Everyone's favorite Walter Mosley character "Easy Rawlins" returns to the screen in "Little Scarlet". This will be the second "Easy" novel to be filmed. Denzel Washington and Don Cheadle who starred in "Devil in a Blue Dress", will not return for the sequel. They will be replaced by Jeffrey Wright and Mos Def. The following plot was taken from www.imdb.com.
Janitor Ezekiel "Easy" Rawlins doubles as an unlicensed private investigator to help solve a brutal murder in the aftermath of the 1965 riots in Los Angeles.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Cheadle to follow "Iron Man" with "Avengers"
*Don Cheadle will see his new role of Jim Rhodes/War Machine in "Iron Man 2" continue on in "Iron Man 3," as well as "The Avengers," Marvel Studios' upcoming film about its team of superheroes.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Cheadle signed on to perform in the action flick after his deal to replace Terrence Howard in the "Iron Man" movies was finalized.
Marvel's current slate is designed to introduce superhero characters via individual movies that lead up to the characters teaming up for "Avengers," which is set for a release in 2011.
Downey and Cheadle are the first stars to sign on for "Avengers," whose team roster features such heroes as Iron Man, Captain American, Hulk, Wasp, Giant Man, Hawkeye and Thor. Edward Norton portrayed Bruce Banner/Hulk in "Hulk," but the actor-writer-director clashed with the studio over the movie's cut. It is unclear whether Norton will return for "Avengers."
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Cheadle signed on to perform in the action flick after his deal to replace Terrence Howard in the "Iron Man" movies was finalized.
Marvel's current slate is designed to introduce superhero characters via individual movies that lead up to the characters teaming up for "Avengers," which is set for a release in 2011.
Downey and Cheadle are the first stars to sign on for "Avengers," whose team roster features such heroes as Iron Man, Captain American, Hulk, Wasp, Giant Man, Hawkeye and Thor. Edward Norton portrayed Bruce Banner/Hulk in "Hulk," but the actor-writer-director clashed with the studio over the movie's cut. It is unclear whether Norton will return for "Avengers."
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Lee and Rickman Join Alice
Christopher Lee and Alan Rickman have joined the cast of Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland remake, DigitalSpy reported. Lee has taken on an undisclosed role, while Rickman will play the hookah-smoking Caterpillar, the site reported.
Eleanor Tomlinson is another new addition. She will star as Fiona Chataway, a friend of Alice created specifically for the Burton adaptation. Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Sheen and Matt Lucas are also among the star-studded cast. Alice In Wonderland is scheduled for release in 2010.
Eleanor Tomlinson is another new addition. She will star as Fiona Chataway, a friend of Alice created specifically for the Burton adaptation. Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Sheen and Matt Lucas are also among the star-studded cast. Alice In Wonderland is scheduled for release in 2010.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Joseph to the the First Doctor Who?
David Tennant hasn't yet abandoned his starring role in the BBC SF series Doctor Who, but rumors have already begun circulating that Paterson Joseph--who guest-starred in the first season--may be the leading candidate to replace Tennant as the 11th Doctor. Joseph would be the first black actor to assay the iconic role. Joseph's agent reportedy denied the Doctor Who rumor when approached about it last week.
When SCI FI Wire contacted Joseph directly, his initial response was a text message that said, "I am on a list of God knows how many others, but flattered to be considered." That was followed by an e-mail a day later, saying, "The news on Who was news to me as of last Wednesday, when my agent said they'd had lots of journos asking if the rumors were true. That's all I know, and I'm very pleased to even be thought of in this way. It's a blast!" The rumor, which should be taken with a grain of salt, was first reported by British journalist Richard Johnston last week in his online column "Lying in the Gutters." Joseph played Roderick in the Doctor Who two-part episode "Bad Wolf/The Parting of the Ways."
Joseph's recent TV appearances include the U.K. series Peep Show, Green Wing and Hyperdrive, but he is probably best known to genre fans for his scene-stealing performance as the Marquis de Carabas in writer Neil Gaiman's short-lived 1996 BBC series Neverwhere. Perhaps more germane to this particular story is the actor's work in last year's Jekyll miniseries, which was created by Steven Moffat, who will be taking over as the new Doctor Who show runner in the upcoming fifth season in 2010. Did that role give Joseph the inside track? Only time will tell. While many Doctor Who purists are already resisting the notion of a black actor taking on the role, the biggest obstacle could actually be Joseph's role as Greg Preston in the BBC's upcoming revival of the 1970s post-apocalyptic drama Survivors. According to the show's producer Adrian Hodges (Primeval), "He's a lovely actor, and he has immense likability on screen.
To me, he has hero written and integrity written all over him, and he's a great actor. We're very pleased with him, and we won't kill him off anytime soon, I promise you that!" The fourth season of Doctor Who will be released in the United States on Nov. 18. The series is currently on hiatus in the United Kingdom but will continue with a series of one-off specials, after which a new production team will take over with season five in 2010. --Joe Nazzaro
When SCI FI Wire contacted Joseph directly, his initial response was a text message that said, "I am on a list of God knows how many others, but flattered to be considered." That was followed by an e-mail a day later, saying, "The news on Who was news to me as of last Wednesday, when my agent said they'd had lots of journos asking if the rumors were true. That's all I know, and I'm very pleased to even be thought of in this way. It's a blast!" The rumor, which should be taken with a grain of salt, was first reported by British journalist Richard Johnston last week in his online column "Lying in the Gutters." Joseph played Roderick in the Doctor Who two-part episode "Bad Wolf/The Parting of the Ways."
Joseph's recent TV appearances include the U.K. series Peep Show, Green Wing and Hyperdrive, but he is probably best known to genre fans for his scene-stealing performance as the Marquis de Carabas in writer Neil Gaiman's short-lived 1996 BBC series Neverwhere. Perhaps more germane to this particular story is the actor's work in last year's Jekyll miniseries, which was created by Steven Moffat, who will be taking over as the new Doctor Who show runner in the upcoming fifth season in 2010. Did that role give Joseph the inside track? Only time will tell. While many Doctor Who purists are already resisting the notion of a black actor taking on the role, the biggest obstacle could actually be Joseph's role as Greg Preston in the BBC's upcoming revival of the 1970s post-apocalyptic drama Survivors. According to the show's producer Adrian Hodges (Primeval), "He's a lovely actor, and he has immense likability on screen.
To me, he has hero written and integrity written all over him, and he's a great actor. We're very pleased with him, and we won't kill him off anytime soon, I promise you that!" The fourth season of Doctor Who will be released in the United States on Nov. 18. The series is currently on hiatus in the United Kingdom but will continue with a series of one-off specials, after which a new production team will take over with season five in 2010. --Joe Nazzaro
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Don Cheadle Replaces Terrence Howard in 'Iron Man 2'
According to The Hollywood Reporter it will be Don Cheadle, not Terrence Howard, who will play Jim Rhodes (aka War Machine) in Iron Man 2. James Rupert Rhodes, who is one of Tony Stark’s closest confidants in the Iron Man comic series and who actually took over the mantle of Iron Man when Tony Stark lapsed into alcoholism, will likely play a larger role in Iron Man 2, something that was alluded to directly in the first film when Rhodes, played by Terrence Howard, looked longingly at the Iron Man suit and said, “Next time.”
Unfortunately, it won’t be Howard who gets to enjoy the expanded role. According to The Reporter “sources close to the deal said negotiations with Howard fell through over financial differences, among other reasons.” Cheadle, who was nominated for an Academy Award for his work in Hotel Rwanda and played memorable roles in Traffic, Out of Sight, and Crash, is one of the most highly regarded actors in Hollywood and certainly represents a continuation of the use of “A-list” actors in Marvel Studios’ films, something that was especially apparent in Iron Man (see “Heavy Metal Rules the DVD Charts”).
Robert Downey Jr. is expected to reprise his role as Tony Stark in Iron Man 2 and Gwyneth Paltrow will also be back as Pepper Potts. Director Jon Favreau is already signed for the sequel, which Justin Theroux is writing. The problem with sequels to extremely successful movies is that the folks involved on both sides of the camera quite naturally want a bigger share of the pie, which drives up production costs and makes the sort of financial success enjoyed by the original film a very difficult feat to duplicate.
Unfortunately, it won’t be Howard who gets to enjoy the expanded role. According to The Reporter “sources close to the deal said negotiations with Howard fell through over financial differences, among other reasons.” Cheadle, who was nominated for an Academy Award for his work in Hotel Rwanda and played memorable roles in Traffic, Out of Sight, and Crash, is one of the most highly regarded actors in Hollywood and certainly represents a continuation of the use of “A-list” actors in Marvel Studios’ films, something that was especially apparent in Iron Man (see “Heavy Metal Rules the DVD Charts”).
Robert Downey Jr. is expected to reprise his role as Tony Stark in Iron Man 2 and Gwyneth Paltrow will also be back as Pepper Potts. Director Jon Favreau is already signed for the sequel, which Justin Theroux is writing. The problem with sequels to extremely successful movies is that the folks involved on both sides of the camera quite naturally want a bigger share of the pie, which drives up production costs and makes the sort of financial success enjoyed by the original film a very difficult feat to duplicate.
Monday, October 13, 2008
"V" Returns to Primetime
Variety is reporting that ABC is developing a new adaptation of the 1980s science fiction miniseries V that is being written by Scott Peters, the co-creator and executive producer of The 4400. Warner Bros. Television, which produced the two original V miniseries and the V weekly series that aired 1984-1985, is behind the development of the new V as well.
The original V miniseries was an allegory of the holocaust and Nazi Germany, but Peters told Variety that he won’t be duplicating that concept, though “the new V will still focus on what happens when the masses have blind faith in their leaders,” and it will still open with shots of enormous fleets of alien spacecraft hovering over the world’s major cities.
The new series will center on a Homeland Security agent and her troubled son who becomes fixated on the aliens, though as was the case in the original V mini-series there will be a number of different plotlines revolving around various different characters both human and alien. Peters' new V series has nothing to do with the failed 2003 attempt to revive the property in a V: The Next Generation project that was created by Kenneth Johnson, the writer-producer-director of the original V miniseries.
The final episode of the first V miniseries scored a mammoth 40 share in the TV ratings and the series spawned a lot of merchandise ranging from an 18-issue comic book series from DC to lunch boxes, action figures, prop replicas and novels.
The original V miniseries was an allegory of the holocaust and Nazi Germany, but Peters told Variety that he won’t be duplicating that concept, though “the new V will still focus on what happens when the masses have blind faith in their leaders,” and it will still open with shots of enormous fleets of alien spacecraft hovering over the world’s major cities.
The new series will center on a Homeland Security agent and her troubled son who becomes fixated on the aliens, though as was the case in the original V mini-series there will be a number of different plotlines revolving around various different characters both human and alien. Peters' new V series has nothing to do with the failed 2003 attempt to revive the property in a V: The Next Generation project that was created by Kenneth Johnson, the writer-producer-director of the original V miniseries.
The final episode of the first V miniseries scored a mammoth 40 share in the TV ratings and the series spawned a lot of merchandise ranging from an 18-issue comic book series from DC to lunch boxes, action figures, prop replicas and novels.
Tokyopop Meets CSI
Tokyopop has announced that it will release CSI: Interns, a full length OEL manga tied to the hit TV property, next September. The new work will not be a straight adaptation. Written by Sekou Hamilton, who has a TV background, with art by Steven Cummings (Pantheon High), CSI: Interns will tell the story of one of a group of teenagers taking part in an internship program at the Las Vegas Criminal Investigations Unit under the eyes of Gil Grissom and Catherine Meadows. When one of the bodies in the morgue turns out to be a classmate, things get too close for comfort.
The CSI manga will be one of a number of such OEL titles that Tokyopop is publishing, including its Blizzard titles, as well as Star Trek, Labyrinth, Ghostbusters, and Battlestar Galactica. As is the case with Star Trek, Ghostbusters, and BSG, there’s also a licensee producing American-style comics based on the property; IDW has the CSI comic license
The CSI manga will be one of a number of such OEL titles that Tokyopop is publishing, including its Blizzard titles, as well as Star Trek, Labyrinth, Ghostbusters, and Battlestar Galactica. As is the case with Star Trek, Ghostbusters, and BSG, there’s also a licensee producing American-style comics based on the property; IDW has the CSI comic license
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Opus comic Strip Ends November 2nd
'Opus' Comic Strip Ends November 2nd
Breathed to Write Children's Books
Published: 10/07/2008, Last Updated: 10/08/2008 12:42am
Editor and Publisher is reporting that cartoonist Berkeley Breathed is ending his Sunday-only comic strip Opus on November 2nd. The Opus strip, which debuted five years ago, is the third nationally syndicated strip that Breathed has produced. His most popular effort was his first, the Pulitzer Prize-winning Bloom County, which ran from 1980 to 1989, and was followed by the Sunday-only comic Outland, which ran from 1989 to 1995. Little Brown has published numerous collections of Breathed’s comics including an anthology of the best Opus material from all three strips.
Along with Bill Watterson (Calvin & Hobbes) and Gary Larson (The Farside), Breathed helped create a new golden age of the American comic strip in the 1980s. He pushed the envelope by interjecting political commentary into the comics page, and it is perhaps fitting that Opus should end his comic strip career imprisoned by government authorities with his fate to be revealed only on the Internet and not in the funny pages.
In addition to his three comic strips, Breathed has also published a number of children’s books including The Last Basselope, A Wish for Wings That Work, and the forthcoming Pete and Pickles, which will be released on October 16th. According to Editor & Publisher Breathed is now retiring from comic strips for good and in a parting shot that reveals his liberal bent, Breathed vowed to do his part to overcome the current political and financial crisis by writing funny stories for America’s kids, and called on John McCain to join him.
Breathed to Write Children's Books
Published: 10/07/2008, Last Updated: 10/08/2008 12:42am
Editor and Publisher is reporting that cartoonist Berkeley Breathed is ending his Sunday-only comic strip Opus on November 2nd. The Opus strip, which debuted five years ago, is the third nationally syndicated strip that Breathed has produced. His most popular effort was his first, the Pulitzer Prize-winning Bloom County, which ran from 1980 to 1989, and was followed by the Sunday-only comic Outland, which ran from 1989 to 1995. Little Brown has published numerous collections of Breathed’s comics including an anthology of the best Opus material from all three strips.
Along with Bill Watterson (Calvin & Hobbes) and Gary Larson (The Farside), Breathed helped create a new golden age of the American comic strip in the 1980s. He pushed the envelope by interjecting political commentary into the comics page, and it is perhaps fitting that Opus should end his comic strip career imprisoned by government authorities with his fate to be revealed only on the Internet and not in the funny pages.
In addition to his three comic strips, Breathed has also published a number of children’s books including The Last Basselope, A Wish for Wings That Work, and the forthcoming Pete and Pickles, which will be released on October 16th. According to Editor & Publisher Breathed is now retiring from comic strips for good and in a parting shot that reveals his liberal bent, Breathed vowed to do his part to overcome the current political and financial crisis by writing funny stories for America’s kids, and called on John McCain to join him.
Saber Rider & the Star Sheriffs
VCI Entertainment is releasing the first 17 episodes of the 1980s cartoon series Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs on November 18th. Produced in 1986 by World Events Production, the company responsible for Voltron, and based on the 1984 Studio Pierrot anime series Seijushi Bisumaruku (Star Musketeer Bismarck), the 52-episode Saber Rider aired in the U.S. from 1987 to 1989.
World Events rewrote and reworked the anime episodes (it’s Fireball, not Saber Rider, who is the prime hero of the original anime) and actually created six new episodes. The first two-disc Saber Rider and the Star Sherrifs DVD set (MSRP $29.99) contains 391 minutes of cartoon action presented in its original 4:3 aspect ratio.
The Saber Rider series demonstrates that the outer space western was not invented by the creators of Cowboy Bebop, Trigun, or Serenity. The series is set in the far flung future in the frontier outposts at the edge of the galaxy where Saber Rider is the leader of the Star Sheriffs, a special unit of Calvary Command charged with defending the galaxy from the growing threat of the Outriders.
The key to this interstellar defense is RAMROD (voiced by Peter Cullen, the voice of Optimus Prime in Transformers), a giant airborne battleship that can transform into a mega-robot complete with a mammoth six-gun who transforms to the rallying cry, "Head ’em up, move ‘em out. Power Stride and Ready to Ride
World Events rewrote and reworked the anime episodes (it’s Fireball, not Saber Rider, who is the prime hero of the original anime) and actually created six new episodes. The first two-disc Saber Rider and the Star Sherrifs DVD set (MSRP $29.99) contains 391 minutes of cartoon action presented in its original 4:3 aspect ratio.
The Saber Rider series demonstrates that the outer space western was not invented by the creators of Cowboy Bebop, Trigun, or Serenity. The series is set in the far flung future in the frontier outposts at the edge of the galaxy where Saber Rider is the leader of the Star Sheriffs, a special unit of Calvary Command charged with defending the galaxy from the growing threat of the Outriders.
The key to this interstellar defense is RAMROD (voiced by Peter Cullen, the voice of Optimus Prime in Transformers), a giant airborne battleship that can transform into a mega-robot complete with a mammoth six-gun who transforms to the rallying cry, "Head ’em up, move ‘em out. Power Stride and Ready to Ride
Friday, October 3, 2008
Fox Opts for more "Fringe" Benefits
The Hollywood trades are reporting that the Fox Network has picked up the option on a full season order for J.J. Abrams’ science fiction series Fringe. The order means nine more episodes of the series will be produced and will air during the second half of the current television season.
Fox’s action is in response to the show’s strong performance in the ratings. After solid ratings for the two-hour pilot, Fringe did extremely well when paired with Fox’s hit series House in an early season debut (see "Fringe Up in Second Week"). Ratings cooled somewhat when the competition got stiffer, but they have shown steady gains in the past two weeks and Fringe is attracting about 10.7 million total viewers and is tops among all the freshmen series in the coveted 18-47 demographic. Fringe is the second new series to receive a full season pick-up—the CW’s Beverly Hills 90210 was the first.
DC Comics is publishing a comic book series based on the Fringe TV series under its Wildstorm imprint (see “DC to Publish Fringe Comic”), though a recent announcement from the publisher stated that orders for the second, third, and fourth issues have been cancelled though they will all be resolicited. Fringe #2 is now slated for release in January, and Fox’s decision to opt for a full season pick-up means that the TV series will be airing in 2009 to support the Fringe comic book series
Fox’s action is in response to the show’s strong performance in the ratings. After solid ratings for the two-hour pilot, Fringe did extremely well when paired with Fox’s hit series House in an early season debut (see "Fringe Up in Second Week"). Ratings cooled somewhat when the competition got stiffer, but they have shown steady gains in the past two weeks and Fringe is attracting about 10.7 million total viewers and is tops among all the freshmen series in the coveted 18-47 demographic. Fringe is the second new series to receive a full season pick-up—the CW’s Beverly Hills 90210 was the first.
DC Comics is publishing a comic book series based on the Fringe TV series under its Wildstorm imprint (see “DC to Publish Fringe Comic”), though a recent announcement from the publisher stated that orders for the second, third, and fourth issues have been cancelled though they will all be resolicited. Fringe #2 is now slated for release in January, and Fox’s decision to opt for a full season pick-up means that the TV series will be airing in 2009 to support the Fringe comic book series
Warner Plans 'Yogi Bear' Feature
According to The Hollywood Reporter Warner Bros. is developing a live action/CGI animated hybrid feature film set in Jellystone Park and starring Hanna Barbera’s classic characters Yogi Bear and his smaller, but smarter, sidekick Boo Boo. Ash Brannon, co-writer and director of Surf’s Up will helm the film, most of which will be done in live action though Yogi and Boo Boo will be CGI animated characters.
Yogi Bear’s insouciant character and vocal stylings were inspired by Ed Norton, the sanitation engineer played by the immortal Art Carney in the classic Honeymooners TV series (just as Jackie Gleason’s Ralph Kramden was “appropriated” by Hanna Barbera as the model for Fred Flintstone). Yogi Bear first appeared as a guest star on the Huckleberry Hound show in 1958. With his overly confident attitude (“Smarter than the average bear!”) and his never-ending search for “pic-a-nic” baskets, Yogi soon got a show of his own in 1961, a series that remains a staple on the Cartoon Network’s vintage-themed Boomerang network.
According to The Reporter Joshua Sternin and Jeffrey Ventimilia (That 70s Show, Tooth Fairy) are writing the screenplay for the as-yet-untitled Yogi Bear feature.
Yogi Bear’s insouciant character and vocal stylings were inspired by Ed Norton, the sanitation engineer played by the immortal Art Carney in the classic Honeymooners TV series (just as Jackie Gleason’s Ralph Kramden was “appropriated” by Hanna Barbera as the model for Fred Flintstone). Yogi Bear first appeared as a guest star on the Huckleberry Hound show in 1958. With his overly confident attitude (“Smarter than the average bear!”) and his never-ending search for “pic-a-nic” baskets, Yogi soon got a show of his own in 1961, a series that remains a staple on the Cartoon Network’s vintage-themed Boomerang network.
According to The Reporter Joshua Sternin and Jeffrey Ventimilia (That 70s Show, Tooth Fairy) are writing the screenplay for the as-yet-untitled Yogi Bear feature.
Neil Gaiman's 'The Graveyard Book'
This week Harper Collins published Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book ($17.99), a 320-page young adult fantasy novel with illustrations by Dave McKean. The hero of the saga is a normal boy named Nobody Owens, who is known to his friends as "Bod." Bod would be even more normal if he weren’t an orphan, who is being brought up in a graveyard by ghosts—and he dares not leave the graveyard for fear that he will be attacked by a man named "Jack" who has already killed Bod’s parents.
Gaiman’s fertile imagination is on full display in this richly textured novel, which includes a mysterious graveyard gateway that leads to a desert in which there is an abandoned city populated only by ghouls, and then there is the ancient Indigo Man who lives under the hill, and the unforgettably strange and scary menace of the Sleer.
Gaiman’s previous YA novel Coraline has been made into a stop-motion animated feature film and adapted as a graphic novel by P. Craig Russell as well (see “Coraline Set for Feb. 6th Debut”).
Gaiman’s fertile imagination is on full display in this richly textured novel, which includes a mysterious graveyard gateway that leads to a desert in which there is an abandoned city populated only by ghouls, and then there is the ancient Indigo Man who lives under the hill, and the unforgettably strange and scary menace of the Sleer.
Gaiman’s previous YA novel Coraline has been made into a stop-motion animated feature film and adapted as a graphic novel by P. Craig Russell as well (see “Coraline Set for Feb. 6th Debut”).
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