Coventry Telegraph - The Geek Files

Kyle Higgins on why he moved former 'Boy Wonder' Nightwing from Gotham to Chicago

2013-05-12T19:42:10Z

As a film student at Chapman University, DC Comics scribe Kyle Higgins did his thesis in the form of a short film titled The League, featuring unionized superheroes fighting crime in 1960s Chicago.

This half-hour short transcended being a graduation requirement as it garnered attention from both of the big two - Marvel and DC - who were interested in Kyle's take on the comics side of the genre.

Joining a growing fraternity of filmmakers turned comic writers, Higgins has quickly made a name for himself writing for characters such as Captain America, Deathstroke, Batman and, of course, the original Robin, Dick Grayson, now known as Nightwing.

While making a stop in the Midwest to attend Chicago's Comic and Entertainment Expo, Higgins is also returning to his old stomping grounds.

Chicagoland native Kyle took some time to talk with us about his past, present and future as a writer in the Batman Universe sandbox.

As a New York Times bestselling author with the graphic novel Batman: Gates of Gotham, Kyle has had the chance to shape current readers' views of the storied city. So we began by asking if his take on Gotham was influenced by his home town?

"That's an interesting question because when we were doing Gates of Gotham and we were settling on an era of the city to explore, I'm a big fan of Devil in the White City, which is the Erik Larson book about the world's fair and turn of the century Chicago, so I was essentially doing my take on that Gotham City," says Kyle

"The building of the first skyscraper in America and the rise of the modern city through the prism of Gotham, that's the whole crux of the book. So I guess you could say the answer is: A lot."

Currently writing Nightwing since its New 52 relaunch, Kyle takes the former Boy Wonder out of Gotham and gives him a city of his own to protect. One the writer is familiar with: "And now, moving Nightwing literally to Chicago, [artist] Brett [Booth] and I are doing some things stylistically that are a little different but we're still trying to ground it in the real place. As you'll see in issue 20, there's a nice little scene on the top of the Congress Hotel that people should recognize.

"My editor and I were in agreement that a real city was inherently more interesting than something made up," he explained when discussing the decision to move the character away from the Bat-family.

"There are notable exceptions - Gotham and Metropolis - that are kind of their own and have their own personalities now, but they've also been developed over the course of sixty plus years."

But Chicago wasn't the first choice: "When we talked about where to move him to, we first talked about New York. But New York is used so frequently and you associate it so closely with Marvel and Spider-Man and Daredevil that I wanted to do something different so I suggested Chicago. It made sense when trying to pick a location for him going forward. Plus, I wanted to see him surf on L-trains."

But before the big move, Kyle and team were faced with the daunting task of standing out in a world dominated by the Bat: "That's something we were up against. The first nine issues of the series were tied into Batman pretty tightly with the Court of Owls story and the back-story of the Court and Dick Grayson's association with the Court. It was definitely a balancing act.

"We're trying to build a world for Dick that was inherent to him and wasn't dependant on Batman. The circus was the most significant decision we made for the book that was unique to Dick Grayson but even that was touched by the Court of Owls."

Not that being tied to Batman writer Scott Snyder is a bad thing, but: "That's one of the really exciting things right now with moving him to Chicago and him being on his own. He's not involved in any crossovers or anything in the Batman books. That's not to say those relationships aren't there or that he won't interact with characters but it's definitely the creation of his world in a physical place that's different from Gotham."

And with a new place comes new characters: "I'm creating them all. The Prankster is formerly a Superman villain that we've reinvented in the new 52 but will hopefully be a Nightwing villain going forward."

As for life after - or during - comics, is there any interest for the young writer to return to his motion picture roots or maybe taking on television writing or directing?

"All of the above! I came to comics through film and directing and that's my first love," he says, with the smile on his face proving that statement true.

"I've been making movies since I was seven years old. That's something I definitely want to get back into whether they're comic-specific or not.

"I have a couple of things right now that I'm working on that I'm going to do as a creator-owned comic and in the back of my mind I'm thinking this would be a really cool movie or long-form web series."

Kyle is currently writing Nightwing and will soon be adding Batman Beyond to his duties at DC. His previous works include the award-winning Batman: Gates of Gotham, Marvel's Squadron Supreme and the film that started it all, The League - which you can check out the trailer for here.

Thanks to Kyle for his time and the staff at DC for setting everything up.

Robert Downey Jr in contract talks as Iron Man 3 soars to second biggest US debut behind Avengers

2013-05-08T12:06:34Z

Robert Downey Jr is said to have begun major talks with Marvel Studios and its owners at Disney after his superhero contract expired with the hugely successful Iron Man 3.

Downey is not signed to return as the armoured hero and has now entered negotiations to appear in two more Avengers movies, says The Hollywood Reporter, but the possibility of an Iron Man 4 has not been part of the discussions.

The charismatic actor has proved to be the franchise's moneyspinner. The four films featuring Downey Jr - three standalone films and The Avengers - have been the most financially successful, with Avengers earning $1.5billion worldwide and latest release Iron Man 3 already on $711 million globally after just two weeks.

Marvel announced that Iron Man 3 had rocketed to No 1 at the US box office this weekend with a $174.2 million debut making it the second biggest US opening of all time after The Avengers. It has already shot past the total global box office of Iron Man ($585 million) and Iron Man 2 ($624 million).

Released a week earlier in the UK, the film held on to the top spot last weekend and has reached £26.2 million in 11 days. The UK opening weekend (£11.4 million) is the biggest of 2013 so far, smashing the previous record held by Les Miserables and significantly exceeding the opening weekend of the previous Iron Man movies (Iron Man took in £4,799,504 and Iron Man 2 £6,750,982), although it didn't beat the £15.8million launch of Avengers.

Downey Jr has already earned big bucks from the franchise, pocketing more than $50 million for The Avengers. So signing him for any more films could prove very costly.

It's not known if the actor wants to do another Iron Man solo film. The third one does wrap up the story in many ways although its heavy use of remote-controlled suits of armour could be a neat get-out clause for limiting the actor's involvement. Given the actor's box office draw, Marvel seems unlikely to go down the recasting route.

Another point of debate is how much of a part Downey Jr will play in the next Avengers.

Arguably, he could have a small but pivotal role that still brings in mainstream audiences while reducing his salary to less jaw-dropping levels.

Joss Whedon has already spoken of adding new characters in the Avengers sequel, mentioning "my two favorite characters from the comic book, a brother-sister act, they're in the movie" - almost certainly a hint at Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, superpowered siblings who are the mutant children of Magneto.

While Fox owns the film rights to the X-Men franchise, Kevin Feige indicated in April 2012 that Marvel Studios can also use the characters, who went from being X-Men villains to Avengers heroes in the comic books.

"It's a little complicated," studio president Feige revealed, "but if they [Fox] want to use them in the X-Men movies they could, [but] if we want to use them in The Avengers movies, we could."

There have been no hints so far of Magneto having any children in the X-Men films and with the franchise now having been on screen for 13 years, it seems unlikely that the master of magnetism sired any offspring in Fox's big-screen mythos. A third child of Magneto, the similarly-powered daughter called Polaris, has also yet to appear in the X-films but seems a slightly more hopeful candidate as she has no links to Avengers or other Marvel/Disney projects.

X-Men face Battle of the Atom, Wolverine becomes Killable (C2E2 2013)

2013-05-07T20:54:34Z

With Hugh Jackman's The Wolverine gearing up for a July screen debut and the massive crossover event X-Men: Days of Future Past in production for a 2014 debut, the mutants are proceeding with their cinematic evolution.

And there's plenty afoot in the comic books too. Marvel very much had X-Men on its mind when it gathered the troops at Chicago convention C2E2 2013 to lay out the mutants' path in the printed world.

Kicked off by moderator Arune Singh, the panel featured editors: Tom Brevoort, Jordan White and C.B. Cebulski (also Marvel's talent scout) as well as the writer and artist talents of Rick Remender, Paul Cornell, Brian Wood, Declan Shalvey, Ramon Perez and Jordie Bellaire.

First up was not an X-title but a book that included X-Men in its cast, Uncanny Avengers, which would be dealing with the rise of the Apocalypse Twins and their newly christened Four Horsemen: Sentry, Daken, Banshee and the Grimm Reaper. "All characters that I like a lot and we're going to have a lot of fun with," explains the title's scribe, Remender.

Rick added that these Horsemen would add a "bad blood" factor when dealing with this group of Uncanny Avengers - Daken vs his father, Wolverine, is the easy guess on one of the conflicts.

Brian Wood then chimed in about his forthcoming X-Men book - the one with the all-girl roster - teasing there would be a seventh member to the team revealed by the close of X-Men issue 1. These talks then lead to the announcement of Marvel's X-book crossover, X-Men: Battle of the Atom.

In the companion books Uncanny X-Men and All New X-men, where Brian Michael Bendis expands on the fallout of last year's Avengers vs X-men event, The X-Men of old have been transported to our time to help avert a new human/mutant civil war. It's now time for them to return to their era in Battle of the Atom and what X-Men story with time travel would be complete without - you guessed it - more time travel. Now a future team of mutants has arrived to see the classic group returned to their rightful place to avoid a disastrous future.

Days of Future Past and Age of Apocalypse come to mind, but with Bendis and Wood behind the pens I'll reserve judgment without further details. Amid promises of huge payoffs and tied-up loose ends the panel divulged that September and October would be the months this story hits shelves and that Frank Cho (Savage Wolverine) would pencil Issue 1. Here's a list of all books involved:

• X-Men: Battle of the Atom #1
• Uncanny X-Men #12-13
• All-New X-Men #16-17
• Wolverine & The X-Men #36-37
• X-Men #5-6
• X-Men: Battle of The Atom #2

Another revelation was news of the upcoming storyline staring the mutant who's the best there is at what he does, Wolverine. The new arc - written by the recently returning author, Paul Cornell (Demon Knights, Stormwatch) - is titled Wolverine: Killable and it kicks off in Wolverine 7.

Based on the title, plot points from the upcoming film The Wolverine and Cornell's comments ("Sabretooth and a number of the great X-Men villains decide that because of something that's about to happen, Wolverine is going to become killable. We're leading him into the shadow of the valley of death with Kitty Pryde by his side") I think it's safe to assume old Wolvie is stripped of his healing factor. We'll find out at the end of Wolverine 6.

On a somber note, speculation was confirmed that the wonderfully written and wildly underrated series X-Factor will be coming to an end with issue 262.

Penned by TV and comics great Peter David (Babylon 5, She-Hulk) X-Factor has quietly been one of Marvel's most consistently entertaining books since its return via a Multiple-Man mini-series in 2005, .

Ending the title doesn't seem related to David's recent health challenges though as editor Jordan White explained that Peter felt it was time to end the story.

Stay tuned for more C2E2 round-ups.

Ray Harryhausen dies aged 92: 'His legendary work will live on forever'

2013-05-07T18:34:21Z

Ray Harryhausen, the special effects master famed for such fantasy classics as Jason and the Argonauts, One Million Years BC, Clash of the Titans and three Sinbad films, has died at the age of 92.

Los Angeles-born Mr Harryhausen died at his home in London on May 7, it has been confirmed.

Ray was known for his painstaking work using stop-motion animation to bring fantastical creatures to life on screen.

I was honoured to have the rare opportunity of an exclusive interview with Mr Harryhausen in 2010 following the release of a remake of Clash of the Titans.

Tribute was paid to the visual FX legend by Darren G. Davis, publisher at American comic book company Bluewater Productions, which has released a number of graphic novel sequels to Harryhausen's cinema classics.

In a statement, Darren G. Davis said: "Today we lost a master magician with the passing of Ray Harryhausen. Although deeply saddened by the loss, we feel that his legendary work will live on forever, and that we at Bluewater were so very fortunate to be a part of that legacy.

"We send our thoughts and prayers to his wife Diana, his family and to the legion of fans that feel the effect of his passing."

He added: "Ray was an inspiration for me. From the first time I saw Jason and the Argonauts and Clash of the Titans, I was spellbound. There are no superlatives worthy enough to let him know what his work meant to me.

"I feel so blessed for the opportunity to have worked with him throughout the years on numerous comic book adaptations, graphic novel sequels and other projects based on his visionary work.

"In an entertainment industry dominated by computer-generated effects, Ray Harryhausens's hand-crafted mastery still sparks the imagination like no other - it truly emphasises the word special in special effects.

"Ray, thank you for all you given us and the wonderment you left behind. You will be missed."

The Ray Harryhausen Presents series of sequel comics published by Bluewater have included Jason and the Argonauts - the Kingdom of Hades, It Came From Beneath the Sea... Again and Wrath of the Titans (whose name was acquired for the 2012 movie sequel).

In 2010, many of Mr Harryhausen's models and artwork went on display at London Film Museum and it was announced shortly afterwards that he would be donating his life's work to the National Media Museum in Bradford.

Hugh Jackman in Wolverine Twitter chat with fans as new CinemaCon footage shows Silver Samurai

2013-05-02T13:19:44Z

Fans are getting the chance to ask Hugh Jackman questions about his upcoming movie The Wolverine in a Twitter chat.

The second solo adventure for the metal-enhanced mutant is released on July 25.

The Twitter chat comes hot on the heels of the unveiling of a CinemaCon trailer for the movie, for the first time showing armoured archenemy the Silver Samurai in action against Jackman's character.

Check out the Twitter pages for Hugh Jackman and The Wolverine today, (Thursday, May 2) at 5pm UK time to see Hugh answer your questions via video.

Start tweeting your questions now with #TheWolverine #AskHugh and comment on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheWolverineMovie for the chance to have them presented.

Based on the celebrated comic book arc, this epic action-adventure takes Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), the most iconic character of the X-Men universe, to modern-day Japan.

Out of his depth in an unknown world he will face a host of unexpected and deadly opponents in a life-or-death battle that will leave him forever changed.

Vulnerable for the first time and pushed to his physical and emotional limits, he confronts not only lethal samurai steel but also his inner struggle against his own immortality, emerging more powerful than we have ever seen him before.

There's also been a new shot of Jackman (see below) on the set of his next superhero project, Bryan Singer's much-anticipated X-Men: Days of Future Past.

While not offering a view of the actor's face, it shows him wearing a brown leather coat that appears to be similar to the bomber jacket worn in the comic book storyline.

Among other recent tidbits for that X-Men ensemble, Singer showed chairs for the actors' characters that confirmed that Warpath and Bishop are in the film.

It's likely that Booboo Stewart is the native American mutant Warpath and it's long been presumed that Omar Sy is playing Bishop.

At the time each was cast in the film, their characters were not disclosed, leading to much speculation about who they were playing.

X-Men: Days of Future Past is released in July 2014.

Iron Man 3 fails to beat Avengers at UK box office despite biggest debut of 2013

2013-04-29T12:27:45Z

Iron Man 3 has had the biggest UK debut of 2013 so far - but it still wasn't enough to beat the Avengers.

Marvel's latest adventure with Robert Downey Jr as the brash but brilliant Tony Stark aka Iron Man took £13.7 million at the UK box office over its four-day opening (Thursday to Sunday) and £11.4 million over the weekend (Saturday and Sunday).

This opening is the biggest so far in 2013, beating the previous record held by Les Miserables and significantly exceeding the launches of the previous Iron Man movies (Iron Man took £4,799,504 in 2008 and Iron Man 2 made £6,750,982 in 2010). But it didn't beat the Avengers UK opening of £15.8m.

Internationally, Iron Man 3 has taken an estimated $195.3 million which has beaten the Avengers opening weekend of $185.1 million.

The UK box office results were the highest of the 42 territories the film has opened in to date with major markets like the USA and China opening later this week.

Retailers have added a range of Iron Man 3 products to existing Avengers, Spider-Man and other Marvel product ranges. Tesco have launched their own Stark Armoury Iron Man 3 app in store and online.

Coming up next from Disney/Marvel is Ultimate Spider-Man starting on May 9 on Disney XD, followed in the autumn by the debut of Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. leading up to the big-screen release of Thor: The Dark World, which is out in the UK on October 30, 2013.

Starring Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Stephanie Szostak, James Badge Dale with Jon Favreau and Ben Kingsley, Iron Man 3 is directed by Shane Black from a screenplay by Drew Pearce and Shane Black.

Sir Ben Kingsley explains Mandarin portrayal in Iron Man 3, also talks Ender's Game and Herod

2013-04-27T17:41:38Z

British actors with a background in classic theatre are known for bringing some gravitas and credibility to comic book movies, whether it's Anthony Hopkins as Odin in Marvel's Thor, or Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen as Professor Xavier and Magneto in the X-Men films (including the upcoming Days of Future Past).

From that same generation of veterans comes Ben Kingsley, stepping into the role of archnemesis the Mandarin in Iron Man 3.

The movie is Marvel's biggest departure yet from the comic books it publishes, with the studio (now under the aegis of Disney) clearly aiming for a much more populist and comedic approach. It certainly worked with the snappy humour in Avengers and now there's more of that in Iron Man 3, though I'd argue the laughs weren't as effective as Whedon's spot-on quippery.

The characterisation of Mandarin has caused much consternation among the hardcore fanboys, though it works within the movie. It's possibly the most radical reinterpretation of a classic comic book character to date, so how did Sir Ben Kingsley approach the role?

We caught up with the actor at the premiere of Iron Man 3, where he also spoke about other projects including upcoming sci-fi film Ender's Game and rumoured links to the role of Herod.

You have played many different characters over the years, including some fascinating villains such as Don Logan (in Sexy Beast), Fagin (in the 2005 film of Oliver Twist) and The Hood (in the 2004 live-action film of TV's classic Thunderbirds). This must be one of the juiciest and most complex villains.

You mention some wonderful characters. I think what I have to put at the back of my mind is the magic word villain because I think the classic villains have a great sense of righteousness and destiny.

[The Shakespeare play] Richard III begins by saying words to the effect of: 'This is all wrong and I am going to sort it out, stay with me.'

In Sexy Beast, my Don Logan was an abused child who was never held and went on to abuse others. That was my key into Don. And I think our Mandarin has to have a profound sense of right.

I didn't do any specific research into looking at anybody in particular but I am fascinated by documentary footage. I got a huge amount of information from that. What I found, right from 1933 onwards and probably before, though it is not recorded, is an extraordinary sense of righteousness and destiny that these chaps have: 'I know the way. It has to be this way.'

I think Robert Downey Jr's Tony Stark refers to him as sounding like a preacher. I think, what I have to do as an actor is push the villain word right to the back and bring forward, however distorted, their absolute sense of right and sense of destiny, which the Mandarin had to have throughout. A deep seriousness and dedication to his cause. And it must become the world's cause.

I think you have said on occasion, without exploring the dark side, the light, the good doesn't mean anything.

It doesn't. Drama, it has to be the light and shade, braided together and pulled really tight. But it has to be those two factors. I think this what is lovely about this franchise and what I have seen of (Iron Man) 1 and 2 and Avengers is it is always dark and light. There is always a really threatening dark moment and then a moment of tenderness and vulnerability or comradeship, irony, wit, self-deprecation. All these wonderful things thrown into the pot that give our hero, whether it is a hero of good or a hero of anti good, a vulnerability. Robert is great at exploiting this. It is always that 'What am I without my Iron suit?' question in him all the time.

How did you come up with the character's voice and accent?

I got it from the script because I just read that Robert's character says 'He sounds like a midwest preacher but he is this and this and this...' So I got a lot of clues from within the script, from what Tony Stark sees on the screen. A certain degree of repetitive speech, which is a classic device of the manipulative dictator, and the skill in broadcasting, the use of the word lesson a great deal. So from Tony Stark and from the script - suddenly it hit me in a hotel room 'Oooh, there he is'.

He seems to be a composite of many things. Was that so the finger couldn't be pointed at any one country or religion?

I think what is disconcerting about those broadcasts (of The Mandarin) is the rhetoric and the language and the voice and his attacks on western iconography with quite a degree of knowledge. It is attacking the very familiar in a voice which is also familiar to a western audience. So that could be very disconcerting. It is closer to a political broadcast than it is an alien threat. Alien threats are somehow easier to cope with than when you hear the timbre of someone who could have filled your car with gas the other day, or be your doctor or your lawyer. You're thinking 'I know that voice. What he is saying is appalling but it is in a familiar pattern of speech'. I think that is what they were going for.

Also the imagery that is at odds with one another: the extremely oriental cape, the army boots, the fatigues, the crazy anti-establishment T-shirts, the dog tags, the rings and the tattoo on the back of the neck. They are all there to be very disconcerting. I think my favourite lines are 'You know who I am. You don't know where I am. You will never see me coming.'

There is nothing about me where you can go 'Oh I know where you are coming from' because you don't. It is really there to worry and disconcert.

What was most appealing to you about his character?

I think the most appealing to me was working with Robert Downey Jnr and Don Cheadle and that team. It is that team that allows you to take risks and breathe some kind of life into a character that is clearly fictional.

What was appealing is being given a team, a wonderful context, brilliant people to work with. Then you can start to talk to people about righteousness and act that. With a lesser group they wouldn't know what I was talking about, they'd just say 'No, be a baddie. What's all that stuff?'. With this team you can really go into those more resonant deeper layers which I think are more disconcerting for an audience.

You are allowed, within their framework, to take risks, to push, to push, to push. You know intuitively and they know exactly when you have hit it. They will say print it and move on. That makes it really thrilling.

Were you a fan of the comic books?

Kevin gave me a lot of material to look at which I really loved. The comics weren't really part of my younger years. Mine were the British comics - The Eagle, Dan Dare.

When you look at the comics, the dialogue that comes out of their mouths is very precise, it has to be very precise. It is so unambiguous, also the primal colours that are used, the unequivocally red, green, orange, black, blue. They are primal colours. In a sense the film also reflects that too. The texture of the film is so inviting and tactile and the primal colours that they use.

I didn't have to separately absorb the Marvel culture, I was in it on the set. So on a daily basis, by osmosis you are soaking it in and participating in it. That was very nourishing for me.

Did you look at the speeches by Hitler? He used those repetitive phrases.

I didn't research Hitler and repetitive phrases for Marvel but I have for other projects. Actually there is a gesture that might have crept into my performance. It is 'One million, two million, three million, four million, five million, six million. Wie lange noch. How much longer?'. The repetition of that is completely mesmerising and terrifying because he is blaming someone for this. And behind those figures is terrible blame. And also behind those figures is the pre-echo of the horrendous retribution he wreaked on Europe.

There are also extraordinary examples in life for great good. With Martin Luther King - beautiful use of repetitive speech and rhythm. That mechanism, tragically, can be used to manipulate for terrible causes as well.

As Mandarin, did you feel a risk portraying a man so connected to real-world events?

I had the privilege of playing Hamlet for the RSC. One of his lines that I hold dear is 'You hold the mirror up to nature'. That is in his speech to the players. You have to do this, you have to hold a mirror up to nature. How beautifully put. I think any film, however subtle, however incidental the resonances are, I think an audience is excited and comforted by storytellers who are talking to them in their world, with the issues they have to deal with. However disguised they are or in whatever context, we have to hold the mirror up to nature.

Last year you were linked to the role of King Herod in director Alister Grierson's Mary Mother of Christ, a prequel to The Passion of The Christ. Are you going to be playing that character?

This is very hypothetical. This has been so on the backburner that I have heard about it for the first time in ages at this table.

When I get the script, when I start to investigate, I can't judge him. I am not allowed to as an actor. I have got to say 'Look, here is my portrait of Herod to the best of my ability. You can draw your own conclusions from his behaviour.'

But however deranged and narcissistic and megalomaniacal he is, I would have to give Herod the Great his sense of righteousness. He believes that, for the destiny of his nation, he has to wipe out all these children.

What are your next projects?

It is still a bit random. I am still at the mercy of what arrives on the desk as it were. I am producing now. My wife and I have a production company. To a certain extent we can create our own material and are guided by our own tastes and what we want to put on the screen. Aside from that it is quite a random process.

Of the scripts that come in, it's when I feel a resonance, a special voice within me that says 'There you are'. When that happens, it is thrilling. and you know how many pitfalls there are between that moment and it actually arriving on the screen. But it is that recognition I am looking for.

That is why it is so exciting to read a script, read the map of the Mandarin and say 'There your are'. It is that which I think drives me forward, and always has. I am very blessed that the first ten to 12 years of my career were with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Do you think how your life would be different if you hadn't done Gandhi?

The only thought I have is 'Thank God it was me'. I have never had to look at another portrait of him other than the one that Richard Attenborough and I and John Briley created.

I am not very good at looking back. I am very much in the present. You have to be between action and cut.

Certainly it is an absolute fact that it was the golden key to that gate through which I walked into the film industry after 15 years in the theatre. I am eternally grateful for that. Everything comes from that. Because of that confidence that Attenborough had in me.

Ender's Game is coming out later this year. How did that work out?

Lovely, but quite different from the challenge of the Mandarin. With Mandarin I was very rarely involved in green screen. In Gandhi we had none. We actually had 4,000 people on screen for the funeral.

In Ender's Game we had a lot of green screen. The kids in the film were obviously challenged by being told 'It is all going to be CGI-d later but you have to react' . Gavin (Hood) looked after them so well and they did form a wonderful relationship with him. So that he would, where possible, talk them through what they were seeing while they were reacting to it.

He really knocked himself out pumping energy into those kids who couldn't see anything. I think it is going to be a wonderful film.

Tell us about your role.

Mazar Rackham. He is a combination of historically ancient warrior in that he is descended from Maori and has Maori tattooed on his face. And at the same time he is teaching children how to operate drones. So he is very advanced and also rooted in an ancient warrior tradition.

What felt more special, getting the Oscar or getting the knighthood?

It is quite hard to separate the two because I think they are connected. It is all part of having a blessed journey.

It did feel there was a difference between the two. One is from your peer group and the other is from your nation, which I love deeply.

I think we can safely say the Brits are quite reticent about praising you. They don't go barmy with enthusiasm, so one wonders, being a Brit actor, if anyone has ever noticed what we're doing. Then you get this extraordinary embrace saying 'We have seen you. We have heard you'. it's completely overwhelming.

What do you recall of the ceremonies?

I was in mild shock on both occasions. From when John Travolta read my name out and going to receive the Oscar, I can't remember a thing.

With the knighthood, I do remember the Ballroom. I do believe Her Majesty used the sword which her father King George VI had as Commander in Chief of our armed forces during World War Two. To see that sword move over my head was absolutely thrilling and beautiful.

You are the classic age to play the Scottish King. There has not been a great film version yet.

It hadn't crossed my mind. That is a fascinating idea. Many years ago I thought of setting him in a World War I context, and his witches in sepia...

You are not saying his name?

You have to got outside and swear and spit.

You are still being approached with scripts. Does age not seem to be as much of a barrier to men getting good roles?

It seems to be that way. But I think it is because I have some kind of a flexibility as well. I am possibly the only person at the RSC who has played both Hamlet and Othello.

Halle Berry's Storm unveiled for X-Men: Days of Future Past

2013-04-22T20:52:18Z

The first look at Halle Berry in costume as Storm in X-Men: Days of Future Past surfaced online tonight via director Bryan Singer's Twitter page.

Production began a week ago in Montreal, with earlier set pictures showing Patrick Stewart and Shawn Ashmore in uniforms that appeared to be of a similar design and material.

First sightings of superhero movie costumes, viewed out of context rather than in the finished movie, almost always stir up mixed feelings among fans. Thor, Captain America, Superman, Spider-Man, Green Lantern, Catwoman, Bane, Joker and others have all been subjected to similar debate and scrutiny over their onscreen design.

In my experience, such first-look images need a lot of mental processing over several hours or even days before the divide between colourful comic-book artwork and the practicalities of live-action reality begins to blur.

The look of Storm in the picture is in keeping with the story being partly set in a dystopian future beyond X-Men: The Last Stand.

Admittedly, I'm not a fan of the cape (which, on initial consideration, seems a little underdesigned as well as too short, starting too low down and something of an afterthought) but the rest seems fine and Halle's baby bump is remarkably well hidden.

X-Men: Days of Future Past is released on July 18, 2014.

X-Men: Days of Future Past adds Adan Canto as rumours link Michelle Trachtenberg to a role

2013-04-22T16:34:05Z

X-Men: Days of Future Past has added Adan Canto to its cast, as fan speculation suggests Michelle Trachtenberg could also join the production.

Filming is now under way in Montreal and director Bryan Singer posted an image on Twitter showing himself and several members of the film's cast wearing hockey jerseys as they watched the Montreal Canadiens.

The tweet revealed Adan Canto as a member of the cast for the first time.

Canto, a Mexican actor who can be seen on Fox's television drama The Following, posted the message "thrilled to be X-Man" and had earlier tweeted about his next project: "I might turn into a ball of fire if someone p*sses me off."

Adan seems likely to be playing Brazilian mutant Roberto da Costa, aka Sunspot, who can absorb solar energy and channel it into strength, flight and blasts.

The character, originally chosen to appear in X-Men: First Class before being cut from the script, has been affiliated with many groups in the comics.

He began as one of the New Mutants - a squad of junior X-Men - and later belonged to villainous organisations such as the Brotherhood and Hellfire Club. His varied allegiances makes it tricky to pinpoint the mutant's role in Days of Future Past.

There is also speculation that Michelle Trachtenberg (Buffy, Gossip Girl) could be in the film after Bryan Singer recently started following the actress on Twitter.

She also tweeted fans about changing her hair colour and becoming a redhead, leading to fans debating whether she might be playing a younger Jean Grey in the film's 70s timeline.

Other redheads in the X-Men comics include Rachel Summers (Scott and Jean's daughter in an alternate future) and mutant messiah Hope Summers.

X-Men: Days of Future Past is released in cinemas on July 18, 2014.

First poster for Thor: The Dark World as synopsis promises 'he will sacrifice everything to save us all'

2013-04-19T16:51:58Z

Following the upcoming release of Iron Man 3 - out in UK cinemas on April 25 - another of the Avengers will be back for a solo adventure when Thor: The Dark World thunders into cinemas on October 30.

The first poster for the film has now been sent over to us, and is included here.

Marvel's Thor: The Dark World continues the big-screen adventures of Thor as he battles to save Earth and all the Nine Realms from a shadowy enemy that predates the universe itself.

In the aftermath of his first appearance in Thor (2011) and then in Marvel's The Avengers (2012), the Asgardian thunder god fights to restore order across the cosmos - but an ancient race led by the vengeful Malekith returns to plunge the universe back into darkness.

Faced with an enemy that even Odin and Asgard cannot withstand, Thor must embark on his most perilous and personal journey yet, one that will reunite him with Jane Foster and force him to sacrifice everything to save us all.

Starring Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgård, Idris Elba, Christopher Eccleston, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Kat Dennings, Ray Stevenson, Zachary Levi, Tadanobu Asano, Jaimie Alexander, Rene Russo and Anthony Hopkins as Odin.

Thor: The Dark World is directed by Alan Taylor, produced by Kevin Feige, from a story by Don Payne and screenplay by Christopher Yost and Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely and is based on Marvel's Thor, who first appeared in the comic book Journey into Mystery 83 in August, 1962.

The film releases in the UK on October 30, 2013, and is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

The Geek Files went along to one of the UK locations for Thor: The Dark World last September, where key battle scenes were filmed.

X-Men: Days of Future Past actors gather as filming begins in Canada

2013-04-18T21:31:33Z

The next stage of evolution has begun for Twentieth Century Fox's X-Men movie series.

Filming began this week on X-Men: Days of Future Past, with director Bryan Singer tweeting several teaser pictures from the production as the cast began to arrive on set.

The images released by Singer included a shot of Nicholas Hoult as Hank McCoy aka Beast (above).

The look is less animalistic than in X-Men: First Class and a little more like Kelsey Grammer's older Beast in X-Men: The Last Stand, providing a bridge between the two versions and somewhat resembling the character's physical changes in the comics.

Among the most recent pictures was an image of Shawn Ashmore, who is on set reprising his role as Bobby Drake aka Iceman. Ashmore (as seen below) has markers on his face, used to track facial movement in motion-capture filmmaking.

This means we're likely to see the character in the 'ice form' that's regularly depicted in the comics and was glimpsed at the end of X-Men: The Last Stand.

In the comic books, the ice form was initially an outer covering but as Bobby refined his abilities, he was able to convert his entire body to 'organic ice' much as Emma Frost transforms to diamond and Colossus becomes steel.

Shawn tweeted: "I've just wrapped day one of XMEN #DOFP! Just wait until you see what's in store."

You can also see that Ashmore is wearing a black jacket similar to the one seen on Patrick Stewart (below) when he posed for a picture on set. These may be the new uniforms of the X-Men in the story, which is based on a classic comic book where the mutants use time travel in an attempt to prevent their terrible future from ever happening.

The fact that Patrick was standing has led many to believe that Xavier will be walking and running in this film, though we earlier saw images of two wheelchairs (one used by McAvoy's past Xavier, the other assumed to be for Stewart's future version).

We don't know yet how Patrick Stewart's character will feature in the story. His version of Professor X died in a battle with Phoenix in X-Men: The Last Stand, although a post-credits scene showed that he had transferred his consciousness into the body of a braindead man he mentioned in a classroom scene earlier in the movie. In the DVD commentary, it was stated that the braindead man was intended to be Xavier's twin brother.

Or the new film could be depicting an alternate future in which Xavier never died or never ended up in a wheelchair.

Also known to be on set in Canada for the six-month production are Anna Paquin, Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen.

Nicholas Hoult tweeted that he was "starting X-Men training" but doesn't yet seem to be in Canada, while Halle Berry was pictured flying out of Los Angeles (presumably heading to Montreal) earlier today. Halle is visibly pregnant so there will be a greater use of stunt performers for the character's physical and aerial sequences.

McKellen wrote on his Facebook page: "The Brotherhood reassembles in a Montreal studio. A month ago, I was scanned and measured for Magneto's latest garb, sleeker than ever. Then, Louise Mingenbach, the deft designer, came over to fit me at home in London.

"Why don't I need a helmet in Days of Future Past? That would be telling and I'm not allowed to."

We do know, though, that the younger Magneto - played by Michael Fassbender - has a helmet, as a picture was tweeted (below) of internet favourite Grumpy Cat wearing the headgear.

Hugh Jackman tweeted at the start of the week: "About to start Days of Future Past - amazing to come back to work with the same team who started it all 13 years ago."

He was pictured arriving in Montreal on April 16, flying in from New York City where there had been drama at a gym over the weekend when a woman was charged with stalking the star.

Ellen Page is now returning to the set after promoting her new political thriller The East, telling eTalk: "Everyone's there shooting and it looks awesome. It's great to be in Montreal making that movie and that cast is phenomenal."

Next up from the X-Men franchise will be Jackman's Japan adventure in The Wolverine, directed by James Mangold and out on July 26, with Bryan Singer's X-Men: Days of Future Past hitting cinemas on July 18, 2014.

Thor God of Thunder 7: An awesome trip into past, present and future

2013-04-18T09:52:43Z

While issue 7 of Marvel's Thor God of Thunder continues author Jason Aaron's current saga, it also serves as the beginning of his story's second arc and a perfect jumping-on point for those unworthy mortals who have yet to experience its greatness.

Following a standalone story introducing readers to a younger Gorr the God Butcher - the title's antagonist who does just what his name suggests - with the standard sympathetic origins of good man turned super-evil villain, No 7 takes us to a far-flung future where a modern-day Thor meets a much older God of Thunder.

Though time travel does occur, Aaron's story actually follows the golden-maned deity during three different eras that all include an interaction with Gorr.

Each era shows an advancing stage in Thor's investigation into the disappearance of his heavenly peers, with readers treated to masterfully portrayed perspectives of a young, present-day and eventually aged King Thor as the action builds to an engrossing climax.

Now that they've met, the dynamic between current and King Thor immediately takes center stage. As the two clash, current Thor discovers (and is horrified by) what most of us mere mortals have known for generations: that all men turn into their fathers in some shape or form.

And regardless of the cosmic-level threat before them, Aaron lets the story breathe via a natural humor during their interactions in much the same way he blends drama, high stakes and high jinks in another of his titles, Wolverine & the X-Men.

The Aaron connection to the X-verse is touched on ever so slightly by Thor's comment: "Perhaps this is one of those alternate futures the X-Men are always going on about."

That, and numerous references to the Thunder God's past, present and future serve as clues of what has and is still to come. Not forgotten is the youngest of the three's stories, which in this book serves as the more serious elements revealing the more humanizing aspects of the God, further setting up unseen confrontations with the nightmarish, Gorr.

The art by Esad Ribic on the series has been an equal high point to Jason's writing. Though I don't feel that issue 7 is Ribic's overall best offering, he has turned in fantastic efforts on all six of his chapters giving the three separate time periods their own feel and texture.

While there's no doubt in each era that Thor is Thor, the Thunder God's demeanor, posture and character are depicted ever so differently, brilliantly matching the changes to the hero's backgrounds, locations and supporting casts.

Jason Aaron has shown across multiple titles his ability to intermingle action, humor and drama without losing sight of the stories themselves.

Thor: God of Thunder 7 exhibits all of those skills at what could be Aaron's highest level to date. Now take masterful storytelling and marry it with beautiful landscapes and emotion-driven characters filling up the panels via Esad Ribic's wonderfully realized line work and you have a win on all levels for comic fans.

If you're a fan of hero comics and you're not reading this title, forgive yourself and make up for that oversight immediately by running to pick up every issue.

Verdict
Writing: 9
Art: 8
Overall Score: 9 - Awesome!

Morris Chestnut backs away from tweets on Black Panther role in Avengers 2

2013-04-14T19:53:45Z

A movie featuring Marvel's African superhero Black Panther has been on the comic book giant's radar for over two decades, since Wesley Snipes set his sights on the role in 1992, and the hiring of a screenwriter in 2011 suggested it might actually happen.

Numerous actors have been linked to a film version, including Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje and Djimon Hounsou, while Anthony Mackie campaigned for the part and ended up instead being cast as Falcon in the next Captain America movie.

In 2012, actor and stuntman Raw Leiba said he was in line to play Panther enemy Erik Killmonger and added that the project was awaiting script rewrites.

All went quiet after that, but now Morris Chestnut has caused a new stir about Black Panther being adapted for the big screen.

The American Horror Story actor teased his fans on Twitter, proclaiming: "Time to get familiar with the Black Panther character!" He followed that with hints that the Wakanda-ruler-turned-crimefighter would be added to the line-up of Avengers 2 before any solo adventure was made. But both posts were then deleted.

An introduction in Joss Whedon's second team-up flick would make sense if Marvel intends to develop the character beyond the comics. But were there any truth to Morris's connection to the role, he may have dashed his own hopes by blabbing without official authorisation.

His Twitter account then published a disclaimer that the original messages had come from his social media and publicity team The MCCamp, saying: "All posts in reference to the Black Panther were originated by The MCCamp. Although Mr Chestnut applies earnest effort in communicating with his fans, occasionally there is assistance by The MCCamp in the best interest of facilitating production/filming and/or projects, as is the case at this time."

Chestnut later wrote: "Thanks to the fans for bringing Black Panther to my attention - NOT in talks about this project with Marvel. Overwhelmed with all the Black Panther tweets. Thanks for the support."

That leaves us with the questions of whether he would be suitable for the role (and if not, then who?) and if Avengers 2 is indeed a good launchpad for the character. Feel free to add your thoughts in the comments section below.

Iron Man 3 most emotionally satisfying in trilogy, says Robert Downey Jr

2013-04-12T15:29:33Z

Robert Downey Jr has said he believes Iron Man 3 is the "most emotionally satisfying" film in the superhero trilogy.

The 48-year-old is back in the hi-tech suit as Iron Man and his alter-ego Tony Stark in the third instalment of the series, alongside returning co-stars Gwyneth Paltrow and Don Cheadle and franchise newcomers Sir Ben Kingsley, Rebecca Hall and Guy Pearce.

Downey Jr said in a video clip on Fandango.com: "This is the most emotionally satisfying and entertaining of the three.

"The great thing about Iron Man 3 is we are really in continuation of the Avengers. We don't have to set up who he is so we can go back to some of the things which made the franchise fly to begin with."

Sir Ben, who plays supervillain the Mandarin, said: "There is something original and, dare I say it, intelligent in this approach to this film. I was really delighted to join."

Rebecca (who plays scientist Dr Maya Hansen) added: "It's interesting to come into something so iconic. It's thrilling to walk on and see the suit, and see Robert Downey Jr and Gwyneth Paltrow. It's really exciting stuff."

The star-studded cast will be in London on April 18 for the film's UK premiere, before the film opens in cinemas on April 25.

A fully-functioning Iron Man suit priced at £250 went on sale at the start of the month, along with a limited edition aftershave called Eau De Stark.

Combining existing military electronics and incorporating new, highly experimental technology, Firebox has created a safe-mode version, giving consumers an opportunity to truly feel like Ironman, without the hassles of saving mankind.

Modified for consumer use, the suit has been stripped of all weapons technology, but flight mode and the integrated sensory systems are all still fully functioning. For legal reasons a full waiver must also be signed, indemnifying Firebox in the unlikely event of injury or appearance of arch-nemeses.

The suit was made available for public purchase on April 1, 2013 and comes with a five to six-month delivery time.

Firebox also launched a cologne called Eau De Stark.

Distilling the very essence of Iron Man it combines wit, intelligence, courage and arrogance to create the ultimate fragrance for anyone aspiring to be a "genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist".

Each bottle is crafted from recycled pieces of used versions of the Mark XLVII suit worn by Robert Downey Jr in the film.

An extremely limited run of 100 bottles actually contains a single drop of Robert Downey Jr's sweat, collected under sterile conditions during the filming of Iron Man 3.

Tom Cruise gets motorbike gift for 50th birthday on set of Oblivion

2013-04-12T11:08:20Z

Tom Cruise celebrated his 50th birthday on the set of his new film Oblivion, director Joseph Kosinski has revealed.

To celebrate the milestone, Kosinski presented the star with one of the futuristic Moto Bikes from the film.

"He turned fifty, believe it or not, in Iceland while we were shooting and as a gift, on behalf of Universal, I gave him the motorcycle he rides in the film. So now he can add it to his personal collection," said Joseph, who previously helmed Tron: Legacy.

The director admitted he hasn't spotted Tom on the bike but added: "He told me he was going to ride it around Los Angeles, so if anyone sees a guy riding the white Moto Bike from Oblivion in Los Angeles, it's probably Tom."

Tom also gave the director a present of his own.

"He gave me a beautiful die-cast model of the bubble ship in a glass case. It's just gorgeous.

"It is sitting in my house and my three-year-old is obsessed with it. He knows he can't touch it, so he just stares at it," Joseph said.

Tom took three hours before deciding he wanted to play Jack Harper in the sci-fi epic.

"I think he saw a film unlike anything he had ever done before," Kosinski explained. "Obviously he has done science fiction but never a story quite like this.

"He's always looking for a new challenge - he's made like, 40 films - and I think he saw that in this movie.

"I knew an original story needed a star like that to help get the film made, so to get him on board was amazing."

Olga Kurylenko, Morgan Freeman and Andrea Riseborough also star in Oblivion, which is in cinemas now.

The film is among dozens to take advantage of the craggy, unspoilt beauty of Iceland's volcanic landscape.

Other Hollywood productions to have filmed in Iceland include Prometheus, Batman Begins, Die Another Day, A View To A Kill, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, Stardust and upcoming movies Thor: The Dark World and Noah.