FEATURED POST
Follow-up movie due out in theaters next year
By Parallel Universe on MSN Dec 6, 2012 11:38AM
"24" star Dennis Haysbert has stepped in to replace Michael Clarke Duncan in the upcoming "Sin City" sequel following the actor's tragic death earlier this year.
Bing: More about Dennis Haysbert
Duncan, who passed away in September, had been due to reprise his role as mercenary Manute in the follow-up to the hit 2005 film.
Casting bosses working on "Sin City: A Dame to Kill For" have now decided to press on without him, giving the part to Haysbert, best known for his role as President David Palmer in Kiefer Sutherland's hit TV drama.
Bing: More about 'Sin City: A Dame to Kill For'
The film's co-directors Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller say in a statement, "Manute is a character that has been part of the heart of the 'Sin City' tales, and the late Michael Clarke Duncan beautifully established that role onscreen. We could not tell the story of 'Sin City: A Dame to Kill For' without Manute and are thrilled to welcome Dennis Haysbert to the cast."
The follow-up, which stars Mickey Rourke, Jessica Alba and Rosario Dawson, is due for release next year. "The Green Mile" star Duncan died from respiratory failure in hospital seven weeks after suffering a heart attack at his home.
Last year it was 'Hunger Games' nail polish, so this is a step up
By Myriam Gabriel-Pollock Fri 12:00 PM
Lionsgate surprised us today with the announcement of a new partnership between "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" and Covergirl, the cosmetics giant:Bing: More about 'Catching Fire' | More about Covergirl
No word yet on when this makeup line will be in stores. I would imagine the display case would be very "Catching Fire."Today, Covergirl announced its first-ever major movie sponsorship of Lionsgate’s highly anticipated "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire", scheduled for release in North American theaters on November 22, 2013. Covergirl will launch a first-of-its-kind creative advertising campaign inspired by the film, featuring new products from the brand’s upcoming Capitol Collection from "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire," to be announced at a later date.
"With 'The Hunger Games: Catching Fire' partnership, we wanted to redefine cosmetics’ relationship to film with a fantasy-meets-reality beauty experience," said Esi Eggleston Bracey, VP and General Manager, Global P&G Cosmetics. "The film inspired Covergirl campaign coming out this fall truly will bring beauty transformation to life in an aspirational, dramatic fashion. All of us at Covergirl were captivated by Suzanne Collins' novels and the first film, so we’re thrilled to collaborate with Lionsgate on such a bold beauty partnership with the release of 'The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.'"
"We are excited to announce Covergirl as the exclusive makeup partner for 'The Hunger Games: Catching Fire'," said Paula Kupfer, Lionsgate's Vice President of Promotions and Consumer Products. "The exquisite beauty and style in the world of the Capitol is a focal point of this film. Partnering with an innovative brand like Covergirl to create an additional layer of beauty storytelling and inspiration for the fans is new territory that we're delighted to explore."
Covergirl's partnership with "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" is the latest expression of the brand's passion and commitment to continue to break barriers in beauty.
Lionsgate and Covergirl will be celebrating the movie partnership at a Cannes Film Festival Gala on Saturday, May 18th.
Thoughts on this? Comment below.
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A spendy way to get people talking about the film seven months before its release
By Myriam Gabriel-Pollock Fri 11:48 AM
You cannot attend the 2013 Cannes Film Festival without seeing all the propaganda for "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire." Studios use many of the grand hotels' façades as backdrops or billboards to highlight their upcoming big ticket films, and Lionsgate is no different.Bing: More about 'Catching Fire' | More about Cannes Film Festival
The Majestic Barrière hotel's gorgeous building has been transformed, as you can see:
According to Deadline, Lionsgate is even throwing a beach blowout to promote "Catching Fire." Why is the studio spending so many Euros in Cannes?"Lionsgate co-chair Patrick Wachsberger whose wheelhouse is international also utilized Cannes to promote all the 'Twilight' movies when he ran Summit. Now that the two studios are merged, he says with candor that he's never done an event at this level." But because 'Hunger Games' is a "huge, huge, huge" franchise, this festival is "the perfect place" to start talking to distributors about positioning, he notes. Cannes events "are not cheap," he says. "And there is so much happening – like 10 parties the same night – so to do something that’s really out of the ordinary, you need the movie first and the talent and the event and the money," Wachsberger admits.""Catching Fire" is out in theaters Friday, November 22.
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Reception to pilot sealed series fate
By DonKaye_ParallelUniverse Fri 3:12 AM
There won't be a "Zombieland" series on Amazon. The online retailer and streaming service said no to further episodes following the end of the pilot's one-month trial period.
"Zombieland" was one of 14 original pilots that premiered via Amazon's Instant Video service on April 19th, with the company stating that public and viewer response to each one would determine which of the 14 would go on to become continuing series.
According to Deadline, the criteria used to determine which shows would get orders for more episodes were 1) how many people watched each pilot and whether they watched it from start to finish, 2) how many shared it on social media and 3) reactions from online and offline focus groups.
Well, with the shows given a month to make their case and win viewers over, Amazon has reportedly passed on "Zombieland." Frankly, the pilot was a dud, which is weird considering it was written by the same guys -- Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick - who penned the very funny hit movie on which the series was based.
Did you watch the "Zombieland" pilot on Amazon? Would you like to have seen it picked up as a series? Tell us at MSN TV on our Facebook page and on Twitter.
Follow Don Kaye on Twitter @donkaye.
CW president says new prequel series is still in the works
By DonKaye_ParallelUniverse Thu 3:27 PM
Although it did not make the fall schedule, a TV series based around the iconic DC Comics character Wonder Woman--a prequel--is still being developed by The CW.
According to Entertainment Weekly, CW president Mark Pedowitz replied, "Oh God, yes," when asked at today's fall schedule presentation if the series, titled "Amazon," was still a going concern for the network.
He added that Wonder Woman was "the trickiest of all the DC characters," elaborating further: "It is being redeveloped. We're waiting for the script to come in. We have not seen it yet. We are preparing to pilot it off-cycle should the script be what we want it to be. We do not want to produce something that doesn't work for that particular character."
Just how closely the project follows the comic book origins of the character is a matter of some debate. Warner Bros. TV -- the production company behind the proposed series -- sent out a casting call earlier this year naming the character as "Iris," and not Diana as in the comics. It described her as coming from a "secluded country where she was raised as a soldier in a brutal environment. Now a stranger in a strange modern big city, she's a fierce warrior with the innocent heart of a romantic -- and she will fight to the death to make the world safe."
If you ask us, that sounds pretty far removed from the Amazonian princess of Themyscira who flies an invisible airplane, has superhuman powers and pals around with Batman and Superman in the Justice League.
But in any case, who are we to argue? The CW has already had considerable success with reinventing Superman in "Smallville" and doing the same this past season for Green Arrow with the acclaimed "Arrow," so they may just be able to make Wonder Woman work on the small screen for the first time since the glory days of Lynda Carter back in the '70s. Producer David E. Kelley ("The Practice") created a "Wonder Woman" pilot starring Adrianne Palicki in 2011 for NBC, but it never got picked up amid rumors that it was virtually unwatchable.
The princess has had an equally tough time getting into movie theaters. Joss Whedon was hired by Warner Bros. to write and direct a "Wonder Woman" movie back in 2005 but it never got past an early script outline, while a "Justice League" movie starring Australian model Megan Gale in the role was abandoned during pre-production in 2008. Rumors continue to percolate that Diana will be part of a new "Justice League" movie that could arrive in 2015.
In the meantime, The CW has hired writer Aron Eli Coleite (TV's "Heroes," Marvel Comics' "Ultimate X-Men") to write a new "Amazon" script, so we'll see if this could be the version that gets the queen of all female superheroes right.
Two-and-a-half glorious minutes of giant monsters and robots
By DonKaye_ParallelUniverse Thu 1:54 PM
With its release a little under two months away, a new trailer for director Guillermo Del Toro's monsters-and-robots rally "Pacific Rim" has arrived.
This trailer goes a lot more in-depth into the history and mythology of the movie's storyline, while delivering the biggest bounty yet of shots showcasing the massive scale that Del Toro is working on and the sheer destruction that his apocalyptic battle between the Kaiju and the Jaegers creates. And yet, if any director won't lose sight of the human story as well, it's Del Toro.
We're at the point now where we just want to see the thing. Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day, Ron Perlman star, along with a whole slew of monstrous creatures and robots the size of buildings. Check out the official plot description and trailer below.
When legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, started rising from the sea, a war began that would take millions of lives and consume humanity's resources for years on end. To combat the giant Kaiju, a special type of weapon was devised: massive robots, called Jaegers, which are controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are locked in a neural bridge. But even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenseless in the face of the relentless Kaiju. On the verge of defeat, the forces defending mankind have no choice but to turn to two unlikely heroes -- a washed up former pilot (Charlie Hunnam) and an untested trainee (Rinko Kikuchi) -- who are teamed to drive a legendary but seemingly obsolete Jaeger from the past. Together, they stand as mankind's last hope against the mounting apocalypse.
"Pacific Rim" is out in theaters on Friday, July 12.
Plus, DC superstar talks 'Justice League' comics, 'Arrow' and more
By DonKaye_ParallelUniverse Thu 11:17 AM
Geoff Johns is among the biggest names in comics today. In addition to being chief creative officer at DC Comics, Johns' vast body of work as a best selling writer in the last 13 years includes "JSA," "The Flash," "Infinite Crisis," "Action Comics" (with his mentor, filmmaker Richard Donner), "Blackest Night," "The Flash: Rebirth" and more, including his now legendary run on "Green Lantern."
We spoke with Johns via phone and asked about ending his "GL" run, where his other books are headed, his thoughts on DC's "The New 52" relaunch, the "Arrow" TV series and DC's future on film, including the upcoming "Man of Steel."
MSN Movies: How are you feeling about the end of your run on "Green Lantern"? Has it sunk in yet?
Geoff Johns: Well, I've been working on the book for nine years, and since that time I've been really fortunate to work with as many great collaborators, both on the artist's side and the writer's side, as I have. I just got the final issue, and there are a lot of artists that we worked with over the course of the run that are in the issue, and I'm really proud of it. It's been a long run and it's been rewarding and, for me, the story -- the way the story was developing between Hal and Sinestro and what ultimately was going to happen in this issue -- it felt like the exact right time to close my run out and move on to new things.
How do you know when it is the right time to stop? Does the story feel like it's coming to a natural conclusion? What are the signs that it's time after a long run like that?
It's a bit of everything. For me, really, the story in this case really dictated it. I had been plotting the story out for quite a while and I knew that Hal was going to once again kind of sacrifice himself at this moment to attempt to use a black ring, and the whole idea was to get to rebirth once again, and Hal Jordan's "carpe diem" attitude is probably the best thing that describes that character: He lives for the moment. And he's so full of life that even death can't hold him down.
Once I got to the story line where it was really going to be kind of another return from the dead -- organically it felt like the perfect time to end the run. It felt very balanced. And the characters were in a similar spot at the end of this but very, very different characters. For me, with everything that happened between those it really ultimately just made perfect sense. It's always been about Hal Jordan and Sinestro, and this story line encapsulates that and pushes it one step further. This is the right story for me to bow out on.
Geoff Johns: Well, I've been working on the book for nine years, and since that time I've been really fortunate to work with as many great collaborators, both on the artist's side and the writer's side, as I have. I just got the final issue, and there are a lot of artists that we worked with over the course of the run that are in the issue, and I'm really proud of it. It's been a long run and it's been rewarding and, for me, the story -- the way the story was developing between Hal and Sinestro and what ultimately was going to happen in this issue -- it felt like the exact right time to close my run out and move on to new things.
How do you know when it is the right time to stop? Does the story feel like it's coming to a natural conclusion? What are the signs that it's time after a long run like that?
It's a bit of everything. For me, really, the story in this case really dictated it. I had been plotting the story out for quite a while and I knew that Hal was going to once again kind of sacrifice himself at this moment to attempt to use a black ring, and the whole idea was to get to rebirth once again, and Hal Jordan's "carpe diem" attitude is probably the best thing that describes that character: He lives for the moment. And he's so full of life that even death can't hold him down.
Once I got to the story line where it was really going to be kind of another return from the dead -- organically it felt like the perfect time to end the run. It felt very balanced. And the characters were in a similar spot at the end of this but very, very different characters. For me, with everything that happened between those it really ultimately just made perfect sense. It's always been about Hal Jordan and Sinestro, and this story line encapsulates that and pushes it one step further. This is the right story for me to bow out on.
(Interior illustrations from "Green Lantern" #20)
Sure. With "Aquaman," we're in the middle of a story line right now where Aquaman is attempting to, you know, he's been forced to take the throne of Atlantis again after there was a war between Atlantis and the land. And he's a reluctant king. He grew up on land, he doesn't want to be king of Atlantis, but in this case he has no choice. They need a king and they need someone who's going to kind of heal the rift between land and sea, and that's his job. He's literally that and he's going to have to physically do that as well.
In Justice League right now we're building to a story line called "Trinity War" -- there's a couple of different teams that support the Justice League, and basically the death of a hero sparks some tension between these teams. Ultimately, as they go across the world trying to solve this murder the Leagues will face something else at the end of it that will head us into fall. We haven't really talked about that just yet ...
(Triple "Trinity War" cover of "Justice League" #22, "Justice League of America" #6 and "Justice League Dark" #22)
Well, I think like everything there's, you know, some characters, some titles that work and some that don't. But Dan (DiDio) and Jim (Lee) head up publishing, they've really spearheaded "The New 52" and I give them credit for it because it's been really strong. I think there are characters like Wonder Woman and Aquaman and Animal Man who've really benefited from kind of a fresh start. I look at "Aquaman" and Issue 1 did really, really well, partly because it was part of this big initiative. Everybody was looking at all these characters and all these "Number 1" issues. I think if you delivered on the book, you had a chance to find a bigger audience than you would have normally. There are a lot of great books out there.
What are some new writing projects that you can announce or talk about?
Well, I can say that Gary Frank and I are wrapping up "Shazam" right now. We've been telling the Shazam story and Justice League for just about over a year and Issue 21 of "Justice League" out at the end of June will be the final chapter of that story line. And then Gary and I will be moving on to Volume 2 of "Batman: Earth One." which is a graphic novel that will be due out late next year.
The first volume of "Batman: Earth One" was incredible.
The new one is going to be the next chapter in our "Batman: Earth One" saga. This volume is going to deal with Batman and how he learns to become a detective. He goes up against the Riddler and Killer Croc, and there's another villain in there. Plus, we continue the story with James Gordon and his daughter Barbara and Harvey Bullock and Alfred Pennyworth -- there's a very different Alfred Pennyworth in "Batman: Earth One" than people might know.
What are your thoughts on "Arrow"? It's a big success, but people were a little skeptical at first.
It started strong, but it got stronger and stronger over the course of the season. I'm really excited. Greg Berlanti and Andrew Crisford and Marc Guggenheim have taken the show in a great direction. It's fun to be part of the show and seeing success for a character like Green Arrow. I remember talking to some people and thinking, let people be skeptical. They should be skeptical because superhero shows are really, really hard to do. The fact that this one has found an audience is terrific. I'm excited because they've already started working on next season and I've heard a little bit about it and it sounds really great.
Are you going to do some writing for Season 2?
I should not say that yet.
Before we go, there's a lot of speculation about the DC Universe getting onto the big screen and "Man of Steel" possibly paving the way for "Justice League." Anything you can say about that?
I can't talk about that. Sorry, man.
Any general statements you want to make about "Man of Steel"?
I just can't wait until "Man of Steel" is out. I can't wait until people see it.
"Green Lantern" #20 is out in stores Wednesday, May 22.
Vin Diesel back for third round as galactic anti-hero
By DonKaye_ParallelUniverse Wed 3:30 PM
"Pitch Black" was a real sleeper when it came out in 2000, a smart, inventive sci-fi thriller with a terrific anti-hero at its center. The 2004 sequel, "The Chronicles of Riddick," expanded the universe with some dazzling imagery, but got bogged down in a cumbersome story. Nevertheless, Vin Diesel is coming back in "Riddick," and the first full trailer is here.
The new film finds Riddick stranded on a desolate planet and surrounded by vicious alien predators. Desperate to escape, he activates an emergency beacon that sends every bounty hunter in the galaxy after him -- some more lethal than ever before. But since this is Riddick, after all, he won't be easy for them to catch.
In addition to Diesel, the film (written and directed once again by David Twohy) also stars Katee Sackhoff ("Battlestar Galactica"), Bokeem Woodbine, Dave Bautista ("Guardians of the Galaxy"), Keri Hilson and Karl Urban (Dr. McCoy from "Star Trek Into Darkness").
Check out the trailer and the menacing new poster below.
"Riddick" is out in theaters Friday, September 6.
Are you ready to go for round three with Riddick? Tell us on our MSN Movies Facebook page and on Twitter.
Here's the lowdown on all your new 2013-2014 shows
By DonKaye_ParallelUniverse Wed 3:02 PM
The TV networks have been announcing their 2013-2014 schedules all week, and we're pleased to report that those slates include plenty of new programs that fall into the categories of sci-fi, supernatural and fantasy. Here's a rundown of all those new shows and whether they look like they're worth checking out.
"Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.": Developed by "Avengers" writer-director Joss Whedon (whose previous TV efforts include the now-classic "Buffy the Vampire Slayer") , this is Marvel Studios' first live-action foray into TV since launching the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2008 and will no doubt tie into that. Back-from-the-dead Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) leads a new team of agents as they deal with superheroes, villains and everything else that your normal government agencies can't fathom. A must-watch for fans of Marvel, Whedon and pretty much everyone interested in geek culture and comic books. (Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on ABC)
"Almost Human": The newest TV entry from J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot Productions is an action drama set 35 years in the future, when human cops team up with cyborg partners to fight crime. Karl Urban (Dr. McCoy in the new "Star Trek" films) plays the cop and Michael Ealy ("Underworld: Awakening") is the robot, and of course there's a deeper conspiracy just waiting to be uncovered by them. This is a J.J. Abrams show, after all. (Mondays at 8 p.m., late fall on FOX)
"Sleepy Hollow": What happens when 18th-century soldier Ichabod Crane gets transported -- along with a headless redcoat -- to the present and teams up with a modern-day cop? You get one of the silliest premises we've heard in a long time -- but then again, this is from the guys who wrote the "Transformers" movies, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci (to be fair, they were also part of the brain trust behind "Fringe"). Based on the trailer, however, we have to say this looks kind of ridiculous. Heads may roll, but so may eyes. (Mondays at 9 p.m. on FOX)
"Once Upon a Time in Wonderland": A sequel/spin-off of "Once Upon a Time," this will follow basically the same premise but, as you might have guessed, will play off the adventures of a young woman in Victorian England named Alice (Sophie Lowe) who finds herself falling back down the rabbit hole into a strange land that she visited once before and had almost forgotten. Yes, this sounds like the Tim Burton movie, but with the enormous success of "Once Upon a Time," we wouldn't count it out. (Thursdays at 8 p.m. on ABC)
"Dracula": Jonathan Rhys Meyers ("The Tudors") will star as the legendary Count, who arrives in London disguised as an American businessman looking to bring some new inventions to England. But he's really interested in seeking vengeance on those who made him what he is, while doing some blood-drinking in the process. We're always wary of new takes on this iconic character, and vampires have saturated pop culture for a while now, but we must admit the trailer looks pretty impressive. (Fridays at 10 p.m. on NBC)
"Resurrection": The small town of Arcadia, Mo., is changed forever when deceased loved ones begin returning to life 30 years after they've died. It begins with an 8-year-old boy named Jacob for whom no time has passed at all even though his parents are now elderly. Written and executive produced by Aaron Zelman ("The Killing"), the premise sounds creepy and will no doubt feature some continuing mysteries if it stays on the air long enough. Omar Epps, Kurtwood Smith, Matt Craven and Frances Fisher star. (Midseason on ABC)
"Believe": J.J. Abrams ("Lost," "Star Trek Into Darkness") and Alfonso Cuaron ("Children of Men," "Gravity") are executive producers on this program about a little girl (Johnny Sequoyah) with special powers like telekinesis and precognition who is pursued by interests who have their own agenda for her powers. So it's up to wrongly convicted prison escapee Tate (Jake McLaughlin) to protect her ... at all costs. Will this be another of Abrams' increasingly infuriating "mystery box" shows, or will Cuaron bring his magic to it as well? (Midseason on NBC)
"The Tomorrow People," "Star-Crossed" and "The 100": All three of these have been picked up by The CW, and their place on the network's schedule will be unveiled during its Thursday (May 16) presentation to the media. "The Tomorrow People" is based on a British series from the '70s about a group of young people who gain superpowers as part of the next stage of human evolution. "Star-Crossed" is about a teen romance between an alien boy and a human girl after he and several other of his people are assimilated into a high school -- boy, does this sound right up the CW's alley. Finally, "The 100" follows a group of young misfits who are sent back to a devastated Earth to recolonize the planet after nuclear war caused humanity to flee. And let's not forget "The Originals," a "Vampire Diaries" spin-off that will follow the Mikaelson clan as they head to New Orleans for more supernatural soap opera antics.
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- Director regrets shocking actress in 'Last Tango' butter scene
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- Scarlett Johansson moving ahead with Capote adaptation
