Screen Rant

Lost Final Season Premiere Date and Cast Info Announced

Ross Miller — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:10:15 +0000

The day has come for all us Lost fans when we can start officially marking our calendars for the air date of the season 6 premiere. ABC has announced that the sixth and final season of Lost will kick off on Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010 with a three-hour event, that is, a one-hour recap show (as per usual) shown at 8:00pm, followed by the two-hour season premiere entitled “LA X” (the space is intentional, FYI) at 9:00pm-11:00pm.

Moving from last year’s Wednesday night slot, season six of ABC’s hit mystery show will settle in on Tuesdays, mainly because it doesn’t want to compete with ABC’s Wednesday comedy-show lineup (nor did they want to move the successful line-up to another day to make way for Lost). The schedule for later in season 6 is still being worked out, but it’s being purported that the new series V will follow Lost at 10:00pm. If we continue without breaks/hitches, the Lost series finale will air on May 25th, 2010.

So hooray for Lost fans who now have a set start date to look forward to. But on top of that news comes another few pieces of info related to casting and the rumored break-up of the season into two parts. First off, a few of the recurring cast members from previous seasons are now official series regulars (like the rest of the cast, a la Jack, Kate, Sawyer etc). They are: Nestor Carbonell (we’re supposedly gonna’ get a flashback episode for his character of Richard Alpert – finally!); Ken Leung (who plays the wisecrackin’, Miles Straume); Jeff Fahey (who plays the rough and likeable pilot, Frank Lapidus); and Zuleikha Robinson (who plays the mysterious Ajira Airway flight 316 passenger, Illana).

Staying on the casting side of things, it’s also now known that Emilie De Ravin who plays Claire Littleton – a character who was absent for the whole of Season 5 – is now back for the whole of season 6 as a regular. I guess we’ll finally get to know why in season 4 she left her baby, Aaron, in the jungle for Sawyer to find, and was later seen mysteriously in Jacob’s cabin… can’t wait for that explanation! The only piece of disappointing Lost news is the fact that Henry Ian Cusick, who plays Desmond Hume, is NOT listed a regular for season 6 – although we’ll most likely be seeing a fair amount of his character in a recurring role.

However, maybe the best piece of news to come out is that Lost WON’T be taking the rumored mid-season break for the Winter Olympics. We reported on that little stinker at the end of last month but it appears that with the start date of February 2nd, and the Olympics starting on February 12th, it’s just not feasible to interrupt things so soon into season 6.

So there you have it, we now know when one of the best TV shows around (personally I’d say THE best, but that’s just me) will premiere its final season. I’m gonna’ be VERY sad (literally, I’m not joking here…) when Lost is finished: no more mysteries, no more Jack, Locke, Kate, Sawyer, Ben, or Hurley; no more baffling and wonderful mysteries to ponder; no more Smoke Monster; no more running through the jungle… I could go on and on.

I’ve put my faith in the writers that they’ll end the show in a way that’s satisfying and feels “right.” They’ve gotten us this far and I’m fully confident they’ll end it as best a show like Lost can be ended. I’m shaking with excitement already .

Are you as much of a Lost fan as I am? What do you think of the cast members that have been “promoted” to regulars? Are you glad that the show won’t be taking a break for the Winter Olympics or did that possibility not even bother you?

As stated, the two-hour season 6 premiere of Lost will air Tuesday, February 2nd on ABC at 9:00pm.

Source: /Film and DarkUFO

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SR Pick: The Superhero Movie Chart

Kofi Outlaw — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:44:21 +0000

Superhero movies are a pretty big deal here at Screen Rant and debate about superhero movies is an even bigger deal. Whether it’s a violent argument cordial disagreement over whether Iron Man was better than The Dark Knight, what the next Superman movie should be about or which actors should be cast as our favorite heroes onscreen – we tend to debate it all.

I guess our geektastic reputation is starting to precede us a bit, because someone thought it prudent to direct us to an online chart, which basically details the financial history of just about every major superhero-based movie ever released (at least the ones based in the Marvel and DC universes). The chart is pretty sweet, easy to follow and (best of all) chock-full of useful ammunition for geek-debates.

The chart is broken down into ranges based on box office earnings, with little factoids like budget costs and records broken to help you truly understand just how successful (or not) some your more beloved (or hated) superhero movies have been. The chart comes from the website Koldcast Web TV Network, where you can read a great accompanying article tracking the development of superhero movies over the last two decades or so, ultimately resulting in the wildly lucrative cinematic sub-genre that we know and love today.

For our purposes here at SR, we thought we’d simply pass on the chart itself. Have a look:

Click image for full size chart

Head on over to Koldcast Web TV Network if you want to read the full article.

Like I said: great ammunition for your geek debates, right? And the trivia bits they throw in there will make you look pretty smart at your next Comic Con party. Kudos to Koldcast for putting this thing together. I have a strong feeling that we here at Screen Rant are going to be referencing this chart in our posts for a LONG time to come.

What did you think – cool chart, or do you know it all by heart already because you’re just the (un)cool?

Source: Koldcast Web TV Network

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Silent Hill 2 Details Starting To Emerge

Kofi Outlaw — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:56:41 +0000

Until they announced Silent Hill 2 recently, I had no idea how many Screen Rant readers were actually fans of Christophe Gans’ 2006 movie adaptation. But now that I know, I’m keeping you guys in the loop about the sequel is developing.

Earlier (this week) I reported that Silent Hill 2 could possibly start filming next year. In that report came word that returning writer Roger Avary (Pulp Fiction) has some ‘crazy, cool stuff’ already worked into the script. That all sounded good, but questions like would Gans be returning, would star Radha Mitchell be returning, would the movie be a direct sequel, etc., still needed answering.

Well, thanks to producer Don Carmody and Shock Til Ya Drop, some of those questions are indeed starting to get answered.

For those who don’t know, Roger Avary was recently sentenced to a year in jail following a vehicular manslaughter charge from a 2008 car accident. So how is Avary’s incarceration effecting the progress of Silent Hill 2? Said Carmody (exclusively to Shock Til Ya Drop):

“Well, we have had a bit of a hiccup with Roger…We’re just debating whether we can wait for him. He’s writing the script for sure.”

As for the questions of whether or not Mitchell will return to star and Gans to direct, Carmody had a “no” and a “maybe” to give: Mitchell has expressed interest in returning (that’s the maybe), but as far as Gans:

“I don’t think he wants to come back. He’ll have some input for sure. In his mind, I think he wanted to do the first one and for this he’s very happy to consult, but I think he wants to direct something new,”

Now, I don’t want to alarm you Silent Hill fans on a Friday, but you really need to pay attention to this next part:

“I think we need to make it a little more accessible to the movie-going public…Silent Hill is not a blockbuster game like Resident Evil or the other games out there…You have to appeal not only to the gamers, you have to appeal to a wider audience. So we have to get some story in there that helps explain a bit more…Of course, [the story] is going to happen years later and the main character – without giving too much away – is much older and representative to the movie-going public which is in that age group.”

While the Silent Hill video games may not be as popular as the Resident Evil series (you’ll need to check with our guys over at Game Rant to be sure), they have certainly left a much stronger impression on gamers via the skid-marked underwear of those who dared to play the games at night. Gans’ adaptation, while a bit weird and (artsy?), captured the terrifying sensation of the games almost perfectly. Watering that terror down into a schlocky, by-the-numbers horror flick – where all the terrible happenings HAVE to be explained at length – doesn’t sound as interesting.

But wait, what’s this about ‘an older main character?’ In the first film, Mitchell’s character, Rose, comes to Silent Hill to find her lost daughter, Sharon, who is a spiritual conduit for a hell-demon. Could an older version of Sharon be the main character of Silent Hill 2? And would that make the age group Carmody is targeting teenagers / young adults? Is that the Silent Hill 2 we’re getting, Twilight with demons? I hope not…

Head over to Shock Til Ya Drop for the full quotes from Carmody. Then let us know what you think about this supposed change in approach to Silent Hill 2.

Source: Shock Til Ya Drop

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Thor: Idris Elba Joins Cast & First Set Report

Kofi Outlaw — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:05:14 +0000

The big-screen adaptation of Marvel’s Thor keeps on making headlines, as today we have news of another choice actor being added to the already impressive cast, as well as unofficial first reports from the Thor set being tweet by some top names over at Marvel.

First the casting news: Thor has added British actor Idris Elba (The Wire, The Office) to the lineup. Elba has reportedly been cast as Heimdall (see pic above), the guardian of the Norse gods who watches over the BiFrost Bridge, a mystical bridge that serves as the link between the realms of Asgard (god-world) and Midgard (Earth).

I love Idris Elba, so this is good news for me and considering that the man is a fast-rising star in the industry, the name/face recognition can only be good for Thor. It seems as though Elba is also trying to stack some serious fanboy cred – the actor is also currently starring in an adaption of DC Comics’ The Losers, alongside Jeffery Dean Morgan (Watchmen) and Zoe Saldana (Avatar). Smart career moves…

With Thor, Elba joins a cast that already includes Stuart Townsend, Ray Stevenson and Tadanobu Asano as The Warriors Three, Chris Hemsworth (Star Trek) as Thor, Natalie Portman as Thor’s human love interest, Jane Foster, Anthony Hopkins as Thor’s father, Odin, Stellan Skarsgård, Colm Feore, Jamie Alexander as Asgardian warrior/love interest, Sif and Tom Hiddleston as Thor’s half-brother/nemesis, Loki.

This cast is almost scary good. Speaks to the level of respect held for Branagh, no doubt.

Speaking of which, Marvel’s Joe Quesada (Editor-In-Chief) and Brian Michael Bendis (Writer, New Avengers) have been letting tweets fly about just how awesome Thor is shaping up to be.

From Quesada’s Twitter page:

I could listen to Branagh talk about Thor all day long. Cast is in place, sets are being built and screenplay is brilliant. Marveldom rules!

And from Bendis’ Twitter page:

Thor movie meeting with Ken branagh was over the top amazing. Visited the sets! I was in Odin’s chamber!…U should get in line for the Thor movie today. Just saying.

Ok so it’s not much of an “official” set report, but it’s pretty freaking cool, nonetheless. Bendis also had this to say to G4 back in October:

“’Thor’ is an extravaganza…The artwork is unbelievable… They flew us all here because Kenneth Branagh wanted to tell us his ‘Thor’ movie and he pitched it live. It was Shakespearean and went on for hours.”

“He wasn’t high-selling it…He is an actor and he just sold it. I looked to Joe [Quesada] and went ‘Isn’t this fun?’ When he was done, we were like ‘Great! You should do that!’

At this point, considering the cast, the praise from the people who would know and the level of prestige attached to his filmography, I can only deduce that Kenneth Branagh is going to truly do something EPIC with Thor. Can’t wait.

How do you feel about Idris Elba being added to the cast (let the “black Norse god” jokes commence…)? How about the first geekgasms from the set?

Thor thunders into theaters on May 20, 2011.

Sources: THR, Twitter & G4

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Underworld 4 Gets A Writer, Confirmed As Sequel

Rob Keyes — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:57:57 +0000

The Heat Vision Blog reported yesterday that John Hlavin, a writer from the series The Shield, has signed on to write the script for Underworld 4.

They’re also reporting that Kate Beckinsale, star of the first two films and poster girl of the franchise has yet to sign on and they do not have a director. However, Hlavin does confirm that the film is a sequel and that it will definitely appeal to fans of the first movies.

Check out what Hlavin says below which definitely hint at the fan-favorite character making a return.

“I can tell you it’s not a prequel… It will satisfy old fans and excite new audiences, meaning that we don’t want to redo the first three movies, so steps are being taken to honor what fans have loved but at the same time introduce fresh elements.”

What we also know about the franchise as reported in August and September is that Underworld 4 will be in 3D, it will kickstar a second trilogy of films for the franchise and it will likely bring back Kate Beckinsale. It was already reported back then by some with reliable sources that the movies will again center on Beckinsale’s character of Selene so none of this comes as a shock.

Don’t be surprised to find out in the near future that Kate will be back. There’s been no talk of Scott Speedman and his character Michael Corvin however.

What do you think of this news?

Source: THR

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Kevin McKidd Talks Call of Duty & Rome Movies

Rob Keyes — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:17:50 +0000

Kevin McKidd is one of those actors who deserves some major roles and more spotlight attention. He was incredible in the way-too-short HBO series, Rome, and is excellent in all of his other work including Trainspotting, Journeyman, amongst roles in many other films.

In addition to this acting work, comic book fans may know him for being the long-rumored candidate to play Thor for a very long time back in the day and video game fans will recognize him for voicing (and providing the face) of Captain “Soap” MacTavish in what is now know as the most successfully launched video game ever: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

With the insane success (financially and critically) of the latest Activision video game and the news over the last several months of them planning a Call of Duty movie, those plans will surely be getting a kickstart now. Read below to find out what McKidd has to say about Rome’s return in the form of a full-length film and of his interest in the Call of Duty movie.

We’ve known that the Rome movie was happening for quite some time now and with many fans picking up the show on Home Video since the series finished its run on HBO, the fanbase and desire to see more of Lucius Vorenus again is growing.

McKidd touched on the status of Rome project and it’s all sounding good at the moment and clarified that his character isn’t dead although the end of the series leaves viewers believing it to be a likely outcome.

“There is a script that is being shopped and it’s supposedly very good, I haven’t seen it, but I am definitely going to be a part of the movie… He is very much alive, so that should be a fun story to tell.”

To find out what McKidd says about his involvement in Modern Warfare 2 and his interest in the Call of Duty movie, check out our post at Game Rant.

To get your McKidd fix now, you can watch him Grey’s Anatomy and as Poseidon in the upcoming Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief.

Source: NY Post

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Chuck Premiere Date Announced By NBC

Bruce Simmons — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:48:10 +0000

NBC announced today that Chuck will be returning to the entertainment lineup starting January 10th.

Along with this return date confirmation was the announcement of the many guest stars they’ll have churning through the set of Chuck for the 2010 season.

The guests include Angie Harmon (Law & Order), Brandon Routh (Superman Returns), Robert Patrick (The Unit), Kristin Kreuk (Smallville), Armand Assante (Judge Dredd), Steve Austin (WWE Smackdown!) and Vinnie Jones (Snatch).

Returning with Chuck is the usual cast of regulars: Zachary Levi, Adam Baldwin, Yvonne Strahovski, Joshua Gomez, Sarah Lancaster, Ryan McPartlin, Mark Christopher Lawrence, Vik Sahay & Scott Krinsky.

The NBC press release stated:

NBC’s action-comedy series Chuck returns to the NBC lineup on Sunday, January 10 with all-new missions and two action-packed, back-to-back original episodes in its season premiere (9-11 p.m. ET) before the series — starring Zachary Levi in the title role — moves to its regular day and time (Mondays 8-9 p.m. ET) beginning January 11.

So Chuck not only comes back on January 10th, but we get the next episode on the very next day. Sweet. There was no mention of how many episodes they’re planning to air, but hey, January 10th & 11th is good enough for me right now.

Source: NBC

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New Moon Review

Vic Holtreman — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:30:45 +0000

Short version: Like Twilight, New Moon is strictly for fans of the book – for the rest of us, it’s actually worse than the first film.

Screen Rant reviews The Twilight Saga: New Moon

Well, maybe the third time will be the charm.

In an earlier article we speculated whether New Moon might turn out to be a good movie not just for fans but for general audiences (maybe even guys!). With the replacement of Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke with Chris Weitz on New Moon, many people were hoping for a more exciting film this time around. Unfortunately, if anything what we’ve gotten is a film that is even slower than the first one.

As New Moon opens things seem to have fallen into as close to normalcy as they can get in Forks, where Bella (Kristen Stewart) and Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) are a couple, even though Bella’s circle of friends still finds him and his family creepy. Bella hasn’t seen Jacob (Taylor Lautner) in quite a while and is shocked to see how he’s beefed up when he turns up. There’s a rivalry between Edward and Jacob, but nothing compared to what it will be by the end of the movie.

Bella still (idiotically) wants to be “turned” – be bitten so she can become a vampire and live forever with Edward at the physical age of 18. Edward refuses because obviously he’s smarter than she is – he’s 109 years old and with that apparently has come some wisdom. They actually joke about the fact that an 18 year old girl is dating a 109 year old guy – while it may seem silly, it’s actually true and quite creepy. You’d think he’d be (as a 109 year old) more interested in hooking up with a woman in her 30s, who’s actually experienced more of life and matured.

Edward tells Bella that the Cullens are leaving, ostensibly to protect their identities, but in reality he believes that as long as he’s around her he puts her in danger. Before he leaves he tells her not to do anything reckless – and the only reason to say something as non-sequiter as that is to set up what comes up later in the movie. Saying she doesn’t take it well would be an understatement. Bella is depressed and morose, doing nothing but sitting in her bedroom moping for months.

Eventually she pretends to snap out of it, just to make her dad happy, and while out with a friend discovers that if she contemplates doing something dangerous, risky (or hey, reckless!), Edward appears to her to tell her not to do it. So she becomes a bit of an adrenaline junkie, looking for dangerous things to do just so Edward will appear to her to tell her NOT to do it. This is a major point in the film, and frankly the more I thought about it, the more it seemed pretty stupid. First, let’s just reverse what I said earlier about Edward being wise – appearing to her ONLY when she’s about to do something risky, with the fact she misses him so much, guarantees she will engage in that behavior. Second, isn’t Bella the only person who he’s not able to “read?” He can’t read her thoughts, can’t tell what she’s planning on doing, etc? Then how the HECK does he appear to her when she’s about to do something stupid? Of course if he’s not appearing to her and she’s imagining it, then she’s having pretty vivid hallucinations and has even bigger problems than we thought.

Meanwhile back on the (Indian) ranch, there are a bunch of guys who hang together and seem to worship the gang leader. This particular fellow seems to be waiting for Jacob to join them even though Jake isn’t interested. Of course there’s a reason they’re called the “Wolf Pack” and soon enough Jacob will be joining them (once he joins them, he spends the rest of the film shirtless just like them). He comforts Bella, who takes advantage of their friendship because it’s obvious he has serious feelings for her, and she allows things to progress as far as closeness and some physical affection, but keeps him at arm’s length. Eventually he, too tells her he can’t be friends with her any more and Bella is now 0 for 2 on people who said they’d never leave her – and do.

Click to continue reading our New Moon review.

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Preview: Last Supernatural For 2009

Anthony Ocasio — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:44:58 +0000

While common-folk around the world are pulling their hair out trying to figure out how to program their DVRs, fans of Supernatural know that at 9PM on Thursday nights is time for the Winchester brothers to kick some supernatural butt. Given that tonight’s episode is the last episode of 2009, I figured it’s only appropriate to write something up.

Since the premiere of the fifth season, we’ve seen Lucifer rise from hell, Bobby become confined to a wheelchair, the brothers Winchester become television stars, 80-yr-old Dean Winchester kick some warlock butt and we finally find out what happens at all those Supernatural conventions. I’d say that’s pretty good for a couple of month’s work.

Still, the fight isn’t over; Lucifer is still on the loose and now that we found out that the Trickster is really the archangel Gabriel, the Winchester brothers are in it neck deep. Maybe it’s time that they ask for help from some familiar faces (and I’m not talking about Castiel).

That’s right Supernatural fans, tonight’s episode brings back everyone’s favorite mother-daughter hunting combo Ellen and Jo for an all out fight to track down the colt and send Lucifer back from which he came.

Although, don’t expect The Devil to go quietly as Ellen and Jo might not be the only familiar faces and these other faces just might not be so friendly. There’s also rumors that two characters don’t make it through tonight’s episode, but we won’t spoil that for you.

Check out the description of tonight’s episode, “Abandon All Hope.”

Sam (Jared Padalecki), Dean (Jensen Ackles) and Castiel (Misha Collins) track down the Colt and head off to find Lucifer (guest star Mark Pelligreno) to send him back to Hell. It’s a hunters’ reunion when the crew joins forces with Bobby (Jim Beaver), Ellen (guest star Samantha Ferris) and Jo (guest star Alona Tal) for what could be their last night on Earth.

What’s that? The description says nothing of unfriendly familiar faces. Well, I’ll just drop a little SPOILER BOMB on you and tell you that Meg has come back and brought with her Dean’s favorite pets. That’s right, the hell hounds.

Enough of me, check out a couple previews of tonight’s episode below.

So, there you have it. The last Supernatural of 2009. Do you think this will be an appropriate send-off into the new year? Will Lucifer finally go to hell? Will Bobby be able to walk again? Who else is scared of hell hounds?

Let’s hear it!

Catch Supernatural Thursday night at 9PM on The CW

Source: The Ausiello Files

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Who Should Play Black Cat in Spider-Man 4?

Kofi Outlaw — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:31:04 +0000

Enough already! This entire week seems like it’s been devoted to rumors about who will and will not be playing the role of Black Cat, the recently announced villain (and temptress?) of Spider-Man 4.

When news leaked that it would be Spidey vs. Black Cat in the next film, the first actress named for role was Rachel McAdams – then that rumor was debunked. After that came word that Julia Stiles is up for the role. Now we’re hearing Anne Hathaway’s name being tossed in the mix, while many internet fanboys are insisting that Eliza Dushku or Elisha Cuthbert be given the role because “they’re hot.”

Look… at this point we could keep on “reporting” each and every one of these Black Cat casting rumors as they pop-up and get knocked down again, but why? We all know the final decision is coming soon. But before we learn who will be playing Black Cat, let’s take a moment for ourselves and have a little fun discussing who should play Black Cat.

Lets begin with some background info on the character:

In the Spider-Man comics Black Cat is Felicia Hardy, a villain / love interest of Spidey’s who first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man in July of 1979 (almost 40 years after Catwoman first appeared in Batman comics, in case you’re wondering).

After decades of add-ons and reworkings, Black Cat’s current origin story is that she was the daughter of a world-famous cat-burglar, a daddy’s girl who inherited papa’s talent for larceny and his ambition to be the best. After some tragic incidents in her young adult life involving domineering men, Felicia becomes a fierce, independent-minded woman who trains herself to peak athleticism and skill as a thief. When her father ends up in jail, Felicia dons the Black Cat costume and attempts a jail break – where she runs into Spider-Man.

In the comics, Black Cat had the power of “bad luck,” often jinxing her opponents (and sometimes her friends, too). This “power” started out as a farce – elaborate tricks and traps meant to throw an enemy off-balance – but when Cat ended up in the clutches of the Kingpin, he used enhancement technology (same he used to create The Scorpion) to give Black Cat a “bad luck aura.” Since then, Cat and Spider have gone from hot and heavy to cold, ultimately becoming friends with an extra spark of attraction running between them.

Black Cat (if you can’t tell from the pics above) is sexy, flirty, wild, smart, crafty, and pretty kick ass. The character could’ve come and gone as a “knock-off Catwoman,” yet has remained a revered part of the Spider-Man universe for decades – which should speak to how much she’s distinguished herself as a character. Whenever the comics got too heavy with the whole Peter / MJ soap opera, Black Cat was there to break up the monotony. For readers like me, it was like having a wonderful affair without any long term consequence (and who doesn’t love that?).

Best part of all, Black Cat was an exciting rival of Spider-Man, not just another hurdle in the (often-annoying) romantic life of Peter Parker.

But who should play Black Cat? Here are my recommendations…

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Stan Lee Talks More About ‘Thor’ Cameo

Scott Miller — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:45:16 +0000

Given his history of cameos, (Iron Man, Spider-Man, Hulk, X-Men, Daredevil, etc.) it’s not exactly shocking that Lee will be getting one in Thor. Here’s what the George Washington of Marvel Comics said to MTV about meeting with the film’s director, four-time Academy Award nominee, Kenneth Branagh:

“I had lunch with Branagh, [who's] the nicest guy in the world as well as the most talented… months ago, when he was first starting on the movie, he said he would get a cameo for me.”

There ya have it. In case you’re insane and want to know exactly when Stan Lee will appear in the background of the film selling hot dogs or whatever, he had this to say to those dogged MTV folks when pressed for details:

“I think he has more important things to think of at the moment with the movie — like who he’s casting in it and how he’s going to film it… But I’m sure they’ll have something for me.”

Lee, Jack Kirby and Larry Lieber are credited with creating the characters in Thor for Marvel Comics, while Ashley Miller, Mark Protosevich and Zack Stentz wrote the screenplay for the film. Miller and Stentz have written for Fringe and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, while Protosevich penned the scripts for I Am Legend and Cell. Thor will star Natalie Portman (who could forget her quirky and endearing turn in Garden State?), Chris Hemsworth (who played a doomed but valiant George Kirk in the beginning of the most recent Star Trek flick) and Anthony Hopkins (who hasn’t needed a past work reference since 1991).

I’m excited to see what a director who’s handled Hamlet and Henry V to great critical acclaim can do with a comic-to-film adaptation. Speaking of the Prince of Denmark, if you haven’t seen Branagh’s version of Hamlet then shame on you. Watch it and you’ll never need to see another film reprisal (and it may show what he has to bring to the table of Thor). Henry V, now that I think about it, isn’t all that dissimilar from Thor either… Both stories follow mighty warriors, at least…

If you want to hear Lee talk about his cameo first-hand – you’re in luck! MTV has shared it with us!

Do you think with his pedigree, Branagh will add depth and dimension to the film? And where do you see Stan Lee fitting into all this?

Thor will roll in on May 20th, 2011.

Source: MTV

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Is Nimoy Done With Fringe After 3 Episodes?

Anthony Ocasio — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:17:43 +0000

Since it’s Thursday, let’s double up on the Fringe news. While we recently brought you news of everyone’s favorite baldy weirdo popping up all over the place, we’ve got bigger fish to fry. In this case, the proverbial fish is the elusive William Bell (played by your friendly neighborhood Vulcan, Leonard Nimoy) and whether or not the story of William Bell is over before it even had a chance to get started.

If you’re in the camp to believe anything this Nimoy fellow has to say, there might be some credit to this rumor. At the DVD launch party for J.J. Abrahams Star Trek, Nimoy took the time to wax poetic about all things Fringe.

“I agreed to do three episodes; and we’ve filmed all three. Two have aired, so I will be on the air in one more. And that’s the extent of my commitment.”

Well, maybe not so poetic, but definitely absolute. And because of that, this is some news that just doesn’t make me happiest of campers.

The first time we saw William Bell it was during Fringe’s first season finale and that was for about 3 minutes. The second time was a more recent episode and that appearance was a total of 5 minutes, all in flashback. So, the two out of three moments that we’ve see William Bell equal out to less than 10 minutes of screen time and now he’s going to be gone? What’s the deal, FOX?

Bell’s finale episode is set to air on December 10th with the title of “Grey Matter.” While no description has been released as of yet, just one look at Wikipedia holds all the answers that one would need.

Wikipedia says:

Grey matter is a major component of the central nervous system, consisting of neuronal cell bodies, neuropil (dendrites and both unmyelinated axons and myelinated axons), glial cells (astroglia and oligodendrocytes) and capillaries.

Pshh, yeah, of course. That’s exactly what I thought it was. Obviously from that definition we can tell that William Bell’s last episode will be about… something that I can’t understand, even when written down. So, pretty much like any other episode of Fringe.

Still, neuopil jokes aside (like that callback?), I’m pretty perturbed about this news. I enjoy Fringe, I always watch it the night that it’s on (unlike some shows), but my problem has been that I really don’t know what’s going on. I don’t know who the bad guy is, what the point of the show is and why all of this is happening.

I’m not a fan of illusive dramas and the fact that questions keep building up while watching this show has me a little frustrated. Now, with the announcement that the William Bell storyline is effectively gone, I have a feeling that some of my answers will go with him.

The only way that I’ll stay quiet about William Bell leaving is if his final episode is EPIC. He better be on for longer than 10min and there better be some face to face time between William Bell and Walter Bishop.

… and there better be a reference to the cow. That’s all I’m saying.

Enough of me. How do you feel about William Bell’s story being over? Do you feel like he’s played his part enough? Have all your questions been answered? Am I watching this show wrong?

Let’s hear it!

Fringe airs on Thursday night at 9pm on FOX

Source: TV Guide

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Sam Worthington To Star In ‘American Crime’

Ross Miller — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:56:33 +0000

Rising star Sam Worthington continues to build quite a career for himself: he’s already starred in Terminator Salvation, and has both James Cameron’s Avatar and the remake of Clash of the Titans on deck, two huge properties I think you’ll agree. Now, adding to that ever-growing list of Worthington movies is The Last Days of American Crime, an adaptation of an upcoming comic book/graphic novel of the same name from Radical Publishing.

Comic creator Rick Remender created and wrote The Last Days of American Crime, and Mania reports that he will also pen the script for the big-screen adaptation. The comic is described as, “a heist thriller told against a sci-fi backdrop.” From Radical’s website, here’s the synopsis:

In the not-too-distant future as a final response to terrorism and crime, the U.S. government plans in secret to broadcast a signal making it impossible for anyone to knowingly commit unlawful acts. To keep this from the public, the government creates a distraction, installing a new currency system using digital charge cards.

Enter: Graham Brick. A career criminal never quite able to hit the big score, Graham intends to steal one of the charging stations, skip the country and live off unlimited funds for the rest of his life. But the media has leaked news of the anti-crime signal one week before it was to go live…and now Graham and his team have just a few days to turn the crime of the century into the last crime in American history.

Mania reports that Worthington will play the character of Kevin Cash (catchy, eh?), a safecracker who (along with his beautiful girlfriend, Shelby) is enlisted at the last minute in the “last crime in American history” mentioned above. It’s strange, as you’d think Worthington would be cast as the lead, who presumably is the guy who sets up the crime. Then again, maybe the film adaptation will focus on the safecracker and thus Worthington will end up being the lead. The latter seems possible, considering the sort of roles Worthington has been getting as of late.

Remender has been developing the American Crime movie in concurrence with the comic, and word is he’ll have a major hand in how the film turns out. Along with having created and written the source material, and penning the script for the big-screen version, he’ll also serve as either a co-producer or exec producer. Radical Publishing’s chief, Barry Levine, along with Michael Schwarz will also produce the pic.

On top of Worthington, additional cast members and a director will reportedly be announced pretty fast, and the actors they’re bringing in will supposedly be “A-list Hollywood people.” This comic really must be something if there’s this much interest and activity around the adaptation before it even hits comic store shelves! Remender described the project to Mania:

“It’s really motivated by Mamet’s ‘Heist’ film and James Ellroy’s [novel] ‘American Tabloid’… Ellroy being an example of the kind of hard-boiled crime that has a socio-political backdrop and Mamet’s ‘Heist’ a very well-thought out film that focuses on the heist itself.”

I really dig the idea of American Crime – it puts a cool and unique spin on the often-visited sub-genre of the heist movie. For whatever reason, this reminds me of the upcoming vampire flick Daybreakers, in that it takes one sub-genre (heist movies) and meshes it with another (futuristic sci-fi). It reminds me of Steven Spielberg’s Minority Report for pretty much the same reason (crime thriller mixed with sci-fi). It’s still early, but chalk me up as looking forward to this film.

What do you think of the idea behind American Crime? Are you glad to see Sam Worthington get so many roles?

The first issue of The Last Days of American Crime hits comic store shelves this December. There’s no word on when the movie will start shooting/hit theaters.

Source: Mania and Radical Publishing

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Fringe: The Observers Invade Our Reality

Kofi Outlaw — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:46:15 +0000

Of all the viral marketing campaigns I’ve seen over the last few years, I’ve really been digging how Fringe is carrying-over one of the running mysteries of the show into the real world: namely, the appearance of “The Observer,” a creepy-looking bald man in a black suit and fedora, who has shown up (on camera, of course) at real-world events ranging from NASCAR races to NFL Football games.

With this week’s episode of Fringe, entitled “August” we learn more about the The Observer -- namely [SEMI-SPOILER] that “The Observer” is actually “The Observer(s),” with a hint as to what the purpose and/or agenda of these mysterious beings means for the world(s) of Fringe. To help promote the episode, Fox has been sending “Observers” out into the real-world, to be spotted by those keeping a careful eye on everything related to the show.

As of recently there have been Observer sightings in and around NYC, LA, Chicago, Boston and Atlanta. The dedicated folks over at The Observer Trackers on Facebook have been keeping a nationwide thread open and updated, announcing and then logging the places where fans can run to be a part of this amusing game of hide-and-go-observe.

Here are some recent photos taken of Observers making their way through “our world”:

Atlanta

Los Angeles

For those of you who fancy yourselves historical experts, The Observers have been here longer than you might think…

(Hint: Left side)

Finally, here is a televised Observer sighting, captured during this week’s episodes of Fox’s So You Think You Can Dance:

For a more extensive gallery of Observer pics, head over to The Observer Trackers on Facebook.

Viral Marketing can be really (really, really) annoying, but little “games” like this are pretty harmless and are, in general, a real thrill for fans. The lengths to which Fox has gone with this Observer campaign have been unprecedented -- I remember during the Fringe panel at the 2009 New York Comic Con when the show’s producer, Jeff Pinkner, told us how Fox had even lobbied (hard) to have an Observer on the platform standing next to President Obama on Inauguration Day. Needless to say they were unsuccessful (or were they?).

Gotta wonder if this latest mass Observer invasion is in any way an attempt to boost the show’s recent ratings slump…

Fringe airs on Fox Thursdays @ 9pm.

Sources: The Observer Trackers on Facebook via Sci-Fi Wire

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‘The Treasure Hunter’ Featuring Kato from ‘Green Hornet’

Paul Young — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:37:58 +0000

There are few people that are aware of the growing movie market overseas. Thailand is emerging as a serious threat in the marital arts action genre with the help of Tony Jaa (Ong Bak); Russia is proving they can make a slick and entertaining film thanks to studios like Disney (Black Lightning); and, of course, Japan has always been the source for many Hollywood studios’ “inspired” horror remakes (The Ring, The Grudge). One foreign market that tends to be brushed off as only doing kung-fu or martial art films is China.

Today we have a trailer for a new Asian film which has the odd IMDB genre label of romance/sci-fi called Ci Ling (Treasure Hunter). Why are we at Screen Rant sharing this trailer with you? Because Treasure Hunter stars an actor most English-speaking audiences may not be familiar with yet, but will be next year: Jay Chou. Chou is also playing Kato opposite Seth Rogen in the upcoming re-imagining of The Green Hornet. We thought you might a first-look at how the actor does onscreen.

Here’s the synopsis for Treasure Hunter and the trailer after the jump:

In the northwest desert where countless prosperous dynasties have flourish and fall, there is rumor of a treasure of unbelievable riches buried among it. A group of mysterious guardians have been guarding the map to the location of the treasure until a fierce rivalry erupted. A notorious international crime group, The Company, hunted down the map keeper and before they managed to secure the map, the keeper passed the map to a young chivalrous man Ciao Fei (Jay Chou). Ciao Fei was forced to give up the map to save the life of his mentor’s daughter Lan Ting (Lin Chi Ling). Teaming up with Hua Ding Bang (a famous archaeologist) and Lan Ting they embark on a dangerous journey to recover the map and fight to protect the ancient treasure.

I like the look of Treasure Hunter and even though it will never open in American theaters – unless it’s remade by Stephen Sommers, starring Brendan Fraser and Nicolas Cage in the renamed “National Treasure: Mummy Hunter”- I still look forward to watching it on DVD in a few months.

If the truth be known, a hefty portion of martial arts experts from China are fight choreographers for big Hollywood productions. Other films usually glazed over by American audiences, are the sweeping epics that China has produced in the recent years: Curse of the Golden Flower, House of Flying Daggers, and my personal favorite, Hero. I think it has something to do with American audiences’ disinterest in reading subtitles.

…And hose are just the films that make it into American theaters, thanks to the help and persuasion of people like Quentin Tarantino, who is a HUGE Asian cinema fan. There are plenty of bankable Asian actors that English audiences are familiar with: Jackie Chan (The Drunken Master), Stephen Chow (Kung Fu Hustle), Jet Li (Black Mask), Chow Yun-Fat (Confucius), Maggie Cheung (Hero), Donnie Yen (Iron Monkey), and Michelle Yeoh (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon). Odds are pretty good that you’ve seen at least one of each of those actors’ films and had to read the dialog in subtitles.

What do you think about Jay Chou, Treasure Hunter and Asian cinema, like it, hate it or open to it?

Treasure Hunter opens in Asian theaters December 31, 2009. The Green Hornet opens December 22, 2010.

Source: Twitch

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Matthew Vaughn: Kick-Ass is “Love Letter to Spider-Man”

Rob Frappier — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:25:34 +0000

Who loves hearing a director talk about their work? I know I do. That’s why it was such a pleasure to find this video of Matthew Vaughn offering a sort of pesudo-commentary track to the first trailer for his upcoming adaptation of the comic book Kick-Ass.

The trailer, which comes our way courtesy of /Film, was originally put together by French Premiere. While not a commentary in the traditional sense (Premiere placed excerpts of their interview with Vaughn over the trailer), it still provides some interesting insight into one of the most anticipated movies of 2010.

Ever since Kick-Ass had its coming out party at Comic Con, all of us here at Screen Rant have been of the opinion that the movie will, well, kick ass. Now that the film’s first trailer has finally hit the web, it seems like enthusiasm for the movie has been taken to a whole new level. It’s almost hard to believe that Matthew Vaughn financed the production of the movie on his own after no production companies stepped to the plate to back it.

Check out the director himself talking about the movie:

In retrospect, I’m glad Vaughn accepted the smart risk and made this movie his way, because you can clearly see his passion for the material. When you listen to him talk about the film and say things like his film is a “love letter to Spider-Man” and that it is “about people who love comic books and superheroes,” you can really sense that he understands his audience.

While comic book movies can work as complex morality tales (The Dark Knight proved that), they don’t all have to aspire to Academy Awards. Going into Kick-Ass, I know I’m going to get a movie that’s going to make me laugh, make me cringe, and, overall, make me glad I shelled out 10 bucks. And honestly, sometimes that’s all I want.

What do you think? If you’re still not on the Kick-Ass bandwagon, tell us why in the comments.

Kick-Ass will be in theaters on April 16, 2010

Source: French Premiere via Slash Film

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Spider-Man 4 Rumor: Julia Stiles as Black Cat?

Rob Keyes — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:50:55 +0000

Nowadays, it just doesn’t feel right to go a few weeks without a superhero movie rumor. Luckily, we got a pile recently – a lot of them for Spider-Man 4.

From the unlikely rumor of The Lizard being the only villain in Spidey’s next adventure, to red-headed babies and the casting of Rachel McAdams as Black Cat (later debunked); We now have more Spider-Man news for you to digest.

The latest name being thrown around for Spider-Man 4 and to possibly play Black Cat is Julia Stiles.

UGO has the scoop that Stiles (Bourne Trilogy, The Prince & Me) has a meeting with a New York-based casting company to talk about a role in Spider-Man 4. That’s no confirmation of who’s playing who but it is seemingly confirmed that Black Cat (Felicia Hardy) will in fact, be a character of Sam Raimi’s next movie. Raimi did hint that the villain of the movie “will be a big part of New York” and Ms. Hardy was born in Queens…

According to the second “confirmation” of Black Cat’s inclusion, HeyUGuys, McAdams was just one of several actresses being considered for the role. Now, we have a second name to add to that list.

While the McAdams rumor has been shot down, I initially preferred her over Stiles in the role if they were the only two options. Both actresses are very talented but the more I think about it, I can now go either way and Stiles could definitely pull it off.

Even more interesting is that HeyUGuys received information on Black Cat’s story arc for the movie and how she’ll likely be interacting with Peter Parker when not in her nice costume [Potential Spoilers ahead]:

“Apparently she is the daughter of the new editor of The Daily Bugle, a man who is also referred to as ‘a viper’ (more on this in a second). She falls in love with Peter Parker, and uncovers his true identity. Her father then dies, and Hardy becomes a threat to Peter Parker (presumably as The Black Cat).”

If this is true, the origin of Raimi’s Black Cat will differ from that of the comics where she is actually the daughter of a world-renowned cat burglar. She was the girlfriend of Peter in the comics so we’ll definitely see that relationship explored in the film, meaning more trouble with Mary Jane (who some have actually speculated would die in this movie).

“The source also implied that the word viper has some relevance. We’ve been trying to work out what, and we’re at a loss. Looking through the pantheon of marvel characters the only ones known as ‘The Viper’ are villains in Captain America stories, so it’s unlikely that it’s the name of a baddie, although our source did suggest that Felicia’s father is a villain as well as the editor of The Daily Bugle.”

What villain could Felicia’s father be playing? Does this mean that what Dylan Baker said about his character is true and that he won’t be becoming The Lizard, still regulated to a background role?

If you could pick anyone to play Black Cat, who would it be?

Sources: UGO, HUG

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Percy Jackson & The Lightning Thief International Trailer

Kofi Outlaw — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:32:28 +0000

The International trailer for Percy Jackson & The Lightning Thief has hit the Interweb, and it looks better than the previous trailer(s) that we’ve seen for the film.

The difference? This international trailer actually sets up something of an interesting (and action-packed) story, rather than simply providing us a glimpse at something that looks like yet another Harry Potter knock-off.

Speaking of Harry Potter, Percy Jackson & The Lightning Thief is being helmed by Chris Columbus, the same guy who directed the first two installments of the Potter franchise. Percy Jackson is based on the popular young-adult novels by Rick Riordan, and tells the story of a young boy named Percy (Logan Lerman) who discovers he is the descendant of the Greek Gods, only to become embroiled in a god-war.

The cast of actors playing the gods in the movie are made up of some very familiar faces – see if you can spot them in the trailer:

In case you didn’t catch them all, the gods are Pierce Brosnan as Chiron, Uma Thurman as Madusa, Sean Bean as Zeus, Kevin McKidd as Poseidon, Rosario Dawson as Persephone Serinda Swan as Aphrodite, Erica Cerra as Hera, Luke Camilleri as Dionysus, Dylan Neal as Hermes and Melina Kanakaredes as Athena. Also in the cast are Catherine Keener as Sally Jackson and Brandon T. “Tropic Thunder” Jackson as Grover Underwood.

What did you think, did you like the latest trailer?

Percy Jackson & the Lightning Thief hits theaters on February 12, 2010.

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Carl Rinsch To Direct ‘47 Ronin’

Kofi Outlaw — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:51:05 +0000

If you don’t know Carl Rinsch’s name, he is the young protegé (and potential son-in-law) of acclaimed directors Ridley and Tony Scott. Rinsch’s name first surfaced on the movie blog radar when Sir Ridley tapped him on the shoulder to direct the upcoming Alien prequel that 20th Century Fox is developing. The studio has since nixed that arrangement, insisting that Ridley himself direct the new Alien.

Well, it seems as though Carl Rinsch has managed to land on his feet: He’ll be helming 47 Ronin, a samurai historical epic being developed by Universal and producers Scott Stuber and Pamela Abdy, starring Keanu “Whoa” Reeves in the lead.

Rinsch’s filmography consists mainly of “futuristic” TV commercial work (Heineken, BMW), but if the Scott brothers took him under wing (and into their household) then there has got to be some potential there. Remember, District 9 director Neil Blomkamp was “just a TV commercial director” not too long ago…

With 47 Ronin, Rinsch will be tackling the legendary true tale of a band of 47 samurai in the 18th Century, who embark on a perilous mission to avenge their slain master. My guess is Reeves will be playing the head of the samurai clan (masterless samurai were called “ronin”, BTW). 47 Ronin is a pretty famous story and (if I’m reading this correct) this latest take will be a remake of a remake…

Rinsch

While the premise sounds like a Seven Samurai-esque epic with a lot of kick-ass potential, it is ironic to hear that Rinsch – touted as a “futuristic wunderkid” – is attached to a historical epic. Maybe there are some wild plans for the visual style of the film? Maybe this is simply a training exercise to see what Rinsch is capable of? Too early to tell…

What do you think about Carl Rinsch being attached to 47 Ronin? Does it sound like a good project for the young director, or, based on his commercials, would you expect him to be helming a sci-fi project instead?

No word yet on when 47 Ronin will be in theaters.

Source: THR

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HBO’s ‘The Pacific’ Trailer

Scott Miller — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:43:07 +0000

HBO is bringing us The Pacific, a WWII story of what went down in the Pacific while the men from Band of Brothers were fighting in Europe.

The series is based on the memoirs of Eugene Sledge and Robert Leckie, both of whom were Marines that served in the Pacific Theater of Operations. It was produced by (you guessed it) Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks (both of whom produced BoB) and Gary Goetzman (producer of Charlie Wilson’s War).

Joseph Mazzello and James Badge Dale have tackled the roles of Sledge and Leckie, respectively. John Seda rounds out the lead parts playing Sergeant John Basilone. Mazzello played the little boy in Jurassic Park (!) all those years ago, Dale popped up in The Departed and The Black Donnellys and Seda’s a former boxer who appeared in Twelve Monkeys and more recently, Bad Boys II.

Here’s the trailer for The Pacific. Dig in:

Here’s hoping The Pacific can match up to Band of Brothers while somehow not feeling like a rehash. The speech that Lt. Spiers gave in Band of Brothers about embracing death was one of the most powerful and memorable things I’ve ever seen on TV. If they can pull off just a couple moments like that in The Pacific, I’d be thrilled.

I’ve begrudgingly accepted the notion that the majority of television HBO touches turns to gold. Their approach of taking highly romanticized and curiosity-piquing concepts (the mafia, the old west, trendy life in a big city, vampires, being young and famous, etc. etc.) and adding human moments that allow us to relate to these extraordinary lives, has brought them well-deserved success for the last decade or so. I’d say The Pacific is one of the best bets for quality TV viewing next year. Do you agree?

The Pacific will hit our living rooms in March of 2010.

Souce: THR

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