Screen Rant

Brad Pitt to Star in ‘Dark Void’ Video Game Adaptation

Rob Keyes — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:36:52 +0000

Brad Pitt’s Plan B Productions company is teaming with Reliance BIG Entertainment to make a feature film based on the unreleased Capcom video game, Dark Void.

The story of the game is about a pilot named William Agustus Grey who ends up in another universe after crashing his cargo vessel in the Bermuda Triangle. In this other realm, he meets human survivors who are slaves to the “Watchers,” an alien race who were banished to this world and now act as Gods with humans doing their bidding.

Grey, who’s currently planned to be played by Brad Pitt, enlists the help of Nikola Tesla to modify Watcher technology and fight back Iron Man style with his jetback.

For more on the game and the trailer for Dark Void, which shows off the cinematic qualities employed in the game, head over to Game Rant.

The trailer definitely could make for some cool movie action sequences and that was the goal according to Germaine Gioia, a Senior VP at Capcom:

“As a game, ‘Dark Void’ was developed with a wide-screen mentality – a world full of adventure presented in cinematic scope and scale.”

Although we won’t get to see the game in its entirety until January, the premise and unique combat style of the game could make for a neat sci-fi action movie. With Brad Pitt involved, we may actually get a game adaptation that isn’t awful.

What do you think of this idea and the trailer?

Source: THR

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Avatar Featurette Shows Off Film’s Sci-Fi Tech

Kofi Outlaw — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:42:10 +0000

Most of what we’ve seen so far from James Cameron’s Avatar has had to do with the cat-like alien race, The Na’vi. Not really a surprise, considering that people’s main fascination with this film has been the pioneering digital effects work used to create the Na’vi, however, some of us have been wondering, “What about the humans’ technology?”

It might come as a surprise if you didn’t catch some of the early concept art that leaked during Avatar’s production, but yes! The movie DOES offer more than CGI “Cat-Smurfs.” In fact, there is a whole array of sci-fi tech that the invading human army uses to conquer the alien planet of Pandora – and now you can get a look at all that tech in a new three-minute featurette!

The name of this latest featurette is “Human Hardware” and appropriately so. The video features “the human side” of the cast, including Stephen Lang, who plays the imperial Col. Quaritch, Sigourney Weaver, who plays Dr. Grace Augustine and Giovanni Ribisi, who plays corporate swine Selfridge, along with some of Avatar’s producers, and of course, Cameron himself. Sci-fi fans, you’ll love this video in particular, as it’s basically a step-by-step look at the kind of tech-toys that has made Cameron a revered name in the genre.

Enough talk, onto the video:

For a bigger, hi-res version, head over to Rotten Tomatoes.

I really do like this video, but can’t help but to feel a bit miffed that it took this long for the filmmakers to put it out. If anything, BEFORE we got into the whole hard-to-swallow blue alien business, Cameron could’ve been earning serious cred (and good press) if he just flaunted the things he’s already known to be a master of: big mech suits, futuristic aircraft and weaponry and the awesome visual effects that make it all look real. Everything about Avatar’s ‘great 3D’ and ‘unprecedented CGI’ should’ve been introduced this way, IMHO. Might’ve avoided the whole “It’s going to suck” sentiment that’s now going around like the flu…

Some small gripes about the featurette: “Unobtainium”, the element that the human coporation is mining for on Pandora – our own Paul Young pointed out that’s the same name of the element that was used to construct the deep-drilling vessel in the 2003 film, The Core, and our own Vic Holtreman added that unobtainium is a general term for costly, unusual or downright imaginary material discussed in both science fact and science fiction circles. Second, the bladed bayonets on those mech suits look (to me, at least) like they were lifted right out of Gears of War. Isn’t Avatar supposed to be keeping things “original?” Because it’s starting to feel like a lot of borrowing is going on… I’m not saying, just saying…

What did you think of the “Human Hardware” of Avatar? Cooler than the alien aspect?

Avatar will be in theaters and IMAX on December 18, 2009.

Source: IGN via Rotten Tomatoes

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‘Star Trek: The Art of the Film’ – Contest Winners!

Vic Holtreman — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:36:48 +0000

Here are the 5 winners of our Star Trek giveaway:

Justin Biggs – Marlton, NJ
Carlos Guerra – Guatemala City, Guatemala
Marc Ciafardini – Richardson, TX
Chris Frye – Newark, OH
Samuel Bell – Pensacola, FL

Thanks to everyone who entered, and you can look forward to a really awesome Harry Potter contest coming up in December!

OK, gang, here’s a Screen Rant giveaway that you’re really going to want to enter: Thanks to Titan Books we’re giving away FIVE (5) copies of Star Trek: The Art of the Film. It’s the official book chronicling the art used in the production of J.J. Abrams’ hit rebirth of the franchise we know and love: Star Trek. This contest is open to everyone, all over the world, so that’ll make you overseas readers happy.

Here’s the official description of the book:

Director J.J. Abrams’ new vision of the greatest space adventure of all time, Star Trek features a young, new crew venturing boldly where no man has gone before, as it tells the story of how the brash Starfleet cadet James T. Kirk first meets a Vulcan named Spock, and earns the Captain’s chair of the Starship Enterprise. The film quickly became a critical and commercial smash hit worldwide, as audiences — confirmed Trekkers and newcomers alike — thrilled to a state-of-the-art action epic which both respected the legacy of Gene Roddenberry’s archetypal modern myth and forged ahead into an exciting future of its own. Star Trek: The Art of the Film is a lavishly illustrated celebration of that new vision, tracing the evolution of the movie’s look through a stunning array of previously unseen pre-production paintings, concept sketches, costume and set designs, unit photography and final frames. Written by New York Times-bestselling author Mark Cotta Vaz in close co-operation with the film’s production team, and including a Foreword by J.J. Abrams, this is the essential companion to the film.

Here are a few samples of artwork from the book:

Fans of the early Star Trek movies may prefer this design prior to Abrams' changes

Creature designs from the new Star Trek

More concept art from Star Trek: The Art of the Film

A gallery of Star Trek aliens

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Eddie Murphy’s Return To R-Rated Comedy To Be ‘Fluffy?’

Anthony Ocasio — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:04:04 +0000

Fans of old-school Eddie Murphy, one of the greatest stand-ups of all time, may have something to get excited about – because for the first time in over 10 years he has decided to return to that which made him a household name, that which made him great: R-rated comedies. And the comedy he has chosen will be The Misadventures of Fluffy for Paramount.

Wait. What? Nevermind, everyone can sit back down. Really? The Misadventures of Fluffy? I hate even writing that title, let alone watching it. C’mon Eddie, what are you doing? Last thing we heard was that Eddie Murphy had backed out of starring in the Richard Pryor bio-pic and now we’ve got this? He’s picking Fluffy over Richard Pryor.

Now, before everyone decides to chase after him with pitchforks (ala Frankenstein), it should be known that as of right now he’s not starring in this film, but he is definitely producing it. Although, if Murphy’s career decisions continue the way they’ve gone for almost a decade, he’s probably going to star in this as well.

Maybe I’m being too hard on our favorite Detroit police officer. Let’s check out the description of the movie.

“A road trip pic through New York featuring talking animals, and with an element of social comedy reminiscent of Murphy’s 1980’s hit Trading Places.”

Nope, not being too hard on him. At all.

So, it’s Trading Places meets Doctor Dolittle? How on earth could that fail?

I’ve heard this theory being thrown about for some time about Eddie Murphy and all those horrible movies he puts out. The theory goes that the reason why studios keep giving Eddie Murphy money to make horrible movies that make no money is that when he decides to make a film like The Nutty Professor or Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (nine years ago) that it more than makes up for the money previously wasted.

While I’m not one to believe such things and find it hard to believe that any high grossing movie could make up for the amount of money Murphy has blown on The Adventures of Pluto Nash or Meet Dave (and no, Shrek doesn’t count).

Still, there may be some merit as Paramount is the studio bringing us The Misadventures of Fluffy and guess who’s also behind Beverly Hills Cop IV (if it ever gets made)? That’s right, Paramount.

What do you think? Will it be excited to see an R-rated Murphy in a talking dog comedy? Does him producing it mean anything at all? Can anyone name the year that there was a real Eddie Murphy film?

And finally…

If Eddie Murphy all of a sudden decided to return to stand-up comedy, who would instantly run out to buy tickets?

(Hand raised)

Exactly.

The Misadventures of Fluffy has yet to receive a release date, but Shrek Forever After comes out in 2010.

Source: THR via Collider

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Doctor Who: The End Of Time 3-Minute Preview

Anthony Ocasio — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:46:05 +0000

‘Tis the season to be Jolly. Not because of the holidays (yuck, holidays) but because of David Tennant’s finale as Doctor Who and since everyone seems to be in the giving spirit, BBC America has bestowed upon us the gift of a three-minute sneak-peek at Doctor Who: The End of Time.

It was not a week ago that we learned the name of Tennant’s swan song, along with getting a 40-second teaser trailer. Now we’ve got three-minutes from the episode! With the way information keeps rolling out of the two “beebs” (BBC & BBC America), I’m guessing that by next week we’re going to have the entire episode available. Well, maybe not the entire episode, but hopefully the opening sequence .

Before we get to the actual clip, there’s also good news for the American audience. We already know that Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars is scheduled to air in America on December 19th and that in the UK, Doctor Who: The End of Time (part one) will air on Christmas Day. What’s the good news, you ask? Well, there will be no need to wait a month to catch up with our friend across the pond as BBC America will be airing part one of Doctor Who: The End of Time on December 26th.

Now, let’s get back to the clip that you came here to see. Check it out below.

It seems as if the Ood’s have done pretty well for themselves since they’ve been freed only 100 years. With the Doctor being summoned back to the planet of the Ood, there’s no doubt that Donna, their savior, will be back in a big, bad way. Also, it looks as if the Doctor has somewhat returned to normal after his stint at the end of “The Waters of Mars,” but something’s still a little off with him – maybe it’s just me.

While the dates of Doctor Who: The End of Time part one have been released for the UK and America, there have yet to be any announcements as to the dates of part two in either territory, but we’re promised it will be “over the holidays.” As always, we’ll bring you anything Doctor Who related as it is announced.

Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars will air December 19 on BBC America
Doctor Who: The End of Time (part one) will air December 25 in the UK and December 26 in America

Source: BBC America

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Stephen King’s ‘Under the Dome’ to be Produced by Speilberg

Scott Miller — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:35:00 +0000

Under The Dome, the newest novel from Stephen King (who wrote about 50,000 books including those in The Dark Tower series) will be adapted for TV by the producer of Schindler’s List, Amistad and Transformers (actually, Spielberg was the executive producer of that last one). Collider clued us in.

The novel, released all of 10 days ago, follows the events in a sleepy Maine town after a mysterious dome entraps all of the inhabitants. For a hint at what might happen in the story, a previous piece King wrote with the same premise was titled The Cannibals. The official Stephen King Website gives this synopsis of Under The Dome:

“On an entirely normal, beautiful fall day in Chester’s Mill, Maine, the town is inexplicably and suddenly sealed off from the rest of the world by an invisible force field. No one can fathom what this barrier is, where it came from, and when — or if — it will go away.

Dale Barbara, finds himself teamed with a few intrepid citizens – the town newspaper owner, a physician’s assistant at the hospital, a select-woman, and three brave kids. Against them stands Big Jim Rennie, a politician who will stop at nothing to hold on to the reins of power, and his son. Because time isn’t just short… It’s running out.”

Steven Spielberg is also executive producing The Talisman, due out in 2010, another project written by King. Spielberg is also keeping himself busy with the upcoming Transformers 3 and Indiana Jones 5. Collider tells us that writers are currently being brought in to discuss an adaption of Under The Dome (it’s 1,000 pages, BTW).

So, another dark Stephen King novel will get the live-action treatment. Who do you think should direct this Spielberg-produced TV series?

No word on when Under The Dome will hit small screens everywhere.

Source: Stephen King Website, Collider

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‘The Orphanage’ Remake Loses Its Director

Ross Miller — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:22:37 +0000

Back in August we reported on the fact that prolific film actor/editor/producer/director, Larry Fessenden, was attached to direct the upcoming inevitable remake of Juan Antonio Bayona’s excellent Spanish-language horror film, The Orphanage (or “El orfanato” to use its Spanish name). Fessenden had reportedly co-written the script with the ultra-busy Guillermo del Toro (who produced the original and is performing the same duties for the remake), and was tapped to bring the creepy tale to English-speaking audiences who may not have seen (or maybe not even have heard of) the original.

However, just a few short months later the guys over at JoBlo have learned exclusively from Fessenden himself that he most likely won’t be directing The Orphanage remake. On the set of his upcoming project, the post-apocalyptic vampire film Stake Land (Fessenden is producing), he told Joblo the following:

“THE ORPHANAGE was two years of waiting. Working on the script with Guillermo was a very exciting experience, but then I got into a casting miasma and that’s where the thing is; I think they’re gonna do it another way, actually. So I think I’m out of it. Hopefully they’ll still use my script, but I’m not sure I’m directing it anymore. That’s Hollywood for ya.”

It doesn’t sound absolute 100% concrete Fessenden is out, but chances are if he was still set to be at the helm he would know for definite and wouldn’t be sounding so unsure. I reckon, what with del Toro still on-board to produce, that they’ll use the script the two of them worked on together. Having said that, if another director gets brought on-board and has some new ideas of where to take the remake, del Toro may want to take his and Fessenden’s co-written script and rewrite it with the new director by his side. It’s too early to tell, but that’s certainly a possibility, I think.

Fessenden is a busy man (not quite as busy as del Toro, but I don’t think ANYONE is), with three films he’s producing (Bitter Feast, Stake Land and Hypothermia) that follow a plethora of films already on his resume. I’m not familiar with Fessenden’s work, so I can’t really say if he was a good choice for Orphanage remake, but it certainly sounds like he was passionate about it. It’s just one of those cases where differences in opinion over what a film should be has caused the departure of one of the key players. As Fessenden says – that’s Hollywood for ya’.

Side note: it’s very strange that Fessenden is apparently off the project as word is del Toro handpicked him as a sort of protégé for being a, “filmmaker who [understands] the conventions of the horror genre and could execute a movie that would be as scary and disturbing as the original but in an American context.” You’d think if del Toro likes him that much that they’d try and work around any problems to keep Fessenden on-board as director. Strange…

Larry Fessenden with Guillermo del Toro

As for who should direct The Orphanage now, I personally think someone like Alfonso Cauron (Children of Men) or Frank Darabont should be given a shot at it. Cuaron, just because I think he really knows how to bring out the humanity in his films (his turn at directing Harry Potter 3 resulted in the most rewarding film of the franchise, IMO) and I don’t think you can really go wrong with Darabont, the man responsible for The Shawshank Redemption (one of the best films ever, IMHO) and last year’s The Mist (a film I liked a lot more on second viewing). Those are just a couple of directors I can think of that I’d like to see at the helm of this.

Having said that, I’d just like to make it clear that I am not happy about Hollywood taking yet another great foreign language film and remaking it into a most likely dumbed-down version just because you have to read subtitles to watch the original (either that or a badly dubbed version). I’m holding on for dear life to the fact that del Toro – producer of the original – is back producing the remake and in that way it will work out well. But I doubt they’ll get anywhere close to the original in terms of quality. I could be wrong, but that’s just my thought on the matter at this point in time.

As far as we know, a lead actress to play the adoptive mother with a troubled son is still being looked for by New Line. Perhaps the actresses the studio has on the shortlist was one of the contributing factors in Fessenden departing the project. Who knows.

What do you think of Larry Fessenden not directing The Orphanage remake anymore? Who would you like to see direct instead?

No release date has been set for The Orphanage as of yet. We’ll keep you posted.

Source: Joblo (thanks to /Film)

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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 18th, 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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