Articles by josh-wigler
Mon Nov 3, 2008 — by Josh Wigler
'X-Men' Are 'Waiting For Godot'
Stewart and McKellan Join Stage Play
If you're not based in England but need a reason to travel to London, well, here you go. Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen are about to share the stage together.
That's right, homeboys! Magneto and Professor Xavier have mutually knocked over their respective king pieces, deciding on a "gray" middle ground over a "black" or "white" dominant party, and are starring alongside one another for an on-stage production of Waiting For Godot.
Okay, yeah, before you leave, we're talking about theater. No major shifts in the sociopolitical dynamics between mankind and mutantkind, but, hey, this is pretty close.
The two well known thespians, who shared the silver screen with each other as Erik Lansherr and Charles Xavier in the X-Men trilogy, will star alongside each other in Waiting For Godot on The West End, according to Variety.
The trade reports, "Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart will topline a Brit production of Waiting for Godot that will launch a U.K. tour in March ahead of an April bow at the Theater Royal Haymarket."
American audiences will recognize the actors as having shared the screen as nemeses in X-Men, but Stewart and McKellen had previously costarred in Every Good Boy Deserves Favour in 1977.
Waiting For Godot focuses on two men waiting for a man whom they've never laid eyes upon before, but know that his presence is incredibly important to their own self-worth. McKellen and Stewart play the two men, Estragon and Vladimir, respectively. The play is written by Samuel Beckett, and despite multiple attempts, has never seen a film adaptation. Waiting for Guffman, filmed and written by Christopher Guest, plays on Godot's themes without being a direct knock-off.
If anyone has tickets to London, please direct yourself to ComicMix. We'll trade you in beets and other various candies.
Mon Nov 3, 2008 — by Josh Wigler
Two 'Heroes' Go Down
Loeb and Alexander Off The Show
If you thought Uatu's jaw dislocation was surprising, wait until you've heard this one... Jeph Loeb is no longer involved with Heroes.
The producer of NBC's television epic and the frequent comic book writer has been axed from the daily ongoings of Heroes, according to Variety. Jesse Alexander of Alias fame is also off the series, says the trade. Both Loeb and Alexander were day-to-day managers of the show under the direction of creator/executive producer Tim Kring since season one.
No reasons are listed as to why the two producers have been kicked off the show, though it's no secret that Heroes has been disparaged since the debut of its second season. The show, now in its third year, promised a departure from the formulaic nature of its sophomore season, and with consistent critical hammering, a hardcore decision was bound to be made to save the series' financial future. The departures of Loeb and Alexander are likely seen as moves to fit that bill.
Jeph Loeb has made a career in the super-hero industry. His graphic novels Batman: The Long Halloween and Batman: Dark Victory, in particular, have gained him critical acclaim, as has his work on Superman: For All Seasons. He's also known for his work on the "color-centric" comic books over at Marvel Comics, specifically Hulk: Gray, Spider-Man: Blue, Daredevil: Yellow and the forthcoming Captain America: White. Loeb, whose best known super-hero work may be his collaboration with artist Jim Lee on Batman: Hush, had been involved with Heroes from the show's beginning.
Loeb's frequent collaborator Tim Sale, who illustrated both much of Loeb's comic output starting with Challengers of the Unknown, is the artist behind the show's frequent "future-telling" paintings such as those by Isaac Mendes or the newly introduced African painter. Whether or not Loeb's departure will influence Sale's continued work remains to be seen.
Whether or not Heroes, which suffered poor ratings during its strike shortened second season, will be negatively effected by the apparent removal of Loeb and Alexander remains to be seen. However, given that the show should be "King of the Jungle" but has merely kept its head above water in the midst of poor ratings, a true reckoning for Heroes remains to be seen.
Sat Nov 1, 2008 — by Josh Wigler
Two Roles for Samuel L. Jackson
Nick Fury Turns 'Inglourious' Samurai
The King of Cool himself, Samuel L. Jackson, booked two new acting jobs this week. Up first is the widely reported remake of The Last Dragon. Jackson will play Sho'nuff, the Shogun of Harlem, a part originally played by the late Julius Carry.
The Last Dragon, released in 1985, focuses on a young martial artist named Leroy Green. He travels New York City to achieve the Last Dragon, the highest level of martial arts accomplishment. Those who achieve the Last Dragon possess the Glow and become the greatest fighter alive.
In the film, the character of Sho'nuff is a tough-talking egomaniac, a character type that Jackson typically excels at. The Hollywood Reporter describes one of his character interactions:
"[Sho'nuff's] spiel included asking ego-driven questions like 'Am I the baddest mofo lowdown around this town?' Each time his gang of thugs answered, 'Sho 'nuff!'"
Says Jackson of the role: "I'm a huge fan of the original and look forward to bringing Sho'Nuff into the 21st century."
The film will be produced by John Davis and Kerry Gordy. Gordy is the son of Berry Gordy, the man behind the original The Last Dragon.
Jackson also landed a role in Quentin Tarantino's latest picture Inglourious Basterds, which is intentionally misspelled. Jackson will provide the voice of the narrator, who isn't present often in the film, "but mostly pops up at random time in the script to add some context and background info" according to The Playlist. The Web site also says that Maggie Cheung has been cast in the film as Madame Mimieux, a French matron of the Cinematheque, one of the film's centerpieces. She also takes in a homeless Shoshanna (Melanie Laurent), the film's female lead.
Sat Nov 1, 2008 — by Josh Wigler
'Boldly Going Nowhere' Expands Cast
Two More Join Sitcom
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Fox's upcoming sitcom Boldly Going Nowhere has added two new actors to its growing cast. Lennon Parham will play the female lead alongside newcomer Chad L. Coleman. The two join Ben Koldyke, previously cast as the lead character Captain Ron Teague, and Tony Hale of Arrested Development as the ship's robot.
Boldly Going Nowhere is produced by It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia's Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day and Glenn Howerton. The show focuses on the day-to-day events of an intergalactic spaceship. McElhenny, Day and Howerton do not consider the series as a science fiction, but rather a unique twist on the workplace sitcom. Wayne McClammy (I'm F--king Matt Damon) directs the pilot.
Parham, a newcomer from the Upright Citizens Brigade, plays Joyce, the ship's by-the-book pilot. McElhenney describes her as "a diamond in the rough," found only due to the recommendation of co-star Tony Hale.
Coleman (pictured), meanwhile, plays self-absorbed Cobalt, the intimidating head of security. The actor appeared in 26 episodes of HBO's The Wire, which McElhenney admits isn't something you'd say "in the same sentence with a broadcast comedy, but we've been going for fresh faces and strong actors."
The trio behind Boldly have said the same about newcomer Ben Koldyke.
"We love the idea of finding talented people out there," they said of his casting. "The fact that Ben is unknown is great but irrelevant. We wanted the best guy for the lead and he was it."
It's certainly a refreshing approach for an industry dominated by name recognition.
Speaking of familiar names, THR is also reporting that Courtney Cox is coming back to television after her last series, Dirt, got buried in the ratings. ABC has given the go-ahead to Cougar Town featuiring Cox as a MILF with a 17-year-old son. The series was created by Bill Lawrence, whose Scrubs moves to the Alphabet network later this season.
"Forty-year-old women on TV are so beautiful and perfect and wrinkle-free," Lawrence told the trade. "People don't do the reality of it, and there is a real comedy area about a woman who is talking about Botox, about having sex with the lights on and how her body is changing."
Sat Nov 1, 2008 — by Josh Wigler
Ron Perlman is Elvis
'Hellboy' Actor in 'Bubba Nosferatu'
In what he calls an "on record" statement, actor Paul Giamatti announced to Ain't It Cool News that Ron Perlman will play Elvis in the upcoming Bubba Nosferatu, a sequel to Bubba Ho-Tep.
"He’s a great guy," Giamatti says of the actor. "He’s an amazingly great guy and I’ve always loved him as an actor, so when he actually was interested, I couldn’t believe our luck man, like 'This is f---ing great!' He’s a really terrific guy."
In the sequel, Giamatti plays "Colonel" Tom Parker, Elvis's manager. Giamiatti wouldn't reveal too many specifics, but hints at quite a bit of Nosferatu's plot line.
"You know part of the great thing about this is not only are these wonderful genre movies, but [director Don Coscarelli] is actually taking a weird, interesting take on the whole Elvis myth and kind of investigating the whole Elvis myth in a really interesting way," Giamatti describes the film. "So it’s got a lot of stuff about Col. Parker being responsible for a lot of what happened to Elvis and kind of literally making him a vampire in some ways, you know? A kind of a blood sucker… It plays on a lot of things, this movie, in a great way and it’s got Sitting Bull in it and there’s a peyote trip in it that is amazing and it’s just a big leap beyond the other movie. It’s ten times more insane and bizarre and it’s great and hilarious, too. It’s funnier than the other one is even. It still ends up being this great character study of this Elvis guy."
Nosferatu, unfortunately, takes a cue from Iron Man 2 in replacing cast members. In Bubba Ho-Tep, Bruce Campbell delivered a memorable turn as an aging Elvis Pressley forced to battle supernatural evils. The actor, however, didn't want to return for a sequel.
"I’m not sure what his reasons were particularly," Giamatti says. "I think he’s doing a lot of his own stuff now like directing stuff on his own and he just wants to do that, I guess. It was a disappointment and we really tried and then after a while it was like 'Now we are just going to start pissing the guy off! He’s being totally cool about it, I mean, but I don’t want to piss the guy off.'"
Giamatti first got involved in the project the old fashioned way: fandom.
"I saw Bubba Ho-Tep and it's one of my favorite movies,' says Giamatti. "I loved it and then somebody finally showed [Coscarelli] some interview in which I said that and he called me up."
Giamatti, who will help produce the film with his company Touchy Feely Productions, says that Bubba Nosferatu will hopefully begin shooting in Spring of 2009, when Perlman's schedule opens up.
Fri Oct 31, 2008 — by Josh Wigler
'King' Gets Thrown Off the 'Hill'
Meanwhile, 'American Dad' Gets Renewed
No, it's not Friday the 13th. But it is Halloween, and the 13th season of King of the Hill looks to be its last.
Reports are coming in that the long-running Fox comedy will not return past the 13 episodes currently in production bringing the total to something like 250. King of the Hill, created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels, has aired on the network since 1997. Although it's not the ratings getter it once was, King stalwarts such as Ain't It Cool News' Hercules tout the series as Fox's greatest comedy. Both Judge and Daniels have moved onto other projects. Judge's newest animated comedy, The Goode Family, launches on ABC midseason, while Daniels is running NBC's smash hit The Office. Judge still supplies the voice for Hank Hill on the series.
Meanwhile, Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane continues to enjoy his renewed success over at Fox. Variety has announced that MacFarlane's American Dad has been picked up for a fifth season. Dad, which features conservative CIA agent Stan Smith and his family, is currently in its fourth year. It's noted that early pickups are required for animated shows due to their lengthy timetable, which could be a reason that both the American Dad and King of the Hill announcements came so close together.
MacFarlane's road with Fox hasn't always been smooth. Family Guy was initially canceled after struggling to find a consistent audience, in no small thanks to Fox's constant reshuffling of the program's schedule. When DVD sales went through the roof, Fox decided to raise the series from the dead. In the series' first episode post resurrection, "North By North Quahog," the writers took a stab at Fox's rationale for canceling the show in the first place.
"Well, unfortunately, Lois, there's just no more room on the schedule," lead character Peter Griffin laments. "We’ve just got to accept the fact that Fox has to make room for terrific shows like Dark Angel, Titus, Undeclared, Action, That ’80s Show, Wonderfalls, Fastlane, Andy Richter Controls the Universe, Skin, Girls Club, Cracking Up, The Pitts, Firefly, Get Real, Freakylinks, Wanda at Large, Costello, The Lone Gunmen, A Minute With Stan Hooper, Normal Ohio, Pasadena, Harsh Realm, Keen Eddie, The $treet, American Embassy, Cedric the Entertainer, The Tick, Louie and Greg the Bunny."
All of those shows, of course, have been canceled.
Now, MacFarlane's relationship with Fox couldn't be better. Not only is Family Guy flourishing and American Dad has a new season on the way, but MacFarlane's new series, The Cleaveland Show, will also debut later this year. Cleaveland is a spin-off from Family Guy featuring the titular Cleaveland and his family.
Fri Oct 31, 2008 — by Josh Wigler
You'll Believe a Routh Can Fly
Superman Actor Wants to 'Return'
If there's one thing that's certain about Superman, it's that you can never count him out of a fight. Same goes for Brandon Routh, who played the Man of Steel in Bryan Singer's Superman Returns a few years back. Despite doing mediocre business (which, when it comes to Supes, is terrible business), the WB is still planning on resuming the franchise, albeit with a totally new direction and creative team. But Routh, as it turns out, might not be part of the cleaning house equation. The actor tells Web site IESB.net that he's still involved, as far as he knows.
Says Routh: "[The] most recent conversation I had was with Paul [Levitz, President of DC Comics] when I was in New York and we talked about what ... Warner Bros. were thinking and what the situation was and obviously, thankfully, he is still wanting me to be a part of it and I certainly want to be a part of it."
The story is corroborated by Latino Review's report earlier this month stating Levitz's continued interest in Routh as Superman.
The most recent Kent, other than TV's Tom Welling, says that he's unaware of any story details other than what he reads in the media. Given that, he's not exactly thrilled with the idea of a "dark Superman."
"I don't think the character necessarily has to be darker," says Routh. "I think he is kind of dark in a sense, emotional dark, in Superman Returns, and the movie as a whole was slightly dark, they could have had more prowess in it I suppose, and I think that's one thing that can be done in the sequel, so I don't know how much darker you want to make it necessarily. You make the stakes higher, you make the villain darker, I think that's a way to do it. But I don't think Superman himself needs to be darker. He definitely has to struggle, how does Superman be a part of the world? And does he have to make sacrifices to be a part of that world? To fit in and what purpose does he really play in the world? Those are all kind of dark places to explore. But, I don't think Superman should ever be dark and brooding, that's not [his] nature. And that's [not] what people [want] to see."
As for a villain for the next chapter, Routh has an idea: Brainiac.
"I think it would certainly be interesting, I think there are a lot of things you could do with Brainiac," Routh muses. "He's been given a lot of power and a lot of different abilities over the years in the comics, as far as I understand. I know that DC is working on a Brainiac storyline that they are excited about and I think combining the two and have that flow between the comics and the movie would be a nice thing. I honestly think there are a lot of interesting things you can do with Brainiac. Controlling people, controlling technology, a lot of cool things."
It's a widely shared sentiment that a Brainiac driven Superman film has a lot of potential. Combine Routh's desire to see the green-skinned villain in the sequel and his indication that DC's also on board, plus with original director Richard Donner's plea to give Geoff Johns a shot at the screenplay, and you can bet that Mark Millar's locked himself away in a dungeon taking the pen and eraser to his planned eight-hour Superman epic.
Routh also talks a bit about another upcoming comic book film he's working on. He'll be playing Dylan Dog in Dead of Night, an adaptation of Tiziano Sclavi's Dylan Dog. According to Routh, filming should start soon.
"Well, I think we are actually going to make it now (laughing)," says Routh. "I've never said that before, but I will now, all the paperwork is being finalized finally and we are looking really strong for a January, mid-January start I believe, in New Orleans. And, [director] Kevin [Munroe] and I are looking at the script again and he's got his draft and I am excited about it."
Fri Oct 31, 2008 — by Josh Wigler
Lindsay-Abaire to Pen 'Spider-Man 4'
Vanderbilt Gone, No Story Details Revealed
Relative newcomer David Lindsay-Abaire is stealing James Vanderbilt's webshooters and hitting the New York skyline with Spider-Man 4.
The Hollywood Reporter states that Lindsay-Abaire, traditionally a novelist and playwright, is writing the fourth installment of the Spider-Man franchise for Columbia Pictures. Spider-Man 4 will once again feature Sam Raimi as director and Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker. Kirsten Dunst is expected to return, though no officiall announcements have been made, apart from her impromptu "I'm in!" during an MTV News interview.
THR notes that Lindsay-Abire has little screenwriting experience. He wrote the scripts for Robots and Inkheart, and is working on an adaptation of his novel Rabbit Hole. The writer's work tends to focus on "outsiders in search of clarity," which makes him like-minded with Peter Parker. It's a sign that the studio wants to take Spider-Man in a more character-centric outing, "something that critics said got lost in the third installment" according to THR's report.
Previously, all signs had pointed to scribe James Vanderbilt putting the pen to Spidey's script. The writer had allegedly scripted a two-part Spider-Man epic that would've led to the fourth and fifth installments being shot back-to-back. In THR's report, it's noted that Vanderbilt "previously wrote a draft of Spider-Man 4," so whether or not his draft is being used as a template for Lindsay-Abaire or is being scrapped entirely remains a mystery.
Even when Vanderbilt was on board, plot details remained quite sketchy. Most fans assumed that actor Dylan Baker would finally get his chance to play The Lizard in the newest installment, but director Raimi isn't quite as sure.
"[Dylan Baker's] a great actor, and I think one day The Lizard’s story will be told," Raimi told MTV News. "I don’t know if it will be this one or not. I just don’t know. I’m definitely hoping to work with Dylan in the picture. I just don’t know who the villain is yet."
Whether or not he was playing coy remains to be seen. What's certain, however, is that whatever little we knew before about this movie, we probably know even less now. Isn't Hollywood fun?
Fri Oct 31, 2008 — by Josh Wigler
JMS Heads to 'Forbidden Planet'
Classic Sci-Fi Gets an Update
This year's Halloween might be dominated by Heath Ledger Jokers, but a few years from now, expect Robby the Robot to be the costume to beat.
That's right, sports fans, Fordbidden Planet is coming back to theaters with a fresh relaunch. The Hollywood Reporter says that fan-friendly scribe J. Michael Straczynski is writing the script for Warner Bros., with Joel Silver producing through Silver Pictures.
Released in 1956, Forbidden Planet features a space expedition to a far-off colony populated by scientists. When they arrive, they find only the troubled Dr. Morbius and his daughter. Morbius, now smarter due to alien technology, warns that there's an invisible monster terrorizing the planet. Dubbed a "monster from the id," the scientist, his daughter and the expedition's captain band together to fight the creature and survive the encounter. Walter Pidgeon, Anne Francis and Leslie Nielsen starred in the picture. The longest lasting effect of the film on popular culture is Robby the Robot, a silly little android that has warmed hearts for many years. (Journalistic integrity, as you can see, has been checked at the door. I just love Robby the Robot!)
Plans for a Forbidden Planet remake have been in the works for a while. THR sums it up quite well:
"Warners picked up the project on the down-low earlier this year. As late as last year, it was set up at DreamWorks with David Twohy attached to direct. Prior to that, New Line had it. James Cameron, Nelson Gidding and Stirling Silliphant have been associated with the remake over the years."
J. Michael Straczynski is famous to fandom for his comics work on The Amazing Spider-Man and his current run on Thor. He's also the mastermind behind beloved sci-fi television series Babylon 5. In the film world, JMS worked on Ninja Assassin for the Wachowski Brothers, and has long been attached to a Silver Surfer adaptation for Fox. Soon, he'll take over The Brave and the Bold for DC Comics, integrating classic 1940s era "Red Circle heroes" into the DC Universe.
If anyone can pull off a Forbidden Planet remake, it's JMS. Despite being outdated by modern technology, any sci-fi lover that watches Planet can see just how easily the film would translate in a contemporary audience. It's premise, that we ourselves are our greatest weakness, is a timeless motif that can resonate with audiences of any generation. As far as inevitable Hollywood remakes go, this is one that might actually be quite good.
Thu Oct 30, 2008 — by Josh Wigler
Joaquin Phoenix Quits Acting
Actor Says 'Peace Out' To Hollywood
When it comes to Hollywood, Joaquin Phoenix has "been through that." So now, the 34-year-old actor is taking a cue from Sean Connery and quitting the acting business.
In a video interview, Phoenix told E! Online that his upcoming film Two Lovers will be his last performance as an actor. The film's co-star, Casey Affleck, was present during the impromptu announcement. When the interviewer laughed at Phoenix's remarks, the actor got visibly annoyed and emphasized that this wasn't a joke announcement: Phoenix is done. Affleck, clearly taken off guard, further confirmed the news to E!, suggesting the actor will focus on his music full time from here on out.
Later, Phoenix confirmed the news to Extra, saying: "[Two Lovers] will be my last performance as an actor ... I'm not doing films anymore ... I'm working on my music. I'm done. I've been through that."
Phoenix's representatives confirmed the news to Extra. "That is what he told me," says the actor's rep.
Joaquin Phoenix has been in Hollywood since he was eight years old. His first role was, according to IMDb, on television series Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. He gained mainstream appeal in his role as the villainous Emperor Commodus in Gladiator, and later appeared in two M. Night Shyamalan films, Signs and The Village. His turn as Johnny Cash in Walk the Line gained the actor an Oscar nomination.
This article feels a lot more like an obituary than it should. It's definitely a bummer that Phoenix is hopping out of Tinsel Town so early, but, hey, whatever makes the guy happy. Honestly, he looks pretty stressed out in the video interview with E!, which you can check out below. Here's hoping Joaquin lives up to his last name and rises up from the ashes of this seemingly Johnny Cash inspired moment.
Thu Oct 30, 2008 — by Josh Wigler
'Agnes Quill' Heads to Paramount
Graphic Novel Sees Film Adaptation
Paramount has picked up the screen rights to Dave Roman's graphic novel Agnes Quill: An Anthology of Mystery. Thor Freudenthal (Hotel for Dogs) will direct from a script by Evan Spiliotopoulos. Variety reports that Agnes Quill is "the first acquisition for Adam Goodman since transitioning from DreamWorks."
Publisher Slave Labor Graphics describes Agnes Quill: An Anthology of Mystery as follows:
"For Agnes Quill, talking to the dead is the easiest part of her life. As the heir to her great-grandfather’s detective business, the sixteen-year-old Agnes must solve mysteries in the haunted, cobble-stoned and foggy city Legerdemain. It’s a lot of responsibility for a teenaged girl, but Agnes is devoted to continuing her family’s legacy. As she solves the strange cases her clients bring to her, Legerdemain’s dearly departed citizens help, hinder, or just plain annoy her. Working with, against or in spite of these ghosts, Agnes frees trapped spirits, cursed souls and possessed relatives, finds disappearing pets, and confronts decapitated scientists, ambitious zombies, and other supernatural menaces, in Agnes Quill: An Anthology of Mystery."
Agnes Quill is the latest in a series of many independent comic books to be optioned as film, following the recently announced Villains, Torso and Freaks of the Heartland. Dave Roman originally created Agnes as a series of stand-alone webcomics, which were later collected by SLG Publishing in October 2006. Agnes features art from Jason Ho, Jen Wang, Jeff Zornow and Eisner-nominee Raina Telgemeier. Roman is also the author of Harvey-nominated webcomic Jax Epoch and the Quicken Forbidden.
You can read Agnes Quill: An Anthology of Mystery for free online by clicking here.
Thu Oct 30, 2008 — by Josh Wigler
Tartakovsky Armors Up for 'Iron Man 2'
Plus an Interesting Tidbit in the Terrence Howard Saga
Ain't It Cool News has an in depth interview with Jon Favreau about all sorts of stuff, ranging from his upcoming Couple's Retreat to the revolutionary effect James Cameron's Avatar will have on the movie industry. One of the greatest tidbits dropped by Favreau involves, unsurprisingly, Iron Man 2. According to the helmer, cartoon genius Genndy Tartakovsky has come aboard the flick as a storyboarder.
"I've always liked [Tartakovsky's] Samurai Jack and I loved his Clone Wars vignettes," Favreau tells AICN. "We're storyboarding and designing sequences, he and his team have come in, and I'm working with them and they're working on collaborating with us on the project and that's a new wrinkle ... I feel like I'm really learning a lot."
Favreau acknowledges that Tartakovsky is a newcomer to live action, but his extensive Marvel knowledge and skill set as a fight choreographer bring an interesting viewpoint to the super-hero sequel. Besides, having an animator on board ups the ante, says Favreau.
"[Audiences] don't just want to see Iron Man 1 all over again, they want to see us take it to another level," Favreau claims. "With a guy like Genndy ... it opened a whole new world of possibilities and I'm really enjoying [it]. It really makes it fun to go to work."
The Russian born Tartakovsky is credited for creating, writing and directing Dexter's Laboratory and Samurai Jack. He's also worked on The Powerpuff Girls, The Powerpuff Girls Movie and the Star Wars: Clone Wars animated featurettes. The animator has also pitched a cartoon series of Stephen King's The Dark Tower to HBO, but the odds are lessened by the success of Marvel's Dark Tower comics. Additionally, Tartakovsky is directing Power of the Dark Crystal, a sequel to 1982's cult classic The Dark Crystal.
It's important to note that Favreau's interview with AICN took place prior to Terrence Howard's removal from Iron Man 2. As such, no mention of Howard exists in the interview. Nonetheless, the site's founder and webmaster Harry Knowles chimed in on the rumors surrounding the actor's removal.
"[Howard] was either making demands (financial or creative) that the production wasn't willing to address to the degree that would make Terrence happy," Knowles conjectures. "But Terrence and [his replacement, Don] Cheadle have a very similar pay scale currently. So I can't imagine it is financial."
Knowles offers up an interesting alternative theory: "The other factor it could be is if Terrence made himself difficult to work with, I have heard some very weird things about him recently, that is the sort of thing I don't repeat, but I do know if he pulled these types of things around Jon [Favreau]... I completely would see why Howard would be shown the door."
Harry Knowles and Favreau previously worked together on an adaptation of John Carter of Mars that never came to fruition. Given their relationship, it's possible that Knowles has an inside scoop Howard's removal. Still, it's unlikely that Favreau would tell Knowles even if he did know the real reason. In all likelihood, the truth of Howard's departure from the Iron Man franchise will become one of Hollywood's great untold stories, or, even likelier, will be forgotten in a few years.
Thu Oct 30, 2008 — by Josh Wigler
Millar Talks 'Superman' Pitch
Reveals Details of his Would-Be Movie
It's no secret that Mark Millar wants in on Warner Bros.' announced Superman relaunch. He'd hoped to write what ended up being Superman Returns, but was held back due to an exclusive contract with Marvel Comics. Recently, Millar put himself back in the mix for Kal El's next adventure, alleging the attachment of a "big Hollywood action director" to his vision.
Empire Online has an interview with the Superman: Red Son writer about his take on the character's film future. Millar hopes to film an eight hour saga, split over three years ala Lord of the Rings.
He unveils details of the would-be film, describing it thusly:
"I want to start on Krypton, a thousand years ago, and end with Superman alone on Planet Earth, the last being left on the planet, as the yellow sun turns red and starts to supernova, and he loses his powers.
"It’s gonna be like Michael Corleone in the Godfather films, the entire story from beginning to end," Millar continues. "You see where he starts, how he becomes who he becomes, and where that takes him. The Dark Knight showed you can take a comic book property and make a serious film, and I think the studios are ready to listen to bigger ideas now."
Millar says he understands what Bryan Singer went for with Superman Returns. "[Singer was going for an] homage to Richard Donner's original vision," he says, "but I think you should pay homage by doing something completely different."
Unsurprisingly, Donner was tickled pink at Singer's tribute to the 1978 Superman. However, in the face of an inevitable reboot, Donner agrees that a comic book writer should tackle the character... just not Mark Millar.
"I'd like to see Geoff Johns take a crack at Superman," Donner told the L.A. Times earlier this month. "I think he would be startling. Did you read his comics? There it is. It's there on paper."
Johns, who previously worked as an assistant to Donner, collaborated with the filmmaker on a string of Superman comic book arcs, including "Last Son" and "Escape From Bizarro World." Clearly, then, he's biased on the situation, but can he be blamed? Johns has written some truly excellent stories in Action Comics, most notably his recent "Brainiac" five parter that re-killed John Kent and leads into the current "New Krypton" arc.
Maybe it is Johns who should tackle the Man of Steel, but by all accounts, it sounds like Millar's first on line. Who do you think would be the better man for the project? Sound off below!
Thu Oct 30, 2008 — by Josh Wigler
'Kick-Ass,' 'G.I. Joe' Set Pictures
Costumed Heroes and Ninja Bikes
Set new photos from Matthew Vaughn's Kick-Ass have come online. Slash Film has the scoop, revealing the best headshot to date of Aaron Johnson as Dave Lizewski, also known as teen vigilante Kick-Ass. There have been better photos of him, which Slash Film also has.
It's also the first look at Christopher Mintz-Plasse as another young crime fighter, Red Mist. Mintz-Plasses is better known to the general public as Superbad's McLovin. He's also starring in David Wain's upcoming Role Models as an avid LARPer.
Kick-Ass, based on Mark Millar and John Romita, Jr.'s limited series of the same name, is currently filming in Toronto and is slated for a 2009 release.
Meanwhile, HISS Tank has gotten their hands on a slew of potential photos from the set of G.I. Joe. The pictures reveal what looks to be mute ninja Snake-Eyes' motorcycle in the film. Evidence for this includes the two samurai swords sheathed in the back of the cycle, as well as the red insignia commonly found on the ninja's costume.
G.I. Joe, directed by Stephen Sommers, comes from a screenplay by Stuart Beattie and Skip Woods. It's scheduled for release on August 7, 2009.
Thu Oct 30, 2008 — by Josh Wigler
Columbia Brings 'Preacher' to the Choir
Sam Mendes Hears the Word of God
Both The Hollywood Reporter and Variety are reporting that Columbia Pictures has picked up the rights to adapt Preacher for film. The Vertigo series will be directed by Sam Mendes (Road to Perdition). Neal Moritz (I Am Legend) will produce with Original Films alongside Jason Netter (Wanted) of Kickstart Productions. There are no writers currently attached.
Created by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillion, Preacher focuses on small town preacher Jesse Custer who becomes possessed by the entity known as Genesis. The supernatural being is the offspring of an angel and a demon, and bestows upon Custer the Word of God -- the ability to tell anyone to do anything. When Custer learns that God has abandoned Heaven, Jesse sets off with gun-toting ex-girlfriend Tulip and hard-drinking vampire Cassidy to meet their maker and hold him accountable for leaving humanity to fend for itself.
Preacher is an incredibly beloved series by comic fans everywhere. It's come close to adaptation twice before, once as a movie and later as a television series. View Askew Productions held the rights for several years with James Marsden (X-Men) set to play Custer. This version advanced as far as the make up testing stages for Arseface, a teenager who disfigures himself during a botched Kurt Cobain inspired suicide attempt. Samuel L. Jackson expressed interest in playing the Saint of all Killers. Though the project never took off, you can find the make up tests (pictured above) and concept art of Jackson as the Saint by clicking here. Arseface looks awesome, by which we mean totally gross... by which, of course, we still mean awesome.
Most recently, a television adaptation of Preacher was developing over at HBO. Mark Steven Johnson and Howard Deutch, the writer-director team behind Grumpier Old Men, were set as executive producers. Johnson was particularly vocal about the project, declaring that each issue would see translation as a one-hour episode. Despite his devotion to keeping Ennis and Dillon's vision intact, skepticism arose regarding Johnson's previous comic-to-film record, which includes Daredevil and Ghost Rider. In the end, Preacher never got off the ground due to its controversially dark and violent content which Johnson refused to compromise. Preacher certainly would've made for a brilliant television series, but perhaps it's a blessing in disguise that the man who handed Affleck his red tights is off the project.
Given its rocky history, it'll be a while before anyone truly believes that this rendition of Preacher will have any more success than its predecessors. To be fair, producers Moritz and Netter are already attached to produce The Boys, another Ennis series from Dynamite, with Columbia Pictures. When they cast Simon Pegg as Wee Hughie, we'll know they mean business. Still, Preacher is clearly in the hands of Ennis fans, implying that there are some seriously sick people running Columbia. When it comes to anything Ennis, that's more than fine with us.
