happen."
The organization is currently encouraging people of means to attempt to "live below the line" on £1 per day to raise awareness of the daily struggle for women in Swaziland.
Though he's currently diligently staying away from cameras to keep Klaus's mystery intact, Morgan recorded a video message last year in support of Positive Women. "It's movements like this that will change the world for the better," he says. "They're the future. And now they need your help -- someone like you. It has to be. We can't look to the next person, or the person after that. We are the ones that will make or break the chains of poverty for the people of Swaziland. Join us, and make a change."
As for Klaus, VAMPIRE DIARIES fans will catch their first glimpse of him in episode 219... aptly titled "Klaus." We'll flash back to 1491 to see Katherine's first meeting with Klaus and Elijah (yes, Daniel Gillies returns) and we'll see where that wretched moonstone curse originated. Back in the present time, Elena will go behind the Salvatore brothers' back with her own ideas about how to handle Klaus' arrival in Mystic Falls. Damon will become a little more vocal about his feelings for Elena, which will cause increasing tension between him and Stefan.

DOCTOR WHO COMING APRIL 23
BBC America has released a brand-new extended trailer of the DOCTOR WHO series!
So what's different from the others we've seen? Well, it has some brand-new scenes and focuses a bit more on the first few episodes of season six—particularly on the two-part opening story that has the Doctor (Matt Smith) and his companions go to 1960s America in "The Impossible Astronaut" and "Day of the Moon."
We also get a good look at actor Mark Sheppard (Supernatural, Battlestar Galactica—seriously, this guy's everywhere), tons more scenes from of the Oval Office, more of River Song (Alex Kingston) and actor Hugh Bonneville's (Downton Abbey) pirate character from the as-yet-untitled episode three.
"Ever look in the mirror and think you're seeing a whole new other world?" asks the Doctor. "Well, this time it's not an illusion."
DOCTOR WHO premieres on April 23rd on BBC America, BBC One (UK) and Space (Canada).

CONAN SEQUEL
The new Conan the Barbarian movie, starring Jason Momoa of Stargate Atlantis fame, won't be hitting theaters until later this summer, but its star just revealed that there are ALREADY plans for a sequel.
While in the U.K. to promote HBO's epic fantasy series GAME OF THRONES (Momoa plays Kahl Drogo), the actor was asked if there were plans down the line for at least one sequel to the upcoming action-fantasy film, which opens Aug. 19.
Momoa's apparently eager response to the question was "Oh, yeah."
"There are sequels to everything. There's a Fast & Furious seven, isn't there? There's like four Pirates of the Caribbean."
Of course, whether the sequel actually gets made will depend largely on the film's box-office gross, as well as—in this day and age—on subsequent DVD and Blu-ray sales.
But while Jason Momoa may be taking over the duties of Arnold Schwarzenneger as everyone's favorite Cimmerian, the Marcus Nispel reboot of the franchise will owe much more to Robert E. Howard's sweeping book saga than the two films Arnie starred in —1982's Conan the Barbarian and 1985's Conan the Destroyer.
Momoa is also enthusiastic about how Conan the Barbarian's shaping up and thinks the fans will be really, really happy about what they'll be seeing in the new movie.
"I got to see a rough cut, and people are going to be stoked. We're not remaking anything Arnold did. It's a totally new story. The same legendary character. We're taking these tons and tons of great Robert E. Howard stories from the '30s and combining a couple and bringing it to audiences in a way that's new and fresh."
Marcus Nispel's Conan the Barbarian also stars Stephen Lang (Avatar), Rachel Nichols (G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra), Rose McGowan (Grindhouse) and Ron Perlman (Hellboy).

DARKEST HOUR
Summit Entertainment has pushed back the release date for Timur Bekmambetov-produced sci-fi action-thriller THE DARKEST HOUR from August 5 to December 23.
The Chris Gorak-directed film is the story of five young people who find themselves stranded in Moscow, fighting to survive in the wake of a devastating alien attack.
The 3D release stars Emile Hirsch, Olivia Thirlby, Max Minghella, Rachael Taylor and Joel Kinnaman.

Roddenberry Productions to Remaster First Six Star Trek Films
Roddenberry Productions is set to remaster the original six films adding all new 3D effects for the space scenes. In addition, the films will be psuedo-3D'd for a possible return to big screen 3D cinema. Leonard Nimoy's character Spock will be digitally replaced with a 3D animated alien (Jar Har Har) that is going to provide all sorts of comedic relief... "We think the kids are just going to get a real kick out of him."

FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2011

TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON
Director Michael Bay has selected the actor who will voice Sentinel Prime in TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON ... and it's a very logical choice indeed.
According to EW.com, Bay has brought Leonard Nimoy on board as the voice of Optimus Prime's predecessor as the leader of the Autobots. We've already seen Sentinel's smashed body on the moon in the film's teaser trailer, where it is discovered by Apollo 11 astronauts back in 1969. In the film's present-day setting, he is brought to Earth and revived, morphing into a fire engine during a climactic battle on the streets of Chicago.
Nimoy, by the way, is no stranger to the Transformers franchise: He was the voice of Galvatron in The Transformers: The Movie (1986). Of course, the legendary actor's other sci-fi credentials (Star Trek, Fringe) pretty much go without saying. (Interesting trivia bit: Another Trek veteran, Roger C. Carmel—aka Harry Mudd—also did voice work for the 1986 animated film.)
Apparently, Bay wanted to hire Nimoy for a role in 2009's TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN but was "too scared" to approach him because he didn't think he had the budget to pay him (this on a $200 million picture). Bay added, "Plus, he's married to Susan Bay, who's a cousin of mine. So I had to be careful. I've met him at family functions. But he told me, 'I would be honored. I'm glad to be back!'"
Nimoy might be coming into the franchise at a good time: After Revenge was raked over the coals by fans and critics alike, Bay has said that Dark of the Moon will feature a better story and more developed robot characters. He told EW, "The robots have more character in this movie. Much more. You really understand their struggle, on both sides, actually."
And who better to provide one of the voices of the new, improved Transformers than Leonard Nimoy?
Do you think his involvement will lend an extra drop of class to Dark of the Moon when it opens on July 1?

LOGAN'S RUN
According to Heat Vision, Will Beall (ABC's "Castle") is in negotiations to write the script for Warner Bros. Pictures' LOGAN'S RUN. Beall's GANGSTER SQUAD just received the green light at the studio as well.
Nicolas Winding Refn is attached to direct LOGAN'S RUN with Ryan Gosling starring. Joel Silver and Akiva Goldsman are producing.
The 1976 original starred Michael York, Jenny Agutter and Farrah Fawcett. It was based on a 1967 novel by William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson. The premise sees a future society that demands the death of everyone upon reaching a certain age. Anyone who veers from that destiny is dubbed a "runner" and is hunted by operatives known as Sandmen. Logan is a Sandman who is forced to go on the run.
Alex Garland wrote the previous draft of the new film.

IRON MAN 3
Deadline is reporting that Drew Pearce has come on board to write the script for IRON MAN 3, in which Robert Downey Jr. will again play Tony Stark.
While it was believed that the third film's director, Shane Black, would write a draft, the site says that Marvel Studios brought Pearce in after he turned in the script for Runaways, based on the comic by Brian K. Vaughan.
Deadline adds that Pearce will be starting from scratch and will work closely with Black.
Disney will release IRON MAN 3 in theaters on May 3, 2013.

TURBO
Variety is reporting that Ryan Reynolds (upcoming Green Lantern) is in final talks to voice DreamWorks Animation's TURBO.
TURBO, to be directed by David Soren from a script he wrote with Darren Lemke, tells the story of an ordinary garden snail with an impossible dream: to become the fastest snail in the world. When a freak accident gives him extraordinary speed, TURBO sets out to try to make this dream come true.
Lisa Stewart (Monsters vs. Aliens) is producing the film, which is scheduled to hit theaters on June 7, 2013.

THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2011

TOTAL RECALL REMAKE
Emmy-winning actor Bryan Cranston is negotiating to play the villain in the upcoming remake of TOTALRECALL. According to Heat Vision, the new version of the story will not take place on Mars like Philip K. Dick's original story ("We Can Remember It for You Wholesale") or the 1990 film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Instead, the script for the new film involves a battle between the nation-states Euromerica and New Shanghai.
Cranston will play Vilos Cohaagen (same name as the villain in the 1990 film), who in this version is the leader of Euromerica and is planning to invade New Shanghai.
Doug Quaid, played by Schwarzenegger in the original, is being portrayed this time around by Colin Farrell. In this story, Quaid is a New Shanghai factory worker who starts to think he's a spy but is not sure which side he's spying for.
In the 1990 version, Quaid buys a memory implant in which he visits Mars and has adventures as a secret agent, only to find out that his false memories may actually be true.
Cranston has won multiple Emmys as the star of the AMC series BREAKING BAD, while also appearing in films like THE LINCOLN LAWYER and next year's JOHN CARTER OF MARS.
The new TOTAL RECALL, under the direction of Len Wiseman (Underworld), will arrive on Aug. 3, 2012.

DOCTOR WHO
The BBC has just released the brand-new, full-length trailer for the upcoming season six of DOCTOR WHO.The thrilling new trailer features everyone's favorite time-traveling Time Lord (Matt Smith) and his faithful companions Amy (Karen Gillan) and Rory (Arthur Darville), as well as the returning River Song (Alex Kingston) and an all-new bunch of characters and monsters for the sixth season.
If you look closely, you'll even get a peek of model and actress Lily Cole, who has a small role as a siren in DOCTOR WHO's pirate-themed episode (episode three).
The most thrilling and chilling part in the trailer for us? When the voice (probably the famous Silence) says: "Fear me, I've killed hundreds of Time Lords," with the Doctor replying: "Fear me, I've killed all of them."
Need some catching up? Time to dust off the season-five DVDs. DOCTOR WHO will return April 23 in the U.K., U.S. and Canada.

TEEN WOLF
MTV has finally released a full-length trailer of its upcoming horror series TEEN WOLF. Besides the frequent shirtlessness and the normal, hormone-filled teen angst (plus, you know, the whole werewolf-changing thing), we can safely say that it looks like it's gonna be nothing like TWILIGHT.
With a look that's dark and mature, MTV's new scripted series TEEN WOLF is a far grittier remake of the 1985 movie, which starred a young Michael J. Fox.
Looking nothing like the fun little '80s film, this TEEN WOLF seems more of a cross between Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The Vampire Diaries, sprinkled with a bit of Being Human for good measure. Add to that a dash of True Blood and voilà! And look—no sparkly vampires either.
This is MTV's synopsis:
Scott was just a regular guy until one bite changed his life forever.
Now he struggles to understand who he is and what he might become. Is he more wolf than human - or is it the other way around? Whichever it is, it's not going to be easy. Scott will try to control his urges, but mostly he's scared that it's his urges that could end up controlling him.
TEEN WOLF is the story of Scott as he tries to walk the line between what he wants and what he can't help from wanting. Will the bite end up being a gift? Or will it be a curse? And what will it all mean for his relationship with Allison - the girl he can't get enough of? Only time will tell if he should embrace his newfound powers, or if he should fear them.
MTV's TEEN WOLF will howl its way to our TV sets on Sunday, June 5, right after the 2011 MTV Movie awards.

GREEN LANTERN NEWS
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Geoffrey Rush has been tapped to voice the role of Tomar-Re, a key member of the Green Lantern Corps in Warner Bros.'s GREEN LANTERN.
Tomar-Re, in comics lore, was a scientist before joining the intergalactic police corps where he was instrumental in training new members. The character helps train Hal Jordan, being portrayed by Ryan Reynolds in the movie.
LANTERN, being directed by Martin Campbell, is in furious post-production to make sure its visual effects are up to snuff as it tries to meet its June 17 release date. Adding actors to vocie characters this late in the film's process is a fairly common practice with Hollywood tentpoles.
Rush was nominated for an Oscar for his work in THE KING'S SPEECH and will be seen again in PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES in May.

WONDER WOMAN
NBC came under fire when it released the first photo of Adrianne Palicki as Wonder Woman earlier this month.Heat Vision reported that fanboys said she looked "too trashy, too bad-porn-y," Fox said her look wasn't patriotic enough and even Lynda Carter, who played her in the '70s TV series, weighed in.
Palicki's blue vinyl pants and blue boots were said to resemble footed pajamas, according to online commenters, and her patent-vinyl outfit "looks cheap" and "probably squeaks every time she moves" wrote blogs.
Now, photos have been surfacing from the set of of David E. Kelly's pilot showing Palicki in what appear to be cotton or spandex pants instead of vinyl and bright red contrasting boots.
A DC Comics spokesperson spoke out in support of the look earlier this month: "The latest evolution of Wonder Woman’s iconic costume is a central part of the latest comic book storyline. All of the classic symbols – patriotic (stars, eagle) and heroic (lasso, bracelets) – are ever-present."

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2011

GREEN LANTERN
GREEN LANTERN has suffered from the lack of top-notch publicity, while other superhero movies have shownrays of promise.
Speaking to the press during this year's CinemaCon—in which the various studios parade their wares for those who own and operate movie theaters themselves (and choose what film plays on which screens)—Warners' worldwide marketing president, Sue Kroll, acknowledged the missteps that came with that first look at Lantern:
"Part of the reason the response to the first trailer was lukewarm was that the big-scale sequences weren't ready to show, and we suffered for it. ... We can't afford to do that again."
Apparently, the studio underestimated the amount of time it'd take to complete the elaborate 3-D sequences, many of which are suitably cosmic in scope. Now they've got it all sorted and, according to their president of motion pictures, Jeff Robinov, their marketing plan is in place: "We won't be in this position again."
Given that Warner Brothers has $200 million on the line, and a lot of catching up to do, we hope not.

FALLING SKIES
The aliens are coming in Steven Spielberg's upcoming alien-invasion series FALLING SKIES, and if the new trailer just released by TNT is any indication, that invasion is going to be bloody and brutal.
We saw a shorter promo last week that teased the show, but this new, longer trailer lays out just what kind of siege we're in for.
FALLING SKIES will premiere on TNT in June.

HAWKEYE
While we'd already heard that Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) was going to make a cameo appearance in Marvel's upcoming superhero movie THOR, we didn't know how big of a cameo it was going to be ... until now. And we've got a few details on what we'll see.
Cinemablend got to see some footage from director Kenneth Branagh's THOR during Cinema Con—and while you might think Marvel and Paramount would NOT show the cameo appearance in order to get us into theaters to see it— they did!
Here's what Katey Rich reported:
Jeremy Renner is playing Hawkeye in Avengers but now we know that the first place you'll see the character is in Thor this summer. The scene we saw featured Renner as Hawkeye, working with the infamous Agent Coulson, played as he was in the Iron Man movies, by Clark Gregg. The scene features Hawkeye using his famous bow and arrow and he has multiple lines, so while we're talking about something a little more than a momentary cameo, there's no way to know if his involvement will go any further than that one scene.
For now at least we know he's in the movie. Expect Hawkeye to show up in Thor when you buy your ticket on May 5th.
May 5 just can't come soon enough.

EARTHSEED
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Melissa Rosenberg is set to write and produce an adaptation of the 1983 young-adult sci-fi novel EARTHSEED, written by Pamela Sargent. The project will launch the film side of Rosenberg's new production company, Tall Girls Prods.
Paramount Film Group president Adam Goodman, who has long wanted to make a movie adaptation of the book, brought the material to Rosenberg. He will shepherd for the studio along with vp Ashley Brucks.
EARTHSEED takes place in a future where humans launch a project called Ship to carry Earth DNA into space to find a new planet on which to settle. During its flight, a group of newly grown teenagers born without traditional parents are provided a simulated Earth environment, Hollow, to test their ability to survive. As some of the kids splinter off, tensions grow between the groups and major revelations ensue as fighting erupts.
“It really talks about the debate of nature vs. nurture, what is innately human and what can be bred in or out of someone," says Rosenberg. "There’s a Lord of the Flies element to it. It involves a young woman who starts off as someone who is content with playing by the rules and being a “good girl,’ and then has to realize that the rules are malleable and that she has to step forward as a leader. It’s really about coming into one’s own power and embracing one’s own strength and individuality."
Sargent, who has written nearly two dozen books, recently wrote two sequels to Earthseed: Farseed (2007) and Seed Seeker (2010). Both the studio and Rosenberg, who has long favored the extended storylines of her TV work, are looking to a potential franchise.
“What I want for Tall Girls is to be creating great, strong roles for women, but in four-quadrant, high-concept movies," Rosenberg says. "Not movies for women in the traditional sense but more interesting, intriguing, complex roles—and kickass women, as well. That is definitely this book.”
Rosenberg wrote the film adaptations for the entire TWILIGHT series, which have grossed $1.8 billion worldwide. The last two films in the series -- Breaking Dawn, Parts 1 & 2 -- will open in November 2011 and November 2012. She also co-wrote the script for Step Up and was a writer-producer on Dexter and The O.C.
Rosenberg is also working on the script for a reboot of Highlander for Summit Entertainment and Original Film, and she is developing AKA Jessica Jones for ABC, a series that she will executive produce through Tall Girls.

HORIZONS/OBLIVION
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Joseph Kosinski’s HORIZONS, aka OBLIVION, is being taken out of Disney.
The studio, for whom Kosinski directed TRON LEGACY, is not moving forward with the sci-fi project and is allowing the director to shop it to other studios and financiers. Sources say Warners, Fox, Universal and Paramount are among the companies now considering the project.
HORIZONS, with a script by William Monahan and Karl Gadjusek, was created by Kosinski who partnered with Radical Pictures before setting it up at Disney. The sci-fi actionner centers on a soldier assigned to patrol a desolate planet who meets a mysterious traveler.
Disney had been in the design stages on HORIZONS for awhile now and even had strong interest from actors; Tom Cruise is such a fan of the project that he even attended the premiere of TRON LEGACY to show his support for Kosinski.
The studio was uncomfortable in making a PG-13 actionner, with Kosinski keen on making a project with edge. Kosinski’s relationship with the studio is so strong, however, that the studio decided to allow him to shop it elsewhere.
Kosinski is making presentations to studios this week.
Kosinski's TRON LEGACY, which hits Blu-ray and DVD next week, grossed over $397 million worldiwide.

TUESDAY, MARCH 29, 2011

TEEN WOLF
MTV's "Teen Wolf" is looking to stake a claim in the supernatural genre. The network's latest original series, which is their new take on the '80s movie of the same name, is set to premiere right after the MTV Movie Awards on Sunday, June 5. Tyler Posey stars as Scott McCall, a high school lacrosse player whose life is changed when he's bitten by a wolf in the woods.
In the three short promos MTV released, you can get a taste of what this show's wolves will look like -- think sharp nails and teeth for starters. Unlike other werewolf fare currently on TV ("The Vampire Diaries" and "True Blood"), "Teen Wolf" won't be using real wolves; These werewolves are Lycan and are still in human form.
Also appearing in the promos are Tyler Hoechlin, Crystal Reed and Colton Haynes. Hoechlin will play the werewolf responsible for changing Scott, Reed will play his love interest (whose dad happens to be a werewolf hunter, ruh-roh!) and Haynes will play the star lacrosse player/resident jerk.

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES
Christopher Nolan is so intent on keeping the ending to THE DARK KNIGHT RISES a secret that he's not letting anyone read it—not even the actors in the movie.
Actor Gary Oldman, who reprises his role as Commissioner Jim Gordon in the upcoming film, told the U.K.'s Absolute Radio:
"To get into the production office, you have to have someone meet you and there are keys and various doors that lock. The script you read in the production office, and there is no ending because (Nolan) tells you the ending so that it doesn't leak and get out, and people spoil it on the internet."
So while the cast members do get to hear the ending, they only have it in their heads and not on the page. And of course none of them are going to start blabbing the finale to whoever's around.
Oldman, however, did say that The Dark Knight Rises is a "really great story, a great script," adding that Nolan has "outdone himself from The Dark Knight." He also hints that the film brings Nolan's Batman trilogy full circle, saying, "He sort of brings it back ... he brings it around."
So all those rumors about The Dark Knight Rises and supposedly leaked scripts are all false ... for now. Unless the production springs a leak somewhere, we'll just have to wait until July 20, 2012 to see how Nolan concludes his epic Batman story.

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS - Part 2
With HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS 2 coming July 15, 2011, the end is fast approaching, and in the final installment's first poster, 10 years of boy wizarding has taken its toll on poor Harry.
The poster, featuring Daniel Radcliffe as Harry and Ralph Fiennes as Lord Voldemort, shows that we're in for a life-or-death struggle, and the lightness of 2001's Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (has it really been that long?) is a thing of the past.
All we can say is—bring it on!

I, FRANKENSTEIN
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Stuart Beattie has come aboard the Lakeshore Entertainment project I, FRANKENSTEINas writer and director. The filmmakers are looking to a fall shoot.
A Darkstorm Studios graphic novel created by Kevin Grevioux, I, Frankenstein pictures a modern-day world where the classic literary monster stands between humans and a host of other supernatural creatures looking to rise up and take over. Grevioux co-created the successful werewolves-vs.-vampires series Underworld, also produced by Lakeshore.
Beattie most recently wrote and directed the Aussie-centric teen action drama Tomorrow, When the War Began, which broke box office records in Beattie's native Australia when it opened last fall. The impact of the film's war scenes likely drew Lakeshore execs to Beattie, who was making his directorial debut. The writer-director is expected to shoot back-to-back sequels to TWTWB, all of them based on a popular series of novels by John Marsden, but that has been pushed off into the future.
Gary Lucchesi, Tom Rosenberg and Richard Wright are producing I, Frankenstein for Lakeshore. Grevioux, who first penned the adapted screenplay, will serve as an executive producer.
The CAA-repped Beattie also recently co-wrote G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, Australia and 30 Days of Night. He has a screenplay for a new Tarzan feature in development at Warner Bros.
Lakeshore recently produced THE UGLY TRUTH, ELEGY and UNTRACEABLE.

MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2011

MISS MARPLE COMES TO THE BIG SCREEN
Agatha Christie’s elderly detective Miss Marple is getting the big-screen treatment from Disney.
After months of negotiations, the studio has closed a deal to capture the movie rights to the character, who first appeared in 1927.
Mark Frost has been tapped to pen the screenplay.
Marple was one of Christie’s most famous creations, an elderly woman constantly knitting or weeding, looking sweet and frail though the exterior masks a sharp mind with a deep understanding of the dark side of human nature.
The character first appeared on screen in 1961 in Murder, She Said, portrayed by Margaret Rutherford, who was 70 when she played the character in the first of a series of movies. Angela Landsbury played the character in 1980’s The Mirror Crack’d.
Disney is not making a period movie however but looking do a contemporary version.
Hiring Frost may also signal an intent to make something with an edge. The writer, whose recent credits include penning the Fantastic Four movies, is best known for co-creating the landmark TV series Twin Peaks with David Lynch.

WARNER BROS. EXPANDS FACEBOOK MOVIE OFFERINGS
Three weeks after Warner Bros. announced plans to digitally rent movies on Facebook, starting with The Dark Knight, the studio has added five more titles that will become available for rent starting Sunday night.
At 10 p.m. PT, consumers will be able to rent the first two movies of the Harry Potter franchise, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets; Christopher Nolan's mid-bending Inception; romantic comedy Life As We Know It; and Yogi Bear, which became available on DVD, Blu-Ray and 3D Blu-Ray on March 22.
The titles will be available for rent directly through each film's official Facebook page using Facebook Credits.
"We're pleased to expand our test with a variety of titles that will appeal to a broad audience," said Thomas Gewecke, president of Warner Bros. Digital Distribution. "These titles have substantial followings on Facebook. The fan pages for 'Harry Potter' and 'Inception' alone are two of the most popular and active communities on the site."
Fans will have full control over the film while watching it through their Facebook account for up to 48 hours from purchase. They can choose to watch it in full screen, pause the movie and resume playing it when they log back into Facebook. Consumers will also have full Facebook functionality including the ability to post comments, interact with friends and update their status.
Warners first announced it would begin testing digital rentals on Facebook on March 7.
The Facebook model underscores just how vital digital distribution is becoming for the studios.
Digital distribution rose 19% to $2.5 billion in 2010, according to the Digital Entertainment Group.

THE THREE MUSKETEERS
The first trailer for Paul W.S. Anderson's THE THREE MUSKETEERS has just been released through iTunes Movie Trailers!
Opening in 3D on October 14, 2011, the action adventure Logan Lerman, Milla Jovovich, Matthew Macfadyen, Ray Stevenson, Luke Evans, Mads Mikkelson, Gabriella Wilde, Juno Temple, Orlando Bloom and Christoph Waltz in an adaptation of the classic Alexandre Dumas tale.
In THE THREE MUSKETEERS, the hot-headed young D'Artagnan (Lerman) joins forces with three rogue Musketeers (MacFadyen, Evans and Stevenson). They must stop the evil Richlieu (Waltz) and face off with Buckingham (Bloom) and the treacherous Milady (Jovovich).

NEW DOCTOR WHO EPISODE
The premiere of DOCTOR WHO's sixth season is less than a month away (April 23), and the BBC's doing a darn good job of keeping us all pumped and ready for its Easter weekend debut by releasing an online prequel that kicks off the upcoming new season.
After the Comic Relief minisode and the small teasers, we're now showered with another prequel mini-episode. This prequel will segue directly into the first episode, titled "The Impossible Astronaut," in a storyline that will be concluded the following week (April 30) in "Day of the Moon."
Written by Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat, this jaw-dropping prequel features the White House Oval Office and President Richard Nixon.
A phone call on the President's private line announces, in a child's voice, that there are monsters coming and that they're everywhere all the time.
Look behind you, Mr. President!

LONGMIRE
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA's Katee Sackhoff is suiting up again. The Hollywood Reporter writes that the actress has been cast in the A&E pilot LONGMIRE, in which she'll play a deputy opposite Robert Taylor's Wyoming sheriff.
From the Shephard/Robin Co. and Warner Horizon Television, the drama will be directed by Greg Yaitanes (House) and written by Hunt Baldwin, John Coveny and Craig Allen Johnson. The latter also wrote the book series on which the pilot is based.
Sackhoff played Capt. Kara "Starbuck" Thrace on Galacitica from 2004 to 2009. Her last series regular role was on the final season of Fox's 24. More recently, she had a multiepisode arc on CBS' CSI.
Also joining the cast are Lou Diamond Phillips (Stargate Universe), Bailey Chase (Saving Grace) and Cassidy Freeman (Smallville).

FRINGE RENEWED FOR FOURTH SEASON
FRINGE, proving itself to be the show that refuses to die, the Anna Torv-Joshua Jackson-John Noble para-science-fiction series was just granted a fourth year by Fox. Hooray for more pan-dimensional escapades!
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Fringe didn't just get picked up for a fourth season, it got picked up for 22 episodes-worth of a fourth season, a terrific show of faith from Fox, a company which has been known to, from time to time, mercilessly cancel low-rated genre programming.
But if you hear Fox's entertainment chief Kevin Reilly tell it, as he did earlier this year, he's a big cheerleader for the J.J. Abrams, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman-created show:
"It's a fantastic show ... and honestly I'd be heartbroken if it went away."
This is one of the few shows on TV today that will keep you guessing. I am thrilled about the renewal.

STARGATE UNIVERSE
Red Eye Chicago reports that SGU visual FX supervisor Mark Savela and production assistant Ken Kabatoff have teamed up to write a pilot for a new series called Echoes. And they say that they've rallied "about 80 percent" of the SGU production crew to create a presentation piece with which they hope to sell the show.
The team, which includes SGU veterans like actors Jen Spence and Mike Dopud, director Will Waring, director of photography Michael Blundell, production designer James Robbins and composer Joel Goldsmith, is assembling in Vancouver this weekend to shoot the piece, which will showcase about 15 pages of the script.
The proposed series follows the struggles of humans trying to survive an alien apocalypse in the near future. The twist on this well-worn premise is that the aliens did not intentionally set out to destroy us; Earth got caught in the crossfire between two extraterrestrial races.
Kabakoff said, "Having aliens against another alien race basically leaves the humans as collateral on their own planet. Many of the Earth's citizens have been wiped out already. It's not us against them, it's them against each other, and we're just trying to stay alive."
Spence, SGU's Dr. Lisa Park, will play a woman leading a band of humans across what's left of the United States two years after the alien war crashed into Earth. Savela said, "It's basically her journey from a shy, unassuming kind of wall flower into a kind of Sarah Connor-type character."
Once the presentation piece is completed, Savela and Kabatoff will shop it around to the networks, where hopefully the "dark, gritty and action-packed" series they have planned will get picked up.
If it does, it seems likely that the pair could bring back many of the SGU team members who helped get Echoes started. Savela said, "When we came up with this project, people said 'Oh, we all get to work together again? That's really cool.' Everybody jumped on board."

CAPTAIN AMERICA
The first trailer for CAPTAIN AMERICA America is here and it's about time.
We get a skinny and weak Chris Evans as Steve Rogers, and the origin is sketched out for the first half of the trailer. Is that TMI? Nah, because we get served up a great line: "Because a weak man knows the value of strength, knows the value of power."
Not quite the level of, "With great power comes great responsibility" (the famous Spider-Man phrase), but the great delivery does put it close to that ballpark.
The trailer builds nicely to a quick peek at the Red Skull and to some action.
Don't yield, back the shield! (To borrow a phrase.)
The film opens July 22.

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES
According to Variety, Juno Temple has now officially joined the cast of Christopher Nolan's THE DARKKNIGHT RISES.
The actress is set to play "street-smart Gotham girl." We're interested in hearing who you think she may play.
She joins a cast that includes Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The anticipated film is scheduled to hit theaters on July 20, 2012.

THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 2011

BEING HUMAN
Meaghan Rath can't say what's in store for the season-one finale of BEING HUMAN, but the actress promises that it'll be bloody good.
Rath, of course, stars in Syfy's adaptation of the supernatural British show of the same name as Sally, a ghost who lives with a werewolf (Sam Huntington as Josh) and a vampire (Sam Witwer as Aidan). Season one will conclude on April 11 with "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Me Killing You," which the network summed up thusly [*spoilers ahead*]: Aidan and Bishop (Mark Pellegrino) square off; Nora (Kristen Hager) finds out the truth about Josh; Sally's able to touch.
"I think we're really on a wave of momentum right now that's coming to a breaking point," Rath said on March 22, during an interview at Syfy's upfront presentation for advertisers in New York City. "As the chaos grows our characters are breaking down even more and are hitting these new rock-bottoms, and everything is going to come to the surface pretty soon."
Can we assume there will be a cliffhanger?
"There is a cliffhanger," Rath confirmed, "a MASSIVE cliffhanger."
Syfy announced on March 17 that it had renewed BEING HUMAN for a second 13-episode season. Production will begin soon, and Rath had some concrete ideas for what she'd like to see for the show in general and Sally specifically.
"I would love to see Sally really come into her powers, to really assume the being that she is and kick some serious ass," she said. "That would be amazing. And I think, for the show, I have no idea what's in store. They haven't told me anything. All I know is where we leave off in the first season, and I have full trust in the writers and the creators, and I think they'll make the show different from where the British one is going, but also someplace dark and exciting and funny, like it has been all season."
The goal, Rath added, is to break away entirely from the British edition.
"I know that our writers, Anna Fricke and Jeremy Carver, haven't even seen the second season of the British one," she said. "So I think we'll be doing our own thing now at this point."

DOCTOR WHO
Everyone is trying to get more on the upcoming DOCTOR WHO. Two brand-new teasers for the upcoming sixth season of the beloved sci-fi series are now on-line.
The BBC has just released these VERY short (but still ultimately sweet) teasers that do exactly what they're supposed to do: tease.
The first storyline of the season, a two-parter with episodes one and two entitled "The Impossible Astronaut" and "Day of the Moon," will feature the Doctor and his newlywed companions Amy and Rory in America. (It was actually partly filmed in the U.S., Utah specifically, for the very first time in the show's history, though the Doctor and his companions have visited the U.S. before in different storylines.)
Written by showrunner Steven Moffat, the story also marks the return of the mysterious River Song (Alex Kingston) and a character named Canton Everett Delaware III, played by Mark Sheppard (Supernatural).
DOCTOR WHO will premiere both in the U.S. and the U.K. on April 23.

TORCHWOOD
The next season of John Barrowman's world-saving sci-fi series, TORCHWOOD, is barreling toward its July premiere. And we've got precisely when you should mark your calendar.
As creator and executive producer Russell T Davies explained back in January, Torchwood: Miracle Day springs from a seemingly wonderful event, one with vast ramifications:
"It's as simple as this: that one day on Earth no one dies. Not a single person on Earth dies. The next day no one dies. The next day no one dies, and on and on and on. ... The possibility of death ceases to exist. Great news for some people, but globally it's an instant overnight population boom. The Earth relies on people dying. That's how the whole system works. The food, the room, the temperature. Suddenly you've got a crisis affecting everyone on the planet, and that's where the Torchwood team and our brand-new characters come in."
The new series kicks off on July 8 on Starz.

TRUE BLOOD
HBO is going full steam ahead with its—as always—awesome campaign for the upcoming season four of TRUE BLOOD, and there's a new promo trailer that teases BIG changes for one of the show's main characters, Jason Stackhouse.
This promo shows Sookie Stackhouse's (Anna Paquin) good-hearted but ultimately not-too-bright road worker brother Jason tied up to a bed with the lovely but deeply troublesome Crystal Norris (Lyndsay Pulsipher) hovering over him.
Things get ominous when Crystal tells a scared Jason, whose bloodied chest is covered in deep scratches, that he'll soon be reborn.
Yes. Jason will become one of those big werepanthers that we saw at the end of season three. Talk about BIG changes for him. Ya can't get any bigger than that.
We've also included two other promo trailers.
One we've already shown you before—the Eric (Alexander Skarsgard) one—and a new one with bar owner and shapeshifter Sam Merlotte (Sam Trammell), who will—once again (show creator Alan Ball sure doesn't give up on Sam's love life, does he?)—get a new love interest. (Let's truly hope for the poor guy that this time will be the RIGHT one.)
TRUE BLOOD season four will return on June 12, 2011, on HBO.

FREE AGENTS
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Anthony Head will reprise his role in the U.S. adaptation of FREE AGENTS for NBC.
The single-camera romantic comedy pilot, from Universal Media studios, centers on the attraction between two quirky co-workers who are both on the rebound (one from a divorce, the other from the loss of a fiance).
Head, whose previous credits include Merlin, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the U.K. Agents original, will once again play the part of cocky boss Stephen. As of now, he plans to guest in the pilot with a series option. He will join previously cast Hank Azaria, Kathryn Hahn and Mo Mandel.
John Enbom (Party Down, Veronica Mars) will serve as the pilot's writer and executive producer with Kenton Allen and Karey Burke locked as executive producers. Todd Holland (Malcolm in the Middle, Sons of Tucson) is on board to executive produce and direct.
Head is repped by Gordon and French.

CAPTAIN AMERICA
Paramount Pictures and Marvel Studios have released the full new trailer for CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER!
Opening in 3D and 2D theaters on July 22, the Joe Johnston-directed action adventure stars Chris Evans, Hayley Atwell, Hugo Weaving, Sebastian Stan, Toby Jones, Samuel L. Jackson, Dominic Cooper, Tommy Lee Jones, Stanley Tucci, Neal McDonough and Derek Luke.
CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER will focus on the early days of the Marvel Universe when Steve Rogers volunteers to participate in an experimental program that turns him into the Super Soldier known as Captain America.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2011

SYFY SERIES UPDATE
Syfy will launch its new sort-of superhero series ALPHAS in the summer, and it's developing a boatload of unscripted shows (along with a few scripted ones) for the coming year.
One of the channel's upcoming Saturday-night B-movies is called JERSEY SHORT SHARK ATTACK.
The cable channel made the announcements Tuesday (March 22) at upfront presentation in New York. On the scripted side of the ledger, ALPHAS -- starring David Strathairn as the leader of a team of people whose "brain anomalies" give them special mental and physical abilities -- will premiere in July along with three returning shows: WAREHOUSE 13, EUREKA and HAVEN.
Syfy is also still developing BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: BLOOD & CHROME (although there's nothing new to report) and three comedy projects. One is "Three Inches," about a guy who has the ability to move any object with his mind ... up to a distance of three inches. The show was originally conceived as an hour-long series, but since ALPHAS played in somewhat similar territory, Syfy rejiggered it as a half-hour comedy.
Another comedy project, "Me and Lee," has also gone through the development mill. It began life as a 2007 FOX pilot starring Jamie Kennedy as a guy who meets "Six Million Dollar Man" Lee Majors, who's been experimenting with his own form of bionics. Kennedy's no longer attached, but Majors is. The third comedy is called "In the Dark," and it's a goof on the many ghost-hunting shows currently on TV that follows a team of third-rate paranormal investigators on their various missions.
Syfy will also premiere the movie NEVERLAND, starring Keira Knightley as the voice of Tinkerbell and Charlie Rowe ("Never Let Me Go," "Pirate Radio") as Peter Pan, in December.
The channel will also roll out three new unscripted series in the coming months. "Haunted Collector" (about a family that tracks down and collects supposedly possessed items) debuts in June, "Legend Quest" (a sort of real-life "Da Vinci Code") in July and "Paranormal Witness" (exactly what the title says) in December. Among the 10 -- yes, 10 -- reality projects in development are "Culture Shock With Tommy Lee," a travel show in which the rock-'n'-roller investigated secret societies around the world; "Monster Man," about creature creator Cleve Hall; "Dinner With Deepak" (Chopra, that is); and "Hi Tech Hoaxes," a prank show with movie-quality special effects.
And, yes, "Jersey Shore Shark Attack." Other Saturday movie titles we like: "Bigfoot," starring Barry Williams and Danny Bonaduce; "Gretl," with Shannen Doherty as the fairy-tale character, all grown up; and the self-explanatory "Zombie Apocalypse."

FALLING SKIES
TERRA NOVA may be getting the lion's share of the attention lately, but don't forget about that OTHER Steven Spielberg series on the horizon—FALLING SKIES, starring Noah Wyle as a resistance fighter, which takes place six months after an invasion.
TNT has released a new promo for the series, due to launch in June, which shows that not all aliens have polished their marketing skills as well as those good-looking Vs from V.

RISE OF THE APES
20th Century Fox is moving up the release date of RISE OF THE APES from Thanksgiving to Aug. 5.
In its new home, RISE OF THE APES will be the final tentpole of the summer season, and capitalize on kids still being out of school.
Other movies opening on Aug. 5 include Universal's comedy THE CHANGE-UP, Summit's sci-fi alien invasion film THE DARKEST HOUR and Sony's THE SMURFS.
Just as the summer box office now begins in the first weekend of May, studios are relying on August more and more, as June and July grow more crowded. Early August has turned out several hits in recent years, including THE BOURNEULTIMATUM and TROPIC THUNDER.
RISE OF THE APES -- an origins story set in modern-day San Francisco -- was originally to have opened in June, but Fox pushed back the opening to Nov. 23. Directed by Rupert Wyatt, Rise of the Apes stars James Franco, Freida Pinto and Andy Serkis.

THIN MAN REMAKE GETS A WRITER
The Hollywood Reporter writes that author and screenwriter Jerry Stahl has been tapped to pen the script for THETHIN MAN, Warner Bros.’ remake of the classic private eye movie which has Johnny Depp attached to star and Rob Marshall in negotiations to direct.
The original movie was based on a Dashiell Hammett novel, which centered on former private detective-turned-professional drunkard Nick Charles, his lovely socialite wife Nora and their schnauzer Asta.
The book saw the Charles couple investigate a murder involving an eccentric inventor and his bizarre family.
The studio put the remake into development in October, taking its time to find a writer who would give it a contemporary attitude but retain the period setting.
Depp will produce with his Infinitum Nihil partner Christi Dembrowski.
Former Warners exec Kevin McCormick, who worked with Depp on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Sweeney Todd, is producing via his studio-based Langley Park.
Stahl may be best known for PERMANENT MIDNIGHT, his memoir about his heroin days which later was adapted into a movie with Ben Stiller as Stahl. The writer also had a thriving career writing TV shows, with credits including MOONLIGHTING, ALF and TWIN PEAKS under his belt.
After some time away from Hollywood, it appears Stahl is in the midst of a return. THE THIN MAN gig marks the second hot project he’s involved with, the first being HEMINGWAY & GELLHORN. That HBO movie, which sees Nicole Kidman and Clive Owen toplining, just began shooting.
Stahl is repped by WME.

THE MAGICIAN'S NEPHEW
Walden Media co-founder and president Michael Flaherty has revealed to The Christian Post that if there will be another "Narnia" movie, it will be THE MAGICIAN'S NEPHEW and not The Silver Chair as many fans has expected.
"We are starting to talk to Fox and talk to the C.S. Lewis estate now about the Magician's Nephew being our next film," Flaherty said. "If we can all agree to move forward, then what we would do is find someone to write the script. So, it could still be a couple of years."
The third film in the franchise, THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER was made for about $155 million and earned $403.9 million worldwide. While that was down a bit from PRINCE CASPIAN's $419.7 million, that second film also cost more to make - in the $225 million range. The first film, THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE,is still the most successful having pulled in an impressive $745 million with a budget of $180 million.
Flaherty told the site that THE MAGICIAN'S NEPHEW, the sixth book published in the seven title series and a prequel to THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE, is his favorite.
"I love THE MAGICIAN'S NEPHEW because it's a great origins story. You get to learn so much about where the wardrobe came from, where the lamppost came from, where Narnia came from," he said.
THE MAGICIAN'S NEPHEW is the second most popular book in the series behind only THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE.
Flaherty added that they will again be targeting a Christmas release for THE MAGICIAN'S NEPHEW.

TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 2011

PRIATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES
We already know to steer clear of zombies—and so does Captain Jack Sparrow. But keeping away from mermaids isn't something we're usually warned against. The newest trailer for Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stanger Tides, however, shows that a pretty face can be just as dangerous as a rotting one!

MORE REALITY SHOWS FOR SYFY
The SyFy network will add unscripted newcomers "Haunted Collector," "Legend Quest" and "Paranormal Witness" to its schedule later this year.
In a bid to further broaden its brand, Syfy is upping its commitment to the reality genre.
The network will announce at Tuesday's upfront presentation to advertisers in New York that it has picked up a trio of reality series -- HAUNTED COLLECTOR, LEGEND QUEST and PARANORMAL WITNESS -- to launch later this year. The series will join the net’s growing cadre of unscripted hits, including GHOST HUNTERS, DESTINATION TRUTH and FACE OFF, which was recently renewed for a second season.
The announcement follows continued ratings gains at the NBC Universal-owned network, where primetime tune-in is up 13 percent in total viewers and 7 percent in the advertiser-beloved adults 18-49 demographic thus far this quarter, compared to the same period a year earlier.
HAUNTED COLLECTOR, a working title, centers on a family of renowned paranormal investigators who spend its time tracking down haunted items. The family then houses its collections -- think guns, jewelry, paintings and dolls -- in its museum. The series, from Gurney Prods.' Scott Gurney and Deirdre Gurney, will be paired with the second season of Hollywood Treasure, beginning in June.
A month later, Syfy will roll out LEGEND QUEST, an action-adventure series that followsreal-life symbologist Ashley Cowie as he travels the world in search of hidden, mystical artifacts. Each episode is designed to combine Indiana Jones-style adventure and Da Vinci Code-type connections as theories are explored. The series is a co-production from BASE Production’s John Brenkus and Mickey Stern and Universal Networks International.
Finally, PARANORMAL WITNESS, a drama-documentary series from Raw TV, the creative team behind Locked Up Abroad and Gold Rush Alaska. The show will bring to life the stories of people who claim to have lived through paranormal experiences. Episodes will feature a mixture of first-hand testimony and gritty drama. Dimitri Doganis and Bart Layton will serve as executive producers on the show, which is set to premiere in September.
The presentation will take place at the Foxwoods Theatre, where the Madison Avenue crowd will be treated to a performance of the troubled musical Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark. Syfy brass will have to hope the new offerings will fare better.

JACK THE GIANT KILLER
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Ian McShane, who plays Blackbeard in the new PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN movie, is going regal for his next role.
The actor has been cast to play a king in New Line's JACK THE GIANT KILLER, the Bryan Singer-directed retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk fairy tale. Jack centers on a farm boy (Nicholas Hoult) who leads an expedition to free a princess (Eleanor Tomlinson) taken hostage by a giant, a situation that threatens the uneasy peace between humans and giants.
Stanley Tucci is a villain, an adviser to the king with designs on usurping power, with Ewan McGregor, Bill Nighy and John Kassir rounding out the cast.
McShane will play the princess' father, King Brahmwell, who is none too thrilled about a union between his daughter and a farmer boy.
The actor, repped by ICM, Independent Talent Group and Gallant Management, was last seen in TV's PILLARS OF THE EARTH.

SYFY ADDS TRAVEL SERIES
Tommy Lee, former Motley Crue drummer, will attempt to uncover rituals, symbols and other mysteries of secret societies in “Culture Shock With Tommy Lee” an investigative travel show for Syfy, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed Monday.
Tommy Lee has gone from studying in college to studying the world.
Following NBC's six-episode run of Tommy Lee Goes to College in 2004, in which the tattooed rocker attended the University of Nebraska and tried out for school's marching band, Lee will attempt to uncover rituals, symbols andother mysteries of secret societies.
The series, which will feature hourlong episodes, is produced by ITV Studios America with Lee and Carl Stubner as exec producers.

MONDAY, MARCH 21, 2011

AMERICAN HORROR STORY
"Friday Night Lights" star Connie Britton will star in a pilot in the works at FX -- or rather, another pilot in the works at FX.
Britton has taken one of the lead roles in "American Horror Story," from "Glee" co-creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, Deadline reports. The pilot is scheduled to shoot in April, after "Glee" wraps production for the season.
FX is remaining quiet about just what the show is about, but per Deadline Britton will be playing one of the two lead roles. The show centers on a therapist named Ben Harmon and his wife, Vivien (Britton).
The project is actually the second one at FX for Britton, an Emmy nominee last year for "FNL." She's also attached as a producer and potential star of a drama from "The Fighter" director David O. Russell. That project, however, is still in the early stages of development.

FRINGE RATINGS STEADY
Fast National ratings for Friday, March 18, 2011
"Dateline" helped lead NBC to a ratings victory over the NCAA tournament on CBS on Thursday night, as the two-hour block averaged 7 million viewers. The NCAA tournament was down from Thursday night, leaving CBS to take third in the ratings. FRINGE held on to most of its viewers, averaging 3.7 million, and its demographic ratings were up.
NBC's 6.1 million viewers and 4.2 rating/8 share in households dominated the night, leaving ABC to take second place (4.7, 3.1/6). CBS took third with 4.5 million viewers and a 2.9/5. NBC (3.7 million, 2.3/4) came in fourth, and The CW trailed with 1.4 million viewers and a 0.8/1.
CBS ruled the adults 18-49 demographic with a 1.5 rating (thanks to the NCAA tournament) and FOX came in a close second with 1.4. ABC was the best of the rest at 1.3, followed by NBC's 1.2. The CW posted a 0.5 in the demographics.

THE HOBBIT FILMING UNDERWAY
Filming on Peter Jackson's long-awaited adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's THE HOBBIT gets under way Monday in Wellington, New Zealand, with everyone involved "raring to go," Jackson's assistant Matt Dravitski told New Zealand media.
The start of filming on the two $500 million Hobbit films -- prequels to The Lord of the Rings -- comes after setbacks that have included disputes over distribution rights to the films; financial difficulties of studios MGM and New Line; the departure of Guillermo Del Toro as director; industrial action brought about by N.Z. Actros Equity, which threatened to move the shoot from New Zealand; and Jackson's hospitalization in February for a perforated stomach ulcer.
Martin Freeman, who stars in the title role as Bilbo Baggins, joked about the so-called "curse of The Hobbit" last month: "There are some bits of bad luck associated with it [but] we're ready to go -- just as soon as 2015 comes around."
The company of 13 dwarves, Baggins and the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) have been in Wellington for the last two months preparing for the films.
THE HOBBIT, to be made as two 3D films, follows the journey of Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, which was conquered by the dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of 13 dwarves led by the legendary warrior Thorin Oakensheild. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers and ultimately Baggins' meeting with Gollum, where he gains possession of Gollum's "precious" ring -- the simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-Earth.
Joining Baggins on the quest are the Dwarves, played by Richard Armitage (Thorin Oakenshield), Ken Stott (Balin), Graham McTavish (Dwalin), William Kircher (Bifur), James Nesbitt (Bofur), Stephen Hunter (Bombur), Rob Kazinsky (Fili), Aidan Turner (Kili), Peter Hambleton (Gloin), John Callen (Oin), Jed Brophy (Nori), Mark Hadlow (Dori) and Adam Brown (Ori).
Warner Bros. on Monday confirmed that Cate Blanchett (Galadriel), Andy Serkis (Gollum) and Elijah Wood (Frodo) will reprise their roles from Lord of the Rings. N.Z. actors Jeffrey Thomas and Mike Mizrahi also join the cast as Dwarf Kings Thror and Thrain, respectively.
Filming, under the eye of director of photography Andrew Lesnie, will take place at Wellington Stone Street Studios, the village of Matamata and at other undisclosed locations around New Zealand.
The two films are said to be worth more than $1 billion to the N.Z. economy. The New Zealand government is providing incentives and tax breaks worth around $100 million to the shoot.
Also working on the films are production designer Dan Hennah, conceptual designers Alan Lee and John Howe, composer Howard Shore and makeup and hair designer Peter King. Costumes are designed by Ann Maskrey and Richard Taylor.
Taylor is also overseeing the design and production of weaponry, armor and prosthetics, which are once again being made by Weta Workshop. Weta Digital takes on the visual effects for both films, led by the film's visual effects supervisor, Joe Letteri. Postproduction will take place at Park Road Post Production in Wellington.
THE HOBBIT is produced by Jackson and Fran Walsh, alongside Carolynne Cunningham. Executive producers are Ken Kamins and Zane Weiner, with Philippa Boyens as co-producer.
THE HOBBIT films are co-produced by New Line Cinema and MGM, with New Line managing production. Warner Bros. Pictures is handling worldwide theatrical distribution, with select international territories as well as all international television licensing being handled by MGM.
The two films are planned for release in late 2012 and 2013, respectively.

MEGACON UPDATE
Ranger Lyta writes that Bruce Boxleitner has had to cancel his appearance at MegaCon this year. For more informationabout the convention taking place next weekend in Florida, see the convention calendar below.

SUNDAY, MARCH 20, 2011

BATMAN NEWS
According to Variety reports, Joseph Gordon-Levitt is set to re-team with "Inception" director Christopher Nolan and co-star Tom Hardy for the third "Batman" flick "The Dark Knight Rises."
Fans have been speculating for weeks on who Gordon-Levitt would play should he be cast -- the most popular guesses being The Riddler or Deadshot. While it's not confirmed, insiders tell Variety that he will be playing Alberto Falcone. Falcone is the son of Mafia chieftain Carmine Falcone, a character from "Batman Begins" played by Tom Wilkinson.
Alberto Falcone is also known as The Holiday Killer and fits in with Nolan's plans for the trilogy -- bringing in realistic villains for Christian Bale's Batman and having the series come full-circle.
Indie actress Juno Temple is also reportedly in contention for a role as a street-smart Gotham girl. Sources say no formal offer is on the table yet.
Warner Bros. declined to comment on the casting rumors. "The Dark Knight Rises" is scheduled to hit theaters July 20, 2012.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
In a boost for Relativity Media's new marketing and distribution operation, Bradley Cooper starrer LIMITLESS opened to No. 1 at the Friday box office, grossing an estimated $6.6 million from 2,756 theaters.
After that, it was a tight race between the two other new movies, the Matthew McConaughy legal thriller THE LINCOLNLAWYER and Universal's sci-fi comedy PAUL, and two holdovers, BATTLE: LOS ANGELES and sleeper hit RANGO.
The four films grossed between $4.1 million and $4.5 million, led by Sony's BATTLE at $4.5 million from 3,417 theaters for a cume of $50.5 million in its first eight days (sci-fi actioner fell 66% from the previous Friday).
PAUL grossed an estimated $4.4 million from 3,843 theaters, while Rango fell a narrow 21% to $4.3 million from 3,843 locations for a cume of $81.5 million. Lincoln Lawyer grossed an estimated $4.1 million from 2,707 theaters.
But what really had Hollywood talking was the continued absence of young people. All three new films skewed older, with 94% of Lincoln Lawyer's audience over the age of 25 (54% were over the age of 50), an astounding statistic.
Of those buying tickets for LIMITLESS, 69% were over the age of 25. Even Paul--targeting fanboys--played older, with 58% over the age of 25.
LINCOLN LAWYER drew a strong A- CinemaScore, while Limitless and Paul each earned a B+.
LIMITLESS is on track to win the weekend crown with as much as $18 million. Rango has a shot at No. 2, while BATTLE could come in No. 3, although the volatility of the box office makes predictions difficult.
In a first, Lionsgate and Groupon teamed to offer $6 tickets for Lincoln Lawyer (in some cases it was reportedly $1). Rival studios have complained that the Groupon promotion could inflate grosses, since those tickets are counted at full price.
So far, only 20,000 tickets have been redeemed, which equals about $160,000 in grosses -- not enough to move the needle. Lionsgate views the Groupon as a promotional tool.

FRINGE RATINGS DOWN
Fox's FRINGE hit a series low in the ratings Friday night.
The sci-fi series was down 13 percent from the previous week, drawing a 1.3 rating in the 18-49 demographic, though FRINGE (3.8 million) was also going up against CBS' telecast of the NCAA college basketball tournament.
While FRINGE was struggling, lead-in KITCHEN NIGHTMARES (3.7 million, 1.5) ticked up. NIGHTMARES tied CBS for the win in the demo at 8 p.m. Fox still placed second on the night with a 1.4.
NBC's Who Do You Think You Are? (4.3 million, 0.9) aired, with Dateline (7.1 million, 1.4) following.
The series finale of ABC's Supernanny (4.5 million, 1.0) did OK. What Would You Do? (5 million, 1.5) and 20/20 (4.8 million, 1.4) followed.

SATURDAY, MARCH 19, 2011

TERRA NOVA
The premiere of Terra Nova may have been pushed back from May to the fall, but Fox wants to make sure we've don't forget about the series—so it just released another taste of the Steven Spielberg-produced, dinosaur-filled show to keep us going until then.

DOCTOR WHO
I know April 23 seems very far away for DOCTOR WHO FANS. So ... you can get your fix right now in this brand-new DOCTOR WHO minisode, which features not one but TWO Amy Ponds. And it's a timey wimey, wibbly wobbly thing.
Entitled "Space" (part 1) and "Time" (part 2), the special mini-episode is written by none other than Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat himself for a charity event called Red Nose Day (also known as Comic Relief) in the U.K.
If you've ever wanted to see how two Amy Ponds would act when pitched together in the same space-time continuum and how two TARDISes inside one another would work, this is your chance! Plus you also get to see two Rorys and two Doctors as well.

NEW WONDER WOMAN
Lots has been said about David E. Kelley's new take on DC's pre-eminent superheroine, and little of it has been good. But all of those opinions have been based on little more than casting sheets and illicitly obtained copies of the pilot script. But now you can see Diana, Princess of Themyscera. And ...
The costume is a little too shiny, the colors are a bit too bright and poor Adrienne Palicki is gonna sweat to death in all that latex. But there are no stars on her underpants, and they retained some of the bustier-feel of the Lynda Carter Wonder Woman while making the outfit something that a lady could, conceivably, kick some butt in.

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS - PART TWO
Although Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 2 won't be hitting screens until July 15, 2011, the promotion wheels are spinning. Now Warner Brothers has released a behind-the-scenes look of Deathly Hallows 2 to the Harry Potter Facebook page.
It's not the official trailer, but this featurette contains glimpses of the upcoming movie ... including the showdown between Harry and You-Know-Who. We also get short interviews from producer David Heyman and director David Yates, as well as stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson.
Actually, Watson and Grint look a bit battle-weary, as if they'd just finished their fight scenes and were forced to give interviews before they could go to their trailers and relax. Conversely, Radcliffe, who plays The Boy Who Lived, looks clean and well-rested, which makes him the Actor Who Got a Union Break.

MICHAEL GOUGH DIES AT 94
As news is posted in the Hollywood Reporter about Michael Gough's death, BATMAN and BATMAN RETURNS star Michael Keaton paid his respect to the man who played loyal butler Alfred to his Bruce Wayne/Batman in two films.
“To Mick-my butler, my confidant, my friend, my Alfred," Keaton said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. "I love you. God bless."
The actor signed the note: "Michael (Mr. Wayne) Keaton.”
Gough had been sick for the past year and died this week, his agent told the BBC. He was surrounded by family at his home when he died. No cause was released.
Keaton referred to Gough as a "sweet and charming man."
Gough played the butler character, Alfred Pennyworth, in Batman, Batman Returns, Batman Forever, and Batman & Robin with three different Batman actors -- Keaton, Val Kilmer and George Clooney.

JODIE FOSTER DIRECTING SCI-FI THRILLER
She doesn't have a title, and she says we're still a ways off from seeing it, but Jodie Foster will next direct a sci-fi thriller.
Foster was doing press for her latest film THE BEAVER down at SXSW when she told the news to the L.A. Times.
"There's a family element to it, but it's much more a genre movie," she said. "I'd like to do that 'cause that's a world I live in as an actor but I've never really gone to as a director. I'd still have to have all the other stuff in a film. It can't just be, 'There's a bad guy, there's a monster.' It has to have all the other stuff too."
The actress will be tackling a slew of other projects she's set to star in first, like Neill (District 9) Blomkamp's Elysium.

FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 2011

THE SECRET CIRCLE
SMALLVILLE actress Jessica Parker Kennedy has joined The CW pilot, SECRET CIRCLE. She will be playing Melissa, one of the seven members in the show's coven of witches. She is described as "steely and disinterested" and is close friends with Faye (Phoebe Tonkin).
Kennedy, 26, is best known for her recurring portrayal of Plastique on The CW's SMALLVILLE. She also starred opposite Selena Gomez in 2008's "Another Cinderella Story."
"The Secret Circle's" pilot script was written by "Vampire Diaries" executive producer Kevin Williamson and Andrew Miller. "Life Unexpected's" Britt Robertson (Cassie) and "Sarah Connor Chronicles" Thomas Dekker (Adam) recently joined the cast.
The only coven members left to cast are Diana, Nick and Doug.

BEING HUMAN
Syfy has picked up its freshman series "Being Human" for a second season, the cable channel announced Thursday (March 17).
The show has put up decent ratings over its first nine episodes, averaging 1.8 million viewers for first-run airings and drawing an audience that's 53 percent female -- making it the most heavily female-skewing scripted series in the channel's history.
"'Being Human' has proven to be a winner for Syfy on all fronts," says Mark Stern, head of original programming for Syfy. "Using the original format as inspiration, showrunners/writers Jeremy Carver and Anna Fricke -- along with a superlative team of writers, cast, and production -- have created an amazing, compelling series in its own right."
The show, based on a British series of the same name, stars Sam Witwer, Meaghan Rath and Sam Huntington as, respectively, a vampire, a ghost and a werewolf who share a Boston apartment and try to blend in with the mortals around them. Mark Pellegrino ("Lost," "Supernatural") also stars as Witwer's "mentor."
There's no word yet on when Season 2 will air; the first season is scheduled to conclude on April 11.

SUPERMAN NEWS
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Kevin Costner has closed a deal to join the cast of Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures' new SUPERMAN movie being directed by Zack Snyder.
Costner will join a group of actors that so far includes Henry Cavill as the Man of Steel and Diane Lane as Martha Kent, Superman's adopted Earth mother.
The actor will portray Jonathan Kent, the hero's adoptive father.
In comics lore, the Kents are portrayed as the two people who most influence Superman, helping give direction to his moral compass and teaching his honorable values. In varying runs of the many comic books, Jonathan Kent is portrayed as having passed away after Clark Kent graduated from high school to being alive and well when the older Clark has his adventures as Superman.
The part of Pa Kent was famously played by Glenn Ford in the Richard Donner Superman movie; the character suffered a heart attack, lending the movie some of its poignancy.
Whether Costner will have an on-screen death is being kept very tightly under the cape by Warner Bros. and producers Charles Roven, Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan and Deborah Snyder.
Costner last starred in THE COMPANY MEN with Ben Affleck and Tommy Lee Jones.
UPDATE: Warners has confirmed our story, issuing a press release with the following statement from Snyder: "Jonathan Kent is the only father figure Clark has ever had, the man who was there to help Clark understand what he was meant to do in the world as Superman. Kevin will be able to communicate the quiet strength of this rural American man who raised the greatest superhero of all time."

THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2011

THE REMEMBERER
CBS has tapped Dylan Walsh to star opposite Poppy Montgomery in a drama pilot.
The show, officially the "untitled Redlich/Bellucci project" and also known as "The Rememberer," stars Montgomery ("Without a Trace") as Carrie Wells, a former detective gifted/cursed with the ability to remember absolutely everything. Walsh ("Nip/Tuck") will play the head of an NYPD detective squad and former boyfriend of Carrie's, Deadline reports.
Walsh's character comes back into contact with Carrie as he's investigating a murder near her apartment and brings her on as a consultant.
The pilot continues a relationship Walsh has had with CBS for the past year or so. He starred in a pilot called "The Line" last year and was attached to a different drama project earlier this season; the latter didn't make it to the pilot stage.

GEORGETOWN
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Tiya Sircar has joined the cast of ABC's drama "Georgetown" as the assistant to James Wolk's character.
Sircar has appeared in several episodes of "The Vampire Diaries" and also guested on "Greek" and "Make It or Break It." She co-stars in the feature "Friends with Benefits," which hits theaters this summer.

SUPERMAN UPDATE
Zack Snyder has offered a lengthy update on the status of his upcoming Superman reboot to The LA Times, including confirmation that the film will likely be titled (as has long been rumored) The Man of Steel (though that has not been finalized).
Again likening the project to Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins, Snyder reiterates that his film will completely reboot the franchise and won't contain any traces of previous Superman films.
"In every aspect of design and of story," he explains, "the whole thing is very much from that perspective of respect the canon but don’t be a slave to the movies.”
Snyder also promises that we'll be seeing the Superman suit sooner rather than later as he wants to beat any leaked set photos.
As for the cast, only Henry Cavill and Diane Lane are confirmed at this time, but Snyder does offer one casting tease:
“There’s more to come and I think it’s consistent in its … awesomeness.”

HORNS
Variety writes that Mandalay Pictures is moving forward to develop a film based on the Joe Hill novel, HORNS. The trade provides an update on the project, suggesting that not only is the film moving forward, but that it's going to do so with Shia LaBeouf in the lead.
The novel, released last year, is a horror love story about young man named Ig Perrish who wakes up one day to find that horns have grown from his head. What's more, they're still growing and are somehow tied to the unsolved murder of his girlfriend.
LaBeouf, who appears this summer in TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON, will play the part of Perrish.
Hill, the son of horror legend Stephen King, is also the creative force behind the upcoming Fox television series "Locke and Key."

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16, 2011

BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY
In the 2009 videogame BATMAN: ARKHAM ASLYUM, Batman saved the city of Gotham by preventing the Joker's escape. But as the trailer for the sequel shows, we won't be safe much longer: The upcoming game BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY will be five times larger than the prequel game, and that means five times more homicidal lunatics to contend with.
Superhero Hype writes:
Set inside the heavily fortified walls of a sprawling district in the heart of Gotham City, this highly anticipated sequel introduces a brand-new story that draws together a new, all-star cast of classic characters and murderous villains from the Batman universe, as well as a vast range of new and enhanced gameplay features to deliver the ultimate experience as the Dark Knight.
Arkham City promises all the dark, sinister appeal of Arkham Asylum and more. Haven't you ever wanted to smoke-bomb some henchmen or spray them with explosive gel? Arkham City will let you live that dream. It also promises to use vertical space like the Assassin's Creed games, so expect to leap from some tall buildings in a single bound.
Arkham Asylum won multiple awards across the industry, from Outstanding Character Performance (the Joker, voiced by Mark Hamill) to Game of the Year. If the clip below is any clue as to what's in store for us on Oct. 18, 2011, developer Rocksteady Games might win a few more of those accolades for Arkham City.

SUPERNATURAL
It wasn't all that long ago that SUPERNATURAL lost its cushy Thursday night spot after The CW's hit series THEVAMPIRE DIARIES and was relegated to the Friday night death slot for what it appeared might be the final season for the demon-hunting Winchester brothers. As it turns out, Fridays have worked out just fine for Sam and Dean.
"We're looking pretty good. We're bullish enough on it that we cliffhang the finale," creator and executive producer Eric Kripke told eonline.com.
"I feel an obligation to answer a fair amount of questions, but also to cliffhang some stuff for next season," added executive producer Sera Gamble. "We have some stuff cliffhanging at the end of season six, so hopefully, knock on wood, we have a season seven."
In fact, SUPERNATURAL has been doing so well in the ratings on Friday that it's pulling in more than 2 million regular viewers and getting a 1.0 rating for adults 18-49. But even better, the show captured the number one spot for adults 18-34 in its timeslot during its last original outing on March 4. At this point, the series is trailing only DIARIES and SMALLVILLE (which is in its final season) for top ratings on The CW, which proves the executive producers have every right to be optimistic.
In the episodes leading up to that cliffhanger, we can expect Sam and Dean to continue their efforts to stop the Mother of All, and we'll learn more about the war in heaven, as well as the mystery involving Purgatory. Sam and Dean will also find themselves in "a world where the Titanic never sank," and they'll be thrust back "to the Wild West to find Samuel Colt," said Gamble.
As for the big finale, Kripke wrote the episode, and he said that viewers are going to want to "stay tuned for the final minute." According to the SUPERNATURAL master, he thinks fans will be shocked by what he tries to get away with when it comes to the cliffhanger.
One thing you can expect in the finale involves the return of Sam's memories for the time his soul spent in hell, said Kripke.
According to actor Jared Padalecki (aka Sam), who appeared at PaleyFest's salute to Supernatural, the wall Death put into place to keep his character from remembering hell will come tumbling down.
"We're saving the best for last — and the scariest for last. It does come down, and as Death warned, it's a catastrophe," Padalecki told EW. "Sam has to battle something he's never battled before, which is himself."
SUPERNATURAL returns with new episodes on Friday, April 15, at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

DAREDEVIL NEWS
The Hollywood Reporter writes that sources say the new story line will be the adaptation of the critically acclaimed Frank Miller-written and David Mazzucchelli-illustrated Born Again run of the comic series, which saw the Kingpin of Crime learn the identity of the superhero and begin to systematically destroy his life.
David Slade is in talks to develop and direct the new DAREDEVIL movie, being made by 20th Century Fox and Regency. Peter Chernin and Dylan Clark of Chernin Entertainment are producing.
The so-far untitled project has no writer at this stage although the studio says it is aiming to make a movie that continues the story begun by the 2003 Ben Affleck movie. Affleck, however, is not involved in the new project.
As the DD project is still in the development stage, Slade’s next project is likely to the Phoenix Pictures’ period horror THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER. The lead role is not cast, but Ben Kingsley and Noomi Rapace are attached to co-star.

RED DAWN
Reports in the Los Angeles Times indicate MGM is changing the villains in RED DAWN from Chinese to North Korean in order to maintain access to the country's lucrative box office.
Dan Bradley directed the remake, which stars Chris Hemsworth, Josh Peck, Josh Hutcherson, Adrianne Palicki, Isabel Lucas, Connor Cruise and Jeffrey Dean Morgan. The studio is currently looking for a distributor to release the film.
The newspaper says the changes will cost less than $1 million and will "involve changing an opening sequence summarizing the story's fictional backdrop, re-editing two scenes and using digital technology to transform many Chinese symbols to Korean." They added that it will be impossible to eliminate all references to China in the movie.
"We were initially very reluctant to make any changes," said producer Tripp Vinson, "But after careful consideration we constructed a way to make a scarier, smarter and more dangerous 'Red Dawn' that we believe improves the movie."
"MGM has been working with the film 'Red Dawn's' director and producers to make the most commercially viable version of the film for audiences worldwide," said Mike Vollman, executive vice president of worldwide marketing. "We want to ensure the most people possible are able to experience it."
In RED DAWN, an American city awakens to the surreal sight of foreign paratroopers dropping from the sky – shockingly, the U.S. has been invaded and their hometown is the initial target. Quickly and without warning, the citizens find themselves prisoners and their town under enemy occupation. Determined to fight back, a group of young patriots seek refuge in the surrounding woods, training and reorganizing themselves into a guerilla group of fighters. Taking inspiration from their high school mascot, they call themselves the Wolverines, banding together to protect one another, liberate their town from its captors, and take back their freedom.

TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON
Random House's listing for Peter David's novelization of TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON talks a little bit more about the third film's plot:
ONE SMALL STEP FOR MAN...
All humankind was watching that fateful day in 1969. But only a handful knew the real mission behind America's triumph in space. Now the treacherous Decepticons have set their sights on unearthing government secrets. The only hope of averting a crisis rests on the Autobots—yet who knows what remains in the shadows, hidden from man and machine?
The 400-page book will be available on May 24, while the Michael Bay-directed sequel hits 3D, 2D and IMAX 3D theaters on July 1.

SANDMAN TV SERIES
Following reports that the proposed TV show adaptation of Neil Gaiman's groundbreaking comic "Sandman" had fallen apart, DC Entertainment CCO Geoff Johns took to Twitter to deny the claim.
"Correction to world: The Sandman is AWAKE!. Psyched to be working with @neilhimself [Neil Gaiman] on developing one of the greatest series ever! Sandman in any form - comics to live action - doesn't work without @neilhimself" said Johns.
"Supernatural" creator Eric Kripke was previously attached to develop the series and gave the quote about Sandman's seeming demise during a panel for "Supernatural" at the Paley Fest on the weekend.

TUESDAY, MARCH 15, 2011

NO ORDINARY FAMILY
The ABC superhero-family drama is one of this season's "bubble" shows: programs that could be canceled just as easily as they could be renewed. But as fans of the Michael Chiklis-Julie Benz show wait to hear its destiny, the stars are already preparing to jump ship.
Both Chiklis and Benz—genre mainstays from their time in the Fantastic Four and Buffy universes, respectively—have lined up potential gigs for next year: They've both committed to shooting pilots for new shows. Chiklis is strapping in for the CBS comedy VINCE UNCENSORED, while Benz is co-starring in CBS' as-yet-untitled supernatural medical drama, the pilot for which is being directed by Oscar winner Jonathan Demme.
Both stars have booked these pilots in "second position," which means that if NO ORDINARY FAMILY does get picked up for another season, they'll abandon these potential new gigs.

HARRY POTTER SNEAK PEAK COMING
ABC Family will be airing sneak peeks of HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS - PART 2 starting this Thursday for "Harry Potter Weekend." Here is the full announcement and schedule:
As the world prepares to see the finale of the Harry Potter film series, ABC Family gives fans a chance to look back at their favorite wizards and witches with a wicked weekend full of "Harry Potter" films. The weekend starts with "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" on Thursday, March 17th and will include airings of each of the first five films through Sunday, March 20th.
Faithful Potter fans will also be given a chance to go behind-the scenes with never-before-seen interview footage from the cast and filmmakers which give insights on key scenes from "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1 & 2," as well as revisiting important moments from the previous films to prepare for the final battle that takes place in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2." The never-before-seen footage that will be airing throughout the weekend includes a look back at Harry and Ginny's relationship, director David Yates' take on Harry and Hermione's relationship, the origins of The Marauder's Map and a look into the very last shot of principal photography of the film franchise with producer David Baron. ABC Family will also be airing exclusive sneak peeks at some of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2's" most exciting moments, including Harry & Draco's fight in the Room of Requirement, the hair-raising dragon sequences and the final courtyard battle between good and evil. "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2" opens in theaters on July 15, 2011.
The "Harry Potter" weekend schedule is as follows:
Thursday, March 17th
7:30 PM - 11:00 PM ET/PT - "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone"
Friday, March 18th
3:30 PM - 7:00 PM ET/PT - "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone"
7:00 PM - 11:00 PM ET/PT - "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"
Saturday, March 19th
9:00 AM - 12:30 PM ET/PT - "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone"
12:30 PM - 4:30 PM ET/PT - "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"
4:30 PM - 7:30 PM ET/PT - "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban"
7:30 PM - 11:00 PM ET/PT - "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire"
Sunday, March 20th
7:00 AM - 10:30 AM ET/PT - "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone"
10:30 AM - 2:30 PM ET/PT - "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"
2:30 PM - 5:30 PM ET/PT - "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban"
5:30 PM - 9:00 PM ET/PT - "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire"
9:00 PM - 12:00 AM ET/PT - "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix"
Part of the Disney-ABC Television Group, ABC Family is distributed in over 98 million homes. ABC Family features programming reflecting today's families, entertaining and connecting with adults through relevant stories about today's relationships, all told with diversity, passion, humor and heart. ABC Family's programming is a mix of network defining original series and original movies, quality acquired series and blockbuster theatricals. ABC Family is also the destination for annual Holiday events with "13 Nights of Halloween" and "25 Days of Christmas!" ABC Family. A New Kind of Family.

UNDERWORLD: NEW DAWN NEWS
Deadline reports that Michael Ealy will co-star in UNDERWORLD: NEW DAWN, the fourth entry in Screen Gems' popular series about quarreling vampires and Lycans.
The actor has been seen in "Californication" and Takers.
He'll play a detective in the film that is hunting Selene. However, he'll ultimately team up with her to take on a new threat.
Shooting has commenced on the sequel under the direction of Mans Marlind and Bjorn Stein.

MONDAY, MARCH 14, 2011

GAME OF THRONES
Fans of epic sci-fi novels like George R.R. Martin's A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE fret when Hollywood comes knockingat the door. Is it going to be adapted well from page to screen?
In the case of GAME OF THRONES (the title of the first book in Martin's series, which also serves as the name of the television series based on Ice and Fire) the worry was quickly abated with just a few potent words: HBO, 10-hour series, Sean Bean. And George R.R. Martin's listed as a series producer and episode writer.
With GAME OF THRONES set to premiere on April 17, the excitement from Martin's fans and general sci-fi aficionados alike has been ramping up with each new teaser trailer and one-sheet image revealed, but Martin's seal of approval has been the most compelling enticement of all.
In an exclusive interview, Martin says while he initially had "mixed feelings" about A Song of Ice and Fire being adapted into any visual medium, it was the passion and reverence for the mythology by executive producers David Benioff and Dan Weiss that finally persuaded him it was the right path.
"Yes, there are changes and compromises, but they are minimal," Martin asserts. "I do very much have the sense that David and Dan, and the other people at HBO, are trying to take my story and bring it to the screen, which, you know, is not always the case. In some cases they purchase a book and people they bring in change everything."
If anything, Martin says he's amazed that the budget-busting world of Westeros, the fictional land where the saga is set, is being brought to life so richly. The author laughs, "All the problems I created for them with my casts of thousands and giant battles and huge set pieces that are the set pieces of fantasy are their problems to realize it."
Citing how much visual effects have changed television production since his days writing episodes of the rebooted Twilight Zone and Beauty and the Beast, Martin admits, "It's a whole new world. I haven't seen any complete Thrones episodes yet, but I know they have some great special effects people working on this, and I'm hoping it looks fantastic."
As for behind the scenes, Martin confirms he's been part of the show's development since he sat down to lunch with Benioff and Weiss in Los Angeles more than a year ago. "Hopefully I've added something to the process, but it's very much their show," he adds.
Asked what he's most excited for fans to see, Martin says the terrific cast is really a sight to behold. "When we started talking about this before it was even greenlit, Sean Bean was always our first choice for Eddard 'Ned' Stark and Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister. Those were the two characters that we knew we had to get [those actors], and we were delighted when we got both for the parts. Some of the other actors I hadn't heard of, but I've been watching their tapes and have seen some of their work and mostly have been blown away by the performances that I've seen. But one of the biggest triumphs is the three kids we got. Maisie Williams [as Arya Star], Sophie Turner [as Sansa Stark] and Isaac Hempstead-Wright [as Bran Stark] are just amazing talents. It was very hard, and we looked at hundreds of kids," the author says of the audition process. "The truth is that it's hard to find good kid actors. Mostly kids are used in sitcoms, which means they are good at being cute, but these are serious dramatic roles for children. They have to do grief and fear and capture three very distinct characters. We really lucked out, and Nina Gold, our casting director, deserves all kinds of credit for finding them, because these kids had hardly done anything before."
As for his scripting in the series, Martin confirms he's penned episode eight. "David and Dan did the initial breakdown and decided what would be in each episode. We then discussed which episode I would write, and I settled on episode eight. I was a little trepidatious when I began writing it, because it had been a decade since I had written a screenplay, but I remembered how ... like riding a bicycle, or sex," he laughs.
Teasing what fans can expect from his episode, Martin sighs, "Well, as usual I put in a montage that would have cost 10 times the budget of the entire episode. I wanted all the Lords Bannerman of the North assembling and going to eight different castles, with the Lords arming up and riding out. It read beautifully, but to produce it would have bankrupted them, so I knew writing it my poor montage would be done. I always write my first draft for me to be read, and then later I make the cuts for the more producible cut." However, he promises plenty of other tasty material still remains.
GAME OF THRONES premieres Sunday, April 17, on HBO.

TRON: THE NEXT DAY
A new video from the upcoming TRON: Legacy Blu-ray collections (hitting stores on April 5) has leaked online and is titled "TRON: The Next Day." The 10-minute clip looks to serve as a bridge between TRON: Legacy and possibly more adventures in the franchise. The clip talks about the origins of the Flynn Lives organization and what happens at the end of TRON: Legacy, so it definitely enters spoiler territory for those who haven't seen the film. A second clip is reportedly a hidden Easter Egg in the Blu-ray and is said to feature Olivia Wilde's Quorra and Cillian Murphy's Ed Dillinger Jr.
Made for about $170 million, TRON: Legacy earned $396.3 million in worldwide theaters. While that is an impressive number and DVD/Blu-ray sales are expected to be strong, a third film in the franchise has not been officially announced.

SUNDAY, MARCH 13, 2011

DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME
I hope you all remembered to move your clocks ahead one hour last night. If you didn't, you'd best get a move on --you are an hour late!

FIREFLY
FIREFLY fans - did you know the series is currently showing on the Science Channel? Yes, tonight you can watchtwo episodes at 8 and 9:00pm. See the listings below for details.

MY LIFE EXPERIMENT
Paget Brewster's time on "Criminal Minds" is coming to an end (for now), but she could be back on TV next season.Brewster has landed a starring role in an NBC comedy pilot called "My Life as an Experiment." The show is based on writer A.J. Jacobs' book "Guinea Pig Diaries" and will star comedian Jon Dore as a journalist who submits to a range of lifestyle experiments, from "radical honesty" to crashing the Oscars. Brewster will play his no-nonsense wife, TVLine reports.
Brewster's last episode of "Criminal Minds" airs Wednesday (March 16), but it may not be the last viewers see of her on the CBS show. Should "Experiment" not get picked up, the "Minds" producers have offered to make her an every-episode regular next season.
Other casting news:
THE DOCTOR
Scott Foley, Kyle MacLachlan and Michael Boatman have come aboard CBS' drama "The Doctor." The show stars Christine Lahti as a woman who joins her family's medical practice after her husband's death. Foley (most recently seen on "Grey's Anatomy", "The Unit") will play Lahti's son, who's also a partner in the practice. MacLachlan ("How I Met Your Mother") is the third partner, a long-time friend of Lahti's husband, and Boatman ("The Good Wife," "Spin City") will play a doctor who becomes a mentor to Lahti's other child (Eva Amurri). [Deadline]
WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
Moviegoers preferred aliens over fairy tales in a big way Friday (March 11) as "Battle: Los Angeles" racked up a pretty strong opening day at the box office.
The alien-invasion movie took in $13.5 million in its first day, according to studio estimates. That's a little bit ahead of what forecasters were predicting and puts it on pace for a $35 million-plus opening weekend.
"Battle: LA" also beat the combined take for Friday's second- and third-place finishers. "Rango" and "Red Riding Hood." "Rango," last week's No. 1 movie, took in about $5.5 million, while depending on whose estimates you believe, the horror-tinged version of "Red Riding Hood" made either $5 million or $5.7 million. In either case, it's only a so-so start.
"The Adjustment Bureau" came in fourth with an estimated $3.4 million. "Mars Needs Moms" opened in fifth, but it's already earning "bomb" status from most box-office watchers. The animated movie made just $1.8 million on Friday -- and considering it cost a reported $150 million to make, that's a pretty scant return.

FRIDAY NIGHT RATINGS - FRINGE STEADY
There was little change in "Fringe" Watch 2011 on Friday: The show's total audience was down slightly from its last original episode two weeks ago, but its demographic ratings held steady.
Otherwise it was a pretty typical Friday, which means CBS led the night by a wide margin. The Eye averaged 10.6 million viewers and a 6.5 rating/10 share in households, grabbing far and away the most viewers for the night. NBC was the best of the rest with 5.8 million viewers and a 3.8/7. ABC (4.75 million, 2.9/5) came in third, followed by FOX (3.95 million, 2.3/4). A night of repeats on The CW drew 1.4 million viewers and a 0.9/2.
CBS also finished first in the adults 18-49 demographic with a 1.8 rating. The demo race was much closer, with FOX coming in second at 1.6. ABC and NBC tied for third at 1.4, while The CW scored a 0.5.

SATURDAY, MARCH 12, 2011

HAVEN NEWS
Jason Priestley is joining Syfy's series "Haven," both in front of and behind the camera. The former "Beverly Hills, 90210" star will guest in four episodes of the show's second season and direct another. Season 2 begins filming in April and will premiere in the summer. [Syfy]

CONAN
The first teaser trailer for the upcoming CONAN THE BARBARIAN reboot is here, and it's filled with smoke. A lot of it.Lionsgate Films has just released a one-minute teaser for the film, which stars Jason Momoa as author Robert E. Howard's famous Cimmerian warrior.
There's not much happening in this clip except for a lot of faces and barely glimpsed figures sort of wavering in and out of a waft of smoke. Some of those figures may be Momoa's co-stars Ron Perlman (Hellboy), Rose McGowan (Grindhouse), Stephen Lang (Avatar) and Rachel Nichols (G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra) under a lot of makeup.
The teaser ends with a buff and glistening Conan himself, uttering the sure to be immortal line, "I live, I love, I slay, I am content."
CONAN, directed by Marcus Nispel (the Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake), arrives on August 19th in 3D.

THOR AND LOKI: BLOOD BROTHERS
Before the God of Thunder makes his way to the big screen this summer, Marvel is unleashing a four-part microseries that dares to imagine a world where Loki, the God of Mischief, rules in Asgard.
Based on Robert Robi and Esad Ribic's 2004 Loki miniseries, this four-part saga will be available to download on iTunes, XBox Live and the PlayStation Network starting on March 28. And judging by this trailer, which shows off animation that looks an order of magnitude better than any of Marvel's cartoon offerings in the past, it'll be worth the wait. There's a tactile, fully rendered feel to Blood Brothers that evokes fantasy illustration luminaries like Frank Frazetta and Joe Jusko.

ROBOCOP REBOOT
According to Deadline, screenwriter Josh Zetumer has been hired by MGM to write a new version of the 1987 sci-fi classic ROBOCOP for recently hired Brazilian director Jose Padilha.
Zetumer first got onto the Hollywood radar when his script Infiltrator made it onto the "Black List"—an annual roundup of the best unproduced screenplays in Hollywood. Following that, he got a job with Paramount to write Dune, which was supposed to be directed by Peter Berg (who's now doing the upcoming Battleship). Zetumer wrote several drafts of Dune before that project went on the back burner, and for good measure he also wrote a fourth Bourne movie that also went unproduced.
Zetumer has also done rewrites on the James Bond thriller Quantum of Solace and this summer's alien invasion film The Darkest Hour, but he has yet to have an official screenplay credit show up onscreen.
The RoboCop remake has been in development for years (Darren Aronofsky of Black Swan fame was going to direct at one point), but MGM's cash troubles halted the project for a while. Now it's back on track, with Padilha and Zetumer on board, and hopefully we'll get to see what all the fuss is about for the latter when this thing comes out in 2013.

SUPER 8
J.J. Abrams' SUPER 8 is one of the few genre movies coming out this summer that isn't a prequel or a sequel or an adaptation or a brand extension. And the more we see of this "something freaky descends on a small town and its kid filmmakers" thriller, the more we desperately want to see it.
As a storyteller, Abrams is good at many things, but high on that list is knowing what to show and when. With every subsequent look at Super 8, we get a little more information that serves to stoke our desire, but we still don't know exactly what's going on.
We get that there are a band of amateur filmmakers who inadvertently shoot a train wreck, from which something deadly escapes. That the lead kid's dad is the deputy sheriff of a small town that gets invaded by the military. And that the something deadly we spoke of makes off with pets first, and then people.
In a day and age where movie marketing usually gives away so much of the movie it's trying to market, it's refreshing to see a trailer that doesn't explain it all, but rather gives us just enough mystery to demand to know what happens next. Then again, mystery is the star that Abrams navigates by.

TERRA NOVA DELAYED
According to the Hollywood Reporter, TERRA NOVA has been delayed until the fall. The visual effects team needs more time to work on the ambitious television series.
Fox has scrapped plans to preview its new epic family adventure series TERRA NOVA in May and will now launch its series premiere in fall, Kevin Reilly, president of entertainment at Fox Broadcasting Company, announced Friday.“TERRA NOVA is one of the most ambitious television series ever produced,” Reilly said in a statement. “The cutting-edge visual effects used to create the world of Terra Nova, which is of massive scope and scale, require more time to be realized. This aspect of the series is essential, so we are pushing back the special early preview date to give the visual effects team the time needed for their ground-breaking work.”
“The world of Terra Nova is visually stunning on multiple levels, and effects play an enormous part,” added executive producer René Echevarria. “Premiering in the fall will give us the proper time to create a world never before seen on television.”
Terra Nova -- which follows an ordinary family embarking on an incredible journey back in time to prehistoric Earth as a small part of a daring experiment to save the human race -- is produced by 20th Century Fox Television, Chernin Entertainment, DreamWorks Television and Kapital Entertainment.
Peter Chernin, Steven Spielberg, Echevarria, Brannon Braga, Aaron Kaplan, Katherine Pope, Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank, Jon Cassar, Craig Silverstein and Kelly Marcel serve as executive producers.
Alex Graves serves as executive producer and directed the series premiere.

FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2011

LIMITLESS
Relativity Media has released your first look at a new TV spot for LIMITLESS, the March 18 release starring Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro, Abbie Cornish, Anna Friel and Tomas Arana.
In the Neil Burger-directed action thriller, out-of-work writer Eddie Morra's (Cooper) rejection by girlfriend Lindy (Cornish) confirms his belief that he has zero future. That all vanishes the day an old friend introduces Eddie to MDT, a designer pharmaceutical that makes him laser focused and more confident than any man alive.
Now on an MDT-fueled odyssey, everything Eddie's read, heard or seen is instantly organized and available to him. As the former nobody rises to the top of the financial world, he draws the attention of business mogul Carl Van Loon (De Niro), who sees this enhanced version of Eddie as the tool to make billions.
But brutal side effects jeopardize his meteoric ascent. With a dwindling stash and hit men who will eliminate him to get the MDT, Eddie must stay wired long enough to elude capture and fulfill his destiny. If he can't, he will become just another victim who thought he'd found invincibility in a bottle.

THE SMURFS
Columbia Pictures has released the new trailer for THE SMURFS, opening in theaters on August 3. Directed by Raja Gosnell, the adventure comedy features the performances of Neil Patrick Harris, Jayma Mays, Sofia Vergara, Hank Azaria, Anton Yelchin, Jonathan Winters, Katy Perry, Alan Cumming, Fred Armisen, George Lopez, Paul Reubens, John Oliver, Kenan Thompson, B.J. Novak, Jeff Foxworthy, Wolfgang Puck, Gary Basaraba and Tim Gunn.
In the film, the evil wizard Gargamel chases the tiny blue Smurfs out of their village. They tumble from their magical world and into ours – in fact, smack dab in the middle of Central Park. Just three apples high and stuck in the Big Apple, the Smurfs must find a way to get back to their village before Gargamel tracks them down.

THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2011

GAME OF THRONES
While we're going to have to wait a month until we can catch GAME OF THRONES, a glowering Sean Bean is here right now to remind us to mark our calendars for the premiere of HBO's adaptation of George R.R. Martin's fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire.
The network just released the series' official poster, which tells us we're in for one dark, dark winter.
GAME OF THRONES premieres Sunday, April 17, on HBO.

PETER PAN
The swashbuckling star of PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN, Academy Award-nominated actress Keira Knightley, will spread some pixie dust on Syfy as the voice of Tinker Bell in the upcoming PETER PAN sequel Neverland.
Check out the official press release:
KEIRA KNIGHTLEY TO VOICE TINKER BELL IN SYFY'S NEVERLAND
ACADEMY-AWARD® NOMINATED ACTRESS JOINS ALL STAR CAST TO TAKE ON ICONIC ROLE IN PETER PAN PREQUEL
NEW YORK - March 10, 2011 - Academy Award®-nominated actress Keira Knightley (Pride & Prejudice, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN, ATONEMENT) joins the cast of Syfy's four-hour live action television movie event Neverland as the voice of Tinker Bell.
The project, a prequel to J.M. Barrie's classic Peter Pan, written and directed by Nick Willing, will see Knightley bring to life the iconic role of Tinker Bell, a magical tree spirit whose strength and powers are put to the test when her colony within Neverland's treetops is endangered.
Joining current cast members Rhys Ifans, Anna Friel, Bob Hoskins, Charles Dance, Raoul Trujillo and Charlie Rowe, Knightley will record her role this spring. Neverland will air on Syfy in December 2011.
Neverland is being produced by Dublin-based Parallel Films on behalf of MNG Films in association with Syfy and Sky Movies HD and distributed by RHI Entertainment.
Sweeping in time from the turbulent seas of the pirates of the Caribbean to the back alleys of Dickensian London to a world of pure imagination, Neverland is the inspired origin story of one of the most cherished characters of all time ... Peter Pan.
Peter (Rowe), along with his pals of young pickpockets, have been rounded up by their mentor Jimmy Hook (Ifans) to snatch a magical orb which transports them to another world—Neverland. Filled with white jungles and imposing cities formed out of trees created by Dr. Fludd (Dance) and inhabited by a colony of tree spirits led by Tinker Bell (Knightley), this mysterious realm welcomes unknown friends and enemies snatched from time. These include power-mad Elizabeth Bonny (Friel) and her band of 18th century pirates who search for the answer to eternal youth, a secret guarded by a Holy Man (Trujillo). As the fight to save this strange and beautiful world escalates, Peter and his crew consider that growing old somewhere in time could be less important than growing up—right here in their new home called Neverland.

17th PRECINCT
The cast list for the pilot of Ron Moore's fantasy-based police procedural 17th Precinct reads like a Battlestar Galactica reunion, with Jamie Bamber, Tricia Helfer and James Callis in starring roles. But the most recently named cast member didn't come from the cast of Galactica. Instead, her sci-fi cred comes by way of SMALLVILLE.
Kristin Kreuk—who also starred in THE LEGEND OF EARTHSEA and appeared in four episodes of Chuck—will play Susan Longstreet, the wife of Jamie Bamber's character, Caolan. Currently, she has "guest star" status, but if the pilot is expanded into a series, her role could be expanded as well.
17th PRECINCT is a fantasy AND a police procedural, described by Moore as "an adult Harry Potter." But instead of fighting the evil Lord Voldemort, the characters will be fighting crime.
Only with the perfect storm of advertising budget, star power and an available timeslot do executives turn a pilot into a TV show. We're hoping that advance interest, such as the kind we're generating now, might sway some executive's decision toward 17th PRECINCT and away from some other show that doesn't have Kristin Kreuk and a chunk of the Battlestar Galactica cast in it.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 2011

AMAZING FANTASY #15 SELLS
When a copy of Amazing Fantasy #15 sold last year (the comic that contained the first appearance of Spider-Man) for $280,000, we thought that was amazing.
An unidentified private collector just paid $1.1 million for a copy of Amazing Fantasy #15 graded at 9.6, topping the $280,000 paid for a 9.4-graded copy in 2007. This is the ONLY known copy in that pristine a condition, and the sale marks the highest price ever paid for a Silver Age comic book.
As for why the buyer is unidentified, all we can assume is that it's to prevent the rest of us from playing like Doc Ock and breaking into his or her house to steal it!

THE EVENT RATINGS DROP
Monday was a bad night for NBC and THE EVENT, as the alien conspiracy series took a major ratings hit, losing nearly a third of its audience.
The series returned from its three-month midseason hiatus with two back-to-back episodes that could only score a 1.4/4 rating, with 5.53 million total viewers in the first hour and 4.93 in the second, or a shocking drop of 26 percent.
When we last saw THE EVENT in late November, the series had settled in with a 1.9 rating and impressive timeshifted ratings that nearly doubled its audience. Time will tell how Monday's outing rates when it comes to the TiVo crowd.
I chatted with executive producer Evan Katz in an exclusive interview that took place as he was readying the series for Monday's premiere and he was worried about seeing THE EVENT off the air for such a long time.
"I think the mistake was not starting us in January to begin with. I mean, as a serialized show. It was like, we need to run these episodes straight through," said Katz. "That's what they found with 24. You put it on, you take it off—the ratings go down. So it's not ideal, but what are you going to do? ... It's always a challenge to come back after so many months." Katz was an executive producer on 24 before he moved on to THE EVENT.
However, things look brighter when the timeshifted audience is figured in, he said. "The show takes in an almost bizarre jump in the DVR numbers. The last episode that they tracked went up 53 percent in the TiVo rating. Half again as many people are watching, which is crazy." That episode aired Nov. 30.
"I feel the material is really strong. I'm excited about the show. I feel like the episodes are just getting better each time, and I think we're in a great groove," said Katz. "It's just about NBC getting the message out."
While THE EVENT's ratings are certainly starting out better than The Cape's last episode, which ended its run with a 1.2/3 rating for 18-49 adults and 4.097 million viewers, it's worrisome to see the series fall so far. THE EVENT premiered in the fall with nearly 11 million viewers.

SPECIAL WAKE-UP CALL FOR DISCOVERY
The space shuttle Discovery is one day away from completing the final mission of its long and illustrious career, and the crew got a wake-up call from Capt. Kirk himself on Monday to commemorate it.
"These have been the voyages of the space shuttle Discovery," said William Shatner on a prerecorded message to the astronauts on Monday morning. "Her 30-year mission: To seek out new science. To build new outposts. To bring nations together on the final frontier. To boldly go, and do, what no spacecraft has done before ..."
The sad irony of hearing the voice of one of pop culture's most famous fictional space explorers cannot have escaped the crew of the shuttle, which will be retired after it lands on Wednesday as part of the general winding-down of the entire space shuttle program.
Thirty-four years after it first began with the maiden voyage of a craft named, appropriately enough, Enterprise, the shuttle program will come to an end later this year, victim of the same budget woes that seem to affect everything in this country except for war and tax cuts for the wealthy.
When we should be looking outward—after all, the planet isn't going to be here forever, so we have to find a new pad eventually—we seem at the moment to be letting our imaginations turn inward. Perhaps, as Shatner once said so eloquently, we'll one day boldly go where no one has gone before. But in the meantime, let's salute the brave, brilliant crew of the Discovery and all the other space shuttles for making that dream briefly into a reality.

POE
The Hollywood Reporter writes that English actress Natalie Dormer has been cast in ABC pilot POE.
The crime procedural, from Warner Bros. TV and Dan Lin’s Lin Pictures, centers on the world’s first detective, Edgar Allan Poe (Christopher Egan), who uses unconventional means to uncover mysteries. The series is set in Boston during the 1840s.
Dormer, whose previous TV credits include Showtime’s THE TUDORS and BBC’s SILK, will play the part of Celeste.
She joins Kevin McNally, Tabrett Bethell, Leslie Odom Jr. and Egan, who are already locked into roles.
Chris Hollier (Alias, Kyle XY) will write and executive produce the pilot, with Lin (The Departed, Sherlock Holmes) and Brad Kern (Human Target, Charmed) joining him as executive producers. Alex Graves (Terra Nova, Fringe) is on board to direct.

THE RUNNER
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Disney has picked up a sci-fi adventure project from Dave Andron, the developer of NBC’s recent KNIGHT RIDER reboot, titled THE RUNNER, with Marc Forster attached to direct.
Brian Grazer and his Imagine Entertainment banner are producing along with Zak Kadison of Blacklight Transmedia. Forster will also produce with his Apparatus shingle partner Brad Simpson.
The story centers on a lone man who is sent back in time to change the course of history but who also has a personal motive of saving the love of his life.
Blacklight, which develops projects simultaneously for several platforms ranging from movies to TV shows to comics to mobile devices, originated the project. It then partnered with Imagine, with whom it has a first-look deal.
Blacklight's Eric Lieb will exec produce.
Andron, now a writer-supervising producer on FX’s Justified, originally wrote Runner as a spec pilot but reconfigured it with the help of Blacklight and Apparatus. He is repped by CAA and Madhouse Entertainment.
Forster last directed the James Bond pic QUANTUM OF SOLACE and is prepping his next pic, Paramount’s zombie movie WORLD WAR Z.

TUESDAY, MARCH 8, 2011

AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS
For quite some time now, we've been looking forward to Guillermo del Toro's big-budget, R-rated, epic adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS, with James Cameron producing. Well, now it looks like the project may not get off the ground anytime soon—and del Toro himself may have to move on.
Although a seemingly erroneous report went online earlier today that the movie was going to start shooting in June with Tom Cruise confirmed for the lead role, the story rapidly took a downward turn from there. Deadlinereports that Universal Studios, which has been developing the movie with the director, is hesitant to commit $150 million to an R-rated horror film—even with Cruise interested in starring and fans everywhere salivating over the prospect of del Toro finally making his dream project after 12 years of development.
It seems that the movie would have to make the kind of coin that THE LORD OF THE RINGS or INCEPTION hauled in—we're talking hundreds of millions—in order for the studio to make back its money, which execs see as a difficult prospect with that R rating keeping teenagers out of the theater. Del Toro has said all along that the movie has to have an R rating to be done right.
Meanwhile, with the years going by since his last movie hit screens (Hellboy 2), del Toro is now thinking of bailing on his baby and directing a film called PACIFIC RIM. The movie is being produced by Legendary Pictures—the people behind THE DARK KNIGHT, among others—and is said to be a large-scale alien invasion film written by screenwriter Travis Beacham, with whom del Toro almost worked on previous projects (see our earlier report on this film here).
The betting money right now says that del Toro will direct PACIFIC RIM, while he and Cameron try to save AT THEMOUNTAINS OF MADNESS by having another studio pick it up for after PACIFIC RIM is finished. One possibility? Fox, since Cameron has made a few dollars for that company in the past couple of years. Universal, however, reportedly wants to hold onto it and see if they can make it work.
We've been wanting to see del Toro's take on AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS for so long that this newest development is a bummer, but at the same time, the man needs to get behind a camera again soon. PACIFIC RIM sounds cool enough, and hopefully he can still make AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS the way he wants to. Ah, Hollywood...

THOR
A new trailer for THOR has been released, showing all of the action and excitement of the upcoming movie, but this version has three differences from the other trailers: 1) It's shorter than the other two full-length trailers, 2) It contains brief new footage, and 3) It's in French.
The new footage is blink-and-you'll-miss-it quick. But you won't miss the voices, the dubbed Anthony Hopkins and Natalie Portman are far from the real thing!
But the French certainly win when it comes to THOR and speed: France (and the U.K.) will be seeing it on April 29, one week before we do here in the States.

LARA CROFT REBOOT
The Hollywood Reporter writes -- Lara Croft is back in action.
The heroine of one of the biggest video games from the 1990s is once again getting the movie treatment, this time from heavyweight producer Graham King and his GK Films.
GK Films has acquired the feature film rights to TOMB RAIDER and will reboot the action-adventure franchise aiming for a 2013 release for the first film.
The new movie will be produced by King and Tim Headington.
Angelina Jolie starred in the two previous big-screen adaptations made by Paramount, and with King having produced THE TOURIST, the Jolie-Johnny Depp thriller, some tongues were wagging about the potential for a new Jolie Raider movie.
But sources say GK Films, which has not hired a writer yet, may be looking to do a Lara Croft origin story rather continue her adventures.
According to GK Films, the goal is to "create daring new adventures for the young and dynamic Lara Croft."
The game was created in 1996 by Eidos, now part of entertainment group Square Enix. (In December, Enix subsidiary, Crystal Dynamics, said it was working on a new Raider game, this one based on the origins of Croft.)
2001's LARA CROFT: TOMB RAIDER and 2003's LARA CROFT TOMB RAIDER: THE CRADLE OF LIFE grossed $432 million worldwide.
The rights lapsed back to Eidos in the late 2000s, with Warner Bros. in development of an iteration. That version, however, never got past the writing stage.
Grey Rembert will oversee the project for GK Films, which was involved in Rango and has Hugo Cabret, directed by Martin Scorsese, coming out later this year.

MOVIES COMING TO FACEBOOK
Starting with THE DARK KNIGHT, Warner Brothers Pictures will be the first studio to offer movies directly on Facebook.They will offer additional titles over the coming months.
Warners said Monday that it is the first Hollywood studio to offer movies directly on Facebook. Friends of Christopher Nolan's KNIGHT, the second of his two Batman movies, can rent the film by going to its official Facebook page and clicking a "rent" icon to apply Facebook Credits. The cost per rental is 30 Facebook Credits, or $3.
Viewers will have 48 hours from the purchase to watch the movie, which can be viewed full screen and also paused and resumed within that period. While watching the movie, consumers will also have full Facebook functionality, including the ability to post comments, interact with friends and update their status.
"Facebook has become a daily destination for hundreds of millions of people," said Thomas Gewecke, president of Warner Bros. Digital Distribution. "Making our films available through Facebook is a natural extension of our digital distribution efforts. It gives consumers a simple, convenient way to access and enjoy our films through the world's largest social network."
While the KNIGHT offering is described as a test, Warners also said that additional titles for both rental and purchase will be rolled out over the coming months.

HOBGOBLIN
According to the Hollywood Reporter, HBO is getting into the business of magicians, con men and, yes, Hitler.
Michael Chabon and his wife, Ayelet Waldman, have set up the drama project, tentatively titled HOBGOBLIN, at HBO. The potential series centers on a group of magicians and con men who use their skills at deception to battle Hitler and his forces during World War II.
Le Grisbi Production’s John Lesher and Adam Kassan will serve as executive producers, with authors Chabon (Wonder Boys, The Yiddish Policemen’s Union) and Waldman (Bad Mother, Love and Other Impossible Pursuits) set to co-write and executive produce.

THE NAMELESS
In her first move since the success of AMC’s THE WALKING DEAD, Gale Anne Hurd and her Valhalla Motion Pictures has picked up THE NAMELESS, a spec by scribe Chris Bullett.
NAMELESS is set in a top-secret facility operated by the U.S. Marshal's Federal Witness Protection Program housing witnesses awaiting new identities. When the area's location is compromised, an idealistic marshal and the town's inhabitants take a stand against a team of assassins determined to execute the key witness in an upcoming trial.
“I love that it’s character driven,” says Hurd describing the script. “That is very important to me. And secondly, I’m attracted to material about ordinary people who are facing extraordinary circumstances who find the strength within them to fight against impossible odds.”
Valhalla exec Kris Henigman, who was familiar with Bullet’s previous work, found the script and brought it into Valhalla.
Bullett wrote the script as modern-day Western, aiming to use the timelessness of the genre and the framework of an action-thriller to keep the characters grounded.
Valhalla will develop and produce the picture and will likely seek independent financing.
“I wouldn’t rule anything out but at this point, the mid-range films are often not financed or made by studios,” Hurd says. “If you look at film festivals such as the recent Berlin Film Festival, a lot of independent films are being picked up for distribution. Hopefully there’s a renaissance for the distribution for independent fare.”
Bullett wrote the indie psychological thriller, ISOLATION, which was directed by Stephen Kay and premiered at last year’s Sitges Film Festival.
Hurd, a veteran in the sci-fi and action sphere with credits ranging from THE TERMINATOR and ALIENS to THEINCREDIBLE HULK and THE PUNISHER, is in the midst of prepping Season 2 of WALKING DEAD and in post-production on TV movie LAST MAN STANDING.

MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2011

AVATAR 2
According to actress Michelle Rodriguez, the second AVATAR film would take place—namely underwater.
Speaking to the Associated Press while promoting her new film BATTLE: LOS ANGELES, which is about an alien invasion, the 33-year-old actress revealed that James Cameron's highly anticipated follow-up to AVATAR would take place underwater, taking viewers under the oceans, and that it will be "extraordinarily beautiful."
However, the actress is unsure whether Cameron will bring her character back from the dead in any capacity for the follow-up to the highest-grossing movie in history, though he apparently did say that he would bring back those who had survived the first film in some form. There had been previous hints from Cameron that AVATAR2 could perhaps take place on another planet from the same solar system as Pandora. There was also the possibility of taking the story into the oceans of Pandora, and this—according to Rodriguez—is the route the director seems to have likely chosen.
Filming underwater is a speciality of Cameron, who brought us TITANIC, the Titanic documentary GHOSTS OF THE ABYSSand most recently the underwater cave adventure SANCTUM 3-D.

RIDDICK UPDATE
Vin Diesel updated his Facebook followers with a new video that reveals little, but ensures that progress on RIDDICK,the chapter to follow Pitch Black and The Chronicles of Riddick, continues.
Writer-director David Twohy makes an appearance and states Riddick will be similar to Pitch Black in relation to the size of the budget (that, in turn will help maintain an R rating).
"We're gonna be lean and we're going to go quick and it's going to be a cool movie, I can tell you that," Twohy adds.
Here's a synopsis for Riddick we received a few months back:
"Betrayed by his own kind and left for dead on a desolate planet, Riddick (Diesel) fights for survival against alien predators and becomes more powerful and dangerous than ever before. Soon bounty hunters from throughout the galaxy descend on Riddick only to find themselves pawns in his greater scheme for revenge. With his enemies right where he wants them, Riddick unleashes a vicious attack of vengeance before returning to his home planet of Furya to save it from destruction."

ROCK OF AGES
After confirming that Tom Cruise will play Jaxx in ROCK OF AGES at the Oscars, director Adam Shankman has confirmed that Alec Baldwin has also joined the cast as Dennis via his Twitter account.
The two are joining Julianne Hough, who plays Sherrie, and Mary J. Blige, who plays Justice. Russell Brand is also rumored for the role of Lonnie, though that hasn't been confirmed yet.
Shankman added on his page that he has been polishing the script with Justin Theroux (Iron Man 2, Tropic Thunder). The original draft was written by Chris D'Arienzo.
Shankman is also choreographing the adaptation of the Broadway musical for New Line/Warner Bros. The musical centers on two people who meet at the Sunset Strip club Rock of Ages, fall in love and try to stay together amid '80s rock anthems.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
Box Office reports show that March kicked off strongly with two movies opening with more than $20 million, the clear weekend leader being Gore Verbinski's animated comedy RANGO (Paramount), reuniting him with Johnny Depp (or at least his voice) to the tune of an estimated $38 million, the most made by any movie in a single weekend so far this year. Its opening was a little weaker than expected although it didn't have the higher ticket prices of most recent 3D animated films and it still averaged nearly $10,000 per site.
In second place, Matt Damon and Emily Blunt starred in George Nolfi's sci-fi thriller THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU(Universal) based on the Philip K. Dick short story, which brought in roughly $20.9 million over the weekend. It would be Damon's highest opening non-"Bourne" solo effort to date following a string of movies that ended up grossing less than $40 million, followed by the recent breakout hit Western TRUE GRIT.
Vanessa Hudgens and Alex Pettyfer starred in the romantic fantasy BEASTLY (CBS Films), which far exceeded any expectations by opening in third place with $10.1 million in less than 2,000 theaters, an impressive average of over $5,000 per venue.
The Owen Wilson-Jason Sudeikis comedy HALL PASS (New Line/WB) dropped to fourth place with $9 million and $27 million in ten days. In fifth place, Disney's sleeper hit GNOMEO & JULIET (Disney) added another $6.9 million to bring its total to $83.7 million after a month in theaters.
The next three movies in the Top 10 were fairly close to call with the Liam Neeson action-thriller UNKNOWN (Warner Bros.) taking sixth with approximately $6.6 million followed by the Oscar-winning THE KING'S SPEECH (The Weinstein Company) and Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston's JUST GO WITH IT (Sony) with $6.5 million each. Unknown has grossed $53 million to date, while THE KING'S SPEECH now has $124 million and Just Go With It has made $88 million so far.
DreamWorks' sci-fi thriller I AM NUMBER FOUR, also starring Alex Pettyfer, dropped 48% to ninth place with $5.7 million and $45.4 million total, while the 3D documentary Justin Bieber: Never Say Never (Paramount) rounded out the Top 10 with $4.3 million and $69 million in four weeks.
The Top 10 grossed roughly $114.6 million which is down 37% from the March-opening weekend last year in which Tim Burton's ALICE IN WONDERLAND made more than this week's Top 10 on its own.
Relativity Media's long-delayed R-rated comedy TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT (filmed four years ago!) tanked in its debut weekend, ending up outside the Top 10 with $3.5 million in 2,000 theaters, a pitiful average of less than $2k per venue.

FIRE AND ICE
According to Ain't It Cool News, Robert Rodriguez, who produced this summer's PREDATORS, has acquired the rights for Ralph Bakshi and the late Frank Frazetta's 1983 animated feature FIRE AND ICE. The new version of the film has been set up at Rodriguez's Troublemaker Studios.
The film, created using the process of rotoscoping (shot in live action and then traced onto animation cells), was released by 20th Century Fox. The screenplay was written by Gerry Conway and Roy Thomas. The movie is described as follows:
It began as a once-in-a-lifetime collaboration between two of the greatest icons of the fantasy genre: Controversial animator Ralph Bakshi (director of FRITZ THE CAT, WIZARDS and the original THE LORD OF THE RINGS) and legendary illustrator Frank Frazetta (creator of the iconic CONAN THE BARBARIAN, VAMPIRELLA and Edgar Rice Burroughs book covers). It became - and remains - one of the most startling animation epics of all time. Now experience a world unlike any ever seen, where savage warriors, horrific monsters and luscious maidens battle for the soul of a civilization in a time of good and evil, pleasure and pain, and FIRE AND ICE.

SUNDAY, MARCH 6, 2011

SPECIAL PROGRAMMING ALERT

NEW SERIES "SECRET MILLIONAIRE" PREMIERES TONIGHT AT 8:00pm ON ABC

Secret Millionaire, the one-hour series that follows some of America's most successful, self-made business people on a once-in-a-lifetime journey -- as they spend a week in the country's poorest areas and ultimately gift unsung community heroes with hundreds of thousands of dollars of their own money -- The premiere is SUNDAY, MARCH 6 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.
Based on the hit UK series of the same name, each episode of Secret Millionaire follows one of America's most successful business people for one week as they leave behind the comforts of home and their true identities to live and volunteer in some of the most impoverished neighborhoods in the country. Assuming new identities and living in local housing on welfare-level wages, their mission is to discover the most deserving individuals within the community who continually sacrifice everything to help those in need, and ultimately encourage others to do the same.
Throughout this incredible, life-changing experience, the Secret Millionaires come face to face with extraordinary people who put their own needs aside for the sake of others. At the end of the Secret Millionaires' journeys, in an emotional and dramatic climax, they reveal their true identities and donate their own money to these community activists, changing lives forever and encouraging others to keep giving back.

REVIEW
I have had a chance to review this program before the premiere. I found it truly incredible. The individuals whoparticipated were some of the most inspiring I've seen -- and the journey some of them took to get to their successfulstatus in life was not always easy. Many came from very challenging families -- with poverty, family problems. Theyhave overcome their own challenges and succeeded. Now they want to give back and the journeys they take to finddeserving organizations/individuals is truly awe-inspiring. The Joy of Music, Special Spaces, Love Kitchen -- these places are making a difference not only in their communities, but in the lives of so many people -- young and old.
If you like feel-good programs, watch this program! Warning - have a box of kleenex handy. This program will touch yourheart!

Go to http://abc.go.com/shows/secret-millionaire to see atrailer and learn more.

THOR
A short post from JMS:
So the first official poster for the new Thor movie (for which I co-wrote the story) has finally come out, with all the credits in place. Looks pretty cool.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
Johnny Depp's RANGO won the Friday box office, but it came in just under its projected gross with an estimated $9.8 million for opening night. Though it's a favorite for movie critics, many believe that the Gore Verbinski film's humor is slightly more sophisticated than most families expect from an animated film, so word-of-mouth (and word-of-internet) may not be as good as expected.
In second place was the Matt Damon/Emily Blunt sci-fi thriller THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU, grossing $6.7 million on its opening night. BEASTLY wasn't expected to be a hit, but it's holding its own thanks to younger, mostly female audiences, coming in 3rd place with $3.5 million.
The other film opening this weekend, TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT from Relativity Media, debuted to fairly empty theaters. The movie, which was shot four years ago and has been shelved repeatedly, stars Anna Faris and Topher Grace. It only took in $1.2 million for Friday, putting it in 10th place. It's looking at a $5-million weekend.

FRINGE COMING UP IN RATINGS
Fox won Thursday night against mostly repeats, with BONES and FRINGE reaching season highs.
BONES was seen by 12.4 million viewers and drew a strong 3.6 rating, while FRINGE had 8.9 million viewers and cracked the 3s with a 3.0 rating. For BONES this was the show's highest rating in two years, while FRINGE matched its season high.
In October, when Fox was really struggling on Thursdays with its new drama lineup, I wrote a post titled "Did Fox blunder moving FRINGE to overstuffed Thursdays?" Last night gave Fox a competition-free playing as one could ever hope for, yet given the network's recent Thursday gains, the conclusion of that post -- that Fox should stay the course -- seems to have proven correct.
Also Thursday, Jeff Probst's well-intentioned "Live for the Moment" special/backdoor pilot (4.7 million, 1.1) tanked in the ratings, hurting the chances of reality projects starring the terminally ill everywhere (sorry, CBS, that convalescent home edition of "Big Brother" will just have to wait). CBS knew "Moment" wasn't going to fly, but there's a relationship to protect here, and the network gamely gave it a shot.
The second week of ABC's "The Deep End" (6 million, 1.7) slipped a tenth, followed by repeats. CBS aired repeats. The CW's VAMPIRE DIARIES (3.7 million, 1.8) perked back up, climbing 13% for its second episode post hiatus. In fact, VAMPIRE came in second place in the 8 p.m. hour. SUPERNATURAL (2.6 million, 1.2) was basically on par.

KUNG FU PANDA 2
DreamWorks Animation has revealed the new trailer and poster for KUNG FU PANDA 2, hitting 3D, 2D and IMAX 3D theaters on May 26.
Po is now living his dream as The Dragon Warrior, protecting the Valley of Peace alongside his friends and fellow kung fu masters, The Furious Five - Tigress, Crane, Mantis, Viper and Monkey. But Po's new life of awesomeness is threatened by the emergence of a formidable villain, who plans to use a secret, unstoppable weapon to conquer China and destroy kung fu. It is up to Po and The Furious Five to journey across China to face this threat and vanquish it. But how can Po stop a weapon that can stop kung fu? He must look to his past and uncover the secrets of his mysterious origins; only then will he be able to unlock the strength he needs to succeed.
KUNG FU PANDA 2 is voiced by Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross, James Hong, Gary Oldman, Michelle Yeoh, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Victor Garber.

PUSS IN BOOTS
DreamWorks Animation has revealed both the teaser trailer and poster for Puss in Boots, opening in 3D, 2D and IMAX 3D theaters on November 4.
Featuring the voices of Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Zach Galifianakis, Billy Bob Thornton and Amy Sedaris, PUSS INBOOTS tells the hilarious and courageous (daring, bold, brave) tale of Puss's (Banderas) early adventures as he teams with mastermind Humpty Dumpty (Galifianakis) and the street-savvy Kitty (Hayek) to steal the famed goose that lays the Golden Eggs.

SATURDAY, MARCH 5, 2011

NEW SERIES NEWS
The latest round of pilot casting includes two leads in a J.J. Abrams-produced pilot, a growing "Battlestar Galactica" reunion on NBC's "17th Precinct" and more. The rundown:
PERSON OF INTEREST - the Abrams-produced drama at CBS, has found its leads. James Caviezel (last seen on AMC's "The Prisoner") will play a presumed-dead former CIA agent who works for a billionaire (the previously cast Michael Emerson) as a one-man police force, and Taraji P. Henson ("Boston Legal," "The Karate Kid") will play a detective who gets tied up in their crusade. [Hollywood Reporter/Vulture]

17th PRECINCT - A third "Battlestar Galactica" regular has joined "BSG" exec producer Ron Moore's "17th Precinct." Tricia Helfer will play a necromancer/coroner in the cop show/fantasy hybrid; she joins Jamie Bamber and James Callis on the show. [Deadline]

AWAKENING - The CW's zombie drama "Awakening" has cast Lucy Griffiths (BBC America's "Robin Hood") as one of its leads. The show centers on two sisters in the early days of a zombie outbreak. [Deadline]

DAMAGE CONTROL - Shonda Rhimes has recruited a familiar "Grey's Anatomy" face for her pilot "Damage Control." Jeff Perry, who plays Meredith's (Ellen Pompeo) dad on "Grey's," will co-star in the new project about a crisis-management consultant (Kerry Washington). [Hollywood Reporter]

PLAYBOY - Jeff Hephner ("Hellcats") has landed a starring role in NBC's drama "Playboy." He'll play a Playboy Club member who's a lawyer and has connections to the Chicago underworld. [Deadline]

MANN'S WORLD - NBC's drama "Mann's World," starring Don Johnson as a salon owner trying to keep his edge, has added several people to its cast: Kelly Hu will play Johnson's wife, while Sandra Vergara (the younger sister of Sofia), JR Bourne and Caitlin Crosby will play stylists at Johnson's salon. [Deadline/Hollywood Reporter]

REVENGE - Nick Wechsler ("Roswell") has joined the cast of ABC's drama "Revenge," playing a character named Ben. [Hollywood Reporter]

Also: Jean Smart ("Hawaii Five-0") has joined the Dan Goor medical comedy at NBC; Gabrielle Union ("FlashForward") has been cast in FOX's comedy "Little in Common"; Robin Givens ("Chuck") has come aboard another FOX comedy, "Tagged"; and British actor Joe Anderson ("Twilight: Breaking Dawn") will star in ABC's drama "The River." [Deadline]

WONDER WOMAN NEWS
Deadline reports that "Princess Bride" and "Saw" actor Cary Elwes as joined David E. Kelley's "Wonder Woman" reboot for NBC. Also joining the cast are Pedro Pascal ("The Good Wife") and Tracie Thoms ("Wonderfalls").
The pilot stars "Friday Night Lights" veteran Adrianne Palicki in the title role, as well as two others. Palicki will play Wonder Woman, no description needed; Diana Themyscira, successful corporate executive who is publically known to be Wonder Woman and Diana Prince, her second alter-ego.
Elwes will be playing Henry Detmer, the acting CEO of Themyscira Industries, who is deeply devoted to Diana. He is like an uncle to her, but there is a chance of him becoming a love interest in the future (should the project be picked up). This is Elwes' second TV series regular gig after his stint on "The X-Files."
Pascal is set to play police officer Ed Indelicato, who acts as a liaison between Wonder Woman/Diana and the police, who, like Detmer, is devoted and loyal to Diana. Thomas will play Etta, Diana Themyscira's personal assistant.
It was recently announced that Elizabeth Hurley will be playing the show's villainess Veronica Cale.

TRON: UPRISING
If you liked TRON: LEGACY, you'll be happy with the trailer for TRON: UPRISING, the Disney animated series that will be coming to your TV screen this summer. Even better, if you liked the original Tron, you'll probably be happy, too.
Part of the uniqueness of Tron was that it made the computer world seem real through analogy: for example, Dumont acts as the I/O tower, and Tron couldn't communicate to his user Alan Bradley without him. Tron was never great, but at least it was logical.
Another problem with Tron: Legacy is that it had very little to do with the character of Tron. He had two sentences of dialogue, and his one good line was ripped from the first movie. Tron wasn't the main character of Tron, but he was the hero.
As you'll see from the trailer, the character Tron is an important part of the premise.
Something else you'll see: the lightcycle animation looks as good as the movie. The character (Wikipedia calls him Beck), however, looks eerily like Speed Racer.

THE RIVER
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Bruce Greenwood (Christopher Pike in the new Star Trek movie) has joined the cast of ABC drama pilot, THE RIVER, from Paranormal Activity writer-director Oren Peli.
The drama centers on a group of friends and family members embarking on a search of a famed adventurer/TV personality who, with his crew, goes missing in the Amazon. Each member, however, has their own motivations for doing so.
Greenwood will play the role of Emmet Cole, joining previously cast Lone Star actress Eloise Mumford as Lena and Across the Universe's Joe Anderson as Lincoln.
Jason Blum and Steven Schneider are producing with Peli, Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank. DreamWorks TV and ABC Studios are backing the project, which has Unknown director Jaume Collet-Sera lined up to helm the pilot.
Greenwood starred in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek reboot, Barney's Version and Meek's Cutoff. On the TV side, the veteran actor has recently appeared in John From Cincinnati. He has the features Cristiada and Donavan's Echo on tap.

POE
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Australian actor Christopher Egan has been tapped as the lead in ABC pilot POE.The crime procedural, from Warner Bros. TV and Dan Lin’s Lin Pictures, centers on the world’s first detective, Edgar Allan Poe, who uses unconventional means to uncover mysteries. The series is set in Boston during the 1840s.
Egan, whose previous TV credits include Kings, Vanished and Everwood, will play the part of Poe.
He joins Kevin McNally, Tabrett Bethelland Leslie Odom Jr, who are already locked into supporting roles.
Chris Hollier (Alias, Kyle XY) will write and executive produce the pilot, with Lin (The Departed, Sherlock Holmes) and Brad Kern (Human Target, Charmed) joining him as executive producers. Alex Graves (Terra Nova, Fringe) is on board to direct.

FRIDAY, MARCH 4, 2011

STAR WARS: PHANTOM MENACE IN 3-D
A 3-D version of the "Star Wars: Episode I" will hit theaters next year.
Lucasfilm and 20th Century Fox say that "The Phantom Menace" in 3-D will arrive in theaters on Feb. 10, 2012. That's around the same time of year that the "Special Edition" version of the first "Star Wars" trilogy was rereleased in 1997.
Unlike the Special Editions, which were all released within a two-month period, the 3-D versions of the franchise won't come out quite as quickly. There are plans to release all six movies in 3-D, and if "The Phantom Menace" does well next year, the other five will come out annually at roughly the same time on the calendar. If the returns aren't as good, the studio will look at other times of the year for subsequent releases, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Lucasfilm announced its intention to give "Star Wars" the 3-D treatment last fall. Industrial Light & Magic is overseeing the conversion from 2-D -- but it won't include any additional futzing with the visual effects, as happened in the Special Editions.

THE CAPE - CANCELLED
It looks like THE CAPE is done. After struggling in the ratings since it premiered, and NBC cutting the show's episode order from 13 to 10 episodes, the network has decided to run The Cape's final original episode only online sometime later this month.
NBC had planned to air the last two episodes, nine and 10, of the comic-book-inspired series last Monday, after postponing the relaunch of The Event to March 7. However, the network decided instead to air an original CHUCK in its normal timeslot and finish off THE CPAE's on-air run with episode nine, "Razor."
This decision certainly comes about due to the falling ratings The Cape has suffered since the series premiered. On Monday, the show could only manage 4.09 million viewers with 1.2 ratings for adults 18-40. That made it one of the lowest-rated network shows still on the air.
Regarding the move to show the final episode online only, NBC announced on its website, "Flash: The creators of THE CAPE are prepping an exclusive episode just for online fans! Keep watching this site in the days ahead to see a full-length special episode."
Makes it almost sound like "the creators" planned that all along.
In "Razor," we were left with a major Orwell cliffhanger, and several continuing storylines. However, with one episode to go, it seems unlikely there is any real shot shot at creating any kind of satisfying ending for THE CAPE.
In an exclusive interview with creator and executive producer Tom Wheeler earlier this season, he gave me a hint at what he planned for the series before he knew NBC would cut THE CAPE's run short.
"The second half of the season, things definitely take off in a slightly more serialized way," said Wheeler. "A lot of storylines are going to unfold over time. I mean, I love serialized storytelling."
And it's likely we'll never get the real scoop on Summer Glau's character, Orwell. "There will be a huge developments for Orwell's character nearing the end of the first 13," he said.
As far as the Cape himself, "in Fugitive-like fashion, Vince is going to be trying to get back to his family. He'll be learning much more about this criminal underworld of Palm City and how difficult it is going to get back. ... Vince is, in a strange way, becoming a ghost in his own life, and there's a lot of different ways to go there and explore that," said Wheeler.
"There's a lot of big stories that we'll start to plant that would play out in subsequent seasons, and I'm definitely building a mythology around the Cape itself and a sense of destiny that we might not realize at first. But there will be greater connectiveness to things than we initially realize.
"For those who really want to pop on for the long ride, I approach this thing as a novel, and so I think a lot about the end and a lot about where The Cape ends up. I'm imagining a pretty sweeping, epic storyline that still sticks emotionally to its starting point," said Wheeler.
While THE CAPE Cape hasn't been officially canceled, we may never get to see the way Wheeler's vision plays out.

CAPTAIN AMERICA
CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER is heading our way—it'll be here July 22—so it's about time we got our first clear, crisp look at Captain America's super archnemesis the Red Skull!
Entertainment Weekly debuted a pic of actor Hugo Weaving (yes, he's underneath all that red makeup) as the nefarious Nazi.
While good ol' scrawny Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) will be turned by the U.S. army into the super-fit super-soldier Captain America, this is what Nazi experiments will do to weapons developer Johann Schmidt.

WATER FOR ELEPHANTS
Amazon has debuted the new trailer for director Francis Lawrence's adaptation of the best-seller WATER FOR ELEPHANTS,starring Reese Witherspoon, Robert Pattinson and Christoph Waltz.
In the April 22 release set during the Great Depression, Jacob, a penniless and recently-orphaned veterinary school student, parlays his expertise with animals into a job with a second-rate traveling circus. He falls in love with Marlena, one of the show's star performers, but their romance is complicated by Marlena's husband, the charismatic but unbalanced circus boss.

WONDER WOMAN CASTING
Two supporting cast members have joined the upcoming WONDER WOMAN television series. According to Deadline, Pedro Pascal and Tracie Thoms have both signed on for the project.
The series pilot is a reinvention of the iconic DC Comics title in which WONDER WOMAN – a/k/a Diana Prince – is a vigilante crime fighter in Los Angeles but also a successful corporate executive and a modern woman trying to balance all of the elements of her extraordinary life.
Thoms, best known for her role on "Cold Case" will play Etta, personal assistant to Diana Prince. Pasca, who appears on "The Good Wife", will, meanwhile, play a police liaison who aids Diana.
Kelley and Bill D'Elia ("Boston Legal," "The Practice") are the executive producers. The pilot was written by Kelley and will be directed by Jeffrey Reiner (NBC's "The Event"). "Wonder Woman" is from David E Kelley Productions and Warner Bros. Television.

SNEAK PEEK AT THIS WEEK'S EPISODE OF MERLIN

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THE EYE OF THE PHOENIX
MERLIN welcomes special guest star Warwick Davis.
Star of Return of the Jedi & Harry Potter series plays mysterious Grettir in all-new episode “The Eye of the Phoenix” premiering Friday, March 4 on Syfy.
To complete his quest, Arthur must traverse treacherous lands, elude assassins and survive the black magic of a strength-sapping bracelet – but first he’ll need to cross the footbridge guarded by the mysterious Grettir, played by popular actor Warwick Davis – in an all-new episode of MERLIN entitled “The Eye of Phoenix” premiering Friday, March 4 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on Syfy.
Davis is best known for roles in several blockbuster movies. He plays Professor Filius Flitwick in the Harry Potter films and the Ewok “Wicket” in Star Wars: The Return of the Jedi, as well as the title character in Willow and the Leprechaun franchise. As Grettir, Davis plays one part guardian of a mystical path, and one part soothsayer inseeing the future of the trio from Camelot – Arthur, Merlin and Gwaine.

THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2011

CHRISTOPHER NOLAN - NOLANOGRAPHY
Still haven't gotten over the fact that Christopher Nolan and INCEPTION got shut out of the major awards at the Oscars Sunday? Maybe this video will help you get over it.
DJC Productions cobbled together clips from INCEPTION, THE DARK KNIGHT, THE PRESTIGE and other Nolan films into an awesome montage that proves that though the Academy, in its infinite wisdom, didn't think the man was worthy of even a Best Directing nomination, there are some awesome clips that might say something else.

. - RADIO FREE ALBEMUTH
The works of Philip K. Dick have been turned into movies and TV shows, but perhaps his best work comes from the writer's short stories and novels. This first trailer for RADIO FREE ALBEMUTH shows that may be about to change.
The film, directed by John Alan Simon, stars Shea Whigham (Machete), Jonathan Scarfe (Twilight), Katheryn Winnick (Love and other Drugs) and Alanis Morissette (Dogma).
Here's the official synopsis:
Berkeley record store clerk Nick Brady (Jonathan Scarfe) begins to experience strange visions from an entity he calls VALIS that cause him to uproot his family and move to Los Angeles where he becomes a successful music company executive. With the help of best friend, science-fiction writer Philip K. Dick himself (Shea Whigam) and a mysterious woman named Silvia (Alanis Morissette), Nick finds himself drawn into a dangerous political-mystical conspiracy of cosmic proportions. The story is set in an alternate reality America circa 1985 under the authoritarian control of President Fremont, a Nixon-like clone (Scott Wilson).
RADIO FREE ALBEMUTH doesn't have a release date yet, as far as we can tell, and that's a shame. Let's hope we get to see it in theaters soon!

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS
There's roughly two months left to wait before the eagerly anticipated X-MEN: FIRST CLASS is released on the big screen, and the ultra-cool lair of the Hellfire Club has just been revealed. And it looks pretty darn cool.
This first picture of the lair also features Kevin Bacon as the über-villain Sebastian Shaw, the supreme leader of the nefarious Hellfire Club, along with his right-hand woman, a very sexy and cool Emma Frost, played by January Jones (Mad Men).
By the looks of this set (which kind of reminds us of the sorcerer's lair in Conan the Destroyer—but we digress), director Matthew Vaughn seems to be pulling out all the stops to set this movie (which is taking place in the 1960s) apart from the previous three X-Men films.
With a cast that boasts Michael Fassbender as Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto, James McAvoy as Charles Xavier, Rose Byrne as Moira MacTaggert and Nicholas Hoult as Beast—as well as a truly kick-ass trailer—X-Men: First Class (which opens June 3, 2011) promises to be one of the summer's top movies.

MARTHA KENT CAST IN SUPERMAN MOVIE
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Diane Lane will play Martha Kent in Zack Snyder's upcoming Superman movie.Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures said late Wednesday that the actress is set as "the only mother Clark Kent has ever known."
"This was a very important piece of casting for me because Martha Kent is the woman whose values helped shape the man we know as Superman," Snyder said in a statement. "We are thrilled to have Diane in the role because she can convey the wisdom and the wonder of a woman whose son has powers beyond her imagination."
Lane will star with Henry Cavill, who was recently announced as the new Clark Kent/Superman.
As far as other roles, Kevin Costner is a "person of interest" for the part of Jonathan Kent, while Viggo Mortensen is on Snyder's radar to play General Zod.
There hasn’t been any official movement on those roles; Mortensen may even be flying away from the Superman orbit. The actor was in negotiations to star in Universal's SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN, and after hitting a bumpy patch last week, looks to be nearing the final stretch of that particular dealmaking, which would see him filming later this year.
Lane earned an Oscar nomination for her performance in the 2002 drama UNFAITHFUL. She most recently starred in the family hit Secretariat and next stars in the HBO feature Cinema Verite, opposite Tim Robbins and James Gandolfini.
The movie, set for a December 2012 release, is produced by Charles Roven, Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan and Deborah Snyder.
The screenplay is being written by David S. Goyer based on a story by Goyer and Nolan. Thomas Tull and Lloyd Phillips are serving as executive producers.

PERCY JACKSON & THE OLYMPIANS
24 Frames reports that 20th Century Fox has hired Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski (Ed Wood, Agent Cody Banks) to write the script for a sequel to PERCY JACKSON & THE OLYMPIANS: THE LIGHTNING THIEF. The site says the movie would be subtitled "The Sea of Monsters" and based on Rick Riordan's second book in the series.
ComingSoon.net has confirmed that the writers are on board, but no director is set yet and the film does not have a start date yet. 24 Frames says that Chris Columbus, who directed the first film, will produce with the returning Karen Rosenfelt. Logan Lerman and the other leads are expected to reprise their roles.
THE LIGHTNING THIEF, made for about $95 million, earned $226.5 million worldwide ($88.8 million domestically and $137.7 million overseas).

SNEAK PEEK AT THIS WEEK'S EPISODE OF MERLIN

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THE EYE OF THE PHOENIX
Arthur must endure a perilous quest in his ascent to the throne in “The Eye of the Phoenix,” an all-new episode of MERLIN premiering March 4 at 10:00 pm on Syfy.
Prince Arthur must take the next step in his ascent to the throne by succeeding on a perilous quest – made even more difficult by his scheming enemies – in “The Eye of the Phoenix,” an enthralling all-new episode of the hit series MERLIN premiering Friday, March 4 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on Syfy.
Written by series co-creator Julian Jones, “The Eye of the Phoenix” finds Arthur embarking on a solitary quest to retrieve the Golden Trident from the Fisher King and prove himself worthy of the Camelot throne. With the Prince beyond the protection of the citadel, Morgana sees an opportunity to use her dark magic and gives him a precious bracelet containing a Phoenix Eye. She insists he wear it at all times for protection, but it saps him of his life force and he is left defenseless in the Fisher’s King’s dangerous realm. It’s up to Merlin,with the assistance of Gwaine, to help Arthur and fulfil Merlin’s own quest to protect the future king of Camelot.
The episode features a guest appearance by Warwick Davis, star of such global hit films as the Harry Potter series, Star Wars: The Return of the Jedi and Willow. Davis portrays Grettir, the mysterious gatekeeper to a mystical land … and the soothsaying guide toward the intertwined futures of both Arthur and Merlin.
Another clip will be made available later today.

BABYLON 5 BOOK OFFER - ENDS MARCH 7
If you are missing any books from the 14-volume, black script book series (aka "The Babylon 5 Scripts of J. Michael Straczynski") or its 3-volume companion series, "Babylon 5: Other Voices," (the B5 scripts not written by JMS -- details here), read on.
Since we have so few of these miscellaneous volumes in our Customer Service Reserves, we will not use the randomizing software used for the recent full-series lottery. Instead, we will pull the handful of winners from a hat -- an EAS Agamemnon baseball cap, naturally.
All entries must be received by Monday, March 7. The few winners will be notified on March 8.
Those winners will be able to purchase their missing volumes at their original price of $39.99, plus shipping.
To submit your entry, email us --
1) A list of volumes you are missing.
2) Your phone number, even if you are outside the U.S.

After you email us the above information, you will receive an email within 24 hours confirming that we received your entry.
Click here to email us at help@b5books.com.
Please put "MISSING VOLUMES" in your subject line.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2011

ROBOCOP REMAKE
Deadline reports that it seems like everything's coming up Robo: First, Detroit's original cyborg policeman, Peter Weller, comes out in favor of a proposed statue in the Motor City, and now MGM has hired a director to take over their long-simmering remake, replacing the BLACK SWAN Oscar nominee.
Before MGM recovered from the brink of financial collapse that saw the embattled studio stop the works on everything from JAMES BOND to Joss Whedon's CABIN IN THE WOODS, Darren Aronosfky sparked to the idea of revamping the story of a Detroit cop who, after getting gunned down, returns to the streets as a metal marshal. But presumably Aronosfky got tired of waiting and signed on to direct his Fountain leading man, Hugh Jackman, in THE WOLVERINE.
In filling that void, MGM has turned to the Brazilian filmmaker Jose Padilha, who directed a couple of foreign-language crime dramas that impressed the studio brass. I guess, given the luck that Robocop has had with directors for whom English is a foreign language—the series' progenitor is the Dutch Paul Verhoeven—there was no problem casting a very wide net.

TERRA NOVA
We can't wait to see the first episode of Steven Spielberg's upcoming dinosaur time-traveling sci-fi adventure TERRA NOVA, which will premiere this May with a two-hour special preview. But in the meanwhile, we've got a new promo to sink our teeth into that makes the wait slightly more bearable.
The good news is, of course, that the upcoming sci-fi series seems to be a mix of just about everything from Jurassic Park to The Lost World to Primeval and Timeline all rolled into one (we're even gonna throw in Avatar just because Stephen Lang's in it and because of, well, lots of plants). TERRA NOVA will debut on FOX in May, with the two hours split into two nights, airing on Monday, May 23, and then on Tuesday, May 24.
The bad news is we'll then have to wait for the series to really premiere in the fall.

PETER PAN
The Hollywood Reporter writes that actor Channing Tatum, screenwriter Billy Ray and producer Joe Roth are seeking to tell the origin of PETER PAN with a pitch package that went out to studios Tuesday. Not much is known in the way of details, but the project carries the title PETER PAN BEGINS.
The pitch is the latest in the newest Hollywood development trend that has execs moving beyond comic books and toys and on to classic literature reading lists -- and no one is more at the forefront of this lit movement than Roth.
Roth produced last year’s billion-dollar grossing adaptation of ALICE IN WONDERLAND, is in the casting stages of OZ, THE GREAT AND POWERFUL, which is set up at Disney with James Franco and Mila Kunis starring, and has SNOW WHITE AND THEHUNTSMAN set up at Universal with Kristen Stewart and Charlize Theron in the leads.
Roth isn’t alone in raiding the public domain. Warner Bros. has RED RIDING HOOD coming out March 11, and the studio just set Kieran and Michele Mulroney to write a script tackling Victor Hugo’s THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME.
While no one has made any bids, the PETER PAN package is attractive.
Ray, who wrote and directed SHATTERED GLASS and BREACH, is one of the town’s more respected writers. He recently wrote the adaptation of The Hunger Games for Lionsgate, is adapting Secreto as a directing vehicle, and has the Richard Phillips/Somali pirates story in development at Columbia.
Tatum most recently starred in THE EAGLE, THE DILEMMA and DEAR JOHN. He has HATWIRE, THE VOW and THE SON OF NO ONEawaiting release.

JACK THE GIANT KILLER
New Line Cinema has confirmed that Eleanor Tomlinson has joined the cast of Bryan Singer's JACK THE GIANT KILLE as the female lead.
The project, a fantasy drama that re-teams Singer with The Usual Suspects and Valkyrie screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie, is said to take an adult look at the "Jack and the Beanstalk" legend. When a princess (Tomlinson) is kidnapped, a long-standing peace between men and giants becomes threatened, and a young farmer is given an opportunity to lead a dangerous expedition to the giant kingdom to rescue her.
Tomlinson has, so far, only appeared in supporting roles in films like THE ILLUSIONIST, ANGUS, THONGS and PERFECT SNOGGING and ALICE IN WONDERLAND.
The cast already includes Nicholas Hoult in the title role with Bill Nighy, Stanley Tucci and John Kassir co-starring. Ewan McGregor, as of last week was still in negotiations, but is likely to be finalized soon, rounding out the full cast.

GREEN LANTERN: EMERALD KNIGHTS
GREEN LANTERN: EMERALD KNIGHTS is an all-new DC Universe Animated Original Movie that weaves six interlocking stories of the Green Lantern Corps’ rich mythology around preparations for an attack by an ancient enemy. As the battle approaches, Hal Jordan (voiced by Nathan Fillion, Castle) mentors new recruit Arisia (Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men)in the history of the Green Lantern Corps, telling tales of Avra (the first Green Lantern) and several of Hal’s comrades – including Abin Sur, Kilowog, Laira and Mogo. In the end, Arisia must rise to the occasion to help Hal, Sinestro and the entire Green Lantern Corps save the universe from the destructive forces of Krona. Penned by comicbook luminaries Geoff Johns, Dave Gibbons, Peter J. Tomasi, Eddie Berganza, Alan Burnett, Todd Casey and Michael Green & Marc Guggenheim, GREEN LANTERN: EMERALD KNIGHTS will be distributed June 7 by Warner Home Video as part of the build up to the release of the highly anticipated live action film, Green Lantern, in theatres June 17.

Video Clip of GREEN LANTERN: EMERALD KNIGHTS:http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/green_lantern/tvspots/GreenLantern_EmeralKnights_Oath_WWGL-2013_300.asx

BRUCE BOXLEITNER AND MELISSA GILBERT SEPARATE
Melissa Gilbert, 46, has separated from her husband of 16 years, Bruce Boxleitner, 60, a rep for the actress confirms.
Wed in 1995 after a stormy courtship, the couple have one son, Michael, 15, named for Michael Landon, Gilbert's costar, mentor and father figure during her 9-year (from 1974 to 1983) stint as Laura Ingalls on TV's Little House on the Prairie.
Gilbert also has a son, Dakota, 21, from her previous marriage to Bo Brinkman; Boxleitner has two sons, ages 30 and 25, from his previous marriage to former actress Kathryn Ogilvy.
"We have loved each other for a very long time and we share four incredible sons together," Gilbert, a former president of the Screen Actors Guild, said in a statement. "On behalf of our family we ask to be allowed our privacy during this very difficult time."

BABYLON 5 BOOK OFFER - ENDS MARCH 7
If you are missing any books from the 14-volume, black script book series (aka "The Babylon 5 Scripts of J. Michael Straczynski") or its 3-volume companion series, "Babylon 5: Other Voices," (the B5 scripts not written by JMS -- details here), read on.
Since we have so few of these miscellaneous volumes in our Customer Service Reserves, we will not use the randomizing software used for the recent full-series lottery. Instead, we will pull the handful of winners from a hat -- an EAS Agamemnon baseball cap, naturally.
All entries must be received by Monday, March 7. The few winners will be notified on March 8.
Those winners will be able to purchase their missing volumes at their original price of $39.99, plus shipping.
To submit your entry, email us --
1) A list of volumes you are missing.
2) Your phone number, even if you are outside the U.S.

After you email us the above information, you will receive an email within 24 hours confirming that we received your entry.
Click here to email us at help@b5books.com.
Please put "MISSING VOLUMES" in your subject line.

TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2011

POWERS
When the news broke that Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming's long-running comic POWERS might get a shot at TV, readers and comics geeks were thrilled. Now POWERS is one step closer to being a reality, and one step closer to landing one heck of a leading lady.
When WALKING DEAD executive producer Charles Eglee left the zombie hit to join the nascent staff of POWERS, it was greeted with both sadness and joy: sadness that one of the captains of the Dead ship was leaving, but joy at the fact that POWERS—which follows two homicide detectives, Christian Walker and Deena Pilgrim, who have to patrol a world where superheroes and supervillains exist—was gaining steam.
Now POWERS has gotten the green light to shoot a pilot episode. And what's more, Katee Sackhoff revealed via Twitter that she's already hungry for the Pilgrim role:The POWERS pilot is casting now and preparing to shoot this spring.

THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Tim Burton and Josh Brolin are teaming up to bring THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME to the big screen.
Warner Bros. is developing the project with the duo and is bringing on board scribes Kieran and Michele Mulroney, who wrote the upcoming SHERLOCK HOLMES sequel for the studio.
HUNCHBACK, an 1831 novel by Victor Hugo, tells the story of Quasimodo, a deformed and hunchbacked bell-ringer of the Norte Dame cathedral who tragically falls in love with beautiful gypsy named Esmerelda.
The book has long intrigued the film and TV worlds -- it was first adapted in 1905 into a film titled Esmeralda -- although the last major adaptations were in 1997, the year that saw a high-profile Disney animated movie and an action-heavy pic starring Mandy Patinkin and Salma Hayek.
The book features Quasimodo fighting off troops, love and betrayal, a hanging, a swing off a belltower and bodies and graves galore; in short, stuff that seems tailor-made for Burton.
But the project, being spearheaded by Brolin, who would also produce as well as star, is in the nascent stages. Burton, who is in preproduction on Dark Shadows for Warners, is interested, but his commitment is dependent on the outcome of the script.
If HUNCHBACK does come to pass, it would be Brolin’s second crack at a deformed personage after starring as the title character in JONAH HEX, Warners’ Western featuring the facially scarred DC Comics anti-hero.

DEVIL MAY CRY
Variety reports that Screen Gems has plans to develop the videogame DEVIL MAY CRY into a feature film.
The game franchise, originally intended as a spinoff of "Resident Evil" (the adaptations of which have also been released by Screen Gems), launched in 2001 and has seen three sequels since with a fourth currently in the works. The storyline deals with Dante, a man attempting to avenge the death of his mother by eliminating demons.
Kyle Ward, who provided the script for another upcoming videogame adaptation, Kane & Lynch will write the screenplay.

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS
20th Century Fox has released two new international character posters for the highly anticipated "X-Men: First Class". The pair feature James McAvoy as Charles Xavier and Michael Fassbender as Erik Lehnsherr, no word if further character one-sheets along these lines will be produced, but I hope so.

PREDISPOSED
According to Vulture, Jesse Eisenberg, Melissa Leo and Tracy Morgan are all set to join the indie comedy PREDISPOSED.
The story is described as a macabre look at the unhealthy relationship between a drug-addicted mother (Leo) and her college-bound son (Eisenberg), set on the day of both his interview at Julliard and her planned arrival in rehab.
Adding complications to the matter is that she has no health insurance so she can only be admitted to rehab if she shows up intoxicated. Morgan will play her drug dealer Sprinkles who has a feud with her, while another major role of a rival dealer has yet to be cast.
The project is a feature adaptation of Philip Dorling and Ron Nyswaner's 2009 Sundance short which also starred Leo. Shooting is scheduled to start this summer.

FALLING SLOWLY
Mandy Moore and Rodrigo Santoro have joined the cast of the supernatural drama FALLING SLOWLY reports Variety.
"Buried" writer Chris Sparling makes his directorial debut on the project about a couple whose apartment is haunted by a dark presence.
Julie Snyder will produce. No production dates have been announced as of yet.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2011

ACADEMY AWARDS
The Hollywood Reporter writes that the KING'S SPEECH reigned at the 83rd annual Academy Awards Sunday night, securing the prize for best picture against such rivals as THE SOCIAL NETWORK. The British drama, released domestically by the Weinstein Co., also collected three other awards for best actor Colin Firth, director Tom Hooper and screenwriter David Seidler.
Natalie Portman danced to victory as best actress for playing a neurotic ballerina in BLACK SWAN, while THEFIGHTER costars Christian Bale and Melissa Leo captured the supporting actor and actress trophies. All four of the triumphant actors were first time Oscar winners.
Like SPEECH, Warner's thriller INCEPTION also picked up four Oscars -- for cinematography, sound editing, sound mixing and visual effects. And Sony's SOCIAL picked up three key awards -- adapted screenplay, score and editing. But ultimately SPEECH, which began the night with a commanding 12 nominations, dominated in the final awards of the night, which guaranteed its coronation.
Although there were ten movies in play in the best picture race -- for the second time in modern Oscar history -- the pundits created a season-long narrative in which SOCIAL was pitted against SPEECH. SOCIAL, the critics' favorite, was characterized as the hipper, cutting edge choice for its behind-the-scenes account of the creation of Facebook, while SPEECH was painted as the safe and traditional option.
While SOCIAL appeared to be the early favorite, dominating the year-end critics awards, and claiming the Golden Globe as the year's best drama, SPEECH then rallied and took home a steady string of guild awards, including top honors from the Directors Guild of America, the Producers Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild.
In the end, SPEECH, which dramatized King George VI's efforts to overcome a debilitating stammer, could be viewed as one in a line of best picture Oscar winners in which a singular man triumphs over adversity -- like 1998's RAIN MAN and 2001's A BEAUTIFUL MIND. SOCIAL is more akin to zeitgeist-defining movies like 1967's THE GRADUATE, 1975's SHAMPOO and 1996's JERRY MAGUIRE, whose anti-social heroes find themselves at odds with the world around them. None of those movies were rewarded with the ultimate prize, either.
As the winning producers accepted their crown, Iain Canning thanked Hooper and the movie's trio of lead actors, calling them "our acting royalty"; fellow producer Emile Sherman acknowledged that the relatively low-budget $14 million movie was a "huge risk" as he tipped his hat to the Weinstein Co.'s Harvey and Bob Weinstein -- the risk paid off handsomely for the various companies that backed the film, which has grossed more than $245 million worldwide; and refusing to give up the stage even as the music began to swell, Gareth Unwin called the win "a boyhood ambition come true tonight."
Firth, who was nominated last year for A SINGLE MAN and whose ultimate victory was something of a foregone conclusion, was self-deprecating in a tony British manner, as he accepted his Oscar. "I have a feeling my career's just peaked," he said before eloquently paying tribute to the movie's writer Seidler, "whose own struggles have given so many people the benefit of his very beautiful voice"; director Hooper "for immense courage and clear-sightedness"; and his own wife Livia "for putting up with my fleeting delusions of royalty."
Taking the stage to the music from SWAN LAKE, the pregnant Portman composed herself as she accepted her best actress Oscar and began by expressing her appreciation to her parents. Citing directors who had championed her such as Luc Besson and Mike Nichols, she moved on to hail SWAN director Darren Aronofksy as "a fearless leader, a visionary." And she thanked the movie's choreographer, Benjamin Millepied, with whom she is expecting a child, for giving "me the most important role of my life."
Hooper, a first-time nominee, breathed a huge sigh of relief when the best director envelope contained his name. Just two weeks ago at Britain's BAFTAs, he lost the directing honors to Social's David Fincher.
"This is an extraordinary honor," he said before going on to thank his stars, Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter, writer Seidler and the film's producers. He reserved special acknowledgment for his mother, who first spotted Seidler's material at a play-reading and called to alert her son, telling him, "I think I found your next film." Added Hooper, "the moral of the story is listen to your mother."
Leo won the first acting award of the evening for her performance as fiercely controlling mom in THE FIGHTER.
The veteran actress immediately established another first as she blurted out a bleeped-out F-word amid her flustered acceptance speech. First, though, she had to wait for presenter Kirk Douglas, who milked opening the envelope for all it was worth. "Pinch me," she said to Douglas as she accepted her Oscar. "Wow...mine..for me?," she vamped, as Douglas told her, "You're much more beautiful than you were in The Fighter" before he was escorted to the side of the stage.
Her FIGHTER costar Bale was named best supporting actor for taking on the real-life character of ex-fighter-turned-addict Dicky Eklund. Referring to Leo, the sometimes volatile actor said, "I'm not going to drop the f-bomb like she did. I've already done that plenty before." Instead, he thanked director David O. Russell and gave a shout-out to Eklund, who stood up and waved from his seat in the audience.
Aaron Sorkin, who was clearly the odds-on favorite in his category, claimed the Oscar for best adapted screenplay for the fast-talking SOCIAL, adapted from Ben Mezrich's book The Accidental Billionaires. As he began his acceptance, Sorkin noted that the great Paddy Chayefsky won a writing screenplay 35 years ago for another movie with the word network in the title. He also offered extravagant praise to the film's director Fincher, saying, "David Fincher made this movie and he did it with an ungodly artfulness."
Seidler's victory in the original screenplay category for Speech was equally expected. "My father always said to me, I would be a late bloomer," the writer said as he began his remarks before concluding, "I accept this on behalf of all the stutterers around the world. We have a voice, we have been heard, thanks to you, the Academy."
When it came to best score, the Social vs. Speech rivalry tipped in favor of Social and Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, who collaborated on its uniquely moody score. Reznor, a rock musician, said the Oscar was "humbling and flattering beyond words."
The movie, which cut relentlessly between a series of legal depositions, also rose to the top in the editing category, where Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter shared the prize.
Disney's ALICE IN WONDERLAND led off the trophy parade as it took home the first award of the evening, the prize for art direction.
Production designer Robert Stromberg was visibly nervous as he took the stage with set decorator Karen O'Hara. In his rush into a litany of thank yous, he referred to his Disney bosses as "Iger and Ross and Bailey," referring to Robert Iger, Rich Ross and Sean Bailey, reserving most of his thanks for the movie's director Tim Burton.
ALICE's fantasy world also resulted in an award for its costume design, the third such Oscar that Colleen Atwood has won, and she also hailed "the singular Tim Burton."
Wally Pfister took home the night's second trophy for his cinematography in INCEPTION. It was the fifth nomination and first win for Pfister, a longtime collaborator of director Christopher Nolan, and he acknowledged that fact, saying, "Nothing I did would have been possible without the incredible vision of my master Christopher Nolan."
When it came to sound, INCEPTION executed a double-play: It earned the prize for sound editing, which went to Richard King, and for sound mixing, which went to Lora Hirschberg, Gary A. Rizzo and Ed Novick.
The film, full of elaborate imagery, picked up its fourth Oscar when it proved victorious in the visual effects race. Paul Franklin, Chris Corbould, Andrew Lockley and Peter Bebb all came to the stage to accept their prize.
Even though presenter Cate Blanchett shuddered, "That's gross," after watching a clip from THE WOLFMAN, in which Benicio Del Toro turns into the title character, the movie still took the prize for best make-up. The award was shared by Rick Baker (collecting his seventh Oscar win) and Dave Elsey (accepting his first).
Pixar's TOY STORY 3, directed by Lee Unkrich, claimed the Oscar for best animated feature, while the corresponding prize for best short animated movie went to the Australian-made The Lost Thing and its creators Shaun Tan and Andrew Ruhemann.
Expressing his debt to Pixar founders John Lasseter, Ed Catmull and Steve Jobs, Unkrich called Pixar "the most awesome place on the planet to make movies" and thanked audiences who "embraced a movie about talking toys that hopefully had something very human to say."
TOY got further airtime when Randy Newman got his second Oscar (on his 20th nomination) for the movie's tune "We Belong Together." Newman resisted a winner's natural inclination to recite a long line of thank-yous since it wouldn't be "good television" and also since, he admitted, "I've been on this show any number of times, and I've slowed it down every time."
STRANGERS NO MORE, which looks at a school in Tel Aviv that is attended by children from 48 countries, earned the prize for documentary short subject, which was accepted by Karen Goodman and Kirk Simon.
The prize for best live-action short subject went to God of Love, which focuses on three musicians in a love triangle, directed by Luke Matheny, whose thank-yous included one to "my mother, who did craft services for the film."
Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs, who were previously nominated for the Iraq War documentary No End in Sight, both won their first Oscar for their new feature doc Inside Job, from Sony Pictures Classics, a look at the worldwide financial crisis of 2008.
Ferguson interjected some politics into the ceremony as he began his acceptance by saying, "Forgive me, I must start by pointing out that three years after a horrific financial crisis caused by massive fraud, not a single financial executive has gone to jail, and that's wrong."
Job's win did mean, however, that one of the night's great mysteries went unanswered. Was Banksy, the mysterious graffiti artist who was nominated in the same category for directing Exit Through the Gift Shop, in the audience? Who knows?
Susanne Bier's Danish feature IN A BETTER WORLD was named best foreign-language feature. The film ranges from a refugee camp in Sudan to a Danish provincial town, where two boys strike up a friendship as they confront local bullies. Thanking the Academy, Bier also tipped her hat to SPC and its two co-heads Michael Barker and Tom Bernard for distributing the film in America.
For the ABC broadcast, originating at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, the show's producers Bruce Cohen and Don Mischer aimed to give the show a fresher, more youthful look, recruiting James Franco and Anne Hathaway, who appeared amid a high-tech set that used a series of "projections" to shift from one historic setting to another.
To open the show, the two hosts took an INCEPTION-like trip into Alec Baldwin's dreams, which looked like most of the other best picture nominees, in search of the secret for hosting the Oscars.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
After opening in third place and then climbing to second in its second weekend, Touchstone Pictures' GNOMEO & JULIETclimbed to the top spot its third weekend with an estimated $14.2 million. The animated comedy enjoyed a drop of just 26% in ticket sales and has earned $75.1 million so far.
The Farrelly brothers comedy HALL PASS had to settle for second place with $13.4 million from 2,950 theaters, an average of $4,549 per theater. Starring Owen Wilson, Jason Sudeikis, Jenna Fischer and Christina Applegate, the New Line/Warner Bros. release cost about $35 million to make.
Last week's champ, Warner Bros.' UNKNOWN dropped to third place and 43%, adding $12.4 million and bringing its total to $42.8 million after two weeks. The thriller, starring Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger and January Jones, was made for $30 million.
Fourth place belonged to Sony's JJUST GO WITH IT, which collected $11.1 million its third weekend and has earned $79.4 million. The romantic comedy is on track to become Adam Sandler's 12th film to cross the $100 million mark domestically.
DreamWorks Pictures' I AM NUMBER FOUR rounded out the top five with $11 million and has reached $37.8 million after two weeks. The big screen adaptation carried a budget of about $50 million.
In its third weekend, Paramount swapped out JUSTIN BIEBER: NEVER SAY NEVER with a "Director's Fan Cut" which made $9.2 million in sixth place. The Jon Chu-directed film has grossed $62.8 million.
THE KING'S SPEECH is a movie title we expect you'll be hearing a lot tonight at the Oscars, and its impressive run at the box office continued this weekend as the film kept its 7th spot with $7.6 million. That's an increase in ticket sales of 17%. After 14 weeks in theaters, the drama has earned $114.5 million domestically.
The threequel BIG MOMMAS: LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON added $7.6 million in eighth place and has brought in $28.6 million after two weeks.
Also, Summit Entertainment's DRIVE ANGRY 3D bombed at the box office in ninth place with just $5.1 million from 2,290 theaters, for an average of $2,241 per site. It is certainly signicant considering the higher 3D ticket prices and considering the movie cost about $50 million to make. The film was directed by Patrick Lussier and stars Nicolas Cage, William Fichtner, Amber Heard and Billy Burke.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2011

INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Debra Granik’s WINTER'S BONE was the heavy favorite going into Saturday's Independent Spirit Awards ceremony with seven nominations but it was Fox Searchlight's BLACK SWAN that danced away with top honors: best feature, best director for Darren Aronofsky, female lead acting kudos for Natalie Portman and a cinematography prize for Matthew Libatique.
The show, spotlighting the year’s independent films, focuses on movies produced for under $20 million made primarily by Americans.
Asked about the broad success of his modestly budgeted, out-there film, Aronofsky said, "I have no f---ing idea. It's really exciting. The word I keep hearing is 'fun'- it's the best compliment you can receive as a filmmaker. This one was fun. It worked out."
Though it did not dominate the awards as expected, WINTER'S BONE, from Roadside Attractions, was represented with best supporting acting prizes for John Hawkes and Dale Dickey, an actress who up until this point, was probably best known as Patty the daytime hooker on My Name is Earl.
James Franco, who is also nominated for a best actor Oscar, earned best male lead for 127 HOURS. "I just went through film school at NYU and finished my thesis film," he said, "so independent film means a lot to me."
THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT scribes Stuart Blumberg and Lisa Cholodenko won best screenplay honors over Bone (Granik, Anne Rosellini), Rabbit Hole (David Lindsay-Abaire), Please Give (Nicole Holofcener), and Life During Wartime (Todd Solondz).
Community star Joel McHale hosted the proceedings, which returned to Santa Monica beach after a move to downtown L.A. last year that encouraged more glitz and formality but drew criticism for the same reasons. Film Independent executive director Dawn Hudson and the rest of the board opted to return the awards to its longtime home in Santa Monica.
Presenters for the 26th iteration of the event included John Waters, Anna Kendrick, Josh Radnor, Ben Stiller, Paul Rudd, Eva Mendes, Kerry Washington and Diego Luna.
Best first feature honors went to Sony Pictures Classic's Get Low, from director Aaron Schneider and producers David Gundlach and Dean Zanuck&prime.
EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP, another Oscar nominee, took home best documentary feature honors. The film's subject Thierry Guetta, aka Mr. Brainwash, accepted the award on behalf of elusive director Bansky and assured the audience that the documentary was real. "If you have a dream, just make it possible," he said. "I love everybody."
THE KING'S SPEECH won best foreign film (as opposed to best foreign-language film).
Film Independent previously announced its grant recepients at a separate ceremony last month.
Mike Ott, director of Litttlerock, which tells of two Japanese siblings who find themselves in a small California town, received the 17th annual Acura Someone to Watch Award. The prize, which recognizes a talented filmmaker who has not yet received major recognition, includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant funded by Acura.
The other finalists were Hossein Keshavarz for Dog Sweat and Laurel Nakadate for THE WOLF KNIFE.
Another grant award went to Anish Savjani, producer of Meek's Cutoff, who received the 14th annual Piaget Producers Award, which honors emerging producers. The other finalists were In-Ah Lee for Au Revoir Taipei and Adele Romanski for THE MYTH OF THE AMERICAN SLEEPOVER.
Jeff Malmberg, director of Marwencol, received the 16th annual Aveeno Truer Than Fiction Award, which is presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features. The other finalists were Ilisa Barbash and Lucien Castaing-Taylor for SWEETGRASS and Lynn True and Nelson Walker for SUMMER PASTURE.
Marwencol also received the inaugural Jameson Find Your Audience Award, which makes it possible for one Spirit Award-nominated film to find a broader audience. The grant, a $50,000 marketing and distribution grant funded by Jameson Irish Whiskey, was designed to help independent filmmakers get their films out into the marketplace. It was selected by a committee that consisted of Warner Bros. head of worldwide marketing Sue Kroll, producer Effie T. Brown, CEO of Landmark Theatres Ted Mundorff and producer Gail Mutrux.
Saturday's award ceremony will be broadcast by IFC tonight at 7 p.m. EST/10 p.m. PST.

THUNDERCATS
Cartoon Network has aired the first promo for Warner Bros. Animation's THUNDERCATS. Here is a description:
Roaring to life through WBA and Studio4°C’s use of the Japanese animated artistry of anime, “ThunderCats” characters Lion-O, Mumm-Ra, Panthro, Cheetara and others will spring off the screen with realistic cat-like characteristics inconceivable in previous incarnations.
The new THUNDERCATS will appeal to viewers who have loved the characters all their lives as well as young newcomers to the franchise. A sweeping tale combining swords and science and boasting ferocious battles with the highest of stakes, the grand origin story of Prince Lion-O’s ascension to the throne – and of those who would thwart his destiny at any cost – takes on epic dimensions in this sharp new telling. As the forces of good and evil battle each other in the quest for the fabled Stones of Power, Lion-O and his champions learn valuable lessons of loyalty, honor and mortality in every episode.
THUNDERCATS is executive produced by Sam Register (“Teen Titans,” “Ben 10,” “Batman: The Brave and the Bold”). Michael Jelenic (“Batman: The Brave and the Bold,” “Wonder Woman”) and Ethan Spaulding (“Avatar: The Last Airbender”) are the producers.

GREEN LANTERN POSTERS
As part of its tie-in with the GREEN LANTERN movie, collector's manufacturer NECA has revealed four wall posters, which you can check out below thanks to The Daily Blam. Directed by Martin Campbell, the June 17 release stars Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong, Angela Bassett, Tim Robbins, Temuera Morrison, Jay O. Sanders, Taika Waititi and Jon Tenney.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2011

X-MEN ANIME
It's hard to divine much of anything from this quick barrage of images of familiar faces like Wolverine, Cyclops, Professor X and Storm—but it's clear that the new cartoon series being produced by Japan's Madhouse animation studio will be fast, stylish and filled with people shooting things out of their heads.
Comics writer Warren Ellis was instrumental in the development of Marvel's suite of anime series—including X-Men, Iron Man, Wolverine and Blade—and Ellis and is one of a rare handful of comics scribes who can blend hard sci-fi and witty action.
Ellis explained the process, and his involvement in it, on his blog:
"The way it worked is that I devised four serials for Marvel Anime—Iron Man, Wolverine, X-Men and Blade. Which means that I came up with 12-episode stories for each property. For the most part, I used pre-existing stories as adaptation material—the Wolverine story, for instance, takes the Chris Claremont/Frank Miller Wolverine miniseries from the early '80s as its basic spine.
I then wrote outlines for each episode of each serial. These outlines were then turned into scripts by Madhouse's writers, and then made into animation by Madhouse's directors and animators. Because I knew the process in advance, the outlines were really just plot, pacing and colour. I imagine and expect that I've been seriously rewritten in places by the actual writers, which is fine and all part of the process."
In this Iron Man trailer, the lack of any English translation makes it impossible to make any real judgment beyond "Okay, that was cool. Now show me more." These are set to air on G4 at some point later this year.

POWERS FOR FX
The Hollywood Reporter writes that FX has given the green light to Powers, a project based on the popular comic by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming.
POWERS follows detectives in a homicide department devoted to cases that involve superheroes. The pilot order comes a decade after Sony optioned the rights for a feature film version, which never came to fruition.
Charles Eglee (The Walking Dead, The Shield) wrote the pilot and will serve as an executive producer with Bendis, Oeming, Michael Dinner, David Engel and Circle of Confusion, the company behind The Walking Dead. Dinner, who helmed the Sons of Anarchy and Justified pilots, will also direct.
At one point, Journeyman creator Kevin Falls was attached to adapt.
Sony TV and FX Productions are co-producing the project, which has been in development for several years.
POWERS has been in publication for more than a decade, producing a dozen graphic novels and more than 60 issues.
Bendis, well-known for his work on other Marvel titles, including Avengers, X-Men and Ultimate Spider-Man, turned to Twitter to express his enthusiasm.
"POWERS pilot was just greenlit by FX,” he shared with his 34,000-plus followers Friday night. “It's official! Your window of reading POWERS while it was still cool is running out.”

SUPERMAN VILLAIN SEARCH ON
Now that British hunk Henry Cavill is set to play the Man of Steel, the search is on the fill out the rest of the cast of Warner Bros.' big-budget Superman reboot. Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that producer Christopher Nolan and director Zack Snyder are zeroing in on an intriguing actor to play the villain: Viggo Mortensen.
Mortensen, who is still in negotiations for Universal’s SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN, is said to be at the top of the list to play General Zod, the evil and super-powered scientist who was portrayed by Terrence Stamp in 1980's Superman II. If Mortensen's SNOW WHITE deal doesn't close, that would potentially free him up to make Superman. Or Universal and Warner Bros. could work out his schedule and enable him to do both.
Sources say no talks have commenced and that Mortensen is just a "person of interest," much like Kevin Costner is for the role of Jonathan Kent. The actors aren't the only ones considered for their respective roles, though they are the ones most seriously talked about.
Snyder is in the midst of meeting actors for not only the role of Zod and Kent, but the three female parts well. Given the Nolan pedigree with the Batman films and the tenpole nature of a Superman film, the roles are considered some of the hottest and most-desired in town.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2011

RISE OF APES
James Franco is busy getting ready to host the Oscars Sunday, but fans should also know that come November—you'll see him on the big screen as the scientist who sets things in motion in the long-awaited RISE OF THEAPES.
JoBlo debuted the first pic of Franco as scientist Will Rodman, whose experiments on Caesar (Andy Serkis) bring intelligence to the apes, resulting in a war over which species will rule the planet.
Unfortunately, there are no apes visible in the image, but considering all we've seen up until now have been unofficial set pics, we thrilled to finally be getting a glimpse of the real thing from this reboot, prequel, sequel or whatever it is we should be calling it.

SATURN AWARDS
INCEPTION and THE WALKING DEAD were in the lead when the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films announced the nominations for its 37th Annual Saturn Awards.
Christopher Nolan's INCEPTION grabbed 9 nominations, coming in ahead of TRON: LEGACY and LET ME IN (7 each) and ALICE IN WONDERLAND, BLACK SWAN, HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: Part 1 and NEVER LET ME GO (5 each).
In the TV categories, THE WALKING DEAD was in the lead with 6 nominations, followed by FRINGE and LOST (5 each), TRUE BLOOD (4) and V (3).
The Academy was founded in 1972 to honor and recognize genre entertainment. The awards ceremony will take place in June in Burbank, Calif.

JACK THE GIANT KILLER
According to Heat Vision, Ewan McGregor is in negotiations to join the cast of JACK THE GIANT KILLER, New Line and Legendary's tentpole being directed by Bryan Singer.
The project, shaping up to be one of New Line’s biggest to date, is a retelling of the Jack and the Beanstalk fairy tale centering on a farm boy who leads an expedition to free a princess taken hostage by a giant, a situation which threatens the uneasy peace between humans and giants.
The movie is in casting mode and already sees Nicholas Hoult playing the peasant while Stanley Tucci is playing the villain, an advisor to the king with designs on usurping power. Additionally, Bill Nighy and John Kassir will play the two-headed leader of the giants;
McGregor would play the leader of the king’s elite guard, who helps fight giants.
One major role still to be cast is that of the princess. Among those in contention are Adelaide Kane, an Australian actress who starred in Power Rangers RPM, and Eleanor Tomlinson, who appeared in last year’s ALICE IN WONDERLAND.
The movie begins shooting late March in London.
McGregor last starred in I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS with Jim Carrey.

TOY STORY VACATION
Entertainment Weekly has your first look at images from the new six-minute TOY STORY short that will play in theaters in front of CARS 2 on June 24th. In the short, titled "Hawaiian Vacation," Barbie and Ken mess up plans to take a trip, so their toy friends re-create a romantic getaway at home.
"Woody becomes kind of like what's-his-name on Love Boat... Captain Stubing!" says director Gary Rydstrom (Pixar's "Lifted"). "As toys who get played with all the time, they have a pretty good imagination. When it's time for a little playacting, they're good at it."

DMZ
Variety writes that the writing team of Jeremy Passmore (Red Dawn) and Andrew Fabrizio has been set to pen the script for action-thriller DMZ, from CJ Entertainment and produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura's di Bonaventura Pictures.
The trade says the plot "centers on a U.S. satellite that crashes in the Korean Demilitarized Zone and an unlikely international group of soldiers who unite to enter the DMZ and retrieve the satellite despite the imminent threat of hostile North Korean soldiers. The disparate heroes soon learn that there is something much more deadly in the DMZ than enemy soldiers."
Passmore and Fabrizio are currently rewriting Paramount's HELLIFIED. They also wrote Fox's THE WORLD AFTER and Echo Lake's THE PRINCE.

CONVENTION CALENDAR UPDATE
Thanks to Ranger Lyta2000 for sending along information on upcoming conventions. If anyone else has information tocontribute, please send it along.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2011

GREEN LANTERN: EMERALD KNIGHTS
This week Nathan Fillion has been talking about somehow coming up with $300 million to buy the rights to FIREFLY.However, we forgot all about the last Fillion story that excited us—the fact that he'd been cast as Green Lantern.
Today we got our first look at Fillion in GREEN LANTERN: EMERALD KNIGHTS, the animated film due out June 7 on DVD and blu-ray, and all we can say is—Ryan Reynolds has got a lot to live up to if he wants to out-do THIS emerald crusader.

OLD MAN'S WAR
John Scalzi's epic science fiction novel OLD MAN'S WAR is coming to the big screen, and has a big name attached to direct it.
According to Deadline, Paramount Pictures has bought the rights to OLD MAN'S WAR, the first in a four-book series by Scalzi, and has attached Wolfgang Petersen as the director. Petersen's last film, 2006's POSEIDON, didn't exactly rock anyone's boat, but the man's previous credits include both blockbusters and solid action thrillers like TROY,THE PERFECT STORM, AIR FORCE ONE, IN THE LINE OF FIRE and the classic World War II German submarine drama that put him on the map, DAS BOOT.
Petersen knows how to make big movies, and Paramount is looking to turn OLD MAN'S WAR into a large, tentpole-type project. The novel follows a widowed 75-year-old man who agrees to trade in his old body for a younger model with enhanced physical strength and psychic abilities. The catch is that he must join a military coalition assigned to protect human colonists in deep space. After he is injured in battle, however, he meets another enhanced soldier who may be the younger version of his late wife—and who has no memories of her previous life.
The book was nominated for science fiction's highest honor, the Hugo Award, while author Scalzi has won two Hugos for other works, as well as the 2005 John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. He also served as a consultant to STARGATE: UNIVERSE.
Scalzi himself commented on the news at his blog, saying he's excited about the team behind the film and adding, "The movie that is eventually made of OLD MAN'S WAR will be an adaptation of the book—not the book itself. The filmmakers are going to have to make changes and alterations and cuts and additions and so on and so forth, because that's what they do when they make movies ... this is part of the reason why I chose to be picky about who I optioned the work to: Because I wanted filmmakers I felt could best adapt what I wrote so that it would work on the big screen. I'm looking forward to seeing what they do."
Screenwriter David Self (The Wolfman) has been hired to write the script, and it will be a while before production gets underway. But it's always great to see a real science fiction novel make its way to the big screen, especially from a writer like Scalzi, who's held in such high regard in the field.

GAME OF THRONES
Afraid you'll be confused when George R.R. Martin's rich, complex fantasy series A SSONG OF ICE AND FIRE comes to television as GAME OF THRONES? Don't worry. HBO is watching out for you.
In a dramatic new preview, Martin and the series' stars explain the geography, family history and political dynamics of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros clearly enough that it'll all make sense, even if you've never read the novels.
Get up to speed with this tutorial, which includes never-before-seen footage.

STAR WARS: CLONE WARS
For those who follow STAR WARS: CLONE WARS on the Cartoon Network, you'll be happy to see that the Wookiee co-pilot will make an appearance on the season finale of the series, and Peter Mayhew—the man behind the mask—was instrumental in bringing the walking carpet to life.
The reason it took so long for Chewie to make it to Clone Wars had nothing to do with resistance on anyone's part. In fact, supervising director Dave Filoni has wanted to include history's most famous Wookiee—who is over 200 years old by the time he helps destroy the first Death Star—in his sweeping drama for a while. But technology got in the way. As he told Entertainment Weekly:
"We've wanted to have Chewbacca on the show from the beginning... But the technical side just wasn't there, until we devoted extra resources into researching how to animate fur when George [Lucas] said Chewbacca had to appear this season."
To get the details right, Filoni and his Star Wars brain trust turned to Mayhew himself, who provided indispensable knowledge about how sci-fi's most rugged sidekick walked, talked and breathed. "You can't have Chewbacca without Peter being involved," Filoni added. "His movements and his mannerisms make that character."
As for how Chewie will play into the season finale's drama, titled "Wookiee Hunt," Lucasfilm is keeping a tight lid on any plot details, beyond this: It won't take place on the Wookiee homeworld Kashyyyk, and it will feature Trandoshans, the reptilian species that helped the Empire enslave the Wookiees, best known for the Empire Strikes Back bounty hunter Bossk.

SOURCE CODE
Summit Entertainment has debuted the new trailer for SOURCE CODE. Hitting theaters on April 1st, the Duncan Jones-directed action thriller stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga and Jeffrey Wright.
In the film, decorated soldier Captain Colter Stevens (Gyllenhaal) wakes up in the body of an unknown man. He discovers he's part of a mission to find the bomber of a Chicago commuter train. In an assignment unlike any he's ever known, he learns he's part of a government experiment called the "Source Code," a program that enables him to cross over into another man's identity in the last 8 minutes of his life. With a second, much larger target threatening to kill millions in downtown Chicago, Colter re-lives the incident over and over again, gathering clues each time, until he can solve the mystery of who is behind the bombs and prevent the next attack.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2011

SERIES NEWS
TOUCH
Kiefer Sutherland has officially said "yes" to starring in FOX's drama pilot TOUCH, from "Heroes" creator Tim Kring. Word that the "24" star was in talks for the project got out last week, but there was some question about when TOUCH would shoot since Sutherland is currently on Broadway in a revival of "That Championship Season." That's been cleared up: The pilot will likely shoot in early June, which means TOUCH would probably be in the mix for a midseason spot in 2011-12. [Hollywood Reporter]
SUBURGATORY
Former Joss Whedon regular Alan Tudyk ("Firefly," "Dollhouse") has been banished to SUBURGATORY. Tudyk will co-star in the ABC comedy pilot about a teenager (Jane Levy) who has to move from Manhattan to the 'burbs with her dad. Tudyk will play an old friend of the father and a long-time suburbanite. [Deadline]
DAMAGE CONTROL
ABC's drama DAMAGE CONTROL -- formerly known as "In Crisis" and the untitled Shonda Rhimes show -- has added Guillermo Diaz ("Weeds," "No Ordinary Family") to its cast. The show centers on a crisis management consultant (played by Kerry Washington) in D.C. [Hollywood Reporter]
Deadline reports the following castings for cable shows:
- Loretta Devine ("Grey's Anatomy") is replacing Meagen Fay in ABC Family's upcoming comedy "The Great State of Georgia." She'll play the New York landlady of Georgia (Raven-Symone) and her friend Jo (Majandra Delfino).
- Laura Bell Bundy ("How I Met Your Mother") has joined TBS' minor-league baseball pilot "Hound Dogs."
- Elizabeth Bogush ("The Forgotten," "October Road") has joined A&E's "Big Mike" as the ex-wife of Greg Grunberg's character.
- Bailey Chase ("Saving Grace") will have a recurring role on Season 4 of "Damages," which migrates to DirecTV this summer.
- Australian actress Kassandra Clementi has joined the cast of VH1's comedy "Single Ladies."

SYFY SPRING SCHEDULE - SERIES RETURNING
I know a lot of people have been waiting for news about the return of Syfy's original series - like SANCTUARY. Hereare the details below:
SYFY PUSHES BOUNDARIES OF IMAGINATION THIS SPRING WITH MARCEL'S QUANTUM KITCHEN DARING NEW COOKING SHOW UNVEILS THE FUTURE OF FOOD
DESTINATION TRUTH PREMIERES WITH ST. PATRICK'S DAY EPISODE LIVE FROM IRELAND!
AND COVER YOUR EARS--THE SCREAM OF THE BANSHEE IS COMING ... MARKING SYFY'S 200th SATURDAY ORIGINAL MOVIE!

NEW YORK - February 22, 2010 - The snow is melting and it is a new season for Syfy's spring programming, including original episodes of hit series DESTINATION TRUTH, FACT OR FAKED: PARANORMAL FILES, STARGATE UNIVERSE and SANCTUARY. Syfy's spring primetime schedule will also feature the premiere of the highly-anticipated Marcel's QUANTUM KITCHEN.
Upcoming popular Syfy Saturday Original Movies include BATTLE OF LOS ANGELES and SCREAM OF THE BANSHEE. BANSHEE will mark a new milestone as Syfy's 200th Saturday Original Movie!
Following are highlights of Syfy's spring programming schedule (all times ET/PT):
Unscripted Programming
DESTINATION TRUTH - LIVE ST. PATRICKS DAY INVESTIGATION Thursday March 17, at 9PM - Syfy's hit adventure reality series will celebrate St. Patrick's Day with the show's first-ever LIVE investigation! Host Josh Gates will take viewers to Ireland for the Season 4.5 premiere, where he and his team will brave the crumbling ruins of Duckett's Grove Castle in search of the truth behind the legend of the banshee. Destination Truth then moves to a new night on Tuesday March 22, at 9PM for all new episodes.
According to Irish legend, the banshee is a sign of impending death; a female ancestral spirit who wails around a house the night before someone inside is to meet their demise. Today, many County Carlow locals claim to have witnessed hearing the banshee's unmistakable wail and seeing glimpses of an ethereal woman stalking the grounds of the 200 year-old historic ruins of Duckett's Grove Castle. Armed with equipment, expertise and, as always, humor, Josh and team will attempt to solve the mystery behind this age-old legend.
Josh's return to Ireland marks the one-year anniversary of the series' most-watched episode (featuring a hunt for the leprechaun that aired on St. Patrick's Day 2010).
Other adventures this season include tackling claims of spirits in Namibia, a sea monster in Cyprus and mysterious creatures in Panama and Argentina. Then, in another Destination Truth first, the team will trek to Antarctica, where strange phenomena occurring around abandoned research stations have stumped scientists. Now, the Destination Truth crew will brave the elements to conduct the world's first paranormal investigation on the frozen continent, giving viewers a rare and unique glimpse at this rarely visited landscape ... as well as, perhaps, a look into its past.
DESTINATION TRUTH is Executive Produced by Brad Kuhlman for Ping Pong Productions (1000 Places to See Before You Die, Celebrity Rehab, FM Nation). Josh Gates, Erin Ryder and Christopher Lore will serve as co-executive producers.

MARCEL'S QUANTUM KITCHEN - Series Premiere Tuesday March 22, at 10PM - Syfy unveils the future of food with a daring new hi-tech cooking series for the modern age, featuring Top Chef's Marcel Vigneron, one of America's most notorious chefs on the cutting edge of the culinary field. Chef Marcel pushes the limits of imagination with his bold style of cooking referred to as molecular gastronomy, which incorporates science into cuisine preparation.
Follow Marcel as he embarks on the next phase of his career at the helm of his own catering and event company. In each one-hour episode, Marcel will be hired by a demanding client to produce and pull off extraordinary dishes and celebrations. Based on the clients' requests, Marcel will have to dream up a menu and a spectacular execution of his ideas. He oversees the entire production, tapping the depths of his imagination and culinary talents to brainstorm everything from the decor to a delicious menu that emphasizes his unparalleled brand of molecular gastronomy.
For his first event, a philanthropist hires Marcel to cater an elaborate event to increase awareness for the Wildlife Waystation, an exotic animal refuge and sanctuary. Marcel and his team create an amazing safari-themed party. The menu includes an edible map and "Himalayan Tiger's Breath," which is prepared using liquid nitrogen. He and the event planner bump heads over the event décor. But he will stop at nothing in order to pull off an evening filled with unforgettable dishes in a truly magical setting.
Marcel's QUANTUM KITCHEN is produced by Mission Control Media. Dwight D. Smith, Michael Agbabian, Andrew Scheer and Dana Leiken Richards are Executive Producers.

FACT OR FAKED: PARANORMAL FILES - Season Two Premiere Wednesday March 23, at 10PM - A new season of Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files returns to Earth, premiering on Syfy on a new night after a brand new episode of Ghost Hunters. The team will continue with its mission to uncover the truth behind some of the most fascinating "paranormal" videos ever taken.
The Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files team includes former FBI Special Agent Ben Hansen, lead scientist Bill Murphy, journalist Jael de Pardo, photography expert Chi-Lan Lieu, stunt expert Austin Porter and newest member tech expert Devin Marble.
In the Season Two premiere episode "The Real Battle of LA / Queen Mary Menace," the team investigates the mysterious case that many people believe marked the very beginning of UFO government cover-ups - the historic Battle of LA. Only a couple months after Pearl Harbor - an enemy aircraft was reported over Los Angeles, and the city erupted into a fiery battle that lasted for several hours. But almost seventy years later, no one knows what the military was actually shooting at and the Fact or Faked team is determined to figure out if it was of extraterrestrial origin. Ben, Jael and Devin head to one of the original gun batteries in San Pedro, CA to get the facts before recreating the epic battle using searchlights, grenade launchers and a 50-caliber machine gun. Meanwhile, Bill, Chi-Lan and Austin spend the night on the haunted Queen Mary luxury cruise ship to test theories around the phantom figure that was caught lurking down the main deck hallway. When Austin sees a pair of glowing eyes, the team realizes they're not alone.
Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files is executive produced by John Brenkus and Mickey Stern for BASE Productions and is a co-production with Universal Networks International.

Scripted Programming
STARGATE UNIVERSE - Returns Monday March 7, at 10PM - Syfy's drama-adventure series returns for its anticipated final ten episodes. The new episodes pick up with the Destiny crew in a battle with a drone command ship and the surprise arrival of the aliens that abducted Dr. Nicholas Rush (Robert Carlyle) and Chloe (Elyse Levesque). The final season culminates with a dramatic conclusion for the fate of the Destiny crew, who face a difficult crossroads when they realize the time has come for them to take a risky stand ... or they will be left adrift forever.
Guest stars appearing in the final episodes include Victor Garber (Alien, Titanic), French Stewart (3rd Rock From The Sun), Robert Picardo (Stargate SG-1, Star Trek: Voyager, China Beach), Kathleen Quinlen (Apollo 13) and Julie McNiven (Supernatural, Mad Men).
Robert Cooper and Brad Wright, of Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis, serve as executive producers and writers. SGU is produced and distributed by MGM Worldwide Television Distribution.

SANCTUARY - Returns Friday April 15, at 10PM-- Syfy's original series returns with the next all-new 10 episodes of season three! The adventures pick up in the events of the mid-season finale's cliffhanger, with the team at the mercy of the inimitable Ranna, played by Polly Walker (Caprica, Rome).
SANCTUARY stars Amanda Tapping as the brilliant Dr. Helen Magnus, Robin Dunne as forensic psychiatrist Dr. Will Zimmerman, Agam Darshi as Kate Freelander, Ryan Robbins as Henry Foss and Christopher Heyerdahl as John Druitt.
One of television's most groundbreaking series, shooting almost entirely on green screen, Sanctuary was the first television series in North America to use the RED camera exclusively. Its stunning visual effects were nominated for a 2008 Emmy Award. Created by Damian Kindler (Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis), Sanctuary is produced in association with Syfy and is distributed by Tricon Films and Television. Season three of the series is executive produced by Damian Kindler, Amanda Tapping, Martin Wood, Keith Beedie and Tricon Films.

Saturday Original Movies
BATTLE OF LOS ANGELES - Premieres Saturday March 12, at 9PM - Hundreds of extra-terrestrial ships swarm Los Angeles, causing death and chaos ahead of an impending alien invasion. A small group of United States military personnel are able to get underground, where they learn the only way to stop the invasion is by destroying the mothership from within. It falls to two determined soldiers to finish the job before the human race is demolished. Stars Nia Peeples (Pretty Little Liars) and Kel Mitchell (Kenan & Kel)

SCREAM OF THE BANSHEE - Premieres Saturday March 26, at 9PM - When a college professor opens a strange, ornate box discovered in the basement of her University, she and her students hear the horrifying scream of a bloodthirsty Banshee. Everyone who hears the scream dies a strange and terrible death. Now the professor and a few stragglers must try to stop the Banshee. Stars Lauren Holly (NCIS) and Lance Henriksen (Alien). This film marks Syfy's 200th Saturday Original Movie.

FEROCIOUS PLANET - Premieres Saturday April 9, at 9PM - An experimental device enabling viewing of alternate dimensions goes haywire on its first test, dragging the entire test lab (and its occupants) into a dangerous alternate universe. Led by a resourceful Colonel and a tough female scientist, they have to figure out how to get home. Stars Joe Flanigan (Stargate Atlantis) and John Rhys-Davies (Lord of the Rings).

ROADKILL - Premieres Saturday April 23, at 9 PM - Six young friends on a road trip in Ireland run afoul of gypsies who curse them for accidentally running down an old woman. The curse takes the form of a terrifying flying beast that tries killing them all. Stars Stephen Rea (The Crying Game).

G
According to reports in the Hollywood Reporter, CLASH OF THE TITANS director Louis Leterrier has signed on to direct and produce sci-fi tentpole G for Universal Pictures.
The plot for G is being kept secret but Universal is seeing it as a sci-fi disaster pic with shades of THE DAYAFTER TOMORROW and TAKEN.
The project is based on an original idea of Management 360’s Guymon Casady, who will produce with Mark Gordon via MG360 banner, the production partnership between Gordon and Management 360.
George Nolfi and Michael Hackett of Gambit Pictures are producing as well. Leterrier’s production entity, Rabbit Hole Pictures, will also be actively involved in the production.
The team is currently out to screenwriters to write the script.
Universal’s Peter Cramer and Sara Scott will oversee the project for the studio. MG360’s Bryan Zuriff and Ben Forkner will executive produce along with Rabbit Hole’s Nick Miller.
Leterrier took a breather after directing CLASH and has been ramping up his personal slate. Leterrier closing his deal on G comes a week after he signed on to direct NOW YOU SEE ME, Summit's heist movie being produced by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci.
Leterrier would tackle G after SEE ME.

BATTLE: LOS ANGELES
Columbia Pictures has debuted clips from BATTLE: LOS ANGELES, hitting theaters on March 11. Directed by Jonathan Liebesman, the action film stars Aaron Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez, Ramon Rodriguez, Bridget Moynahan, Ne-Yo and Michael Pena.
For years, there have been documented cases of UFO sightings around the world – Buenos Aires, Seoul, France, Germany, China. But in 2011, what were once just sightings will become a terrifying reality when Earth is attacked by unknown forces. As people everywhere watch the world's great cities fall, Los Angeles becomes the last stand for mankind in a battle no one expected. It's up to a Marine staff sergeant (Eckhart) and his new platoon to draw a line in the sand as they take on an enemy unlike any they've ever encountered before.

ZOMBIES VS. ROBOTS
According to Deadline, Sony Pictures has purchased the rights to the high-concept comic book series, ZOMBIES VS. ROBOTS and will develop the adaptation through Platinum Dunes.
The series, from Ashley Wood and Chris Ryall, features a post-apocalyptic world in which humanity's last survivor, a young girl, is protected from zombie hordes by a team of robots. The original miniseries was followed by a sequel, "Zombies vs. Robots vs. Amazons."
Wood is also the artist behind another post-apocalyptic robot story, World War Robot, set for adaptation at Walt Disney Pictures under producer Jerry Bruckheimer.
Platinum Dunes has another indie comic book adaptation on its slate with it's planned reboot of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2011

FIREFLY RETURNING - SORT OF
FIREFLY is coming back to television in a couple of weeks; the Science Channel starts re-airing the show's first and only season on March 6. But there's a new groundswell to get more than just reruns on your screen.
The campaign kicked off last week following an interview with FIREFLY star Nathan Fillion, who told EW that "If I got $300 million from the California Lottery, the first thing I would do is buy the rights to 'Firefly,' make it on my own, and distribute it on the Internet."
That was all the Browncoats needed. Following the interview, a website called Help Nathan Buy "Firefly" and a Facebook group of the same name launched. As of this posting, the Facebook group has more than 18,000 fans, and the site says it will start taking pledges (though not actual dollars) from fans soon.
While it probably wouldn't take $300 million to relaunch FIREFLY, money is not the only issue in play. Leaving aside the fact that Fillion ("Castle"), creator Joss Whedon ("The Avengers") and other members of the cast and crew have other jobs now, there's also the matter of buying the rights to the show. The show was produced by 20th Century Fox TV, and it's not interested in selling the property.
Even if the fund-raising effort doesn't amount to anything, though, it at least shows that eight years after it was canceled (and five-plus after the follow-up movie "Serenity" was released), there's still a devoted fanbase for FIREFLY. If they're willing to shell out their own money to bring the show back to life, maybe someone will take note.

THE CAPE RATINGS
The two-part story that concluded Monday (Feb. 21) on THE CAPE was maybe the show's strongest to date. Is it going to matter in a couple months' time?
"The Lich" story, which concluded in Monday's episode, did a lot of things you would want from a first-year show at this stage: It broadened the scope of the action by incorporating some Palm City history. It made the stakes extremely high for two of its lead characters: Vince (David Lyons) risked exposure by turning to Dana (Jennifer Ferrin) for help on a case, and Orwell (Summer Glau) was literally in a life-or-death situation.
It also gave some insight into Orwell's past -- her drugged-out haze might not be completely reliable, but at the very least it provided a lot more weight for the theory (which we've floated before) that Orwell is Peter Fleming's (James Frain) daughter.
In short, it was a very strong little arc for the show.
The show's ratings have been trending downward pretty much since episode two. Last week's show, the start of "The Lich" two-parter, drew just a tick over 4 million viewers and a paltry 1.2 rating in the adults 18-49 demographic. Numbers like that got shows like "Lone Star" and "My Generation" canceled earlier in the season.
Early episodes of "The Cape" have grown about 20 percent through DVR viewing, but when a show's same-day ratings are that low, it's hard to make a case to keep it alive beyond this season, no matter what kind of creative strides it's making.
The show is scheduled to air next week, then move aside to make room for THE EVENT's return on March 7. While fanswould like to see THE CAPE stick around beyond next week's episode -- we like what we've seen of the series this winter and think there's potential for growth if it gets another chance. The ratings-watcher in us, though, isn't overly optimistic about that prospect.

STAR BLAZERS
Deadline reports that Skydance Productions has announced plans to bring STAR BLAZERS to the big screen. Christopher McQuarrie has signed on to provide the screenplay.
On the heels of STAR WARS immense popularity and a reignited love for the sci-fi genre, STAR BLAZERS debuted as an American cartoon in 1978. The show itself was an adaptation of a Japanese cartoon, "Space Battleship Yamato" that first aired in 1974. The American version re-dubbed and re-edited portions of the series, which told the story of a starship racing to find a device to cleanse the Earth of radiation forced on it by alien invaders.
McQuarrie, best known as the writer of THE USUAL SUSPECTS and VALKYRIE, also wrote and directed 2000's THE WAY OF THE GUN and will provide the screenplay for the upcoming X-Men quasi-sequel, The Wolverine.
A live action version of SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO was released late last year in Japan and met with both financial and critical success.

FALLING SKIES
TNT has revealed new promos for FALLING SKIES, from DreamWorks Television and executive producer Steven Spielberg.
Premiering in June, FALLING SKIES stars Noah Wyle as a former college professor who becomes the leader of a group of soldiers and civilians struggling against an occupying alien force. Moon Bloodgood co-stars as Anne Glass, a therapist who works with the surviving children to help them cope with the traumatic situation. The series also stars Drew Roy as Hal and Maxim Knight as Matt, Tom's two sons; and Seychelle Gabriel as Lourdes, an orphaned teenager who helps run the group's commissary. Will Patton plays a fierce leader of the resistance.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2011

FRINGE RATINGS IMPROVE
Fast National ratings for Friday, Feb. 18, 2011
As per usual, CBS dominated Friday night in viewers, thanks to "The Defenders" (8.2 million), "CSI: NY" (10.6 million) and "Blue Bloods" (11.1 million). "Fringe" fans can probably stop panicking for the time being: The show improved from last week's 3.7 million, bringing in 4.1 million viewers, helping FOX tie CBS for the lead among adults 18-49.
CBS scored 10.1 million viewers and a 6.3 rating/11 share in households for the night, up almost two million viewers from last week. NBC took second with 6.51 million viewers and a 4.2/8. ABC was next with 4.1 million, 2.8/5, FOX was in fourth at 4.0 million, 2.3/4 and the CW was last with 2.23 million, 1.3/2.
There was a tie for the lead among adults 18-49: CBS and FOX led for the night, each averaging a 1.6 rating in the demographic. NBC was right behind with a 1.5 and ABC followed with a 1.3. The CW earned a 1.0 rating.

REM
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Jason Isaacs has been cast in the NBC pilot, REM, from Lone Star creator Kyle Killen.REM, a procedural hybrid from 20th TV, centers on the simultaneous and parallel lives of a detective (Isaacs) who can't let go of any aspect of his fractured family after a car accident.
REM will be run by 24 showrunner Howard Gordon.
Isaacs toplined Fox's pilot PLEADING GUILTY, also backed by 20th TV, last year.
The British actor starred in the Showtime series BROTHERHOOD with current Chicago Code star Jason Clarke. If REM makes it to series and Code is renewed for a second season, the co-stars could be reunited on the small screen.
Isaacs next appears as Lucius Malfoy in the last HARRY POTTER film and lends his voice for CARS 2.

MISSING
Variety reports that Ashley Judd is close to signing a deal to star in ABC's MISSING, a project from writer Greg Poirier (National Treasure: Book of Secrets).
To be directed by Steve Schill and executive produced by Gina Matthews and Grant Sharbo, the drama starts shooting this summer in Europe for a fall or midseason premiere.
According to the trade, "MISSING centers on a suburban mother who, after her son disappears in Italy while studying abroad, rushes to Europe to track him down. It soon becomes clear she is no ordinary soccer mom, but a former CIA agent who will stop at nothing to bring her son home alive."

TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON
A new TV spot for this summer's TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON aired during NASCAR's Daytona 500. Though similar to the recent Super Bowl spot, the new ad shows off a lot of brand-new footage as well.
The third film picks up after the events of TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN and continues the adventures of Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) and his giant mechanical co-stars, hitting theaters on July 1st.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2011

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE NUMBERS
The Hollywood Reporter has begun looking at the weekend offerings. The Liam Neeson action-thriller UNKNOWN overtook the Alex Pettyfer sci-fi adventure I AM NUMBER FOUR at the Friday box office, grossing $6.7 million from 3,043 theaters for Warner Bros. and Joel Silver’s Dark Castle.
I AM NUMBER FOUR, from DreamWorks and Touchstone, grossed an estimated $6.2 million from 3,154 theaters. Pic is the first DreamWorks title to be distributed by Touchstone under Disney’s output deal with Steven Spielberg and Stacey Snider’s company.
Box office observers aren’t ready to call the weekend race between UNKNOWN and NUMBER FOUR, since bad weather on the West Coast affected Friday’s grosses, although some are now betting on UNKNOWN, which should open in the mid $20 millions over the four day President’s Day weekend.
Heading into the holiday, tracking showed NNUMBER FOUR in the lead. UNKNOWN’s strong showing is similar to Neeson’s TAKEN, which was a sleeper box office hit.
Elsewhere at the box office on Friday, Sony’s Adam Sandler-Jennifer Aniston romantic comedy JUST GO WITH IT came in No. 3, falling only 44% from the previous Friday to an estimated $5.3 million for a cume of $47.9 million.
BIG MOMMAS: LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON, from 20th Century Fox and New Regency, opened at No. 4, grossing an estimated $4.8 million from 2,821 theaters.
Disney’s GNOMEO & JULIET beat Paramount’s JUSTIN BIEBER: NEVER SAY NEVER to come in No. 5, grossing an estimated $4.3 million from 3,014 theaters for a cume of $35.3 million.
NEVER SAY NEVER had a big fall in its second week, as expected. The movie fell 69% to an estimated $3.8 million from 3,118 theaters for a cume of $38.7 million.
The Weinstein Co.’s THE KING'S SPEECH will jump the $100 million mark at the domestic box office this weekend. The awards contender grossed an estimated $1.5 million on Friday for a cume of $98.2 million.

THE GREAT GATSBY
The New Zealand Herald writes that Australian filmmaker Baz Luhrmann will start shooting his 3D adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's THE GREAT GATSBY in Sydney later this year.
The film, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan, starts pre-production in March with 17 weeks of filming starting in August, followed by 30 weeks of post-production.
The newspaper adds that an "estimated 275 crew will be employed during pre-production, more than 400 cast and crew will be employed during principal photography, and an estimated 150 post production and visual effects crew will also be employed."
Warner Bros. Pictures is backing the Bazmark Films production and filming will primarily take place at Fox Studios, though shooting will also happen in other parts of New South Wales.
First published in 1925, THE GREAT GATSBY is set in Long Island's North Shore and New York City during the summer of 1922. It is the story of the fabulously wealthy Jay Gatsby and his love for the beautiful Daisy Buchanan, of lavish parties on Long Island at a time when "gin was the national drink and sex the national obsession."

ANOTHER HOUDINI PROJECT IN THE WORKS
Noah Oppenheim ("Jackie") has been hired to pen an adaptation of "The Secret Life of Houdini, The Making of America's First Superhero" for Summit Entertainment reports Reuters.
William Kalush and Larry Sloman penned the 2006 biography which insinuates that master illusionist Houdini acted as a spy for Britain. He was said to be in cahoots with police organizations, the Secret Service, and was asked to be an adviser to Czar Nicholas II's court in pre-revolutionary Russia.
The aim isn't a biopic but rather an action thriller akin to a fusion of "Indiana Jones" and "Sherlock Holmes". Rival projects about Houdini including a DreamWorks film and a possible Syfy TV series are in the works.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2011

SERIES NEWS
Deadline reports that James Wolk, the star of FOX's short-lived "Lone Star," is moving to Washington. Wolk has landed a lead role in GEORGETOWN, an ABC drama pilot from executive producers Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage ("Gossip Girl," "The O.C."). He'll play a presidential speechwriter who's starting to become disillusioned with his job.
GEORGETOWN will also focus on the friends and colleagues of Wolk's character. Will Fetters ("Remember Me") wrote the script and is a co-exec producer.
Wolk's "Lone Star" co-star, Eloise Mumford, has also joined an ABC pilot: THE RIVER, a drama about a group of people who go searching for a famed adventurer who has disappeared in the Amazon basin. She'll play a helicopter pilot who's also searching for her dad, a TV cameraman who went missing along with the adventurer.
More than a decade after "Home Improvement" ended, Tim Allen is returning to ABC in a comedy pilot called THE LASTDAYS OF MAN. He will play a guy in a family full of women who's trying to maintain his manliness -- apparently without the aid of a TV show about power tools. [EW]
Diane Farr is reuniting with her boss on "The Job" and "Rescue Me," Peter Tolan, for Tolan's FOX comedy COUNCIL OFDADS. She'll play a widow whose recently deceased husband formed the COUNCIL to help her raise her two kids. Ken Howard ("Crossing Jordan," "The White Shadow") and Patrick Breen ("Eli Stone") will play two members of the council. [Deadline]
GLEE's Mike O'Malley has taken the lead role in another FOX comedy, FAMILY ALBUM, about a father who tries really, really hard to bond with his family. (His deal with the pilot will allow him to continue appearing on "Glee" should "Family Album" be ordered to series.) Rachael Harris ("The Hangover") will play his wife. [Deadline]
THOR co-star Kat Dennings will be one of TWO BROKE GIRLS for CBS. The comedy pilot from "Sex and the City's" Michael Patrick King and comedian Whitney Cummings is about a pair of twentysomething roommates trying to survive Manhattan on a shoestring budget. [EW]
CBS' drama THE DOCTOR has cast Christine Lahti ("Chicago Hope," "Jack & Bobby") in the title role. She will star as a woman who reconnects with her adult children when she joins her family's medical practice. [Hollywood Reporter]
Leelee Sobieski ("Public Enemies," "The Good Wife") has joined another CBS drama, the Richard Price-written, Robert De Niro-produced ROOKIES, about the lives of six rookie New York City cops. Sobieski will play one of the six, an officer who was part of the White House Color Guard before joining the NYPD. [Deadline]
Eric Roberts, late of "Heroes" and "The Expendables," has come aboard ABC's GRACE, a family drama with the dance world as a backdrop. He's playing the patriarch of the Grace family. [EW]
ABC's crime drama IDENTITY has tapped Orlando Jones as one of its leads. The show centers on a police unit that works identity-related cases. [Hollywood Reporter]
David Giuntoli ("Privileged") will play the lead in NBC's fairy tale-inspired drama GRIMM. He'll play a detective who comes to learn that the creatures described in Grimm's fairy tales are real. [Deadline]

UNTITLED CBS PILOT
LITTLE CHILDREN and WATCHMEN star Patrick Wilson has been cast in CBS' untitled Susannah Grant pilot. Wilson will play the character Michael in the drama about a surgeon with a direct line to the afterlife via his ex-wife.
Jonathan Demme (Philadelphia, Silence of the Lambs) is executive producing the series, and directs the pilot as well.Wilson has worked on primarily film projects since 2003's Angels in America. His latest film, Insidious, screens at the SXSW Film Festival next month ahead of its April 1 theatrical release.

APOLLO 18
The Weinstein Company has released a teaser trailer for their upcoming APOLLO 18 through iTunes Movie Trailers. The sci-fi horror film is slated for release on April 22nd.
The film, which was shot in a "found footage" documentary style, will pretend to unearth lost footage from APOLLPO 18's undocumented and covert mission to the moon, revealing disturbing new evidence of other life forms.

FORGOTTEN
Paramount has announced plans to adapt the upcoming novel, Forgotten, and has Hailee Steinfeld lined up to star.The psychological thriller, arriving this June, is the first published work from author Cat Patrick, who describes the book as follows on her site.
Each night when 16 year-old London Lane goes to sleep, her memory of that day is erased. In the morning, all London can “remember” are events from her future and the people who will play a part in it. In order to get by, London relies on reminder notes and a trusted friend to navigate relationships and high school life. Adaptable by nature, she tries to view her memory loss as a fact of life rather than a condition. But when London starts experiencing disturbing flashbacks, or flashforwards, as the case may be, she realizes that in order to understand her present and her future, she must solve the mystery of her past.
Steinfeld, whose debut role in the Coen Brother's True Grit last December landed her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, will play Lane with other creative positions on the project yet to be announced.

FARPOINT 2010
Looking for something to do this weekend? One of the best fan-run conventions is underway near Baltimore.
Place: Crowne Plaza Baltimore North, City: Timonium, MD. Guests: Adam Baldwin, John Billingsley, Bonita Friedericy
For more information, go to http://www.farpointcon.com/

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2011

THE KILLING
AMC's dramas are really good at setting a mood. The cable channel's newest series, THE KILLING, looks like it will fit right in with "Mad Men," "Breaking Bad" and "The Walking Dead" on that front.
The show, which premieres April 3, takes a long look at the murder of a teenage girl named Rosie Larsen (played by Katie Findlay) in Seattle. Each episode will cover a day in the investigation as intertwines the stories of the lead detective on the case (Mireille Enos, "Big Love"), Rosie's parents (Michelle Forbes, "True Blood," and Brent Sexton, "Life") and a Seattle politician (Billy Campbell, "The 4400") who has an interest in the case. (THE KILLING is based on a series from Denmark called "Forbrydelsen.")
We'll find out over the course of the spring whether the show as a whole lives up to the visuals that the videos provide. But that shot of a line of cops scouring a field kind of knocks us out. We're very curious to see how THE KILLING unfolds.

THOR
The latest THOR trailer has just been released, stoking our excitement for the newest Marvel comic to hit the screens. It's got everything we want—action, drama, humor and a potential romance with Natalie Portman. All we need is popcorn and a theater ticket for May 6, 2011 (or April 29 in the U.K.).
THOR is currently in post-production, but the trailer makes it look as if it's good to go. For those who are looking forward to the movie, we get some action-packed snippets and a glimpse of the imperious god who learns humility.
May 6 can't come fast enough!

WAREHOUSE 13 NEWS
Jimmy Olsen is coming to the aid of a different set of heroes—the agents who seek out mysterious artifacts on Syfy's WAREHOUSE 13.
Aaron Ashmore, who portrayed the Daily Planet photographer on SMALLVILLE from 2006 to 2009, will become a regular on the Syfy series, which will return this summer with 13 new episodes, it was reported by James Hibberd at Inside TV.
Here's Syfy's official press release:
AARON ASHMORE (SMALLVILLE) REPORTS FOR DUTY AT SYFY'S HIT SERIES WAREHOUSE 13
NEW YORK - February 17, 2011 - Aaron Ashmore, who portrayed the iconic character Jimmy Olsen in Smallville, will join the cast of Syfy's hit series WAREHOUSE 13 as "Steve Jinks," a young ATF agent with an innate ability to detect when someone's lying. Jinks is recruited by the all-powerful Mrs. Frederic (CCH Pounder) to be Pete Lattimer's (Eddie McClintock) new WAREHOUSE 13 partner.
In last year's gripping season two finale, Myka Bering (Joanne Kelly) abruptly quit her job at the Warehouse after being betrayed by the duplicitous HG Wells (Jaime Murray).
In addition to SMALLVILLE, Ashmore has appeared in series such as IN PLAIN SIGHT, VERONICA MARS and FRINGE.
The third season of Warehouse 13 will return with 13 new episodes beginning this summer.
During its second season, WAREHOUSE 13 averaged 3.4 million total viewers, 1.5 million Adults 18-49, 1.8 million Adults 25-54 and a 2.4 household rating, based on DVR Live +7 data, making it the most watched Syfy series of 2010.
WAREHOUSE 13 follows follows a team of government agents who work at a massive, top-secret storage facility in windswept South Dakota which houses every strange artifact, mysterious relic, fantastical object and preternatural souvenir ever collected by the U.S. government. The Warehouse's caretaker Artie Nielsen (Saul Rubinek) charges Pete Lattimer (McClintock), Myka Bering (Kelly) and young apprentice Claudia Donovan (Allison Scagliotti) with chasing down reports of supernatural and paranormal activity in search of new objects to cache at the Warehouse, as well as helping him to control the Warehouse itself.
WAREHOUSE 13 is produced for Syfy by Universal Cable Productions. Jack Kenny (The Book of Daniel) is Executive Producer and Showrunner.
WAREHOUSE 13 received its first ever Emmy nomination in 2010 with a nod for Outstanding Main Title Theme Music by composer Ed Rogers.

TOUCH
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Kiefer Sutherland, who starred for eight seasons on Fox's 24, might be reuniting with the network.
The actor is in preliminary talks to play the lead role in TOUCH, a drama pilot from Heroes creator Tim Kring.The project, from 20th Century Fox TV and Chernin Entertainment, centers on a father who discovers that his mute, autistic son can actually predict events before they happen. Sutherland would play the father.
TOUCH, developed as a spec script, marks Kring's first pilot script since HEROES, which debuted on NBC in 2006. He is executive producing with Peter Chernin and Katherine Pope.
Sutherland is still in early negotiations and a deal could fall through due to his schedule. He is starring in the Broadway revival of That Championship Season, which began previews last week.
Sutherland, the rare proven TV star, is one of the most in-demand actors for pilots since 24 ended its run. He played CTU agent Jack Bauer on 24 -- also from 20th TV -- from 2001-10 and earned an Emmy for the role in 2006.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
Steven Spielberg and Stacey Snider's DreamWorks Studios re-emerges at the box office this weekend with a likely winner -- I AM NUMBER FOUR, the teen sci-fi adventure starring Alex Pettyfer, Dianna Agron and Teresa Palmer.
NUMBER FOUR is the first DreamWorks title to be released by Disney's Touchstone Pictures under the distribution and marketing deal struck between the companies after DreamWorks' split with Paramount.
DreamWorks, bolstered by new financing, including funds from India's Reliance Big Entertainment, has five more 2011 titles waiting in the wings after NUMBER FOUR.
Directed by D.J. Caruso, Number Four tells the story of an alien teenager hiding out on Earth from the ruthless species that killed his family.
The film is based on the young adult book by Pittacus Lore, the nom de plume of James Frey and Jobie Hughes. Additional novels are planned in the series, meaning this is a possible franchise for DreamWorks.
NUMBER FOUR, produced by Michael Bay, is tracking particularly well among younger females and males, demos that have been missing from the multiplex in recent weeks. Box-office observers say the film could do in the low 20s for the four days.
But it isn't the only new title poised to do well over the long holiday weekend, sparking hope in Hollywood that the downturn at the domestic box office will begin to reverse itself.
BIG MOMMAS: LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON, from Fox and New Regency, also has good traction. The threequel returns Martin Lawrence in the lead role while introducing a younger character played by Brandon T. Jackson.
BIG MOMMAS will play heavily to African-American audiences, including families. The franchise also has historically done well with younger males of all races.
The third new movie opening nationwide over Presidents Day weekend is Warner Bros. and Dark Castle's Liam Neeson action-thriller UNKNOWN, directed by Jaume Collet-Serra. The film goes after older moviegoers and hopes to replicate the success of Neeson's TAKEN, released three winters ago in the U.S. by Fox.
UNKNOWN, which cost roughly $30 million, was fully financed by Joel Silver's Dark Castle. Silver's company has had a tough time at the box office recently, so UNKNOWN -- also starring Diane Kruger, January Jones, Aidan Quinn and Frank Langella -- needs to do well.
The film's performance also is important for Collet-Serra, who is being pursued for other projects.
NUMBER FOUR, BIG MOMMAS and UNKNOWN will have to compete with Sony's Adam Sandler-Jennifer Aniston romantic comedy JUST GO WITH IT, which could stay up high on the box-office chart in its second weekend. The movie's gross through Wednesday was $40.7 million.
Disney's GNOMEO & JULIET also should have a good second frame, particularly on Monday, which is a holiday. The toon's cume through Wednesday was $30 million.
JUSTIN BIEBER: NEVER SAY NEVER, from Paramount, is expected to take a big drop in its second weekend, but no one is willing to bet against the teen icon entirely. Its cume through Wednesday was $33.9 million.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2011

WONDER WOMAN NAMED
The red boots of Lynda Carter have been empty too long! "Friday Night Lights" star Adrianne Palicki is about tochange that.
According to EW, Palicki will assume the role of Diana Prince in NBC's reboot of the 1970s series. Deadline.com reports that the actress was the only one the network invited to test for the role.
Executive produced by "Boston Legal" writer David E. Kelley, the NBC series will be a "serious and non-campy" take on the DC Comics creation.
Here's the network's description of the series:
The series pilot is a reinvention of the iconic DC Comics title in which Wonder Woman - a/k/a Diana Prince - is a vigilante crime fighter in Los Angeles but also a successful corporate executive and a modern woman trying to balance all of the elements of her extraordinary life. Kelley and Bill D'Elia (Boston Legal, The Practice) are the executive producers. The pilot was written by Kelley and will be directed by Jeffrey Reiner (NBC's The Event). Wonder Woman is from David E Kelley Productions and Warner Bros. Television.
Most recently, Palicki starred in FOX's short-lived "Lone Star" and she just completed the feature film, "Red Dawn."

NEW LARA CROFT NAMED
Can you believe it has been eight years since the last Lara Croft movie? I guess it's reboot time!
Rumor has it that Olivia Wilde may be stepping into the role of our favorite female archeologist.
According to TheFanCarpet:
A source close to the project said "This would be a far darker and more serious Tomb Raider movie, the idea is to get a top director and an intelligent script and make this an empowering character for women as well as a popular one with men. Olivia is just one of the names being suggested for the lead role. She would appear to be ideal."
Photos of Olivia Wilde have surfaced, showing her dressed in Lara's signature fingerless gloves and gun holster, but ComicBookMovie says these stills have come from the set of television show House, where she plays the enigmatic Dr. Remy Hadley (known to her boss as "Thirteen").
Still, with her looks and ability to handle herself in a fake fight—she played Quorra in TRON: LEGACY and has a role in the upcoming COWBOYS AND ALIENS—Wilde has what it takes to play the athletic Lara.
Besides, it makes economic sense to cast her. Although we don't have the figures on how much Wilde earns per movie, it's clearly less than former Lara Croft, Angelina Jolie ... a.k.a. the woman who charged $20 million to appear in SALT.

MORE ON MORTAL KOMBAT
Tahmoh Penikett from BATTLESTAR GALACTICA and DOLLHOUSE will be joining Jeri Ryan in the upcoming MORTALKOMBAT digital series.
The former Helo and Paul Ballard will be playing Kurtis Stryker, a New York City policeman who uses guns, nightsticks and tasers when getting his combat on. According to the Mortal Kombat wiki, "Stryker was the leader of the Riot Control Brigade when Outworld's portal opened over New York City." He was chosen as a warrior to liberate Earth from the evil Shao Kahn.
The story of how Kevin Tanchareon became the director of this web series is as interesting as the interdimensional combat of the videogame series:
Last year, Kevin Tancharoen, the director of Fame (and brother of Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog co-writer Maurissa Tancharoen), learned that Mortal Kombat might be rebooted, so he gathered some of his many talented friends and did some guerrilla filmmaking. Collider wrote that the unofficial Mortal Kombat: Rebirth was "a calling card for a chance at making the next Mortal Kombat feature film and it's his vision for how he'd do it."
Warner Brothers, which owns the rights to MORTAL KOMBAT, was impressed enough to appoint him director of this web series. However, the production company has yet to give Tanchareon the thumbs-up (and the budget) for a movie. Fans hope that if this series is popular, Warner Brothers might turn this old-school fight club into a full-length feature.
The MORTAL KOMBAT web series is currently in production and will be released sometime in the spring, although there is no official word on how many webisodes will be made.

PERSON OF INTEREST
Michael Emerson is reuniting with LOST creator J.J. Abrams.
The Hollywood Reporter writes that the actor has been cast in the lead of the CBS pilot PERSON OF INTEREST, which Abrams is executive producing, Emerson's rep confirms.
CBS gave the greenlight to PERSON OF INTEREST last week. The one-hour crime drama was created by Abrams and screenwriter Jonathan Nolan. Emerson will play a billionaire who works to stop violent crime along with an ex-CIA agent.

INSIDIOUS
James Wan is dabbling in the horror field again (after taking a break with Death Sentence) in INSIDIOUS, the twisty turny haunted house tale starring Rose Byrne and Patrick Wilson. The trailer made its debut at Syfy.
Look for INSIDIOUS in theaters April 1.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2011

17TH PRECINCT
You may know him as Captain Apollo on Battlestar Galactica, but lately Jamie Bamber has patrolled the streets of London for Law & Order: UK and tackled a brave new world on the BBC's Outcasts. He's now ready to reunite with BSG mastermind Ronald D. Moore and work a little magic.
And there promises to be a good deal of magic on NBC's 17th PRECINCT, a supernatural police procedural set in the town of Excelsior, where magic, not science, rules the world. Bamber will play a homicide detective, joining the previously cast Stockard Channing, who'll work robbery at the 17th.

SPIDER-MAN VILLAIN
Reports indicate that Irrfan Khan (Slumdog Millionaire) is joining the cast of Sony's THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN,playing Nels Van Adder, who becomes Proto-Goblin in the comics.
In the comics, Van Adder volunteered to become a test subject for a chemical developed by Mendel Stromm and Norman Osborn. He acquired enhanced strength, fangs, and clawed hands and feet.
Although he wasn't quoted directly, Khan has indicated previously that "he didn't want to be a masked villain or become another creature," which probably rules out him actually turning into Proto-Goblin in the movie.
In a new interview at NDTV, Khan discussed the role a bit more:
The actor says he got 'Spider Man' role after his appearance in US drama 'In Treatment' where he played a widower, who is trying to adjust to the life in a foreign land with his son and his American wife.
"The role got me some good reviews there and I think the industry there is aware of my work. Marc Webber [sic] had seen me and wanted to work with me and he approached me for this role. I play one of the villains in the movie. It is a pivotal role."
While we probably won't be seeing Proto-Goblin, it does look like Rhys Ifans has company in his fight against Spidey.
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN is now filming for a July 3, 2012 release.

| I AM NUMBER FOUR
A new stunt featurette for DreamWorks Pictures' I AM NUMBER FOUR has come online. Opening in conventional and IMAX theaters on Friday, February 18, the D.J. Caruso-directed action thriller stars Alex Pettyfer, Timothy Olyphant, Teresa Palmer, Dianna Agron, Kevin Durand and Callan McAuliffe.
I AM NUMBER FOUR is about an extraordinary teen, John Smith (Pettyfer), who is a fugitive on the run from ruthless enemies sent to destroy him. Changing his identity, moving from town to town with his guardian Henri (Olyphant), John is always the new kid with no ties to his past. In the small Ohio town he now calls home, John encounters unexpected, life-changing events—his first love (Agron), powerful new abilities and a connection to the others who share his incredible destiny. Based on the book by Pittacus Lore.

THE AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHER
Variety reports that Daniel Radcliffe, iconically known for his leading role in the HARRY POTTER franchise, has signed on for THE AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHER.
Christopher Monger (The Englishman Who Went Up A Hill And Came Down A Mountain, "Temple Grandin") will direct the film from his own script, telling the story of a young man (Radcliffe) who is asked to photograph the private lives of a small town in 1970's New England.
Radcliffe will next appear in the final entry in the filmic Harry Potter series, HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS -- Part 2 and then in the horror thriller THE WOMAN IN BLACKhe.

SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS
Warner Bros. has confirmed that the sequel to Guy Ritchie's 2009 Sherlock Holmes now has the official title of SHERLOCKHOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS.
The sequel will continue the adventures of the world's most famous detective, Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) and his friend and associate Dr. Watson (Jude Law) as they match wits against their arch-nemesis, Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris). The film also stars Stephen Fry in the role of Mycroft, Sherlock's brother and will feature Noomi Rapace ad the currently-unnamed female lead.
SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS will hit theaters on December 16th of this year.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2011

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN
We've seen plenty of set pics of anonymous stuntmen dressed up as Spider-Man, but we now have the actual star of the film wearing the full Spidey mask and suit.
Columbia Pictures released the image above of Garfield in a superheroic pose AND let us know the actual name of the film—THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN -- AND announced the date the pic will hit theaters - July 3, 2012.

KENNETH MARS DEAD AT 75
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Kenneth Mars, a farcical character actor best known for playing the police inspector with a creaky prosthetic arm in Mel Brooks’ 1974 classic YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, died Saturday of pancreatic cancer at his home in Granada Hills, Calif. He was 75.
With a flair for German-type accents, Mars also appeared as the insane Nazi playwright who creates Springtime for Hitler in Brooks’ THE PRODUCERS (1968) and as a Yugoslavian shyster in Peter Bogdanovich’s WHAT'S UP, DOC? (1972).
Mars has regular roles on TV as ranch owner Otto Mannkusser on the Fox series MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE, as W.D. “Bud” Prize on Norman Lear’s FERNWOOD TONIGHT and its offshoot, AMERICA TONIGHT, in the late 1970s and as Paula Prentiss and Richard Benjamin’s fireman neighbor in HE & SHE, a 1967-68 CBS series.
The Chicago native cultivated a robust career as a voice actor during his 40-plus years in show business, working on such projects as THE JETSONS, THE FLINSTONE KIDS, THE LITTLE MERMAID, DUCKMAN and LIFE WITH LOUIE. He was Grandpa Longneck in many installments of THE LAND BEFORE TIME series that ran on film, video and TV.
In a take-off on Lionel Atwill’s local police Inspector Krogh character with a mechanical wooden arm in 1939’s Son of Frankenstein, Mars’ Inspector Kemp in Young Frankenstein sports an eye patch and monocle over the same eye, a disjointed wooden arm that moves in all manner of ways and an accent so thick even his own countrymen can’t understand him.
Mars also appeared in the Woody Allen films RADIO DAYS (1987) and SHADOWS AND FOG (1991), and in another dramatic turn, opposite Shirley MacLaine in 1971’s DESPERATE CHARACTERS. His stage appearances included the role of Martin Eliot in THE AFFAIR and Sir Evelyn Oakleigh in ANYTHING GOES.
Survivors include daughters Susannah Mars Johnson and Rebecca Mars Tipton; their husbands, Gary Johnson and Wayne Tipton; and grandchildren Alex Tipton, Kate Johnson, Noah Tipton, Nick Tipton, Olivia Johnson and Sam Tipton.
Services will be private. Remembrances on his behalf can be made to Smile Train in Washington D.C.

RANGO
Paramount Pictures has revealed a second clip from Gore Verbinski's RANGO, hitting theaters on March 4th. The animated action adventure features the voices (and performances) of Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin, Bill Nighy, Stephen Root, Ray Winstone, Beth Grant, Ned Beatty, Harry Dean Stanton and Alfred Molina.
In the film, a chameleon that aspires to be a swashbuckling hero finds himself in a Western town plagued by bandits and is forced to literally play the role in order to protect it.

FALLEN
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Disney has optioned rights to FALLEN, a young-adult novel by Lauren Kate that features angels. Mark Ciardi and Gordon Gray will produce through their Mayhem Productions.
The book, released this week by Delacorte Books for Young Readers, is part of a four-novel series, all of which were included in the deal.
The contemporary story centers on an alienated girl torn between two charismatic young men, unaware that they are fallen angels who have battled over her for centuries.

ANALOG
Variety writes that Wentworth Miller (Resident Evil: Afterlife, "Prison Break") will topline the independent comedy-drama ANALOG.
Mike Million (Tenure) will direct from his own screenplay. The "story follows an introverted genius who tries to find a love connection in an increasingly digital world."
Brendan McDonald is producing the $3 million film, which may shoot this summer in Michigan.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2011

VANISHING ON 7TH STREET
Director Brad Anderson talked to ShockTillYouDrop.com exclusively about his new thriller, VANISHING ON 7THSTREET, opening in theaters on February 18 and starring Hayden Christensen, Thandie Newton, John Leguizamo, Jacob Latimore and Taylor Groothuis.
In the film, an unexplained blackout plunges the city of Detroit into total darkness, and by the time the sun rises, only a few people remain – surrounded by heaps of empty clothing, abandoned cars and lengthening shadows. A small handful of strangers that have survived the night each find their way to a rundown bar, whose gasoline-powered generator and stockpile of food and drink make it the last refuge in a deserted city. With daylight beginning to disappear completely and whispering shadows surrounding the survivors, they soon discover that the enemy is the darkness itself, and only the few remaining light sources can keep them safe. As time begins to run out for them, darkness closes in and they must face the ultimate terror.

11-11-11
The first footage from "Saw" films director Darren Lynn Bousman's latest thriller 11-11-11 made its premiere at the European Film Market in Berlin. This weekend, via Darren's blog, that footage has surfaced online along with a handful of new images.
The plot is said to be inspired by the real-life organization that believes the recurrence of the numbers 11:11 are of spiritual significance and a link to spirit guardians. The script specificially deals with 11 gates of Heaven and how, on November 11th, 2011, the final gate will open for 49 minutes.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
Columbia Pictures' JUST GO WITH IT, starring Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston, narrowly defeated Paramount's JUSTIN BIEBER: NEVER SAY NEVER for first place, earning an estimated $31 million from 3,548 theaters. The romantic comedy, made for $80 million, averaged $8,737 per location. If final figures on Monday keep the movie at the top spot, it would mark Sandler's 11th first place finish.
Made for considerably less money ($13 million to be exact), the Justin Bieber film pulled in an estimated $30.3 million from 3,105 theaters, an average of $9,746 per site. Counting the special screenings JUSTIN BIEBER: NEVER SAY NEVER held on Wednesday, the film has hit sales over $31 million. Paramount says it has already recuperated the production and marketing costs.
Also having an impressive debut was Touchstone Pictures' animated comedy GNOMEO & JULIET, which collected $25.5 million from 2,994 theaters in third place. Featuring the voices of James McAvoy and Emily Blunt and the music of Elton John, the film averaged $8,517.
Focus Features' THE EAGLE, directed by Kevin Macdonald and starring Channing Tatum and Jamie Bell, opened in the fourth spot with $8.6 million. The adventure film played in 2,296 theaters and averaged $3,741 per location.
Screen Gems' THE ROOMMATE rounded out the top five with $8.4 million. The $16 million thriller dropped 44% in ticket sales from last weekend and has earned $26.1 million in two weeks.
In its 12th weekend in theaters, THE KING'S SPEECH added $7.4 million and has reached $93.9 million domestically. Produced for $15 million, the Tom Hooper-directed awards contender stars Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter.
Paramount's NO STRINGS ATTACHED dropped four spots to seventh and brought in $5.6 million its fourth weekend for a total of $59.9 million.
Universal's SANCTUM fell to eighth place its second weekend, taking in $5.1 million for a total of $17.5 million.
In limited release, the Miguel Arteta-directed comedy CEDAR RAPIDS earned $311,000 from just 15 theaters. Starring Ed Helms and John C. Reilly, the Fox Searchlight release averaged a strong $20,733 per theater.

MORTAL KOMBAT NEWS
BURBANK, CALIF., February 14, 2011 – Warner Premiere today announced initial casting for their upcoming live-action digital new media series MORTAL KOMBAT which is based on the iconic gaming franchise. Jeri Ryan, (“Star Trek: Voyager”) will reprise her role as the headstrong “Lieutenant Sonya Blade” from the unofficial fan short. She is joined by Michael Jai White (“The Dark Knight”) as “Major Jackson ‘Jax’ Briggs” and Darren Shahlavi (“300”) as the sly and cunning “Kano.”
Kevin Tancharoen who directed and produced the popular, unofficial “Mortal Kombat: Rebirth” fan short that garnered over 10 million views worldwide, is bringing the same immersive directing style to this live-action digital new media series. Fans will be able to delve deep into the history of the warriors they know and love including “Sub-Zero” and “Scorpion.” Shooting for “Mortal Kombat” is currently underway in Vancouver.
“It’s extremely gratifying to have such talented actors playing these iconic roles,” said Kevin Tancharoen, Director, Producer and Co-Writer of “Mortal Kombat.” “They will bring the essence of ‘Mortal Kombat’ to life and gamers will be deeply immersed into the game’s universe.”
MORTAL KOMBAT is one of the most celebrated videogame franchises of all time. Since its debut in 1992, it has spawned four arcade games, multiple console-based videogame titles, two movies (“Mortal Kombat” and “Mortal Kombat: Annihilation”), two television series and an animated prequel. Additionally, a new “Mortal Kombat” video game developed by NetherRealm Studios and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Ent. will be available April 19, 2011 on the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft.
Written by Kevin Tancharoen, Aaron Helbing and Todd Helbing, and available online this spring from Warner Bros. Digital Distribution, the “Mortal Kombat” digital new media series is an anthology of multiple live action shorts. Each episode will provide never-before-revealed insights into characters featured in the upcoming videogame as well as the game’s universe.
MORTAL KOMBAT, the newest chapter of the award-winning videogame franchise, will be on store shelves starting April 19th, 2011. Marking a triumphant return to the series’ mature presentation and a reinvention of its classic 2D fighting mechanic, “Mortal Kombat” will introduce a number of new game-play features including tag team, a deeper story mode and nostalgic online and offline arcade battles. Players will be able to choose from an extensive lineup of iconic warriors and challenge their friends in head-to-head competition as well as several new game modes.
For more information about the game, MORTAL KOMBAT, log onto www.themortalkombat.com and visit www.facebook.com/mortalkombat.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2011

FRINGE RATINGS DROP
After a very good start on their new night, Fox's FRINGE slipped for the second week in a row in the adult 18-49 demo to a 1.4 rating after holding strong in its new time slot, tying for second with NBC's Dateline. In total viewers, Fringe drew a series low 3.7 million total viewers. Kitchen Nightmares (3.7 million, 1.5) aired at 8 p.m.
Over on the CW, SMALLVILLE (2.3 million, 0.9) and SUPERNATURAL (2 million, 0.9) were down from last week.
The top-rated program of the night was ABC's 20/20 (6.4 million, 1.6) and CBS' CSI: NY (9.7 million, 1.5) was Friday's most-watched. CSI: NY's lead-in, The Defenders (7.9 million, 1.1), continued on its downward trajectory. NBC's second episode of Who Do You Think You Are? (6.6 million, 1.4) improved 8%.
NBC, Fox and ABC (1.4) tied in the demo for Friday. CBS (1.3) trailed close behind, while the CW (0.9) placed third. The Tiffany network (8.3 million) topped tune-in for the night; NBC (6 million), ABC (5.5 million), Fox (3.7 million) and the CW (2.1 million) followed.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER
Anthony Mackie of The Hurt Locker has signed on to Timur Bekmambetov's adaptation of Seth Grahame-Smith's ARAHAM LINCOLN:VAMPIRE HUNTER for 20th Century Fox. ShockTillYouDrop.com asked him about the casting rumors and Mackie told them the movie would be shooting in his birthplace of New Orleans starting in March and why the project interested him.
"The great thing about it and what I loved about the movie is the idea that it's the actual storyline," Mackie said. "They took Abraham Lincoln's biography, moment by moment, and put this sub-storyline of vampires in it, and I think that's kind of interesting. It kind of entices the next generation to look at history in way that's new and creative. I feel that if you watch this movie and you talk about it, you're talking about actual history, just with new plot points in it. That starts in like four or five weeks, we start shooting in New Orleans so I get to go home and work for three months."
Anyone who has seen Bekmambetov's Night Watch or Day Watch or Wanted will know that the Russian filmmaker absolutely loves to do some crazy action scenes, and we wondered if we might see any of that in a period piece that's meant to be historically accurate (other than the vampires, of course).
"That's why I'm so interested in doing the movie, not so much because of the vampires or Abraham Lincoln, it's the history aspect and I want to see just how far can he take it, because he's such an interesting guy and his style of directing and way of working is so interesting. It's unlike anything I've done in my career so far, so we'll see."

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2011

SMALLVILLE NEWS - LEX LUTHOR TO RETURN FOR FINALE
Fans of SMALLVILLE have been hoping that Michael Rosenbaum would return for the finale of SMALLVILLE, buthe repeatedly declined the offer. It has been wonderful seeing other regulars return, Chloe, Martha Kent -even Lionel Luthor.
It looks like now even Lex will be back!
"I'm delighted to return for the series finale," Rosenbaum tells Michael Ausiello's new venture TVLine. "I'm simply doing it for all of the fans out there who made 'Smallville' the great success it is. I appreciate all of their passion, their relentlessness, and even their threats. Ha ha."
"It feels like the stars are aligning, literally," say producers Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson. "We couldn't be more excited. And as far as the way he returns... there'll be no doubt about how Lex becomes the great rival in Clark Kent's life. He is the villain of the story."

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS
Bryan Singer, who directed the first two X-MEN movies and is producing X-MEN: FIRST CLASS, is already hinting at the next chapter in the series and what characters could step to the forefront.
In an interview with Hero Complex, Singer says that while the movie X-MEN: FIRST CLASS doesn't necessarily correspond with the continuity of the comic book, there will be connections that fans can pick out.
Singer cites the character of Havok (played by Lucas Till) as an example. Although in the comics Havok (real name Alex Summers) is the brother of Scott Summers, aka Cyclops, that relationship does not exist in the movie, which is set in the '60s.
"Yes, the timeline is different," Singer explains. "It wouldn't physically fit for him to be the brother of Cyclops. We take some liberties on that." But he adds, "I don't want to give away certain interrelations, but let's just say there are some things that do adhere to the comic books and do so in a way the fans will get a kick out of."
The First Class comic, of course, has focused on the first students of mutant professor Charles Xavier (played by James McAvoy in the new film), a lineup that included Cyclops, Beast, Iceman, Angel and Jean Grey. Only Beast as we know him (played by Nicholas Hoult) shows up in the film, along with mutants like Azazel (Jason Flemyng), a younger version of Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence), Emma Frost (January Jones), Banshee (Caleb Landry Jones) and others.
Singer hints that future X-Men movies could focus on these characters and possibly introduce more from the comics, saying, "That's one reason we wanted to call the film First Class even though it isn't the [Jeff Parker-penned story arc called] First Class in the comics as fans know it. You couldn't really tell that story without going even earlier and explaining how they got there and how it came to be. I liked the title, so we kept it, but this is a prelude in a way that will eventually lead to the [scenarios] that fit in more clearly with the First Class comics and situations."

FAIRY TALES TO BIG SCREEN
With the popularity of vampires and zombies, it is no wonder that there are a number of fairy tales being proposed forthe big screen.
As Neil Gaiman told EW:
Vampires go in waves, and it kind of feels like we're now finishing a vampire wave, because at the point where they're everywhere it's probably time to go back underground for another 20 years or another 25 years.... It definitely sort of feels like classical vampires have been around enough that if they could go back in their coffins 25 years and come out the next time as something really different, that would be cool.
Zombies as we know them have been shambling along since George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead in 1968, but they clawed their way back into the mainstream after Zack Snyder's Dawn of the Dead remake. The Walking Dead comic followed, as did Max Brooks' World War Z docu-novel, indie films like Fido, a hundred different videogames like Left 4 Dead and, finally, the Walking Dead TV series.
Although werewolves and angels had a brief time in the moonlight, they didn't stay long. So, fearing that the undead gravy train might be over, Hollywood is levying its support behind fairy tales. How much are they invested in remakes, reimaginings or revitalizations of the stories that were read to children for centuries? There are no fewer than seven different projects in the offing. They are:
Red Riding Hood, starring Amanda Seyfried and directed by Twilight's Catherine Hardwick
Snow White, starring Julia Roberts as the Evil Queen
Snow White and the Huntsman, starring Viggo Mortensen, Charlize Theron as the Queen and, maybe, Kristen Stewart as Snow White
Snow and the Seven, a China-set kung-fu epic to be written by Toy Story 3's Michael Arndt
Hansel and Gretel, starring Jeremy Renner, Gemma Arterton and Famke Janssen
Once Upon a Time, an ABC series from Tron Legacy's Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis
Grimm, an NBC series from Buffy veteran David Greenwalt and Jim Kouf
While all of them will not make it to fruition: I am hoping SNOW WHITE makes it. I would love to see Julia Roberts as theEvil Queen. And those TV shows have only been guaranteed a pilot—who knows if either will get picked up to series? But still, it's like a traffic jam of whimsy.

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: BLOOD AND CHROME
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: BLOOD AND CHROME has begun filming in Vancouver. The two-hour pilot that will focus on the adventures of a young William Adama during the 10th year of the first Cylon war.
Syfy's official press release provides a synopsis:
SYFY'S BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: BLOOD & CHROME LAUNCHES
2-Hour Pilot Chronicles Young William Adama's Adventures in First Cylon War
Lili Bordan Joins Luke Pasqualino and Ben Cotton in the Cast
NEW YORK - February 10, 2011 - Production has begun in Vancouver on Syfy's highly anticipated 2-hour pilot, Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome, the all-new chapter in the Battlestar Galactica saga. Universal Cable Productions will produce the event with Syfy utilizing cutting edge CGI and virtual technology.
Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome takes place in the 10th year of the first Cylon war. As the battle between humans and their creation, the sentient robotic Cylons, rages across the 12 colonial worlds, a young, talented fighter pilot, William Adama (Luke Pasqualino), finds himself assigned to one of the most powerful Battlestars in the Colonial fleet: the Galactica. Full of ambition and in pursuit of the intense action that the Cylon war promises, Adama quickly find himself at odds with Coker (Ben Cotton), the battle-weary officer to whom he reports. With 47 days left in his tour of duty, Coker desires an end to battle just as much as Adama craves the start of it. Though they clash at first, the two men forge an unlikely bond when a routine mission turns dangerous and becomes a pivotal one for the desperate fleet.
Joining Pasqualino and Cotton in the cast is Lili Bordan, who will play Dr. Beka Kelly, a Ph.D. who worked for Graystone Industries that created the Cylon robots. Currently assigned to a secret military mission, Beka and Adama quickly establish a rapport.
From the award-winning producers of Battlestar Galactica, this new action-packed chapter of the BSG canon was written by Michael Taylor form a story by David Eick, Taylor and Bradley Thompson & David Weddle and directed by Jonas Pate. David Eick, Jonas Pate and Michael Taylor will serve as executive producers.

THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER
The Hollywood REporter writes that David Slade, who directed vampires in 30 Days of Night and Twilight Saga: Eclipse, is in talks to tackle the blood-sucking genre again with Phoenix Pictures' long-in-the-works period horror movie.
The lead role is not cast but Ben Kingsley and Noomi Rapace are attached to co-star. Phoenix is in active talks with actors for the lead role.
Producing DEMETER are Mike Medavoy, Arnold Messer and Bradley Fischer, who have made habit of incubating and sticking with projects for lengthy periods.
DEMETER was the name of the ship that transported Dracula from Transylvania to London in Bram Stoker's classic tale. In that novel, it washes up on the shores of England, tattered and broken, with one raving mad survivor.
Written a decade ago by Bragi Schut, the script places the voyage center stage in a tale that is reminiscent of the first movie in the Alien franchise, in which a crew is slaughtered one-by-one by a mysterious passenger.
The project has over the years attracted such directors as Robert Schwentke and Marcus Nispel. Stefan Ruzowitzky was on board but last month decided to work on the just-announced drama Blackbird, which is to star Eric Bana and Oliva Wilde.
DEMETER is still in the midst of securing financing, although the attachment of Slade, riding high on Eclipse's near-$700 million in worldwide boxoffice, should go a ways to get there. However, by the time the funds are secured, the actors could change. The in-demand Rapace, for example, already has Fox's Prometheus penciled in for part of the year.

GREEN LANTERN: EMERALD KNIGHTS COMING JUNE 7, 2011
BURBANK, CA, (February 8, 2011) – Primetime television stars Nathan Fillion (Castle) and Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men) lead a diverse array of performers as the voices behind Green Lantern: Emerald Knights, the next entry in the popular, ongoing series of DC Universe Animated Original Movies. Building up to the release of the highly anticipated live action film, Green Lantern, in theatres June 17, Green Lantern: Emerald Knights arrives on Blu-Ray™, DVD, On Demand and for DownloadJune 7 from Warner Premiere, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation.
Fillion provides the voice of the animated film’s central character Hal Jordan, the human Green Lantern assigned to Sector 2814 (which includes Earth). Fillion has starred in several primetime television series including Desperate Housewives, Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He has also developed a popular cult following as a pair of Joss Whedon’s heroic captains: Capt. Mal Reynolds in the space-western series Firefly and follow-up film, Serenity; and Captain Hammer in Whedon’s internet sensation Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog. Fillion returns to the DC Universe afterhis successful turn as Steve Trevor in the animated film Wonder Woman, and has performed voice work on Justice League, Robot Chicken, The Venture Bros., and several Halo video games.
Moss gives voice to Arisia, a young recruit forced into her first mission on just her third day as a Green Lantern. Prior to starring as the ever-evolving Peggy Olson in AMC’s ground-breaking series Mad Men, Moss was featured on The West Wing, Invasion and Picket Fences. Moss has been active in voiceovers for animation with previous roles in Steven Spielberg Presents Animaniacs, Freakazoid! and It’s Spring Training, Charlie Brown!.
The voice cast for the animated Green Lantern: Emerald Knights also features actor/spoken word artist Henry Rollins (Sons of Anarchy, The Henry Rollins Show) as Kilowog, Jason Isaacs (the Harry Potter films) as Sinestro, legendary professional wrestler “Rowdy” Roddy Piper (They Live) as Bolphunga, Arnold Vosloo (The Mummy) as Abin Sur, Kelly Hu (The Vampire Diaries) as Laira and Wade Williams (Prison Break) as Deegan. Radio Hall of Fame commentator/talk show host Michael Jacksonvoices the esteemed Guardian, Ganthet.
Bruce Timm is executive producer of Green Lantern: Emerald Knights. Directors are Lauren Montgomery, Jay Oliva and Christopher Berkeley.
The full-length animated Green Lantern: Emerald Knights complements the Warner Bros. theatrical release of the highly anticipated live-action major motion picture, Green Lantern. Green Lantern: Emerald Knights will be distributed by Warner Home Video as a Blu-Ray™ Combo Pack and 2-Disc Special Edition DVD, as well as single disc DVD. The film will also be available On Demand and for Download.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2011

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS
We assume 20th Century Fox didn't debut the trailer for the upcoming X-Men: First Class during the Super Bowl because it didn't want the thing to get lost among all those superheroes like Captain America and Thor. But based on what we've just seen, it had nothing to worry about—because Marvel's mutants have blown us away!
The trailer, which premiered over on the film's Facebook page, gives us our first look at Professor X and his team of mutants—and how their relationship with Magneto went so teribly wrong.
X-MEN: FIRST CLASS hits theaters June 3, 2011.

WONDER WOMAN
With director and executive producer McG out of the running for the directing job on the David E. Kelley WONDER WOMAN Woman TV pilot, another interesting name has popped up for the Wonder gig. Here's a clue: the guy directed the Caprica pilot.
Deadline reports that Jeffrey Reiner (NOT actor Jeremy Renner) is coming close to a deal with NBC to direct the much talked about WONDER WOMAN TV pilot for NBC.
Reiner is no stranger to directing sci-fi, having directed the CAPRICA TV pilot as well as a couple of episodes of THE EVENT and the short-lived SURFACE. The FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS former director and executive producer would probably be a great shoo-in for the gig.
As for McG, they say that he had to drop out of the talks with NBC because of a scheduling conflict with a feature commitment.

BATTLE: LOS ANGELES
Columbia Pictures has debuted a new one-minute TV spot for director Jonathan Liebesman's BATTLE: LOS ANGELES, hitting theaters on March 11. The film stars Aaron Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez, Ramon Rodriguez, Bridget Moynahan, Ne-Yo and Michael Peña.
Synopsis: For years, there have been documented cases of UFO sightings around the world – Buenos Aires, Seoul, France, Germany, China. But in 2011, what were once just sightings will become a terrifying reality when Earth is attacked by unknown forces. As people everywhere watch the world's great cities fall, Los Angeles becomes the last stand for mankind in a battle no one expected. It's up to a Marine staff sergeant (Aaron Eckhart) and his new platoon to draw a line in the sand as they take on an enemy unlike any they've ever encountered before.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2011

VOICES FROM THE DEAD BY J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Headline: The Hollywood Reporter. DreamWorks has purchased the original screenplay VOICES FROM THE DEAD from CHANGELING writer J. Michael Straczynski. The thriller delves into the real-life relationship between magician Harry Houdini and Sherlock Holmes creator Arthur Conan Doyle.
Houdini and Doyle, who was a leading Spiritualist at the time, met in 1920 and became friends for a while despite long-running arguments about the existence of the supernatural. Doyle included a chapter in his book The Edge of the Unknown that claimed that Houdini had psychic powers, while Houdini often used his acts to debunk fraudulent claims about the spirit world.
Straczynski's script creates a fictional account of the two teaming up with a psychic to solve a set of murders in 1920's New York.
The CAA-repped Straczynski also co-wrote the 2009 action thriller NINJA ASSASSIN, and he has screenplays in development at Disney (Shattered Union), Warner Bros. (Forbidden Planet) and Marvel (Silver Surfer). In TV, he was a writer-producer for BABYLON 5, JEREMIAH and MURDER, SHE WROTE, among others.

PERSONS OF INTEREST
The Hollywood Reporter writes that PERSONS OF INTEREST, a pilot from J.J. Abrams and THE DARK KNIGHTco-writer Jonah Nolan, has landed at CBS. The drama follows a scientist and former CIA hitman who try to preemptively solve crimes before they occur. It joins ALCATRAZ as the second pilot from Abrams' Bad Robot to get an order this season.

IN CRISIS
Deadline reports that GREY'S ANATOMY creator Shonda Rhimes has found a male lead for her ABC pilot, tentatively titled IN CRISIS, and it's "Lost" alum Henry Ian Cusick. The man you know best as everyone's favorite constant, Desmond Hume, will play a handsome litigator who works with fixer Olivia Price (Kerry Washington) in the series about PR crisis management.

HIGHLANDER REMAKE
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Summit’s TWILIGHT SAGA writer, Melissa Rosenberg, is tackling a different kind of immortal being: Scottish highlanders.
The scribe is in negotiations to come on board to work on the studio's remake of HIGHLANDER. Neal Moritz is producing the project, which offers an update on the 1986 movie starring Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery and Clancy Brown. Justin Lin (Fast Five) is attached to direct. Peter Davis is also producing.
The original story centered on a Scottish swordsman, who discovers he is part of a secret race of near-immortal beings and faces off against an unstoppable barbarian who covets the power gained from there being only one of their kind left.
Summit acquired remake rights to HIGHLANDER from Panzer/Davis Productions, producer of the original film, in 2008. Art Marcum and Matt Holloway wrote the initial draft while Cormac Wibberley and Marianne Sellek Wibberley also worked on the script.
Wth her Twilight connection, Rosenberg may seem an odd choice for writing the action remake. But as the sole writer on Summit’s vampire pentalogy, she has proved adept at handling both character and action, as well as yearning, a key component of Highlander as protagonist Connor MacLeod watches his true love age while he does not. Before tackling Twilight, Rosenberg was a writer/co-executive producer on DEXTER, the Showtime series that darkly balances family with bloody carnage.
THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN Part 1 opens Nov. 18.

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS
The official logo for Matthew Vaughn's upcoming X-MEN: FIRST CLASS has debuted at the film's Facebook page. The logo offers an updated variation on the design that graced both the first film's teaser poster and the recently unveiled teaser for First Class itself.
Set for release on June 3rd, X-MEN: FIRST CLASS will serve as a prequel to the Bryan Singer original, charting the early friendship and subsequent rivalry of Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr (the man who would become Magneto).
UPDATE: 20th Century Fox has confirmed that fans won't have to wait much longer for footage. The X-Men: First Class trailer will arrive via the Facebook page today, February 10th.

THE WORDS
Variety reports that Bradley Cooper will star in the drama THE WORDS for GK Films' Parlay Films.
Jeremy Irons is in talks to co-star in the film, which is the directorial debut of TRON: Legacy writers Brian Klugman and Lee Sternthal.
The trade says the story "follows a writer who, at the peak of his literary success, discovers the price he must pay for stealing another man's work."
Michael Benaroya, Jim Young and Tatiana Kelly will produce while Laura Rister and Cassian Elwes are executive producing.

HARRY POTTER FANS
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS™ - Part 1 is coming to Blu-ray™ and DVD and Digital Download April 15, 2011.Prepare for the final battle! Get an EXCLUSIVE sneak peek of an opening scene from HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS™ - Part 2, plus see deleted scenes, special featurettes and much more with the Blu-ray™ Combo Pack.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2011

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA ONLINE
The long-awaited Battlestar Galactica Online has launched!
For the first six weeks, the massively multiplayer online game, a mix of tactical space combat, exploration and mission-based gameplay, can be found exclusively at Syfy.
Here is the official press release:
BIGPOINT LAUNCHES BATTLESTAR GALACTICA ONLINE; HUMANS AND CYLONS BATTLE FOR CONTROL OF THE UNIVERSE
Tactical Space Combat MMOG Based on Syfy's Hit Television Series Sets New Benchmark in Browser-based Gaming; Available Worldwide in Partnership with Syfy
Hamburg - February 8, 2011 - Bigpoint (www.bigpoint.com) - the global market leader in browser-based massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs) - today launched Battlestar Galactica Online. Based on the internationally popular Syfy television series produced by Universal Cable Productions, Battlestar Galactica Online (http://battlestar-galactica.bigpoint.com/) is a free-to-play, browser-based space combat MMOG that combines high-quality, 3D graphics with intense gameplay. Following a successful closed beta period that started in late 2010, the free-to-play game can now be enjoyed by players worldwide.
David Eick, Executive Producer of Battlestar Galactica, said, "Bigpoint has successfully embraced the spirit of Battlestar Galactica's aggressive ship design, tactile physics, and its signature, vérité-style combat aesthetic, and taken it all to an entirely new level. Playing this game is like watching the most highly-adrenalized, nail-biting episodes of the series while chewing on a hunk of uranium. I highly recommend it - just make sure you don't have anything else to do for a few days..."
Battlestar Galactica Online is based on the acclaimed Emmy and Peabody Award-winning television series Battlestar Galactica, which aired for four seasons on Syfy. Set during the latter part of the show's second season, the game takes the form of a previously "untold chapter," in which both the Colonial and Cylon fleets are stranded in an uncharted area of space. Heavily damaged and low on critical supplies, both fleets must fight for control of the resources in the nearby star systems as the Colonials desperately search for a way to escape before the Cylons regain enough strength to destroy them once and for all.
"Our team's passion for the series, and their dedication to maintaining its authenticity, enabled us to extend Battlestar Galactica's iconic IP into a world-class MMOG," said Heiko Hubertz, CEO and Founder, Bigpoint. "We are confident that a new standard has been achieved - no longer should browser games be considered subpar to their console or PC-installed counterparts."
A blend of tactical space combat, exploration, and mission-based gameplay provides an engaging experience. For accuracy, assets from the television production have been integrated into the game, including Bear McCreary's original score, select talent likenesses, and a number of ships modeled from schematics provided by the show's creators.
At the start, players select a side - human or Cylon - and then are guided through a series of introductory tasks to learn basic flight controls and weapon systems. Once completed, players can customize their in-game avatars, receive situation and mission briefings, and begin to explore the vast universe. As players gain experience, they can unlock additional ships and learn a variety of skills. Inside capital ships and outposts, players can access the in-game market and customize all aspects their current ship - including weapons, engines, hulls, computers, and mining equipment.
For a period of six weeks, Syfy is Bigpoint's exclusive distribution partner in the US (http://www.syfy.com/) and UK (http://www.syfy.co.uk/battlestar-galactica-game). In addition to Bigpoint's game sites around the world, Syfy will also make the game available through its other international sites in Germany, France, Spain, Poland, and Russia, with more sites to be added in the weeks following launch.
Currently in open beta, Battlestar Galactica Online was developed by Artplant (http://artplant.no), a Norwegian studio that specializes in MMOGs. Post launch, Bigpoint will continue to add new content and features, paying close attention to community feedback. Battlestar Galactica Online is licensed through Universal Partnerships & Licensing on behalf of NBC Universal Television Consumer Products Group.

SNOW WHITE
THe Hollywood Reporter writes that Julia Roberts has closed her deal to star as the Queen in Relativity Media's SNOW WHITE feature.
Directed by Tarsem Singh, the movie is based on the Brothers Grimm fable and is scheduled to begin shooting in April. In this more modern-edged take written by Melissa Wallack and Jason Keller, Snow White looks for payback along with her band of seven dwarves after her evil stepmother kills her father.
Relativity plans to release the film June 29, 2012.
Ryan Kavanaugh, Bernie Goldmann and Brett Ratner are producing; the executive producers are Tucker Tooley, Jeff Waxman, Tommy Turtle, Jamie Marshall, Josh Pate and John Cheng.
The CAA-repped Roberts most recently starred in EAT PRAY LOVE. She will next be on screen with Tom Hanks in the Universal comedy LARRY CROWNE, which opens July 1.
Relativity most recently partnered on Paramount's THE FIGHTER and Sony's THE SOCIAL NETWORK. Its comedy TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT hits theaters March 4, and its drama LIMITLESS opens March 18.

SECRET CIRCLE
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the CW has picked up an hourlong drama pilot titled SECRET CIRCLE based on a book series by VAMPIRE DIARIES author L.J. Smith.
The project -- from Alloy Entertainment, Warner Bros. TV and CBS Television Studios -- is executive produced and written by Vampire Diaries exec producer Kevin Williamson and Andrew Miller.
It centers on a young girl who moves to a new town and discovers that not only is she a witch and part of a secret coven, but she’s also the key that will unlock a centuries-old battle of good vs. evil.
Elizabeth Craft, Sarah Fain, Leslie Morgenstein and Gina Girolamo also are executive producing CIRCLE.
Williamson until very recently was working on a companion series to VAMPIRE DIARIES. But he recently told CW execs that he was too busy with his Diaries duties to flesh out the spinoff, according to published reports. He came on board CIRCLE last month, working with Miller on the script.
Alloy and WBTV are also the companies behind DIARIES. CIRCLE marks the Alloy's fourth pilot pickup this season. It's also the sixth pilot pickup at the CW.

HANSEL AND GRETEL
Reports in the Hollywood Reporter indicate that Famke Janssen has joined Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton in the Paramount film HANSEL AND GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS.
Tommy Wirkola (Dead Snow) is directing the action comedy, which picks up years after the fairy-tale siblings' childhood trauma at the gingerbread house, when they've become witch bounty hunters. Janssen will play the leader of the witches.
The Gary Sanchez-produced project is scheduled to begin shooting in Berlin in March.
Janssen just wrapped filming on her writing-directing debut, the drama BRINGING UP BOBBY, which she also produced. Janssen has starred in the X-MEN movies, TURN THE RIVER and TAKEN.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2011

MORTAL KOMBAT
Jeri Ryan, Seven of Nine on Star Trek: Voyager for four seasons, is getting back into sci-fi. We'll get to see her again in an upcoming Mortal Kombat digital series.
The actress confirmed through her Twitter feed that she's set to reprise the role of Sonya Blade alongside Michael Jai White's Jackson Briggs (aka Jax) in what will be an official sequel to the unofficial Mortal Kombat Rebirth trailer in which she previously appeared.
IGN reports:
Ryan and White both starred in Kevin Tancharoen's unofficial "Rebirth" trailer last year, which garnered the attention of Warner Bros. and led to Tancharoen cowriting and directing an official new Mortal Kombat digital series.
Fanboys will hope Ryan will put on some nice suits and get into some ass-kicking action just as we know Sonya can, befitting the Mortal Kombat franchise.

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON SEQUEL
The Hollywood Reporter writes that the sequel to DreamWorks Animation's hit movie HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON will move beyond the small, North Sea island that was the setting of the original film as it traces the further adventures of Hiccup as he grows toward becoming the leader of his Viking clan.
Dean DeBlois, who co-directed the first film, revealed he is currently working on the second draft of the screenplay, which he expects will be at least the second film in a trilogy.
"I turned in the script before the holidays, and got some notes back and I'm working on a second draft," DeBlois, who will write and direct the sequel, told THR at Saturday's Annie Awards. "It's going to be quite epic. We are treating How To Train Your Dragon as the first act in a much larger story. As we head into this one, the world expands. Everything is much bigger with still the heartfelt qualities that made the first one resonate so much with audiences. There are no longer restrictions to this tiny island in the North Sea. They have the entire Northern hemisphere within their grasp."
He continued: "The only way of tracing the story is to draw on elements that were in the first movie and set up elements for a third movie, so it doesn't feel like a random adventure with the same five or six characters. This truly is a second chapter in a larger story."
Added Bonnie Arnold, who is returning as producer: "It's going to be more fun adventures with Hiccup and Toothless. There will be some new dragons and maybe some new characters. It's the further adventures of Hiccup on his journey of becoming a man and the ultimate leader of the Viking clan."
DRAGON co-director Chris Sanders will executive produce the sequel. Sanders is next co-writing and co-directing DWA's THE CROODS, which is slated for a 2012 release. Dragon was one of the top 10 highest grossing movies in the 2010 North American box office, and the film has grossed nearly $500 million worldwide.

ODD THOMAS
Shock Till You Drop reports that Anton Yelchin has signed on for the Dean Koontz adaptation ODD THOMAS.
To be directed by Stephen Sommers (G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, The Mummy), the film will bring to the screen to the young man who has the power to see (but not hear) the dead. First appearing in the novel "Odd Thomas", Koontz also featured the character in three subsequent books, "Forever Odd," "Brother Odd" and "Odd Hours," as well in for two graphic novels.
Yelchin is best known for sci-fi appearances in STAR TREK and TERMINATOR: SALVATION, but will break into horror with the upcoming remake of FRIGHT NIGHT.
Howard Kaplan, John Baldecchi and Sommers are producing the project, budgeted at $47 million. Sommers wrote the script and is currently in pre-production.

THE AVENGERS
According to Variety, Cobie Smulders is now confirmed for the part of S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Maria Hill in THE AVENGERS.
Smulders is best known for starring on the sitcom "How I Met Your Mother" and was loosely referenced in connection to an unproduced Wonder Woman film when Avengers director Joss Whedon was attached.
Comic book readers will be aware of Hill's role in the Marvel Universe as Nick Fury's second-in-command who took over as Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. when Fury went missing during the "Civil War" storyline. Maria Hill has also appeared in the Ultimate Universe (where Fury resembles Samuel L. Jackson) but in a different capacity, and she's appeared in a couple of the cartoons as well, most recently voiced by Kari Wührer on "The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes."
THE AVENGERS will hit theaters on May 4, 2012.

BEAVER PUSHED BACK
Summit Entertainment has moved back the release of director Jodie Foster's THE BEAVER from March 23 to May 6. The dramedy will receive a limited release on that date before expanding wide on May 20.
THE BEAVER is an emotional story about a man on a journey to re-discover his family and re-start his life.
Plagued by his own demons, Walter Black (Mel Gibson) was once a successful toy executive and family man who now suffers from depression. No matter what he tries, Walter can't seem to get himself back on track... until a beaver hand puppet enters his life.
Foster, Anton Yelchin, Jennifer Lawrence and Cherry Jones co-star.

MR. MEN
Fox Animation aims to adapt Roger Hargreaves "Mr. Men" children's book series into an animated feature, says a story at The Hollywood Reporter.
Shawn Levy (Night at the Museum) is slated to produce the film based on the property, which has previously been adapted for television.
Levy is currently finishing up post-production on his next film, Real Steel and has recently been named to helm FANTASTIC VOYAGE, both being produced at Fox.

HARKER
Warner Bros. appears set to develop HARKER, a new take on Bram Stoker's "Dracula," to be directed by Jaume Collet-Serra (Unknown, Orphan). The news first broke at Badass Digest and now has a few additional details courtesy of Deadline.
The script, a spec from Lee Shipman and Brian McGreevy (currently working on Pendragon), is said to relocate Stoker's tale to England where Jonathan Harker is tracking the monster on behalf of Scotland Yard.
Though Leonardo DiCaprio is one of the producers, he is not said to be involved in an acting capacity.

ALL STAR SUPERMAN PREMIERE
MAD MEN star Christina Hendricks, who provides the voice of Lois Lane in the highly-anticipated ALL-STAR SUPERMAN, will attend the film’s World Premiere Monday, February 14 at The Paley Center for Media in New York. Hosted by Warner Home Video and ComicBookResources.com, the evening will include red carpet interviews and a post-premiere panel discussion surrounding the first public screening of ALL-STAR SUPERMAN, the exciting 10th entry in the popular, ongoing series of DC Universe Animated Original Movies. Following the screening, Hendricks will be joined by noted comics & screenwriter Dwayne McDuffie and casting/dialogue director Andrea Romano for a panel discussion.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2011

COWBOYS & ALIENS
COWBOYS & ALIENSis due in theatres on July 29. And while we'll be seeing several new movie promos during the Super Bowl game, the producers are hoping their 30-second promo will rope in viewers.
"You're going to see from the Super Bowl spots, this summer there are going to be a lot of superhero movies, a lot of sequels, many of which I want to see, but this is going to be one of the few truly original franchises out there," Writer/producer Roberto Orci tells MTV. "We couldn't believe the people we got in front of the camera and behind. We've got Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, Steven Spielberg producing, we've got Jon Favreau directing the thing, and even outside of Harrison Ford, it's Paul Dano, it's Sam Rockwell."
He adds, "You don't even see them all in 30 seconds -- we don't have enough time -- so hopefully it will leave you wanting more."

SUPER 8
The Super Bowl also gave us the first real trailer for J.J. Abrams' upcoming alien flick, SUPER 8.
There was explosions, possessed cars, general pandemonium and a very concerned Kyle Chandler. All we've seen of the secret project so far has been the teaser of that ominous pounding coming from inside a derailed train car.
What we still don't know is... what's happening. Abrams has been tight-lipped on the plot -- only saying that it pays homage to the Steven Spielberg sci-fi films from the '70s and '80s -- but it seems as though Chandler plays a father of co-stars Elle Fanning and Gabriel Basso.
SUPER 8 premieres June 10.

TERRA NOVA
Fox aired a commercial for its highly anticipated series TERRA NOVA during Sunday's Super Bowl game.
The big-budget prehistoric-set series, which will get a May preview before joining the Fox schedule in the fall, will use CGI dinosaurs and green-screen technology to recreate the prehistoric world.
Steven Spielberg and Peter Chernin are among the show's exec producers.

THE HOBBIT NEWS
THE HOBBIT films production company 3Foot7 Ltd announced on Monday that the first day of principal photography will be Monday, March 21, 2011.
Director Peter Jackson commented: "Despite some delays we are fully back on track and very excited to get started."
3Foot7 Ltd added: "This date has been chosen following practical considerations of the filming schedule requirements, actor availability and the NZ seasons. Shooting will take place at Stone Street Studios in Miramar and on location around New Zealand.
The confirmed cast includes Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Ken Stott, Graham McTavish, William Kircher, James Nesbitt, Stephen Hunter, Rob Kazinsky, Aidan Turner, Peter Hambleton, John Callen, Jed Brophy, Mark Hadlow, Adam Brown, Cate Blanchett, Andy Serkis, Mikael Persbrant, Sylvester McCoy and Elijah Wood.
The two films have release dates targeted for December 2012 and December 2013.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2011

SUNDAY TV
Not a lot on the tube today to watch -- besides the SUPER BOWL. This is the best time for sports fans of all types toget together to enjoy the game. Whether you are rooting for Green Bay or Pittsburgh, I hope the best team wins!

WHAT IS THERE?
Sounding a bit like Morden, there are a few things you might be interested in watching. BBC America is running a marathon of TOP GEAR. I love this show. The three hosts have just too much fun driving marvelous cars and doingsome absolutely hilarious stunts! USA is having a LAW AND ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT marathon. For fans of thatshow, there will be hours of enjoyment ahead!

ANNIE AWARDS
DreamWorks Animation's HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON swept the 38th annual Annie Awards in the animated feature categories, winning 10 trophies including the top award for best animated feature at the Saturday night ceremony, which was boycotted by the rival Disney/Pixar camp.
Pixar did win one award, best animated short subject, DAY & NIGHT, which is also nominated for an Oscar.
The Annies, which the International Animated Film Society, ASIFA-Hollywood presented at UCLA's Royce Hall, also honored ALICE IN WONDERLAND for character animation in a live-action production in its feature categories.
A critical and box office success, DRAGON was a top 10 performer in the 2010 domestic box office, and won all three of the awards given to an animated feature earlier this week at the Visual Effects Society Awards.
An ongoing controversy has surrounded the Annies. In August, Disney and Pixar announced they would no longer participate in the annual awards because of questions about voting procedures, with Disney contended had favored DreamWorks in recent years.
As a result, this year Disney/Pixar didn't submit, screen, campaign for, or attend -- at least as a group -- the Annie Awards. Still, both Pixar's TOY STORY 3, which is a best picture Oscar nominee and is also considered the frontrunner to win the Oscar for animated feature, and Disney's TANGLED were both nominated for the Annie for best animated feature, earning three and two nominations, respectively.
ASIFA-Hollywood president Antran Manoogian explained that even if studios or individuals from a film do not submit that film, the nominating committees had the latitude to determine their own nominations. He also said that while anyone can join ASIFA, only animation professionals are eligible to vote, per a new rule that went into effect for this year”s awards competition.
Two years ago, questions about the voting were raised when DWA's KUNG FU PANDA swept the Annies feature categories, winning ten trophies and shutting out Pixar's WALL-E, which claimed the Oscar for best animated feature. Last year, though, Pixar's UP won the top Annie.

COMIC-CON TICKETS GONE ALREADY
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Comic-Con, the large annual convention that has become a must-attend for film and comic book fanatics (and the industries that serve them), sold out of its four-day badges early Saturday afternoon. Tickets went on sale Saturday morning.
Single-day tickets are still available for the event, which is taking heat from fans after its ticketing vendor, Ticketleap.com, crashed multiple times Saturday.
"We're obviously not happy with this morning's events," the official Comic-Con Twitter account tweeted Saturday after the topic became a trending topic (#sdcc) on the social networking site.

FRIDAY NIGHT RATINGS
The CW's SMALLVILLE and SUPERNATURAL finally returned, a week later than originally intended.
According to preliminary numbers, SMALLVILLE (2.4 million, 1.0 rating in 18-49 demo) and SUPERNATURAL (2.3 million, 1.0) remained steady in their winter premieres, matching their last originals from last year. SMALLVILLE was down slightly in viewership. (The network had pushed back their returns, deciding instead to re-air THE VAMPIRE DIARIESand NIKITA last week to give their Thursday dramas more sampling.) While the two beloved series performed well, another cult hit was knocked down a few pegs.
Fox's FRINGE, facing SUPERNATURAL for the first time at 9 p.m., drew a 1.6 rating, down from its last two episodes when they snagged a solid 1.9. Its most recent effort lured in 4.3 million viewers, also its lowest since launching in late January; the winter premiere drew 4.9 million and the second episode attracted 4.6 million. KITCHENNIGHTMARES (4 million, 1.7) was steady at 8 p.m.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2011

CAPTAIN AMERICA POSTER
Chris Evans gets somber, reflective and covered in debris for the first poster for Marvel's World War II action flick.
Is the somber tone appropriate? Yes. This is, after all, a hero fighting in WWII and the cloudy, murky blast-weariness of the poster gives it an almost Saving Private Ryan vibe. And there's something about the shield's placement that makes it seem almost heavy, that the responsibility of carrying it weighs on the man who does.

FREAKY DEAKY
The Playlist writes that Camilla Belle (10,000 B.C., From Prada to Nada) will star in FREAKY DEAKY, an adaptation of the Elmore Leonard book.
Written and to be directed by Charles Matthau, the story revolves around Chris Mankowski, a Detroit police sergeant who moves from the bomb squad to sex crimes, coming up against a group of '60s radicals who now, in 1974, are part of an investigation involving the bombing of a limousine.
William H. Macy is still believed to be attached to the role of Mankowski.

BROCKHEIMER IN SPACE?
Variety indicates that Jerry Bruckheimer will be developing a space adventure film pitched by screenwriter Jon Spaihts.There are virtually no details on the project as of yet, but Spaihts is responsible for two major upcoming sci-fi films: The Moscow-based alien invasion picture, The Darkest Hour, and Ridley Scott's Prometheus, formerly set up as a prequel to Scott's 1979 Alien.

LEGEND
According to Variety, CBS Films has plans to adapt the upcoming novel "Legend" by Marie Lu.
An action/adventure set in a dystopian future, the author has envisioned the book series as a trilogy and describes the upcoming first novel as follows:
The United States is gone, along with its flooded coasts. North America's two warring nations, the western Republic and the eastern Colonies, have reached a breaking point. In the midst of this broken continent and dark new world are two teenagers who will go down in history ....
Born into the slums of the Republic's Lake sector, fifteen-year old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. A mysterious boy with no recorded image or fingerprints. A boy who should no longer exist. A boy who watches over his family until one evening, when the plague patrols mark his family's door with an X--the sign of plague infection. A death sentence for any family too poor to afford the antidote. Desperate, Day has no choice; he must steal it.
Born to an elite family in the wealthy Ruby sector, fifteen-year old June is the Republic's most promising prodigy. A superintelligent girl destined for great things in the country's highest military circles. Obedient, passionate, and committed to her country--until the day her brother Metias is murdered while on patrol during a break-in at the plague hospital.
Only one person could be responsible.
Day.
And now it's June's mission to hunt him down.
The truth they'll uncover will become legend.
Lu will executive produce the film alongside producers Marty Bowen and Wyck Godfrey (Twilight).

SEVENTH SON
Jeff Bridges, Alex Pettyfer and Jennifer Lawrence have joined the cast of The Seventh Son, Just Jared is reporting.The film is based on the young adult series "The Last Apprentice" (known internationally as "The Wardstone Chronicles") by Joseph Delaney and was originally planned for production under the title The Spook's Apprentice.
The series tells the story of Thomas J. Ward (Pettyfer, who stars in next week's I Am Number Four), the seventh son of a seventh son, born in the 1700s with supernatural abilities and who furthers his training with the help of a learned "Spook" (Bridges).
The film is also set to star Jennifer Lawrence (who next appears in X-Men: First Class) as a woman accused of being a witch and will be directed by Sergei Bodrov (Mongol).

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2011

CAPTAIN AMERICA NEWS
Yes, the first CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER trailer will blaze across our TV screens this Super Bowl Sunday. A few more images from the highly anticipated Marvel film have emerged online, and they include the first clear look at his sidekick, James "Bucky" Barnes. Bucky is played by Sebastian Stan—who was recently seen in Black Swan.
We also get a new pic of Captain America's sexy girlfriend Peggy Carter (the luminous Hayley Atwell, The Pillars of the Earth), as well as those meanie soldiers from Cobra HYDRA and a faraway shot of Red Skull (Hugo Weaving) before disfigurement.
We also have some really cool images of Captain America himself, played by Chris Evans, who has revealed that he signed on for six movies and not nine, as was previously believed. Seems that nine was a scary number for the actor, who says:
"To be honest it was quite intimidating and scary to commit to nine films in a row. God thank you, we reduced the number to six [3 Captain America, Avengers 3] ... If all goes as planned, I embody Captain America until I am 40-years-old."
CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER is coming to theaters on July 22.

NICK FURY IN THOR AND CAPTAIN AMERICA
We had heard that Nick Fury would be popping up in CAPTAIN AMERICA, and hoped and assumed that he'd be appearing in THOR, too. But we weren't 100 percent sure until we heard Samuel L. Jackson say it himself.
Jackson appeared last night on Jimmy Fallon Live, where he dropped the news:
"In the next month or so, I have to do one day on THOR, and I got to do another day on CAPTAIN AMERICA, and in April we start THE AVENGERS, the big deal with everybody. ... THOR and CAPTAIN AMERICA are pretty much done, but I haven't done my part in them yet. I'm just connective tissue for them to join THE AVENGERS."
Jackson also mentioned that on Friday he'd be screen-testing with five actresses, one of whom will get to play "my sidekick who's with me all the time." No word yet on which Marvel Comics character some lucky actress will get to bring to life.

THIS WEEKEND AT THE MOVIES
Screen Gems' new thriller THE ROOMMATE, starring Minka Kelly and Leighton Meester, should draw enough females to win the Super Bowl weekend box-office crown.
Universal's underwater cave adventure-thriller SANCTUM 3D, exec produced by James Cameron, isn't looking as strong. The R-rated Australian film is underwhelming in tracking and will have to compete with Sunday's game for males.
There's also the weather. Distributors hope the Midwest and parts of the Northeast will have recovered enough from this week's crippling Groundhog Blizzard to allow safe access to the multiplex.
But neither Mother Nature nor the Super Bowl can be blamed for what's expected to be another tepid frame at the domestic box office.
THE ROOMMATE is expected to open in the low to mid-teens, compared with a $30.5 million opening a year ago for Screen Gems' romantic drama Dear John, starring Amanda Seyfried and Channing Tatum (distributors have long used Super Bowl weekend to bow female-skewing fare).
Universal is predicting a $6 million to $8 million opening for SANCTUM, although rival distributors say it should do a bit better. Universal and Relativity Media picked up distribution rights for $12 million, meaning the film needs to ultimately gross $25 million-$30 million.
Among holdovers, Paramount's NO STRINGS ATTACHED should stay high in the mix in its third weekend. The film's gross through Wednesday was $42.4 million. That's true too for the Weinstein Co.'s THE KING'S SPEECH, which has grossed $74.9 million domestically.
KING'S SPEECH and other Oscar front-runners, including Paramount and Skydance Prods.' TRUE GRIT and Fox Searchlight's BLACK SWAN, continue their expansion overseas. SPEECH launches in France, TRUE GRIT bows in Mexico and New Zealand, and SWAN opens in 12 new markets, including Brazil and Holland.
In the U.S., Sony Pictures Classics expands Mike Leigh's ANOTHER YEAR, nominated for an Oscar for best original screenplay, into a total of 236 theaters.
SANCTUM goes out in 2,789 theaters, including more than 2,000 3D runs and 178 Imax theaters. Universal also is opening SANCTUM day and date in Australia, New Zealand and the U.K. The film opens in Japan on April 22.

DARK SHADOWS CASTING NEWS
Deadline reports that Eva Green has been cast opposite Johnny Depp in the upcoming DARK SHADOWS.
The film, which reunites Depp and Burton for the eighth time, is based on the long-running soap opera. With over 1,225 episodes, "Dark Shadows" featured Gothic horror staples like vampires, monsters, witches, werewolves, ghosts and zombies.
Green, best known for her appearance in 2006's Casino Royale, will play Angelique Bouchard Collins. In the series, Angelique was a witch trapped in a love/hate relationship with Vampire Barnabas Collins (Depp's character).
The rest of the casting is still being decided with official decisions expected soon, though Jackie Earle Haley and Bella Heathcoate are also strongly rumored.

RANGO
Paramount Pictures has released online (through iTunes Movie Trailers) the new super bowl spot for director Gore Verbinski's RANGO, featuring the voices of Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin, Bill Nighy, Stephen Root, Ray Winstone, Beth Grant, Ned Beatty, Harry Dean Stanton and Alfred Molina.
The animated action adventure, opening in theaters on March 4, is the story of a chameleon with an identity crisis.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2011

NCIS RENWED FOR NINTH SEASON
Good news, NCIS fans! CBS has officially picked up the series for a ninth season, the day after a record-breaking 22.85 million viewers tuned in for its Feb. 1 episode.
In a statement, CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler praises the show. "It's simply amazing that a show in its eighth season continues to perform at such an elite level," she says.
"This is a tribute to the hard work of its talented writers, producers and cast for bringing to life such compelling stories and characters with intrigue and humor. The quality of the storytelling is also evident by the series' incredibly devoted fan base who we thank for their passion and commitment to 'NCIS' on CBS, in online communities and around the world."
"NCIS has become a network phenomenon and a global sensation. The show continues to hit audience peaks on CBS and is a top performer in territories around the world," adds David Stapf, president of CBS Television Studios. "We thank an amazing cast, led by Mark Harmon, which has undeniable chemistry, for bringing to life characters with such amazing universal appeal. And, we credit Shane (Brennan) and Gary (Glasberg) for the storytelling and production vision that delivers compelling episodes every week and a fresh creative vision every year."

SMALLVILLE NEWS
For eight seasons of SMALLVILLE, Clark Kent dressed in any color he wanted ... as long as it was blue or red. Season nine mixed it up a bit by putting actor Tom Welling in basic black. Now, in the home stretch of season 10, Clark is getting a NEW jacket.
Considering that it has taken eight years to put a little fun in his wardrobe, this change comes at, well, super speed.
And considering how awesome the jacket is, its debut in the Feb. 18 episode ("Masquerade") can't come soon enough.

OUTCASTS
The BBC's newest sci-fi series, OUTCASTS, is finally getting some air time in the U.K. next week.
The new BBC pics are from episodes one and two and showcase (among others) Jamie Bamber (Battlestar Galactica) as Mitchell Hoban—our likely hero, Hermione Norris (Spooks, Cold Feet) as Stella Ise—the head of Protection and Security on Carpathia (PAS)—and Liam Cunningham (Clash of the Titans) as President Richard Tate.
Outcasts is debuting on BBC One on Tuesday, Feb. 7, at 9 p.m., with the second episode airing the next day.
Still no word yet from BBC America as to when the show will air on our side of the pond, but if we base ourselves on the BBC's recent decisions to air Being Human (the U.K. one), Primeval (it's an ITV series in the U.K. but airs on BBC America here) and the upcoming Doctor Who (in the spring) with relatively short time intervals between airings in the U.K. and the U.S., we're hoping Outcasts will be shown here sooner rather than later.

THE CAPE - POOR RATINGS
NBC has decided to cut the episode order of its new midseason series, THE CAPE, from 13 to 10, after the show posted its lowest rating yet on Monday.
The series, which stars David Lyons and Summer Glau, premiered earlier this year to respectable ratings, but it couldn't hold on to those viewers. NBC's gotten bad news each week, with Monday's episode hitting a series low of 1.5/4 in the important 18-49 Adult rating and 5.343 million total viewers. That was a 6 percent drop from the week before.
NBC's decision, reported by Deadline late yesterday, effectively pulls the plug on the series, which is just finishing production on its 10th episode. With the three final planned episodes not getting produced, that means it's unlikely there will be any closure for those following the serialized aspects of THE CAPE.
While NBC hasn't canceled the series, it's hard to imagine a scenario where the network would order a second season of the comic-book-inspired series. And it's possible we might not even see all 10 episodes.
THE CAPE took over the timeslot after the first 10 episodes of THE EVENT aired last fall. NBC previously announced that the conspiracy series would be relaunched on Feb. 28 with a clip show and a new episode. Twelve original episodes remain to be aired.
While THE EVENT got terrific initial ratings with over 11 million viewers last fall, the series also suffered a ratings decline. However, eventually the show stabilized and finished with a 1.9/5 in 18-49 Adults and 5.825 million total viewers. Those numbers have to be looking pretty good to NBC about now. However, we'll see how the show does on its return.
Regardless, the fate of THE EVENT is unlikely to help THE CAPE.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2011

TWO NEW CW PILOTS
The CW network has picked up the much-talked about zombie series "Awakening," which centers on "two sisters who come of age and face off against one another amidst the beginning of a zombie uprising."

"Heavenly" is about a young attorney who teams with a former angel to help clients at a legal aid clinic. The pitch? "She saves clients' butts while he saves their souls." Did you cringe while reading that? We totally cringed. Spoiler Alert! The angel half of the dynamic legal duo has never experienced human emotions so we're guessing a human/angel angsty love affair will be happening. The project is from "Supernatural's" co-executive producer Richard Hatem.

SNOW WHITE
The Hollywood Reporter writes that while Universal and Relativity duke it out to see who will be the first out of the gate with a SNOW WHITE movie, Disney is taking the stealthy road to its more elevated project, SNOW ANDTHE SEVEN.
Michael Arndt, who just last week received an Oscar nomination for his work on TOY STORY 3, is in negotiations to work on the script. Production designer John Myhre, an Oscar winner for his work on MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA andCHICAGO who’s working on Disney’s new Pirates of the Caribbean movie, has been brought on board to begin creating the worlds of the fairy tale, which is set in 19th century China.
Yes, China.
The unique project, which Disney has been developing since 2002, centers on a 19th century Englishwoman who returns to her Hong Kong home for her father's funeral, only to discover that her stepmother is plotting against her. She escapes to mainland China, finding solace among a rogue band of seven international warriors.
Francis Lawrence has been on board to direct since early on, even as writers such as Michael Chabon, Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, and Jayson Rothwell took cracks at the script, originally written by Scott Elder and Josh Harmon. Andrew Gunn is producing.
With all systems go for SNOW, the big question is Natalie Portman’s involvement. Since last year, Portman has been circling to star, but her pregnancy now raises questions of whether she will be ready to undertake such a physically intense tentpole, which will feature several different fighting styles. Whether she’s in or not, Disney will easily attract another top star.

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES
Deadline reports that Joseph Gordon-Levitt is now in talks for a role in THE DARK KNIGHT RISES.
Currently filming Rian Johnson's LOOPER, Gordon-Levitt has not officially been cast and, as of yet, there is no studio confirmation that he is even being sought to appear. That said, the actor has preemptively been the subject of much internet speculation regarding who he might play in the DC Universe and, as such, has certainly proven himself popular with Nolan fans.
THE DARK KNIGHT RISES is slated to feature the return of Christian Bale, Michael Caine and Gary Oldman, reprising their characters from BATMAN BEGINS and THE DARK KNIGHT. Newcomers confirmed to appear include Anne Hathaway in the part of Selina Kyle and Tom Hardy (who also appeared in Inception) in the role of Bane.
The film is planned for regular and IMAX release on July 20, 2012.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2011
BECOMING HUMAN
BEING HUMAN's creator, Toby Whithouse, has come up with a web series to make fans really, really happy.
BECOMING HUMAN (that's the title of the series) is about avampire, a werewolf and a ghost all going to high school together and learning what it means to be human.
The web series will be comprised of eight weekly episodes, and this is what the BBC tells us:
Follow Adam, BEING HUMAN's teenage vampire, as he becomes embroiled in a dark and dangerous mystery.
Adam (Craig Roberts)—who's definitely no ordinary teenager at the ripe ol' age of 46—made his debut appearance Sunday in "Adam's Family," the second episode of BEING HUMAN's third season.
One thing's for sure, his short stint with our favorite gang of supernatural misfits certainly enlightened him as to what's going on with werewolves and ghosts. Adam's joined by werewolf Christa (Leila Mimmack) and ghost Matt (Josh Brown).

NO ORDINARY FAMILY NEWS
TV Line informs us that:
ABC's freshman sci-fi comedy, NO ORDINARY FAMILY, has tapped the fierce and fraktabulous Lucy Lawless to join the cast for at least five episodes.
According a Family friend, Lawless will play a powerful woman and potential adversary for the Powell clan whose agenda could put the family in danger.
Lawless' arc will carry the show (which airs Tuesdays at 8 pm) through the end of the season, and hopefully create enough momentum to earn the underrated Family a renewal.
Most of you will know the actress from her leather-clad, butt-kicking days as XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS(1995-2001) or as the (somewhat tragic) Cylon D'Anna Biers from BATTLESTAR GALACTICA.
But most recently, the actress has been showing off way more than her acting chops on SPARTACUS: GODS OF THE ARENA (the splendid, bloody prequel to the no-less-splendid-and-bloody SPARTACUS: BLOOD AND SAND) as the gloriously devious Lucretia, wife of Batiatus (John Hannah), the owner of the gladiator school.
After Lawless concludes her stint on NO ORDINARY FAMILY, she will return to New Zealand to start filming on the second season of SPARTACUS.

THE STAND COMING TO THE BIG SCREEN
Stephen King's grand opus The Stand is finally getting the big-screen treatment.
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Warner Bros. and CBS Films are teaming to adapt the novel, which in many ways set the bar for a generation of post-apocalyptic stories and influenced works ranging from TV's Lost to music group Anthrax.
Mosaic and Roy Lee are producing.
The companies will co-develop and co-produce the feature film, with CBS having the option to participate in co-financing. Warners will handle worldwide marketing and distribution.
The studios and producers will sit down with writers and directors in the coming weeks in an attempt to find the right take on the material. One thing to be determined is whether to attempt the adaptation in one or multiple movies. King will be involved in some capacity.
CBS has held the rights for many years but recently realized the best way to undertake the project was with a partner. Warners beat out Fox and Sony in a tight bidding war for the gig, getting its hands on one of the biggest-selling books of all time.
CBS, meanwhile, gets a chance to be involved in an ambitious big-budget tentpole with little downside. The company just released its fourth movie, THE MECHANIC, which performed better than expected this weekend with an opening of $11.4 million.
The Stand is a story of good vs. evil after a virus wipes out most of the American population. While it features dozens of characters (such as the Trashcan Man and Mother Abigail) and overlapping story lines running over many years, the struggle boils down to a group of survivors fighting the Antichrist-like Randall Flagg.
The novel was originally published in 1978, but by the time it was rereleased in 1990 with King adding and revising portions of the story, it had achieved cult-like status.
George Romero and Warners separately tried in vain to launch a movie adaptation in the 1980s, and a tone-downed version was produced as a six-hour miniseries by ABC in 1994. In recent years, Marvel Comics has been adapting the story to great acclaim.
King's stories made for popular Hollywood adaptations in the 1980s and '90s, but that love seemed to lose steam in the past decade. But with Universal mounting an ambitious take on THE DARK TOWER, and now The Stand, King may be getting ready to return to the throne as the novelist the town loves the most.

THE NINE LIVES OF CHLOE KING
ABC Family has given the green light on a new series entitled THE NINE LIVES OF CHLOE KING. Based on the novel of the same name by Celia Thomson -- the story follows Chloe (Skyler Samuels) as she develops abilities and finds out that a mysterious figure is pursuing her. Chloe learns that she’s part of an ancient race that has been hunted by assassins for millennia.
Dan Berendsen, Ziffren serve as executive producers with Alloy Entertainment’s Leslie Morgenstein and Gina Girolamo. Grey Damon, Grace Phipps, Benjamin Stone, Alyssa Diaz and Ki Hong Lee co-star.

MONDAY, JANUARY 31, 2011

NEW SUPERMAN FOUND
According to an official press release on Sunday, Warner Brothers Pictures and Legendary Pictures have found their new Superman -- and he's British actor Henry Cavill. The studios confirmed that the 27-year-old actor has landed the coveted role of the Man of Steel and his alter ego, Clark Kent. Snyder said in the statement, "In the pantheon of superheroes, Superman is the most recognized and revered character of all time, and I am honored to be a part of his return to the big screen. I also join Warner Brothers, Legendary and the producers in saying how excited we are about the casting of Henry. He is the perfect choice to don the cape and S shield."
Warners and Nolan auditioned actors in Los Angeles, New York, and London in November and December, with someone in the 28- to 32-year-old range as the ideal candidate. In addition to Cavill and Goode, among those who met or were under consideration were White Collar star Matthew Bomer, Social Network's Winkelvoss twins Armie Hammer, True Blood actor Joe Manganiello (scheduling with the HBO show was a factor) and Colin O’Donaghue, who stars opposite Anthony Hopkins in The Rite.
The actor, best known to American audiences for his role in the Showtime series The Tudors, has actually been up for Superman before. According to Deadline, he was considered for the role by directors McG and Brett Ratner for the Superman project they were both attached to at one point. Bryan Singer eventually took over and cast Brandon Routh for what became SUPERMAN RETURNS.
As with Routh and iconic screen Superman Christopher Reeve, the studio has once again gone with a lesser known actor for the part. A Warner Brothers executive told Deadline, "[Cavill]'s got an amazing quality. He doesn't look too much like Reeve and Routh but he's big and strong and he has a very modern feel to him. We're really going to try and make Superman as contemporary as possible."
Cavill was also a candidate to replace Pierce Brosnan as James Bond before Daniel Craig stepped in, and also auditioned to play Batman for Christopher Nolan. He will be seen this fall as Theseus in the mythology epic Immortals. Interesting note: Batman, Spider-Man and now Superman are all being played by British actors.
No word yet on who will play Lois Lane and who the villain will be, so there's a lot more Superman news to come before the movie arrives in December 2012.

BATMAN NEWS
Christopher Nolan talked about the third installment of his Batman series, THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival where he was presented with the Modern Master Award for INCEPTION on Sunday night.
Moderator Pete Hammond asked Nolan where he got the title from and Nolan joked, "I banged my head against the wall."
The audience laughed and then Nolan went on to say, "We've worked on it a long time - David Goyer and myself. We're about 12 weeks away from shooting. We start in May."
It's been known that Nolan wasn't sure if he was going to do another film or not, so when Hammond asked why he decided to do a third one, he simply said, "It was about finishing the story."
Nolan still wouldn't confirm whether Anne Hathaway would play Catwoman or just Selina Kyle. When asked, he smiled coyly and wouldn't say a word.
THE DARK KNIGHT RISES is scheduled to open in theaters on July 20, 2012.
At the same time Nolan will be directing THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, he and his wife/producing partner Emma Thomas will also be working on the new Zack Snyder-directed SUPERMAN film, which will star the newly-announced Henry Cavill and hits theaters in December of 2012.

BOND 23 MOVES FORWARD
According to Deadline, Javier Bardem has been offered a role in the upcoming (still untitled) 23rd James Bond film.
Though the role is unspecified, the article suggests that it is major part and speculation could easily place Bardem as the film's villain. If that is the case, Bardem would mark the second Oscar winner to face off against the secret agent after Christopher Walken in 1985's A VIEW TO A KILL.
Currently, Daniel Craig and Judi Dench are confirmed to return for the franchise sequel under Director Sam Mendes. No plot details are currently available, but the script (from Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and John Logan) is said to pick up soon after the events of QUANTUM OF SOLACE.
Whether or not Bardem accepts the offer remains to be seen. He's also rumored to have been offered the lead in Ron Howard's cross-platform adaptation of Stephen King's THE DARK TOWER. He is currently nominated for an Academy Award for his work in last year's BIUTIFUL.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
New Line/Warner Bros. thriller THE RITE debuted atop the domestic box office this weekend with an estimated $15 million from 2,985 theaters. Directed by Mikael Håfström and starring Anthony Hopkins, the film cost $37 million to make.

Last week's champ, Paramount's NO STRINGS ATTACHED, dropped a spot to second and 30.5% of its first weekend ticket sales to bring in $13.7 million. The $25 million romantic comedy, starring Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher, has earned $39.7 million after two weeks.

Newcomer THE MECHANIC, starring Jason Statham and Ben Foster, opened to $11.5 million from 2,703 theaters. Estimates say that it was tied by Columbia Pictures' THE GREEN HORNET, which added $11.5 million its third weekend for a total of $78.8 million domestically so far. The $120 million-budgeted adaptation also topped the international box office with $15.7 million and its foreign total has reached $61 million, for a worldwide sum of $139.8 million.
The Weinstein Company's THE KING'S SPEECH rounded out the top five and increased its ticket sales by 41.3%, adding $11.1 million for a total of $72.2 million after 10 weeks. The Tom Hooper film, starring Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush, was produced for only $15 million.
Paramount's TRUE GRIT also saw a slight uptick of 3.7% from last weekend with $7.6 million in sixth place. The $38 million Coen brothers Western has collected a strong $148.4 million in six weeks.
Falling back four spots to seventh was Universal's THE DILEMMA, which earned $5.5 million in its third weekend to push its total to $40.6 million. The comedy was made for $70 million.
The two other awards contenders, BLACK SWAN and THE FIGHTER, also saw minimal drops with the former taking in $5.1 million for a total of $90.7 million and the latter bringing in $4 million for a total of $78.4 million.
In limited release, Lionsgate's FROM PRADA TO NADA opened in 256 theaters where it collected $1.1 million, an average of $4,297 per site, while BIUTIFUL, starring Javier Bardem, expanded to 57 theaters and earned $461,000, an average of $8,088.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 30, 2011

A pop culture blog called Between the Pages has a link up to an online copy of Roddenberry's initial outline for the series, dated March 11, 1964. The show itself premiered on Sept. 8, 1966, and in the intervening two years, a whole lot changed. For instance:
Roddenberry's original captain was not James Kirk or Christopher Pike, but Robert April;
The ship was first called the U.S.S. Yorktown;
The navigator was not a young Russian hotshot named Pavel Chekov, but a young South American hotshot named Jose Ortegas;
Spock was the "first lieutenant" and described as having a reddish complexion and, of course, pointed ears, and was probably "half Martian."
Roddenberry's 16-page outline also contains his now-famous description of the show as a sort of sci-fi Wagon Train, and does not mention anything like a transporter beam; the crew would land on planets via small recon vehicles. Early ideas for communicators, universal translators and phaser weapons can also be found within.
Most fascinating, however, are the story ideas that Roddenberry includes—many of which formed the basis for or at least planted the seed for classic episodes like "Charlie X," "Shore Leave," "A Piece of the Action," "The Return of the Archons," "The Savage Curtain," "Mirror, Mirror" and what eventually became the show's first pilot, "The Cage."
If you are a fan of STAR TREK, you'll want to read through this document to see what other information changed from theoriginal concept. These 16 pages are where a legendary science fiction franchise began!

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
New Line/Warner Bros.’ Anthony Hopkins horror-exorcism pic THE RITE topped the box office Friday, grossing an estimated $5.3 million from 3,022 theaters.
The bad news: It was another soft day overall at the domestic box office, which could have been impacted by the remnants of the snowstorm on the East Coast. Distributors are hopeful theater traffic will rebound on Saturday and Sunday.
Boston and Philadelphia, for example, turned in lower-than-expected numbers for The Rite, which is a natural fit for Catholic markets. As expected, THE RITE did especially well with Hispanic audiences.
THE RITE should win the weekend, but Paramount’s No Strings Attached could outpace it. Whatever the case, it’s virtually impossible now for RITE to match last year’s $17.2 million opening for EDGE OF DARKNESS, also a Warner Bros. film.
NO STRINGS -- Natalie Portman’s second film in the top 10 after BLACK SWAN -- grossed an estimated $4.4 million from 2,985 locations. Film held well in its second Friday, declining 40%. Cume is $30.4 million.
CBS Films’ THE MECHANIC, Jason Statham’s latest outing, opened to an estimated $3.6 million from 2,703 theaters to come in No. 3 for the day. Action pic will likely end the weekend at No. 4 or No. 5, but is still on pace to meet CBS Films’ expectations.
Among award frontrunners looking for a bump from Oscar nominations, the Weinstein Co.’s THE KING'S SPEECH ended Friday in a close race with Sony holdover THE GREEN HORNET.
SPEECH, making a major expansion in upping its theater count to 2,557 locations, grossed an estimated $2.8 million for a cume of $63.9 million. The historical drama came in No. 5, while GREEN HORNET landed at No. 4 in grossing an estimated $2.9 million from 3,524 locations for a cume of $70.2 million.
Other awards frontrunners also saw a boost. Paramount’s TRUE GRIT, receiving the second most Oscar noms after SPEECH, fell only 9% from the previous Friday, grossing an estimated $1.9 million from 3,120 theaters for a cume of $142.7 million. Film placed No. 6 for the day.
Coming in No. 8 was Fox Searchlight’s BLACK SWAN, down only 21% from the previous Friday in grossing an estimated $1.4 million from 2,315 theaters for a cume of $87 million.
Paramount’s THE FIGHTER placed No. 9, declining a narrow 18% from the previous Friday to an estimated $1 million from 1,914 theaters. Cume is $75.3 million.
Searchlight used Oscar nominations to aggressively relaunch 127 HOURS, expanding the film from roughly 70 theaters to 916 on Friday. The film came in No. 12, grossing an estimated $600,000 for a cume of $12 million.

FRINGE RATINGS STEADY IN WEEK TWO
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Fox's decision to move FRINGE to Fridays is paying off.
In its second week, the sci-fi drama received a 1.9 rating in the 18-49 demo, remaining steady from its winter return. Though it drew 4.6 million, down from the previous week (4.9 million), this is still a good showing for the series. "Reciprocity" was also the highest-rated program of the night, tied with the second hour of NBC's Dateline at 10 p.m.
FRINGE's lead-in, Kitchen Nightmares, dropped two-tenths from its premiere to snag a 1.7 and was down (4 million) in viewership, but with help from FRINGE, Fox won Friday.
FRINGE may have received some help from its competitors. The CW decided to push the returns of Smallville and Supernatural back one week so their Thursday night dramas, The Vampire Diaries and Nikita, could receive more sampling since it was the first week the two were up against American Idol. Both, however, ended up performing solidly in their time slots.
The CW's last-minute reair of Diaries and Nikita drew 1.3 million and 1.1 million viewers, respectively.
The rest of the networks were mostly in reruns, with ABC airing What Would You Do? (4.6 million, 1.3) and 20/20 (5.9 million, 1.7), and NBC airing Dateline (7.3 million, 1.8).
CBS topped Friday in total viewers (7.7 million) with Fox placing fourth (4.3 million).

SATURDAY, JANUARY 29, 2011

BONES SPIN-OFF NEWS
The proposed "Bones" spin-off finally has its man.
According to TVLine, "October Road" and "Happy Town" actor Geoff Stults will play eccentric investigator Walter Sherman.
Stults will make his debut, alongside Michael Clarke Duncan, in episode 19 of "Bones" current season -- with hopes of parlaying it into a new series based Richard Greener's "The Locator" book series.
The pilot is rumored to be filming in Miami, taking place in the Florida Keys, though FOX is not confirming at this time.Stults brings along with him a familiar face, but a bit of baggage from unsuccessful series like "October Road" which managed to last two seasons at ABC (only accumulating a meager 19 episodes, and "Happy Town" fizzled in the summer of 2010, it's final episodes only airing online. Only time will tell if the show will catch on.

SERIES NEWS
Variety reports that since The CW already has vampires and demons on its schedule, they are now it's going after zombies. The network is developing a script for a show called THE AWAKENING, which sets a conflict between two sisters in the context of a zombie plague. William Laurin and Glenn Davis (Lifetime's "Missing") are writing and executive producing.

Entertainment Weekly tells us that NBC has ordered a pilot for a cop-show/fantasy drama called GRIMM, which takes place in a world where characters from Grimm's fairy tales are real. "Buffy" and "Angel" veterans David Greenwalt and Tim Kouf are writing it.

According to Deadling, several pilots have booked directors. They are: Alan Taylor ("The Sopranos") for NBC's "Playboy," pilot maven David Nutter ("The Mentalist," "Supernatural") for CBS' drama "The Doctor," Jake Kasdan ("Freaks and Geeks") for FOX's Liz Meriwether comedy, Paul McGuigan ("Lucky Number Slevin") for ABC's Shonda Rhimes crisis-management drama and Michael Fresco ("Better Off Ted") for ABC's "Suburgatory."

CASTING NEWS
HEROES fans will be glad to learn that Greg Grunberg has signed to star in BIG MIKE, a dramedy about a San Diego detective.

Camille Guaty ("Las Vegas," "Prison Break") has joined the cast of USA's "Eden."

THOR SCRIPT LEAKED
The script for THOR leaked online last night, and a ton of spoilers were revealed from the movie before Marvel's lawyers shut it down fast. However, there will probably be sites that still have details up and available. Sobe careful when reading articles about THOR if you DO NOT WANT TO BE SPOILED BY READING DETAILS ABOUT THE MOVIE.
Seems that Comic Book Movie got hold of a copy of the screenplay and, while the site was unable to prove definitively that it was legit, it did correspond to footage seen in the movie's trailers, as well as rumors about the movie's plot that had already circulated. The fact that Marvel's legal team swooped in at once and had the site remove the thing makes it seem even more likely that this was the real deal.
Comic Book Movie did say that the script was "pretty epic" and "captured the essence of every character perfectly," noting that it was "definitely written by someone who is a fan of these characters and knows them well."
That's as much as I want to write here. You can get more details over at www.syfy.com.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2011

PROMETHEUS
Director Ridley Scott recently said that his new movie Prometheus is using the original Alien as a "jumping-off point" for a "new, grand mythology." But apparently there are still aliens in the new movie—and they're big.
An exclusive source has told Sky Movies that the classic monsters from the original film are in fact in Prometheus, and are actually an important part of the plot: "Despite that press release that seemed to indicate there were no aliens in the movie, the familiar HR Giger-style aliens do appear. Big ones apparently."
Scott himself might have offered a clue to the aliens' involvement when he said that fans would "recognize strands of Alien's DNA" in the new film. According to the source, Scott might have meant that quite literally: "Part of the film will be shot in Morocco. I've heard that some sort of archaeological dig where they discover alien DNA takes place there and that DNA gives them the coordinates for an alien world. I've also heard Morocco is being used for alien planet landscapes so I'm not sure if it's an archaeological dig on another planet."
Whether that planet is the alien homeworld or not remains to be seen, but the source also revealed that another familiar element of the first Alien film will also reappear in this one: "They've built the 'space jockey' cockpit at Pinewood as seen in the original Alien film, so it definitely takes place in the same world as Alien."
The source also mentions that the film's main spaceship will be piloted by "an enormous head" that could be biomechanical in nature. All this comes on the heels of news that Michael Fassbender (X-Men: First Class) is confirmed to be joining the cast—possibly as an android—while its release date has been moved from March 9th, 2012 to June 8th of that year—prime summer blockbuster real estate.
There have already been a ton of rumors around this project, so our advice is to treat this the same way.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Benjamin Walker has signed on to star in ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER, Fox’s adaptation of the period vampire novel from Seth Graham-Smith. Timur Bekmambetov is helming the movie, his first since his 2008 hit Wanted, and tells of Lincoln fighting the forces of the undead during the Civil War.
The project is a big coup for the actor, who has been performing on Broadway of late. The actor has appeared in movies such as FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS and KINSEY.
But he elbowed his way to the front of the line in the screentests that took place earlier this month to nab the lead role of Honest Abe.
And what a role it is: It calls for the actor to play the famed president from the age of 20 to 55, from boyish and lanky to skilled fighter to middle-aged with trademarked beard.
Another role to watch out for is the part of Henry Sturges, who mentors and trains Abe in the ways of vampire hunting. The studio went after Tom Hardy before he took the role of Bane in THE DARK KNIGHT RISES but the part is now open.

NEW CHARLIE'S ANGELS
Deadline reports that ABC's "Charlie's Angel" television reboot may have found it's trio of female investigators in Minka Kelly, Rachael Taylor and Annie Ilonzh.
Ilonzeh, as reported last week, is said to be a lock while Kelly and Taylor are eyed and in negotiations. The article also suggests that the Angels of the reboot will include the names Kate and Abby (Ilonzeh and Taylor, respectively). Kelly's character was apparently supposed to actually be called Kelly, but, assuming she signs, the coincidence will be changed before shooting begins.
As in the original show, the series' focus will be on three women who work as a team of private investigators, receiving their orders from the mysterious Charlie Townsend (to be voiced, in the new series, by Robert Wagner).
The popular 70's series ran for five seasons and, in 2000, launched a feature film franchise starring Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu. That film also turned out a 2003 sequel, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle.
Barrymore is among the producers of the new series which is said to update the setting from Los Angeles to Miami.

BEGINNERS
A trailer for Focus Features' June 3rd release, BEGINNERS is now online, courtesy of iTunes Movie Trailers.
The film, from writer/director Mike Mills (Thumbsucker), tells the story of a man (McGregor) who learns that his father (Plummer) is both gay and terminally ill.

BOND 23
The James Bond fansite MI6 reports that Judi Dench is set to reprise her role as M in the upcoming (and currently untitled) Bond 23.
Dench herself announced the return at the South Bank Sky Arts Awards in London last night, though she was tight on details, saying only that she was looking forward to a repeat performance opposite Daniel Craig and the chance to work again with Director Sam Mendes (this time in a film rather than on the stage.)
Dench's casting has been one of the longer lasting performances in the Bond franchise, appearing in every film since GoldenEye. The original M was played by Bernard Lee who lasted nine films (Dr. No through Moonraker). The role was then taken over by Robert Brown, who appeared in four (Octopussy through License to Kill).
Bond 23 is expected to enter production soon with a release date of November 9, 2012.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 27, 2011

REPENT HARLEQUIN
After BABYLON 5 and its spinoff CRUSADE went off the air, J. Michael Straczynski created the post-apocalyptic drama JEREMIAH, wrote multiple comics for both Marvel and DC and wrote the BAFTA-award winning screenplay, CHANGELING.
JMS announced yesterday on his Facebook page that he has optioned Harlan Ellison's famed short story "'Repent, Harlequin!' Said the Ticktockman."
Here is what JMS said:
"Since this has apparently leaked onto several film-oriented websites, I should probably confirm the information and preclude distortion: I have optioned, and adapted into screenplay form, Harlan Ellison's "Repent Harlequin, Said the Ticktockman." It's out to producers, studios and directors now. We hope to find a director who has always wanted to make this story into a movie. More as, if and when it develops."
Considering that Straczynski's screenplay for CHANGELING was directed by Clint Eastwood, our fingers are crossed that the Ellison story will get the treatment it deserves.
REPENT, HARLEQUIN! is about a dystopian future where being late is a crime. The protagonist, Harlequin, decides to take matters—and jellybeans—into his own hands. It won both the Hugo and Nebula awards for best science fiction short story in 1966 and has been reprinted dozens of times.
In 2005, Ellison said that the anthology television show Masters of Science Fiction would contain his own adaptation of "Repent, Harlequin!" because he did not trust anyone else for the task:
"Scripts are, in a hundred ways, more difficult and stylistically demanding than a straight story. It takes a conscious paradigm-shift in thinking to adapt something from narrative to visual media. With only a half dozen exceptions in my forty-plus years here, I've never allowed anyone else to stir my porridge. And as far as 'Repent, Harlequin!' is concerned, well, even I consider this gig to be a ball-buster. I wouldn't trust it to anyone else. If anyone should fail at the task, it ought to be me, just to be fair.
However, when it aired on ABC in 2007, "Repent, Harlequin!" was not on the venue; instead, Masters of Science Fiction produced a different Ellison short story, "The Discarded."
The other story was probably filmed because, with its fast-paced stream-of-consciousness writing, it really is "a ball-buster" to adapt. Of course, Ellison has a great deal of faith in Straczynski: Ellison worked for Straczynski as his conceptual consultant on BABYLON 5 during its five-year run.

BSG: BLOOD AND CHROME
William Adama was an adult in Battlestar Galactica; a kid in Caprica. Syfy's new series BSG: Blood and Chrome, about Adama as a rookie Viper pilot during the first Cylon war, will be played by Luke Pasqualino.
Ben Cotton has been selected to play the battle-weary officer to whom young Adama reports.
Pasqualino is best known for his starring role in the U.K. TV series Skins, while Cotton will be a familiar face due to his roles in such series as Hellcats, Riese, Caprica, Stargate: Atlantis and Harper's Island.
Here are the official character descriptions:
Pasqualino will star as the young, talented fighter pilot William Adama, a recent Academy graduate who finds himself assigned to the newest Battlestar in the Colonial fleet: the Galactica. Full of ambition and in pursuit of the intense action that the Cylon war promises, Adama quickly finds himself at odds with Coker (Cotton), the battle-weary officer to whom he reports. With 45 days left in his tour of duty, Coker desires an end to battle just as much as Adama craves the start of it. Though they clash at first, the two men forge an unlikely bond when a routine mission turns dangerous and becomes a pivotal one for the desperate fleet.

THE HOBBIT NEWS
A publicist for The Hobbit films today released a statement that Peter Jackson's has had emergency surgery:
Sir Peter Jackson was admitted to Wellington Hospital on Wednesday night with acute stomach pains. He subsequently underwent surgery for a perforated ulcer. Sir Peter is currently resting comfortably and his doctors expect him to make a full recovery. Sir Peter's surgery is not expected to impact on his directing commitment to The Hobbit beyond a slight delay to the start of filming."
The two films are expected to start filming soon for December 2012 and December 2013 release dates.

PROMETHEUS
According to Heat Vision, Michael Fassbender has signed on to star opposite Noomi Rapace in Ridley Scott's PROMETHEUS for 20th Century Fox.
Originally developed as a prequel to Scott's 1979 "Alien", the project has morphed into its own sci-fi saga that will harken back to that sci-fi/horror classic.
Fassbender ("Inglourious Basterds," "Fish Tank") will play an android. Fassbender was offered a role last year with talks taking place throughout the Fall, now however he's finally locked down.
The film has also changed release dates from an early March 2012 opening to a high-profile summer release on June 8th 2012.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2011

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES
If you thought that PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 2 and 3 had too much going on (and were a wee bit confusing) and that the first one was the best of the lot, well, you're not alone: Even Captain Jack Sparrow himself, actor Johnny Depp, thinks so. But he promises that the fourth entry in the series, ON STRANGER TIDES, won't make the same mistake.
That's what the actor claims in an article published in Empire magazine, out now in the U.K. (North America readers will have to wait about a month for it):
"Pirates 2 and 3 became quite ... sub-plotty. The mathematics of it. All of these people went to see them two or three times just to figure out what was happening. This one is a little closer in tone to the first: more character driven, more subject driven. It has a freshness. Less mathematics."

WAR MACHINE ADVENTURE COMING
On the heels of the studio hiring a screenwriter to adapt BLACK PANTHER, Don Cheadle let it slip that a writer's currently at work at spinning off his own silver-plated hero.
MTV caught up with Cheadle at the Sundance Film Festival, where the actor let slip that there's much more in store for War Machine:
"They're developing [a War Machine film] now, they're working on that. ... I think they've hired a writer, so we'll see how it goes. It would be a lot of fun."
He also said that he doesn't expect War Machine to appear in The Avengers, calling James "Rhodey" Rhodes "kind of a lone wolf"--which makes tons of sense, given that the Avengers roster is already full-to-bursting and one hero in armor is probably enough.

NEW THUNDERCATS
Warner Bros. Animation has officially released a glimpse at the 'cats themselves. The official press release reads as follows, with the new image below.
Roaring to life through WBA and Studio4°C’s use of the Japanese animated artistry of anime, “ThunderCats” characters Lion-O, Mumm-Ra, Panthro, Cheetara and others will spring off the screen with realistic cat-like characteristics inconceivable in previous incarnations.
The new “ThunderCats” will appeal to viewers who have loved the characters all their lives as well as young newcomers to the franchise. A sweeping tale combining swords and science and boasting ferocious battles with the highest of stakes, the grand origin story of Prince Lion-O’s ascension to the throne – and of those who would thwart his destiny at any cost – takes on epic dimensions in this sharp new telling. As the forces of good and evil battle each other in the quest for the fabled Stones of Power, Lion-O and his champions learn valuable lessons of loyalty, honor and mortality in every episode.
“ThunderCats” is executive produced by Sam Register (“Teen Titans,” “Ben 10,” “Batman: The Brave and the Bold”). Michael Jelenic (“Batman: The Brave and the Bold,” “Wonder Woman”) and Ethan Spaulding (“Avatar: The Last Airbender”) are the producers.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2011

ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATIONS THIS MORNING
The 83rd Academy Awards® nominations announcement will be streamed live on Livestream on Tuesday, January 25. The webcast begins at 5:30 a.m. PT / 8:30 a.m. ET with “Road to the Oscars,” featuring Chris Harrison, host of ABC’s “The Bachelor” and TV Guide Network’s Academy Awards red carpet show, and Dave Karger, senior writer at Entertainment Weekly. Harrison will introduce several brief segments that celebrate the year in movies as well as the upcoming Oscar® ceremony. Karger will join him in a discussion of movie trends from 2010 and how those trends might be reflected in the nominations.

AWESOME FRINGE NEWS
Even though the Star Trek veteran had claimed that he was retiring from acting after playing the Vulcan ambassador and the Massive Dynamics founder for J.J. Abrams, it seems like the lure of sci-fi is just too hard for the septuagenarian to resist.
Taking to Twitter, as Nimoy is wont to do, he let it slip that his time as an universe-hopping genius might not be over:

It's welcome news for Fringe fans, as the show seems to be pulling out every stop it has to make it a must-watch on Friday nights.

AVATAR NEWS
James Cameron has been talking up a return to the world of Pandora for two Avatar sequels almost since the day the original premiered. But what we didn't know is WHEN. Until today ...
You'll have a few more years to wait for the Na'vi trilogy, though: Cameron says that, although the two sequels will be filmed together, the release dates aren't until Christmas 2014 and Christmas 2015.
Cameron has kept the plot close to his chest. However, he told EW that some characters will be returning. "Basically, if you survived the first film, you get to be in the second film, at least in some form."
EW reports:
One thing's for sure: some percentage of the presumably-massive Avatar sequel gross will go to charity. "Fox has partnered with me to donate a chunk of the profits to environmental causes that are at the heart of the Avatar world," says the director. "I didn't want to make more Avatar movies without a grander plan in place."
Now that the Na'vi have repelled the human invaders and Jake has become the chief of the Omaticaya clan, what do you think is in store for our heroes in the upcoming movies?

THE BENGALI DETECTIVE
Fox Searchlight Pictures President of Production Claudia Lewis announced today that the company has acquired worldwide remake rights from Native Voice Films to the original feature documentary, THE BENGALI DETECTIVE, directed by Philip Cox and produced by Giovanna Stopponi, Annie Sundberg and Himesh Kar.
"We adored this film and are delighted to have the chance to work with such entertaining, funny material. We were charmed by this story of a dedicated husband and self-made detective who dreams big," said Lewis.
"We are thrilled that Fox Searchlight has fallen in love with our leading man Rajesh and his wild adventures as a detective in Kolkata. Fox Searchlight has an amazing track record of bringing stories set in India to a worldwide audience, and we are excited to be sharing this journey with them," said director Phil Cox and THE BENGALI DETECTIVE team.
In THE BENGALI DETECTIVE, Calcutta's criminal underworld is explored by intrepid private eye Rajesh Ji. Following both his investigations and Rajesh's pursuit of his dream to dance on Indian TV, THE BENGALI DETECTIVE provides a look at modern India through the eyes of one of its most unlikely heroes.
The deal was brokered on Fox Searchlight's side by Senior Vice President of Business Affairs Megan O'Brien with Andrew Hurwitz of Schreck Rose Dapello Adams & Hurwitz, LLP on behalf of Native Voice Films. Creative Executive Richard Gold will oversee development for Fox Searchlight Pictures.

FIRELIGHT
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Mandalay Pictures' recently announced adaptation of Sophie Jordan's FIRELIGHT now has a writer in the form of Ramona and Beezus scribe Nick Pustay.
The first part of a series of young adult fantasy novels, FIRELIGHT was released last September with the first book described as follows:
With her rare ability to breathe fire, Jacinda is special even among the draki—the descendants of dragons who can shift between human and dragon forms. But when Jacinda's rebelliousness leads her family to flee into the human world, she struggles to adapt, even as her draki spirit fades. The one thing that revives it is Will, whose family hunts her kind. Jacinda can't resist getting closer to him, even though she knows she's risking not only her life but the draki's most closely guarded secret.

MONDAY, JANUARY 24, 2011

GREEN HORNET INTERNATIONAL HIT
Expanding its international reach by 10 overseas territories, Sony’s THE GREEN HORNET took definitive control of the No. 1 box office spot on the foreign theatrical circuit with a weekend gross of $18.7 million drawn from 4,775 venues in 45 markets.
Director Darren Aronofsky’s BLACK SWAN made its overseas debut via 20th Century Fox at 1,064 screens in nine markets for $10.85 million, sufficient for a No. 4 weekend ranking.
The vehicle for Golden Globe winner Natalie Portman as a ballerina in a death spiral opened No. 1 in Germany ($3 million from 306 screens), No. 2 in the U.K. ($4.2 million from 356 sites) and No. 3 in Australia ($2.6 million from 158 situations).
HORNET ranked No. 1 in at least five of its new markets. Biggest territory for the 3D reworking of the popular radio series about a masked vigilante and sidekick Kato was Australia, where the first place opening drew $3.1 million from 288 sites.
In Mexico, the first place debut of the Seth Rogen vehicle generated $2.6 million from 709 locations. A second Germany round drew a No. 2 ranking with $2.7 million collected from 616 venues for a market cume of $7.75 million. The same ranking in a Japan opener yielded $1.8 million from 467 locations.
HORNET was declared the prior weekend’s No. 1 title only to be dropped to a third-place ranking in its international debut when final foreign numbers for all films were tallied. HORNET’s 12-day foreign gross total now stands at $37.4 million versus $63.4 million in the U.S. and Canada.
Placing No. 2 was Warner Bros.’ HEREAFTER, which garnered $12.5 million from some 2,000 screens in 29 markets, pushing its overseas cume to $35.7 million. Director Clint Eastwood’s supernatural drama opened No. 1 in France ($5 million from 460 screens) and strongly in Spain ($3.7 million from 3565 sites). Germany and Australia open this week.
Finishing third on the weekend was Relativity Media-GK Films-Spyglass Ent.-Studio Canal’s THE TOURIST, handled by Sony in most foreign markets. Weekend take for the Johnny Depp-Angelina Jolie costarring vehicle was $11.1 million from 3,740 screens in 60 markets. Overseas gross total since the thriller opened offshore on Dec. 9 comes to $139.5 million.
Disney Animation’s TANGLED, which finished No. 2 in the prior weekend, wound up No. 5 this round with $9.5 million drawn from 4,188 venues in 35 territories. Disney claims that overseas gross so far for the 3D animation reworking of the classic Rapunzel tale “on a consolidated basis in comparable territories over the like time frame” is 46% ahead of DreamWorks Animation’s HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON, last year’s 10th biggest title with a gross total of $277.5 million.
TANGLED has generated $231.8 million overseas. Its worldwide total stands at $418.1 million. Openings in the U.K. and South Africa are due on Friday (Jan. 28).
Tallying $7.7 million on the weekend from some 4,500 overseas locations was Paramount’s LITTLE FOCKERS. The third title in the Meet The Parents comedy franchise pushed its foreign gross total to $146.6 million. After five stanzas in the market, the film’s U.K. total comes to $28.4 million.
Grossing an estimated $7.3 million was The Weinstein Co.’s THE KING'S SPEECH starring Colin Firth as Britain’s King George VI with a speech problem. A No. 1 U.K. ranking via Momentum generated an estimated $5 million from 506 locations while Australia and New Zealand via Paramount added another $2.3 million from 234 sites.
Tallying $7.073 million each were two Fox releases: GULLIVER'S TRAVELS in 3D with Jack Black starring (playing 3,800 locations in 46 territories); and romantic comedy LOVE & OTHER DRUGS (playing 2,402 situations in 30 territories). Travels has a foreign cume so far of $112.5 million while OTHER DRUGS has amassed $44.1 million overseas.
The prior weekend’s No. 1 title overseas was Disney’s TRON: LEGACY, which landed $6.9 million from 5,929 venues in 48 territories this time. With about 80% of the foreign market behind it, the 3D sequel to 1982’s TRON has amassed a gross total of $181 million. Biggest weekend market was China, which provided $3.5 million, as per Disney, for a market cume of $14.3 million.
Warner’s family-oriented animation title YOGI BEAR pushed its overseas cume to $22.7 million thanks to a $5.9 million weekend from some 2,000 screens in 15 markets. Its second Australia round provided $2.5 million from 383 sites for a market cume of $9 million.
Sony reports that its local language Russian-made comedy, Samyy Luchshiy Film 3 (Very Best Movie 3), opened strongly in Russia, drawing an estimated $5.5 million from 909 locations.
Looking to take over the top spot in Italy is director Giulio Manfredonia’s comedy Qualunquemente, starring Sergio Rubini as a corrupt businessman who returns to his native Calabria to become a mayoral candidate under the slogan “more sex for everyone.” Opening round for the 01 Distribution release took in an estimated $4.5 million from some 600 locations.
Fox’s THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER pushed its overseas cume to $267.6 million thanks to a $4.5 million weekend at 4,210 venues in 47 markets. DreamWorks Animation’s MEGAMIND drew $2.1 million from 565 spots in its second Korea round for a market cume of $6.3 million. Weekend overall for the Paramount release came to $4.4 million from a total of 3,147 situations in 60 markets. Foreign cume stands at 164.8 million.
Sony’s BURLESQUE pushed its foreign cume to $31.2 million after a $3.6 million weekend at 1,225 screens in 35 territories. Paramount’s MORNING GLORY, a comedy costarring Rachel McAdams about the vicissitudes of morning television, opened No. 8 in the U.K. and Ireland with $840,000 drawn from 376 screens. Weekend overall provided $3.5 million from 2,049 sites in 15 territories for an overseas cume of $12.1 million.
Universal’s THE DILEMMA, director Ron Howard’s comedy costarring Vince Vaughn and Kevin James, which finished No. 3 in the U.S. and Canada, opened No. 4 in the U.K. and Ireland with and estimated $1.9 million lured from 419 locations. Weekend overall came up with $3 million from 797 dates in a dozen markets for an early foreign cume of $5.6 million. Openings in nine market including Germany are due this week.
In France, Metropolitan Filmexport’s release of SEASON OF THE WITCH starring Nicolas Cage and Ron Perlman finished No. 2 in its second market round with an estimated $2 million drawn from 256 sites. Overseas cume stands at about $20 million.
Other international cumes: Warner Bros.’ HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: Part I, $650.5 million; Fox’s UNSTOPPABLE, $82.2 million; Universal’s DEVIL, $25.8 million; Sony’s THE SOCIAL NETWORK, $113.2 million (after a $2.5 million weekend at 967 screens in 33 markets); Mars Distribution’s La chance de ma vie (The Chance of My Life), $6 million over three rounds in France only; Sony’s HOW DO YOU KNOW, $2.4 million; Universal’s LAST NIGHT, $1.6 million over two stanzas in Russia only; Studio Canal’s Les Emotifs Anonymes, $8.2 million over five rounds in France only.

LIKE CRAZY
The big buzz on Day 3 of the Sundance Film Festival was Drake Doremus' second feature LIKE CRAZY, a relationship drama starring Anton Yelchin and Felicity Jones (The Tempest), which was picked up by Paramount Pictures for distribution a few hours after its world premiere.
The film follows a relationship of a young couple from different sides of the ocean, beginning with their first date when they meet at college before she has to move back home to England, creating an ongoing long distance romance that sees its share of pitfalls as the two try to reunite.
Doremus was at the festival for a second year in a row, having premiered his comedy Douchebag at Sundance last year, but LIKE CRAZY is quite a departure, the film having already garnered favorable comparisons to Blue Valentine and (500) Days of Summer. It's also Paramount Pictures' first acquisition at Sundance since they folded their Paramount Vantage imprint a few years ago.
We had a chance to catch the film's premiere and were absolutely blown away by the maturity of the filmmaking at work, as well as the performances by the two actors and a supporting cast that includes last year's breakout star Jennifer Lawrence. Look for ComingSoon.net's full review of the film sometime in the next day or two.

MORTAL KOMBAT DIGITAL SERIES
Warner Premiere announced development of a live-action digital series based on the best-selling MORTAL KOMBAT videogame franchise. Directed by Kevin Tancharoen, known for his popular unofficial fan short MORTAL KOMBAT: REBIRTH which garnered over 10 million views online, and in conjunction with the upcoming Mortal Kombat videogame, this action-packed, digital series will take gamers deep into the history of warriors they know and love such as Scorpion, Johnny Cage and Liu Kang. Shooting for the digital series will take place in Vancouver starting in early February.
MORTAL KOMBAT is one of the most celebrated videogame franchises of all time. Since its debut in 1992, it has spawned four arcade games, 10 console-based videogame titles, two movies (MORTAL KOMBAT and MORTAL KOMBAT: Annihilation), two televisions series (MORTAL KOMBAT: Defenders of the Realm and MORTAL KOMBAT: Conquest) and an animated prequel MORTAL KOMBAT: The Journey Begins. Additionally, a new MORTAL KOMBAT game will be coming out April 19, 2011 on the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft.
Available this spring through online digital retailers from Warner Bros. Digital Distribution, the MORTAL KOMBAT digital series is an anthology of multiple live action shorts, each providing never-before-revealed insights into characters featured in the upcoming videogame as well as the game’s universe. Additional details, including casting, will be announced in the coming weeks.
The latest iteration of the award-winning videogame, MORTAL KOMBAT, marks a triumphant return to the series’ mature presentation and a reinvention of its classic 2D fighting mechanic. Driven by an all new graphics engine, the fan favorite Fatality is back and presented in more gory detail than ever before. In addition, MORTAL KOMBAT introduces a number of new game-play features including tag team and a deep story mode. MORTAL KOMBAT is being developed by NetherRealm Studios, led by Mortal Kombat creator and creative director Ed Boon.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 23, 2011

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Natalie Portman continued to score at the box office as her new R-rated romantic comedy NO STRINGS ATTACHED opened No. 1 on Friday with an estimated gross of $7.3 million from 3,018 theaters.
The Paramount pic, directed by Ivan Reitman and also starring Ashton Kutcher, bested Sony’s 3D holdover THE GREENHORNET, which grossed roughly $5.1 million from 3,584 theaters for a cume of $50.4 million in its eighth day in release.
NO STRINGS ATTACHED is poised to win the weekend, judging from Friday’s performance, and is looking like a win for Paramount.
Portman’s BLACK SWAN, from Fox Searchlight, placed No. 6 on Friday, grossing an estimated $1.8 million for a cume of $79.1 million.
Universal’s Vince Vaughn/Kevin James comedy THE DILEMMA placed No. 3 on Friday, grossing an estimated $3 million from 2,943 theaters for a cume of $26.6 in its eighth day.
A pack of awards frontrunners, including SWAN, took the next three spots on the top 10 box office chart.
The Weinstein Co.’s THE KING'S SPEECH and Paramount’s TRUE GRIT all but tied on Friday, each grossing roughly $2.1 million, although KING'S SPEECH came in slightly ahead to take the No. 4 spot.
KING'S SPEECH-- likely boosted by Colin Firth’s Golden Globe win -- jumped the $50 million mark with a new cume of $51.6 million. TRUE GRIT’s cume through Friday was $132.8 million.
Like KING'S SPEECH, SWAN could be helped at the box office by Portman’s Golden Globe victory.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 22, 2011

DE NIRO DRAMA COMING TO TV
Robert De Niro may have been a little jealous of longtime friend and collaborator Martin Scorsese when he took home best dramatic series at the Golden Globes for his "Boardwalk Empire" -- the actor is now trying his hand at TV himself.
According to Deadline, De Niro, his Tribeca productions partner Jane Rosenthal and "The Color of Money" writer Richard Price have sold a one-hour drama pilot to CBS.
Never straying too far from the subjects near and dear to him, the De Niro produced "Rookies" is about six freshman NYPD cops balancing their personal lives with the stress of their job.
If it goes to series, it will mark join "Blue Bloods" and "CSI: NY" as the third drama on CBS about New York cops.

MERCURY MEN
With the success of digital series Riese: Kingdom Falling, a NEW sci-fi web series will be coming soon to Syfy.com—The Mercury Men, inspired by the same retro serials that gave us Star Wars and Indiana Jones.
Here's Syfy's official announcement:
MARKING MAJOR EXPANSION OF ORIGINAL DIGITAL CONTENT FOLLOWING THE SUCCESS OF RIESE: KINGDOM FALLING, SYFY.COM ANNOUNCES NEW SCI-FI WEB SERIES THE MERCURY MEN DEBUTS IN EARLY 2011
RIESE: KINGDOM FALLING DELIVERS MORE THAN ONE MILLION STREAMS IN JUST TWO MONTHS
NEW YORK - January 21, 2011 - Following the enormous success of the series Riese: Kingdom Falling - which generated 1.2 million streams in only two months - Syfy.com will expand its original digital content slate with the 10-part THE MERCURY MEN, it was announced today by Craig Engler, Senior Vice President/General Manager, Syfy Digital.
Created by acclaimed director Christopher Preksta (Captain Blasto), The Mercury Men (each episode runs approximately seven minutes) will premiere exclusively in early 2011.
Said Engler: "Mercury Men is a phenomenal project and I think sci-fi fans and Syfy viewers are going to absolutely love it. We've been following the series since Chris (Preksta) posted the first trailer online, and we're thrilled to be able to work with him and host Mercury Men's worldwide debut on Syfy.com."
Drawing on the same retro serials that inspired films such as Star Wars and Indiana Jones, THE MERCURY MEN is set in Pittsburgh in 1975. Edward Borman (Mark Tierno/The Road, Day of the Dead), a lowly government office drone, finds himself trapped when the deadly Men of Mercury seize the building as a staging ground for their nefarious plot.
Aided by Jack Yaeger (Curt Wootten/Captain Blasto, The Hidden Blade), a daring aerospace engineer from a mysterious organization known as "The League," and Grace (Amy Staggs/Friday Night Lights, Death Proof), who was only at the building to get a government form stamped, Edward must stop the invaders and their Doomsday Device, the Gravity Engine.
THE MERCURY MEN is written and directed by Christopher Preksta, best known as the writer/director of Captain Blasto, for which he was nominated for two Streamy Awards. His work has been showcased at prestigious events including the Tribeca Film Festival and Comic-Con. Producer is Kati Lightholder.
RIESE: KINGDOM FALLING, narrated by Sanctuary star Amanda Tapping, premiered on Syfy.com on October 26.

WONDER WOMEN NEWS
The Hollywood Reporter reports that NBC has picked up David E. Kelley's WONDER WOMAN to pilot.
Kelley, who is behind the freshman legal drama HARRY'S LAW, had brought the project to the network once before, but NBC reportedly passed due to executive reshuffling.
In an interview with Kelley during the Television Critics Assn. press tour earlier this month, he stated that it was a possibility that WONDER WOMAN could land on the small screen soon.
"I think the likelihood is we'll see it next year," Kelley hinted to THR in mid-January. "I'm being optimistic but I don't think I'm being unrealistic."
He noted that NBC would be a "good home for it." "I like to think of it as a smart script and I know [new NBC programming chief Bob Greenblatt] responds to smart material," he said, adding that Wonder Woman would be a "real complex woman and not just a superhero.

EXIT STRATEGY
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Fox has picked up another pilot.
EXIT STRATEGY, which stars Ethan Hawke, was written by David Guggenheim, with Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci producing through 20th TV.
TRAINING DAY and SHOOTER director Antoine Fuqua is set to direct.
Hawke will play Eric Shaw in the drama Fox describes as a "high-octane action show about a CIA extraction team."
In addition to CBS' HAWAII FIVE-0 and FRINGE, Kurtzman and Orci is also behind Fox's upcoming LOCKE & KEY.
Fox previously picked up pilots from Tim Kring, Rob Thomas and two comedies from Sony TV.

NEW LEX LUTHOR FOR ALL-STAR SUPERMAN ANIMATED MOVIE
The WB conducted an interesting and intriguing Q&A with Anthony LaPaglia, the voice of Lex Luthor in ALL-STAR SUPERMAN, the much-anticipated 10th entry in the popular, ongoing series of DC Universe Animated Original Movies coming February 22, 2011 from Warner Home Video. Use this link to read the entire interview:
Lex Luthor.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, 2011

BLACK PANTHER
A movie based around the comic-book character Black Panther is back in development by Marvel Studios. But the studio's pick to write the script is a total surprise.
According to Heatvision, Marvel has tapped Mark Bailey to pen a new screenplay around the Panther, who is considered the first mainstream black superhero. Bailey comes from the documentary world, having worked on HBO projects like Pandemic: Facing AIDS and Ghosts of Abu Ghraib. He's also been developing a feature-film version of a nonfiction book titled The Last of the Tribe: The Epic Quest to Save a Lone Man in the Amazon.
On the surface, none of these projects would seem to make Bailey an obvious choice to write a Black Panther movie, but then again, people thought the idea of Jon Favreau directing Iron Man was strange, and look how that turned out.
The Black Panther, whose real name is T'Challa, has ruled the fictional African nation of Wakanda and been a player in the Marvel Universe since his 1966 debut in the Fantastic Four comic book. Actor Wesley Snipes and director John Singleton have both been attached to a Black Panther movie at various times, while the project has passed from Columbia Pictures to Lionsgate before finally coming back to Marvel.
Beyond this year's THOR and CAPTAIN AMERICA, next year's THE AVENGERS and 2013's IRON MAN 3, Marvel has yet to announce what its next batch of projects will be. But Black Panther has supposedly been one of the lesser-known Marvel heroes that the studio has been eager to bring to the big screen.

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE COMICS
Although the comic book Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8 has just wrapped up, Joss Whedon has plans for the future. So what's in store for Buffy in the upcoming Season 9? Here are some hints in a letter to the fans.
First, Whedon admits that Season 8 had some problems finding the right blend between the television and comic-book formats, as well as pinpointing the tone he wanted to set. But when he did, he said, "I completely changed my plan for Season 9."
Joss wrote in the last issue:
I was so excited to finally have an unlimited budget that I wanted to make the book an epic, but I realized along the way that the things I loved the best were the things you loved the best: the peeps. The down-to-earth, recognizable people.
Actually, there was a reason Season 8 was exceptionally epic—with goddesses, excruciating betrayals and multiple deaths (this is Joss, after all): Joss had to piece together the world of Buffy with the world of Fray.
Fray, a comic book Joss had written in 2001, was about a slayer without lineage; no other slayer had been born into the world for hundreds of years since demons had been banished from Earth in the 21st century.
The biggest challenge in Season 8 was that many years ago I wrote a Slayer comic and set it in the far future so that it could never affect Buffy's life. ... But the challenge of reconciling the optimistic, empowering message of the final episode with the dystopian, Slayerless vision of Fray's future gave Season 8 a genuine weight.
Joss will be toning down operatic grandeur of in favor of more human stories.
You've got a sense of where we're heading for Season 9. Back, a bit, to the everyday trials that made Buffy more than a superhero. That made her us.... No matter how interesting the world stage or mystical dimensions can be, Buffy's best when she's walking that alley, dusting vamps, and nursing a pouty heart.

Liam Neeson is coming back to his Phantom Menace Jedi knight—who choked on a lightsaber—for an arc on Cartoon Network's Clone Wars series.
Neeson will appear as a ghostly manifestation of the late Qui-Gon in a pair of Clone Wars episodes, on Jan. 28 and Feb. 11, for a three-part arc focusing on Anakin Skywalker's destiny as the one who would bring balance to the Force.
Said Neeson:
"These characters resonate...even after all these years. Growing up, my heroes were cowboys; they were strong and mysterious, and it seemed like they always rode off into the sunset. For kids today, Star Wars has that same kind of magic. I really wanted to be a part of that."

17th PRECINCT
NBC will be shooting a pilot for Ron Moore's latest, an ensemble police procedural that takes place in a world dominated by magic rather than science. We'd heard about this show before, but now we've got some more details to share.
What had initially been described as "an adult Harry Potter"—presumably because Harry Potter equals money to people at studios tasked with describing things—is beginning to take shape. Moore's show is called 17th Precinct, it's set in the fictional town of Excelsior, and NBC is committed to shooting the pilot episode.
Again, it's worth noting that Fox spent a boatload of cash shooting Moore's Virtuality pilot, only to unceremoniously kiss it off with little fanfare. It's also worth remembering that a show in which magic is an established part of an urban reality isn't new: The short-lived Dresden Files pulled it off, as did HBO's noir-flavored Cast a Deadly Spell a decade before it.

ANGRY BIRDS
Last August, it was announced that a film based on Rovio's popular app "Angry Birds" was in development.
Back then, Rovio's CEO Mikael Hed said plans were unclear as to how the property was going to be developed. He has now confirmed to C21media.net (via the New York Post) that the animated adaptation will instead hit TV or the internet.
"We have been looking at that for quite a while, and that is definitely one of my personal big focus areas right now -- to work on broadcast content for 'Angry Birds,'" Hed said.
Regarding last the announced last August, Hed said "That was the first part of the exercise, and now that we've done that, the next part is to move into production, and that's where we are right now."
It is unclear right now which company or companies Rovio may be talking to about bringing the property to TV or the internet.

DEADLIEST WARRIOR
According to Variety, Paramount has hired duo John D. Payne and Patrick McKay to write the script for DEADLIEST WARRIOR, the studio's big screen adaptation of the Spike TV series.
The show pits history's greatest warriors against one another to determine who reigns supreme. Along with the use of 21st century science and the latest in CGI technology, the series enlists world-class fighters, historians and weapons experts to provide insight into the unique history and style of these combatants which culminates in a head-to-head final fight between two warriors to declare which one would have been the deadliest.
The film's storyline is being kept under wraps.
Shawn Levy and 21 Laps Entertainment president Dan Levine will produce the film, with the possibility that Levy may direct.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 2011

BATMAN NEWS
Warner Bros. Pictures announced today that Anne Hathaway has been cast as Selina Kyle (AKA Catwoman) in Christopher Nolan's THE DARK KNIGHT RISES. She will be starring alongside Christian Bale, who returns in the title role of Bruce Wayne/Batman.
Christopher Nolan stated, "I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Anne Hathaway, who will be a fantastic addition to our ensemble as we complete our story."
In addition, Tom Hardy has been set to play Bane. Nolan said, "I am delighted to be working with Tom again and excited to watch him bring to life our new interpretation of one of Batman’s most formidable enemies."
Nolan will direct the film from a screenplay he wrote with Jonathan Nolan, from a story by Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer. Nolan will also produce the film with his longtime producing partner, Emma Thomas, and Charles Roven.
THE DARK KNIGHT RISES is slated for release on July 20, 2012. The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

JUDGE DREDD
John Wagner, the creator of Judge Dredd, recently visited the set of DREDD in Cape Town, South Africa, and posted his impressions to his Facebook page. Besides praising actors Karl Urban and Olivia Thirlby, he also admits that he's changed his mind and AGREES with screenwriter Alex Garland's direction for the law-dispensing judge.
John Wagner wrote:
Alex Garland and I have had our disagreements but he has usually had a convincing argument for doing things his way. On the main issue, concentrating the plot on a slice of life rather than trying to convey the whole sweep of Dredd and Mega-City life, I now see that he's right. It was one of the flaws of the first movie, they tried to do too much.
Wagner is, of course, referring to the 1995 adaptation, starring Sylvester Stallone. Judge Dredd showed Mega-City, the ABC Warriors, the Angel Gang and Judge Rico—but too much of a good thing wasn't good enough to save the movie.
Wagner's approval bodes well. As a former editor and script advisor of 2000 AD, as well as one of 2000 AD's core writers, he knows what a good story looks like.
This isn't Wagner's first foray into adaptation: One of his graphic novels, A History of Violence, was turned into a movie starring Viggo Mortensen and Ed Harris, in 2005.
2000 AD is a weekly comic book (known as "progs"), typically consisting of Judge Dredd and four other strips. Other popular runs in 2000 AD include Strontium Dog, Sinister Dexter, the ABC Warriors and Nikolai Dante. Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman and Grant Morrison's first professional comic writing all appeared in 2000 AD.
Judge Dredd made his first appearance in 2000 AD's second prog, in 1977.

OZ, THE GREAT AND POWERFUL
Heat Vision reports that Robert Downey Jr. is no longer attached to the upcoming OZ, THE GREAT AND POWERFUL.
The film, to be directed by Sam Raimi, was previously set to star Downey as the Wizard from the original 1939 film, beginning with his life in Omaha and following the adventure he undertakes when a balloon accident leaves him stranded in the land of Oz.
The article suggests that Johnny Depp is the top name to replace Downey, which should come as no surprise after the tremendous box office take of the similarly-themed ALICE IN WONDERLAND last year.

WARNER BROS. REBOOTS
The Hollywood Reporter's Heat Vision Blog is reporting that Warner Bros. has distributed a number of potential remakes and reboots shepherded for many years by departing studio exec. Jessica Goodman among other execs including a number of remakes that have been in development hell and even presumed dead. At the top of that list is a possible reboot of the buddy action franchise LETHAL WEAPON that put Mel Gibson and Danny Glover on the map with four successful installments in the '80s, all directed by Richard Donner and written by Shane Black. One would expect that a reboot would introduce a new pair of actors and director into the formula used for those films, and there's no word whether producer Joel Silver would still be involved.
The article also mentions that Warner Bros. may be ready to bring Edgar Rice Burrough's TARZAN back to the screen with a new actor in the role of the man raised by the apes. Most recently, there has been a popular Disney animated movie in 1999 as well as a spin-off animated television series, but it's been thirteen years since a live action feature film, that being Tarzan and the Lost City.
One remake that has been discussed a few times in recent years was THE DIRTY DOZEN, which Guy Ritchie had been talking about doing with producer Joel Silver, but they ended up doing Sherlock Holmes together and Silver thought that the comic movie The Losers covered much of the same territory.
An even older remake idea that had been batted around for years was one based on the 1977 comedy OH, GOD!, starring the late George Burns and John Denver, a premise that seems rife for reworking by a modern filmmaker. There had been talk of doing a remake of the 1973 Yul Brynner sci-fi thriller Westworld in the last couple of decades, but nothing has become of it, though it does look like the studio might give it another try.
With the success of the Coen Brothers' TRUE GRIT, Warner Bros. is also eyeing Sam Peckinpah's 1969 Western THE WILDBUNCH as a possible film in their catalogue to have reworked by a filmmaker for modern audiences.
Although there's no word any of these might get fast-tracked without the right talent being attached, Heat Vision includes a lot of conjecture about possible scenarios for all of the above movies.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 19, 2011

BEING HUMAN SCORES
Syfy's BEING HUMAN adaptation starts off well.
For the premiere episode of the U.S. redo of the British supernatural drama, HUMAN drew 2 million total viewers at 9 p.m., setting a network record as the most-watched winter launch since 2005.
The series, starring Sam Witwer, Sam Huntington and Meaghan Rath, drew 1 million viewers in the adults 18-49 demo, and 58% of that were women (582,000), a record for Syfy for an original series.
Including repeats at 10:02 and 11:02 p.m., Human drew a total of 3.8 million viewers for the night.

SANCTUARY RENEWED
Syfy is moving forward with a fourth season of SANCTUARY.
Production for the 13-episode season will begin production this spring with a possible fall premiere.
SANCTUARY stars Amanda Tapping, Robin Dunne, Agam Darshi, Ryan Robbins and Christopher Heyerdahl. The series, shot mostly on green screen, is the first North American show to exclusively film with the RED camera.
Season 3 is executive produced by Damian Kindler, Tapping, Martin Wood, Keith Beedie and Tricon Films. Kindler created the series.

TRUE BLOOD
HBO has released the very first TRUE BLOOD season-four teaser trailer, and that has us strangely excited. The 27-second spot does warn us that it must be the season of the witch!
Last summer, season three left us completely agape with an ending that had everyone's favorite barmaid, Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin), breaking up with vampire hotties Bill (Steven Moyer) AND Eric (Alexander Skarsgard) and vanishing into the faerie world. So we're naturally curious as to how this will pan out.
But for those who have read the book on which season four is based (which would be Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris) the real questions are [spoiler alert]:
Will Sookie find an amnesiac and very naked Eric running by the side of the road? Will they become a couple? Will Bill try to win back his Sookehhh, and will Sam have more dreams about Bill?

LATEST JAMES BOND NEWS
Add 20th Century Fox to the list of studios looking to distribute upcoming MGM films, including, of course, the next installment in the James Bond franchise.
As The Hollywood Reporter previously reported, the new MGM management team of Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum has been talking informally to Paramount, where Barber and Birnbaum have a long-standing relationship. But last Friday, they also listened to a pitch from top Fox executives, who argue that their studio would do the best job exploiting Bond, as well as other future MGM films. They also believe they could wring the most out of the MGM library.
Fox has had a longstanding deal to distribute MGM movies on DVD and its films overseas, though that pact is set to expire in September.
The other contender for a deal with MGM is Sony Pictures, which successfully released the last two Bond films and is said to be on good terms with the Broccoli family, owner of the Bond rights.
The negotiation is likely to be sorted out in the next couple of weeks.

MUPPETS NEWS
A new promo photo for Disney's THE MUPPETS has been released. The photo features executive producer, co-writer and star Jason Segel with Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy.
The film, currently shooting in Los Angeles, is scheduled to hit theaters on November 23 and also stars Amy Adams, Chris Cooper, Rashida Jones, Alan Arkin, Jack Black, Billy Crystal, Zach Galifianakis, Kathy Griffin, Ricky Gervais and Emily Blunt.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 18, 2011

RED SEQUEL GREEN LIGHT
Collider reports that Summit Entertainment has signed the writers of last year's RED to return for a sequel.
Though it was based on a comic book by Warren Ellis and Cully Hammer, the brotherly writing team of Jon and Erich Hoeber made some significant departures from the source material in bringing RED to the big screen.
Featuring an ensemble cast that includes Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Karl Urban, Heren Mirren and Mary-Louise Parker, RED was a box office hit and was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture - Musical Comedy (which was instead won by The Kids Are All Right).
The Hoeber brothers have also supplied the screenplay for the upcoming BATTLESHIP and, along with Pablo Fenjves, the Summit project MAN ON A LEDGE.

The Game Begins

GAME OF THRONES
HBO has premiered this new promo for GAME OF THRONES, premiering on April 17. Based on the George R.R. Martin novels and set in the mythical land of Westeros, GAME OF THRONES centers on the noble Stark family who become caught up in high court intrigue when patriarch Eddard (played by Sean Bean) becomes the king's new right-hand man.

MONDAY, JANUARY 17, 2011

HOLIDAY
With the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday here today, there aren't many new items posted around the internet.

THE GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS
The Golden Globe Awards last night cover most of the news sites. Not much in the science fiction genre there, but I hope some of your favorites won.
Here's the list of winners:
The following is the complete list of nominees and winners for the show, that was again hosted by Ricky Gervais. Matt Damon also presented Robert De Niro with the prestigious Cecil B. DeMille award for lifetime achievement in motion pictures.
BEST MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA
**Winner** The Social Network (Columbia Pictures)
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA
**Winner** Natalie Portman - Black Swan
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA
**Winner** Colin Firth - The King's Speech
BEST MOTION PICTURE - COMEDY OR MUSICAL
**Winner** The Kids Are All Right (Focus Features)
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE - COMEDY OR MUSICAL
**Winner** Annette Bening - The Kids Are All Right
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE - COMEDY OR MUSICAL
**Winner** Paul Giamatti - Barney's Version
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
**Winner** Toy Story 3 (Disney•Pixar)
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
**Winner** In a Better World (Denmark)
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
**Winner** Melissa Leo - The Fighter
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
**Winner** Christian Bale - The Fighter
BEST DIRECTOR - MOTION PICTURE
**Winner** David Fincher - The Social Network
BEST SCREENPLAY - MOTION PICTURE
**Winner** Aaron Sorkin - The Social Network
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE - MOTION PICTURE
**Winner** Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross - The Social Network
BEST ORIGINAL SONG - MOTION PICTURE
**Winner** "You Haven't Seen the Last of Me"; Music & Lyrics by Dianne Warren - Burlesque
BEST TELEVISION SERIES - DRAMA
**Winner** "Boardwalk Empire" (HBO)
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES - DRAMA
**Winner** Katey Sagal - "Sons of Anarchy"
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES - DRAMA
**Winner** Steve Buscemi - "Boardwalk Empire"
BEST TELEVISION SERIES - COMEDY OR MUSICAL
**Winner** "Glee" (FOX)
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES - COMEDY OR MUSICAL
**Winner** Laura Linney - "The Big C"
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES - COMEDY OR MUSICAL
**Winner** Jim Parsons - "The Big Bang Theory"
BEST MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
**Winner** "Carlos" (Sundance Channel)
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
**Winner** Claire Danes - "Temple Grandin"
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
**Winner** Al Pacino - "You Don't Know Jack"
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
**Winner** Jane Lynch - "Glee"
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
**Winner** Chris Colfer - "Glee"

GI JOE SEQUEL
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Lee Byung-hun will again appear as Storm Shadow on the big screen when as-of-yet-untitled G.I. Joe sequel arrives, likely in 2012.
Byung-hun played the ninja character in the 2009 film, G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra, though his fate appeared sealed following a battle with Snake Eyes (Ray Park).
It was recently announced that Stephen Sommers, the director of the original film, would not be returning for the sequel, currently in the scripting stages with Zombieland writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick working on the first draft.
Additionally, the article states that production is planned to start this June and that the action sequel will target a fast-paced summer 2012 release.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 16, 2011

SCREAM 4
A new Canadian trailer for Scream 4 has come online.
In the April 15 release, directed by Wes Craven and written by Kevin Williamson, Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), now the author of a self-help book, returns home to Woodsboro on the last stop of her book tour. There she reconnects with Sheriff Dewey (David Arquette) and Gale (Courteney Cox Arquette), who are now married, as well as her cousin Jill (Emma Roberts) and her Aunt Kate (Mary McDonnell). Unfortunately, Sidney's appearance also brings about the return of Ghostface, putting Sidney, Gale, and Dewey, along with Jill, her friends, and the whole town of Woodsboro in danger.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
New superhero flick "The Green Hornet" starring Seth Rogen and Cameron Diaz earned $11.1 million on its opening Friday night (Jan. 14), which puts it on track for a decent weekend. Right behind "Hornet" was the Kevin James-Vince Vaughn comedy "The Dilemma" at $6.1 million.
"True Grit" still earned $3.2 million in its third weekend. Star Hailee Steinfeld just won the Critics Choice Award for Best Young Actor/Actress, so congrats to Hailee, as well as to her supporting men in the movie Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon and Josh Brolin. "True Grit's" total box office so far is just north of $118 million.
Highly-acclaimed "The King's Speech" scored the 4th spot with $2.5 million, narrowly edging "Black Swan" at $2.4 million. Both movies are finally getting a wider national release. "King's Speech" is up to $38 million total, while "Black Swan" is up to $67.3 million. Both movies also took home Critics Choice Awards and are expected to earn some Golden Globes Sunday (Jan. 16).
The full top 12:
"The Green Hornet," $11.1 M
"The Dilemma," $6.1 M
"True Grit," $3.2
"The King's Speech," $2.44
"Black Swan," $2.42
"Little Fockers," $2 M
"The Fighter," $1.5 M
"Tron Legacy," $1.4 M
"Season of the Witch," $1.3
"Country Strong," $1.1 M
"Yogi Bear," $1 M
"Tangled," $825 K

SATURDAY, JANUARY 15, 2011

THOR UPDATE
Yesterday we got photos of Captain America and the new Spider-man. To make a complete set of current Marvel productions, here's the latest picture of the Mighty THOR, from the upcoming high-profile adaptation directed by Kenneth Branagh.
The first thing we notice in the Entertainment Weekly photo is that Thor appears to be in the throes of roid rage. In the comic books, Odin tossed him out of Asgard to teach him humility. Instead, Thor should be learning anger management.
The next thing we notice is—as with Captain America—Thor's costume has been tweaked to fit the movie's modern sensibilities. Although Thor's cape remains true to the original, his blue shirt has been muted down and given a reptilian look.
But what we inevitably notice is the lack of helmet (an item so iconic that it gave this nebula its name). In fact, the helmet with its the face-framing wings only gets a brief flash of screen time in the trailer.
Marvel has been cranking out movies of its first-tier comic books as fast as directors can make them. THOR, to be released in the U.S. on May 6, is the next one up, with Chris Hemsworth starring as the fallen god.

THE CAPE
THE CAPE just introduced a new superhero to television. Now it's going to change things up. After the airing of the first two episodes, the show's creator and cast presented their show to the Television Critics Association. Creator Tom Wheeler said if you keep watching, you'll see some more science fictional storylines and even some horror.
"I think we also are beginning to see we can capture different tones," Wheeler said on Jan. 13 in Pasadena, Calif. "One episode might have a science fiction feel to it. We just finished a two-parter that has a very gothic feel to it and was truly frightening."
THE CAPE is about Vince Faraday (David Lyons), a cop framed and presumed dead. Underground, a group of circus-performer criminals give him a cape that he can use to slice through danger and throw bad guys around. There's more than just crime fighting to The Cape, though.
"We're throwing open our arms to all audiences," Wheeler said. "Initially it's this comic-book show, but what we're finding is you can be a fan of many different genres and there's a door open to you. There's a romantic storyline about this couple that's in love. You see in flashbacks, we root for this couple to get together. There's suspense and mystery. There's almost an X-Files feeling to one episode we just finished. It's just really scary and intense. The comic-book fan can drop in and have a great ride with really colorful villains. If you want some great drama, there's more than enough for you."
Upcoming episodes will reveal more about Orwell, the mysterious blogger played by Summer Glau. "Every episode we're finding out more of what she's capable of," Glau said. "Right now I'm shooting an episode that is going to reveal a very big clue into her backstory. I had a great time. It's really opening up her world."
Villains get to take center stage in future episodes too. "We'll see the Cape and Scales [Vinnie Jones] battling on top of a train," Wheeler said. "We introduce Peter Fleming [James Frain] and Scales in the pilot, but we get to deliver them in this nice rollout. They get an opportunity to shine and take over an episode."
THE CAPE's costume itself is the focus of another episode. "We establish in an upcoming episode how long this particular cape has been around," Wheeler said. "It's kind of like a samurai sword."
Wheeler also wants to encourage non-comic-book fans to watch. He thinks the story of Dana Faraday (Jennifer Ferrin) is a good hook for them. "The thing about Dana Faraday is you don't have to be a superhero fan to connect to her story, about a suddenly widowed woman who has to raise a son on her own and has to tackle this corrupt city," Wheeler said. "Even if you're not running to the comic-book store every Wednesday, it's a way in for viewers to connect to a story that's just as heroic as Vince Faraday's story."
THE CAPE airs Mondays at 9 p.m. on NBC.

PROMETHEUS
The Hollywood Reporter writes that the ALIEN prequel is dead and a new Ridley Scott project has been reborn.
Fox has announced that instead of making a much-talked about ALIEN movie, the project has been reconfigured as an original sci-fi movie, titled PROMETHEUS, with Scott still at the helm and with Noomi Rapace to star.
Showing how serious it is about the movie, Fox has set a March 9, 2012 release date.
Damon Lindelof is working together with Scott on the new script, which was originally written by Jon Spaihts and based on an idea by Scott. It was under Lindelof that the project morphed into something more original.
“While ALIEN was indeed the jumping off point for this project, out of the creative process evolved a new, grand mythology and universe in which this original story takes place,” said Scott in a statement. “The keen fan will recognize strands of Alien's DNA, so to speak, but the ideas tackled in this film are unique, large and provocative. I couldn't be more pleased to have found the singular tale I'd been searching for, and finally return to this genre that's so close to my heart.”
"In a world flooded with prequels, sequels and reboots,” stated Lindelof. “I was incredibly struck by just how original Ridley's vision was for this movie. It's daring, visceral and hopefully, the last thing anyone expects.”
Fox and Scott have been working on an ALIEN prequel for the last two years and began reading and testing actors for the project late last summer. Rapace, best known for The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, was on the list of actors that also included Gemma Arteron, Charlize Theron, Michelle Yeoh, Michael Fassbender and James Franco, all of whom swirled around it in various forms. Time will tell which ones will stick with it, although both Fassbender and Theron were being seriously considered for Universal’s Snow White project.
PROMETHEUS is actually a bold move for Fox as it means leaving behind a project that has a strong brand and legacy behind it. You’ve got to wonder what kind of conversations Scott had with the studio to persuade them to go with it.

RINGER
Vulture reports that former "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" star Sarah Michelle Gellar is returning to TV having signedto star in the new CBS pilot titled RINGER.
The hour-long thriller will star Gellar as "a troubled young lass on the run from the mob. She assumes the life of her wealthy twin sister, only to find out that said sibling has a bounty on her head as well."
RINGER comes from "Supernatural" writers Eric Charmelo and Nicole Snyder. Gellar will serve as a co-executive producer on the project, from ABC Television Studios and CBS Television Studios.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 2011

JOHN DYE PASSES AWAY
John Dye died at his San Francisco home on Monday (Jan. 10) following a heart attack. His family reportedly kept news of his death to a minimum while memorial details were being worked out.
The 47-year-old actor is best known for playing Andrew (a.k.a. the Angel of Death) on CBS' long-running series "Touched By an Angel." His other credits include "The Young and the Restless," "Murder, She Wrote" and "Tour of Duty."
He is survived by his parents and two brothers.
Celebrity friends took to Twitter once the news broke, including Valerie Bertinelli ("Dear, sweet John Dye, rest in peace.") and Kathy Ireland ("I loved John. His smile, kindess, gentle heart & talent. Heartbreaking.")

CAPTAIN AMERICA
Here's your first eyeful of Chris Evans in his full Captain America outfit!
Ain't It Cool News came up with the photo of Evans -- a scan of a photo from Entertainment Weekly that itself looks more like a candid on-set snap and less like something sanctioned by Marvel Studios.
Cap's outfit, by the way, is right in line with the design concepts we've seen before, making the costume more rugged and military-looking. And while his helmet does have wings, they're painted on the sides instead of actually attached.
Not sure how Entertainment Weekly came up with photo, but it is our first really solid look at what to expect when CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER hits screens on July 22nd of this year—not to mention that today we've now seen two Marvel icons in their new (or rebooted) cinematic incarnations!

SPIDER-MAN
The photo of the day -- The Social Network's Andrew Garfield as Spider-Man!
The pic above came from the studio handling the new reboot of the Spider-Man franchise being directed by (500) Days of Summer filmmaker Marc Webb, who will be taking over stewardship of Spidey's cinematic adventures from Sam Raimi.
Can this nice, fresh-faced British actor assume the role of All-American science geek/superhero Peter Parker from Tobey Maguire?

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES
Reports from Deadline indicate that Terry Rossio has been brought on board to provide the script for the fifth PIRATESOF THE CARIBBEAN film.
Rossio was responsible for work on the first four Pirates films, including the upcoming On Stranger Tides, but worked with a writing partner, Ted Elliot, who will not be joining him for the fifth outing.
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES is slated to hit theaters in 2D, 3D and IMAX 3D on May 20th.

CHARLIE'S ANGELS
Entertainment Weekly reports that CHARLIE'S ANGELS is set to return to television thanks to a greenlight from ABC.
The original show focused on three women (who changed during the course of the series) who worked as a team of private investigators, receiving their orders from the mysterious Charlie Townsend (voiced by John Forsythe, but whose face was never revealed).
The popular series ran for five seasons and, in 2000, launched a feature film franchise starring Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu. That film also turned out a 2003 sequel, CHARLIE'S ANGELS: FULL THROTTLE.
Barrymore is among the producers of the new series (alongside Leonard Goldberg and Nancy Juvonen) and EW notes that "Gossip Girl"'s Mark Piznarski is in negotiations to direct as the series moves into the casting stage.
While the storyline will presumably match that of the original series, the location will be updated to take place in Miami rather than Los Angeles.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 13, 2011

THUNDERBIRDS
The British children's TV show THUNDERBIRDS—filmed in Supermarionation was HUGELY successful when it aired in 1965 and 1966. It had spaceships, explosions, intrigue—everything you WOULDN'T expect from a puppet show. And now we're about to get a remake.
Ain't It Cool News reports that the Fanderson website, "the official appreciation society for the film and television productions of Gerry Anderson," says that "a deal to make a new series of Thunderbirds" has been 'finalised' - per Gerry Anderson."
The word "remake," which is sadly one of our most overused words, next to "reboot," may actually be a good idea in this case: THUNDERBIRDS is about "International Rescue," a team of do-gooders headed by former astronaut Jeff Tracy and staffed by his sons, their go-to scientist Brains, their London agent Lady Penelope and an assortment of allies and enemies.
Watching the original today, if you can accept that the stars are puppets, you'll become engrossed in its James Bond-style storylines and its strangely realistic gadgets and vehicles. But we're afraid that most modern viewers wouldn't give a puppet show a chance.
An updated version might give it the current special effects that this show needs to pull in a large audience. Unfortunately, there's no word on whether the show will be live action, animation ... or even more Supermarionation.
THUNDERBIRDS was remade as a live-action movie in 2004, but the Jonathan Frakes vehicle was a financial and critical disaster. Supermarionation made a comeback in the parody movie, TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE, also in 2004.

MADAGASCAR 3
Heat Vision reports that Frances McDormand has signed on for MADAGASCAR 3.
The film, the third entry in the successful DreamWorks Animation franchise that debuted in 2005, will feature McDormand as the film's villain, an animal control officer who pursues the familiar cast of characters as they try to make it back to the New York zoo where they started.
The article also states that the heroes will wind up joining a traveling circus and that the cast will be rounded out by new animals, each with a different ethnicity.
MADAGASCAR 3 is scheduled to hit theaters on May 18, 2012.

BATTLE: LOS ANGELES
This new teaser for BATTLE: LOS ANGELES looks devastatingly awesome.
You see a little more about Aaron Eckhart's career soldier, a fella that's one step behind the young grunts he leads. And Michelle Rodriguez looks pretty convincing as a downed Air Force flier. And we see a lot more of the aliens who are looking to colonize the Earth, with the City of Angels as the final front in the final battle.
BATTLE: LOS ANGELES is set to open in early March.

LOCKE & KEY
According to reports in Deadline, Nick Stahl has joined the cast of LOCKE & KEY.
Based on the comic book series by Joe Hill and distributed by IDW Publishing, LOCKE & KEY tells of Keyhouse, a New England mansion with fantastic doors that transform all who dare to walk through them. The building is also home to a hate-filled and relentless creature that will not rest until it forces open the most terrible door of them all.
Stahl is set to play Duncan Locke, the brother-in-law to Miranda Otto's Nina Locke, the matriarch of Keyhouse. Also in the cast is Sarah Bolger as Nina's daughter, Kinsey Locke. Mark Romanek (One Hour Photo and Never Let Me Go) will be directing the pilot.
Stahl is best known for appearances in SIN CITY and TERMINATOR 3: RISE OF THE MACHINES. He appears in theaters this Friday in New York and LA as part of the ensemble anthology BURNING PALMS.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2011

MORE HOBBIT NEWS
Yesterday we reported that Andy Serkis, Ian McKellen and Elijah Wood have all agreed to return for the massive Lord of the Rings reunion known as THE HOBBIT. Now Christopher Lee has announced that he MIGHT join them—IF he's up for it.
Over on his official site, Lee (or one of his reps anyway) wrote:
Slowly but surely, Peter Jackson has managed to secure the return of the majority of the major stars from The Lord of the Rings franchise for his soon to be shooting prequel, based on J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit.
Sir Christopher Lee had been in talks to reprise his role as the wizard Saruman and it now looks certain, providing that he is in good health, that he will be appearing in the movie.
Let's hope the 88-year-old actor is up for the challenge, because we'd love to see Saruman return.

PRIEST
The new trailer for Priest promises a movie that will deliver exactly what we need right now—an antidote for all those sparkly, pouty vampires that've been filling our movie and TV screens lately.
Paul Bettany stars as a warrior priest who defies the church to track down a band of renegade vampires who have kidnapped his niece with plans to turn her into one of them. Joining him on his mission are a young sheriff (Cam Gigandet) and a beautiful priestess (Maggie Q).

LAW AND ORDER: LOS ANGELES
Three series regulars have left NBC's LAW & ORDER: LOS ANGELES amid a creative revamp of the first-year procedural, sources confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter.
Skeet Ulrich (JERICHO), who plays Detective Rex Winters, has exited his role along with Regina Hall and Megan Boone. Hall plays ADA Evelyn Price, who aids Alfred Molina's character, ADA Morales, while Boone portrays DDA Lauren Stanton, who works for Terrence Howard's DDA Joe Dekker.
The departures follow former cast member Wanda de Jesus' exit in September ahead of the series premiere.
L&O: Los Angeles, from Wolf Films and Universal Media Studios, is the fourth spinoff of Dick Wolf's long-running Law & Order franchise. Despite an underwhelming reception from critics, the show debuted fairly well in the ratings but has since seen some dropoff. Still, NBC gave it a full-season pickup in October.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2011

CAMELOT
Starz's new CAMELOT series is attempting to reinvigorate the legend of King Arthur and his knights of the round table with some good old-fashioned sex and violence.
The main difference from previous views of Camelot is the ages of the characters. Most of the previous iterationsof the legend have shown Arthur much older. Disney's animated Sword and the Stone is a wonderful little movie, and the man who would be king is still a wee lad.
However, the series lead, Jamie Campbell Bower, he looks like he's 12. Despite what looks like a heaving serving of swordplay, peat moss and bawdy bedroom activity, I hope the series doesn't turn into Camelot Babies.

TORCHWOOD NEWS
TORCHWOOD creator Russell T. Davies revealed the new title and plot of the upcoming American Torchwood series at the Television Critics Association winter press tour Friday. Turns out the working title Torchwood: The New World was a fake. It's really TORCHWOOD: MIRACLE DAY.
"The premise is a miracle that happens to the world," Davies said. "It's as simple as this: that one day on Earth no one dies. Not a single person on Earth dies. The next day no one dies. The next day no one dies, and on and on and on."
No one dies? Sounds like a happy story. Well, that also means people who are supposed to die don't. Bill Pullman plays one of those characters, Oswald. "I am a convicted murderer and a pedophile," Pullman revealed. "I'm put through lethal injections to be executed, and I live. That's the beginning."
There are bigger problems than Oswald, though. Just because people don't die doesn't mean that sick people are healed. "Now, the sixth day, the old stay old and keep getting older," Davies said. "The dying keep dying, but no one quite dies."

Then there are big-picture problems. We keep having births, but we stop getting rid of people. "The possibility of death ceases to exist," Davies said. "Great news for some people, but globally it's an instant overnight population boom. The Earth relies on people dying. That's how the whole system works. The food, the room, the temperature. Suddenly you've got a crisis affecting everyone on the planet, and that's where the Torchwood team and our brand-new characters come in."
That's where Captain Jack (John Barrowman) comes in. "It's an absolutely full, great, big lead role, because of course Captain Jack is an immortal," Davies said. "What we are talking about is the world turns immortal. So there's an awful lot of story packed into that."
All of this comes to a head in one single season. Davies left the "monster of the week" format behind long ago and continues to follow the Children of Earth miniseries model.
"This new series is 10 episodes long, but you won't still be finding out the resolution to the story in five years' time," Davies said. "By episode 10, there is a massive, shattering climax to the whole thing. You'll find out who lives, who dies, what all happens, whether they can stop it or not. That's the end."
TORCHWOOD: MIRACLE DAY goes into production this month and airs in July 2011 on Starz.

THE HOBBIT NEWS
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Ian McKellen has signed on to return as wizard Gandalf in THE HOBBIT, the two-pic adaptation of the J.R.R. Tolkien novel being directed by Peter Jackson.
The dealmaking on Hobbit for a slew of Jackson veterans from his Lord of the Rings trilogy has been coming fast and furious and comes on the heels of Andy Serkis finally inking his deal to reprise Gollum.
THE HOBBIT book introduced Gandalf and Gollum, with both characters going on to become part of literature’s most popular characters. Gandalf sets the adventure going in the story and appears throughout the novel. Gollum appears in a chapter that has gone on to be one of the most memorable in all of fantasy literature.
Elijah Wood signed his deal to return as Frodo last week, and Cate Blanchett will play Galadriel once again. Orlando Bloom has an offer to return as elf archer Legolas, though it’s too early to tell if a deal will be made.
McKellen, who was nominated for an Oscar for his portrayal of Gandalf, has spent recent years doing mostly voice work for film and TV, although he did star in the remake of AMC's THE PRISONER. His last major film role was in 2006’s X-MEN:THE LAST STAND.
HOBBIT starts shooting Feb. 14 in New Zealand.

PHINEAS AND FERB FILM COMING FROM DISNEY
Deadline reports that the popular Disney Channel animated series "Phineas and Ferb" may be headed to the big screen.
The show, which launched in 2007, follows the adventures of two stepbrothers, their sister, Candace and their pet platypus, Perry (who happens to also be a secret agent in eternal conflict with the villianious mad scientist Dr. Doofenshmirtz).
The article notes that the feature film is planned as a mix of live-action and animation and is a project independent of the upcoming television movie, Phineas and Ferb Across the 2nd Dimension.

PIPPI LONGSTALKING
According to the Los Angeles Times, Director Debra Granik looks to be making a somewhat surprising move, following up her critically acclaimed dark thriller WINTER'S BONE with an adaptation of PIPPI LONGSTOCKING.
PIPPI LONGSTOCKING was originally a Swedish children's book, first published in 1945. It introduced the world to the character, a 9-year-old girl with trademark red hair and pigtails. Sequel books followed and spawned both multiple television series and feature films.
"As a kid, I got really envious of men's coming of age in movies," Granik told the newspaper in a comment that could apply to both Winters Bone and Pippi Longstocking. "Their knowledge of darkness would grow, their compassion would grow, whatever it was, it felt like they would gain something, and the female coming of age often was punitive, like an unwanted pregnancy. We're all like, 'Oh God, I'm so glad I'm not her.' "
Granik is developing the property with her co-writer and producer, Anne Rosellini.

MONDAY, JANUARY 10, 2011

WICKED
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Salma Hayek and ABC are developing an eight-part miniseries based on the best-seller that spawned the Broadway musical WICKED.
The project will not be a musical itself and it is unclear whether Hayek will also play a role in the mini.
The mini will be based on Gregory Maguire's 1995 book "Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West." Erik Jendersen, who was a producer on HBO's "Band of Brothers," is writing the script.
Hayek and her partner Jose Tamez will produce via their Ventanarosa Productions with ABC Studios.
ABC does not have any rights to the musical, which has been in development as a feature at Universal.

TIMES TALK
At last night's Times Talk event moderated by The New York Times' Jon Pareles, former Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor confirmed that he and his musical collaborator Atticus Ross will reteam with director David Fincher for his upcoming adaptation of Stieg Larsson's bestselling thriller THE GIRL WITH A DRAGON TATOO due out on December 21. The English version of the film stars Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer and Stelland Skarsgard.
Reznor and Ross scored Fincher's acclaimed THE SOCIAL NETWORK, which is thought to be a frontrunner in a number of categories at the Academy Awards this year, including a possible nomination for Reznor and Ross' original score.

CAPTAIN AMERICA'S COSMIC CUBE
The first shot of the Cosmic Cube from this summer's CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER is now online, courtesy of SFX Magazine and SuperHeroHype Boards poster 'Dr. Lee,' who scanned the image.
The cube is a mystical device in the Marvel Universe, capable of ultimate power and transforming wishes into reality. While we're guaranteed to see the cube appear on the big screen come the July 22nd release, there has been some speculation that the cube may make an appearance even earlier as one of the items in Odin's vault in THOR.

PETER YATES DEAD AT 82
Deadline reports that director, Peter Yates has passed away at age 82.
Yates is best known for the 1968 Steve McQueen film BULLITT, but frequently crossed genres with a lengthy list of credits that includes THE FRIENDS OF EDDIT COYLE, THE DEEP, BREAKING AWAY, THE DRESSER and KRULL, among many others.
Beginning his career as a stage actor, Yates also spent his early career working with automobiles as both a racecar driver and a manager for Sir Stirling Moss, no doubt paving the way for the famous car chase scene in BULLITT.
Married to his Producer, Virginia Pope, Yates had three children, one of whom, Toby Yates, currently works in the film industry as an editor.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2011

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
Relativity Media’s SEASON OF THE WITCH opened to an estimated $3.7 million from 2,816 theaters at the Friday box office to place No. 3 behind Paramount’s TRUE GRIT -- which all but jumped the $100 million mark -- and Universal’s LITTLE FOCKERS.
SEASON OF THE WITCH’s modest debut was in line with expectations, since Relativity knew tracking was soft going into the weekend. Medieval action pic stars Nicolas Cage and Ron Perlman.
Screen Gems’ new wide entry COUNTRY STRONG, came in No. 5 on Friday as it expanded from a two-city run to 1,584 theaters nationwide. Starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Country Strong grossed an estimated $2.6 million, in line with predictions.
Staying at No. 1, TRUE GRIT grossed an estimated $4.5 million from 3,124 theaters for a cume of $99.9 million. FOCKERS grossed an estimated $4.2 million to place No. 2. Comedy’s cume is $114.4 million.
Disney holdover TRON: LEGACY grossed an estimated $2.7 million from 3,013 locations for a cume of $140.8 million. Fanboy pic placed No. 4.
Like TRUE GRIT, other awards frontrunners continued to do solid business.
Placing No. 6 on Friday was Fox Searchlight holdover BLACK SWAN, which grossed an estimated $2.4 million from 1,584 theaters theaters for a cume of $55.5 million.
Paramount and Relativity’s THE FIGHTER grossed $2.2 million from 2,528 locations for a cume of $53 million to place No. 7.
Coming in at No. 8, the Weinstein Co.’s THE KING'S SPEECH grossed an estimated $1.8 million from 758 theaters for a cume of $28.2 million.
For the weekend overall, COUNTRY STRONG could end up swapping positions with TRON and come in No. 5.
COUNTRY STRONG cost $12 million to produce, so Sony and Screen Gems are on solid ground financially.
SEASON OF THE WITCH cost $40 million to produce, with much of the budget financed through foreign presales.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011

THE CAPE
THE CAPE is set to premiere on NBC Sunday at 9:00pm. The show wears its comic-book inspiration proudly, and the opening credits reflect that. Before we see any live-action images of series stars David Lyons, Summer Glau or James Frain, we see about 20 seconds of comic-book panels depicting our hero -- cop-turned-masked avenger Vince Faraday (Lyons) -- and his adventures in Palm City. (Comic artists Michael Gaydos, Gabriel Hardman and John Cassady created the pen-and-ink versions of the characters.) The accompanying music is appropriately old-school and dramatic as well.

TORCHWOOD: MIRACLE DAY
With casting all lined up, the Starz production of TORCHWOOD, taking place in the United States, finally has a premise.Series creator Russell T Davies reveals at the Television Critics Association press tour that the next step for the series is "Torchwood: Miracle Day."
"The premise is a miracle that happens to the world," says Davis. "One day, no one dies. The next day, no one dies, and on and on and on."
This happy news quickly leads to a global crisis. "And the sick stay stick the older keep getting older," Davies continues, "but no one dies."
Something that might be of interest to the immortal Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), one of just two remaining characters from the original cast.
As for how this new incarnation of the series found its way to Starz, president and C.E.O. Chris Albrecht says it was an easy choice: "All one has to do is look at 'Children of Earth' to know that it's just great storytelling and a great chance to take and, with a premium television platform, make something terrific a little more terrific."
"Torchwood: Miracle Day" premieres July 1, internationally.

FALLING SKIES
TNT's alien invasion show FALLING SKIES has a secret weapon: Steven Spielberg. Spielberg executive-produced the show and gave the creators his ideas for making the aliens different than any we've seen before. If the guy who did E.T. and Close Encounters of the Third Kind has alien ideas, you take them.
"I don't think we can overstate how involved Steven was in the creation of the aliens," executive producer Robert Rodat said at the Television Critics Association winter press tour on Jan. 6 in Pasadena, Calif. "God is in the details. He would weigh in on the amount of dust coming from a footstep because it would determine the weight you would sense from the alien. His attention to detail is what created the aliens."
Also, no guys in alien suits. No big-headed Roswell aliens. Executive producer Darryl Frank elaborated on the look of FALLINGSKIES' aliens.
"From a Visual effects FX perspective, the important thing to Steven was to create aliens that didn't look like any before," Frank said during the TCA panel. "Steven oversaw everything from the design to the execution of it. The most important thing was to do something that looked scary. We have two or three different variations of aliens you see throughout the series, but something you haven't seen before."
FALLING SKIES picks up a few months after aliens have attacked Earth. The survivors are banded together to find supplies to survive on and come up with a plan to attack the aliens. The aliens even take over children, using an alien harness, to control them as drones. Spielberg had an idea about that, too.
"One of the very first things that Steven said, the thing that excited him was the idea that adults are killed if they're a threat, and kids are captured for whatever reason and changed or altered," Rodat said. "The harness was a logical outgrowth of that. We'll explore what the harnessing does to the kid over the course of the show."
To give credit where it's due, the harness itself was Rodat's idea. Spielberg suggested the aliens enslave and alter the children. Still working out some Temple of Doom issues? "The harness came from me, but the idea that they were enslaving kids and then the idea that the kid would be altered by their enslavement came," Rodat explained. "I started trying to figure out what's the mechanism for that. That's where the harness came from."
FALLING SKIES is coming in June to TNT.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 7, 2011

V RETURNS TO LOW RATINGS
V's season two premiere on Tuesday drew 6.5 million total viewers, and averaged 2.1/5 for adults 18-49. That was 60 percent lower than when V first premiered, and about the same numbers as season one's finale last May, according to tvbythenumbers.com.
ABC's V return gave us a look at what the Visitors looked like under their skin. Anna showed off her scary, pointy tail and Jane Badler teased us the end of the episode, looking enough like Anna's mother to get us keyed up for the next episode.
ABC released a press release which spun the premiere as a ratings win, especially when it comes to "posting substantial growth as time-shifted viewing." Last season viewers jumped by about 1.8 million viewers when it came to time-shifted viewing.
ABC also noted that V "built substantially on its lead-in to stand as the No. 1 TV series of the night in Men 18-49 (2.3/6) and Men 25-54 (3.0/7)."
ABC has to be disappointed that V didn't come closer to its original premiere numbers, especially considering all the hype surrounding its season two return. V's short second season is only 10 episodes long, so the series isn't going to have long to make its case to the viewers before ABC makes decisions about its future.

RANDOM ACTS OF VIOLENCE
Vulture writes that Eminem is attached to a 20th Century Fox project called RANDOM ACTS OF VIOLENCE.
The rapper-turned-actor would star in the crime thriller, which is said to feature an ex-con caught between his former gang and the FBI, who want him to work as a snitch.
The original article also suggests that the writer of the current draft, David Von Ancken, will likely direct after completing work on upcoming episodes of "Californication".
Eminem famously made a dramatic turn in 2002's 8 Mile. Directed by Curtis Hanson, that film was inspired by events in the artist's own life.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 6, 2011

CAMELOT
Here's the first glimpse of Starz's highly anticipated series CAMELOT, and from what we've seen (and heard), it seems it will be more like THE TUDORS, and a bit less like that other Arthurian series, MERLIN.
As it's on Starz, we knew that CAMELOT would be more adult than MERLIN could ever be.
From the Starz synopsis below, magic will still play an integral part in the series:
In the wake of King Uther's sudden death, chaos threatens to engulf Britain. When the sorcerer Merlin has visions of a dark future, he installs the young and impetuous Arthur, Uther's unknown son and heir, who has been raised from birth as a commoner. But Arthur's cold and ambitious half sister Morgan will fight him to the bitter end, summoning unnatural forces to claim the crown in this epic battle for control. These are dark times indeed for the new King, with Guinevere being the only shining light in Arthur's harsh world. Faced with profound moral decisions, and the challenge of uniting a kingdom broken by war and steeped in deception, Arthur will be tested beyond imagination.
And even if CAMELOT is being touted as more of a modern take on the old Arthurian myth, we'll also get our "Sword in the Stone" and our "Lady of the Lake," though not, apparently, as we've seen them before. But one thing's for sure, we're probably in for the kind of drama that King Henry VIII would be proud of.

SMALLVILLE AFTER 10 YEARS
For 10 years now, fans have been impatiently waiting to see Clark Kent become Superman on Smallville—and so has Tom Welling. It's been a long time with the "no flight, no tights" rule of the successful series, but soon it will all change. Meanwhile, The CW has decided to tease us with a new poster that shows Welling as Superman. Kind of.
From the poster released by The CW (look at the reflection), it's a safe bet to say that we'll get to see Welling sporting the blue tights and the red cape before the series' end this spring. And yes, we've seen the suit before in the series, but not with Welling in it.
Everyone is hoping that the iconic moment will happen sooner than in the very last episode of SMALLVILLE, but our guess is that the powers that be will probably save the iconic shot of Clark as Superman flying away to the horizon (or space, or something like that) for last.
And after 10 very long years, it'll undoubtedly be sweet.

VISUAL EFFECTS OSCAR RACE
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that seven films remain in the running in the Visual Effects category for the 83rd Academy Awards®.
The films are listed below in alphabetical order:
Alice in Wonderland
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1
Hereafter
Inception
Iron Man 2
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
TRON: Legacy
All members of the Visual Effects Branch will be invited to view 15-minute excerpts from each of the seven shortlisted films on Thursday, January 20. Following the screenings, the members will vote to nominate five films for final Oscar consideration.
The 83rd Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 25, 2011, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater.
Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2010 will be presented on Sunday, February 27, 2011, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

THE WEE McGINTY
Deadline reports that Tom Lennon and Robert Ben Garant, best known for their acting and writing work on their television series "Reno 911!," have signed on for the Summit Entertainment comedy THE WEE McGINTY.

The film is said feature a leprechaun who, suffering from amnesia, winds up joining a group of firefighters in Chicago. It is compared in the original article to THE BOURNE IDENTITY with a leprechaun in the lead.
In addition to their work on on "Reno 911!," Lennon and Garant are developing a new series for FX entitled "Alabama" and have had big screen writing success with NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM.

CONAN THE BARBARIAN NEWS
Though Ron Perlman will be appearing on the big screen in this Friday's SEASON OF THE WITCH, fans of the actor are also looking forward to his turn in the Hyborian Age later this year when he plays father to CONAN THE BARBARIAN. In an interview with The Examiner, Perlman went into details about the role.
"I play Conan’s father," Perlman said, "There’s big-time sword action. But I’m only in the movie for 10 minutes. I can’t tell everything, but the first sequence is huge. It’s epic. All I can tell you is that I work with the Conan who’s 11 years old. And there’s a jump cut to Conan the adult, and I’m no longer on the scene... I never worked with [Jason] Momoa, who’s the adult Conan. I only worked with this kid [Leo Howard], who’s a phenomenal actor. And he’s like a North American champion of swords since he was 4 years old. He had a black belt [in martial arts] by the time he was 4. He’s a swordsman and he’s mind-boggling. He made me look like a piker."
CONAN THE BARBARIAN will hit theaters on August 19, 2011.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 5, 2011

DOCTOR WHO TWIST
Here's a real Doctor Who twist for you -- David Tennant—who played the 10th incarnation of Doctor Who—is set to marry his actress girlfriend Georgia Moffett, who also happens to be the daughter of Peter Davison: the Fifth Doctor.
Moffett's dad played the Fifth Doctor from 1981 to 1984 and was, until Matt Smith came along, the youngest actor ever to play the famous Time Lord, at the age of 29. Davison later made a return appearance as the Doctor in 2007, alongside David Tennant's Ten, in the Children in Need special Time Crash.
David Tennant and Georgia Moffett have been dating ever since the Fifth Doctor's daughter guest-starred on The Doctor's Daughter, when she played his artificially generated biological daughter Jenny during the show's fourth season in 2008. Moffett more recently appeared in a season-two episode of MERLIN titled Sweet Dreams.
The happy couple plans to marry on New Year's Day 2012.

STAN LEE GETS WALK OF FAME STAR
Stan Lee, creator of such heroes as X-Men, Daredevil, Silver Surfer, Fantastic Four, The Hulk, Iron Man and Spider-Man is now getting a thank-you from Hollywood for his creativity with his own Walk of Fame star.
Lee has been working in the comic book industry since he was 18—he even became an editor at age 19. He has been celebrated with multiple awards from the comics industry, such as the Wil Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame and the Jack Kirby Hall of Fame. But this Walk of Fame star proves his appeal reaches further than that.
Lee told CNN:
"I'm pretty proud of the fact that some of the stories I wrote so many years ago are still being read and hopefully enjoyed by the public and people are making motion pictures based on them, and television series and even a Broadway show."
Of all of his creations, Lee's favorite character is Spider-Man "because he's the most popular and he's known and loved worldwide," he said. "But I really loved them all, and whichever one I was writing at the moment, that was my favorite."

ELYSIUM
DISTRICT 9 writer/director Neill Blomkamp's next film is titled ELYSIUM. And there's already one notable way in which his second sci-fi outing will be quite different from his first.
According to Deadline, Blomkamp has snagged Jodie Foster to star in the film, marking the Oscar-winning actress' return to sci-fi 14 years after she starred in CONTACT. Foster joins Matt Damon in the picture, now making it two big stars who have signed on to work with the talented young filmmaker.
That's two more stars than DISTRICT 9 had, which already makes this new movie a different experience from Blomkamp's feature debut. DISTRICT 9 was cast with complete unknowns; in fact, leading man Sharlto Copley had never acted in a feature film before. (Copley, by the way, is getting a name now himself after District 9 and The A-Team and will reteam with Blomkamp on Elysium as well.)
Details about the three actors' roles and the story itself are all under wraps, except that it reportedly takes place in the far future. There's no word yet on when production will start, which is not surprising since the director and the producers are still shopping the project to the studios.

GODZILLA NEWS
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Gareth Edwards, the British filmmaker who wrote and directed indie sci-fi movie MONSTERS, is closing a deal to develop and direct the creature feature for Legendary Pictures, the company that co-produced blockbusters such as INCEPTION and THE DARK KNIGHT.
Warner Bros. will co-produce, co-finance and distribute per its deal with Legendary. Legendary's Thomas Tull and Jon Jashni are producing along with Dan Lin, Roy Lee, and Brian Rogers.
Legendary picked up the rights to the giant lizard from Japan’s Toho Co. in March 2010. It was around that time that Edwards’ Monsters made its premiere at SXSW (where WME quickly signed him for representation) before moving on to the Toronto International Film Festival and a U.S. release by Magnet Releasing in October.
The movie, famously made for a budget in the low six figures, took a different tact in its handling of the alien invasion genre. It centered on two characters traveling through a Mexico that is now a quarantine zone due to an alien-monster infestation. The flick slyly showed only parts of the aliens during the course of the movie, with tentacles attacking cars and people during the night, for example, but the gripping climax featured two giants slithering around an abandoned gas station.
The movie got Hollywood ga-ga over the filmmaker, who always intended Monsters to act as a showpiece to attract bigger work, and Legendary execs were no exception. They sought him out, thinking he could be the right man to take their monster into the 21st century.
Edwards will now work with a new yet-to-hired writer on the script. (David Callaham was the original writer.)
Edwards’ MONSTERS work has won the filmmaker three British Independent Film Awards, including nods for best director, best achievement in production and best technical achievement. It also landed him work with Timur Bekmambetov on an epic sci-fi project that he is writing as a directing vehicle.

OUIJA
The Hollywood Reporter writes that McG has won the contest for the gig to direct OUIJA for Universal and is now in negotiations.
The studio's planned film adaptation of the classic Hasbro board game about conjuring up spirits of the dead has had a tough go at finding a director but before the town shut down for the holidays, Heat Vision reported that McG presented Universal execs his vision for the project, which has a script by Tron: Legacy writers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz and is being produced by Michael Bay's Platinum Dunes.
He was vying for the gig against THE CRAZIES director Breck Eisner, who pitched his take on the material the week before.
Plot details are kept under wraps although it's described as a four-quadrant supernatural adventure centering around a family, with influences from THE MUMMY and INDIANA JONES.
McG just wrapped Fox’s THIS MEANS WAR starring Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine, and Tom Hardy.

MONSTER OF FLORENCE
Deadline reports that George Clooney is now attached to THE MONSTER OF FLORENCE, which has been picked up by Fox 2000.
The film is being scripted by Christopher McQuarrie (The Usual Suspects, The Way of the Gun) and his friend, Nathan Alexander, with whom he previously teamed for VALKYRIE.
Based on the besteller by by Douglas Preston (with Italian journalist Mario Spezi), The MONSTER OF FLORENCE would star Clooney as the author who, along with Spezi, tried to bring up evidence against who they felt was responsible for a string of serial murders in Florence that began in the late 1960's.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 4, 2011

BBC FOR 2011
A new BBC trailer has just given us with our first look at the upcoming BBC sci-fi series OUTCASTS, starring BATTLESTAR GALACTICA's Jamie Bamber. And there's some DOCTOR WHO—as well as SHERLOCK—in there, too.
OUTCASTS, which we told you was sort of a mashup between STAR TREK, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (in which Bamber starred as Lee ''Apollo'' Adama) and even FIREFLY, was supposed to air on our TV screens this past December—but obviously didn't.
(No new official date has been settled on for now, but IMDb has a date of August 2011 for the showing of the first episode. But that certainly doesn't make it set in stone.)
Look for a peek at what we believe is the upcoming sci-fi series' spaceship at about 25 seconds in, in orbit above the pioneers' destination planet Carpathia, with more footage sprinkled about in the trailer.
As for the DOCTOR WHO clips, there's nothing that we haven't already seen in the teaser trailer we showed you a week or so ago, but any DOCTOR WHO is cool.
And before anyone gets TOO excited, the SHERLOCK clips are from the first series, since they haven't started filming series two yet. But there WILL be a new Sherlock series this fall, even if Martin Freeman (who's playing Dr. John Watson) is playing Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit.

DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: RODRICK RULES
20th Century Fox has released the trailer for DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: RODRICK RULES, the David Bowers-directed sequel opening in theaters on March 25.
Greg Heffley, the kid who made "wimpy" cool is back in an all-new family comedy based on the best-selling follow-up novel by Jeff Kinney. As he begins seventh grade, Greg and his older brother - and chief tormentor - Rodrick must deal with their parents' misguided attempts to have them bond. Zachary Gordon, Robert Capron, Rachael Harris, Devon Bostick and Steve Zahn star.

BLOOD MERIDIAN/LAY DYING
According to Entertainment Weekly, James Franco is confirmed to be in talks to tackle directing two major projects.
Both are adaptations of famed novels - William Faulkner's 1930 family drama "As I Lay Dying" for Fox Searchlight, and Cormac McCarthy's 1985 semi-apocalyptic Western "Blood Meridian" for producer Scott Rudin - and both will use scripts that Franco penned himself.
The Faulkner film would come first and could begin shooting as early as this Summer, while "Blood Meridian" would be shot sometime in 2012. Franco just wrapped directing "The Broken Tower", a biopic of poet Hart Crane.
Franco also shot a test sequence of a scene from 'Meridian' with the likes of Mark Pellegrino, Scott Glenn, Luke Perry and his brother Dave Franco starring in it in order to convince Scott Rudin to give him the project. Rudin reportedly loved the scene.

MONSTERS INC. SEQUEL
Disney Central Plaza has posted an article claiming to have a synopsis for Pixar's upcoming "Monsters, Inc." sequel taken from a Disney film catalog. The synopsis hints that the story is a prequel:
"[The story] will take us back to before a time when Mike Wazowski was top comedian, before James P. Sullivan was top scarer, even before the buddies joined the MI workforce. In fact it takes us all the way back to school - the University of Fear to be precise. Although the two start out as frenemies, Monsters, Inc. 2 will weave the tale of how the dynamic duo transition from rivals to BFFs."
Presently however the report should be taken purely as rumour. The first film's director Pete Docter returns to helm the film which is currently scheduled for a November 12th 2012 release.

MONDAY, JANUARY 3, 2011

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Paramount's TRUE GRIT finished New Year's weekend with a dazzling domestic cumulative total of $86.8 million, the best gross ever for the Coen brothers and upping the Western's profile as Oscar voters mull their choices.
TRUE GRIT is the big victor of the holiday session, which was otherwise soft for major studio releases. Weekend box-office revenues were down 27 percent over last year, reflecting the lack of an all-audience hit.
Costing a modest $38 million to produce, TRUE GRIT came much closer to Universal's LITTLE FOCKERS than predicted. Both films opened Dec. 22.
LITTLE FOCKERS topped the New Year's box office in grossing an estimated $26.3 million from 3,552 theaters for a total of $103.2 million, according to Rentrak. While jumping the $100 million mark, film is pacing well behind sequel MEET THE FOCKERS, which earned $162.5 million during the same frame in 2004.
Overseas, LITTLE FOCKERS' total through Sunday was $72 million for a worldwide total of $175.6 million. Universal says FOCKERS is a success and is on track to gross $300 million worldwide. The studio co-financed the $100 million film with Relativity Media and Paramount.
For the weekend, TRUE GRIT grossed an estimated $24.5 million from 3,083 theaters to reach $86.8 million. The previous best for Joel and Ethan Coen was Oscar winner NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, which brought in $74.2 million domestically.
Paramount's co-financing partner on TRUE GRIT is Skydance Prods.
While it didn't become the breakout headline that Disney had hoped for, TRON: LEGACY was the biggest grosser of the two-week holiday stretch. The 3D pic, opening Dec. 17, placed No. 3 over New Year's weekend, grossing an estimated $18.3 million from 3,365 theaters for a cume of $130.9 million.
TRON's global total through Sunday was $240.9 million.
Out-and-out losers of the 2010 holidays included Sony's pricey romantic comedy HOW DO YOU KNOW, whose domestic cume was just $25.1 million through Sunday.
20th Century Fox's Christmas Day entry GULLIVER'S TRAVELS also has failed domestically, grossing $9.1 million from 3,089 locations over New Year's weekend for a cume of 27.2 million.
GULLIVER's is a different story overseas, where it narrowly won the weekend over Tron with a gross of $24 million from 4,495 venues in 33 territories. The movie's international total is $47 million, bringing the worldwide gross to $74.2 million.
Domestically, GULLIVER's placed No. 8, behind a trio of other 3D family films, including Fox's own THE CHRONICLES OFNARNIA: THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER.
Warner Bros.' 3D kids pic YOGI BEAR slightly improved its standing over the weekend, grossing $13 million from 3,515 theaters to come in No. 4. Pic's cume is $66.1 million, well less than Warners had hoped for.
It's true that comparing the 2010 Christmas box office to 2009 is difficult because of juggernaut AVATAR, but there's no denying 2010 was sluggish. Usually, bigger Christmas titles can shoot well past the $100 million mark by New Year's, including ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: THE SQUEAKQUEL and SHERLOCK HOLMES in 2009, which earned $155.9 million and $138.7 million, respectively, during that time period.
Conversely, while bigger holiday pics struggled in 2010, awards contenders and specialty films thrived.
Fox Searchlight's BLACK SWAN grossed another $8.5 million from 1,553 theaters over New Year's weekend for a cume of $47.4 million. Film placed No. 9 for the frame.
The Weinstein Co.'s THE KING'S SPEECH -- playing in only 700 theaters -- came in No. 10, grossing an estimated $7.6 million for a cume of $22.8 million, one of the best showings for Harvey and Bob Weinstein in recent times. KING'SSPEECH earned the most Golden Globe and SAG noms of any films.
Lionsgate's RABBIT HOLE, starring Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart, grossed $136,000 from 34 theaters for a so-so average of 4,000 and cume of $429,139 in its third week. Lionsgate's marketing efforts for the film were hampered by the fact that the company only bought the film in September, at the Toronto Film Fest.

CASPER MOVIE?
What's Playing reports that Classic Media is in talks with Amblin Entertainment and Universal Pictures to develop a new live-action film based on the Harvey Comics strip "Casper the Friendly Ghost."
"Casper" became a big-budget feature in 1995 which pulled in around $300 million at the global box-office. Since then however the character has been confined to direct-to-disc and kids television shows.
Classic Media is now apparently keen on pushing theatrical features and is looking into other Harvey Comics creations like Little Dot.

MEETING EVIL
According to Scene Magazine, Samuel L. Jackson, Luke Wilson and Leslie Bibb are all signed on to star in the noir thriller MEETING EVIL.
An adaptation of Thomas Berger's 1992 novel, the darkly comic story follows a depressed real estate salesman (Wilson), struggling through an economic collapse. He soon ends up on a violent and insane 24-hour crime spree with a mysterious criminal (Jackson).
Bibb would play the salesman's wife. Chris Fisher ("S. Darko") directs and shooting kicks off in New Orleans this month.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 1, 2011

20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA
According to Collider, filmmaker David Fincher talked about the DVD and Blu-ray release of his acclaimed Facebook drama THESOCIAL NETWORK. Fincher is planning to shoot his version of Jules Verne's 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA for Disney using 3D technology.
The director wouldn't commit to that being his next project as he'll still be working on his adaptation of Stieg Larsson's bestseller THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATOO for the next year. He also doubts he'll be jumping right into an English version of the second book THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE, because they still need to write a script and it will depend on how well the first movie does and whether Daniel Craig is pulled away to play James Bond in the 23rd installment of that franchise.
Fincher briefly mentioned the long-in-development adaptation of RENDEZVOUS WITH RAMA that he hopes to do with his Se7en star Morgan Freeman:
"It’s a question of things lining up, I mean, you know Rendezvous With Rama is a great story that has an amazing role for Morgan Freeman who is an amazing actor and would be amazing in this thing. The question was can we get a script that’s worthy of Morgan and can we get a script that is worthy of Arthur Clark and can we do all of that in an envelope that will allow the movie to take the kinds of chances that it wants to take. ‘Cuz we want to make a movie where kids go out of the theatre and instead of buying an action figure they buy a telescope.
He also briefly mentions the potential of directing THE REINCARNATION OF PETER PROUD, a script that he really likes.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2010

HAPPY NEW YEAR
It's that time of year again -- the end of 2010 and the start of 2011. A time of reflection and self-assessment.A time to look back on what has been -- and look forward to what could be in the future.
As we all sit down and make our New Year's Resolutions, reflect on those you love, the work you do -- and whattruly makes life important. Don't loose sight of your goals and "Never Give Up."
Have a safe and Happy New Year.

KUNG FU PANDA 2
DreamWorks Animation has started airing this first TV spot for Kung Fu Panda 2, opening in theaters on May 27.
Directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson, the sequel features the voices of Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross, James Hong, Gary Oldman, Michelle Yeoh, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Victor Garber.
In Kung Fu Panda 2, Po is now living his dream as The Dragon Warrior, protecting the Valley of Peace alongside his friends and fellow kung fu masters, The Furious Five - Tigress, Crane, Mantis, Viper and Monkey. But Po's new life of awesomeness is threatened by the emergence of a formidable villain, who plans to use a secret, unstoppable weapon to conquer China and destroy kung fu. It is up to Po and The Furious Five to journey across China to face this threat and vanquish it. But how can Po stop a weapon that can stop kung fu? He must look to his past and uncover the secrets of his mysterious origins; only then will he be able to unlock the strength he needs to succeed.

WATER FOR ELEPHANTS
This week's issue of Entertainment Weekly has a "First Look" at 20th Century Fox's Water for Elephants, starring Robert Pattinson, Reese Witherspoon and Christoph Waltz and directed by Francis Lawrence (I Am Legend). Based on Sara Grue's novel, Witherspoon plays horse trainer and former circus performer Marlena, while Pattinson plays a veterinarian named Jacob who falls in love with her.
Most of EW's "First Look" is taken up by a large picture of Pattison snuggling with the film's true star, the 4.5 ton elephant Rosie.
WATER FOR ELEPHANTS is scheduled for release on April 22, 2011.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2010

PRIMEVAL RETURNS
If you are like me, you have been missing PRIMEVAL, the BBC series about spacial anomolies. The series will finally be returning Jan. 1, and before you start watching the new season, there are five webisodes you MUST see before plunging back into the Anomaly Research Center's wild dinosaur adventures.
Serving as a bridge between the end of season three and the start of season four, the webisodes reveal that some changes concerning the ARC have been afoot ever since the disappearances of Connor Temple (Andrew-Lee Potts), Abby Maitland (Hannah Spearritt) and team leader Danny Quinn (Jason Flemyng). They also reveal the unseen fate of one other member of the ARC and its subsequent effect on yet another one.
Along with the return of Sir James Lester (Ben Miller) and Captain Becker (Ben Mansfield), we also see the introduction of the three new main Primeval characters: Philip Burton (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's Alexander Siddig); the new shoe-loving field coordinator Jess Parker (Ruth Kearney); and the new team leader, Matt Anderson (Ciaran McMenamin).
To see the webisodes, go to http://blastr.com/2010/12/5-webisodes-you-should-watch-before-seeing-primeval-season-4.php.
Primeval returns on Jan. 1 in the U.S. on BBC America at 9 p.m. and in the U.K. on ITV at 7:30 p.m.

TRON: LEGACY
According to the Hollywood Reporter, TRON: LEGACY crossed the $100 million mark at the domestic box office on Tuesday. The movie, budgeted at $170 million, which has been in U.S. theaters for 12 days, has also made around $75 million overseas.
The most interesting note about the domestic number is that almost a quarter of the box office receipts -- about $25 million -- are from IMAX theaters. TRON is playing in 3,451 theaters across Canada and the U.S., with only 235 of those being IMAX houses. For that low count to generate 25% of the gross is astonishing. And a record proportion for IMAX.
But while that is good news for IMAX, it’s not necessarily good news for Disney. IMAX filmgoers tend to be in the 15 to 34-year-old demo and are -- how shall I put it? -- geekier than the average person. So the numbers reveal that while the tentpole is performing solidly in its core demo, it’s ability to break out into a broader audience might remain a bit elusive, despite the extensive ad campaign designed to widen the tent.
Also coming into play for Tron is the PG rating. The classification would theoretically broaden the potential audience, allowing families to join in on the trip to the Grid. But some box office observers note that the classification might have signaled that the movie isn’t as edgy as some fanboys -- the fickle fans of these kind of movies -- would have liked.
Ratings are actually a larger issue for Disney, which has signalled a desire to lure notable filmmakers to develop projects for its slate. For example, David Fincher and Guillermo del Toro, both known for making envelope-pushing films, are working on 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and The Haunted Mansion, respectively. Disney will need to find ways to develop projects that not only showcase the distinct voice of their filmmakers -- usually that factor that allows a film to pop above the din -- but still be broad enough to attract the size of audience the studio craves.

FALLING SKIES
TNT has revealed a first look at the new series FALLING SKIES, from DreamWorks Television and executive producer Steven Spielberg.
Premiering in June, FALLING SKIES stars Noah Wyle as a former college professor who becomes the leader of a group of soldiers and civilians struggling against an occupying alien force. Moon Bloodgood co-stars as Anne Glass, a therapist who works with the surviving children to help them cope with the traumatic situation. The series also stars Drew Roy as Hal and Maxim Knight as Matt, Tom's two sons; and Seychelle Gabriel as Lourdes, an orphaned teenager who helps run the group's commissary. Will Patton plays a fierce leader of the resistance.
Robert Rodat (Saving Private Ryan) wrote the pilot from an idea he co-conceived with Spielberg. The pilot was directed by Carl Franklin.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2010

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO EVERYONE
I will be taking some time off for the holidays -- visiting family and friends. I hope you will all have thechance to do the same. Friends and family are life's most precious treasures. Whether you are going to see awhite Christmas or spend it on the beach, I hope you all have an opportunity to spend time with people you love.

Happy Holidays and may 2011 ring in a bright New Year.

STAR WARS FRAME
George Lucas spent five years combing through every single frame of the entire Star Wars saga for Star Wars: Frames, a handcrafted book collection that tells the rise and fall of the Skywalker clan. The kicker: Lucas is only making 1,138 of 'em.
As Howard Roffman, the head of Lucas Licensing, puts it, Lucas felt that there were "interesting works of design" in each frame of the Star Wars saga. So the writer-director-producer-guru went through the million-plus images that comprise the six films and hand-selected 1400 of them that would show off the series' strong cinematography and tell the story through its defining moments.
In an effort to confound really rich gift-givers, this hefty chunk of Star Wars isn't going to go on sale until after the holidays, on Jan. 8, 2011. But if you can wait that long, and are willing to deforest your 401(k) or sell a kidney, maybe one of the 1,138 boxed sets—a number that pays homage to Lucas' first feature, THX-1138, naturally—can be yours.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2010

MOST PIRATED FILM OF 2010
As 2010 draws to a close, we've learned two very important things. One, 33 percent more movies were pirated this year than in 2009. And two, most viewers watch the most impressive 3-D movie ever without seeing any of it in 3-D.
According to TorrentFreak, these were the 10 most pirated movies of the year, and as you can see, sci-fi did just as well on your computer as it did at the box office.
Avatar (16,580,000)
Kick-Ass (11,400,000)
Inception (9,720,000)
Shutter Island (9,490,000)
Iron Man 2 (8,810,000)
Clash of the Titans (8,040,000)
Green Zone (7,730,000)
Sherlock Holmes (7,160,000)
The Hurt Locker (6,850,000)
Salt (6,700,000)
With 16,580,000 downloads, AVATAR has broken STAR TREK's record of 10,960,000 as most downloaded film in a single year.

RIDDICK RETURNS
Vin Diesel's Facebook fan page has offered some slight hints at what fans can expect from the upcoming RIDDICK.
"[M]y partner on [The Chronicles of Riddick] since the beginning, [David Twohy]... has a new challenge in store," writes Diesel, "He wants me to have 3 different body looks for this next chapter... There is the DiNorscio type, the Dom type, and the lean Furyan type... but all in the same movie, haha... When it comes to art, we all like a challenge."
In addition to the "Furyan type" of the previous Twohy films (Pitch Black and The Chronicles of Riddick), Diesel makes reference to his body type in Find Me Guilty and in the Fast and the Furious films.
Diesel posted this artwork which seems to rework a promotional painting from the videogame "The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena" into a teaser for the upcoming film.

DRIVE ANGRY
A new UK trailer for Summit's action film DRIVE ANGRY 3D is online. The film stars Nicolas Cage, William Fichtner, Amber Heard, Billy Burke, Simona Williams and Katy Mixon.
Directed by Patrick Lussier, the February 25 release stars Cage as Milton, a hardened felon who has broken out for one last chance at redemption. Hell bent on stopping a vicious cult of fanatics who murdered his daughter, he has three days to stop them before they sacrifice his infant granddaughter beneath a full moon. Milton must use his anger to go beyond all human limits in order to save his last connection with humanity.
He's joined by Piper, a young sexy-smart waitress who liberates her ex-boyfriend's cherry red muscle car in order to help Milton. Now, the two of them are hot on the trail of the charismatic Jonah King and his murderous followers. King will throw every one of them faithful under the wheels of Milton's turbo-charged Black '71 Challenger, to fulfill hist destiny and unleash hell on earth.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2010

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: BLOOD AND CHROME
Syfy.com was given an EXCLUSIVE look at the first four concept images from Syfy's upcoming two-hour pilot movie for BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: BLOOD AND CHROME. The movie focuses on the adventures of a young William Adama during the 10th year of the first Cylon war.

DARK TOWER
Back in September, there were reports about The Dark Tower TV series. Even though it hasn't yet been green-lit by Universal Pictures, the intended director—Ron Howard—has already immersed himself in Stephen King's fantasy western world.
Howard, who spoke at length with the L.A. Times, said, "I've been reading and researching and just kind of living with it. I've been constantly going through stuff, and I've just been re-listening to it [on audio books] on my iPod."
That's a lot of material to process. The epic series consists of seven books, a comic-book prequel series (written by Peter David) and an online video game. King is also working on a sequel novel, The Wind Through the Keyhole, although its release date has yet to be announced. Because the epic is so complex, there are plans to bring it to the big screen, followed by a television series, and completed with two separate movies.
It turns out that Howard has been living with Stephen King's work for some time now; he had thrown himself into the Dark Tower universe over a year ago to prepare himself for a pitch—not to Hollywood's producers and money men, but to Stephen King himself.
Howard said, "It was all about putting something together that was good enough and getting such an understanding of the material that Stephen King would say, 'Yes, that's the way into this story.'"
In other words, he wanted to impress Stephen King. And it worked.
King, the horrormeister himself, said:
"I've been waiting for the right team to bring the characters and stories in these books to film and TV viewers around the world. Ron...along with Universal and NBC have a deep interest and passion for the The Dark Tower series and I know that will translate into an intriguing series of films and TV shows that respect the origins and the characters in The Dark Tower that fans have come to love."
Now we're just waiting for the green light in order for Ron Howard to go Dark.

MADDEN CURSE
TheWrap reports that Electronic Arts is developing a sports comedy based on the "Madden Curse," which is believed to strike NFL players who appear on the cover of EA's "Madden" video game series.
The site says the film "will follow a former Madden video game champion who is forced out of retirement just as he finds himself on the corner of the game's cover -- and subject to the curse."
Pat O'Brien, VP of EA Entertainment, is spearheading the project as one of its producers.

BAKUGAN
According to Universal Pictures, THE KARATE KID director Harald Zwart will direct BAKUGAN.
The movie will be based on the popular strategic game and anime series "Bakugan Battle Brawlers."
Scott Stuber is producing through his Universal-based Stuber Pictures along with Spin Master Ltd.'s Ronnen Harary. Jon Mone will serve as an executive producer for Stuber Pictures.
Executive vice president of production, Jeff Kirschenbaum and director of development Anikah McLaren will oversee the project for the studio.

THE LOST SYMBOL
The Hollywood Reporter writes that best-selling author Dan Brown will be handling the rewrite chores on adapting his third novel featuring symbologist Dr. Robert Langdon, THE LOST SYMBOL, to the screen for Columbia Pictures.
The story involves Langdon traveling to the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., where he gets involved with a mystery involving the Freemasons and their search for an ancient pyramid containing vast knowledge. When the book was published in 2009, it sold a million copies in its first day.
The previous two movies starred Tom Hanks as Langdon and were directed by Ron Howard, who might be too busy adapting Stephen King's The Dark Tower for its summer 2013 release to direct a third movie. Hanks also hasn't committed to starring in a third movie just yet. Regardless, Columbia hired Eastern Promises scribe Steven Knight to take a first crack at adapting Brown's novel before Brown decided to tackle it himself.

CAMELOT COMING TO STARZ
Starz will offer a new take on the King Arthur legend with the premiere of CAMELOT, scheduled to air at 10pm on April 1st, 2011.
The series, initially planned for a 10-episode season, will star Jamie Campbell Bower as Arthur, Joseph Fiennes as Merlin, Eva Green as the sorceress Morgan, Tamsin Egerton as Guinevere, Claire Forlani as Igraine and Peter Mooney as Kay.
The series' official description is as follows:
In the wake of King Uther's sudden death, chaos threatens to engulf Britain. When the sorcerer Merlin has visions of a dark future, he installs the young and impetuous Arthur, Uther's unknown son and heir, who has been raised from birth as a commoner. But Arthur's cold and ambitious half sister Morgan will fight him to the bitter end, summoning unnatural forces to claim the crown in this epic battle for control. These are dark times indeed for the new King, with Guinevere being the only shining light in Arthur's harsh world. Faced with profound moral decisions, and the challenge of uniting a kingdom broken by war and steeped in deception, Arthur will be tested beyond imagination. Forget everything you think you know ... this is the story of Camelot that has never been told before.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2010

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Disney's 3D TRON: LEGACY sped to the top of the domestic box office in opening to $43.6 million from 3,451 theaters, but the weekend was soft overall and studio titles will need strong holiday biz to come out ahead.
Overseas, TRON rolled out in about half of all territories, grossing $23 million for a worldwide debut of $66.6 million. Imax theaters supplied a record proportion of the gross, including 25% in the U.S.
Warner Bros.' 3D family entry YOGI BEAR opened to $16.7 million from 3,515 domestically to place No. 2. The CG/live-action hybrid had been expected to open at $20 million.
There was no shortage of 3D movies. Coming in No. 3 was 20th Century Fox and Walden Media's THE CHRONICLES OFNARNIA: THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER, which fell 48% to $12.4 million from 3,555 runs for a new domestic cume of $42.8 million. Overseas, NARNIA won the weekend with $29.9 million for a worldwide gross of $166.8 million.
While TRON and YOGI hope for strong midweek traffic as the Christmas session gets into full swing, there's much less hope for Sony's HOW DO YOU KNOW, which opened to a paltry $7.6 million from 2,483 theaters.
The film, directed by James L. Brooks and costing $100 million to make, with rebates, placed No. 8.
Sony didn't even try to hide its disappointment over the fact that HOW DO YOU KNOW -- with an A-list cast led by Reese Witherspoon -- was beat out by Paramount/Relativity Media's THE FIGHTER and Fox Searchlight's BLACK SWAN,both made outside the studio system and for far less money.
THE FIGHTER, which Relativity fully financed and produced, grossed $12.2 million as it expanded to 2,503 theaters after opening the weekend before in N.Y. and Los Angeles. The boxing drama, distributed and marketed by Paramount, came in a pleasing No. 4 and earned a A- rating from CinemaScore.
After a less-than-hoped-for opening, Sony/GK Films' holdover THE TOURIST fell 50% in its second weekend to $8.7 million for a cume of $30.8 million. It placed No. 5.
Disney's TANGLED virtually tied with THE TOURIST in its fourth weekend for a domestic cume of $127.8 million.
Directed by Darren Aronofsky, BLACK SWAN came in No. 7, grossing $8.3 million from only 959 theaters. Psycho-sexual drama is playing strongest on the East Coast, but did unexpectedly well in markets including Miami.
Biggest segment of BLACK SWAN's audience was between the ages of 18-35. The film is playing more evenly among the genders than expected, with females making up 53% or 54% of the audience, according to anecdotal evidence.
FIGHTER and BLACK SWAN are both awards favorite, as is the Weinstein Co.'s The King's Speech, which scored the highest per screen average of the weekend. King's Speech grossed $1.1 million as it expanded into a total of 43 theaters for a location average of $25,000 and cume of $2.9 million.
All three pictures were buoyed by multiple Golden Globe nominations, announced last week. THE TOURIST also scored top acting nods. King's Speech led with seven nominations.
Lionsgate's awards contender RABBIT HOLE saw a moderate opening, grossing $55,000 from five locations in N.Y., L.A. and Toronto for a per screen average of $11,000, in line with the company's opening weekend numbers for AWAY FROM HER.
ATO Pictures' awards offering CASINO JACK grossed $35,000 in its debut on seven screens in N.Y. and L.A. for a screen average of $5,000.
The refrain was the same Sunday as distributors discussed the crowded pack of holiday films: The true test comes over the next two weeks, as kids are sprung from school and adults wrap up Christmas preparations.
TRON's challenge will be to lure younger fanboys, since the vast majority of opening weekend moviegoers were between the ages of 18 and 55, many of whom were diehard fans of the original. About 55% of the audience was couples.
"All the fans of the first movie are bringing a girlfriend or wife to share the experience with," Disney worldwide president of marketing Chuck Viane said. "But the blend of the audience will get younger."
A year ago, Fox's AVATAR debuted to $77 million, but Disney had no illusions that Tron could match that number, since it is fueled by fanboys and less an all-audience title.
But TRON was an expensive proposition for Disney, costing nearly $170 million to produce. Event pic drew a B+ from CinemaScore, although younger audiences gave it an A-.
Domestically, Imax theaters rang up $10.3 million -- or 25% of the entire TRON gross. That's a record proportion for the large-format exhibitor.
"Disney's TRON and the Imax experience clearly resonated with our core audience," Imax Theaters' Greg Foster said.
YOGI BEAR drew a B CinemaScore. Warner exec vice president of distribution Jeff Goldstein said the picture will begin benefiting as more and more kids are out of school this week. While theater traffic lightens up Christmas Eve and Christmas morning, family attendance shoots up after that.
"From Christmas Day forward is when we really take off," Goldstein said.
YOGI will have to compete with 20th Century Fox's 3D family pic Gulliver's Travels, which debuts Dec. 25.
If TRON drew an older audience than expected on opening weekend, THE FIGHTER drew a healthy number of females, who represented 53% of all those buying tickets. A full 87% of the audience was over the age of 25.
Paramount vice chair Rob Moore said The Fighter -- toplining Mark Whalberg, Christian Bale, Melissa Leo and Amy Adams -- is poised to have lasting playability, taking into account the film's great reviews and CinemaScore.
"These are the kinds of movies opening over Christmas that ultimately play to six, seven or eight multiples," Moore said.
The poorly reviewed HOW DO YOU KNOW played heavily to women, or 60%. Audience also was distinctly older, with 55% over the age of 30.
"The opening is disappointing. Everyone worked hard on this film and really believed in it," Sony worldwide president of distribution Rory Bruer said.
Sony may be ending 2010 on a sour note, but the rest of the year was otherwise strong for the studio in terms of box office performance.
Weekend was down about 3% from the same frame last year.

CAPTAIN AMERICA NEWS
In a recent interview with Wizard Magazine, Chris Evans talks about taking on the role of Captain America. Here are some of the highlights from the interview:
Comic book fans are particularly protective of Captain America. He is after all supposed to be the physical and moral pinnacle of humanity. Does that shield feel heavy under all that pressure?
"As far as the physicality goes, that comes from the serum, and I think special effects will help me carry the load. As far as who he is as a man, the reason he's chosen for this experiment is because he has a pure heart. It's the morality, the nobility. He's a real redeeming character to play, it's exciting to think of playing him. I actually have a friend of mine who I'm modeling the character after. This guy is actually an Eagle Scout, he's one of those guys who stayed in the Boy Scouts all the way until he was 18. He's just a good human being. He does the right things, he's open, he's honest, he's sincere, he's selfless. It's something that I think everyone aspires to. A lot of time I play characters who don't have any redeeming quality [Laughing]."
But when the casting was announced, there was positive and negative reaction. Did you keep an eye on the comments?
"I can understand if fans are wondering. That's okay. I'm obviously taking their concerns to consideration, but I can't get too swept into it, otherwise I'll start beating myself up and losing my confidence."
Besides Captain America, you also played the Human Torch in "Fantastic Four," and "The Losers" is also based on a comic; have you had any close encounters with rabid fans?
"It's great so far, They're so enthusiastic. They want the product [to be] as good as you want the project to be. These guys live and die for it. It reminds you why you make these movies. These people want it to be good so desperately, that you so desperately want to give them what they're looking for."
Opening in 3D and 2D theaters on July 22, the Joe Johnston-directed adaptation also stars Hayley Atwell, Hugo Weaving, Sebastian Stan, Toby Jones, Samuel L. Jackson, Dominic Cooper, Tommy Lee Jones, Stanley Tucci and Neal McDonough.

SMURF MOVIE NEWS
Columbia Pictures has released the new poster for THE SMURFS, opening in theaters on August 31. Directed by Raja Gosnell, the big screen adaptation features Neil Patrick Harris, Jayma Mays, Sofia Vergara, Hank Azaria, Anton Yelchin, Jonathan Winters, Katy Perry, Alan Cumming, Fred Armisen, George Lopez, Paul Reubens, John Oliver, Kenan Thompson, B.J. Novak, Jeff Foxworthy, Wolfgang Puck, Gary Basaraba and Tim Gunn.

OUIJA
Heat Vision reports that McG is pursuing the film adaptation of the classic Hasbro board game OUIJA for Universal Pictures and Platinum Dunes.
TRON: LEGACY writers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz are penning the script for this "four-quadrant supernatural adventure" said to be along the lines of "The Mummy" and "Indiana Jones".
Breck Eisner ("The Crazies," "Sahara") reportedly pitched his take the other week. The studio is targeting a November 2012 release.

NEWS ENDING DECEMBER 18, 2010

MAINTENANCE COMIC DEAL
The Hollywood Reporter writes that DreamWorks Animation snuck one last deal in before Hollywood shut down. They pickedup the movie rights to MAINTENANCE, an Oni Press comic book, nabbing it out of turnaround from Warner Bros.
The comic, published by Oni in December, 2006, followed the exploits of two janitors who work for TerroMax, Inc., the world's biggest and best evil science think tank. When they're not dealing with toxic spill monsters and menial time machine repairs, they have to contend with their boss, a multitude of mad scientists, jetpack-equipped cavemen, alien repomen, and the cute girl who works at reception.
The comic was written by Jim Massey and illustrated by Robbi Rodriguez.
Whilst at Warners, MAINTENANCE was being developed as a directing vehicle for McG, who was also producing via his Wonderland Sound and Vision banner. Joe Ballarini worked on the script.
While it’s unclear why exactly Warners let it go, the humorous and pop cultural-referencing tone combined with a large scope described in MAINTENANCE may be best suited for the animated world. And it seems like a project perfectly matched for DWA, which has had great success with similarly themed movies such as 2009’s MONSTERS VS. ALIENS and the recent Superman-infused MEGAMIND.
MAINTENANCE is coming into DWA free and clear, with no writer, director or producers attached.

TRON: LEGACY
Disney's TRON: LEGACY grossed $3.6 million in midnight runs from 2,000 theaters, with Imax theaters providing a record percentage of the gross.
The film beat out the midnight gross for AVATAR, which debuted the same frame a year ago. AVATAR's midnight tally was $3.5 million.
Imax showings of Tron grossed $1 million, or 29% of the total gross.
TRON debuted in 228 Imax theaters across the country. Several theaters in South Atlantic states that had planned to run the film were shut because of snow.
Earlier this year, INCEPTION posted midnight grosses of $3 million. Imax gross beat out Imax midnight showings of AVATAR,IRON MAN 2 and INCEPTION.

AKA JESSICA JONES
TWILIGHT franchise screenwriter and former DEXTER executive producer Melissa Rosenberg is set to adapt Marvel's AKA JESSICA JONES for a fall 2011 series on ABC, reports Variety.
Rosenberg will write and execute produce the project, which will likely be Marvel Television's first official project for ABC ahead of "The Incredible Hulk."
Besides Rosenberg, executive producers on AKA JESSICA JONES include Marvel TV's Jeph Loeb, Marvel Entertainment chief creative officer Joe Quesada and Marvel Worldwide's Alan Fine; 3 Arts Entertainment's Howard Klein ("Parks and Recreation") is also an executive producer.
Brian Michael Bendis, who created the character on which the series is based and the comic "Alias" in which she first appeared (along with Michael Gaydos), is a consultant.
The trade adds that Guillermo del Toro and David Eick continue their talks to adapt "Hulk" at ABC and ABC Family is developing an adaptation of "Cloak and Dagger."

STAR WARS: CLONE WARS
To anyone who's been paying any attention to both the Star Wars prequels and the Cartoon Network's animated series, it's obvious that by Revenge of the Sith, Ahsoka Tano is no longer Anakin Skywalker's student. Will we finally find out why?
This sneak peek at STAR WARS: THE CLINE WARS' upcoming season goes by all too quickly. Speculation is that thefate of Ahsoka Tano was going to be inextricably linked to Anakin turning to the Dark Side—either that something would happen to her that he could've prevented but didn't or that he would have to kill her himself.
Judging by the last shot, I'm leaning toward the latter.

STARGATE UNIVERSE CANCELLED
Syfy has announced it will end its original action-adventure series STARGATE UNIVERSE once the show returns to finish its second season in the spring of 2011. The upcoming 10 episodes will be the series' last.
The Stargate franchise—consisting of Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe—has aired on Syfy since 2002.
Syfy has a slate of new scripted projects lined up for 2011, including the series premiere of BEING HUMAN on Jan. 17, the recently green-lit one-hour drama series ALPHAS and the much-anticipated Battlestar prequel pilot movie, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: BLOOD & CHROME.
WAREHOUSE 13, EUREKA and HAVEN will also be returning with new seasons next year.

FRINGE MOVE TO FRIDAY
Those of us who watch FRINGE might be worried about what the move to Friday nights will mean for the future, but the creators of the show seem to be having fun with it. They've defended the switch, given an earlier canceled series a shout-out, and now they've created a TV ad acknowledging all our fears.
The spot quotes many of the online naysayers, interspersing them with clips of the show's characters spouting appropriately death-oriented lines, ending with the promise "You may think Friday night is dead ... but we're gonna re-animate it.
FRINGE returns January 21, 2011.

BEYOND
The Hollywood Reporter informs us that Teri Polo, who is part of the all-star cast of Little Fockers, and Dermot Mulroney are joining Jon Voight to star in BEYOND, a thriller from Crystal Sky’s subsidiary Crystal Edge.
Joseph Rusnak, who helmed The 13th Floor, is sitting behind the camera for the $10 million production, currently shooting in Alaska.
Julian Morris, who appeared in ABC’s short-lived drama My Generation, is also in the movie.
The story centers on a veteran detective and a questionable television psychic who will stop at nothing to find a missing child.
Polo is playing Voight’s daughter and the mother of the child.
Steven Paul is producing the movie, part of his company’s deal with Anchor Bay Films to jointly produce, finance and acquire films with budgets from $2 million-$30 million for at least two years.
Polo reprises her role as Pam Focker in Little Fockers, Universal’s latest entry in the successful Meet the Parents series. The movie opens Dec. 22. The actress is recurring on Law & Order: L.A. in as Skeet Ulrich’s wife.
Mulroney recently wrapped Red State, Kevin Smith's latest flick, about a villainous preacher. Mulroney starred in NBC’s pilot of The Rockford Files remake, although the show wasn’t picked up to series.

GRAVITY
According to the Hollywood Reporter, George Clooney will star opposite Sandra Bullock in Gravity, Warner Bros.’ and Legendary Pictures' 3D outer space thriller that has become a game of musical chairs for actors.
The initial pairing for the Alfonso Cuaron-directed project -- about a female astronaut struggling to survive and trying to make it to Earth after a disaster in space -- was to have been Angelina Jolie and Robert Downey Jr. Then came a protracted series of reversals that saw Jolie leave and come back, and actresses Marion Cotillard, Scarlett Johansson, Blake Lively and Natalie Portman involved with the movie to varying degrees, all within the last eight months.
Downey stuck with the project throughout the various casting changes but in mid-November, just as things looked set with Bullock, he bailed.
Warner considered scrapping the project but conducted a Hail Mary search for the male lead who, while doesn’t carry the movie, is still pivotal in the first act.
Clooney will play an astronaut who survives the space disaster alongside Bullock. The studio is eyeing a spring start of production after Clooney directs IDES OF MARCH, the adaptation of the political drama that has Ryan Gosling and Paul Giamatti attached to star.
David Heyman (Harry Potter) is producing. Lynn Harris is overseeing for the studio.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2010

STAR WARS: CLONE WARS
To anyone who's been paying any attention to both the Star Wars prequels and the Cartoon Network's animated series, it's obvious that by Revenge of the Sith, Ahsoka Tano is no longer Anakin Skywalker's student. Will we finally find out why?
This sneak peek at STAR WARS: THE CLINE WARS' upcoming season goes by all too quickly. Speculation is that thefate of Ahsoka Tano was going to be inextricably linked to Anakin turning to the Dark Side—either that something would happen to her that he could've prevented but didn't or that he would have to kill her himself.
Judging by the last shot, I'm leaning toward the latter.

STARGATE UNIVERSE CANCELLED
Syfy has announced it will end its original action-adventure series STARGATE UNIVERSE once the show returns to finish its second season in the spring of 2011. The upcoming 10 episodes will be the series' last.
The Stargate franchise—consisting of Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe—has aired on Syfy since 2002.
Syfy has a slate of new scripted projects lined up for 2011, including the series premiere of BEING HUMAN on Jan. 17, the recently green-lit one-hour drama series ALPHAS and the much-anticipated Battlestar prequel pilot movie, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: BLOOD & CHROME.
WAREHOUSE 13, EUREKA and HAVEN will also be returning with new seasons next year.

FRINGE MOVE TO FRIDAY
Those of us who watch FRINGE might be worried about what the move to Friday nights will mean for the future, but the creators of the show seem to be having fun with it. They've defended the switch, given an earlier canceled series a shout-out, and now they've created a TV ad acknowledging all our fears.
The spot quotes many of the online naysayers, interspersing them with clips of the show's characters spouting appropriately death-oriented lines, ending with the promise "You may think Friday night is dead ... but we're gonna re-animate it.
FRINGE returns January 21, 2011.

BEYOND
The Hollywood Reporter informs us that Teri Polo, who is part of the all-star cast of Little Fockers, and Dermot Mulroney are joining Jon Voight to star in BEYOND, a thriller from Crystal Sky’s subsidiary Crystal Edge.
Joseph Rusnak, who helmed The 13th Floor, is sitting behind the camera for the $10 million production, currently shooting in Alaska.
Julian Morris, who appeared in ABC’s short-lived drama My Generation, is also in the movie.
The story centers on a veteran detective and a questionable television psychic who will stop at nothing to find a missing child.
Polo is playing Voight’s daughter and the mother of the child.
Steven Paul is producing the movie, part of his company’s deal with Anchor Bay Films to jointly produce, finance and acquire films with budgets from $2 million-$30 million for at least two years.
Polo reprises her role as Pam Focker in Little Fockers, Universal’s latest entry in the successful Meet the Parents series. The movie opens Dec. 22. The actress is recurring on Law & Order: L.A. in as Skeet Ulrich’s wife.
Mulroney recently wrapped Red State, Kevin Smith's latest flick, about a villainous preacher. Mulroney starred in NBC’s pilot of The Rockford Files remake, although the show wasn’t picked up to series.

GRAVITY
According to the Hollywood Reporter, George Clooney will star opposite Sandra Bullock in Gravity, Warner Bros.’ and Legendary Pictures' 3D outer space thriller that has become a game of musical chairs for actors.
The initial pairing for the Alfonso Cuaron-directed project -- about a female astronaut struggling to survive and trying to make it to Earth after a disaster in space -- was to have been Angelina Jolie and Robert Downey Jr. Then came a protracted series of reversals that saw Jolie leave and come back, and actresses Marion Cotillard, Scarlett Johansson, Blake Lively and Natalie Portman involved with the movie to varying degrees, all within the last eight months.
Downey stuck with the project throughout the various casting changes but in mid-November, just as things looked set with Bullock, he bailed.
Warner considered scrapping the project but conducted a Hail Mary search for the male lead who, while doesn’t carry the movie, is still pivotal in the first act.
Clooney will play an astronaut who survives the space disaster alongside Bullock. The studio is eyeing a spring start of production after Clooney directs IDES OF MARCH, the adaptation of the political drama that has Ryan Gosling and Paul Giamatti attached to star.
David Heyman (Harry Potter) is producing. Lynn Harris is overseeing for the studio.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2010

DVD SALES
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Warner Home Video’s INCEPTION flew off retail shelves its first week in stores, displacing Summit Entertainment’s ECLIPSE as the top-selling disc for the week ending Dec. 12.
DreamWorks/Paramount’s SHREK FOREVER AFTER, meanwhile, topped Home Media Magazine’s rental chart for the week, largely due to high demand at Redbox and Netflix. Paramount is one of the only studios that doesn’t impose a rental window on its new releases for the two rental services, which together generate nearly 60% of all rental transactions.
SHREK FOREVER AFTER debuted at No. 3 on the Nielsen VideoScan First Alert sales chart, right behind the third TWILIGHT movie.
Walt Disney Studios’ TOY STORY 3 remains a steady holiday season seller, holding on to its No. 4 position on the sales chart in its sixth week of release.
On Nielsen VideoScan’s dedicated Blu-ray Disc sales chart, Inception scored an easy victory, with 65% of its unit sales coming from the high-def disc. In its second week of release, ECLIPSE dropped down a notch to No. 2, but it only sold 30% as many Blu-ray Discs as INCEPTION.
INCEPTION debuted at a lowly No. 14 on the rental chart, which isn’t surprising, given that the title is only available at brick-and-mortar retailers its first month of release. At both Blockbuster and independent video rental stores belonging to the IDEA group, INCEPTION was No. 1.

HOMELAND
The Hollywood Reporter tells us that Mandy Patinkin has officially joined Showtime’s new pilot, HOMELAND.
He joins previously announced Claire Danes, who plays CIA officer Carrie Anderson, and will fill the role of Saul, a veteran CIA Division Chief who is Carrie’s boss and mentor.
HOMELAND, a Fox 21 production, is loosely based on Gideon Raff’s Israeli television series Prisoners of War, and will be executive produced by Raff, 24’s Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa (24, The X-Files). It centers on an American soldier who is taken prisoner during the Iraq invasion in 2003. The solder returns to the States after years captivity. Danes’ character Carrie is a driven CIA officer trying to fight her own psychological demons and is convinced that intelligence that led to the solder’s recapture was all a set-up.
The pilot, written by Raff, Gordon and Gansa, begins production in January.
Patinkin most recently starred in CBS’ CRIMINAL MINDS.

THE BEAVER
Summit Entertainment has set a release date for director Jodie Foster's THE BEAVER, starring Mel Gibson, Foster, Anton Yelchin, Jennifer Lawrence and Cherry Jones. The dramedy will open in limited theaters on March 23rd and expand on April 8th.
THE BEAVER is an emotional story about a man on a journey to re-discover his family and re-start his life. Plagued by his own demons, Walter Black (Gibson) was once a successful toy executive and family man who now suffers from depression. No matter what he tries, Walter can't seem to get himself back on track... until a beaver hand puppet enters his life.

TORCHWOOD ADDITION
Bill Pullman, best known for his role as the President of the United States in INDEPENDENCE DAY will return to the sci-fi genre as a cast member of the upcoming American iteration of TORCHWOOD.
Series writer Jane Espenson confirmed the casting on her Twitter account, saying that she just heard the news officially herself.
A DOCTOR WHO spinoff that began in 2005 in England, TORCHWOOD has had an irregular pattern of episodes, opting for a five-part miniseries, "Children of Earth" that aired over the course of a single week in lieu of a third series/season.
The upcoming fourth series, TORCHWOOD: THE NEW WORLD, is being produced and will take place in the United States, airing on the Starz network sometime in 2011.
Pullman will be joining by returning cast members John Barrowman, Eve Myles and Kai Owen as well as newcomer Mekhi Phifer in the part of a CIA agent, Rex Matheson.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2010

THE EVENT CASTING NEWS
According to Deadling, Virginia Madsen is joining the cast of THE EVENT when it returns from its three-month hiatus next year. She'll play the widow of a senator from Alaska who takes his place in Washington; the show initially apporached "Friday Night Lights" star Connie Britton before hiring Madsen, an Oscar nominee for "Sideways."

JON FAVREAU OUT OF IRON MAN 3
Despite the fact that Jon Favreau put Robert Downey Jr. in the Iron Man mask, and made Marvel a movie powerhouse, he won't be coming back for the third go-round.
There is lots of speculation as to why Favreau is no longer the marquee director in Marvel's stable. According to New York Magazine, the first has to do with Marvel's apparent desire to stuff Iron Man 3 with a bunch of second-tier heroes—probably as a way to seed them for future movies or TV shows. When he spoke to MTV News a week or so ago, Favreau relayed his concerns about the ever-expanding Marvel Universe and its architects: "This whole world ... I have no idea what it is. I don't think they do either, from conversations I've had with those guys."
How much did Favreau stand to make? When Marvel brought him on to do Iron Man, he was a blockbuster rookie they could get on the cheap. But after Iron Man went supernova, Favreau asked for, and got, $10 million to direct Iron Man 2, plus a share of the back end. For IM3, that number would likely go up, and the bottom-line-conscious Marvel—and Marvel's even more frugal owner, Disney—wanted to stem the tide. Now, the same circumstances apply to Downey, who was a gamble that Marvel bet on for the first flick and has since become one of Hollywood's biggest stars. If you're looking to trim costs and you've got two massively expensive elements, Favreau is the less-visible cut to make.
Marvel began a search for a new Iron Man honcho last night, hoping to find someone who will jibe with Downey—who has director approval—and steer the red-and-yellow ship from here on out.

MEDALLION
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Nicolas Cage will star in Medallion, an action thriller directed by Simon West.
Millennium Films has come aboard the project as financier and is already out to buyers with the package.
The project had been in the works for a while and was to originally to have starred Clive Owen. Jason Statham was also associated with the project at one point as well.
The story, with shades of TAKEN, follows a father, a former master thief, who has only a few hours to find his daughter when she is kidnapped and locked in the trunk of a New York medallion taxi cab.
David Guggenheim, the former Us Weekly journalist who segued into screenwriting when he sold his high-profile spec Safe House (soon to be a Denzel Washington thriller from Universal), wrote the script.
Matthew Joynes and Jesse Kennedy of Aurelius are producing as is McG via Wonderland Sound and Vision. James Holt (Men Who Stare at Goats) is also producing.
Avi Lerner, Danny Trevor and Cassian Elwes are exec producing. Wonderland's Mary Viola is exec producing.
Cage is a Millennium regular, having worked with the company on films such as The Wicker Man and the upcoming Summit release Drive Angry. Cage next stars in Relativity’s SEASON OF THE WITCH, which opens January 7, 2011.

CLASH OF THE TITANS 2
Warner Bros. Pictures has set a March 30, 2012 release date for CLASH OF THE TITANS 2 (AKA "Wrath of the Titans"). The other film scheduled for that date is DreamWorks Animation's THE CROODS, voiced by Nicolas Cage, Ryan Reynolds, Catherine Keener and Emma Stone.
Jonathan Liebesman will direct the sequel to CLASH OF THE TITANS, which earned $493.2 million worldwide and carried a budget of about $125 million.
Sam Worthington, Gemma Arterton, Ralph Fiennes and Liam Neeson are expected to return for the sequel that will be shot in 3D.
Liebesman directed BATTLE: LOS ANGELES, which opens in theaters on March 11.

FAST FIVE
Universal Pictures has released the first trailer for FAST FIVE.
Opening in conventional and IMAX theaters on April 29, the Justin Lin-directed sequel stars Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Jordana Brewster, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Tyrese Gibson, Sung Kang, Gal Gadot, Matt Schulze, Tego Calderon, Don Omar, Elsa Pataky, Joaquim de Almeida and Dwayne Johnson.

RANGO
Paramount Pictures has released the new trailer for director Gore Verbinski's RANGO, featuring the voices of Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin, Bill Nighy, Stephen Root, Ray Winstone, Beth Grant, Ned Beatty, Harry Dean Stanton and Alfred Molina.
The animated action adventure, opening in theaters on March 4, is the story of a chameleon with an identity crisis.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2010

TORCHWOOD CASTING NEWS
TORCHWOOD has cast the CIA agent to join Captain Jack in its upcoming season on Starz -- and it's not someone who was rumored to be up for the role a couple months back.
Former "ER" star Mekhi Phifer, late of FOX's "Lie to Me," has been cast in a lead role opposite John Barrowman and Eve Myles, Deadline reports. He's playing a CIA agent named Rex Matheson, who "become[s] embroiled in the Torchwood legend and investigate[s] what Torchwood is or was," as creator Russell T. Davies put it last summer. Rex is described as a character who's rising in the agency's ranks and has a very sharp sense of humor.
In casting Phifer, Starz and the BBC (which are co-producing the new season) have gone in a different direction than what was reported earlier in the fall, when "Dollhouse's" Enver Gjokaj and former "One Tree Hill" star Chad Michael Murray were rumored to be in contention for the role. In addition to bringing a little diversity to the cast, Phifer is also a little older than either Gjokaj or Murray and -- to our minds, at least -- projects more of a no-nonsense attitude on screen.
Phifer left "Lie to Me" earlier this year after the show decided to have The Lightman Group cut its ties with the FBI. His credits also include "8 Mile," "Soul Food" and a few episodes of "Curb Your Enthusiasm." He also stars in a Lifetime movie called "Close Quarters" that's set to air next year.
TORCHWOOD debuts on Starz in the summer.

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: STRANGER TIDES
As TRON: LEGACY hits theaters this weekend, you'll be able to catch the first official PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ONSTRANGER TIDES trailer (on the big screen).
In the fourth film in the franchise, Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) teams up with Angelica (Penelope Cruz) to find of the Fountain of Youth ... and we're guessing things won't end well.

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS
Lots of rumors and spy images have been floating around this prequel to the X-Men movie franchise, set to hit theaters June 3, 2011, but here's the first official word from Fox as to what this film is all about:
Some things about Matthew Vaughn's flick were easy to put together, just based on the casting: With James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender playing Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr, respectively, it was clear that we'd be seeing Professor X and Magneto before they were bitter enemies. And if you followed comics at all, you'd know that Jeff Parker's First Class book was, as the title implies, about Xavier's first batch of students.
But now Fox dispels some of the conjecture about the film itself:
X-Men: First Class charts the epic beginning of the X-Men saga, and reveals a secret history of famous global events. Before mutants had revealed themselves to the world, and before Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers for the first time. Not archenemies, they were instead at first the closest of friends, working together with other Mutants (some familiar, some new), to stop Armageddon. In the process, a grave rift between them opened, which began the eternal war between Magneto's Brotherhood and Professor X's X-Men.
Some online scuttlebutt has it that the Armageddon spoken of is an actual character and not the end of the world. But, as Slashfilm points out, Armageddon was partially created by Jean Grey, who's not in the movie. And it kinda makes sense for the Hellfire Club—led by Kevin Bacon's Sebastian Shaw—to try and crack the world apart.

THE CAPE
If a few promos can be an accurate gauge of an upcoming TV show, The Cape looks like it will be as much fun as a superhero show should be. Now NBC has released promos to entertain and tease.
We'll have to wait until Jan. 10 to see more.

FIRESTARTER REMAKE
Variety reports that Universal Pictures and Dino De Laurentiis Co. are looking to remake 1984 horror movie FIRESTARTER,with Mark L. Smith on board to write the script.
Based on the 1980 Stephen King novel, the original starred Drew Barrymore and grossed $17 million at the domestic box office. That film was also produced by Universal and De Laurentiis' Co.
Variety says the studio is aiming to turn the reboot into a franchise property and that "the main character is to be reinvented with a little more edge."
De Laurentiis Co. chairman Martha De Laurentiis and president of production Lorenzo De Maio will produce through the De Laurentiis Co. along with Steven Schneider through his Room 101.
"We see this as a unique, character-driven thriller with a supernatural edge, based on a timeless concept and enhanced by recent visual effects advances," Martha De Laurentiis said.
"'Firestarter' has a great mythology and with Martha and Lorenzo's vision we believe the franchise can be extended in a new and exciting direction," said Debbie Liebling, Universal's president of production.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2010

THOR
Marvel Studios and Paramount Pictures just released the new teaser trailer for THOR!
The movie, directed by Kenneth Branagh, arrives in theaters on May 6, 2011, and stars Chris Hemsworth as the God of Thunder, Anthony Hopkins as his father Odin, Tom Hiddleston as Loki and Natalie Portman as Thor's human love interest, Jane Foster. Thor will be shown in converted 3-D, which we hope is done well, and 2-D in selected theaters.
Fans who attended Comic-Con this past summer will notice that a lot of the footage is recycled from the six-minute presentation that Marvel gave at that event. But it still looks awesome! You'll see Thor getting thrown out of Asgard, Thor kicking a bunch of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents' butts. Looks pretty cool.

LIMITLESS
In this pitch-perfect pastiche of all of those bright-and-sunny pharmaceutical commercials that litter the airwaves, Bradley Cooper smiles his way through the explanation of a drug called NZT, which'll make you faster, stronger and better. The only hitch? One of the side effects is certain death.
This is the beginning of the campaign for a film called LIMITLESS, which doesn't hit theaters until March 11, 2011. Directed by Neil Burger (The Illusionist) and starring Cooper, Robert De Niro, Abbie Cornish and Anna Friel, it's about an advertising copywriter who stumbles upon a drug that gives the user superhuman powers but carries with it a hefty set of side effects. Like paralysis, psychosis, extreme sexual appetite and sudden death, to name but a few.As with all things, it's all about the small print.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
Fox's 3D action fantasy THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER tread uneasily into movie theaters with a disappointing $24.5 million weekend, while still managing to top the domestic box office. The third installment based on C.S. Lewis' book series must chart a more placid theatrical course if it's to validate the studio's partnership with Walden Media on Dawn Treader.
Disney dumped the family franchise following a disappointing first sequel, and it remains uncertain if Fox will take on a fourth Narnia picture. Fox debuted Dawn Treader in 1,988 3D locations and a total 3,555 theaters, with the 3D auditoriums accounting for 54% of opening coin.
The weekend's only other wide opener -- Sony-distributed action thriller THE TOURIST, starring Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp -- booked second place in a tourist-class debut of just $17 million. Disney's 3D animated adventure TANGLED was third in its third session with $14.6 million and $115.6 million in cumulative box office, while the relativity-distributed martial arts Western THE WARRIOR'S WAY dropped from the top 10 with a big 69% tumble in its second frame to collect just $941,000 for a $4.9 million cume.
Helmed by Michael Apted (The World Is Not Enough), DAWN TREADER cost an estimated $145 million, including Australian tax credits. That compares to the $200 million negative cost on May 2008 sequel THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCECASPIAN, on which Disney was faulted for overspending and then slotting in the summer instead of the holiday season that worked so well for December 2005's THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE.
The first Narnia picture opened with a franchise-best $65.6 million en route to ring up $291.7 million domestically. CASPIAN debuted with $55 million and collected $141.6 million in total U.S. and Canadian coin.
DAWN TREADER also has sailed into 85 overseas territories, ringing up $67 million in international coin during the weekend and $81 million in total foreign lucre since its earlier bow in a handful of countries.
"On the domestic side, our best days are still ahead of us with the school holidays and Christmas yet to come," Fox senior vp distribution Chris Aronson said.
Exit surveys showed patrons enjoyed DAWN TREADER, Aronson added. As for the prospect of another Narnia installment, "It's too early to say," he said.
Rated PG, DAWN TREADER attracted audiences comprised 51% of females, with 52% of patrons aged 25 or older and 44% of support coming from family moviegoers.
Produced by Graham King's GK Films for roughly $100 million, Sony covered prints and advertising only on TOURIST and will reap a distribution fee representing a low double-digit percentage of total revenue in global markets handled.
The PG-13 picture attracted opening audiences skewing 55% female, with 53% of patrons aged 30 or older.
"The pictures is going to work out fine, because this is a world play," Sony distribution boss Rory Bruer said.
Only a few foreign territories opened the film this weekend, with Tourist visiting several additional countries during the next two frames.
Meantime, the industry failed to best its year-earlier performance for a fourth consecutive weekend at the start of the holiday box-office season. The session's top 10 films fetched less than $83 million, roughly matching top performers' contributions in the same frame last year.
Hollywood has just three sessions left in its box-office year. The industry already is certain of a downtick in annual admissions, while even matching last year's theatrical revenue remains an iffy proposition.
Three movies open wide on Friday: Sony's romantic comedy HOW DO YOU KNOW, Disney's scifi actioner TRON: LEGACY and Warner Bros.' family comedy YOGI BEAR.

TRANSPORTER SERIES
Deadline reports that a network has come on board the TRANSPORTER TV show that will be based on the three-picture franchise from Luc Besson's EuropaCorp that starred Jason Statham. EuropaCorp is keeping the network name under wraps for now.
The site says shooting on the $48 million, 12-part series will start early next year, with the first episodes being delivered in early November. French producer Lagardere Entertainment is financing the show, having licensed "The Transporter" from EuropaCorp.

TAKEN
EuropaCorp is also looking into developing a TAKEN series, but not until after Liam Neeson starts shooting the sequel in the spring.
Besson himself is shooting LOCKOUT IN POLAND and will wrap before Christmas. The sci-fi action film, starring Guy Pearce and Maggie Grace, will be released in early 2012 by FilmDistrict.

MERLIN RETURNING IN JANUARY
Fans of the popular Syfy series MERLIN will be happy to hear that it will return on Friday, January 7 at 10:00pm ET/PT. MERLIN, starring Colin Morgan, Bradley James and Anthony Head, completed the second season in June, averaged 1.72 million total viewers and a 1.3 HH rating, based on Live +7 DVR data. SYFY will be re-running the first season of Merlin starting December 13 and a marathon of Merlin Season 2 episodes during the day of January 7.
Season three sees the young wizard Merlin (Colin Morgan) in increasingly more dangerous and dark battles in his secret quest to protect Prince Arthur (Bradley James) in the fabled kingdom of Camelot where magic is forbidden by King Uther (Anthony Head). They rejoin Katie McGrath as the mesmerizing Morgana, who has a dark destiny of her own, Angel Coulby as her loyal maid Gwen, and Richard Wilson as wise Court physician Gaius. The new season sees our heroes pushed to their limits as the kingdom is thrown into turmoil by the return of Morgana from a year's absence. As misbegotten secrets are exposed and old friends choose new sides, the battle for Camelot has truly begun.
A host of new guest stars joins the regular cast to enthrall audiences over the 13-episode run, including four actors from the Harry Potter films: Harry Melling (The Harry Potter Series) will play Merlin's friend Gilli; Warwick Davis (The Chronicles of Narnia) assumes the role of bridgekeeper Grettir; Miriam Margoyles (Being Julia) will play Grunhilda; and Mark Williams (The Fast Show) is voice of a mischievous Goblin. Guest stars from the previous season such as Emilia Fox (The Pianist, Ballet Shoes) who plays Morgause, and Santiago Cabrera (Heroes, Che), who plays Lancelot, will also be returning for the new season. Legendary actor John Hurt once again provides the Voice of the Great Dragon.

THIS WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 10, 2010

THOR
Marvel's making a lot of movies at once and it seems like there's new news popping up every hour. Here's the latest—the first official poster for THOR, starring Chris Hemsworth.
THOR will open in May 2011.

REAL-STEEL
The first spot for Hugh Jackman's return to sci-fi finds the once-and-future Wolverine training a junkyard automaton to compete on the robot-boxing circuit.
Jackman plays an old broken-down pugilist who gets his life back on track while training an underdog droid to be the king of the ring. Done somewhat in Rocky-style, it looks interesting.
The robots seem designed to sell toys and, as such, they've got personality and flair, and Jackman looks like he's having a good time in this Shawn Levy (Night at the Museum) flick, an update of Richard Matheson's 1956 short story.
We'll see if the film delivers when it opens on Oct. 7, 2011.

POWERS
POWERS, based on Brian Michael Bendis' award-winning comic, is finally getting off the ground at FX with one of THEWALKING DEAD's architects on board.
Executive producer Charles "Chic" Eglee was Frank Darabont's right hand during the first season of THE WALKING DEADbut left in the well-reported writer exodus. But Eglee seems to have landed on his feet: The veteran of shows like NYPD Blue and The Shield is in talks to join FX's adaptation of Powers, based on Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming's long-running comic about beat cops in a world filled with superheroes.
Bendis himself even tweeted confirmation: "OK, I rarely do this, but the Powers TV rumor that hit the net today...confirmed as fact!"
POWERS is in the very early stages of development, so we won't see the adventures of detectives Christian Walker and Deena Pilgrim anytime soon. But any progress toward more comics on TV is good progress.

INCARCERON
Deadline reports that Taylor Lautner has signed on for the film version of the fantasy young adult novel INCARCERON,set for development at Fox 2000.
The project, first announced back in March, is based on the novel of the same name, written by Catherine Fisher and published earlier this year. It tells the story of a 17-year-old prisoner named Finn (Lautner's role) who has lived his whole life in a self-sustaining prison where one generation of inmates gives birth to the next. Following the legend of the only man who ever escaped Incarceron, Sapphique, Finn teams with the warden's daughter, Claudia, to mount a fantastic escape.
Planned as a series of novels, the film adaptation will arrive with a script from Bill Collage and Adam Cooper.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2010

TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON
The first teaser trailer for Michael Bay's TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON just launched, to make the movie's July 1, 2011 3-D debut seem even further away. We suddenly want to see more of the Autobot/ Decepticon war right NOW!1st trailer for TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON: \'We are not alone\'
To remind you of what we're all in for, here's the official synopsis:
"The Autobots Bumblebee, Ratchet, Ironhide and Sideswipe led by Optimus Prime, are back in action, taking on the evil Decepticons, who are determined to avenge their defeat in 2009's Transformers Revenge of the Fallen. In this new movie, the Autobots and Decepticons become involved in a perilous space race between the U.S. and Russia, and once again human Sam Witwicky has to come to the aid of his robot friends. There's new characters too, including a new villain in the form of Shockwave, a longtime Transformers character who rules Cybertron while the Autobots and Decepticons battle it out on Earth."
TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON stars Shia LeBeouf, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Josh Duhamel, John Malkovich and John Turturro.
Use this link to see the trailer!
http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/paramount/transformersdarkofthemoon/

FRINGE MOVING TO FRIDAY
When it was announced Fringe would be moving to Friday nights, fans feared the worst, while the producers of the show tried to spin the news in their favor, calling it a GOOD thing.
But as the title the creators gave the series' first Friday night episode shows, they're well aware of why that night of the week has become known as the place TV goes to die.
The title—which was revealed at the same time it was announced that the show would start airing Friday nights on Jan. 21, one week earlier than we were told previously—will be ...
... "Firefly."
Firefly is but one of many series supposedly deep-sixed by the cursed Friday night "death slot," and the fact the writers gave a nod to one of the previous scheduling victims shows they recognize the challenge they're in for.
There doesn't seem to be any other Firefly homage in the episode—which has Christopher Lloyd guest-starring as one of Walter Bishop's musical heroes—but you know we'll be watching to make sure!

CONAN NEWS
That Jason Momoa Conan movie due out next year has been titled simply that from the start—CONAN. Maybe the producers were trying to avoid making audiences think it was a simple remake of the 1982 Arnold Schwarzenegger film. Maybe they were trying to avoid upsetting fans of the original. Whatever the reason was, CONAN is no more.
According to Box Office Mojo, the movie, due to be released Aug. 19, 2011, is officialy going with the name it should have had all along—CONAN THE BARBARIAN.
CONAN THE BARBARIAN is the guy who wants to crush your enemies, see them driven before you and to hear the lamentation of their women, while Conan is just that tall redheaded guy with a talk show. Considering the strength of the barbarian brand, the change was probably inevitable.

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES
USA Today has published new photos from Walt Disney Pictures' PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES, for which we'll see the first trailer at 1 p.m. PST on Monday, December 13.
Opening in 3D, 2D and IMAX 3D theaters on May 20, the Rob Marshall-directed action adventure stars Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Penelope Cruz, Ian McShane, Kevin McNally, Astrid Bergès-Frisbey, Sam Claflin, Stephen Graham, Yuki Matsuzaki, Gemma Ward, Keith Richards, Richard Griffiths and Judi Dench.
In this action-packed tale of truth, betrayal, youth and demise, Captain Jack Sparrow crosses paths with a woman from his past (Cruz), and he's not sure if it's love--or if she's a ruthless con artist who's using him to find the fabled Fountain of Youth. When she forces him aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge, the ship of the formidable pirate Blackbeard (McShane), Jack finds himself on an unexpected adventure in which he doesn't know who to fear more: Blackbeard or the woman from his past.
Rush reprises his role as the vengeful Captain Hector Barbossa, and McNally returns as Captain Jack's longtime comrade Joshamee Gibbs. Claflin stars as a stalwart missionary, while Berges-Frisbey is transformed into a mysterious mermaid.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2010

ALPHAS
Over a year ago, Syfy posted information about a series being developed about ordinary citizens who gain extraordinary abilities. ALPHAS just got the green light for 11 episodes in addition to that 90-minute pilot.
Here's how an earlier Syfy press release described the series:
ALPHAS follows a team of ordinary citizens whose brain anomalies imbue them with extraordinary mental and physical abilities. Taking the law into their own hands, the unlikely team, led by Dr. Lee Rosen (David Strathairn) investigates cases that suggest other Alpha activity to uncover what the CIA, FBI and Pentagon have not been able or willing to solve. These gifted individuals must balance their quirky personalities and disparate backgrounds with their not always visible powers as they work to solve crimes, stop the ticking time bomb and catch the enemy.
According to The Hollywood Reporter:
David Strathairn (Good Night and Good Luck) headlines the cast which also includes Warren Christie, Malik Yoba, Laura Mennell, Ryan Cartwright and Azita Ghanizada. Callum Keith Rennie (Battlestar Galactica) guest stars in the pilot.
Filming will begin early next year in Toronto, and the series will debut next summer.

I AM NUMBER FOUR
The first trailer for I AM NUMBER FOUR, starring Alex Pettyfer as a teen alien on the run, teased us with but the barest outline of the plot and just a small glimpse of the action. But now we're getting a full-length look that gives us more of an idea of what to expect—and that includes lots of explosive alien combat!
I AM NUMBER FOUR will hit theaters Feb. 18, 2011.

WRATH OF THE TITANS
Liam Neeson has confirmed that he will reprise his role as Zeus in WRATH OF THE TITANS, the sequel to the 2010 blockbuster, CLASH OF THE TITANS, in an interview with The Belfast Telegraph.
Though the script isn't finalized, Neeson claims that it's currently on a 10th draft and will begin shooting next March, promising "some kick-ass stuff and a very human story to it."
Set to be directed by Jonathan Liebesman, the sequel is described by Neeson as "a whole revamping" and he is uncertain whether or not it will be produced for 3D this time around.
Sam Worthington will also return as Perseus, Gemma Arterton as Io and Ralph Fiennes as Hades with an unscheduled release planned for sometime in 2012.

THE RAVEN
Universal Pictures has acquired feature rights to Ricardo de Montreuil's short film THE RAVEN.
Mark Wahlberg is attached to produce alongside Steve Levinson. Nick Osborne, Trevor Engelson and Oly Obst will executive produce for Underground Films.
De Montreuil will direct the film, which is being developed as a starring vehicle for Wahlberg. Justin Marks will write the script.
The short is described as follows:
Chris Black possesses a power that could lead to the destruction of the current regime, and they will stop at nothing to destroy him. The chase is on as Chris runs for his life in this sci-fi thriller set in an alternate and futuristic Los Angeles.
The movie is not to be confused with James McTeigue's THE RAVEN, starring John Cusack.
De Montreuil recently closed a deal for direct Universal's Untitled Low Rider Project.

CONAN THE BARBARIAN
Lionsgate has changed "Conan 3D" back to its original title, CONAN THE BARBARIAN.
Directed by Marcus Nispel, the fantasy action adventure stars Jason Momoa, Rachel Nichols, Stephen Lang, Bob Sapp, Leo Howard, Ron Perlman, Said Taghmaoui and Rose McGowan.
Scheduled for a release on August 19, 2011, the film is based on Robert E. Howard's mythical conqueror, who was previously played by Arnold Schwarzenegger on the big screen.

HOOD
The Hollywood Reporter writes that that Andy and Lana (formerly Larry) Wachowski ("The Matrix" films) have set up HOOD at Warner Bros. Pictures. The movie is "a modern, urban take on the Robin Hood myth."
While the storyline is under wraps, it is known that the Wachowskis wrote the script and will direct the film, to be produced by longtime collaborator Joel Silver.
The site adds that the pair are reaching out to actors, with Will Smith as one of those who they reached out to.
The Wachowskis have been working on COBAULT NEURAL 9, their secret Iraqi war movie.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2010

BIRD DOG CHANGES LEAD
After less than a week on board as the star of TNT's BIRD DOG pilot, Eliza Dushku is officially out.
The actress told fans directly, via Twitter, on Dec. 6: "Hey guys! News to report~ We have mutually & AMICABLY decided to part ways on "Bird Dog" due to creative differences. No worries/fears/tears."
BIRD DOG follows a woman (who Dushku was originally cast to play) who becomes a police officer, only to be partnered with her estranged father.

THE WALKING DEAD
Season 1 of THE WALKING DEAD has ambled off with history-making ratings.
The AMC drama finished its six-episode first season Sunday night (Dec. 5), drawing more than 6 million total viewers in the 10 p.m. hour. With repeat airings at 11 p.m. and 1 a.m., the total audience number swells to 8.1 million.
The 4 million viewers in the 18-49 adult demo, is the largest of any drama in basic cable history.
Overall, the season averaged 3.5 million in the 18-49 demo, the best average of any basic cable drama going back to 1993.
In the series finale, the group of survivors discover that their sanctuary at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is not the paradise they imagined.
THE WALKING DEAD has been renewed for a second 13-episode season.

ELYSIUM
DISTRICT 9 director Neill Blomkamp is moving forward with his next project, on which he's re-teaming with DISTRICT 9 star Sharlto Copley.
According to Deadline, the movie is a sci-fi tale called ELYSIUM that's set in the far future, possibly on another planet, and will include the same kind of sociopolicial ideas that made District 9 such a unique offering. It is definitely not a sequel to that 2009 sleeper hit, although Sony Pictures would love for Blomkamp to make one and hopefully earn the company another $211 million worldwide.
Meanwhile, there's no word on whether Copley will once again be the lead in this film, a job he so memorably performed in DISTRICT 9 (he also arguably stole THE A-TEAM last summer as H.M. Murdock), and reps for other actors are already being contacted about additional roles. Unlike DISTRICT 9, ELYSIUM will be made in the Hollywood system and Deadline says that Blomkamp is also meeting with a number of the big studios about distribution and budgets.
Blomkamp is apparently including a graphic novel as part of his presentation to the studios, but there's no word on whether this weird teaser that Blomkamp posted online last month via Wired has anything to do with his next feature. Either way, we'll be watching this promising filmmaker's next moves eagerly.

IRON MAN 3
Jon Favreau sees his third outing with Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark—due out on May 3, 2013—to be the one Marvel film to bind them all.
Even though Favreau's not entirely sure what directors Joss Whedon, Kenneth Branagh and Joe Johnston have in store for THE AVENGERS, THOR or CAPTAIN AMERICA—"I've talked to Kenneth Branagh ... I had a conversation with Joss Whedon in passing, giving him my two cents about the film"—Favreau believes that he's poised to put a bow on this phase of Marvel's movies:
"In theory, IRON MAN 3 is going to be a sequel or continuation of Thor, Hulk, Captain America, and Avengers."
It's sort of fitting for Marvel to let Favreau close what one can only assume is chapter one of this Marvel Movie Initiative.

VANISHING ON 7TH STREET
Magnet Releasing has debuted this new trailer for Brad Anderson's VANISHING ON 7TH STREET, opening in theaters on February 18 and starring Hayden Christensen, Thandie Newton, John Leguizamo, Jacob Latimore and Taylor Groothuis.
In VANISHING ON 7TH STREET, an unexplained blackout plunges the city of Detroit into total darkness, and by the time the sun rises, only a few people remain – surrounded by heaps of empty clothing, abandoned cars and lengthening shadows. A small handful of strangers that have survived the night each find their way to a rundown bar, whose gasoline-powered generator and stockpile of food and drink make it the last refuge in a deserted city. With daylight beginning to disappear completely and whispering shadows surrounding the survivors, they soon discover that the enemy is the darkness itself, and only the few remaining light sources can keep them safe. As time begins to run out for them, darkness closes in and they must face the ultimate terror.

ARTHUR CHRISTMAS
Sony has released the teaser trailer for ARTHUR CHRISTMAS, coming to 3D and 2D theaters on November 23, 2011. Directed by Sarah Smith and Barry Cook, the Sony Pictures Animation and Aardman Animations comedy features the voices of James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie, Jim Broadbent, Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton and Ashley Jensen. Here is a synopsis!
Set on Christmas night, the story of Arthur Christmas at last reveals the incredible, never-before seen answer to every child's question: 'So how does Santa deliver all those presents in one night?' The answer: Santa's exhilarating, ultra-high-tech operation hidden beneath the North Pole. But at the heart of the film is a story with the ingredients of a Christmas classic – a family in a state of comic dysfunction and an unlikely hero, Arthur, with an urgent mission that must be completed before Christmas morning dawns.
McAvoy leads the cast as Arthur, the good-natured but clumsy younger son of Santa. Arthur LOVES everything to do with Christmas; indeed, he is the only one in his family still captivated by the magic of the holiday. Laurie will play Arthur's older brother Steve, heir to the reins, a cool, incredibly capable guy who has given the North Pole high-tech efficiency, military-style precision. Broadbent plays Santa, who pictures himself as the guy in charge at the North Pole, but is now more of a figurehead as the operation has outgrown him. Nighy plays Santa's 136-year-old father, Grandsanta, a cranky old codger who hates the modern world, is always grumbling that Christmas 'was better when I was Santa' and has a tense relationship with Steve, who he calls 'A postman with a spaceship.' Jensen will play Bryony, a lowly elf from the Giftwrap Battalion, with an eager-to-please attitude and an obsession with wrapping and bows. Imelda Staunton rounds out the cast as Mrs. Santa, dedicated wife and mother to her husband and sons.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2010

TANGLED #1 THIS WEEKEND
Disney's TANGLED, an animated adventure based on the Rapunzel fable, rang up $21.5 million during the weekend to top the domestic heap in the 3D release's sophomore session in multiplexes.
Warner Bros.' HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS Part 1 settled for second place after two frames atop the box-office rankings, fetching $16.7 million in the latest session for an incredible $244.2 million in cumulative box office through the action fantasy's third weekend. That puts it comfortably ahead of any of the six previous Potter pictures for a similar span of time.
TANGLED continued to draw about 55% of its business from 3D screens, but Disney distribution boss Chuck Viane said he was pleased with the strength both of 2D and 3D receipts.
"Quality rises to the top," Viane said. "Meantime, we have the holidays ahead of us, and therein lies the strength of our long-term prospects."
Despite a 56% weekend-over-weekend decline, TANGLED totes a $96.5 million cume since unspooling on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.
Three other films posted satisfactory second frames, despite prospective moviegoers' preoccupation with the start of holiday shopping in an annual problem for Hollywood during the first weekend of December:
* Sony Screen Gems' song- and dance-filled BURLESQUE slid 49% to $6.1 million in a third place tie with Fox's UNSTOPPABLE; the bronze medalers carry cumes of $27 million and $68.9 million, respectively.
* Fox's romantic comedy LOVE AND OTHER DRUGS dropped 42% to $5.7 million in fifth place and a $22.6 million cume.
* CBS Films' Dwayne Johnson actioner FASTER tumbled 55% to $3.8 million in eighth place and an $18.1 million cume.
The weekend's only wide opener -- Relativity-distributed martial arts Western THE WARRIOR'S WAY -- unspooled unimpressively in ninth place, fetching just $3.1 million from 1,622 theaters, or less than half the number playing TANGLED.
Collectively, the top 10 films rang up $75 million, or 14% less than top performers in the same frame last year. That's the third consecutive year-over-year weekend downtick for the holiday box-office season, which began the weekend before Thanksgiving.
WARRIOR'S WAY was produced by a trio of companies for $42 million and distributed for a fee by Relativity. Newcomer Sngmoo Lee directed a cast that includes Dong-gun Jang, Geoffrey Rush and Kate Bosworth in a tale about a professional assassin hiding out in the American Badlands.
The R-rated pic attracted opening audiences comprised 65% of males, with a similar 65% of patrons aged 25 or older.
"The opening results, while modest, didn't fall far below expectations as the campaign and [marketing] spend were very targeted," a Relativity spokesman said.
Looking ahead, two movies open wide on Friday: Fox's action fantasy THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADERand Sony's action thriller THE TOURIST, starring Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp.

SUPERMAN MOVIE NEWS
Hitfix reports that Christopher Nolan is concentrating on "The Dark Knight Rises" and has bowed out of any further creative input on the upcoming "Superman" reboot.
Nolan's wife and producing partner Emma Thomas brought up how Nolan is so single minded when making a picture it's hard to get him to work on anything else. So now with Zac Snyder on board as director on the "Superman" reboot, Thomas says "we are handing it off to him".
Thomas indicated that Nolan and David Goyer just had an idea they couldn't believe wasn't being explored by Warner Bros. so "they brought it to an appropriate screenplay and it's now Snyder's picture".
Meanwhile composer Hans Zimmer tells NBC that he will be scoring the Superman reboot. Zimmer's works include "Inception," "Sherlock Holmes," "Gladiator" and both of Nolan's "Batman" movies.

JMS AND SUPERMAN EARTH ONE COMIC BOOKS
Here is an entry from JMS' Facebook page:
The first clutch of pages have gone in on the SUPERMAN EARTH ONE sequel (it's terrific to be able to take a few days to think about one scene and get it right), another big batch of pages have gone in on the Twelve, so Chris is working on those now...and the first SUPERMAN EARTH ONE has now been on the New York Times Bestseller List for Graphic Novels for four weeks straight, currently occupying the number two slot.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2010

THE BEAVER
The Jodie Foster-directed film starring Mel Gibson, "The Beaver". Nope, it has nothing to do with Jerry Mathers, building dams or your dirty mind. Just watch the newly released trailer above to see what this woodland creature has to do with uplifting spirits.

THE WALKIND DEAD
THE WALKING DEAD Season 1 finale is upon us.
For those who have followed the series from the start, it's been quite a ride. Since we know that there's a Season 2 ordered, it'll continue in 2011. For now though, we're concerned with what the survivors find after they've entered the CDC and met Dr. Jenner (Noah Emmerich).
In the finale, "TS-19," Jenner reveals that the designation stands for "Test Subject 19," a person who was bitten, infected and voluntarily allowed his/her body to be monitored and recorded and eventually dissected. "Everything you ever were or will be -- gone."
It's a pretty grim subject despite the pretty lights, and you can tell this is disturbing Andrea (Laurie Holden) especially since this had just happened to her sister. We wonder though if this is foreshadowing. We had already seen clips of Andrea in the shower upset. Could she be next? We also wonder who Test Subject 19 was. Perhaps someone Jenner knew well like a fellow scientist, maybe even loved.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
Harry Potter's magic is waning.
Disney's TANGLED climbed up to the top spot at the domestic box office Friday with an estimated $5 million, just ahead of the $4.8 million from HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS Part I, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
THE WARRIOR'S WAY, the weekend's only wide release, debuted at far down at No. 9 with just $1 million on Friday.
BLACK SWAN, the limited release ballet film starring Natalie Portman, did well with $425,872 for just 18 screens.
The box office Top 10 for Friday:
1. "Tangled" - $5 million
2. "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I" - $4.8 million
3. "Burlesque" - $2 million
4. (TIE) "Unstoppable" and "Love and Other Drugs"- $1.9 million
6. "Due Date" - $1.4 million
7. "Faster" - $1.2 million
8. "Megamind" - $1.17 million
9. "The Warrior's Way" - $1.1 million
10. "The Next Three Days" - $805,000

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2010

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES
Christopher Nolan has begun to give us a little more about his next Batman project, but nothing on who the main baddiewill be. We now know who it won't be, Aaron Eckhart 's scar-faced Harvey Dent as Two-Face.
Eckhart told MTV News:
"Chris and I had a meeting, on the beach, just the two of us ... I said, 'Chris, a lot of people are asking me if I'm in the next Batman. And Chris said, 'Yes?' I said, 'Am I?' He looked at me and he said, 'No.'
"And I was heartbroken. I was heartbroken. But Chris has his reasons and my life must go on."

MORE JACK SPARROW COMING
Disney knows when they have a winner -- in an effort to keep costs down, Disney is planning to shoot Pirates 5 and 6 as one big film, just as they did with DEAD MAN'S CHEST and AT WORLD'S END.
Shooting multiple films in one big production surge is nothing new: BACK TO THE FUTURE parts 2 and 3 were shot that way, as were THE MATRIX RELOADED and THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS; while the entire LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy followed suit. The reasoning is simple: It's cheaper to keep a film going than it is to start one. It's like financial inertia—a production in motion tends to stay in motion, while a production at rest tends to have trouble getting started again.
So it's no wonder that, as Hitfix is reporting, Disney has been telling the cast and crew of director Rob Marshall's PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES to set aside a big chunk of time in the near future to shoot 5 and 6 together. When that time will be is unclear, as Depp is committed to film both Tim Burton's DARK SHADOWS and Gore Verbinski's LONE RANGER reboot in 2011.

SPIDER-MAN NEWS
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Campbell Scott has joined the cast of Columbia’s new SPIDER-MAN movie while Irrfan Khan, Annie Parisse and Julianne Nicholson are in various stages of discussions to also join the production.
The movie, under the direction of Marc Webb and starring Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, begins production this month in Los Angeles and is in the latter stages of its casting process.
Scott and Nicholson (Law & Order: Criminal Intent) will be Parker’s parents, who leave their son an orphan. Parker’s parents have rarely been seen in the various Marvel comic book series and have never appeared on-screen. It is unclear if they will appear in flashbacks, in a prologue or during the course of the movie.
Khan, best known for his work in Slumdog Millionaire, is playing a villain named Van Atter, joining Rhys Ifans as the movie’s bad guys.
Parisse, who appeared most recently in couple of episodes of AMC’s Rubicon, will be the villain’s wife.
Scott recurs on TV’s Royal Pains and also appeared in Damages.

THE RAVEN
Raven, the Teen Titans character, is currently being looked at for the focus of a live-action television series akin to Smallville, Variety reports.
A half-human, half-demon, Raven came to the mortal world at age 16 and took the name Rachel Roth, becoming a member of the Teen Titans. Clad in a purple hood, Raven has the ability to mentally project and teleport her soul away from her body as well as make use of empathic powers to read other beings minds.
Though it's still in the very early stages, Raven is being eyed as a potential replacement for Smallville, which is set to go off the air when it completes its tenth and final season in 2011.

BEASTLY
CBS Films has debuted the new trailer for BEASTLY, starring Vanessa Hudgens, Alex Pettyfer, Mary-Kate Olsen, Neil Patrick Harris and Peter Krause. Opening in theaters on March 18, Beastly is an edgy teen romance about learning how to see past false surfaces to discover true inner beauty.
Kyle Kingson (Pettyfer) has it all – looks, intelligence, wealth and opportunity – and a wicked cruel streak. Prone to mocking and humiliating "aggressively unattractive" classmates, he zeroes in on Goth classmate Kendra, inviting her to the school’s extravagant environmental bash. Kendra accepts, and, true to form, Kyle blows her off in a particularly savage fashion. She retaliates by casting a spell that physically transforms him into everything he despises. Enraged by his horrible and unrecognizable appearance he confronts Kendra and learns that the only solution to the curse is to find someone that will love him as he is – a task he considers impossible.
Repulsed by his appearance, Kyle's callous father banishes him to Brooklyn with a sympathetic housekeeper and blind tutor. As Kyle ponders how to overcome the curse and get his old life back, he chances upon a drug addict in the act of killing a threatening dealer. Seizing the opportunity, Kyle promises the addict freedom and safety for his daughter, Lindy (Hudgens) if she will consent to live in Kyle's Brooklyn home. Thus begins Kyle's journey to discover true love in this hyper-modern retelling of the classic "Beauty and the Beast" story.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2010

BATMAN NEWS
In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Christoper Nolan is calling THE DARK KNIGHT RISES "the last chapter of our Batman saga." The director also says he is glad to be going back to Batman after tackling INCEPTION: "I feel very glad that I'm doing another Batman film. I think it would have been daunting to sit down and write an original script after 'Inception,'" he says. "I love working within the realm and rules of our Batman world. It's kind of nice to have someplace to go that I'm super-excited about."
The Hollywood Reporter also writes that Nolan and his wife/producing partner Emma Thomas have shot down reports that unused footage of the late Heath Ledger would be inserted into the new film. Thomas says, "I heard the rumor. We're not doing that." Nolan added that be believes Ledger's performance should be contained to "The Dark Knight."

21 JUMP STREET
Variety reports that Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill have both officially jumped onto to the film adaption of "21 Jump Street." Both actors will also serve as executive producers. The film will be directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller ("Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs"). "Jonah helped create a smart and funny vehicle that is tailor-made for him and Channing," says Columbia Pictures president Doug Belgrad. "They are a perfect duo for this film and Phil and Chris have a terrific, accessible take on the material."

THE WALKING DEAD
As AMC's THE WALKING DEAD winds down the first season, Deadline reports that showrunner Frank Darabont has reportedly fired the entire writing staff and will farm out individual episodes of Season 2 to freelancers. We'll have to wait and see how this affects the overall quality of the series.

FRINGE - TONIGHT
FRINGE has teased us for weeks now that Olivia (Anna Torv) will be headed home after being trapped all season in an alternate universe referred to as "over there." In Thursday night's new episode, "Entrada," which promises to be pivotal, it looks like things are finally going to come to a head.
To promote the episode, Fox released this totally awesome new movie-style trailer on Entertainment Weekly's website.
In the trailer, we see Peter (Joshua Jackson) discover and then confront Bolivia or "Bad Olivia" (that'd be Torv, too) about what's happened to Olivia. Meanwhile, we know that Olivia is trapped "over there" by Walternate (John Noble), and his plans for her, especially considering the creepy way the trailer ends, don't look good.
It all involves bone saws, guns and backward messages, along with the question "Which side are you on?" Don't missan episode of FRINGE. "Entrada" airs on Thursday, Dec. 2, at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

THE MUPPETS
Heat Vision is reporting that Ricky Gervais and Emily Blunt have joined the list of celebrities doing cameos in Disney's THE MUPPETS, coming to theaters on December 25, 2011.
The cameo list also includes such names as Alan Arkin, Jack Black, Billy Crystal, Zach Galifianakis and Jean-Claude Van Damme.
James Bobin is directing the film, which stars Jason Segel, Amy Adams, Chris Cooper and Rashida Jones. Segel wrote the script with Nicholas Stoller.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2010

BUFFY ON THE BIG SCREEN
Last week news circulated about a big-screen BUFFY project in the works -- but without Joss Whedon. Everyonewas bent, thinking who could do BUFFY the way Whedon did? As it turns out, Whedon himself is mostly to blame.
Apparently, Whedon was offered a shot at being in charge of BUFFY once more, but decided that THE AVENGERS was more important.
Per The Hollywood Reporter:
According to studio insiders, he was approached last year after Buffy rightsholder Fran Rubel Kuzui and husband Kaz Kuzui began developing a remake with Vertigo. After presented with the opportunity, Whedon decided he'd rather work on other projects (he's making Marvel Studios' The Avengers). Producers then began searching for a writer and late last year hired actress-turned-scribe Whit Anderson. The unknown Anderson, with only bit film appearances to her credit, came up with a take on the Buffy myth that was strong enough after a couple of drafts to lure Atlas, which partnered with Vertigo to set it up at a studio.

STAR TREK 2
Screenwriters Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci have, officially, broken the story for STAR TREK 2.
The writers spilled the dirt on pressures they were under to write a good reboot of the franchise and build a new crew that fans would accept to The L.A. Times' Geoff Boucher:
"I think one of the weird challenges that we're facing on this one is that in many ways, with the first movie, I don't think people knew what to expect," said Kurtzman. "So when we were in the writing process, Bob and I really spent our time going to things that we loved about Trek and it was a very unfiltered process. ... Now, that first movie has come up and did well and everyone wants to know what happens next. We didn't have that pressure, exactly, on the first one. That said, part of what we have to do is listen to it all, ask a lot of questions about what people's expectations are—and then let all of that go when we sit down to write. We need to find our way back to the same kind of vibe that we had when we wrote the first one: What do we want to see here? What moved us about Trek? Where can we go from where we left off?"
Orci added: "One of the big challenges is all of the characters are together now. A prequel is a pain in the butt, but one of the nice little advantages was that you get to meet the characters as you go through the story and they get to meet each other. That's fun. We don't that luxury of not having the entire family there together at the start of the story. So now you want the character stories to be good for everybody but also not just be there to be stories but also fit into the plot and be organic. We're looking at a lot of the old episodes for inspiration, still. Whereas the last movie was all about breaking free from Star Trek and its canon, now that we can do whatever we want, we still want it to feel like good ol' Star Trek even though it's a new story."
Kurtzman also admitted that any similarities between the new Trek film and second-act sequels like THE EMPIRE STRIKESBACK are coincidental ... but apt:
"Good sequels do that; they find ways to challenge their characters in ways that they couldn't have necessarily been challenged with in the first movie because, as Bob said, the first is always, ultimately, an origin story. So now [with the second] it becomes about this family that's together, so now it becomes about the thing that shakes them up and challenges them."

NEW CW SUPERNATURAL DRAMA IN THE WORKS
If creator Kevin Williamson has his way, there will be a supernatural drama joining VAMPIRE DIARIES on The CW's lineup.
According to Deadline, Williamson is in the early stages of a show that's being described as a cross between THE X-FILES and BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER—about a group of paranormal investigators—and he's roping in Diaries' co-creator/executive producer Julie Plec to help. While this as-yet-untitled show would share a vibe and a feel with The Vampire Diaries, it wouldn't exist in the same universe—so kill any hopes of periodic crossovers, as when Angel would drop in on Sunnydale to check on the Scoobies.
Given that there's no script, or a network deal, the soonest this show would hit the air is the 2012-13 season.

MORE TRON TRAILERS
More featurettes on Disney's TRON: Legacy have come online and can be watched. Opening in 3D, 2D and IMAX 3D on December 17, the Joseph Kosinski-directed sequel stars Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde, Bruce Boxleitner, James Frain, Beau Garrett and Michael Sheen.

THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER
Fox Walden has debuted this new clip from THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER, opening in 3D and 2D theaters on December 10. Directed by Michael Apted, the third installment stars Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, Ben Barnes, Will Poulter, Gary Sweet, Bruce Spence, Arthur Angel, Shane Rangi and Liam Neeson.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2010

BIRD DOG
Eliza Dushku, who last starred in Joss Whedon's DOLLHOUSe, has taken the lead role in a TNT pilot called BIRD DOG. She'll play a small-town cop who winds up with an unlikely new partner -- her dad.
The project comes from veteran TV writer and director Mike Robe (TNT's "Nightmares and Dreamscapes," "Return to Lonesome Dove"), Deadline reports. Dushku's character is a city girl who willingly left that life in the rear-view mirror when she moved to the Pacific Northwest to become a police officer. It's working pretty well for her until her estranged dad, an NYPD veteran, shows up and becomes her new partner.
If it's picked up, BIRD DOG would be the first cable series for Dushku, who also starred in "Tru Calling" and logged time on two other Whedon shows, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel." She recently guested on an episode of "The Big Bang Theory."

BRAIN TRUST
In other Turner pilot news, D.B. Sweeney -- late of "The Event" -- has landed the lead in a TBS project called BRAIN TRUST, Deadline reports. He'll play a detective who gets help on cases from three geniuses who work at a think tank.

V NEWS
V made a major casting coup when it added the original bad lizard girl Jane "Diana" Badler to the cast of the new V reboot. Now they've done it again by bringing Marc Singer on board ABC's struggling sci-fi series.
Singer (now 62), who played cameraman-turned-freedom-fighter Mike Donovan on the original 1980s sci-fi series, was just announced as having joined the cast of the sci-fi show. The former Beastmaster actor is set to play a new character by the name of Lars Tremont.
Here's what TV Guide's William Keck says of the character:
"Lars is a member of a super top secret organization comprised of high-ranking military and government leaders from around the globe, who have long suspected that the Visitors—despite what they tell us—are very much not here in peace."
While Jane Badler will appear as early as the Jan. 4 premiere episode, viewers will have to wait until the 10th and final episode of the second season in order to see Singer. A long and painful wait, especially since the show's status as to a third season is unclear. To make it worse, the two of them won't get to face off at all during that 10th episode.
If there IS a third season, we hope that they'll get their confrontation and it would allow for more former original cast members to pop up on the show as well, like Faye Grant, Michael Ironside, June Chadwick (the OTHER lizard bad girl, Lydia) and especially Robert Englund, whose character Willie was a fan favorite during the original series' run.

BROKEN CITY
Mark Wahlbert has confirmed that he will be reteaming with director David O. Russell for the video game adaptation UNCHARTED: DRAKE'S FORTUNE. Wahlberg told MTV that he is eyeing BROKEN CITY as well.
"There's this other thing, 'Broken City,' that I want to do... at the end of next year with Allen Hughes directing," Wahlberg said, "[It's] on the Black List. It's one of the best unproduced screenplays..."
The film, written by Brian Tucker, centers on a cop-turned-P.I. who finds himself thrust into the seedy backroom politics of a corrupt mayoral election.

AN ORDINARY MAN
Variety reports that Liam Neeson has added another project to his busy schedule:
He's hoping to take the lead in a low-budget indie project that director Brad Silberling is trying to set up, "An Ordinary Man." The role would be a rare departure to the dark side, a fugitive war criminal modelled on former Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic who's being hidden by his supporters.
Neeson can currently be seen in a cameo role in THE NEXT THREE DAYS. He again voices Aslan in THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER later this month and also has the thriller UNKNOWN coming out in February. He has small roles in The Hangover Part II and Battleship, and he'll return for CLASH OF THE TITANS 2 as well.
In January, Neeson will start shooting Joe Carnahan's THE GREY and then he's committed to play a sheriff on the U.S./Mexican border in Ji-Woon Kim's LAST STAND.

TRANSFORMERS 3
Over the holiday weekend, a rumor surfaced that 3D footage from TRANSFORMERS: THE DARK OF THE MOON was "unusable."Filmmaker Michael Bay posted on his official blog, "come into my edit room and I will show you beautiful 3D. There has never been a live action show that has pushed the boundaries of 3D like Transformers 3. We shot the entire movie with 3D cameras. I actually loved shooting in 3D. I will give full details of my process and why I liked 3D in the next week."
He goes on a bit later to say "don't watch this movie in 2D, we made it for 3D", a remarkable change considering the filmmaker had previously indicated he was not a fan of the technology. Bay also confirmed that the first footage from the film, "an announcement piece" (likely the teaser trailer) will screen in front of copies of THE CHRONICLESOF NARNIA: THE DAWN TREADER and TRON: LEGACY.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2010

LESLIE NIELSEN DEAD AT 84
Leslie Nielsen, whose long Hollywood career includes the comedy classics "Airplane!" and "The Naked Gun," died late Sunday afternoon (Nov. 28) of complications from pneumonia at a hospital near his home in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., his family says. His wife and "dear friends" were by his side.
Nielsen's career spanned some six decades, beginning with appearances in live TV dramas in the early 1950s. He made his feature film debut in the 1956 sci-fi classic "Forbidden Planet" and worked steadily through the 1960s and '70s in both film and television. His movie credits from that time include "Tammy and the Bachelor" (1957), "The Plainsman" (1966) and "The Poseidon Adventure" (1972), and he appeared on numerous TV shows ranging from "Peyton Place" to "The Streets of San Francisco."
Prior to "Airplane!," the bulk of Nielsen's work had been in dramas, but directors Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker wanted someone who could play things absolutely straight in the midst of their anarchic comedy. Nielsen fit the bill perfectly, delivering line after memorable line in "Airplane!" without the slightest wink to the audience -- which only made them funnier.
He re-teamed with Abrahams and the Zucker brothers in 1982 for the short-lived series "Police Squad!," which parodied the stolid cop shows of the era (some of which Nielsen had previously guest-starred on) with the same brilliance. The show lasted only six episodes, though it did earn Nielsen an Emmy nomination for best actor in a comedy series. His character, Frank Drebin, would live on in three "Naked Gun" movies beginning in 1988.
He continued his comedy career in later films like "Spy Hard" and "Dracula: Dead and Loving It," and more recently he played the president in the third and fourth "Scary Movies."
Nielsen was a rare actor who could be equally as effective dramatically as in comedy. I will remember him asSWAMP FOX, Disney's revolutionary war hero forever.

SUITE 7 WEB SERIES
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Milo Ventimiglia (Heroes), Craig Bierko (Damages), Shannen Doherty (Charmed), Illeana Douglas (Entourage), Brian Austin Green (Desperate Housewives), Eddie McClintock (Warehouse 13) and Jaime Murray (Dexter) are among the Hollywood names that will star in SUITE 7, a seven-episode branded web series to debut Dec. 17.
The show, to be distributed online by Lifetime via MyLifetime.com, Hulu and others, is sponsored by the Better Sleep Council, the consumer education arm of the International Sleep Products Assn., to heighten awareness of the important role proper sleep plays in health and well-being.
SUITE 7 is the latest sign that entertainment industry talent is increasingly taking to branded entertainment. The show was developed in collaboration with marketing/PR agency CJP Communications, whose branded entertainment arm CJP Digital Media is producing.
Each week, the web series will see a new couple -- newlyweds, divorcing couples, best friends, business partners, co-workers or even total strangers -- check into Suite 7 and unpack personal baggage.
The series' seven writers include Bierko and Douglas, and its five directors include Doherty and Ventimiglia.
Also involved in writing or directing roles are Susan Miller (The L Word, Anyone But Me), Mark Gantt (The Bannen Way), Tony Janning & Sandeep Parikh (The Legend of Neil), Wilson Cleveland (The Temp Life) and Michael Kang (Easy to Assemble).
Cast members also include Henry Dittman (Greek), George Newbern (Nip/Tuck), Brandon Molale (Reno 911!), Tara Perry (The Legend of Neil), Cleveland and Alexi Wasser (Boy Crazy).
"The Better Sleep Council is leveraging the dramatic growth in branded entertainment and social media to deliver our positive messages of the benefits of a good night's sleep more efficiently and effectively," BSC chairman Jimmy Orders said.
"Delivering your message through this type of branded entertainment has proven to be more effective than traditional delivery methods," added BSC vice chairman, Mark Quinn.

BREAKING DAWN
DREAMGIRLS director Bill Condon is already hard at work on the two-part final chapter THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKINGDAWN - Part 1 with Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner and the rest of the cast reprising their roles. Yesterday, Condon gave Twi-hards a Thanksgiving treat with the very first image from the movie with the following message:
"Happy Thanksgiving and a crazy Black Friday to all of you and yours." - Bill Condon and a link to the image below, which looks to be a reference to Edward and Bella's post-wedding love-making, which involves a good bit of pillow biting apparently.
THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - Part 1 opens on November 18, 2011 with Part 2 following a year later on November 16, 2012.

SHERLOCK HOLMES 2
French actor Gilles Lellouche ("Tell No One," "Little White Lies") confirmed to Canal+ (via Cinema Teaser & The Playlist) that he's been cast in the upcoming "Sherlock Holmes" sequel.
Lellouche was informed Wednesday that he was cast though no word on what his role is aside from it being a minor villain role (though there's speculation his role is that of 'The Swede'). The film involves Holmes, Watson and a French gypsy (Noomi Rapace) on a cross-continent journey during which they'll encounter Sherlock's brother Mycroft (Stephen Fry) and the shadowy Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris).
The production is about to move its crew to Paris and Strasbourg for filming. Several days of shooting take place around Notre Dame Cathedral, though Jude Law and Robert Downey Jr. will not be on hand for that.

SHARK MOVIE COMING
According to Heat Vision, Relativity Media has picked up U.S. distribution rights to David R. Ellis' currently untitled 3D shark thriller from Sierra Pictures and Incentive Filmed Entertainment.
The story follows a group of college friends spending a weekend at a house on the lake to find that danger lurks beneath its waters.
Sara Paxton, Dustin Milligan, Katharine McPhee, Chris Carmack, Alyssa Diaz, Joel Moore, Donal Logue, Sinqua Walls and Chris Zylka all star in the film which will get a new title and a specific release date sometime in 2011.
Jesse Studenberg and Will Hayes penned the script while Chris Briggs, Mike Fleiss and Lynette Howell will produce.

NEW PETER PAN PRODUCTION
Variety reports that Swiss filmmaker Ben Hibon is set to direct "Pan", a gritty contemporary adaptation of J.M. Barrie's classic "Peter Pan" tale for Social Capital Films and Energy Entertainment.
In this incarnation, Captain Hook is a burned out ex-police detective trying to track down a kidnapper whom witnesses describe as being childlike.
Hibon, who directed the animated shadow sequence explaining the legend behind the titular objects in this past weekend's "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part One", helms from a script by Ben Magid.
The script was previously picked up back in 2006 by New Line and at one time had Guillermo del Toro attached to direct. Shooting aims to kick off next Fall in Europe.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2010

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
Logging a record France opening, Warner Brothers' HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS Part I commanded the foreign theatrical circuit for the second weekend in a row, drawing $113.2 million -- down 44% from its opening round -- from some 19,000 screens in 62 territories.
Overseas gross total, $389.2 million, is $168.8 million more than the seventh Harry Potter installment has grossed so far in the U.S. and Canada.
In France, where Deathly Hallows opened at 994 sites, it generated $19.1 million, which Warners said was "the highest opening weekend in 2010." The U.K. provided $13.6 million from 580 locations for a market cume of $53.5 million.
Germany weighed in with $10.4 million from 1,450 screens for a cume of $36.8 million. Japan came up with $7.3 million from 886 sites (cume $34.8 million) while Australia provided $6.4 million from 610 situations (cume $25.1 million). Next big market opening for Deathly Hallows is Korea on Dec. 17.
Finishing a distant second on the weekend was Walt Disney Animation Studio's TANGLED, a retelling of the classic Rapunzel tale which opened No. 2 in the U.S. and Canada, and scampered to $13.8 million from 2,025 screens in seven markets in its first multi-market break overseas (it played at one Paris location last round.)
Best of the seven territories for the 3D animation, the 50th animated title created by Disney, was Russia where the long-haired, teenage princess and her raffish boyfriend collected $7.5 million from 850 venues, which Disney said was a record opening weekend gross for a studio animation. In all, Tangled finished No. 1 in six of the territories played, with openings this week set for eight more markets including France.
No. 3, UNSTOPPABLE from 20th Century Fox chugged to $9.2 million from 4,531 screens in 50 markets - eight of them new -- for an early international gross total of $43.2 million. Director Tony Scott's runaway train saga starring Denzel Washington opened No. 2 in the U.K. (2.86 million from 419 locales) and No. 3 in Russia ($1.3 million from 600 spots).
No. 4 was Warner's comedy, DUE DATE, starring Robert Downey Jr., which grossed $8.15 million from 3,468 screens in 44 markets, hoisting its overseas cume to $73 million.
Fifth on the weekend was Summit Int'l.'s RED, which bagged $4 million from about 2,295 situations in 40 markets. Cume for the spy caper starring Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich and Helen Mirren totals $70.1 million after seven frames of overseas play.
Sony and other distributors' Resident Evil: Afterlife is winding down its lucrative overseas run (cume $232.2 million) in China. Overall, the Constantin Film sci-fi-action fantasy played 3,025 screens in 10 markets on the weekend for $3.5 million.
Universal's durable -- 21 weeks of playtime so far on the foreign theatrical circuit -- 3D animation title DESPICABLE ME generated $3 million from some 3,200 venues in 44 markets. Overseas gross total stands at $284.4 million.
THE SOCIAL NETWORK from Sony pushed its cume to $90.2 million thanks to a $2.8 million weekend logged by director David Fincher's drama about Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg playing at 1,645 overseas screens.
Summit's FAIR GAME, the big screen telling -- costarring Naomi Watts and Sean Penn -- of the Valerie Plame CIA leak story, has grossed $8.6 million overseas so far thanks to a $2 million weekend at 700 screens in 17 markets, with most of the action coming from Australia and Germany.
In Italy, Universal opened director Luca Lucini's comedy-drama La Donna Della Mia Vita, the studio's coproduction with Cattleya, at 295 screens for an estimated $1.4 million and a No. 4 market ranking. Universal's Spanish-language coproduction, Julia's Eyes, held the No. 5 position in Spain with 580,000 drawn from 286 situations for a 31-day market cume of $8.3 million.
Dropping to No. 2 in France behind Deathly Hallows was MARS Distribution's Potiche (Puppet), director Francois Orzon's comedy costarring Catherine Deneuve and Gerard Depardieu, which collected an estimated $2.3 million from 540 locations. Market cume over three frames comes to $13.9 million.
Opening at No. 5 in France was UGC Distribution's People's Names (also known as The Names of Love), Michel Leclerc's comedy about a promiscuous left wing activist who sleeps with her political opponents. Opening at 400 sites, People's Names drew an estimated $1.5 million. Opening at No. 9 was Gaumont's animation title, L'apprenti pere Noel (Santa's Apprentice), a French-Irish coproduction, which collected an estimated $700 from 400 screens. (The Weinstein Co. has acquired U.S. and U.K. rights.)
Other international cumes: DreamWorks Animation/Paramount's Megamind, $32.6 million; Universal's Devil, $18 million; Paramount's Jackass 3D, $42 million (after a $1.8 million weekend at 1,255 spots in 26 markets); Fox's Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, $78.1 million; Paramount's Paranormal Activity 2, $82.3 million; EuroCorp. Distribution's Little White Lies, $39.5 million in France only; Fox's Vampires Suck, $43 million; Universal's Senna, $2.5 million from Brazil and Japan; Sony's Takers," $9 million; EuroCorp. Distribution's The Man Who Wanted to Live His Life, $8.6 million in France only; Sony's The Other Guys, $49.6 million; and Universal's The Kids Are All Right, $3.2 million (Universal territories only).

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2010

THE THING
When Universal bumped John Carpenter's horror classic THE THING PREQUEL from its April date, everyone wonderedwhen it would be given a release date. It looks like October 14, 2011 is that date!
Producer Marc Abraham said that the April-to-October shift was so that first-time director Matthijs van Heijningen Jr. and his cast—which includes Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Joel Edgerton—could do some reshoots that would "enhance existing sequences ... make crystal clear a few story beats ... (or) add punctuation marks to the film's feeling of dread."
Only time will tell if they succeeded.

MARS NEEDS MOMS
Here's the first trailer for MARS NEEDS MOMS, Disney's animated movie about invaders from the Red Planet who visit Earth.
The trailer is focusing on the gosh-wow cosmic excitement of it all, but we have a suspicion that the movie itself, based on the book by Berkeley Breathed, will get us all choked up as 9-year-old Milo goes on a quest to rescue his mom.
Here's the official synopsis:
Take out the trash, eat your broccoli—who needs moms, anyway? Nine-year-old Milo (Seth Green) finds out just how much he needs his mom (Joan Cusack) when she's nabbed by Martians who plan to steal her mom-ness for their own young. Produced by the team behind Disney's A Christmas Carol and The Polar Express, Mars Needs Moms showcases Milo's quest to save his mom—a wild adventure in Disney Digital 3D™ and IMAX® 3D that involves stowing away on a spaceship, navigating an elaborate, multi-level planet and taking on the alien nation and their leader (Mindy Sterling). With the help of a tech-savvy, underground earthman named Gribble (Dan Fogler) and a rebel Martian girl called Ki (Elisabeth Harnois), Milo just might find his way back to his mom—in more ways than one. Based on the Book by Berkeley Breathed.
MARS NEEDS MOMS hits theaters March 11, 2011.

UNDERWORLD 4
The fourth entry in the UNDERWORLD franchise is to be called UNDERWORLD: NEW DAWN. Too close to TWILIGHT: BREAKINGDAWN?
Here's the synopsis Bloody Disgusting dug up:
"After being held in a coma-like state for fifteen years, vampire Selene (Kate Beckinsale) learns that she has a fourteen-year-old vampire/Lycan hybrid daughter, Nissa, and when she finds her they must stop BioCom from creating super Lycans that will kill them all."
Are they trying to attract the mostly teenaged Twilight fan base by introducing a daughter?
The idea that vampires can actually have children was established as early as the first Underwold film, when we learned that Victor's (Bill Nighy) beloved daughter Sonja (Rhona Mitra) became pregnant with the werewolf Lucian's (Michael Sheen) child—a tale that was ultimately told in the last film of the franchise, Underworld: Rise of the Lycans. So we can buy the fact that Selene and Michael had a child.
No mention is made of the super werewolf/vampire hybrid character Michael played by Scott Speedman in both Underworld and Underworld: Evolution, which makes us wonder if he will appear in New Dawn at all, or if he does, if it will only be in a diminished capacity.
The idea of creating super Lycans through an obviously evil bio company is nothing new. Fans would probably preferto have more of the vampire mythos, and a strong continuation of the Selene/Michael storyline. We'll see.

BATMAN NEWS
After shooting the third CAPED CRUSADER for Christopher Nolan next year, Christian Bale will hang up the cape and cowl for good.
While out doing press for The Fighter—Bale let slip that THE DARK KNIGHT RISES will be his final go-round as the protector of Gotham City: "I believe, unless Chris (Nolan) says different, this will be the last time I'm playing Batman."
Which also leads us to believe that THE DARK KNIGHT RISES will be Nolan's final film in the Batman franchise as well, as we can't imagine the director continuing without his frequent collaborator. Not that Bale knows much of anything Bat-related:
"Chris will let me know what I need to know when I need to know it. I probably know a little bit more than some other people out there, but I think most people would be surprised at how little I do know."

DOCTOR WHO CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
Friday, we got the first look at the awesome trailer for the highly anticipated DOCTOR WHO: A CHRISTMAS CAROL, whichwill air Christmas Day on both sides of the pond, and today comes not only the official synopsis, but also the first promo pictures for this special holiday episode.
The show's special guest stars are Sir Michael Gambon (Harry Potter's Dumbledore) as the Scrooge-like Kazran Sardick and opera singer Katherine Jenkins in her very first television role, as well as Matt Smith as the 11th Doctor.
Here's the BBC official synopsis:
Amy and Rory are trapped on a crashing space liner, and the only way The Doctor can rescue them is to save the soul of a lonely old miser, in a festive edition of the time-travelling adventure, written by Steven Moffat. But is Kazran Sardick, the richest man in Sardicktown, beyond redemption? And what is lurking in the fogs of Christmas Eve?
Amy Pond is played by Karen Gillan, Rory Williams by Arthur Darvill, The Doctor by Matt Smith and Kazran Sardick by Michael Gambon.

JAMES BOND MARATHON
SyFy has a treat for you on Thanksgiving! It's a JAMES BOND marathon. Starting at 11:pm tonight with LICENSE TOKILL, you'll find all your favorites, ending with MOONRAKER starting at 1:30am on Friday.

NEW CBS PRODUCTIONS ON THE HORIZON
The Hollywood Reporter writes that CBS is developing a neo-Western crime drama from the creator of CSI and a legal drama based on a story by crime novelist Joel Goldman.
First up is DESPERADO, about a band of lawmen who enact cowboy-style justice on modern-day criminals in San Antonio.
CSI mastermind Anthony Zuiker is the executive producer, with Hitman 2 scribe Kyle Ward writing and executive producing and Matthew Weinberg co-executive producing. CBS TV Studios and Dare to Pass are the production companies.
If the logline of DESPERADO sounds just a tad like JUSTIFIED, well, the producers of that FX drama are working on something different for CBS: Knife Fight, about a female public defender who "becomes a prosecutor in order to pursue the truth."
It's based on a short story by Goldman and has Michael Cuesta (Dexter) writing, executive producing and directing, and Gerald Cuesta as writer and co-executive producer. Sarah Timberman and Carl Beverly (Justified) are executive producing. CBS TV Studios is the producer along with Timberman/Beverly Prods.

THANKSGIVING HOLDIAY
I want to wish everyone a safe and joyous Thanksgiving filled with friends and family. I will be taking a few daysoff, but will pop over to FaceBook to let you know if anything exciting is happening. Happy Holidays!

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2010

TANGLED
Walt Disney Pictures has debuted this new clip from TANGLED, featured Rapunzel (voiced by Mandy Moore) trying to hide Flynn Ryder's (voiced by Zachary Levi) unconscious body. Disney's 50th animated feature hits 3D and 2D theaters on Wednesday. You can watch our exclusive video interviews with Moore, Levi, Donna Murphy and the film's directing pair, Nathan Greno and Byron Howard.

LOCKE & KEY
Deadline reports that FOX has found its leading lady for drama LOCKE & KEY. LORD OF THE RINGS' Miranda Otto will portray Nina Locke, who with her three children "survive an unspeakable horror and attempt to rebuild their lives at Keyhouse, their family home in Lovecraft, Massachusetts. It is a mysterious New England mansion, with fantastic and transformative keys hidden inside its walls that are also being sought by a hate-filled and relentless creature with ties to the Locke family's past who will stop at nothing to accomplish his sinister goals." LOCKE & KEY is from uber-producers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci and was written by Josh Friedman, creator of "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles."

HARRY POTTER ON ABC
TV Guide writes that ABC Family has acquired the rights to air the final two "Harry Potter" films on their network. Tom Zappala, executive vice president of acquisitions and scheduling for ABC Networks, says "Our viewers have come to know ABC Family as the television destination for the "Harry Potter" films. They're enormously beloved by our audience and the world over." Part 1 of the finale is expected to hit the small screen in the Spring 2013.

MYTHBUSTERS ON DISCOVERY
The Hollywood Reporter writes that President Barack Obama makes an appearance on Discovery's MYTHBUSTERS in a few weeks, and it might be the biggest request ever made on the show.
Obama, who is a big fan of Mythbusters, challenges the guys to prove (or disprove) the legend of Archimedes' solar ray.
"Figure this out and report back to me," Obama says.

THE GREEN HORNET
A new international trailer for THE GREEN HORNET is now online.
Opening in 3D, 2D and IMAX 3D theaters on January 14, the Michel Gondry-directed adaptation stars Seth Rogen, Jay Chou, Cameron Diaz, Christoph Waltz, Edward James Olmos, David Harbour and Tom Wilkinson.

PAN
Variety reports that Swiss director Ben Hibon, who helmed the animated sequence in HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLYHALLOWS - Part 1, is set to direct the fantasy action thriller PAN.
The Social Capital Films and Energy Entertainment project is based on Ben Magid's script, which was originally going to be directed by Guillermo del Toro.
The trade says the movie "puts a dark spin on J.M. Barrie's 'Peter Pan,' with Captain Hook as a haunted former police detective in pursuit of a childlike kidnapper."
Filming is scheduled to start shooting next fall in Europe.

VAMPIRE ACADEMY
Preger Entertainment has acquired the film rights to Richelle Mead's New York Times best-selling book series "Vampire Academy" (Penguin/Razorbill Books). In its first week of publication, "Spirit Bound," the fifth book in this series, achieved a New York Times and USA Today #1 best-selling series ranking, while simultaneously debuting as the #1 best-seller in Australia and New Zealand.
The "Vampire Academy" book series is a coming-of-age, action driven, "paranormal romance" fantasy. It is set in thepresent day against a hidden universe of vampires, half-humans, alchemy, and magic. The series centers on a strong, yet flawed, 17-year-old female who confronts her world with grit, determination, and lots of moxie. Rose Hathaway is a dhampir, half human/half vampire and guardian of the Moroi, a race of peaceful and magical mortal vampires who can walk in the daylight, survive by feeding off willing blood donors, grow old and die. Hidden deep in the forests of Montana is St. Vladimir's Academy, where Moroi and dhampirs learn to take their place in Moroi society. Rose must master her inherited abilities as a dhampir and earn the approval of the Royal Council, as guardian to Princess Lissa, her best friend and sole heir of one of the twelve Royal families of Moroi. Rose and Lissa share a mysterious psychic bond and sense of destiny, but first they must survive an intense social scene, politics and the physical challenges of Moroi life at the Academy. Outside the sanctuary of St. Vladimir's waits their greatest threat of all, the Strigoi, a race of bloodthirsty immortal vampires and predators of the Moroi.
"This spontaneous viral event has exploded all across the internet," comments Preger. "Finding an epic story like this for adaptation is one thing, but to then discover this mass market audience, that's growing exponentially, who are eagerly awaiting --- even demanding --- a film be produced, is something very compelling."
The "Vampire Academy" series has sold well over 3.5 million copies domestically and 1 million copies internationally. It has now been published in 34 countries including the United Kingdom and Australia. The sixth and final book of the series is scheduled for release in December 2010. Based upon the series worldwide acclaim and success, Penguin/Razorbill has ordered a spin-off series scheduled to begin in 2011, continuing the series into the coming decade.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2010

A HARRY POTTER WEEKEND
Warner Bros.' HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 1 conjured an estimated $125.1 million in domestic box office for a franchise-best bow and the eighth-best opening weekend ever.
A $61.2 million Friday, including a record $24 million from midnight performances, prompted brief speculation about an even higher weekend tally. But the action fantasy slid 37% on Saturday lacking similar midnight money, and Warners penciled in another decline for Sunday.
Still, the opening was on the high end of pre-release expectations, and Hallows: Part 1 has a good shot at mounting a year's-best theatrical run if the film maintains momentum through the upcoming Thanksgiving span and beyond. The first of two movies based on the seventh and final book in the Potter series, Hallows: Part 1 is widely touted to collect more than $400 million domestically; Disney/Pixar's Toy Story 3 is the top-grossing release of 2010 so far with $415 million.
The last Potter picture -- July 2009 opener HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE -- brought in $77.8 million during its first three days and $302 million in total U.S. and Canadian coin. The franchise marked its previous best opening in November 2005, when Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire debuted with $102.7 million, while the $317.6 million fetched by the original Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone remains its biggest domestic total to date.
The first six Potter movies together collected a stunning $5.4 billion in worldwide box office.
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2 is set to open next July 15, with Warners planning to release the franchise-capper in 3D. The studio reversed an earlier decision to go 3D with Part 1 due to insufficient time for a quality conversion from 2D.
Eventually, all of the Potter pics will be converted to 3D for limited theatrical re-release and a big push in the Blu-ray Disc home-entertainment format.
"I don't think a wide theatrical re-release could sustain the costs of a modern marketing campaign," Warners domestic distribution president Dan Fellman said.
Opening audiences for Hallows: Part 1 skewed 57% female, with 51% of patrons under age 25.
"One of the greatest accomplishments here is that we have been able to age the franchise," Fellman said. "We have been able to keep our fan base as the characters have aged and the movies have become darker. And the three main actors have become really terrific, adult actors."
Produced for an estimated $150 million, Hallows: Part 1 was directed by David Yates -- who also helmed Prince -- and features Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and the other Potter cast regulars.
Part 1 also unspooled in 91 foreign territories during the past week and has registered $205 million in international box office.
Some 340 high-grossing Imax specialty venues contributed a company-record $16.6 million to the worldwide Potter tally. Hallows: Part 1 fetched $12.4 million from 239 Imax venues in the U.S. and Canada and $4.2 million from 101 international sites.
"I'm thrilled that we broke records with Harry Potter, because we have been a part of the franchise since Harry Potter 3," Imax Filmed Entertainment president Greg Foster said. "We're Harry Potter people."
Elsewhere this weekend, Lionsgate's Russell Crowe starrer THE NEXT THREE DAYS opened with a disappointing $6.8 million in fifth place. Helmed by CRASH director Paul Haggis, the PG-13 action thriller attracted audiences comprised 55% of females, with 83% of patrons aged 25 or older.
"It was a disappointing start, but because of the older audience make-up and their movie-going habits we are hopeful the film will have solid playability," Lionsgate distribution topper David Spitz said.
The 3D animated feature MEGAMIND, from DreamWorks Animation and Paramount, took the weekend's silver medal, raking in another $16.2 million to push its cume to $109.5 million through three weekends in release. Fox's Denzel Washington starrer UNSTOPPABLE finished third, as a 42% drop from its opening tally yielded a $13.1 million weekend and a $42 million cume.
Paramount dramedy MORNING GLORY fell 43% in its sophomore session to $5.2 million in sixth place with a $19.9 cume, and Universal/Rogue's scifi thriller SKYLINE tumbled 71% to $3.4 million in seventh with a 10-day cume of $17.6 million.
Collectively, top-10 finishers in the the holiday box-office season's first frame rung up $185.3 million. That was 25% less than top performers in a comparable frame last year topped by THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON.

Four pictures open wide on Wednesday ahead of Thanksgiving. Those include: Disney's 3D animated feature TANGLED,Fox's romantic comedy LOVE AND OTHER DRUGS, Sony's song-and-dance romp BURLESQUE and CBS Films' Dwayne Johnson actioner FASTER.

ALCATRAZ
Deadline reports that former LOST co-star Jorge Garcia is reteaming with J.J. Abrams on the Fox pilot ALCATRAZ.
The project is described to be "about secrets and the most infamous prison of all time." According to the site, the show "centers on a group of missing Alcatraz prisoners and guards who reappear in the present day. It chronicles the efforts of a team of FBI agents to track them down and unravel the mystery behind their disappearance thirty years prior. Garcia will play the hippy geek Dr. Diego Soto, the world's foremost expert on Alcatraz."
Elizabeth Sarnoff wrote the spec script and final draft. Steven Lilien and Bryan Wynbrandt also wrote drafts of the script.
Abrams' Bad Robot Productions and Warner Bros. TV are behind the drama. Sarnoff serves as showrunner and executive produces with Abrams and Bryan Burk. Lilien and Wynbrandt will co-executive produce and Danny Cannon will direct the pilot.
Filming is scheduled to begin in January in San Francisco and Vancouver.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2010

DEATHLY HALLOWS ROLLS ON
After bringing in $24 million on Thursday from midnight screenings, Warner Bros.' Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1 ended up scoring a total of $61.2 million for Friday (including those midnights), giving it the fifth highest opening for a movie ever. This surpasses the $58.2 million opening for the previous installment, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince but falls behind the last two "Twilight Saga" sequels, which opened with $72.7 and $68.5 million, The Dark Knight ($67.2 million) and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen ($62 million).

THE LINCOLN LAWYER
The first trailer for THE LINCOLN LAWYER is now online, courtesy of Yahoo! Movies.
Based on the novel by Michael Connelly, the film stars Matthew McConaughey as Mickey Haller, a greedy LA defense attorney who winds up with a case more intense than he bargained for defending a Beverly Hills playboy against a murder charge.
THE LINCOLN LAWYER hits theaters on March 18, 2011.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2010

DOCTOR WHO CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
The Doctor just keeps on giving this holiday season.
On the heels of learning that the special "Doctor Who" holiday episode will actually air on Christmas Day on BBC America this year, we get more: This lovely trailer.
As mentioned before, it's their take on Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" with Michael Gambon (Dumbledore in the latter "Harry Potter" films) in the Scrooge role. Newlyweds Amy (Karen Gillan) and Rory (Arthur Darvill) also appear alongside The Doctor, who claims to be the Ghost of Christmas Past.
We don't want to give too much away in this creepy-seeming trailer. Time travel is such a natural fit with this story though, as the tagline "Christmastime can be rewritten" indicates. We can't wait.

FRINGE MOVES TO FRIDAY
In late breaking Friday night news, Fox announced it's moving FRINGE to Friday nights at 9 p.m. beginning January 28. Yes, that's the infamous "Friday night death slot" where many a good show has gone to die (at least on the big TV networks). The immediate reaction from fans can be summed up by Televisionary writer and TV aficionado Jace Lacob, who instantly tweeted "Well, #Fringe, it was great knowing you..."
It may not be as dire as all that since Fox has recently said very positive things about keeping the show going. On the other hand, ratings have declined recently and fewer than 5 million people watched a recent episode, which is not an optimistic sign.
Let's hope this isn't the beginning of the end for the series. There are so few intelligently written shows on TV thesedays. It would be a shame to see another one go into the night.

JUDD DREDD NEWS
Filming on the reboot of the classic 2000 AD lawgiver—which aims to erase any memory of the Sylvester Stallone debacle—is about to begin, but this image slipped out.
Snagged during rehearsals, this shot shows that director Pete Travis' flick, which was written by 28 Days Later's Alex Garland, won't take any major liberties with the Dredd costume — but it's also not going to be the shiny happydisaster that Stallone's was. Comic artist Jock, who also did some production design for Dredd, tweeted the link to this earlier today.

THE SOURCE CODE
The trailer for SOURCE CODE has debuted online, courtesy of iTunes Movie Trailers. The sophomore effort from Moon's Duncan Jones, the official synopsis is as follows:
When decorated soldier Captain Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) wakes up in the body of an unknown man, he discovers he's part of a mission to find the bomber of a Chicago commuter train. In an assignment unlike any he's ever known, he learns he's part of a government experiment called the "Source Code," a program that enables him to cross over into another man's identity in the last 8 minutes of his life. With a second, much larger target threatening to kill millions in downtown Chicago, Colter re-lives the incident over and over again, gathering clues each time, until he can solve the mystery of who is behind the bombs and prevent the next attack. Filled with mind-boggling twists and heart-pounding suspense, Source Code is a smart action-thriller directed by Duncan Jones (Moon) also starring Michelle Monaghan (Eagle Eye, Due Date), Vera Farmiga (Up in the Air, The Departed), and Jeffrey Wright (Quantum of Solace, Syriana).
SOURCE CODE is slated to hit theaters on April 15, 2011.

THE GREEN HORNET
Columbia Pictures has revealed the full new trailer for THE GREEN HORNET, opening in 3D, 2D and IMAX 3D theaters on January 14. Directed by Michel Gondry, the action adventure stars Seth Rogen, Jay Chou, Cameron Diaz, Christoph Waltz, Edward James Olmos, David Harbour and Tom Wilkinson.

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS
Warner Bros.' HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS - Part 1 brought in $24 million in a record 3,700 theaters offering midnight screenings, many of which had been sold out for weeks.
While this sets a record for the franchise, this falls short of the $30 million midnight record set by THE TWILIGHT SAGA:ECLIPSE earlier this year and $2 million short of The Twilight Saga: New Moon which opened on the same weekend last year.
The midnight grosses eclipsed the previous record of $22.2 million, set by the sixth film, HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOODPRINCE, which opened at midnight on July 15, 2009.
In announcing the new record, Warner Bros. Pictures President of Domestic Distribution Dan Fellman stated, "What makes it even more remarkable is that this film opened in the fall on what is, for most people, a school or work night. The last film opened in the middle of summer, making a midnight show more accessible to a larger segment of the audience. We are all thrilled by these early grosses, which we believe are just the beginning of a record-breaking opening weekend. We are releasing 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1' at 4,125 locations and on over 9,400 screens in an effort to ensure that the fans who have been eagerly awaiting the film will have every opportunity to see it."
Stay tuned through the weekend for more updates as they come in as "Deathly Hallows" is likely to generate the biggest three-day opening for the franchise.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2010

FAMILY GUY/STAR WARS
Seth MacFarlane gave A New Hope the Family Guy treatment with Blue Harvest, and twisted The Empire Strikes Back into Something, Something, Something, Dark Side. Now it's Return of the Jedi's turn.
It's a Trap, the third and supposedly final Star Wars spoof from MacFarlane—he claims he won't touch the prequels—will be released on DVD Dec. 21.
They went for a shot-by-shot remake of the original film's trailer rather than giving themselves the freedom to cherrypick the highlights.

SUPERMAN
Producer Christopher Nolan and director Zack Snyder have begun their search for an actor to play Superman, and a few details have come out about what exactly they're looking for.
Deadline reports that the lucky actor who follows in the cinematic footsteps of Christopher Reeve and Brandon Routh is likely to be not well known and will either be a completely fresh face or someone they find from TV. They expect to look at "hundreds" of actors in the age range of 28 to 32, which likely means that the campaign to put 39-year-old Mad Men star Jon Hamm in the tights is bound to meet with disappointment (that would probably also rule out another popular fan choice, Smallville's Tom Welling).
Some of the actors whose names have been floated already include Armie Hammer, who's created some buzz with his performance as the Winklevoss twins in The Social Network, and Joe Manganiello, who's set female hearts racing as a sexy werewolf on HBO's True Blood. Hammer is below the age threshold at 24, while Manganiello is just above it at 34. Hammer, by the way, was also considered for the role of Batman in the aborted Justice League movie a few years ago. Another name circulating out there is Ian Somerhalder of The Vampire Diaries.
But the truth is that you should prepare to hear a ton of names mentioned between now and the actual announcement that the role has been cast, as actors are brought in to audition and their agents try to create some excitement around them.
Whoever ends up playing Clark Kent/Kal-El in the new movie, which people have been calling The Man of Steel even though it doesn't have an official title, needs to clear their schedule for most of the second half of 2011: The movie has to start shooting next June if Warner Brothers Pictures wants to continue holding onto certain rights related to the character.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2010

COWBOYS AND ALIENS
COWBOYS AND ALIENS is not a movie with a deceptive title. You've got your cowboys -- as represented by stars Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford -- and you've got some extraterrestrials invading 19th-century Arizona.
The movie also has a trailer that hit the Internet Wednesday (Nov. 17), and it's pretty fantastic. The movie, based on the 2006 graphic novel of the same name, is directed by "Iron Man's" Jon Favreau and stars Craig and Ford, along with Olivia Wilde, Sam Rockwell, Adam Beach and Clancy Brown, among others.
As the title implies, the movie centers on a group of settlers and their Apache neighbors who have to join forces when a spaceship lands in the nearby desert. Action ensues, greatly aided by the piece of advanced technology Craig has on his wrist.
COWBOYS AND ALIENS is scheduled for release next summer.

HUMAN TARGET - SEASON TWO
The second season of HUMAN TARGET started last night. If you missed it, here's a peek at what you missed.I love this show. It has humor and tons of action! Not something you get in a TV series too often.
Season Two promises more action, more characters and more fun!

NEW HARRY POTTER MOVIES
By the time HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 1 runs its course, and makes its forecasted boatload of cash, the boy wizard saga will surpass the boy Jedi saga.
As it stands, George Lucas' sci-fi odyssey is the reigning box office champ; the six films together have grossed $1.9 billion in the U.S. alone, while the Potter adaptations have brought in $1.7 billion. But young Harry still has two more films in the pipeline, and, if one is to look at the $285 million average gross for each Potter movie, it's clear that Star Wars isn't long for the top of the list. Heck, Star Wars'll get kicked to the curb by DEATHLY HALLOWSPart 1, leaving Part 2 to provide a cushion for Potter's lead.
Of course, Lucas will get another chance at number one with the saga's 3-D theatrical re-release starting in 2012—and, not to be counted out of the billion-dollar conversation, James Cameron's got two more Avatar movies on the horizon.

CARS 2
Disney revealed the trailer for Cars 2 on its site yesterday. News that Michael Caine is voicing one of the new characters, a spy car named Finn McMissile, and here comes confirmation on the rest of the supporting cast, courtesy of Empire Online.
At McMissile's side is said to be a rookie spy called Holley Shiftwell, to be voiced by Emily Mortimer, while Jason Isaacs will voice Siddeley, a spy plane. Though less is known about their characters, Joe Mantegna will voice a vehicle called Grem (presumably an AMC Gremlin), Peter Jacobson a character called Acer and Thomas Kretschmann one called Professor Z.
Returning cast members include Owen Wilson and Larry the Cable Guy, though more will likely be confirmed in the near future. Cars 2 is slated to hit theaters on June 24th, 2011.

SPIDER-MAN NEWS
Denis Leary is the latest name to join the cast of the upcoming SPIDER-MAN reboot, according to The Hollywood Reporter.Leary is said to be in negotiations to play Police Captain George Stacy, father to Peter Parker's love interest, Gwen Stacy (to be played in the film by Emma Stone).
Captain Stacy was played in 2007's Spider-Man 3 by James Cromwell. In the comic book continuity, Stacy loses his life during a battle between Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus. Not knowing that he and Peter are the same person, Gwen blames Spider-Man for the tragedy.
Leary also joins Andrew Garfield as Peter, Martin Sheen as Ben Parker and Rhys Ifans in an unspecified villian role.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2010

DARK BLUE CANCELLED
TNT has bid adieu to DARK BLUE.
The cable network has canceled the cop drama after only two seasons, according to The Futon Critic. Its final episode aired on Sept. 15, and TNT has decided not to renew the series for a third season.
The series centers on a crack undercover team of LAPD officer led by Carter Shaw (Dylan McDermott). "Battlestar Galactica's" Tricia Helfer joined on for the second season, which ran 10 episodes and averaged 2.25 million viewers and a 0.6 rating in the 18-49 adult demo.
The network's other offerings like "The Closer" (7.18 million) and "Rizzoli & Isles" (6.92 million) consistently draw in more viewers. The second-lowest rated show is "Hawthorne," which still draws 3.09 million and just hired a new showrunner.

GREEN LANTERN
If you saw the teaser Entertainment Tonight gave us of the GREEN LANTERN trailer, you're going to love the real thing—which has just made its way online in advance of its big-screen debut in front of HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS-Part 1.
Watching it, we're starting to understand what screenwriter Greg Berlanti was talking about when he said he was aiming more for Star Wars than Superman.

RIESE: KINGDOM FALLING
The seventh episode of Riese: Kingdom Falling, the award-winning steampunk digital series narrated by Amanda Tapping is now online!
RIESE: KINGDOM FALLING takes place in Eleysia, a dying kingdom where distrust and anxiety have clouded people's minds, causing a regression into primitive ways of thinking. Rituals and mythology have resurged, and the darker side of mankind has begun to reveal itself. Riese, a wanderer, travels across the decaying land with her wolf, Fenrir. Marked as a heretic by religious group The Sect and the new Empress, Riese must evade their assassins and discover their true intentions for Eleysia.
In addition to narrator Amanda Tapping (Sanctuary), the series stars a cavalcade of talent from the world of popular speculative drama including Christine Chatelain ( The Bone Collector); Sharon Taylor (Stargate Universe); Ben Cotton (Harper's Island), Allison Mack (Smallville); Ryan Robbins (Caprica); Patrick Gilmore (Stargate Universe); Alessandro Juliani (Battlestar Galactica) and Emilie Ullerup (Sanctuary).

MEDIUM CANCELLED
MEDIUM star Patricia Arquette says her series has been canceled by CBS.
Arquette, who plays psychic Allison Dubois on Medium, told Entertainment Weekly, "We got canceled." It's not a big surprise, considering that CBS had just reduced the episode order this season from 22 episodes to 13 due to low ratings.
The actress said that she was trying to find out what the writers had planned for the last episode. "I don't know what it's going to be, but they're really excited about it. They're like, 'We're just going to burn the whole thing down!' I'm really excited."
Since Arquette's character nearly died due to a brain tumor and the show has flirted with killing her off more than once, it should be interesting to see where they finally end the series. Still, CBS has not confirmed the cancellation.

THE CAPE
NBC just announced a premiere date—and released a full-length trailer—for THE CAPE, its series about a framed cop who dresses like his son's favorite comic-book superhero to fight crime. And unlike other recent superhero shows, this one has that extra-special sci-fi essential ingredient we love to see—Summer Glau!
THE CAPE will premiere with a two-hour episode on Sunday, Jan. 9.

MAN FROM UNCLE
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Steven Soderbergh is in early talks to take over directing duties on the long-in-development film The Man From U.N.C.L.E. at Warner Bros. Scott Z. Burns, who wrote Soderbergh’s The Informant and the director’s upcoming medical thriller Contagion, is negotiating to come aboard as writer.
Warners has been working on a big-screen adaptation of the U.N.C.L.E. TV series since the 1990s, most recently with Max Borenstein writing a script as a directing vehicle for David Dobkin.
The Borenstein script was considered strong by Warners, but Dobkin is now moving to the role of producer, along with John Davis, and Burns will write a new script.
U.N.C.L.E. aired on NBC from 1964-68, during a Cold War period that saw numerous spy shows hit the airwaves. James Bond author Ian Fleming was even a creator of the show, which focused on the adventures of American and Russian members of a secret agency called the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement.
Dobkin (Wedding Crashers, Fred Claus) was expected to aim for the action-comedy wheelhouse for U.N.C.L.E. But with Soderbergh’s varied resume, from the light touches of Erin Brockovich and the Ocean’s Eleven movies to the more emotionally complex films like Traffic and Solaris, there’s no telling which way the project will go.
Soderbergh has Haywire, his first foray into action territory, with Channing Tatum, Michael Fassbender, Ewan McGregor and Michael Douglas, in the can for Relativity and is shooting Contagion, a thriller with another all-star cast, this one featuring Matt Damon, Jude Law and Kate Winslett, among others. The director will aim to shoot U.N.C.L.E. at the end of next year. Burns worked on The Bourne Ultimatum and wrote and directed the HBO movie PU-239.
Lynn Harris is overseeing U.N.C.L.E. for Warners.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2010

BATMAN TV SERIES
After Christopher Nolan is done with THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, Warner Brothers wants to keep the franchise alive with a new TV series. And the Caped Crusader's Number #1 baddie will be none other than the Joker.
Inspired by the success of the recent incarnations of Sherlock Holmes—and the endurance of Smallville—Warner Brothers is hatching plans to bring the Dark Knight back to television, and to bring the Joker back with him. A high-ranking Warner executive—who'd previously overseen hit shows such as ER, The West Wing, Friends and Two and a Half Men—is running point on this new series, which is said to be "in line" with the Nolan movies.
What's more, they want to use the medium shift as a way to get the Clown Prince of Crime back in action: Since they'll be recasting Bruce Wayne for the small screen—Warner allegedly wants Karl Urban (Star Trek)—bringing in someone to take over the Joker for the late Heath Ledger.

MUPPET MOVIE NEWS
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Disney’s new MUPPETS movie will be bursting at the seams with high-profile cameos. Alan Arkin, Jack Black, Billy Crystal, Zach Galifianakis and Jean-Claude Van Damme are being recruited to make guest appearances in the new feature, currently shooting around Los Angeles under the direction of James Bobin.
The biggest hurdle facing the studio, as well as producers David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman, is not getting actors to say yes to appear in the movie, it’s figuring out scheduling.
The story sees Jason Segel, who wrote the script with Nicholas Stoller, as the human lead who helps those wacky Muppets reunite to put on a show in order to save a movie studio.
Amy Adams, Chris Cooper and Rashida Jones are among the human actors in key roles.
Arkin is a tour guide while Black will play a kidnap victim. Galifianakis plays a hobo. Details for others were not divulged.
It was reported that Jane Lynch would be appearing in the Muppets movie, but the Glee star denied being attached to the film.

WALKING DEAD NEWS
Exclu: Most WALKING DEAD fans know there's only six episodes in this first season. I know, the season feels like it's just getting started. The Hollywood Reporter writes that sources say AMC isn't likely to launch the 13-episode second season until next October.
The reason? Fearfest. AMC's annual horror movie marathon served as a perfect promotional platform to ramp up interest for The Walking Dead, which also took advantage of the higher audience levels during the fall (something not all cable shows can pull off given the barrage of broadcast shows airing at the same time -- which is why most cable dramas run during the summer).
Plus, AMC has already pushed BREAKING BAD from March to the summer, and has MAD MEN airing in the summer as usual, and at some point has to squeeze in the premiere of its new original series, THE KILLING. Combined with WALKING DEAD,that's four shows to air next year, the most the network has ever had, and cable networks tend to spread out their premieres so they can properly promote each one.
Now, the October plan is not final, and there probably won't be a firm premiere date for awhile -- the second season hasn't even started production yet. But the current strategy is for another October roll out.
Some silver lining: Frank Darabont is expected to write and direct another episode next year.

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES
Lionsgate reports that PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES has found a director in the form of Mike White.
The film, based on Seth Grahame-Smith's re-interpretation of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice, features the literary heroine Elizabeth Bennet up against hordes of ravenous zombies.
White, who drafted School of Rock and Nacho Libre, previously tangled with the undead as part of a cameo appearance in Zombieland. He replaces director David O. Russell, who left the project last month.
No cast members are confirmed at this time, but Natalie Portman is still said to be producing.

AFTERBURN
Deadline reports that director Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) and actor Gerard Butler (300) are in talks to direct and star in the film adaptation of the Red 5 Comics' mini-series AFTERBURN, written by ComingSoon.net's resident reviewer Scott Chitwood and Paul Ens.
Relativity Media got them interested with the screenplay written by Matt Johnson (Into the Blue), though Deadline reports that Christian Gudegast (A Man Apart) is being brought on board for rewrites.
Taking place a year after a solar flare has destroyed half the planet, leaving treasure hunters trying to retrieve what's left, AFTERBURN is being produced by Neal Moritz, Tobey Maguire, Toby Jaffe and Jenno Topping.

INTERESTING E-BAY AUCTIONS
Ranger Jan has a few things up for auction over at e-bay. Here is what she wrote on the newsgroup:
Just in case there's anything that folks here don't already have, I'm running some Ebay auctions to benefit...me! All three trilogies in hardcover, the cookbook, other rarities.
http://shop.ebay.com/janmschroeder/m.html?_dmd=1&_ipg=50&_sop=12&_rdc=1
"We thank you for your support."

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2010

WORLD INVASION: BATTLE LA
Here is the first trailer for next spring's BATTLE: LOS ANGELES, now apparently retitled: WORLD INVASION: BATTLE LA.
The trailer is giving us the feeling that we're actually watching ID4, District 9, War of the Worlds, Aliens AND Black Hawk Down all rolled up into one, neat little package, supported by awesome special effects. And though the haunting music chosen for the trailer (Jóhann Jóhannsson's "Sun's Gone Dim") made us (at first) go "what the heck is that choice of music for an alien invasion?" it sort of wrapped up the whole thing in a neat little spooky bow. We're crossing our fingers that the movie lives up to what we're seeing here.
Starring Aaron Eckhart as a marine squad leader and Michelle Rodriguez as an Air Force tech sergeant, WORLD INVASION:BATTLE LA will invade our movie screens on March 11, 2011.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Fox's runaway-train thriller UNSTOPPABLE did blow past two rival wide openers, as the Denzel Washington starrer booked an estimated $23.5 million in domestic fares during the weekend. But 3D animated comedy MEGAMIND repeated at No. 1, using a modest 35% decline in its second frame to conjure a $30.1 million session and $89.8 million in cumulative box office.
High-grossing Imax 3D screens contributed $1.8 million of MEGAMIND's latest haul. Though it will lose those screens to HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 1 on Friday, the PG-rated pic looks likely to mount a leggy run of the typical family-hit variety.
"It's terrific to be so decidedly No. 1 in the second weekend," DWA marketing maven Anne Globe said.
Non-family moviegoers have padded Megamind support to date. But Globe said she expects "continued strength and playability to the family audience" will become increasingly evident through the Thanksgiving holiday period.
MEGAMIND's terrific marketplace hold following a more ho-hum bow is reminiscent of the spring theatrical run of DWA's HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON. The 3D animated adventure's $43.7 million debut initially prompted Wall Street analysts to worry that the publicly traded animation studio had a theatrical disappointment on its hands until Dragon went to fetch a heaping $217.6 million in U.S. and Canadian coin.
"We're seeing a similar play pattern with our movies, where the second weekend is becoming as important as our first" Globe said.
Two-thirds of the box office to date for Megamind has been registered in its 3D venues, with 65% of locations offering the movie in 3D on at least one screen.
Rated PG-13, Unstoppable drew opening audiences evenly divided between males and females, with 65% of patrons aged 25 or older.
"It's an all-audience movie," Fox senior vp distribution Bert Livingston said. "Word of mouth will be great, so it should play a long time."
UNSTOPPABLE was directed by Tony Scott and cost an estimated $85 million to produce, including tax-based credits from Pennsylvania, where the film was shot. Its debut follows a June 2009 pairing of Scott and Washington in the subway-hijacking actioner The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, which opened with $23.4 million but faded quickly and collected just $65.5 million domestically.
Elsewhere among the new pics, Rogue's Universal-distributed scifi thriller SKYLINE debuted with a less-than-celestial $11.7 million in fourth place, while Paramount's ensemble dramedy MORNING GLORY arose in fifth with a $9.6 million weekend and $12.2 million since its Wednesday bow. Warner Bros.' comedy DUE DATE dipped 52% in its sophomore session to post $15.5 million in third place with a $59 million cume, and Lionsgate dramedy FOR COLORED GIRLDS fell a big 65% to $6.8 million in sixth with a 10-day cume of $30.9 million.
Co-directed by brothers Colin and Greg Strause, SKYLINE drew audiences skewing 62% male, with 58% of support from moviegoers aged 25 or older. Rogue said the PG-13 picture cost just $10 million to produce.
SKYLINE represents the final film to be distributed under a pact with Universal, which sold the genre label to Relativity Media last year. Relativity -- which this year took over distribution operations of the former Overture Films -- begins distributing its own films with The Warrior's Way on Dec. 3.
"The film opened as expected, and due to the cost-effectiveness of its production we're happy with the weekend's results," Relativity marketing and distribution president Peter Adee said.
MORNING GLORY cast includes Rachel McAdams, Harrison Ford, Diane Keaton, Patrick Wilson and Jeff Goldblum. The PG-13 picture drew opening audiences comprised 72% of females, with 89% of patrons aged 25 or older. That could lead to a leggy run, as older-targeted movies can tend to start slow but hold up well in subsequent sessions.
"People feel very positively about the movie," Paramount exec vp distribution Don Harris said.
MORNING GLORY cost an estimated $38 million to produce. "It's really a question of whether the word of mouth will carry it to a good movie. I happen to think it will. The movie has a lot of heart and should hang around a long time."
Hollywood's holiday season's kicks off next weekend with one of the fourth quarter's biggest openings -- Warners' HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 1. Lionsgate's Russell Crowe starrer THE NEXT THREE DAYS also unspools wide on Friday.
Meantime, the fall box office season went out quietly. The top 10 films in the latest frame collected $110.4 million, or 12% less than top performers in the final session of all 2009.
The home stretch to the box-office year also will feature a number of limited-release "prestige pictures" vying for promotional bang from the year-end awards season.
In the latest session, Fox Searchlight's mounting-climbing drama 127 Hours added 18 theaters for a total 22 and grossed $453,104, or a rousing $20,596 per venue with cume of $826,093.
Summit Entertainment's political drama FAIR GAME added 129 locations for a total 175 to fetch $1.1 million, for a solid $6,166 per site and a $2 million cume.

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES
The first teaser poster for PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES has surfaced. Opening in 3D, 2D and IMAX 3D theaters on May 20, the Rob Marshall-directed action adventure stars Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Penelope Cruz, Ian McShane, Kevin McNally, Astrid Bergès-Frisbey, Sam Claflin, Stephen Graham, Yuki Matsuzaki, Gemma Ward, Keith Richards, Richard Griffiths and Judi Dench.
In "On Stranger Tides," Captain Jack Sparrow crosses paths with a woman from his past (Cruz), and he's not sure if it's love--or if she's a ruthless con artist who's using him to find the fabled Fountain of Youth. When she forces him aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge, the ship of the formidable pirate Blackbeard (McShane), Jack finds himself on an unexpected adventure in which he doesn't know who to fear more: Blackbeard or the woman from his past.
Rush reprises his role as the vengeful Captain Hector Barbossa, and McNally returns as Captain Jack's longtime comrade Joshamee Gibbs. Claflin stars as a stalwart missionary, while Berges-Frisbey is transformed into a mysterious mermaid.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2010

RIESE: KINGDOM FALLING
The sixth episode of RIESE: KINGDOM FALLING, the award-winning steampunk digital series narrated by Amanda Tapping is now online!
RIESE: KINGDOM FALLING takes place in Eleysia, a dying kingdom where distrust and anxiety have clouded people's minds, causing a regression into primitive ways of thinking. Rituals and mythology have resurged, and the darker side of mankind has begun to reveal itself. Riese, a wanderer, travels across the decaying land with her wolf, Fenrir. Marked as a heretic by religious group The Sect and the new Empress, Riese must evade their assassins and discover their true intentions for Eleysia.
In addition to narrator Amanda Tapping (Sanctuary), the series stars a cavalcade of talent from the world of popular speculative drama including Christine Chatelain ( The Bone Collector); Sharon Taylor (Stargate Universe); Ben Cotton (Harper's Island), Allison Mack (Smallville); Ryan Robbins (Caprica); Patrick Gilmore (Stargate Universe); Alessandro Juliani (Battlestar Galactica) and Emilie Ullerup (Sanctuary).
Watch new episodes Tuesdays and Thursdays at Syfy.com.

DINO DE LARENTIIS DEAD AT 91
Italian mini-mogul Dino De Laurentiis has died at age 91. Few producers in Hollywood history produced as many films—and few embraced genre storytelling with as much vigor.
His career began in prewar Italy—where he lured stars like Audrey Hepburn, Anthony Quinn, Kirk Douglas and Henry Fonda to appear in his pictures—to New York City, and then to Hollywood. Along the way, he made Oscar winners (La Strada, Nights of Cabiria), classics (Serpico, Three Days of the Condor, Blue Velvet) and giant honking flops (Hannibal Rising, Maximum Overdrive).
But he also dug his teeth into science fiction, horror and fantasy like few others. He gave us the campy intergalactic sex romp Barbarella (1968), the spyrific Danger: Diabolik (1968), the first remake of King Kong (1978), the pulptastic Flash Gordon (1980), the muscletastic Conan the Barbarian (1982), David Lynch's ambitiously overblown Dune (1984) and the wondrously cheesy Army of Darkness (1992).
Dino partnered with horror writers like Stephen King and Thomas Harris—and turned out flicks like The Dead Zone, Cat's Eye and Silver Bullet from King, and Manhunter and Hannibal from Harris—even though he didn't get to put out the best films based on their novels: The Shining and Misery eluded him, as did The Silence of the Lambs.
Looking at his resume, it was clear that De Laurentiis had a love and a passion for "high" and "low" culture and was willing to swing for the fences in pursuit of both. He was, as much as anyone else in the history of motion pictures, a wizard at finding material that could make the inner child giddy with anticipation while making the outer adult sit up and take notice.

RUBICON CANCELLED BY AMC
Not unexpectedly, AMC canceled RUBICON on Thursday. Given that in the key demographic of 18-49, the plodding conspiracy thriller pulled in less than half a million viewers. Although the network didn't address specifics, it probably didn't help the chances of RUBICON that a lot of people who liked the series and held on to the end complained about how it was wrapped up.
There was a lot of conspiracy, but not a lot of thrills. And the nature of serialized dramas is that its nearly impossible to grow the audience in the second year without a massive (and expensive) promotional campaign, combined with a lot of good fortune. Disappointing the die-hards could not have helped. But again, it came down to the numbers and they apparently weren't big enough for AMC, which issued this announcement:
"RUBICON gave us an opportunity to tell a rich and compelling story and we're very proud of the series. This was not an easy decision, but we are grateful to have had the opportunity to work with such a phenomenally talented and dedicated team."

BATTLE: LOS ANGELES
Columbia Pictures has debuted the trailer for director Jonathan Liebesman's Battle: Los Angeles, starring Aaron Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez, Ramon Rodriguez, Bridget Moynahan, Ne-Yo and Michael Peña.
For years, there have been documented cases of UFO sightings around the world – Buenos Aires, Seoul, France, Germany, China. But in 2011, what were once just sightings will become a terrifying reality when Earth is attacked by unknown forces. As people everywhere watch the world's great cities fall, Los Angeles becomes the last stand for mankind in a battle no one expected. It's up to a Marine staff sergeant (Aaron Eckhart) and his new platoon to draw a line in the sand as they take on an enemy unlike any they've ever encountered before.

SEASON OF THE WITCH
Director Dominic Sena's SEASON OF THE WITCH are now online.
Opening in theaters on January 7, the supernatural action adventure is about a heroic Crusader (Nicolas Cage) and his closest friend (Ron Perlman) who return home after decades of fierce fighting, only to find their world destroyed by the Plague. The church elders, convinced that a girl accused of being a witch is responsible for the devastation, command the two to transport the strange girl to a remote monastery where monks will perform an ancient ritual to rid the land of her curse. They embark on a harrowing, action-filled journey that will test their strength and courage as they discover the girl's dark secret and find themselves battling a terrifyingly powerful force that will determine the fate of the world.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2010

STRACZYNSKI TAKING SABBATICAL
Less than a year ago, DC Comics brought in J. Michael Straczynski to take over the two top titles. Yesterday, in an unexpected development, the Babylon 5 creator announced he'd be leaving both the Superman and Wonder Woman monthly comics.
The problem isn't with JMS or DC Comics, but with the evolving nature of comics themselves. The "graphic novel" comic, which has been the form's primary comics delivery system since the beginning, has become less and less significant over the years, with some even predicting its eventual death.
Straczynski's Superman Earth One graphic novel was an instant sellout, went immediately into a second printing and got lots of media attention—which obviously got Straczynski's attention, too. So he's decided that from now on, that's where he'll be focusing his scripting efforts.

THE LIONS OF LUCERNE
Variety reports that Warner Bros. has purchased the feature film rights to Brad Thor's series of bestselling Scot Harvathnovels.
Harvath, a secret service agent and former Navy SEAL, is the protagonist in nine novels by Thor, beginning with THE LIONS OFLUCERNE, which is being eyed as the basis for a first franchise feature.
LUCERNE features Harvath racing against time when the President is kidnapped and held for ransom. As his investigation begins, Harvath soon finds himself framed for the murder of fellow agents and on the run from his own government as well.
Other Harvath novels include Path of the Assassin, State of the Union, Blowback, Takedown, The First Commandment, The Last Patriot, The Apostle, and Foreign Influence (which was just released this past summer).
In addition to the Harvath series, the WB deal is said to include a forthcoming spinoff novel, The Athena Project, focusing on an all-female team of black ops agents.

MERLIN
Working Title has plans to develop a pitch based on the legendary character MERLIN, reports Heat Vision.
Specifics on the film are unknown at this time, but the pitch comes from Jay Basu, writer of the 2005 film Song of Songs and author of the 2003 novel The Stars Can Wait.
Merlin, a key figure in Arthurian legend, has developed into a narrative archetype, referenced in cinema since its earliest days. Though there is currently a BBC television series with the title Merlin, also based on the character, it is unlikely that this film has any connection to that property.

MAGIC KINGDOM
Variety reports that Disney has handed the keys to "The Magic Kingdom" to Jon Fav-reau.
The director will take the lead in developing the project, which is essentially the Mouse House's answer to Fox's "Night at the Museum" franchise.
Disney has been looking at creative ways to turn Disneyland into the setting for a family feature, similar to how the company has adapted individual theme park rides like Pirates of the Caribbean, the Haunted Mansion and the Jungle Cruise or an entire area of the park in the case of Tomorrowland.
The studio recently decided to shelve a script by Ronald Moore ("Battlestar Galactica"), based on his own pitch. A new writer will soon be hired to tackle a new idea that Favreau will help hatch.
Strike Entertainment's Marc Abraham and Eric Newman will produce through their Universal-based shingle. Duo is readying to lense Andrew Niccol's "Now," a sci-fi thriller for New Regency and Fox.
Disney said the studio will take its time with the project as it will need to carefully address how its iconic characters and rides, let alone the overall image of the park, are handled for the bigscreen.
The company has visited the concept before, through Hyperion, which publishes Ridley Pearson's similar-sounding kidlit series, "Kingdom Keepers," in which a group of Florida teens are transformed into holographic guides at Disney World and battle Sleeping Beauty's evil queen Maleficent as the park's characters come to life.
Favreau is already busy prepping for "Iron Man 3," which he will direct for Disney-based Marvel for summer 2013. He recently wrapped "Cowboys and Aliens" for DreamWorks and Universal.

THE EAGLE
This trailer for THE EAGLE is now online alongside a newly-debuted poster for the film, courtesy of iTunes Movie Trailers.
A Roman epic adventure, based on the classic novel, Eagle of the Ninth, the film is set in the dangerous world of second-century Britain. In 140 AD, twenty years after the unexplained disappearance of the entire Ninth Legion in the mountains of Scotland, young centurion Marcus Aquila (Channing Tatum) arrives from Rome to solve the mystery and restore the reputation of his father, the commander of the Ninth. Accompanied only by his British slave Esca (Jamie Bell), Marcus sets out across Hadrian's Wall into the uncharted highlands of Caledonia – to confront its savage tribes, make peace with his father’s memory, and retrieve the lost legion's golden emblem, the Eagle of the Ninth.
THE EAGLE is set to hit theaters on February 25, 2011.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2010

THE ZONE CANCELLED
According to Heatvision, THE ZONE has been canceled just one week before shooting was scheduled to begin. The picture, said to cost around $5 million, was supposed to be a low-cost, lo-fi change of pace for Roland Emmerich, who's known for widescreen $150 million behemoths like 2012. But the director's reps have issued a statement simply saying, "This is not a project [Emmerich] is pursuing at this time."
The movie had already been cast (with more or less unknown actors), and Columbia Pictures had been contemplating an April release for the movie—which may be at least partly the reason for the shutdown.
It seems that in March, the Weinstein Company will release APOLLO 18, a new movie produced by WANTED director Timur Bekmambetov. It's also a found footage film, chronicling a fictional NASA launch that encounters alien life forms on the moon. It's rumored that Emmerich did not want his movie to follow so closely on the heels of Bekmambetov's production.
Why not just move the release date further into 2011? Then you're dealing with BATTLE: LOS ANGELES, which takes a documentary-like look at an alien takeover of L.A., and J.J. Abrams' SUPER 8. Not much is known about that movie except that it involves an alien and that some of it may be shot as home movie footage. The FOURTH KINDdirector Olatunde Osunsanmi is also preparing a found-footage project for next year called DARK MOON.
Plus, with PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2 and MONSTERS out now (the former is in the found-footage format, the latter is not but is still low-budget), there's maybe a sense that this subgenre is becoming crowded very quickly.

RIESE: KINGDOM FALLING
A new episode of RIESE: KINGDOM FALLING, the award-winning steampunk digital series narrated by Amanda Tapping, isavailable at www.syfy.com.
RIESE: KINGDOM FALLING takes place in Eleysia, a dying kingdom where distrust and anxiety have clouded people's minds, causing a regression into primitive ways of thinking. Rituals and mythology have resurged, and the darker side of mankind has begun to reveal itself. Riese, a wanderer, travels across the decaying land with her wolf, Fenrir. Marked as a heretic by religious group The Sect and the new Empress, Riese must evade their assassins and discover their true intentions for Eleysia.
In addition to narrator Amanda Tapping (Sanctuary), the series stars a cavalcade of talent from the world of popular speculative drama including Christine Chatelain ( The Bone Collector); Sharon Taylor (Stargate Universe); Ben Cotton (Harper's Island), Allison Mack (Smallville); Ryan Robbins (Caprica); Patrick Gilmore (Stargate Universe); Alessandro Juliani (Battlestar Galactica) and Emilie Ullerup (Sanctuary).

DOCTOR WHO
Ever wonder what the Time Lord and his companion get up to BETWEEN the episodes? DOCTOR WHO: THE COMPLETE FIFTHSERIES came out today on DVD and Blu-ray, answering that question with two newly written scenes titled "Meanwhile in the TARDIS."
Written by DOCTOR WHO show runner Steven Moffat himself, the two short scenes serve as a bridge between certain episodes of the series to show us all what takes place with the Doctor and Amy in the TARDIS when we're not looking.
The first minisode takes place between "The Eleventh Hour" and "The Beast Below," where the Doctor explains (or tries to) the TARDIS' appearance to a very curious and inquisitive Amy Pond—who is, by the way, still in her nightgown.
The second one takes place between "Flesh and Stone" and "The Vampires of Venice" (you know, right after Amy snogs, kisses, plants one on a horrified Doctor), and Amy finally gets to see all the female companions the Doctor had before her. Pretty funny stuff!
THE MC CULLOCH
The Hollywood Reporter writes that BATTLESTAR GALACTICA showrunner Ron Moore has sold an ambitious action-adventure series to NBC. The broadcaster has picked up Moore's THE MC CULLOCH from Sony Pictures Television.
The show focuses on the men and women of the fictional Coast Guard cutter The McCulloch as they travel around the world.
The script deal plus penalty could bring the talented Moore, whose Syfy series CAPRICA was recently cancelled, to broadcast in his first project since his pilot for VIRTUALITY aired on Fox.
Moore has plenty of experience with shows based on wandering vessels, having both worked on the Star Trek franchise and Battlestar.
Setting a TV series on open ocean is a bold move, since water-based shoots have a long legacy of being difficult (and expensive) productions. Given the advances of green screen technology, however, McCulloch could in theory be shot without every leaving a studio.

TRON: LEGACY
Disney just released the latest TRON: LEGACY trailer, and with the movie's premiere only a month away, the outline of the plot is finally beginning to be revealed.
This third trailer spends its first minute focusing on the father-son bond before getting us into the action in a miniature version of the movie to come. The CG-youthful Jeff Bridges is a bit strange, but when the movieopens on Dec. 17, we'll be there.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2010

WALKING DEAD RENEWED
The Hollywood Reporter writes that after just two episodes, AMC's zombie series has gotten picked up for a second season. It's already drawing in more viewers than any other cable TV show.
In the no-brainer decision of the week, AMC has pulled the trigger on a 13-episode second season for THE WALKING DEAD, which is turning into a ratings monster—chomping on more 18-49-year-old viewers than anything else in the cable landscape. During a time when genre TV programming seems a bit like an endangered species—gone are the Losts and the Battlestars (and the Capricas), to be largely replaced by shows that feel like they're hanging on, week to week—it's nice to see a network, and its viewers, reward heady, expertly done horror.

V SECOND SEASON COMING
When V returns for its second season, it will bring only 10 episodes instead of 13. But the new promo poster for ABC's alien invasion series promises there'll be plenty of drama, whatever the length of the season.
We're not quite sure why every character—including the bad guys—is walking on water, but whatever the reason, we'll be there when V returns Jan. 4, 2011.

FIREFLY
The lads from Geeks vs. Nerds aimed to settle one of sci-fi's longstanding debates: Who's the better rogue smuggler, Star Wars' Han Solo or Firefly's Mal Reynolds? And guess who was called in to make a case?
Last Saturday, at Halifax, Nova Scotia's HAL-CON convention, the Geeks vs. Nerds improv troupe held a panel that wanted to determine, once and for all, who was the better deliverer of illegal goods in a sci-fi milieu, the scruffy-looking nerf-herder or Captain Tightpants.
The GvN crew pleaded their respective cases, as did members of the audience, but the final word came from Nathan Fillion himself, who called in to the panel and listed the four ways the Serenity's captain trumps the dude who drives the Millennium Falcon.
Among them: "Malcolm Reynolds is a man with a plan. Certainly, plans do not always go his way, but he is a man with a plan. Solo, on the other hand, is making it up as he goes along."

X-FILES UPDATE
When THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE underperformed at the box office in 2008, we figured we had little hope of ever seeing Dana Scully and Fox Mulder on the big screen again. Over the weekend when we heard reports that a script for a new X-Files movie was "in the process of being written."
According to France's TVMag, David Duchovny, a man who should know, reportedly said:
"It is in the process of being written. One awaits just the green light from Fox, a little disappointed from the relatively poor reception of the second film." (The film grossed $20.8 million.) "The error comes, in my opinion, that the authors strayed too far from the roots of the series. Moreover, the film was released in the summer. The third will be much closer to what the public expects, with government conspiracies, etc."
However, according to Collider:
David Duchovny's publicist has contacted us. She says while Duchovny did an interview with TVMag, what he said was lost in translation. Basically, there is no movement on X-Files 3 right now.

HELL AND GONE
Heat Vision writes that THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ALICE CREED writer/director J Blakeson is in negotations to direct Warner Bros.' HELL AND GONE.
The script, by Jonah Nolan (The Dark Knight), "is a Titanic-like historical tragedy and love story revolving around the Great Chicago Fire.
Donald De Line and Ed McDonnel will produce.

NARNIA: THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER
Fox Walden has debuted the full new trailer for THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER, opening in 3D and 2D theaters on December 10. Directed by Michael Apted, the third installment stars Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, Ben Barnes, Will Poulter, Gary Sweet, Bruce Spence, Arthur Angel, Shane Rangi and Liam Neeson.
In the film, Edmund and Lucy Pevensie, along with their pesky cousin Eustace Scrubb, find themselves swallowed into a painting and on to a fantastic Narnian ship headed for the very edges of the world.
Joining forces once again with their royal friend Prince Caspian and the warrior mouse Reepicheep, they are whisked away on a mysterious mission to the Lone Islands, and beyond. On this bewitching voyage that will test their hearts and spirits, the trio will face magical Dufflepuds, sinister slave traders, roaring dragons and enchanted merfolk. Only an entirely uncharted journey to Aslan's Country – a voyage of destiny and transformation for each of those aboard the Dawn Treader – can save Narnia, and all the astonishing creatures in it, from an unfathomable fate.

TIKI
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Disney is said to be planning TIKI, from a spec script by Michael Wilson and Ahmet Zappa.
Details are few right now, but the script is said to be a family adventure film inspired by Hawaiian folklore.
Wilson and Zappa recently sold a pitch to Disney called Monster Relocation Program, details of which are also currently limited. Zappa, the son of the musician Frank Zappa, is the author of a children's book, The Monstrous Memoirs of a Mighty McFearless, the rights to which are also owned by Disney.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2010

BRUCE BOXLEITNER/DAVID WARNER AT CONVENTION
If you happen to be in London, November 20-22, you may want to check out the MEMOROBILIA. The event is at theInternational Centre in Birmingham. For more information, go to http://www.memorabilia.co.uk/show_information/.

AMBER TAMBLYN JOINS HOUSE
There will be a new face on HOUSE tonight. Amber Tamblyn is joining the Princeton-Plainsboro team for the next 13 episodes. She portrays an "exhaustingly smart" character, working with Hugh Laurie and that she wasn't really familiar with "House" before now.
"I had never seen it before," laughs Tamblyn. "I knew of Hugh Laurie from 'Black Adder,' actually, and I knew that he was amazing on 'House,' but I never really saw it."
When Tamblyn joins the show, her character is Martha Masters, a medical student whom Cuddy actually finds for House. And she's not afraid to stick it to the all-male team.
"She's incredibly smart. Annoyingly smart. Exhaustingly smart. It's kind of a social handicap and of course House loves that -- she's 10 to 20 years younger than all of the other people on his team and she sort of puts it to them," Tamblyn explains. "No one on the team is particularly attracted to her, they're kind of annoyed by her. Her way of communication is very special. She's kind of the little sister they all tease."
Tamblyn is appearing on the show for 13 episodes, so we can expect to see her until at least March. "She gets to be House's savior. I love the moment when she finally figures it out and runs to him and he's like, 'You really are annoying,' even though she saved the day," says Tamblyn. "I like that idea of somebody, no matter how many times she gets fired and rehired, still has the answer and the will. Eventually we're going to see that will broken down. It'll be interesting to see what Martha's triggers are."
Will she stay on after the initial 13-episode run on the show? "I'm still not sure about anything," Tamblyn says. "I'm kind of enjoying where I'm at right now. I know that's the vaguest answer. I'm leaning towards probably not, but we'll see."
(SF fans will remember Amber from JOAN OF ARCADIA a few seasons back.)

THE HAUNTING
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Chad Michael Murray, Abigail Spencer, Katee Sackhoff and Emily Alyn Lind will star in THE HAUNTING in Georgia, Gold Circle Films' latest entry in its Haunting series.
The film shoots in Baton Rouge later this month with Tom Elkins in the director's chair. Lionsgate has domestic distribution rights and it selling international rights at AFM.
The four play the members of the real-life Wyrick family, beleaguered by ghosts and a terrifying mystery that haunts their new home. Murray portrays Andy Wyrick, the blue collar, no-nonsense husband to Spencer's Lisa Wyrick, a young mother struggling with horrifying visions, a curse she shares with her wayward sister Joyce (Sackhoff) and now fears has been passed on to her young daughter Heidi (Lind). Cicely Tyson, who will next be seen in THE HELP, has also signed on.
HAUNTING in Georgia's predecessor, 2009's THE HAUNTING in Connecticut, scared up the No. 1 spot at the box office on its opening weekend. Gold Circle saw it had the makings of a franchise on its hands and set about finding another true story it could tackle.
Georgia was written by David Coggeshall. Paul Brooks and Scott Niemeyer are producing. Gold Circle's Brad Kessell shepherded development and is co-producing, along with Jeff Levine.

DOWNERS GROVE
HERO's Hayden Panettiere and Nikki Reed, from the TWILIGHT franchise, are attached to star in the high school-set thriller Downers Grove, which has been unveiled at the American Film Market.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Bret Easton Ellis has written the screenplay, based on the novel by Michael Hornberg. Nelson McCormick (Prom Night) is set to direct the feature, which will film in Louisiana in the spring.
The movie will be set in a high school in the Chicago suburb where every year, one senior dies a bizarre death before the end of the school year. Panettiere's character fears that she's the next victim.
The cast will also include Rebecca De Mornay.
Producing are Oren Segal of Media Talent Group, Chiara Trento of Bystander Films and Jason Dubin of Mangrove Media. Myriad Pictures is handling worldwide rights outside of North America.
"We are very excited about this project," Myriad CEO and president Kirk D'Amico said. "The combination of the thriller genre, a very popular and well-known cast, Bret Easton Ellis' dynamic screenplay and Nelson McCormick's incredible skill with young actors and ability to create tension and terror onscreen is just unbeatable."

SMURFS MOVIE
FAO Schwarz has launched a new auction benefiting Toys for Tots for which the winner will get 4 VIP tickets to THE SMURFS premiere. You'll get to walk the blue carpet, plus hotel and airfare are included as well.
The auction includes this new promo image for the film that gives you a first look at Smurfette and Brainy Smurf in the film. It also features the previously-revealed Papa Smurf and Grumpy Smurf.
Columbia Pictures is planning an August 3 release.

KUNG FU PANDA 2
DreamWorks Animation has debuted this teaser trailer for KUNG FU PANDA 2, coming to theaters on May 26. The sequel features the voices of Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross, James Hong, Gary Oldman, Michelle Yeoh, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Victor Garber.
In KUNG FU PANDA 2, Po is now living his dream as The Dragon Warrior, protecting the Valley of Peace alongside his friends and fellow kung fu masters, The Furious Five - Tigress, Crane, Mantis, Viper and Monkey. But Po's new life of awesomeness is threatened by the emergence of a formidable villain, who plans to use a secret, unstoppable weapon to conquer China and destroy kung fu. It is up to Po and The Furious Five to journey across China to face this threat and vanquish it. But how can Po stop a weapon that can stop kung fu? He must look to his past and uncover the secrets of his mysterious origins; only then will he be able to unlock the strength he needs to succeed.

LOCKOUT
FilmDistrict, the recently announced company founded by Graham King, Tim Headington and Peter Schlessel, has acquired all U.S. rights to EuropaCorp's sci-fi action adventure film LOCKOUT, starring Guy Pearce and Maggie Grace. James Mather and Stephen St. Leger will direct the film from their script co-written with Luc Besson, who also serves as the producer of the film. Peter Stormare and Tom Hollander co-star.
Set in the near future, LOCKOUT follows a falsely convicted ex-government agent (Pearce), whose one chance at obtaining freedom lies in the dangerous mission of rescuing the President's daughter (Grace) from rioting convicts at an outer space maximum security prison.
"EuropaCorp is one of the most dynamic production companies with a great track record of delivering high octane product," says Peter Schlessel, CEO of FilmDistrict. "They make bold commercial movies which fit perfectly with FilmDistrict's mandate to release quality films in wide distribution."
"Luc and I, and everyone at EuropaCorp are thrilled there is a new and exciting distribution company in the U.S. We have great respect for Peter and the team, and this deal is about friendship and creativity," says Pierre-Ange Le Pogam, co-founder of EuropaCorp. "We are proud and excited to be a part of this new adventure, and we plan to deliver a unique film. We are looking forward to working with Peter, Bob and everyone at FilmDistrict. It will be fun."
"Luc and Pierre-Ange are creating a highly entertaining sci-fi film with classic action sequences, a gripping story and a great cast that audiences will love," said Bob Berney, President, Theatrical Distribution.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2010

TIME CHANGE
I hope you all remembered to change your clocks last night -- either getting an extra hour of sleep last night --or an extra hour of work!

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
The Will Ferrell-Tina Fey 3D DreamWorks film MEGAMIND took the Friday title its opening weekend, debuting to a $12.5 million start, putting it on pace for a $44 million total its first weekend. The pre-estimates were $50 million -- but "How to Train Your Dragon," the last DreamWorks 3D movie, failed to meets its pre-estimates too and went on to gross almost $500 million worldwide, so "Megamind" could still fare pretty well, according to The Wrap.
DUE DATE, the Zach Galifianakis-Robert Downey Jr. "Planes Tranes and Automobiles"-esque comedy brought in $12.2 million, putting it on pace for a $34 million weekend.
Tyler Perry's FOR COLORED GIRLS earned $7.4 million in its Friday opening, which is a solid opening for the smaller-scale drama based on the play by Ntozake Shange (full title "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf").
The rest of the box office is as follows:
4. "Saw 3D," $2.65 M
5. "Red," $2.5 M
6. "Paranormal Activity 2," $2.3 M
7. "Jackass 3D," $1.6 M
8. "Secretariat," $1.2 M
9. "Hereafter," $1.19 M
10. "The Social Network," $1.1 M
11. "Life as We Know It," $1 M
12. "Conviction," $460 K
13. "The Town," $340 K
14. "Fair Game," $180 K
15. "127 Hours," $77 K

COWBOY NINJA VIKING
Variety reports that the ZOMBIELAND writing duo of Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese have been brought onboard to adapt the comic book series COWBOY NINJA VIKING.
The comic book series, which launched from Image's Shadowline Comics late last year, is the brainchild of writer AJ Lieberman and artist Riley Rossmo. Begun as a miniseries and soon expanded to an ongoing title, the official solicitation for the first issue is as follows:
COWBOY NINJA VIKING is the creation of Doctor Sebastian Ghislain, a psychotherapist who recruits Multiple Personality Disorder patients to produce a unit of counter-intelligence agents called Triplets. But what happens when those guys become out of control assassins? That’s when the deadliest Triplet of them all, COWBOY NINJA VIKING, is called in to take down his own brethren.
Currently on its tenth issue, Cowboy Ninja Viking is not the first comic book property for Wernick and Reese. The pair also drafted the still-unproduced Deadpool.

IMAGINE
Steve Carell has found another project in the form of the comedy script Imagine, reports Vulture.
IMAGINE will focus on a fictional rock star who discovers that Carell's character is secretly his son. The title is a nod to the source of the news; a never-opened letter sent from John Lennon.
The film is planned as the directorial debut for its screenwriter, Dan Fogelman, who also provided the script for Carell's next, Crazy. Stupid. Love. (just retitled, the same article claims, from the original, Crazy, Stupid, Love). Directed by John Requa and Glenn Ficarra, that film is slated to open April 22, 2011 and will feature Carell on the other side of the parental spectrum, playing a father trying to forge a relationship with his children.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2010

TERRA NOVA NEWS
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Steven Spielberg's big-budget time travel drama, TERRA NOVA, will air a sneak peek in May 2011, Fox confirmed to the New York Post.
The series won't kick off until the fall. GLEE used the same tactic last year to create buzz.
The two-hour episode will introduce viewers to the show, which chronicles a family living on the nearly-destroyed Earth in 2149. They travel back to prehistoric times to try to save the planet by curbing scientific experimentation and out-of-control population growth.
Spielberg is an executive producer, and sources tell the Post he's very hands-on, signing off on the script, cast and special effects. His DreamWorks is also one of the production companies behind it.
In order to save money until the first episode -- which is rumored to have cost $14 million -- airs, Fox recently fired a number of the show's writers, with plans to rehire them in the spring when production gets underway again.
Each hourlong episode reportedly costs $4 million, according to the Post.

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS
A third clip from Warner Bros. Pictures' Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1 is now online. The clip features Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) fighting off two Death Eaters in disguise. "Deathly Hallows - Part 1" hits conventional and IMAX theaters on November 19.

DESPICABLE ME CROSSES $500 MILLION MARK
On Saturday, November 6, DESPICABLE will cross $500 million at the worldwide box office, Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment announced today.
With a current domestic gross of more than $248 million, the inaugural 3D CGI feature from Universal and Illumination is second only to Toy Story 3 in domestic gross among animated films this year. DESPICABLE ME is the sixth-biggest domestic release of 2010 and the 10th most successful animated film of all time in domestic gross. In addition, it has become the sixth most successful film that Universal Pictures has ever distributed domestically.
DESPICABLE ME's success has continued as it has rolled out across the globe. The film, currently at more than $247 million overseas, has become Universal's top-grossing film internationally of 2010. In reaching the half-billion-dollar milestone, Despicable Me becomes not only the studio's biggest animated film of all time but is well on its way to becoming Universal's fifth highest-grossing film ever distributed worldwide. The 3D CGI feature has yet to open in several territories, including China.
"We couldn't be more impressed with the movie or with the global Universal and Illumination team that has made it a certifiable blockbuster," said Adam Fogelson, Chairman of Universal Pictures, and Donna Langley, Co-Chairman of Universal, in a joint statement. "This was a mammoth effort from every division of the company, and their work resulted in the film's brilliant success. To know that the first project from Chris' production company has blossomed into an enormous, franchise-launching enterprise is inspiring. We look forward to a long partnership with Illumination."
"In Illumination my goal was to produce movies that not only played to audiences of all ages but also played across all cultures," said Founder and President of Illumination Entertainment Chris Meledandri. "'DESPICABLE ME's' achievement of this goal is a tribute to my directors Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud, writers Ken Daurio and Cinco Paul and my fellow producers Janet Healy and John Cohen. In Universal I have found truly like-minded partners whose contribution to the film and its success was nothing short of extraordinary."
DESPICABLE ME arrives on Blu-ray and DVD on December 14, 2010.

TOXIC AVENGER
Steve Pink, the man behind HOT TUB TIME MACHINE, has come aboard the remake of THE TOXIC AVENGER, reports Deadline. Pink will not only direct but will, alongside, Daniel C. Mitchell, provide the script.
The original film was set in Tromaville, New Jersey - a small American town, terrorized by criminals. Among the residents of Tromaville is Melvin, a nerdy emaciated janitor at the local health club. A gang of thugs devise a cruel hoax that goes horribly wrong as Melvin is cast through a third story window into a vat of hazardous toxic waste. However, an unexpected metamorphosis takes place. As the chemicals take hold of his body, Melvin turns into the TOXIC AVENGER, doer of good, and brutal mauler of evil.
Directed by Michael Herz and Lloyd Kaufman, the original launched their company, Troma Entertainment with "Toxie" as their corporate mascot. The original THE TOXIC AVENGER spawned three sequels and an animated series.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2010

SPIDER-MAN NEWS
Martin Sheen, perhaps the greatest fake president America has ever known, just landed a choice role: Uncle Ben in Sony's upcoming SPIDER-MAN reboot.
Deadline reports Martin Sheen accepted the part, making him the fourth character cast, alongside Andrew Garfield (Peter Parker), Emma Stone (Gwen Stacy) and Rhys Ifans (an unknown villain).
So who's the picture eying to play Aunt May?
Variety -- which also claims Sheen isn't a done deal -- reports an offer is out to Sally Field. And if we can't have Stockard Channing, the "Brothers & Sisters" matriach is more than a suitable choice.
If she is to take them up on their offer, she needs to do it soon. The Marc Webb-directed film goes into production in December, though it won't be released until July 3, 2012.

DARK SHADOWS
According to the Hollywood Reporter, once he's finished filming PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES,Johnny Depp is going to put away his eyeliner and pirate duds for fangs and a cape.
The actor's next project is DARK SHADOWS, which will reteam him with director and longtime collaborator Tim Burton on an update of the classic Gothic soap opera which aired on NBC's daytime schedule from 1966 to 1971. Depp will play Barnabas Collins, the undead ancestor of the Collins family who haunts their manor in Maine looking for his lost love.
There's no word yet on who else will be cast in the film or how closely it will stick to the canon of the original series. Jonathan Frid became a star playing the original Barnabas, while Ben Cross took on the role in a short-lived 1991 revival that aired on NBC (in prime time) for just two months. A pilot with an all-new cast was shot in 2004 for yet another revival of the series, but it failed to get picked up.
The original show yielded two theatrical movies of its own, 1970's HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS and 1971's NIGHT OF DARKSHADOWS.
The new DARK SHADOWS has been in development for three years, with Depp saying that playing Barnabas was a "childhood dream." The movie, which starts production in April, will be his eighth collaboration with Burton.

TRON: UPRISING
Disney has ordered a cartoon spinoff, TRON: UPRISING, to air on Disney XD in a couple of years.
Bruce Boxleitner, or his voice, anyway, will reprise his role as Tron in the series, which will be directed and executive-produced by Samurai Jack veteran Charlie Bean, while Legacy writers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz will consult. The voices of Elijah Wood, Lance Henriksen, Mandy Moore, Paul Reubens and Emmanuelle Chriqui will be joining Boxleitner's in the neon wonderland.
No word on what TRON: UPRISING will be about, or how it'll relate to the previously announced, identically named 10-part microseries which, according to Collider, would follow "a young program named Beck who stands up against an evil regime headed by Clu, who obtains his status after the defeat of Tron, the security watchdog program."

ZOOKEEPER
The first poster for Columbia Pictures' Zookeeper, the Frank Coraci-directed comedy featuring Kevin James, Rosario Dawson, Leslie Bibb, Adam Sandler, Cher, Jon Favreau, Sylvester Stallone, Judd Apatow, Jim Breuer, Faizon Love, Bas Rutten, Donnie Wahlberg and Ken Jeong is here.
In the film, opening July 8, James plays Griffin Keyes, a kind-hearted zookeeper who is convinced the only way to get a girl in his life is to quit his job. The zoo animals, in a panic, decide to break their time-honored rule of not talking to humans and teach Griffin the ways of the wild so he can find a mate and stay at the zoo.

JAMES BOND NEWS
Bloomberg reports that in the midst of complicated financial restructuring following their bankruptcy claim, MGM has issued plans for the future of their flagship JAMES BOND franchise.
The next, currently-untitled, Bond film is planned for November 2012 and the article claims that sequels will follow every other year.
The 23rd entry in the franchise, the film was originally set to star returning actor Daniel Craig as Bond with Sam Mendes attached to direct. Though it is very likely that Craig will still return, there is not yet a confirmation of Mendes' continued involvement.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2010

UNDER THE SKIN
Scarlett Johansson is about to star in a new sci-fi movie called Under the Skin, and the role she will playwill almost certainly cause a few male geeks' hearts to skip a beat or three.
According to Deadline, Johansson will play "an alien on earth, disguised as a mesmerizing woman who uses her voracious sexuality to scour remote highways and desolate scenery to snare human prey."
Sounds a lot like SPECIES, but the film is in fact based on a novel by Michel Faber. While we haven't read the book, we understand that it takes off in some very strange directions that are not at all like that 1995 chronicle of alien/human hybrid Sil's sexual adventures.
The director is Jonathan Glazer, who made the witty crime film Sexy Beast a few years back, and the company behind the movie is called FilmNation. CEO Glen Basner said while announcing the movie at the American Film Market in Los Angeles, "How could we pass up the chance to work with a visionary director like Jonathan, especially when combined with the intriguing notion of Scarlett Johansson as a ruthless alien seductress?"
Filming is tentatively slated to begin next spring. And once it does, we'll be out on those remote highways and desolate locations looking for Scarlett.

TERRA NOVA NEWS
Steven Spielberg's time-traveling sci-fi epic TERRA NOVA, which had its Comic-Con presentation canceled and its premiere on Fox pushed back from January until fall 2011, now has a new set of woes—most of its writers have just been given the pink slip.
20th Century Fox Television laid off most of the writing staff, including former X-Files writer Chris Brancato. FlashForward's Brannon Braga, remains in charge as show runner.
Does this mean the long-gestating series is in trouble? Not according to unnamed insiders who claim this is merely a necessary cost-cutting measure brought about due to the delay of the series premiere.
Los Angeles Times reports:
But because that pushed the bulk of episode production back until next summer, 20th Century Fox Television was faced with the prospect of paying a lot of writers to do not very much over the next few months. Instead, it decided to hand out a pink slip to any writer it did not have an overall deal with. ...
"These are expensive writers," one insider said.
The studio will either rehire the writers next year—if they are available—or scout new talent.

What do the 10th and 11th Doctors, companions Amy Pond, Rory Williams, River Song and Donna Noble have in common besides being Doctor Who characters? They've all been "Simpson-ized."
Springfield Punx is a very cool site where Dean does fan art parodying stars and TV series in the familiar Simpsons style, but it was the Doctor Who stuff that really caught our eye.
(Note that the group illustration of the 11 Doctors was drawn by another artist named Andy and in an older style of The Simpsons, but it's still pretty awesome.)
Enjoy!

NEW HARRY POTTER TRAILER
Hero Complex has revealed a new clip from HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS - PART 1, opening in conventional and IMAX theaters on November 19th. The clip from the film, directed by David Yates from a script by Steve Kloves, is titled "No One Else Is Going to Die For Me" and features Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter and Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley.
Here is the Link:
Here is the Link: http://www.latimes.com/videobeta/9ec91fae-145e-47e1-af5b-5a48ddcdd73b/Entertainment/Exclusive-clip-Harry-Potter-and-the-Deathly-Hallows-

SUCKER PUNCH
Warner Bros. Pictures has revealed the new trailer for Zack Snyder's SUCKER PUNCH.
Opening in conventional theaters and IMAX on March 25, the film stars Emily Browning, Venessa Hudgens, AbbieCornish, Jamie Chung, Jena Malone, Carla Gugino, Jon Hamm, Oscar Isaac and Scott Glenn.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2010

HAWAII FIVE-O NEWS
HAWAII FIVE-O has found the man to play the show's most famous villain.
Mark Dacascos -- best known as the Chairman on "Iron Chef America" and as a contestant on "Dancing With the Stars" last year -- has been cast as Wo Fat, who was the long-time nemesis of McGarrett in the original series. Though the character (played by Khigh Dheigh) only appeared in 11 episodes over the original show's 12 seasons, he is remembered as the #1 big bad of the show.
There's no word yet on when Dacascos will make his first appearance as Wo Fat on the new "Hawaii Five-0" or how the character might differ from the original, who was a Chinese intelligence officer.
Dacascos is a native of Hawaii and has acted in several dozen movies and TV series in addition to his time on "Iron Chef America." His notable roles include the syndicated series "The Crow: Stairway to Heaven" and movies like "Cradle 2 the Grave" and "Brotherhood of the Wolf."

HENRY5
Michael Caine and Ray Winstone are heading up the cast of HENRY5, a sci-fi take on Shakespeare's classic historical drama.
Details are a bit sketchy on HENRY5: This particular band of brothers includes Caine, Winstone, Vinnie Jones, Gerard Depardieu and Derek Jacobi. It's being directed by Michael Anderson, who's been a cinematographer on a host of ads done by Ridley Scott Associates, and it'll touch on the events of both Henry IV and Henry V.
The film's official website gives the following synopsis:
"In an age of apocalypse, in a land without a leader, a dissolute prince finds redemption when he crushes a rebellion that threatens to destroy his father's kingdom. But upon assuming the throne himself, he immediately engineers a war against a neighboring state to slake his lust for power.
"Despite his enemy possessing weaponry rendering their forces almost invincible, the newly crowned king seizes a glorious victory from the jaws of defeat by ruthlessness and cunning. But for all his wiles there's one thing the young monarch has overlooked. Just as he's prepared to do whatever it takes to ensure victory, so is his enemy ... "

TRON: LEGACY
TRON: LEGACY won't hit theaters for another six weeks or so, but that doesn't mean we have to wait that long for another taste. Disney has just released a clip spotlighting a reunion 28 years in the making, and we've got to admit it got us a little ferklempt.
Watch as Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund) comes face to face with his father, Kevin Flynn, (Jeff Bridges) and see if you can avoid getting misty-eyed.
TRON: LEGACY debuts Dec. 17.

COGAN'S TRADE
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Brad Pitt is reteaming with Andrew Dominik, his director of THE ASSASSINATION OFJESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD, for a comedic crime story titled COGAN'S TRADE.
The project, being financed by Inferno, is being unveiled at the American Film Market.
TRADE centers on Jackie Cogan, a professional enforcer who investigates a heist that takes place during a high stakes poker game under protection of the mob.
Sources say Dominik is seeking to reunite some of his Jesse James actors for the ensemble movie, with names such as Sam Rockwell and Casey Affleck mentioned as among those that may join Pitt. Also on the list are Mark Ruffalo and Javier Bardem.

GULLIVER'S TRAVELS
20th Century Fox has released the new trailer for GULLIVER'S TRAVELS, opening in 3D and 2D theaters on December 22. Directed by Rob Letterman, the fantasy comedy adventure stars Jack Black, Emily Blunt, Jason Segel, Amanda Peet, Billy Connolly, James Gorden, Catherine Tate and Chris O'Dowd.
In a contemporary re–imagining of the classic tale, Black stars as Gulliver, a big–talking mailroom clerk who, after he's mistakenly assigned a travel piece on the Bermuda Triangle, suddenly finds himself a giant among men when he washes ashore on the hidden island of Lilliput, home to a population of very tiny people. At first enslaved by the diminutive and industrious Liliputians, and later declared their hero, Gulliver comes to learn that it's how big you are on the inside that counts.

ARBITRAGE
Variety reports that Al Pacino has signed on for ARBITRAGE.
The film, from writer/director Nicholas Jarecki, will see Pacino as a hedge fund magnate under investigation for his double-dealings. The film is also slated to star Eva Green and Susan Sarandon.
Pacino most recently appeared in the television movie YOU DON'T KNOW JACK about the life of Dr. Jack Kevorkian. He is next slated to appear opposite Adam Sandler in the comedy JACK AND JILL.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2010

WALKING DEAD
THE WALKING DEAD walked away with 5.3 million strong in its debut on Halloween Sunday (Oct. 31).
The original AMC series scored an enviable 3.6 million viewers in the coveted 18-49 adult demo, the highest of any cable series premiere for the 2010 season. Drawing more than 5.3 million viewers (and a 3.7 rating in households), it's the largest audience for the network for an original series ever.
"It's a good day to be dead. We are so proud of this series, its depth of storytelling and the remarkable talent attached," says AMC president Charlie Collier. "As the network dedicated to bringing viewers the best stories on television, we are so pleased to have the opportunity with 'The Walking Dead' to raise the bar within this popular genre and continue our commitment to being the home of premium television on basic cable."
Over its three domestic airings (at 10 and 11:30 p.m. and then at 1 a.m.), DEAD drew 8.1 million viewers and a 6.0 household rating.
2.1 million viewers in the adults 18-34 demo tuned in, while 3.1 million in the adults 25-54 watched.
The DEAD also walked globally, launching with Fox Internationl Channels worldwide.
THE WALKING DEAD is based on Robert Kirkman's comic book series and centers on sheriff's deputy Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) who, with a band of survivors, try to eke out an existence after a zombie apocalypse.

SUCKER PUNCH
The trailer for Zack Snyder's SUCKER PUNCH at San Diego Comic-Con left everyone curious about the project. There is Warner Brothers' newly released official synopsis. Here's how Warner Brothers is marketing the new film:
Sucker Punch is an epic action fantasy that takes us into the vivid imagination of a young girl whose dream world provides the ultimate escape from her darker reality. Unrestrained by the boundaries of time and place, she is free to go where her mind takes her, but her incredible adventures blur the lines between what's real and what is imaginary ... with potentially tragic consequences.
Born from the creative vision of filmmaker Zack Snyder (Watchmen, 300), Sucker Punch features an ensemble cast of young stars, including Emily Browning (The Uninvited), Abbie Cornish (Bright Star), Jena Malone (Into the Wild), Vanessa Hudgens (the High School Musical films) and Jamie Chung (Sorority Row). The film's main cast also includes Oscar Isaac (Robin Hood) and Carla Gugino (Watchmen), with Jon Hamm (upcoming The Town, TV's Mad Men) and Scott Glenn (The Bourne Ultimatum).
Zack Snyder is directing Sucker Punch from a screenplay he wrote with Steve Shibuya, based on Snyder's story. Snyder and Deborah Snyder are producing, with Thomas Tull, Wesley Coller, Jon Jashni, Chris deFaria, Jim Rowe and William Fay serving as executive producers.
The behind-the-scenes creative team includes Academy Award®-winning production designer Rick Carter (Avatar) and Watchmen and 300 veterans director of photography Larry Fong, editor William Hoy and costume designer Michael Wilkinson. The music is by Tyler Bates and Marius DeVries.
Warner Bros. Pictures presents, in association with Legendary Pictures, a Cruel and Unusual Production of a Zack Snyder film, Sucker Punch. Opening nationwide on March 25, 2011, the film will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

TINTIN
Two filmmaking titans are bringing Herge's globally popular comics to CGI life, and here are the first images from their collaboration.
Britain's Empire magazine got an exclusive look at the first of three Tintin films Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson and making together, THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN: THE SECRET OF THE UNICORN, which is set to hit theaters in fall 2011. Jamie Bell is "playing" Tintin—the films were shot using James Cameron's performance-capture technology—Andy Sirkis is playing Captain Haddock, and Daniel Craig, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and Cary Elwes are also along for the ride.
"With live action you're going to have actors pretending to be Captain Haddock and Tintin," says Jackson. "You'd be casting people to look like them. It's not really going to feel like the Tintin Hergé drew. It's going to be somewhat different. With CGI we can bring Hergé's world to life, keep the stylized caricatured faces, keep everything looking like Hergé's artwork, but make it photo-real."
Spielberg directed Secret of the Unicorn—which combines The Crab With the Golden Claws, The Secret of the Unicorn and Red Rackham's Treasure—and Jackson is set to helm the next film. Which of Hergé's classic tales will he choose?
"One of my favorites is The Seven Crystal Balls, so that's the one I've always been thinking of," he says. "I also really like the Eastern European ones, the Balkan ones like King Ottokar's Sceptre and The Calculus Affair. I think it's a terrific setting for a thriller, the weird Balkan politics and the mysterious secret service agents. I think the moon ones are terrific, but they'd be good for the third or fourth Tintin film, if we get that far. We want to keep his feet on the ground just a little bit longer."

DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Erik Larson’s acclaimed novel THE DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY is getting another shot at the big screen, this time with the help of Leonardo DiCaprio and his Appian Way shingle.
DiCaprio is attached to star and will produce with his Appian Way partner Jennifer Killoran, along with Double Feature principals Michael Shamberg and Stacey Sher.
THE DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY spent three years on the New York Times bestseller list, has sold 2.3 million copies and has been translated into 17 languages.
The nonfiction story focuses on the lives of two men who turned the 1893 Chicago World's Fair into their playground. One man, Daniel H. Burnham, the architect responsible for the fair's construction, in a short period of time was forced to overcome immense obstacles to construct the famous "White City" around which the fair was built. The other, H.H. Holmes, was a serial killer masquerading as a charming doctor who is believed to be responsible for scores of murders around the time of the fair. Holmes devised and erected the World's Fair Hotel, complete with crematorium and gas chamber, near the fairgrounds and used the event as well as his own charismatic personality to lure victims to their death.
DiCaprio is to play the murder-minded Holmes.
WHITE CITY has long captivated Hollywood’s top talent, although the period setting always seemed to pose budgetary roadblocks. Kathryn Bigelow was attached to direct and produce at one point, and Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner were also developing an adaptation.
Paramount was the home of the book until 2004, when it let the option lapse, but then it re-optioned it in 2007 for Double Feature to produce.
The project lapsed again, although Double Feature still hung on to the book. Right now, it has no studio home or financing, although DiCaprio’s involvement may change that sooner than later.
“I think that a guy who is that intelligent and that charismatic is nothing less than complex, and it’s that complexity that (DiCaprio) is drawn to,” said Killoran about DiCaprio's decision to play the evil Holmes. “And because people don’t know much about (Holmes), it makes it even more interesting.”
The plan now is to find a writer or a writer-director to help nail down the vast story, then move to setting it up.

THE HOBBIT NEWS
New Line/WB reports that British actor James Nesbitt (Millions and TV's "Cold Feet") has joined the ensemble cast of THE HOBBIT.
Nesbitt will play Bofur, a disarmingly forthright, funny and occasionally brave Dwarf. "James's charm, warmth and wit are legendary as is his range as an actor in both comedic and dramatic roles. We feel very lucky to be able to welcome him as one of our cast." said director Peter Jackson.
Newcomer Adam Brown will play Ori, another of the Dwarf Company which sets out to reclaim the Lonely Mountain from the infamous dragon, Smaug. Jackson comments, "Adam is a wonderfully expressive actor and has a unique screen presence. I look forward to seeing him bring Ori to life."
Nesbitt and Brown will join the cast announced on October 21, which includes Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage (soon to appear in Captain America: The First Avenger), Aidan Turner (TV's "Being Human"), Rob Kazinsky (TVs "EastEnders"), Graham McTavish (Secretariat), John Callen (TV's "Power Rangers Jungle Fury"), Stephen Hunter (TV's "All Saints"), Mark Hadlow (King Kong) and Peter Hambleton (TV's "The Strip").
Since THE HOBBIT films received a green light on October 15, pre-production has been in full swing with release dates set for December, 2012 and December, 2013. The two The Hobbit films are being co-produced by New Line Cinema and MGM, with New Line managing production, Warner Bros Pictures handling domestic distribution and MGM distributing internationally.
Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Carolynne Cunningham are producing the films, with co-writer Philippa Boyens serving as co-producer and Ken Kamins as executive producer. The Oscar-winning, critically acclaimed "LOTR" trilogy, also from the production team of Jackson, Walsh and Cunningham, grossed nearly $3 billion worldwide at the box office. In 2003, "Return of the King swept the Academy Awards, winning all of the 11 categories in which it was nominated, including Best Picture – the first ever Best Picture win for a fantasy film. The trilogy’'s production was also unprecedented at the time.

THE GOONIES CELEBRATES 25TH ANNIVERSARY
In celebration of the GOONIES 25TH anniversary, Warner Bros. recently hosted "The Great GOONIES Treasure Hunt" onthe WB lot. Celebrity Guests, from the original cast, including Corey Feldman, Richard Donner, and more.
Three winners from The Goonies 25th Anniversary Great Treasure Hunt Sweepstakes (which had 25,000 entrants) competed for a $5,000 grand prize in a LIVE event on the lot. Check out the great footage from the event, which includes interviews with cast and crew.
Talent included Corey Feldman (“Mouth”), Ke Huy Quan (“Data”), Jeff Cohen (“Chunk”), Lupe Ontiveros (“Rosalita”),Joey Pantoliano (“Francis Fratelli”), Robert Davi (“Jake Fratelli”), Richard Donner (Director), and Mike Fenton (Casting).

Video clip:
http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/gooniesthe/clips/Goonies_edit_raw_footage_qt_300.mov

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2010

FRIDAY RATINGS
CBS won Friday as usual, with its trio of dramas rock steady with last week.
Medium (6.9 million, 1.4), CSI: NY (10.4 million, 1.8) and Blue Bloods (11.5 million, 1.8) were all unchanged.
ABC debuted Primetime (5.4 million, 1.7), down slightly from last year, then ran 20/20 (5.4 million, 1.6).
The CW ranked third -- third! The CW! -- with Smallville (2.9 million, 1.2) rising a tenth this week, followed by a stable Supernatural (2.5 million, 1.1).
NBC continues to play ratings limbo stick with School Pride (2.4 million, 0.6) -- How low can they go? -- down another tenth, followed by Dateline (4.9 million, 1.3).
Fox aired a repeat and The Good Guys (2.4 million, 0.7).
Friday hour by hour:
8 p.m.
CBS: "Medium" (6.9 million, 4.3/8)
ABC: "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" (5.5, 3.1/6)
The CW: "Smallville" (2.9 million, 1.7/3)
FOX: "House" rerun (2.8 million, 1.9/4)
NBC: "School Pride" (2.4 million, 1.6/3)
18-49 leader: "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" (1.6)

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
Horror fans flocked to Lionsgate's seventh and final chapter in its lucrative slasher franchise as 3D enthusiasm reversed flagging franchise interest for a full-blooded bow estimated at $24.2 million. SAW 3D boasted more than 2,100 3D locations among 2,808 total engagements, with 3D venues contributing 92% of its weekend grosses.
The chart-topping performance came despite any audience overlap with the previous weekend's No. 1 picture -- Paramount's haunted-house prequel PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2, which fell 59% in its sophomore frame to scare up $16.5 million in second place and pile its cumulative coin to $65.7 million. Summit Entertainment's leggy action comedy RED copped the box-office bronze medal, fetching $10.8 million in its third session for a $58.9 million cume.
SAW 3D production costs were inflated by expenses associated with the 3D shoot, and at just less than $20 million it represented the most splashed-out on any SAW pic. Opening audiences for the R-rated movie were 56% male, with 57% of patrons under age 25; African-American patrons provided 42% of opening support and Latinos 18%.
The solid Halloween weekend tally for SAW 3D was still well short of a franchise record: SAW III bowed with a series-best $33.6 million in 2006 on the way to $80.3 million in U.S. and Canadian coin. The franchise's top domestic run came a year earlier, when Saw II fetched $87 million following a $31 million opening.
SAW VI unspooled last October with a disappointing $14.1 million and rang up $27.9 million overall domestically.
"Our emphasis from day one was 3D," Lionsgate distribution topper David Spitz said. "After last year, we knew we needed to infuse something into the franchise."
Lionsgate and co-production partner Twisted Pictures appear sincere in pulling the plug on SAW sequels, and there are no plans to convert previous chapters for 3D rerelease. But as the most lucrative horror series in film history, a franchise reboot would seem a distinct possibility.
On an industrywide basis, the weekend was strong. Top 10 finishers rung up a collective $83.8 million, or 13% more than top performers in the same frame last year, Rentrak said.
Looking ahead to next weekend, the fall box-office season starts to wind to a busy close with three wide releases set to hit multiplexes in its penultimate frame, including Paramount's DreamWorks Animation-produced MEGAMIND.
The 3D animated adventure will need to start strongly, as its core family support will be in Warner Bros.' crosshairs just two weekends later when HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 1 figures among wide openers set for the first session of the holiday box-office season.
Other wide releases set for Friday include Lionsgate's urban drama FOR COLORED GIRLS and Warners' R-rated comedy DUE DATE.

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS
Warner Bros. Pictures has fully launched the official site for HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS - Part 1. At the site, you can learn about the movie, check out the gallery, view videos, get downloads, check out clips from the soundtrack, play games and much more.

TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON
Paramount Pictures has updated the official site for Michael Bay's TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON with the logo for the third film that you got to see briefly in Entertainment Tonight's set visit segment. At the time of this writing there's not much else at the site yet, but we expect that to change very soon.

MAN ON A LEDGE
Principal photography has begun in New York City on the Summit Entertainment feature MAN ON A LEDGE.
An ex-cop and now wanted fugitive (Sam Worthington) stands on the ledge of a high-rise building while a hard-living New York Police Department hostage negotiator (Elizabeth Banks) tries to talk him down. The longer they are on the ledge, the more she realizes that he might have an ulterior objective.
Worthington (Avatar) and Banks (The Next Three Days) star among an ensemble cast including Anthony Mackie (The Hurt Locker), who portrays Worthington's best friend and ally and Jamie Bell (Billy Elliot) who is Worthington's younger brother and ardent supporter. Also along for the ride is four-time Oscar nominee Ed Harris (Pollock) who plays a powerful businessman, while Edward Burns (27 Dresses) is a rival negotiator who tries to swoop in when he believes Banks has a conflict of interest. Newcomer Genesis Rodriguez (Casa di me Padre) plays Bell's girlfriend who along with Bell, tries to prove Worthington's innocence.
Producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura stated, "'Man on a Ledge' is an incredible suspense thriller with a powerhouse cast. I look forward to producing this project and once again working with Summit Entertainment with which we just released the action comedy 'RED.'"
MAN ON A LEDGE is directed by Asger Leth (Ghosts of Cite Soleil), from an original screenplay written by Pablo F. Fenjves (The Affair) and Erich Hoeber & Jon Hoeber, and is being produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Mark Vahradian (Transformers & Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen). Executive Producers are David Ready (RED) and Jake Myers (RED).
Paul Cameron (Man on Fire) is the Director of Photography and the Production Designer is Alec Hammond (RED). Kevin Stitt (X-Men) is the Editor and Susan Lyall (RED) serves as Costume Designer.

CONAN GETS RELEASE DATE
Lionsgate has picked a release date for Marcus Nispel's reimagining of Robert E. Howard's CONAN THE BARBARIAN in 3D a.k.a. Conan 3D, and that date is August 19, 2011, which means it will be facing two other 3D movies, FRIGHT NIGHT 3D and Robert Rodriguez's SPY KIDS: ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD. (Final Destination 5 opens in 3D just one week later!)
The film stars relative newcomer Jason Momoa in the title role as the mythical warrior with the cast rounded out by Rachel Nichols, Stephen Lang, Ron Perlman, Said Taghmaoui and Rose McGowan.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
In the battle of scary movies this Halloween weekend, "Saw 3D: The Final Chapter" has chisled its way to the top.According to early studio estimates, "Saw 3D" grossed $10.8 million in its first day. It's the only new wide release of the week, so its only real competition is "Paranormal Activity 2," which took in $5.9 million this weekend so far."Saw 3D" looks to be tracking to gross about $24 million for the weekend.
The full Top 10 on Friday:
"Saw 3D" - $10.8 million
"Paranormal Activity 2" - $5.9 million
"RED" - $3.4 million
"Jackass 3D" - $3.2 million
"Hereafter" - $2.1 million
"Secretariat" - $1.6 million
"The Social Network" - $1.6 million
"Life As We Know It" - $1.4 million
"The Town" - $620,000
"Legend of the Guardian: The Owls of Ga'Hoole" $480,000

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2010

FRIDAY NIGHT RATINGS
CBS won Friday as usual, with its trio of dramas rock steady with last week.
Medium (6.9 million, 1.4), CSI: NY (10.4 million, 1.8) and Blue Bloods (11.5 million, 1.8) were all unchanged.
ABC debuted Primetime (5.4 million, 1.7), down slightly from last year, then ran 20/20 (5.4 million, 1.6).
The CW ranked third! The CW! -- with Smallville (2.9 million, 1.2) rising a tenth this week, followed by a stable Supernatural (2.5 million, 1.1).
NBC continues to play ratings limbo stick with School Pride (2.4 million, 0.6) -- How low can they go? -- down another tenth, followed by Dateline (4.9 million, 1.3).
Fox aired a repeat and The Good Guys (2.4 million, 0.7).

DARKCHYLDE
ShockTillYouDrop.com has breaking Halloween news that director John Carpenter (the original Halloween, The Fog and The Thing) will be directing the feature film adaptation of Randy Queen's popular comic book series Darkchylde. Announced via a special teaser poster image from Randy and Sarah Queen's Darkchylde Entertainment and Carpenter's Storm King Productions, you can read their accompanying announcement below:
"Big progress for the Darkchylde feature film adaptation. The last we reported on the potential film WETA had revealed some test FX to the public.
Today, it was revealed (on Halloween of all days), John Carpenter is on board to direct Darkchylde. The film is based on the comic by Randy Queen about an amiable southern teen cursed to become the creatures from her many recurring nightmares. Every time Ariel Chylde transforms, she sheds her skin and a new nightmare emerges from her Id to act out her deepest, darkest impulses.
John Carpenter and Sandy King's Storm King Productions have allied with Randy and Sarah Queen's Darkchylde Entertainment to produce the film, following the release of that aforementioned test footage created by Richard Taylor's Academy Award Winning Weta Workshop."

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