The marketing machine for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, the latest installment in the Indiana Jones film franchise, appears to be in full swing over the last few days, with various sites, sneak peeks and tie-ins popping up around the ‘Net. The film, which is scheduled for a May 22 release, stars Harrison Ford, Shia LaBeouf, Cate Blanchett, Ray Winstone, Karen Allen, John Hurt and Jim Broadbent.
Among the more notable items dug up recently:
New downloadable wallpaper, icons and other virtual dressing on the official film site at www.indianajones.com [WARNING: Video and sound launch automatically.]
A new website was launched for the Indiana Jones-themed Lego sets, featuring sticker sheets, wallpaper and other Lego goods [WARNING: More automatic video/music]
A new photo from the film, featuring Ford, LaBeouf and Winstone
Heck, it’s like having your own, virtual archeological site without all of the dirt, sun and endless hours of dusting! Okay, not really… but if you’re an Indiana Jones fan, you get the idea.
With its 41st anniversary just a week past, the saying “Star Trek Lives!” has never been more true.The franchise has spent the year retooling and gearing up for a major relaunch in late 2008.
The details, though, get murky as people mix rumor with fact.We here at ComicMix are happy to help divide wheat from chaff so we may all live long and prosper.
The eleventh feature film is entitled simply Star Trek and will be released on December 25, 2008. The story, early drafts of which have already leaked out, was written by the new hit team of Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci.Producing will be the Lost duo J.J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof with Abrams directing.Abrams’ frequent collaborator, Michael Giacchino, has already signed to write the score.
Now comes the tricky part – the casting.
As of today, only three parts are official: Spock to be played by the inimitable Leonard Nimoy and Heroes antagonist Zachary Quinto and Chekov, to be played by newcomer Anton Yelchin (pictured above).
That’s it.
Many actors have expressed an interest in a variety of roles.Such is Abrams’ relationship with his cast that many veterans have said they’d happily board the newly designed U.S.S. Enterprise if Abrams but asked.As a result, gossip mongers have already cast Tom Cruise as Captain Christopher Pike (James T. Kirk’s predecessor).Greg Grunberg, who has been in every Abrams production is expected to have a role, be it large or small, human or alien.Today’s media dump includes word that Jennifer Garner owes Abrams so much she would don Vulcan ears if he wanted.
Beyond that, for the last month, word has been circulating, reaching a deafening crescendo this week that Russell Crowe is Paramount Pictures’ choice for the bad guy (whoever or whatever that may be).Promoting 3:10 to Yuma, co-star Christian Bale told the press Crowe would be perfect for the film.Today’s New York Post continues to speculate Crowe is a signature away from beaming aboard the film.
Beyond that, the roles of Kirk, Leonard McCoy, Montgomery Scott, Hikaru Sulu and Uhura remain uncast.Sure, William Shatner has been publicly campaigning to return from the dead but as of now, nothing formal has been announced.
Production begins in November and will include two weeks shooting in Iceland. There will be eleven buildings on the Paramount lot dedicated to sets for the expansive, eighty-five day shoot.Along with the studios’ Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, these make for two of next year’s most eagerly awaited movies (let alone topping the must see sequel lists).
The ACLU has a new online comic to explain its mission: Defenders of Freedom. (I would have used a panel from one of their stories to illustrate this post but – irony of ironies – it’s left-click disabled, locked down tight by proprietary software. So, instead, you get the very first Google image for the search “defender of freedom,” because Andrew Wheeler is all about the random fun. It’s from this page, by the way.)
CBR also interviewsAction Philosophers! creator Fred Van Lente.
Wizardchats with Jim Shooter, once and future writer of the Legion of Super-Heroes.
Occasional Superheroine, at the Baltimore Comic-Con, found the crowd incredibly conservative and unwilling to look at any materials outside the usual Punchy McSuper-Dude “mainstream.”
Kevin Jones of Culture Magazine has an essay on Craig Thompson’s graphic novel Blankets.
Comix Talkinterviews Krishna Sadasivam, creator of the webcomic PC Weenies.
The marketing machine for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, the latest installment in the Indiana Jones film franchise, appears to be in full swing over the last few days, with various sites, sneak peeks and tie-ins popping up around the ‘Net. The film, which is scheduled for a May 22 release, stars Harrison Ford, Shia LaBeouf, Cate Blanchett, Ray Winstone, Karen Allen, John Hurt and Jim Broadbent.
With its 41st anniversary just a week past, the saying “Star Trek Lives!” has never been more true.
