Comic News Roundup – October 2009 – Week 5
Brian Bendis Explains How Thor And Iron Man Can Mix In The ‘Avengers’ Movie
“Look at ‘The Great Escape’ or other movies that have all these big elements to them, and even elements that don’t seem that they would fit can rub up against each other in a very excellent way,” he explained. “They really can create something you wouldn’t even imagine you had before.”
Tintin is Peter Jackson and Spielberg’s dream movie
“They co-directed, so Peter was in the studio on iChat every day,” said star Nick Frost. “So we had a laptop with Peter’s face on, and he had kind of two, three cameras pointed at the action and pointed at us, too, so we could actually talk to him via some link or hookup. So it was odd. It was quite weird.”
Dylan Baker Confirmed For Spider-Man 4
Baker confirmed that he is on board for Sam Raimi’s forthcoming Spider-Man 4. According to reports, Baker said that he had just gotten his first call concerning Spider-Man 4 that very day. Baker appeared in Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3 as Dr. Curt Connors, a professor at Empire State University. It was unclear if they were being truthful or if, in fact, Dr. Connors would become supervillain The Lizard in this fourth entry in the film series.
Ninja Turtles snapped up by Nickelodeon
New CG-animated TV series, feature film for 2012
Viacom’s Nickelodeon is making a $60 million bet that the 25-year-old Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise has more left in the tank. The company has acquired the global TMNT rights from the Mirage Group and 4Kids Entertainment and is developing a CG-animated TV series as well as a feature film in partnership with fellow Viacom arm Paramount Pictures. Both projects are set to hit in 2012.
Dave McKean Reveals Animated ‘Cages’ Film In The Works
“Great first meeting about ‘Cages’ film; a long term possibility, but good to know all interested parties are on the same page,” McKean posted on his Twitter account. “I would be adapting [and] directing,” he explained. “I did ‘Cages’ 20 [years] ago, think it could grow into unusual animated film.”
‘Red’ To Begin Shooting In January
the filmed adaptation of Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner’s Wildstorm comics series ‘Red’ will roll cameras this January. The movie stars Bruce Willis and Morgan Freeman,with Willis playing an aging black-ops agent whose retirement is interrupted by a high-tech assassin. Word is that the script for the film (by Jon and Erich Hoeber) uses the comics as a starting point, but fills in the blanks on the Ellis’ sparely-written story.
Kalogridis to adapt ‘Ghost in the Shell’
Manga envisioned as 3D live-action film
DreamWorks has tapped scribe Laeta Kalogridis to adapt the Japanese manga property “Ghost in the Shell.” DreamWorks is making the futuristic police thriller as a 3D live-action film. Avi Arad, Ari Arad and Steven Paul of Seaside Entertainment are attached to produce and originally brought the project to DreamWorks. Created by Masamune Shirow, “Ghost in the Shell” was first published in 1989. It went on to generate two more manga editions, three anime film adaptations and an anime TV series. The second anime film, “Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence,” was released in the U.S. by DreamWorks in 2004.
Ker-FLOP! Indian Comics Fall Flat
“While competition has arrived, the local industry continues to live in its shell, churning out visually unappealing and terribly written local content with little or no film and television possibilities,” sad Gaurav Jain, head of the Mumbai-based Illusion Interactive Animation. “One of the most widely read labels offers sanitized, vanilla retellings of Indian mythology and historical figures with visuals inspired from the works of Raja Ravi Verma. Derivative art work and bland writing, leads to visual fatigue.”
More Delays Expected for Spider-Man Musical
“Spider-Man” had been scheduled to begin previews Feb. 25 and open in March, but an executive said in an interview Thursday evening that there was “no way” that rehearsals for the musical would begin on schedule later this fall. The executive spoke on condition of anonymity because the producers have not authorized any comment about the musical.
A Brief History of Astro Boy
From manga to the big screen.
This Friday, a boy robot named Astro Boy arrives in theaters in the fifth major imagining of the Astro Boy story (including the original 1950s Japanese comic and three television adaptations). Astro Boy is nothing short of iconic in his home country, but we have had relatively little exposure to the character in the West. So, if you’re wondering who this little android is and why he’s so important, we’ve got you covered. Here are the basics of Japan’s favorite robot, from the comic panel to the big screen.
Zatanna & Martian Manhunter Heading Back To ‘Smallville’
“Smallville” executive producer Brian Peterson recently revealed that Zatanna and Martian Manhunter will both return to the series before the end of the current season. “We bring some old favorites back in like Zatanna and Martian Manhunter,” Peterson revealed. “So [Clark’s] in the thick of the universe that he’s going to be in when he’s Superman this season.”
JASON REITMAN CALLS SCOTT PILGRIM “THE MATRIX FOR LOVE”
“It is a game changer for Edgar and the genre. It moves the speed of light and carries more unadulterated joy than Ive seen in recent cinema. SP does what everyone our age has been dreaming about: achieves the first all encompassing film of the joystick generation. I’m in awe of the sheer control in the filmmaking. It feels like a “Matrix” for love and how willing we are to fight for it.”
No Director Attached to Judge Dredd, Neither Dredd Nor Lobo Producers or Writers Consulting The Comic’s Creators
According to three sources close to the Judge Dredd film (two are employees at Rebellion, the publishers of 2000AD, the other is Jock, responsible for the concept art at the head of this post) a draft of Alex Garland’s Judge Dredd screenplay has been shown to John Wagner, who created Dredd alongside artist Carlos Ezquerra. What isn’t clear – yet – is what feedback Wagner offered, or how that feedback has/hasn’t had an impact.
‘Fear Agent’ Creators Call For Jon Hamm To Star In Adaptation
“I know Rick [Remender] and I both would love to see Jon Hamm don the spacesuit,” said co-creator Tony Moore. “After seeing ‘Mad Men,’ we’re convinced he’s our guy.” Moore also elaborated upon the tone and visual look that he and Remender want to see in the “Fear Agent” film. “In the end, it couldn’t be made too slick,” Moore said. “Abandoning the Atomic Age aesthetic would undermine a big part of what it’s about, high adventure with that sense of danger and bravery that goes with WW2 heroes and Apollo 11 astronauts. So the insides of the rocket would still have to feel like a submarine, the weapons would have to look like cool old kids’ toys, and the monsters would still have to be built like they walked off a pulp cover.”
Producers ring in ‘Roses’
Spice, Persistent to adapt graphic novel
Spice Factory and Persistent Entertainment are developing an adaptation of the graphic novel “Ring of Roses,” a thriller set in an alternate London beset by the bubonic plague. The 144 page graphic novel, created by Das Petrou and drawn by John Watkiss, is centered on a prominent lawyer and his criminal acquaintance who — while investigating the murders of a group of high-powered members of a secretive society — uncover a vast conspiracy involving the release of the plague as a cover-up to political assassination and government takeover.
Meanwhile, Back at The Hall of Justice…
- ‘Captain America’ Movie’s Script Is ‘Very Unexpected,’ Says Joe Quesada
- Brian Bendis Says ‘Torso’ Movie Is ‘Not Dead Yet’
- Cillian Murphy Keeping Fingers Crossed For ‘Dark Knight’ Sequel
- The Crow Remake Flies Forward
- Who is Warner Bros Considering for LOBO?
- Sam Raimi Addresses ‘Spider-Man 4′ And ‘Venom’ Movie Connections
- Mastodon Describes Their ‘Jonah Hex’ Score
- Jeff Smith Says ‘Bone’ Movie Could Become Three Animated Films
- From Star Trek to Thor: J.J. Abrams On Chris Hemsworth’s Leading Man Look
- J.J. Abrams Says Returning To Superman ‘Would Be A Blast’
- ‘Lethal Weapon’ Screenwriter Writer Shane Black To Script ‘Doc Savage’
- Producing Duo Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci NOT Producing DOC SAVAGE
- Seth Rogen tells us not to worry about The Green Hornet
- Comicbook Scribe Philip Gelatt helming indie debut ‘County Road K’
The Fine Print
This is by no means meant to be a comprehensive roundup of the entire weeks’ news. All stories are chosen by me for no other reason than that they got my attention and might capture yours. If something you think is more important chime in on the feedback; we’d love to hear comments and have a conversation about it.
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