Tagged: prequel

Watch “The Hobbit” Trailer

Watch “The Hobbit” Trailer

  • News
  • December 21, 2011
Martin Freeman

Martin Freeman (Image via RottenTomatoes.com)

Ten years and a day after The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring arrived in theaters (yes, it really has been a decade since the first film was released) the trailer was released for the prequel, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

The film will be out next December, and stars Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins, with Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Cate Blanchett, and Andy Serkis reprising their roles. Peter Jackson returns to direct.

Watch it, then discuss it below in the comments.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0k3kHtyoqc[/youtube]

 

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

When I first saw Planet of the Apes, I was struck by the bleak tone given it by director Franklin J. Schaffner, which seemed to fit the story of astronauts trapped on a world that ultimately proved to be Earth. I was stunned into silence, feeling morose and excited by the adventure right down to the slow reveal at the end.

Ever since, I have always felt the sequels and remakes totally missed the mark, none of them ever quire finding a vision to match the original. It’s probably one reason it has continued to endure long after most people put the Tim Burton remake out of their minds.

The sense of style and empty future evoked by the first film is also absent in the prequel, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, which came out on DVD this week. This film, directed by Rupert Wyatt, does a very good job in setting events in motion that ultimately will lead man and simian to virtually switch places atop the food chain. We have a pharmaceutical company exploring a therapy for Alzheimer’s patients that seems to show promising results in improving cognitive function. The brilliant scientist Will Rodman (James Franco) wants to test it on humans, but a convenient accident so angers the Board that they shut down the project. As a result, he secretly tests it on his father (John Lithgow), deep in the Alzheimer’s grip. No surprise here: it works.

The accident results in the first of the movie’s many story flaws. Apparently, they were testing the drug on a monkey that was pregnant but no one knew it. Sorry, you do drug tests after doing full medical histories to develop a baseline measure. But, she dies and only then is the infant found and surreptitiously brought home.

The serum in mom’s blood meant the baby chimp, named Caesar, inherited these vastly improved mental abilities. We then watch the chimp grow and demonstrate time and again how special and seemingly human he is. Along the way, Lithgow and Caesar come to love one another much as Franco falls for vet Frieda Pinto.  Unfortunately, we learn that Lithgow’s body had developed antibodies, combating the serum and letting the disease ravage his body anew. The problems develop when the arrogant neighbor next door attacks a befuddled Lithgow and Caesar comes to his rescue only to wind up taken away by the courts and is taken to a primate facility which reminded me a lot of Lord of the Flies. (more…)

Wold Newton series: Time’s Last Gift

  • News
  • November 23, 2011

Win Scott Eckert has shared the following information on Time’s Last Gift by Philip Jose Farmer.

For immediate release:

U.K publisher Titan Books has entered into an agreement with the Estate of Philip Jose Farmer to bring a large selection of Mr. Farmer’s backlist titles back into print.

Significantly, many of the books which are a part of the arrangement initially were published as standalone novels, but came to be considered part of Mr. Farmer’s ongoing Wold Newton Family cycle.

Now, for the very first time, these novels will be published and packaged as a formal part of a Wold Newton series.

Second in Titan’s lineup is Mr. Farmer’s Time’s Last Gift, a time travel novel featuring a well known Lord of the Jungle, whose initials, TLG, happen to match the abbreviation of the book’s title. First published in 1972, and revised in 1977, Time’s Last Gift is one of Mr. Farmer’s finest novels, and serves as a prequel to his series of books featuring the land of Khokarsa in Ancient Africa (Hadon of Ancient Opar, Flight to Opar, and the forthcoming The Song of Kwasin.)

Time’s Last Gift is currently scheduled for release in June 2012, and will be available at major outlets such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Editions will include trade paperback and digital (Kindle & Nook).

Stay tuned to this space, Mr. Farmer’s official website, and Facebook (Philip Jose Farmer | Win Scott Eckert) for information on other forthcoming titles.

X-Men First Class

When we first heard that the reboot of the X-Men film franchise was being set in the 1960s, there was a lot of head scratching going on. But once you stopped to consider the ages of the characters, a lot of it began to make sense. Of course, the first thing you need to do is totally forget about the source material. There are just too many elements that have been radically changed from the comics that it would just hurt your head. Instead, focus on the film as a prequel to a trilogy that more often than not has done a fabulous job adapting the merry mutants to the silver screen.

I’ve been a big fan of Matthew Vaughn’s work for a while now, so I was thrilled that he finally got a chance to try his hand at the X-Men. His work adapting other comics, Stardust and Kick-Ass, prove he has a good handle on what to keep, what to toss, and what to change. Here, he keeps the friendship between Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr at the core of the story. Thankfully, Vaughn cast Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy as the leads because both do superb jobs.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9Aq7TWRevI[/youtube]

(more…)

Peter David Writes John Carter Prequel

  • News
  • July 18, 2011

After years of seeming neglect, now everyone seems to be jumping on the John Carter bandwagon. No, not the Noah Wylie character from ER, but Edgar Rice Burroughs’ classic hero. A Civil War vet suddenly finds himself on a strange new world, with powers and abilities that make him far above your normal human. The Mars novels are great pulp fiction and have longed to be revived for a new generation and that time appears to be today.

Not only is Dynamic Forces producing comics material based on the novels, but now Marvel Comics is jumping onto the bandwagon with a series of authorized comics based on the parent comapny’s 2012 spring release, John Carter. Directed by Pixar’s Andrew Stanton, the trailer was released to universal acclaim.

Now comes word of the October arrival of John Carter: World of Mars, a prequel miniseries from Peter David with interior art by Luke Ross and covers by Esad Ribic.

According to a press release, John Carter: World of Mars #1 reveals the shocking events that transpire before the motion-picture story begins by showing fans just how John Carter, Princess Dejah Thoris and Tars Tarkas are set on the path that would bring them all together. Amidst this brutal thousand-year war, find out what decisions were made that let events escalate this far—and why.

“We’re thrilled to bring fans their first look at the world of John Carter before the blockbuster film wows audiences next year,” said Axel Alonso, Marvel Editor In Chief. “It’s been a pleasure working with Disney, Peter and Luke to craft a powerful story that will appeal to both the legions of John Carter fans and those who are new to this exciting world.”

Stanton adds, “I am really thrilled to be collaborating with Disney & Marvel on this project and look forward to audiences exploring the world of John Carter via this exciting comic offering. I have wanted to see this property on the big screen since I was a young boy and hope that John Carter: World of Mars will excite and inspire fans of the series much like I was inspired many years ago.”

The miniseries debuts in October with a trade collection expected in time for the March 9, 2012 feature film release.

‘Transformers: Beast Wars’ on DVD on June 7

Shout! Factory releases [[[Transformers: Beast Wars]]]– The Complete Series Collector’s Edition on DVD on June 7.  This 8-DVD box set is full of content including extras, retrospectives, art galleries, a special collectible 24-page comic book and more as people anticipate the forthcoming release of the third love-action Transformers feature film.  If you don’t remember the series, check out this handy trailer:

 

Shout! Factory has provided ComicMix with three sets of the DVDs and we want to give them away. Here’s what you need to do: tell us which is your favorite Transformer from this series and why. Give it a think and post your comments here no later than Friday, June 3 at 11:59 p.m. The judgment of ComicMix’s panel of judges will be final and the DVD prizes will be mailed sometime in June. And here’s the formal press release with all the details. (more…)

‘Spartacus’ Prequel Announced with Lucy Lawless and John Hannah

‘Spartacus’ Prequel Announced with Lucy Lawless and John Hannah

While we eagerly await next week’s upfront announcements to see which of our favorite genre shows survive or vanish, one series has figured out their next step. During production of Starz Network’s Spartacus: Blood and Sand, its title star Andy Whitfield was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. As he undergoes treatment in New Zealand, there remained question as to how long it would be before the second season could begin production.

The producers came up with a clever filler by striking a deal to produce a six-part prequel that would require no more than a cameo from Whitfield. Instead, the focus will be on the randy pair played by Lucy Lawless and John Hannah as the story chronicles the rise of the House of Batiatus in the days before Spartacus arrived as a captured Thracian slave.

The producers, writers, and production crew will continue with their roles while a new actor will be added to play the pre-Crixus champion. Production will start this spring with Starz scheduled to air the series beginning in January 2011.

(more…)

The Point Radio: ‘Caprica’ Where Will It Really Go?

The Point Radio: ‘Caprica’ Where Will It Really Go?

By now, just about everyone has had the chance to see the pilot to CAPRICA, the long awaited prequel to BATTLESTAR GALACTICA. Critics called it ‘dark’, but creator Ronald Moore and writer Jane Espenson talk about how the show will be evolving over the next few episodes. Plus week 6 at the top for AVATAR and David Tennant might need another new job.

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‘Eureka Seven’ Gains Anime Feature for Golden Week

‘Eureka Seven’ Gains Anime Feature for Golden Week

  • News
  • December 15, 2008

The Eureka Seven anime series will spawn a feature, Symphonic Poem Eureka Seven: Pocket Full of Rainbows, which will be broadcast in Japan during their Golden Week, holidays that occur between April and May.

The 50 episodes, known as Psalms of Planets Eureka Seven,  initially ran from April 17, 2005 through April 2, 2006 and spawned a manga series in addition to three video games.  Interestingly, two of the games served as prequel stories to the mecha series. The story has also been serialized over four prose novels.

Produced by Studio Bones, the story is about sky-surfing robot/mechas with a poignant romance and aired in America on Cartoon Network. Home video editions were released by Bandai Entertainment.

 

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