cyrus.mortazavi

and for vegetarians who just hate animals, try our “meatless murder” (field roast, but we also kill a cow elsewhere)

Comics mogul, Kentucky land baron, and Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman is keeping tight-lipped about his plans for the comic book version of The Walking Dead, according to an interview with Entertainment Weekly. Asked if he has a planned ending for the book, Kirkman responded in the affirmative:

Yeah, I know exactly how it ends, and I’m always taking baby steps toward that point as I’m telling the story. I know what the end point is, and at the end of the day, I want this entire long narrative to be a complete story with a beginning, middle, and end. We’re just spending a lot of time in the middle, so, I kind of have to know what that direction is, and I have to know what that end point is to be able to keep building towards it. I think that’s the only way to keep it alive.

However, though The Walking Dead is a massively successful show for AMC, and relied on by the network to save it from underperforming Q3 financials, Kirkman isn’t sharing anything about his plans for the book:

No, there’s no communication whatsoever. They have no approval over what happens in the comic. Scott Gimple is an avid reader of the comic, and prefers to experience the comic book as a reader, so he gets the advance issues as they’re published, but he doesn’t read scripts. He gets mad at me if I give him any kind of indication as to what’s coming, because he doesn’t like spoilers. So, they’re kind of a hundred percent in the dark, which I guess is pretty remarkable, and I would probably say it’s a testament to the trust that AMC has in me. I mean, I guess to a certain extent, at this point, the comic book is kind of a workshop of future seasons of the show, and it’s fun to think that I can just completely torpedo the story if I wanted to.

The attitude marks a sharp contrast from author George R. R. Martin, creator of the books behind HBO’s popular Game of Thrones show. Martin, who seems to spend his time these days doing just about anything other than completing the final two books in the series, has spilled all of his plans to the show’s creators, allowing them to overtake his story and finish it before he does. Kirkman will have no such thing.

Kirkman’s policy does shed some light on some of Walking Dead showrunner Scott Gimple’s decisions, however. It now makes more sense why Gimple would keep viewers in suspense for an entire off season while waiting to find out who Negan beat to death with his baseball bat. He’s passing along his frustration at being kept in the dark by making viewers feel the same way.

No Spoilers: Robert Kirkman Won’t Tell AMC How The Walking Dead Ends

StarWars.com is reporting that “Games of Thrones” and “Terminator Genisys” star Emilia Clarke has joined the cast of the upcoming “Han Solo” film.

RELATED: Han Solo Movie Will Feature a Young(er) Chewbacca

Clarke’s role in the film hasn’t been revealed, but the announcement confirms the presence of a younger Chewbacca, touting, “Clarke’s role will round out a dynamic cast of characters that Han and Chewie will encounter on their adventures.” Clarke joins a cast that includes “Hail, Caesar!’s” Alden Ehrenreich (Solo) and “Atlanta’s” Donald Glover (Lando Calrissian).

Directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller and written by Lawrence and Jon Kasdan, the “Han Solo” Star Wars anthology film hits theaters Summer 2018.

The post Han Solo Movie Adds Game of Thrones’ Emilia Clarke appeared first on CBR.com.

It seems that reports of the demise of film as a medium for making motion pictures have been much exaggerated, not only are more and more film directors, from Christopher Nolan to Quentin Tarantino, opting to use the format, a number of the big studios are now choosing film for their prestigious big-budget features.

RELATED: Mark Hamill Shaves, Teases Future “Star Wars” Involvement

Now, film manufacturer Kodak has partnered with film processor Cinelab to open new facilities to handle larger 65mm film in Slough in the UK. And according to a recent Kodak press release, “Episode IX” will be shot on 65mm.

Both “Episode VII” (A.K.A. “The Force Awakens”) and Episode VIII, which recent wrapped production, were shot on 35mm, but is seems “Episode IX” director Colin Trevorrow wants to work with a larger film format that saw its heyday in the late 50s and early 60s in films such as David Lean’s “Lawrence of Arabia.”

RELATED: “Star Wars: Episode IX” Director Colin Trevorrow Addresses Rey’s Parentage

According to Entertainment Weekly, who broke the story, Trevorrow is a vocal supporter for physical film, joking “I could never shoot Star Wars on anything but [film] because it’s a period film: It happened a long time ago.”

“Star Wars: Episode VIII” hits theaters December 15, 2017. “Star Wars: Episode IX” follows on May 23, 2019.

The post Star Wars: Episode IX To Be Filmed in 65mm appeared first on CBR.com.

It’s pretty clear at this point that many people didn’t enjoy the 4th season of “Arrow.” As it turns out, Stephen Amell not only feels the same way, but also thinks that if nothing changes going forward, we may not see much of “Arrow” again.

RELATED: Arrowverse Crossover Scene Description Details Supergirl’s Introduction

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly for their latest issue, Amell discussed some of the problems that he thought “Arrow” had experienced. Mainly, he attributed the decline of the show to its handling of tone. Amell says that in order to get back to its successful formula, they must go back to the roots of the show.

“There’s a lull in any relationship, where you have a come-to-Jesus moment, and that happened to me in Season 4,” Amell said. “We are a street-level crime-fighting show. We’re at our best when we’re focused on those things.”

While many fans wouldn’t love to hear it, Amell went on to deliver a dose of harsh reality for the show when he described the series as “at a crossroads” after the negatively-received Season 4. “We’re either going to do what we do and do it well, or it’s the last year,” he said. “If we find the magic formula — which is not magic, it’s just hard work and playing to your strengths — then the show could go on for a really long time.”

No matter what happens, Amell believes the 5th season is a true test for them. “I do really believe that this season is sort of a throw-down-the-gauntlet year for us, where we’re either going to do what we do and do it well or it’s the last year.”

RELATED: LOOK: First Arrowverse Crossover Pic Debuts Steel’s Costume

Obviously, there’s no insider word on whether or not the show should fear being cancelled, especially seeing as how the CW has gone to various lengths to establish its own superhero world. However, shows have been cancelled for stranger reasons, and when one of your main stars is petitioning for a change of pace, it might be wise to listen.

The post Arrow’s Amell Explains His Disappointment with S4 appeared first on CBR.com.

With Hugh Jackman retiring as Wolverine after 2017’s “Logan,” director problems plaguing “Deadpool 2” and “Gambit” and the leads of the most recent trilogy of “X-Men” films no longer under contract, Fox is faced with a dilemma when it comes to it’s 16-year old X-Men film franchise. Since its launch in 2000 with the Bryan Singer-directed “X-Men,” the nine films of the franchise have grossed over $4 billion. But this year’s “X-Men: Apocalypse’s” worldwide earnings ($544 million) were down from the previous installment “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” which earned $748 million. That drop hasn’t sat well with Fox, and the studio is reportedly looking to shake things up to keep their major franchise afloat.

As The Hollywood Reporter has learned from unnamed sources, talks are beginning to reboot the franchise, with mainstay X-producer Simon Kinberg overseeing the new launch and working on a new script. Four-time X-director Bryan Singer, the report says, is out. And while Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy and Nicholas Hoult have all reached the end of their three-picture contracts, Kinberg is writing the script with the three of them in mind.

Fox is also eyeing to make a franchise out of the surprise hit “Deadpool.” They’re already planning a “Deadpool 3,” a film that unnamed sources say will introduce Cable’s team X-Force. It’s already known that Cable and Domino, two X-Force mainstays, will debut in “Deadpool 2.” It’s not known what that means for the “X-Force” film that’s been in development for the past few years. Following departure of director Tim Miller from “Deadpool 2” over creative differences, “John Wick” director David Leitch is in negotiations to take over the film.

Channing Tatum’s “Gambit,” which would see the star play the X-Men’s Ragin’ Cajun, failed to start production this year as was planned due to the departure of director Doug Liman. But that film should get back into active development soon, as soon as a new director is found.

And there’s another X-Men team film coming up — Josh Boone’s “New Mutants.” According to THR, the film will have “some overlap with the flagship ‘X-Men'” films and may even go into production in spring 2017.

There are still some good signs for Fox’s X-franchise. While Hugh Jackman may be retiring as Wolverine following 2017’s James Mangold-directed “Logan,” that film seems to be off to a strong start. THR notes that insiders say “Logan’s” trailer was the most watched in the history of the franchise.

The next feature film in Fox’s X-Men franchise is “Logan,” which arrives in theaters on March 3, 2017.

The post Fox Eyeing X-Men Reboot As Bryan Singer Departs appeared first on CBR.com.

SPOILER WARNING: This article contains spoilers for “Doctor Strange,” in theaters now.

In addition to character cameos and shout outs to the events of other movies, there’s one major thing uniting all the disparate Marvel Studios films: the Infinity Stones. The six all-powerful stones (originally known as gems in the Marvel comics) have popped up in nine of the franchise’s fourteen films, movies ranging in scope and tone from the World War II period piece “Captain America: The First Avenger” to the outer space adventure film “Guardians of the Galaxy.” These stones — remnants of six singularities that existed before the Big Bang molded into stone form — are everywhere, and theorizing about their whereabouts has become a favorite pastime of Marvel Cinematic Universe fans.

RELATED: REVIEW: Doctor Strange Fails To Live Up To MCU Standards

With the release of “Doctor Strange,” the fifth Infinity Stone has been identified, leaving just one more out there somewhere in the multiverse just waiting to be found. And that stone will be found; Thanos, the big cosmic-level bad that’s been lurking in the shadows ever since 2012’s “Avengers,” is on the hunt for all six so he can achieve ultimate power. Considering that the next Avengers film is subtitled “Infinity War,” odds are we’re going to see the last stone before then. But what about the five other stones? When did we see them, and where are they now? Here’s an update on the Infinity hunt.

Space Stone

• Color: Blue
• Seen In: “Thor” (2011), “Captain America: The First Avenger” (2011), “Marvel’s The Avengers” (2012)

The very first Infinity Stone audiences saw was encased in the Tesseract cube, which was glimpsed in the post-credits scene of 2011’s “Thor.” The cube was then seen in flashback in “Captain America: The First Avenger,” where it was used by the Red Skull to power Nazi and Hydra weaponry with blue energy blasts that seemingly disintegrated their targets. It’s more likely, however, that the victims were sucked into a different dimension, as it was revealed that the Tesseract was in fact the Space Stone. That stone was then used in 2012’s “The Avengers” to open up a wormhole over New York City. After defeating Loki and the Tesseract, the Avengers handed the item (including the Space Stone) over to Thor for safekeeping in Asgard. The Space Stone is currently in Asgard.

Mind Stone

• Color: Yellow
• Seen In: “Marvel’s The Avengers” (2012), “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” (2014), “Avengers: Age of Ultron” (2015), “Captain America: Civil War” (2016)

Appearing in the most movies of any stone, the Mind Stone has had an interesting journey so far. The Mind Stone was previously the one stone in Thanos’ possession; the Mad Titan gave the stone, embedded in a scepter, to Loki for the God of Lies to use in his conquest of Earth. Loki used the scepter and Mind Stone to brainwash people to do his bidding, including Hawkeye and Dr. Erik Selvig. When the Avengers defeated Loki, the scepter ended up at S.H.I.E.L.D. — which in turn ended up in the hands of Hydra, the evil organization that had infiltrated and corrupted S.H.I.E.L.D. The post-credits scene of “Winter Soldier” shows that Baron Wolfgang von Strucker was using the scepter and stone to experiment on humans; two of his test subjects, Pietro Maximoff and Wanda Maximoff, received super powers as a result of these experiments. The scepter was recovered by the Avengers during their raid on von Strucker’s base, and it made its way back to Stark Tower. The Mind Stone then ended up being placed on the synthetic being Vision’s forehead, thus giving him a mind of his own. The Mind Stone is currently on the Vision’s forehead, residing in the Avengers’ compound.

Reality Stone

• Color: Red
• Seen In: “Thor: The Dark World” (2013)

Referred to as a weapon called the Aether, the world-warping Reality Stone was originally a weapon used thousands of years ago in the realm of Svartalfheim, but the Asgardian Bor (grandfather of Thor) stopped its usage and hid it away in a faraway realm. The Dark Elf Malekith found the Aether in the present day and tried to use it to destroy all Nine Realms (including Earth and Asgard) during a cosmic event called a Convergence. Thor prevented Malekith from accomplishing his goal. Thor recovered the Aether and, wishing to keep it away from the Tesseract in their possession, sent the powerful weapon deep into outer space where it would join the collection of the aptly named Collector. Later, the Collector’s outpost would be partially destroyed by a burst of energy from the Power Stone. Despite that, it’s still assumed that the Reality Stone is still in the Collector’s possession within the floating Knowhere outpost deep in space.

Power Stone

• Color: Purple
• Seen In: “Guardians of the Galaxy” (2014)

The Power Stone was the object that a number of scoundrels and despots sought in “Guardians of the Galaxy.” Initially, the stone was hidden in a temple on the abandoned planet of Morag, which is where Peter Quill — a.k.a. Star-Lord — found it. He ran afoul of Ronan the Accuser’s Kree warriors; they also sought the orb containing the Power Stone, as it would eventually go Ronan’s boss Thanos. Star-Lord made off with the orb as he and a ragtag group of criminals made their way to the Collector on Knowhere. There, they saw the Power Stone within the orb and experienced its power as it exploded, nearly destroying the Collector’s entire base. After witnessing the stone’s power, Quill and his team fought to keep it out of the hands of Ronan. This culminated in a final showdown wherein the newly named Guardians of the Galaxy united to contain the stone’s energy and utterly destroyed Ronan. They then turned over the orb containing the Power Stone to the Nova Corps, an intergalactic peacekeeping agency. The Power Stone is located in a highly protected safe on the Nova Corps homeworld of Xandar.

Time Stone

• Color: Green
• Seen In: “Doctor Strange” (2016)

And this right here is the latest addition to the collection. In “Doctor Strange,” injured surgeon Stephen Strange seeks mystical help to heal his broken hands in the hopes of getting his old career back. Instead, he takes to the mystic arts and during his studies, comes across an ancient artifact known as the Eye of Agamotto. Strange discovers that the artifact, when opened, allows him to manipulate time, dialing it forward and backwards as if by remote control. Wong, the resident librarian within the Ancient One’s Kamar-Taj training facility, casually mentions that the Eye of Agamotto contains an Infinity Stone and should not be messed with. Later in the film, Strange uses the Eye of Agamotto and the Time Stone in a one-on-one confrontation with the Dread Dormammu of the Dark Dimension. He traps the extra-dimensional entity in a time loop, exposing the timeless Dormammu to the oppressive trappings of time. Dormammu relents and leaves Earth alone. At the end of the film, Doctor Strange returns the Eye of Agamotto to it’s resting place on a pedestal within the Ancient One’s compound, as he has not yet learned how to completely master it. The Time Stone is currently in Kamar-Taj, just a portal trip away from Doctor Strange’s Sanctum Sanctorum in New York City.

Soul Stone

• Color: Orange

And that just leaves one more stone — the Soul Stone. It’s location remains unknown, but Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has been upfront about saying that we will most likely see it during Marvel’s Phase Three slate of films.

“You will see the other two sometime in Phase Three, for sure,” said Feige back in September 2015. “There’s a gauntlet that needs to be filled.”

That hint has partly come to pass now that we know the Time Stone is in “Doctor Strange.” The list of films it could appear in has also gotten shorter, as there are only a handful of Phase Three movies left before “Avengers: Infinity War” arrives in May 2018. Next up is “Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2,” which — as a cosmic Marvel movie — could introduce the Soul Stone as easily as the first “Guardians” did the Power Stone. Could the Soul Stone be what’s powering Star-Lord’s father, Ego? That character is also known as “the living planet” in the comics, so maybe this Ego needs a little bit of soul to come to life?

“Spider-Man: Homecoming” arrives in July 2017, and it’s highly unlikely that the Soul Stone will pop up there. That film is set in a high school in Queens and features Peter Parker going up against the Vulture. It would be a bit odd to squeeze the Soul Stone in such a grounded film. November 2017’s “Thor: Ragnarok” is a much more likely candidate, as that film will not only take place in the Norse realms but also across potentially multiple planets. Considering how many unearthly locations the film will contain, it’d make sense for the Soul Stone to pop up somewhere.

Then there are the 2018 Marvel movies. February of the year will see “Black Panther” hit theaters, and it’s possible the Soul Stone is within Wakanda. After all, where better to place an all-powerful stone than within Wakanda’s well-guarded borders? Lastly, there’s always the chance it’ll pop up in “Avengers: Infinity War,” with Thanos’ quest to catch’em all — including the Soul Stone — taking him on a tour of the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Whether the final stone is revealed in “Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2” or “Avengers: Infinity War,” we still probably have to wait until 2018 to see Thanos finally put that empty Infinity Gauntlet to use.

The post Infinity Hunt: Tracking Down Marvel Studios’ Infinity Stones appeared first on CBR.com.

“Arrow” has added a major character to its already stacked season five roster: Talia al Ghul. The classic character, a long-running member of Batman’s supporting cast and rogue’s gallery, will be played by Lexa Doig (“Continuum,” “Stargate SG-1,” “The 4400”) and is slated to make a big impact this season. Talia will appear in multiple episodes of season five. Doig will debut as Talia in the tenth episode of season five, an episode titled “Who Are You?” that will most likely air in December or January.

Talia is the latest member of the al Ghul family to appear on the CW show; her half-sister Nyssa al Ghul (Katrina Law) played a major part in “Arrow” seasons two through four, and their father Ra’s al Ghul (Matt Nable) was a major villain in season three of the show. The upcoming “Arrow” episode will mark Talia’s big debut in the CW’s Arrowverse of shows; she was previously seen as a child in an episode of the time-hopping “Legends of Tomorrow” that was set years in the past. The description provided by the CW calls Talia “an elite warrior who doesn’t pick sides but rather creates her own.”

The better-known daughter of Ra’s al Ghul, Talia al Ghul debuted in “Detective Comics” #411 in 1971. She initially served as a love interest for Batman, with most of her villainous acts coming at the request of her father Ra’s al Ghul. She’s been trained by the League of Assassins and is a deadly hand-to-hand combatant and is also skilled in the use of numerous weapons. She also has a child with Batman in the comics, Damian Wayne, who has taken on the mantle of Robin. More recently, Talia has become an adversary of Batman in her own right. She helped maneuver against Batman in the 2012 feature film “The Dark Knight Rises,” where she was played by Marion Cotillard. Morena Baccarin currently voices Tala al Ghul in DC’s line of animated features, where she was the primary antagonist of “Batman: Bad Blood.”

Lexa Doig joins the cast after a lengthy stint on the television series “Continuum.” She’s also appeared in a DC project before, playing Dr. Christina Lamell in a 2011 episode of “Smallville.” Prior to that she had roles on “Andromeda,” “The 4400” and “Stargate SG-1.”

Starring Stephen Amell as the Emerald Archer, “Arrow” airs Wednesdays at 8 pm ET/PT on The CW. The series also stars Emily Bett Rickards, David Ramsey, John Barrowman, Willa Holland and more.

The post Arrow Adds Talia al Ghul In Recurring Role appeared first on CBR.com.

If you’re a massive “Star Wars” fan, then you’ve seen your fair share of fan films. Odds are, though, that you’ve never seen a fan film quite like “Hoshino.” This new installment in the larger universe of “Star Wars” fan films is gorgeously shot and dives into an area of Jedi training that we’ve seldom seen addressed in the films: building a lightsaber

The seven-minute short details a blinded Jedi named Hoshino constructing her lightsaber, while also flashing back to her days as a headstrong and impatient apprentice. While the present day scenes show a character constructing a lightsaber, kyber crystal and all, the flashback sequences feel right in tone with the established canon and even use a familiar training tool.

The short comes from director Stephen Vitale and was written by Eric Carrasco. And if Carrasco’s name sounds familiar, that’s because he’s a writer on the CW’s “Supergirl”; you’ll see his work in the upcoming “Supergirl Lives” episode, which was directed by Kevin Smith. For more info on the making of “Hoshino,” you can check out this behind the scenes video.

(via io9)

The post Awe-Inspiring Star Wars Fan Film Details Blind Jedi’s Journey appeared first on CBR.com.

Comic Book Questions Answered – where I answer whatever questions you folks might have about comic books (feel free to e-mail questions to me at brianc@cbr.com).

Reader Larry C. wrote in to ask if there was any functional purpose to the underarm webbing that Spider-Man wore on his original Steve Ditko-designed costume?

Spider-Man debuted in “Amazing Fantasy” #15 with a costume designed by Steve Ditko (the cover here, though, is by Jack Kirby)…

In the issue, we actually see Spider-Man design his costume. You see, he decided to become a professional wrestler and determined that he needed a nice costume for the gig…

That’s all Spider-Man’s original costume was meant to be, a wrestling costume. Thus, it appears clear that the underarm webbing is meant as just decorative.

This is made clearer in the first “Amazing Spider-Man Annual”, where there is a back-up giving a lot of details about Spider-Man’s costume and his gadgets…

Note that there is no mention of the underarm webbing, since there was nothing to say about it but that it was, well, undearm webbing.

In that same back-up, we also saw different uses for Spider-Man’s webs…

You’ll note that one of them is a parachute. So obviously Ditko did not think that Spider-Man could use the undearm webbing to glide or as a parachute.

Once you add in that no one has ever tried to explain it any other way post-Ditko, and I guess I’m going with a general no to the question, Larry!

Recently, by the way, Alex Ross re-designed Spider-Man’s costume for the current “Spider-Man” series and he brought the underarm webbing back (it had been appearing on and off for decades since Ditko left, basically whenever any given artist felt like drawing it). Here is Jimmy Cheung drawing it in the recent “Clone Conspiracy” #1…

Thanks for the question, Larry! If anyone else has a question they’d like to see answered, just drop me a line at brianc@cbr.com!

The post What Purpose Did Spider-Man’s Underarm Webbing Serve? appeared first on CBR.com.

No sooner had Lucasfilm announced Donald Glover as the new Lando Calrissian than an entirely logical rumor surfaced about the plot of the Han Solo “Star Wars” spinoff.

Borys Kit of The Hollywood Reporter reveals he’s been told by two sources that the still-untitled 2018 film will tell how that card player, gambler and scoundrel Lando lost the Millennium Falcon to a young Han, played by Alden Ehrenreich.

RELATED: Alden Ehrenreich Cast as Young Han Solo in “Star Wars” Spinoff

It’s an obvious storyline, perhaps, given the film’s focus on Han’s early years. It’s also sure to please longtime fans of the franchise, who were first teased with the Millennium Falcon’s backstory in 1980’s “The Empire Strikes Back.” We learned then that Lando was the ship’s previous owner, but he lost the ship “fair and square” to Han (“Star Wars: The Force Awakens: The Visual Dictionary” confirms it was in a game of “Corellian Spike” sabacc).

That said, it’s also a tale that the film pretty much has to tell: If we’re given a young Han and a young Lando, but we don’t see how the Millennium Falcon changed hands, the “Star Wars” faithful would be terribly disappointed.

There’s no way at this point to know whether the rumor is true, of course, but it is obvious. It would almost certainly also be a relatively small part of the larger plot.

Directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the Han Solo film arrives May 25, 2018.

The post Rumor: Han Solo Movie Will Tell How Lando Lost Millennium Falcon appeared first on CBR.com.

It turns out director Ava DuVernay gave J.J. Abrams some advice that reshaped a pivotal scene in “The Force Awakens.”

RELATED: Star Wars: The Force Awakens Deleted Scene Features an Angry Chewbacca

In a commentary track from the special 3D collector’s edition Blu-ray that will be released next month month, “The Force Awakens” director reveals that he often shares early versions of his films with his friend DuVernay, director of “Selma” and the upcoming “A Wrinkle In Time.” After viewing a pivotal fight scene, she made a suggestion that led Abrams to reshoot the fight in a way that ultimately helped shape the character Rey, played by Daisy Ridley.

RELATED: Abrams Reveals Kylo Ren’s Motives During Pivotal Force Awakens Scene

The scene in question takes place during the climactic lightsaber battle between Rey and Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren in the snowy forest. As the ground splits apart, Ren corners Rey until she’s teetering over the rift. In the original shoot, she calls him a monster before lunging forward and attacking him with her lightsaber. But, as Abrams explains, DuVernay thought Rey needed a moment to reflect on all she had learned before this moment. So, instead of saying anything to Kylo, she closes her eyes and recalls everything Maz Kanata told her and accepts the Force before returning to the present moment to take down Ren.

Abrams also mentions that during the reshoot he added a wholly new battle technique to Rey’s repertoire of fight skills. Though the change is small, he says it effectively shows Rey’s intensity.

RELATED: ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Accident ‘Could Have Killed’ Harrison Ford

The 3D collector’s edition of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” on Blu-ray will be available internationally on October 31 and in the United States on November 15. The next “Star Wars” film, “Rogue One,” arrives in theaters on December 16.

The post Star Wars: The Force Awakens Got Help From Ava DuVernay for a Pivotal Scene appeared first on CBR.com.

Earlier this year, Mel Gibson revealed that he was asked to play Odin in the Marvel movie Thor.

Ever been approached to be in a superhero film?

Yeah, long time ago, to play Thor’s dad. But I didn’t do it.

Robert Downey Jr said he’d do Iron Man 4 if Mel Gibson was allowed to direct it.

DEADLINE: , I didn’t see a better movie and he was ignored and hasn’t directed since. Marvel badly wants Iron Man 4 and you’ve said you aren’t doing it. How about the idea you’ll do that movie if Mel directs it?
DOWNEY: Correct.

DEADLINE: Is that our headline?
DOWNEY: Why not? That movie would be bananas.

Well, it’s looking even less likely. Talking to the Washington Post, Marvel’s superhero movies were mentioned by Gibson.

Gibson laments what he sees as the “violence without conscience” of many modern films. “To talk about the violence question, look at any Marvel movie,” he says, dismissively. “They’re more violent than anything that I’ve done, but [in my movies,] you give a s— about the characters, which makes it matter more. That’s all I’ll say.”

That’s probably enough.

Mel Gibson Says Marvel Movies Are More Violent Than Anything He’s Done

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World – The Game was delisted from the Playstation Network and X-Box Live at the end of 2014, after a successful three and a half year run. Delisting, in which downloadable games are removed from digital stores and no longer available to purchase, affects many licensed games, much to the dismay of fans. As a testament to the greatness of the pixel art beat ’em up, fans are still trying to get their hands on it today. Rumor has it download codes, which don’t expire and will still lead gamers to the holy grail, can still be purchased at stores like Gamestop, but Scott Pilgrim creator Bryan Lee O’Malley would love to see it rereleased, and he took to Twitter to make a case for it.

i don't make money from Scott Pilgrim video game sales. i just want it rereleased because it's fun and to stop getting tweets like this https://t.co/RznqnIkYwC

— Bryan Lee O'Malley (@radiomaru) November 3, 2016

i love my fans and i still don't understand how business works lol

— Bryan Lee O'Malley (@radiomaru) November 3, 2016

Scott Pilgrim: The Game is considered a movie tie-in. The movie didn't make any money, ergo the game can't make any money. ask an accountant

— Bryan Lee O'Malley (@radiomaru) November 3, 2016

it all seems very easy from your perspective, and my perspective, but then i tilt my head slightly and see 5000 lawyers and accountants

— Bryan Lee O'Malley (@radiomaru) November 3, 2016

I'm a grownup, I realize money is important, but my goal has always been to make good work and bring happiness to people's lives ~_~

— Bryan Lee O'Malley (@radiomaru) November 3, 2016

Scott Pilgrim has a firm place in the cultural landscape, but economic realities make it hard to produce Scott Pilgrim stuff for you

— Bryan Lee O'Malley (@radiomaru) November 3, 2016

I honestly don't really understand any of it, and instead of trying to understand it I'd rather hide in my room drawing and making stuff up

— Bryan Lee O'Malley (@radiomaru) November 3, 2016

Well, as long as he puts that stuff out so we can all buy it, I don’t see any problem with that.

So how about it, Ubisoft? Don’t you believe in bringing happiness to people’s lives?

Scott Pilgrim Creator Vents On Video Game’s Delisting From PSN, X-Box Live 2 Years Ago

Kylo Ren has some grandfather issues, as we saw in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. He seems pretty hellbent on procuring parts of Darth Vader to get closer to his idol, which is a little… weird.

It seems this obsession may carry on into Episode VIII too. Making Star Wars are reporting on some of Kylo’s outfit choices in the next film, and they seem rooted in the past. They say his ‘under-robe’ is much like Luke’s black outfit in Return of the Jedi, but the topper is that Ren will will also have Darth Vader’s cape too, minus the chain clasp. The outlet does say they are not sure if this is a replica or if he got his hand on the real deal, much like he did Darth Vader’s helmet in The Force Awakens, so there is some mystery there.

None of this is confirmed of course, but this would all make sense. The lad has suffered somewhat of a loss at the end of the first film, so I can imagine he will be doubling down on his persona in a big way. Going full Darth Vader makes sense to me.

Report Says Kylo Ren’s Outfit In Episode VIII Will Tie To His Darth Vader Obession

There hasn’t been a lot of movement on The Gril With The Dragon Tattoo sequel or the Millenium series at all since the first film came out. David Fincher, Roony Mara and Daniel Craig all went on to other pastures, leaving the series up in the air.

Well, it seem like the franchise has some life in it yet. Variety are reporting that a sequel is on the cards and Sony with Fincher out, they want to secure Don’t Breathe director Fede Álvarez. What’s strange though, is that the next film wouldn’t be based on the second book in the series The Girl Who Played With Fire, but rather the recently released fourth, The Girl in the Spider’s Web. That one was written by David Lagercrantz and released last year.

It’s not said whether Mara or Craig are tipped to come back, but one would assume that has to be the plan. I’d be interested in seeing another film starring those two, even if this is a strange way to see a sequel go.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo Sequel May Be On As Sony Chase Don’t Breathe Director

Ghost in the Shell is almost certainly going to be a controversial movie for fans. Anime lovers are pretty precious over their favorite material, so I know for many, an Americanisation of the source brought into the real world is enough to get them a little wary.

Regardless, it is going ahead, and there are a lot of stories in the universe to pull from. Speaking to Collider, producer Avi Arad spoke quite specifically about which elements will be making their way into the film. He said:

We’re not doing Puppetmaster. It’s not Laughing Man. It involves Kuze. The Kuze story. The big thing we are doing here is that we’re not necessarily doing an origins backstory, but we are addressing her sense of self and resolving how she defines herself in terms of memories. That’s one of the main thrusts in the story. Inspired by that episode of Affection in Second Gig. It’s bits and pieces of those mixed together.

Expanding on that idea, of what is and isn’t in the film, he talked about the villains, saying he said:

There are outside villains but they are never the most interesting parts of a movie, especially your first movie. I find that part of the reason we didn’t do Puppetmaster in this movie was we didn’t really feel like we had time to tell that story, and in your first movie the way the characters feel about themselves and the relationship with those people that they care about is usually more than enough story for a movie to handle. So there are villains and they do drive a lot of the story, but they are really there to antagonize her spiritually.

I’ll say I’m ‘curious’ to see what is made of this film. I don’t doubt the people making this are fans and/or have done all their research. I’m sure a great live-action adaption is possible. It just remains to be seen if this film will be that.

Ghost In The Shell Producer Talks About Which Stories The Film Is Adapting

The new season of Sherlock has gotten a release date… 1 / 1 / 2017. So new years day we get the return of Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Dr. John Watson (Martin Freeman)… at least on BBC One. But word is that PBS will also have it on the same day here in the U.S.

Sherlock will return in The Six Thatchers on January 1, 2017. #Sherlock pic.twitter.com/9QT9vhPGLe

— BBC One (@BBCOne) October 26, 2016

Sherlock Gets A Release Date

With Season 7, HBO are promising to really get things going in Game of Thrones. Especially considering the end of the last season, we are certainly in store for more character meet ups.

According to Watchers on the Wall, their sources are telling them that Daenerys is sizing up to meet with both Brienne of Tarth and Ser Davos. It’s said they will meet at Dragonpit, the place where the Targaryen stored their dragons.

That makes sense.

This is a nice group, and I see all of them mixing well. There will be some tensions for sure, what with Brienne’s loyalties to the Starks and Davos and Tyrion having faced off at Blackwater. I like the friction there.

Daenerys Might Be Meeting These Two Fan Favorite Characters In Game Of Thrones Season 7

It was the lightsaber ignition heard round the world. Millions of fans cried out at once, as the dark Jedi known as Kylo Ren struck down his father Han Solo. The moment, which comes towards the climax of last year’s mega blockbuster “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” is devastating to watch. But if you need a bit of distraction from the intense father/son confrontation, then a new bit of commentary from director J.J. Abrams might just do the trick.

Released via USA Today, the commentary track reveals Ben Solo’s inner thoughts before that fateful moment.

“The truth is, I think Kylo Ren in this moment is actually being convinced to walk away from this. Snoke is, as Han says, using him, and I think somewhere Ben knows this,” said Abrams in the commentary. “But I think he can’t accept it. Deep down, he’s gone too far.” You can watch the clip with commentary below.

But even as intense as the scene is, Abrams still has time for just a little bit of levity. “Obviously any time two characters in Star Wars go out on an incredibly thin bridge 10 miles above the ground with no railings, it’s not going to end well with one of them,” he jokes. That’s of course a reference to the confrontation between another iconic father and son pair, Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker, from “The Empire Strikes Back.” Of course that altercation only ended with the loss of a hand, not the loss of a life.

And we’re still a ways away from knowing what the next move is for Ben “Kylo Ren” Solo, especially now that he’s killed his own father and doubled his dedication to Supreme Leader Snoke. This year’s Star Wars flim, “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” takes place a good 35 or so years before “Force Awakens” and serves as a lead-in to the very first Star Wars movie. The follow-up to “Force Awakens,” the still-untitled “Star Wars: Episode VIII,” will arrive in theaters on December 15, 2017.

The 3D collector’s edition of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” arrives in stores internationally on October 31, and will be available in the United States on November 15.

The post Abrams Reveals Kylo Ren’s Motives During Pivotal Force Awakens Scene appeared first on CBR.com.

Although viewers may not have an answer to all the mysteries of “Stranger Things,” two new additions offer a glimpse into the future of Netflix’s summer hit.

RELATED: “Stranger Things” Promises New Characters, Return to Upside Down

“Power Rangers” star Dacre Montgomery and “American Odyssey” actress Sadie Sink have joined the second season of the sci-fi horror drama in the previously revealed series-regular roles of Billy and Max. In addition, returning actors John Kerry (Steve Harrington) and Noah Schapp (Will Byers) have been promoted from recurring to series regulars.

Sadie Sink

Sink will play Max, who described as a tough, suspicious and confident girl whose appearance, behavior and pursuits seem more typical of boys in this era. Montgomery is cast as Billy, Max’s hyper-confident and edgy older stepbrother, who drives a black Camaro, steals girlfriends away from other boys and is great at drinking games. However, lurking beneath his sheen of charisma is a violent and unpredictable nature.

There’s no word yet on the third new character to be introduced in Season Two: Roman, an adult with a disturbed upbringing who now seeks to avenge a loss suffered early in life.

Written and directed brothers Ross and Matt Duffer, “Stranger Things” will return for a nine-episode second season in 2017, with Mike, Dustin, Lucas and Will in tow (the jury’s still out on Eleven). Barb, however, is another story.

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To date, Marvel’s Netflix series haven’t been shy about exploring themes of social injustice. Where “Daredevil” Season 1 tackled gentrification, “Jessica Jones” covered abuse and “Luke Cage” examined street-level violence and racism. But what pressing issue will “Iron Fist” take on? According to Head of Marvel Television Jeph Loeb, Danny Rand will expose the way the One Perfect affects our world.

“It has to do with a number of things, but — if we had to boil it down — [‘Iron Fist’] is a very hard look at the One Percent,” Loeb told reporters at New York Comic Con, adding, “Or — in this particular case — the One Percent of the One Percent and how that affects our world on a day-to-day basis.”

“We’ve been saying from the very beginning that New York City is the fifth Defender. We’ve seen Hell’s Kitchen, we’ve seen Harlem, but we really haven’t seen the high-end world, the financial world of New York, which is such a big part of it,” he continued. “As Stevie Wonder once said, ‘Skyscrapers and everything.’ That kind of billionaire existence, high-level corporation, Big Pharma, things like that — we get a chance to sort of put our little Marvel mark on and see what happens.”

RELATED: Carrie-Anne Moss’ Jeri Hogarth Will Be ‘Very Involved’ in Iron Fist

Executive producer Scott Buck also addressed how they took a grounded approach to their mystical protagonist, saying, “I mean, it was certainly one of the challenges of the show, but we approached it all through character. What would it be like to be Danny Rand in that situation? People don’t even believe you’re Danny Rand to begin with. How much of that side of yourself do you show the world without making yourself seem even crazier, potentially? It is absolutely something we do try to touch on.”

“As with all of our Netflix shows, it’s obviously very real, it’s very grounded,” Loeb explained. “What we were really interested in from the very beginning was exploring, ‘Who is Danny Rand?’ This is character who’s a little younger than some of the other heroes that we’ve seen so far. We open with a very simple premise, which is, at the age of ten, Danny vanished off the face of the earth, so the world believes that the son of a billionaire is gone. So, when he reappears at the beginning of the show and he’s twenty-five years old and he announces ‘I’m here,’ has no proof, has no identity, has no DNA.”

“One of the things that’s fantastic about the show is it’s very much a mystery. It’s very much about how do you go about proving who you are when there’s no way to do that, and that’s not just the story, that’s also the theme of it, which is ‘How do you go about proving who you are when no one knows, including yourself, what’s happened to you?'” he concluded.

Starring Finn Jones as Danny Rand, “Iron Fist” arrives March 17, 2017 on Netflix. The series also stars “Star Wars: The Force Awakens'” Jessica Henwick as Colleen Wing, Carrie-Anne Moss as Jeri Hogarth, David Wenham as Harold Meachum, Jessica Stroup as Joy Meachum, Tom Pelphrey as Ward Meachum and more.

The post Loeb Describes Iron Fist as ‘a Very Hard Look at the One Percent’ appeared first on CBR.com.

Following her appearances in “Jessica Jones” and “Daredevil” Season 2, Carrie-Anne Moss will bring cutthroat attorney Jeri Hogarth to “Marvel’s Iron Fist.” Unlike her recent “Daredevil” appearance, however, she’ll play a significant part in Danny Rand’s return to New York City.

“She has an extremely important role in Danny’s life,” executive producer Scott Buck confirmed at New York Comic Con. “I can’t really reveal anything about it, unfortunately, but she’s very involved in our story and Danny’s journey.”

“I think one of the things that’s a lot of fun is, you know, you’ve already met Carrie-Anne Moss’ character,” added Head of Marvel Television Jeph Loeb. “Danny has very much a hopeful optimism about him, and Carrie-Anne obviously lives in a different kind of world, and so being able to see those two worlds collide is just the beginning of the many obstacles that he goes through.”

RELATED: Jones Calls Iron Fist a Character with ‘Huge, Massive Contradictions’

“It’s one of the things that’s really great about what Scott [Buck] and the extraordinary writing team created,” he continued. “It really does build through a series of sort of metaphorical fights, which is very important in a martial arts film, to sort of show how the character needs to grow from the innocent, wide-eyed person to someone who has to come to terms with ‘this is the way the outside world works — how am I going to make it work for me?’ It’s a journey of self, which is something that we haven’t really had a chance to do.”

It’s worth noting that, in the comics, Jeryn Hogarth was not only a lawyer for Rand-Meachum Inc., but also a friend of Danny’s father Wendell. Following the Rands’ death, he became the executor of their estate until Danny’s return. He would go on to become an attorney for the Heroes for Hire, a group that includes Luke Cage, Misty Knight and Colleen Wing. Neither Buck nor Loeb confirmed whether or not Moss’ Jeri Hogarth will play a similar role in the show, but a clip from the “Iron Fist” panel revealed that Danny turns to her for help after Joy and Ward Meachum reject him.

Starring Finn Jones as Danny Rand, “Iron Fist” arrives March 17, 2017 on Netflix. The series also stars “Star Wars: The Force Awakens'” Jessica Henwick as Colleen Wing, Carrie-Anne Moss as Jeri Hogarth, David Wenham as Harold Meachum, Jessica Stroup as Joy Meachum, Tom Pelphrey as Ward Meachum and more.

The post Carrie-Anne Moss’ Jeri Hogarth Will Be ‘Very Involved’ in Iron Fist appeared first on CBR.com.

It’s official. The King Kong and Godzilla cinematic universe is upon us.

A promotional poster for “Kong: Skull Island” handed out at New York Comic Con hints at a tie between the upcoming film and Gareth Edward’s 2014 “Godzilla” reboot. The poster is a map of Skull Island, home of the impossibly large ape King Kong, that reads “bring the truth to light,” and, boy, does it mean it.

According to some experimentation done by Coming Soon, when exposed to a black light the poster changes completely, showing that Skull Island actually rests on the bones of a massive, ancient monster. A Monarch insignia is also revealed at the top-left of the poster, Monarch being the project which, in “Godzilla,” initially unearthed the bones of a massive creature in the Philippines.

RELATED: King of Kong: Every “King Kong” Movie Ranked From Worst to Best

A newly revealed inscription can also be found on the Skull Island poster, which seems to describe Godzilla rather than King Kong: “His mouth is fire; his roar the floodwater; his breath is death. Enlil made him guardian of the Cedar Forest, to frighten off the mortal who would venture there. But who would venture there?”

The King Kong and Godzilla connections are not unprecedented. In 2015, Legendary Pictures announced the two kaiju would share a cinematic universe linked by the Monarch organization. The series will culminate in “Godzilla vs. Kong,” which is slated for release in 2020.

“Kong: Skull Island” is directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts and stars Brie Larson, Tom Hiddelston, Samuel L. Jackson, John Goodman and Vivienne Taylor. The film premieres in theaters March 10, 2017.

Via Screenrant

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We can finally stop referring to the follow-up to Ridley Scott’s 1982 sci-fi classic as “the untitled ‘Blade Runner’ sequel,” because at last it has a name.

Alcon Entertainment and Warner Bros. announced this morning that the film is called “Blade Runner 2049.”

Directed by Denis Villeneuve (“Prisoners,” “Sicario”), the sequel is set decades after the original, and finds Harrison Ford reprising his iconic role as Rick Deckard. He’s joined by Ryan Gosling, Jared Leto, Robin Wright, Ana de Armas, Sylvia Hoeks, Carla Juri, Mackenzie Davis, Barkhad Abdi, David Dastmalchian, Hiam Abbass, Lennie James and Dave Bautista.

No other details have been revealed about the sequel. Based on Philip K. Dick’s novel “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?,” the 1982 film is set in a dystopian future where genetically engineered replicants, virtually indistinguishable from humans, are manufactured by a powerful corporation. Barred from Earth and relegated to performing dangerous or menial jobs on off-world colonies, those replicants that defy the ban are hunted down and killed by “Blade Runners,” such as Ford’s Deckard, who’s drawn out of retirement for one last job.

“Blade Runner 2049” is penned by Hampton Fancher, who co-wrote the original film, and Michael Green. Scott, who had initially planned to return to direct, is on board as a producer.

The film is scheduled to open Oct. 6, 2017.

(via Deadline)

The post Blade Runner Sequel Finally Has a Title appeared first on CBR.com.

Arrow has got a new look for Season Five. So, his police sketch also needs an update. Courtesy of Marc Guggenheim, it seems that DC Comics veteran artist Neal Adams has been conscripted by the local forces to assist.

Neal Adams’ Police Sketch For Arrow Season 5

That Gwen Stacy was returning in The Clone Conspiracy was never in doubt.

And it’s not like she hasn’t been cloned and revived from the grave before.

But this time… it appears she is not a clone. Although the difference seems specious at best. But she has her full memories up until death.

So… she’s a zombie then?

And that’s where things get interesting. Because Dan Slott is rewriting those final moments, from the original version, from Gwen’s perspective.

Originally Gwen Stacy was out cold when she was knocked off that bridge and killed.

So she wasn’t conscious to hear Green Goblin call Spider-Man by his real name, Peter Parker.

Until now.

So now it has been revealed Gwen Stacy not only knew Peter’s secret on the bridge but she fell to her death, hating him and blaming him for the death of her father.

Could that be the greatest betrayal of all?

Clone Conspiracy #1 is published today…

Dan Slott Radically Rewrites The Death Of Gwen Stacy In Clone Conspiracy #1 (SPOILERS)

As I’m sure you’ve heard, recently it was revealed that Wonder Woman has a more fluid stance on her sexuality. It’s something that many thought might have been the case for a long time, but it was great to see the official word.

And now the actress playing her has weighed in too. In a recent interview with Variety, Gal Gadot commented about the revalation, saying that  this makes sense.

It’s not something we’ve explored [in the film]. It never came to the table, but when you talk theoretically about all the women on Themyscira and how many years she was there, then what he said makes sense. In this movie she does not experience any bisexual relationships. But it’s not about that. She’s a woman who loves people for who they are. She can be bisexual. She loves people for their hearts.

That is a lovely, optimistic answer. A real finger on the pulse of the character.

Gal Gadot Says It Makes Sense That Wonder Woman Is Bisexual

John Wick 2 was a big draw over NYCC weekend. Perhaps besides Power Rangers, it was easily the most anticipated trailer coming out of the show, as action fans got their fix from seeing Keeanu Reeves jump into the suit again.

While we are still a fair bit out from the sequel, it seems that a future beyond that film is already in the works. Speaking to Collider, director Chad Stahelski said that the studio is already asking about a third in the film. He said:

The studio has asked us to put our heads together and see if we can come up with something. Winston’s [McShane] is a big part of the next one, so is Lance Reddick. We’ve got some ideas.

I assume this means that Summit Entertainment are pleased with how the second one is shaping up and are already hedging thier bets for more. That is encouraging.

John Wick 3 Is Already In The Works

There was news floating around this week that Sigourney Weaver might be joining the MCU. Well, it didn’t take long to find out what she is doing.

It’s been announced at the Iron Fist panel that the actress will be playing the villain in the series.

There wasn’t any news on who she was playing though, so you’ll have to keep guessing there!

Sigourney Weaver Is The Villain Of The Defenders