How do you know the trend for comic book movies has gone too far? When there is talk of a new film based on Archie Comics.
it never ceases to amaze me that there are still comic being produced that feature Archie and the other teens that reside in Riverdale. While the books still sell, their numbers are far from spectacular, and you almost wonder if the only places they end up in is hair salons and doctor’s offices. Be that as it may, it seems that Warner Brothers has signed a deal for a high school comedy based on Archie and the gang that will include musical numbers.
Joy.
There is one rumor going around, with Deadline being the only source, that says the film will actually be based on Afterlife With Archie, an upcoming zombie storyline in the Archie universe. That seems a bit difficult to believe, but if you had told me yesterday I would be discussing any form of an Archie movie, I would have had the same reaction.
Whatever the final project is, producers have already signed on along with the director seat going to Jason Moore (Pitch Perfect) and Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Glee) picking up the writing duties.
This film really needs to not exist. What a waste of development dollars.
The Dark Knight Returns animated feature is shaping up to look awesome.
While I’m still not thrilled that this is being split in to multiple parts for the release – and you know there’ll be a boxed set release shortly after the final part comes out – I have to say this is looking fantastic. The way they handled the iconic lightning bolt shot in this just looks great, and I can’t wait to watch it.
If you asked pretty much any serious comic book reader what story they feel changed everything in the industry, I can just about guarantee you they would say, “The Dark Knight Returns.”
First published in 1986, The Dark Knight Returns was written and drawn by Frank Miller, and it may have been the one mini-series that made the industry you know today. It was a dark, gritty and unrelenting view of an older Batman that had retired only to see his beloved Gotham City crumble around him.
Many aspects of this story have popped here and there over the years in the movies, but none of them had quite the punch of this story as a whole. It seemed unlikely we would ever see it in live-action form, so an animated feature will have to do. I’m not thrilled its being broken into two parts, so I’ll just wait for a collected version to come along. I’ve waited since 1986, I’m sure I can wait a bit longer.
Batman animated tales tend to be amazing, and if you’ve never tried them before, this would probably be a pretty good choice to jump in.
Frank Miller’s landmark graphic novel about fear, hope and redemption is celebrated with proper measures of haunting visuals and intense action in Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1, the next entry in the popular, ongoing series of DC Universe Animated Original Movies. Produced by Warner Premiere, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation, the all-new, PG-13 rated film arrives September 25, 2012 from Warner Home Video as a Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and DVD, On Demand and for Download. The Blu-ray™ Combo Pack will include UltraViolet™.
The DC Universe Animated Original Movies have been a fan favorite since debuting in 2007 with Superman Doomsday. Now averaging three releases each year, the DCU animated films are based on classic tales from DC Comics’ revered library or original stories featuring DC’s
fabled characters. Stars of feature film and primetime television populate the stellar voice casts of the DCU animated films. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 represents the 15th film in the ongoing series.
Fanboy demi-god Peter Weller (RoboCop) leads a stellar voice cast as Bruce Wayne/Batman. Joining Weller behind the microphone is David Selby (The Social Network, Dark Shadows) as Commissioner Gordon, Ariel Winter (Modern Family) as Carrie/Robin, three-time DCU veteran Wade Williams (Prison Break) as Harvey Dent/Two-Face, and Michael McKean (This is Spinal Tap) as Dr. Bartholomew Wolper.
In the bleak and ominous future of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1, it’s been a decade since Bruce Wayne hung up his cape, following most of the other superheroes who had been forced into retirement. Facing the downside of middle age, a restless Bruce Wayne pacifies his frustration with racecars and liquor – but the Bat still beckons as he watches his city fall prey to gangs of barbaric criminals known as The Mutants.
The return of Harvey Dent as Two-Face finally prompts Wayne to once again don the Dark Knight’s cowl, and his dramatic capture of the villain returns him to crime-fighting – simultaneously making him the target of law enforcement and the new hope for a desolate Gotham City. Particularly inspired is a teenage girl named Carrie, who adopts the persona of Robin and ultimately saves Batman from a brutal attack by the Mutant leader. Armed with a new sidekick, and re-energized with a definitive purpose, the Dark Knight returns to protect Gotham from foes new … and old.
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 is directed by Jay Oliva (Man of Steel, Green Lantern: Emerald Knights) from a screenplay by Bob Goodman (Warehouse 13). Sam Register (Young Justice, Teen Titans, Ben 10) and Bruce Timm (Justice League: Doom) are the executive producers. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2 will provide the epic story’s thrilling conclusion with its release in early 2013.
“Frank Miller’s classic re-imagining of Batman has been faithfully recreated under Bruce Timm’s skilled guidance as a masterpiece of storytelling,” said Mary Ellen Thomas, Warner Home Video Vice President, Family & Animation Marketing and Partner Brands. “This story has been treated with great reverence, including a tour-de-force performance by science fiction legend Peter Weller as the voice of Batman. We know our fans will not only love this film as a stand-alone, but will clamor for the release of the second half next year.”
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 Blu-ray™ Combo Pack has more than 2 hours of exciting content, including:
Standard and high definition versions of the feature film
UltraViolet™*
Sneak Peak at Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2, the next DC Universe Animated Original Movie
Featurette – “Her Name is Carrie … Her Role is Robin” – An all-new featurette. Experience the role of Robin, through the eyes of a female warrior.
Featurette – “Batman and Me: The Bob Kane Story” – A documentary comprehensively chronicling the remarkable life of the creator of Batman.
Two bonus episodes from Batman: The Animated Series handpicked by producer Alan Burnett: Two-Face, Parts 1 and 2
Digital Comic – “Batman: The Dark Knight Returns” (digital comic with cover art and three full comic pages)
The new Superman movie, Man of Steel, isn’t due for release until a year for now, but there’s no time like the present to start promoting it.
A teaser trailer for Man of Steel was shown at the San Diego Comic-Con that reportedly brought people to tears, and from the extremely grainy version I saw of it … this isn’t it. Why Warner Brothers opted to go with a teaser that seems to focus on Clark Kent (Henry Cavill) working on a crabbing boat is beyond me. (The boat also looks suspiciously like the Northwestern, one of the featured boats on Deadliest Catch.) Whatever the reason is, there are two cuts of the teaser, each with the same footage, but different voice overs.
This version features a voice over by Kevin Costner as Pa Kent.
This second version features the exact same footage, but instead has Russell Crowe as Superman’s Kryptonian father, Jor-El, doing the talking.
Man of Steel will hit theaters on June 14, 2014 and is directed by Zack Snyder, and produced by Christopher Nolan.
With only one more day until The Dark Knight Rises, it seems like a good time for one last batch of publicity images from the eagerly anticipated film.
You can find all of the images after the jump as there is a bunch of them, but it’s time to say so long to Christopher Nolan’s Batman universe. It’s going to be difficult for anyone to follow-up on this trilogy, but it is inevitable that someone will try. I wish them luck, but it is certainly not going to be easy.
I’ll be going opening day, so be sure there will be something said about it over the weekend.
You have to give an actor credit when he decides to go rogue and return to a character of his own accord. (Fair warning, the video is very not safe for work due to language and violence)
In the video above, Thomas Jane returns to the character of Frank Castle, the Punisher, which he played in a big screen version in 2004. The movie only did $54.7 million worldwide off of a $33 million budget, so it was certainly not a financial success, and critics were less than kind to it, but it appears Jane still has a fondness for it.
At the recently concluded San Diego Comic-Con, Jane introduced a film simply entitled #dirtylaundry, and also happens to have a cameo from Ron Perlman, also known as Hellboy. At no time is Jane’s character referenced to as “Frank” or “the Punisher,” but there are enough hints as to who he is supposed to be. Jane said of the short film:
I wanted to make a fan film for a character I’ve always loved and believed in – a love letter to Frank Castle & his fans. It was an incredible experience with everyone on the project throwing in their time just for the fun of it. It’s been a blast to be a part of from start to finish — we hope the friends of Frank enjoy watching it as much as we did making it.
Jane has said publicly he was not releasing this to promote anything, but it was just something he wanted to share with Punisher fans.
Well, thank you Mr. Jane. I actually liked the majority of your film, and the parts I didn’t like were very clearly not your fault, so … thanks for giving all of us another taste of your take on the character.
The Marvel film panel on Saturday at the San Diego Comic-Con provided a lot of updates on the next projects for the burgeoning film studio.
First up, the official Iron Man 3 logo made its debut and … it says “Iron Man” and “3″ … I know you’re all shocked. (You can click on any image in this post for a much larger view.)
Captain America will also receive a subtitle, and will now be known as Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which is a term long associated with the character.
And the first concept artwork from the film confirms … ROCKET RACOON! Now there’s something I never envisioned myself confirming …
The team will be made up of Star-Lord, Drax the Destroyer, Groot, Gamorra and … ROCKET RACOON! (I still can’t believe Rocket Racoon is making his way into a film.)
Also confirmed, but no release date has been announced as of yet, is Ant-Man. This film has been rumored for ages, but it took Edgar Wright filming some test footage to get Marvel to finally sign off on the project.
So, the new release schedule of Marvel movies is as follows:
Iron Man 3 - May 3, 2013
Thor:The Dark World - November 15, 2013
Captain America:The Winter Soldier - April 4, 2014
San Diego Comic-Con is in full swing again, and with that comes the new annual tradition of debuting footage from the upcoming season of The Walking Dead.
This new footage shows off more of the prison and what it takes for our merry band of survivors to call it “home.” There isn’t any indication of the secret it contains (for those who have read the book, think of “four” things it contains in one room so as not to spoil the TV viewers), but the riot gear is clearly visible, so that’s a bonus.
We also see the downed helicopter which leads to the discovery of the town of Woodbury and The Governor (David Morrissey), and we also get a bit more of a taste of Michonne (Danai Gurira). Truly disappointing, however, is that it is clear they are moving Andrea (Laurie Holden) further and further from the character she is in the books, which happens to be my favorite. At this point she shares very little in common with the person she has become through 100 issues, and that’s just unfortunate as she is one of the most engaging.
While season 2 dragged on The Farm storyline way longer than it lasted in the books (three issues), it looks like The Prison (which lasted a mind boggling 36 issues) is going to be greatly accelerated.
Yes, by the way folks, thanks to numerous changes, the TV show is essentially only through 12 issues of the comic. By that math, we should be at The Prison for … oh … six seasons? At least give us one and a half to two seasons there!
Season 3 will premiere on October 14th, 2012. It is sure to leave me … grumpy.
The first showing of Dredd happened on Wednesday night at San Diego Comic-Con, and it sounds like we can all breathe easy. It’s good.
I have been nervous as heck for Dredd, but I have yet to read a negative word from the advance screening that happened at SDCC on Wednesday night. Everyone is saying it captures the vibe of the book, and while the budget is clearly not high, the story and acting carries it. And judging by the ultra-violent clip above, I would have to say they’ve captured the satirical nature of the character and his stories.
Will it play with mainstream audiences? That’s the big question at this point, but with my biggest concerns out of the way, I can’t wait to see it for myself to see how it works out.
The days before The Dark Knight Rises premieres are dwindling, and to build up even more excitement we now have a small taste of what happened behind the scenes.
Christopher Nolan, the director of this series, is known to loathe the use of CGI when a practical effect can be pulled off. While this is something I normally applaud, what he did with this plane sequence might just be enough to have him hauled off to insane asylum. The fact that the studio allowed it is also a bit mind boggling to me, but wowzers. According to one report I read, the shoot had been scheduled for nine days, and it ended up being pulled off in two.
For those of you who fear spoilers before this movie releases, you can watch it without fear. All it gives away is how much time has passed since The Dark Knight, and what a few of the characters have been up to and not much else. There are no hints to Bane’s motivations, why Selina Kyle/Catwoman are in Gotham or anything else.
Spectral Motion, the effects house behind the look of Ron Perlman as Hellboy, received a Make-A-Wish foundation for a young boy named Zachary. He wanted to meet and become Hellboy, the star of two movies, a few animated specials and numerous comic books. Of course how could they say “no” to such a request, but it was the extra surprise that warms the heart. From the company’s Facebook page:
In the past three weeks, Spectral Motion has been honored to host two wonderful Make-A-Wish children, Caleb and Zachary. Zachary loved his visit for two very special reasons. It was Zachary’s wish to meet Hellboy and also to become Hellboy. When the Make-A-Wish Foundation contacted Spectral Motion with this request, Mike thought it would be fantastic to have Ron Perlman reprise his role for the day. Ron loved the idea and donned the makeup once more (with the assistance of Lufeng Qu and Eden Elizalde) and also ordered a Hellboy sized meal of burgers, shakes, and fries for Zachary and his family and the entire Spectral crew to enjoy. Later in the day, Zachary was transformed into Hellboy with the assistance of makeup artists Lufeng Qu and Neil Winn. Both of the Make-A-Wish days were a complete thrill for the families of the children, as well as for the crew at Spectral Motion!
Considering all the crazy things you always hear about Hollywood stars, you have to tip your hat to Mr. Perlman. Back in the time of the movies it would take up to four hours to put him in the costume, and while I can imagine they cut a few corners for this event, it was still sure to be a lengthy process.
I’m sure it’s a day Zachary won’t forget any time soon.
The first banner for the third season of The Walking Dead has been released, and we get a good look at two important characters this show is sure to mess up.
The banner above was released ahead of next week’s San Diego Comic Con and in addition to showing Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) it also gives us our first good looks at Michonne (Danai Gurira) and The Governor (David Morrissey). Anyone who has read the comic knows this is where things get really interesting as we will also be dealing with the prison, and if you look past The Governor you can also see what you have to suspect will be the crashed helicopter.
Michonne, at least in the comic, becomes an essential member of the band of survivors we all know. And The Governor … well … lets just say some survivors will carry a mark from him they will never forget.
Some of the biggest elements of the comics are about to hit the screen, and while season 1 and 2 left me less than thrilled, I can’t help but watch and see how they handle these story elements. Will the prison contain the same secrets it did in the book? Will The Governor still have his special little friend? Will the eventual resolution have the same impact it did in the book?
This is either going to be one of the most awesome seasons of television ever, or I may end up throwing something at my TV.
