In the beginning The Otter created AFI.

And the internet was without form; and was void. And darkness was on the face of the forums. And the spirit of AFI moved upon SuperFly and Vader.

And then the Otter said "Let there be the countdown to SDCC." And there was the countdown to SDCC.

And Julius Marx saw the countdown to SDCC. And it was good.

What: Comic-Con International: San Diego, the largest comic book and popular arts convention in North America!

Where: San Diego Convention Center 111 W. Harbor Dr. San Diego, CA 92101

When: July 22nd-25th, with Preview Night on Wednesday, July 21st

Website: http://www.comic.con.org/cci

Why: Show me teh boobies!

Click on the thumbnails for bigger pics!













































44 Days Until SDCC 2011!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Gets New Writers

by SuperHeroHype

Jun 8th, 2011

As announced last year, Paramount, Nickelodeon and Platinum Dunes are teaming for a reboot of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Now, Deadline reports that Josh Appelbaum and Andrew Nemec have come aboard the project for a rewrite.

Previously, Iron Man writers Art Marcum and Matt Holloway were assigned to draft the project. It is unknown whether or not Appelbaum and Nemec, whose upcoming Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol is also housed at Paramount, will perform a page one rewrite or if they will update the Marcum and Holloway draft.

The franchise, which began as a black and white comic book series in 1984, rose to tremendous popularity when it became an animated series in 1987. Following the first live-action film in 1990, the series spawned two live-action sequels, a live-action television series, a second animated series and a CGI feature film.

Mike
(43 Days Until SDCC 2011!)

Leonardo DiCaprio Up For Django Unchained?

Source: ComingSoon

June 8, 2011

Rumors abound when it comes to the casting of Quentin Tarantino's upcoming Django Unchained, the writer/director's revenge-driven "Southern". Now Variety reports that Leonardo DiCaprio is in talks to play the film's villain, Calvin Candie.

The Spaghetti Western style story focuses on Django, a freed American slave who teams with a German bounty hunter to save his wife from Candie, an evil plantation owner.

Interestingly enough, Tarantino is said to have written the part of Hans Landa in Inglourious Basterds for DiCaprio. That role ultimately went to Christoph Waltz, winning the actor an Oscar. Waltz is all-but-confirmed for Django himself in the part of a German bounty hunter who teaches Django the tricks of the trade.

The role of Django remains uncast, though Will Smith and Idris Elba are said to chief among those in discussions to headline.

Brad Caleb Kane to Draft Daredevil

by SuperHeroHype

Jun 8th, 2011

20th Century Fox is moving steadily forward with a reboot of Daredevil, set to be directed by David Slade (Hard Candy, 30 Days of Night, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse). Now, The Hollywood Reporter has word that the studio has brought aboard a scribe in the form of Brad Caleb Kane.

Kane, a relative newcomer, has served as a writer on the television series "Crash" and "Fringe," but is, bizarrely, also known for being the singing voice of the title character in Disney's 1992 animated film, Aladdin.

The article suggests that Kane will adapt Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli's "Born Again" storyline, which ran in Daredevil #227-233 in 1986. The storyline involves an intense personal attack on Matt Murdock's friends and family following Wilson Fisk (aka The Kingpin) learning his true identity.

Kane is said to be a tremendous fan of the character.

More 3D Looney Tunes Shorts On The Way

Source: ComingSoon

June 8, 2011

Warner Bros. has announced this morning that more theatrical "Looney Tunes" shorts are on the way, to be animated with CGI and released in 3D. Two of the planned releases will feature archival material from the late Mel Blanc, who, responsible for a great deal of voicwork, is best known as the original voice of Bugs Bunny.

The cartoon shorts, produced by Warner Bros. Animation and directed by Matthew O'Callaghan (who directed the previously-released "Coyote Falls"), will be titled "Daffy's Rhapsody" and "I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat" and will make use of Blanc's voice via original songs he recorded in-character in the 1950s.

The third short, still untitled, will feature the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote.

"Everyone at Warner Bros. Animation grew up loving the Looney Tunes characters, and it has been both a great honor and an enormous challenge to continue the legacy of these animation icons and introduce them to a new generation of fans," said Sam Register, Warner Bros. Animation's Executive Vice President, Creative Affairs, "And to have the incomparable Mel Blanc voicing these characters once more is nothing short of a dream come true for all of us... This will probably be the last time that Looney Tunes fans will have an opportunity to see an original Mel Blanc short featuring these characters. We are honored to bring Mr. Blanc and his legacy to Looney Tunes fans once again."

The descriptions of the upcoming shorts are as follows:

"Daffy's Rhapsody": In the first of the new shorts, a persistent Elmer Fudd chases Daffy Duck (Blanc) on stage during a musical performance. The short features Blanc performing the song "Daffy Duck's Rhapsody." Daffy's Rhapsody is scheduled to debut in theaters on November 18, 2011, in conjunction with Warner Bros. Pictures' release of Happy Feet 2.

"I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat": A classic game of cat and bird transpires in Granny's apartment as Tweety Bird goes to great lengths to avoid the clutches of his arch-nemesis Sylvester the Cat. The short also features the hit song of the same name, which was performed by Blanc, and sold over three million copies worldwide.

Untitled Coyote & Road Runner: Wile E. Coyote's epic quest to capture the Road Runner continues in this all-new short. Will the Coyote finally get his paws on his elusive prize?

The below image is the first still from "Daffy's Rhapsody". Click on it for a larger version.

Edward Zwick Takes American Assassin

Source: ComingSoon

June 8, 2011

Oscar-winning director Edward Zwick (The Last Samurai, Blood Diamond) has signed on to direct a feature adaptation of the Vince Flynn best-selling novel American Assassin. The project is officially described as follows:

'American Assassin' tells the story of legendary CIA agent Mitch Rapp. Long before he began hunting terrorists, Rapp was a gifted college scholar/athlete. Then, tragedy struck and Rapp was recruited into the nation’s most elite covert operations program. After completing training designed to teach the kind of lethal skills necessary to target our most dangerous enemies, here and abroad, he is a man reborn with a mission of retribution.

Zwick has adapted the screenplay himself alongside Marshall Herskovitz (The Last Samurai). Both will produce alongside Lorenzo di Bonaventura (Transformers, RED) and Nick Wechsler (The Road, We Own The Night).

"The Mitch Rapp novels are as thrilling and entertaining as they are relevant,” said Zwick, “and I am delighted to be given the opportunity to translate them to the screen."


American Assassin is the eleventh entry in the Mitch Rapp series. Another adaptation, Consent to Kill is also in development by CBS Films.

Paramount and Twitter Team Up for Super 8 Sneak Peeks

Source: ComingSoon

June 8, 2011

Paramount and Twitter announced special sneak peek screenings of J.J. Abrams and Steven Spielberg's Super 8 happening on Thursday:

Paramount Pictures and Twitter jointly announced today sneak preview showings of the movie SUPER 8 for 1-day only on Thursday, June 9th, in advance of the film's scheduled nationwide release on Friday, June 10th. To promote the sneak previews, the companies have designated the hashtag #Super8Secret, which Paramount has also sponsored as a Promoted Trend, allowing Twitter's global user base a direct link to buy tickets to the advanced previews. At select, participating theatres in the United States, SUPER 8 Sneak Preview moviegoers will be treated to a free popcorn (with a concession purchase) at each sneak preview show. Hosting movie sneak previews marks a first for Twitter. This promotion continues a key partnership between Paramount and Twitter on SUPER 8. The duo joined forces in March for the movie's exclusive trailer premiere via Twitter, another exciting first for the site.

SUPER 8, from writer/director J.J. Abrams and producer Steven Spielberg, will open exclusively tomorrow, June 9th, on over 300 screens nationwide, featuring all 239 IMAX playdates in the U.S. and Canada. Fans can go to Twitter.com/Super8Movie and use #Super8Secret to share information about the movie with friends. To be among the first to see SUPER 8, visit Super8-movie.com for tickets and show times.

"With SUPER 8, J.J. and Steven have created a really fun and engaging movie for all ages," said Rob Moore, Vice Chairman of Paramount Pictures. "We are excited to finally get it out into the marketplace and using this sneak preview promotion with Twitter to kick start the film's release, is an unprecedented way to get people into theaters and talking about the movie."

"Twitter is how we hear about new movies and share our tiny reviews before the credits finish rolling," said Biz Stone, Twitter cofounder. "There are already millions of people talking about SUPER 8 on Twitter and Paramount gets that. Creating more excitement about the film with sneak previews and free popcorn is a smart way to make this film a global conversation even before it's released."

"Twitter has the incredible capability of spreading buzz in real-time, as well as fostering communal conversations that encapsulate large audiences in a matter of seconds. We believe these elements are key in promoting a movie like SUPER 8 that has such incredible playability and the potential for unlimited positive word of mouth," said Amy Powell, Paramount's Executive Vice President, Interactive Marketing Strategies & Film Production.

SUPER 8 is an Amblin Entertainment / Bad Robot production, directed by Abrams from his original script and produced by Steven Spielberg, Abrams and Bryan Burk. The film stars Kyle Chandler, Elle Fanning, Joel Courtney, Gabriel Basso, Noah Emmerich, Ron Eldard, Riley Griffiths, Ryan Lee and Zach Mills. The movie takes place in the summer of 1979, where a group of friends in a small Ohio town witness a catastrophic train crash while making a super 8 movie and soon suspect that it was not an accident. Shortly after, unusual disappearances and inexplicable events begin to take place in town, and the local Deputy tries to uncover the truth - something more terrifying than any of them could have imagined.

That Pesky Poltergeist Won't Go Away

Source: ShockTillYouDrop

June 7, 2011

Oh, boy. More crackerjack reporting about "possibilities."

Vulture caught wind that writer David Lindsay-Abaire was offered the job of writing the Poltergeist remake for MGM. Lindsay-Abaire - the writer of Rabbit Hole - did confirm with Vulture that he was approached, but no deal was sealed. Hell, he doesn't even know if he wants to do the job.

So, what's the point of the report? I suppose, if anything, it only confirms that the studio still wants to remake Tobe Hooper's '80s classic.

Juliet Snowden and Stiles White were once attached to script the redo, but sources tell us their script needed work and MGM was hesitant to move on it.

More On Universal's Next Wolfman Film

Source: ShockTillYouDrop

June 8, 2011

In March, we told you Universal was developing a sequel to The Wolfman for its home video division.

At the time, the studio was seeking writers. Moviehole provided an update today.

Michael Tabb apparently had a script for Universal, yet Moviehole says his draft is being reworked, veering away from a sequel and becoming more of a reboot that will be more in common with George Waggner's 1941 film. Tabb, according to his IMDb page, wrote the original draft of Troy and penned Ring Around the Rosie (2006).

So, we have to watch Larry Talbot struggle with lycanthropy for the first time again? Honestly, why not just do a straight-up sequel if you're going to put money into doing a period piece again? It's better than re-hashing the same story.

Filming is expected to begin this fall; a director is presently being sought. I'm suspecting this is still geared for the direct-to-DVD market.

Video, Pics: Walking Dead Season 2 Begins Filming

Source: ShockTillYouDrop

June 8, 2011

For the city of Atlanta, The Walking Dead is sort of a big deal. It brings business to the area, and traffic woes to local commuters. The CBS affiliate there recently ran a report on the principal photography start of season two.

They learned the next season, beginning this fall, will consist of thirteen episodes. You can see a gallery of on-set images - featuring the core cast and that RV - right here.

Click on the thumbnails for bigger pics!

Killer Elite Redo to Open This September

Source: ComingSoon

June 8, 2011

Open Road Films will release Omnilab Media's Killer Elite, the action thriller starring Jason Statham, Clive Owen and Robert De Niro and directed by Gary McKendry, in U.S. theatres nationwide on September 23, 2011.

Based on a true story, Killer Elite races across the globe from Australia to Paris, London and the Middle East in the action-packed account of an ex-special ops agent (Statham) who is lured out of retirement to rescue his mentor (De Niro). To make the rescue, he must complete a near-impossible mission of killing three tough-as-nails assassins with a cunning leader (Owen).

Ambience Entertainment, Omnilab's Australian production arm, produced the film.

From Newsarama:

TEASER: E-i-C Alonso Says X-MEN SCHISM is X-MEN CIVIL WAR

By Press Release
posted: 08 June 2011 11:07 am ET

(Open the image for a message from Marvel Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso, and click here for Newsarama's interview with X-Men: Schism writer Jason Aaron.)

X-MEN: SCHISM Erupts Into Civil War!

X-MEN: SCHISM #1
X-MEN: SCHISM #2
Written by JASON AARON
Pencils & Covers by CARLOS PACHECO (#1) & FRANK CHO (#2)
Issue #1 Variant Cover by FRANK CHO
Issue #1 Variant Cover by NICK BRADSHAW
Issue #1 Blank Cover Variant Also Available
Rated T+ ...$4.99 (#1) & $3.99 (#2)
Issue #1 FOC 6/20/11, ON SALE – 7/13/11
Issue #2 FOC 7/4/11, ON SALE – 7/27/11

Disney Hires Writer for Tron: Legacy Sequel

Source: ComingSoon

June 7, 2011

Although there have been rumblings that Disney was prepping a follow-up to Tron: Legacy, it wasn't a sure-fire bet that we'd see a third chapter.

Any speculation can be lifted, however. Disney has hired David DiGilio to pen the next entry. DiGilio's roots began with Disney; he wrote the 2006 film Eight Below.

With a visual blueprint of the world of Tron already created, THR says the studio will be able to keep the production costs down.

DiGilio recently sold a sci-fi pitch to Showtime entitled Last H.O.P.E. (the latter part of that moniker standing for "Hospital on Planet Earth"). He also created the 2007 series Traveler.

No word yet as to when DiGilio needs to have the next Tron completed. It's also too soon to tell if Joseph Kosinski will be back to direct.