Face front, True Believers! According to our calenders, officially  the first day of Summer is June 21, but movie Summer really starts with the first weekend in May ( sorry FAST FIVE ) especially with the release of a big comic book superhero movie. For the last few years this has featured a hero from the fabled House of Ideas-Marvel. With 2008′s IRON MAN the comic company has been producing their film properties through Marvel Studios ( along with Paramount ). After two Iron Man movie adventures the studio is now tackling another Marvel hero. While Tony Stark was thought of as a second tier character, this big guy has been one of their comic superstars since his introduction in 1962′s Journey Into Mystery number 83-the mighty Thor. The Norse god had primarily been adapted in animation. First in the ( very ) limited animation TV series The Marvel Superheroes by Gantry Lawrence in 1966. He later made appearances on Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends and most recently on the Superhero Squad and Marvel Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. The only live action attempt was in the 1988 made-for TV movie The Incredible Hulk Returns. In that a former student of David Banner, Donald Blake, was able to channel and materialize an ancient warrior through a battle hammer. This Thor was a viking party animal interested in carousing with very little in common with the comic book character. Growing up, reading of his exploits I didn’t think this updated Norse mythology could be translated to a big live action big screen epic. Like Jon Favreau with Iron Man, an actor has stepped behind the camera to guide him to the muti-plexes : Kenneth Branagh. Would he be able to go from Shakespeare to Stan”the man’ Lee and Jack ‘king’ Kirby. After viewing the end result, THOR, I can only say, “Excelsior!”

This Norse mythology saga starts, oddly enough, in the deserts of New Mexico, USA. A van containing researchers Jane Foster ( Natalie Portman ), Darcy Lewis ( Kat Dennings ), and Dr. Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgard ) races through the night in order to take readings of the strange atmospheric disturbances. Suddenly the dark skies open and a weird light shines on the desert floor. Driving to the spot, they bump against something-a man. The film then goes back many hundreds of years to a primitive Norwegian village suddenly under attack by the fearsome Frost Giants. Soon a bursting bright light sets forth hundreds of viking warriors to the rescue. They are Asgardians lead by their king, Odin ( Anthony Hopkins ). After a brutal battle ( Odin loses his right eye ), Asgard prevails and Odin takes the Frost Giants’ power source the Casket of Ancient Winters. The years pass. Odin and his beautiful wife Frigga ( Rene Russo ) raise two sons: Thor and Loki. Reaching adulthood, Thor ( Chris Hemsworth ) is chosen by Odin to secede him as king/ ruler of Asgard. The ceremony is interrupted by Frost Giants who attempt to retrieve the casket, until they are thwarted by an enchanted walking armored weapon, the Destroyer. Going against his father’s wishes, Thor along with his brother Loki ( Tom Hiddleston ) and friends the Lady Sif ( Jamie Alexander ) and the Warriors Three: Hogun  ( Tadanobu Asano ), Fandral ( Joshua Dallas ), and Volstagg ( Ray Stevenson ) get the Rainbow Bridge’s guardian Heimdall ( Idris Elba ) to open the portal/ wormhole to the Front Giants’ world of Jotunheim. The fight is stopped when Odin and his guards arrive to take the Asgardians back home. After a heated argument Odin strips Thor of his powers and send him to Earth. Casting a spell on his hammer, Odin sends it to Earth as well. And so we’re caught up as Thor is taken to a hospital by the research team. After he’s released the scientists take him in, although Selvig believes him to be delusional. Meanwhile the hammer’s arrival has attracted many locals who attempt to free it from a rock that where it is embedded. But it can only be retrieved and used by someone worthy of the power of Thor. The hammer has also attracted Agent Phil Coulson ( Clark Gregg reprising his role from the Iron Man films ) and the forces of S.H.IE.L.D., who set up operations around it. Back in Asgard, Odin collapses after an altercation with Loki. The aged ruler is taken to the healing room where he enters the Odin-sleep ( an almost comatose state). Loki assumes the throne. Can he make Thor’s banishment permanent? Will Thor be able to retrieve his hammer and regain his powers? And what will happen to his friends back in Asgard? And what of his new friends on Earth- especially the lovely Ms. Foster?

This all makes for a whole lot of fun at the movies. It turns out that Branagh’s an excellent match for this material. The royal family intrigue is very similar to much of Shakespeare’s work. He also handles the many action scenes with skill as we see this magical hammer in action. Bo Welch does an admirable job of emulating Jack Kirby’s spiralling, shining castles and towers in Asgard. While Krypton has been portrayed in the recent Superman films as jutting, icy stalagmite towers, Thor’s home has a warm golden glow. Relative newcomer Hemsworth does a great job of anchoring the film. He makes Thor’s journey from arrogant brawler to humble, compassionate hero very compelling. If Lawrence Oliver could be the Greek god Zeus in the original CLASH OF THE TITANS, then who better to play his Norse counterpart Odin than Hopkins ( now that Sean Connery’s retired ). And a big welcome back to Ms. Russo in her first movie in over five years.You’ve been missed . I look forward to seeing  you fighting side by side with Hopkins in future adventures. Hiddleston’s a great conniving plotter as the duplicitous Loki. Kudos to the rest of Thor’s Asgardian friends particularly Alexander and Dallas who look like they stepped right out of the comics along with Stevenson ( PUNISHER: WAR ZONE ) as ( the not so-voluminous ) Vostagg and Elba as the imposing Heimdall. On Earth, Denning provides great comic relief as Darcy while Skarsgard brings scholarly gravitas and humor to Dr. Selvig. Portman’s believable as the compassionate scientist, but stumbles a bit while almost swooning over the hunky heroin several scenes. As in previous films, Gregg is a treat as the all-business ( but very funny ) government agent. As mentioned on this sight, another Marvel character makes an appearance here.  And of course like the Iron Man films, be sure to stick around through the end credits for a bonus scene that sets the wheels in place for a future film. I’ve only a couple problems with the film. The switch between Earth and Asgard can be abrupt. The scenes of Loki’s treachery sometimes stop the momentum of Thor’s New Mexico saga. Also the ending does evoke the conclusions of THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK and the first Spider-Man film. And of course there’s the old 3D situation. Thor was not shot in 3D ( there’s not even a shot of the hammer zooming toward the camera ), so the scene set on the Frost Giant world is very dark and murky. I hope to catch it again in good ole 2D. So, how does this stack up against the other Marvel movies? Well, with SPIDER-MAN 2 being the sublime and ELEKTRA on the other end of the spectrum , I’d place this in the top third, right between the first Iron Man and the Ed Norton Incredible Hulk. Just think only a few weeks till we re-visit those X-Men and a few weeks after that we’ll cheer on that  shield slingin’ first Avenger. This bodes well for a great movie Summer. For Asgard!

Overall Rating: Four and a Half Out of Five Stars

There will be an opening night reception for Vincent Price Presents at Star Clipper, a new art exhibit April 29th at the gallery at Star Clipper Comics, St. Louis’ premiere comic shop located at 6392 Delmar Blvd. in the Loop area of St. Louis. The reception is from 7 to 9pm this Friday, April 29th. This exhibit will feature paintings and illustrations of Vincent Price to tie in to Vincentennial, the Vincent Price 100th Birthday Celebration, a multi-venue event being thrown by Cinema St. Louis here in the iconic actor’s hometown to honor the centennial of his birth. The showcase artist for the exhibit is Joel Robinson, who created the vivid covers for the first eight issues of Bluewater Comics’ Vincent Price Presents series as well as the Vincentennial logo. Shana Bilbrey, popular genre artist and regular contributor to Little Shop of Horrors and other publications will display her take on Price as well as many St. Louis-based artists including  Sherry Nillissen, Richard Bernal, Aaron Anderson, Ron Lizorty, Jimmy Valentine, Paul Daly, Max Iver, Jeff Weigel, Russ Rosener, Barry Brosch,  Fred Meyer, and We Are Movie Geek’s own Jim Batts,. The exhibit is curated by Tom Stockman, Event Director for Vincentennial. Most of the art will be for sale and there will prints of some of the art to purchase. The Vincent Price Presents at the Star Clipper exhibit will run through June 29th.

Randy Queen signs with Andrea Brown Literary Agency to turn Darkchylde comics into Young Adult Novels.

Darkchylde is the story of Ariel Chylde, a good hearted southern teen cursed to become the creatures from her many recurring Nightmares. A break out independent comic, now poised to become a break out series of young adult novels.

“I’m elated Ariel’s Chylde’s journey to young adult bookshelves is in the very capable hands of Kelly Sonnack at Andrea Brown Literary Agency,” says author Randy Queen. “Their track record is considerable, and Kelly’s conviction, strategy, and personal enthusiasm ensures a bright trajectory.”

Kelly Sonnack offers, “When the sample pages for DARKCHYLDE came across my desk, I quickly realized this was something special. For contemporary teen readers who haven’t been exposed to Ariel Chylde through Randy’s comics, I think they’ll find her hugely compelling. She’s a vivid, exciting new heroine who could refresh the current landscape of teen protagonists.”

Continues Queen, “Celebrating her 15th Anniversary in the comic book world, comic book fans have already demonstrated an enduring love for Ariel’s haunted tales. The thriving YA arena is the next logical platform to bring “Darkchylde: the Ariel Chylde Saga” to a whole new audience.”

Andrea Brown Literary agency is consistently ranked #1 in juvenile sales in Publishers Marketplace. Founded in New York City in 1981, it was the first literary agency to represent both children’s book authors and illustrators.

Offering a stark contrast to super hero comics, Darkchylde was a breakout sensation of the late 90′s and early 2000′s, garnering immediate acclaim, and an unusually large female fanbase. The property went on to outsell Spider-Man, Superman, and Batman in both domestic and foreign audiences, and has been realized in toys, trading cards, apparel, lunch boxes, mini busts, and more recently a hit crossover with Top Cow Ent., and statue from PopCultureShockToys. Darkchylde Entertainment’s Randy Queen and Sarah Queen are currently producing the film version with director John Carpenter and Sandy King producing for their Storm King productions, with Richard Taylor’s Academy Award winning Weta Workshop (The Lord of the Rings, King Kong, Avatar, The Hobbit) onboard for visual effects. Darkchylde Collected Editions are being released by Image Comics in 2011 to celebrate the character’s 15th Anniversary, in tandem with statues and toys from Diamond Distributors. Additional Info can be found at www.darkchylde.com and www.andreabrownlit.com

The trailer for 20th Century Fox’s X-MEN: FIRST CLASS will be released tomorrow! Big Woo! Until then, here a first look at Magneto via EW. Just where is he? Leave your guesses in our comments section below.

On Thursday X-MEN fans should visit X-Men Movies Facebook page HERE for the film’s trailer debut and share the video with friends to unlock special content – the X-App lets X-Men fans customize their profile pictures and their Facebook experience! You can also get additional info on the film over on Twitter HERE!

The Facebook page also revealed the X-MEN: FIRST CLASS logo and it’s a lot like the teaser poster.

Synopsis:

X-MEN FIRST CLASS charts the epic beginning of the X-Men saga, and reveals a secret history of famous global events. Before mutants had revealed themselves to the world, and before Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers for the first time. Not archenemies, they were instead at first the closest of friends, working together with other Mutants (some familiar, some new), to prevent nuclear Armageddon. In the process, a grave rift between them opened, which began the eternal war between Magneto’s Brotherhood and Professor X’s X-Men.

Directed by Matthew Vaughn (KICK-ASS) and starring James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Rose Byrne, January Jones, Oliver Platt, and Kevin Bacon, X-MEN FIRST CLASS will be in theaters June 3, 2011.

Howdy fellow movie geeks. With all the interest in bringing classic heroes to the big screen, I thought I’d begin this column dedicated to discussing classic movie serials available on DVD. And since this masked crime buster is the focus of a brand new feature film this weekend, I thought I’d start with a look at the 1940 Universal thirteen chapter movie serial THE GREEN HORNET.

First a little history of movie serials. You younger film fans may wonder what I’m talking about. First it’s serials with an “s”, not a “c”, so I’m not talking about something you pour out of a box into a bowl and douse with milk in the mornings. Film serials started appearing in 1913. Theatre owners and studios thought this new story telling format would be a great way to get patrons returning week after week. Serials were  big, thrilling, adventure stories told in twelve to thirteen installments or chapters. A chapter would be shown between features and would last 15 to 20 minutes. Each chapter usually ended with the hero or heroine in dire peril ( thus the term “cliffhangers” was used to describe these films ) and the announcer or title card would advise the moviegoer to see the next chapter in this theatre next week! Many times the phrase ” To be continued…next week” would flash across the screen. The first serial smash success was 1914′s THE PERILS OF PAULINE starring Pearl White. With the advent of sound, serials continued to be a popular feature at movie houses particularly during Saturday “kiddie” matinees. On Saturday mornings, usually for a dime, youngsters would jam the movie palaces and be treated to two features ( usually low budget Westerns ) with short subjects ( the Three Stooges, Our Gang), cartoons, and two or three different serials in between the main films. The main producers of these serials were Columbia Pictures, Universal Studios, and Republic Pictures. These low budget chapter plays filled theatres until the advent of television become the main source of Saturday morning entertainment for tots. Universal threw in the towel first in 1946 with Republic ending in 1955 and Columbia holding out till 1956.

Enough with the history lesson! Let’s hop in the Black Beauty!

Universal’s serial came out less than three years after the Hornet was introduced on Detroit radio station WXYZ as a follow up to their hugely successful Lone Ranger. The Ranger’s creators George W. Trendle and Fran Stryker intended the Hornet to be a modern version of ” the masked rider of the plains”. Both heroes shared the same last name Reid and later writers made Britt ( the Hornet ) the grand nephew of John ( the Ranger ). Two Lone Ranger serials had been made by Republic, but the producers had been unhappy with the results, so they brought the Green Hornet to Universal- then primarily known for their classic monsters ( Boris Karloff in FRANKENSTEIN and Bela Lugosi as DRACULA ) and in the coming decade as the home of Abbott and Costello.

Each chapter began with the above title  card of the logo super-imposed over a stationary, jittery( maybe taped-down )  hornet ( with a sunbeam lighting effect behind it ). The radio show’s theme song, ” The Flight of the Bumblebee” blared in the background. Starting with chapter 2 after the cast and crew credits, a recap of the previous chapter begin. This would be a two or three paragraph crawl of white letters receding into the background of a cityscape. This type of intro was used to great effect many years later by George Lucas for his Star Wars films. During this crawl Franz Waxman’s music from THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN played as it did over the openings of Universal’s serial smash of 1936 FLASH GORDON. The film studios licensed many characters from other media to be the subjects of serials: radio shows ( the Hornet, the Ranger, the Shadow) , pulps ( the Spider, Fu Manchu), comic strips ( Gordon, the Phantom, Dick Tracy) and comic books ( Captain America, Batman, Captain Marvel).

The Green Hornet and his trusty gas gun

The serials officially begins in the secret garage/lab of Britt Reid ( Gordon Jones ). There he and his trusted valet Kato ( Keye Luke of the Charlie Chan film series and later Kung Fu TV series ) have perfected a new fuel that will make his car, the two passenger roadster, the Black Beauty the fastest machine on four wheels-and the quietest! The engine emits a low hum or buzz when running. Exiting thru a secret panel they emerge from behind a dresser in the bedroom of Britt’s swanky apartment. Kato states his gratitude to Britt for rescuing him from thugs bent on killing him because of his Korean heritage. Britt says that it wasn’t soon after that they encountered a giant green hornet in Africa as they were making their way back to America. The next morning Britt heads to the offices of The Daily Sentinel, a newspaper he has taken over from his father. His main staff is an on the run reporter Jasper Jenks ( Phillip Trent ), old veteran reporter, and self appointed bodyguard Mike Axford ( Wade Boteler ), and gal friday Lenore Case ( Anne Nagel). Britt meets with two city officials who try to convince him to run anti-crime editorials as his father had done during his tenure as editor. Britt doesn’t believe that the paper should influence public opinion, but only report it. The officials bemoan the decision wishing for a modern day Robin Hood to help the overwhelmed police force. This literally puts a bee in Brett’s bonnet and returning home that night, dons the mask of the Green Hornet. He and Kato jump into the Black Beauty, exit the apartment building via a secret ramp entrance, and prowl the streets.

Unlike the later TV and movie incarnations this Hornet wears a full face mask and not one that goes to the tip of his nose. This allows the serial producers to dub in the voice of the radio Hornet, Al Hodge, when Jones suits up. Also this Hornet covers his necktie with a scarf tucked into his trench coat. There’s no Hornet sting, as in the TV show, but he has his gas gun which will give any thug an hour long nap. Kato is attired in a chauffeur’s uniform complete with goggles, flat cap, bow tie, and side shoulder bag. This Black Beauty is capable of great speed and silent motoring, but is not the arsenal of the later versions.

The bad guys in this serial are a bunch of racketeers getting orders from an unknown voice thru the office intercom of investor Curtis Monroe ( Cy Kendall ). Throughout the thirteen chapters this bunch has their fingers in many different pies. In the first chapter they’re behind a defective new bridge, then they’re endangering tunnel workers ( turns out they’ve got insurance policies on them ). Next they’re sending inexperienced pilots up in “specially serviced” planes at a flying school. Look for future leading man Alan Ladd, uncredited as a student pilot named Gilpin. The gang soon are infiltrating city parking lots, produce truckers, bus lines ( Whippett and Blue Streak ) and even a zoo/carnival! Busy guys! The Hornet shows up at every corner to thwart their schemes. The first few times he leaves a calling card that resembles a fan club pin ( a circle with a hornet drawing at it’s center with THE GREEN HORNET in bold lettering on the outer rim )! Strangely Kato doesn’t accompany the Hornet as he confronts the thugs. He usually leaves Kato at the car with instructions like, “Be ready!”. A couple of times Kato sneaks up on a villain and delivers a swift karate chop to the neck ( “He’ll be out for an hour” ). Each chapter ends with certain doom: cars explode, tunnels flood, planes crash. Universal raids their film vault for lots of stock footage of disasters. All through this many are convinced that the Hornet is a rival gangster especially old Mike Axford ( “He’s the devil incarnate!” ).  The main exception is Miss Case who believes that the Hornet is on the side of good ( and wishes her boss, Mr. Reid, were more like him ). In the final chapter, after disposing of a time bomb in the Sentinel offices, the Hornet discovers that the unknown head of the gang is actually-SPOILER ALERT!-Monroe. He was playing altered recorded messages thru his intercom. After planting suspicion on the crooks they end up shooting each other in the offices. Later in his office, Reid receives a commendation from the city for his crime reporting. Britt says he thinks the Hornet is gone, but may return if needed to fight evil. As he tacks the proclamation to his office wall, Miss Case adds one of the Hornet’s calling cards to the display.

Well, it turned out that the Green Hornet was needed again less than a year later when THE GREEN HORNET STRIKES AGAIN.  The entire cast returned, except for future game show host Warren Hull replacing Gordon Jones as Britt Reid. The original serial is available on DVD individually or as part of a 75th anniversary set with the sequel fromVCI Entertainment. I’ll be back next time with a look at the Hornet’s return and an overview of his other media appearances. To be continued….

Well film fans and Marvel maniacs, here’s the first photo of Chris Evans in the full mask from the set of CAPTAIN AMERICA : THE FIRST AVENGER  courtesy of the January 23, 2011 issue of Entertainment Weekly, Previously we’ve seen Evans in a blue army helmet with a white A in the center complimented with goggles. This seems to be more of a face hugging mask . Overall I’d say that this uniform is closer to the Ultimate Universe Captain rather than the original Joe Simon and Jack Kirby design from the 1940′s Timely comic book. I wonder who the grey suited guys in the background are. A special forces unit? Prototype S.H.I.E.L.D. agents? The Howling Commandos? The Red Skull’s Nazi/Hydra hit squad? All our questions should be answered when Paramount’s release of the Joe Johnston directed CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER opens nationwide on July 22, 2011.

The Master of Horror is set to bring you the girl of your dreams. John Carpenter is onboard to direct DARKCHYLDE, based on the comic by Randy Queen about a good hearted southern teen cursed to become the creatures from her many recurring nightmares. Every time Ariel Chylde transforms, she sheds her skin and a new nightmare emerges from her Id to act out her deepest, darkest impulses.

John Carpenter and Sandy King’s Storm King Productions have allied with Randy and Sarah Queen’s Darkchylde Ent. to produce the film, following the release of test footage created by Richard Taylor’s Academy Award Winning Weta Workshop. (The Lord of the Rings, Avatar, King Kong, The Hobbit)

John Carpenter says, “Randy Queen’s hijacked angel, Ariel Chylde, is the best young female character since Laurie Strode in Halloween. Bringing Ariel and her dark mysteries to life should be quite an adventure for us all.”

Adds Queen, “I’m beyond thrilled that John Carpenter, one of our most important, and legendary genre directors, and the man responsible for such landmark films as THE THING, and HALLOWEEN has come onboard with Weta Workshop to help bring the nightmarish tale of Ariel Chylde to the silver screen. As a horror fan, the thought of Carpenter and Weta together, beautiful dreamscapes, and multiple transformations, makes me incredibly excited. There is a reason nearly his entire catalogue has, or is being remade, and it’s because Carpenter is a genius.”

Offering a stark contrast to super hero comics, Darkchylde was a breakout sensation of the late 90′s and early 2000′s, garnering immediate acclaim, and an unusually large female fanbase. The property went on to outsell Spider-Man, Superman, and Batman in both domestic and foreign audiences, and has been realized in toys, trading cards, apparel, lunch boxes, mini busts, and more recently a hit crossover with Top Cow, and a statue from PopCultureShockToys. Fans can now read the Ariel Chylde saga online via Wowio and Darkchylde.com and a trade paperback collecting the “Legacy” and “Redemption” series of books ships in January from Image Comics.

John Carpenter is an acclaimed director, screenwriter, producer, and composer, who won an academy award for his short film while still just a student at USC. His storied career includes such seminal films as Halloween, The Thing, Escape from New York, Starman, Christine, In the Mouth of Madness, Assault on Precinct 13, They Live, and The Fog. His most recent outing, The Ward, starring Amber Heard as an institutionalized woman tormented by a sinister spirit, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.

Watch New Zealand’s WETA test footage for DARKCHYLDE

Oh yeah! I love these overhead, ”hornet-on-the-wall” type posters. Well, I do. ComingSoon.net provides us with the first look at the latest poster of Columbia Pictures’ GREEN HORNET. Just look at the Black Beauty in all her glory….misty headlights and all. The Michel Gondry directed movie is stylishly coming into light.

In case you missed it, here’s the trailer that had it’s broadcast world premiere on JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE TONIGHT in June.

Synopsis:

Britt Reid is the son of LA’s most prominent and respected media magnate and perfectly happy to maintain a directionless existence on the party scene — until his father mysteriously dies, leaving Britt his vast media empire. Striking an unlikely friendship with one of his father’s more industrious and inventive employees, Kato, they see their chance to do something meaningful for the first time in their lives: fight crime. But in order to do this, they decide to become criminals themselves — protecting the law by breaking it, Britt becomes the vigilante The Green Hornet as he and Kato hit the streets. Using all his ingenuity and skill, Kato builds the ultimate in advanced retro weaponry, The Black Beauty, an indestructible car equal parts firepower and horsepower. Rolling in a mobile fortress on wheels and striking the bad guys with Kato’s clever gadgets, The Green Hornet and Kato quickly start making a name for themselves, and with the help of Britt’s new secretary, Lenore Case, they begin hunting down the man who controls LA’s gritty underworld: Benjamin Chudnofsky. But Chudnofsky has plans of his own: to swat down The Green Hornet once and for all.

The GREEN HORNET will be in 3D, 2D and IMAX 3D theaters on January 14, 2011. 

Visit the film’s official site here, on Facebook here and on Twitter here.

I called this wrong just last night. I thought he’d be the Vulture for sure. Good thing I’m not a betting man. He’s a good actor and I’m sure he’ll do justice to this classic super-villain

The Wrap has the exclusive news on the new SPIDER-MAN villain…

Rhys Ifans will play Dr. Curt Connors, better known as The Lizard, in Marc Webb’s “Spider-Man,” TheWrap has learned.

There had been rumors across the blogosphere that Sony was thinking of bringing back Venom for the franchise reboot, but that character will not be featured in the movie, two individuals familiar with the project have told TheWrap.

Andrew Garfield stars as Peter Parker, while Emma Stone will play Gwen Stacy, who rivals Mary Jane Watson for Spidey’s affection.

Avi Arad and Laura Ziskin are producing the movie, which begins production in December.

SPIDER-MAN will hit theaters in 3D on July 3, 2012.

Source: The Wrap

It looks like Warner Brothers has found a director for the next Man of Steel epic and the choice seems like a perfect fit.

From Deadline New York:

UPDATE & EXCLUSIVE: I just spoke with Zack Snyder, who confirms that as soon as he completes post on Sucker Punch, he’ll move right into Warner Bros’ long awaited next Man of Steel movie in development with Chris Nolan and David Goyer. “I’ve been a big fan of the character for a long time, he’s definitely the king of all superheroes, he’s the one,” Snyder, who directed Watchmen and 300, told me. “It’s early yet, but I can tell you that what David and Chris have done with the story so far definitely has given me a great insight into a way to make him feel modern. I’ve always felt he was kind of awesome. I’ll finish Sucker Punch and get right at it.”….

Read the rest of the article here

Article from The Trades

Written by Jeff Ritter

My readers know that I’m a big fan of the Pittsburgh Comicon. It’s a very fan-friendly show, meaning that instead of simply being ushered through cattle lines for a 3 second autograph there is time to chat with your favorite comic artists and writers. There are plenty of up-and-coming talents there eager to show their stuff and compliment your sketchbook with an inexpensive illustration. I’ve made a lot of friends at every level of that show. The only drawback to the Pittsburgh Comicon is that it’s in Pittsburgh, and I’m in St. Louis. It’s 10 hours by car. There are some sneaky speed traps in Indianapolis. And doggone it, there’s no reason my hometown can’t get a convention going. Chicago does two every year, and like the Yankees and Red Sox rivalry, anything Chicago can do St. Louis can do too!

I was excited to learn of the second St. Louis comic convention, called Project Comic Con 2, coming the weekend of September 18-19 to the Maryland Heights suburb just a few minutes from Lambert International Airport. I somehow missed last year’s show, but I’m glad I’m not missing this one.

The guest list is impressive for a second-year show. Adam Kubert, famed for his runs on Wolverine and Superman, will be on hand Saturday only for autographs. He’ll be doing four sketches for charity and you’ll have an opportunity to get one with a winning raffle ticket and a $200 donation. Green Lantern and Flash fan favorite Ethan Van Sciver will be on hand all weekend, as will Supergirl super-artist Jamal Igle. Comics legend Howard Chaykin, the creator of the critically American Flagg! series who has had brilliant runs as a writer or artist on just about everything will be in attendance. Greg Horn, cover artist extraordinaire, and Kenneth Rocafort, the majorly talented artist of Madame Mirage, will be here. For some shows, that would be enough, but St. Louis has some catching up to do in the comic convention scene, and this show isn’t about to pump the brakes! Like the Ghost Rider? Creator Gary Friedrich and artist Javier Salteres are on the guest list. Still not enough? How about Dennis Calero (Doctor Solar, X-Men: Noir), Phil Hester and Ande Parks (Green Arrow, Irredeemable Ant-Man), Ryan Ottley (Invincible), Jason Howard (The Astonishing Wolf-Man), Rick Burchett (Action Comics), Patrick Gleeson (Green Lantern Corps), Jeremy Haun (Battle Hymn, The Outsiders), Robert Q. Atkins (G.I. Joe), Kevin Mellon (Suicide Sisters, Hack/Slash), Matt Kindt (Super Spy) and Brian Hurtt (Queen and Country, The 6th Gun)? There’s still others coming too, but that list alone rivals any artists’ alley at any comic con.

Writing fans aren’t left out either. Many shows are heavily geared for artists, but there are some top writers coming to Project Comic Con 2. Gail Simone is one of the consistently brilliant storytellers in the industry, famous for Agent X, The Secret Six, Welcome to Tranquility, Wonder Woman and Birds of Prey among others. The Unknown Soldier scribe Joshua Dysart will be here, as will Marvel’s go-to guy Fred Van Lente (he’s probably written everything once!) and Jai Nitz of El Diablo and Blue Beetle fame, and frequent Brian Hurtt collaborator Cullen Bunn (The Damned, The 6th Gun). Along with the aforementioned creators who pull double duty like Chaykin, Friedrich, Kindt and others, this is an extremely strong list of writing talents to meet.

Many other talented creators will be on hand as well, and of course no convention would be complete without the vendors. Event sponsors NewCastle Comics of Maryland Heights and Heroic Adventures and Hometown Comics, both in nearby Edwardsville, IL, will surely have a wide assortment of comics and graphic novels on hand. My own neighborhood shop, Comic Relief, will have a booth as well, and I’m sure there will be many others.

With so many comics to browse, artists and writers to meet, and special events such as charity auctions, panel discussions and artist portfolio reviews by Top Cow and Avatar Press to participate in Project Comic Con 2 looks to be well on its way to becoming a destination event on the annual convention schedule. Maybe my Pittsburgh friends can come out my way next year! I hope the legions of comic book fans in the greater St. Louis area (and Kansas City, and Memphis…and Chicago too, even you Cubs fans) come out and support this show. See you there!

Check out the PCC2 website for more info.

Warner Bros. Pictures has released these new GREEN LANTERN posters – an awesome character 4-pack from Comic-Con. The faces of Reynolds, Lively, Strong and Sarsgaard are embedded in the Lantern’s power ring. Finally we get a look at Strong and Sarsgaard as super-villains Sinestro and Hector Hammond.

And watch this video of the GREEN LANTERN Warner Bros Highlights from San Diego Comic Con 2010. So fargin cool when Ryan Reynolds recites the oath for the kid.

Nice going Reynolds! I’m convinced!!

Here’s the official synopsis of Director Martin Campbell’s (EDGE OF DARKNESS, CASINO ROYALE) film:

In a universe as vast as it is mysterious, a small but powerful force has existed for centuries. Protectors of peace and justice, they are called the Green Lantern Corps. A brotherhood of warriors sworn to keep intergalactic order, each Green Lantern wears a ring that grants him superpowers. But when a new enemy called Parallax threatens to destroy the balance of power in the Universe, their fate and the fate of Earth lie in the hands of their newest recruit, the first human ever selected: Hal Jordan.

Hal is a gifted and cocky test pilot, but the Green Lanterns have little respect for humans, who have never harnessed the infinite powers of the ring before. But Hal is clearly the missing piece to the puzzle, and along with his determination and willpower, he has one thing no member of the Corps has ever had: humanity. With the encouragement of fellow pilot and childhood sweetheart Carol Ferris (Blake Lively), if Hal can quickly master his new powers and find the courage to overcome his fears, he may prove to be not only the key to defeating Parallax…he will become the greatest Green Lantern of all.

From Warner Bros. Pictures and DC Entertainment, THE GREEN LANTERN will be in theaters next summer on June 17, 2011.

Here’s a first look at the teaser for Scott Charles Stewart’s PRIEST that was shown during Sony’s panel at Comic-Con.

Show of hands. Anyone else think this looks like Stewart’s and Bettany’s last film LEGION and part I AM LEGEND. Nice to see Stephen Moyer, aka Bill Compton on HBO’s True Blood, doing double vampire duty. He plays Paul’s human scientist brother, Aaron, in the movie. Tidbit alert: Gerard Butler was originally cast in the film.

Synopsis:

Based on the graphic novel series “Priest” by Min-Woo Hyung, PRIEST, a post-apocalyptic sci-fi thriller, is set in an alternate world — one ravaged by centuries of war between man and vampires. The story revolves around a legendary Warrior Priest (Paul Bettany) from the last Vampire War who now lives in obscurity among the other downtrodden human inhabitants in walled-in dystopian cities ruled by the Church. When his niece (Lily Collins) is abducted by a murderous pack of vampires, Priest breaks his sacred vows to venture out on a quest to find her before they turn her into one of them. He is joined on his crusade by his niece’s boyfriend (Cam Gigandet), a trigger-fingered young wasteland sheriff, and a former Warrior Priestess (Maggie Q) who possesses otherworldly fighting skills.

From Screen Gems, PRIEST will hit theaters in 3D next spring on May 13, 2011. Visit the film’s official website at FaithWorkSecurity.com here.

Source: TrailerAddict.com

According to Variety, 20th Century Fox has cast two more mutants in X-MEN: FIRST CLASS.

Caleb Landry Jones will play the Banshee in the origins pic, marking the first time the mutant has been introduced to the big screen franchise. Caleb stars in David Fincher’s upcoming THE SOCIAL NETWORK from Sony, and Eli Roth’s THE LAST EXORCISM, from Lionsgate. Previous credits include NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN and CBS pilot “Gimme Shelter,” from producer John Wells.

And in a second key casting, Nicholas Hoult will play the Beast. According to Variety, 20th Century Fox has yet to confirm either casting.

Synopsis:

Before Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers for the first time. Before they were archenemies, they were closest of friends, working together, with other Mutants (some familiar, some new), to stop the greatest threat the world has ever known. In the process, a rift between them opened, which began the eternal war between Magneto’s Brotherhood and Professor X’s X-MEN.

Conceived by Bryan Singer and written by Jane Goldman, FIRST CLASS introduces Charles Xavier (MacAvoy) and Erik Lensherr (Fassbender) as young men, when discovering their powers for the first time and before taking the names Professor X and Magneto, respectively. James MacAvoy and Michael Fassbender topline FIRST CLASS, directed by Matthew Vaughn.

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS will be in theaters on June 3, 2011.

After months of casting speculation, Marvel has confirmed that Tommy Lee Jones will indeed play Colonel Phillips in CAPTAIN AMERICA: FIRST AVENGER.

Press Release:

Marvel Studios announced today that Oscar-winning actor Tommy Lee Jones has been cast to star as US Army Colonel Chester Phillips in the studio’s highly anticipated movie Captain America: The First Avenger opposite Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving, Hayley Atwell, Sebastian Stan and Stanley Tucci. In the early comics, Phillips recruited Steve Rogers to join Project Rebirth, the secret experiment that created the Super Soldier known as Captain America. The character will be updated for the film. Joe Johnston will direct the film penned by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely.

Captain America: The First Avenger will focus on the early days of the Marvel Universe when Steve Rogers volunteers to participate in an experimental program that turns him into the Super Soldier known as Captain America.

Tommy Lee Jones’ will next be seen in The Company Men and is well known for starring in NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, THE THREE BURIALS OF MELQUIADES ESTRADA, the MEN IN BLACK franchise, and THE FUGITIVE for which he won an Academy Award.

In addition to Captain America: The First Avenger, Marvel Studios most recently released the highly anticipated sequel, IRON MAN 2, starring Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow on May 7, 2010, and will release a slate of films based on the Marvel characters including THOR on May 6, 2011, and MARVEL STUDIOS’ THE AVENGERS on May 4, 2012.

Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige will produce Captain America: The First Avenger. Alan Fine, Stan Lee, David Maisel, Nigel Gostelow and Louis D’Esposito will executive produce. The film will be released in the US on July 22, 2011 and distributed by Paramount Pictures.

Source: EW/Hollywood Insider

Director Jon Favreau tweeted this peek at the set of his new film COWBOYS & ALIENS, Dreamworks’ and Universal Pictures’ upcoming adaptation of Platinum Studios cross-genre comic. A source on the set told me it’s filled deep with a lot of extras and that shooting began on Thursday, June 10th in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Even one of the film’s stars, Olivia Wilde, tweeted “Its the coolest set ever.”

Favreau is directing Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Sam Rockwell, Olivia Wilde, Noah Ringer, Paul Dano, Clancy Brown, Adam Beach, and Ana De La Reguera in a film that crosses the classic Western with the alien-invasion movie in a blazingly original way. Joined by Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, Damon Lindelof, Denis L. Stewart, and Dan Forcey, COWBOYS & ALIENS will be an action thriller that will take audiences into the Old West, where a lone cowboy leads an uprising against a terror beyond our world.

The film’s synopsis:

1873. Arizona Territory. A stranger (Craig) with no memory of his past stumbles into the hard desert town of Absolution. The only hint to his history is a mysterious shackle that encircles one wrist. What he discovers is that the people of Absolution don’t welcome strangers, and nobody makes a move onto its streets unless ordered to do so by the iron-fisted Colonel Dolarhyde (Ford). Its a town that lives in fear…But Absolution is about to experience fear it can scarcely comprehend as the desolate city is attacked by marauders from the sky. Screaming down with breathtaking velocity and blinding lights to abduct the helpless one-by-one, these monsters challenge everything the residents have ever known.

Now, the stranger they rejected is their only hope for salvation. As this gunslinger slowly starts to remember who he is and where he’s been, he realizes he holds a secret that could give the town a fighting chance against the alien force. With the help of the elusive traveler Ella (Olivia Wilde), he pulls together a posse comprised of former opponents’ townsfolk, Dolarhyde and his boys, outlaws and Apache warriors, all in danger of annihilation. United against a common enemy, they will prepare for an epic showdown for survival.

You can follow the movie’s progress on Twitter or Facebook. From DreamworksSKG and Universal Pictures, COWBOYS & ALIENS will be in theaters next summer on July 29, 2011.

The Playlist has the latest developments on DEADPOOL:

Robert Rodriguez has been offered to direct DEADPOOL by 20th Century Fox, tipped to us by the latest issue of Production Weekly and confirmed to us by a source very close to the project. It is something he is considering, but that’s it at the moment. But perhaps more tellingly, it clearly indicates that Fox is happy with how the PREDATORS and MACHETE/ Troublemaker relationship is going so far and this is also indicated by the fact this is the second project in five months they have offered the Austin-based filmmaker (they also offered him the PLANET OF THE APES reboot and he passed, but they also offered it to at least three other filmmakers too, which illustrates the randomness of an offer story — none of those directors took the gig).

Will Ryan Reynolds be returning to the role?

Presumably yes, if they’re putting out offers. ZOMBIELAND writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick penned the DEADPOOL script. The fast-moving Rodriguez shoots SPY KIDS 4: ARMAGEDDON this summer (to be released on August 19, 2011), and then has the Nimrod Antal-helmed PREDATORS in theaters on July 9 and MACHETE on September 3.

An offer’s just that – an offer. We’ll keep you posted if and when Rodriguez signs on the dotted line.

20th Century Fox has set a release date of June 3rd, 2011 for X-MEN: FIRST CLASS. Fox’s prequel will be directed by Matthew Vaughn (KICK-ASS, STARDUST, LAYER CAKE) and will quickly begin production this summer. So far, no one has been cast in the latest chapter of the franchise based on the Marvel Comics series. Here’s the official announcement from 20th Century Fox:

BRYAN SINGER AND MATTHEW VAUGHN UNITE FOR X-MEN: FIRST CLASS

Twentieth Century Fox will release film on June 3, 2011

LOS ANGELES (May 4, 2010) __ “Kick-Ass” director Matthew Vaughn will helm X-MEN: FIRST CLASS, a new chapter in Twentieth Century Fox’s blockbuster series of films based on the Marvel Comics.

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS begins production this summer for a June 3, 2011 release. Bryan Singer, who conceived the story for FIRST CLASS and directed the original “X-Men” and its sequel “X2,” is producing along with Lauren Shuler Donner and Simon Kinberg.

“I’ve been a fan of Matthew’s since LAYER CAKE,” said Singer. “He has a deft hand with multiple characters and storylines, and a great love of the X-Men universe. I feel the combination of this story and his vision will make for an exciting and original X-Men film.”

Added Twentieth Century Fox president of production, Emma Watts: “X-Men: First Class presents an exciting opportunity to further explore the history and relationships of these beloved characters. Matthew’s combination of talent, verve and vision is perfectly suited to the task.”

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS, following the classic Marvel mythology, charts the epic beginning of the X-Men saga. Before Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers for the first time. Before they were archenemies, they were closest of friends, working together, with other Mutants (some familiar, some new), to stop the greatest threat the world has ever known.

What a strange choice Marvel Studios has made today, but one that is sure to have comic book fans frothing at the mouth.  They have selected a man who is known more for his TV series writing than for his feature film directing, a man who only has one feature film under his belt.  Said feature film, for all intents and purposes was a financial dud, at that.

According to Deadline, final negotiations are underway to bring Joss Whedon in as director of the THE AVENGERS film, the film that will be the culmination of IRON MAN, THE INCREDIBLE HULK, CAPTAIN AMERICA, and THOR.  This could be considered quite the coup by people who were adament that Jon Favreau would be the perfect choice, or even any of the other directors behind these singular films before they all joined forces Voltron-style to take out the competition a the box office.

Whether the fanboy anxiety for this film can hold steady until THE AVENGERS comes out in May of 2012 is anyone’s guess.  It seems ages ago that THE INCREDIBLE HULK came out, and neither CAPTAIN AMERICA nor THOR have had their own chance at doing one-on-one battle for moviegoers dollars.  While Whedon is someone who I am sure will do absolute justice to the property he has been given, it is quite the odd choice given his history.  We shall see.

Work on the Martin Campbell-directed GREEN LANTERN is well underway, as production began earlier in the month in New Orleans.  With that comes set visits, and, with that, comes news that Warner Brothers couldn’t keep under their hat for very long.  /Film is reporting the famed, green suit Ryan Reynolds’ Hal Jordan will be donning won’t be practical, but computer generated.

According to what /Film was told, Reynolds is wearing a motion capture suit on set and the suit we see in the finished film will be almost entirely made out of 1s and 0s.  The CG suit will be designed by Ngila Dickson who worked costume design for LORD OF THE RINGS, THE LAST SAMURAI, and for a little TV show called “Xena: Warrior Princess.”  Take from that what you will.

Evidently, there are those who are making comparisons to Reynolds on set to how Billy Crudup looked on the set of WATCHMEN, though don’t expect Reynold’s suit in the finished film to be as revealing as that of Dr. Manhattan’s.  Warner Brothers is claiming the finished version of the suit will look cool, but that isn’t really saying much, a studio claiming something in one of their upcoming, tent pole movies is going to look cool.  They’d be stupid to claim otherwise.

I’m sure we’ll be able to tell just how cool this all turns out when the film’s trailer begin to hit, but we’ll know for sure once GREEN LANTERN hits theaters in June of 2011.