If anyone’s been listening to the buzz surrounding the next Marvel adaptation, Thor 2 has officially confirmed rumors that Chuck’s Zachary Levi will be replacing Josh Dallas as Fandral, one of the Asgardian adventurers fighting alongside Thor. Continue reading
Category Archives: Medium
‘Frankenweenie’ Gets a New Trailer That Calls Back to Traditional Monster Movies
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Disney has just released a new trailer for Tim Burton’s upcoming Frankenweenie, a child-like adaptation of the 1931 film Frankenstein. This trailer imitates the monster movie trailers of old:
Due to be released October 5 in the US and October 17 in the UK, the film stars the voice talents of Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara and Martin Short.
Click here for more details about the origins of the film and to see the other trailer.
What do you think of this new trailer?
Leave your thoughts in the comments!
The Dark Knight Rises: New Clips From the Film and Interviews with the Cast
The press train for Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises is giving away new footage and information faster and faster these days in anticipation of the July 20 release.
There have been quite a few interviews going around with the people who worked on the film. Over at ABC News, Nolan talked about the trilogy as a whole, the vision of the series he set out to make and his feelings about leaving it behind. For a lengthier interview, you can check out the entire press conference that followed the first screening which received a standing ovation from critics. It includes the entire cast, director and screenwriters where they talk about their characters, the original creation of Batman and what he represents as a hero. It is well worth the 35 minutes it takes to listen to. Access Hollywood also has an interview with Nolan where he talks about Bane as a villain, choosing the actor to play him and what he represents in the series.
Clips from the upcoming film have also been released on talk shows as the cast goes on the promoting circuit. The first shows Gordon and Blake discussing Batman, the second Bruce and Lucius getting a look at a new vehicle for Batman, and the last shows Selina Kyle and Bruce dancing while she justified her lifestyle:
Clip #1
Clip #2
Clip #3
Click here for more Batman news!
‘Mockingjay’ Officially Split in Two, Release Dates Announced
While all of us have been waiting with bated breath to see who would be cast in the newest installment of the Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Lionsgate have been hard at work making decisions about the future. Mockingjay, the third book in the trilogy and the epic conclusion to the story of Katniss Everdeen and Panem, will be coming out on November 21, 2014, but that’s not all.
New Images from ‘The Hobbit’ from Comic Con Scroll
The recent release of ‘The Scroll’ for Comic Con ’12 is a breath of fresh air for all of those waiting for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey to be released. For any who have been keeping up to date on breaking news and press releases about this film it is nice to finally be getting something other than bad news about casting, directing, locations, and so forth. This little teaser is exactly what the community needs to finally feel assured that this movie is actually going to happen.
Not only do we know it is moving ever closer to a release date but now also have an idea as to how accurately the movie will be following the book story. Jackson was generally praised for his skill at faithfully adapting the books to film, though many a fan lamented the few cuts and alterations which were made. The biggest question on everyone’s mind this far has essentially been whether or not Jackson wants to follow the Hobbit storyline as neatly as he did in the LotR trilogy, or if he even can do so and still make a good film.
The scroll release seems to allay some of these worries. From the left to right the scenes seem to fairly correctly demonstrate that at least the main structure, and some of the particular details which carry it, of the plot are being replicated on film as accurately as can be done. While designed as a children’s book, the Hobbit tells a story which has the power to captivate all audiences, especially those waiting to see on the big screen just how the events of the LotR series come to be.
The story told on the scroll is not complete, but it is a tantalizing and promising glimpse!
Have the pictures of ‘The Scroll’ captivated you? Which scene are you most excited to see? Let us know in the comments!
Simon Says ‘I’m Here’ in the cast of The Mortal Instruments
In a twist that surprised even Cassandra Clare herself, the casting for Simon Lewis has been determined for the upcoming Mortal Instruments film! Though originally this news was not supposed to be released until July, our favorite author/blogger posted the whole story just yesterday—and made no secret of the fact that she is absolutely thrilled with the casting (no sarcasm whatsoever).
For those of you who haven’t read the books (yet), Simon serves as the ever-loyal Duckie to Clary’s Andie. He’s the endearing best friend, sidekick—and happens to hold an unrequited love for the main character. And, per usual, Clary is completely blind to it all. To top it all off, Simon also spends a good portion of the first book as a rat—and I’m not speaking figuratively.
Can I get a sympathetic ‘aw’?
So who’s the lucky guy playing the unlucky-in-love Simon? None other than Robert Sheehan from Cassandra Clare’s beloved TV show, Misfits.
Isn’t he cute? And while I haven’t really seen him act in anything, he looks like he might be able to pull off the requisite endearing qualities, but what do you think? Are you as happy about this casting as Cassandra Clare seems to be?
Oh, and as an added bonus…check out the sneak peek movie posters for City of Bones! They have a certain minimalist appeal, don’t you think?
Lionsgate Releases Facebook App to Track ‘Catching Fire’ Casting
And right at the top is Philip Seymour Hoffman as Plutarch Heavensbee. We knew that he had been offered the role, and this confirms that he has accepted and is officially the Head Gamemaker for the 75th Hunger Games.
The app itself is definitely worth a browse. It has boxes for every tribute that they have yet to cast and clickable boxes for the characters that they already have, where you can learn about the character and the actor playing the role. What I found the most interesting is that there are two unlabeled boxes, one with a female silhouette and the other with a male.
I’ve been trying to think about who other than the tributes need to be cast for this film, and I came up with a few ideas. Spoilers, kinda (highlight to see text): There are the two runaways headed for District 13 that Katniss meets in the woods, possibly a brief glimpse of President Coin at the end, the whistling man from District 11 who gets shot and the Head Peacekeeper of District 12 who whips Gale.
Who do you think the blank boxes are for? My guess is that if they are unlabeled it’s because the name might be too spoiler-filled.
Leave your thoughts in the comments!
Click here for more Hunger Games/Catching Fire news!
‘You Can’t Ask Why About Love,’ According to the New Anna Karenina Poster
EDIT: Check out episode #16 Anna’s Love is a Battlefield where we discuss the novel and episode #19 All the World’s a Stage where we discuss the film.
The new adaptation of Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina released a new poster in anticipation of it’s release on September 7th in the UK and Nov 9 in the US. A few weeks ago, the first poster and trailer were released with a decidedly glitzy tone. The new poster seems to be stepping away from the grand-ness of the first, but keeping that classic period film feel while declaring, ‘you can’t ask why about love.’
With the title character standing solo center stage and the train baring down on her in the background, this poster reminds me much more of the images that come into my own head when Anna Karenina is mentioned.
What do you think of the new poster? And the new tagline?
Leave your thoughts in the comments!
The Secrets of Nicholas Flamel to be Revealed on the Big Screen!
To be perfectly honest, I wonder how many people immediately think of Harry Potter when they hear the name ‘Nicholas Flamel’. A month ago, that would have been my first response.
But now? My mind immediately jumps to the bestselling series by Irish author Michael Scott, featuring the famed alchemist and his wife, Perenelle, as the mentors of 15-year-old twins who are prophesied to be the keys to the fate of the world. With ancient mythologies meeting the modern world over an ancient prophecy, the first book, The Alchemyst, reminded me more of Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series than Harry Potter.
And I absolutely loved it.
Even better, this great read is now set to become a major motion picture! Film rights to the first book have been granted to the Australian studio, AMPCO Films. Production is due to begin in February, with Michael Scott himself in charge of providing the script for the movie. So hopefully, fans of this New York Times bestselling series can rest easy with the thought that the script is safe in the hands of the author. After all, who better to make sure that the film stays faithful to the book?
In the meantime, I highly recommend familiarizing yourself with Scott’s writing by reading The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, if you haven’t already. Trust me when I tell you that the elixir of eternal life is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the secrets of Nicholas Flamel.
‘Noah’ Coming to Theaters in 2014 with Sir Anthony Hopkins, Emma Watson and Russell Crowe
While 2007 brought us Steve Carell’s hilarious modern day portrayal of the biblical tale Noah’s Ark in Evan Almighty, 2014 promises a more classic retelling of the story. Darren Aronofsky, the director of Requiem for a Dream and Black Swan, co-wrote the script for Noah with John Logan and the film is set for a March 2014 release.
The cast will include Russell Crowe as Noah and pair him once again with his A Beautiful Mind co-star Jennifer Connelly who will be playing Naameh, Noah’s wife. Logan Lerman and Douglas Booth will be playing Shem and Ham, two of Noah’s three sons. Emma Watson is also attached to the project, playing Ila, which I’m guessing is going to be the wife of one of the sons.
There’s not much information on the project yet, but it broke into the news this week with the announcement that Sir Anthony Hopkins has joined the cast as Noah’s grandfather Methuselah, the 969 year old man who’s death causes God to delay the flood in mourning.
What do you think of this cast? Leave your opinions in the comments!
Cinderella Gets a Character Makeover of YOUR Own Making
There’s no doubt that fairy tales are getting modern twists nowadays—particularly in the form of the heroines. From TV shows (Once Upon a Time), to books (Cinder, The Stepsister Scheme), to movies (Snow White and the Huntsman), the heroines who were once so familiarly—and annoyingly—docile have been completely revamped. They have shown us that Snow White can kick butt just as thoroughly as Prince Charming.
Simply put, being a “fairy tale princess” doesn’t mean what it used to.
The visual novel Cinders reportedly puts the changing heroine archetype to the test—no easy feat, considering the popularity of the story. In my experience, Cinderella is probably the most retold tale of them all. Sure, we’ve seen an influx of Snow White this past year, what with the two new movies that have come out just in the last few months. But in general? Cinderella seems to be the popular tale to tell—and I think I’ve seen every possible take on her character. She was docile in the 1950 Disney version, feisty in Gail Carson Levine’s Ella Enchanted, and even a mixture of both in The Stepsister Scheme by Jim C. Hines—not to mention slightly OCD.
However, what sounds particularly interesting about this newest take on the Cinderella tale is that the player is given the choice to make the character into what they want her to be. Created by indie developer MoaCube, this ‘game’ turns the often-told Cinderella story into a virtual version of a Choose Your Own Adventure book, giving all of us fairy tale fans the opportunity to write the story our own way. Whether you want to follow the original fairy tale or you prefer to stage an intense Cinderella-rebellion, this game offers options for everyone and anyone.
And after you’ve written your ‘happily ever after’, you could reboot your own character and explore the path(s) left untraveled. The options seem endless, and I can’t wait to test them all!
As for you, what would you choose? Leave your thoughts below!
Update: Check out this awesome promo video for the game!
The Dark Knight Rises: Cast Interviews, Featurettes and Standing Ovations
With the release date for The Dark Knight Rises closing in, the powers that be are giving out tons of new tid-bits to amp up the anticipation. Although after the news broke that the first screening inspired a standing ovation from critics, I’m not sure it’s possible to be more excited.
But while we endure the next 10 days of waiting, we can tide ourselves over with 13 minutes of new footage in this featurette from The Movie Box:
And if that’s not enough for you, there’s always Jake Hamilton’s interviews with all the big names in the cast and Christopher Nolan:
(via Hypable)
As you may have guessed considering my previous articles about the possible direction of the film, I was particularly interested in learning more about the John Blake character played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. A rookie cop under Commissioner Gordon, he’s described as a seemingly lone optimist in a city of lost hope. I like the idea the he is a reincarnation of Commissioner Gordon the younger years, but I wonder if all the speculation around his character is for naught.
We do know, however, that the ending has been a closely guarded secret and for that to be necessary, there must be something unexpected coming our way. Can July 20th get here faster please?
What piece of new information rekindled your excitment for the film? Leave your answers in the comments!
There’s a High Chance of Getting Lost in Once Upon a Time
It’s common knowledge that ABC’s Once Upon a Time has been brought to us from the producers of Lost. And while some may delightedly bemoan the fact, knowing that the collaborative powers of Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis bring sleeplessness and anxiety with every complex plot twist and cliffhanger ending, there have also been some definite perks. Continue reading
Adaptation #12: AL: Vamp Hunt (dig)?
Episode #12 brings to you the host’s opinions on Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter the film and comes to the conclusion that we should write all the scripts in Hollywood from now on.
Download This Episode – iTunes – Twitter – Facebook – Tumblr
A New Moon Star is Reborn!
My prayers have been answered. My dreams are coming true. How many different ways can I express my utter delight at this information?
There is going to be a reboot of the much-beloved Sailor Moon anime, which originally aired in the early 1990s. (Insert high-pitched girly scream here).
Sailor Moon-creator Naomi Takeuchi made the official announcement at a 20th anniversary celebration of the show on July 6th, and I’m pretty sure my inner child has been fangirling about it ever since. Due to release the summer of 2013 in a simultaneous worldwide premiere, this new series will again be featuring the amazing songs of the hit group Modoiro Clover Z, who provided the theme music for the original anime.
Excuse me for a moment while I hyperventilate…Okay…I’m good now.
This news, while obviously bringing undeniable pleasure to Sailor Moon fans everywhere, also raises scores of questions. For example: When they say ‘reboot’, are they essentially modernizing the show? Will it have the same plotlines, the same characters? Will it start from the beginning, where Sailor Moon finds out who she is, or will it pick up after the Stars season? Will they use the English or Japanese names? The anime or manga plotlines?
The questions are endless.
And I don’t think I’m the only one who feels that next summer can’t come fast enough. Until then, I will be scouring the rumor mills for every additional nugget of information on the subject, and I invite you to join me in my obsessive venture. Or better yet, catch up on the original anime in preparation—I know I will!
OUAT Casting Never Rests! Sarah Bolger to Play Sleeping Beauty
So barely an hour after we posted about Jamie Chung’s casting as Mulan in Season 2 of Once Upon a Time, we have another juicy little nugget of news for our rabid readers. A Hollywood Reporter article reports that Sarah Bolger, whose casting credits include The Tudors, The Spiderwick Chronicles, and a starring role in ABC’s pilot of Gilded Lilys, will be joining OUAT as the quintessential narcoleptic princess, Sleeping Beauty. Continue reading
Once Upon a Time Prepares for War? Jamie Chung cast as Mulan for Season 2
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Remember a couple weeks ago when I posted that I – like every other Once Upon a Time fan out there – couldn’t wait for season 2 to start? Well, after today’s news update, that goes double!
So, let’s get down to business… Continue reading
‘Oz: The Great and Powerful’ Gives a First Look at the Land of Oz
Following in the ‘grand’ tradition of two similarly themed films coming out around the same time, 2013 is set to bring us two more treks into the the world of Oz created by L. Frank Baum. One is animated and follows the novel Dorothy of Oz by Baum’s great grandson Roger S. Baum. The other is the live action Oz: The Great and Powerful that we got a first look at this week with the release of its first poster.
Oz is meant to be a prequel to the 1939 film that explains how the wizard became the wizard. Directed by Sam Raimi, the cast will include James Franco as the young wizard from Kansas and Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams and Rachel Weisz as the witches Theodora, Glinda and Evanora respectively. Disney, as well as the producers of Alice in Wonderland are behind this film, and I think the poster shows it.
Written by Mitchell Kapner and David Lindsay-Abaire, it will interesting to see how the team approaches this classic story and the land that has become so iconic. I’m personally a fan of the casting, especially Michelle Williams as Glinda, as she definitely has a ethereal quality that I think is perfect. As for the poster, I like the direction that they seem to be taking with the feel of it, but that’s not to say I’m all in on this concept.
Oz exists in a purely 1939, advent of technicolor, Judy Garland-inhabited place for me and going back seems a little like messing with something sacred.
How do you feel about the poster and a journey back to Oz? Leave you thoughts in the comments!
10 New Pictures from ‘The Hobbit’
In case you’ve been out of the loop lately, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will be released this December as the first part of Peter Jackson’s adaptation of the novel by JRR Tolkien. The second part, The Hobbit: There and Back Again will be released December 2013. Though there have been quite a few photos released already, ten more have come our way this week, along with some matching quotes.
Martin Freeman admits he doesn’t think of himself as ‘particularly hobbit-y,’ Ian McKellen assures that Gandolf is the same wizard we all love and Andy Serkis inspires a little concern by saying that Gollum ‘lurks under [his] skin.’ Possibly even more importantly, Peter Jackson attempts to put novel fan worries to rest about the returning characters in the film by simply stating, ‘it will make sense.’
Check out all the photos and the full quotes at Entertainment Weekly.
Just because of this news story, I rewatched the trailer and am now extremely excited for December. There is just nothing like the look and feel of these movies to get your heart buzzing. Just because I can, here’s the trailer that was released last December. Here’s hoping we get a new one soon!
Do you have any concerns for the film? Tell us what they are in the comments!
Lionsgate Has Chosen Its Tribute: Jena Malone Offered Part of Johanna
Last week rumors were flying about who was the front runner for the part of Johanna Mason in the upcoming Hunger Games sequel Catching Fire. Today, the suspense, about Johnna at least, is close to ending.
It has been confirmed that Jena Malone was offered the part and is now in negotiations. Although this isn’t technically a confirmation that she will be playing Johanna, my guess is that this wouldn’t have been confirmed unless Lionsgate expected smooth sailing. Especially since the part will involve a contract for not just Catching Fire but also both parts of Mockingjay.
Malone has grown up on screen (remember her as the over-dramatic Anna in Stepmom?) and has a load of accomplishments under her belt. Most recently she played Nancy in the miniseries Hatfields & McCoys, but as we are talking about the badass Johnna Mason, I feel compelled to bring up her performance in Sucker Punch. Definitely Johanna-worthy.
I’m not opposed to this casting, though I will admit I was hoping for someone a little less well known. To me, Jena has a big presence that is completely her own. That is a great thing to have in Hollywood, but for a character that fans already feel like they know, it might be a handicap. Still, if she has the acting chops that I think she does, she’ll be able to pull it off.
UPDATE (07/23): Lionsgate Officially Announces Jena Malone as Johanna.
What do you think of Jena for Johanna? Leave your opinions in the comments!
Adaptation Podcast 