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FlashForward goes on an extended break
14 hours ago
TV Series FlashForward is to go into hibernation over winter and will not return to our screens for three months, it was revealed today.
American network ABC said the drama wouldn't be back until March 4 in the USA. The UK is likely to see the show return around the same time, as it has so far been only a few days behind the Stateside transmission.
The show was originally set to come back in January. But, according to Variety, network insiders said the extended break would allow FlashForward to air the remainder of its 24-episode first season straight through the year without repeats.
It will also keep it away from any scheduling disruption caused by Winter Olympics coverage in February.
The winter holiday will also allow producers to give the series an overhaul. Ratings have fallen since its strong opening and co-showrunner Marc Guggenheim has departed.
Production was recently halted »
- David Bentley
Full moon for Fox with werewolf TV series Howl
14 hours ago
A New werewolf-themed series is being developed by DreamWorks TV for the Fox network, reports Variety.
Howl will be "an epic family saga about warring families of werewolves in a small Alaskan town."
It will be written by Joshua Miller and M.A. Fortin and reflects the changes going on in the country.
Miller said: "Alaska is a place where people disappear and now you know why. Metamorphosis and constant change is the basis of werewolf mythology and Howl is about the psychology of living with change."
One of the Fox network's first series was 1987's Werewolf while, more recently, CBS aired the short-lived Wolf Lake and MTV is planning a new series based on the 1985 movie Teen Wolf.
Warner Bros is also looking for writers for a new Teen Wolf feature film.
Werewolves are also to be found in Twilight sequel New Moon (in this case they are »
- David Bentley
New director for remake of Hitchcock classic The Birds
19 hours ago
It Looks like the planned remake of Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds is about to spread its wings again.
Production company Platinum Dunes - created in 2001 by filmmakers Michael Bay, Brad Fuller and Andrew Form - has been developing a new version for several years as part of its catalogue of horror reimaginings.
In Hitchcock's classic - based on Daphne du Maurier's 1952 novella - birds inexplicably gather and attack in a California town.
Tippi Hedren, star of the film, criticised plans for the remake in 2007, telling MTV: "Why would you do that? Why? I mean, can't we find new stories, new things to do?"
In June this year, producers Form and Fuller admitted to Collider that they were having problems with the idea.
Fuller said at the time: "Birds... What do they do? They peck and poke...so there's not a lot of variety as to what can happen.
"We keep trying, »
- David Bentley
Geek Gifts: UFOs, robots and mutants could make ideal festive treats
3 December 2009 4:07 PM, PST
Struggling for Christmas gift ideas for those who are also of a geeky persuasion? Well, here's a few possibilities...
Try the Alien Abduction Lamp (pictured), priced £79.95 from Firebox. Shaped like a UFO, with aliens peering out of the windows, you can switch it on and off via the antenna and also activate the pulsing perspex 'beam' which is levitating a cow into the craft.
Or there are Salt and Pepper Bots at £20 from Suck UK. They're wind-up robot salt and pepper shakers that march across the dining table.
Alternatively, if you love Marvel Comics mutants the X-Men, Play.com has X-Men themed headphones at £39.99, Wolverine cufflinks at £9.99 and an electronic set of Wolverine claws at £16.99.
And over at I Want One of Those, there's a 6 in 1 Solar Robot that can be turned into a boat, windmill, car and other forms, while a Robotic Arm Kit at £34.99 will enable you to assemble your own desktop droid. »
- David Bentley
Hancock sequel held up, says director Peter Berg
3 December 2009 1:22 PM, PST
Back in August, two writers were hired by Columbia to pen a sequel to the Will Smith superhero hit Hancock.
Director Peter Berg said the follow-up would expand on the original's mythology by introducing other immortal beings.
But he also indicated that despite the studio's desire to fast-track the project, all the key players were busy and there was no 'burning imperative' to rush right back into it.
Now Berg has admitted there will be a long wait for the sequel to come together.
Speaking to Latino Review, he said: "It's being written now and it's an issue of everybody involved in Hancock. There are so many cooks in that particular kitchen that it's so busy and Will [Smith] has kind of taken time off to be with his kids.
"There are so many people involved in that, from Will to his partner James Lassiter to Akiva [Goldsman] to Michael Mann, myself »
- David Bentley
Comics to screen: Twilight studio takes on Alibi, trio pick up Pied Piper graphic novel
3 December 2009 11:51 AM, PST
Summit Entertainment, the studio behind the Twilight movies, is to help bring the comic book Alibi to the big screen.
Summit has teamed up with Top Cow Productions and Mandeville Entertainment for the spy thriller.
The Top Cow comic, published last year, centres on government assassin John Stephens whose perfect alibi is his twin brother, a well-known socialite. Mandeville picked up film rights to the book in August, just after San Diego Comic-Con.
According to Variety, Summit has hired The Shield writer John Hlavin to pen the script. He is also writing the fourth instalment of the fantasy horror franchise Underworld for Screen Gems and is developing a Wild West screenplay called Gunslinger for Warner Bros.
The Alibi comic was created by Top Cow president Matt Hawkins and Michael Renegar, written by Joshua Hale Fialkov and illustrated by Jeremy Haun.
Top Cow hopes to repeat the success of last year's »
- David Bentley
Jeff Bridges reveals first Iron Man was made without a script
3 December 2009 11:43 AM, PST
Iron Man is not a household name like, say, Batman or Superman so last year's film adaptation was a surprise smash, defying the negative predictions of analysts and going on to make $585million at the box office.
This was more than the worldwide takes of Batman Begins, Superman Returns, either of the Hulk movies or any of the X-Men films.
Robert Downey Jr simply owned the lead role of billionaire Tony Stark who encases himself in hi-tech armour to become the eponymous hero.
And it's even more surprising to learn that Iron Man was made without a finished script being in place. That's according to Jeff Bridges, who played Stark's treacherous second-in-command Obadiah Stane, who adapts his boss's prototype armour to become the villainous Iron Monger.
In an interview with InContention.com, Bridges reveals: "They had no script, man. They had an outline. We would show up for big scenes »
- David Bentley
BBC conjures up a third series of Merlin
3 December 2009 9:22 AM, PST
BBC1 has commissioned a third series of the hit fantasy drama Merlin from Shine Television.
The second series of the Saturday evening show has been pulling in a peak of over six million viewers and a 31 per cent audience share.
It has featured a host of high-profile guest stars including Mackenzie Crook, Emilia Fox, Sarah Parish, Charles Dance and Adrian Lester, and continues until the finale on Saturday, December 19.
Johnny Capps, executive producer for Shine, said: "Merlin is ready to burst back onto BBC1 with more action, romance and, of course, magic to delight fans of all ages.
"After the thrilling finale of the current series audiences will be left wondering what happens next - and with so many of Merlin and Arthur's adventures yet to unfold, we can't wait to continue the story."
Merlin stars Colin Morgan as the young wizard Merlin, Bradley James as Prince Arthur, Anthony Head as King Uther, »
- David Bentley
Jeremy Renner on how Hawkeye will be modernised for The Avengers
3 December 2009 8:44 AM, PST
Jeremy Renner, who plays a hotshot explosives disposal expert in Kathryn Bigelow's acclaimed Iraq war drama The Hurt Locker, last week hinted he will be swapping bombs and bullets for a bow and arrows as comic book hero Hawkeye.
Renner said he had been in talks with Marvel Studios over playing the master archer in a cameo in 2011's Thor movie and then as a member of The Avengers in the 2012 team-up feature. He later explained that no offer had been made.
In a further interview, this time with SuperheroHype, the 38-year-old actor revealed that Hawkeye would not look exactly as in the comics (see image here), where circus performer Clint Barton dressed in a pointed mask and a purple spandex bodysuit to become the crimefighter, armed with a quiver of customised hi-tech arrows.
Renner said: "It's going to be modernised, it's not going to be the guy with »
- David Bentley
Ellen DeGeneres to get her own comic book
2 December 2009 5:40 PM, PST
Comedienne and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres is to enter the comic book world.
The 51-year-old, who is now also a judge on American Idol, will be part of the Female Force series published by Bluewater Productions.
The series tells the life stories of influential women in comic book format, with previous issues focusing on Michelle Obama, Sarah Palin, Oprah Winfrey, Twilight author Stephenie Meyer, Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling and Princess Diana.
Bluewater president Darren Davis said: "Ellen DeGeneres is taking the world by storm - Emmy awards, endless accolades, it all seems so easy. But Ellen's journey to get where she is now was not always a smooth one. She's felt the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. But through it all, she managed to stay true to herself and prove that she is a female force to be reckoned with."
Female Force: Ellen Degeneres is »
- David Bentley
TV icon Sylvia Anderson's new show My Fab Years
2 December 2009 4:28 PM, PST
Sylvia Anderson is well known as the pioneering producer who co-created many iconic sci-fi shows of the 60s and 70s.
These included the marionette puppet programmes Stingray, Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet & The Mysterons and Joe 90 and the live-action series UFO, The Protectors and Space:1999.
Sylvia, now 72, provided the voices for many of the characters, notably Thunderbirds super-agent Lady Penelope who was driven around in her six-wheeled, hi-tech, pink Rolls-Royce (registration FAB1) by a chauffeur called Parker.
Sylvia has now teamed up with composer and record producer David Courtney on a live show called My Fab Years to promote her new biography of the same name.
David Courtney will host the shows and talk to Sylvia about her life, aided by unique archive film footage of many of the classic TV shows she helped to create.
Courtney has worked with some of the music industry's legends such as Roger Daltrey, Sir Paul McCartney, »
- David Bentley
The Hangover goes on UK bus tour to mark DVD and Blu-ray release
2 December 2009 3:39 PM, PST
Bradley Cooper may have lost out on playing Green Lantern to Ryan Reynolds but he is stepping into another iconic hero role when he plays Lt. Templeton 'Faceman' Peck in next summer's big-screen remake of The A-Team.
If you recall the original 80s TV show, you'll know Dirk Benedict played Faceman back then - and he will have a cameo in the new movie.
Meanwhile, Cooper, 34, was this year in hit comedy The Hangover, which comes out on DVD and Blu-ray in the UK on Monday, December 7.
And to mark the release, a Hangover-themed party bus is touring the UK searching for the wildest confession of a night out and the most outrageous city. The tour includes two stops in nearby Birmingham.
The Hangover Bus will be packed with hangover cures, from the usual classics like water and energy drinks to the more unusual and underrated. It will be looked »
- David Bentley
Doctor Who: Dreamland - preview images plus David Warner talks role as evil alien
2 December 2009 1:18 PM, PST
Veteran actor David Warner has spoken about his role in the new Doctor Who animation Dreamland, which features the David Tennant incarnation of the Time Lord.
Warner played Ed Dillinger (aka Sark/Master Control Program) in 1982's cult sci-fi classic Tron and voiced the villainous Ra's Al Ghul in the Batman and Batman Beyond animated series.
He's also starred in films such as The Omen and Titanic and next year is set to reprise his role as Kenneth Branagh's father in BBC series Wallander.
In Dreamland - which is on the BBC website and airs on BBC2 this Saturday, December 5 - the 68-year-old voices the evil, cockroach-like alien Lord Azlok, as you can see in our exclusive sneak preview images below.
Warner (pictured right), a former Warwickshire actor, revealed it's not his first voyage into the world of Doctor Who, as he's previously done audio adventures playing the Time Lord. »
- David Bentley
Scarlett Johansson 'geeked out' over dream role as the Black Widow
2 December 2009 6:10 AM, PST
Scarlett Johansson'S role as super-spy Black Widow in Iron Man 2 has won over the hard-to-please fans since the first images were revealed of the actress in her skintight costume.
In a new interview with WebMD, the actress explained: "It was a whole new world for me, but I built a lot of strength, that's for sure.
"Working on the wires and being suspended in the air, you throw one wrong kick or punch and, yeah, you're out of whack.
"But once you're working with the stunt crew and they're going through the craziest stuff, you feel bad about complaining that your knee has been blue for three months.
"The guys doing the stunts in those Iron Man suits, they can't move in it and can't take it off. I'd say, 'Have you peed today?' and they're like, 'No, we can't move, we can't take it off, we can't drink any water. »
- David Bentley
Will Twilight's Breaking Dawn get made - and how will they do it?
2 December 2009 5:03 AM, PST
There's been talk for some time about how Twilight's fourth and final book, Breaking Dawn, could be made into a film and whether it's best to split the long, complex story into two movies.
Last week, I reported that Twilight actress Ashley Greene hinted that the studio was considering a two-parter, in the same vein as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
According to Variety, Summit Entertainment is definitely pursuing this idea and wants New Moon director Chris Weitz to return for both instalments.
The next Twilight film, Eclipse, is being helmed by David Slade who, for some unstated reason, does not appear to be the preferred choice for Breaking Dawn.
Weitz was next set to make a small movie called The Gardener, though a deal hasn't yet been done. If they want Weitz for Breaking Dawn, he may have to put this other project aside as they'll need to »
- David Bentley
Ryan Reynolds: Green Lantern will mix origin story with adventure
1 December 2009 6:18 PM, PST
Ryan Reynolds has promised his upcoming comic book adaptation Green Lantern will explore the character beyond the superhero costume but won't dwell on the origin story.
The actor plays test pilot Hal Jordan who is chosen to wield a super-powered ring when its previous owner, a dying alien called Abin Sur, crashes on Earth. The ring seeks someone "utterly honest and born without fear" to be the next bearer.
Ryan says he wants the film to have the same feel as Iron Man, in which Robert Downey Jr's Tony Stark was strongly characterised before he stepped into the hi-tech armour.
Reynolds said: "I think you [will] walk away from this first [Green Lantern] film, and the moments that you remember and the moments that mean so much to you, not unlike Iron Man, are the moments where the guy's not in the suit.
"That to me is the tough thing to get right. »
- David Bentley
Robert Downey Jr talks Iron Man 2 as new poster unveiled
1 December 2009 6:15 PM, PST
The first official poster for Iron Man 2, due out next May, shows Tony Stark's armoured alter-ego back to back with his pal James 'Rhodey' Rhodes (played by Don Cheadle) who dons a similar power-suit to become War Machine.
The film is directed by Jon Favreau and also stars Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell, Mickey Rourke, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Mara, Samuel L Jackson and Olivia Munn.
So what can we expect? Robert Downey Jr has been spilling the beans about the story and scale of the movie...
He said: "The first one was an origin story that was very plotty. [Stark] couldn't ever have imagined that he'd be put into captivity but he knew that with the right resources he could get out. But he didn't know what was going to happen when he got out.
"I think this one, from the beginning, is him very much looking at his own mortality. »
- David Bentley
Iron Man 2: Mickey Rourke's Whiplash unveiled in new Marvel comic
1 December 2009 6:10 PM, PST
An Endless source of debate, controversy and criticism is the way in which comic books are adapted into other media, such as movies.
More often than not, changes are made to simplify complex, tangled stories that have unfolded over many decades in the comics. Fans have often criticised studios over these modifications but, in my view, it's a case of whether characters are still recognisable and whether alterations work on screen.
The hope among superhero enthusiasts has been that Marvel would produce more faithful adaptations because it also publishes the comics on which the films are based.
But even Marvel makes changes. And the next Iron Man movie, due out in May 2010, is an example with its new version of Whiplash, a villain played by Mickey Rourke.
Iron Man's comics first featured a character called Whiplash back in 1968. He worked for criminal organisation the Maggia and his alias was Mark Scarliotti. »
- David Bentley
Director Paul Greengrass confirms exit from fourth Bourne film
1 December 2009 6:01 PM, PST
Director Paul Greengrass has dropped out of the planned fourth film in the Bourne series, it was confirmed today.
The news broke on The Playlist, which claimed Universal Pictures had upset Greengrass by not consulting him when they brought in up-and-coming new writer Josh Zetumer to create a 'parallel script' to the one already penned by George Nolfi (who co-wrote third film The Bourne Ultimatum).
The site also claimed the studio was unhappy with Greengrass for getting wrapped up in expensive, time-consuming reshoots on Iraq war thriller Green Zone when this was intended to be a small film made between the Bourne adventures. Executives wanted a tighter approach on Bourne 4 and there were 'creative differences.'
Greengrass's exit has put Bourne 4 way off track. Filming was due to start late next year but as there is finished script, it will be up to two years before star Matt Damon is »
- David Bentley
David Tennant's Doctor Who joins Tardis, Daleks and K-9 on new medals
1 December 2009 4:20 AM, PST
David Tennant'S Doctor Who is soon to vanish off our screens forever in a dramatic regeneration but he will be immortalised on a new set of commemorative medals.
Royal Mint is producing the limited edition Doctor Who items, the first time TV characters have featured on their medals.
They are being produced as Tennant, the 10th Doctor, prepares to bow out of the Tardis in a two-part Christmas special, The End of Time, that sees him regenerate into Matt Smith on New Year's Day.
The Daleks and the Doctor's robot dog K9 also appear on the gold and silver medals.
Commemorative coin director Dave Knight said: "Just as the Doctor is timeless, so too is the enduring appeal of the TV series which continues to entertain audiences across the world.
"We hope fans everywhere will find these medals a fitting tribute not just to David Tennant, but to the whole Doctor Who story. »
- David Bentley
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