Director, writer on fast track for Superman sequel
By DonKaye_ParallelUniverse Jun 11, 2013 1:39PM
Somebody at Warner Bros. Pictures is feeling confident: Plans for a sequel to "Man of Steel" -- which doesn't come out until Friday -- have already been put in motion.
Deadline reported last night that "Man of Steel" director Zack Snyder and screenwriter David S. Goyer are already locked to make a sequel -- with Goyer the recipient of a deal that also makes him the writer of "Justice League" if the long-predicted team-up movie comes to pass. Less involved this time around will be producer Christopher Nolan, who will probably still have his name on the picture but won't work with Goyer on the initial story as he did on "Man of Steel."
Related: Awesome Superman moments | Can 'Man of Steel' save the day?
Related: Awesome Superman moments | Can 'Man of Steel' save the day?
Why the hurry to get a sequel started for a movie that hasn't even come out yet? Well, "Man of Steel" is reportedly on track to make $100 million or more this weekend, which will easily put the film in blockbuster territory. Reviews have started to come in as well, and while a 71% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes is not exactly stunning, the positive ones are very positive toward the movie.
More importantly, Warner Bros. Pictures and DC Entertainment see "Man of Steel" as their biggest and best chance to finally put the DC Universe on the screen, starting with a "Man of Steel 2" and going from there. Snyder has been saying in interviews that he'd like to see one more Superman movie before "Justice League" comes along, but don't be surprised if the "Man of Steel" sequel introduces someone wearing a very familiar cowl and cape at the very least, if not other costumed colleagues.
Whatever happens with Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, Flash and the rest, you can rest assured that whether you love, like or hate "Man of Steel" when it comes out this weekend, another massive Superman adventure is going to follow it -- and may be coming sooner than anyone imagines.
"Man of Steel" is out in theaters Friday, June 14.
Bilbo, Gandalf and one angry dragon all appear in first trailer
By DonKaye_ParallelUniverse Jun 11, 2013 1:07PM
We're six months away from the release of "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug," and the first teaser trailer for Peter Jackson's film has arrived.
In the second installment of this three-movie adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's short novel, we pick up from last year's "An Unexpected Journey" as Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen) and a band of dwarves draw closer to the Lonely Mountain, where they hope to reclaim the dwarves' treasure from the malevolent dragon known as Smaug.
We have to confess that some of the effects shots in the trailer look a bit cartoonish -- hopefully all will be polished up by the time the movie comes out. But we will also admit that this teaser makes "The Desolation of Smaug" look like a much more action-packed film than its predecessor by far. And yes, you will once again have the choice of seeing it in 2D, 3D, 24 frames per second or 48 frames per second.
We also meet a slew of new and old faces in the trailer, including Evangeline Lilly of "Lost" as the elf Tauriel (a character created for the movie), Lee Pace as the Elvenking Thranduil, Luke Evans as Bard The Bowman, Stephen Fry as Master Of Lake Town and Orlando Bloom making his return as Legolas (who did not appear in the novel, but was sort of around at the time).
And then there's Smaug himself, voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch (Khan in "Star Trek Into Darkness"), who makes his entrance at the very end, but whose presence is felt throughout.
"The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" is out in theaters Friday, December 13, 2013.
An interview with 'Man of Steel' supervillain Michael Shannon
By DonKaye_ParallelUniverse Jun 11, 2013 11:52AM
Related: Can 'Man of Steel' save the day? | Awesome Superman moments
Zod has been in and out of the comics ever since, featuring most recently in the excellent "World of New Krypton" arc, and now he makes his third appearance on the big screen in the form of actor and Oscar nominee Michael Shannon in "Man of Steel."
More: Looking back at 75 years of Superman
In a film filled with excellent performances, Shannon's Zod is especially a standout -- not the least because he also looks like he can truly bring Superman down. That's why we were pleased to speak with Shannon recently in Los Angeles about Zod and "Man of Steel."
MSN Movies: How familiar were you with Zod, either from the comics or the Terence Stamp version?
Michael Shannon: My only previous experience with the character was the Terence Stamp version in "Superman II." I never really had a lot of comics. I never had any comics, really. I had some cousins that were into comics, but I didn't go down that road, so, yeah, it was just basically the "Superman II" version.
When you were approached about it, what were your thoughts on getting involved with a huge superhero franchise, which is kind of a new thing for you?
Well, I really wanted to work with Zack. I mean, I really admired Zack's work over the years. I really think he's a very gifted artist, a very unique filmmaker. And I thought that, kind of like Chris Nolan did with the "Dark Knight" series, he would kind of explode the previous lineage of it, the confines of it to make it something new and exciting. I can't say that I was longing to be in a comic book movie per se. It was not something that had really occurred to me before Zack called me. But it was really Zack's enthusiasm that kind of got me excited about it. He brought me out to his home, invited me to his home. I sat down on his couch and he just spent 20 minutes telling me what a great movie it was going to be and told me the whole story and just made me feel very included in the whole thing. He asked what I thought of it, which I thought was pretty astonishing, considering he's really the one holding all the cards in this movie.
Did they point you toward any of the books to read?
The main thing to read, really, was the script. I mean, David Goyer put a lot of work into that script and did all the research. David knows the story backwards and forwards. I kind of was relishing the opportunity to use my imagination as opposed to trying to base what I was doing on someone else's version of it. I wanted to do my own thing and just play with it. I mean, at the end of the day it's like little kids playing in their backyard, basically. It's not -- there's nothing tremendously academic about it.
Well, I think Zod can be very misunderstood. Classically he's seen as a very powerful, wrathful, vengeful character full of malice and malevolence. But I actually thought he was coming from a place of great desperation and loss. I mean, he suffers a very traumatic experience in this story, and all he ever tries to do is his job, basically. So I didn't really look at it like my job was to show up at work every day and be scary or mean or something. I felt like it was my job to save Krypton.
It's been said that the key to playing a villain is that they never think they're the bad guy. They always think they're doing the right thing. I think Zod very much kind of falls into that description.
That's one of the great things about this story, I think, for me, anyway. It's not so clear-cut who the bad guy is. I mean, it's more than it being a story of a good guy and a bad guy; it's about this man Kal-El, Superman, who's torn between two civilizations. If anything, I find the Earth military presence is as antagonizing to Superman as I am, you know. I mean, they want to lock him up and they think he's a menace. He has to go to great lengths to try and prove that he isn't. Ultimately I think that story of this man trapped between two worlds is more interesting than the classical kind of hero-villain structure.
David has mentioned that this is the story of a man caught between two fathers in Jor-El and Jonathan Kent. But Zod can very much be a third father figure to him and lead him down another path. Did you see Zod that way?
Yeah, I think he would definitely take Kal under his wing. No pun intended. I think he would happily make Kal his right-hand man. Although I don't know if Faora would be too happy about that. Maybe Faora on one side and Kal on the other. I can't believe Faora's a sub-commander. She should just be a commander. Why is she a sub-commander?
I guess there's a glass ceiling on Krypton, too.
That's right. But yeah, I think he recognizes that Kal has a lot of the qualities that would make him a great Kryptonian warrior, you know, and that he could be a part of that fraternity, that society. And I actually think Zod has some affection for him because he's a member of the race, you know. It's only when Zod realizes that he may be threatened that he turns to the rage.
What did you learn about doing this kind of big tentpole film that you hadn't known before that surprised you?
I don't know. I think they might all be different. I imagined it would be a lot more stressful than it was. I, you know, I felt going into it there would be a lot of pressure to make sure that everything was super amazing all the time because it's so expensive and every second's got to be thrilling or else it's a total failure. But it's not really like that. It was a lot more -- I don't think relaxed is the right word, but honestly it was more fun than I thought it was going to be. But a lot of that has to do with Zack and the way he approaches it. He somehow manages to keep a very cool demeanor even though the stakes are so high.
The suit is very confining. When I'm in the armor I'm wearing a motion-capture suit, and those are, you know -- I think the secret's out about those. They're pretty silly-looking things. So here I am playing General Zod and I'm supposed to be intimidating and I'm wearing this really silly-looking outfit. So it's hard to muster up the necessary machismo when you're wearing a multicolored unitard. But I got used to it, and the other thing that helped is there were so many other people wearing them, too. So I wasn't the only one. So after a week or so you kind of forget about it.
What do you think Superman means today in this world that's so cynical and divisive, where we seem to be at each other's throats all the time?
Well, the thing I've been able to pull from it is that if you look at Superman as somebody who has this innate power and strength, an almost infinite strength, you would think that he'd be able to solve all the problems of the world. But if anything, having all this tremendous power really only makes his life more complicated and makes the decisions that he has to make much more meaningful. I think the moral of it is knowing the responsibility of having that power and being aware that ultimately the most powerful thing that a human being has isn't their strength or being able to fly around, but it's the power to make good decisions and to be responsible and concerned about what's going on around them.
"Man of Steel" is out in theaters Friday, June 14.
'When these guys hit each other, it's like gods literally colliding'
By DonKaye_ParallelUniverse Jun 11, 2013 11:47AM
Despite his status as the world's first true superhero and a pop culture icon, Superman has vexed filmmakers for years. No one has quite been able to figure out how to match the grandeur and poetry of 1978's "Superman," the original feature-length, Richard Donner-directed adventure starring Christopher Reeve, and since 1987, there was only one attempt that made it to the screen: 2006's disappointing homage "Superman Returns." But now all that has changed.
Related: Can 'Man of Steel' save the day? | Awesome Superman moments
When "The Dark Knight" director-writer Christopher Nolan and screenwriter David S. Goyer hatched an idea for a new vision of Superman while finishing up "The Dark Knight Rises," they probably didn't think they'd get Zack Snyder to direct -- after all, this was the guy who had filmed "Watchmen," the ultimate deconstruction of the entire superhero genre. But that, in the end, is why Snyder was intrigued, as he tells us in this exclusive interview. And as it turns out, Snyder is just as adept at building a superhero as he is at taking them down: "Man of Steel" is simply the best Superman movie since that 1978 classic, mixing epic science fiction, keen humanity, and lofty ideas about identity and destiny with some of the biggest action sequences ever staged.
You'll not only believe a man can fly when you watch "Man of Steel," you'll be knocked out of your chair by the sheer force unleashed when Kal-El (Henry Cavill) goes head to head with Gen. Zod (Michael Shannon) as these two survivors of the planet Krypton battle to decide the fate of Kal's adopted home world of Earth. It's a familiar story, yet one given the scope and feel that Snyder has proved he can achieve with his previous films. Will that also be enough to make "Man of Steel" a huge success and pave the way for "Justice League"? We touch on that and more ...
More: Looking back at 75 years of Superman
MSN Movies: So you go to lunch with Chris Nolan and he says "Superman" and you say ...
Zack Snyder: "Meh." But, let's be honest. He says, "OK, well, hear me out. I think there's some cool stuff in here." And, you know, sure enough, Debbie (Snyder, Zack's wife and producing partner) and I, as we listen, are like, "OK, he's right. This is cool."
Was there a voice in the back of your head saying, "What is he not telling me? Why doesn't he want to do it?"
I don't think so. Chris was clear from the beginning. There's a lot of stuff I think he wants to do in cinema and movies and a lot of stories he wants to tell that he has ideas about. (When we spoke) he was in the middle of "Dark Knight." You could see how he would just be like, "Really? I'm really gonna go and do Superman? I might as well just be the superhero guy, I guess, forever." But to Chris' credit, he was just like, "This is a cool idea. I'd love to help get that made," and he's been nothing but incredibly supportive and protective of my ideas about what I wanted to do and really, really just an amazing partner.
What appealed to you the most about this take on the character and started ticking off things in your head?
I really loved the idea of him sort of wandering Earth, kind of going from job to job, because he had done something heroic and didn't want people to know it was him. So he had to move on, and in my mind he did that dozens -- I mean, you only see it a few times in the film, but in my mind he had done that dozens and dozens of times over the course of his life. I just thought that was an interesting idea -- it's almost like he was a reluctant hero because he really believed in what his Earth father said about picking the moment -- what Jonathan Kent says about making sure you pick your moment because people are afraid of what they don't understand, and there's a chance that they'll reject you. He takes that to heart and lives his live by it. To me that's really cool.
You surely have not missed the irony in you doing comics deconstruction with "Watchmen" and then doing sort of reconstruction with this.
Yeah, yeah. A hundred percent. That whole idea of taking the whole superhero mythology apart with "Watchmen" was almost an intellectual exercise because it is what it is. But to tackle Superman is a vindication of the why of superheroes, you know. I think that I'd come around to the idea that I'd love to make that work -- figure out the why of superheroes and not destroy it, but why this mythology is a thing we love. In a weird way I think that it's a good thing I had done "Watchmen" because it really gave me the ability or the skill set to construct a superhero, rather than tear them down.
Did you immerse yourself in Superman mythology, comic books?
I did to some extent. It wasn't crazy. I certainly read a bunch of origin stories and a lot of different takes on Superman. But it was really re-familiarizing myself with the basic canon that I was interested in -- going back and finding what's at the root of Superman. It was really important to cut through all the pop culture madness and find out why Superman is who he is.
One of the great things about the movie is the real sense of power when the Kryptonians clash with each other, like during the fight scene between Zod and Superman, where they punch each other and each blow sends the other guy sailing across Metropolis. What were the things in terms of action and superpowers that we hadn't seen before that you wanted to see and adapt to this?
Very early days, I was like, "We're gonna see Superman fight in this movie and it's gonna be like nothing you've ever seen." We needed to get our head around that and how we were gonna do that. It needed to be amazing. So I really set about trying to figure out how I would show these fight scenes in a way that no one had seen, especially with Superman. I just wanted to make sure the scale was always kept in mind -- when these guys hit each other, it's like gods literally colliding, and we needed to see that at every step. I really instilled that into the actors and my stunt team. Everybody really understood what I was looking for. I'm really proud of the action in the movie.
Was there sort of a creative tension or challenge in having this colossal scope and yet shooting it with handheld cameras?
No, I think that it actually really helps because it brings you that one step closer to the characters in the film. So then when they're in peril, when they're fighting, you're already there in this intimate environment with them. It just gets you over the top as far as involvement in the action because it's happening right in front of you and the camera could really keep up with it.
I think there was a lot of things. For one, it goes back to this first-responder concept, that Superman's the ultimate first responder. Henry definitely just got that instantly without me telling him about it or anything. And then I think he just physically looks like Superman in a way that is almost the most idealized Superman. He just has all the things: his physical appearance and just his cheekbones and his face and everything.
Now that you've done this movie, do you feel sort of an ownership over the character now?
Oh, a hundred percent.
Do you want to be involved going forward, assuming that things go forward?
I mean, that's the assumption. That's the big if, right? But I feel like there's no version of Superman now that they would do without me. I'm very much the author of this world right now. On one hand, I'd be naïve if I thought that there was no plan for a sequel. But on the other hand, we just really wanted to -- we shot all our bullets in this movie. We didn't keep anything back for later. We were like, "Let's put it all out there and then just see." If there is a sequel that people want, then the uptown problem would be, "Well, what do we do now?" Which is a cool problem to have.
There's always "Justice League."
That's true. But the thing with "Justice League" is, of course, you really do have to get Superman in order before you can even talk about "Justice League" in any way. People have always said like, "Oh, is there a plan for a Justice League movie?" I'm like, "Well, you know, that's part and parcel of Superman working." So you can't really plan for "Justice League" until you have a pretty good idea about Superman working.
Related: Can 'Man of Steel' save the day? | Awesome Superman moments
When "The Dark Knight" director-writer Christopher Nolan and screenwriter David S. Goyer hatched an idea for a new vision of Superman while finishing up "The Dark Knight Rises," they probably didn't think they'd get Zack Snyder to direct -- after all, this was the guy who had filmed "Watchmen," the ultimate deconstruction of the entire superhero genre. But that, in the end, is why Snyder was intrigued, as he tells us in this exclusive interview. And as it turns out, Snyder is just as adept at building a superhero as he is at taking them down: "Man of Steel" is simply the best Superman movie since that 1978 classic, mixing epic science fiction, keen humanity, and lofty ideas about identity and destiny with some of the biggest action sequences ever staged.
More: Looking back at 75 years of Superman
MSN Movies: So you go to lunch with Chris Nolan and he says "Superman" and you say ...
Zack Snyder: "Meh." But, let's be honest. He says, "OK, well, hear me out. I think there's some cool stuff in here." And, you know, sure enough, Debbie (Snyder, Zack's wife and producing partner) and I, as we listen, are like, "OK, he's right. This is cool."
Was there a voice in the back of your head saying, "What is he not telling me? Why doesn't he want to do it?"
I don't think so. Chris was clear from the beginning. There's a lot of stuff I think he wants to do in cinema and movies and a lot of stories he wants to tell that he has ideas about. (When we spoke) he was in the middle of "Dark Knight." You could see how he would just be like, "Really? I'm really gonna go and do Superman? I might as well just be the superhero guy, I guess, forever." But to Chris' credit, he was just like, "This is a cool idea. I'd love to help get that made," and he's been nothing but incredibly supportive and protective of my ideas about what I wanted to do and really, really just an amazing partner.
I really loved the idea of him sort of wandering Earth, kind of going from job to job, because he had done something heroic and didn't want people to know it was him. So he had to move on, and in my mind he did that dozens -- I mean, you only see it a few times in the film, but in my mind he had done that dozens and dozens of times over the course of his life. I just thought that was an interesting idea -- it's almost like he was a reluctant hero because he really believed in what his Earth father said about picking the moment -- what Jonathan Kent says about making sure you pick your moment because people are afraid of what they don't understand, and there's a chance that they'll reject you. He takes that to heart and lives his live by it. To me that's really cool.
You surely have not missed the irony in you doing comics deconstruction with "Watchmen" and then doing sort of reconstruction with this.
Yeah, yeah. A hundred percent. That whole idea of taking the whole superhero mythology apart with "Watchmen" was almost an intellectual exercise because it is what it is. But to tackle Superman is a vindication of the why of superheroes, you know. I think that I'd come around to the idea that I'd love to make that work -- figure out the why of superheroes and not destroy it, but why this mythology is a thing we love. In a weird way I think that it's a good thing I had done "Watchmen" because it really gave me the ability or the skill set to construct a superhero, rather than tear them down.
Did you immerse yourself in Superman mythology, comic books?
I did to some extent. It wasn't crazy. I certainly read a bunch of origin stories and a lot of different takes on Superman. But it was really re-familiarizing myself with the basic canon that I was interested in -- going back and finding what's at the root of Superman. It was really important to cut through all the pop culture madness and find out why Superman is who he is.
One of the great things about the movie is the real sense of power when the Kryptonians clash with each other, like during the fight scene between Zod and Superman, where they punch each other and each blow sends the other guy sailing across Metropolis. What were the things in terms of action and superpowers that we hadn't seen before that you wanted to see and adapt to this?
Very early days, I was like, "We're gonna see Superman fight in this movie and it's gonna be like nothing you've ever seen." We needed to get our head around that and how we were gonna do that. It needed to be amazing. So I really set about trying to figure out how I would show these fight scenes in a way that no one had seen, especially with Superman. I just wanted to make sure the scale was always kept in mind -- when these guys hit each other, it's like gods literally colliding, and we needed to see that at every step. I really instilled that into the actors and my stunt team. Everybody really understood what I was looking for. I'm really proud of the action in the movie.
Was there sort of a creative tension or challenge in having this colossal scope and yet shooting it with handheld cameras?
No, I think that it actually really helps because it brings you that one step closer to the characters in the film. So then when they're in peril, when they're fighting, you're already there in this intimate environment with them. It just gets you over the top as far as involvement in the action because it's happening right in front of you and the camera could really keep up with it.
What was it about Henry that you saw that made him Superman?
I think there was a lot of things. For one, it goes back to this first-responder concept, that Superman's the ultimate first responder. Henry definitely just got that instantly without me telling him about it or anything. And then I think he just physically looks like Superman in a way that is almost the most idealized Superman. He just has all the things: his physical appearance and just his cheekbones and his face and everything.
Now that you've done this movie, do you feel sort of an ownership over the character now?
Oh, a hundred percent.
Do you want to be involved going forward, assuming that things go forward?
I mean, that's the assumption. That's the big if, right? But I feel like there's no version of Superman now that they would do without me. I'm very much the author of this world right now. On one hand, I'd be naïve if I thought that there was no plan for a sequel. But on the other hand, we just really wanted to -- we shot all our bullets in this movie. We didn't keep anything back for later. We were like, "Let's put it all out there and then just see." If there is a sequel that people want, then the uptown problem would be, "Well, what do we do now?" Which is a cool problem to have.
There's always "Justice League."
That's true. But the thing with "Justice League" is, of course, you really do have to get Superman in order before you can even talk about "Justice League" in any way. People have always said like, "Oh, is there a plan for a Justice League movie?" I'm like, "Well, you know, that's part and parcel of Superman working." So you can't really plan for "Justice League" until you have a pretty good idea about Superman working.
"Man of Steel" is out in theaters Friday, June 14.
Showrunners mull future of HBO fantasy hit
By DonKaye_ParallelUniverse Jun 10, 2013 5:45PM
With "Game of Thrones" finishing up its third and most successful season ever -- last night's season finale was watched by 5.5 million viewers, 1.3 million more than last year's closer -- the series' creators and HBO are pondering what will happen next.
In a lengthy piece at EW.com, showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss, author of the books George R.R. Martin and HBO programming president Michael Lombardo discuss the show's future -- specifically, whether the TV series will run out of books before Martin has completed writing them, and just how long the show can run either way.
Related: Why 'Game of Thrones' is the best show on TV
Related: Why 'Game of Thrones' is the best show on TV
Season 3 has finished about two-thirds of the way through Martin's third book, "A Storm of Swords," and Season 4 will wrap that up. Beyond that, however, things get tricky. Martin's fourth and fifth books in the "A Song of Ice and Fire" saga, "A Feast of Crows" and "A Dance with Dragons," overlap chronologically, so it's likely to see a sort of combined adaptation on the screen. A lot of characters and subplots may get left behind as well, simply because it's not feasible for the TV series to incorporate that many stories and actors ("Feast" also ignores some major characters, like Peter Dinklage'd Tyrion and Emilia Clarke's Daenerys, which would not go over well).
Benioff says, "The series has already reached a point where there are so many characters, particularly in season three we're introducing so many new ones, we run the risk of bursting at the seams as we try to cram every single subplot and all the various characters and it becomes impossible on a budgetary level and it becomes impossible on an episode-basis to jump around every few minutes to 30 different characters and locations."
More: 'Game of Thrones' renewed for Season 4
More: 'Game of Thrones' renewed for Season 4
Martin is working on his next book, "The Winds of Winter," with "A Dream of Spring" coming after that and possibly even an eighth volume as well, although the author says he hopes to wrap up the story in seven. But it took Martin six years to write "A Dance with Dragons," and he won't say when he'll finish the new one.
Even though there is a concern that the show could catch up to the books before he is done, Martin shrugs it off, saying, "I think the odds against that happening are very long. I still have a lead of several gigantic books. If they include everything in the books, I don't think they're going to catch up with me. If they do, we'll have some interesting discussions."
But if HBO breaks up books four and five over several seasons, it runs the risk of some of the child actors growing out of their parts, as well as the possibility of salary negotiations that could find cast members asking for bigger raises for each additional season.
If the show does finish adapting the five existing books and the sixth is not yet out, the network and producers face several options: they could begin adapting book six before it is even published, they could go on hiatus for a year or two (which would risk losing viewers and a large chunk of the cast), or they could shift "Game of Thrones" to the big screen -- none of which seems to appeal to anyone involved.
Weiss sums it up: "We still have our fingers crossed that George will get there. That's what's best for us, it's what's best for the fans. We'll cross that bridge when we get there."
Sick and wrong, though you can't help but LOL
By Myriam Gabriel-Pollock Jun 10, 2013 3:12PM
You know you've made it when someone takes the time (and I think they had a lot of extra time) to parody your work.
"The Starving Games" sends up "The Hunger Games" and somehow includes references to everything from Angry Birds to "Fifty Shades of Grey" to "The Avengers." Brought to you by Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer, the duo behind other parodies like "Date Movie" and "Vampires Suck," the spoof stars Brant Daugherty and Cody Christian from TV's "Pretty Little Liars."
The official synopsis:
"Good morning, hungry citizens of District 12! Don't forget today is the Gathering Ceremony, so parents please bring your beloved children to the square for a random death lottery."
When lithe and fearless Kantmiss Evershot (a dead ringer for Jennifer Lawrence) volunteers to take part in the winner-takes-all STARVING GAMES, she takes on a whole lot more than we could ever have bargained for... including Harry Potter, Sherlock Holmes, and The Avengers."
The film is slated for release late in 2013. Will you be seeing it?
Check out MSN Movies on Facebook or Twitter.
For more "Hunger Games" news, like the The Hunger Games on Facebook.
Get your butt to Atlanta if you're interested
By Myriam Gabriel-Pollock Jun 10, 2013 2:50PM
Tributes located near Atlanta: Here's your chance at 15 minutes of fame.
Catrett Locke Casting has returned to cast the extras for parts one and two of "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay."
Bing: More about 'Catching Fire' | More about 'The Hunger Games'
Their Facebook page announced, "Let the 75th annual Booking Games commence!! And may the odds be ever in your favor!!" More details on what they're looking for:
Based on their descriptions, I'd guess they're casting extras for the Capitol scenes. That would be amazing to be an extra on those elaborate sets!
Be sure to tell us if you audition, or ... gulp ... get cast!
Check out MSN Movies on Facebook or Twitter.
For more "Hunger Games" news, like the The Hunger Games on Facebook.
Rumor: Spidey could clash with the Sinister Six in third film
By DonKaye_ParallelUniverse Jun 10, 2013 2:31PM
For those keeping score at home, the list of villains or potential villains appearing in "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" includes the Rhino (Paul Giamatti), Electro (Jamie Foxx), Green Goblin/Norman Osborn (Chris Cooper) and Green Goblin 2/Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan). Now can you add the name Adrian Toomes to that list.
In the comics, Toomes is also the villain known as the Vulture, a former electronics engineer who creates a special winged harness that gives him the ability to fly, among other powers. The Vulture is one of Spidey's longest-running enemies, making his first appearance way back in issue #2 (May 1963) of "The Amazing Spider-Man" comic book.
According to Comic Book Movie, actor Colm Feore has been cast in the role of Toomes in "The Amazing Spider-Man 2." Feore is no stranger to the Marvel Universe, having played Laufey, king of the Frost Giants, in 2011's "Thor." It's not clear whether he'll don his Vulture gear in the movie, but the inclusion of Toomes will apparently point the way for him to team up with the Rhino, Electro and Green Goblin in "The Amazing Spider-Man 3" as two-thirds of the Sinister Six.
The Sinister Six first appeared in Annual #1 of "The Amazing Spider-Man" (1964) and the team's first incarnation was spear-headed by Doctor Octopus, with Vulture, Electro, Kraven the Hunter, Mysterio, and Sandman all part of the lineup. The Sinister Six has gone through many changes over time (not to mention in different Marvel Comics continuities), but if all this comes to pass -- and rumors of the Six have been brewing since last year -- we'll see them on the big screen for the first time, certainly toward the end of "Amazing Spider-Man 2" and front and center for the third movie.
Who will fill the fifth and sixth slots? Well, if they stay somewhat true to the comics, Doctor Octopus could make his return to the "Spider-Man" film franchise (He was played by Alfred Molina in 2004's "Spider-Man 2," but would be recast for this version). The Lizard (Rhys Ifans) could also make a comeback after being incarcerated in last year's "The Amazing Spider-Man," or we could very well see the introduction of Kraven or Mysterio into the mix.
As for the Vulture, he was supposed to be the main bad guy in Sam Raimi's never-produced "Spider-Man 4," with John Malkovich cast in the role and Anne Hathaway on board as well as either his daughter or the Black Cat. So it's kind of ironic that he finds his way back into the franchise after being abandoned for the current reboot.
Are you excited about the prospect of Spidey (Andrew Garfield) battling the Sinister Six? Or this franchise just loading up on way too many villains?
"The Amazing Spider-Man 2" is out in theaters May 2, 2014.
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