Comic News Roundup – January 2010 – Week 2
More “Powers” talk with FX’s John Landgraf
“We have a new writer who came in and who’s working with Brian Bendis,” Landgraf confirmed. “He’s a really, really good writer who got really excited about the project. He came in, and they pitched us a new take. Because part of what you’re trying to do with ‘Powers’ is that you have a great property, a really robust property, but it has to be adapted to become a weekly television series.”
‘Green Lantern’ Director Says Mark Strong In Talks to Play Sinestro, Confirms Kilowog, More!
“No, that’s completely wrong,” said director Martin Campbell of the persistent rumor, which popped up again recently despite Haley denying any involvement with the “Green Lantern” movie. “In fact, we’re in negotiations with Mark Strong to play Sinestro. He’s not only a wonderful actor, but he looks like Sinestro,” he added. “If you look up old pictures of Sinestro, he’s very like him. The Jackie Earle Haley thing, somebody told me about it this morning; I had never heard it before in my life.”
Black Panther Animated Begins
The Black Panther animated series debuts in Australia this weekend. It features some of the most amazing talent in show biz, especially considering the leader of the pack is none other than Djimon Hounsou! He’s in outstanding vocal company with Kerry Washington, Alfre Woodard and R&B singer, Jill Scott. The Black Panther is a joint effort between Marvel and BET Networks.
Bryan Fuller has started writing Pushing Daisies comic
Pushing Daisies creator Bryan Fuller reportedly has begun writing the long-discussed comic-book continuation of the canceled television series. Fuller, who created Dead Like Me and co-created Wonderfalls — both short-lived cult favorites — revealed in May that the comic will tie up loose ends left by Pushing Daisies’ untimely demise as the characters deal with a flash flood that empties bodies from a nearby cemetery.
‘Twilight’ Actor Kellan Lutz Confirms He’s A ‘Conan’ Contender
“I’ve been auditioning,” Lutz said. “They’re finalizing so they’re trying to figure out what happens next. I’ve been waiting for a while, doing screen tests. There are just so many cooks in the kitchen. If it happens, it happens.”
Bryan Cranston heading to ‘Mars’ for Pixar
“Breaking Bad” star Bryan Cranston has joined the cast of Walt Disney’s “John Carter of Mars.” The adaptation of the Edgar Rice Burroughs book series centers on a Civil War veteran (Taylor Kitsch) who finds himself mysteriously transported to Mars, where he becomes involved with the planet’s warring people. Cranston plays a Civil War colonel who comes into conflict with Carter.
Interview: Denzel Washington On The Book Of Eli
Jeff Imada, who is a disciple of Danny Inosanto, who was a contemporary of Bruce Lee trained me and I worked with Danny a bit. I don’t know, four, five, six months out we started stretching and moving and doing stuff with our eyes closed and just getting into the whole vibe. Stretching is, you don’t know, you’re too young, but when you get older, stretching is good. Stretching is real – - I don’t do it enough but it helps a lot. Yeah, it’s good stuff.
Felicia Day’s “Guild” Comes to Comics
“The reason I did a comic was the opportunity to expand the world where I couldn’t afford to go in the web series: many real world locations, and lots of in-game exploration (we don’t use actual game footage in the web show due to copyright issues),” Day said.
‘Captain America’ News
It’s not going to be a Captain America that you expect. It’s something different. It is influenced by the comic book, but it goes off in a completely different direction. It’s the origin story of Captain America. It’s mostly period—there are modern, present-day bookends on it—but it’s basically the story of how Steve Rogers becomes Captain America.
‘Human Target’ Star Explains Differences Between Comic Book And TV Series
“They had to go to great lengths even in the comic book to make this exposition and explain [if] this is the real Chance or not,” he said. “Even going as far as doing that on television — they tried doing that with the Rick Springfield show — and I think it’s something that would be really hard to maintain. It would be hard to show it and hard to explain it.”
Top Shelf strikes deal with Likely Story, media entrepreneur
Top Shelf Prods. is the latest comic and graphic novel publisher to set up ties to Hollywood, creating a capital investment deal with new media entrepreneur John S. Johnson and indie producer Anthony Bregman’s shingle Likely Story. Johnson and Likely Story have acquired a 33% stake in Top Shelf. Johnson will now join the board of Top Shelf with Likely Story, getting a first-look deal for all new Top Shelf publications.
Peter Sarsgaard in ‘Green Lantern’ talks
Peter Sarsgaard is in negotiations to play the villain in “Green Lantern,” Warner Bros.’ big-budget, Martin Campbell-directed tentpole based on the DC Comics super hero. Sarsgaard will play Dr. Hector Hammond, the pathologist son of a senator who is seen as a disappointment in his father’s eyes. He becomes infused with psychic powers when he discovers a meteor.
Dicaprio Versus Day-Lewis For Nemesis Movie
Do You Agree With Director?
Mark Millar recently posted on his forum: “Okay, am pretty drunk. I downed many Guinnesses …But have spoken to three directors about the Nemesis movie in the past seven days, none of whom have read the scripts and all of whom are basing our chats entirely on the visuals and high concepts you guys have seen. Anyway, as you know I don’t want anyone to see this until the whole series is written and that’s at least into next month. THAT SAID, the director I got hooked up with early this evening is literally one of the best in the biz. He’s someone I totally trust in terms of movie-making and he knows his comics too. We chatted about the property for an hour and his ideas were insane, the stuff that had me buzzing being his notion of DiCaprio as Nemesis versus Daniel Day-freakin-Lewis as America’s best cop.”
What Really Killed Spider-Man 4? Avatar!
production insiders tell Vulture that after seeing James Cameron’s fully immersive film, Raimi wanted all sorts of envelope-pushing CGI (though not 3-D, which the studio was considering). Such effects would take more money and, just as crucially, more time. But the studio, whose corporate parent Sony must answer to Wall Street, had set a strict May 6, 2011 release date, and missing that date would mean depriving Sony of a billion dollars in revenue. “Every movie is a power struggle,” explains one producer on the Sony lot familiar with the fracas. “But the tipping point was that Sam wanted to do certain things that would push the envelope in terms of [special effects] ‘toys’ and other visual stimulation, and Sony didn’t feel that was essential to the franchise.”
Bruce Timm Talks Animated Spectre
“We can play with these oddball characters who wouldn’t commercially support making a full length feature with them. I wish the business model was such that we could do that, but now we get to mess around with these more off-trail characters and have fun. In a weird kind of way, the Spectre is perfect for a series like this, because those original Fleischer/Aparo comics this version is based on, were really simple, straight-forward little standalone stories.”
Meanwhile, Back at The Hall of Justice…
- Green Lantern Director Says Expect An Emerald Dawn
- James Cameron Not Interested In ‘Spider-Man’ Reboot, Considers It ‘Sloppy Seconds’
- Jackie Earle Haley On ‘Human Target’ And Why He’s Excited About TV
- John Carter of Mars fires up in London! New details
- Mark Valley is the “Human Target”
- Chi McBride Gets Serious About Playing ‘The BMF’ On ‘Human Target’
- ‘Book Of Eli’ Directors Recall ‘From Hell’ Experience With Alan Moore, Weigh In On ‘Watchmen’
- Will ‘Ronon’ become Conan? Atlantis star rumored
- ‘Iron Man 2′ Imax release date set
- Daniel Craig eyeing ‘Cowboys and Aliens’
- Actor Joseph Gatt Confirmed As ‘Thor’ Villain
- Will Sony Spin Spidey Reboot With Director Marc Webb?
- ‘Weeds’ Actor Hunter Parrish Campaigns For ‘Spider-Man’ Role
- J.J. Abrams On The ‘Spider-Man’ Reboot: ‘Didn’t They Just Do It?’
- ‘Thor’ Roundup: Fat Suits And Praise As The Cast Reports From The Set
- Tyrese Gibson Talks Mayhem!
- Refunds available for Broadway’s ‘Spider-Man’
- Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson On ‘Shazam!’ Status And Black Adam
- Why Green Lantern won’t be a cheesefest; plus, the villain!
- Red Starts Shooting – Spies Assemble On Toronto
- ‘Green Lantern’ director says cosmic film will have ‘a Flash Gordon element’
- The Iron man 2 movie easter egg – Fin Fang Foom!
- Gregg pulls double duty, ‘Iron Man’s’ Agent Coulson to reprise role in ‘Thor’
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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