After the newsfest yesterday, everything has calmed down. Everybody is slowly getting used to the avalanche of news that was revealed at Comic Con, and getting back into the flow of things with the usual trickle of updates.
The Goonies 25th Anniversary Edition
Whilst it's no Goonies 2 (some people really want it...I can't see why), this announcement should appease many fans of this awesome family favorite.
You can pick it up on either normal DVD or Blu-Ray, it comes with a Goonies Boardgame, a reprint of the 1985 Souvenir magazine, a repring of Empire's "where are they now?" article about the cast and some of the crew, and a set of storyboard cards.
You can relive the Truffle Shuffle in November of this year.
Let Me In is a remake of a 2008 film. Sounds odd for a film to be remade 2 years after the original film, but I've done a bit of research on this, and here's the explanation why.
Let The Right One In was a Swedish Vampire book released in 2004, and it was fairly well recieved. It has since been translated into various languages, and was adapted into the 2008 film of the same name.
However, the original film held less focus on the horror elements of the storyline, and instead held focus on the relationship between the two "child" lead characters.
The remake, re-titled Let Me In, holds more focus on the horror elements of the book, whilst attempting to retain the feel of the original film adaptation.
Whether or not this can be achieved is up to you. The trailer (above) and poster (below) are the latest promotional pieces for the film.
The Unknowns
The Unknowns is a new comic published by Femme Fatales Comics, focusing on the adventures of Alexis Davenport, an "ordinary" woman that drifts through life until she discovers that she's had her memory wiped.
Before the loss of her memory, she was the leader of an elite team called The Unknowns (big shock there). Thus starts her quest to bring the team back together, and find out why her memory was wiped in the first place.
The official site for the comic can be found HERE.
The extra news from Comic Con is that Brett Ratner has signed up to produce the movie adaptation, having purchased the film rights with his production company Rat Entertainment. The fact that he hasn't said he'll be directing means that he'll be on the lookout for some talent to take the helm for this project.
At least, I assume he'll be blowing them up...he's got a reputation to keep, you know?
According to HeatVision at The Hollywood Reporter, Michael Bay has signed on to produce another Sci-Fi related movie. Details haven't really been released yet, as Paramount are keeping quiet about it, though it has been mentioned that alien abduuctions are involved in some way.
I'll keep you posted on any future details.
Darwin in X-Men: First Class
This is Darwin, one of the original mutants from Marvel's series X-Men (as if you haven't heard of X-Men). Darwin's super power was the ability to adapt to any situation he was placed in, much like the process of Evolution allows over great lengths of time (hence, Darwin). If he's trapped underwater he can breathe, if he's trapped in a fire he'll become heat resistant, etc.
Ok, sure, it's not really Evolution (before Creationists get a hold on this one and start using this example...), but it's a damned useful super power.
So...who's going to be playing him? Twilight fans, get ready to squeal with joy (maybe?):
Edi Gathegi appeared in two of the Twilight films, playing the above dredlocked vampire. He has now signed on to play Darwin in the upcoming X-Men: First Class.
So...which Mutant is next do you think? They still haven't announced who'll play Cyclops, so who'll take that role? I'll keep you updated as the news comes in.
As SDCC grew closer, and then passed me by, I became quite bitter...I'm sat hear reporting on all this news that's flowing my way from the convention centre, and all those lucky people that got to go there are having loads of fun, getting lots of exclusive stuff, and generally just rubbing it in the faces of those that couldn't go.
But, I don't stay bitter long...it's not good for the skin, nor the heart. Instead, I used my friends in high places to get me free stuff, and to stop me whining.
I would like to thank those people (they know who they are, I shan't name them) for being very nice and getting me these things. Some of them are exclusive items, only available at the SDCC, so I am very grateful to you guys.
Here's images of what I got (I apologise for their size, but it's all I could do):
This bag is massive. It's the one they give people as they walk in, big enough to carry all the bits and pieces you pick up as you walk around the convention halls. It even has a snazzy little bit designed specifically for posters or other tube shaped gifts.
Closeup of the Puzzle Fighter logo on the bag below.
And here's the whole bag. This is what all the Capcom stuff came in.
Tatsunoko Vs Capcom towel, and my feet.
Tatsunoko Vs Capcom cardgame.
Tatsunoko Vs Capcom keyring. Chibi style.
Capcom comics! Darkstalkers, Bionic Commando, and Street Fighter.
Bionic Commando patches, and Puzzle Fighter patch.
Dark Void and Bionic Commando figures.
The Art of Devil May Cry 4!
A thing to advertise We Love Golf. Any idea what it is?
Neopets Puzzle Adventure, for the DS. I'm giving this to Lindsey.
Little plastic Sir Om Nom Nom figure, with his larger counterpart as a Plushie. We've called him Fred.
These 2 images are some of the best of the bunch. Exclusive to the Walking Dead panel at SDCC, this T-shirt is the I Heart Zombies promo for The Walking Dead TV show.
And there we go, that's all of my free stuff from friends. Thanks very much again to the guys that got me this stuff!
As is typical for just after Comic Con, news is flooding in fast. It also helps that Blizzard have just released one of their most anticipated titles of all time, which happens to be a Sci-Fi title. So, here goes!
Sucker Punch Trailer
The first thing that went through my mind whilst watching this trailer was "Well...this is weird" quickly followed by "Hmmm, slow motion school-girls with Samurai swords, fighting dragons..."
It's nice to see Zack Snyder doing something original, rather than converting well known and much loved comics to film (even if 300 and Watchmen are really good films), but at the moment it does feel like he had a load of seperate ideas, and decided to turn them into a full film.
Gears Of War - A Bromantic Comedy
No, don't worry, it's not really going to be a Bromance story (unless they follow the games perfectly) but it would be fitting for the series, don't you think?
Well, news from Comic Con is that the Gears movie is still being made, but it's taking a step back, and seemingly for the better. The original version, to be directed by Len Wiseman, was reportedly going for a $100 Million budget.
The new version is going for a smaller budget, and a smaller storyline. Cliffy-B is aiming for a District 9 sort of film (low budget, big story, heavy on the CGI, etc), whilst Wiseman was aiming for a high-budget 2012 style film.
If they can pull it off, this could be an interesting film...not great, but an apocalyptic Sci-Fi action film dealing with the death of humanity could at least make for a good brain-off flick.
Daft Punk's Tron Legacy
I don't know where they got their hands on these, but Geek Tyrant have managed to grab 6 tracks of Daft Punk's Tron Legacy soundtrack. You can listen to the full 6 over on their site, with a sneak peak belw.
It all sounds fairly good, but it's all very quiet for what I'm used to from DP.
The Dream Machine
The Dream Machine is a fantasy (I think?) Point & Click adventure being made by "two Sweidhs nerds."
Interestingly, it's not being built entirely on a computer...whilst you'll obviously play it on your PC, and the interface and controls are all electronic, the actual game itself is made from cardboard and clay.
I like the approach, and I love the style, so I'll be keeping an eye on this. You can sign up for the Beta over at their site, or sit and wait patiently for the release of the first episode.
Interestingly, you can also follow their own blogspot blog, found HERE.
PC Gamer also have coverage of the Launch event in London, in their Starcraft 2 launchblog.
Korea are probably jumping for joy at this latest release (for those of you unaware, Starcraft is actually a national sport in Korea), and no doubt had some amazing launch events.
It would appear that Predators has been enough of a success to get Fox asking Rodriguez "‘Let’s do some other ones. What other story ideas do you have?’"
Which has now lead to the director to reveal some details on where he wants to go with the series, and just why a sequel is being planned already.
"It was like, let’s test out the market with this one. They really wanted it to be pretty contained, pretty scaled-back.
"They didn’t want to put too many of the ideas into it that we could save for a second one. So we could see what the appetite was, because the bigger movie would actually be what comes following that.”
Expanding on the Predator universe is a great idea, in my mind, as there's so much more that can be done with the series. Especially if you keep in mind all of the books and comics that have expanded on the cannon.
But I still have a problem. Rodriguez has been quite vocal about his dislike for Predator 2, stating in the interview:
“Predators kind of sets up a new storyline, new location and world, and then you can kind of go crazy from there.
“When I wrote Predators, it was to forget that even Predator 2 was made. So (with the sequel) all you would ever have to do is watch Predator and Predators, and you would have a little complete thing.”
Which seems a bit unfair towards Predator 2 in my opinion. I think all of the films can work together as they are. Just because Predator 2 makes little reference to the first film, it doesn't mean it's a bad film...
We were told that Stephen Norrington had written a terrific script for the film, and an offer had been sent out for a "mjaor actor" for the role of Eric Draven.
Things seem to have changed a little bit now, according to The Wrap, Ed Pressman has pulled in Nick Cave to re-write Norrington's script (so, not that terrific then?).
Nick Cave is apparently quite famous within his circle...but I've honestly never heard of the guy, and I don't recognise any of the things he's worked on before...so I have no basis as to whether or not this is a good or bad thing. Perhaps you guys can fill me in?
Green Lantern Posters
Fresh out of Comic Con come the first posters for Warner Bros The Green lantern adaptation. I never thought I'd be so happy to see Ryan Reynolds in tight green spandex...
Comic Con Coverage, Pirates, Cloverfield, And More!
I must apologise for the lack of a Linkorama on the Friday just gone...I tried to write something up, but I couldn't find anything that was particularly interesting to write about. Of course, that decision may come back and bite me, so I'll just let you know that Zack Snyder has got the rights to do the script to Frank Miller's 300 Prequel "Xerxes" and that Joss Whedon (Buffy, Angel, Firefly, Doll House) is down to direct Marvel's The Avengers. Apart from that, nothing much interesting.
Comic Con Coverage
Rather than post thousands of links myself (I know, that's the point of this blog entry, but still), I'll link you to the Comic Con coverage by JoBlo.
In this coverage, you'll find everything that was revealed at SDCC this year, and everything that they've been able to sneak out. I have to say, The Walking Dead looks fantastic.
I recognised every scene from the first issue, recreated perfectly in film. I wish I could have gone to Comic Con...
Godzilla Reboot
Coming Soon have managed to find themselves a copy of the Godzilla image released at this years Comic Con. If you're wondering what the odd little image is in the corner, it's something that caused a webcam at the Legendary Pictures booth to show a small animation of Godzilla's "Atomic Breath."
Pirates Of The Caribbean 4
I'm looking forward to this for a couple of reasons.
1. Zombies...there are Zombies. I like Zombies.
2. Just Jack. The first trilogy is over, no more having to put up with Keria Knightley or Orlando Bloom. I also like that.
But I also heard that Russel Brand is playing Jack's brother...which I'm not so happy about. We'll have to wasit and see what the balance is for this film...
Cloverfield 2
Just a little snippet for this one, but it would appear that Cloverfield 2 is most definitely on the books. TotalFilm have reported Matt Reeves as saying:
“Cloverfield 2 is on hold for now. J.J is very involved with Super 8, and I've been doing Let Me In, so we have shelved it until we can get the team from the first back together."
Which all sounds good. I'll keep you updated on all things Cloverfield as they come my way.
That's all for today folks, come back tomorrow for more!
You can read a copy of their "press release" HERE, it's quite an entertaining read. Full of wonderful lines such as:
"Comic Con is an excuse for whores to wear skimpy get-ups"
And, don't forget the most reassuring line:
"YOU’RE GOING TO HELL."
Honestly, I think we're getting used to these idiots picketing absolutely anything now, and I think there are only two sure-fire ways you can deal with idiots like this.
1 - Ignore them. By ignoring them, you deprive them of what it is they want, coverage, publicity, etc. Somewhat defeated by having blogs and articles written about them, but this leads to the second way.
2 - Ridicule them. Don't debate them...if you debate them, you treat them like equals, a form of respect they do not deserve. We've seen the likes of Louis Theroux attempt this, and we've even seen Jeremy Kyle take on the task, but it never works.
The Phelps family are so pig ignorant and sure about their ways and beliefs, that any form of argumentation or reasoning goes straight through them, and a quick rebuttal of "God hates you" sets them back on their feet, smiling at the heathens.
So...if you want ridicule, who are the best people to attack? Clearly the geeks. The sect of humanity that is used to being beaten down, trodden on, and treated like the lesser beings. So used to it, infact, that they're quite happy to fight back.
The above video has lead to a great discovery:
"Church members had intended to hold their protest for an hour, but in the face of 150 to 200 counter-protesting, costumed fans carrying signs that read everything from "Odin is God" to "God loves Gay Robin," they gave up early. By the time I arrived, the handful of Comic-Con haters were already packing up and walking away with the police presence that outnumbered them, which you can see at the 24-second mark."
I think the message is clear. The best way to deal with fundamentalists like this is ridicule. They battle so hard to be taken seriously, but to have hundreds of people literally laughing in their faces? It becomes too much.
Their arguments melt down, and they show their true selves. They either flee in terror, unsure on how to deal with people that clearly don't care about what they have to say, or they react in violence and show the people that they clearly don't deserve to be listened to.
Don't mess with the Geeks.
For more news, head over to the SDCC site and an amusing article over on MTV.com
The following is a written account of the news in the days leading up to the death and rebirth of the world.
World War Z
It's been well known for a while now that Max Brooks' World War Z had been picked up by Brad Pitt's company Plan B, but news has rarely surfaced about the films progress.
Thanks to MTV and the San Diego Comic Con, we can now bask in the lovely news that Brad Pitt is now confirmed to be starring in the film, and that Paramount have also optioned the rights to Max Brooks' other two books, The Zombies Survival Guide and Recorded Attacks, with Pitt also said to be starring in those.
J. Michael Straczynski (Babylon 5, Rising Stars) wrote the original script for the film, though it was later rewritten by Matthew Michael Carnahan, and will be directed by Marc Forster (Quantum Of Solace).
"I'm glad they took their time, and are trying to make the best zombie movie they can," said Brooks. "I'm so glad they stayed with the project and so glad they found the right team."
William Christenson, Editor-in-Chief of Avatar (the publishers of Recorded Attacks), also makes mention of future projects with Max Brooks.
I've been excited about the possibility of a World War Z film since I picked the book up all those years ago...but the possibility of more stuff set within that universe? I need to sit down...
The Walking Dead
We're all sitting in anticipation for more news surrounding he Walking Dead TV series...ever since Dead Set, I've been clamouring for more Zombie related TV shows. I can't get enough of Zombies, especially Zombies that are as well written as those of The Walking Dead series.
I'm certain more news will be heading our way this week during the events of the SDCC, as it's a major comicbook adaptation.
But to tide us over until a big reveal of somekind, ComicBookMovie.com managed to find a small and interesting snippet.
That's Charlie Adlard. If you're not sure who he is, that's the artist behind The Walking Dead. The news? He's got himself a cameo as a Zombie in the TV series.
"Well, I've just returned from the TV show Atlanta set of TWD. What a fantastic experience - I can tell you! Three days of seeing my creations come to life... I felt very privileged, and one day was spent as a zombie - so thanks to the makeup guys [Garret, Andy, and Jake] who made that experience a joy. They'll still be filming down there for a few more months, so I feel for them in that blazing humid heat - good luck guys! The series should air on AMC in October. My thanks to everyone who made me feel so welcome,"
Though no images have surfaced of the Zombified Adlard, I'll keep you all posted for anything that surfaces.
Chew
This is Chew. Chew is a comic by John Layman and Rob Guillory, distributed by Image (The Walking Dead), about Federal Agent Tony Chu.
Tony Chu is a 'Cibopath,' a person that pick up Psychic Impression from whatever he eats.
Tony gets himself into all sorts of cases, like Murder, and uses his unique ability to help solve the crime. So, in other words, Tony Chu has to eat the victims of his cases.
"What's the news?" I hear you asking. Well, the news is that the company behind The Walking Dead TV adaptation (AMC's Circle Of Confusion) has also nabbed themselves the rights to adapt Chew to the small screen.
Sounds pretty awesome, and would definitely be an improvement on crime drama's like CSI or Law And Order.
Deadline have all the exra details for you in their article.
Green lantern's Abin Sur
To those of you not up to date on your Green Lantern lore, Abin Sur is the alien that chooses Hal Jordan to inherit his ring of power. It is thanks to Abin Sur that The Green Lantern is able to do what he does.
This model is on display at the SDCC at the moment, and it's quite detailed don't you think?
For more images, you can head over to TotalFilm and view an entire gallery of images.
Karl Urban As Judge Dredd?
I reported earlier this month that a Judge Dredd Reboot was in the works.
Rumours were flying about everywhere as to who could play the Dredd, and it would appear that strong rumours are now suggesting that Karl Urban will take the role.
Bleeding Cool have heard the word that he will be offered the role as Judge Dredd in the upcoming reboot, though thankfully the film will be taking a darker look at the Judge Dredd series, sticking closer to the actual comics, and Dredd will never reveal his face (like he did in the awful Stalone film).
I think Karl Urban is a good choice, especially given his credentials for previous geek flicks (Lord Of The Rings, Star Trek, Xena), though I still think my recent favorite actor (Timothy Olyphant) would make an excellent Dredd.
I'll keep you all up to date as more news is revealed.
Fable 3 Shots
Once again thanks to the SDCC, we have some excellent new shots from upcoming Fable 3.
Soak them up, the game is getting closer and closer!
Thanks to MTV we now have a new clip from the upcoming Scott Pilgrim Vs The World. It's a short clip, with no actual action, but it shows a great deal of the comicbook style visuals we can expect from the full piece.
That's all from me for today guys. Come back tomorrow for more!
Riddle me this, riddle me that, who's afraid of a big black-out?
Starz Interested In Flash Forward?
It was quite upsetting to hear that after just one series, Flash Forward had been cancelled. The main reason was because of diminishing ratings.
But this didn't stop devoted fans from setting up a group on Facebook (it would appear nothing stops people from setting up groups on Facebook though), and starting a campaign to bring the series back.
According to TV Overmind Save FlashForward! have held black-outs infront of ABC studios across America, and have repeatedly badgered them with phonecalls to either bring it back or sell the license to another group.
And now?
"I just called Starz and the rep told me that they are agressively (sic) seeking the license for Flash Forward (sic) and that a lot of people have been calling about Flash Forward (sic)," the site reported, according to Scott, someone apparently involved with the campaign.
There are also rumours that the head of ABC is weakening, and may cave in to preasure soon enough.
Is Flash Forward really worth bringing back though? I liked it, but I honestly cannot see how much further it could go. Perhaps a one off TV movie could help finish it all off, but there are only so many black-outs that can happen before interest in the series goes the way of, dare I say it, Lost...
Star Trek 2 Rumours
A couple of conflicting reports here, but both concerning the shooting date for the sequel to the Star Trek reboot.
TrekMovie: You have to deliver a movie to Paramount by June 2012, so when do you expect to start shooting?
Bryan Burk: We will be shooting this time next year. Starting early summer or late spring.
TrekMovie: So that puts pre-production starting around December this year or January 2011?
Bryan Burk: I would like to shoot for that, we will see.
Whilst over at Hollywood, a quick interview with Captain ike actor Bruce Greenwood:
Is there anything that you can tell us about Star Trek 2?
I just know that the plan is to film it in January, more than that, I don't know.
But you are in it right?
I hope, I hope...
We loved Captain Pike and would love to see him again...
I'm hustling for it...we'll see...
So there we go...I'm more inclined to believe Bryan Burk over anybody else at the moment, though Greenwood may very well just have heard about pre-production starting around January and gone with that.
Time will tell.
Riddler For Batman 3?
I'm getting good at finding these fake, yet entirely awesome, Batman 3 posters featuring The Riddler...
Either way, it may soon come about that I can show you an official Riddler poster for Batman 3.
Over at First Showing, they've had a reliable source within the studio hand them the studio casting grid for Batman 3 (unofficial title, obviously).
According to First Showing, The Riddler is named as the villain for the film, and interestingly actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt (from Nolan's recent film Inception) is listed as being interested in the role. Interested, however, doesn't mean the role is his.
With regards to the grid document however, the site says:
A casting grid is used in the industry to keep production companies, agencies, etc. in the loop on a project's progress and the roles available for actors to potentially take. These documents are used for business planning in the industry and by no means would use internet speculation to list a character that may not even appear in the film.
Expect to see official confirmation of The Riddler soon enough, though actors to play him will remain rumour for the moment.
Mjolnir
Another shot from upcoming Marvel flick Thor has sneaked my way, and here it is for your viewing pleasure:
The image shows Thor as Donald Blake (cast out from Asgaard, Thor lives his life as a "human") trying his hands on Mjolnir, the hammer of legend.
A new trailer has been made available for Lara Croft digital adventure The Guardian Of Light.
It is, by no means, a Tomb Raider game...Square Enix have apparently promised to continue making full Tomb Raider games, but for now we'll have to make do with these digitally distributed titles that come across, to me at least, as a hybrid of a 3rd person shooter, and Diablo.
The game has recieved positive reviews, so I'm mildly hyped for the title...and it could fill the time between the main titles of the series, but I'll repeat again, this is not a Tomb Raider game.
This bag is massive. It's the one they give people as they walk in, big enough to carry all the bits and pieces you pick up as you walk around the convention halls. It even has a snazzy little bit designed specifically for posters or other tube shaped gifts.
Closeup of the Puzzle Fighter logo on the bag below.
And here's the whole bag. This is what all the Capcom stuff came in.
Tatsunoko Vs Capcom towel, and my feet.
Tatsunoko Vs Capcom cardgame.
Tatsunoko Vs Capcom keyring. Chibi style.
Capcom comics! Darkstalkers, Bionic Commando, and Street Fighter.
Bionic Commando patches, and Puzzle Fighter patch.
Dark Void and Bionic Commando figures.
The Art of Devil May Cry 4!
A thing to advertise We Love Golf. Any idea what it is?
Neopets Puzzle Adventure, for the DS. I'm giving this to Lindsey.
Little plastic Sir Om Nom Nom figure, with his larger counterpart as a Plushie. We've called him Fred.
These 2 images are some of the best of the bunch. Exclusive to the Walking Dead panel at SDCC, this T-shirt is the I Heart Zombies promo for The Walking Dead TV show.
