How to use this Page

– Remember how we were discussing the release of the webseries prequel to the upcoming Bruce Timm produced Justice League: Gods and Monsters? Well, the first episode is officially here and can be watched below:

Episodes 2 and 3 will see release on the 10th and 12th of this month respectively.

– In spite of the strides that have been made on the production side of DC-related film properties, all’s been rather quiet on The Sandman front even though it’s been in the works with the current team (headed up by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) since December 2013. MTV recently caught up with the actor/director and got an update on the project:

It’s really good, man. It’s slow but steady. It’s a really complicated adaptation because those comics, they’re brilliant. But they’re not written as a whole. It’s not like ‘Watchmen,’ which is a graphic novel that has a beginning, middle, and end. ‘Sandman’ was written over the course of whatever — I forget exactly, six or seven years. One at a time. One little 20-page issue at a time. And to try to take that and make it into something that’s a feature film — a movie that has a beginning, middle, and end — is complicated. I’m feeling really good about it, but it is a process, so please be patient.

Big spectacular action movies are generally about crime fighters fighting crime and blowing sh-t up. This has nothing to do with that, and it was actually one of the things that Neil Gaiman said to me, he said ‘Don’t have him punch anybody.’ Because he never does. If you read the comics, Morpheus doesn’t punch anybody. That’s not what he does. It’s going to be like a grand spectacular action film, but that relies on none of those same old ordinary cliches. So, that’s why it’s taking a lot time to write, but it’s going to be really good.

Gordon-Levitt is reportedly set to direct the film, with a script by Jack Thorne. No actor has been set in the role of Morpheus as of yet. I’m really keeping my fingers crossed for this one, and hopeful that no news remains good news, but in Hollywood, that often means development hell.

– This weekend sees the release of the new relaunch of the Jurassic Park franchise in Jurassic World. I’ll be catching it tomorrow at the press screening, but for those who are taking a look at in IMAX this weekend, you’ll be in for a treat as Marvel is debuting a 6-minute preview for Ant-Man in front of all IMAX presentations of the film:

Any readers that catch it over the weekend, let me know how it looks!

Here’s your Friday round-up of all things Entertainment-related, have a great weekend everybody!

– Yesterday, recently announced Deadpool star Morena Baccarin tweeted out a photo while on set. The photo in question was of her chair, which lists her character name as “Vanessa”. Presumably this means the actress will be playing Vanessa Carlysle aka the mutant shape-shifter Copycat, who meets and falls in love with Deadpool before becoming a mercenary herself.

Here’s the photo in question:

Let’s do this. pic.twitter.com/pNqcCGReSz

— Morena Baccarin (@missmorenab) March 19, 2015

– After adding Ruth Negga as Tulip this week, AMC’s Preacher cast is starting to grow rapidly, as last night it was announced that young actor Ian Colleti has joined the series as “Arseface”. Deadline describes the character thusly:

Even with his horribly disfigured face and severe speech impediment, Eugene’s still the nicest kid you’ll ever meet and really looks up to Jesse. Stomach-churningly difficult to look at, Eugene’s the town’s reviled Frankenstein’s monster, but that won’t change his earnest, sweet and pure outlook on life. However, he is troubled by something terrible he’s done in the past — something he fears might have turned God himself against him.

– Surprise, surprise, another Mark Millar comic has been picked up for a movie deal. This time, it’s his brand new collaboration with Sean Murphy: Chrononauts. The series is centered around the concept of the first two scientists to travel back through time (and we’ll have a review of the first issue up shortly). Chris Morgan, who has written 5 of the Fast and Furious franchise films, will produce under his Chris Morgan Productions banner in a deal negotiated by Paradigm and the law offices of Harris M. Miller II.

Along with Superior and Starlight being in development for feature length adaptations, it looks as though Millar’s presence in multiplexes will be getting bigger than ever.

– Captain America: Civil War begins shooting in two weeks here in Atlanta, and I’ll certainly be fighting the temptation to drive down and stand outside the set every day. Word spread about the upcoming shooting via a casting notice that went out for extras in the area, which included the following synopsis:

Following the events of Age of Ultron, the collective governments of the world pass an act designed to regulate all superhuman activity. This polarizes opinion amongst the Avengers, causing two factions to side with Iron Man or Captain America, which causes an epic battle between former allies.

Sounds about right.

– Upcoming Sandman feature producer, and kinda-sorta former Robin, Joseph Gordon-Levitt has signed on to produce and star in a Fraggle Rock feature film for New Regency, though what role he’ll be playing has not been revealed. Variety got the scoop along with Levitt’s thoughts on the project:

“The first screen personas I ever loved were Henson creations, first on ‘Sesame Street,’ and then on ‘Fraggle Rock,’” Gordon-Levitt said. “Jim Henson’s characters make you laugh and sing, but they’re also layered, surprising, and wise. From Oscar the Grouch, to Yoda, to the Fraggles. I’ve never stopped loving his work, even as a young frisky man, and on into adulthood. Collaborating with Lisa Henson makes me confident we can do something that Jim would have loved. I’m grateful and excited to be working with New Regency on this project.”

yesterday marked the release of the full trailer for Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, the film coming out on August 22nd and all, well many of your favorites are back in technicolor black & white: Mickey Rourke as Marv, Bruce Willis as Hartigan, Jessica Alba as Nancy, Rosari oDawson as Gail, Jaime King as Goldie.. But now on board: Joseph Gordon Levitt, Josh Brolin, Eva Green, Dennis Haysbert, Ray Liotta, Lady Gaga…you know, this is going to be great fun. When the first Sin City came out in 2005 is exploded like a visual bomb in Hollywood’s mind; although everyone rightly credits Blade, Spider-Man and Dark Knight as the films that embedded the graphic novel in Hollywood’s mind, it was Sn City that added he oomph and artistry, the never-seen-THAT-before. Repugnantly brutal, it was nonethelss one of the most influential comcis films of all times, and as a testament to that is just how much of the original’s visual lexicon has become regular fare.

BUT the trailer still looks VERY neat.

And to delebrate it, creaor and co-director Frank Miller did an AMA on REddit. It’s the first public interview he’s done in quite some time, and givan the often messy nature of some of his Holy Terror era statements, it was good to see Miller (or his assistant actually) typing smartly and answering all kinds of questions. (But not some of the more controversial ones.) IN one answer, he talks about just what he did on the long delayed Sin City 2:

Yes I do. I absolutely ADORE the job. It’s a perfect contrast to my cartooning. In my cartooning I work with absolute freedom, and am able to create things out of whole cloth that I can then develop and work until they become a complete entity. This opens up a world of possibilities how something can be filmed. It also closes out a world of mistakes that can be made. For 300, even though I had seen the original 20th Century Fox movie, I decided I would do the story myself when I was old and good enough. I waited until I was 40, and then decided it was time to stop talking bout it and start doing it. And re-interpreted it VASTLY, having no intention of it turning into a movie, it’s very funny that the things i have no idea of turning into a movie end up becoming that way. I was thrilled with the results. As a matter of fact, my involvement in Sin City 2 right now is mainly I’m working with Robert, I’m sort of ad libbing on the edit, I’m saying “let’s lose this scene, let’s keep this shot” but he’s such an expert editor he doesn’t need that much help. But I am able to help work on the characters a bit more, and make the entire thing feel very Sin City, because it has a very particular tone to it, a very particular intent. I don’t talk too much about what Sin City is because it’s really my secret. Meanwhile, the other thing I’m eager to do and I’ve got plans (in my head anyway) for Sin City 3 – that will of course be subject to me and Robert having countless lengthy and productive arguments.

Of course he says he’d like to make a third movie…or write Captain America again. No controversy there. And no mention of Xerxes, which was supposed to be the tie-in to 300: Rise of an Empire…which also starred Eva Green, come to think of it. I guess she’s the Frank Miller Go To Icon.